STRAY BAD DOG @moonlight-meltdown - Tumblr Blog

( she's sneaking around in the middle of the night again. this time grabbing supplies from the infirmary and sneaking them into her room. her tail brushed against the dogfolk's door again, though this time there was a thump against the wall just past it... )

— @timid-nyanderhoi

Akito jolts upright, muffling a choked scream with his clammy hands. He heaves wildly, t-shirt soaked cold with sweat in his panic. He pats himself down with a mortal sense of urgency, checking over all parts of his body as if trying to make sure they were untouched. Realizing he had only been dreaming, Akito lets out a half relieved, half exasperated sigh, still shuddering slightly in fear. Damn it, another nightmare. He groans, sliding his bandaged hands through his damp hair in frustration. He's far too old to still be getting these. How pathetic.

In the midst of wallowing in self disappointment, Akito suddenly hears a thumping sound—his ears twitch immediately, entire body going fully alert. Narrows his eyes warily, he cautiously tiptoes out of his bed and quietly approaches his door. Akito reaches for the doorknob as gingerly as he can, hoping to silently catch whichever fucker is stupid enough to try and bother him in the dead of night.

The door opens with a creak. Akito's eyes widen—he can't help but blurt out in shock.

"wh... huh? you again? the fuck are you doing?"

timid-nyanderhoi

( mew can't even run this time, leaning against the wall in hopes not to tumble. the fur on her tail stood on end, bristling and making mews tail seem far more fluffy that it was. a feeble attempt to be bigger. she thought mew was over the fever she's gotten... though her heavy breathing was a clear indicator that mew still wasn't okay.

she tried to keep walking. tried to not need support for a second. but mews legs buckled from underneath mew, the carfolk landing on her stomach with a thud. )

“nng... ow...”

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#phony fears.

Akito freezes, unsure of what to do. His face contorts, a conflicting mixture of disdain, confusion, schaudenfreude, and sympathy flashing in his eyes before he blinks it away, looking bewildered.

"uh..."

Still fighting a mental battle as for whether he should help her, punch her, or just close the door and go back to bed because he definitely needs more sleep, he eventually sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose. When he lets go of his face, there's a sharp but halfhearted glare accompanying his usual scowl.

"jeez...you fucking stupid, or what? sneaking around in the middle of the night and then tripping over yourself cause you're sick or whatever... tch, you people really don't know how to take care of yourself."

Reaching out to grasp mew by the back of her shirt the way one would pick up a cat, he gently settles Emu into a more comfortable position, quickly checking for injury with a strange sort of benevolence. Once he sees that the damage isn't particularly severe, though, he immediately lets go of mew and the coldness, rough edge to his demeanor returns.

"second time i've seen you like this, otori. answer my question. what the hell are you doing?"

( she's sneaking around in the middle of the night again. this time grabbing supplies from the infirmary and sneaking them into her room. her tail brushed against the dogfolk's door again, though this time there was a thump against the wall just past it... )

— @timid-nyanderhoi

Akito jolts upright, muffling a choked scream with his clammy hands. He heaves wildly, t-shirt soaked cold with sweat in his panic. He pats himself down with a mortal sense of urgency, checking over all parts of his body as if trying to make sure they were untouched. Realizing he had only been dreaming, Akito lets out a half relieved, half exasperated sigh, still shuddering slightly in fear. Damn it, another nightmare. He groans, sliding his bandaged hands through his damp hair in frustration. He's far too old to still be getting these. How pathetic.

In the midst of wallowing in self disappointment, Akito suddenly hears a thumping sound—his ears twitch immediately, entire body going fully alert. Narrows his eyes warily, he cautiously tiptoes out of his bed and quietly approaches his door. Akito reaches for the doorknob as gingerly as he can, hoping to silently catch whichever fucker is stupid enough to try and bother him in the dead of night.

The door opens with a creak. Akito's eyes widen—he can't help but blurt out in shock.

"wh... huh? you again? the fuck are you doing?"

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#phony fears.#[[sorry about the inactivity school is sliming me so hard]]

-> Saturday, 5 a.m.

Having just returned from his typical morning jog, Akito was quietly sitting on a windowsill in the commons, staring into the dark, starry night. It was a cold day, and yet the window was wide open, icy gusts of air seeping into the room. The boy paid it no mind, seemingly reveling in the frigid but calming touch of the wind.

Akito, who spent most of his time holed up in his room or far away from the haven getting into fights with himself, was quite the rare sight in a public area of the sanctuary. Perhaps the silent tranquility of the late hours and—at last—the lack of people for once was alluring enough to draw the normally reclusive boy out into the lounge for the first time in weeks.

With no one around, his expression was abnormally calm, almost peaceful, if not for a strange sort of sorrow in his eyes. Leaning forward on his knees, Akito clutched a small, fragile looking object between his bandaged fingers, other hand wrapped around an item emitting a burning orange glow. Gray clouds of smoke billow out of the open window.

