Though it was hard to let go of the friends and connections he'd made at the Golden Peacock, he parted on good terms with everyone. He made some final memories with them, and he even left Christmas gifts for some of his friends. No, saying goodbye wasn't the worst of it; the hard part was those brutal weeks spent holed up in his room.
After his encounter with Loki, Hiyori stopped indulging in sex. The goal, after all, was to become a statue. By letting his body turn to stone, his soul should be allowed to roam free, chasing Jun's into the next realm. But the process was a slow and agonizing one: his skin flaking away in patches, shiny bronze hardening beneath. Worse was his fraying psyche. As his Spades suit took hold of him, his mind was plunged into darkness. Violent, hateful, and full of despair, all he could do was curl up in bed and pray for the day he woke up elsewhere.
That day didn't come, exactly. What happened instead was this: before he could turn to stone fully, someone appeared at his bedside. A mysterious figure who offered him a deal. He didn't have to stay at the Peacock; he could go elsewhere, to the city of Decadia. There he'd find a thriving metropolis with the same opulence as the resort, and there he'd have an important role to play—as a "contestant" rather than a card. In exchange for taking that deal, his Wish would be granted. No ifs, ands or buts; no limitations on what he can ask for, and no deck to complete. All he'd have to do is perform on a reality show, something that ought to be a cinch for an idol like him.
It sounded too good to be true. And yet the second he heard it, he knew, some way, somehow, that it wasn't a joke. He knew this entity was the real deal, powerful enough to make his wish come true. Before signing the contract, he listed out all the stipulations: him, Jun, Rinne and Leo all returned safely home, their memories intact, with no time having passed at all in their home world. "Consider it granted," he was told.
So here he is. The petrification has been reversed, his skin unblemished once more. His suit effects no longer bother him, for he no longer has one; the Spades tattoo, too, has been removed. He has another strange place to get used to, another den of sin and decadence. But by now, he's used to this sort of environment, and the emphasis on sex doesn't faze him. If anyone is primed to succeed in this place, it's him.
When it's time for his red carpet debut, he smiles at the staff as he would the backstage crew back home. He doesn't turn up his nose or react prudishly to the skimpy outfits they offer him, and even accepts one piece: a barely-a-shirt made of glittering chains. It's eye-catching, it's revealing without showing everything off, and it's the kind of thing he's never worn back home. He pairs it with a stylish jacket, tight pants, and matching silver accessories, and just like that, he's good to go. Stepping out onto the red carpet, he waves, strikes poses, and answers excited question about his debut.]
Yep, you bet I'll capture their hearts! I'm good at making people love me, and I won't settle for a low view count. Just watch and be amazed~♪
[The staff fawns over that response while the flashes go off and their cameras record him. While they're tittering, Hiyori casts his eyes around the area. He hasn't seen anyone he recognized since he got her. Which figures; it'd be strange if he did see a familiar face. He won't pout about how lonely he is. He'll simply have to—
A figure in the distance catches his eye. It looks like someone wearing an oddly-shaped helmet. But despite the horns, it can't be Loki.
That's what he thinks. But that armored figure moves even closer, posing for another group of photographers, and when Hiyori sees his face, his heart gives a hard lurch.]
... Loki-kun?
[He says the name to himself, at first. The staff looks at him questioningly, puzzled by his shocked expression. But he's no longer paying them any mind; in fact, he pushes past them.]
Loki-kun! [He calls out the name, widened eyes focused on the helmeted man, desperate to get closer, to talk to him.] Loki-kun, Loki-kun! You took the deal, too?
[Since he signed the contract, Loki has been pretending that he doesn’t want to do anything they ask of him here. He refuses a skimpy outfit, grumbles at the employees who are trying to help him and is generally just a pest. But when he steps out on the stage and all the camera flashes start going off, Loki struts his stuff like he was built for this.
It’s what he’s always wanted, really. Attention, adoring masses, everyone clamouring for his attention. It’s not perfect. This doesn’t give him any real power, people aren’t truly worshipping him and he still doesn’t know how he’ll do, trying to get people to sleep with him, but for this brief moment he can pretend. For now, these are his adoring fans, they are worshipping him. And it is glorious.
He doesn’t know how long he’s out there when he hears an unfamiliar voice calling his name. Or a variation of his name anyway. He’s never heard the suffix kun before, but the Loki part is clear enough. He ignores it at first, but the stranger keeps calling his name and he finally turns to him in a bit of an annoyed huff, pausing only briefly as he takes in the rather attractive young man smiling and calling his name.]
[The question dies in his throat. It's like being doused with cold water: that question, coupled with that look. Annoyed and unrecognizing, like they're strangers. Because to him—for him to look at him like that—they must be. Loki doesn't remember him.
