syckophant | IC Inbox

Ah ... That's a good idea. With the city the way it is, it's not as if there will be very many tourists. While we won't be able to go inside any temples, the shrines outside would be nice.

If it's something that soothes you, maybe the gods those shrines are dedicated to will be happy that they've been thought of, even from the underworld.

There will hopefully be no tourists~

...

So how are you getting along with your unit?

I don't have any issues with them. Largely, I think most of us are closed off, so if there's an issue we don't air it out to the others. Be it ... interpersonal, or not. We've recently lost two, so our numbers are a bit smaller right now, but --- Ah. It's my Unit. They aren't the Unit from "Back Home" that I gave everything to, but ...

... Gaku and Ryuu would be mad, if they found out I wasn't treating this one the same.

I can imagine. [Eichi honestly has NO idea how fine would feel about his new unit and how he interacts with it. Probably not great.]

Still keeping the truth from them, hm?

Yes, and I intend to keep it that way. They don't need to know that I'm disgusting and broken, corrupted used goods put on a leash by a demon. If they knew, the chance of them no longer trusting me is high.

So — I'll remain "Artemis" to them.

Mmm, I see. It seems you think this is really important. Is it so? Hmmm~ Well, I'm enjoying this date of ours so far... Maybe we can just keep going on these dates, and I'll be too busy to think about your unitmates! That seems fair, huh?

[ For just a moment, the pressure on Eichi's arm lessens. ]

Mm. You drive a hard bargain.

Do I? Is this so terribly unpleasant?

[He angles his head up a little, looking down at Artemis as his tail moves to wrap partially around Artemis' leg.]

The entertainment has barely even begun~

[ ————Ah, that catches him off guard, and he freezes with a flush. ]

[Eichi pauses at the silence, noting the way that Artemis flushes and how his body goes rigid. How interesting...]

...Is it?

I suppose we don't have to hang out, but I can't really guarantee I won't run my mouth if I don't have a reminder not to.

[ --Ah. There's more venom in this, then there was before. While Eichi speaks, Tenn can't help but focus on the weight of the tail wrapped around his leg. ]

Mm. Could you elaborate on "hang out", Eichi-san?

Have you never done so? Haha! Kujou Tenn, top idol, a shut-in?

[Eichi smiles, painting over his bitterness and malice.]

I can't be like this with my unit. I'm their leader, and I've already shown far too much weakness as it is. To them, I'd like to be The Emperor, An Angel, but I am just a human despite myself~

If you'd be someone that I can be that with, then I'd probably be a lot nicer!

Is that it, then? I can understand that much.

[ after all, he's the seemingly perfect, yet distant center of a unit, too. ]

Ah — I must have gotten my signals crossed, with you touching my thigh.

Mmmh, did I do that?

[His tail hasn't really withdrawn yet, but it moves a little when mentioned, sliding down Tenn's thigh.]

Physical affection is something humans crave too, isn't it? [Would he know? SHOULD he know?]

...Mm. I suppose so.

Is there anything else? Otherwise, I'll go along with it.

Nothing I can think of.

[Because really... Eichi just kind of wants a Friendship Contract! But this time with no contract, and thus no end date.]

Not so bad, is it?

Ah- I can manage that.

[ its a little pathetic, but- ]

[Interacting with Eichi is always at least a little pathetic.]

I never doubted you for a second~

Maybe we can seal the deal at the temple, mh? Or at the amusement park. Do you like ferris wheels?

... I do. I like heights.

Wonderful! That's settled then.

[He smiles, then going silent for a moment, thinking.]

Hey, Artemis... What is your brother like?

...Mm.

He's kind, warm and pure, but ... he's stubborn. With his illness, he shouldn't have become an idol. But ... he did. Against all odds, against how much I tried to keep him safe and in a box ... he fought hard, and he shined brightly on stage. Sometimes - even brighter than I did. They've beaten us, before, at a competition. After seeing them, I didn't question why.

I've thought a lot about this name that I've been given. Being twins aside, if I'm "Artemis", then he's definitely "Apollo". If I'm "The Moon", he's definitely "The Sun". His love, his attention, his light ... those are the reasons that I ever shined in the first place. Seeing his smile is the reason why I ever became an Idol.

... Our names matched before, too, you know? His name is "Riku". I'm "Heaven", and he's "Earth". While that makes me sound more fantastical than him, I'm not.

Hmm! I imagine having a sibling really helped! You seem to love him a lot~ I became an idol because I fell in love with one I saw on TV in the hospital. It sounds stupid, I know, but I got to meet him, fight him, and then he joined my unit, so I suppose I lived out as much of a dream as someone like me could have!

Do you regret dying and leaving him alone?

...

I died for him. I would do it again.

I wonder how he feels about that. There are few slower and more painful deaths than loneliness.

[Eichi is just going to go ahead and admit that.]

I wonder if he'd be the sort to be okay with just his unit.

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