mid-week 11; un: monday

[vogelfrei]

[ With the regression of the city, working at Sunset Theater has quickly become less enjoyable than it used to be. Though the cast remembers the rapport McGillis had built with them, even if they're more standoffish now. And it's not as though McGillis had placed much stock in his interpersonal relationships to the random citizens, but... the shift in atmosphere serves as a tangible reminder. That this is temporary. That this world is susceptible to insane levels of mind manipulation. That he wants to leave.

Leave and... do what? That's the question that has haunted McGillis for weeks now, and the countdown is mercilessly continuing. Soon Braphine will release them from her hold, one way or another. Soon, he'll have to know. And so will everyone else. ]

Just a little over two weeks until we're free from this, if Braphine really keeps her word and the God of Conflict doesn't swallow up all her power. Until then we'll doubtlessly face a number of additional challenges and hassles, but while we're still in the quiet before the storm...

Are you going home to your own worlds after this? Or will you take Braphine up on her offer and come along with one of your 'bonds'? What is your world like? What is making you return? What is making you abandon it?

And if you're like me and cannot return to where you came from no matter what, maybe the answers can give you some perspective.

Comments

[vogelfrei]

I'll be waiting for you to find me, Izou.

[ Who doesn't like a good callback?

Also he's in his room, come join him there to have this talk in person. ]

[goei]

[Damn he wasn't going to try and kill McGillis right NOW for this OBVIOUS BETRAYAL but with an invitation like that!!! He has to!!! Celeste would understand!!!

I hope McGillis' door is locked because otherwise Izou is just opening it without announcing himself.]

[vogelfrei]

[ The door was locked, but it's actually been unlocked the moment he sent that message because he knows now that Izou works quick.

He's just chilling on his bed, legs crossed and comfortable, when Izou barges in. ]

You're really time efficient. It's a nice quality.

[goei]

[It genuinely didn't occur to Izou that he'd been lured here on purpose and McGillis wasn't just RUDELY PICKING SOMEONE ELSE, so the casual tone really throws him off guard and the Murderous Scowl drops from his face, replaced by confusion. Which is then replaced by anger.]

Wh- Don't act like this's a social visit! You underestimatin' me or something!?

[HE HAS TWICE THE SWORDS HE HAD LAST TIME HE TRIED TO KILL YOU]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis is at least going to be nice enough to not remain lounging and instead flip his legs off the bed and sit properly. He'll pat the space next to him though, come sit with him. ]

I know you could kill me with ease. I don't even have my gun in arm's reach - it'd be child's play.

[ But he also knows that Izou likes him too much now to just swing lethally with no questions asked first. (If he's wrong about that, well, then he'll deserve the idiotic death he'll die. ]

But I don't like anybody better than you. Nothing has changed at all.

[goei]

[He wasn't getting any less mad until the last line, when it finally fully occurs to him that he hasn't been betrayed at all. Probably. He removes his hand from his wakizashi which he was moments away from drawing.]

Then what the hell're you doin' saying yer gonna pick Eli over me? I know shit's bad where I'm from too but it's not like Eli's got it much better.

[vogelfrei]

[ Now he's starting to feel a little bad for having let this stunt go on for so long... but after all the jealousy he'd been bottling up over the whole sexual freedom situation, it had felt... good to confirm materially that Izou feels just as intensely about him. ]

I'm considering worlds, not people. And his world is appealing because it's a mess - I'll grow restless without a project to work on.

[ And because he should maybe properly admit this out loud: ]

And I truly would want you to come with me.

[goei]

Shit's a mess fer me too, didn't I tell you the whole world got bleached!? That's why I can't just fuck off somewhere else! Sure, she don't need some idiot like me, but she chose me! Same as you did!

[He's getting worked up, but not in the sexy angry way. He's realizing he'd just started assuming McGillis would come with him, without even thinking about it.]

So why do I gotta decide between comin' with you or stayin' loyal ta Fujimaru! That ain't fair!

[vogelfrei]

[ ... ah. Here's where he could say that life isn't fair, because it isn't, but the way Izou is phrasing that is... Hm.

Sure, she don't need some idiot like me, but she chose me!

Of course that would be a big deal for him. Even as a servant, because in the end Izou keeps clinging to his leash as if it's going to turn into a red string of fate one day. ]

... because I don't want you to be somebody's weapon that can be factory reset at will.

[ Unlike Izou, McGillis hasn't taken it as a given that they'd go to the same place. They never talked about it, not even once. But once he'd made his own choice, McGillis would have wanted to take Izou along with him. He's realizing that with full clarity only now. ]

[goei]

[He rankles at that, reflexively, since he's already keyed up.]

That- She ain't like that! Fujimaru's different! She treats all of us like people and doesn't make us do anything we don't wanna do! She-

[He sniffs, as if realizing he needs to calm down.]

I'm the one who decided I'm her bodyguard. She ain't usin' us a shield or weapon or nothin'. She ain't smart enough fer that, she's almost as dumb as me an' Eli.

[vogelfrei]

[ That sounds too good to be true, in McGillis' opinion - but he'll try to take Izou at his word for it anyway, because his word is all he has to go on. ]

And after that assignment is over?

[goei]

After that s'far as I know, Chaldea keeps a handful of us around on standby cause there's always some new shit happening. Before it was just Da Vinci and Holmes, but if there was someone around ta make a case fer more...

