imeeji_frontstage | (no subject)

Woah, look at your room. [ going to take a few minutes to marvel at it before he notices the dream house sitting on the table. he wanders over and stoops down to peer inside. ]

Mm, sure~ [ pops back up. ] Would you just like me to start playing them one by one?

[ Taking a picture of his whiteboard before quickly clearing it off, taking out two notepads and pencils for them, along with markers for the whiteboard.

Yes, I believe I'm ready now.

[ nods, finding himself a seat. he takes out his phone to play this. ] ... [ as soon as it finished. ] It's the first one I got. Er, took. And it's... weird, right. Like... stuff is missing and, well... you saw.

[ Writing out 'rain' and 'cafe', then a spiraling arrow around them both on the white board. ]

It looked like a distorted recording.

Right. Like a VHS that's been tampered with or something. The next one isn't much better. [ plays this next. ]

I think this one might be a little... worse off. I think I might have interacted with the distortion, or... whatever was causing it if... that, like, makes sense.

Yes, and perhaps what is most concerning is that the dialogue did change after enough replays. It insinuates that either that memory in your head has been altered, or your own thoughts have been.

[ And watching the new one, noting 'phone disappears on multiple loops' on the board. ]

And this time, something physically seems to have changed around you.

Do you think that the original, er, the first loop is the most accurate, and then my brain or... something else is trying to correct or... over correct things? Like, change it to make me hear or see what I think I want to hear or see?

That would be my assumption. It could be you were forced to relive moments until you gave the right answer, or behaved the right way.

I doubt playing it over and over is going to change anything. It's already messed up. I... ah, played one last one while I've been here, but... I don't know if you want to see it.

It's when I made the contract with that demon.

Do you think it might have some clues to everything?

The demon or the contract? Ah, this is... it. [ he'll play that last memory for him. ]

[ It... takes F a bit longer this time to start speaking, and a slow breath, but when he does it's in his normal tone. ]

... Unfortunately, that seems to have only been the after-effects.

Have you had any memories that didn't have this presence in them?

... [ frowns, kind of... concerned now. he hopes he didn't scare him off. like after this he's never going to want to be near him ever again. he's vibrating a little on the inside, the flames on his tail and in his ears dimming and shrinking a bit. ]

I do, yeah. This one. [ plays this. ]

[ Watching that memory carefully, glancing in Alala's direction for his reaction- and then double taking when he sees that the flames seem a bit smaller and Alala himself seems more upset. Turning his full attention on him instead. ]

Ah- Are you okay?

I, ah, I'm alright. Just kind of nervous, since this isn't something I have ever really told anybody. I don't want to make you hate me...

[ Oh. ]

[ Well he's just gonna come over and reach for his hand to hold. ]

I don't hate you.

Are you... sure... [ he takes his hand in his own, squeezing it. it's been a while since he felt this scared. ] People... like me, but don't... like me, and I don't want to push away the people that actually... like me... [ sorry if that doesn't make sense, f. ]

[ Lifting his hand to kiss the back of his fingers lightly. He gets the feeling, honestly, given how much]

I'm sure. I've liked the person I've gotten to know so far, and I'd like to keep getting to know you more. That's why we're here now... Even if I'm seeing things I'm not used to, I still want to know more about you.

... [ alala looks down, trying to temper the swell of emotions he's being assaulted with right now. ] And I like you too, which is why I... I'm worried. [ swallows, scooting closer, so he can throw his arms around f and bury his face in his chest. ] I don't care what most people think about me... [ you're not going to win over everybody being a 'celebrity' ] but I do care what you think.

Maybe we can, maybe we can stop here? For now?

[ He gives another soft kiss, one to his fingers then another to the top of Alala's head as he tugs him into a hug. He's not THE BEST at this, but he's trying. ]

We can stop here. It's been a lot.

...thanks. It... is. I don't often think about all of this. Not at once. [ scoots closer, hiding against him. ] Just here and there, because I just... want to know what the hell is wrong with me.

[ Rubbing his back slowly. ]

You'll figure it out one day. And I'll do my best to help you, if you'd like. You don't have to work it all out by yourself.

...maybe. It kind of seems like hell might have made whatever I did worse, but... whatever. I guess it doesn't matter this very second. We... did enough, like you said, and... [ nods. ] I'd appreciate it, really, ...like a ton.

[ Resting his palm against Alala's cheek. ]

Of course.

... Do you want to take a rest? It was a lot.

A rest of any kind would be nice, yeah.