[His eyes narrow as his expression returns to something more familiar as anger -- though it might be hard to tell exactly what it is Rin said to inspire it. He allows him to finish speaking, but by the end of it, he's reached the limit of his patience.]
And just how long has that been? A month? Maybe two? I'm not asking you this because I think it will be necessary in the coming days. I'm asking because I know it will be in the coming years.
[Mephisto played the long game, setting "investments" for the future in his allies. It's not that he thought any of the cram school kids had the potential to be worthwhile allies now -- but by nurturing that connection, he could guarantee reliable allies in the future.]
[But something like that was easier said than done. Especially when it required someone like Mephisto to present as someone trustworthy.]
And in any case, allies are good for more than just fighting... but it doesn't matter. I'm not going to stay here and argue with you. Or perhaps I should remind you again that you followed me here.
[ He was in a bad mood to begin with, but bringing up Father Fujimoto is making it even worse. For lack of a better word, it's offensive to Rin that this whole idea of words exchanged between Mephisto and his father only had merit now - or at least to him, it seems as though that promise had pretty much been moot while Rin had been a piece in the Grand Master Mephisto PlanTM.
But it's too much to process all in this moment, so he just points an accusing finger in Mephisto's direction, face twisted into a snarl. ]
I only followed you 'cuz I thought you'd need help and still wouldn't remember me, but yer the one that ran away. [ AND NOW HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HELPING YOU ANYMORE, JERK!! ] What kind of ally does that?!
[ While Mephisto seems fed up with this argument, Rin pretty much invented not letting up in arguments, so he just stands his ground and takes a challenging step towards Mephisto, even despite the already demonstrated power difference between them. ]
If ya want to be a trustworthy ally, maybe ya should act like one!!
[Mephisto was about ready to turn and leave himself. He was angry, too angry, and this time there was no one to step in between them before things went too far. But seeing Rin challenge him like that, stepping forward and still calling him out -- his pride has taken too many hits lately to simply walk away now.]
[And so he meets Rin head-on, taking a step forward as well. He's not thinking about whether this is something he might come to regret later. It feels as though everything that's happened since he woke up was finally coming to a head. And unfortunately, the target of all that anger and frustration was going to be Rin.]
And just what would you have me do to appear as someone trustworthy to you, after everything I've done?
I can't very well go back in time and undo the past -- nor would I, given the chance. It's just as I told you before. I may not have been your ally in the conventional sense of the word, no. But neither have I been your enemy. And whether you agree with my methods or not doesn't change the fact that everything I did -- everything I've ever done -- has been for the sake of Assiah.
[For the sake of remaining in it. For the sake of protecting it. For the sake of the beings that lived there and called it home. He was certainly no saint, and more often than not his own selfish desires simply happened to overlap with the "greater good" the Order strives for. But surely that didn't matter so long as the end result was the same?]
[Not that any of it mattered anymore.]
But Assiah is gone. Gehenna is gone. And I have nothing left to gain from lying to you. Whether you choose to believe me or not -- that isn't going to change.
[ Go ahead and take a step forward Mephisto, because he's gonna keep getting up in your grill so long as you're interested in arguing. Since he doesn't step down unless forcibly removed from an argument or incapacitated. ]
Not gonna keep arguing with me, huh? [ If he was in a better mood he would huff conceitedly, but it just comes out as a growl. He's doing a poor job of controlling his emotions, so a few small blue embers light in his dark locks and on his shoulders, that he barely notices. ] I already told ya that not being my enemy's not enough!!
[ Not enough to become allies suddenly right after being whisked away here. ]
And - and - what if we can get Assiah to come back?! Then everything will go right back to the way it was!! And all this bullshit about alliance and stuff won't mean anything!!
[ As in, it'll go back to Mephisto exploiting all the Exwires, Rin being in the dark about pretty much everything... his shounen ways let him believe that there's a way to reverse all of this, or that there must be something they're missing. ]
[He's not even gonna address that okay, seeing as Rin ignored his own question as well. If not being his enemy isn't good enough and not lying to him won't work, then what does he even want from him??]
[I mean, an apology would probably be a good start, but that's just not gonna happen.]
[He scoffs.] Do you really think, even if such a thing were possible and Assiah were brought back, that the world would simply go back to the way things were? That humanity could simply shrug off the apocalypse? Don't be so naive. Even if the Natha managed to save even half the population of earth, the sheer chaos that would result could very well destroy everything even without the Storm.
