skippedabeat | Round 3: Test Drive

Entry tags:

test drive

Round 3: Test Drive

Welcome to the third test drive!

Please don't worry too much about using your Personas correctly or following the prompts exactly. They're meant to give you starting ideas, but by all means, go wild and add more options!

The objective here is to try out characters and see who you could have the most fun with in the game's setting. However, feel free to follow this link to request a Persona be generated for you as if you were part of the game. (Please try to limit this to only one of your test drive characters if you can as to not overwhelm us!)

If you have questions about the test drive itself, you can ask them here! If you want to play an AU don't forget this entire post can be used for you to get AU scenarios set up and see who your character might have been related too or know before Awakening.

Now then, let's begin...

Prompt 1 - The National Leviathan Habitat

Eddan's shimmering sapphire of an aquarium, the National Leviathan Habitat, is holding a series of special events at its location in Royal Mount. Students and family groups get half off, with certain events being completely free. This include a full night's stay at the aquarium sometime during the week for any person who checks in with their card. While spots are limited, it's such a large aquarium, and nights can be booked in advance, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. So come, everyone! Enjoy whale spotting, aquarium strolling, educational shows, and a night surrounded by water. However, unknown to you, something else might be starting to beat in the deepest, darkest depths of your heart.

Similar to the flower festival that was used in the prior TDM, Unawakened characters can get a flash of memory sometime during this prompt and Awakened characters will be able to occasionally pick them out. For more information on the National Leviathan Habitat, which is a player introduced location, please check here.

Additionally, if both test drive player and game players agree, the aquarium test drive threads can also become game canon! As long as the test drive character is played as being completely unaware of what has happened in the game up to this point. Keep in mind that they would NOT have had a message on their phones. Two Test drive players can also make these game canon if they get accepted (and they keep the same requirements as above).

Prompt 2 - From Dawn to Dusk

The city has been abuzz for the past few weeks. A new string of murders is making front page news and serving as a grim reminder why the nightly curfew is so important. As families, perhaps even someone close to you, mourn, pressure continues to rise at the many police stations and at city hall. The people are afraid and they’re demanding answers.

There's not much time for you to dwell on this.. Like everyone else in the city, you have a lot to do, and a tight schedule to do it in, even on summer vacation. (Or maybe because of summer vacation for the local schools.) You don't even notice the application that has appeared on your phone's screen. The headache that follows, however, is strange and disorienting, and it brings with it an odd sensation that something is wrong today. You’re just not sure why.

The day passes by and soon, it's close to midnight. Your body, if you're not in bed by now, is completely exhausted. Despite your best efforts, you'll find yourself closing your eyes. Too bad it's quickly interrupted by a strange noise, and movement like something pulsating softly.

It's your phone, or at least you think it's your phone, but it's never glowed this orange before. There’s mist rising above it almost like fire...something's definitely bizarre about this. Despite your fears, you forces yourself to open it, and click on that strange snake-like icon.

It opens revealing a single statement and blank box;

To begin, please write your name.

Your fingers move on their own. Before you have time to really think about it, and as the pain inside your head becomes so terrible you start breathing rapidly and sweating, you've entered a series of letters and pressed enter. Now you're in a large chatroom with many others...but your 'name' you've never even heard of it...have you? It almost feels like you have...

Prompt 3 - Awakening

The last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon almost an hour ago, yet here you are, walking through the apple orchards located behind one of the campus wings. The strange app that's been sending you strange clues the past seven days now says you're ready to face the truth. It told you to come here tonight, but never to travel alone. Repeatedly, it warns you to make sure to have someone close by if you're to survive…but besides some friends, what else did you bring with you? Did you pack for this, or did you figure you'd make it up as you go? Are you in a position to be able to bring weapons with you that no one would suspect?

Something is out there, and it's getting closer.

Before you can think, you see it: a large, blackish mass, almost like slime, slithering along the ground resembling a vaguely humanoid shape with glowing yellow eyes. When it roars again, it reveals rows and rows of teeth. This was a mistake your brain warns. The strange name from the chatroom, the days leading up to this...you're fairly certain even if you are prepared that you're going to die.

