Act 1, Scene 1: Okami

[opening_act]

[ A notification on your phone goes off, letting you know the purchase of your meeting with Exael has gone through.

There is an attachment. Where are you, when you open it? ]

Comments

[furrytailprince]

[ He is always going to be compelled to look up at a night sky. And he instantly regrets it, as he starts to feel sick and reaches out for something to steady himself against. His ears flick at the sounds from the television. ]

[opening_act]

[ it's a fragment of conversation— Okami talking to E, from truth or drink.

Is he going to seek out the television, or go to the apartment building, or elsewhere? ]

[furrytailprince]

[ Yeah, sure, let's check out the TV. ]

[opening_act]

[ he'll need to walk a street over from the apartment to find it—

This is a building not in your Shinjuku. The second story up, it is covered in fragmentary display screens, between stained glass. The scene looks like a giant game, a board set up according to rules you don't know— and some of this glass is clear, not stained with color. Maybe fifty uncolored orbs, surround panels made to look like doors, little windows into the games you've played!

It's a movie theater. There's a lot of figures around it, it seems pretty popular. ]

[furrytailprince]

[ Growls at the sight of this "audience" enjoying their pain and even lunges at them to push them away, knowing good and well they're not entirely real ]

Get away from here, you vultures!

[opening_act]

[ The heat is like a furnace, molten and boiling around his flesh as he plunges into the dark figures

Pain.

Yours, and theirs alike.

We didn't deserve it
She was better than any of these
They've got it so good
At least you have a choice!
If I have to suffer, why should you get any better!
He would never betray us
I hope this time, they make it through. Even if we can't be saved, someone should . . .
Fuck you, I'll laugh as much as I want!
There has to be enough that will do the right thing, this time! I'm cheering you on!
I'm tired. I'm just so tired.
They break so easy!
If we couldn't why should they?

Glee, remorse, hope and malice burn like nothing he's ever felt before. It singes and leaves a sizzling after-burn in his mind, pain that does not recede into oblivion but stays stuck. There are so many people here, and you cannot tell if this hatred is entirely yours, or entirely theirs even as they start to scatter away from you ]

[furrytailprince]

[ OW I HATE EVERYTHING ESPECIALLY MYSELF FOR PULLING THAT SHIT WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE OTHER IDOLS ARGH JUST MAKE THIS ALL STOP ]

[opening_act]

[ As he is wracked with pain, suddenly from behind someone has reached out to put a hand on his wrist. Unlike the silhouette people, this hand has mass, not just form, and a vice-grip on you. ]

[furrytailprince]

[ Instinctively going to try to yank himself free since he has no idea who is touching him at this point. Also instinctively, going to try to slash at said hand with blunt claws. All while still screaming and whimpering. ]

[opening_act]

[ The right choice, actually.

The hand that yanked at you draws back, and you can see it is clawed and bleeding, as is the figure it belongs to. The hand felt wet on yours, and you can see it's bleeding despite your blunt claws.

The shadow people around you have created a wide berth. You can run for it. ]

[furrytailprince]

[ Definitely going to do that! ]

[opening_act]

[ He runs off into the back alleys of the altered Shinjuku. Shops stack in too close together, busy with strange patrons buying strange wares, the scent of sweets and salt heavy in the air. This Shinjuku is so unreal, but very alive.

Beyond the stalls are more spire skyscrapers, and little accessway alleys to duck into, empty of people where he can hide from the crowd.

His phone will buzz again ]

[furrytailprince]

[ He is going to need a moment to catch his breath and clear his head of all that but eventually will shakily reach for his phone... ]

[opening_act]

《 An alert says security is looking for you. Did you follow the map? 》

[furrytailprince]

[ Oh, that's right. The apartment. Between those damn stars and the noise, he had almost completely forgotten. ]

There was a detour. I am heading there now.

[opening_act]

《 Not dragging security after you, you aren't. Stay put. 》

[furrytailprince]

What am I supposed to wait for?

[opening_act]

[ She answers his question by, not long after he asks, appearing at the mouth the of the alleyway and ducking back there to hide with him. ]

Hi.

[furrytailprince]

[ Probably going to jump at her voice ]

A-Ah, hello... I see you came to find my instead...

[opening_act]

Right. Your phone has GPS, and I know Tokyo better than you do.

[furrytailprince]

I suppose that makes sense... What was all that?

[opening_act]

All of what? This city? It's a Tokyo.

[furrytailprince]

The Security you mentioned. Those... things by the television...

[opening_act]

Security works for Imepro! The audience is the audience.

[furrytailprince]

[ Well, that was pointless. Which should have been expected. Sighs. ]

Where are we to speak properly?