socialcapital | [ JACKSON HEART ]

If something else catches your interest, that is also fine. But I thought it might be a good place to start.

[And, reasonably heartened by the lack of sound from the other side of the wall, he lifts his hand again.

As before, the sheet of drywall gives a quiet, crumbling protest... and lifts away, revealing a dim storage room, racks and racks of chairs waiting on trolleys for a different kind of event.]

"No, I like pigeons and ducks."

Totality slides up so he can take Satin's arm in both of his in a sort of ironically cutesy gesture.

"So we just scoot through there...?"

We just scoot through here. And then I put the drywall back so it's not immediately obvious where you've gone, or how.

[In gentlemanly fashion, he guides Totality through the largest gap between wires and pipes, and then turns -- moving the clothing rack back into place, and then shifting the sheets of drywall approximately back in place.

To someone looking for structural damage, it would be immediately obvious. But most people don't first look to see if an escaped celebrity pried open part of a wall.]

"Oh, the perfect getaway then..."

He seems a little excited now. The exhaustion hasn't left, but any kind of distraction is a good distraction for him.

Not perfect. But sufficient.

[With the walls back in place, only the tiniest cracks of light filter through, leaving them in the dark.]

If you have troubles seeing, stay close. I can navigate us through here.

In my current life, I'm an astrologist -- I left Acidia years ago. Finding paths is something of a specialty.

"Oh yeah? You pathfound your way over to me and you're gonna pathfind us out?"

I would consider it an honour to do so.

[And he does, navigating through the dim area and back out to the corridors beyond.]

Totality laughs a bit, partially in disbelief, but follows along good-naturedly. He's happy enough to go with the flow.

[Which is particularly useful, as Satin has no actual idea of where they're going.

It's Umbra's heart, or dream, or mindscape. Surely there's a park with pigeons and ducks here somewhere.]

As soon as they get outside things get a little abstract, a bit blurry - it's dark outside, the streetlights are on, the night is warm - but wandering a little bit will get them to a cute little park sooner rather than later.

[His hopes of a convenience store dwindle as they travel. Birds may have a place in Umbra's heart, but such regular experiences as "checking for '50% off, enjoy today' merchandise likely do not.]

Still... given the time and distance, this is not so bad.

Definitely not in this part of the heart, where money was more conceptual than real - a thing that got discussed in broad strokes more than anything he had to budget about.

"This is the place?"

I think that's up to you.

Would you like to linger here for a bit?

"... It's pretty quiet."

He lets go of Satin's arm to wander a little bit further into the park.

[He follows, keeping a casual distance between them.]

Twilight usually is. It's too late for families, and too early for those who are less responsible.

"Okay, I don't mind sitting here for a bit."

He plops down on a bench and pats the empty space.

[He can't help but smile a bit at the invitation.

Delicate songbird, quotes a memory. Sure to be eaten by hawks.]

As you wish.

"We're hanging out now. No ditching me."

I did not sneak you out of that situation just to abandon you the moment you were free.

So long as you do not clearly and directly request otherwise, I will stay with you and ensure your safe and punctual return. Because no matter how much I disagree with the situation you have been placed in, what you do is important to you. The cruelty here is not in the performance, or your fans. It's in those that have booked you for stage after stage without rest.

He reaches over to squish Satin's cheeks again, thoughtfully.

"You're a funny guy. Normally caring this much would give big crazy stalker vibes but I don't really get that from you at all. And you do SEEM to actually physically exist."

[Tolerates it the same way older relatives tolerate young nieces and nephews.]

I do physically exist, and I have not stalked you. I barely know you.

"But you did sneak into my dressing room and then sneak me out by taking down a back wall, and you have really strong opinions on my tour schedule even though you baa~arely know me."

He boops Satin's nose and then pulls back into his own space.

"That makes you at the very least an extremely funny guy."

[His nose wrinkles reflexively.

Even then, there's still no anticipation in his body language as Totality moves close, and no yearning as he moves away -- just the same casual comfort he's had through the evening.]

Knowing about you doesn't mean I know you. I'm not that presumptuous.

The things you like, the things you dislike, your thoughts, the things you feel -- all the parts that make you a person are unknown to me.

There's a mild flash of the sort of irritation that normally accompanies his puffy cheeked faces. The 'wow, I'm being so charming and you're not even charmed' indignation. But he doesn't let it show!!! (it shows a little).

"I'm not very private with most of that. It's all out there in some form or another."

[It shows a little. And he is charmed by it.]

I'm not going to look "out there" when you're right here.

Edited 2026-02-24 03:48 (UTC)

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