...Wait, is that a cigarette?

chimingdirector

There’s a faint sound of a door closing, and footsteps start making their way down the hallway, soft and barely there.

Upon growing closer, humming is apparently matching the dogboy’s movements as he starts to pass through the lounge.

“…Ah, I wasn’t expecting to see you still awake this early in the morning, Shinonome…” Rui gives pause once he sees the smoke slowly drifting up and outwards. “…kun?”

“…you got cigarettes in here?”

Akito flinches when he hears the someone else's voice, muttering a rapid series of curse words under his breath before immediately crushing the cigarette between his palms to extinguish it without a care for whether or not it burns his hands. He chucks the cigarette remains and the lighter out the window, fixing his posture into a neat sitting position with his hands folded on his lap.

Akito turns around with a polite and apologetic painted on his face as he prepares to convince the other that he was not in fact smoking, even though whoever it was probably already caught a glimpse of the cigarette and lighter in his hand. An artificial response tumbles out of his mouth automatically before he finally realizes who he's talking to.

"Ah, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting company, so your voice startled me a little, haha. It's great to see... you..."

Akito freezes in place, heartbeat stopping altogether as his breathing halts. The person Akito fears more than anyone else at the haven is not Mafuyu, who knocked him unconscious to treat his wounds without his permission, nor Kaito, who runs the haven and could have him thrown onto the street a. No, it isn't any of those people.

The person he fears more than anything is exactly who stands before him: Rui Kamishiro. Towering. Enigmatic. Cunning. Sadistic.

Dogfolk.

As if all his organs kick into overdrive, Akito begins to hyperventilate, the sickening pound of his heartbeat flooding his ears. He wants to run, he needs to get out of there, but it's as if his body is suspended in time, weighed down by chains of fear. With all his effort, Akito can only manage to back away slightly, nearly falling out of the window and cowering like a scared dog. Though his mouth has gone dry and his voice no longer sounds like it belongs to him, Akito wills himself mouth to scream.

"hah...hah...get...GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

chimingdirector

“?!—“

Rui flinches back from the yelling in response, the slightest yipping noise of shock happening before he can stop it.

His hands are flying up on each side of his head to try and prove he’s not… what? Holding anything dangerous? He’s not sure of the movement’s meaning himself.

“I didn’t—mean to spook you or anything, Shinonome-kun, my apologies?—“

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#sick cynophobia.#[[cant wait for rui being the kind person he is to try and stop akito from falling only for akito to freak out more and punch him probably]#[[its ok they're on the first floor akitos just gonna peacefully land in a bush]]#ask to tag

Growing panicked at their proximity, Akito registers none of Rui's words, instead only focusing on his hands, which are held up to the sides of his head in a display of harmlessness. Misinterpreting the gesture as Rui getting ready to strike, another spike of fear shoots through him as he shrieks out another terrified response, backing away towards the edge of the open window again.

"HAH-DON'T GET ANY CLOSER!! DON'T TOUCH ME OR I'LL-I'LL KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?? STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, YOU- YOU MONSTER!! hgh... don't... don't... please..."

("don't hurt me. don't hurt me. please don't hurt me.")

The words die on his lips as he struggles to block the sensation from his brain of sickening helplessness as jagged teeth painfully bury into his skin, desperately closing his eyes in an attempt to intercept the memory, his breath going shallow and rapid. Akito opens his eyes and tries to tether himself back to reality, only to realize that he's falling backwards, heading straight for the cold ground.

"h-hah? SHIT!"

A cheerful knock on the room's door.

@airborn-acceleration

Akito sighs, recognizing the person behind the door as An due to the familiar knocking rhythm she used every time she approached his door.

("...i don't want to be friends with you, shiraishi. can't you take the hint already? for fucks sake, what the hell do you even see in me? damn it... just leave me alone.")

He gets up from his spot on the floor, halfheartedly shoving a box of supplies under his bed as he stands. Akito opens the door halfway, the typical scowl on his face, though the there's a sense of tiredness in his eyes, and the malice behind the expression seems slightly more forced than usual.

"what."

airborn-acceleration

An is carrying an entire cheesecake.

... She's trying way too hard for someone who'll never be her friend.

Just wanted to give you this~ now, now, I know, it's the usual schtick, "I don't want to be your friend, just stop fucking trying", but hey - I'm not doing this for you to be my friend! I just do this to everyone, I just want people to enjoy my cooking~

... She's talking with her usual, exaggerated body language...

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#lively dreams.#[[cant believe i just used flabbergasted in a professional setting /lh]]#[[a bit iffy on how i wrote him here. its a little bit unclear imo]]#[[“don't you deserve better” -> dont you deserve someone better to be your friend]]#[[not sure if it came off that way]]#[[also lmk if this is hard to work off of and i can edit it accordingly]]#[[idk how to write akito without making it a yap sesh]]

Akito's eyes widen, jaw dropping slack at the sight of the whole cheesecake in An's hands, feeling utterly flabbergasted. His mouth salivates at the idea of getting to eat the whole thing.

