[001 - Video]

[nowyouseeit]

Who: Kuroba Kaito and YOU!
Broadcast: Video - Fleetwide
Action: The S.S. Blameless
When: Today! (Oct. 21)

[VIDEO]

Oooooi! Anyone out there?

[the video feed flickers on to show a scruffy looking teenager casually strolling down the scorched hallway of the S.S. Blameless. he's covered in confetti, bits of colorful paper nestled in his hair and flaking off his shoulders, and he looks pretty unfazed, all things considered! in fact, he's got his communicator in one hand and an open, half-empty pudding cup in the other. someone has decided to help himself to the celebratory treats, because why the fuck would he not?]

Nice ship ya got here, yeah? Reminds me of something straight out of a cheesy sci-fi flick, heh. Could use a li'l bit of work. . . [he tilts the communicator so the video feed pans to the black marks on the walls] I'm not sure I wanna meet whatever or whomever did that, but hey! At least your lives seem-- uh. Interesting.

[the feed pans back to Kaito, whose demeanor is still totally casual and not at all concerned about his potential safety in the future]

Anyway, I haven't got a clue who I'm talking to here, but who doesn't like to meet new strangers in space who may or may not be human? [his grin widens, cheeky and a bit sly, but he really does enjoy meeting new people] Whoever happens to get this, give me a shout, all right? Name's Kaito-- Kuroba Kaito, but just Kaito's fine.

[he's not really one for formalities, after all. after a brief pause, the teen raises both eyebrows, and his words suddenly thicken with forced niceties. starkly different than his genuinely cheery introduction earlier]

And if any of you watching this just so happen to know a redheaded woman who goes by the name "Iota," please let her know that Kuroba Kaito would like to have a little. . . uh. Chat with her.

[another pause, and for a moment it looks like he's about to cut off the feed, when something suddenly hits him]

By the way--

[the feed pans lower to show a ton of pudding cups tucked underneath Kaito's arm. a ton of pudding cups. possibly all of the pudding cups that came with his new arrival, tbh]

I'm keeping the pudding. Finder's keepers!

[and the feed ends]

[ACTION]

[anyone on the S.S. Blameless can find Kaito wandering about the above mentioned hallway! he sure is scrutinizing those burn marks, brows furrowed, expression curious. wtf even happened here. . .]

Comments

video;

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . did they make him pilot? is that why he suddenly knows all the tiny little details he needs to know to fly a ship? he makes a face]

Who are "they?"

[the important thing he got out of her statement]

And by "cow," I mean a guy from Gulgallana. Hang on! I'm gonna ask him where I am.

[brb talkin' to Hank]

video;

[noprophecies]

The Atroma. The people who brought us here.

[she tilts her head, confused for a moment, before it clicks and she's suddenly on the move]

The tall boy? I know what ship you are on.

video;

[nowyouseeit]

Atroma. . .

[he'll have to ask a lot of questions about them later. but for now: Clover reunion. he straightens when she starts to move]

You do? What ship is it?

video;

[noprophecies]

The Blameless. I am friends with someone on your ship.

I will be there in a few minutes - do not get yourself into trouble.

[and with that, she ends the feed so she can hop a shuttle over.

. . . it might take a few minutes. She has to prepare herself for this horribly emotional reunion]

video;

[nowyouseeit]

Oi! I'm not gonna get myself in trouble in the span of a few mi--

[and she's gone]

[. . .]

[he sucks in a deep breath and slumps against the nearest wall, head bowed. he slips the communicator into his pocket and rakes his fingers through his hair as he waits for her to arrive]

--> action;

[noprophecies]

[she keeps him waiting a good twenty minutes - ten of those spent pacing her own ship's shuttle bay, trying remind herself that breaking down will not do her any good.

The other ten minutes is spent taking her time piloting the shuttle over there. Because she doesn't want to seem like she's in a hurry even though she is.