[Looking at McGillis pointedly.]

[vogelfrei]

[ The situation is so emotionally charged that McGillis doesn't even take a second to internally scream at those names. ]

So essentially your idea is that I make myself useful enough to Chaldea that they'll be willing to consider my priorities and keep you summoned permanently... for at least my lifetime.

[ Because that is another thing he has to consider now, isn't it? If it's not a scenario in which Izou becomes human with him, he'll be outlived by an unchanging immortal being. ]

[goei]

[Izou groans because god why are you making him THINK OUT LONG TERM PLANS right after he just used so much brain power to get murderously enraged!!!]

I dunno! I didn't think that far! I just know I couldn't rest easy abandonin' Fujimaru and I thought you'd be a lotta help to have along! And that's just on top of the fact that I don't wanna be apart from you!

[vogelfrei]

... your world certainly meets my requirement for giving me something to do.

[ And it's... interesting, in a variety of ways. McGillis would learn a lot about things he so far only read about in books - or at the very least about bizarre versions thereof.

Still, the whole servant matter keeps him hesitant even now. But before getting into that further, he tilts his head at Izou and pats the bed again. ]

Will you come sit with me for a bit, now?

[goei]

[He stands there another couple moments calming himself down properly but then;]

Ok I just gotta tell Eli real quick I changed my mind cause he was worried.

[Which he does. But then trots on over and sits. Doggy.]

S'not like I don't wanna help Eli. But Fujimaru ain't here ta have a say in it. What's she gonna think if I just up and disappear fer real?

[vogelfrei]

[ Well, this just prompts McGillis to also check his phone and quickly read through the worry-conversations. They're... kind of endearing. He can't help at least back Izou up a little that he could and would absolutely murder McGillis if he crossed him - this incident has only proven it. And it's because it has proven it that McGillis immediately wraps an arm around Izou's waist once he sits. ]

Well, she'd certainly be worried. But if there was a way to contact her first, you'd consider it?

[goei]

[And in response to the casual contact, Izou will just lean against McGillis. Though not before unstrapping his swords from his waist. They're kind of obstructive for cuddling.]

I... I guess?
[He thinks about it longer. Hm.]

No. Well, I mean, I guess I can't rule out thinkin' about it, but it's not like Fujimaru was the only person there that mattered at all. I wanna... I gotta talk to Ryouma too.

[He thinks for a long moment.]

I mean, I don't wanna have ta choose, but like you keep sayin' we can't really rely on Braphine letting us hop around. I think the second best bet's makin' use of the Storm Border.

[vogelfrei]

[ The what now................. McGillis is not going to ask for the specifics right this second, because he's just get hideously side-tracked through it, but boy is he wondering. ]

That raises a good point... From the sounds of it, your world is filled with magical possibility far beyond what everybody else has access to. If we have to pick and choose a singular world to go to, it would be a solid plan to go to yours and work on re-establishing contact from there.

[ Especially because there is non way Eli and Celeste are going to come with them, which... Well, McGillis would get over it. It'd be a dull ache of nostalgia, but it'd be fine. Izou... He's not sure Izou would take it quite as well. ]

And... it would be interesting to see your Ryouma for myself, I suppose.

[goei]

[That last comment actually gets a relieved sigh out of Izou.]

Here I was worried you were gonna get all territorial and wanna keep me as far away from Ryouma as possible.

[He's glad in this case that McGillis isn't... since he really does feel like being able to talk to Ryouma properly would help settle a lot of things. McGillis didn't ask, but following up does feel like it adds further support to his theory.]

Yeah. It can already drive though the... the made up whatever sea ta move us to timelines that're so off course they'd normally get pruned... Doesn't seem like that big a stretch ta me that it could go ta Eli's world too!

[vogelfrei]

[ ......... yeah, that's about as unbelievable as he expected. If he's truly coming with Izou, McGillis is going to spend the first several months in Chaldea's library and data logs to catch up on all of this.

For now, he nods at the explanation. It's the other thing that requires further comment though. ]

If you were to leave me for Ryouma after making me choose your world out of all possible options... It'd be well-played revenge, at least.

[ Like, the long con would be impressive. ]

[goei]

[He snorts at that.]

It'd be fucking stupid is what it'd be, even if that was an option, that snake woman'd eat me before she'd share her husband with me.

[Irrelevant since he doesn't think Ryouma would even go for such a thing, but also;]

Meanwhile I don't gotta share you with anyone.

[vogelfrei]

You made that quite clear just now.

[ That he doesn't have to share McGillis and also that he won't, at threat of death. McGillis is practically purring though, so clearly this was not a point of offense. ]

[goei]

[Snugging up a little closer.]

Mm. Obviously it's only fair you can do stuff with Eli and Celeste if you want, but you just ain't allowed to pick them instead of me.

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis isn't the cuddly type per se, but there's just something about the way Izou keeps trying to find ways to melt more and more into him... It'd be hard to imagine he'd just come here resolved to kill, yet it's the undeniable truth. ]

I would not.

[ Would not, could not. Izou is a frustrating individual, still. Overemotional, stubborn about all the wrong things, loud and sometimes graceless... But it's Izou who's scarred McGillis for life, it's Izou whose heated emotions are melting McGillis' defenses. He needs to see how far they can go, together. ]

And this... incident made me more certain that you would not do so either. I do apologize for getting you worked up over nothing though.