[55th Replay]

[badend_replay]

[ Rika noticed pretty early on. Keiichi was droned one day and it continued for a while. She tired to convince herself that it wasn't anything to worry about and he'd be back to normal soon, but it didn't happen.

So at first she was an emo mess. Which just meant that she tried to avoid social interactions and holed up in her room whenever possible.

Comments

[godisachild]

[Considering you're on his street, it isn't hard to run into him. Pokey just barely keeps himself from being knocked to the ground, looking up in annoyance before recognizing who it is.]

....What're you running from?

[badend_replay]

Pokey, sir!

[ Rika looks a bit glad to see him. After all, saying good bye to one friend and then immediately running into another one... For a moment, she looks a bit relieved. Then she wipes that look off and replaces it with a big smile. ]

Nothing~! It is just too nice of a day to not be running, don't you think?

[godisachild]

Eh, I'm not exactly that big of a runner.

[Oh. So this is the voice we're going with right now, huh. He guesses that's no skin off his nose, so he'll just shrug for the moment.]

And it's always a nice day here. I just haven't seen you over in the neighborhood for awhile.

[badend_replay]

Not a runner, really? Is Pokey more a board games person, then?

[ She nods, still smiling. ] I was being silly. But I feel much better now. What about you? I have not seen you in a while. How have you been?

[godisachild]

Guess you could say that.

[And it shows, for the most part.]

...Guess I've been alright. As good as I can be here.

You?

[badend_replay]

I have been "alright" as well! Though I am extra-alright now that the milk is safe again.

I hope you did not drink any.

[godisachild]

....Yeah. I didn't drink any.

You?

[badend_replay]

... I was okay.

[ Yes, she did. ]

I am quite relieved that that has finished. I already did not like the Milkman very much.

[godisachild]

[So was he. For the most part. At least nothing he got was lethal.]

You're telling me. I'm not a fan of any of the people running the town, if we're going to bother to say that.

Good thing you were okay, I guess.

[Friendliness is still pretty foreign to him. This is the best you're probably going to get, Rika.]

[badend_replay]

[ She chuckles, before using that other voice again. ]

Their grip on the town occasionally seems to slip. I am interested to see how they continue to handle their management.

[ If only for a moment, before she perks up again and smiles. ]

I'm glad to see you are okay as well!

[godisachild]

[He takes notice. And is quiet for a moment.]

Or they're letting us think it's slipping. That might have been the point in getting rid of Achewood and Olney. To get rid of parts of whatever Zemekis is doing that's grown weaker.

[badend_replay]

... I would not be surprised if that were true. Perhaps I am just too eager to get out of here, but I hope it is not the case.

[godisachild]

A lot of people are eager to leave here. I mean, it's not like you're wrong. It's just you could be jumping to conclusions.

[He himself isn't eager to leave. But he isn't spilling that.]

...Maybe. I don't know. Either they're really good at what they've set up, or they're really lucky. Or both.

[badend_replay]

... It will do me no good to jump to conclusions, then.

Perhaps soon we will find more evidence to point more conclusively in either direction. Until then, I must not be a fool.

[godisachild]

[Pokey shrugs a little, kicking one of his feet at the ground.]

Eh. You're not as bad as some of the people here.

...I dunno. Can we trust anything we've found here? Especially after what how they flipped everything around in March?

[badend_replay]

... I would rather trust and fall than not bother to try at all. So at least for me, I think we can trust some things.