Three bodies tomorrow... The nine hours barely seem enough for one case.
[ They're just walking around now. Niah trails right after, but unfortunately someone here steps on some glass. It's hard to see when it's so dark. A memory plays... One familiar to this past Wednesday.
You remember this system message...
[ < Star Stream > will not be destroyed unless the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ is ended. ]
You see Kim Dokja reach for a blade, any blade, and beeline to the child that shares the same face. Your heart sinks... You remember him always talking about a debt, but this isn't one you want him to repay. None of you do. You catch the blade with your very hand while the rest of your comrades latch onto him. How can you let him do that? You don't know what would happen if he were to kill this child—another Kim Dokja, helpless and vulnerable, and hanging onto life just to read the next chapter of Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. Would the Kim Dokja you know disappear?
Isn't this... All too cruel?
You're able to subdue him, for a moment, but Kim Dokja shakes in your hold. You don't know if he realizes that he's mumbling, that he keeps talking about keeping his promise. There are so many questions—a promise?
Then these apparitions of a world long lost appear. Uriel, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, and Kim Namwoon from the 999th worldline swarm with Secretive Plotter at the forefront. The Constellation that shares your face peels away the barrier around the child. The child chants and he tries to deny them all.
Like a prayer... Like if he pretended to be the protagonist he loved so much, he could withstand the small tragedy he had to live through. Pity rains for this child from the 999th party, but Secretive Plotter stays silent. He merely watches the child... Both you and him know who this is. Not only is this child the helpless god of their world, he is also the one that gave them the power of regression. All those times you wanted to give up, you couldn't.
A sponsor neither of them were able to contact. A sponsor that never supported them. A sponsor that couldn't. The Most Ancient Dream couldn't do anything aside from dream of their world... You have no words for the sight before you, but you are ready to draw your blade to protect the child against Plotter.
"No, I'm Yoo Joonghyuk."
Secretive Plotter responds—that is your voice, yet not... The child finally puts down the shaky barrier that separates him from the world and looks up to see his favorite characters, alive and peering at him. They say they'll take care of him. How could this world be so unfair to someone so small and frail.
They say they'll be his family now.
Secretive Plotter doesn't hesitate to scoop the small boy up, then exit with the rest of the 999th party. At that moment, you knew... This other version of you who has been trapped in his own hell has become more than a character. The Secretive Plotter is going to write his own ending now, with his old 999th turn comrades, and this young boy.
You can see under the ray of light... Just up the steps of this subway stop, Secretive Plotter smiles at the young boy.
You see a system message.
[ Constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’s’ ■■ is ‘Most Ancient Dream’. ]
[ The reader doesn't get a moment to respond before and after the memory ends, he's staggering on his feet and almost collapses over. He barely manages to keep himself up as his hand catches on the nearest thing he can grab. His chest is tight, gasping for breath, his other hand gripping tightly at his chest.
There's a flood of disbelief that fills him. That can't be it. That can't be. It can't. It seems to deeply unsettle Jin, who is in her eastern black hognose snake form and curling tightly around Dokja's neck, and oh how she hisses so loudly. The hissing almost drowning out his gasp for air.
He... needs to go. He can't think. He shakes his head, stumbling out and moving with no place in mind. He just needs to get away from here. Away from everything. BYE ]
[ Niah's ears perk up, pointing straight to the sky, vigilant as he for once barks out of surprise... More to catch Dokja off guard so he doesn't start running. It doesn't seem to work and he sees the man dart away when he's still trying to readjust to reality.
Niah is quick to chase, but only to a limit. ]
Kim Dokja!
[ Of course he's going to go after him? But, most likely, Dokja will find a place to hide. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w2 friday evening
[ They're just walking around now. Niah trails right after, but unfortunately someone here steps on some glass. It's hard to see when it's so dark. A memory plays... One familiar to this past Wednesday.Oh... No. Joonghyuk quickly looks at Dokja. ]
no subject
There's a flood of disbelief that fills him. That can't be it. That can't be. It can't. It seems to deeply unsettle Jin, who is in her eastern black hognose snake form and curling tightly around Dokja's neck, and oh how she hisses so loudly. The hissing almost drowning out his gasp for air.
He... needs to go. He can't think. He shakes his head, stumbling out and moving with no place in mind. He just needs to get away from here. Away from everything.
BYE]no subject
Niah is quick to chase, but only to a limit. ]
Kim Dokja!
[ Of course he's going to go after him? But, most likely, Dokja will find a place to hide. ]
no subject
you: this thread will probably be short.
me: yeah. it's literally done right now. ]