Day 58: Arts & Crafts (Fourth shift)

[immortale]

Firo was glad to see the end of lunch, if only for the fact that in a few more hours, the day would be over. Night was the only time he had any real freedom of movement, and it was the only time he could do something worth doing, instead of just sitting around

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[train_tracer]

Claire watched the boy squirm and trip over his words as he tried to explain himself. What a strange kid! Almost as strange as the kid he'd just been talking to during lunch before. But then, they really couldn't be compared, right? Since this one hadn't tried to attack him yet. Right?

In any case, Claire decided that this kid was sort of endearing in a clumsy kind of way. The kind that you really wanted to take under your wing and teach the ways of the world to. So he chuckled and reached out a hand to ruffle the boy's hair, because he'd always wanted to do that to someone before.

"Alright, don't hurt yourself," Claire said, cutting him off before he could do something like apologize for apologizing again. "Once is quite enough, you know? But you're a good kid. People should learn to be more like you!"

He was still wondering what had made the boy stop and stare, but there was another more immediate concern he had to puzzle over first. What kind of a name was Rah-- Ra-yu... guh--? ... He probably shouldn't try to pronounce it. Maybe he'd just call the boy Mikado, weird as that sounded? It was like calling himself Stanfield; it was just odd. But people tended to not like it when people butchered their names, so...

... Well, maybe he'd just avoid having to speak the kid's name out loud for the moment. And give his own name back, right, manners!

"Claire Stanfie-- or no, wait, more like Vino now. So, Vino! Nice to meet you!" He accompanies all this with a grin.

"So, what was that before?" he continued after a pause, apparently not willing to let go of whatever questions he had, despite the other's apparent embarrassment. Sensitivity to other people's feelings was not one of his stronger points.

[ofthemotions]

The lookalike reached out and ruffled his hair, and Mikado just... stared. What was...? He... really didn't know if he was supposed to be complimented or insulted. A good kid? Don't you say that to five year olds? Either way it was, he felt more like an idiot. "Ah...--" He wasn't even going to bother. He wasn't succeeding at communicating in any way--whatever he said at this point was just going to make it worse. He stared at the vicinity near his feet, a pained expression on his face.

One day, he would have a first impression that wasn't him running into someone, or someone tripping over him, or him making things awkward by refusing to call someone just by their first name, or.... That was just today, wasn't it. He sort of wanted to just sleep and start over again. Except he had to stay up to see what happened tonight, if any--

...Ah. Huh. What.

Mikado lifted his head to stare at the man, brows drawing together as if trying to figure the man out. Did he really just introduce himself as Claire? Why would--

Oh, okay. Maybe the whole fake name thing. There was some guy going around by Japan, after all--though with people like Hope and Snow, Mikado half-wondered if some of these people really just had unfortunate parents. Should Mikado be introducing himself as someone else, too? It was probably too late at this point, anyway, and he'd rather keep Tanaka Taro private if there was anything interesting on the board. It was a way to contact Izaya anonymously at least.

...If he asked for Kanra-chan. Right. Uh.

Mikado let out a short, awkward laugh, peering at the man hesitantly. "Ah... That, really. I thought you looked like him. I guess we're both fans, then." He scratched at the side of his neck nervously. "You really do do it well, though. Even in a place like this."

[train_tracer]

... Was he missing something? Such as a reference they were both supposed to have understood? Because... what? It must have flown over his head then, because Claire stared back, no longer quite sure what they were talking about anymore. In fact, had he even been sure in the first place? He realized that he still had yet to get an answer to his first question. Maybe Raayuuuuu... Mikado. Maybe Mikado had difficulty spitting things out. See, just as he had concluded before! What a strange kid!

"... Sorry, what?" Claire said, confused. "I look like who? Or rather, there's someone that looks like me?" Must be an impostor, right? There isn't anyone who looks like himself except himself! That would be weird, even for this institute's standards. ... He hoped he wouldn't have to eat his words for that, later on. (Even if it might turn out rather interesting.)

Claire actually looked around to check if maybe they were talking about someone and he just hadn't caught it. (Which he doubted, but well, that whole benefit of the doubt thing, right?) Nope, no one who could fit the bill. He was pretty sure he was the only person who looked like himself in this room.

"I do a lot of things well, but you'll have to be more specific than that," he continued. "And what's this about fans?"

Claire paused, considering for a moment, wondering if maybe...

"Actually, have I met you before? You seem to know me. I don't think I remember you though..." he trailed off thoughtfully.

