Ideal World Endgame

[idolpro]

Who: Beautiful dreamers
Where: The Game Tower
When: Day 271, morning

[When you wake, the folding chairs and divans from before have all been cleared away. You're lying asleep on the floor, healed of all injury.]

[You remember the events of the worlds you've visited as though visions seen in a dream -- though for those of you torn from your perfect existence, there is an ache inside you which will not fade for some days... the pain of something precious that has been lost.]

[Out beyond the windows of the tower, the sky is no longer a perfect blue; the vegetation is no longer as lush and inviting.]

[The view is of Tokyo-F, exactly as it's always been.]

[Near the far wall, there is an open book on a pedestal. The pages are empty. It is titled GUEST BOOK, and a pen waits nearby.]

GUEST BOOK | SOUVENIRS | WINNERS

Comments

[goodtoolboy]

Wishing it doesn't mean much if in the end I only wanted things my way.

[worldlyafflictions]

Nobody thinks that...

More like... probably somebody's feelin' anxious that they can't make ya happy 'cause that world was made of hidden thoughts ya'd never demand for real so 'this must be the way', and now you're anxious they're anxious 'cause ya just wanted to do 'em right, and so on...

[goodtoolboy]

[... Reaches behind him to dig his fingers into Pink's clothes]

... Everyone was worried about me when I woke up... But all I can really think about is how I had the chance to show them all something really good, some perfect place where they could be happy, but instead it was something they'd never want, and they had to feel even shittier about dragging me out of my fantasies.

[worldlyafflictions]

[Lets him do that, rubbing his own hands up and down his arms a bit before looping them loosely.]

On the other hand if you were too good at it we'd still all be stuck there. You can still ask 'em what they'd really want?

[goodtoolboy]

[closes his eyes and thinks about it]

... What do you want?

[worldlyafflictions]

Eeeh.. putting me on the spot...

... I mean I wouldn't be mad if ya actually went ta my world? Probably your dream didn't work on me much 'cause... the real deal's right there, ya know?

[goodtoolboy]

How would it be if we really went to your world?

[worldlyafflictions]

[Uh wait they're really gonna talk about it??]

Erm, probably not as carefree as the dream...

[goodtoolboy]

The world made someone as carefree as you, it can't be that bad.

[worldlyafflictions]

Wh--is that supposed ta be a compliment?? [HOW RUDE]

[goodtoolboy]

'm just saying, Pink's pretty soft.

[nudges him a little]

So the demons can't be all that hard.

[worldlyafflictions]

Plenty of mundane stuff can become obstacles too, ya know... And technically my world's like in the middle of bein' turned upside down by demons--so the really scary stuff showin' up in cities is new.

I was thinking Pheles-san would probably be willing ta find someplace for you guys ta stay if he was getting something outta it--there's a good chance your skills would be useful. But who knows how often I'll be around True Cross...

[goodtoolboy]

True Cross...? Pheles was the weirdo in that memory with the cool chanting guy, right?

[worldlyafflictions]

Mm, Mephisto Pheles. True Cross is kinda the name of a few things he's connected to.

Basically we've got the organization of exorcists called the True Cross Order, or Knights of the True Cross. The school I go to's sorta built on a town that's like, a hub for exorcist activities, cause the order's got a branch there and Pheles-san decided ta live there. So that's True Cross town. And the school's called True Cross Academy, which he's the principal of.

[goodtoolboy]

Eeh... so he's got a whole organization around this 'true cross' thing.

Dazai and I wouldn't have a problem finding work. He'd be an idiot t'not take us on.

So he's the guy you work for but you're undercover somewhere?

[worldlyafflictions]

Technically it's not his org, he's just got a special position in it due ta bein' a super old powerful demon who's in charge of a buncha special projects...

But anyway... I'm less 'undercover' and more like a known double-agent. Both sides know I gotta help out the other one from time ta time.

[goodtoolboy]

Eh?? ...and neither've em's killed you for that..?

[worldlyafflictions]

Not yet that I know of, anyway...

But I'm not much of a threat, right? So probably they figure it's fine ta let me slide while they've got useful things I could be doing instead.

[goodtoolboy]

...useful stuff like what?

[worldlyafflictions]

Like collecting that hydra demon I showed ya! [Poke] What, are ya imagining there's nothing for me ta do??

[goodtoolboy]

It's more that it just seems weird t'keep around someone they know they can't trust...

[worldlyafflictions]

You just think trust is more important than it is.

[goodtoolboy]

What're they gonna do if they actually betray them? This sounds dumb.

[worldlyafflictions]

You're so meannn. I'm pretty sure they specifically came lookin' for somebody ta fill this role for 'em, so they're already counting on me ta play both sides a bit! Don't tell me the mafia doesn't need informants 'n stuff like that?

[goodtoolboy]

...who knows. It's not like I work in intel.