aworldwithoutboxes | mistletoe meme but people die-

mistletoe meme but people die-

THE MURDERGAME SHIPPING MEME V1.2

This is probably too straight to accurately represent most murdergame ships but like. We take what the stock image industry gives us.

So, you've been put into a murder mystery game where you're going to have to fight for your life! Every week another body or two, surrounded by strangers- Wait, you knew that? You actually kind of have your bearings? Well fine, here's a different problem - see that person over there? Yeah, that one. Wouldn't it be a really terrible idea if you fell in love with them right now?

This is a meme for that sometimes most fun of bad choices in murdergames: shipping. Leave a toplevel with info that might be in your character's profile (recommended, so everyone knows what your character is About), maybe a murdergame title (optional but encouraged), and any extra info you want to give along with whatever your shipping prefs are, then either pick from the prompts below or wing it and go tag around! Profile code and some prefs options below, if you want a format to follow. Remember - unexpected murdergame ships are the best kind! Don't be afraid to tag out and across canons!

SETTINGS (note: absolutely not an exhaustive list)
1. Shopping Mall - Live your teen movie romance dreams! Sure, someone seems to get mcfucking murdered in the Starbucks every week, but that doesn't mean you can't go on a coffee date, right?
2. School - Live the... other party of your teen movie romance dreams! It's a little hard to be romantic when the only place for a dinner date is the cafeteria, but in fairness you are also constantly overcoming bigger problems than that here.
3. Generic Facility - Looking for romance? Try scenic Sealed-Off Building Full of Rooms! It's themed in some way - science, underwater - but the concept is the same. Surely there's some kind of bar or inexplicable amusement park in here you could use for a romantic evening, right?
4. Spooky Mansion - You know what they say about going on dates to scary movies, right? What if the scary movie was uh. The whole thing. The whole place. Where you live. And die, sometimes.
5. Romance Zone - I mean hey, maybe you're stuck somewhere literally built for both romance and murder! Pleasure and pain. Life and death. Smoochin' and stabbin'.
6. Musical Theater - Sing a love song! Whether you're playing from a specific musical or not, live your romantic duet dreams!
7. CHRISTMAS!!!! - The holidays really can be murder! Welcome to some kind of cozy Christmas-themed residence, and remember: they're your present this year! Because the only other thing you're liable to get is fucking murdered.
8. Other - If you can block off an area, you can put a murdergame there. Get creative!

PROMPTS (ship scenarios)
1. Confession (Fun) - Ah, the start of any good murdergame relationship. Maybe you've been dancing around each other for a week or two, maybe over the course of one thread and a lot of screaming your players decided you're gonna kiss. Time to figure out what these feelings mean while you're, you know. Here. Can be combined with some of the other prompts too, if you like.
2. Dating??? - Where do you even go to date in a murdergame? Is it even worth trying to hang onto this kind of normalcy when either of you could die any day now? It's probably fine.
2b. Dating+ - Can be combined with any other prompt, but somehow, some way, one of you is taking the lead in this date and getting a bunch of emotions in... because you're deathflagging. You're deathflagging hard.
3. Afterparty - Hey, that was a rough trial! Whatever it was! But you're both alive, so... better try to comfort each other, huh? Enjoy whatever kind of snacks you guys have available.
4. Confession (Unfun) - Oops, uh. One of you... seems to have confessed to murder. Better get whatever last moments in that you can before voting ends and one of you gets brutally executed!
5. The Couple That Kills Together - Okay, so maybe you did or didn't actually kill someone together. But at least one of you did a murder, and the body hasn't been properly discovered yet, so... time to talk this through? Make bad choices for love?
6. Deadland Romance - Maybe you've just reunited in the land of the dead, or maybe this is where you're trying to get your relationship off the ground. Either way, there's gotta be some weird emotions to "we're dead and trying to make it work."
7. Golden End Reunion - Great news! You beat up the mastermind (or befriended them, I don't know your style) and got all of the dead people back, including the other half of your ship! That's gotta feel good, seeing them again after however many weeks.
8. What now? - The game is over, it's time to go home. But... which home? If you split up, is there going to be a chance to visit each other again? Can you work that kind of long-distance?
9. Smut Option - Look. It's not generally onscreen, but hookups happen. Did you have to kick roommates out? Is this the fabled... you know, variant of option 5? Basically look, if you wanna use this meme for smut I'm not gonna say no, just tag appropriately.
10. Anything else! - Look, one of the fun things about murdergame ships is how many ways they can go in the emotional crucible inherent to them. I can't account for a lot of things ahead of the basics, so plot with your thread partner and have fun with it! Hell, maybe bring a good ol' murdergame polyblob into the mix, I'm not gonna stop you! Go with ur heart, assume other characters, live your truth!