"wh- the hell? you made that?? wh- and the ENTIRE thing is just for me?? holy crap..."

Involuntarily, his tail begins to wag happily. Akito growls and reaches behind him to hold it in place. The pose is so stupid and ridiculous that it's hard to take his angry demeanor seriously, even as he desperately bares his teeth in aggression.

"ugh... i don't even like cheesecake. you're wasting your damn time, shiraishi. if you're doing it for everyone, just accept than i'm rejecting your offers and take your shit somewhere else, i'm sure you'll get the approval you so desperately crave."

Hatred brews in his eyes as he takes a step closer, glaring at An with a strange sort of conviction with unbeknownst origins.

"why the hell are you going around and kissing up to everyone anyway? collecting favors and debts so you can use people however you want later, huh? and when you're done playing, you're just gonna throw them away like they're some worthless toy. tch... those kind of people really piss me off."

Though the infuriated scowl remains on his face, something about his expression grows solemn, letting go of his tail as it stops wagging.

("shiraishi, why are you doing this? don't you know that there's no point in taming bad dogs? you're just gonna get bit. ...hey, can't you see that you're just hurting yourself?")

He mumbles something under his breath, barely audible.

"...shiraishi, don't you deserve better?"

projectsekaileaks

2026 Akito Shinonome Valentines Card Voiceline

#BURN MY SOUL.#REKINDLE THE FLAME.#[[yeah that pretty much sums up his character everyone go home we have a winner]]#[[his stupid miserable expression and his tired voice... he's so done with ts lmao]]

A cheerful knock on the room's door.

@airborn-acceleration

Akito sighs, recognizing the person behind the door as An due to the familiar knocking rhythm she used every time she approached his door.

("...i don't want to be friends with you, shiraishi. can't you take the hint already? for fucks sake, what the hell do you even see in me? damn it... just leave me alone.")

He gets up from his spot on the floor, halfheartedly shoving a box of supplies under his bed as he stands. Akito opens the door halfway, the typical scowl on his face, though the there's a sense of tiredness in his eyes, and the malice behind the expression seems slightly more forced than usual.

"what."

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#lively dreams.

-> Saturday, 5 a.m.

Having just returned from his typical morning jog, Akito was quietly sitting on a windowsill in the commons, staring into the dark, starry night. It was a cold day, and yet the window was wide open, icy gusts of air seeping into the room. The boy paid it no mind, seemingly reveling in the frigid but calming touch of the wind.

Akito, who spent most of his time holed up in his room or far away from the haven getting into fights with himself, was quite the rare sight in a public area of the sanctuary. Perhaps the silent tranquility of the late hours and—at last—the lack of people for once was alluring enough to draw the normally reclusive boy out into the lounge for the first time in weeks.

With no one around, his expression was abnormally calm, almost peaceful, if not for a strange sort of sorrow in his eyes. Leaning forward on his knees, Akito clutched a small, fragile looking object between his bandaged fingers, other hand wrapped around an item emitting a burning orange glow. Gray clouds of smoke billow out of the open window.

...Wait, is that a cigarette?

Airi had stayed over in a spare room the night before to volunteer on the weekend, but was awoken too early from forgetting to turn off her usual school alarm.

Shit, hope I didn’t wake anyone else… I’ll take a quick nap and have remember to turn it off— Wait what the fuck?

After the recent slip-up in Akito’s room the other day, she’d been trying to give him some space, maybe a week minimum before she’d try to talk to him again. But waking up at 5am and trying to sit down and freshen up a little turned into spotting the dogfolk… what was he even doing? She’d barely gained back her senses, all she could make out was Akito, a cloud of smoke, and something glowing orange? Red?

The window was opened and Airi shivered at the cold. Why was he up with the window open so early?

Nn… Akito-kun—?

What is he holding…? Ugh… I’m too sleepy for this…

TW // self harm

.

Akito freezes when he hears the voice, recognizing it as Airi's. The last time they had talked, he accidentally let his mask slip out of panic when she touched his hand, scaring her off. He can't afford to get on a human's bad side in any shape or form anymore, so he absolutely has to make up for the previous mishap. He wasn't expecting to see Airi again so soon, but... ah, he'll just have to deal with it.

Akito sighs, tempted to keep smoking in spite of Airi's presence, but even he knows that he shouldn't be staining his image any further. He takes one last drag of the precious, stolen cigarette that he can't afford, watching the mesmerizing trails of smoke float into the air.

He positions himself away from Airi so she can't see what he's doing, and, without a second thought, Akito puts out the cigarette by pressing its burning tip onto his arm, watching as it fizzles out and leaves a burning red mark on a skin. He had been curious to see how it felt to burn himself with his own hands for once, and though it left a familiar, itchy, and stinging sensation, it wasn't nearly as painful nor empowering as he had hoped. He scoffs quietly, feeling mildly disappointed.

