[MINGLE] chocolate and roses

[vrdr_mods]

It's Valentine's Day, and that means just one thing for the inhabitants of the Velvet Room: chaos.

And chocolate, possibly. Or even something else? Or perhaps you're spending the holiday entirely by yourself?

[[ooc: just a quick catchall post for any toplevels or threads people might want to make for the holiday! Feel free to make inbox or journal posts as well.]]

Comments

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[paradisefraught]

"I dunno!" He decides with a smile. "I just have a good feeling about it! I'd love to meet your friends sometime, Hamuko-senpai."

[wipingallout]

A good feeling about it, huh. A "good" feeling.

...There was something in there, underneath the veneer, wasn't there?

"Hah. Well, if you die at seventeen, then you'll be in good company, at least? I'll be your senpai in that regard too," she joked, testing the waters.

[paradisefraught]

"Oh, I won't die. It'll be like I wasn't born, I think?" He hums, thinking. Exciting!

"Are you dead?"

[wipingallout]

"Mmhmm. Igor brought me here. Back home, I died protecting my friends," she answered simply. "What would make it so you never existed, Morning?"

And, after a beat...

"I think it's a little sad if that happens. I promise I won't forget you."

[paradisefraught]

"Oh! Dad and I have biiiiig plans for the world. And..." another pause. "I dunno why I'd disappear! I think you'd be back, though!"

[wipingallout]

"I better not be!" Hamuko huffed, putting her hands on her hips - she only used a light tone - it wasn't Morning that she was upset with. "Tell him I said no!"

[paradisefraught]

"Why would you be sad about that?" His eyes sharpen a bit. He needs to understand everything to make paradise for everyone!

[wipingallout]

"Because I'm proud of the choice I made. He's not allowed to change my decision without my permission," she explained, resting a hand over her heart. It didn't NEED to be about Nyx, and how she doubted whether someone who could rewrite reality could handle that threat - it could boil simply down to consent.

"I don't want to be changed. Simple as that."

[paradisefraught]

"Not wanting to not die doesn't seem healthy," Morning replies, with a genuinely curious head-tilt. There's no trace of the facetiousness or sarcasm or self-awareness there should be in his tone. He has no idea. Zero thoughts in his fluffy head.

[wipingallout]

"If that's the case, then why do you think it's okay to stop existing?"

cw uhhh distorted perception of death??

[paradisefraught]

"...Me?" He looks around, genuinely baffled, as if Hamuko-senpai could be talking to or about anyone else. "...What's wrong with me disappearing? It's not like I matter."

Self-worth does not compute to him, apparently.

[wipingallout]

"Of course you matter, Morning," Hamuko replied immediately. "You matter a lot."

You're a person.

"You matter. Just like I matter, and my friends all matter. There's no reason at all that you should disappear and stop existing."

[paradisefraught]

...Huh.

He sits down on the floor, cross-legged and deep in thought. Huh.

I...matter? Can such a thing be true...? My senpai said it...

The gears are so obviously trying to move in his head it's almost funny. Welcome to Error, population Morning.

"Dad says he loves me," he says aloud, mulling over the idea. "What if I'm...important to him?" He asks the question like he's astonished the answer could ever be yes.

[wipingallout]

Poor guy... Hamuko brushed her skirt under her as she sat down on the ground with him, while Morning tried to... parse that all out.

"That's supposed to be what it means. The people you love are very important. ...Did he say that you wouldn't have to have existed, Morning?"

[paradisefraught]

"I told him that since no one would miss me, I'd be happy just being asleep once we're done saving the world...I don't remember how he reacted."

Important? To him? "The idea of being important to anyone is scary..."

[wipingallout]

"Why scary?" she asked, keeping patient. He doesn't remember how his father reacted, though...? Was it repressed? If it was repressed was it... a bad encounter? That's usually what gets repressed, but since the supernatural is involved, it's so much harder to even know...

[paradisefraught]

"What if I died one day? Then they'd all be sad. I don't want anyone to be sad because of me...and I've never been important to anyone. It sounds so hard to do...and I'd risk making people sad with...myself...^{not that I don't do that already...} sleeping is just easier."

[wipingallout]

"Morning..." Hamuko gently interrupted, gently reaching out and touching his knee.

"...It's okay if you make people a little sad sometimes. Just because someone is sad for a little while doesn't mean they're going to be sad forever. Besides... you existing means you can make people happy, too, just by being yourself. And the time you spend with other people is the most important thing in the whole world."

[paradisefraught]

"I'm gonna make everyone happy! With my dad!"

[wipingallout]

She just nodded. It wasn't really a response. It was like his mind was running away, wasn't it?

"You and your dad don't have to be afraid of people being sad sometimes. Being sad... that means you really loved someone, right? And that means they were special."

[paradisefraught]

Don't have to be afraid of people being sad...

"Get away from me, you filthy piece of shit! I won't let you touch my parents!!!"

His face goes behind his knees, curling up into a ball. "She still screams about it..." he murmurs.

[wipingallout]

'She' still screams about it...?

Hamuko almost leaned in, as if she could somehow parse deeper meaning in the words by doing so.

"...What does she scream about?"

[paradisefraught]

"About...about..."

He sniffles. Tears well up from his eyes.

"About...she's screamin' 'bout..." he starts shaking--

"--About, about--" he sobs, openly-- "about--"

[wipingallout]

Seeing him sobbing like that was startling, but Hamuko quickly calmed her expression, gently scooting closer and rubbing his back.

"It's okay, Morning... you're safe. Take slow, deep breaths... just try one word at a time, okay?"

[paradisefraught]

"About...about...^{I hurt her}..."