[ofthemotions]

The guy was seriously acting like he was clueless. Mikado had to wonder if he was a genuine idiot or just playing with him. The boy looked at him, completely flabbergasted. What do you say to something like this? Unless the guy had been here for a while. And honestly forgot that he was going by a character's name. It could be not a lot had knew of it, and he had never been questioned before.

All right, then. That was simple enough if Mikado just wasn't being clear enough. He breathed out a sigh, then looked up. "I don't know you, but I know the character you're playing as. Claire Stanfield? Vino. The Rail Tracer. That's what I meant...." He had a brief urge to apologize again, and muffled it. "You're a really excellent duplicate."

[train_tracer]

Claire had to pause for a long moment. So as it happened, the two probably ended up staring at each other for a few seconds. The boy had actually confused him enough for Claire to wait until after he'd finished talking before replying.

"... But. I am...? Didn't I just tell you?" He blinked. What a weird conversation this was turning into. "And see, you do know me! How else would you know I'm also the Rail Tracer when I haven't told most people about that name yet?"

Now this was really a situation he'd never encountered before! Certainly, it was strange, but... this was sort of interesting, wasn't it? Duplicate, duplicate... wait, this meant someone was trying to copy him?! Well, that wasn't nice at all! For one, it wasn't like they would be able to surpass him or even match him enough anyway. For two, people shouldn't steal ideas!

"Wait, someone really does look like me?! Is it someone here? Because I'll have to find them then."

[ofthemotions]

"No, it's--" Mikado had moved his hands up as if to interrupt, and then, abruptly, he dropped then, and stared blankly at the man. It was that this guy looked like Claire. Not anything else. Not the reverse at all.

Except... It'd be unfortunate, wouldn't it, if this guy really didn't know what Mikado was talking about. And just happened to look and talk exactly the same, and just happened to have the same name....

Which held up until the multiple names. Because Mikado might have believed there was a real life Claire Stanfield, but there was no way the person also went by Vino or the Rail Tracer. It was too... crazy. Too unbelievable a circumstance. The guy really had to be playing with him somehow. Except he really did look as confused as Mikado did. Ugh. What to do....

He could at least clear that up. "No, no one here looks like you. I just... You look like someone else." But every time Mikado said that, the sentence got reversed. That someone looked like this man instead. That was pretty like Claire, with the center of his own world thing. But still.

He tried to think of a way to answer the rest of the questions but fell short, looking at the man helplessly. How to explain to someone when they just weren't understanding. The guy couldn't not know the canon, could he? How could that be possible? Mikado could believe a lot of things but that this man randomly pulled those names from somewhere....

Ah! Maybe someone had happened, and he didn't remember where exactly he had taken the identity from. Mikado had a brief flash of insight that gave him a nagging suspicion he was getting more and more off, but he pressed forward with the thought. Maybe reminding him of the details...? "Okay! You know. The, uh, really thorough assassin that was adopted by the Gandors? Ran away to the circus? Became a conductor? Is in love with Chane?"

[train_tracer]

Claire was officially confused. Not that he wasn't already before, but he just felt the need to make that an official thing to note at this point in the conversation. And he said as much.

"I'm officially confused," he said. "So you said no one here looks like me, but I look like someone else you know, right? But how can that be? I should be the only one to look like myself! That can't be right!"

Because there was only one person that looked like himself here and that was himself! Right? Right! It just wasn't possible, unless he had somehow encountered this kid before and he was now talking about their encounter. But funny! Nothing came to mind! Granted, Claire tended to forget things he didn't find all that important, but even he's pretty sure he's never met an Asian kid before and actually sat there and told him about himself. That just wasn't something you did as an infamous assassin!

But apparently, something must have gone down in the past, because here he was, having his life story told back to him. It's a bit like hearing a nostalgic childhood story (when was the last time he'd reminisced about the past? Answer: Never), but with an extra strangeness factor added into it. How did this boy know so much?!

Claire has to gape for a while afterward, because he's definitely sure he hadn't talked to someone in that much detail about his life before. Not even most of the rumors about Vino knew that much about his origin story, and he knew that as a fact! If the authorities had caught on to the fact that Vino was undercover as a train conductor, he would have known! His brothers, Claire knew, would never give out information like that on him. And he even knew about Chane! That had been, what, six days ago? He hadnt even told his brothers about her yet! So how...

That wasn't to say that there wasn't information floating about on how he came to be, but in order to get that information, you had to run with a certain crowd... Just who was this kid?!

"... What did you say your name was, again?" Claire said, after a long pause.

[ofthemotions]

...He had an urge to keysmash.

This entire conversation was making his head ache. And now instead of finding out more details about this place, Mikado was still stuck on a long introduction, because, it seemed, despite the apparent language apparatus, Mikado and the man were speaking completely different languages. They weren't lining up at all. Questions were thrown at him again, and Mikado just looked at the man, pained. He didn't know what he was supposed to say anymore.

The conversation dropped to an awkward silence, broken only by the guy slowly asking Mikado's name again. He looked at him, expression vaguely apologetic. "...Ryuugamine Mikado."

...Pleased to meet you. He felt a little like bashing his head into a wall.

[train_tracer]

Claire got no responses for his questions and his reasoning at all. He just got this strange expression that might have been awkwardness or nervousness or confusion…? Maybe? Any of those. All of those. … Anyway, the point was that there was no response. Probably confused.

Maybe the kid couldn't understand him. He looked younger than himself, after all, maybe even a lot younger. Besides, the kid was Asian, right? What if everything was difficult to understand in a foreign language?

The fact that there was probably a reason everyone seemed to be speaking American-English to him had never even occurred to Claire. These things sort of tended to fly over his head.

"Hope you won't mind terribly if I just called you by surname?" Claire said. He wasn't even going to attempt that tongue-twister of a first name. Again, who would name their child a name people couldn't pronounce? That just didn’t make sense! It was also kind of sad, wasn't it? It probably meant something in Asian. Maybe he should ask.

"So, Mikado… Mikaaaadoo…" Claire frowned. Somehow, he just couldn't get it to sound quite like the way the boy had pronounced it. And that wouldn't do, right? But… how did he say it like…

"……. Miikah-- this sounds weird. And it's your last name, too, which makes it weirder. Maybe if I just-- Mikaa-- doh… Miiii--Mi--… Micky. "

… Oh hey, that worked! Micky! Like Mickey Mouse, except not. … Well, maybe he was on to something here. The kid was sort of small and endearing, kind of like Mickey. That made a lot more sense than Ruhyuuugawmee-- …what he had before.

"Micky! " Claire said again, quite pleased with himself. It was the perfect nickname! And it also made things a lot easier for him to say, didn't it? "Your name's a mouthful, so I gave you a nickname. But no, I was wondering if your name meant anything. Asian names usually mean something interesting, right? "

It's a moment later before he recalls that he had meant to ask the newly-christened Micky about how he'd come across so much information about Vino.

"Oh right. I'll also need to know why you know so much about me. You don't happen to have any shady connections anywhere, do you?"

[ofthemotions]

The man seemed to drop the subject, and Mikado was half-happy about that by this point. And even offering to call Mikado by his surname. The boy began to nod, and then stopped as the man began his attempts. "That's actually not...." The guy had thought it was in western order. Ah. Well. "That's my given name--"

Mikado stared as the man tried out a variation of prounciations, none becoming exact. This was really... like dealing with a little kid, and wow, this guy really did act like Claire, didn't he, but in the--

Mental keysmash urge again. Mikado's jaw dropped as he stared. "Micky?" Ryuu had been one thing, but now.... A part of him, that part that was slowly dying from today, felt like crying a little. More... nicknames. Was his name really that hard to say? He felt exhausted. Dealing with this person was exhausting. He gave up. What was the point right now?

He was blatant to the point of rude, but Mikado had already expected it. More and more this person was lining up with a character completely. The one winning point had been that, at least, his name's meaning wasn't known to be teased for, but that had been negated by this question. "I'm Japanese," he clarified. Not Asian in general. "And, uh." The boy flushed lightly, glancing to the side. "It means, um. 'Emperor of the Dragon's Peak.'"

Really, the only exciting part of his life from childhood. Though part of him resented it by this point.

So involved in that, he almost missed the last thing said. He glanced up at the man. Light tone and all. If it was really Claire that said that, Mikado would likely have started to become terrified. As it was, he only stuttered. "M-me?" The shadiest person he knew was Izaya, and that was the man's occupation. "I'm a student, I don't have anything to do with stuff like that." Dollars, on the other hand.... But they weren't talking about that.

[train_tracer]

The thing about Claire was that it was often really hard to get his attention once he started, Add to that the fact that once he'd decided he liked something, he usually stuck to it. Incorrigibly. Didn't hurt to mention that Claire had also never bothered to learn how to to be emotionally sensitive, either.

So the excitement he had over finding the perfect nickname for Micky overrode whatever possibility he would have had at seeing the kid's incredulousness at the nickname. But come now, how was Claire to know that Micky had gone through the entire day, meeting new people who couldn't pronounce his name?

"Yes, Micky!" he repeated, brightly. "Fitting, isn't it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Claire drove on. "I think it's perfect!"

At least he paused to let Micky answer his question, listening intently, then thinking about it for a bit.

