Eclipse's Heart Game ☉ Session #1

[idolpro]

You drift like you're floating in water. It's almost relaxing, actually. As long as you don't think too hard that what you're floating in may be bottomless, because under you lies only a deep darkness that only the ocean can provide.

Then, something grabs you and drags you deeper, down, down, down into the abyssal depths. You can't breathe, but that's not on the forefront of your mind now, is it?

There is a mounting sense of anxiety and dread.

Who do you want to become? Will you even get to see tomorrow? What if all roads lead to ████████? Can you still stay '███'? If people see the ████ you, will they think less of you? Will they feel cheated?

You want to live. Even if it's a ███, even if your hands must be covered in █████, you want to live. You want to be '███'.

Finally, a voice pierces through the darkness. It's a woman's voice.

"My, how unfortunate. Your journey ends before it even begins.

"... Just kidding. That would be terribly boring! I suppose I can do the boy a favour just this once."

You feel someone grab your arm and pull you up to the surface.

...

When you come to, you are standing somewhere else.

Comments

[weenwoon]

[Hm. That... sounds pretty damn sad, too.]

...I see. But I am glad she could find some peace.

[He looks up at the sky.]

What can I do to help him now?

1/2

[intheshade]

Solars are just like this when they're not being terrible.

"Well...you don't know him very well, and neither does he. The boy's terrible at sharing much about himself where it matters, so I think it'll do him some good if you learn some more yourself.

Though I also wouldn't be against you helping out where you are able to. There are others who are in charge of different aspects of him, and they'd know better where he does or doesn't need help."

[intheshade]

"Ah, but --"

She actually looks quite serious now.

"For you, in particular, I don't recommend that you go down below."

She points a finger to the floor beneath them.

"Down in the mud beneath are the terrible things he keeps away.

... Of course, I don't get to make your decisions. But if you do decide to go, then I hope you have nerves of steel."

[weenwoon]

[His eyes widen at the sudden warning. It's not entirely what Levity would have expected, but... Eclipse did say he had reason for not being the most positive person around. Dark secrets hidden below...

But even with the warning, Levity doesn't have much choice but to be himself.]

...I haven't. Truly. But... I think I must go nonetheless. If I can help him be free of those things.

[intheshade]

She blinks, surprised.

Then, she tilts her head.

"That depends on whether you believe one can be free of things that have already happened.

My, he's gotten to know a troublesome one..."

[weenwoon]

[That's a cool philosophical question!]

...Leaving the state of amnesia aside... Though we may not be free of the events that our past holds, we can break free of our ties to them, and look to the future once more.

[He's... going to ignore the "troublesome" comment for now. That seems to be in line with the reactions he tends to get, though usually they start out with "wow you're naive".]

[intheshade]

"Oh, he's been trying to look towards the future. As much as he is also anxious about it, but that's a normal feeling I think.

It's just also much harder to put terrible experiences behind him than he would like. Or rather, there's not much else he knows to do besides put them in a box and try to move on."

[weenwoon]

[He hums thoughtfully.]

Ah... that may be the problem, yes? Rather than a thing to be locked away, the past is more akin to a tangled ball of yarn. And there is no peace without order. The past, too, has a place to occupy.

[It's so much easier to talk about this when you don't have traumatic memories!]

[intheshade]

"He would probably say putting it in a box is also putting it in order, of sorts. Some scars you do not wish to show because they invite too many questions or pity.

Ahh, but that's beyond my authority to talk much more about. I'll let that one handle it.

If you really insist, you can head into the city and follow the signs."

[weenwoon]

[Levity nods. It's not that putting it in a box is wrong, as such, but you have to know what you put there, why, and where to put the box itself. If the things in the box still haunt you, there's not point to the box.]

That one? Do you mean Eclipse himself?

[intheshade]

"If you want to get technical about it, everyone else you'll meet here is Eclipse, in some sense. I may be the only exception, and even then he's not entirely sure!"

[weenwoon]

[Oh! Well, that's a little easier for Levity to understand. He had a dream similar to this a while ago.]

Well, then... I'll be sure to say hi to him! And to the part of you that is him, too.

[intheshade]

She smiles. It's a little more real.

"Safe journeys, Levity."

The city waits.