[His head swims. His chest constricts with an intense pain. No, no, no, it can't be. This can't be right. And yet his shock gives way to horrible acceptance. Didn't this happen all the time at Peacock? Guests would wake up from being statues with no memory of their time at the resort. He even witnessed it himself, once: Rinne appeared when he was playing a game at Chickadees, unable to remember anything from his previous stay. And then he was gone, back to being a statue. He knew it could happen.
Still, he didn't expect it. Spotting Loki in the crowd had stunned him, but in a good way. His heart had soared. If Loki was here, why, that changed everything. It meant he wasn't in this new place alone; he'd have Loki. Someone he can rely on, someone he trusts—a true friend. They could comfort each other, get up to new adventures, reminisce about past memories. The whole "public sex reality show" thing wouldn't be the least bit scary. Loki is someone he's already done it with, after all; someone he's already performed for. Someone whose bed he warmed just a month or so ago. He wouldn't have to be alone.
Faced with reality, all his fantasies dissolve. The illusion is gone, and this is what's left: a friend who doesn't know who he is. Who acts like he's just some irritant. His face fallen, Hiyori can hardly speak. His throat feels too tight all of a sudden, too dry.
It takes a moment.]
... you don't remember me at all, huh. [Curled in on himself, he manages to speak at last. His voice is dull, no trace of the excitement he showed seconds ago.] Not the resort, the House, or any of it. Right?
[It isn’t like Loki isn’t used to people knowing who he is. He is a prince, after all. And he isn’t really the type to find out who everyone else is just because they know him, but this seems like more. This seems like more than just someone who knows who he is, but rather is someone who knows him personally.
It’s not often that Loki gets taken by surprise, but this certainly has and he can’t seem to keep the confusion from showing on his face for a moment before he forces it into a frown. His walls instantly go up, not that they had really been down to begin with.
More surprising is the intense almost visceral reaction he sees in the stranger. Like he’s upset that Loki doesn’t know him. Who in all the Nine would be upset that Loki didn’t know them?]
The resort? [What in the world was the man talking about. Loki hasn’t ever been to any resort] I’m afraid you must have me confused with someone else. I do not know you, nor have I ever known you. Unless you have somehow snuck your way into one of Odin’s feasts? I suppose I could see you being the entertainment.
[He tries to make his tone one of mockery, talking down to the man as if he were the help, but there’s that tinge of curiosity he can’t seem to rid himself of. Who is this person who thinks they know him?]
["The resort?" Loki asks, the words clearly foreign to him. Hiyori had been clinging onto some thin thread of hope that it would all come back to him somehow, but this snaps it. This Loki isn't "his" Loki.
He tries to shove down the hurt he feels, even though each new word is a dagger to the chest. None of this is Loki's fault. He'd react in the same baffled way if someone approached him like this. A stranger claiming to know him. Yet thinking of himself as a stranger brings a fresh wave of hurt. Why, it's positively suffocating. But it can't be helped; he'll just have to get over it, just have to—
That last comment startles him. At first he just blinks, not getting it, but then it hits him. Loki just—
Insulted him?
His eyebrows jump, and then furrow. He stares openly, still hurt, still confused, and also shocked. Maybe he shouldn't be; it was just a minor jab, and anyway, didn't Loki imply before that he had some sort of dark past? But Loki has always been so sweet to him, so kind and gentle, tenderly making love to him the last time they saw each other, saying all sorts of heartfelt things. To be treated like some insignificant annoyance, why—it positively rankles.
He's torn about how to respond: whether to bite back or simply leave. This isn't "his" Loki. They may as well be strangers. And yet, he can't just say nothing.]
... the entertainment, huh?
[He repeats the words slowly. There's a pause during which he seems to turn them over in his head.
And then, at last, he shrugs.]
Sure, that sounds fun. I'd love to see Asgard. And I know for a fact that you'd love being a special guest at one of my performances, so very well. If you want me to perform at a feast, I accept your invite! ♪
[He declares that last part boldly, projecting his voice loudly and purposefully playing dumb. Acting like he wasn't just insulted and his hopes weren't just crushed. Rather than get upset, he'll turn the other cheek.]
[As if he isn't already confused enough, it seems like the other man is hurt even before Loki gets the chance to insult him. He can't possibly actually know him if he is surprised that Loki has said something offensive. Needless to say, his curiosity is peaked. It's really the only reason he hasn't just shunned the man and walked away.
But no one talks to Loki like this. No one acts as if they actually want to see him, that they're happy he's there. That is what he saw, wasn't it? And now he's upset that he's wrong? Loki doesn't think he's ever been more confused in his life and it shows in his tone when he replies. As much as he wants it to be sharp, the confusion is clear.]