PROFILE CODE (pilfered from the general murdergame meme):

PREFS CODE:

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What, does it surprise you that folks might seek you out?

[He's smiling as he finishes walking to a comfortable conversational distance. Welt's book gets a brief, genially curious glance, but Alvin lifts his gaze to meet Welt's without lingering on it. He's just here to chat, not to snoop. See, he's friendly! He won't bite.]

Not every grown-up here has shown they can keep their head in this... situation. [He raises his hands and shrugs broadly, as if to indicate all this bullshit. This facility, their imprisonment, the lethal game they're supposed to play--that's the 'situation.'] In my book, being able to think under pressure's a good thing. So, you know. I wanna get to know you better. See if maybe we can work together on a way out.

[Or, read more cynically: Welt seems smart, and Alvin sees a higher chance of survival if he gets on his good side.

Also, there's something comforting about buddying up with a polite, grandpa-like nerd. Alvin doesn't want to dwell on that too much. It smells suspiciously like attachment.]

[ She thinks about the idea of him having a beard, rotating the image in her mind, tilting her head slightly. ]

I don't see it.

[ Granted, what she's thinking of is exponentially more full than the inevitable creation that would spring forth over the course of the next year, but either way it's not great! Though, she's not sure that she'd ever really seen him with anything less than a clean face – if there's anything they both have in common, they're very particular about their aesthetics.

She tenses up at the mention of that, her gaze shooting right back up the floor to stare at him, trying to get some glimpse of what he's thinking or what he's trying to get at. For as much as he's always seemed to love the path of least resistance, he's very consciously wading into a touchy subject. ]

He didn't seem to be trying to get back at his mother, if that's what you mean.

[ She sighs, fiddling with her glasses. ]

Besides, it's easier being interrogated when you don't know anything. Being left in the dark made things easier, even if hindsight only serves to make it more painful.

[Congratulations, we are officially in a fractured dimension where Alvin never grows a beard. With four little words, Presa has crushed the possibility of that future. COME SMASH THE DIVERGENCE CATALYST, LUDGER. (The divergence catalyst is Alvin's face.)

Anyway. Broaching touchy subjects. Yeah, it was a choice. He's trying. Does he get a cookie, Presa? Because he already regrets the attempt. At least he's facing the sink, so the chances that she catches his wince are low.]

...Guess it would, huh.

[He shuts off the water, dries his hands. Stands there with the towel for a moment, as if there's a way to express his sympathies without hypocrisy or patronizing her, and he can find it if he just looks hard enough.]

Still, it's... the pressure of having to hurt others to survive. That still got put on you around that age, wouldn't you say?

[Replacing the towel, Alvin returns to his station, waiting for the edges of the eggs to crisp.]

[ THE EVIL IS DEFEATED. This is the prime dimension now. Xillia 2 is CANCELLED. ]

It was around then, yes.

[ She squints, her mouth thinning out as she watches him as he moves back to the pan. He already knows the answer to the question. And Alvin of all people has little right to empathize about the pressures of needing to hurt others just to get by, especially with her, so what is he playing at here? ]

I can't imagine that you came by the skill so recently in life, either. Am I wrong?

