akira & gideon

[tearduct]

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[Why are all your icons so fitting.

He pauses once the bike is out of the door enough to close it, and he shoots a rather pleased grin Gideon's way.]

Wanna go for a ride?

[cavaliered]

[luck, mostly]

Uh, yes? Where'd you get this?

[tearduct]

It was in my room. It’s a bike Ryo gave me back home.

[He looks at it, and the smile falters a bit.]

I think I got it at Lavi’s expense…

[cavaliered]

[oh ):

... she's going to push past that. she doesn't want to talk about lavi, actually, like, ever again, goodbye.]

I got fuck all this weekend. Anyway. Let's go.

[tearduct]

[Hm. He glances at her curiously. He doesn’t want to talk about Lavi necessarily, but:]

You voted for someone else?

[He starts rolling the bike along so they can get it out of the dorms.]

[cavaliered]

[she follows, easily enough.]

Yep. The fuckass who killed him. [gideon is petty.]

[tearduct]

[Despite the guilt (and shame?) he can feel curling in his stomach, this gets him to grin weakly. In agreement. But then it fades.]

I think you did better than most of us then.

[cavaliered]

Nah. I don't think so. Nobody comes out good there. Either you voted for someone who didn't mean to do it, or you vote for someone who didn't do it at all. Everybody sucks here.

[she shoves her hands in her pockets, not looking at him.]

[tearduct]

[Well, as someone who voted for Lavi clearly, he still disagrees, at least about being more of a shit person, but he doesn't argue it. She's not wrong.

He wheels the motorcycle out of the dorms before pulling to a stop so he can mount the seat. The idea of huge Gideon behind him is so funny. He glances at her.]

Hop on. You put your feet here. [He points to the back.] Then hold onto me.

I can show you how to drive later maybe.

[She can drive her girlfriend around.]

[cavaliered]

[it is funny because she's so huge. she squints at the motorcycle, and then climbs on the back. she will, in fact, hold onto him.]

Fuck yeah, I'm holding you to that.

[a pause.]

I've never seen one of these before.

[tearduct]

[He peers over his shoulder. The grin from before eases back onto his face.]

It's called a motorcycle. You drive it places you wanna go. You'll like it. It's loud, though. And when I turn, lean a little with me. If you lean too much, we'll wreck because it'll get off balance. But don't worry, you'll be able to feel the way it moves when we get going.

[cavaliered]

[she's a quick study, so she nods when he tells her that.]

Got it. Don't wreck us. If I have to explain bruises I will simply perish. [she gives him a grin in return.] Let's go.

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[Imagine the dock is only like a yard away (no). He starts up the bike's enormous growl, then twists the throttle to start them off. Slow at first, picking up speed. Gideon can tell when the bike needs a higher gear from the strained roar it gives right before Akira lifts his foot under the gearshift.

It's nice. The ride is light and freeing even if they aren't exactly speeding a hundred miles and hour. She's bigger, too, so he doesn't block a lot of the wind.]

[cavaliered]

[that'd be really funny it's like time for a minute joyride.

anyway, she's not expecting - any of it, actually, she's never had anything like this, so she lets out a little yell, and then fucking laughs, holding onto akira as they go. okay. okay, yeah, she likes this a lot.

i hope we fall in a hole except i don't, don't blow up his bike]

[tearduct]

[Her laugh is pretty cute and delightful even if he isn't interested in her as a type. It's just been a long time since... things were good, so it has been a long time since he really heard much laughter.

He pulls the throttle down a bit more to give them some speed, and he carefully, languidly sways them from one side to the other.

No hole swallows them, but just as worse, a screen appears very suddenly in their path. He engages the brakes, not hard enough to fling them, but the motorcycle jostles them forward and then back when it rocks to a stop right in front of the screen. He looks warily up at it.]

What... the hell is that?

[cavaliered]

[she is a big fan of the swaying, if only because it feels dangerous, and surprise, she is a fan of adrenaline.

but they break - and she holds onto him a little more tightly before getting her bearings. she puts her foot down on the ground, and she keeps her arm wrapped around akira before reaching for her sword, like that's going to do anything. she's really cloud strife-ing it, now.]

A screen? Why is that there?

devilman spoilies

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[The muscles of his body tense, a little from the screen, a little egged on instinctively from Gideon also preparing for a fight.

The demon in him asked her why she was useless, but that's actually all he can think about of himself. Why is he so useless without being fully Devilman? Why is he so useless? If something happens, he isn't going to be able to help her with anything.

