[ His fingertip trails along the rim. It's the same glass of whiskey. It's the same ice sphere in the center. Nothing ever changes, yet everything changes. Everything around Dazai changes, but he remains the same.
Everything changes, but he is ever the same, and he ever quietly accepts those changes without feeling any need to point draw attention to them. Rather, he just picks and chooses when he comments - he makes conversation, as he does now, ]
... By the way, why did you start up this place? It's pretty flashy.
[ Which one could argue that Dolph himself is, but well - that's a feature, something that was impressed upon him, no different than his hair or eye color. It's no more interesting or unique than either in the end, save for the story behind them, but neither translate to a place like this.
Dazai can guess, he has his own way of knowing, but still he asks, because as ever he only cares for the answer to the question. ]
[ it's no surprise dazai was here. but he wonders if dazai knows. or will even bring it up. dolph doesn't think oda would but. you never know. this place has a way of uncovering things and it wasn't a secret. and dolph was certainly not ashamed.
either way, the answer to dazai's question comes easily, much more easily than it ever had before. he hums as he cleans out a glass. ]
It's modeled after the club I met Alex in. Club Prism. I needed something to do and in a place like this, it's the only thing that felt normal to me.
[ he doesn't really fit into the fantasy core lifestyle. ]
[ Oda isn't the sort to pry. Dazai is, and he isn't, and to anyone who knows him it's all just whims and fancies. It's his willingness to be rude and pry.
It does work well enough at times though, and today he is not displeased with the result. ]
I like it.
[ That much, at least, is honest enough. It's no Lupin, but he has no desire to recreate that. Recapture, perhaps, but not recreate. ]
What about you? Have you thought about revamping the place?
[ There's no particular reason for asking, save how long it's been since the place was created. But he is curious, because he finds that Dolph has changed quite a bit in the short time they've known each other. ]
[ dolph has changed. has kept changing. perhaps he's finally becoming who he was supposed to be all along before eden bludgeoned those parts of him. or dolph himself cut them away out of fear. that feeling may never fully bleed away. it's been too present in his life, too active to truly move away from.
but he can live with it and still act beyond it. ]
Yeah, though I'm not sure what yet. It's hard to think of what makes me, I suppose. How it reflects in a place.
[ He's changed. It's there in his eyes. It's there in those slight mannerisms. There's just those little shifts in how he acts. It's the same as anyone else, or if not, then Dazai has at least convinced himself of it.
It's as it should be. Dolph might be akin to a flower that was denied sunlight and water, smothered, before the covering was finally removed and sunshowers bequeathed upon him.
How wonderful that is. It is, and that's why he hums thoughtfully, focusing his eyes on the neon lights and vibrant colors that are so much more comforting to him than the fantasy aesthetics. ]
Well, if you redecorate, it'd better not be something that the locals would approve of. I'm tired of the "ye old times" vibe.
[ He lets out a long suffering sigh with that, leaning slightly to one side in the most dramatic manner before poking his glass. But he rights himself soon enough, opening his singularly visible eye. ]
But as long as you can avoid that, anything is fine. You've been here long enough, [ His fingertip taps the rim of the glass a couple times, ] So, whatever you like, whatever you dislike, however you imagine this place... That is you, isn't it?
[ How it reflects this place is something, but this place is a reflection of who Dolph is.
[ is it? even now, dolph isn't quite sure. quartz is his, not alex's. nothing about his ex has touched this place and yet, it feels every part had some say. not just alex, but that aspect of his past. when things were just . . . better. when he had dreams.
but that nostalgia was draining away along with the pain it brought. perhaps he finally had closure. weird that a dream world would make that real. ]
I never really had a good handle on who I am . . . Right now, it works but maybe someday, I'll change things.
[ Dazai props his elbows up on the bar, tenting his hands before resting his chin on them. He cants his head to one side. ]
I like it the way that it is.
[ Which isn't to say that it shouldn't be changed, but whether or not it ought to be isn't his place to say in the end. But after a moment of thought he will add, ]
Well, if you change it, all that will be left is nostalgia, and complaints and compliments on how it's better or worse... [ He does kick his feet just a bit, his soles thumping against the bar just once or twice, ] ... I'll be the first to complain if you change it. I'll complain for at least a year if you do.
