What you want, and what you can take. [Envy]

[1in_perfection]

Mitsuru has to take several breaths when she steps into…Well, wherever it is that they are now. The air feels different from the city outside; less dusty, more sterilized, and what bleach might feel like if it was breathable. It takes her lungs several tries to get used to the change, and her eyes have to blink before they can take in how eye

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[intothering]

Akihiko sighs as he enters the new area and doesn't spot any monsters. They might actually get a rest.

"Maybe they're being nice to us for once." That would be a welcome change from the way everything else has gone.

"Either way, I'm going to take advantage of it." He reaches into the bag he somehow managed to hang onto, and pulls out one of the shirts. With a few quick slashes of the knife, he turns into a bandage he ties clumsily around his stomach. It's a makeshift job, but it's better than nothing.

He takes out another of the shirts and shrugs out of his jacket. He stops before actually taking off his shirt. "Uh, mind turning around?"

[1in_perfection]

Mitsuru raises an eyebrow in response to that request, and shakes her head.

“Akihiko, given the current state of your…” She pauses and considers the rags he currently has on. “What used to be your shirt, do you really think seeing you without it would make that much of a difference?” The word ‘modesty’ doesn’t enter into her mind, so much as wondering if he might try something with her back turned, or if this is another scheme in getting her to do whatever it is he wants.

…Her head has been full of those thoughts for quite some time now. And although Mitsuru doesn’t realize it, they’re starting to take their toll on her. Her eyes are a bit more shifty, and despite being in what looks like a ‘safe’ zone, her muscles haven’t unwound by a fraction.

[intothering]

Akihiko grits his teeth. Mitsuru is starting to act ridiculous. "It's a simple request. Turn around for one minute while I change my shirt." Maybe his shirt isn't more than rags, but it's the principle of the thing.

Then again, when has she ever had to do something she didn't want to? She's always had other people do those things for her...including me.

[1in_perfection]

“And I’m stating simple facts; removing a few scraps of cloth isn’t going to compromise your modesty by much.” She was still investigating the room, looking for anything that could be remotely threatening. (As long as it doesn’t mean turning her back.)

But now, she stops doing that and looks straight at Akihiko. Maybe it’s to act completely counter to his request, but also so she can lock eyes with him.

[intothering]

He doesn't move to change and he doesn't look away.

She thinks she has all the power here, doesn't she? And why not? She's had power all her life, just because of who she is. Didn't have to work for it, didn't have to earn it. Just had to say her name was Kirijo, and people fell all over themselves to help her. Well damn if I'm going to give in. He doesn't notice his hands tighten into fists at his sides. I had to earn every scrap of what I have. And it's about time that she actually acknowledges me.

As his memory offers up images of how Mitsuru has been treating him the entire time they've been stuck in here, his anger only increases. "For once, will you do something just because I ask you to?"

[1in_perfection]

“No, I won’t.” She stares right back, trying to make herself blink as few times as possible.

“Do you think that I’ll just set aside what all you’ve done? You keep putting us at risk, with everything you want to do.”

[He almost killed you when he went into the forest. He pushed you around in the banquet hall like you were something of his. Don’t let him go any further with it. Stop him, and put him back out of control however you have to.]

“Sanada, this isn’t the time or place for requests. So settle back down into your proper place, and stay there until we get out of this mess.”

[intothering]

Akihiko lets the shirt drop to the floor. "My proper place? What the hell do you know about where I belong? You've had everything handed to you. Mitsuru Kirijo, the precious heir to the prestigious Kirijo group." He bows shortly, mockingly. "Well, excuse me, Princess. I'm sorry I couldn't have been born into such privilege. I'm sorry my parents didn't raise me better, to know my proper place. Oh, of course, they couldn't...because they're dead! What have you done to deserve any of what you have?"

[1in_perfection]

She can feel something in the back of her mind, somewhere down in the base of it, give off a high keening wail. The sound is long and shrill in her ears, like thin ice that’s finally had to much weight pressed on it and is going to break.

And whatever is close to it won’t be well off once that happens.

