[Oh, how heartbreaking. But Atsushi nods in response to being told that. Four weeks in, and of course someone would try to fight it if they knew what was happening.]
You're strong, to have made it for as long as you did. Mind control is difficult to fight back against.
We thought... will was enough. Will has always been enough. We tried to distract it... games... tea...
[ he curls that hand into a fist ]
I don't think restraints would have worked. Not against that... rage I felt inside of me. That... heat. It would have burned through anything. [ he swallows tightly ] The bruises on his back... I threw him. Everywhere. I'm strong on a normal day, but this? This was... visceral.
[ quietly ] I know he was trying to wear me out. Wear me down. I was trying to do the same when we ran through the library.
You both tried really, really hard. Even if it didn't work out, you tried.
[That does make a difference, to Atsushi. Actions speak loudest to him, and the fact that they tried so hard to evade the inevitable says so much about both of them. It makes Atsushi want to reassure Percy, even if he doubts that any reassurances can be had now.]
Was all the orange blood on the ground from trying to wear you out too?
[ softly ] It was the first thing I summoned... inside, I suppose I just really wanted Trinket with me. [ he glances down ] Faithful bear... much smarter than whatever beast I sent upon Chang Geng...
I'm sorry. I know it probably doesn't help much, but I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that.
[He's holding out his hand towards Percy now, because even if it's not touch week anymore he's found that having something to hold onto can help in tough times. So maybe it will help Percy now.]
[ he looks at the hand for a moment and gently slides it into it. gripping softly. ]
I'm afraid what will come out of me tomorrow... whatever happens... all I know is, if there's a monster... Vax'ildan will be able to kill it. I can only hope that that is how the die will be cast.
We'll keep Vax safe, and help him through whatever happens afterwards. And...I don't want to give you false hope, but if somehow you come out of it alive too then we'll help you.
[Because Damien and Riff both survived, so maybe there's a chance for Percy too?]
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Thanks. And I'll keep your secrets too, if you want me to. This one, and the other one.
[He glances down to the sketch he's working on.]
Since I feel like we have a lot more in common than either of us realized.
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[ he looks downwards at his hands. ]
We were trying to wait it out.
[ he swallows tightly ]
And I couldn't. It... it wouldn't let me.
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You're strong, to have made it for as long as you did. Mind control is difficult to fight back against.
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[ slowly, he sets the notebook and pen down and removes his left glove. there is a hole there in his hand. straight through. ]
That maybe I could withstand whatever this Prism put inside of me.
[ he lowers his head ]
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But it didn't work out that way, because the Prism got to you regardless of your past experiences.
...what did you two try to do, to fight it off? Did you restrain yourself with anything?
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[ he curls that hand into a fist ]
I don't think restraints would have worked. Not against that... rage I felt inside of me. That... heat. It would have burned through anything. [ he swallows tightly ] The bruises on his back... I threw him. Everywhere. I'm strong on a normal day, but this? This was... visceral.
[ quietly ] I know he was trying to wear me out. Wear me down. I was trying to do the same when we ran through the library.
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[That does make a difference, to Atsushi. Actions speak loudest to him, and the fact that they tried so hard to evade the inevitable says so much about both of them. It makes Atsushi want to reassure Percy, even if he doubts that any reassurances can be had now.]
Was all the orange blood on the ground from trying to wear you out too?
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[ softly ] It was the first thing I summoned... inside, I suppose I just really wanted Trinket with me. [ he glances down ] Faithful bear... much smarter than whatever beast I sent upon Chang Geng...
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I'm sorry. I know it probably doesn't help much, but I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that.
[He's holding out his hand towards Percy now, because even if it's not touch week anymore he's found that having something to hold onto can help in tough times. So maybe it will help Percy now.]
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I'm afraid what will come out of me tomorrow... whatever happens... all I know is, if there's a monster... Vax'ildan will be able to kill it. I can only hope that that is how the die will be cast.
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Whatever happens, we'll take care of it.
['We'. As in, all of them.]
We'll keep Vax safe, and help him through whatever happens afterwards. And...I don't want to give you false hope, but if somehow you come out of it alive too then we'll help you.
[Because Damien and Riff both survived, so maybe there's a chance for Percy too?]