Inbox for ryslig

[charmpagne]

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[leggierissimo]

I've walked around with Beat in my pocket before. I'm sure I could manage a cookie, if I had to.

[Ah, he did promise, though. Not in so many words, but it was a term he agreed to, and now it's his turn to keep his end.]

If you insist. Fair warning, though: it may be hard on your eyes.

[And that's all the warning that Sparkling will get. Joshua allows the hologram to wash over him, altering his form with a rippling effect. Not only does he lose his more vulpine features, but he also gains height - at least a foot more, almost as if he's a Nephilim again. His features become blurry and difficult to distinguish, and his entire body glows white, the edges of it snapping and shifting like none of it is tangible at all.]

[charmpagne]

[Oh.

Joshua did warn him, at least...but what ends up happening to him is actually a little bit startling.

In the Kingdom, Cookies have a concept for other Cookies that is known as "Legendary Cookies". These Cookies surpass all others in power...and they are capable of existing immortally thanks to the unique properties of their souls. Well, Soul Jam, as it were. And to see this sort of transformation, a form that he can barely keep his eyes on...it's the first thing Sparkling can really compare it to, even if it's not a proper comparison at all.

But...what does it mean, then? Joshua had been giving him slight little hints and clues that he wasn't exactly just a normal human, but this...he isn't sure what to make of it.]

Joshua...that's really you?

[leggierissimo]

[The reaction is hardly surprising, but it gets a laugh out of Joshua nonetheless. His voice still sounds the same, though, despite everything else being so different.]

Yes, it's really me.

[It's a form not many get to see. Usually, it's only his Conductor and Sanae. More people have seen it here at this point than ever actually saw it back at home.]

[charmpagne]

[Of course this is still just a hologram, so in essence Joshua hasn't changed, just his appearance. But Sparkling knows he wouldn't just make up some crazy look just to try to impress him or something. Not when they've looked much stranger in Ryslig itself.]

You know, somehow...this both is and isn't like what I was expecting to see. I mean...not that I knew what to expect, of course...

[he shakes his head a little, a bit of his hair bubbling audibly with the movement.]

You cut quite an impressive figure this way, I must say.

[leggierissimo]

[The bubbling is fascinating, honestly. For a moment, Joshua finds himself wanting to press his fingers to it, wondering what would happen. Would they pass through, or would they meet resistance like the outer shell of a bubble?]

Thank you for the flattery. If my appearance is at all impressive, then it's working as intended. After all, intimidation is the first line of defense.

[One hand lifts, a finger winding an ethereal curl around itself.]

This place makes it far easier to see, of course. Unless you're particularly talented, you wouldn't be able to perceive me at all.

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling...probably wouldn't stop Josh from trying, if he wanted. He just can't promise him that he knows what he'd feel if he did. This hologram is damn realistic, but how far does it go, truly...but if it's able to process such one-to-one sensations, he would feel that his "hair" has a funny almost jelly-like consistency to it. Enough mass to be able to hold its own shape, yet perfectly capable of having fingers pulled through it. You know, if you wanted to do that.]

In that case, I'm honored to get to see you like this. It feels like a special treat, in a way.

[Especially knowing that Joshua is, uh...not only not exactly human, but also something quite beyond his comprehension. Maybe it's exclusive to his world, but even without knowing for sure, he can tell he's something special.]

Do you prefer this form?

[leggierissimo]

You're lucky that I trust you enough to show you. Unless you have some designs on my position yourself...?

[For a moment, it sounds like a genuine question, blurred expression sobering... until his lips spread back into a smile, and he laughs softly. Sparkling definitely does not seem the type, and it doesn't matter here, anyway.]

It's my natural form, so yes, to an extent. It's difficult to get out and do things when you can't be perceived, though. The form you're more familiar with is nothing more than a convenient avatar that I can put on and take off like a coat. It just so happens that I can't exactly take it off in this place.

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling laughs too, but it's of the good-natured kind.]

Me? I have barely enough time to handle my own affairs as it is. Your position is safe.

[Joshua seems to have more of a knack for this sort of thing, so Sparkling is content leaving it to him.]

I see...I'm glad that you have access to a place like this as well, then. I hadn't realized just how much it means to just...feel like normal again.

[And it's not going to REALLY hit him until he steps back outside.]

[leggierissimo]

There's always a comfort to feeling normal, when the world makes you feel anything but. It's human nature to seek that comfort - and, I suppose, cookies as well.

[This place may be a comfort in just a small amount of ways, but it's a comfort nonetheless. It's one that he doesn't mind having, and that's what matters.

To be easier on Sparkling's eyes, he lets the hologram alter his appearance again - but this time, he's just in his older form. Similar enough to the Nephilim form that Sparkling is familiar with, but without the horns and wings and extra eyes.]

It's a shame that we're unable to eat anything in this place. Shibuya has quite the culinary scene going on these days.

