Heart Game: Doodleman

[idolpro]

It's dark.

It's dark.

It's

It's d̔͗̄͜͞á̵̧ͥr̓͗͘k̛̑ͭ͛͋̋ͧ̆͗͡.̢̉̈́̓͡

It's It’s It’s It's d̔͗̄͜͞á̵̧ͥr̓͗͘k̛̑ͭ͛͋̋ͧ̆͗͡.̢̉̈́̓͡

███████

You wake up in a dark place.

Comments

[idolpro]

"...What do you mean? We know."

[constellationprize]

But - how do you know? I don't really understand it. That that thing, beyond that crowd, there - that it's the cause of all of your misfortune? Well, you know, of course it isn't good to suffer. Of course that's really bad too, so it's good if people can live peacefully and happily. I think that's always the best thing, but that thing there, too - I've seen this before, so that thing there, too, before this happened, was just a person that lived here, wasn't he? Just as much as you all here, wasn't it something that lived with you too, and experienced the same things as you, too? So what I meant was that I was wondering about that - that, in that case, how do you know? How do you know? I can't really understand how you could know for certain that the situation was something like that. That that person, there - that he wasn't just a demon, but that he was trying to hurt you - even though... yes, even though I'm sure that he must have suffered living here too? It's not something that's very easy for me to understand, but he must have, right? But, if he maintains such an existence, then it must be that he made himself suffer to hide, right? Because you're so certain that he's the cause? Because you know, don't you? Don't you? That's what you've said, but I don't really understand it. Um, but it has to be something like this - there has to be a good reason like that, right? Because you're really certain, and it wouldn't be that a villager was chosen to become a demon, to become a problem like that, would it...? Nothing like that would happen, so how do you know?

Can you explain it? How do you know?

[idolpro]

She stares at you for a moment, stunned.

"Are you alright? Have you been out in the sun too long?"

[constellationprize]

[ if she even hears it she doesn't like, seem to react much ]

Nothing like that would happen. Mm, one among you being selected to suffer that way in everyone else's name would be really terrible, right? It'd be really cruel for something like that to happen to a person that you've all lived with, someone that you've all shared your lives with, and strange, too, for a demon to do something like that, right...? So certainly what's over there must really be as you've said, right? Because you know, don't you?

So how do you know?

[idolpro]

Now she definitely looks concerned.

"You should go get some rest. It sounds like you're not well at all."

[constellationprize]

Ah -

[ an inhale, heavy enough to shake her shoulders ]

That's right . . .

[ the point, after all, was that this is just a recording, she thinks. what was she saying...?

after murmuring a vague apology, she attempts to get herself through the crowd on to the center. ]

[idolpro]

It's a little difficult to get through the crowd - they're all milling about, trying to get closer to the middle. However, that also means they're paying no attention to your presence.

Eventually, you get close enough to see the person-

person?

is that thing really...?

it's ▓▓▓▓▓▓

the thing they are torturing is ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓ ▓̸̡̛̀▓̀▓̢͠▓̕͡͠▓̷̡͢▓̵̕҉

What you're looking at makes no sense. It has to be a person, right? It should be.

But it's not. It can't be. All you can see is ▓̵̷͝͝▓͟▓̶͢͡͝.

[constellationprize]

[ It's

A recording, she knows, she remembers after having taken that moment to get her bearings, she's seen, experienced before, swore to accept, but

It's heartbreaking, to see ■■■ from this perspective, even more than it was to experience it, even knowing what she does,

she doesn't, can't bring herself to move yet, stalled, frozen entirely just processing the sight. ]

[idolpro]

You feel something on your shoulder. A little prick of pain, like you've been stung with a needle. And then one on your head, and then another and another.

[constellationprize]

[ eventually, blearily, looking up, attempting to glean the source ]

[idolpro]

Iͤͨ̈́t'̏̑͐͂ͣs̃́̎͑ ͗rͬ̎̆a̒ͦ̎̆̔̃̚iͫͦ̒ͣnͧiͫ́͆n̈̚gͧͭ̑ͬͬ̊.̇͗̑ͫ͋

[constellationprize]

[ ah.

it hurts, somewhat more now she imagines now that she's aware of what it is, but the startle it gives her jogs her brain enough that she scrambles forward, closing the distance between her and the figure. ]

[idolpro]

The t͏̸̛h҉̴̕ì̸̸ń̶̡͢͟g҉̵̢̧͘ looks up at you? You think? It doesn't have a face.

And yet, you can feel that it hates you. It hates you just like it hates everything, and it wants you dead.

[constellationprize]

[ ah yes ]

Doodle...

[ extending a hand, just vaguely, to touch it - the closest approximation of its head, stalling just short of actually making contact ]

Can I...?

[ does its mouth even like. work still. the question's just sort of murmured regardless, a base impulse to comfort something suffering not unlike the gesture, no deeper thought put into it ]

[idolpro]

"No. You can't."

[constellationprize]

[ drawing her hand back, slowly ]

. . . What should I do...?

[idolpro]

"I've got a question for you. Answer it."

[constellationprize]

. . . Okay.

[idolpro]

"Who am I?"

[constellationprize]

... What do you mean?

[idolpro]

"What are the things that define 'D☆☆dl☆m☆n'?"

1?

[constellationprize]

Ah - um, that's a really hard question... and I'm not you, so I don't really know either, but - Well... you're really wonderful, aren't you? I don't really know where to start . . .

2/5?

[constellationprize]

Well, there's - ... even though we're friends, you're the opposite of me in every way, but even though that's true, we're still similar... but between us, you're... it wasn't something that I really thought about before, but - before, I didn't really think about it at all, but you're definitely a lot more amazing, right? But ...

3/5

[constellationprize]

[ a one-handed gesture, brief, to the whole... everything, out in front of them ]

If we're in this place, then you're wondering about "that," aren't you...? But I can't, really - even though I ended up... ... even though that happened, I can't really be like you two - I can't really convey it the same way as you two, but I think... there's a lot more than "that" there . . . Because we both have amnesia, don't we? Even if you remember a lot more than I do, I think - there's "that," but beyond what happened, aren't you really amazing? You're smart, and strong, and cute, and cool, and you have your own gentleness and kindness, too... you're always thinking of everyone, and you give equal treatment to everyone. I think -

... It's a little bit like a set of silverware, isn't it...?

5/6 actually.

[constellationprize]

[ without actually going into any further detail on that metaphor, ]

Even being selfish, even being hateful and cruel - even being composed of every evil deed that's existed in this world - "D☆☆dl☆m☆n" is more kind than anyone else.

And - for me . . .