Well, you don't appear to be the help, you are dressed too nicely for that. And yet you seem to know who I am. I have been known to converse with the entertainment before. I do enjoy a good show.
[Loki frowns fully then. Just who is this man?]
I did not invite you to Asgard or a feast, but I admit you have peaked my curiosity. I think you should explain yourself before that curiosity changes into annoyance and I start to believe you are some sort of spy sent to keep an eye on me.
[Something dangerous glints in Loki's eye, but he makes no threatening move. He just needs to know what's happening here and doesn't know how to ask politely.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Though it was hard to let go of the friends and connections he'd made at the Golden Peacock, he parted on good terms with everyone. He made some final memories with them, and he even left Christmas gifts for some of his friends. No, saying goodbye wasn't the worst of it; the hard part was those brutal weeks spent holed up in his room.
After his encounter with Loki, Hiyori stopped indulging in sex. The goal, after all, was to become a statue. By letting his body turn to stone, his soul should be allowed to roam free, chasing Jun's into the next realm. But the process was a slow and agonizing one: his skin flaking away in patches, shiny bronze hardening beneath. Worse was his fraying psyche. As his Spades suit took hold of him, his mind was plunged into darkness. Violent, hateful, and full of despair, all he could do was curl up in bed and pray for the day he woke up elsewhere.
That day didn't come, exactly. What happened instead was this: before he could turn to stone fully, someone appeared at his bedside. A mysterious figure who offered him a deal. He didn't have to stay at the Peacock; he could go elsewhere, to the city of Decadia. There he'd find a thriving metropolis with the same opulence as the resort, and there he'd have an important role to play—as a "contestant" rather than a card. In exchange for taking that deal, his Wish would be granted. No ifs, ands or buts; no limitations on what he can ask for, and no deck to complete. All he'd have to do is perform on a reality show, something that ought to be a cinch for an idol like him.
It sounded too good to be true. And yet the second he heard it, he knew, some way, somehow, that it wasn't a joke. He knew this entity was the real deal, powerful enough to make his wish come true. Before signing the contract, he listed out all the stipulations: him, Jun, Rinne and Leo all returned safely home, their memories intact, with no time having passed at all in their home world. "Consider it granted," he was told.
So here he is. The petrification has been reversed, his skin unblemished once more. His suit effects no longer bother him, for he no longer has one; the Spades tattoo, too, has been removed. He has another strange place to get used to, another den of sin and decadence. But by now, he's used to this sort of environment, and the emphasis on sex doesn't faze him. If anyone is primed to succeed in this place, it's him.
When it's time for his red carpet debut, he smiles at the staff as he would the backstage crew back home. He doesn't turn up his nose or react prudishly to the skimpy outfits they offer him, and even accepts one piece: a barely-a-shirt made of glittering chains. It's eye-catching, it's revealing without showing everything off, and it's the kind of thing he's never worn back home. He pairs it with a stylish jacket, tight pants, and matching silver accessories, and just like that, he's good to go. Stepping out onto the red carpet, he waves, strikes poses, and answers excited question about his debut.]
Yep, you bet I'll capture their hearts! I'm good at making people love me, and I won't settle for a low view count. Just watch and be amazed~♪
[The staff fawns over that response while the flashes go off and their cameras record him. While they're tittering, Hiyori casts his eyes around the area. He hasn't seen anyone he recognized since he got her. Which figures; it'd be strange if he did see a familiar face. He won't pout about how lonely he is. He'll simply have to—
A figure in the distance catches his eye. It looks like someone wearing an oddly-shaped helmet. But despite the horns, it can't be Loki.
That's what he thinks. But that armored figure moves even closer, posing for another group of photographers, and when Hiyori sees his face, his heart gives a hard lurch.]
... Loki-kun?
[He says the name to himself, at first. The staff looks at him questioningly, puzzled by his shocked expression. But he's no longer paying them any mind; in fact, he pushes past them.]
Loki-kun! [He calls out the name, widened eyes focused on the helmeted man, desperate to get closer, to talk to him.] Loki-kun, Loki-kun! You took the deal, too?
no subject
It’s what he’s always wanted, really. Attention, adoring masses, everyone clamouring for his attention. It’s not perfect. This doesn’t give him any real power, people aren’t truly worshipping him and he still doesn’t know how he’ll do, trying to get people to sleep with him, but for this brief moment he can pretend. For now, these are his adoring fans, they are worshipping him. And it is glorious.
