They're my favorite animal! And that sounds about right~? There's definitely places that are more or less industrialized in the world, but I think Japan has a nice balance. But of course as a Japanese citizen you're gonna have to assume I'm a little bit biased~? I've been camping before, but I'm not all that great at it. We had to get rescued by a guy who knew more~
[ By "camping" he means "I wandered around outside pretending to be a wild animal for #art and couldn't figure out how to feed myself". It's fine. ]
[ Having someone else enjoy his food makes him glad; if Hiyori can enjoy his food, well, if no one else does, then he'd be a little offended. Not too much; he knows not everyone has the same tastebuds, but he's glad to cook for Leo. And, really, anyone who needs a good meal. ]
I dunno if they can be "good boys" if that's gonna be on their records, unless it's not. Nah, it's probably not. Still, how's that your fault? Shouldn't Sena-senpai know better? ... or shoulda locked you up instead if that's how it's gonna be?
[ Not that Jun wants to hear that, either. But wow, there is so much kink (?) in Knights?? Really, what are they doing over there? And Jun shouldn't be trying to kinkshame (?). ]
[ There is a lot of kink in Knights, don't kinkshame them. Leo and Sena have a petplay thing, Ritsu wants to drink blood, half of them want to lock someone up and keep them, and so on and so forth...Knights is fine (?) maybe (?) and that's just their state of existence. ]
If he wants to lock me up, I think I'd hate it~? Maybe? I don't wanna be restrained, but I don't mind him holding my leash sometimes. ♪
[ It's ok, Knights; Eve's in some owner/property thing, among others. This place would seriously be the best place for the rest of Knights, no kinkshaming here. ALSO, LEO???
Jun tries hard, with much difficulty, not to choke on his food, eyes widening a little upon hearing that. ]
So that's how it's like in Knights, huh~? I thought you'd not hate it, 'cause you write a lot, don't you? That'd give you more time to compose ♪ Even with a leash?
Hmmm~? Well, sometimes I need to be collared or I'll run away. It's not like I can fault their logic or anything~?
[ No, neither of them can stop talking. They're IN IT now..."it" being discussing Enstars Canon Kinks, I guess. No clue why !! decided to go all in on Leo petplay but you know what, that's fine. He does what he wants. ]
If it's Sena, I have to listen at least a little bit. ♪
[ Midnight turns around, does that coy point at himself guys sometimes do when it's very obvious they're the only person in a room but they're shocked that they're the one being referred to, then grins and shambles up, said guitar in tow. Hello! What a teeny guy... Definitely the sort of energy he exudes on the network, though. ]
Discomposer, correct? Please call me Midnight. I don't know if we want to jump straight into recording, especially considering that you have little idea what I can do... Would a practice room do to start?
[ Midnight has a place in mind, and if his new friend doesn't mind, he'll start walking them both there. ]
[Hello, Leo. Did you miss having two ongoing inbox threads with Hiyori Tomoe? No, not particularly? Well too bad, because he's back again!]
~⋆。˚✨Leo-kun! Oh, Leo-kun✨⋆˚。~
Guess what I heard! There's someone in this resort who's seeking idol lessons. Apparently she went to Jun-kun first, but I thought this was a job for all 3 of us!
Or all 4 of us, I suppose, if Rinne-senpai ever climbs out of whatever hole he fell into. I'm not sure about the date yet, so if the lesson isn't until next month, hopefully he'll be back from the void or wherever and can also join! But either way, you should help!
[ HE DOESN'T MIND (I'm going to link you my toplevel this weekend when I finish it though for in person actions - ) but.
Well.
He gets back to Hiyori after like...an hour and a half? Maybe? When his bracelet chiming finally registers? There's no explanation for his lackidasical reply time. ]
oh, we're giving lessons now? who're we giving them to? i don't mind helping out if it seems like fun ♪ but if i get bored i'll leave!
[Sounds good! A healthy balance of in-person action and text nonsense is probably best.
He gives up checking after a few minutes, assuming Leo is busy scribbling away in a notebook somewhere. He's plenty busy himself, scouting out the locations someone mentioned on his network post and arranging meetings to talk about important matters (like how to kill whichever gods are running this place). Busy, busy, busy.
