perfectmatch | week four

[ Somehow, whenever Luka describes his life as an idol, it always feels like so much... more than she thinks it should be. She's not terribly in tune with that culture, but still. His demeanor, the things he's said all these weeks - all point to the fact that his being an idol is both similar and also nothing at all like being an idol where she's from. ]

Luka. Being an idol really is... everything to you, isn't it?

[ Perhaps it might even be all of him. ]

I was created for it and I thought I'd die for it, one day. It is most of me, nearly all of me.

[ he takes a breath. ]

But if I told you it was everything, Maya would get mad at me. And...she's right. [ there's more to him than what he resigned himself to being, something she unearthed by accident and then nurtured.

he'll start to climb the wall now, so she'll have to either shout or follow if she wants to keep talking. (his hearing is very good, so both work.) ]

[ ...yeah she's gonna stay down here... She does at least approach the wall a little, while making sure to stay to the side of his apparent route. ]

So you don't need me to tell you the same thing, but - I agree, she's right.~

[ she can't see it because wall, but he is smiling. ]

What makes you say that? [ he knows why maya's said it, but he's been considerably more open with her. ]

'Cause you like to eat sweets, even though you're not supposed to! That means there's even a tiny part of you that goes against what being an idol stands for.

[ Maybe it's wishful thinking on Shoko's part, but even if it was... it's what she would want for someone like Luka. To not be wholly defined by just this one role he he was born for. How nice would it be, if sorcerers were able to feel that way more, too? ]

Until recently, I hadn't eaten them in years.

[ his pushback is gentle and almost reflexive. ]

Are you returning to your world, Shoko?

But you're eating them now.

[ hers is equally gentle. She thinks if being an idol was all of him, he wouldn't have given into the impulse to enjoy a sweet treat while here... in any case, due to her Shoko programming, she takes to leaning against the climbing wall, folding her arms in contemplation. ]

Yeah. And you, Luka?

A little.

[ it's a work in progress, he's trying!

he drops lower, closer to her so he can move onto a higher difficulty course than the one he started with. he's probably not going to be able to do the expert level, but he can do more than beginner at least. ]

No, I'm not.

[ She watches him move onto a more difficult course. It may not be the most difficult, but surely he's going to do well in this, too, and look good while doing it, too. Some people are just blessed (?) that way, huh...

His answer does pique her interest, though, and she calls her question up at him: ]

Are you going to Maya's world, then?

[ he moves slower through this one, but continues making good progress. ]

Yeah, I am. She's not the first one to ask me to go somewhere else, but she's the only one I would accept.

[ as everyone else in the game has realized, luka lives and breathes the definition of Lock the Fuck In. but hey, their bbr thread was productive! ]

[ Yeah, he sure Locked the Fuck In. Honestly, Shoko has to respect the hustle. ]

Hoh... So, what will you do when you go there? Try something different?

I'm not sure. I have a lot to learn about being just a human and not a pet-human.

[ said as he almost slips but catches himself. it won't be an easy road, but nothing about his life has been easy. ]

[ She sees him almost slip and stands at attention a bit— ]

Oooi. Try not to get hurt while we're out here, yeah? I'm off duty, you know.~

[ SIGHS!!! How is she going to explain this to Maya if she brings Luka back from an outing with a sprained ankle or something. ]

Anyway... You definitely have your work cut out for you after this, huh?

I've performed through a lot worse.

[ he'll be fine! ]

...I don't. But I won't disappoint her.

[ that is NOT reassuring... but it's fine. ]

Good. Maya must be scary when she's disappointed...

[ and that's coming from Shoko!! ]

[ he loops back towards her again, eyeing the advanced climb now. he's breathing a little heavily because he was not made for this but he's also just way too used to bullrushing through things when given a task. ]

I haven't disappointed her yet. [ somehow, against all odds. ] But I'd rather not find out—I want to make her happy.

week four | dates

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject