We carry our sins in our backs [Possesed Airlocked AU]

[tacomeme]

[Everything was going to be better now.

They had defeated the ones that had ruined their lives, those trapped in the simulation were freed. Somee were going to go home. Some had new homes. Some were still figuring that out. And that was fine- they had time and the entire universe available.

Takumi was quiet.

Everything was fine, surely. It just took some getting used to, being back in a real body again. The PIPs were off, so while he was less powered then some, having his dragon blood freed was something to readapt to.

But with the PIP gone, something else came back. The headache that made his eyes pulse and his ears scream. He had excused himself from Finn some time ago, heading towards the storage where their gear was held. Likely he was eager to have his bow back.

Xander had followed shortly after, saying that... well, if they were both to go home even just to visit, it was best they clear the air between them.

It's been a long time. Neither has come back.]

Comments

[tacomeme]

[he flinched and steps away from her like she might burn him]

No... No. I know how to fix it. This... this isn't just about Hoshido and Nohr anymore. I used to think the people of my world were bad. But out here... it's even worse. We've SEEN IT first hand.

It has to stop. I'm going to stop it. All of it.

[cameupshort]

Taku- oh, shit.

[Attention, Champions.]

[The pit of his stomach dropping out into an icy void, Finn pushed his way into the room, a hand on Takumi's shoulder, grip unintentionally tight.]

No no no no no no- okay. Okay. We- we need to- kriffing shit- we need to clean it- or- shit-

[They can fix this. They have to. If no one else finds this it's like it didn't happen, right? Or- he doesn't know.]

This- what happened, are you hurt?!

[The unspoken question: tell him this isn't your fault.]

[desperateprayer]

Takumi. It isn't worth it. Trust me. It will never, ever be enough. It'll be a never-ending cycle of revenge. How many mothers, sisters, brothers, friends... How many do will you kill because of this? Violence... It won't solve anything here.

[ She won't lower her hand. ]

...We have to work together. We have to get the story out. They kept every reference of it not being faked off the actual show. Trust us, Takumi. The people who you trust, who saved you--and each other. Please.

[tacomeme]

Finn... Finn stop.

[he reaches out, grabbing him, dropping his bow so he call pull Finn to him with shocking strength. And burried his face in his chest, shaking.

The pain in his head flares, demanding he kill Finn before the others see. Before they can stop him from escaping into the stars to find a world without this agony. And he knows he won't be able to resist it for long.

But for now he just wants to be held by his lover. Memorize this feeling if he can.]

[cameupshort]

Taku, this- shit.

[This is wrong. The whole thing feels wrong, somehow, this has to be some kind of freak accident or something. But he lets himself be pulled into the embrace, gripping Takumi tight, like they were in danger of being swept off into a turbulent nothingness at any second. He buries his face into the top of Takumi's head, a hand twining into his hair almost on instinct.]

[He can make this right. He will. Right now that's something he has to believe is true, that Takumi can be saved from whatever's happening here.]

[tacomeme]

[in these small quarters dodging is hard, and her sword nicks him.

... But oddly it seems to do little, and a crawling weakness seems to strike her afterwards, the blade heavier, her limbs slower.]

You Can't win. Please, just run damn it!

[nojohnyouare]

Rgh! This...?

[Mai breathes hard and grips the sword. She shakes her head. Emotion starts to creep into her usually flat voice.]

If I run, it will follow. It won't stop at him or me. These people, you, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. So I can't run.

[tacomeme]

[he takes a deep breath, starts to reach out-

-and stops, hand shaking so hard it's clearly less fear or grief and more like physical agony. Like his very bones are vibrating. He yanks back, and in an icy tone the true Takumi could never manage:]

They don't deserve the truth. Only death.

[tacomeme]

I'm... sorry. I can't... go back to the Resistance with you.

[ nearby Xander groans, blood still seeping from the wound in his side- more then anyone else Finn knows Takumi's skill. He wouldn't miss this close with no outside distractions. He either didn't kill on purpose or... or he wanted the other prince to suffer]

Clarith I don't think diplomacy is going to work

[desperateprayer]

...Is that what Takumi--the one I think of and love as a brother--thinks? Or is that what his guest thinks? [ She has to be brave. She's terrified, but... She knows she can reach through to him. ] ...Takumi. I know you can beat this. You are far stronger than you think. So please--come back to us.

[tacomeme]

[He snarls, and in a way almost looks feral.]

No... no one else! Ngh...

[he grips his head, shaking it back and forrh]

Get out of my head!

[tacomeme]

Arianna..? Everything's okay. You can head back.

[fatherofsin]

So. I have a proposition, other Takumi, since I've no doubt you can hear me. But do stop giving the boy a headache, he might try to claw his own brain out at this rate. Mmmm... But will I be able to come out and not get shot myself?

[ He's being careful, ready to move. ]

[cameupshort]

This- no. We're going, together.

[Finn shifts back enough to look at Takumi, one hand cupping the prince's face to bring them eye to eye.]

Wherever, okay? The two of us, I am not leaving you alone again-

[He starts a little as Xander groans; a brief instant of relief quickly replaced with more fear and confusion as the implications lined up in his head. Takumi wouldn't be acting this way if this were just self-defense, but if he'd struck first-]

[None of this was adding up-]

Taku. You told me- told all of us, about the war, remember? About- how you'd died, before you ever came here.

And then you said you didn't want to go back to that, to feeling that kind of hatred.

[...sort of. More or less.]

That- I still believe that's true. Whatever- whatever happened here, whatever might be pushing you, the part of you that doesn't want to hate is stronger than it, I believe that even if you don't.

I said then I wasn't going to let you deal with it alone, and I still mean that.

[tacomeme]

...

Slowly. If you yell, I'll shoot you.

[tacomeme]

... I thought it was gone. That Corrin killing me was enough. But right when they took off the PIP I could feel it. I don't know if they rebuilt it with my body or... or if it's just part of my soul now. I thought... I could fight it now that I'm so far away from Nohr.

... But it... it wants everyone dead. All humans.

[fatherofsin]

If I was going to yell, I would have done so already!

[ Haha! He'll slowly come out of the vent, holding his hands up. ]

Soooo did you know what my power is? What I can do? If we could give you a clone body, I could easily move your soul into it. Did you know that? Seth Twiright, Apocalypse incarnate and sentient disease, at your service.

[cameupshort]

...shit.

[Finn's quiet for a moment, just resting his forehead against Takumi's.]

Okay.

[He's speaking quietly, foreheads still pressed together.]

That- I promise I won't let that happen. No matter what, okay?

[If he's even capable of that. He doesn't have any illusions about his own capabilities compared to Takumi's; if he had a blaster and a lot of luck, maybe, but he's still pretty sure that even success would involve following Takumi again sooner rather than later. Frankly, that scared him a lot less than failing.]

But it's not gonna come to that, okay?

[He has. The barest seed of an idea. It's probably dumb, definitely half-baked, and possibly more suicidal than his promise to stop Takumi's body from committing galactic genocide, but at the moment it's all he has.]

Because I've seen you. I know how strong you are, and it's stronger than this. The man I fell in love with didn't let dying three times stop him, and he wouldn't let this either. That- thing that's pushing you, that did this, it needs you to believe you can't win, but I know you can. Taku, tell me - which of us are you going to prove right?

[daughterofthemark]

I heard a sound as if one of you had fallen.