But not too busy to crash that idol lesson!]
I'm not sure I remember her name. Let me check.
[He definitely remembers her name.]
Looks like her user ID is lilmonix3, if that's familiar.
And I guess that's fair. I just figure we should all put in the effort. Most people here don't seem to be familiar with idols, which has its pluses, but it doesn't hurt to spread more love for them. Perhaps we can even preview our shuffle unit!
[Getting through the maze is hard, but it's a puzzle that Akira enjoys. Usually the games here are taxing in a very different kind of way, so it's nice to be able to do something that... almost feels normal. What he doesn't expect at the heart of it, however, is the sprawling lawn of flowers.
He doesn't kneel, but Akira does stand by the edge of it to take it all in. It looks like somebody else is kneeling pretty close by to him, though-
Ah. His neck heats, but not enough to be visibly red just yet. That's his not!husband, isn't it? Tsukinaga... No, he's supposed to call him Leo. He hasn't seen him in a while, but it's nice to see him well.
As if cosmically timed, the moment that thought crosses Akira's mind is the moment that Leo suddenly slumps over like he's about to fall.]
Hey-! [He's moving without even thinking about it and catching him, but something feels... off. It's like Leo is putting all of his weight onto Akira.] Are you okay?
Where are you gonna run off to? It's no wonder they've gotta keep you leashed.
[ "Maybe that sorta thing would work on Ohii-san", he thinks, but doesn't say it considering he's not the pet??? Whatever, Enstars, whatever, we're not kinkshaming. They're in this now, even if Jun realises it or not. ]
What if it's not him? You'll just continue being a nuisance?
[Maybe if they strike up a friendship, he can use Leo to distract her the next time she threatens to bother him or Jun-kun. Wouldn't that be convenient?]
I know just what you mean. His timing is the absolute worst, which is another thing we'll have to scold him for when he gets back!
But anyway, I'll check with Jun-kun about when this lesson is supposed to take place. Then we can show her what being an idol is all about ✨😊✨ I'm sure she'll be very impressed by your compositions, too!
[ Leave him out of your machiavellian plots, Eichi - ]
his account is still active, so he's definitely still here, right...? i mean, i think some people have gone home and their accounts on the network disappear, too? so he's definitely still here...but why's he ignoring us? i know this is something like a taste of my own medicine and all, but i hate that! i shouldn't have to get karmic doses of bitter stuff! i like it better when i get away with things freely, you know?
anyway yeah i met her in the library last month! actually, i guess i have some stuff she'll be able to use already. ♪
Heh. [ Not a "wahahaha" but just a quiet little snort. Where would he run off to...? It's not like he ever thinks of that when he runs. He just bolts if he feels cornered, and then he deals with whatever happens after that...or doesn't deal with it. It's not like he's ever argued that Knights doesn't need to keep him a little bit tied up in something other than his adoration of them, though. Leo knows full well the sort of person he is. ]
Depends on who's asking~? And what they're asking. ♪ No one has asked me anything that makes me wanna run away yet, here.
[ He's not sure how to interpret Leo's sudden snort, but he's not uncomfortable with it either. Maybe on further reflection, that'd tell Jun all he needs to know. Instead, he shakes his head, waiting for Leo to continue. Or maybe, Jun doesn't need to know at all.
He's realising now just how different the dynamic in Knights is compared to Eden. Even if Nagi-senpai is a little absent-minded and mostly goes on the "God" persona Ibara's written for him, or how Ohii-san and Ibara hardly see eye-to-eye, Jun often feels torn between the two all the time. ]
Well, I'm asking, if that helps. So what'd you tell me, then?
I'll probably cause you a lot of trouble! ♪ At least, I really like Nami's cooking so I'd like to bother you for it more often.
[ So at least it's a pretty innocent form of trouble Jun was already mentally prepping for after seeing the state of Leo's empty kitchen...besides, Hiyori said Leo could borrow him to cook whenever, a bit after this.
So it's clearly fine!
He will probably be obnoxious about it at times though and text when he's up and wants something even if that happens at 3am. Sleep schedules are things that happen to other people. ]
Does anyone know for a fact that people have gone home, or are you all just assuming things?