And yet, something inside you stirs. Even as they move closer, you find yourself charging instead of running, as your heartbeat increases. A voice inside is guiding you, each movement bringing forth a surge of memories of a past that you had lost. You’re angry and confused, but your pain, your fears, your rage for all of this… all of that needs to be taken out on those creatures.

All you need to do now is to tear out your heart.

Prompt 4 - A new, old life

Now that you have your memories back, the strange veil of this world has been somewhat lifted. Things that seemed simple now seem strange. You have so many questions, but not enough answers. Then there's the new weapons you wield and the strange creature inside of you...your Heart Persona.

During the day, you are encouraged to continue to live as you did before, but with old and new memories together, sometimes it is difficult to keep acting like you did. Will it cause issues in your job or school life? Will it change your reactions to whatever life you had here? Do you notice others like you who have awakened?

Maybe it would be a good time to send a chatroom message, just to ask others what they are planning to do. Maybe you should set up a meeting to fight shadows at night. Maybe you’ll organize a plan of attack or set up a club to escape the strange looks others have been giving you. Maybe you just want someone's opinion on the best place to have pizza. Hey, no one said you had to use the AppleNET just for serious things, after all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

one;

[Vincent can't say that he's ever really had particularly strong feelings for aquatic animals - much like most things in his life, they were simply there. but a free voucher is a free voucher, and he was hardly ill-natured enough to turn down a change of scenery at no personal cost to himself.

the trip had even managed to be pretty enjoyable so far, despite the swarms of people buffeting him to and fro whenever his attention wandered for too long. the deep sea exhibits were particularly fascinating, and he finds himself lingering by the informational plaques longer than he'd anticipated. there was simply something entrancing about the otherworldly nature of many of the fish.

eventually, however, the crowds prove too much for his (admittedly limited) patience. rather than allow them to dictate how long his outing lasts and send him into a hasty retreat, he opts instead to step in line for a whale-watching tour. Vincent doubts they'll actually see any whales, but the gentle rock of the boat is soothing and the number of people on board will be severely limited.

it's a pretty good idea, if he does say so himself...right up until the ticket taker tells him that they can't allow him aboard 'unsupervised'.]

...you can't be serious.

[his diminutive height (4'10", give or take some hair) is a constant sore spot for Vincent, but to be totally mistaken as a child is an infrequent enough occurrence that he finds himself temporarily stunned into silence. how long that'll last, of course, is hard to say, given the severe downward slope of his eyebrows.

really, now. what child wore this much leather or was allowed to pierce so much of their face?]

two;

[so part of this aquarium adventure had proven itself to be a bust. fine, whatever. he'd 'paid' for an overnight experience and by god he was going to see this through to the end, even if at this point it was almost purely to spite the braindead owners who'd thought to hire completely blind people for employees.

he'd been careful to choose the building with the deep sea life exhibits in it for this overnight excursion, and now that the facility's officially closed to the public he takes the opportunity to spend some quiet time in what had surprisingly become one of his new favorite locations. it's pretty late now, and he'd sleep in a moment - the allure of quite among the grotesque was simply too much to ignore.

it's while he's staring up idly at the undulating creatures that he suddenly feels a splitting pain shoot through his skull, like -

"The girl is our kin, she will stay. But the boy is an abomination. He is a harbinger...disaster will come to Hyouga if he lives."

he can see them, dimly, as if through cloth wrappings. can feel their fear and hatred towards him - and his own burning desire to slaughter these women where they stand.

whatever this vision is, it's too much for him to handle. by the time Vincent returns to the real world he's already on his knees, instinctual self-preservation the only thing between himself and a concussion. he can't help but allow a grown to pass through his lips; even as the thought recedes, his headache doesn't.

rather than pull himself to his feet once more, he settles himself heavily against the nearest wall. pride won't allow him to press a hand to his forehead, so instead he gives himself a distraction by rummaging around in his jacket pocket in order to produce a small notebook and pencil.

the incident was strange and disturbing, but he refuses to allow himself to dwell on any of it. instead he decides to attempt to channel all that uneasiness into writing some new lyrics - the imagery had certainly been brutal enough to qualify, after all. he already has a title for the song in mind, which he jots down quickly: The Cursed Child.]

