DEBBIE DOWNER STRIKES AGAIN: a video

[broroona]

Who: bawhona Baroona
Broadcast: video
Action: SS Marsiva hospitality deck
When: idk 10/9 late at night, whenever that is

[The camera's set at an upward angle, as if placed on the floor. It shows a sliver of one of the hospitality deck windows and a man leaning against it, smoking. His clothing choices are... strange; a bright orange ski hat, a pair of pink and black gloves that might seem familiar-it seems more like a collection than an outfit. When he moves exhaustion slows him and though expressionless, there's a cloud of sadness that lingers around him.

Basically, he's being a moody spaceshit at some ungodly hour. Hi.]

You know-[He taps his knuckles against the windows, knocking some ash from his cigarette in the process.]-I used to watch the sky back home. Sounds dumb but there was something comforting about it.

[Sighing out a cloud of smoke, he stands up straight, slipping the cigarette between his lips again. His tone shifts from wistful to dry.] This view sucks. They're not stars anymore like this. Just places that are too far away.

[With another sigh, he frowns briefly, turning and pressing his back against the view, scrubbing at his hair. Looking way too done with all of this.]

I'm tired. Talking too much. [He kicks the comm, turning the camera so that it's looking straight out the window. A full view of the stars.] If you're awake, humor me. Which do you think is your home?

Comments

action I do what I want

[luxuriant]

Let's see...

[Naturally, Zelos is still awake. He steps closer, sitting beside Baroona and crossing his legs as he watches the view. So many things out there in a whole lot of nothing. He leans forward a bit, pointing out a couple of the shapes that are nearly touching in their closeness.]

That one, maybe? The one that has a twin.

voice only

[amarant]

[ It's still kind of a nice view of those stars, though. ]

It was much nicer at first, before this was all there was to look at.

I wouldn't mind if we were very far away from mine, though.

omfg how many times are they gonna stargaze

[broroona]

[It's like back on the hill, looking up at the stars. Forging new constellations in foreign skies. Funny, how they can still do this, even while knowing the other isn't the same. It's touching in a way and Baroona smiles without knowing, moving close to him if only to see what two stars he's speaking of.]

I just thought it was a big star.

[But now that he's looking closely...] Huh.

[He pulls back, but only slightly. Just far enough to give Zelos a curious look.] Your world has a twin?

[broroona]

[nah bro space sucks

He figures he'll let that world comment slip by for now. He's curious, but it's not his place to pry. Not yet, at least.]

"Before this was all there"? You mean the stars?

[He has to stop himself from asking if he's talking to a god.]

... Are you that old?

all the time I mean they're basically star gays

[luxuriant]

Yeah! Or well, it did, for a while.

[If it eases the tension and lets this Baroona know a bit more about him, he doesn't mind it at all. In the end, he enjoys spending his time with him. Turns out that them being from different universes doesn't stop that.]

It was just one world to start with, but someone split it apart with a magic sword. It wasn't common knowledge, either. They had to fight for each other's life force, their mana, in order to survive, and the Chosens would be the ones to reverse the cycle of vying or flourishing.

My bud managed to get things back to normal, though, so it's just one planet now. I figure that other shape there could be the planet that was hiding there all along. It recently appeared in the sky while we were fixing things, but it should be on its way into space now.

[amarant]

No!

[ Older than the stars...even she's not THAT old. ]

It was interesting at first, to see them up close. But there hasn't been anything new to look at.

[broroona]

[He gives a single cough of a laugh and a lone cloud of smoke floats into the view of the stars.]

I think it'd be easier to believe you were older than the stars than believe you've seen every one up close.

[Chuckling to himself, he pokes his head into view, just barely smiling.] That is what you're saying, right?

[amarant]

I haven't seen all of them, but it's the same view all the time.

[ Enjoy your continuing view of NOTHING. ]

How would that be easy to imagine at all?

[broroona]

[Baroona pulls back to fix Zelos with a disbelieving look.]

That's bullshit. [Leaning back to where he was, he moves with a bit more gesture than usual.] You can't split a world in half with a sword. If that could happen my home would have been cut into tiny bits. [He shoves at Zelos' shoulder.] Like hell I'm going to fall for that.

[broroona]

[Alright, no clear answer there. Great. The smile fades and he falls back against the window. Which, pretty much means you can only see like a sliver of his shirt and not much else. Basically the same as nothing.]