He doesn’t know how long he’s out there when he hears an unfamiliar voice calling his name. Or a variation of his name anyway. He’s never heard the suffix kun before, but the Loki part is clear enough. He ignores it at first, but the stranger keeps calling his name and he finally turns to him in a bit of an annoyed huff, pausing only briefly as he takes in the rather attractive young man smiling and calling his name.]
Do I know you?
1/2
Wha—?
[The question dies in his throat. It's like being doused with cold water: that question, coupled with that look. Annoyed and unrecognizing, like they're strangers. Because to him—for him to look at him like that—they must be. Loki doesn't remember him.
Loki doesn't remember him.]
2/2
Still, he didn't expect it. Spotting Loki in the crowd had stunned him, but in a good way. His heart had soared. If Loki was here, why, that changed everything. It meant he wasn't in this new place alone; he'd have Loki. Someone he can rely on, someone he trusts—a true friend. They could comfort each other, get up to new adventures, reminisce about past memories. The whole "public sex reality show" thing wouldn't be the least bit scary. Loki is someone he's already done it with, after all; someone he's already performed for. Someone whose bed he warmed just a month or so ago. He wouldn't have to be alone.
Faced with reality, all his fantasies dissolve. The illusion is gone, and this is what's left: a friend who doesn't know who he is. Who acts like he's just some irritant. His face fallen, Hiyori can hardly speak. His throat feels too tight all of a sudden, too dry.
It takes a moment.]
... you don't remember me at all, huh. [Curled in on himself, he manages to speak at last. His voice is dull, no trace of the excitement he showed seconds ago.] Not the resort, the House, or any of it. Right?
no subject
It’s not often that Loki gets taken by surprise, but this certainly has and he can’t seem to keep the confusion from showing on his face for a moment before he forces it into a frown. His walls instantly go up, not that they had really been down to begin with.
More surprising is the intense almost visceral reaction he sees in the stranger. Like he’s upset that Loki doesn’t know him. Who in all the Nine would be upset that Loki didn’t know them?]
The resort? [What in the world was the man talking about. Loki hasn’t ever been to any resort] I’m afraid you must have me confused with someone else. I do not know you, nor have I ever known you. Unless you have somehow snuck your way into one of Odin’s feasts? I suppose I could see you being the entertainment.
[He tries to make his tone one of mockery, talking down to the man as if he were the help, but there’s that tinge of curiosity he can’t seem to rid himself of. Who is this person who thinks they know him?]
no subject
He tries to shove down the hurt he feels, even though each new word is a dagger to the chest. None of this is Loki's fault. He'd react in the same baffled way if someone approached him like this. A stranger claiming to know him. Yet thinking of himself as a stranger brings a fresh wave of hurt. Why, it's positively suffocating. But it can't be helped; he'll just have to get over it, just have to—
That last comment startles him. At first he just blinks, not getting it, but then it hits him. Loki just—
Insulted him?
His eyebrows jump, and then furrow. He stares openly, still hurt, still confused, and also shocked. Maybe he shouldn't be; it was just a minor jab, and anyway, didn't Loki imply before that he had some sort of dark past? But Loki has always been so sweet to him, so kind and gentle, tenderly making love to him the last time they saw each other, saying all sorts of heartfelt things. To be treated like some insignificant annoyance, why—it positively rankles.
He's torn about how to respond: whether to bite back or simply leave. This isn't "his" Loki. They may as well be strangers. And yet, he can't just say nothing.]
... the entertainment, huh?
[He repeats the words slowly. There's a pause during which he seems to turn them over in his head.
And then, at last, he shrugs.]
Sure, that sounds fun. I'd love to see Asgard. And I know for a fact that you'd love being a special guest at one of my performances, so very well. If you want me to perform at a feast, I accept your invite! ♪
[He declares that last part boldly, projecting his voice loudly and purposefully playing dumb. Acting like he wasn't just insulted and his hopes weren't just crushed. Rather than get upset, he'll turn the other cheek.]
no subject
But no one talks to Loki like this. No one acts as if they actually want to see him, that they're happy he's there. That is what he saw, wasn't it? And now he's upset that he's wrong? Loki doesn't think he's ever been more confused in his life and it shows in his tone when he replies. As much as he wants it to be sharp, the confusion is clear.]
Well, you don't appear to be the help, you are dressed too nicely for that. And yet you seem to know who I am. I have been known to converse with the entertainment before. I do enjoy a good show.
[Loki frowns fully then. Just who is this man?]
I did not invite you to Asgard or a feast, but I admit you have peaked my curiosity. I think you should explain yourself before that curiosity changes into annoyance and I start to believe you are some sort of spy sent to keep an eye on me.
[Something dangerous glints in Loki's eye, but he makes no threatening move. He just needs to know what's happening here and doesn't know how to ask politely.]