"... That's a strange name," was his verdict, but then he grinned. "I like it! It has a nice ring to it! Your parents must have really thought you were their amazing son, huh!"

But then Claire had to blink at the answer to his last question. Really? So no shady connections, which meant this kid wouldn't really have connection to information such as this, right? It wasn't exactly word on the street except amongst certain circles. So how else then?

"So you're a student. Just a student? Nothing else?" Mostly, Claire was just confirming, but from what he saw, it seemed like Micky was telling the truth. Besides, he really couldn't see him in any sort of shady business anyway. Wrong image and all that. Seemed to be all honesty and good, which Claire figured was alright in the long run.

"Huh. Maybe information's just getting out then, though word on Chane and the Rail Tracer certainly went fast. Unbelievable, how fast it traveled, really! I should do something about that. The Daily Days Newspaper is in New York, if I'm remembering correctly... Ah, by the way, you don't happen to remember where you heard all this from, do you?"

Claire would have to remind himself to pay the place a visit, manipulate the information flow a bit. He liked how his name was turning into a legend out on the street, but it shouldn't get too out of control.

"You said you were Japanese? So did you come to America from Japan then? You don't even have an accent, you know, that's amazing!"

Now, it was steering into normal conversation territory. Claire had decided Micky was a nice enough kid and an interesting enough person to find out more about, apparently. He imagined their new acquaintance should work a bit like, hey, this kid could tell him about his nice life and then Claire could teach him how to make his life better. After all, Micky didn't look like someone who could hold his own in a tight spot. And that wouldn't do! Claire liked the kid already! It was out of the goodness of his heart, really, that Claire would turn Micky into a more competent person! Today was Micky's stroke of luck that he happened to meet the Rail Tracer!

[ofthemotions]

The guy was so happy.

"No, not...." Not really. Not at all. Mikado's shoulder slumped further, defeat giving in. Cosplayer, lookalike, whatever--they had Claire's boundless amounts of focused energy, and Mikado couldn't keep up. He'd like to see Masaomi and this guy in a room together.

...From a two-way mirror, maybe. Or on the other side of a glass door. Mikado had a feeling he'd be roped in between them if he was in a ten foot radius.

Mikado swallowed a sob.

His name was strange, and he was more likely at this point to believe his parents named him that to torture him for some unknown reason that had been heaped on him. The boy didn't even bother to respond. The man would fill the silence soon enough. Sadly, Mikado didn't even think of leaving. Like a victim with Stockholm Syndrome, or someone with extreme politeness bred into them, he could only stand there, and try to answer the questions directed at him. And hope he didn't confuse the man as much as Mikado was. That would be. Tragic, really. Because at this point....

"Just a student, I guess. I spend time with my friends and go online, but otherwise...." Nothing anyone needed knowing, really. Again, it didn't really matter. The guy rambled on, citing more things from the canon. Mikado only stared blankly. How to even.... There really wasn't a need to be clever, was there. Why was he trying to think. "On TV. And in books." Like everyone else.

He was really getting overwhelmed. The string of sentences and words thrown at him seemed more like an interrogation in ways, rather than friendly chatter. "I... had to have," he said, blank expression from mental pain breaking only at that to reveal something more troubled. "I woke up here. It wasn't that I came here by choice."

He nearly missed the last part. And then decided to just leave it. He could barely get this man to consider that he was acting a part--getting him to believe that there was a language communicator seemed a completely different world of pain.

[train_tracer]

'On-line'? What did he mean by 'on-line'? On what line? A railroad line? A telephone line? A line... line? This sounded like a weird hobby.... Well, maybe not so much the railroad line. Claire was okay with railroads. But whoa, Micky was an interesting fellow, wasn't he? Japan must be a strange place full of unfamiliar, foreign things and jargon to go with--

... Wait, what.

"I have no idea what 'TV' stands for and even less of a clue about all these '-lines', but wait, did you say books? As in, books?!"

Had Micky said books? Did it mean Claire was in a book? As in a story?! Wait, wait, wait, this was so confusing. How did he get written into a story?! Actually no, this was kind of awesome, as well, wasn't it? He wanted to read this book. It had to be an exciting book, right? Because he was in it. Claire was in a book.

"What kind of books? What were they called? Am I the hero? Who else is in it? Is Chane in it?" Have some more of that boundless energy, Micky! Claire paused for just a moment in his long line of questions... then popped in another, why not. "... Does Chane marry me?"

It was important, alright?

In his excitement over this new development in the conversation, Claire nearly missed the last few words that Micky said. But no, he could deal with all that later! He had more questions that needed to be answered! If he remembered later, he'd ask about Micky's arrival and other stuff like that.