Shinji's Heart

[dramatispersonae]

You plunge into a thick and viscous liquid. It's all around you—filling your ears, your nose, your mouth. It smells like blood. It tastes like blood. But you're not drowning. Instead, you find each breath coming easily. It feels . . . calming. Familiar. And you drift . . .

who are you?
The thought strikes you—a message, from somewhere? But you're alone here. Here? W̳̜̹̼̲̱͕h̠̬͉̘̹̰͚e̯̳̯r̜̩̟͉e̯̜̳ ͍i̟͉͚̱̜s̪͓ ̝h̝̮e͕re?̠ W̙͕͉͉͍ͅh̤̯a̫͉̬͕͖t̮̩ ͈w̖̼̙̙̙̜a̫̩̪s̺ ̭̤̣t̳̲̩͈͔ͅhe̗ ̦̥qu͈ͅe͔̟̻sti̥̘͍̫͚ͅọ̠͇͍͕̦̠n̬̬̹͓̦͓?͎̮ ̣̲͚̫͔̪W̦h̭͉̙͞o̢̘̦̺͚͕̠̞ ̦̜a̤̳͉̩̩̖͟r͇e͙͜ ͎̹̜.͏ .͕͇͍͓̮͠ .̟̲͉̼̲ͅͅ ̱̠̞y͍͈o̞̙̹͍͠u̶̙̖? ̹̙Ẃ͔̰͔̪ͅh͉̼͍o̖̲͍͜ ̕am̘ ͇̬̝͉̹.̩͍͉̳̝ ̩̬̭͜.҉͎ ̭͓̹̰͍.͇̺̼̯̲̳ ̻͈͕̞̜I̵̥̥͚͔̬?͇͍̗̦̤̝


There is a deep sense of uncertainty. But the world seems to be slowly reforming around you. You can make out the edge of your own fingers (. . . or tentacles), drifting. Ah—they're attached to you. That's good. You have a body. Yes, you remember . . .

who are you?
The thought comes again. Is that a woman's voice? . . . should you answer . . .? Or should you just drift . . . It's safe here, and you don't have to think about anything. You don't have to be anything.

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Comments

[bodymod]

[FLUFFS OUT HIS TENTACLES AND BLOWS AIR OUT OF HIS WINGS TO CLEAR THE FEATHERS WOW RUDE HEART >:(]

[dramatispersonae]

[You get a good look around the room you're in, once the feathers have cleared. It literally appears to just be an endless stretch of pillows. There are no walls or ceiling, really—just sort of a drifting, pastel scene. The sky, maybe—? But lit from within. Birds made of fabric puff and drift lazily above. There are pink pillows, purple pillows, blue pillows, silver pillows, and stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes.

It feels warm, here, and comfortable.]

[bodymod]

[well

okay

acceptable.]

Shinji.

[dramatispersonae]

[There's no answer . . . But obviously, something put you somewhere it thought you'd like to be.]

[bodymod]

Will you not talk to me even now, inside your heart?

[dramatispersonae]

[It's clear that Shinji isn't here—if you want to talk to him, you'll have to track him down.]

[bodymod]

[yes he is getting that impression.

SHINJI YOU ARE A LOT OF WORK FOR A SMALL HUMAN THING.

very well let's pick a direction and walk in search of small human thing.]

[dramatispersonae]

[Not long after you start walking, you hit—a glass wall. It seems like this area is much smaller and more closed-in than it appeared—much of the landscape is just in reflections, and the fragile edges crackle a little, paper-thin.]

[bodymod]

[pokes at the glass wall with his tentacles >:(]

[dramatispersonae]

[The glass buckles a little, hairline fractures easily spidering along the surface.]

[bodymod]

Shinji, I have no interest in staying here without you.

[dramatispersonae]

[There is a pulse of . . . emotion at that, trembling through the area. No words, just a sense of frustration—help, what, I don't know, please—]

[bodymod]

Come in here with me or I will break out.

[dramatispersonae]

[The answer, the question, comes emotionally, rather than words, again—]

[You'll hurt me?]

[bodymod]

I have no desire to hurt you. But I cannot help you if you are not here with me.

[dramatispersonae]

[Where am I?]

[The world around you begins to slowly . . . unravel—that's the only word for it. It begins to come apart in strings and ribbons, tumbling down in colorful bundles, drifting.]

[bodymod]

[warmly:]

You can come here. You'll be safe here, with me.

[dramatispersonae]

[You hear, for the first time, a soft voice, from far-off—]

"I'm afraid."

[bodymod]

You do not need to fear me.

[dramatispersonae]

[You begin to sink down as the world unravels around you, reorienting itself into something new.]

"I'm afraid of everybody."

[bodymod]

I will not hurt you.

[dramatispersonae]

[The world around you abruptly dissolves into tiny particles like sand—resolving itself into a vast, wide, empty space—]



[. . . with millions of gravemarkers. The sun above is hot, and a dusty wind blows.]