girlybruiser | 𝓵𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓶 ❀ 𝓲𝓷𝓫𝓸𝔁

[ It doesn't take Maruki long – the machiya may be large, but the stockpile he and Akechi made all those many months ago is larger, and it's spread out over several closets and storage areas. He pokes into the nearest one for a kit, then the washroom to clean his hands and grab a spare cloth before making his way back to– ]

... Huh?

[ He's paused just before dropping down to crouch next to Haru, eyes on the flowers just outside the sliding door that seem to stare right back at him. ]

Did those... were they like that before?

[ Maruki's sudden reappearance shatters her fantasy and Haru startles, waving her hands in mild panic. ]

A-Ah! What?

[ The flowers then whip in the opposite direction. They do not wish to be perceived.

Haru's attention flickers between Maruki and the plants, noting they moved a little as she slipped into her silly daydreaming and her face is as red as an apple. ]

Oh! That was not intentional!

It's okay, really!

[ Honestly, Maruki's more curious than anything else. He unsticks himself to kneel next to Haru, leaning to look past her into the garden again at the flowers that are now giving him the cold shoulder, and soft laughter begins to eke out. ]

What an interesting power... is that new?

[ He props the box up on the table before them, pops it open to begin rifling through for antiseptic, ointment, bandages... ]

[ That's quite the inventory he has... she would wonder why Maruki seems so well-prepared, but then has to remember he's been here longer than her and has faced god only knows what.

If April and June are anything to go by, it might be best for herself to begin stocking up on first aid kits.

Nevertheless, she's grateful for the aid. ]

Um, yes!

[ She's idly playing with her fingers, embarrassed Maruki caught her staring off like that, like he even knows what was running through her head. ]

It's from the potion that was given to me. Right before I was able to regain my Persona, I decided to drink the potion and it gave me a sort of power over the plants.

[ It only makes sense, for someone as wholly focused on gardening as Haru. Maruki's long thought that the potions they receive, and the specifics things they can do, have more to do with their cognitions than one might think. So his enthusiasm is entirely genuine– ]

It's almost like you can talk to plants now... that's so neat!

[ –if entirely dorky, too.

He tears open an antiseptic wipe, nods to the injury at Haru's temple. ]

May I? And is there anywhere else you've been hurt...?

You think so?

[ A small smile touches the corner of her lips. ]

I can't make plants bloom instantly, it's quite a weak power right now, but I will say it's been helpful with gardening anyhow.

[ Haru stills for a second when Maruki inquiries about other injuries, her hand almost instinctively reaching to her shoulder, but stopping short of it. ]

... I sort of hurt my shoulder a while back and I think I agitated it against Chihaya-san.

Oh... did you strain it? Like a muscular injury?

[ If so, he probably can't do anything for that, but there's always his neighbor at the clinic... ]

[ His inquiry tells her all she needs to know; Akechi didn't inform Maruki, and possibly Akira, of their altercation in the hotel room.

Well, altercation might be putting it lightly. ]

... not quite.

[ She pauses, this time her hand actually touching the spot where Akechi had struck her with the knife. ]

Um, it was wounded some time ago. I did bandage it as best I could, though with two fights back-to-back I think I might have torn the skin a little again...

Really? Please, let me patch it up for you. It's not a good idea to let injuries linger in this reality.

[ You never know when things will go sideways, after all. As she's now experienced.

He'll start with her temple though, daubing the antiseptic wipe as gently as he can though he knows it'll sting regardless. He speaks quietly as he does, as if to distract her. ]

I would understand if you didn't trust the healing magic at the clinic... I didn't either when I first arrived.

[ He does his best, but the fresh scratches sting enough to make her jolt forward a tiny bit. She manages to keep herself seated at least, though her hands ball into tiny fists. ]

Ah...

[ She takes a deep breath, then exhales. The pain has already subsided, thankfully. ]

I would have asked a friend who's gained healing powers here, but I didn't want him to worry.

[ Owain has a strong heart and sense of justice; she doesn't doubt if he had seen the level of injury, or known its nature, that it wouldn't have sparked certain emotions from him. ]

Um... Dr. Maruki?

[ Maruki frowns when she jolts, murmurs a soft apology; hopefully the ointment that follows helps to soothe the sting somewhat.

