[Endgame: rise or DROWN]

[warpweft]

[How long have you been exploring Nessa's palace now? You've met her family, viewed her memories, learned how to fight as a witch and tried to find the source of her power and the Treasure of her palace: the Voidheart. And along the way, you've tired your best, with mixed success, to avoid the incarnation of her eldest cousin and the representation of her trauma and fear, the Nightmare of Esmau.]

[Wherever you are in the Palace right now, you feel the ground briefly shake under your feet. Little shakes here and there haven't been out of the ordinary - Esmau is trying to blow the place down to the studs, after all. But that felt different. That felt....worse.]

[Your phone beeps as you receive a message.]

Comments

[survivaltricks]

[. . . WHOA. . . THAT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY NEAT]

[messianic]

[ whoa that was neat.


Minato blinks as he straightens, before he flashes Akira a thumbs up. ]

[survivaltricks]

[points at Minato]

. . . don't help us at the expense of yourself, okay?

[messianic]

[ but that's what he does



anyway he just huffs out a faint breath, shaking his head. ]

We're almost there, okay? This--we just have to push through to the end.

I'll be fine.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . a bit strained, tone on the brink of pleading]

Minato.

[messianic]

[ ... he reaches out, gently brushing his knuckles against Akira's cheek quickly. ]

Trust me. I don't intend on sacrificing myself here.

But this is something I can do for Nessa.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . tilts his head into that touch, but only briefly. . . before he raises a hand to grasp Minato gently, but firmly, by the wrist]

[. . .]

[messianic]

[ Minato blinks at him, but doesn't tug away, tilting his head slowly. ]

... I promise, Akira. I'm not going anywhere.

[survivaltricks]

[with his voice still strained]

You'd better not. Idiot. . .

[messianic]

[ poor Akira.

He deserves so much better than this.

But Minato just leans in to quickly press his lips to Akira's forehead. ]

I won't.

[ ... ]

Let's get back to it, okay?

[survivaltricks]

[nooooo, in Akira's mind, Minato deserves better. a life where he doesn't feel like he has to sacrifice himself-- any facet of himself-- for others]

. . . mmm.

[he doesn't seem fully satisfied when Minato draws back, but they are in the middle of something, and it's not like he can do much else, right?]

[. . .]

[EXCEPT YELL AT NELL TO HEAL MINATO WHEN HE USES VOID OF BLOOD AGAIN, HE SUPPOSES]

[velluminous]

Thank you...

[survivaltricks]

Ah-- [coming back to himself as the wonder of what just happens fades]

Yeah, don't mention it.