Why, not even this world is safe... you realize I'm not the only powerful force pulling the strings behind the curtain, yes? Lucifer is sleeping up in stasis as we speak. This world may not even be safe should he awaken.
[Aaand here's Mephisto's favorite topic.]
You truly don't understand just what he's capable of...
Then - Then what if the Storm isn't even real?! What about that?!
[ He mostly says this out of lacking a solid point in his argument and having to come up with something to say, but might later consider that this is actually a possibility... How can they know for sure, after all. And his flames are """from Gehenna""" so the lack of explanation for them still being here is worrying. ]
And how could I possibly know what he's capable of when you haven't told me shit... [ He takes the leap to make physical contact with the other, grabbing at the chest of his clothes and baring his fangs. ] If yer so worried about Lucifer, why don't you and Amaimon help fight him?!
[ And, presuming Mephisto hasn't broken his arm or something, he gives him a hard shove. ]
That's why I said we should keep him from waking up to fuckin' begin with!
[Well, they did witness something taking over their world before they awoke from stasis. It may not be what the Natha claim it to be, or they could even be responsible -- but Mephisto wouldn't be having the existential crisis that he is if he weren't mostly assured that whatever the reason, the world hey knew is no more.]
[He allows Rin to make that leap, but he won't get as far as shoving him. Before that, Mephisto grab him by the wrist -- his grip not strong enough to break it, but damn if it's not close.]
You don't think I didn't already try that?
[He grip grows stronger as he leans in closer, eye to eye with Rin as he practically growls through gritted teeth.]
That was the first thing I asked the Natha for before I awoke. To keep Lucifer suspended in stasis -- so his human body would no longer feel the agonizing pain of constantly breaking down again and again -- so he wouldn't be inclined to destroy the world as we know it to end his own suffering.
That is what he is capable of. And that is what I have been doing my best to prevent for the past hundred years.
[ The flames that had been just flickering on him flare up in response to the pain, licks of it touching where Mephisto has him in his grip - just as his face twists. Mephisto would noticce that the heat from them is not strong enough to burn severely, because even in anger Rin knows better (now) than to use his powers against others to harm them, lest his life is in danger. ]
How was I supposed to know any of that... [ He's speaking through clenched teeth too, though for a different reason. His other hand comes to clench at Mephisto's wrist to try and wrench it off, but not backing away from their proximity. ] It's not like I know the other Demon Kings!!
[ These are, as far as Rin's concerned, all things that are too big for him. Before he'd came here, his biggest concern had been he and Yukio's tiff and his final exams...not the end of the world. It's not that Rin doesn't want to stop Lucifer, but just that he's never really been truly aware of Lucifer's influence, due to lack of explanation and exposure. ]
If you'd just be upfront about things, we'd be more prepared if he wakes up!! If he wakes up...and if he doesn't end up like you, you damn clown, with less powers and shit!!
[Even if the flames had been burning him, he wouldn't let go nor reduce his grip. Because yes, ultimately he knows Rin wouldn't try to kill him -- let alone over something like this. Mephisto may be a demon, but he was seemingly "human" enough that he's sure Rin wouldn't be able to go that far.]
[And in any case: he's not so sure he would even be able to kill him even if he tried.]
[He had a response to that. If Rin wanted to know about the Demon kings, by all means -- he could have picked up a damn book and read all about them. Hell, he could have actually sought out Mephisto and asked him himself! He's never made a point to directly lie about them. Most of his lies were simple lies of omission. Even when confronted by the question of just how much was he manipulating everything, he answered honestly.]
[But of course, this is the logic of a demon. To him, it simply can't his fault for not being more open -- he can't be expected to change his inherent nature as a demon in just a few short centuries!]
[But none of this really matters, because suddenly being reminded of his own powerlessness is enough to make Mephisto lose what little composure he had been holding onto -- and Rin will suddenly find himself dropped down to the ground.]
[And by dropped, I mean forced onto his hands and knees and held there, a sensation of constant pressure surrounding his body as though gravity itself were bearing down on him, keeping him on the ground. Mephisto may not be able to stop time, but he can still move things through space with his mind -- and that included holding them in place, too. He'd be able to fight it if he tried hard enough, but he also might just shatter his kneecaps in the process.]
...let's continue this conversation later. We're not getting anywhere right now.
[ We all know Rin's reading comprehension isn't that great, and the little free time he had at school was spent on reading manga not old tomes.. sheesh...
