[ she immediately starts shoving Ichiro towards the blanket and shoving him to sit down. ] Miku's fine! We didn't get hurt! [ YET. Anyway, as soon as they're sitting down, Mabel will crawl over to the corner of the picnic blanket and start trying to rip it up. ]
You're supposed to wrap these wounds real tight, right?!
i don't trust this peaceful tag at all! ichiro does go to sit down without any fuss, dropping onto the blanket and shifting quickly, shoving the last of that anger down and focusing on this different not quite crisis - also trying to make sure mabel's calm. ] It's okay - it just clipped me, it's fine, don't worry.
[ honestly after being struck by literal lightning last time this is a major improvement so far!! so. he shifts to put some pressure on the cut and looks around them while mabel's doing that, reaching out to put his free hand on miku's head and give her a scritch between the ears. ]
Yeah, I don't need a tourniquet or anything - just enough to get the bleeding to stop. It's gonna be okay - thanks, Mabel-chan. [ while this is happening though he is warily looking around. any more signs of invisible people. ominous storm clouds? distant buildings? is the nice music familiar?? ]
But this is definitely a peaceful tag around. Although looking around, Ichiro will notice that there's now even more picnic setups than there were before they sat down. A few are closer to them, but anyone who may be invisible doesn't seem to be paying them any mind.
[ Mabel manages to rip a nice long strip of blanket off and scuttles over to Ichiro to try and wrap it around his leg and tie it in place--probably tighter than necessary, but Mabel isn't entirely sure how much pressure is needed and tighter is probably better, right? Less chance for the blood to keep coming out?
When she's done and the voice gives instructions again, though, she'll turn around and stare up at the sky suspiciously. ]
What if we just wanna have a nice little picnic with Miku instead?
[ OW well she's trying. once the voice starts talking ichiro adjusts the makeshift bandage himself, fixing the tie on it while mabel's focused on the voice. he looks over at miku, giving her a little scritch behind the ear. good girl, good girl.... ]
Puppies need to be exercised. I'm sure you can find something.
[ The voice goes quiet again.
Off in the distance, towards a different woodsy area than they saw earlier, they can hear some commotion, but it's hard to tell exactly what from over here. More blankets show up. ]
[ hate that. ichiro tunes into the music and looks at the commotion - about how far are they from the woodsy area? what kind of commotion, is it just loud noise? ichiro's tensing, again, carefully pushing himself up to a crouch instead of sitting on the ground. ]
...yeah. Good thinking. Stay close.
[ for now, he's just going to pay close attention to their surroundings, eventually spotting a stick or something kind of near their blanket and nodding at it, then giving sweet miku a ruffle with his hand.
and then, calling out to this narrator, again: ] What's going on over there? [ if they play along, at least a little, then maybe it'll answer more questions. tanaka-san please. ]
[ It's loud noise, that might be people talking, but it's far enough that it's difficult to tell for sure. It's also far enough that that they'd be walking for probably at least ten minutes before they actually reach it, if they're moving quickly.
Miku wags his? her? gender tail at the stick, barking happily. They can hear some cooing sounds from blankets nearby.
[ The cooing sets her on edge. Are people going to try yanking Miku away from them again? Everything about this feels wrong. But she throws the stick just a few feet away--within easy view of the blanket and within easy running distance for Mabel.
Can I safely assume that Miku excitedly runs after the stick and immediately bounds back to Mabel with it. ]
Good Miku! [ pet pet pet! ] You're having fun, right?
[ what. also i cant remember what we gendered miku but miku should be a boy since hector is a girl for gender equality.
ichiro pushes himself up to a fully standing position, now, reaching into his pocket to click the safety back onto the gun so he doesn't kill himself (wouldn't that be funny) and watching the distant scene warily, turning his head every couple of moments to check on mabel and miku. ] And, what, you want us just to pretend nothing's happening? Is that what I'm getting here?
Hey! Playing's fun and all, but you're not the boss of us! You can't tell us what to do!
