confrontation.

[cancrymods]

It's time.

Esme has been doing her level best to make sure everyone in Invidia knows about their little competition, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see that the mall is absolutely overflowing with devoted fans today, all eager to see the outcome of this "friendly" competition between performers. Thankfully, Esme has been unusually sportsmanlike and deigned to release a schedule of the event beforehand, so you're not just going in blind. Esme and Idol-ON will perform two songs each and then hold a question and answer session with the audience, after which a vote will be held – and whoever has the most votes by the end of the show will be declared Invidia's newest top idols.

Sounds simple, right? Right.

You've all been given a private room out of the way of the crowds, with some time to spare before the event itself starts. Time for some last minute rehearsal, some last minute panicking, some last minute... sabotage? Well, Esme's probably not going to play fair, so why should you?

Comments

[discutio]

[Phoenix tilted his head at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps, not fully turning away from the stove.]

Hello--I don't know that we've met. I do hope you're hungry.

[ourtomorrow]

Ah....

[ He's not. But he can't say that, can he? ]

You made - all of this?

[discutio]

Well, someone certainly had to. And I don't know if I would fully trust Medic in a kitchen.

[ourtomorrow]

Is she a bad cook?

[ oh the poor baby

the poor tall baby knows nothing ]

[discutio]

She...




...Has a certain scientific disposition about her.

[ourtomorrow]

[ ... ]








I see.

[discutio]

Don't misunderstand, she's extremely competent. Just...perhaps not one for the culinary arts.

[astrals bless her heart.]

Do forgive me for failing to introduce myself--you can call me Phoenix.

[ourtomorrow]

Monarch.

[ Everyone has such fancy titles. we're all in purgatory for chuunibyou; you heard it here first ]

Thank you for looking after us.

[discutio]

It's nothing, really. There was little else I could do recently, so I'm glad to help now.

[ourtomorrow]

I wish there was more I could do, too.

[ He doesn't realize he's going to say it until he has. ]

[discutio]

You must have awoken only recently, right? You've no reason to worry, you will no doubt have plenty of time to be of help.

[ourtomorrow]

[ That's right, isn't it. Monarch nods, a smile blooming for a second. ] Yes!

[ All he can do is take one step after another. He isn't going to have any more moments alive, and he only remembers one of those to begin with, but this time after death....

He can "live" in each moment.

.....Where should he sit, or stand, in this particular moment, though? ]

[discutio]

Don't concern yourself overmuch just yet. All of us have had to start somewhere.

[He turned to place a bowl of soup on the counter, making a slight gesture towards the general direction of Monarch's voice.]

For now, why don't you tell me if this turned out as well as I'm hoping?

[ourtomorrow]

Okay.

[ Phoenix-san...Is he....?

But what's more important is that he can help with this. Monarch picks up his spoon and blows gently on a mouthful of soup. Let's see - ]

Ah.

[discutio]

[Completely and utterly, judging by the scars half-covered by black sunglasses.]

...Is there something wrong with it?

[ourtomorrow]

No!

[ That's quick, and reassuring, and seems sincere. ]

It's warm. [ Beyond just physically. What is this sensation, exactly? ] Comforting. You really care.

[ It's entirely possible he's extrapolating too much. But if this is the recipe Phoenix made after an ordeal like that.....Then this is what Monarch's taking from it. ]

[discutio]

Well, I'm certainly very glad to hear you like it so much.

[ourtomorrow]

Everyone's sure to enjoy it.

[ He has a few more spoonfuls, surprising himself. He'd had a sandwich before, and everything, but all these people are giving him food because they're worried about him....

Congratulations, dads. The boy is consuming a few foods. ]

[discutio]

I'm distinctly flattered, I do hope you're right.

[ourtomorrow]

Mm.

[ Earnest soup consumption.

Something interesting occurs to him, and he permits himself a near-silent chuckle. ]

[discutio]

...What is it?

[he can hear everything, monarch]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ah - oh - Right. Monarch stirs his soup. ]

We're dead. We don't need to stay alive any more, but we still eat. We still share meals.

[ Just like when he was alive......

It's his only memory. Eating dinner at a table with people who he wanted to see happy. Who wanted to see him grow up strong.

He can't grow physically, anymore. But..? ]

There's so much we can do.

[discutio]

It isn't all that terrible, really. I can't say I feel particularly dead in any expected or unusual sense myself. Despite the occasional circumstance, everything feels rather normal.

[ourtomorrow]

What else do you do besides cook?

[ And Executor business? Maybe that's why Monarch is so at a loss, lately. He doesn't know what he can do because he doesn't know what's out there to do.

Once they know this layer is safe from Esme, he'll have to look into that... ]

[discutio]

Oh, not particularly much as of late--the tactics for this particular operation were just a little beyond me. I'm more skilled with fighting and combat strategy.