three;

Hiei: looking to sell what i assume are the usual items and furniture found in a basic human apartment
Hiei: i know what everything is worth so if youre looking to take advantage of a good deal youre wasting your time
Hiei: interested in getting rid of everything quickly
Hiei: just dont expect me to help you move any of it

Hiei: also looking to purchase a sword
Hiei: katana preferable
Hiei: well meet in person so i can inspect it and if it manages to meet my standards then well discuss a price
Hiei: i want high quality and will make any idiot stupid enough to try and pawn their junk off on me regret it

four;

[wildcard! feel free to hit me up with anything.

for reference, 'Vincent' is a sixteen year old from a well to do family who's dropped out of school and run away from home. he plays in a black metal band as their guitarist and lyricist.]

[Kit had intended to enjoy the many various exhibits and his overnight stay at the Leviathan Habitat, but many unexpected occurrences had transformed his peaceful visit into an eventful trial. He'd not only encountered old and familiar faces, but had gotten involved in evading security, and had even found himself troubled by a strange hallucination accompanied by a very sudden headache...

...not unlike the one that brought the dark-haired boy to his knees across the room.

At first, Kit had tried to explain away the headaches with logic. Perhaps they were brought on by changes in the weather or their being underwater. But then, taking into consideration that the weather had been fairly consistent, and that none of the tunnels were very deep, and the rooms themselves were only submerged enough to add to the overall ambiance, neither seemed like the probable cause. How many other people had wound up the same way? And how many had simply brushed it off like a nonconcern?

He knew he shouldn't meddle, that it was better and safer to keep to himself and remain uninvolved in the affairs of others, but as he couldn't sleep anyway, Kit found himself coming to stand some ten feet away from Vincent, his attention seemingly on the creatures on the other side of the glass. There would be no discovering more about the situation without engaging, and so he asked quietly without making eye-contact...]

Is this your first time here or someplace like this?

[the sound of quiet footsteps echoing through the empty room catches Vincent's attention, and while his gaze never wavers from the book in front of him his writing slows to a halt.

the obvious assumption to make was that this was someone who had witnessed his recent collapse and was now coming to check on his well-being. but the movement is too carefully paced for someone that concerned over a stranger, as is the way that the other boy stops a respectful distance from his location. a coincidence, then, during an overnight event.

it would be nice to write this stranger off, for certain. but even with the distance he'd chosen to come to rest near the only spot by another person - and so even before Kit speaks and cements his suspicions, Vincent is unable to completely disperse his wariness.]

I imagine I've been to an aquarium at some point in my life.

[his words are direct and to the point, but somehow Vincent's tone manages to keep from being mistaken as rude. the light scowl on his face is purely due to the lingering headache, but he imagines that the other boy can't even see it from his current perspective; he himself makes no attempt to initiate eye contact, but he does Kit the courtesy of flipping his pencil over to idly tap the eraser against the paper. it's as close to an outward sign of attentiveness as he'll get for the moment.]

[Kit chuckled and shook his head.]

When you say it that way, it sounds as though you're uncertain.

[Still, if it was confirmation he was seeking, that was probably the most he could hope for from a stranger with such a surly disposition. If the locale wasn't something either of them were unaccustomed to, then there was a good chance that the root cause of the headaches lied elsewhere. Something they'd eaten, perhaps? In fact, that seemed the most likely what with the brief hallucination he'd experienced earlier, though without further questioning, he couldn't be certain if the other boy's headache had brought on a similar side-effect.

So he turned and, slipping one hand free of his pocket, approached the smaller boy and leaned down.]

I'm Kit. I was having trouble sleeping and was going to take a walk, maybe find a vending machine. I didn't eat much earlier. Care to join me?

It's not the kind of thing that leaves an impression.

