text + action

[of_emptiness]

[ Yeah, as if he believes the note he received when waking up. ] when they said i'd be transferring, i didn't think it would be into a themed prison. this is screwed up. [ But it's weird how, despite being in s strange tower with a strange atmosphere and even stranger people walking around in collars and tight clothes, he's got enough freedom to post to a network of all things. ]

[ For those who want action, you can find Adachi in the cafeteria. Just... looking at his oatmeal. And yes, he's taken from straight post-true-ending, which means he's in a prison's uniform and looking a bit more ragged and perhaps thinner than usual. ]

Comments

;-;

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako took an unconscious step back, shaking her head.]

N-no, you're not hallucinating...

[She trailed off, falling into a small coughing fit.]

[of_emptiness]

[ Oh god a coughing fit. What is this place trying to pull, huh? ] It's the only thing that explains why you're here.

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako paused, taking a deep breath, trying to breathe right. Being sick was horrible, and Adachi was acting weird... well, weirder than usual. Actually, she wasn't even sure what was normal for him after finding out he was the one responsible for killing those people.]

But... I'm really here, and I--

[Excuse her while she sneezes, before letting out a soft sound, reaching up to rub her eyes.]

[of_emptiness]

[ ...Adachi's trying this whole new thing. Aka letting his inner asshole loose. If that's what ~honesty~ takes, then what of it?

...Is what he'd like to think, but that doesn't mean he's not without some tact. Because throughout it all, he didn't have anything personal against Nanako. ] H...hey. Where's... Doji-- where's your dad? He should be around too. [ And he even looks around for him, expecting an apparition any second now. ]

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako sniffled.]

...just onii-chan and our friends are here.

[...sorry, Adachi, but she needs to sit. She probably should be going back to her room -- heck, she should have just run out of the cafeteria, probably...]

[She settled down at a table away from him to rest, keeping her eyes on him.]

[of_emptiness]

[ Suddenly, the oatmeal feels even less appetizing. ] Of course they are...

[ Is he going to have to talk to every single one of them, too? ]

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako stared at him for a long moment. He really seemed like the Adachi she knew, the same one that ate dinner with them, got drunk with her father... but...]

...Adachi-san? Did you really do those horrible things?

[of_emptiness]

[ At that question, his expression turns sober. To anyone else he might play it off with a smile and a needlessly spiteful comment. But not her. Is this all still part of facing himself? Some screwed up version of his tv world? ] ...So they told you about me, huh?

[justiceinheaven]

I saw it on TV first...

[To his credit, Dojima did try to keep her from seeing it, but... well, he tried. Problem was, neither him nor her brother could really give her a straight answer as to what happened.]

Why'd you do it?

[of_emptiness]

That's... [ Oh man he can't do this. ]

[of_emptiness]

Look, Nanako-- I don't know if I should talk to you about this.

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako pouted at that, pushing herself up.]

No one will talk to me abo--

[Another coughing fit cut her off, and she ended up sinking back against the table.]

[of_emptiness]

[ He's wondering if he should reach out a hand to her or something. But hey, he's not so good at comforting others. Hell, just look at him. He gives a heavy sigh. ] ...Don't I have a doctor in my head to check your cough?

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako looked up curiously at that.]

In your head...?

[of_emptiness]

[ Just a nod. ] There's no way this is real.

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako was silent for a moment, privately gathering up her courage, before she wobbled up to her feet. Carefully, she made her way over to where Adachi was sitting, standing beside him... before reaching out and giving the skin on his hand a pinch.]

NANAKO YOU... CUTIE

[of_emptiness]

[ He does give her a side glance when she approaches him, but he hadn't been expecting a pinch of all things. ]

[of_emptiness]

...Not a dream, huh? That's what you're trying to say. [ Eh. There has always been a feeling in the back of his mind about this place. It's more so the contact itself than the pinch. In his mind, Nanako would never have the courage to approach him if she had known of what he did. That she did so must be some sort of-- oh, he doesn't know-- proof that she could very well be real. ]

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako gave a nod.]

Mmhmm… this place is too scary to be a dream.

[of_emptiness]

[ He settles back. ] I'll take your word for it.

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako gave a nod, before turning her head to the side to cough again. It was a moment before she stopped, letting out a breath as she turned back to him.]

I should go back to bed... what... are you going to do?

[She looked entirely uncertain; she should tell her brother that Adachi was here, that the Tower was that much more dangerous... but at the same time, she didn't want to believe that he was dangerous. After all, he was her father's partner... that had to mean something, right?]

[of_emptiness]

Yeah, you go do that. [ He gives a smile; whether it's genuine or not is difficult to say. He may not even know the answer to its sincerity himself. ] I'm just... going to finish this food.

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako paused a moment, looking unsure. She wanted to believe that Adachi was like them, and he was brought here not because he deserved to be imprisoned, but because he was an innocent bystander that the people that ran this Tower decided to pick on. She had to believe that, because if he was here to be kept locked away from the world, what did that mean about her and her brother?]

[After a moment, she went over to him, giving his arm a brief hug (okay, she was still a little afraid), letting go and taking a step back to look up at him.]

Stay safe, okay?

[of_emptiness]

[ ...

This day is just full of surprises. For some reason, her hug just makes him feel worse about himself instead of better. Perhaps it's a slight feeling that he's undeserving of it. ] ...I will.


[ Only not really, not with what's on his mind. But he's lied to her so many times before, two two words of assurance come natural. ]