[ But that said...Mabel doesn't know what to do, not yet, so she'll just. keep playing with Miku, throwing the stick another few feet for him again, still within easy reach and in Ichiro's line of sight. I originally gendered Miku as a girl but that's okay, gender is a construct and Miku is a he now. Miku says trans rights. ]
[ oh he fucking hates this voice so much. SO much. ]
You really think I should just ignore it when somebody's in trouble? What kind of a sociopath are you? [ TANAKA-SAN!!! he's judging this disembodied voice.
to mabel, as he stands up fully. ] ...Go ahead and toss it that direction. [ a little quieter, but giving her a careful look, too. ] We'll take our time. C'mon, Miku, you wanna stretch your legs?
[ Obviously? But the voice quiets down after that.
Miku barks happily, spinning in a circle for a few seconds and then looks expectantly at them.
In the distance, they can hear a loud banging sound in the direction they were looking at. It doesn't sound like a gunshot, but it's something just as loud. ]
[ she looks Ichiro up and down, eyes focusing particularly on his bandaged wound. ] Are you sure you can walk, Ichiro...?
[ ...she decides to trust him, though, and gets ready to throw the stick again. Then there's that BANG, so loud and sudden that Mabel startles with a yelp and throws the stick further than she intended. Miku, I'm sure, will race off for it, but Mabel suddenly looks around for the source. ]
[ pretty sure those two things aren't mutually exclusive?! ]
I've had way worse, don't worry about me.
[ with a reassuring smile. he just got clipped!! thankfully. not like brutalized. i rolled not totally horrible.
but with that, he nods - and the banging noise makes him jump half a foot too, almost immediately turning around like he can shield mabel from whatever the fuck it was. our dog better not be shot. ]
Shit. [ dIDN'T SOUND GOOD whatever it was. he's not immediately going for his new gun but he's moving briskly after miku to make sure she doesn't run directly into danger!! did it sound like a car crash noise or something. ] C'mon.
[ Miku did run off, but Ichiro can catch their puppy at least.
It's not quite a car crash, but it could be something similar. They won't know for sure until they get there. The people in the picnic area yell out complaints at them leaving with the cute dog. How rude of them?
But it's time to walk towards those woods then. Like stated before, it'll take about ten minutes unless they go very fast, which will shorten the time a bit. ]
[ then she starts running off towards the sound before remembering Ichiro probably can't run very well right now, and pausing to turn back and check on him. ]
[ nah he's terminatoring through it i dont know what you expect!! getting a physical injury is way less painful than having your brains scrambled by a hypnosis mic.
he catches up to miku and tosses the stick for her again, so they're still "playing fetch", but makes sure it's not too far away or too close to the crashing noise. ]
Take a picture of her being athletic, then! [ yelling back, but also he definitely gives mabel a thumbs up at her insult. ] Nice.
[ ten minute jog-run time! once they get closer he will pull miku's leash in so she's close by. ]
[ Well. They'll notice a crowd of people close to the woods. They'll also notice what looks like a giant bell that's not on the ground, with blood seeping out from under it.
The voice returns. ]
Wow! Seems like a bullet came out of nowhere and hit the bell, making it crash down onto someone. Funny.
actually he was gonna feel crazy guilty about this (and absolutely still does) but also
to the voice, muttering: ] I'm pretty sure that's not - Is this a cartoon or something? If I'm in another Mickey Mouse thing, I'm gonna lose my shit.
[ why did this person get looney tunes'd. he scoots over to the crowd - are they invisible/ not invisible or what. he'll also scoop up miku and go take a look at the bell, feeling a twist of nausea in his stomach but going over, anyway. ]
...Shit. Did anyone call an ambulance, or anything? [ maybe there are ambulances in this weird city ]
[ They're invisible! Except for the body. The body is actually visible, or what they can see of it from what's sticking out from under the bell. ]
Ambulance? Why would we do that?
[ This crowd sucks.
