Calling the Old Man Out

[foolishjustice]

[Goro has barely been seen since getting back from the Fissure, only leaving his room briefly to eat a couple times a day, coffee in hand and looking half asleep. Now, though, he seems to finally be properly awake...at approximately 8PM.]

Good...erm, evening, I suppose. I’m sorry I’ve been so absent lately, that Fissure must have taken more out of me than I thought.

But, now that I’m recovered, there’s something important I need to tell everyone. The last batch of new arrivals included a man named Masayoshi Shido. He’s my father, and a truly despicable man, who has had numerous people killed for his own convenience or benefit. He even had my mother killed to cover up the scandal of my birth.

[Here he holds up a phone, showing a picture of Shido...with what looks like avocado and cheese smeared on his face and a shrimp up his nose, wearing the most tiredly Done expression as he reaches for the offending crustacean.]

I injured him in the forest in retaliation for the things he’s done to me, one of my boyfriends, and countless others, but don’t mistake him for someone who deserves your pity. He’s physically not much of a threat, but he is a skilled schemer and manipulator, and-

[ Which is the moment that the video will shake, and a very brief flash of a familiar face (spoiler: Akira’s) can be seen. Off-screen, he’s gently pressing a kiss to Goro’s cheek, whispering that he loves him. Don’t mind the view of a ceiling for a moment, guys - it’s a nice ceiling, at least?

… He’ll properly make it up to Goro, later, if he can? For now, though, he gently brushes the fingers of one hand through his boyfriend’s hair. Akira’s face can properly be seen, after he takes a quiet breath. He looks… well, how most would remember? Only with a bit more of a tiredness to it, maybe.

Though, that’s not taking away from how serious he looks as he speaks. ]

... and, while Goro is right about all of that, there is one more detail I feel should be taken into account. Shido isn’t a good person, but he’s well-aware of that now. He’s done unforgivable things, but his eyes were opened to all of it after his ass was kicked.

[ JUST SAYING… ]

Anyway, nobody has to worry about him. Besides, he knows if he tried anything, he’d have to answer to all of us from his world, and then some.

[ JUST SAYING... ]

[This is the point where Goro takes his tablet back, looking a bit huffy.]

It’s true, he isn’t likely to be a threat now. But he absolutely doesn’t deserve anyone’s kindness or sympathy.

Comments

[makejapangreat]

[Oh, there's something... painful about that response. He takes a steadying breath. He swallows, and dips his head.]

Goro Akechi, I am not fit to be your father. I have hurt you beyond belief... in ways I know and will never know. Were I not so negligent, maybe your life would have been kinder, and filled with less pain. Your mother, beautiful and brilliant and strong as she was... may very well still be here today.

I have robbed you of your life, of much of your happiness, and of your future.

[A wavering breath.]

Please forgive me.

[foolishjustice]

[It...actually does feel good, to have a proper, direct apology. To have his suffering acknowledged and responsibility taken.]

.....It's a start.

[makejapangreat]

And I will do what I can to see that you and the people important to you are happy and safe.

Because that is what you deserve.

[foolishjustice]

....No, it's what they deserve. What I deserve...would just hurt them.

Private

[rhododendronhoney]

What do you mean, what you deserve? You deserve a happy life without his shadow hanging over you!

Private

[foolishjustice]

I suppose it's about time I came clean, isn't it?

The reason I know so much about his crimes is that I was involved in perpetrating them. He used me as his own personal assassin and terrorist. So, really, what I deserve is to be sentenced for mass murder.

[rhododendronhoney]

...did you want to do it? Or did he tell you this was the only way you could get something you wanted-that you had no other choice? How-how old were you even, when you started?

[foolishjustice]

I was fifteen. I offered him my powers to use to destroy his opponents' public images, so I could earn his trust and use it to ruin him. He decided it would be better put to use to kill and cause major public incidents. He would've had me killed if I refused, but I'm sure his lackeys would have killed me after I betrayed them, anyway.

[rhododendronhoney]

Fif-fifteen? And he threatened to kill you? The fault for that definitely lies on his head then, not yours!

