(no subject)

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[There's an Aoko running around the mansion and searching frantically, as if her life depends on it (and for all she knows, it does). She's noticeably different from your usual Aoko, even at a glance; she's wearing a faded, green prison jumpsuit, and there's a thick, metal collar around her neck with a barcode stamped on it. If you look at her closer, she's tired, a little pale, and she looks sort of roughed up, as if she's fallen over a lot and been hit a few times.

She also looks panicked, worried, and almost a little frightened.]

Kaito?! Oi, Kaito--! Is this another Dog Race? More experiments?! Azami-chan!! Shiro-chan, Yoh-kun! Where are you guys--? [For a moment, she stops and glances down at her hand, considering something that seems to scare her a little; she shakes her head and continues running, determined.] This isn't funny!! Stupid Kaito--

I'm gonna find you, Kaito, okay? Do you hear me?! Don't die yet, or I'll never forgive you!

[And with that, she starts sprinting again.]

( singatuneof's Aoko, pre-escape from the Forgeries. )

Comments

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

I'm trying! This place is really big, you know!

[But she keeps running around anyway, trying her best to find one - but it's harder, because she can't really follow his voice now, since she's not trying to go the same way as him yet. ... She's not exactly the best at finding her way around anywhere, either.]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

It's not nearly as difficult to find your way around here than it is back at DW!

[And there's the confirmation that she was probably looking for; this Kaito is the one she knows from home, and he's rounding another corner and cursing to himself as he sees no sign of a stairwell]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

I could never find my way around DW, either! I still don't know where your room is in the G-Sector!

[... She realises a second later what that means - that yes, this is her Kaito, and suddenly she starts searching with much more determination. She runs around everywhere she hasn't been yet, and when she finally stumbles across the stairwell, she sprints up the stairs, calling out for Kaito.]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

That's because you've always had a lousy sense of direction!

[Another corner, and he finally sees the top of the stairwell, leading down. His pace impossibly quickens as he grabs the railing and practically flings himself down them, two at a time. The last time he had heard of Aoko, she had been kidnapped and taken in to be turned into a Forgery, and the thought that she might be experimented on while latched helplessly to a stainless steel table in the middle of a white-washed laboratory while he was stuck here sitting on his butt made his blood boil.

If she's not okay physically, when he gets back to Deadman Wonderland, certain people are going to pay.]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[She sees him running down as she sprints up the stairs as fast as she can, and when they collide, she grabs his hands, almost stumbling with the recoil that happens when she tries to stop that suddenly, especially on a staircase. Collar, jumpsuit, even the roughed-up look she's come accustomed to seeing people with—

She's more pale than she should be, herself, and she looks a little badly treated and underfed; there are marks on her arms from the constant injections, strap marks on her forearms, her wrists are rubbed a little raw from steel cuffs; she's not too bruised, but she's definitely not in good health. (Although, in terms of Deadman Wonderland, considering what she's been through, she really is.)

But that doesn't mean anything to her, and she stares at Kaito for a minute, shocked and unbelievably relieved.]

Kaito—it's really you, isn't it?

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[When she grabs his hands, he does similarly, holding on tightly and absolutely refusing to let go. Part of him sighs in relief at her appearance-- she's clearly well enough to run all over the mansion in an attempt to search for him, but there are small things about the way she looks that just makes his hackles raise all over again. She's paler than the last time he saw her, thinner, underweight, bruised... and the marks on her arms do nothing but fuel his anger.

But she's talking to him. Asking him coherent questions, holding on to him like she hasn't seen him in years (it sure felt like years, on his end) and for Deadman Wonderland... she looks okay]

Ao-- [He doesn't even have the right mind to answer her question. After two months of worrying and trying to find a way back to rescue her, she's here, she's okay, and she's alive.

