[Closed] I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinkin

[theshowsover]

WHO: Akira and Akechi
WHERE: in Flavo somewhere
WHEN: late February, post hearts
WHAT: Akechi buries Akira alive (it's consensual!).
WARNINGS: Being buried alive?

[Akira is still pretty surprised he managed to talk Akechi into this - so surprised that he isn't entirely sure Akechi won't bail on him, or show up only to drag Akira way and try to talk some sense into him. But just in case he really will do it, Akira has arrived early, with a shovel he borrowed from the garden. He's already dug a hole that he thinks is long enough and wide enough for him. It's not very deep, but he isn't sure he wants to be buried under more than half a meter or so of dirt.

He might have agreed to this, but that doesn't mean he's eager to do anything too dangerous.

Finding something to be buried in was a bit harder, but he did manage to find something that he could fit in: an old wooden crate. It's made of planks, so there's little slits the dirt can sift through but he hopes that it won't be enough to accidentally suffocate him.

So with that done, he thinks everything is ready. Now he waits for Akechi to arrive.]

Comments

[doublecrowss]

[ In all honesty, Akechi isn't entirely sure he won't bail, either; he had tentatively agreed, after a long, tiresome discussion, to do as Akira asked of him, as a means to further reinforce their trust in one another. On the one hand, Akechi felt like he couldn't say no, not after Akira had gone along with his own distorted idea of what constitutes proof of loyalty, but on the other hand, he dares say staling one's color is potentially less harmful than burying someone alive...

Regardless, he steels himself as best as he can, and sets off to meet Akira at the scheduled time and place. They've planned for this, and Akechi has made extra arrangements of his own, practiced his Samarecarm spell just in case something wrong, tried to tell himself, over and over, that they had this under control, to the best of their abilities. But... ]

Hello. I have come, as you asked.

[ He wrings his hands, forcing a composed tone into his speech. Why does he feel so anxious...? ]

[theshowsover]

[Akira raises an eyebrow at how formal he sounds, but doesn't comment on it. He knows Akechi is tense enough about the situation.]

Thanks.

[He gestures at the box, which he knows is a bit morbid, but he wants to show he's put some thought into this beforehand.]

So I got this to put me in, and made a hole. You shouldn't have to do too much work to cover it.

[Said as though the most concerning thing here is how much Akechi will have to shovel.]

[doublecrowss]

... Right.

[ It's as much as he can say, as he glances over those... preparations. It's far too morbid, and while Akechi is in no way a stranger to death, he can't help but feel his gut clench at the sight-- though on the outside, he's so impassive he could easily rival even Akira.

He parts his lips, ready to ask one last time if Akira really wants to go through with this, but decides against it. Knowing him like he's grown to, he's fairly sure Akira has made up his mind on the matter-- and once he's that resolute, there's no stopping him. ]

I'm ready whenever you are.

[ It's what comes out instead. A lie, but he's no stranger to those, either. ]

[theshowsover]

[Akechi is right not to ask him, because Akira does want to do this, still, even as he's looking at it and recognizing that it will probably be unpleasant. Because...

It's hard to articulate. But he feels, in some way, like he needs these kinds of things. He's been trapped so many times against his will, hurt by so many people while he was helpless, that the idea of having some sort of control, of knowing the person doing the trapping actually cares about him...

He needs it. But he can't explain things like that. It would make him sound crazy. He feels crazy.

But he meant what he said, too, about it building trust between them. So he hopes that's enough.

He nods, and walks around to the other side of the box, to start moving it into the hole. And once that's done, he takes the lid off.]

Alright. I guess... we should get started.

[But before he actually gets in, he reaches out, his intentions clear: hold his hand for a moment, Akechi.]

[doublecrowss]

[ His intentions may be clear, but Akechi still stares at Akira's hand for a moment too long, pondering over what that means. He doesn't want to close the deal, doesn't want to offer reassurance or comfort when he doesn't get any for himself, and the more he thinks about what he (begrudgingly) agreed to doing, the more he feels...

