Akechi bristles, eyes glued open and posture tense. It's not undeserved. No, Ren is far too inclined to bury his feelings. Much too quick to place others first.

It's not surprising to see him break like this. In a way, it's cathartic. Earned. Exactly what Akechi deserves. Anger is easy. Resentment is simple...

But that's not what it is, is it?

Ren wanted to help, that much is clear. It's in his nature. He gives and he gives, even to those who don't deserve it. Akechi is chief among them.

"I wasn't manipulating..." He tries to protest, but... hm.

Selectively hiding information until the last minute, to control the situation...

Damn it.

Love and acceptance... That particular phrasing knocks him squarely back into silence.

He averts his eyes again.

Where words fail, the emotion-projecting properties from the sagebrush step in.

Fear. So much fear radiating from him, against his will, but he can't move. He can't run. He can't do anything.

"...Why? Wouldn't it be simpler if..."

It's so disorienting. Why does Ren have to care? Doesn't he know that it'll only hurt him in the end? Akechi isn't stable. He isn't truly righteous.

Even his mother didn't...