animus_network | ✪ 5! [ video ]

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✪ 5! [ video ]

Aha, Shiro! Shiro, I have a present for you! ✩

[ "Toto" is literally jumping up and down and clapping his hands on the video. Something has him really excited. ]

The Administrators must really love me. I'm not sure why they gave it to me instead of you, but I'll give it to its rightful owner.

[ He's so excited that he forgot to filter this message. ]

The Tower finally gets to have its own Aceman. Again. ✩ [ He then holds up a silver, metal mask. And grins. Not quite as scary as her grin, but still an A for effort. ]

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Really?

[Shiro's eyes widen in excitement. The real Aceman's mask. She's almost jealous it was given to Toto and not to her. But she doesn't know the administrators very much. So maybe Toto knows them better and that's why they're giving out presents to him.]

Shiro is at the terminal which is nearest to Shiro's room. [Obviously Toto knows which one it is.] Should Shiro wait here or go find Toto?

[ That's actually closer to the truth than she might think, though not exactly correct. Still, he'd rather not elaborate; if Wretched Egg found out they gave Mockingbird a more powerful form during the last event, she'd probably get angry that he didn't fight her with it. ]

I'll come find you. You just sit tight, okay? Maybe get us some snacks. ✩

[ He then shuts off his terminal. ]

Oh, Woodpecker.. if only you were here to see this. [ And off he goes. ]

[Wretched Egg would get very angry. Then again it's not as if death was permanent in the Tower. But still.

Shiro beams.]

Yay! Hurry up, Toto!

[As the terminal is shut off, she stands up from her chair. She stays in the room though, dancing around and humming a lullaby.]

[ And sure enough, there he is, just a few minutes later. He's holding the mask in one of his hands. In the other... nutrition bars. ]

Aha, hi Shiro! I brought your surprise! ✩

Hi, Toto!

[Shiro saunters happily to him. She is so impatient to see the mask that she almost doesn't notice the food.]

Can Shiro see it?

[And try it on, of course.]

Sure. ✩

[ He hands the mask to Shiro, grinning all the while. ]

I know it will look great on you.

[Shiro takes it and her look turns quizzical. She would have expected Aceman's mask to be more colorful. But further to Toto's words of praise, she still decides to try it on, without fastening it though.]

Does Shiro look like Aceman now?

[ There was something oddly satisfying about seeing Shiro wearing the mask the Wretched Egg seemed to like so much. It was almost... cathartic. Even if Ganta would be horrified at this. ]

You sure do. Just like Aceman. ✩

[But suddenly Shiro's smile fades and the mask falls onto the ground.]

You just had to do that, didn't you?

[ She dropped the-- Oh. Srsly, Wretched Egg? ]

You said to keep her happy, didn't you?

Since when did wearing that mask ever brought Shiro anything else than pain and suffering?

She seemed pretty happy to me. ✩

Only because you lied to her.

[A white lie he's gonna say, but even if it's only half a lie, it's still bad enough for her.]

...I'm tired.

[She crouches to pick up the mask again and stares at it. Or rather right through it.]

I didn't lie to her at all. She asked if she looked like Aceman. And she does... right, Aceman? ✩

[ He approaches her, and frowns. ]

You are? [ Every time she said that... it was while the lullaby was playing. ] Shiro didn't tell me she wasn't sleeping well... are feeling okay?

You know she didn't mean that. Had she been given the choice, Shiro would never have wanted to become me.

[She gives him a glance and a smirk.] The Administrators are just as just the same spoilsports as Sorae used to be~ Since our last game they seem to have installed their own Mother Goose system somewhere in the Tower~

[Though this is only part of the reason why she said she was tired.]

She is you. Whether she wants to be or not. That's the difference between me and Woodpecker. I accept-

[ Wait, what? ]

... They have? How is that-- did they take any of your flesh? [ They must not have. Not that he'd be able to tell; healing factor, and whatnot. Though, that would explain why Shiro's been out more often... ]

You're still awake. It must not be as strong as Igarashi's.

[Wretched Egg conveniently ignores his first remark. Then she shrugs.] I don't know. They managed to make me lose consciousness. [They could have done anything after that.]

Maybe not. But we still won't be able to play as often as before~ [She holds the mask in front of her, hiding half of her face. She's clearly teasing him.] And you have no control over that system~

[ That was... impossible. No way. Sure, Wretched Egg needed to sleep just as much as anyone else, but knocking her out? And then taking parts of her flesh without her noticing? No... no, they must be doing something else. Not even HE could pull that off. ]

You're still awake. How loud is it?

[By way of answer Wretched Egg starts humming softly. It's not very loud. But it's annoying. Like the loud buzzing of an insect. Or rather of a group of insects.]

Okay, okay, I get it. [ Good God, that's annoying. ] I'll start looking into a way to shut it down, but... it took me years to figure out Sorae's.

Well good luck with that~

I didn't come here to play just so we have to go back to the same old rules. I'm just as upset about this as you are.

Gah... unrequited love... really, Jason? ✩

Me neither~ I didn't come here for that~

[She turns around and starts walking away.]

Try to be more careful about the presents you make to Shiro too~

[But at least she's still keeping the mask.]

Just because you hate ice cream doesn't mean my last present was bad. ✩

[ Come on, Shiro loved that sundae. ]

Don't play dumb, Mockingbird~ You know I'm not talking about the ice cream~ [She's talking about the mask.]

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