heartlandresort | nan desu ka

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nan desu ka

Stop right there--!

[ this being the point at which he bursts through the door, strikes a pose very briefly with his cape flapping in the gentle breeze from the fan to the right, eyes up the adversary and readies himself for battle;

except that this is sort of definitively not the studio. it's a little (a lot) more like a deserted main street, with exactly zero cameras or set pieces or even screaming fans.

(the last part is a relief more than anything)

much at a loss for what to do next, and faced with the total lack of any familiar faces, he falls back on information he's gathered from his time as robin: that it's really fun to prank child actors sometimes. ]

Guys...? W-was there a page of the script I missed?

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[ ah, he's made a grave error in judgment. thinking that he knew anything of the other's situation, of his life.

(the struggles of a child actor are nothing compared to the real world)

--his shoulders, held strong and rigid finally slump, shrinking him down even further. ]

...If the other choice is death, then you have to fight.

[ murmured, almost inaudible, but he flicks his gaze up briefly to the other's face and there's something akin to a challenge in his eyes. ]

[ Some of the fight has gone out of Thomas now, though he still waits a few more moments before he responds.

(one-two-three-four-five; he thinks of Kaito and wonders where he is) ]

...this is me fighting.

[ It's not much, no. But it's all he has left in him. ]

[ a curious feeling comes upon him. it might be sympathy. ]

Then show it. Fight to get back to what matters to you.

[ it, and the smile he manages to flash, are so obnoxiously motivational it's almost laughable.

(but it worked for him when yuma tried it, so who's to say it won't work for thomas, too) ]

...fighting won't get back any of the things that matter to me. Nothing will do that.

[ There's no bite to it now though, no confrontation. Just resignation; this is how it is and he can't believe anything different to that. ]

[ he straightens up again, settles into a more natural posture now that the two of them are on something closer to an even standing. ]

Fight for new things that will matter to you someday, then. For a brighter future. Or something.

[ a brief pause, momentary hesitation and he reaches out a hand to clasp the other's shoulder in a hopefully-not-crossing-any-lines kind of way.

(also in a comforting way, but.) ]

[ He was all prepared to just brush it off, just tell Fuuya that that's nonsense. That someone like him doesn't get brighter futures, happy endings.

And then Fuuya clasps his shoulder.

Thomas' eyes go wide and he jerks back, shoving the hand off of him as he backs up a few steps. ]

Don't-- don't touch me.

[ oh.

it seems he's made a mistake. ]

I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it-- -

[ (flinching away even as the other retreats) ]

Look, are you all right...?

[ and it's a stupid question but he's exhausted his repertoire by this point and really this is much too intense for his first time meeting someone ]

Tch. Do I look it?

[ There's no real bite to it, again. The sullenness of someone whose pride is bruised most of all, and nothing else - because his pride is bruised, isn't it? There's a kind of defense in the exhaustion, in the sullen resignation, in as much as there can be.

But this? Something so clearly getting under his skin that way?

(this kind of thing is what got him as broken-down as he is, isn't it?)

Hissing through his teeth, Thomas turns his head to avoid looking at Fuuya. ]

Just forget it, okay? And don't touch me.

Okay. Hands off.

[ he crosses his arms again as an extra showing of his willingness to comply (and also to keep himself safe, but-)

(though he's not exactly sure what there is to protect against when thomas' claws are so dull) ]

...Back to the matter at hand, then? Are we still masterminding an escape, or--?

[ maybe distraction is a better tactic at this point. ]

[ Another little hiss through his teeth, more to himself this time, and Thomas shakes his head sharply. ]

It won't work out. Besides, it's not as though I particularly want to be back home, so why would I even want to escape?

[ What's there waiting for him, after all? ]

[ his brows lift in innocent curiosity, tipping his head to one side yet again. ]

Why? What's wrong with home?

[ (what) ]

Wait no I don't mean to pry--

[ (shit fuck that is almost guaranteed to be the wrong thing to ask) ]

[ Thomas turns to stare at him for a long moment. ]

Just-- just don't ask.

[ (he thinks of the collars and the shows and of Tron and V, of III unconscious in that bed)

(count to four, and again and again and again, mouth barely moving, because the numbers are something to hold onto at least) ]

[ no, he can't stop the concern that's welling up unbidden; but as much as he'd like to take the other's hand and lead him somewhere safe that isn't quite possible right now;

due in no small part to the fact that he's not sure if anywhere here is 'somewhere safe. ]

Come on--do you want to go see if we can find anyone else?

[ get him moving, get his mind off whatever turmoil's spinning its web inside him--

(and if fuuya can find someone to hand him over to, someone who actually knows what they're doing, all the better) ]

...yeah, I-- I guess.

[ Thomas turns, slowly, to contemplate the place around them.

(the tower, perhaps, to look for Kaito)

(but if Kaito weren't there, then--)

(no.)

He looks back at Fuuya. ]

Which way first, then?