Unentertained by the tender pain of the burn, He crushes the cigarette in his hands and throws the dust out of the window, pocketing the lighter as well. Once he finishes discarding the items, Akito turns around, making sure to put on an extra charismatic smile and voice on to sell the effect.

"Momoi-senpai, good morning. How are you? ...Ah, you seem a little tired... Are you alright? I apologize if I woke you up in any way."

I’m okay… you didn’t wake me up… it’s fine…

Um, was something on fire just now…?

Though it was quite obvious what he was doing just now, all Airi’s half conscious brain could process was some sort of fire.

Akito-kun if something was on fire did you put it out correctly? I don’t want anything to be a hazard…

Her words came out sluggish and tired, mostly just thinking that something may have caught fire. Lucky for Akito, she hadn’t seen the cigarette too clearly.

Should i talk about the other day?… But im too sleepy to make it sound…

I’m gonna go check the outside… I saw some dust flying out, the grass may have caught fire. Also, that’s quite a lot of smoke…

She really needs to get conscious. How much more obvious could it be?

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#peachy tenacity.

Akito stares at her skeptically, feeling a mix of bewilderment at her lack of awareness and panic at the prospect of her going outside and possibly seeing the cigarette ash on the ground, though if Airi couldn't even recognize that he was smoking in the first place, she probably wouldn't realize the dust was from a cigarette either.

Reaching out to close the window so she doesn't use it as an exit, Akito smiles at her again with a faux worried tone, the slightest tinge of defensiveness unintentionally seeping into his voice.

"Please don't worry about it, Momoi-senpai. I was simply lighting a candle to freshen up the scent in the lounge, which is where the smoke and fire came from. It's rather cold out today as well, so I wouldn't recommend that you go out when you're not wearing nearly enough to avoid catching a cold. Besides, you sound really tired, so it would also be best if you got some more rest before continuing today. I wouldn't want you to pass out from exhaustion."

*Toya is quietly on the corridor that goes to the kitchen to take coffee in secret again since he's banned from the kitchen*

Akito, who had been raiding the fridge once more for spare food, immediately slams the fridge door shut and snaps his head backwards in fear when he hears the soft footsteps approaching, hoping it isn't obvious that he was stealing food again. He relaxes slightly when he sees that it's Toya, who didn't give Akito a hard time for dropping his mask previously, but he tenses up again when he sees the stormy expression on the human's face.

"...Aoyagi-san? Uh... are you alright?"

Hi, Shinonome.

*He takes a cup for the coffee, it's the first time Toya doesn't use an honorific*

Akito gives Toya a skeptical look, feeling slightly uneasy by the sudden change in honorific use and the way Toya ignored his question. Akito clears his throat politely, trying again.

"Um... Aoyagi-san, are you alright? You look a little upset."

...

*Toya hesitates for a moment but something inside him says that he can trust Akito*

Father.

*He continues making the coffee, that is fortunately the only thing he's able to do by himself at the kitchen*

Akito's eyes widen slightly at the statement, the expression a mixture of surprise at the admission itself and disbelief that Toya was willing to be honest with him. Akito's voice softens slightly, hoping to sound at least a little comforting. Whether he was doing it out of obligation or sincerity was something not even he knew.

"I see. Do... you want to talk about it?"

Not at all. I just wish he had killed me instead of doing that.

*The coffee's almost done, 90% sure Toya will leave when it's done*

Not expecting such a blunt statement, Akito raises his eyebrows slightly. Staring at the coffee making machine, he wonders whether or not he should just keep quiet.

"...killed you instead of talking to you, huh? I guess i can see what you mean, but that's probably not ideal for you, either."

Akito winces at his own, arbitrary statement. Yeah, he probably should have kept quiet—He hadn't meant to be so straightforward nor meaningless with his words.

"...if you don't want to talk about it, i can also just leave you alone, if you prefer that."

...

*Toya finishes what he came to do, but he stays like he wants to say something else, or maybe just wants to stay close to Akito*

Akito stares at the mug of steaming coffee in Toya's hands. It's full, yet the blue haired boy makes no indication to leave. Akito looks up and meets his gaze, suddenly feeling a strange sense of confusion, face swimming with a conflicted emotions.

Realistically, he has no real reason to stay; Akito can just go now and leave Toya to deal with his own problems—it's not like Akito needs to help the other, especially when he wasn't asked to. Hell, it's entirely possible that Toya is just zoning out and doesn't want Akito to be around him anymore, and the dogfolk's just jumping to conclusions when he doesn't even know how to comfort others. Yet, even then...

Akito clutches his chest with a pained expression.

("...this feeling...just what could it be?")

("...")

He lets go of himself, suddenly looking cold.

("ah, that's right. i need money. toya looks like the type of person to come from a rich family. if i can get close to him like this, then i'll...")

("yes, that must be why. there's really no other explanation.")

("so...")

("why the hell do i still feel unsatisfied?")

Akito smiles slightly, doing his best to hide his inner turmoil.

"...i can stay, too, if you'd like."