[ There's a hint of an edge in there, but it's not as snippy of a retort than she half expected it to be. ]

[There, that's the chilly response he deserves. He takes his spatula and uses it to peek beneath one of the eggs. Nope, not quite done.]

Depending on how you look at it, I was either fourteen or... I dunno. Something shy of twelve, when I got my start.

[Fourteen when he joined--or was pressed into--Exodus's intelligence unit, spying for his uncle off the books by age twelve. Alvin was betraying people who trusted him before he could shave.]

But if we're just talking about the desperation to survive and make yourself safe, when no one's there anymore to do it for you--guess I learned about that at six.

[He pokes at the eggs some more. Further down the counter, bread pops out of the toaster.]

I didn't mean anything by it, Presa. I'm just agreeing. It's a lot to put on a kid.

[ They've been snowed into Legally Distinct From Hill House for three weeks, and two people are dead, when the conservatory is unlocked. Outside, the wan winter sky provides light and precious little else; inside, it's as warm as a summer day. When Kabru touches the glass looking out onto the blank snowscape that surrounds them, he feels the heat of a sun that isn't even on this side of the horizon yet. He wishes, for probably the hundredth time since he got here, that he understood magic well enough to know what kind of spellwork lies behind the sensation, but of course he's totally useless.

The person he's seeking out, on the other hand, is likely in his element right now. Kabru's interested to see what that looks like on him, and he gives himself a moment or two to just observe before speaking up. ]

We missed you at breakfast, [ he says, smiling an easy smile with a dual purpose. On the one hand, he wants to ensure Alfyn knows the remark isn't any kind of reproach, to snuff out the notion that anyone would actually hold this absence against him. Realistically, despite how hard Kabru's pushed everyone meeting up to talk in the dining room each morning, and all his post-trial cajoling of the people that seemed like tough sells yesterday, they missed, like, five people at breakfast! ] Well, not just you... but, of course, that was to be expected. Everyone's still having a hard time, and some of us don't eat to begin with.

[ On the other hand, almost subconsciously, he wants to disguise just how relieved he is to see him. Logically, he knew there was little reason to worry. No motive hangs over their heads now, and killing without a reason, when almost everyone else has an alibi? He's a good judge of people, and while there are individuals here who'd be heartless enough to go for it, he doesn't think any of them are that stupid. Even so, uncertainty's kept a vise grip on Kabru's stomach ever since he took a count of the group and noticed a certain ~~JRPG~~ tousled blond head missing from the number, and it's only just now beginning to release. ]

Then someone mentioned this place, and everything started to make sense. [ The smile is somehow even more intense now?? ] So I thought I'd bring breakfast to you instead. You don't mind, do you?

[ For the record, he has 100% gotten exactly what Alfyn would usually eat for breakfast, down to the most minute details, and is somehow managing to carry it discreetly on his person! Also he brought along a thermos full of coffee for himself because no matter where the murdergame is and what's going on in it, he's gonna Develop A Problem. ]

[ Welt blinks a bit at that, which doesn't seem to tell much, though maybe it does all the same. Rather, he's deliberating on the answer, because on one hand he could be inclined towards saying yes, due to the fact that he is - but on the other hand, he does reason it'd make sense, in order for everyone to size each other up.

Or perhaps simply seek to form authentic bonds with one another. He is one of those people who do happen to have a resting stoic expression regardless, but...as Alvin elaborates, he nods his head. He has seen glimpses of people's tempers flaring already, keeping note of such individuals. ]

...I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

While I confess I was a bit surprised that I was sought out already, I firmly believe already at this point that it makes perfect sense. Becoming familiar with those here and aiming to leave based upon that bond is going to be a way to find an unexpected path to freedom.

Rather, than one made on the bodies of everyone else, like some might presume can be the final conclusion to this unfortunate situation.

