(no subject)

[joybound]

Who: you??
When: Day 48, evening and night
Where: the library and beyond

[As sun sets today, everyone will receive a message on their Chain:

☆: Good Evening my precious, charming heroes!
☆: It's been awhile since we had a party, so I was thinking you guys could use a pick-me-up.
☆: If you're interested, come down to the library ♥

Should you take the suggestion, you'll find the library has been decked out in fairy lights, with pink glittery star-shaped decorations all around. In the hallway are tables with trays of fruit tarts and fizzy drinks, and there's cheerful electronic music playing over the intercom.

In the center of the library, there's a new hexagonal bookshelf, accessible from every angle. It spins, allowing passengers to browse without bumping eachother around, and on it are a new collection of books. Some you might recognize from home -- if you ever wrote a book yourself, or had one written about you, it's here. Everything from formal biographies to grade school story projects has been brought in, in a delightfully embarrassing celebration of the passengers.

And if that wasn't enough to make you blush, there's also a slew of new books about you... The trains Heroes have been written in to a variety of fairy tales. In one story, you may find yourself a knight on a white horse rescuing your teammate and riding off into the sunset. In another you're a fairy godmother. You may even be a witch or a dragon! Given enough time, you'll probably find a story that puts you in just about every role, in a cast with just about every other passenger, teammate or no.

Be careful, though -- at random chance, reading a story about yourself might make you feel like acting out that role in real life! Those effected by this will consider other characters from that story to be their roles as well -- if your teammate was your Prince Charming in the story, you'll think they are in real life! All in a harmless, bond-promoting way, of course. This effect will wear off after an hour or so, and one character can be afflicted multiple times.

Will you get lovingly teased by over-the-top fanfiction? Probably. Will the library be covered in glitter forever? Definitely. Is it worth it...?

Well. Prince Cardamom thinks so. He's also joined in for the night, and will gladly play out stories with you, or face your ire. Enjoy the party!]

[[OOC: There's a prince toplevel here, though as always threads are subject to mod energy levels. If you'd like to handwave your character asking questions/etc, please feel free to poke Cleo#9893 @ discord and I'll work out what kind of information you might get! Thank you!]

Comments

[voreaciously]

[she's kind of









shocked still]

W-What are you doing?

[joybound]

[Hugging! Not too tight, just soothing, and patting her head.]

You're right that I don't know much about you, but I know that whatever you think you are, however you were born, you have a soul. That makes you a person.

It's okay to be upset. It's okay to resent me, or this whole situation. But I think it must be lonely, telling yourself you should be alone.

[voreaciously]

[she should push him away! She should--! she wants to throw him against a wall. she wants to see him bleed.

But he's royalty. He's royalty and that is why she behaves.]

My soul is rotten through and through, and that is not hyperbole, by the way. You chose very poorly--I might eat you, you know.

I am fine on my own, I always have been. Humans may be social creatures, but I am neither.

[joybound]

You don't have to be human to matter.

[voreaciously]

[Her voice grows very pointed.]

I do not matter!

['You really have no idea, do you?'

'....Of what?'

'How much you matter.'

She stiffens suddenly.]

I do not, so do not lie to me!

[It feels...a little chilly suddenly and she feels very cold.]

[joybound]

You matter to me. Even if I don't know you.

[He's still petting her! She hasn't pushed him away yet, after all.]

If you weren't a person, you wouldn't be so sad right now.

[voreaciously]

That is pitiful. Naive. Irresponsible. You do not know me, so how can I matter to you? If you mean as a means to an end, that is sensible, but as any else? Do not even imply as such. That is a lie.

[it seems rude to push away!!





because everything she's saying is so polite.]

I am not sad. I am fine! I am fine. I am fine, I have always been fine!

[she's fine even if katsuki isn't--]

I am...fi...

[joybound]

Hey...

[80H is very obviously not fine and needs this affection!]

It's okay not to be fine. I promise.

[voreaciously]

[This reminds her too much of Rean. Even Katsuki let her help for all his pride, usually.

And she looks up at him, even blindfolded it's not hard to imagine the anger or disdain. Her brow is furrowed. ]

And what about you, Your Highness? Are you fine? You are shouldering the entire universe as we know it from a malicious entity that has all but snuffed it out. You cannot choose your Heroes, you have to make do with what you have, and, quite frankly, many of us are quite a pitiful lot. One misstep on your part and it all comes tumbling down. That is the end of existence.

[joybound]

Uhm.

[Oh. She's caught him. He'll just have to... deflect.]

That sounds like you're worried about me. ♡

this isn't sleeping cleo!!

[voreaciously]

Answer the question.

[joybound]

Ahaha... Well, you're not wrong. But the biggest misstep I could make is to let it get me down.

[voreaciously]

You are allowed! Or are you going to wait until it builds and festers into something worse?

[joybound]

It's not festering! I'm relying on my comrades. I can feel sad, and worry, and be lonely. But it's also my duty to stay positive, above anything else.

[voreaciously]

[gods she doesn't like you!!!!]

How can you feel sad but stay positive all the time?

[joybound]

Eh?

[This is actually a confusing question and he takes a moment to answer.]

Because being sad and being negative are different. It's sad that the universe is like this. It's sad that people I love got hurt. But there's a lot of good in the world, too. I really do believe we can succeed if we try, so I don't even think about giving up or turning my back on people. So... I think sadness is healthy if you keep it in perspective. That's what I've been trying to tell you.

[voreaciously]

[she's just going to break away from him finally]

Will you honour my request or not?

[joybound]

[he lets her, stepping back out of her space]

I'm afraid not. It's good for everyone in the end.

[voreaciously]

How is removing something to do with me leave a negative impact on everyone?

[hey that's rhetorical. it doesn't!!!]

[joybound]

Do you want the fun answer or the serious one?

[voreaciously]

There is nothing fun about this.

1/2

[joybound]

Serious, then? Okay...

[joybound]

The more you reject other people, the more you make yourself more prone to corruption, and make us use more energy to keep you safe. More importantly, every day that you refuse to make meaningful connections with other people is one more step towards the destruction of the entire universe. As one of the heroes on this train, you're one of only a handful of people who can fight back against Malice. You know that bonds and positive feelings are our weapons. So by keeping your distance, you could kill everyone here, and everyone in every world out there. There are countless lives relying on you. So letting anyone pretend they're not an important part of this mission, for even one event, could be a disaster. I can't just replace you, because powerful souls cost a massive amount of resources to find and regenerate.

I get where you're coming from, 80H, but by making yourself out to be insignificant and alone, you're actually putting your own comfort levels above the entire universe. I'm not giving you special treatment.

[voreaciously]

[...]

I already am corrupted and I am no hero. But very well. I apologise for wasting your time.

[joybound]

...No matter how much you want it, the reality of your position won't change. I really do hope you can accept that eventually.

[He is gonna go TALK TO SOMEONE MORE FUN NOW]