He gently takes the cup of coffee out of Toya's hands, placing it on the small table in front of the couch, before patting at the spot beside him to gesture Toya to sit.

.....

(It would be nice... I still wanna touch his face but it's a good beginning...)

*Toya sits giving his best to respect Akito's space but still stay close to him, he would hug Akito's arm if they were closer, but he doesn't want to make Akito feel uncomfortable or something... Just by staying by his side feels comforting for his heart, but he still looks disturbed by whatever happened*

*Toya would do anything to never leave his side*

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#empty devotion.#// homossexual lol (Toya of course isn't /j)#<- [[LMAOO?? toya ik ur gay too bro]]#//Also Toya likes phisical affection #<- [[unfortunately akito is touch averse 😭 its ok he'll warm up to toya in the near (far) future]]#[[ALSO SORRY IT SOUNDS LIKE HES BEING A GOLD DIGGER HERE LMAOOOOOOO]]#[[awww rare wholesome moment with akito 🥺]]

Akito sweats slightly, feeling somewhat awkward in the silence and unsure of what to do, as he rarely ever spends quiet moments with others like he's doing now. After seeing Toya's expression relax, Akito lets out a quiet sigh of relief, calming down as well, secretly feeling grateful that he doesn't need to say anything to provide comfort. Though he would prefer the distance between them to be a bit larger, Toya already seems to be doing his best to respect Akito's personal space, and it would probably be beneficial for both his future money making ploy and his tendency to freak out at physical contact if he gets used to it now, so Akito does his best to not let it bother him.

Forgetting the outside world and his future plans to flatter Toya for money for a moment, Akito begins to grow comfortable and slightly drowsy, the peaceful tranquility of the scene causing him to unintentionally let his guard down. Leaning his back into the couch, Akito slowly closes his eyes, beginning to doze off. Tail wagging slightly as his body relaxes, Akito falls asleep, head gently falling onto Toya's shoulder as a soft, contented rumble escapes from his throat.

*Toya is quietly on the corridor that goes to the kitchen to take coffee in secret again since he's banned from the kitchen*

Akito, who had been raiding the fridge once more for spare food, immediately slams the fridge door shut and snaps his head backwards in fear when he hears the soft footsteps approaching, hoping it isn't obvious that he was stealing food again. He relaxes slightly when he sees that it's Toya, who didn't give Akito a hard time for dropping his mask previously, but he tenses up again when he sees the stormy expression on the human's face.

"...Aoyagi-san? Uh... are you alright?"

Hi, Shinonome.

*He takes a cup for the coffee, it's the first time Toya doesn't use an honorific*

Akito gives Toya a skeptical look, feeling slightly uneasy by the sudden change in honorific use and the way Toya ignored his question. Akito clears his throat politely, trying again.

"Um... Aoyagi-san, are you alright? You look a little upset."

...

*Toya hesitates for a moment but something inside him says that he can trust Akito*

Father.

*He continues making the coffee, that is fortunately the only thing he's able to do by himself at the kitchen*

Akito's eyes widen slightly at the statement, the expression a mixture of surprise at the admission itself and disbelief that Toya was willing to be honest with him. Akito's voice softens slightly, hoping to sound at least a little comforting. Whether he was doing it out of obligation or sincerity was something not even he knew.

"I see. Do... you want to talk about it?"

Not at all. I just wish he had killed me instead of doing that.

*The coffee's almost done, 90% sure Toya will leave when it's done*

Not expecting such a blunt statement, Akito raises his eyebrows slightly. Staring at the coffee making machine, he wonders whether or not he should just keep quiet.

"...killed you instead of talking to you, huh? I guess i can see what you mean, but that's probably not ideal for you, either."

Akito winces at his own, arbitrary statement. Yeah, he probably should have kept quiet—He hadn't meant to be so straightforward nor meaningless with his words.

"...if you don't want to talk about it, i can also just leave you alone, if you prefer that."

...

*Toya finishes what he came to do, but he stays like he wants to say something else, or maybe just wants to stay close to Akito*

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#empty devotion.#[[akitos using the excuse of toya possibly having money to avoid confronting his real feelings]]#[[which is that he deeply desires real connections with other people and that he does kind of want to help toya here]]

Akito stares at the mug of steaming coffee in Toya's hands. It's full, yet the blue haired boy makes no indication to leave. Akito looks up and meets his gaze, suddenly feeling a strange sense of confusion, face swimming with a conflicted emotions.

Realistically, he has no real reason to stay; Akito can just go now and leave Toya to deal with his own problems—it's not like Akito needs to help the other, especially when he wasn't asked to. Hell, it's entirely possible that Toya is just zoning out and doesn't want Akito to be around him anymore, and the dogfolk's just jumping to conclusions when he doesn't even know how to comfort others. Yet, even then...

Akito clutches his chest with a pained expression.

("...this feeling...just what could it be?")

("...")

He lets go of himself, suddenly looking cold.