But even though they said that, a police officer walks in... and they can tell it's a cop, because this person is actually visible. Just like with the teen, they can't focus on the person's face. He asks if anyone knows what happened... but he's looking at Ichiro and Mabel. ]
But--they need help! Look! [ are the visible parts of the body twitching or anything. either way, Mabel will point to them with concern. that's a human person!
She doesn't like the look on the officer's not-quite-visible-face, though--the way he's looking at them. It feels...it feels like he thinks they know.
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Ichiro!!!
[ she immediately starts shoving Ichiro towards the blanket and shoving him to sit down. ] Miku's fine! We didn't get hurt! [
YET.Anyway, as soon as they're sitting down, Mabel will crawl over to the corner of the picnic blanket and start trying to rip it up. ]You're supposed to wrap these wounds real tight, right?!
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i don't trust this peaceful tag at all! ichiro does go to sit down without any fuss, dropping onto the blanket and shifting quickly, shoving the last of that anger down and focusing on this different not quite crisis - also trying to make sure mabel's calm. ] It's okay - it just clipped me, it's fine, don't worry.
[ honestly after being struck by literal lightning last time this is a major improvement so far!! so. he shifts to put some pressure on the cut and looks around them while mabel's doing that, reaching out to put his free hand on miku's head and give her a scritch between the ears. ]
Yeah, I don't need a tourniquet or anything - just enough to get the bleeding to stop. It's gonna be okay - thanks, Mabel-chan. [ while this is happening though he is warily looking around. any more signs of invisible people. ominous storm clouds? distant buildings? is the nice music familiar?? ]
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But this is definitely a peaceful tag around. Although looking around, Ichiro will notice that there's now even more picnic setups than there were before they sat down. A few are closer to them, but anyone who may be invisible doesn't seem to be paying them any mind.
The voice starts again though. ]
You should play fetch.
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When she's done and the voice gives instructions again, though, she'll turn around and stare up at the sky suspiciously. ]
What if we just wanna have a nice little picnic with Miku instead?
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[ OW well she's trying. once the voice starts talking ichiro adjusts the makeshift bandage himself, fixing the tie on it while mabel's focused on the voice. he looks over at miku, giving her a little scritch behind the ear. good girl, good girl.... ]
With what, are you gonna drop a stick too?
[ don't like this crowding sensation! again! ]
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[ The voice goes quiet again.
Off in the distance, towards a different woodsy area than they saw earlier, they can hear some commotion, but it's hard to tell exactly what from over here. More blankets show up. ]
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She stands up abruptly, looking resolute. ]
I'll do it.
I'll play a little bit of fetch with her and...and maybe whatever this is can end! I won't even throw anything that far, so we can stick around here.
[ and, both for her own comfort and to show Ichiro she'll be fine, she pulls out the grappling hook again. ]
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...yeah. Good thinking. Stay close.
[ for now, he's just going to pay close attention to their surroundings, eventually spotting a stick or something kind of near their blanket and nodding at it, then giving sweet miku a ruffle with his hand.
and then, calling out to this narrator, again: ] What's going on over there? [ if they play along, at least a little, then maybe it'll answer more questions. tanaka-san please. ]
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Miku wags his? her? gender tail at the stick, barking happily. They can hear some cooing sounds from blankets nearby.
The voice replies. ]
Oh, I think an accident. Don't worry about it.
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Can I safely assume that Miku excitedly runs after the stick and immediately bounds back to Mabel with it. ]
Good Miku! [ pet pet pet! ] You're having fun, right?
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[ what. also i cant remember what we gendered miku but miku should be a boy since hector is a girl for gender equality.
ichiro pushes himself up to a fully standing position, now, reaching into his pocket to click the safety back onto the gun so he doesn't kill himself (wouldn't that be funny) and watching the distant scene warily, turning his head every couple of moments to check on mabel and miku. ] And, what, you want us just to pretend nothing's happening? Is that what I'm getting here?
[ not in MY protagonist house ]
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The voice hums. ]
It's better if you don't go. You should be playing.
