week 1 ( saturday );

[reidentify]

[... Lief doesn't know what to say, or to think, or to feel—nothing but cold fury now, and a drive to see the Chiefs pay for this. (They should have done better.) Other than that, emptiness. Still, he knows whatever he's feeling right now must pale into comparison to others; to one person, in particular.

Wherever Akira is, Lief will be seeking him out, not long after the end of the trial.]

... Akira...?

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[reidentify]

[Listen, as far as Lief knows, he's unintentionally damned nearly literally everyone he loves back home to death, so he's not really in a position to judge for not doing enough for others??

He knows that telling Akira not to hold it against himself (even if he's thinking that) won't do a thing, since Akira won't listen any more than Lief would listen if told that, so instead he says,]

Then, if you feel that way, do better from here. If Haru is watching [as spirits in his world have watched Lief], then act in a way you believe would make her proud. So grieve, as I do not think she would have wanted you to kill yourself inside, and then—be the person she came to be friends with.

[jokered]

[lief is right.

that's a very obvious thing to him. lief is right—he needs to behave in a way that would make her proud. that would make the phantom thieves proud.

he has to rise against the bullshit somehow. as joker, as leader of the phantom thieves—he has to be the leader and friend that he knows she cared so much about.]

Yeah. [there's not even an argument there.] I let my feelings get the better of me.

[he pauses.] I... was the one everyone turned to for stability. Haru, especially. [she leaned on him and counted on his steady approach so often.]

Without them— [the phantom thieves, his friends, haru and everyone else who really matters...] I lost my footing for a bit.

[it just means he has to learn from it.

do better.

support everyone else, because this is going to get more difficult, and everyone else is going to need support just as much as he's needed it this weekend.]

[reidentify]

And I am glad you have found it again.

[He doesn't want to see anyone break in this place.]

Of course, do not forget that we are here if you need support. But do not let this place warp you.

[...]

If anything, to remain true to who you are, and to never give in to the very end—perhaps that would frustrate the Chiefs more than anything else. At the very least, it is a start.

[jokered]

[akira listens to what he has to say—but pauses for a moment when lief says that. remain true to who he is, never give in.

right.

somehow, he still has to find a way to do that, no matter how trying that may feel at times. especially now, more than ever.]

Anything to frustrate them. To take away the satisfaction they're looking for—I don't want to give them any of it.

[reidentify]

Indeed. Of course, we must try to avoid anything that merits punishment, but there is no rule against not despairing, is there?

[He pauses, and then, in contrast to his determined tone, his next words are softer.]

... Akira. [...] If you would not mind, would you tell me about Haru—what sort of person she was like? Not why she was chosen, or anything like that, but her life as you knew it.

Only if it would help, though. If it would bring you pain, then of course, you need not say anything.

[jokered]

I don't mind.

[he says quietly, a bit softer himself.]

It's a little hard because... I don't usually have to talk about people that way. [at length.

but isn't that obvious? akira's a pretty quiet guy for the most part. he knows how to converse, but generally seems to be pretty concise and doesn't speak up all that much unless he really feels like he has to.]

Other people have asked though. I'm glad—people want to know more about her.

[she's a person worthy of that, after all.]

[reidentify]

... Would you like another hug?

[Because that's definitely on the table if Akira needs another one.]

I wish I had been able to speak with her more. She seemed like a very caring person.

[jokered]

I think I'm okay for now.

[he laughs, a bit weak and awkward as he holds up a hand. he probably needs a hundred hugs, but he's not going to seek them out.]

But you're right. About Haru... she was warm and very caring.

[a short pause:]

Very gentle and considerate of other people's feelings. But not docile; she didn't want to be someone who had no agency at all. She had a fire and a rebellious streak because she wanted to carve her own path and help others while doing it.

[reidentify]

... She sounds a bit like someone I know. [Marilen, namely.] People tend to underestimate gentleness and mistake it for weakness. From how you speak of her, I imagine Haru had proven that false on at least one occasion.

[jokered]

A lot more than one. She did it constantly... I think she even surprised herself sometimes.

[reidentify]

... It must be because she had friends like you that she was able to stand up like that.

[jokered]

[he nods, softly.]

She had a lot of support. I did my best to encourage her too, whenever I could.