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[diedeliberately]

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text; un: thoreau

[notwalking]

[ After much, much, much fiddling around, bickering and confusion, the fruits of their labor finally manifest in a message appearing on Neil's phone: ]

Test

text; un: whitman

[diedeliberately]

Oh! Yes-- [Wait! He's not supposed to be talking out loud. Focus, Neil.]

good job

1/3

[notwalking]

It w

[notwalking]

[ Shit. ]

How'd they get the buttons this small?

[notwalking]

[ Try again... ]

It worked

?

beep beep soup delivery

[neighsaying]

[ Once Charlie has let him in and he's delivered Charlie's soup, he knocks on Neil's door. He's got one container of warm chicken soup with rice, along with half a loaf of freshly baked bread and a covered mug of mint tea.

He doesn't know if Neil is sick, but it's still cold enough to justify soup regardless. ]

[diedeliberately]

[That's odd. Charlie wouldn't knock, would he? Neil gets up to open the door, and there's Jean. He has soup...

[This is somewhat embarrassing. Neil probably looks a total mess - nose red, hair mussed, still in his pajamas. He stumbles over his words just a little.]

Hi, Jean. What...are you doing here?

[neighsaying]

[ Neil does look like a mess, but Jean ignores it. Instead, he holds out the small box containing the soup, bread, and tea. ]

Delivery, since there's an illness going around. I figured the soup couldn't hurt if you and your buddy had caught it.

[ He may have, he may just be tired. Jean doesn't pry, thankfully. ]

If not, soup's always good anyways.

ohhh sometime mid- to late-event ohhHHHHH

[notwalking]

[ It's not good. It's really not good.

They both started off sick and have just been getting sicker. Charlie knows by now what's causing the disease, how to cure it. And there's been some spots of reprieve here and there, but...

At the end of the day, he comes home to Neil. What a gift that is, and what a profound curse. He falls sick all over again, wakes up every morning feeling somehow worse than the day before. Neil doesn't fare much better.

Charlie's been insistent that they don't have to talk about what happened. What is there to say?

It'd be a great piece of dramatic irony if it killed them, though.

He's up early, just as the sun is crawling above the horizon of Stellari. Coughed up so many black irises and red spider lilies that he thought he might actually choke there on his own bedroom floor, chest heaving with a burning ache. Finally wandered out to get water for himself, and–

Now he stands in Neil's doorway with a glass for him too. His best friend is still in bed. Probably still asleep. He ought to stay that way, it's the only time they're not physically miserable.

He pads over as quietly as he can to leave the glass on Neil's nightstand, and a wave of vertigo hits as he looks down at the lump of blankets on the bed. Charlie's knees buckle beneath him. Before he knows it, he's gripping the bedframe to keep upright, sweat beading on his forehead. ]

Shit.

[ Shit.

If that didn't wake Neil up, then him sitting heavily at the edge of the bed surely will. ]

Shit. Sorry.

[diedeliberately]

[Neil has been sleeping heavily lately, but he hasn't been sleeping soundly. He sleeps too much, so he can't sleep anymore, but he can't stay awake; the cycle continues on and on. It's why he startles awake when he feels Charlie's weight on the bed, but his body doesn't actually move at first. The second he opens his eyes, he's curling his arm over his mouth, leaving tiny white petals and just a couple spots of red. He winces before he opens his eyes, bleary, still confused from sleep.]

Charlie? [His voice croaks.] Are you alright?

[notwalking]

[ Charlie wheezes out a short, weak laugh. ]

Yeah, slick. Peachy keen. Can't you tell?

[ He doesn't even have the strength in his voice to aim for the sarcasm he means.

He presses his hands over his eyes, tries to breathe through the crushing feeling around his lungs. ]

Sorry. Give me a sec. I'll get up.

3/4 power sharing!

[callofbeauty]

[With Vil's goal of opening his own theater within reach, it was time to work out the logistics. He had two dedicated participants already, so it was only natural that he kept both individuals in the loop of things, and made sure to get their input. Of course, he lived with Rook, so it was easy getting his opinion... as for Neil, the best time was when he came to get lessons and practice. Vil had rented a large storage unit for collections of props and equipment he was amassing, along with a collection of scripts from the library. A perfect place to meet and practice, and of course Vil would ask Neil's opinion on matters regularly.

Novice he may be, but he was still a person with a vastly different experience to draw from than Vil's own, and that in and of itself was a valuable asset Vil knew he'd be a fool not to make use of. There was much to be said about the opinion of those that didn't know the industry as he did, as there was no one that would have told him "that's not how it works".

Today they were going over props for certain scenes, less an official lesson, and more them brainstorming possible ways of managing special effects. Vil was sitting atop one of the storage crates, looking over a script they were debating on being one of the first productions.]

Honestly, my biggest worry for this one is the need for an outdoor rainstorm scene. In a Film or stage, that's going to be tricky to manage... lighting can possibly help, but it won't be able to do the heavy lifting required to carry the entire scene.

[diedeliberately]

[Neil is digging through one of the prop boxes himself, back turned to Vil. He's given the excuse that he's sorting and cataloguing everything, and he is! But, really he just wants to see what they have. He listens as he works, taking the dilemma into careful consideration. He really is taking this hobby seriously, always one to go above and beyond with everything he does. Theater is still special to him. It's been...vulnerable to learn that, but...nice too.

[After a few thoughtful moments, Neil sits back up on his knees and turns to Vil.]

What about a chorus?