... angry. Enough that, for a split second, he considers leaving Akira hanging, without another gesture or word of support.

But the second passes, and what he does instead is follow Akira to the other side of the box, taking that proffered hand in his and using it to pull Akira to him, their lips crashing together, the heat of his anger turned into passion. ]

Five seconds. [ He whispers once he pulls away, forehead on forehead, locked as their eyes. ] That's all you get. Then I'm coming for you.

[theshowsover]

[He meant it to comfort Akechi. But perhaps it wasn't take that way...

At least, he thinks that, until he's suddenly pulled in close, feeling the heat of Akechi's lips on his, and he hopes he gives back enough passion to be reassuring. Everything will be okay. He believes it.

Still, he doesn't look away for a moment, at first.]

Yeah. Sounds good.

[And after a moment's touch longer, he steps away, and lowers himself into the box, pulling the lid over top of him as best he can. Akechi will have to finish, so it's snug.]

Ready.

[His voice is muffled.]

[doublecrowss]

[ He hesitates for a moment before letting go, but once he does, he's all business again, fixing the lid over the box and forcing all morbid thoughts away, pushing them to the back of his head-- though there was still a voice in there, faint as it was taunting, telling him this is just one more coffin with his mark on it.

He pushes down on the box one last time, really puts his back and his weight into it, closing it off as best as possible. One deep breath later, he moves to take hold of that shovel. ]

I'll start now. [ He knocks on the box a couple of times with the blade, as though checking everything is okay in there. ] Ready?

[theshowsover]

Yep.

[It's weird, being in a box in the ground. Light is still filtering through the slats for now, full of dust motes that hang over the top of Akira's clothes. All sounds are muted, even the tapping of the blade on the wood, and even though there's only an inch or so of material between himself and Akechi, it feels like worlds away.

He's starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. But he's come too far now, so he tamps down on any fear, closes his eyes, and tries to relax.

If he just takes a nap like a vampire in here, maybe it won't be so bad.]

[doublecrowss]

[ Worlds away would be just right.

As he gets to the next step of the process, Akechi tries, without much success, to pretend there isn't a person inside that box, pretend that Akira isn't in there, willingly trapped and having a close encounter with death yet again. Pretend that last time, it hadn't been his fault.

So he keeps shoveling, filling the hole with more and more dirt, making sure to start from the lower end of the box; in the unlikely event the lid caves in from the weight, at least it wouldn't hit Akira in the face and potentially suffocate him.

Yes, it's unlikely and he knows it, but the thought nags at the back of his mind, still, adding more hesitation to his move, and seconds to Akira's confinement. The exact opposite of what Akechi wanted.

With that sudden bout of clarity, he picks up his pace, and though he hesitates one final time, he gets the job done, finally covering up the last of the wooden surface, the only barrier standing between the person he holds dearest and half a meter of sand and mud. It's almost over.

Now comes the worst of it: waiting. ]

[theshowsover]

[It's... quiet.

For a minute or two, Akira almost thinks of it as peaceful, as the soil is being shoveled over him, feet first. He imagines he's lying at home, in his bed, maybe even back in Leblanc's attic. If he closes his eyes and tries hard, he can turn the sent of wet soil into that of particularly earthy coffee.

But that's only for a few minutes, and then the dirt starts to cover his head.

He keeps telling himself it's not that bad. It's not that deep, and Akechi is going to be digging him back out before long. But as the last of the sun disappears, a heavy, cloying darkness descends, filling in around him on all sides, and Akira starts to think it isn't so peaceful at all.

Even though he knows it isn't that far, even though he knows Akechi is right there above him... he can't hear anything. Suddenly, he realizes with dizzying force that the only guarantee he has that he won't be left here is his bond with Akechi. And what if something happens? What if he's... left here, even on accident?

His breath starts to come in quick pants, but he tries to force himself to calm, closing his eyes at against the darkness and counting to three between each breath. Panicking in an enclosed space would only hurt him worse.

And anyway, he reminds himself, he does trust Akechi. He'll be digging him back out, any moment now. It will all be okay, soon...]