[Beat him down. Beat him down into submission NOW. Force is what he knows. It’s all he knows. So use it!]

“I learned how to use that.” Her hand and arm both snap out, pointing to the Evoker at Akihiko’s hip. “That’s why I have the right to so much; because I learned how to control her. And I’ll exercise that right, if I have to.” She takes one step, then another with each word, until she’s close enough to dart in and snatch the gun if things take a turn for the worse.

[intothering]

Akihiko steps back, his hand going to cover the Evoker. I'm not well enough to summon...but she can't get it, no matter what!

"You're not the only one who's had to learn how to use one of these. You were the one who gave this to me. You were the one who dragged me into this entire nightmare. And not just me!"

"Shinji! Where are you going? Why are you doing this?"

"You brought Shinji into all of it! The last bit of my family, and you destroyed him!"

As he's shouting, Akihiko tries to adjust the holster to move the Evoker more towards his back, away from her. He suddenly winces, and blood stains the fabric over his stomach.

[1in_perfection]

Her blood starts to pound in her ears when she hears about Aragaki, and how it's somehow her fault. The hand around the steel pipe is going white at the knuckles and fingers, given how tightly she's squeezing it.

"Whether I dragged you into this or not, you trusted and obeyed me. And you'll keep doing it if you're remotely smart, or if you want either of us to survive this."

Her eyes dart to Akihiko's wounds for a second, before going back up to meet his eyes.

"So stop blustering and acting like you're in control. You're bleeding badly enough as it is, without making it any worse."

[intothering]

His left hand is still on the grip of the Evoker, his right pressed against his stomach.

"No matter how badly I'm bleeding, I know how to function. I have your family to thank for that, don't I? This certainly isn't the first time I've bled this much."

He notes her grip on the pipe, and he automatically sets his feet. "And I can certainly fight better than you can, even so injured. Didn't you forget to bring your radio with you?"

[1in_perfection]

There isn't any response from Mitsuru. No clever words, or demands. The only real reaction from her is in her eyes, and how they dilate and cloud over with pure, unmistakable rage.

That pressure in her head finally snaps, and with it goes her ability to argue. Or the ability to think, except that she needs to shut him up, and put him back under her authority.

Or kill him, and make him a non-issue. The worm chewing on the back of her head, whispering those two thoughts over and over, isn’t particular on which.

Even with the cramped space between them, she manages to get the improvised weapon up, and send it swinging at his ribs.

[intothering]

He's a little slow lifting his arm to deflect the blow. Instead it glances off his arm before slamming into his ribs. It hits both areas with enough force to probably bruise down to the bone, but nothing feels broken.

He hesitates slightly. If he closes in, she could make a grab for the Evoker, but long range fighting favors her pipe over his fists. The pain from his stomach convinces him he has to end this quickly, which suits him just fine.

Akihiko rushes her, his right arm pulled back to attack.

[1in_perfection]

And Mitsuru reacts to that in a slightly odd fashion; namely, she drops her weapon, and also closes in on him. But she doesn't bring her fists up against him, or tries to use her feet.

Instead, she slams into him, shoulder first. Her free hand goes grasping for the Evoker, trying to grab onto it and pull it free. The other stays pressed against him, trying to over balance Akihiko, and get him off his feet.

[intothering]

Akihiko grins as they slam into each other. His left hand grabs the wrist going for the Evoker, and instead of punching her, wraps his right arm around her and allows himself to overbalance, dragging her down with him.

He tries to twist in midair to make her take the brunt of the fall.

[1in_perfection]

There’s a reason why Mitsuru studied fencing over hand to hand; partially because of elegance, but also because she found it was easier to keep her balance with that style. She barely feels his arm go around her, and is more focused on shoving him then worrying about where she’s standing.

When she gets Akihiko to fall over, she feels a moment of satisfaction…Which is swiftly knocked out of her, along with all the air in her lungs when they hit the ground.

Mitsuru gasps for air, her hand still clawing for the Evoker, trying to find it. It takes all of her strength to try and get a good breath, along with trying to hold him away from where she is.