I don't think it would be. [A pause. Another cloud of smoke passes through the feed.] It's hard to imagine any of this stuff, don't you think? Who imagines themselves stuck in the sky?

[He has no idea if he's handling this right but he is 70% sure crazytalk is happening here so yolo]

[amarant]

[ Aw, is he pokin around for info? :( Poor guy. ]

I've wondered about it. What was out there, beyond the current limits of human capability. I didn't think it would be so soon. Or that I would ever find out like this.

There are some things that can't be planned for.

video

[netscreens]

[ this broadcast winds up resonating a lot with cress — a little too close, actually, if the faint twist of her lips that seem more melancholy than mirthful are of any indication.

her device, too, is set aside, seemingly on some table as she sits in her bed, knees drawn up so she can wrap her arms around them. she isn't staring out at any window. ]

What if you're not sure what your home is? [ voice tiny, maybe just thinking out loud. ] Can you still play?

[luxuriant]

[At that, Zelos laughs, persistently leaning back into him with an overly dramatic hurt whine.]

Baroonaaaa! I'm pouring my history out for you, and you don't believe a word? How cruel! [A small laugh escapes and he straightens, still smiling.]

It's not just any sword! It's the Eternal Sword, forged by the King of the summon spirits!

[broroona]

So it's a sword made by the gods. [Another shove!] Idiot! Why didn't you say so!

[That makes more sense now. Sort of. Gods are still bullshit but it's more believable than a normal sword.] So the Chosens would fight to see which world got everything? [He remembers Zelos using the word, but more importantly he remembers how bitter he sounded when he talked about it. Still, while he knows he shouldn't dwell, it feels wrong to simply pass over it.] That must have been hard.

[luxuriant]

Oww, hey, stop shoving me!

[He exaggerates, rubbing at the spot and stopping at the wrong assumption there. Oh. He blinks, trying to look as neutral as possible, but even then he looks a little sad thinking on it.]

Oh, no, they didn't fight... [Using the word Chosens back in response like that, though. Did he know about it? He speaks vaguely just in case.] My friend, Colette... She was the Chosen of the world I didn't live in. It was her job to sacrifice herself to reverse the cycle.

Of course, she didn't know that. She just thought she was saving the world.

[broroona]

Most things can't. It's what makes life fun.

[A beat.] Most of the time.

[spoilers: space still sucks]

[broroona]

[Oh? Baroona pokes his head back into the screen at that, blinking curiously before giving her a small smile.]

That makes it easier. Here. [He lifts the comm, pointing it directly out at the stars. Tapping the glass with his finger again, he runs his hand across the great expanse.] Pick one. When you do, that will be what your home is.

[broroona]

[He falls silent, waiting for Zelos to say more. When he doesn't, he speaks.]

Is she okay?

[amarant]

Mm...

If you went back, do you think you'd still watch the sky?

[luxuriant]

Better than ever. My bud Lloyd found a way to save her and both worlds, after all.

[It's nice to be able to smile about it after so long.]

Don't I get to see which one you think your world is, now?

[broroona]

[He could ask about his life as the Chosen, but the smile feels too genuine to tarnish.] He sounds like an amazing guy.

[A small smile in return, warm but uncertain. It doesn't last long before falling into something sadder, eyes turning back to something distant. Turning, he looks back to the window.]

Some stars are too far away to see.

[broroona]

It's hard to say. The meaning of it has changed a lot.

I'd like to think I would, though. [He laughs softly.] I'd be out of luck trying to relax otherwise.

[luxuriant]

[Ah. Yes, as he thought, some things are the same as ever. He keeps his smile even if it changes a bit, looking out at space with a focused expression.]

It doesn't mean they're not there, though. Point where your heart is telling you! I bet I can see something where you can't.

[This is the first piece of info he hasn't really revealed to Baroona before, but perhaps the other him had? It felt okay to bring up quietly in this conversation.]

[netscreens]

[ cress blinks at that, sitting up just a little bit, clearly tempted by the idea. she's dreamed for a home for a long time, after all, and now someone was offering it to her. simple as that.

but after a few moments of silence, she hunches over again, looking unsure. ]

Isn't that sadder? [ even if she were to have one, it'll still wind up being too far out of her reach once more. ] Shouldn't I think of this as my home now?

[amarant]

It would be nice if you'd still be able to have that.

...I'm not sure, myself. If I'd be able to enjoy it, still. I don't think I'd be able to feel the same way at all.