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]

At least he'd managed to eat something, even though it was tasteless porridge stuff. Claire didn't have his journal with him to write lists down in (he'd even asked his soldier if he could go back to his room to get it, but the guy had only frowned at him and cut him off when he made to head in that direction), but he made a mental note to write at the top of his list when he did get his journal in hand:

This is a List

Toss out all the pink porridge. It needs to go. Really.Claire had frowned at his soldier, who had moved a hand none too subtly to the gun he had, as if to remind him. Of course, it did nothing in the lines of threatening, but Claire figured it would make everything a lot easier if he let it go. Be the better man and all, right? He'd followed his soldier to his next destination, which was probably the Sun Room, except

[ofthemotions]

Lunch went well enough, and Mikado had enjoyed talking to Makunouchi. Having just one stranger from the same place was reassuring, and it was strange how that had changed. Though... if he believed the board there was at least a few people from Ikebukuro. He hadn't yet seen Celty so Mikado tended to believe it. If this place was busy enough to hide her, there was probably a bunch of people scattered throughout the place

[train_tracer]

What to do, what to do...? He supposed he could just take over a seat, steal a magic pen or two, grab a few sheets of colored paper, and practice making lists. Boring, but still something he could do, right

[ofthemotions]

...Even the voice matched. Either this was a magnificent cosplayer or... Uh. He didn't even know. Mikado couldn't really imagine the Rail Tracer in military garb (or himself for that matter. It was a day of changes, it seemed), but here was a near perfect duplicate, down to the nuances of speech and tone.

...A lot friendlier than he would have thought, but Claire had that way about him.

Except then, Mikado was caught staring. And the boy flushed fiercely, glancing to the side. "Ah, no, I just." Am a creep who thought you looked like a character I like. That's all. The guy might not even be a cosplayer. Just a good look alike.

Manners. Right. His eyes widened slightly, and he half-bowed again. "Ah, I'm Ryuugamine Mikado. Sorry.... Again...."

And now he was repeating himself. A vein twitched over his eye.

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[ofthemotions]

The guy was so happy