[.....He knew he was missing something. What a way to break the news, slipping up like that. Ivan stumbles his words for a moment, grasping for the right way to explain it to Keith as delicately as possible.]
Forgive me, Keith-san... I.
After I brought you to my little hovel, a few days later I went back to the convention where...
[The shame was apparent in his tone. He knew he had been taken for a fool... but there was nothing at this point he could do to take it back.]
I was bamboozled by a charlatan who.. who told me I could find a new sponsor if I 'showed my talents on stage'.
[His mouth was drying, as if he were giving his admittance of guilt to a murder.]
It just so happened... someone took an interest in me.
[His previous happiness was suddenly dampened indeed. How could he know how to reply to that? He's learned since the convention himself how horrible being a pet could be, even for a day. Matoba had ended up hitting that home for him.]
Ivan-kun, I...Please. Don't do things by yourself if you can help it, from now on. I realize that doesn't fix this...but please promise me you won't do anything rash like listening to strange men.
[Now he's regretting not keeping a better eye on the other Hero! And he shouldn't really get upset about this over the phone...Didn't Ivan know stranger danger? His parents had taught him that much!]
I suppose it is a bit like a sponsor, but Ivan-kun. It's more a kind of slavery in some respect as well. You realize that if you picked wrongly, that someone could mistreat you and no law here would protect you. Amoi does not favor those it calls Mongrels.
[It was a lot like being reprimanded by a parent. Not in a harsh way that he expected punishment... but in the way a child feels the dread of hearing the simple words: 'You've disappointed me.'
The device shakes a little in his hands and he's quiet for a minute or two as he digests the bitter truths Keith had to speak.]
...I know. Keith-san.
I know the gravity of what I've done.
[It weighed heavily upon him, but he had tried with all his might to force himself to show his admired comrade that he was... taking it in stride.]
It's not your fault, Ivan-kun. You didn't know...I admit I too was tempted by the possibility. When I attended the convention, I was tricked into adorning the one-day collars. I learned for myself the hard way what it truly means to be a pet.
[And how easily one could be tricked, in this place. But Keith did wish to help in whatever ways he could.]
Why don't you come over and we can talk more about it? After all, I think my two months being here before you could be useful to you, in terms of what I can share with you. If you wouldn't be opposed, I would indeed like to tell you these things.
[Ivan was just lucky that his being a pet wouldn't impact him in the same way that Keith's experience had.]
[So even Sky High could be swindled in such a way... The thought should have eased him, given he was the example of every Hero worth his salt would want to strive to be like.
It somehow... couldn't come close to washing the taste of failure from his mouth. There's a quiet sadness that's more than usual for the young man, the grievous weight to it was undeniable.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Forgive me, Keith-san... I.
After I brought you to my little hovel, a few days later I went back to the convention where...
[The shame was apparent in his tone. He knew he had been taken for a fool... but there was nothing at this point he could do to take it back.]
I was bamboozled by a charlatan who.. who told me I could find a new sponsor if I 'showed my talents on stage'.
[His mouth was drying, as if he were giving his admittance of guilt to a murder.]
It just so happened... someone took an interest in me.
no subject
[His previous happiness was suddenly dampened indeed. How could he know how to reply to that? He's learned since the convention himself how horrible being a pet could be, even for a day. Matoba had ended up hitting that home for him.]
Ivan-kun, I...Please. Don't do things by yourself if you can help it, from now on. I realize that doesn't fix this...but please promise me you won't do anything rash like listening to strange men.
[Now he's regretting not keeping a better eye on the other Hero! And he shouldn't really get upset about this over the phone...Didn't Ivan know stranger danger? His parents had taught him that much!]
I suppose it is a bit like a sponsor, but Ivan-kun. It's more a kind of slavery in some respect as well. You realize that if you picked wrongly, that someone could mistreat you and no law here would protect you. Amoi does not favor those it calls Mongrels.
no subject
The device shakes a little in his hands and he's quiet for a minute or two as he digests the bitter truths Keith had to speak.]
...I know. Keith-san.
I know the gravity of what I've done.
[It weighed heavily upon him, but he had tried with all his might to force himself to show his admired comrade that he was... taking it in stride.]
I can't forgive myself, for my naivety...
..Neither will I ask for your forgiveness either.
[But he wasn't very successful at that either.]
no subject
[And how easily one could be tricked, in this place. But Keith did wish to help in whatever ways he could.]
Why don't you come over and we can talk more about it? After all, I think my two months being here before you could be useful to you, in terms of what I can share with you. If you wouldn't be opposed, I would indeed like to tell you these things.
[Ivan was just lucky that his being a pet wouldn't impact him in the same way that Keith's experience had.]
no subject
It somehow... couldn't come close to washing the taste of failure from his mouth. There's a quiet sadness that's more than usual for the young man, the grievous weight to it was undeniable.]
May I come now, Keith-san?
no subject
[Sometimes it was difficult not to slip up into his hero persona every now and then. But yes,he would indeed be waiting.]