Angel | Heart Game (part 3)

[idolpro]

As soon as you start to fall asleep, the world of Imeeji is engulfed by a bright light.

It’s strange, isn’t it? You have fallen asleep, and yet your consciousness is awake. You’re simply floating, waiting to remember what it’s like to exist. However, as you wait, a growing fear clutches at your chest. What if you don’t remember? What if you will always be empty? What if you never find what it is that you are looking for? What if you die? W̛̮̩̰̫̝̫̱h̰a̪̦͖t̲̘̘̺̀ ͉̭̬͎̪̹͘i̺͍̭͙̹̪f̱̥̻͠ ͝t̼̘̬h̶̫̰̮̦͓̖̣e̳̖͔̜̮͢y͇̻͡ ̙̹͎̗͉͍̬d҉͓̮͓͉i̢e?̺̥͎̖̬̹͞ ͇̻W̺̠̫̤̖͈͉h͇͖̣ͅa̮͍t̛ ̛̙̰̻i͚̖f̡͓ y̴͍̥o̳̜͔͈u̴̥̻ w̰͍͕̥͢i̶̻̫l̬̥̖l͔͙ ̱̻͘ne͕̹͕͕̞̹v͢e̻̪̪͎͈͚͕ṛ̛ ̧̫̹b̘e̖̖̰̣ͅc̢͍om̨͍̘̻̫e̺̘͎͓̮ ̟͉͞w͏̟̖̠̩̜̟h̴̼͈̭̪o̸̹̬̣̳͉̠ ̼̠̯̖̫̜́t̫̘͠h͇̙ͅe̱͡y̭̥̱ͅ ͕̼̭̥̟͎w̜̖̞̲ͅḁ̩͙͚̤̟n̲̳̠̠t̛̲͔̲̜͔ ̟͍̼͖̼ͅy͎͇̘̲o̹̞̜u̻̫ ͙͓͓̲͈ͅț̷͔͎̩o̸̝̝̙͉ ̜͇͓̗̣̦͠b̰̠͡ḛ̛?̢̻̗̹̬͖͇̮ ̖̺̦̻͕̬͔W̨̺̝̰̝̲h͈̥̖̦͖a̴͓̼t ̺̤̪̻͔̯͞w̵i̮͕͜l̤̕l̞ ͞yo̴̯̝͔̜̝͍u̹͕̭̗͚ͅ ̸̟d̲̹̣͇͍̞o̶̼͍̠̦̩?̀Wh̼o ̮̼̱a̟̼r̫͎̘e͟ ͓̪̠͟y̷̫̲̖̱͕̤o̤̪̲̤̪̟͘u͏͈̞?̛͔͚͖̟͉ ̰͓͔W̜̯̗̻̼̥̦h̳̲a͏̘̗̜t̵̬̖̥̠̺͕̹ ̼̰̞͇̯͙̹c̛̝̬̙̱͖ͅa̩͟n͈͙ ̺y̞̰̳̹͈̙ͅo̭͈̭̥̱̱͜u̘̲̦͢ ̫̜ḍ̺͉̳̠̻̜͢o̢̦?̻̞̗̰̩͍͜ ̧͔͈͈͈̲̰͕̣̙͇
