citynet | video; @The Seventh Crown of the Seventh Demon King;

Entry tags:

video; @The Seventh Crown of the Seventh Demon King;

[ In media res: there's a video feed sharpening into focus, blobs of silver and pink and purple neon resolving into a staircase leading down to a metal door gleaming clean under the artificial lighting around it. Midnight's standing at the door, looking up at the camera and the person filming with his phone, grinning one of his worryingly unhinged grins. ]

How is it, Kaveh? I'd ask you for my best angle, if I had any bad angles.

[ This conversation does... persist... but as the video continues, it becomes perfectly clear that this terribly disorganized promotion is for a bar of some sort. Midnight makes it clear later when he reclaims the camera, hops onto the bar, and aligns himself in the frame in a way that lights both his face and the sign behind him, a rose-lit confection announcing the name of the bar: Seventh Hell Host Club. ]

That's where we are. Do you see that? My name is Midnight, and this is my host club, Seventh Hell. We're near the southernmost station on Line 1. Kaveh and I have been working terribly hard on this establishment, and all of you have his genius and design sense to thank for this momentous occasion. Please do thank him personally. Make a great fuss about it. Remind him that sleep is a temporary state that he should indulge in more often, preferably with me. Thank you.

[ Kaveh is definitely taking the phone at this point, but later on, Midnight will retrieve it and add a postscript. He is sitting in some sort of underground greenhouse this time, surrounded by mist, glass, flowers, and the glow of sun-tinted halogen lights. Regardless of the promo quality, the greenhouse itself is certainly an impressive feat of engineering. ]

Yes, this is one of several themed rooms here at Seventh Hell. You — yes, you — are personally invited to see it. When? Well, whenever you like, so long as the doors are open, but on the 31st of this month... Ahem.

[ He clears his throat, grins. ]

For the turn of the year, you are cordially invited to Seventh Hell's Grand Opening and New Year's Eve joint celebration. Or something like that, I'll come up with a grander name if necessary. There will be drinks, music, a tour of the premises, games, untold bliss, fantasies, beautiful women, beautiful men, myself among them, possibly fireworks if Kaveh can be convinced that I won't set the place ablaze... You won't want to miss out, I promise.

The doors will open at 6 pm, but come by anytime before then, from now until the New Year, if you'd like to enjoy the premises in relative solitude. Send a message to this account if you'd like to be assured of a bartender, or a friendly face to speak to. If I can't come personally, a host or hostess will be there, ready to welcome you to a night of merriment and pleasant conversation.

So, until then... Seventh Hell awaits you.

[ A wink, and the feed shuts off. ]

[ ooc: Along with normal network replies, current host club employees and staff are welcome and encouraged to reply to this post as though Midnight's included them in an impromptu promotion for the club! You can also use this post for post-promo, off camera conversations with him or anyone else in the host club. Go stupid, go wild, go crazy, threadjack, steal his phone and flush it down a toilet. Honestly, the sky is the limit. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[it was in the cursed ballpit (the second one) which is the only reason i remember what conversation it was tbh... we really did that.]

...mm. Yeah, I remember.

[not at first, he'd said, but it would be because midnight meant something to him. because the loss would hurt, because it would be one he would need to heal from.]

I'd still have your memory. You wouldn't be gone for good, as long as I remembered you. As long as anyone did. I'd have that.

[after a second:]

And after the books-- if you count those, then we both have a little bit of each other inside us. Right?

[netzach will have his memory. he'll have the remembered taste of midnight's blood in his mouth, just as midnight has his. he'll have what he drank from him then, if only metaphorically speaking.]

[ see i knew it i just straight up couldn't find it until you told me which ballpit it was... ballpit specificity

Anyway, Midnight does remember that better than I do, so he hums in agreement. That's the idea that he hopes Netzach takes with him. He doesn't have quite the same relationship with memories, but if the memory of him is enough, perhaps the same idea with Roland and Miss Gebura applies. They aren't dead yet, after all. Not necessarily. (Miss Gebura said she has a plan. Midnight believes her without question.) ]

It does. It would have, even if your gesture was possible outside the boundaries of that world. The choice you made was real, even if the consequences weren't.