[foolishjustice]

Really? I've been told that I should've just shot him. It wasn't any more likely to keep me from being killed immediately after, but it would have meant I'd only be killing one person.

[rhododendronhoney]

[She sighs, rubbing her ear.] I still can't blame you for not wanting to die immediately. Besides, would he really have let you get close enough to do it?

[foolishjustice]

Probably not with any degree of certain success. But a small chance of killing him then and there would have been better than a certain chance of killing people who hadn't done anything worse than annoying the wrong person, isn't it?

[rhododendronhoney]

[Another soft sigh.] I can't say what I would have done, in your case. [Would she even have approached him? Would she have offered him poison?] But it's easy for people to say you should just have shot him. Besides, did you even think of doing that? In the beginning, you didn't want to kill anyone at all, you said...

[makejapangreat]

Akechi. The brunt of the sins you think you carry are mine. Do not confuse my crimes for yours when you were threatened with your life to participate.

[foolishjustice]

My life?

[He covers his face, letting out an unsteady chuckle.]

My life was never in question. I knew from your first demand that I wasn't getting out of things with my life. The only question was if I died then and there, or survived to take you down before your flunkies retaliated.

[makejapangreat]

[...fucking hell, child...]

You were without parental figures for most of your life to teach you the value of your own life. To teach you the value of many things. To make your childhood a happy one.

You are not responsible for how things turned out. The failure is mine.

[foolishjustice]

Plenty of people impressed on me the value of my life. Some orphan bastard who doesn't even have the good sense to keep his head down and unquestioningly obey authority...it's the mask I wear that people consider valuable. The perfect Detective Prince, polite and respectful...

[More broken laughter.]

Gold plated shit is still shit, you just have to look past the outer layer to see it. And that was only a matter of time...so really, the only value I had was my ability to ruin you!

[makejapangreat]

You're such a sharp young man, and yet you let the words of others who barely knew you determine your worth?

What of the people here, who actually know who you are? Is that what they think of you?

[foolishjustice]

The people I'm close to now are...exceptional. Most of the ones who know the full truth about me aren't here. The ones who do...heh. They're why I'm here right now.

[He's not even really exaggerating. If not for them, he can't be sure he would have taken the job of Composer.]

They're the reason I'm not hiding behind that mask as much, anymore. Because you're right, it is stupid to give such a damn about people I don't even know. But before Akira, nobody gave a damn about me! And even him...hahaha...what's it matter if someone cares when you're supposed to kill him, anyway? And living a life where you're nothing to everybody is torturous. Even if the public's adoration was shallow, it was something! It was the closest I came back then to feeling like I was somehow important, after everyone who should have cared abandoned me!

[makejapangreat]

[...hearing Goro's pain is far worse than any admonishment the boy could muster up. He briefly closes his eyes before opening them back up.]

And yet now you're clearly cared for. Are you going to keep letting your past define you?

[foolishjustice]

What does it matter to you? It's not like you ever knew me, either.

[Somewhere, under the anger, a hint of honest pain shows through in his voice.]

[makejapangreat]

[. . . ah.

His grip tightens on the device a bit.]

I know. But it does matter. I don't have an answer for why, exactly. There's many things I'm still trying to figure out.

But you are my son. The responsibility falls to me to guide you on the right path. I may not yet be certain what path that is or how to do it. But you have my word that I will keep trying until I succeed or until my dying breath.

[foolishjustice]

Hah...and why should I listen to any of your advice, when you're the one who forced me onto such a horrific path to begin with?

[makejapangreat]

Because this time I have your best interests in mind.

[foolishjustice]

[Logically, he knows it's true. With the change of heart, Shido should regret everything he's done and at least want to fix what he broke. Unfortunately, emotions don't always listen to logic.]

A little late for that, isn't it? You've already ruined my future. I could be charged of either participating in or abetting any of your crimes. And you're well-informed when it comes to ways to discredit and remove nuisances...I'm sure you know what the conviction rate is for defendants in our country.