Ẁ͖̰͚̙̣̯͉̙̕h̺̻͕͕͈̥͖͜ͅa̟̮͕̬͞t̙̮͔̙̙̞̯ ̶̧̧͇̫̫͈͉̤i̯̫̕f̮̥̲͇ ̛̯͈̞̦̀͝y̫̩͉͈͙̻o͕͎͎̱̤̖ͅͅu̶̞͓̪͔͉̕͜ ̵̖͖͙̣̭̳f̗̪̜͎͎͇̩̟͜ͅa̲͔̘̮í̛̪͈͇̻͍̹̯̭l̗̖̝̪͞?̶̥͚͙̭̫̩̙͙̱͟ Ẁ͖̰͚̙̣̯͉̙̕h̺̻͕͕͈̥͖͜ͅa̟̮͕̬͞t̙̮͔̙̙̞̯ ̶̧̧͇̫̫͈͉̤i̯̫̕f̮̥̲͇ ̛̯͈̞̦̀͝y̫̩͉͈͙̻o͕͎͎̱̤̖ͅͅu̶̞͓̪͔͉̕͜ ̵̖͖͙̣̭̳f̗̪̜͎͎͇̩̟͜ͅa̲͔̘̮í̛̪͈͇̻͍̹̯̭l̗̖̝̪͞?̶̥͚͙̭̫̩̙͙̱͟ Ẁ͖̰͚̙̣̯͉̙̕h̺̻͕͕͈̥͖͜ͅa̟̮͕̬͞t̙̮͔̙̙̞̯ ̶̧̧͇̫̫͈͉̤i̯̫̕f̮̥̲͇ ̛̯͈̞̦̀͝y̫̩͉͈͙̻o͕͎͎̱̤̖ͅͅu̶̞͓̪͔͉̕͜ ̵̖͖͙̣̭̳f̗̪̜͎͎͇̩̟͜ͅa̲͔̘̮í̛̪͈͇̻͍̹̯̭l̗̖̝̪͞?̶̥͚͙̭̫̩̙͙̱͟
W̷̴̶̖͔͈̝̦̺̻̥̼̮̝̺̝̥͖̣͔̼͜͡h̖͉̘͉͉̖̟͚̜̬̫͙̼͖͉̯̤̦͕͠a̺͎̺̘͟͡t̶̸̺͙̰͙̻̗͔̹͍̯͚͠ͅ ̡͓͔̮̘͈̝̻͈̳͍͉̹̗͘͟͠í̬̟͎̻̬͓̦̪̘͟͜f̶̴̯͇̳͉̣͓͉͇̲̠͉̠͚̞͝ ̡͎͎̤͓͔͚̥̕͞y̴̵̢̧̨̱̭̯̤̘̞̩̻̲͙͔͞█̵̨̛̦͉̺̝͔͇͢͠ ̰͓̳͝͡█̴͉͈̝̲̝͕͖͙͔͙̰́́ͅ ̡̖̙̘̪̗̞̪͘͞█̴̶̵̛̩͕͚̣̥̺͡ ̶̢̢̛͙̟̮̯̥̹͎̼͔̻ͅ█̴̧̧͙͎̖̘̥̠̪͉̫͍̯̻̥̟͔̥͇̙ ̛̯͓̣͎̤̟̟̀█̴̵̧̣̮͓̻͍͔̱̘̣̜̞͙̰̟̬̠̩̀͠ͅ ̴̵̨͉̻͇̮̣̼͜͟█̵͉͔̝̺̗͔̯͓̪́ ̴̨͇̱̹̳͍͙̝͟█̢̙͕̞̭͇̣̼͔͟ ̡͕̼͙͙̗̥̱̭̪͙̥̹̮̱̬̥̪̗̹█̴̶̴̫̱̞͟ͅ ̷̧̡̻̭͉͖̻̲̰̦̮͓̜̹̩͎█̶̡̢̗͖͎̘̙͍̜͖̩͉̥̩̞̭̀͜ ̷̴̶̡̛̘̲̤͈̦̣̹̻█̸́͜҉̘̫̝͈̻̳͈̙̪͚̬̥̗̥̺̼̠ ̴̛͇͙̥̫̪̘̩̫͉̙́͜͠█̷̴̛̥̫̳̣͈̭͈̗̗̪̯̬̪̣̻̮̗͘͞ͅ ͏̷̜͇͉͕̯̫͎█͢͏̻͍̦̙̭̭̣̥͓͔
̴̵̨͉̻͇̮̣̼͜͟█̵͉͔̝̺̗͔̯͓̪́ ̴̨͇̱̹̳͍͙̝͟█̢̙͕̞̭͇̣̼͔͟ ̡͕̼͙͙̗̥̱̭̪͙̥̹̮̱̬̥̪̗̹█̴̶̴̫̱̞͟ͅ ̷̧̡̻̭͉͖̻̲̰̦̮͓̜̹̩͎█̶̡̢̗͖͎̘̙͍̜͖̩͉̥̩̞̭̀͜ ̷̴̶̡̛̘̲̤͈̦̣̹̻█̸́͜҉̘̫̝͈̻̳͈̙̪͚̬̥̗̥̺̼̠ ̴̛͇͙̥̫̪̘̩̫͉̙́͜͠█̷̴̛̥̫̳̣͈̭͈̗̗̪̯̬̪̣̻̮̗͘͞ͅ ͏̷̜͇͉͕̯̫͎█͢͏̻͍̦̙̭̭̣̥͓͔
█̴̶̴̫̱̞͟ͅ ̷̧̡̻̭͉͖̻̲̰̦̮͓̜̹̩͎█̶̡̢̗͖͎̘̙͍̜͖̩͉̥̩̞̭̀͜ ̷̴̶̡̛̘̲̤͈̦̣̹̻█̸́͜҉̘̫̝͈̻̳͈̙̪͚̬̥̗̥̺̼̠
█̶̡̢̗͖͎̘̙͍̜͖̩͉̥̩̞̭̀͜