He glances at her as he shifts to cut a piece of gauze for the bandage. ]

Hm? What's up?

Um, I would like to ask that you don't tell Akira-kun about any of this, please.

[ She hasn't breathed a word about what happened in the hotel room to him. All he knows is she was stuck sharing a room with Akechi.

Nothing else to note.

She couldn't have him fretting about that, not when it seems other matters plague his mind here. ]

... I don't want him to worry. He takes on a lot as it is, so...

[ Ah.

That's all Haru needs to say for him to make an educated guess on what the topic might be.

More importantly, though– ]

I won't. I promise.

[ He pauses with the gauze and bandage in hand, not finishing up the patch job just yet. This needs to be said. ]

Anything you tell me, I'll hold in confidence, Okumura-san. That's always true, no matter what.

[ A grateful smile is what Maruki gets in return. She probably didn't even need to ask in the first place, but she has to be sure. ]

I had a disagreement with Akechi-kun a while back.

[ Maybe it's putting it lightly, but Maruki can read between the lines. He's only apparently lived with the young man for a year now possibly; he probably knows more than she cares to. ]

[ He can indeed read between the lines – easily, and with more than a little experience being on the other side of disagreements with Akechi under his belt.

He nods, silent as he finishes up bandaging the wound at her temple, then scoots away a bit. ]

May I see what he did?

[ And then he turns, shielding his eyes. He knows all she has to do is tug down the top of a sleeve to show him her shoulder, but he's also loath to ever make Haru even slightly uncomfortable. ]

Only if you still want me to patch it up, of course.

[ Haru waits for Maruki to avert his eyes, grateful he's so considerate of her feelings. She knows he's not like those other adults from Shujin or back home, but it means a lot to her for him to approach with such caution.

While he's turned away, she reaches for the fabric of her dress, pulling down the sleeve enough to reveal a relatively deep wound, indicative of a sharp blade that had pierced her skin. It would have been a clean cut had Haru not ripped the knife out, but—

Well, what's done is done.

The wound is trying to heal over, but it looks like after the last few hours, the scab is torn from where it had nestled over the skin, with light blood trickling through. The skin is red, but luckily not furiously so, though it could use proper care finally. At the very least, it shows no signs of infection. ]

Thank you. You may look now.

Edited 2025-07-18 07:30 (UTC)

[ Maruki turns back to see–

And immediately winces, face twisting up in pained sympathy, hand coming up to hover near Haru's shoulder. ]

Okumura-san...

[ He hesitates for a few heartbeats longer before reaching for the first aid kit on the table, chewing over what to say. How much to say. He can't be entirely honest with her the way he's been with Akira, but he doesn't want her to think he's completely in the dark here either – and then there's the simple fact that so much of what has transpired between him and Akechi in the past year belongs to them, and only them.

He tears open a couple more antiseptic wipes, stabilizes one gentle hand against her shoulder blade as he begins to clean away that blood. His voice is quieter than normal, serious. ]

When I first arrived here, Akechi-kun and I got into a dangerous situation. I didn't have my abilities yet, and it wouldn't matter if I did, because I wasn't even aware we can use them to defend ourselves. I was badly injured, and he patched me up.

[ He thinks about it often, relives it like a phantom wound that won't heal. It still blows his mind, just a bit – he's aware Akechi was wearing a mask around him, propping up the persona of a kind, helpful prince. But it's difficult to chalk all of that up to merely keeping up appearances.

There's no shame in feeling pain. You'll get used to it, in time.

And that's the most ironic part of all. ]

When I did regain the ability to summon Azathoth, he taught me how to fight. I'm sure you can guess the sort of teacher he is.

[ A good one. A brutal one. The closest Maruki has ever come to death has been at Akechi's hand, more than once.

With the reopened wound cleaned, Maruki sets about bandaging it, meticulously careful in ensuring it's properly done so that it can heal while Haru rests. ]

All that to say... I can imagine what might have happened between you two, and I'm relieved this isn't more serious. [ A beat, and then he leans his head over to catch her gaze with a small, tight smile. ] And I hope you were able to give him a taste of his own medicine.

