{ Intractable }
Title: Intractable
Fandom: Persona 3
Characters: Shinjiro Aragaki, Akihiko Sanada
Word Count: 621
Comm & Prompt: 78_tarot : King of Wands
Rating: PG13
"Ken Amada joined the team." Akihiko shrugged as the two of them conversed in the alley in Port Island Station. "Just thought that you might be intyerested to know that someone isn't letting their past the better of them."
Shinjiro took a step back. "No way."
If Ken had his own Persona, then there was no way that the kid wouldn't eventually find out what had happened to his mother. Damn it, it was like fate or some other sadistic bastard had planned this all out from the start. He swallowed, looked up at his friend with hooded eyes, measuring the situation. Akihiko seemed cocky as usual, thinking that he was playing the inspiration card. The boxer couldn't know what machinations were going on behind the scenes.
Akihiko was trying to get him to get over his guilt, but Shinjiro wasn't anywhere close to doing that. No, what his friend had done was let him know that Ken would soon be coming for him. It didn't take a genius to know that the kid would figure it out sooner rather than later, and when he did, Shinjiro had a feeling that he knew exactly what day the kid would choose to confront him about it.
He drew in a breath. So what, did it matter if he was on SEES or not? He'd spent all this time trying to figure out how to make up for what he did nearly two years ago, but now that the solution is finally within reach he started to wonder why he felt so pressured. Hadn't he just been waiting for his time to run out anyway? Hadn't he been making it easier by taking those pills, cutting everything off?
"Ha ha, as Junpei would say, 'believe it or don't.' Still, seriously, Shinji," Akihiko grinned, "people can change. Ken's a really mature kid now. He's been through a lot of tough stuff, but he made the decision to join us all on his own."
"Yeah, I'll bet." Shinjiro muttered darkly.
He had a feeling that he knew exactly why Ken had been so eager to join SEES. Hell, the kid might already know what had happened.
In that case, what use was staying here? This alley wasn't going anywhere, wasn't doing anything. If the kid already knew who was to blame, then maybe Shinjiro should get to know him better. Taking a life wasn't an easy thing to deal with, and even if it meant evening the score, finally getting things settled between the two of them, Shinjiro wanted the kid to understand what killing, even accidental, did to a person.
It wasn't the easier path, but it was the right one.
"You still keep my room open?"
Akihiko's mouth was wide open. "Uh, yeah! Shinji, are you seriously...?"
"Do I look like I don't mean it?" He rolled his eyes. "Come on, you've gotta bring me up to date on that tower, right?"
And as Akihiko spun off into tales of the team's daring exploits in exploring farther and farther up the tower, Shinjiro hoped that he had made the right choice. He looked back once at the alley, then turned abruptly away. This was what he had been waiting for, the chance he'd have to even out the scales. There could be no hesitation, not now.
He curled his hands into fists, then let the tension go.
After all, when he said that he was serious about what he'd done back then, did he look like he didn't mean it?
Fandom: Persona 3
Characters: Shinjiro Aragaki, Akihiko Sanada
Word Count: 621
Comm & Prompt: 78_tarot : King of Wands
Rating: PG13
"Ken Amada joined the team." Akihiko shrugged as the two of them conversed in the alley in Port Island Station. "Just thought that you might be intyerested to know that someone isn't letting their past the better of them."
Shinjiro took a step back. "No way."
If Ken had his own Persona, then there was no way that the kid wouldn't eventually find out what had happened to his mother. Damn it, it was like fate or some other sadistic bastard had planned this all out from the start. He swallowed, looked up at his friend with hooded eyes, measuring the situation. Akihiko seemed cocky as usual, thinking that he was playing the inspiration card. The boxer couldn't know what machinations were going on behind the scenes.
Akihiko was trying to get him to get over his guilt, but Shinjiro wasn't anywhere close to doing that. No, what his friend had done was let him know that Ken would soon be coming for him. It didn't take a genius to know that the kid would figure it out sooner rather than later, and when he did, Shinjiro had a feeling that he knew exactly what day the kid would choose to confront him about it.
He drew in a breath. So what, did it matter if he was on SEES or not? He'd spent all this time trying to figure out how to make up for what he did nearly two years ago, but now that the solution is finally within reach he started to wonder why he felt so pressured. Hadn't he just been waiting for his time to run out anyway? Hadn't he been making it easier by taking those pills, cutting everything off?
"Ha ha, as Junpei would say, 'believe it or don't.' Still, seriously, Shinji," Akihiko grinned, "people can change. Ken's a really mature kid now. He's been through a lot of tough stuff, but he made the decision to join us all on his own."
"Yeah, I'll bet." Shinjiro muttered darkly.
He had a feeling that he knew exactly why Ken had been so eager to join SEES. Hell, the kid might already know what had happened.
In that case, what use was staying here? This alley wasn't going anywhere, wasn't doing anything. If the kid already knew who was to blame, then maybe Shinjiro should get to know him better. Taking a life wasn't an easy thing to deal with, and even if it meant evening the score, finally getting things settled between the two of them, Shinjiro wanted the kid to understand what killing, even accidental, did to a person.
It wasn't the easier path, but it was the right one.
"You still keep my room open?"
Akihiko's mouth was wide open. "Uh, yeah! Shinji, are you seriously...?"
"Do I look like I don't mean it?" He rolled his eyes. "Come on, you've gotta bring me up to date on that tower, right?"
And as Akihiko spun off into tales of the team's daring exploits in exploring farther and farther up the tower, Shinjiro hoped that he had made the right choice. He looked back once at the alley, then turned abruptly away. This was what he had been waiting for, the chance he'd have to even out the scales. There could be no hesitation, not now.
He curled his hands into fists, then let the tension go.
After all, when he said that he was serious about what he'd done back then, did he look like he didn't mean it?