Wherein her shadow tries to convince Akane to embrace the family business.

[blessed_by_the_world]

Who: Akane, shadow!Akane, and OPEN
What: Akane and her shadow have words with one another. Things escalate.
Where: Outside the Ichiban Market
When: At night on the 20th
Warnings: Likely violence


[Two identical little girls are facing off in front of the ichiban market. Well, identical except that one of them has yellow eyes.]

Look at you. Playing around in a grocery store. Pretending that you can get by all on your own, living honestly and working for what you have.

[The shadow's voice is all but dripping sarcasm. Akane's response is defensive.]

I have been working hard! A-and I've been doing fine!

Sure you have. How far do you think you could get without the money they're just giving you? You'd be starving on the streets and you know it.

I have a job...

Oh, right. Good job with that too. Does Nee-chan know how close the market is to collapsing because you have no idea how to do anything useful?

[Akane falls silent, but the shadow doesn't let up.]

Why deny it? You know how much easier things are on the other side of the law. They say crime doesn't pay, but we know that's wrong. Fancy clothes, expensive cars, cool toys.... You can have anything you want if you're just willing to take it.

[Akane shakes her head firmly in denial.]

No! That isn't true!

Not true? Please. It worked for Daddy and Grandfather, didn't it? And is what they do really all that different from what Tom-san and Shizuo-nichan do? What makes you so much better than them?

I never said that! I just wanted to-!

[The shadow cuts her off.]

You know I do have some good news for you. You don't have to pretend anything with Nee-chan anymore. I told her everything already. She knows exactly what you are.

You don't know a thing about what I am! You don't know anything about me!

Don't be stupid. I know everything about you. I am you.

No you're not! You're not me!

[Intervene? Lurk and see where this goes? Make popcorn and watch the show? Someone should probably do something before this gets out of hand....]

Comments

[all_wound_up]

It's okay, Akane-chan... I'm strong enough to stand up to her.

[Nano smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder.]

And so are you.

[She glances over to Kotoha with a small nod.]

See? You're not alone. Kotoha-san and I aren't going anywhere.

[blessed_by_the_world]

[Akane gives them both the beginnings of a cautious smile.]

R-really? You still want... to be friends with me?

[The shadow glares.]

But they don't know how close the apple fell to the tree, do they? Tell them! Admit what you did! And why!

[Akane looks stricken at the demand, and mutely shakes her head. Tears are gathering in her eyes.]

[unbroken_chain]

A slight pause as Kotoha thinks things over and proceeds to throw in her two cents.

"Uh, like I said, I'm friends with a former terrorist. Whatever it is, I kind of doubt it's worse than 'literally tried to take over the world', so...feel free to tell us, okay? I promise I won't reject you."

[all_wound_up]

[If Nano can forgive Desco, she can forgive Akane. There's no way it's going to be even half as bad.]

Akane-chan... it's all right. We're your friends. Whatever happened, I know you must be sorry. You're not a bad person at all.

[blessed_by_the_world]

I... I....

[Akane can't quite get the words out. Her frustrated shadow yells at her insistently.]

Stop hiding from it! Tell the truth!

[This is really what the shadow has been fishing for all along. For Akane to stop acting like it never happened. Like it doesn't count because they live somewhere else now.]

I.... I tried to.... kill someone....

[She would have succeeded too, if her target hadn't been the strongest man in Ikebukurou.]

[unbroken_chain]

...um. Well. Kotoha will stare blankly for a second or two before thinking intensely.

'Tried' implies she didn't succeed, so at the very least there's that...okay, time to NOT PANIC.

"Did you have a reason?"

Plan NOT PANIC: success!

[all_wound_up]

[Also not what Nano was expecting to hear.]

B-but... you must have been tricked into it, right?

[blessed_by_the_world]

[The shadow is still staring at her intently. She wants Akane to admit this on her own. To own up to what she did.

There is a long pause, and Akane keeps her eyes on the ground, not wanting to see thier faces.]

After... after I found out... about my family... I ran away. Someone I knew helped me find places to stay and stuff. But then he told me that another group had hired someone to....

To kill my dad and grandfather. I knew about all the bad things they had done, but.... but I still d-didn't want them to die.