[ He says this with as every bit of gravitas as it deserves. ]

You probably already know my name. But, I've always thought there is something to old-fashioned introductions. My name is Welt Yang. It's a pleasure meeting you, and I imagine it will be getting to know you as well.

[ A little stiff. Old-fashioned. But true, as the older man extends one hand to Alvin for a shake too. ]

[In his element he is. In keeping with their prison's spooky vibes, the plants in this conservatory have overgrown their containers; instead of brightening the space, they only add to the abandoned, sinister, unwelcoming feeling that pervades the whole manor. Still, despite the tangled mess, Alfyn's unearthed what looks like a tiered herb garden and has plopped cross-legged in front of it. At least three books from the library lie strewn on the ground around him, open to diagrams and descriptions of various plant parts. Alfyn's own well-used notebook sits in his lap.

As Kabru watches, Alfyn breaks a plant stem with his gloved hand, sniffs it, and leans over to page through one of the books. The pencil in his mouth bobs idly up and down until he makes an affirming noise and grabs it to scribble something down. He's red enough around the eyes to suggest he's been crying sometime in the past twenty minutes, but he's all focus and concentration now. Enough that when Kabru speaks up, he jumps.]

Oh, Kabru! [Chuckling, he rubs the back of his neck.] Sorry, pal, I didn't hear you come out here.

[Or should Alfyn say in here? This conservatory's the closest thing to the outdoors they've had in three weeks, but no amount of wishing and pretending makes the glass walls any less impenetrable. They're still packed in like crabs in a bucket. An eerie, death-mongering, probably haunted bucket.

Even with Kabru's reassuring smile, Alfyn's chin dips sheepishly.]

Shucks. Did I really miss breakfast with everyone? Hope I didn't worry ya. I guess I lost track of time, what with the sun never breaking through.

[Closing his notebook, Alfyn picks himself up and brushes off his pants. He rubs a knuckle quickly, and what he probably thinks is surreptitiously, at the corner of one eye. Yeah, he was definitely crying earlier, but that's no surprise. After the trial, even while he was trying to take care of others, he'd been seen turning to face the wall to wipe his eyes. Or weeping, quietly but openly, with one of the kids.

There are flowers on the table, here in the conservatory. The blue and white ones must be for Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. She and Alfyn had gotten on well, two plant-loving healers in a pod. She, and her killer, are gone now.

Alfyn smiles, diminished but genuine, at Kabru.]

'Course I don't mind. A body's gotta eat, and we all need to keep our spirits up, besides. But you didn't have to go to all this trouble just for me. [He brightens a little.] You'll join me, won't you?

[Alfyn's a companionable sort. He's genuinely sorry to have missed the group meal.]

Edited (Sorry, I missed a chance for minor alliteration and it could not stand) 2024-12-12 20:01 (UTC)

[Alvin's eyebrows rise. 'An unexpected path to freedom'--that's a big statement to make, he feels, this early in. They've been forced into a dangerous game with a hell of a lot of elements yet unknown.

But then he grins and takes the hand offered.]

I'm sure you did your homework on me, too. Please, just call me Alvin. The pleasure's mine, Welt. [He shakes Welt's hand with the firm, but not painful grip of someone used to making deals and accepting jobs. Whatever Alvin is, he's a professional.] And I do try to make interactions with me as fun and painless as possible.

[Introduction secured. Alvin doesn't comment on whether he finds it old-fashioned or not. Instead, he motions towards a table with a bob of his head, inviting them to sit and chat rather than stand around in the stacks.]

So, mind telling me about yourself? I don't even know what kind of world you come from, or what half the stuff in your profile actually means.

[ The answer – it feels like an honest answer, at least – catches her somewhat off-guard. The fact that their similar start ages doesn't really surprise her, from what little she's gleaned from him and what he's said to the Chimeriad and Maxwell's group, but the second part of the answer is what gives her pause. She watches him quietly for a little bit, trying to further get some idea of what he's thinking.

