[ ic // demi voicetesting ]

[unfoggedlotus]

Man, whatever happened to a good night's sleep? Is the first thought that crosses Ren's mind. One moment he's tossing and turning in bed, trying to get to sleep, and the next he's staring up to the ceiling of the Velvet Room. He closes his eyes after he processes the bare minimum to get his location down. Can't a guy go a week without getting dream-DM'd by the fake-powers-that-be?

It's not entirely fair, he knows. He's just feeling blergh because Goro hasn't texted him back for a few hours and he was starting to get worried when Morgana batted the phone out of his hand and said he'd come home when he wanted to. But. Well. If he really had to do something in the realm of the subconscious involving chains tonight, he'd really rather be in Goro's dreams.

Maybe the chains would even be fun for once.

He lets himself stew for a few moments before shaking himself out of it. Might as well see what the "wardens" and "Igor" have in store for him this time. Ren grumbles to himself only a little bit as he opens his eyes again, and...

...What?

Ren blinks, taking in his surroundings with wide eyes. This is definitely the Velvet Room. There's the desk, the structure is vaguely similar, and he. Well. He just sort of knows it. The vibes are incredibly Velvet Room. 100% blue, 100% weird music, 100% cognitive prison.

Except.

There's no prison decor. He isn't even in a cell. There are a few doors scattered around. Peeling himself off the floor, he realizes he isn't in a prison uniform (he's in his daytime clothes) and there aren't shackles wrapped around him either. And the weird music isn't grating in his chest like the world's worst rendition of Prison Hallway Salsa silently beamed into his soul, it's just kinda...smooth. Jazzy. Soothing. A bop.

The Velvet Room actually feels...

...Nice?

...He doesn't buy it. (Something in him wants to, though.)

Ren turns around a few times, trying to find answers. What's going on here?

Comments

[fogbornphantom]

"You're here." He leans into the touch. It's real. He's real. "Now I can breathe. The world won't spin so fast now. Everything's so... The other worlds are so different, Ren. Sometimes, it's left me feeling guilty because I'm so much luckier than my other selves."

[unfoggedlotus]

Ren just nuzzles him, for a moment. "You all deserve the world," he says, eventually. "It's bullshit that their worlds don't understand that. But it's not your fault that ours does."

[fogbornphantom]

"...Most of the other Akechis here lived truly difficult lives. I can't go into all the details out of respect for Magpie's boundaries, for instance, but it's truly heartbreaking what he and some of the others endured." He returns the nuzzle, though with perhaps a bit less enthusiasm. "I know it's outside my control, but there have been times where I've asked myself what made me more deserving than them."

[unfoggedlotus]

"Nothing did. Sometimes life's just like that," Ren says, a bit lamely, but he doesn't really have the words to go into a big speech about free will and all the thoughts in his head right now. He just hugs, and hugs, and hugs his boyfriend.

[fogbornphantom]

"See? This is why I need you, Ren. You're always good at dragging me out of my own stupid thoughts." He takes Ren's cheek in hand, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. He lets it linger for a few seconds before pulling back, though his hand remains cupped around his cheek, gently caressing it. "I'm sure they'll come to see why you mean so much to me."

[unfoggedlotus]

"I'm hoping they do, too. I wanna get to know the people who're special to you." Nuzzle. "I'll do my best to charm their metaphorical pants off."

[fogbornphantom]

"I look forward to witnessing it. Especially where Magpie is concerned." He chuckles, regaining a teensy little smirk, when—

Ah. His phone's vibrating. "...Seems we have the all clear. Are you ready?"

[unfoggedlotus]

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ren grins wide, jumping to his feet and striking a little pose. "It's showtime!"

[fogbornphantom]

...Pfffft. Don't mind him over here, covering his mouth and laughing because Ren. Holy fuck, Ren. "You really are..." He rises from his chair, nudging it back into the table. "Well, I can't say the enthusiasm is unwelcome. I've missed this, too."

Just give him a moment to dispose of his trash. Then he'll be set to lead Ren back.