[She lets out a choked sound that sounds like a sob.]

I couldn't go back home! Not after running away! But I had to do something! Izaya-niichan gave me a weapon... and told me where I could find the assassin...

[She trails off. This is very difficult for her.]

[unbroken_chain]

Critical thinking is go. There's a lot about this that seems...off, for some reason.

Oh but first Kotoha is just going to give Akane a quick hug before pulling away and starting to talk.

"That was very brave of you. No matter what else, you've got courage, okay? And I still haven't heard anything that would make me stop being your friend."

[all_wound_up]

[And here comes a hug from the other side. Nano's not going to let Akane bear this sadness alone.]

If he knew where this man was and who had hired him, why didn't he go to the police? It wasn't fair of him to put that all on you!

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She's grateful for the hugs. It makes this just a teensy bit easier.]

W-we couldn't go to the police! They'd have found out everything and then... then Daddy would be in jail. I- I know he did a lot of bad things, and maybe he should be in jail, but...

But he's still my father... And I still..... care about him. And Mom would be all alone....

[Never mind that the Awakusukai were paying off the cops anyway, so that never would have happened. It seemed a reasonable worry to her.]

[unbroken_chain]

There's a slight pause.

"...you remind me of my friend, N. Even though his father was a criminal that treated him badly, N still made the effort to reach out to him. That's something that takes more than bravery - it takes love and hope, too. It's never wrong to hope for others to become better than they were."

Kotoha smiles.

"It's important to own up to your mistakes, but it's also important to not let them take over, okay? Shared problems lessen, after all!"

[all_wound_up]

That's right... and it says a lot that you're trying to live your life honestly now. It's good to love your family, but they made some bad choices that might come back to them someday, and it takes a lot of courage not to let those choices impact your own life the same way.

[Nano pats Akane on the head.]

What you did wasn't good either, but doesn't it feel better to admit to it? And if no one was really hurt... well, that doesn't change what you did, but at least you can be thankful that you didn't end up doing something that can't ever be taken back.

[Putting on her best reassuring smile, Nano nods.]

And maybe your father will realize that what he's doing is wrong and turn his life around before it's too late. Just because you love him doesn't mean you can't disagree with the things he's doing. He might need someone brave like you to show him there's a different way to live.

[blessed_by_the_world]

[Now that the floodgates have been opened, she just starts sobbing.]

I w-was so afraid! I thought I'd lose all my fr-friends again. If anyone found out....

Back home.... all the other kids.... all that time..... I thought they liked me, but....

[She wipes her eyes with the back of her sleeve. It does very little to stem the flow of tears.]

But their parents had been telling them to be nice to me. Because they were afraid.... of the Awakusukai... I th-thought if people here knew....

[She really didn't want to feel that alone ever again.]

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha smiles before looking over at the Shadow.

"There you go, it's all out in the open. That's what you wanted, right? Now then..."

With that, she strides briskly over to the Shadow and gives it a quick hug.

"Now, why don't you go make up, huh?"

[all_wound_up]

Yes... I think it's time the two of you ended this.

[Nano nods, moving her hand to gently give a push on Akane's back even as she continues to support her with the other.]

Don't worry, we'll be right here with you.

[blessed_by_the_world]

[Akane faces her shadow with tears in her eyes. She sniffles, takes a deep breath, and starts forward. The shadow is a little misty eyed herself.]

I... I know. I knew from the start that you.... that you were right. I know what they do is wrong. But I still couldn't give up on them. I still love my family, no matter what.

[She reaches her shadow and manages a smile.]

And I know I've done bad things too. And I can't pretend they didn't happen. I won't run away anymore. I'm you, and you're me. And I'm sorry.

[The two hug, and with a faint smile, the shadow fades away.]

[unbroken_chain]

Kotoha grins.

"Congratulations!"

[all_wound_up]

Are you all right, Akane-chan...? Do you need us to walk you home?

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She sniffles and nods.][She trails off, not sure what she should be apologizing for. So instead, she settles for...]

Thank you! Thank you both. I don't know if I could have done it.... on my own.

[Time for more hugs? Yes, yes it is. Kotoha and Nano with both be getting grateful hugs.]