idolpro | Eclipse's Heart Game ☉ Session #1

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, he could think of it as something like a... do you do milk names, or something like that?

"Oh, we do. At least where he's from."

I think they've started to fall out of fashion a little bit where I'm from, since medicine's improved a great deal in my time... but if it was the name he was received when he arrived here, it's a bit like that, still, isn't it?

If there's an attachment there, it'll still be one name, but he could certainly try others.

He considers this.

"That's one way to think of it. For all that he dislikes the one who named him now, there are memories tied to people he cherishes, some of whom are no longer present."

He drums his fingers against the desk.

"He's been thinking of reclaiming his original name, as well."

Well, if that's an option and he likes it well enough, it seems like an obvious choice. Unless he'd like to start afresh.

"It's why this whole conundrum is, frankly, petty and a little silly."

When a thing inside someone's heart judges the very same person it represents a thing for.

"Since the boy predicts that people cannot help but make references to his actual name, should he decide to take it back, and he's terribly miffed about it. But he's simply going to have to learn to live with it."

He kind of vaguely looks up at the ceiling with a look that is, essentially, "ARE YOU HEARING THIS, CHILD? YOU BETTER BE."

People will find something to criticize about anything. But if it's something that's his and that he likes, then it should be something that's easy to go to the mat for, as it were.

"Rather than criticism, it's more that he doesn't look forward to being called a fledgling again. Even if it is true, in a sense."

This is why it's petty.

"Of course, me telling him that he's being ridiculous doesn't mean much on its own, so thank you for the input."

You telling him so means that on some level he also thinks so, doesn't it?

Some people don't place terribly much importance on their names, but in our situation in particular it's very much connected to the self. So, if it's the self that he wants to reinforce, then people he shares that with should also be made to understand to respect that.

"He's pretty self-aware, so it's not lost on him."

But he seems pretty pleased with this conclusion.

"...I'll make sure he remembers that."

I'm glad I was able to help.

Is there anything else I ought to take a look at?

"Hmm... I suppose if you'd like to understand him a little more, you can take a look around in this room and the next one."

I'd very much like to, if my presence is welcome.

Maybe even if my presence is only tolerated.

[ and she's going to head back over to the wooden slats, in the process of being painted, to read them. ]

"Impertinent, aren't you." But there's no real heat to his words. It's more of a statement than anything else.

The written slats on the table are as follows:

"Be vicious to those who have harmed you and yours."
"Cut your losses with people who won't take care of themselves."
"Do not repeat the mistakes of your predecessors."
"Kindness without strength is meaningless."

[ she just grins at what he says—and taps her fingers lightly on the table where the slats are being painted. ]

...I begin to see a picture beginning to form.

[ what do the ones already hanging up say? ]

On the board, wooden slats are arranged in rows. They seem to be based on order of importance. Each slat has something written on them.

On the very top row:
"People should be free to choose their own path."

Middle row:
"The freedom to make decisions also means the freedom to bear the consequences."
"Hypocrisy is abhorrent."
"You can't help others if you don't help yourself."
"Always be wary of putting too much stock in the rightness or goodness of your own actions."
"Everything has a price."

Bottom row:
"Sacrifice in the name of the 'greater good' is self-righteous bullshit."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"The ones who are the most difficult to love and care for probably need it the most."

Well, a good start... free will is the most important of all gifts.

"Sacrifice in the name of the 'greater good' is self-righteous bullshit," though—

[ she turns back to her companion, here ]

Well, where does that one come from?

"Bad experiences here," he says plainly. "Also, knowing quite a lot of people back home would think you're better off dead because you're supposedly possessed by a sun-stealing demon tends to give one a dim view."

Well, if you're not possessed by a sun-stealing demon, that's certainly not actually the greater good. Isn't that more being irritated by people who say they're working for the greater good when they're really just wrong or benefiting themselves?

"They're certainly wrong about the demon part, and don't even get me started on Immaculate and Dynasty bullshit. But there's plenty of people who genuinely, honest-to-gods believe in the goodness of their causes and intentions, but then don't actually consider the repercussions of their actions. Which I suppose is the salt in the metaphorical wound."

Mm... I wonder if he thought he was doing the right thing, too.

[ the "he" is a little unclear. who? ]

But—the idea of being an acceptable loss toward a good cause rankles, I see.

Eclipse's Heart Game ☉ Session #1

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