THE FOURTH WALL STRIKES BACK.

[fu_noobspeaker]

Well gosh, y'all! I guess this is what you'd call an overflow post!

[FOURTH WALL KICKOFF CONTINUATIONS to avoid captcha / the old post filling. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.]

Comments

[police_daughter]

[.....she has a talent for running into trauma'd versions of her bff in places like these, doesn't she. Granted, the orange is kind of hard to not notice]

Kaito?

[vulpine_hijinx]

. . .

--A-A-Aoko?!

oh hey fellow insomniac

[police_daughter]

It is you!

[starts to reach out for his face, then seems to think better of it and just looks worried. She looks just the same as any memories he might have of her, except maybe a year or two older. And there's a simple sapphire ring on her right ring finger]

What happened to you?

8D PSTer who works nights and thus lives moontimer awww yeaah

[vulpine_hijinx]

[draws back a bit as soon as the hand raises, skittish murdercave-resident is skittish and the idea that this is one of those absolutely terrible games come to mind

... except this is Aoko and--but--and. . . why is there a ring?!]

I-I'm fine. Nothing wrong.

[. . . most obvious lie ever]

PSTer on vacation awwww yiiiiis

[police_daughter]

You look half dead.

[yeaaaaah no buttering that up unfortunately]

wh00t! hope you're having a good one |D

[vulpine_hijinx]

I--well. That. Only a couple-- [no, wait. don't tell Aoko that]

Been great so far! :|b

[police_daughter]

A couple what?

[actually, nevermind, nutrition takes priority over interrogation. And possibly a shower as well. She makes a bid to grab for his non-bracer wrist]

Come on, you need to eat something. I think I saw a buffet hall back this way...

Awesome :o

[vulpine_hijinx]

[what, I am totally a clean Vulpeculan and that would be an automatic pulling away again. though this time it seems to be born more from reflex than anything else. certainly getting a bit more tense and distressed in his body language]

I eat. I eat fine, okay? For what Saba allows--but what... what're you doing, being the calm one here, huh?

[... joke falls flat orz]

Thanks for asking! :3

[police_daughter]

[what, they give you onsen in those caves of yours? She instantly notices the pulling away and stops dead all over again. Evidently (and oddly) used to that kind of behaviour, this one is]

Sabra? And if you ate fine I wouldn't be able to see your cheekbones like that!

[not going to budge unless he goes with her! And - oh, right, some people aren't used to this]

Ah, you haven't been to a place like this before?

Np! :'D

[vulpine_hijinx]

[well, in the east block there were communal baths...

looks very much confused by... well, everything, actually]

I'm not that thin--lithe!--whatever! And what place do you mean, 'cause this is seeming more and more like one of those heart games and now I'm just waiting for Mirror to show up to make up a rule like Trickster did.

[babbling by this point and clearly it's a distraction tactic but also quickly trying to process just wtf is going on]

[police_daughter]

[well that's something at least]

Heart game? Mirror? [he's not the only one confused, she's just... better at taking it in stride] I'm not really sure, but it looks like a place that draws in people from different worlds. I've never been here before, but I've been to two others that were kind of the same.

[vulpine_hijinx]

[would be just fine with taking this in stride but it's--she's Aoko and terrible things ;;b]

Two others... no, I. I've been in a place like that, only... [hand goes to his bracer, as though making sure it hasn't gone anywhere]

[police_daughter]

Only...?

[so worried you don't even know]

[vulpine_hijinx]

[another moment of hesitation before lifting that one hand up to rub at his temple for a moment, glancing over to where she'd indicated earlier]

... I guess I could stand to get something to eat.

[and if this is one of those games, will just be a sack of misery afterward and not before]

[police_daughter]

[brightens up, and almost goes to take his hand again before she remembers herself]

Good! Come on, I'm pretty sure it's this way.

[starts leading the way, though she keeps glancing over at him regularly and doesn't even try to hide the fact that she's doing so. Finally she ventures]

You said Sabra... That's not... it's not a prison, is it...?

[there's a very serious tone in her voice. Already knowing one Kaito in that situation is one too many]

[vulpine_hijinx]

[there's a bit of a pause in his step at that question]

Prison...? [w-why would she even ask that?]

No. It's more like... a series of games inside a bigger game. Some are just harder than others, and when you're playing against teams...