Eclipse's Heart Game ☉ Session #4

[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

The Waterfront

[intheshade]

You are standing on an elevated boardwalk made of wood and stone. In front of you is a view of the sea and docks. Behind you, the city stands tall and casts its long shadows over you and the port. It's not pitch darkness, but dark enough that you probably wish you had a little more light to see a little better, even with the distant glow of sunlight in the horizon.

In the sky above hangs a solar eclipse. Strangely enough, the sun does not seem to be reflected in the water.

There are a set of stairs that seem to let you head down to the beach. Further down along the boardwalk, the glow of blue lanterns outside a blue building catches your eye. In the opposite direction, you can see there's a path from the boardwalk that leads you into the city.

START

[intheshade]

You're not going to get to enjoy the view for long before light just...coalesces right in front of you, in the shape of a person. Then, it snaps its fingers and the light shatters like glass, 'pieces' of it falling off and disappearing to reveal a ...

... Young girl ... ? No, it's probably more right to say it's a short lady. Her white hair stands out against bronzed skin, her eyes bright like amber, and her fine clothes a verdant green. There's a blue veil draped over her head, trailing behind her like a curtain.

Some of you might find her familiar, if you've seen a certain memory of Eclipse's.

She doesn't bow, or give any kind of polite deference to you as a guest. In fact, she just smiles and spreads her arms wide.

"Welcome, interlopers."

And that is definitely the voice of whoever pulled you out earlier.

Re: START

[protectshisown]

[WHY DO I KEEP ALMOST DROWNING LATELY.]

[Even if he's dry. There's still the temporary heart attack of ALL THAT happening.]

[....oh, weird ghost lady.]

....am I in Eclipse's dream?

Re: START

[intheshade]

This one recognises her, so she doesn't have to explain everything, she thinks.

"Oh, I'm sure this sounds like a dream, but it is not. You're in the boy's heart."

Re: START

[protectshisown]

[Man, you ever get Super Deja Vu because he is by this point.]

Heart?

Wait, you don't mean like...his soul?

Re: START

[intheshade]

"You catch on quick. Welcome to the soul of the one you know as 'Eclipse'."

Re: START

[protectshisown]

....well, that went from terrible to absolutely horrifying. He's gonna hate this.

Re: START

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Dusting himself off.

Pointedly.]

I didn't want or need your help.

Re: START

[intheshade]

"Now, when did I ever insinuate that?"

A beat.

"... Well, it might have been entertaining to see whether it would have ended in darkness for you, but the boy likes you too much for that."

Re: START

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Whoosh.

Right over his head.]

Speak plainly or don't speak at all.

Re: START

[intheshade]

She actually seems mildly pleased with his bluntness?

"Right, straight to business, of course.

He doesn't exactly want any of you here, but none of us have the power to forcibly evict you and none of you can leave of your own free will. So, I'd like you to be a busybody and take a look around."

Re: START

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Fine.

But tell me where he is first.

Re: START

[scarvedforlife]

[ Oh boy. ]

Interlopers is such a harsh term...

Re: START

[intheshade]

Sunnily: "But an accurate one, in so far that you are people who are where you should not be, as far as the boy's concerned."

"Oh, but don't worry about being forcibly removed from here, since none of us actually know how to do that."

Re: START

[scarvedforlife]

Could I volunteer myself for it and it'd work? I'm violating trust with every passing second here.

Re: START

[intheshade]

"You can certainly try, but I doubt much will come of it."

Re: START

[scarvedforlife]

Then... have you got a waiting room? With magazines and coffee?

Re: START

[forgottenmercy]

[smoothing down his (dry) skirts.]

Ah, hello...

[does bow, very politely and demurely. he recognizes her, of course.]

Re: START

[intheshade]

Ah, another one that would have recognised her.

"I'd ask for you to excuse the uncomfortable entrance, but he's not exactly sorry about it. Or could help it, for that matter."

Re: START

[forgottenmercy]

Some, ah, things cannot be helped.

Re: START

[intheshade]

"Unfortunately for him."

She says this so plainly that she's obviously not at all sorry for him. "While you're here, you could take a look around. It's likely the only way out."

Re: START

[debatemebro]

Am I interloping? I'm sure it's entirely by accident if so.

Re: START

[intheshade]

"Accident it may be, you are where you do not belong, at least as far as the boy's concerned."

"... Of course, that's his problem to handle now, and there's nothing much he can do about it!"

Re: START

[debatemebro]

In our defense, I'm not entirely certain there's much we can do about it, either.

Re: START

[intheshade]

"No, there isn't. There's not much else for any of you to do except explore until you are finally allowed to leave, really."