[ ... Midnight's smile is very small and aimed more at the half-picked tray than at Netzach. ]

I wouldn't go as far to say you have a bit of both here... But if you count your memory of Mr. Roland and Miss Gebura in terms of years, I think they'd be more real to you than I could ever be. And if we ever have the good fortune of meeting them again, you can ask them for a bite as well.

[ This is a very, very gentle joke. He wants Netzach to at least be able to come to terms with the sudden finality of their departure, even if the time for that isn't now. ]

Geb would kill me first.

[he says, with a little huff that's almost, but not quite, a laugh. it doesn't really make it, largely because he looks a little distracted after midnight mentions the choice he made.

there was the choice to bite midnight, but that wasn't the only one, was it? the thought of it is still bitter-- allowing kaveh to volunteer himself, choosing him, knowing he'd already killed midnight once. that kaveh would never accept any other answer. he'd told netzach: choose midnight, whenever he can, and put him first; kaveh wouldn't have stood for seeing him die.

neither death was permanent. neither death will leave him, either.]

It's different, though. I actually didn't know Roland very long before we ended up here, so don't put yourself aside from them that easily.

Besides, if you want to talk in terms of years...

[a little pause, here, before he breathes out a quiet sigh.]

I think Carmen's been gone for longer than I knew her, now. That's never made her memory any less to me.

[he thinks he still loves her.]

She would have my head first for suggesting it. Plenty of time for you to abscond.

[ He ruffles Netzach's hair a little, then hugs him tightly. It's a good hug, in that Midnight loves hugs almost as much as he loves giving them. ]

Although I do like to think I'm quite memorable, I'm still honored you would mention me and Miss Carmen in the same breath. Were that I capable of putting that much good in the world... Well, someday I may.

[ He'll just have to use his time wisely. In the meantime, this is also a wise use of his time. ]

We'll fill that extra space with lovely experiences for you to keep, hmm? Perhaps that's where that happy story will start... I did promise you one, although I can't say it's altogether finished yet.

Where it'll start... didn't you already start it?

[there's that matter of fact tone once again. the one that isn't really asking; the one in which he means, the story we have is already a happier one.

he lets himself be wrapped in that hug, though, enjoying it. midnight really is good at them-- he could stay like this for a long time, probably. teaching him to get used to physical affection is, as always, a dangerous thing.]

You don't have to rush to finish it, anyway. Think I'd rather you make it a long one.

Mm.

[ Which is all he has to say for a moment. He's suddenly struck by a vision of them in the future. It's not a particularly long vision, nor is it anything Midnight would dwell on, as he often doesn't; it's simply a snapshot of them, sitting on a couch like this in the future, wearing about the same things, eating about the same foods, talking about this and that. There's no real indication that this is the future at all. It could be tomorrow.

Still, it's nice. Midnight holds onto that image for a moment, imagining it to be something far off, when they're both old and familiar with each other, then lets it go. ]

Of course. We must create enough narrative space for everyone. And there must be enough days to get to know one each other, and perhaps have a few fights, a few misunderstandings, before arriving back to each other once again.

... I think we must both consider eating a tiny bit more, though. Just to be sure we'll make it to tomorrow.

[ Morbid joke, but Midnight's trying to motivate himself, too. He snags some smoked ham from the tray and tears it apart in his fingers like an animal, feeding bits to Netzach if he so wishes to partake. ]

-we probably should.

[he accepts a bite of the meat, with a contented little hum-- but it's more for the fact that midnight initiated this. that he's motivating himself, working on it.

after he's had a few moments to let everything sink in and to think about it himself:]

...I'd like that kind of story, though. Fights and all. [that's just a part of living, and of knowing people.] I want you to be here long enough to see it through. Figure it all out with me. With us.

