Antumbra | Private Conversations: Iago

[ortion]

Comments

week 1, tuesday | post-motive announcement

[ortion]

[Today has been rough, more so for some than others. Dist was no exception to those hit hard by the Lady's motive, but Iago's reaction had not escaped his notice despite his panic over seeing Rembrandt looming behind Jade in his photo. When he passed by Iago's room later, he was pretty sure he had heard a scream.

So after spending some time in his room to collect himself, he ventures back out and knocks on the door to room IV.]

Iago? It's Dist.

[If he sounds a little unsteady, that's because he is. He's never been good at this sort of thing- checking up on others, that is. But Iago has actually been nice to him, so he feels compelled to power through it.]

[psychophant]

[On the plus side, there's no more screaming when Dist ventures back to the door. Unfortunately, it still takes the better part of a minute for Iago to actually get the door, and he's still fussing with the cape on his usual outfit when he gets the door open.]

Yes? Do you need something?

[The words are a bit strained, but it's obvious he's trying not to be openly rude, at least.]

[ortion]

[Dist waits patiently- a rarity, but he'll do it for Iago since boy does he get it.]

It is less that I need something and more... [There's a pause while he tries to figure out how to word this. God he's so bad at social.] I...wanted to see how you are faring. It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop, but you sounded incredibly upset earlier.

[To a concerning degree?? But he can't bring himself to say that he was concerned or anything!! Just him being here kind of implies that he is, though.]

week 1 | post-trial

[psychophant]

[So now that that's over with... Iago's definitely interested in seeking out Dist, though he's been a little sidetracked by other people, so it takes a bit for him to end up at Dist's door. He knocks and waits politely since he isn't a total heathen and willing to barge into anyone's rooms, but here's hoping Dist is in a mood to talk after being a suspect in a murder case.]

[ortion]

[He could definitely be in a better mood after everything went down. He didn't make an appearance at the afterparty, instead choosing to cool off in his room. So he's there when Iago knocks.

His voice calls out from the other side of the door, somewhere further inside.]

What is it?

[psychophant]

[Fair, it's not like you missed much...]

It's Iago. Do you have a moment to discuss something?

week 2 | post-trial

[psychophant]

[So. That sure was a trial, wasn't it.

Iago manages to make it back to his room in one piece, and once the door is shut and locked he is going to do nothing but throw books at the wall and scream into a pillow for the next year because that was literally the worst!!! Everything about that trial was awful and he's never leaving this room again and he hates everything!!!

...He'll be in here throwing a fit for awhile, uh. Have... fun, Dist???]

[ortion]

[Dist feels awkward knocking on the door when he can clearly hear a shitstorm in progress on the other side, but you know what? He knows Iago can really use someone to commiserate with him right now. He's pretty pissed about how it all went down himself...and it's not like he hasn't had this same reaction to a multitude of things before. He Gets It.]

Iago? Let me in, please.

[Despite the politeness of his delivery, he's not taking no for an answer.]

[psychophant]

[Perhaps surprisingly, that gets an abrupt cease in all noise from the other side of the door, and for a couple of minutes there's blissful silence.

And then finally the door opens and Iago... well, okay, he doesn't exactly look put-together in the slightest, but his mask is on (minus the circlet in the back) and he's attempting to fix his hair a bit.

He initially tries to say... something, probably, before shutting his mouth and moving so Dist can join him inside. Only once Dist is in and he's got the door shut and locked does he speak up.]

...I apologize for... well, whatever you heard out there.

[His room is uh. Not looking too great?? It seems like he probably tried to clean up in the time it took him to answer his door, but you can absolutely see a few books on the floor he missed in his haste. Also the ones on the desk are sort of haphazardly thrown back on there, but shhhh, it's fine.]

week 3 | thursday

[psychophant]

[This whole week has been horrible. Iago's been trying to keep his mind off of the incentive as much as he can (as much as he can afford to, anyway) but today's somehow managing to top everything.

After the disaster with Zangetsu and Ulquiorra, Iago isn't exactly sure what to do with himself. He could go back to his room and take up his favorite hobby of screaming into a pillow until he's finally gotten control of himself, but he doesn't really want to be there right now. Not with the crystals Pizza left behind, anyway. He does need to chat with Cumore at some point, but for right now...

Well, for right now he doesn't want to be alone, and he doesn't want to pretend he's going to be productive. Somehow, this ends with him standing in front of Dist's door.

He's not entirely sure what to expect once he knocks. Maybe he can convince Dist to tell him more about his world, or maybe teach him more. A distraction might be nice. But Dist did say his door would always be open and maybe...

Before he can talk himself out of it, Iago knocks.]

[ortion]

[Dist answers the door personally this time. For one reason or another, he's in a pretty good mood despite everything that this disaster week has decided to be. And he's definitely pleased to see Iago at his door.]

Greetings, Iago! What can I do for you?

[He won't even be mad if it's just business. Business is totally fair.]

[psychophant]

[Well, at least Dist is looking like he's doing fine...]