("ah, that's right. i need money. toya looks like the type of person to come from a rich family. if i can get close to him like this, then i'll...")

("yes, that must be why. there's really no other explanation.")

("so...")

("why the hell do i still feel unsatisfied?")

Akito smiles slightly, doing his best to hide his inner turmoil.

"...i can stay, too, if you'd like."

He gently takes the cup of coffee out of Toya's hands, placing it on the small table in front of the couch, before patting at the spot beside him to gesture Toya to sit.

-> Saturday, 5 a.m.

Having just returned from his typical morning jog, Akito was quietly sitting on a windowsill in the commons, staring into the dark, starry night. It was a cold day, and yet the window was wide open, icy gusts of air seeping into the room. The boy paid it no mind, seemingly reveling in the frigid but calming touch of the wind.

Akito, who spent most of his time holed up in his room or far away from the haven getting into fights with himself, was quite the rare sight in a public area of the sanctuary. Perhaps the silent tranquility of the late hours and—at last—the lack of people for once was alluring enough to draw the normally reclusive boy out into the lounge for the first time in weeks.

With no one around, his expression was abnormally calm, almost peaceful, if not for a strange sort of sorrow in his eyes. Leaning forward on his knees, Akito clutched a small, fragile looking object between his bandaged fingers, other hand wrapped around an item emitting a burning orange glow. Gray clouds of smoke billow out of the open window.

...Wait, is that a cigarette?

Airi had stayed over in a spare room the night before to volunteer on the weekend, but was awoken too early from forgetting to turn off her usual school alarm.

Shit, hope I didn’t wake anyone else… I’ll take a quick nap and have remember to turn it off— Wait what the fuck?

After the recent slip-up in Akito’s room the other day, she’d been trying to give him some space, maybe a week minimum before she’d try to talk to him again. But waking up at 5am and trying to sit down and freshen up a little turned into spotting the dogfolk… what was he even doing? She’d barely gained back her senses, all she could make out was Akito, a cloud of smoke, and something glowing orange? Red?

The window was opened and Airi shivered at the cold. Why was he up with the window open so early?

Nn… Akito-kun—?

What is he holding…? Ugh… I’m too sleepy for this…

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#peachy tenacity.#tw mentions of sh #// i could not pass up the opportunity of airi watching akito smoke ignore how i already reached my annoy akito quota for this week #<- [[LMAOOO its ok u dont have to restrict the amount of times airi bothers akito 😭]]#[[sorry about jumpscaring you with sh btw. akitos very impulsive and kind of not okay]]

TW // self harm

.

Akito freezes when he hears the voice, recognizing it as Airi's. The last time they had talked, he accidentally let his mask slip out of panic when she touched his hand, scaring her off. He can't afford to get on a human's bad side in any shape or form anymore, so he absolutely has to make up for the previous mishap. He wasn't expecting to see Airi again so soon, but... ah, he'll just have to deal with it.

Akito sighs, tempted to keep smoking in spite of Airi's presence, but even he knows that he shouldn't be staining his image any further. He takes one last drag of the precious, stolen cigarette that he can't afford, watching the mesmerizing trails of smoke float into the air.

He positions himself away from Airi so she can't see what he's doing, and, without a second thought, Akito puts out the cigarette by pressing its burning tip onto his arm, watching as it fizzles out and leaves a burning red mark on a skin. He had been curious to see how it felt to burn himself with his own hands for once, and though it left a familiar, itchy, and stinging sensation, it wasn't nearly as painful nor empowering as he had hoped. He scoffs quietly, feeling mildly disappointed.

Unentertained by the tender pain of the burn, He crushes the cigarette in his hands and throws the dust out of the window, pocketing the lighter as well. Once he finishes discarding the items, Akito turns around, making sure to put on an extra charismatic smile and voice on to sell the effect.

"Momoi-senpai, good morning. How are you? ...Ah, you seem a little tired... Are you alright? I apologize if I woke you up in any way."

*Toya is quietly on the corridor that goes to the kitchen to take coffee in secret again since he's banned from the kitchen*

Akito, who had been raiding the fridge once more for spare food, immediately slams the fridge door shut and snaps his head backwards in fear when he hears the soft footsteps approaching, hoping it isn't obvious that he was stealing food again. He relaxes slightly when he sees that it's Toya, who didn't give Akito a hard time for dropping his mask previously, but he tenses up again when he sees the stormy expression on the human's face.

"...Aoyagi-san? Uh... are you alright?"

Hi, Shinonome.

*He takes a cup for the coffee, it's the first time Toya doesn't use an honorific*

Akito gives Toya a skeptical look, feeling slightly uneasy by the sudden change in honorific use and the way Toya ignored his question. Akito clears his throat politely, trying again.

"Um... Aoyagi-san, are you alright? You look a little upset."

...

*Toya hesitates for a moment but something inside him says that he can trust Akito*

Father.

