Mari Makinami for The Velvet Key

[zabeasto]

➥ Ｉ．

[ Prospero, say hello to the latest social link of the Death Arcana. Despite her obvious young age, she doesn't wake up in one of the dorms assigned to school appropriate students. Instead, she finds herself wandering the hotel lobby with an expression torn between complete boredom and shrill excitement over her new surroundings.

Shall you obtain your first rank in this social link? ]

➥ ＩＩ．

[ Despite it being winter, one can happen upon this young girl skipping through the blue water of the shore, her shoes and stockings in hand. ]

So this is what the ocean really smells like! [ It's almost as though it's Christmas morning and she's had everything she asked for under the tree judging by her joy. ] I always wondered what it would feel like to run through the sand like this!

➥ ＩＩＩ．

[ Oh no, a young girl is surrounded by shadows! But wait, she doesn't appear to be frightened in the least. No, in fact she seems to be drawing the attention of as many as she can by shouting gibberish in between shrieks of laughter. As soon as they begin to approach though, she falters back a few steps in a manner identical to a drunken stupor. Throwing out her arm towards them, an intimidating Persona suddenly appears and wipes the entire crowd out with a single attack. ]

Heeheehee, let's get more and more! I don't want a single shadow to remain! [ Does she appear a bit manic or is it simply the imagination of any onlooker? ] Let's kill them all!

Comments

[zabeasto]

I did, but the ocean is strange where I come from.

[ Aren't you that girl that done got herself absorbed or something? ]

Don't you know?

[soulsborderline]

Pft. Like I can keep track of all the weird alternate dimensions you people come from. I have enough problems with my own, thank you.

[zabeasto]

Well, there's not a problem if you're stuck here so what's the point of worrying about back home? I think it's kickass to listen about alternate dimensions. All those brats back home are going to be jealous.

[soulsborderline]

Well, this place sent me home once, and I just know I'll have to deal with those other idiot pilots if it does it again. Kind of takes the fun out of being on my own here.

[zabeasto]

Other idiot pilots? Sounds like you're not much of a team player.

[soulsborderline]

Trust me. If you met them, you'd understand.

[zabeasto]

I doubt it. I'm a real people person!

[ Bullshit. ]

[soulsborderline]

Yeah, you sure...

...hey, you're like the third person here who didn't get a goofy surprised look when I said I'm a pilot.

[zabeasto]

That might have to do with my excellent people skills.







Or it could be that I'm a pilot myself!

[soulsborderline]

Hm. Another world with the sense not to think we're kids? I didn't think it existed.

So what do you pilot? I've got a giant monster-fighting cyborg, which is pretty awesome if I say so myself~

[zabeasto]

Hm, hm. Pretty sure I pilot the same sort of thing myself. Isn't that funny?

[soulsborderline]

Seriously? There's another world with things like Evas? Lame.

[zabeasto]

Nope.

[ A beat. ]

Just my world.

[soulsborderline]

Excuse me? Evangelions are in my world, and I know everyone who pilots them. You must be thinking of something else.

[zabeasto]

Apparently not.

[ NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. She's totally raspberry the girl in her mind. ]

I'm a pilot through and through. I've been able to pilot two different ones so far and I won't stop until everything has been wiped out.. or we run out of EVAs.

[soulsborderline]

Listen, I don't know where you get your information, but if there was a Fourth Child or whatever, I'd be about the third person to know. And we haven't even started cross-compatibility testing yet.

[zabeasto]

You might want to rethink your position then because I'm definitely a pilot. I could be considered a hero even!

[soulsborderline]

Really. Then what's your name, huh?