Audience: Ashiya Douman

[probe]

Comments

[commedia]

[Should they? Envy reminds them too much of themselves. Their relationship with Limbo was grating, but only because it was too familiar, too cloying, needing attention from both sides.]

[But in the end...Envy reminds them too much of themselves. And Douman doesn't have the heart yet to be as cruel as their Alter Ego was.]

I'm okay with it.

But bear in mind that I'm not as open as that thing was.

[probe]

I know, I know

you're the same but you're still different, I'm not going to assume you're exactly like them!

d'you mind if I come by?

[commedia]

[A pause, but:]

No, I wouldn't mind at all. I'd welcome the company.

[probe]

give me a little bit, okay

[and a while later, envy will drag himself out of the blood pool! if douman isn't around, then he's just going to come track them down. hello.]

[commedia]

[Honestly, Douman has no idea where the Avatars come from, seeing as they just Appear, so they're mostly just walking around, glancing at the city skyline, and...]

[Oh.]

[They turn and blink, recognizing Envy.]

Envy! [And they walk up, and there's the urge to embrace, but...they just reach out to touch the other's shoulder, lightly.] Did it take a lot to come here?

[probe]

Shiya! Um- well. Unless you don't want me to call you that.

[force of habit... he looks a little sheepish, reaching up to pat their hand by way of returning that contact.]

But no, it's easier on me than some of the others.

[commedia]

Oh! Oh, no, that's fine.

[Its honestly a cute nickname, even if its not something Douman is used to, of course.]

I think they said that Sloth, Despair, and you have it easier than the others. Perhaps with the nature of this place? I'm glad it wasn't that difficult...

[probe]

I'm a medium, you know? So I'm already pretty close to the dead. I think it's probably something to do with that.

[just try and keep him away from dead people.]

[commedia]

A medium? Ah...so you're already leaning on the wall between life and death.

[And they seem to remember something, and give a bow.]

I apologize. I forgot my manners. You know, I was...nervous about meeting you. But I think I would like to simply...start from scratch. Clean the board. Know you on my own terms. If that would be fine with you.

[probe]

Literally, yes. I kind of exist in both.

[it's all interplanar bullshit, he will leave it at that.]

But, um-- of course that's okay with me, I just- I don't want to make you uncomfortable? I might, anyway, it'll be kind of an adjustment, but. I'm going to try.

[commedia]

No, its alright.

[And a pause, before they reach out a hand to take Envy's?]

Let's just walk around together. And talk.

[probe]

[envy takes that hand, with a relieved little smile.]

-yeah. Yeah, I think that sounds good.

[commedia]

[Time to walk along, hand in hand.]

So tell me about yourself. You said you were a medium, correct? But...have you always been like that?

[Or was it a training thing?]

[probe]

...always, yeah. I, um- most people can't do what I can, where I come from? They don't usually believe in ghosts at all, not really. So it was... hard.

[commedia]

Oh, really?

[A squeeze to the hand, possibly unconscious.]

That must have been lonely.

[probe]

...it was. I've lived on my own for a while, it's-- I can't really mesh well with other people, usually. The dead usually look just like living people to me, so I don't... I end up looking like I'm talking to people who aren't there.

[commedia]

...

[Being seen as someone outside the norm because of what you are, what you can do...]

[Douman knows that too well.]

It may be scary for most, but...I think a skill like yours is valuable.

[probe]

[he holds onto their hand a little bit tighter.]

I like to think so, anyway. It is for the ghosts-- they don't have a lot of people who can speak to them, much less interact with them.

[commedia]

Well, of course. The dead are the dead. Cut off from life, some do what they can to persist as they are.

[A huff.]

I am no medium, myself, but ghosts, evil spirits, beings that dwelt in other worlds...some could post harm. But some simply wanted to live. Well, "live".

[probe]

It's like that for a lot of them that I know. They just-- they're not ready to go anywhere. They want to be acknowledged, and to be able to communicate. It's lonely for me, yeah, but.... it's even lonelier for them.

[commedia]

...

Do you wish your life was anything different, Envy?

[probe]

...yeah.

[he admits that quietly, glancing aside.]

I used to just-- want to be normal. To not have everyone think I was crazy, get to live like other people do. I still kind of do, sometimes.

[commedia]

[If only wishes were horses, beggars would ride.]

I understand. Is...that the wish you wanted granted? If assuming you were once like us...

[probe]

I don't know anymore. I keep thinking about it, you know? With all of you guys around-- I keep wondering about what I'd want, if I was in your position. I thought I'd probably just want to not be alone.

[he pauses for a few moments, there.]

But then I thought about it more, and-- I already have that here, sort of. This is the first time I've ever had this many people around, or this many who actually want to hang out with me, but it's still not... it's not enough on its own.

[commedia]

[Douman looks down at their held hands.]

What do you think is missing?