Izanagi's Ideal World - Session 2

[idolpro]

Comments

Re: Garden

[at_heart]

...I'd rather you get the chance to make it real, the way you won't if you stay here.

[ A distinction. Your ideal world is awful, but he can't in good faith argue that Imeeji is better for you. ]

Re: Garden

[bondsofsuffering]

Is it worth it, though? I mean, even if I had a chance of it, I'd still have to endure all that for who knows how long.

Re: Garden

[at_heart]

[ He knows. And he's quiet for a long moment. ]

I guess that's up to you. But if it were me, I'd want my real friends there at the end of the day. [ Another squeeze. ] Couldn't help noticing they were missing from your house.

[ His house had a ton of photos of LiliS. Not all of the people he cares about in Imeeji, either, but. Izzy's house had no photos at all. ]

Re: Garden

[bondsofsuffering]

There's still real enough people to populate it though, right?

[But...

Suddenly, your character’s phone begins to beep. Izanagi doesn't seem to notice.]

Re: Garden

[at_heart]

[ Hesitates to look at it, because damn, Izzy, but — looking at it, even as he murmurs: ]

Those people in the city? The ones who just have a couple of scripted lines they can say? [ Wan smile. ] I don't think they count.

Re: Garden

[bondsofsuffering]

You're real.

[Upon looking at the phone, it becomes clear that it’s finished loading. However, the screen has a few other differences, too.

Password: CHRYS

Open file?

YES/NO

[But even if they don’t make a selection, once they’ve had a chance to read the words on the screen, “yes” flashes and the screen changes once more. It seems to be an album file titled “Missing Element: Chrysanthemum” with various photos of Izanagi and another idol from LiliS. The contents are all mundane little snapshots of life - shopping at a department store, or even the black market, photos of cooking together, or relaxing side by side. And while Chrys’ expression tends to be more subdued, Izanagi’s clearly happy in every single one.]

Re: Garden

[at_heart]

...That's sweet, but we both know I'm not the guy who's supposed to be here with you.

[ Hesitates just a few more seconds, then tilts the phone so that Izzy can see. ]

He is.

1/3

[bondsofsuffering]

Re: Garden

[bondsofsuffering]

[Oh.]

3/3

[bondsofsuffering]

...Damn, that's a low blow.

[at_heart]

Heh. Sorry.

[ And he is sorry. ]

He's not in Imeeji anymore, right? Transferred or graduated?

[bondsofsuffering]

...Graduated. He's already home.

1/

[at_heart]

[ That's probably the harder answer. Gently, ]

Still means your best hope for seeing him again is to come back with me.

[ Smallest pause. ]

I'm not saying it'll be easy. And I can't really offer to carry even part of the burden you'd be taking on.

[ Which he hates. ]

[at_heart]

[ ...Though it also reminds him, and. Man. ]

Did have one thing I was planning to do, next PVP game. It's not much, but... hopefully it'll help a little.

[bondsofsuffering]

[He gives a short, sad laugh.]

You don't have to convince me anymore. I don't want to be in any world without him.

[He'll release Lupine's hand - if only so he can bring his own together, idly rubbing at his left index finger. It's bare today, but normally he wears a silver ring engraved with snowdrops and chrysanthemums.]

[at_heart]

[ That's — honestly the worst. Slips the hand into a pocket, watching. ]

Some people are just like that. Worth any amount of — anything else.

[ And while a lot of other things people have said to him, that he's thought, about relationships have rung sort of — hollow to him, like maybe he believes that could happen to someone else but not to him — this...

This, maybe he gets. This, maybe he's had. ]

[bondsofsuffering]

I don't know about that.

[His tone is - a little disparaging, really.]

But - I'll keep trying to get back to him.

1/

[at_heart]

[ ...? Cool, that's note remotely concerning.

(Tsun? Tsun would be the best case, right.) (It's either tsun or it's "nobody's really worth any amount of anything else" or...) ]

[at_heart]

[ Man, he really hopes it's just tsun. ]

Heh. Fair enough.

[ A beat, then his gaze turns to the garden in front of them. ...It's not the same night garden LiliS has, which is only lit by an unnaturally bright moon, but. Still kind of reminiscent, huh? ]

So, do you know the way out of here?

[bondsofsuffering]

Out of the garden, or...?

[at_heart]

Out-out.

[ Shit, he really wants — but he just digs his hand a little deeper into his pocket. ]

It's okay if you don't. I'll help you look.

[ They'll find it. He'll get you back... to where you've at least got a chance at seeing your boy again. ]

[bondsofsuffering]

Ah, well... I already agreed to return, so maybe it just hasn't timed out yet?

[Hmmm.]

Then again, there's nothing really stopping us from just enjoying the garden until it ends.

[at_heart]

[ ...Is that really okay? It makes him a little twitchy. He glances around the garden. ]

Heh. First time, so. Wasn't really sure what to expect.

[ He'd feel better if there was a door, or a... pillar of light, he doesn't know. Something. Chafing his arms slowly. ]

—Sorry, again.

[bondsofsuffering]

It's a strange type of game, but we might as well take advantage of it while we still can.

[Being in a garden > dying horribly.]

...For what?

[at_heart]

[ ...Which is why he was — for once, tempted to let someone stay asleep. But he's still so very, very aware that he Does Not Belong here. Another, more furtive glance around the garden, like he thinks there're suddenly going to be other people here. People who know Izzy better than he does. ]

—For seeing all of this.