*He continues making the coffee, that is fortunately the only thing he's able to do by himself at the kitchen*

Akito's eyes widen slightly at the statement, the expression a mixture of surprise at the admission itself and disbelief that Toya was willing to be honest with him. Akito's voice softens slightly, hoping to sound at least a little comforting. Whether he was doing it out of obligation or sincerity was something not even he knew.

"I see. Do... you want to talk about it?"

Not at all. I just wish he had killed me instead of doing that.

*The coffee's almost done, 90% sure Toya will leave when it's done*

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#empty devotion.#[[hes talking in a weird in between tone that i wouldn't describe as orange text nor plain text]]#[[akitos not going out of his way to be polite but hes also not talking as bluntly/with as much information as he would in his true face]]

Not expecting such a blunt statement, Akito raises his eyebrows slightly. Staring at the coffee making machine, he wonders whether or not he should just keep quiet.

"...killed you instead of talking to you, huh? I guess i can see what you mean, but that's probably not ideal for you, either."

Akito winces at his own, arbitrary statement. Yeah, he probably should have kept quiet—He hadn't meant to be so straightforward nor meaningless with his words.

"...if you don't want to talk about it, i can also just leave you alone, if you prefer that."

*Toya is quietly on the corridor that goes to the kitchen to take coffee in secret again since he's banned from the kitchen*

Akito, who had been raiding the fridge once more for spare food, immediately slams the fridge door shut and snaps his head backwards in fear when he hears the soft footsteps approaching, hoping it isn't obvious that he was stealing food again. He relaxes slightly when he sees that it's Toya, who didn't give Akito a hard time for dropping his mask previously, but he tenses up again when he sees the stormy expression on the human's face.

"...Aoyagi-san? Uh... are you alright?"

Hi, Shinonome.

*He takes a cup for the coffee, it's the first time Toya doesn't use an honorific*

Akito gives Toya a skeptical look, feeling slightly uneasy by the sudden change in honorific use and the way Toya ignored his question. Akito clears his throat politely, trying again.

"Um... Aoyagi-san, are you alright? You look a little upset."

...

*Toya hesitates for a moment but something inside him says that he can trust Akito*

Father.

*He continues making the coffee, that is fortunately the only thing he's able to do by himself at the kitchen*

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#empty devotion.

Akito's eyes widen slightly at the statement, the expression a mixture of surprise at the admission itself and disbelief that Toya was willing to be honest with him. Akito's voice softens slightly, hoping to sound at least a little comforting. Whether he was doing it out of obligation or sincerity was something not even he knew.

"I see. Do... you want to talk about it?"

*Toya is quietly on the corridor that goes to the kitchen to take coffee in secret again since he's banned from the kitchen*

Akito, who had been raiding the fridge once more for spare food, immediately slams the fridge door shut and snaps his head backwards in fear when he hears the soft footsteps approaching, hoping it isn't obvious that he was stealing food again. He relaxes slightly when he sees that it's Toya, who didn't give Akito a hard time for dropping his mask previously, but he tenses up again when he sees the stormy expression on the human's face.

"...Aoyagi-san? Uh... are you alright?"

Hi, Shinonome.

*He takes a cup for the coffee, it's the first time Toya doesn't use an honorific*

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#BLAZING PASSION.#empty devotion.

Akito gives Toya a skeptical look, feeling slightly uneasy by the sudden change in honorific use and the way Toya ignored his question. Akito clears his throat politely, trying again.

"Um... Aoyagi-san, are you alright? You look a little upset."

-> Saturday, 5 a.m.

Having just returned from his typical morning jog, Akito was quietly sitting on a windowsill in the commons, staring into the dark, starry night. It was a cold day, and yet the window was wide open, icy gusts of air seeping into the room. The boy paid it no mind, seemingly reveling in the frigid but calming touch of the wind.

Akito, who spent most of his time holed up in his room or far away from the haven getting into fights with himself, was quite the rare sight in a public area of the sanctuary. Perhaps the silent tranquility of the late hours and—at last—the lack of people for once was alluring enough to draw the normally reclusive boy out into the lounge for the first time in weeks.

With no one around, his expression was abnormally calm, almost peaceful, if not for a strange sort of sorrow in his eyes. Leaning forward on his knees, Akito clutched a small, fragile looking object between his bandaged fingers, other hand wrapped around an item emitting a burning orange glow. Gray clouds of smoke billow out of the open window.

...Wait, is that a cigarette?

chimingdirector

There’s a faint sound of a door closing, and footsteps start making their way down the hallway, soft and barely there.

Upon growing closer, humming is apparently matching the dogboy’s movements as he starts to pass through the lounge.

“…Ah, I wasn’t expecting to see you still awake this early in the morning, Shinonome…” Rui gives pause once he sees the smoke slowly drifting up and outwards. “…kun?”

“…you got cigarettes in here?”