The knuckles of his hands gripped onto the handlebars are white as the screen flickers, and he flinches reflexively.

On a rocky cliff, a bright, blonde figure stands nude in front of Akira. They have the breasts of a woman, but also the genitals of a man, and somehow they are the most powerfully beautiful thing. Perfect. They have twelve feathery wings; two on the head, eight on the back, two on the ankles. They're familiar; the blue eyes look like the eyes of someone Gideon knows.

In a level voice they say, Akira, humans will perish. You must live with us. Behind them, a swarm of demons of all shapes and sizes hover; one hovers closer, a furry face with arms and legs and large eyes.

It is Akira, standing below them, clutching a girl's head against his chest with both arms. You want me to be a demon? he asks.

But you are a demon, the angel says, not a human.

Belligerently, Akira yells, I'm a human! You made my body into a demon.

It's the strongest instrument, the angel says.

My family, my friends, the person that I loved, I lost everyone. All because of the demons.

Oh, Akira, the angel says, lifting their arms, opening them wide. Let's live in the new world together. I made you merge with the champion, Amon, for that reason. Come! Their voice rises in elation, delight. Akira!

Power ripples away from Akira as he snarls, You're full of shit! The emotion pulls a different form up through him, something demonic with fur, and claws, and leathery wings. The force cracks the cliff between them, splitting it down and in two. You robbed me the most precious thing I possessed, he growls. I would honestly like to cry for you, but all of my tears have dried up.

I really don't want to fight you, says the angel.

That's not a problem--flames erupt around Akira causing the other demons to stir--I have enough desire for the both of us! Humans will never lose to demons like you. I will destroy you, each and every one of you!

If you make me your enemy, the angel warns, you'll die.

Akira laughs. Even if that's the case, I will definitely drag you down to hell with me.

You're going to regret this, the angel warns again.

The next time I see you, I'm going to kill you.

And, with no other words, Akira turns and lurches back down the cliff side with the head still cradled in his arms.

The Akira on the bike, stunned, stares at the screen.]

[cavaliered]

[oh.

well. she doesn't quite know what's going on here, but akira is completely still, and gideon knows from both that and what just happened on screen, this might take a bit of... not damage control, but something close to it. you know, like friendship, gideon.

she keeps her arm around him, and then:]

... Tell me that's not who I think it was.

[tearduct]

[Friendship, Gideon. Where is Sora when we need him to explain.

Under her arm, his stomach rises and falls as he draws in anxious, shallow breaths.]

Ryo...

[The genderless angelic horror is Ryo for sure.]

[cavaliered]

[oookay, well, she holds him a little closer, and then:]

Calm down. [it's a little bit of an order.] That's not him right now.

[tearduct]

I know! [Softer:] I know...

[He squeezes the handlebars, head lowering. Why is he being shown this? Why does he have to see something that still cuts so fresh and deep within him?]

I was... useless, [he growls through his teeth, voice tight.] I... couldn't... I couldn't save them!

[The muscles in his back and stomach ripple under her arm, as if something under the skin will surface, will split him open, but nothing happens. Nothing appears, nothing changes.]

[cavaliered]

[hm, not letting go!]

Quit that. [her lips purse.] You weren't. I've seen you, you probably did what you could and more.

[tearduct]

Nnng...

[At the same time he suddenly jerks down the throttle, he lifts both of his legs. Thankfully, Gideon is holding on already. The bike lurches forward and takes off, busting through the non-corporeal screen which shatters into fading shards.

He speeds them along the path, frustrated. Faster. Faster. Outrunning the screen, the memory.

They barrel along, and he keeps going, but in the distance another screen appears. He leans heavy in one direction, careening the bike over to pass it on one side. He keeps going. Another screen, or maybe the same one, appears again in front of him. He dodges it to one side. He keeps going.

Another screen appears.

But this time he grips onto the brakes gently to bring them to a quick, but not harsh stop in front of it.]

[cavaliered]

[she sort of yelps a little at the shards of screen, but - it's fine. she understands not wanting to see this, not wanting your failures up on the screen, not wanting to have to let everybody around you see it.]

Don't run from it. [she says, finally, when they've come to a stop.] ... Akira.

[ ): ]

[tearduct]

[Run from your problems, right.

He grips the handlebars like before, but he doesn't drop his head. His shoulder tense back, then relax.]

I'm okay.