we're all gonna die

[justchords]

WHO: apollo justice and nazuna nito
WHERE: the digital world i mean digi-rec
WHEN: during event part 1
WHAT: trying not to DIE
WARNINGS: screm


(things were weird enough with being transported to an alternate digital reality of recolle. apollo always thought that getting sucked into your phone was a video game or strictly nightmare-only scenario. but then again, recolle had been more than enough of a nightmare the past months.

and now suddenly, apollo finds himself in a charming, delightful, and extremely suspicious beach festival sort of location. the sun is shining, music is playing (from where, who knows, but apollo appreciates bgm), delectable foods are laid out everywhere, and if currency isn't a thing, it's a full on buffet. and the prettier and more pleasant things get, the more suspicious apollo grows. recolle wouldn't digitize its entirety only to put everyone in seeming utopias. they'd never be that accommodating.

yet apollo finds himself drawn to it. he's overdue for some rest, right? it's been hectic months for him, with nightmares in sleep and waking, having a full on identity crisis, now becoming a video game protagonist.

he grumpily kicks off his shoes and stands calf-deep in the beach, only to mutter to himself. of course the water is perfect and comfortable, why wouldn't it be. apollo can't seem to get his mind off that looming castle in the distance, either. everything seems so separated from it, and he feels that would be the best place to get answers.

so he trudges off towards it, still wading in the water and carrying his shoes. a man on a Mission.)

Comments

[pronounces]

[ apollo is definitely not the only one that thinks this is suspicious. even nazuna, ever the optimist (or at least the optimist for other people) is suspicious when everything around him is 8-bits of sunshine and sandy waves. if he thinks about it enough, he can even smell the salt air, like he's standing back on peach beach in the city. like nothing's wrong.

except everything is totally wrong. having already been on his first "mission" (?) if you can call it that, he's accompanied by the tiny little tamagotchi blip he'd affectionately nicknamed "rabit", which is nestled very comfortably in his pocket as he too stares at the castle from much farther away than where apollo had been.

in fact, when he turns around to start considering the beach itself (maybe he should go back?) he spots two familiar hair anntenae that could only belong to one familiar person. nazuna's relieved to see a familiar face, and he smiles, waving his arm to greet him. ] Apochin! Over here!

[justchords]

(one day, apollo is going to find out how a majority of the world identifies him, and he will be so goddamn offended...

but today, apollo is instead greeted by someone he can trust and who he also knows will consider this the same level of bullshit apollo does. thank god for nazuna or else apollo would be long dead. he waves back, looking a little tired even in the picturesque land of wherever the fuck this is.

he's not stupid enough to drag himself on any missions for now, not since the last one gave him nightmares for weeks.) Hey, Nazuna! What are you doing here?

[pronounces]

[ tired is definitely the mood here. there's nothing like being transported into your own cellphone to really ruin your daily routine, is there. nazuna still has a bright smile for him though, only dropping his hand from his wave when he catches up to him properly.

as for an answer, he looks back over his shoulder at the castle. ] Well, I got on the train...the last time we did this it went to that weird subway station, so I thought it might've taken us back there, but I ended up here instead.

[ he gives a small shrug of his shoulders. ] It's weird, right? Everything about this.

[justchords]

(apollo would never believe nazuna of all people was tired (especially since he has a new pet now), though apollo wonders how anyone has a "daily routine" when retrospec is so readily willing to disrupt day to day lives of everyone stuck on the app.

now literally.

apollo gets chills down his spine, arms wrapping up to hug himself. nothing about this situation settles him, even with nazuna here.) It's... scary. Everything looks and seems so perfect, but I just feel like there's something waiting for us to let our guard down and attack.

[pronounces]

Right... [ normally, nazuna would dissuade him from those kinds of thoughts, but there's something so ominous about this castle even he can't ignore it. even getting on the subway train had been strange, starting up a knot of anxiety in his stomach just from the last time, but...just like with pesgare, there might be something he can do.

and nazuna's not really someone to ignore things like that, not anymore. if he can help, he will, but he's definitely glad for apollo's presence. what he says makes him shiver too, though, and he rubs a hand against the back of his own neck. ] Unyaa, don't say that, you'll jinx it!

[justchords]

(nazuna is would be welcome to tell apollo not to be such a pessimist, and also a paranoid dummy, but good luck there. him and cynicism go hand in hand. like old depressing buddies.

he jumps at nazuna's outburst of displeasure at apollo's way of phrasing things, but all he can really do is pout in return. angrily.) We're way past jinxing at this point! We're in a sick video game!