He pulls on her hands roughly and embraces her as tightly as he can]

[1/2]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

Kaito... [She just lets him hug her at first, too shocked by everything to react, and then she wraps her arms around him and hugs him back, just as tight. She leans her head on his shoulder and pretends that she's not tearing up a little, because it hasn't even been that long and he's fine - he's injured, but he's always injured lately, and while she's sure as hell not happy with that, there's nothing different to the way things usually are.

It's a little embarrassing, standing here like this in public, in the middle of a staircase, but she lets Kaito hold her for a bit longer, until she's sure he's calmed down, and then she squirms out of the embrace and steps back; she looks him in the eye, hands on his shoulders.]

Thank God... I'm really relieved.

[2/2]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[And she stomps on his foot as hard as she can.]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[He winds up clinging to her for as long as he can in an embrace that is far too intimate for their normal standards. He doesn't care though, he's just so relieved to see her that he can't help himself. Nor does he really want to.

He lets her pull away in the end, though he keeps his hands lightly on her waist as he gives her a somewhat sheepish and relieved grin. He opens his mouth to express how glad he is to see her too, when suddenly there is... lots of pain, coming from his foot.

A yelp escapes instead of words, and he leaps back away from her, hopping on one foot as he gives his friend the dirtiest look he can mange.]

What the hell was that for, Ahoko?!

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

Stupid Kaito! I was really worried, you know!

[It's hard to keep up a genuine-looking angry expression, and there are some tears in her eyes, but she's doing her best not to crumble. It makes it easier if they're yelling at each other, the way they used to - the way they haven't done as often, since everything that's happened.]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[His annoyed look doesn't fade, but he's about as grateful for the normality as she is. Arguing always makes things easier. It's what they've always done, and it's become a rather comforting song and dance.

Though that doesn't mean that he doesn't get annoyed at her from time to time]

Idiot, how worried do you think I was? [he shoots back, irritation lacing his voice. He kneels down to rub the top of his foot (the pain is thankfully ebbing away), and though his gaze is firmly fixed on the ground, he didn't miss the tears in her eyes. He offers comfort in his own... somewhat blunt Kaito way]

... and don't cry, stupid. There's no reason for you to.

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[She looks down at him, and after a beat or two, she sinks down and sits on the stairs beside him.]

Who would cry over you? And I'm fine, you're the one who gets into trouble all the time!

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[The pain in his foot is almost gone now thankfully, and he sits up and leans on his hands as he talks to her]

I don't get into trouble all the time! Not anymore than anyone else in DW does!

[... which isn't exactly all true since he does have a tendency to seek out more trouble than the normal deadman does]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

You do so. You end up covered in cuts and bruises when you haven't even had a Carnival!

[... So maybe she doesn't like the term "Carnival Corpse", but come on, who does?]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[... not him, definitely]

Oh, those? [a scoff, and he rests his chin in his hands and his elbows on his knees]

I just get those whenever I compliment Minatsuki's dress or something.

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

Stop teasing Minatsuki-chan, then! You know she's really sensitive!

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

I wasn't even teasing her! It was a nice dress!

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

I bet you were being a jerk like always! She comes to me crying because of you sometimes!

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

Minatsuki? Crying? [... it is very difficult to imagine someone as violet her crying to Aoko because of his teasing]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

Of course! She's a really nice girl and she's really sensitive about her appearance, but you're just the same, mean Bakaito as you always are!

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[and now he's just giving her a look]

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[She's giving him a look right back.]

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[if Minatsuki is putting on the cutesy act for Aoko, he makes a mental note to have a... ahem. Discussion about lying to his bff when he returns]

Minatsuki isn't exactly the person I want to talk about right now, anyway. [he rests his chin in his hands again, and his annoyed look clears away] Are you all right?

[skyvoices.livejournal.com]

[Her irritated look falls away too, and she looks down at her left arm, covered in bruises and red marks from where the needles had gone in.]

... Have you seen what they can do?

[singatuneof.livejournal.com]

[he finds himself glancing over at her arm, and once again a wave of fury courses through him. His hands tighten into fists]

... yeah. [and knowing that just makes him angrier that they took her]