[most things aren't, but events that could only have taken place during the time he was still living with his parents were explicitly vague and hazy. it's ostensibly to keep the details out of prying hands that might eventually find their way back to his parents and, by extension, tip them off to his current location. in quieter moments, however, Vincent can't help but wonder if there's some disgusting pang of guilt involved as well.

regardless, it had nothing to do with the present situation. the tapping of the pencil gradually slows as the conversation progresses, fading away into silence by the time Kit extends his invitation. his shoulders hike instinctively when the other boy leans down, unconscious displeasure written in his posture, if not his face. any acknowledgement of his height was unwelcome, even when he himself didn't realize it.

if Kit is hoping for that free hand to be shaken, or even a return introduction, he's going to be quite disappointed for the time being. the highest courtesy he receives is eye contact at last, although given its almost startling intensity that may not be a welcome change.]

...you buying?

[it's a brusque, almost rude question, but Vincent seems to be genuinely mulling over the invitation. it has less to do with an inclination for company or food and more with one of his most troublesome vices - curiosity.

that name, and that hair...both were hardly uncommon in a city of this size, but Vincent still couldn't help but wonder. could this possibly be the infamous Kit who starred in so many of Styx's outlandish stories? he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to try and find out.]

[Outwardly, Kit showed no signs of being aware he was recognized or being perturbed that his hand hadn't been shaken and that his introduction hadn't been reciprocated. Some people were simply harder eggs to crack than others, and that was fine. What mattered most was that his offer hadn't been refused outright, and so he returned to his natural height with a smile and a nod.]

Sure. It's on me.

[He could buy, providing they could even locate a vending machine in the parts of the building that weren't closed off from public access for the night. After all, what he'd really be buying wasn't garbage, but an opportunity to find out more about the symptoms of someone else's headache so that he could compare them to his own. It was worth spending a few dollars on snack food from a machine he probably wouldn't eat himself anyway, especially when he was certain he'd glimpsed other people around the exhibit earlier cringing and touching their heads.

Maybe the masses were content to pretend nothing was the matter, but not him. Something so out of the ordinary smelled like a threat, and there was only one way to respond to that.]

I think I saw a vending machine down the hall. [He waited for Vincent to get back to his feet, and then started for the doorway, his voice low but friendly when he asked...] How hungry are you?

[Vincent easily pushes himself to his feet, stowing the notebook and pencil back in his jacket with a practiced motion. it's not much of a difference compared to when he was sitting, but that's something best left uncommented upon.

his gait is swift, at the very least, and he shows no issues in keeping pace with Kit's longer strides. from the way his steps seem to occasionally stutter, it's likely that he's checking himself from moving even faster. clearly someone not entirely used to casual conversation while in motion.]

Depends. How much cash did you bring?

[this response is much more easy to identify as a joke, especially accompanied by a faint half-smirk as it is. truth be told, Vincent isn't all that hungry - but the reason for that is the same one that keeps him from minding an impromptu snack. his body might be slight, but no one's ever thought to tell his appetite about it.]

[The difference in their heights was only something Kit took note of, much like the way the smaller boy's strides seemed to fluctuate between matching his and occasionally quickening. For whatever reason, Vincent's was very much the gait of someone used to keeping himself one step ahead of the game. He didn't look like he was any kind of athlete despite a compact, and probably fairly sturdy build, so then...someone who had a history of evading the law? Or perhaps he was just someone who liked his personal space.

Of course, it didn't really matter. But it was interesting. And if by chance they were from similar backgrounds, he and this stranger, would that have factored in to why they'd both had those awful headaches? It was something to keep in mind, at least. A detail to revisit later if it wasn't debunked before then.

Maintaining the same perfectly unhurried but safely not dawdling pace, Kit thought about Vincent's question. Whether intentional or not, that deflection meant he still hadn't been able to ascertain if his current company had eaten any of the food served here earlier.]

I'm sure I have enough.

[He watched Vincent out of the corner of his vision, but when he'd thought to say more, something along the lines of warding off bad dreams brought about by not eating, an allusion to the visions to gauge his company's reaction, the words didn't even make it to his lips. He stalled, coming to a full stop in the hallway, feeling almost as if...he shouldn't say that. For whatever reason. As if something were there, hanging around the corner they'd just passed, warning him not to open his mouth and pry too far.

Was someone or something really there? Did he dare look?]

We'll see about -

[the idle challenge is already halfway out of his mouth before he realizes that he's unexpectedly pulled far ahead of his companion. he'd been certain to make the effort to be a little more considerate about how he was walking, which meant that for some reason Kit had seen fit to stop short.