When she finally, finally sets foot on his ship she steps out and takes a look around before taking off to find him. It's probably both surprising and not to see her not wearing a single bit of Tiamat's uniform - but instead, some pants and a zip-up sweatshirt]

action;

[nowyouseeit]

[it's really not surprising at all; Kaito only wore team colors back in Kyriakos because he had no choice. as much as he cared for his team, purple-red wasn't his color]

[he hears Clover approach before he sees her, and he immediately pushes away from the wall and swivels on his heel to face her. there's another long moment of silence, another long moment of him just staring as he make sure he isn't just imagining all of this]

[. . . and then, instead of running up to her and giving her a hug (because that wasn't his style, it had never been his style, would never be his style) he holds out another pudding cup]

Sure you don't want one?

[noprophecies]

[she doesn't run down to give him a hug, either; it isn't her style, and she's try not to let this just immediately collapse into emotions she still doesn't like showing in front of other people. It had been easy to go back home and fall back into old habits, even if she hadn't gone back home alone, and - she couldn't let go of that. Not here, not now, not yet.

She huffs and crosses her arms instead, pretending as if something far more important caught her attention down the hallway]

I am certain. I don't like sweets.

[nowyouseeit]

[his mouth twitches, and he starts to walk forward, tossing the pudding cup in his hand as he does so]

I remember.

It's not really about the pudding, you know.

[noprophecies]

[she glances back as he moves and frowns, watching the cup in his hands]

Were it about the pudding, I would not have bothered coming over here.

[nowyouseeit]

I kinda figured.

[sssstops a foot or two in front of her, and bows his head]

. . .

I missed you.

[noprophecies]

[deep breath in, deep breath out.

She can do this]

I missed you, too. It has been a while.

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . okay]

[now it's hug time, pudding cups be damned. steps forward to draw her in a tight embrace, said pudding falling to the ground at his feet. oops]

[noprophecies]

[nooooo she thought they weren't doing hugs.

She hugs him back, sort of limply at first, before her arms tighten and she hugs him back just as fiercely.

JERK]

[nowyouseeit]

[no, they just aren't doing the RUN TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND THEN EMBRACE EACH OTHER TIGHTLY IN A DRAMATIC FASHION thing. normal hugs are okay!!]

[also this hug may last for a while, 'cause he isn't letting go]

[noprophecies]

[she isn't letting go, either. In fact, she seems to be hugging him even tighter as she mumbles into his shoulder, voice a little teary]

I did not think I would ever see you again.

[nowyouseeit]

[nooooooo. he feels his own throat tighten as he starts to choke up, though he manages to swallow it down before he speaks again]

Really? Heeeeh, c'mon now. You should know better than anyone how stubborn I am, yeah?

[noprophecies]

[she huffs weakly, but when she draws back enough to look at him she isn't crying]

I've not seen you in months. What was I supposed to think?

[nowyouseeit]

[he isn't either, but his smile is sheepish and lopsided]

You're supposed to think, "Kaito's so stupidly stubborn that of course he'd show up when I'd least expect it. That pest."

[a beat]

. . . wait. Months? Seriously?

[she had been asleep in Kyriakos for some time, he knew, but months?]

[noprophecies]

[she just rolls her eyes at what he says]

Yes, months. I went home.

[nowyouseeit]

[what]

You did? Whoa. . .

[this alternate timeline thing was going to be SUPER weird, he just knew it]

I thought you didn't want to return home. . .?

[noprophecies]

[she'd figured she'd gone into the mirrors, but Aoko had been kind enough to tell her for how long]

I didn't. I was not given a choice.

Ampere came with me, though. Do not ask me how.

[nowyouseeit]

. . .

[his arms loosen from the hug so he can slide his hands down and take one of her hands in his]

Then. . . if you had to go home when you didn't want to, I'm glad you didn't go alone.

Ampere isn't here in space, is he?

[noprophecies]

[she glances down at their hands, and tentatively curls her fingers around one of his]

No, he is back home.

[nowyouseeit]

You've gotta tell him he missed one heck of a reunion when you see him again, yeah?

[he keeps his tone light and teasing]