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this scene tends to get written off in various ways and i don't think those are invalid readings but i wanted to talk a bit about my interpretation and sort of contextualize how i see this scene. again it's just my interpretation but i thought it'd be fun, so!
a quick disclaimer: a lot of these points overlap and are interwoven in a messy way that makes it hard to discuss in a linear fashion, so i apologise for that. it's about the way these factors come together to form a perfect storm for this scene more than individual points
it happens on the heels of medjed's defeat, an emotional time for akechi for quite a lot of reasons. to start, the date chosen for the deadline was wakaba's death anniversary. either he or the IT CEO chose it. either way, it puts her and that event at the forefront of his mind
futaba's situation due to that event is also on his mind recently. sae has threatened sojiro using futaba as leverage, ready to throw her back to abusive guardians to get what she wants. akechi isn't pleased with sae over it, either, actively bringing it up to her
the parallels between them haven't escaped him. in the anime, it's very interesting they chose to expand on this point. akechi notices futaba is troubled and volunteers to help her. he outright says he sees himself in her, reflecting what's on his mind.
it shows akechi is aware of her situation, something he had a hand in, has been thinking about and regrets. we know when he relates to someone or has memories heavy on his mind, he's more inclined to open up, as seen in his royal confidant.
he's prone to talking about loud, sorting his thoughts and feelings, especially when they're triggered by a memory or a feeling. being around two people who have, in some way, been on his mind, makes it more compelling
but it isn't just about futaba or wakaba. the medjed situation itself is unusual. akechi and the IT ceo worked on it together, picking medjed specifically because it was an impossible target. the win was supposed to be engineered. it was not.
medjed's defeat was a shock, an impossibility that went against how they understood the metaverse to work. they used a patsy, yes, but he wasn't in control. it's another way they've bested him, another way they understand more than him and can do more than him. more on his mind
akechi has a deep interest in figuring out the pts' methods. he actually cares about it. the reason he blows his cover with morgana is because he rushes to ask him about the change of heart without any regard for anything else. it clearly weighed on him for awhile.
related aside: people tend to gloss over the fact that his tv opinions were rather genuine. he sincerely feels bothered by the concept of changes of heart. it's not surprising he'd think about it often in addition to the way it's a difference in knowledge/ability between them.
he also has a lot of stress going on in general! his blog is nothing but hate following medjed's defeat and people are treating him like garbage. he often mentions how stressed he feels during this time period. being derided all day, with his history, could be triggering.
in addition, shido and the siu director are ramping up plans during this time period. while some specifically happen after this date, it's worth pointing out because he does know plans are in motion regardless, since they did have an actual endgoal with the pts' downfall.
medjed was a start but the next phase was not planned out. they got an opening to manipulate the pts but that was on mishima's whims. they must have been plotting a way to point the pts towards him and begin the next phase, something no doubt stressful to know
akechi knows that means the pts are going to suffer and die because of him. we know he does not actually want that from trying to ward shido off from hurting the pts post-akira's death and his general screams for help during that arc. i don't think i need to spell out that
i'd also like to add that akechi really isn't the kind of person to use his Tragic Backstory for pity points no matter what. i don't think i need to provide screenshots of how much he hates being pitied (read: literally having any form of compassion aimed at him)
there is just so much contributing to this scene and i can't stress it all. like you can't begin akechi's rank 6 in royal until around now, a rank where he is stressed and thinking about his mother, pointing to further parallels to show this is genuine, but we'd be here all day
while some of these points are heavier than others, you can see how they could pile up and combine to create an interesting, tense situation where he would indeed have a sincere, vulnerable moment with futaba and akira specifically, about the feelings he has and them as well.
but again i stress this is all my interpretation of the scene! everyone is free to have their own! i just find it a fascinating, complex scene, that deserved a bit of a deeper dive than i usually see it receive.
either way! thank you for reading my rambling incoherent thoughts and enjoy some related screenshots to this time period and evidence i wanted to fit in but did not.