She jumps slightly at the pop of the toaster going off. These machines (spyrix, or whatever Maxwell had called them?) were something she wasn't probably ever going to get used to. ]

... is that when you first showed up in Rieze Maxia?

[ It's a quiet question, like she's still trying to weigh her options if she actually wants to ask it or not. ]

[For the first time in a minute, Alvin looks at her. It's the briefest of sidelong glances, there and gone, yet there it is--a glimpse of uncertainty. He wasn't expecting Presa to ask for clarification; or, perhaps, he expected a different, harsher tone.

Still too much of a coward to meet her eyes for long, he starts transferring eggs to toast, toast to plates, enough for two.]

Yeah. You know the tsunami that ended the Battle of Fezebel, twenty years back? That same storm blew in all the Elympions who eventually became Exodus.

[Including little mama's boy Alfred Vint Svent, newly fatherless in a terrifying, lush, hostile world.]

[ Isn't it? Welt just proclaiming such a statement with every ounce of being is something he is used to doing; he does take note of the eyebrows raising, but he finds himself hardly surprised. Only watches the only brunet's expression lighting up and to take the hand outstretched to him. ]

Alvin, then.

I will have to take your word for it until proven otherwise.

[ Welt says, a slight tug on his lips indicating a point upwards, however minute; hard to notice for most people, perhaps, but evident nonetheless. After the moment, though, his expression settles back to how it is before, and then Welt will let go so he can move towards the table, taking a seat as well as placing the book down. ]

I don't mind at all.

I suppose before I get too into it, I shouldn't hit you with far too many odd concepts at once. While it is true that I do come from a world just like most people, I was currently on a vehicle of sorts. The Astral Express, to be exact.

...But, before I go into that, I have to ask:

Are you familiar with animation or space travel? Or at least the concepts?

[ Some people here are not far too technologically inclined, so mentioning of holograms or space travel or even the internet at this point even in the vaguest and minimal of senses has gotten him some stares. He'll be most glad to expound on subjects relating to the Astral Express, but he'd rather not leave Alvin far too confused. ]

[While he's tempted to sit on the table like a hooligan, Alvin instead pulls out a chair and sits in it backwards, arms folded over the back of it. It's only half as obnoxious as he could be, still facing Welt on the same level as him without wholly having to act his age.

His expression is curious, slightly bemused, as he rests his chin on his crossed arms.]

Sounds like "space travel" might mean something more specific than getting from one space to another. And I take it "animation" isn't just the concept of something being alive.

[Still, the latter term tickles something in the back of his mind. He frowns, closing his eyes, trying to pull the thread free.]

No, wasn't that something... like... [Damn, what was the word? It's been so long. Rubbing his chin until something bubbles to the surface of memory, Alvin picks his head up and tries, uncertainly:] ...Cartoons? For kids?

[ That'd be hilarious. Though, Welt's more than glad enough to take the time to perhaps go into a little more detail on either matters.

He immediately launches into an explanation with an extensive explanation at the ready. ]

Hmm, I believe I am glad I asked now.

...Space travel is more specific than going from one space to another, yes - in fact, to expound on this, it usually involves taking a vessel or vehicle that is engineered for planetary or off-world travel. So, essentially, it involves going beyond a world and sailing through the stars on a space-faring ship or machine of some type.

While usually some kind of ship is the ideal vehicle, there are some outliers. Which leads me to point out one such as the Astral Express - a train that travels through the stars. And where I was before all of this happened.

It's also where I've made some close friendships.

[ Though, clearly he's been separated from those friends. Either way, he thinks he makes the bridge from 'space travel' to 'Astral Express' even if it's probably still something not very commonly heard of where Alvin's from. If he has further questions, he's glad to answer them, however. ]

...Going back to animation and cartoons, I would say that while both are essentially one and the same, though animation or a cartoon doesn't necessarily simply keep to the audience of children. But, I did make cartoons for children - primarily by conveying the story of Arahato to a large audience. It involved a mecha as the titular character, who gave his all in protecting the world from a myriad threats that would come and go.