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[ But that said...Mabel doesn't know what to do, not yet, so she'll just. keep playing with Miku, throwing the stick another few feet for him again, still within easy reach and in Ichiro's line of sight. I originally gendered Miku as a girl but that's okay, gender is a construct and Miku is a he now. Miku says trans rights. ]
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You really think I should just ignore it when somebody's in trouble? What kind of a sociopath are you? [ TANAKA-SAN!!! he's judging this disembodied voice.
to mabel, as he stands up fully. ] ...Go ahead and toss it that direction. [ a little quieter, but giving her a careful look, too. ] We'll take our time. C'mon, Miku, you wanna stretch your legs?
annie isnt here suddenly
[ Obviously? But the voice quiets down after that.
Miku barks happily, spinning in a circle for a few seconds and then looks expectantly at them.
In the distance, they can hear a loud banging sound in the direction they were looking at. It doesn't sound like a gunshot, but it's something just as loud. ]
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[ ...she decides to trust him, though, and gets ready to throw the stick again. Then there's that BANG, so loud and sudden that Mabel startles with a yelp and throws the stick further than she intended. Miku, I'm sure, will race off for it, but Mabel suddenly looks around for the source. ]
Wh-what was that?!
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I've had way worse, don't worry about me.
[ with a reassuring smile. he just got clipped!! thankfully. not like brutalized. i rolled not totally horrible.
but with that, he nods - and the banging noise makes him jump half a foot too, almost immediately turning around like he can shield mabel from whatever the fuck it was. our dog better not be shot. ]
Shit. [ dIDN'T SOUND GOOD whatever it was. he's not immediately going for his new gun but he's moving briskly after miku to make sure she doesn't run directly into danger!! did it sound like a car crash noise or something. ] C'mon.
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It's not quite a car crash, but it could be something similar. They won't know for sure until they get there. The people in the picnic area yell out complaints at them leaving with the cute dog. How rude of them?
But it's time to walk towards those woods then. Like stated before, it'll take about ten minutes unless they go very fast, which will shorten the time a bit. ]
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EAT IT, you heartless monsters!
[ then she starts running off towards the sound before remembering Ichiro probably can't run very well right now, and pausing to turn back and check on him. ]
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he catches up to miku and tosses the stick for her again, so they're still "playing fetch", but makes sure it's not too far away or too close to the crashing noise. ]
Take a picture of her being athletic, then! [ yelling back, but also he definitely gives mabel a thumbs up at her insult. ] Nice.
[ ten minute jog-run time! once they get closer he will pull miku's leash in so she's close by. ]
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The voice returns. ]
Wow! Seems like a bullet came out of nowhere and hit the bell, making it crash down onto someone. Funny.
[ How far did this bullet travel? Oh well. ]
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What the...
[ she looks upwards, towards the sky, in confusion, searching for anywhere this bell could have been HANGING FROM??? HOW DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN
to the crowd, who she's hoping won't be nasty for once-- ] Hey, do you know who that person was?
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actually he was gonna feel crazy guilty about this (and absolutely still does) but also
to the voice, muttering: ] I'm pretty sure that's not - Is this a cartoon or something? If I'm in another Mickey Mouse thing, I'm gonna lose my shit.
[ why did this person get looney tunes'd. he scoots over to the crowd - are they invisible/ not invisible or what. he'll also scoop up miku and go take a look at the bell, feeling a twist of nausea in his stomach but going over, anyway. ]
...Shit. Did anyone call an ambulance, or anything? [ maybe there are ambulances in this weird city ]
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Ambulance? Why would we do that?
[ This crowd sucks.
But even though they said that, a police officer walks in... and they can tell it's a cop, because this person is actually visible. Just like with the teen, they can't focus on the person's face. He asks if anyone knows what happened... but he's looking at Ichiro and Mabel. ]
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She doesn't like the look on the officer's not-quite-visible-face, though--the way he's looking at them. It feels...it feels like he thinks they know.
her voice low, to Ichiro: ]
...do you think we might have to run?
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