. . . ♫ . . .


You aren’t sure, but you swear that you just heard someone singing . . . the words are incomprehensible, but it makes you feel something familiar . . . a feeling that makes you feel like you’ll find what you’re looking for . . . and that everything will be alright in the end . . .

What is that feeling?

. . .

HUUUH?!

You don’t know?? Wowee . . . well, don’t worry! Since we're friends, I’ll tell you!

It’s hope, of course! !

Comments

[rollplayinghouse]

[WHY ARE YOU BOTH LIKE THIS

Maki has a small heart attack before he lands back on stage.]

Please...

[liftoft]

[ waves at her cheerfully ]

Ooh, great! Harumaki, tell us who won!

[rollplayinghouse]

Neither of you. You're both disqualified for kissing and shoving, respectively.

[She looks around a moment.]

King wins.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[WHAT!??????]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ SUCK IT!!!!!! Thanks Maki.

He'll just be over here, laughing. ]

[liftoft]

H-Hey!!

[rollplayinghouse]

You asked. That's my decision.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

If you expect me to feel bad, I don't!

[rollplayinghouse]

I expect you to not be as much of an idiot as he is.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You really going to say you wouldn't have done something similar if someone had unexpectedly kissed you?

[rollplayinghouse]

...Of course I would. I've done something similar when he, specifically, unexpectedly hugged me. More than once.

But I wouldn't have gotten into a showboating contest.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I'm not you.

[rollplayinghouse]

You're the one who compared it to me.

I just expected you to want a little bit better than some cheers for flashing lights.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I want to win. And I'll do so by any means necessary.

[rollplayinghouse]

...I'm just saying, some of the means you might use to win something completely trivial might make it more difficult to win something more important later.

Like if you'd shoved X off the stage and he broke his neck in some kind of dream-game.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Oh? Do you want me to go easy on your crush from home? That's all I'm hearing right now.

[rollplayinghouse]

No!! And he's not my crush from home!

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You sure?

You're very overprotective of him.

[rollplayinghouse]

...He's someone who helped me out in the past, and he's an optimistic idiot who rushes into things without thinking. I'm a normal amount of protective of him.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Why are you getting so defensive?

[rollplayinghouse]

I told you, I'm tired of people acting like there's something between us. I barely know anything about him. I don't think we understand each other at all. I have plenty of other more important things to worry about than a crush I may have had in a couple of memories long before anything here happened.

I can still think you both are being stupid strutting around on stage for a fake audience, and not want him to break his neck.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

But you don't object when I rough house with Eater or Nine-Nine or King. Or anyone else.

Just when I do it to X.

[rollplayinghouse]

I'm not objecting to you roughhousing! You can get in your fights if you want! Go have a fistfight with X later on, I don't care!

I also objected to your fight with Joker, and your "fight" with Whisky. Because I object when you're making stupid decisions.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Playing it safe only gets you so far.

[rollplayinghouse]

I know that. Does it look to you like I "play it safe"? But it's stupid to risk something big for something small, and I expect you to be a better gambler than that.