I was wondering if you were busy. There's something I want to discuss.

[The words are easy enough but his gaze darts down the hall, almost as if he's expecting them to be interrupted. It's not like it's strange for him to seek Dist out like this, but it's... weird. It's really weird.]

week 3 | post-trial

[psychophant]

[At least this trial wasn't a complete disaster, so there's finally at least one positive here.

(Well, besides the other positives that happened yesterday, but details...)

Unsurprisingly, Iago eventually makes his way to Dist's room sometime after the afterparty has wound down and everyone's gone their separate ways. While he doesn't have anything particularly pressing to discuss this time, a bit of privacy is certainly appreciated considering who his next door neighbor is!!

Knock, knock. You in, Dist?]

[ortion]

[He is indeed!

And he's quick to answer the door, too. They've spoken after every trial at this point, so part of Dist expected that Iago might pay a visit. He turns out to be right in this case, and so he smiles as soon as he catches sight of Iago.]

Good evening, Iago! Come to visit, have you?

[They probably spoke a bit at the afterparty, but he's always up for hanging out in one of their rooms too.]

[psychophant]

[Of course, as though he wouldn't hang out with Dist?? Dist remains the only valid person here.]

I have, yes. There's something I'd like to discuss with you.

[So once he's in and we're settled (probably on the bed again, right?) he won't waste any more time.]

You did a fantastic job today. I want to thank you again for sharing your knowledge of Klados with me. It was rather obvious from the start that it had to be Shin, wasn't it?

[Shame Iago does not give a single fuck about actually being helpful in trials outside of sharing whatever evidence he found, but it's fiiiiine...]

week 4 | thursday

[psychophant]

[It wouldn't be accurate to say Iago's been avoiding Dist since the party, but he's certainly been giving Dist more space than he normally would. There are things to consider and examine now that the ghosts have restored power to several places, and he's sure Dist is eagerly exploring all of them today anyway. Not that Iago wasn't, but he did absolutely nothing productive all day, so.

Anyway, he shows up at Dist's door later on in the evening. It's not too late, and certainly not late enough to risk running into a murder, so Dist should still be up.

Knock, knock!! And before Dist can ask:] It's Iago. Do you have a moment?

[ortion]

[It doesn't take very long for Dist to answer. He's always pleased to hear from Iago, even if what happened at the party was, uh...

Something.]

Of course. Come in, come in.

[Not much has changed in Dist's room this week. He seems to have taken the book that Erik found in the Lady's room at the castle and has it open on his desk, and all of the clothing and makeup from the boutique quest on Monday is neatly placed in various areas, but that's about it.

Despite his failure at restoring power earlier in the week, he hasn't completely given up hope. The reappearance of the deceased and their reveal that they are the ones achieving what he could not has given him a lot to consider. So yeah, he's definitely been doing a lot of exploring and poking around. Tonight though, he's pretty subdued. Thursday nights tend to be like this...]

[psychophant]

[Thursday nights definitely be like this.......]

I hope I'm not interrupting you. There was something you mentioned earlier this week that I wanted to discuss with you.

[He moves to sit on the bed as usual, waiting for Dist to join him.]

You remember what we spoke of in the boutique, correct?

[About his mask, and how he wasn't willing to discuss it so openly.]

week 4 | post-trial

[psychophant]

[After the announcement of the voting results, Iago's been entirely subdued. Aside from refusing to make eye contact with Rideaux, he's been remarkably quiet, and he remains silent all the way back to Dist's room. He even manages to sit primly on Dist's bed before the act promptly falls apart at the seams. Iago raises his hands to cover his face and then just breaks down laughing.

It isn't a pleasant or sane sound by any stretch of the imagination, and given how uncontrolled that and the tremors that run through him are, it's probably not any sort of reaction he'd like to be having. So you know. We're off to a great start here.]

Oh, what a fool I've been...

[...nope okay, back to the crazed laughter apparently, give him a moment, Dist.]

OH HONEY

[ortion]

[That...could have gone so much better. It was entirely too close for his liking, and Iago's last minute push to accuse Rideaux nearly backfired spectacularly. Dist has no doubt that Rideaux is going to have it out for Iago at this point, so he's going to have to do something about that... He's been trying not to show it for Iago's sake, but the entire situation has him on edge.

However, his own concerns quickly fall to the wayside once they get settled in his room and...this..happens.

His heart drops into his stomach from just how horrifying that sound coming out of Iago is, and he's not even sure what to do at first. He doesn't let himself stay frozen in shock for long though. Just last night, Iago was comforting him. It's time for him to push back his anxieties and step up.

Swallowing hard, he forcefully takes hold of Iago's hands and squeezes them tight.]

Iago, calm yourself.

[Yulia, he can feel his heart beating wildly, but he presses on, lowering his voice to something as calm as he can manage.]

I am right here. Nothing is going to happen to you. So, please...

week 5 | wednesday

[psychophant]

[With our dead friends having restored power to Dist's favorite location, it doesn't take a tactical genius to figure out where Dist will be. So naturally that's where Iago heads after taking a moment to try not to die of embarrassment from the conversation with Pizza. There are very few things that actually fluster him, and Pizza somehow manages to hit on them almost every single time they talk. Gods.