[charmpagne]

[The change gets Sparkling to tilt his head as it happens, but he looks more amused than anything that he's chosen to revert to that older version of himself. He's going to be thinking about this now when he sees Joshua out and about on the peninsula...the fact that all of the ways he's seen him aren't quite the correct version of the Joshua he's always known.]

You could still show me the area though, can't you? I would still very much like to see it, even if I can't enjoy the food just yet.

[Who knows, maybe that's something that will be improved upon if there's somebody out there working on advancing Cube hologram technology.]

[leggierissimo]

[Call it a habit. He'd taken on this form to match Neku's older form, back at home, but he's found he rather likes it. Besides, different forms come with different wearable outfits.]

I don't see why not. After all, there's quite a lot to see. Just follow my lead.

[And with that, Joshua turns away from the Tsutaya building, headed for the nearby tall building marked with a large, neon "104".]

If this were the real Shibuya, you could do quite a bit of shopping. The city is known for it - and for the dog statue just behind where we appeared, of course.

[charmpagne]

[And Sparkling will follow, careful to stick close even though the people they pass won't ever see or pay them any mind. It's hard for him not to get caught up in the sights though...there's so much to see, it's mind boggling.]

It's like the entire city itself is a giant mall... [With entire buildings dedicated to each individual store. And he thought the actual mall in Bavan was a lot.] What is the significance of the dog statue, do you know?

[leggierissimo]

Welcome to life in the big city. Shibuya is only a part of the urban sprawl that is the Tokyo Metropolis, of course. We're one of the 23 special wards, and in any direction you look, you'll find more like it. Shibuya is best known for fashion, but just north of us, Shinjuku is known for its nightlife. Each one has its specialties, but none are quite like this one.

[He may be biased. He loves this city, even if events three years ago made it appear otherwise.

104 is, thankfully, not far - just a quick skip past the entrance to Center Street and around the corner of the book store. As they walk, Joshua explains.]

The statue is of a very loyal dog called Hachiko. He was the pet of a professor at a nearby university, and Hachiko would meet him outside of the station every day when he returned home from work. However, the professor suffered a hemorrhage while at the university and passed away - and yet, Hachiko continued to return to the station every day until his own death ten years later, awaiting a return that would never happen. The statue sits right outside that station, and nowadays, it's used as a place to meet up with friends.

[charmpagne]

[He loved it so much even that he decided to bring the city to Ryslig days from now, how thoughtful-]

Oh, poor thing...

[That's actually quite the tragic story that he wasn't at all expecting, but it's a touching one nonetheless. No wonder they made a statue in his honor.]

To think that the people living here would have thought to make a statue for a dog.

[It's said fondly, though still with just the slightest hint of surprise as they walk, Sparkling still taking in the buildings passing them by.]

I only ever knew human beings for being cruel, terrible creatures back home...but things like this remind me that my world had it very wrong. Even this city itself is a testament to that.

[leggierissimo]

Oh, don't get me wrong. Humans all have the capacity to be cruel and terrible. This world isn't some paradise. There are still those who would cheat, lie, steal and kill just to get a leg up over others. There are still those who would rather let things come to extremes than try to reconcile simply because they're too stubborn to admit that maybe they're in the wrong.

[Like himself, once. Joshua pulls in a soft breath, then lets it out in a sigh, looking up at the top of a skyscraper as they continue to walk.]

I was going to destroy all of this, once, all because I thought that the people here were too closed-off to see the possibilities that lay before them. I didn't want the stagnation poisoning the neighboring districts, so the only solution was to end it before it could. Or, so I thought. Luckily, Neku helped me see that things could change, by changing himself. In a short amount of time, he went from someone that nearly erased his partner to secure his own escape from the Game, to a person that couldn't pull the trigger on someone he considered a friend, even if it meant his world would end as a result. By accepting vulnerability and letting others in bit by bit, he grew as a person, and he discovered that the way he was wasn't the way he had to be, or even wanted to be.

Humans are capable of the things your world claims that they are. But, having observed humanity for as long as I have, it seems very likely that those assumptions were made based on a loud few, rather than the quieter majority. Acts of cruelty tend to be much more striking than acts of kindness.

[charmpagne]

[Sparkling lapses into thoughtful silence as they walk, though he does find himself ultimately hanging on Josh's every word when he starts to explain his original plans for Shibuya, his true intent. The idea that he wanted to destroy everything in the light of wasted potential...it's enough to leave him speechless, for a moment. It's a relief knowing that Neku was able to help Joshua see things differently, but imagine a world if he hadn't...

The important thing to glean here, he realizes, is that humanity isn't always so black and white as most people would like you to believe, as he's come to learn time and again. After all, his first thoughts upon waking in Ryslig proper were that the humans around him were going to eat him...only for every single one he encountered (well, the vast majority) to help him when they realized he was struggling. The impact of that kindness he still hasn't forgotten.]

I'm glad your mind was changed. What flaws a city like this and its people have pale in comparison to what it can accomplish over the grand scheme of things...my own kingdom was built up from the remnants of a destroyed land, all thanks to cookies that worked together to make a home for themselves, after all.