#FIND A WAY OUT.#BURN MY SOUL.#THE POWER OF UNITY.#sick cynophobia.#[[only accurate adjectives he used to describe rui are the physical ones 😭the rest are pure projection from his past experiences]]#[[also towering is a stretch hes like what 6-7 cm taller than y- *i fall over and die as 873437 tomatoes are pelted at me*]]#[[ok hes actually 6cm taller than akito though. maybe more like 9 cause i made him shorter in this au (malnutrition)]]

Akito flinches when he hears the someone else's voice, muttering a rapid series of curse words under his breath before immediately crushing the cigarette between his palms to extinguish it without a care for whether or not it burns his hands. He chucks the cigarette remains and the lighter out the window, fixing his posture into a neat sitting position with his hands folded on his lap.

Akito turns around with a polite and apologetic painted on his face as he prepares to convince the other that he was not in fact smoking, even though whoever it was probably already caught a glimpse of the cigarette and lighter in his hand. An artificial response tumbles out of his mouth automatically before he finally realizes who he's talking to.

"Ah, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting company, so your voice startled me a little, haha. It's great to see... you..."

Akito freezes in place, heartbeat stopping altogether as his breathing halts. The person Akito fears more than anyone else at the haven is not Mafuyu, who knocked him unconscious to treat his wounds without his permission, nor Kaito, who runs the haven and could have him thrown onto the street or tortured with no consequences at any time. No, it isn't any of those people.

The person he fears more than anything is exactly who stands before him: Rui Kamishiro. Towering. Enigmatic. Cunning. Sadistic.

Dogfolk.

As if all his organs kick into overdrive, Akito begins to hyperventilate, the sickening pound of his heartbeat flooding his ears. He wants to run, he needs to get out of there, but it's as if his body is suspended in time, weighed down by chains of fear. With all his effort, Akito can only manage to back away slightly, nearly falling out of the window and cowering like a scared dog. Though his mouth has gone dry and his voice no longer sounds like it belongs to him, Akito wills his mouth to scream.

"hah...hah...get...GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

Hey, Akito-kun!

Airi knocked on Akito’s door, before coming in somewhat suddenly. She seems as usual, but…

Akito-kun still seems a little off…

It seems she’s trying something, but making it succeed might be a different story.

Sorry for the intrusion! ~♪

How are you doing? Checking in on you again! Felt you might need it.

That last line came out a little bit more passive-aggressive than she intended.

@sweet-fairy-peaches

Akito jolts at Airi's sudden entrance, whipping his head around with wide eyes. Damn it, he forgot to lock the door...! He quickly kicks something under his bed and fixes his oversized jacket, hurriedly turning around and putting a polite smile back on his face.

"I'm alright, Momoi-senpai. Thank you for checking in on me again."

Eh—

Seeing Akito’s hurried clean up, Airi becomes even more concerned.

Akito-kun, have you eaten? Did you get injured lately…?

She steps into his room, worry plastered over her face. Looking over his room quickly, it’s even more messier today than ever.

Hey, you can always say something, you know!

Akito, whose stomach practically has a mind of its own at times, turns around quickly and punches himself once in the gut with his bandaged hands to try and prevent his stomach from eagerly growling in response to Airi's question. He faces her again, pleasant smile still on his face.

"Yes, I just had a meal a few hours ago, and no, I'm not injured. There's no need to worry, Momoi-senpai, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Upon seeing Airi's gaze shift to the clutter in his room, he moves to block a few particular objects in his room, halfheartedly pushing away the other junk on his floor.

"Er...I'm very sorry about the mess. I'll be sure to clean it up in a bit."

Akito-kun, this isn’t like yourself… Wanna talk for a bit?

Akito holds back a glare at the statement, biting the inside of his cheek instead, still smiling.

("ha... this isn't like me? what a fucking joke. you don't know a single thing about me.")

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to turn it down, Momoi-senpai. I'm sure you're very busy, and I don't have any troubles to talk about, so there's no need for us to have some sort of serious conversation. If I'm ever feeling down, I'll be sure to let you know. Thank you again, Momoi-senpai."

("everyone's selfish sense of righteousness is pissing me off.")

Oh, okay…!

Airi turned away for a split second to say something under her breath.

it’s not like you will…

Then would you like me to help tidy up your room or anything? I came here anyway and I don’t have much to—!

Finally spotting Akito’s bandaged hands that were mostly covered by his hoodie sleeves, Airi ran up suddenly and grabbed his hand. How could she have missed that?!

Akito-kun, you did get injured! What happened?!—

Akito immediately flinches at the contact, ripping his hands away from Airi with a startled look.

"Hah?! Don't touch-! I...I mean, I'm-I'm sorry, Momoi-senpai...I apologize for the overreaction. There's no need to worry about me, my hands are fine, just a few paper cuts here and there from helping Tsukasa-senpai with some paperwork. I would... prefer it if you didn't touch me again. Thank you, Momoi-senpai."

He backs away from her, fixing his smile and cradling his hands close to himself.

Airi quickly backs away from Akito’s sudden change in behaviour, both angry and slightly scared.

Ah, okay!…

She leaves his room as quickly as possible, closing the door behind her

What the fuck was that?