[ It's difficult to imagine at first an Akechi Goro who offered Maruki lessons in fighting, or one that even provided medical aid, but only because that image of the second coming of the Detective Prince is shattered for Haru.

The tension in that cognitive engine room was so thick, Haru could have sliced through it with her axe. There they stood and Akechi's entire guise unravelled before them all, raucous laughter and then murderous intent directed at them, but not before Haru and Futaba were hit with the horrifying revelation that the traitorous boy before them was responsible for taking the only family they had left in this world.

Even when he had spared her life in April from that thing posing as her father, his methods were cruel and violent. Haru will never forget when she finally reached back to the bathroom in her apartment, staring back at a hollow reflection with the splatter of blood across her face.

Perhaps because he never existed to begin with, as he revealed in the engine room. Every meticulous detail, curated for a specific goal: to kill Shido Masayoshi. ]

It must have been hard at first.

[ Poor Maruki; months behind Haru, without Akira to turn to to fill in those gaps.

It leaves Haru feeling more responsible suddenly and she feels guilty for staying quiet, unsure what she should say to Maruki.

She's momentarily distracted anyway when he wipes the wound, this time the burn sharper and hotter compared to the small scratches on her temple. She jumps again and whines, biting her bottom lip to hold back any more complaints. ]

... s-sorry, Dr. Maruki.

[ He's right though, it could have been worse.

And it almost was, but not by Akechi's hand.

Even as she sets up her cafe, when she has to place a knife somewhere, the strange, familiar weight of it brings her back to the hotel room, the young man beneath her, their blood smeared on both their clothes and across the floor they tumbled about, the sharp edge of it so close to slicing into his skin.

... well, some things could not be put into words, she supposes. Sometimes action spoke louder. ]

Do not worry; I think Akechi-kun has learned his lesson about putting his hands on young women. Honestly... I think it was a bit of a relief to get that off my chest!

[ Was it hard?

Yes, although probably not for the reasons Haru thinks. Adjusting to such a dangerous world, learning about the ability they all seem to share and how to use it – that was only part of his struggle, and oftentimes was even a welcome diversion from the way counseling dreamers ran roughshod over him. A man like Maruki wasn't meant to know just how cruel so many realities he'll never be able to affect can be. He's more cautious with his heart now, less prone to taking on the pains of others.

He learned that from Akechi, too. It hasn't all been bad.

Haru has nothing to apologize for, and he murmurs as much when she does, gentling his touch even further as he wraps the bandage around her shoulder, underneath her arm. ]

I'm glad you told me. That's a heavy secret to keep.

[ A few more wraps, just to be sure it's secure, and then Haru has a freshly cleaned and bandaged shoulder. A little more immobilized than it was before – he's not a professional by any means – but the wound dressing is sturdy, and since she won't be out fighting for a while, it should give her time to heal.

He inches back, pulls the first aid kit into his lap to focus on repacking it. ]

Given everything you just told me... Are you really sure you're okay staying here for a while? I meant what I said, I'll keep Akechi-kun in check.

[ Doubly so now. At least. ]

[ It's an interesting feeling this time around when Maruki leaves the invitation to stay open to her.

Before May, she would have declined politely. Stay as far away from Akechi, like she's done this whole time. Fear was not what drove her to keep away, but rather a general discomfort and not knowing how to handle him in this world.

But she's proven to herself she's more than capable of handling that issue now, hasn't she?

She smiles at Maruki, a little twinkle in her eyes. ]

I'll be okay. I promise I am not so delicate that you have to worry.

[ He really does admire Haru, more so than ever when she faces all of this with such a bright, headstrong, almost mischievous energy.

Things were different back in reality, before he truly knew her, but now? No, Maruki would never think her delicate. Not for a minute.

He latches the first aid kit closed again, stands up to offer her a hand to get to her feet. ]

I know. You're stronger than most anyone I know, Okumura-san.

[ He'll still worry for her, of course, but that's simply his nature. It's what he does. ]

Come on. I'll show you the guest room so you can rest that shoulder.

𝓵𝓪𝓫𝔂𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓱𝓾𝓶 ❀ 𝓲𝓷𝓫𝓸𝔁

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cw: slight graphic description of injury

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cw: blood and death mention

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we can wrap!

hehe wrapt