Forced to the ground he is, he's still gonna struggle and try to get up, hissing as he does so. ]
Hey!! I'm not done with you!!
[ He just doesn't know when to quit, which is why in 90% of the fights he's had, he's had to be dragged away by Yukio or Shura or anyone else in the vicinity. And why it looks like he's going to physically hurt himself just trying to stand up. ]
[...okay, it helps his mood like, marginally, to see Rin down there struggling and hollering. Good to know he still has the upperhand here.]
[But he's just gonna make a little show of raising his hand -- and then pushing it down, at the same time, his powers adding an additional bit of force to push Rin's head to the ground as well. Stay.]
Yes, yes, I'm sure you still have plenty of insults left to get out of your system. Rest assured, we'll pick this up another time.
Until then... perhaps you should consider carefully what all you'd really like to know. I think you'll find our next conversation to be quite illuminating.
[Aaaand Mephisto out. Not even gonna walk away either -- he poofs around the corner and out of sight, to give himself a headstart for when he releases Rin.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And just how long has that been? A month? Maybe two? I'm not asking you this because I think it will be necessary in the coming days. I'm asking because I know it will be in the coming years.
[Mephisto played the long game, setting "investments" for the future in his allies. It's not that he thought any of the cram school kids had the potential to be worthwhile allies now -- but by nurturing that connection, he could guarantee reliable allies in the future.]
[But something like that was easier said than done. Especially when it required someone like Mephisto to present as someone trustworthy.]
And in any case, allies are good for more than just fighting... but it doesn't matter. I'm not going to stay here and argue with you. Or perhaps I should remind you again that you followed me here.
no subject
But it's too much to process all in this moment, so he just points an accusing finger in Mephisto's direction, face twisted into a snarl. ]
I only followed you 'cuz I thought you'd need help and still wouldn't remember me, but yer the one that ran away. [ AND NOW HE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE HELPING YOU ANYMORE, JERK!! ] What kind of ally does that?!
[ While Mephisto seems fed up with this argument, Rin pretty much invented not letting up in arguments, so he just stands his ground and takes a challenging step towards Mephisto, even despite the already demonstrated power difference between them. ]
If ya want to be a trustworthy ally, maybe ya should act like one!!
no subject
[And so he meets Rin head-on, taking a step forward as well. He's not thinking about whether this is something he might come to regret later. It feels as though everything that's happened since he woke up was finally coming to a head. And unfortunately, the target of all that anger and frustration was going to be Rin.]
And just what would you have me do to appear as someone trustworthy to you, after everything I've done?
I can't very well go back in time and undo the past -- nor would I, given the chance. It's just as I told you before. I may not have been your ally in the conventional sense of the word, no. But neither have I been your enemy. And whether you agree with my methods or not doesn't change the fact that everything I did -- everything I've ever done -- has been for the sake of Assiah.
[For the sake of remaining in it. For the sake of protecting it. For the sake of the beings that lived there and called it home. He was certainly no saint, and more often than not his own selfish desires simply happened to overlap with the "greater good" the Order strives for. But surely that didn't matter so long as the end result was the same?]
[Not that any of it mattered anymore.]
But Assiah is gone. Gehenna is gone. And I have nothing left to gain from lying to you. Whether you choose to believe me or not -- that isn't going to change.
no subject
Not gonna keep arguing with me, huh? [ If he was in a better mood he would huff conceitedly, but it just comes out as a growl. He's doing a poor job of controlling his emotions, so a few small blue embers light in his dark locks and on his shoulders, that he barely notices. ] I already told ya that not being my enemy's not enough!!
[ Not enough to become allies suddenly right after being whisked away here. ]
And - and - what if we can get Assiah to come back?! Then everything will go right back to the way it was!! And all this bullshit about alliance and stuff won't mean anything!!
[ As in, it'll go back to Mephisto exploiting all the Exwires, Rin being in the dark about pretty much everything... his shounen ways let him believe that there's a way to reverse all of this, or that there must be something they're missing. ]
no subject
[
I mean, an apology would probably be a good start, but that's just not gonna happen.][He scoffs.] Do you really think, even if such a thing were possible and Assiah were brought back, that the world would simply go back to the way things were? That humanity could simply shrug off the apocalypse? Don't be so naive. Even if the Natha managed to save even half the population of earth, the sheer chaos that would result could very well destroy everything even without the Storm.