...it's the atmosphere of a seemingly abandoned location, he knows, but Vincent can't help feeling a chill of trepidation creep down his back. when he turns around to see what's become of the other boy, his movement is a little sharper than necessary. hopefully whatever Kit's so engrossed in will cover that.]

What is it?

[it's an odd choice of words, he can't help but think. not what's the matter or even why did you stop, but something implying some sort of 'other' causing the change in environment. he'd play it off if called out on it, but inwardly he sure as hell didn't like it.]

[As Vincent turned around, so did Kit, his verdant eyes scouring the hallway for signs of anyone else skulking about in the shadows, or anything else that might have been out of place...

But there wasn't anything unusual there at all. Clean corridors, a corner that introduced another hallway and another set of guest rooms, and the occasional potted and sculpted plant or picture on the wall with a plaque next to it describing in some detail its significance. No one else roaming, with or without similar intention, and certainly nothing sinister.

So then...where had that sudden and inexplicable feeling of urgency come from? Was this perhaps another symptom of the headaches? Come to think of it, his temples did feel faintly sensitive at the moment, more so than they had when he and Vincent had first begun talking back in the guests' quarters.]

...I'm not sure.

[He turned his attention back to his companion, but by now he was smiling again as though nothing had ever been amiss. Or, that's how it would appear to any untrained eye, but there was a guarded look to Kit's eyes now, a readiness to his posture, everything suggesting he was prepared to move and perhaps even retaliate at the first sign of danger.]

Let's keep going.

[Kit's companion is much less subtle about his recovery. Vincent remains motionless for several seconds longer, eyes narrowed as he glares up at the nothingness in the rafters. for all of his belligerent attitude, his life has hardly been fraught with fights; right now, however, he feels as if he's teetering on the verge of lashing out at something incredibly deadly.]

...tch.

[he meets Kit's gaze at last, but he makes no attempt to paper over his reaction the way the other boy had. irritation was an acceptable reaction, negative but moderate enough to believably assert that he'd been purely unamused rather than set briefly on edge.

...but perhaps not as briefly as he'd like people to believe. he silently takes his companion's advice and returns to walking, but his shoulders remained hunched up by his ears. that strange urge to engage lingers in the same way his headache does - if something did happen now he's not certain if he'd have the good sense to flee.]

Not much of a haunted overnight experience, if that's what you're going for.

[as if Kit had intentionally delayed an already brief journey just to be an asshole to a complete stranger; even if this was the boy he'd heard stories about, it was hardly a cutting edge prison tactic. but it's easier to turn the conversation away from whatever that was with a little baseless blame, especially when he's not attached enough to continue the argument should he decide to press it.]

[That strange urge wasn't one Vincent alone felt. Not only did the feeling of being watched not go away, but it stalked them all the way down the hall and toward the stairwell at the end. Kit was prepared to fight if anything happened, though no matter how much he felt inclined to look back over his shoulder again, he never did.

Instead, he focused his attention upon the vending machine next to the stairwell door. He hadn't been mistaken when he'd recalled its location, but there was a message taped now to its face:

Sorry!
OUT OF ORDER
Please use machine in upstairs lobby!
—Management

Idly, Kit removed one hand from his pocket to tug the sign free of the machine's front and inspect it more closely. It hadn't been there earlier, so this was likely the result of someone (or several someone's) stocking up on snacks for overnight and emptying the machine. Surely a coincidence...

But coincidence or no, he could scarcely overlook the opportunity to tease his companion after such a comment.]

I'd prefer to let ghosts do their own haunting. They don't need any help from me.

[The management message was pressed back to the front of the machine and then Kit headed toward the stairwell, a cool and enclosed space that wasn't poorly lit, even at this hour, and was in fact a little on the too-bright side. Its walls were a clean and bright white, the floors waxed to a shine, and each step lined with a bright yellow non-slip strip. Kit eyed them a moment, and then the smaller teen.]

They especially don't need help here. A stairwell at an aquarium facing the northeast and without a hint of blue to ward off evil? That's practically inviting ayakashi. Or worse — oni.