Anyway, he shows up at the autoshop eventually, carefully picking his way over to join Dist.]

Am I going to have to drag you back to your room to get some rest?

[It's gentle teasing, at least.]

[ortion]

[It's true- as soon as the Twilight crew departed, Dist grabbed a quick bite to eat and then it was back to a newly-lit autoshop. Oh, how much better it is at its full potential! It's almost enough to distract him from what Pizza asked Iago...about what Dist is to him. Almost.

Oh, and speak of the devil... He's still a little embarrassed about what happened, but he's definitely not going to object to Iago's company. He laughs as he picks through a few pieces of scrap.]

No, no, I promise I will be back at a reasonable hour. But I am certainly not going to force you to wait up for me.

[Because he says "reasonable hour", but who knows what that really means to him.]

week 5 | post-trial KNIFE EMOJI

[psychophant]

["Let's do what we can to focus on survival here, then. Once we make it through this, we can sort the rest out. We've worked out so much already and we have some ideas for how to proceed; I'm certain we'll be just fine."

How quickly things can change. He'd been aware of it from the start, that any one of them could die. That out of everyone here, he and Dist are the easiest targets because neither of them really have the skills or power to fight back.

I don't know what I'll do if Dist gets himself killed. I can only hope his intellect doesn't let him down. That was the last thing he'd written before that disastrous trial and moving in with Dist. He'd destroyed his notes afterwards, content to never look back. But even then he knew. He knew it would mess him up, possibly more than anything else.

And yet here we are.

Iago enters Dist's room after Cumore has set Sonui's silence off in the hallway. He can't hear the door open or shut or the click of the lock, and he can't hear anything as he removes his circlet and mask and slides down the door to sit with his back pressed against it.

The complete silence doesn't stop him from speaking, though it's debatable whether it's actually speaking or just mouthing the words at this point.]

I'm sorry.

[Maybe that isn't how he should start, and he's not even sure just what he's sorry for, but that's as good a place as any.]

Whether you know it or not, you saved me. Some part of me wishes I could have taken your place. I would never wish this pain on you, though.

[He closes his eyes and leans back until his head hits the door.]

I should have figured it out. This wasn't even difficult and yet I couldn't put it together. Cumore nearly died too. What would I have done if I'd lost you both?

[He already knows the answer to that, and it's an unpleasant one that he won't voice, even without the risk of being heard by anyone, himself included.]

I'll find a way to bring you back. I have to. If I don't believe that, I don't know what I have left. No matter what it takes, I'll find a way. I'm not going to lose you. Not like this. Not now. I can't.

[That's the point where he buries his face in his hands again and even though there's so much more he could (should) say to Dist, he doubts Dist is able to hear him anyway. He didn't really ask Cumore to silence the room just so he could try to talk to Dist's ghost anyway. He came in here to cry, and that's exactly what he's going to do now.

After how absolutely horrific today has been, there isn't a damn thing in the world that can stop him from breaking. Not this time.]

week 6 | monday

[psychophant]

[There's something so wonderful about being able to hear Dist's voice again, even if he can't see him or touch him or even really communicate the way he'd like. What matters is that Dist is still around, alive in some form. Even better, they've been able to stabilize things on their end, which is a tremendous relief. For the first time since Dist died, it really does seem like things will be okay.

Not that that's going to stop him from occasionally chatting with Dist through the walkie-talkie almost idly throughout the day, like they aren't separated. Like Dist didn't die and Iago completely broke. It's been nice not really thinking much about it, but...

Well, it is something they should discuss, isn't it?

He makes his way to Dist's room in the evening, closing and locking the door behind him. Iago moves to sit on the bed before pressing the button on the walkie-talkie.]

Are you there, Dist?

[Not that he expects anyone else to be; he suspects that no one's tried to take whatever Dist is using to communicate to him either.]

[ortion]

[The first bout of relief for Dist and the others in the Twilight came just last night... Well, "night". There really is no way to tell time in the Twilight either, but it wasn't terribly long ago. At least they know they won't succumb to the destruction of this realm.

The second bout was being able to freely and confidently share that information with Iago. Never would he have imagined that the walkie talkies would work this well. Now he doesn't have to spend the remainder of his days in Twilight, wondering what's going on on the other side. It has done wonders for his outlook, despite having been unexpectedly separated from the living.

He is, coincidentally, in his room as well. One of the few nice things about the Twilight is the existence of natural light. He has been trying to get as much in as possible, so he is at his desk, watching out through his bedroom window when Iago's voice comes through the walkie talkie sitting right in front of him.

He eagerly picks it up, ready for another conversation to get him through the day. Or semblance of one.]

I am here. Up for another chat, then?

[It really does feel the same in some ways. They had plenty of idle conversations like these when Dist was still alive. Of course, there are glaring differences, but the familiarity is still nice. Comforting, even.]