Why, not even this world is safe... you realize I'm not the only powerful force pulling the strings behind the curtain, yes? Lucifer is sleeping up in stasis as we speak. This world may not even be safe should he awaken.
[Aaand here's Mephisto's favorite topic.]
You truly don't understand just what he's capable of...
no subject
[ He mostly says this out of lacking a solid point in his argument and having to come up with something to say, but might later consider that this is actually a possibility... How can they know for sure, after all. And his flames are """from Gehenna""" so the lack of explanation for them still being here is worrying. ]
And how could I possibly know what he's capable of when you haven't told me shit... [ He takes the leap to make physical contact with the other, grabbing at the chest of his clothes and baring his fangs. ] If yer so worried about Lucifer, why don't you and Amaimon help fight him?!
[ And, presuming Mephisto hasn't broken his arm or something, he gives him a hard shove. ]
That's why I said we should keep him from waking up to fuckin' begin with!
no subject
[He allows Rin to make that leap, but he won't get as far as shoving him. Before that, Mephisto grab him by the wrist -- his grip not strong enough to break it, but damn if it's not close.]
You don't think I didn't already try that?
[He grip grows stronger as he leans in closer, eye to eye with Rin as he practically growls through gritted teeth.]
That was the first thing I asked the Natha for before I awoke. To keep Lucifer suspended in stasis -- so his human body would no longer feel the agonizing pain of constantly breaking down again and again -- so he wouldn't be inclined to destroy the world as we know it to end his own suffering.
That is what he is capable of. And that is what I have been doing my best to prevent for the past hundred years.
no subject
How was I supposed to know any of that... [ He's speaking through clenched teeth too, though for a different reason. His other hand comes to clench at Mephisto's wrist to try and wrench it off, but not backing away from their proximity. ] It's not like I know the other Demon Kings!!
[ These are, as far as Rin's concerned, all things that are too big for him. Before he'd came here, his biggest concern had been he and Yukio's tiff and his final exams...not the end of the world. It's not that Rin doesn't want to stop Lucifer, but just that he's never really been truly aware of Lucifer's influence, due to lack of explanation and exposure. ]
If you'd just be upfront about things, we'd be more prepared if he wakes up!! If he wakes up...and if he doesn't end up like you, you damn clown, with less powers and shit!!
no subject
[And in any case: he's not so sure he would even be able to kill him even if he tried.]
[He had a response to that. If Rin wanted to know about the Demon kings, by all means -- he could have picked up a damn book and read all about them. Hell, he could have actually sought out Mephisto and asked him himself! He's never made a point to directly lie about them. Most of his lies were simple lies of omission. Even when confronted by the question of just how much was he manipulating everything, he answered honestly.]
[But of course, this is the logic of a demon. To him, it simply can't his fault for not being more open -- he can't be expected to change his inherent nature as a demon in just a few short centuries!]
[But none of this really matters, because suddenly being reminded of his own powerlessness is enough to make Mephisto lose what little composure he had been holding onto -- and Rin will suddenly find himself dropped down to the ground.]
[And by dropped, I mean forced onto his hands and knees and held there, a sensation of constant pressure surrounding his body as though gravity itself were bearing down on him, keeping him on the ground. Mephisto may not be able to stop time, but he can still move things through space with his mind -- and that included holding them in place, too. He'd be able to fight it if he tried hard enough, but he also might just shatter his kneecaps in the process.]
...let's continue this conversation later. We're not getting anywhere right now.
[He might just snap his neck at this rate, tbh.]
rin gets sent to baby jail time out: the thread
Forced to the ground he is, he's still gonna struggle and try to get up, hissing as he does so. ]
Hey!! I'm not done with you!!
[ He just doesn't know when to quit, which is why in 90% of the fights he's had, he's had to be dragged away by Yukio or Shura or anyone else in the vicinity. And why it looks like he's going to physically hurt himself just trying to stand up. ]
YEP
[But he's just gonna make a little show of raising his hand -- and then pushing it down, at the same time, his powers adding an additional bit of force to push Rin's head to the ground as well. Stay.]
Yes, yes, I'm sure you still have plenty of insults left to get out of your system. Rest assured, we'll pick this up another time.
Until then... perhaps you should consider carefully what all you'd really like to know. I think you'll find our next conversation to be quite illuminating.
[Aaaand Mephisto out. Not even gonna walk away either -- he poofs around the corner and out of sight, to give himself a headstart for when he releases Rin.]