[typical. all that stupidity just to find that some assholes had already decided to stuff themselves for a makeshift pajama party. the soft huff that escapes Vincent's lips is equal parts irate and unsurprised as he leans in to inspect the machine while its offending sign was elsewhere. from the speculative way his brows shift, it's likely that if there were any snacks remaining in the thing then he'd have had no qualms in smashing the poor machine up to get to them. perhaps this is for the best.

he straightens up as Kit replaces the sign, conceding defeat. when he sees the other boy heading for the stairwell his eyebrows quirk again, this time in mild disbelief. was he really hungry enough to go tromping around aquarium stairs for a couple chocolate bars? the only thing that keeps him from commenting on it is the sudden appearance of good-natured jabs; it elicits from him instead another huff, this time gently amused.]

As if you'd need to worry about them now. They've already drunk themselves silly by the looks of things.

[he jerks a thumb sharply behind him to indicate the vending machine and all of its gaping emptiness. it wouldn't come as much of a surprise to him if a bunch of lumbering demons were the culprits behind this inconvenience.

even so...his countenance doesn't convey it, but the references are enough to stir a sort of bittersweet nostalgia in Vincent. he hadn't expected someone like Kit to know Japanese folklore, and so it had caught him off guard - which gave his memories ample opportunity to slink to the forefront of his mind.

it's been quite a long time, and he knows that his knowledge of the myths are rusty now. but demons, wandering spirits, the brave monks who fought off those grisly apparitions...those were once the delight of his childhood. no matter where life took him, he could never completely discard them.

for now, however, they would serve merely as a way to continue being a snarky pain in the ass. Vincent chuckles quietly to himself before brushing past Kit, turning to face him again as he leans expectantly against the stair's railing. pretty slow for a hungry guy, aren't you?]

What should really be concerning you is getting thrown off of here.

[it's not exactly the taunt he'd intended to make, but the strange vision is still weighing heavily on his mind despite his best attempts to push it back into meaninglessness. it's fine. the environment lent itself to the comment, there was no need to worry about appearing strange.

his smile is a little disconcerting, he knows, but Vincent has faith that it won't be taken as a threat. and if not...well, he doesn't know what anyone would expect from someone with this many piercings.]

[Vincent's joke elicited a genuine laugh from Kit, his shoulders gently shaking as he stifled the sound with a closed palm. Truly, the thought of overstuffed ghosts or other spiritual beings lumbering around the habitat or collapsed somewhere in sugar-induced comas was rather amusing and a much needed momentary distraction from the haunting nothingness he'd felt before.

But if such things as yokai and oni existed, and Kit supposed he did believe in them, then the ones they really needed to worry about weren't mere ghosts at all.]

There's a problem with your theory. Oni aren't interested in the foods that humans eat. They're interested in humans as a source of sustenance.

[He pointed to Vincent and then himself for emphasis as he passed him on the stairs, and even when the smaller boy returned his jab unflinchingly, he didn't bat an eye. Climbing steadily to the first landing, he continued...]

In any case, being eaten is only a problem if you draw attention to yourself and you happen to get caught. [He pushed from his thoughts the vision of that man with the mask and the predatory way he'd focused amethyst eyes on him.] And falling is only a problem if you don't know how to land...or get back up.

Or if you have a purpose.

[now that is an odd comment, but it's just a little too nimble for Vincent to catch. it's out his mouth at the same moment that he realizes how off it would sound, leaving him to silently curse his own poor restraint. there goes all the self-satisfaction in being on top of this conversation only a few moments prior.

he bobs almost comically at Kit's side as they climb the stairs, now forced to put his quicker step to work in order to keep the pace. there's a breath or two of silence after his 'slip', but not enough to attract even further attention. he refuses to allow that. as soon as they hit the landing he's speaking again, determined to just gloss right over his misstep.]

Not that it really matters in my case. You seem like you'd manage pretty well as a distraction.

[would Vincent really abandon even a stranger to the flesh-eating monsters of his youth? no. but the implication makes for a better image, and a more arresting point of discussion.]

