[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

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . aaaaaah. . .]

[his cheeks flush bright red as he wraps his arms around her back tightly and buries his nose against her shoulder. he inhales deeply-- her scent is very distinctly Aoko, and it's comforting.]

Ahooooko. A week's not that long.

[his words are muffled. and although he teases her slightly, he knows from experience that even if it had only been a week. . . suddenly waking up without your most important people around you is jarring and terrifying. he doesn't blame her one bit for he reaction]

[bluediligence]

[ She laughs, desperately relieved and thoroughly embarrassed by it. ]

Look, don't – don't let it go to your head, I just missed having my favorite punch bag, that's all.

[ She nuzzles into him, shoulders losing some of the tension that's been sitting heavily on her ever since she'd woken up. ]

[nowyouseeit]

What? Is that seriously all I'm good for? I'm hurt.

[he tries his best to sound indignant, but. knowing that she's joking takes some of the fire out of his words. he lets out a small huff and adjusts his grip on her, so he's less likely to. . . you know. drop her]

[not that she'd probably fall if he did, considering how tightly she's hanging onto him right now]

[bluediligence]

Yup.

[ Nope. Nope. Nope. It's the furthest thing from true, but heck, they both know that. ]

But I bet you haven't missed me at all. [ She pulls back a little, sitting steady and secure in his arms; he'd never let her fall. (Except maybe he would, because he's a jerk. ] What's the last thing you remember?

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . ONLY IF IT WAS FUNNY. and if she wouldn't get seriously hurt]

Ah, actually. . .

[and the playful demeanor turns into thoughtfulness]

S'kinda weird that you're saying you've been here a week, when I remember seeing you just five minutes before waking up here. The last thing I remember is heading back to Tiamat from the Cat dorm.

[bluediligence]

[ Their relationship is so loving and gentle. ]

I said something similar Nightingale-san when I first got here. [ She quirks a smile, this one more thoughtful. ] What day was it, exactly? It could be that we left at the same time, and you just got held up somewhere along the way.

[nowyouseeit]

[wiggles a bit so he can put her back on the ground, on her feet. this way they can actually talk face to face, rather than he with his nose buried in her shoulder]

. . . I can't explain it, but it's kinda hard to remember the exact day.

[actually, the more he thinks about it, the foggier those memories seem. his frown deepens]

But I know it was about a week after-- [wait, he can't name Echo names] A week after you-know-who got her butt kicked.

Not long after you cut your hair.

[bluediligence]

[ She helpfully shimmies down, planting her feet carefully on either side of his. It leaves her free to stand close to him, her hands resting gently on his waist, fingers curling into his shirt. ]

No, I … I know the feeling. It's been like that for me.

[ When he mentions her hair, she unconsciously lifts a hand to play with the shortened strands. It's been over a week now, but it still surprises her sometimes. ]

I think it was day two eighty four, but it's all really foggy.

[nowyouseeit]

[a flash of annoyance crosses his expression as he presses both of his hands against hers]

Tch. Just what we need-- more unseen forces messin' with our memories, right?

[as if having it happen TWICE wasn't enough, geez]

[bluediligence]

When I was talking to Clover-san about it, she seemed surprise. I don't … I don't know if it happens very often. [ Aoko grumbles, wriggling her fingers against his until she can lace them together. ]

[ Yeah, okay, she's a sap. Shut up. ]

Maybe it's got something to do with those gross implants they've forced on us?

[ Just thinking about those is enough to make Aoko's skin crawl all over again. The thought of somebody having touched the back of the neck – of something she doesn't understand being buried beneath her skin … ]

[ She shudders, lips pressing into a thin line. ]

[nowyouseeit]

[it's okay!1 he grasps her hand tightly in return, fingers intertwined, before he lifts hers up so he can bush a light kiss against her knuckles. if she is a sap, then so is he]

S'possible. I've heard-- y'know. That they malfunction sometimes, apparently.

So that's something to look forward to.

[the dryness of his words makes it obvious he isn't looking forward to it at all]

[bluediligence]

[ They are both saps. ]

[ Huge saps. ]

[ Somebody should probably throw them both out into the vacuum of space before they spread their gross sappy bs all over the fleet. ]

Aha. [ Ha. ] Remember that time I turned into a little kid because of – you know? [ Iota, she means Iota. ] That's one of the malfunctions that they can cause.

[nowyouseeit]

[plz, as though they are the only saps on the fleet. NIGHTINGALE AND OPAL ARE HERE, REMEMBER]

[Kaito snorts and runs his thumb across her knuckles as he drops their hands to his side]

Why'm I not surprised? Keh! You'd think there'd be some variance from universe to universe, but it seems like Atroma and the Echoes and Salt 'n Pepper all took notes from the same playbook.

There's no such thing as originality anymore.

[MORE SARCASM]

[bluediligence]

[ Do they need to get into a sappiness contest with the other couples aboard the Fleet, is that a thing that is necessary here. (All sources point to yes.) ]

It was the same for that other place, too, right? The Library. A few people came from there. [ Aoko wrinkles her nose, huffing out a sharp, discontented breath. ]

Not that we'd want any of these jerks to be original.

[nowyouseeit]

You've got a point there.

[he says with a scoff, and she'll feel a slight bit of pressure on her hand as he gives it a squeeze]

But I s'pose we'll do the same thing we've done all the way up until now, yeah?

Take things as they come.

[bluediligence]

[ It's a familiar, comforting gesture she's more than happy—and grateful—to return. Despite the tone of their conversation, this is the safest and most relaxed she's felt since she'd first arrived in the Fleet. ]

That's the only thing for it, I think. [ She sketches a small smile up at him. ]

And, you know ... we could probably find a ship to stay on together if we wanted to.

[nowyouseeit]

[arches his eyebrows at her, but he looks pretty intrigued by her proposition]

Can we? [he's so used to assigned teams being a permanent deal]

I know my ship's in pretty desperate need of a pilot, but. . .

[he trails off thoughtfully]

[bluediligence]

Mmm! We can. I like my ship a lot so far, but …

[ Her smile widens, and she gently swings their joined hands. ]

It's not something we'd have to jump into, anyway. It's just nice to have the option.

[ If anybody can understand that, it's him. They've been forced onto different teams twice now, and she's really, really starting to get sick of being held apart from him. ]

[nowyouseeit]

. . .

[ah. . . this is what agency feels like. he had almost forgotten]

[the last thing she'll see is the flash of a wide, toothy grin before he leans in to press his mouth against hers]

[bluediligence]

[ Mnfff. ]

[ She laughs into it, muffled against his lips, and kisses him back happily. She's missed this, missed him, she can't stop thinking about it, but it's okay now that he's back by her side. ]

[ She pulls back before too long, just far enough that she can press her forehead against his. ]

We can make the most of this.

[nowyouseeit]

[his eyes are closed when she pulls away, and he removes one hand from hers so he can slide his arm around her waist. when he speaks, he mumbles, words content]

I think we're pretty damn good at adapting at this point, yeah?

[bluediligence]

It's hard not to be.

[ Three counts of interdimensional kidnapping practically makes them professionals at it. ]

[ Smiling warmly, she curls her arms around him, both hands coming to settle against the small of his back. ]

1/2

[nowyouseeit]

I kinda wish we were getting paid for it at this point, honestly.

[leans in to kiss her again--]

[nowyouseeit]

[-- and promptly freezes, mouth hovering inches from hers]

[bluediligence]

[ wait ]

[ what!! ]

... Kaito? Is there something on my face?