Hear me out on this. I know you were thinking of something visual, but from a distance, how well can someone see rain anyway? Instead, if a chorus can simulate the sound of rain...

[Neil holds up a hand, raising his eyebrows, leaning in, as if to listen.]

Softly. Just barely, just...

[He makes a few soft whispering sounds, trying to imitate softly falling rain.]

pan makes me work so hard and for what

[enteloki]

[Guess what he doesn't wanna fuckin do-

This. ♥

Guess where he is anyway?

Here. A compulsion pulling him inside and to a table, seemingly prepped for his arrival.

A placard sits in front of him, prefilled.]

💘 Name: Akechi Goro
💘 Age: 19
💘 Preference: "friends"
💘 About me: ̴̧͇͔̘̬̥̼͔͇̫̱̱̖̎ͅ ̵̡̨̰͙̤̹̺̙̱͕̣̱́̄͐̀̅̈́̏͒̾̽̐͐͋͘͝ͅ ̶̡̛̪͇̦̣̤͑͂͛́͋̀̔͑̐͋͋̾̈̉̈́͋ ̸̧̨̡̛̛̹͖̪͕̥̗̠̰͈̟̦̄̈̊́̌̊͒̋̆͜͠ͅ ̸̡̨͙̯̪̹̪͎̰̮̭̪̖̠̗͍͌̿̏̅̽͜

[He wants to rip it apart, but-

It would be difficult to save face while tearing it to bits and pieces. It's no different than the Oracle. Instead-

He waves to a familiar face wandering about.]

Oh, hello Neil. I see you got caught up in this affair too - or are you here by choice?

[diedeliberately]

Oh! Akechi!

[Neil gladly hurries over, pearly-white grin wide on his face. His own placard reads:

[Name: Neil Perry
Age: 17
Preferences: friendship
About Me: "Come my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world
for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset."]

I am here by choice. It's...funny, though. I hadn't really heard about it, I just felt this need to come to Visium for a while.

[He's new! Cut him some slack for not recognizing the mind-melting magic yet.]

What's...that written on your placard? It looks scribbled out, or...

[He wrinkles his nose, twisting his head to the side, as if that should help him decode the secret message.]

text | un: garden05

[girlybruiser]

How are you, Neil?

text; un: whitman

[diedeliberately]

Hello, Haru! I'm doing well, thanks.

How are you?

> june event I DIDN'T FORGET

[notwalking]

[ Charlie has no interest in controlling Neil. They've both been under the thumbs of people older and more powerful than them for too long; the freedom they have in this world is too important to let go, even though the blade it comes with slices both ways. When shit gets dangerous, he can't make Neil stay home and wait it out. He can't always be with him, either.

It worries him more than he thinks Neil realizes. More than he's willing to admit even to himself.

So it's a tremendous relief when he hears the sound of their front door unlatching. The manor they wished themselves into isn't as large as his own family home, but it does have two stories, a library with enormous windows overlooking the back garden. Charlie gets up from where he's been lounging in the window seat, sticks his head out the door into the upstairs hall. ]

Neil?

[ There's no answer, so he comes out onto the landing, leans over the railing of the stairs to check the first floor. ]

Neil. You home?

[diedeliberately]

[He means to answer the first time. He means to answer the second time, but he can't. He's slumped back against the front door, halfway to the ground with his knees bent. He breathes hard, slow, but only because he's forcing the panic down. He means to answer, but he can't even look toward the stairs. A sob bursts out of him like a yelp, shattering the silence, echoing off of hardwood; after that, his breathing picks up again.]

[text] UN: FairestOneOfAll

[callofbeauty]

How are you fairing now that things have settled down? Are you getting some rest and eating? I have some potions in case you're having trouble sleeping as well.

text; un: whitman

[diedeliberately]

Hey, Vil. Yes, I'm resting plenty and I'm eating fine.

[The rest part is definitely true, though he doesn't find the excessive sleep to be all that restful. He eats about as well as any teenage boy eats, left unattended. Luckily, though:]

I have Charlie to look after me too. Don't worry, Vil.

How are you doing? Did you make it out of things alright?

these don't need a response :) 1/?

[girlybruiser]

[ Haru can hardly believe it's been over two weeks since she entered the forest. It's alarming to think she stayed asleep in the garden this whole time, while her friends were in disarray trying to find her, if they were not being struck with lightning and turning into children.

Neil comes to mind quickly after she's able to settle some matters with Akira. He's so kind and thoughtful, she can't bear the thought she's worried him as well. ]

Neil-kun, it's Haru. I'm back. I'm truly sorry if I've worried you or Charlie-kun.
I'm hoping you've been alright with everything going on since we got lost in the labyrinth.

[girlybruiser]

[ An hour or so passes.

That's normal. People don't always text back right away and this technology is new-ish for these boys.

Still, her heart tugs after several hours of no response. ]

Hey, are you there?

[girlybruiser]

Charlie-kun isn't responding either.
Are you two alright?

done :(

[girlybruiser]

[ A day later, the realization sets in.

She's talking to an electronic wall, really. These messages are not going to anyone in particular, or disappearing into a void.

Maybe.

But Haru sends one last message.

Even if Neil Perry can't see it, she hopes her feelings ring through to wherever he is back home, to let him know she's wishing the best for him. ]

Thank you and Charlie-kun for helping me with the cafe launch.
I hope you're doing alright back home and I hope-
No, I believe in you. You'll be able to face your father, I'm sure of it. So please, take care.