[As they turned to start up the next flight of stairs from the landing, Kit was able to steal a brief glance in the direction they'd just come from. As expected, however, there were no otherworldly creatures looming after them from the shadows, no large and lumbering demons, not even a flickering light or eerie sounds coming from somewhere out of sight...

...a thought that was gone when he overheard his companion's slip.

Needless to say, it garnered nothing more than a stray glance out of the corner of Kit's gaze, for whatever he thought, it warranted no comment, only commitment to memory.

What purpose was Vincent speaking of? What driving force would cause him to appear so somber while accidentally musing aloud? The answers to those questions might have something to do with the headaches, or they might not. The only way to know for certain would be to continue observing and keep talking.]

You're probably right. Except they're warded off by fox spirits, so the more likely victim would be you, I'm afraid. Unless you happen to be a monkey, you'd be the one on the menu.

[the little glance is lost on Vincent, fortunately for his companion. his gaze is firmly on his own feet as they pump up and down in steady labor towards the next landing; the fact that it also gives him an easy way to peer through the railing bars below them is purely coincidental.

from his perspective the diversionary tactic has worked, leaving nothing more than purely idle conversation. it's a relief, but one that he's not going to allow himself to indulge in for long. all of his attention will be going to preventing another slip like that from now on.]

You're assuming they'd pick the right animal when you introduced yourself. I'd be long gone by the time you managed to explain - if they even give you the chance.

[he appreciates, in his own way, Kit refraining from outright calling him a monkey due to his size and build. it's why he so generously allows for the possibility that he might be able to talk his way out of being consumed by otherworldly apparitions. what a guy.]

[In spite of thinking he was prepared for just about anything his companion might offer up in retaliation, Kit was not expecting a comment like that.

Fortunately, he hadn't been hurrying up the stairs too quickly, so his nearly missing a step was easily disguised by choosing right then to dart up ahead to the next landing.]

You won't be leaving anyone behind at that snail's pace.

[Least of all him.

He was loath to think of it, but the mention of abandonment was a sore spot whether he cared to admit it or not. How many foster families had come and gone again? How many people he'd thought to call family? Including his real one, wherever they were now...

No. Kit had decided long ago that he wouldn't be the one left behind anymore. Even if he had given up some of the activities that had earned him his old reputation, that habit remained. It was better not to get too attached to people. However nice they were, they would inevitably disappoint him, or he would disappoint them.

The only people who deserved to stand at his side were those who could put themselves there using their own two feet and keep up, and even then, it was best if they didn't linger too long.

...or so he told himself. But if they were really being hunted by some invisible monster, would he let this stranger fall in place of him? He wondered as he came to a stop above and stared at the double doors to the lobby ahead...and then made a decision. He wouldn't let this person die. Not until he'd learned from him what he'd come this far to learn, anyway.

Without glancing back over his shoulder, he asked...]

How are you feeling? It wasn't much of a climb, but you seemed to be unwell earlier.

[Th-there it was again...that prickling over his skin and down his spine and a faint drumming at his temples.]

[...and here he'd actually been taking pains to be somewhat amiable this whole time. moments like this were exactly why he made less and less of an effort the more time passed between the present and the days when he'd lived with his parents - it just never paid off.

while Vincent refuses to give his dubious companion the satisfaction of sprinting to catch up, no power in any world could hope to banish the intense annoyance plastered across his face. it wouldn't be too surprising if Kit could actually hear the grinding of his teeth as he spitefully continued upwards at the exact same pace as before.

he'd fully intended to refrain from commenting on any of this just to show how beneath him he was, but Kit's inquiry when he reached the landing was enough to dash that plan to pieces.

it was an awfully roundabout way to bring this up, but that only served to heighten his wariness. Kit is treated to a sharp look that he must be able to feel even if he can't see it with his back turned, the sort that might have burned real holes through his waist if this had been another world.

as it is, he pauses for only a moment before walking swiftly through the doors, jostling the other boy roughly as he passed. there was no need for it, given the size of the doors, but that was entirely the point.]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[he doesn't hang around to wait for a reply, continuing at that brisk pace towards the vending machine glowing dimly in the far corner of the lobby. honestly, he doesn't particularly care what sort of prying Kit would like to do right now.]

Hiei | Yu Yu Hakusho

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