[ All of this per-emptive complaining and yapping but he does finish it off with - ]
Though I guess any place is fine as long as you can fine as long as you have good memories, huh?
[ either way, dolph isn't sure what kind of changes he even wants. it's a step forward to consider it, to pull away from the fantasized club prism that only exists in his memories. ]
Anyway, it doesn't have to be just the good ones. Any's fine as long as they're mine.
[ a place where he gets to decide. no longer the plaything of abusers. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
let's say post-event
Everything changes, but he is ever the same, and he ever quietly accepts those changes without feeling any need to point draw attention to them. Rather, he just picks and chooses when he comments - he makes conversation, as he does now, ]
... By the way, why did you start up this place? It's pretty flashy.
[ Which one could argue that Dolph himself is, but well - that's a feature, something that was impressed upon him, no different than his hair or eye color. It's no more interesting or unique than either in the end, save for the story behind them, but neither translate to a place like this.
Dazai can guess, he has his own way of knowing, but still he asks, because as ever he only cares for the answer to the question. ]
no subject
either way, the answer to dazai's question comes easily, much more easily than it ever had before. he hums as he cleans out a glass. ]
It's modeled after the club I met Alex in. Club Prism. I needed something to do and in a place like this, it's the only thing that felt normal to me.
[ he doesn't really fit into the fantasy core lifestyle. ]
no subject
It does work well enough at times though, and today he is not displeased with the result. ]
I like it.
[ That much, at least, is honest enough. It's no Lupin, but he has no desire to recreate that. Recapture, perhaps, but not recreate. ]
What about you? Have you thought about revamping the place?
[ There's no particular reason for asking, save how long it's been since the place was created. But he is curious, because he finds that Dolph has changed quite a bit in the short time they've known each other. ]
no subject
but he can live with it and still act beyond it. ]
Yeah, though I'm not sure what yet. It's hard to think of what makes me, I suppose. How it reflects in a place.
no subject
It's as it should be. Dolph might be akin to a flower that was denied sunlight and water, smothered, before the covering was finally removed and sunshowers bequeathed upon him.
How wonderful that is. It is, and that's why he hums thoughtfully, focusing his eyes on the neon lights and vibrant colors that are so much more comforting to him than the fantasy aesthetics. ]
Well, if you redecorate, it'd better not be something that the locals would approve of. I'm tired of the "ye old times" vibe.
[ He lets out a long suffering sigh with that, leaning slightly to one side in the most dramatic manner before poking his glass. But he rights himself soon enough, opening his singularly visible eye. ]
But as long as you can avoid that, anything is fine. You've been here long enough, [ His fingertip taps the rim of the glass a couple times, ] So, whatever you like, whatever you dislike, however you imagine this place... That is you, isn't it?
[ How it reflects this place is something, but this place is a reflection of who Dolph is.
It's a precious place to Dazai. ]
no subject
but that nostalgia was draining away along with the pain it brought. perhaps he finally had closure. weird that a dream world would make that real. ]
I never really had a good handle on who I am . . . Right now, it works but maybe someday, I'll change things.
no subject
I like it the way that it is.
[ Which isn't to say that it shouldn't be changed, but whether or not it ought to be isn't his place to say in the end. But after a moment of thought he will add, ]
Well, if you change it, all that will be left is nostalgia, and complaints and compliments on how it's better or worse... [ He does kick his feet just a bit, his soles thumping against the bar just once or twice, ] ... I'll be the first to complain if you change it. I'll complain for at least a year if you do.
[ All of this per-emptive complaining and yapping but he does finish it off with - ]
Though I guess any place is fine as long as you can fine as long as you have good memories, huh?
[ As long as there's nostalgia. ]
no subject
[ either way, dolph isn't sure what kind of changes he even wants. it's a step forward to consider it, to pull away from the fantasized club prism that only exists in his memories. ]
Anyway, it doesn't have to be just the good ones. Any's fine as long as they're mine.
[ a place where he gets to decide. no longer the plaything of abusers. ]
no subject
[ He perks up suddenly, looking about, ]
Ah, come to think of it, no one's tried to crash the place yet, right?
[ Granted, no one did with Lupin either, but if they're getting into memories... ]
no subject
Not really. Why would anyone bother?