[Sorry, Leo. He doesn't buy the whole "just complete your deck and we'll let you skip on home!" thing. Some of the people replying to his network post don't seem to believe it either, including a detective who's been investigating the place!]
Someone else asked about his account. When I said it was still listed, he said that's probably a sign that he's still here. He then started to say something about "time fluctuations." I don't really get it, but apparently people can get lost in the halls for weeks at a time, without it feeling like weeks to them. They think they've been gone for a few hours, but they've really been gone a month, or something like that. Another person described it as falling into a void.
So, I guess that means we can rest easy. Or easier, anyway. Though honestly, that sounds like one more thing to be wary of. I wouldn't want to fall into a void *or* disappear for a month. That sounds boring at best and horribly lonely at worst, so you be careful, too, alright?
[If he was gone for a month, who would look after Jun and "helpfully" keep all the people who want to sleep with him at bay??
You know, like he's doing right now, with help from Leo-kun. Thanks a bunch, Leo-kun!]
Great! I'm sure she'll be thrilled. As I thought, three heads are better than one 😊😊😊
i know someone who had a friend who went away, but i forget their name...but anyway, that's still second hand info i guess. and there's no confirmation where people go, but i think if we sit around thinking about if rinne is dying or something...well, i don't wanna.
the time fluctuations thing sounds like some kinda convenient way to write someone out of a storyline! this place is really a manga! but anyway, i dunno how to avoid that. i'll at least try to answer texts when i remember~
i kinda feel like we're a bad selection of teachers though! i mean, i left raising suo to the others for a reason! sena and rittsu and naru are all way better with juniors than i am.
Can't be worse than what I've already been put through ♪ Yeah? Well, that's good. I'm glad you like my cooking, 'cause I'm always happy to do that for everyone. In a place like this, 'specially after learning you've been skipping meals. Whenever you want food, just let me know, alright~?
[ Meaning, cooking for Leo is a breeze compared to when he used to cook three meals a day for Hiyori. After all this time, he knows Ohii-san's tastes quite well, so it's manageable now. And even though he enjoyed cooking for Hiyori for years, preparing food for anyone else seems easy by comparison, even if everything Leo bought ended up haphazardly thrown inside the fridge.
Expect angry 3am texts back wondering what the hell Leo's doing awake and wanting food at that time. Jun's not going to be happy, especially considering he has a set sleeping schedule and follows the same pattern every single day! Actually, why is he always the responsible one?
Went away from the registry too, you mean? You wouldn't happen to know whether that person completed their "deck" or not, would you?
I never said he was dying. A few people told me not to worry. And I wouldn't assume they kill people here. But as far as completing one's deck goes, there are other possibilities besides dying and going home. Before he disappeared, Rinne-senpai told me that J used to be a player here. But he never left the resort, and he grew old here, supposedly. My concern is mainly that they won't let us leave.
Though I do wonder if something else could happen. Like falling into a void you can't get out of. Or getting lost indefinitely, never to find your way back again.
[Nnnnope! Speculation won't do any good, time to snap out of it!]
But as you said, we don't have answers yet! So! First let's wait and see if Rinne-senpai turns up within a month, as people said he should! And then I'll work on investigating what happens to people when they "leave," or whether the House can really grant wishes or not!
I don't want to investigate around the clock, though, since that sounds tiresome. And even someone as talented as me ought to keep practicing, just to make sure none of my skills start to gather rust. So, I'm sure giving someone lessons should be just the thing I need to keep in tip top shape! 😊 And just the thing *you* need as well! It'll be useful for me, useful for you, useful for Jun-kun, and useful for Nika-chan, or whatever her name is! Everyone wins! 🥳🎉🎉🎉
If that is what they did, they could be recovering from a disease. 52 is a lot of people, and since everyone seems to be sleeping with just about everyone here, there are bound to be outbreaks left and right. I assume everyone's already thought to check the infirmary, though.
[And it wouldn't explain why their name is no longer in the registry... ugh, great, one more thing to worry himself sick over! Fabulous!]
Yep, sounds about right! And if it's not right, perhaps she'll see it as a cute nickname! 😊
[He didn't forget Monika's name. He "forgot" it. Just like he "forgot" Tori's and Chiaki's names back during ! when Akira wrote him as more of a turbobitch.]
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