[leggierissimo]

[Hm. So cookies really aren't all that different from humans. The distant, thoughtful expression that has held place on Joshua's face for the last few minutes melts into a fond smile, and he shakes his head.]

I once thought that these flaws made it impossible for one person to understand another. As it turns out, it's the clashing of views that makes them grow as people, and it's not as impossible to understand someone else as I'd originally thought.

[--and here, they stand in front of the 104 building. It towers over the intersection, proudly displaying an ad for some fantastic deal being held inside, its doors never closed for more than a few seconds at a time before someone else is pulling it back open again.]

Welcome to 104 - Shibuya's hottest stop for fashion, and the most recognized building in the entire city.

[charmpagne]

[And that's precisely what makes the world such a unique place to live in. It would be a hell of a boring place if everyone was perfect, much less if they all lived exactly the same and shared the same worldview. That thought is what lingers at the forefront of Sparkling's mind even as they make it to the 104 Building proper, much larger and grander in scale when they're this close to it. All Sparkling can do at first is marvel at its size, looking it up and down while feeling like he can't properly take it all in in one go.]

Are we able to go inside?

[leggierissimo]

[It's quite impressive, which probably lends to its notoriety. The entry vestibule outside the front doors hosts a handful of small groups of teenagers and young adults, as it tends to do, but it's easy enough to pass by. This hologram, after all, caters to him.]

Of course. Alas, you can't bring purchases outside of the hologram, but it's fun to try things on from time to time.

[Is this how he spends part of his time here? ... possibly.

Passing through the front doorways reveals a mall-like area, but much more confined. Small shops line the hallways to the left and right, their wares on tables and mannequins in the open storefronts. Slightly to the left, in the center of it all, are a set of escalators, taking you up a floor - and up from a floor hidden below.]

If anything strikes your fancy, feel free to stop. Incidentally, our own Shibuya-born brand is in this building. Gatto Nero - it's on the second floor.

[charmpagne]

[Not being able to actually obtain the things on display here is a bit disappointing, but he supposes it could be worse. They're lucky to be able to get to do this at all, aren't they? And so Sparkling won't complain, careful to not wander too far ahead even if he knows that the crowds aren't going to actually stop progress any.]

Oh is it? Well you have to show me that.

[Sparkling had taken a pair of clothing that he'd purchased from the museum and actually did wear it...for all of a few days, before it basically shredded itself. He did quite like it though, and has to wonder if he might be able to commission an actual tailor in Ryslig to design something similar for him on commission...and what better place to get inspiration for that sort of thing?]

[leggierissimo]

[That enthusiasm is well-noted! Joshua chuckles, glancing over his shoulder at Sparkling and gesturing with his head toward the escalators.]

Well then, we're going to have to take this. Ever been on one before?

[He'd bet on the answer being no, considering the place Sparkling came here from. Then again, some department stores here in Bavan have escalators, so it's a gamble either way.]

[charmpagne]

I haven't...this is a moving staircase...?

[Sparkling's single venture into the mall of Bavan was very tunnel-visioned towards finding Vampire, so if that one did have escalators, he most definitely missed them. It's a little intimidating to see the way they just sweep people up to the next floor, but also pretty interesting too if he's honest.]

[leggierissimo]

It is. Watch your step as you hop on. They've been known to snag shoelaces.

[Not that that will be a problem here, of course. It's all a hologram.

But, once they do take the escalator up to the second floor, all they have to do is swing left at the top of it and walk just a few steps down the hallway, coming face to face with a small shop space with the words "GATTO NERO" emblazoned above the open entryway. The store space itself is full of displays of shirts, pants, dresses, hats, shoes, and accessories... the majority of which are in dark colors, but there's an occasional splash of color.]

[charmpagne]

[Joshua wouldn't know it, but a lot of Cookies back home have some pretty distinct fashion. But...it's fashion that doesn't tend to change all that often. Why would you bother when most of your accessories tend to be part of you, right? Maybe that's why Sparkling is almost always caught wearing his uniform, as if he was baked with it on.

Truly makes you wonder...

This place though, this has a lot to offer, and Sparkling intends to get a good look at it all. It's actually quite impressive the selection they have here, overwhelming almost.]

What a broad selection...is this your style of choice, Joshua?

[leggierissimo]

[To be perfectly honest, Joshua wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Not that they're baked on, per se, but decorating a cookie is typically a pretty permanent affair. After all, it's not easy to just wipe all of that frosting and icing off and get a completely clean slate afterwards. It would make a gigantic mess, for one.

Which is why it's all the more important that Sparkling gets the chance to try on new things here! It's his duty, really.]

I wouldn't say 'of choice', exactly, but I can make anything look good.

[And who would he be, if not a patron of the arts created within his own city? He moves over to a rack, pulling out the sleeve of an oddly disconnected shirt. Some of this stuff is reminiscent of Lapin Angelique, in a way. He had liked that Bunny Parka...

Feel free to try anything on that catches your eye. Even if it isn't tailored to your body, this place can make anything a perfect fit.