Do you...

[ she holds the cigarette. looks at it. she's allowed vices. she can't help it. she has to play the part of the burnout, the waste of potential, the girl trying her best through minimum wage until she can skip town. it's all she can do to keep her sister from trying to follow in her example.

is there anything left now, outside of town? what could there be to find? ]

Nah, I barely want these fucking things. We need one of those - what the fuck are they called? Wreck rooms? Where they give you old tvs and microwaves and shit to beat with baseball bats? I bet you'd [ look hot- ] kick ass in one of those. [ same thing. ]

[Alvin doesn't have to feign interest. Almost despite himself, his eyes widen as he listens to Welt talk--particularly about the Astral Express. The vee of his hand settles over his mouth, and he repeats the words quietly into his glove:]

Going beyond a world...

[Whatever he's thinking, he doesn't share right away. Instead, he hangs attentively on Welt's explanations until he's done, and only then lets his hand fall.]

Sounds like where you're from, technology's a lot more advanced than you'd find anywhere in my world. I mean, I'm familiar with trains and constructs, but I've never heard of any machine--I'm guessing that's what a "mecha" is--sophisticated enough to have a gender, let alone a heroic personality.

[His tone takes a turn for the thoughtful.]

So... people board your off-world train on purpose, I take it? To travel among the stars? ...What do they find up there?

[ Welt is, admittedly worried that he is talking far too in-depth on these subjects to the point where he might still lose the man he is speaking too, but Alvin at least seems to be following along well enough. As well as look evidently still interested - two points in his favor so far.

Either way, he's already granting a nod to Alvin's conclusion on the matter. ]

You'd be correct that it is highly advanced compared to some - and the universe I found myself in before here was even moreso.

[ So, yeah, there's that. And while they're on the subject... ]

They can board the train on purpose if that is indeed their choice. Those who choose to board the train can do so as a visitor, as a guest, or as someone who is looking to become a Nameless. After all, the reasons for why someone would board the Astral Express can number many - they could just be looking to travel, or to help mark pathways amongst the stars to other worlds. Though, the latter is typically a goal of the Nameless.

Of course, I've made some implications, but I'll make it clear that traveling amongst stars grants one the opportunity to discover different stars entirely - or worlds, or perhaps other places in space like space stations, ships, or odd phenomenon that can't be explained in short and easy terms.

...What do you think of the subject so far? I suppose it may not only be new to you, but quite a bit to take in.

[Did it really have to be so spooky? Realistically, ghosts shouldn't be real... but then again, a lot of things were real now that definitely weren't before.

Elizabeth's just happy to join at Calypso's side. Mirroring her stretch with one of her own.]

What? [She looks upwards.] What, you want to scale the outside of the mansion now? After we just got out?

[ She hums in recognition of what he's talking about, since he's clearly trying not to look at her too much right now. She'd make a comment about it, but given the fact that he's generally being more open than he's been in a long time – and also maybe because he's making her food – she keeps it to herself for the time being. ]

I can't imagine what that must've been like. Especially for a six-year-old.

[ Which is why they even formed Exodus in the first place, right? She can hear what Alvin had said back in Kanbalar about their initial goals, that all they ever wanted was to go home. Who could blame that? Presa didn't have a home, not until Gaius gave her one, but even she could empathize with the desire to leave a hostile place and back to where they belonged.

Her gaze finally breaks, looking down at the eggs and toast on the plates, then back at the stove. She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose, trying to will the images of Teruteru breaking down out of her vision. ]

It's certainly enough to drive anybody to drink.

[ teen drinking is very bad, etc etc ]

You deserve the fucking galaxy.

[She sniffs again, still clinging.]

Don't- don't forget that, okay? After- don't forget how much you matter. Please.