[pronounces]

Yeah, but at leasht there'sh no monshter! [ nazuna points out in all of his usual puffy manner, defending his own optimism, but that's really all he has in the way of it.

he puts both of his hands on his hips. ] We should go investigate. If nothing else, it's quiet right now, right?

[justchords]

Not yet, at least. (apollo only grumbles that to himself, but there's no doubt it'll be easily heard by nazuna, as well. he's going the pessimistic route again and assuming everything will go wrong. as usual.

he looks towards the large castle with skeptical disbelief, going between nazuna and the castle multiple times.) You're going to be singing a much different tune when we get there, I guarantee it.

(but nonetheless, he begins walking towards the castle. curiosity outweighs survival.)

[pronounces]

Maybe. [ probably. he kind of agrees, actually, but nazuna's going to let his leaderly personality take over, and he follows along with apollo, easily keeping up with his pace. it's nice to spend time with someone who you don't have to practically run beside to keep with..

his hand drifts to his pocket, fingers stroking over the top of his ra*bit's head. it's been shy and quiet all day, but having the little companion has done a lot for his nerves, and having that plus apollo around makes it easy. between them, they can solve any sort of mystery!

...probably.

anyway. the castle itself is massive, and as they reach the top of the hill, it seems sort of welcoming. ] Apochin...if this actually was a video game, is there something we should be doing?

[justchords]

(it's more than easy to keep up with apollo, still shuffling through the water as if he's taking his sweet ass time getting closer and closer to the castle. it gives him bad vibes, and yet it seems to get rapidly closer.

the imposing castle gives him nothing but chills, despite the rather upbeat and pleasant vibe of the rest of the area.

nazuna's question has apollo resume his usual thinking posture, finger pressed against his forehead.) Well... there could be a couple of things. It could be something as simple as doing a whole bunch of fetch quests for all the festival-goers. Or that- (angry gesture to the castle.) -might have some item or artifact we need to "break the curse", so to speak, on this whole digital world bullshit. There could be a boss battle. A wise old man saying something like "it's dangerous to go alone, take this" and give us a weapon. Though, I'm not betting on that one, honestly.

[pronounces]

[ ... wow. ]

...I can't keep up with kids nowadays. [ he understood maybe three words of that entire sentence. ] Is there any one of those that's...better than the others?

[justchords]

Nazuna, you are younger than me. (in body and age only, tho, these two are both stupid old men.) Uhhhh, probably just getting an item or finding an old man. The boss fight means we'd probably just die. Like instantly. (yep.)

[pronounces]

Wait, die?! It'sh not gonna be sat bad--!

[ you know, now that he's said it, that castle seems less and less interesting.

but--no! he has to be brave. nazuna turns to the castle again, even if he now looks a little skittish. ]

[justchords]

(he sees nazuna eyeing that castle, despite looking like a cat that's about to run away from a fight. which, honestly, probably the better idea right now.

but apollo, on the other hand.) Go, fight, do your best, niichan, even in the face of certain doom and death. (yeah, this bitch.)

[pronounces]

Apochin! [ it's the scolding big brother voice!! but there's no way nazuna's going to let anyone talk him out of doing the right thing, which means he's going to grab right onto apollo's wrist and drag him into the castle himself!!! ] Oooh--just come on!

[justchords]

Wh-- hey! (even with apollo being (barely) taller, nazuna's determined strength easily drags apollo along. he stumbles and trips a few times in nazuna's haste, almost dropping himself completely in the water, but he just manages to avoid complete disaster, skulking behind his friend as they approach the castle.

up close, apollo finds himself much more confused by it. it hardly seems to match the rest of the area, after all.) So... what do you think it is? An actual castle? With royalty and stuff?

[pronounces]

[ he lets go once he's pretty sure apollo's going to actually follow him, at least, approaching the castle for real.

he regards it: it feels even ten times larger due to his small stature, and it reminds him of the stories mizuki told him about retrospec back at the beginning, of being shrunk down. like thumbelina, or something.

he looks a little unsure, but glances over at apollo anyway. ] Well...only way one way to find out, right? Let's investigate.

[ and he's going to go and push open the door! ]

[justchords]

(he's a good little brother for once, following nazuna despite his mind screaming to remember survival and not go towards the large castle that's very obviously going to ruin what little belief apollo has in this place.

he almost screams "run" as soon as nazuna opens the door, but refuses to move since nazuna facing whatever fate awaits him alone would be sad.

apollo will suffer with him.

though they may not need to suffer, as apollo marvels the lavish inn surrounding them, with polite housekeeps and bellhops greeting the both of them and offering them a stay.) Uh... not what I expected. Like at all.