[ Besides, most of the places Thomas knows well in the inner sections of the city...

Well. They're not the kind of places a kid like Fuuya should be, are they? ]

[ looking around, every feature of this place is more unfamiliar than he'd like--and even if he did properly know where he was he'd have no idea where to go to find anyone he knows.

but he purses his lips and contemplates it anyway. ]

Well--further in, wouldn't you think? People gather around noticeable places, so...

[ (eyes flicking towards the tower as a landmark, because it's not like he has any other options) ]

...the tower's bad news.

So's the center in general, really - too much in there that's... bad.

[ 'Bad' being... an understatement, really.

(too many venues, too many places where they'd know of IV the face and IV the five rather than just IV the Asian Champion)

How to make the outer edges seem more logical, though, beyond 'the center is bad'... ]

...people might go to the walls, if they're thinking about getting out.

[ if he notices the way thomas' explanation explains absolutely nothing, he doesn't comment on it; just nods, turns to survey the walls once more. ]

...Gates first, right? And then the rest of the perimeter. We could do a patrol.

[ it's easier now that he's pretending to be a hero again. the ever so slightly unrealistic plans are a nice way of distancing oneself from the reality of the situation. ]

What if we do find people but they're the wrong kind?

--Like clones. Doppelgangers. Possessed, or something.

[ (all very real fears that he's managed to acquire over the span of the past few minutes, ~~how childish~~) ]

[ Thomas looks him up and down briefly and then just sighs, turning away and starting to walk slowly. ]

Let's go now, then.

I'll wait at the gates, in case anyone else goes there first.

[ And maybe he can get some rest, too. Still walking, he glances back at Fuuya briefly. ]

Are you coming, then?

[ he stalls as the other walks away, torn. on one hand his timidity is keeping him rooted in place because he's just a kid with a mask, but--

(on the other he is seized with a sudden need to not be alone)

--he follows in the other's wake, a step or two behind. ]

H-Have you seen anyone else? Since arriving here, I mean.

[ (he's not sure if it'd be better or worse to have been thomas' first, so to speak) ]

There are people, but...

[ He trails off, thinks through his answer. ]

They're not really... right. They seem scripted, stilted.

[ Thomas doesn't quite know how to explain it.

(particularly with his own limitations; with the need to hang onto the numbers even when he's not actively counting) ]

Nobody else normal though.

[ thinking about it now, he'd noticed the same;

there had been passersby, when they'd been talking, people who are for all intents and purposes human (but--flat, bland, carbon copies, and he feels now that if he'd looked too long at any of them their faces might have faded right away)

(then again that might just be the nerves talking) ]

Right. Well, keeping away from the extras sounds like a good plan.

[ he pauses. fights a fierce internal debate. fixes his eyes on the back of thomas' head; ]

Are you keeping an eye out for anyone?

[ Is he keeping an eye out for anyone?

...that's a good question.

Who would he even look out for?

Tron? Maybe in the hopes of seeing him first to avoid him.

Chris? Probably the same, really.

Ryoga? He might enjoy seeing Thomas so broken-down, after everything.

(the collars and the fire and he'd never meant to hurt her for real; she was supposed to wear the collars and he'd been there to make her scream but even that had sat heavily in his stomach when she was so young)

So the only one left is... ]

...there is one person. But it doesn't matter.

[ If he sees him, Thomas will deal with it then. But until then, Fuuya doesn't need to know who he's looking for.

(even when it's someone like this, some kid who wouldn't last a moment in the underground, revealing a weakness like that is...)

(well)

(he's revealed far too many lately) ]

[ he wants to press the issue because even when he's so cautious with every step he can't help but be curious--

(who can, really, when the person you've acquainted yourself with is such a mystery)

--but he ignores it and continues his poor attempts at high spirits. ]

Are you sure? We could go look for them if you like.

I'm--I'm not trying to find anyone in particular, so it wouldn't be a problem.

[ (he can't even think of even one person he'd want to see other than yuuma)

(but yuuma wouldn't be so unlucky as to get caught in a trap like this)

(--so it's more or less the truth.) ]

He's probably not here.

[ And that's all Thomas really has to say on the matter.

Because he's not likely to be, is he?

(not when...)

(not when he's about the only person Thomas could even consider trusting in this place)

(not when that would mean both of them getting out of that place, and it's a miracle that even Thomas has) ]

...just forget about it.

[ If Kaito is here, Thomas will find him eventually.

But he's certainly not going to hope for it. ]

...S-sure.

[ that's the best he can do for a response at first; but he quickens his pace to match strides with thomas instead of hanging back, which surely means fuuya feels even a little more comfortable with the situation.

(or he's feeling worse about it and it happy to cling)

(even to someone so closed-off) ]

What if it's just us?

...Sorry. Not a good thing to ask.

[ (god, he doesn't even know what he'd do if that were the case)

(finding somewhere to curl up and hide sounds like a good first step, though) ]

nan desu ka

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