[If ghosts don't exist then why deadland? Checkmate atheists.]

[Calypso looks over at Elizabeth, grinning the smile of an impulsive teenager with no concept of mortality and too many energy drinks in their system.]

After being stuck inside without a real view for two months? Hell yes I do.

[She sticks out a hand, summoning a figurative "YES/NO" dialogue box featuring a caution to save your game because this may have consequences.]

[That wins her one of those familiarly crooked smiles as he turns to offer her her share of breakfast.]

Heh. Well, at least I didn't start that at six. I waited until I was all grown up to pick up that fun little vice.

[The smile, like so much else warm and familiar in life, fades. Alvin catches himself studying Presa's face, wondering if it would feel the way his fingers still remember if he grazed her cheek. He runs a hand down the back of his skull instead.]

Listen, uh. ...I can go if you want. You don't have to force yourself to share a table with... well, with me.

[That's a sad look to be saying that with, though.]

[ That gets her to laugh, quietly, as she takes the plate from him in a nod in thanks. ]

Better late than never, I guess.

[ Presa considers the plate for a moment or two, before looking back up Alvin when he mentions leaving. Part of her thinks it's probably for the best – even if they're stuck in this dangerous and unfamiliar situation, she's not sure it's the best idea to be staying so close to him. Nothing's happened, of course, but she knows that that doesn't mean that nothing's going to happen. Burning bridges was his specialty, after all, and this place is all but encouraging that to happen.

And yet, seeing that smarmy, all-too-familiar smile, she knows she can't help herself.

She's grateful for the kettle finally going off, giving her an excuse to turn back to the stove and hope he missed the slight blush over her cheeks. Spirits, she's weak – she can just hear Agria making fun of her right now. ]

I don't mind. I wouldn't have taken your offer if I did. Besides, it's probably better if we're seen together in case people start asking questions. [ she coughs, her tail swishing back and forth as she grabs a cup and a tea bag from the cabinet ] Do you want one?

[ Ai laughs (politely, because it seems like the right thing to do) and shakes her head. ]

Mm, I don't know about that. The smell's a little too strong for me. And can you imagine how much trouble I'd get into? I bet Prez Saitou would show up out of nowhere just to scold me.

[ Honestly, the smell hanging on Lex's clothes is a bit much sometimes, but she'll put up with it. In a place like this, there's worse things to reek of. ]

Do they really have those nowadays? Or, um - I guess in the time you come from, anyway. Back in the Japan I'm from, I don't think they've made it to us yet.

[ not that Ai would be permitted to step foot in one even if they were. oh well. ]

Yeah, probably. Every time I smoke one these days, I feel my old auto shop teacher judging me. Fuckin' Mister Houston. Or... just Tom now, I guess.

[ She sighs, rolling the cigarette between her fingers. ]

And hey, if I had made it out to LA, I have it on good authority they let actors smoke there.

[ If she had made it... if everything hadn't gone to shit. Her sister's all she has. All she's ever going to have. And here, Lex can't do anything to protect her. ]

... Does it sound fun? I can probably make one happen here with the crap from the School Store. It's not like I'm going to use my tenth... well, anything that comes out of there.

[ It's not like they have one in Lex's middle-of-nowhere Midwest town, but Ai doesn't have to know that. Ai doesn't have to know a lot of things about Lex's life - she likes feeling a little more impressive than she actually is. Like she's more than some fuckup with a fuckup mom and a dead fuckup boyfriend from a nowhere town in a world that's gone now.

It doesn't matter anymore. There's only this, until the mastermind takes hostages, then she'll be gone. No one will miss her. She'll die protecting Hannah one last time. So until then, she can pretend she belongs in the same room as someone like Ai. ]

I know we're not supposed to "damage school property" or whatever, but if it's our property, that's probably fine, right?

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mistletoe meme but people die-

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lord only knows if this is coherent BUT HERE WE GO

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