[he wants there to be something for them to look forward to, however short it might be.]

[ Midnight chews properly, swallows before answering, which gives him plenty of time to give Netzach a long, inquisitive look. ]

... I want that, too. Perhaps that's how the future will be.

[ ... Was he getting at something, though? ]

Not sure if much would change, necessarily... Perhaps my plans would be a bit grander, but I do try to achieve what I can.

I know. So do I.

[ever since he got a human body back, after all, he hasn't known how much time he'll get to live, or whether that dream he had of getting to just live out his life in peace would be an obtainable one.]

I don't think I'd make very grand plans myself, though. Whenever I thought about getting to live a life of my own, all I wanted was something simple. To just paint, and get into art for its own sake, and live peacefully.

...never really thought about other people being a part of it before I ended up here.

[ Midnight thinks for a moment, wiping off a microscopic bit of ham off Netzach's face, a thin excuse to touch him. ]

You've done quite a bit of painting for me at the club already, so if I asked you to do more for the sake of us making something here together... I simply don't know what we would do. I'm certainly not creative myself...

[ He hums again. ]

I suppose I've never thought of any of this in terms of leaving something behind. The very idea of it... As though the gift of having me in the world in the first place wasn't quite enough.

[ He laughs, as he always does whenever he says something mildly insane. ]

Think some people would say that in a pretty different tone, man.

[quite enough, indeed. netzach holds still, lets his face be cleaned-- really, it's not like midnight needs excuses to touch him, anymore.]

...we don't have to figure anything out right now. Having you around is enough for me to be happy with, too, but-- I do want to have something like that.

Mm? Well, how would you say it? It's true, after all.

[ Midnight chuckles, then places a kiss on Netzach's cleaned lips. Netzach is a gift unto this world, and he should say it. ]

Something I can leave behind for you... Something a bit more than a memory.

[ Midnight ponders. He really did mean it when he said that he isn't the creative sort... ]

Well, it's not particularly collaborative, which I think might be the point... But perhaps I can write some music for you? Composition isn't my strong point, but I could see if I could get a bit of aid on that front.

...if you did, I'd learn how to play it.

[music is an artistic pursuit too, isn't it? and he'd like to learn anyway, since midnight can play an instrument. there would be the collaboration in it.]

Write it for more than one part. I'll learn an instrument, and how to play my half. Then I can hear how it's really meant to sound when we can play it together.

[ Midnight pats Netzach's hair, looking down at him. ]

That's too kind... But it would be far beyond my right to stop you, love. Keep in mind I'll be happy to teach you to play the guitar, should you wish it, but I'll compose around any instrument that catches your fancy.

[ He takes Netzach's hand, looking at it for a moment. ]

That you would want to do these things for me is a gift already. I... thank you for that.

[ The thanks sounds slightly awkward, oddly enough. Midnight is much more used to making his apologies, and is far more used to simply living his life without anyone making grand gestures toward him in it. ]

[he takes netzach's hand, and netzach's fingers curl around his in turn, holding it.]

I'm gonna keep doing 'em, so... you're gonna have to get used to that.

[a little lighter in tone, but it isn't teasing. he wouldn't really tease, when it comes to this-- he wants to do these things for midnight simply because he wants to, because it's what feels right to him, and he doubts he would stop wanting that.]

... Charming me? Higashi's premier host? My. That's quite a lofty vision...

[ Midnight chuckles, kissing Netzach's palm right at the base of his middle finger. ]

But thus far, you've made the endeavor effortless. How much farther can I fall for you...? Exhaust every avenue, my artist. I will forgive you everything.

Everyone has to have goals, right?

[that one is a little more teasing. it really is a lofty vision, to think of himself being the one charming midnight and not the other way around...

but he likes the idea of it. the thought that he, of all people, could be charmed by netzach. the thought that he's already found some success in it.]

...I could ask myself the same thing. Guess we're both going to find out how far.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

video; @The Seventh Crown of the Seventh Demon King;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject