十七 ❀ july 4 event - 75% droned

[naicha]

_{[ A Taiwan - no, Xiaomei is standing where Japan, no, Kiku usually is, sweeping the front yard and setting up the cafe early in the morning. She is dressed in one of the more conservative costumes that cover more skin. ... She doesn't know how she got pulled into this whole gimmick, her husband put her up to this, okay. Oh, the things she does for love. ]}

Good morning! Nice weather this year, isn't it? <sub>[ instead of the usual "Hi!" or "Zao an!" ]

[ B Shaved ice. Shaved ice. Was that even a thing? She just wants some right now. On a whim, she takes a trip to the grocery, walking briskly along the aisles for toppings: taro, azuki beans, grass jelly, anything--

She slows down to a stop in aisle 12. ]</sub>



Ah... What was I looking for again?

<sub>[ Well, she has a can of condensed milk in one hand and some strawberries in the other. Can anyone give her ideas?

Alternatively, you may have bumped into her on her search! ]

[ C After tucking her three darling little angels in bed (and it's definitely not strange, how she is eighteen and he is twenty-five and their children are at least twelve, heavens no!) Xiaomei has a cup of coffee while propped up on her bed, reading a book she's certainly never touched. It's hard to focus on the text when what Shiki said this morning still bothers her. ]</sub>



Are they really trying to kill us? ... That's silly. <sub>[ She takes a sip of coffee. It's salty. Strange, she thinks she's never done that before...

Feel free to call her, the phone is on the nightstand. ]



(ooc: Just did this, so I'll be retconning some of her characterization slightly! Not that there's much to change... but shh okay this is a thing I am working on starting now.)</sub>

Comments

[naicha]

Oh, alright, but good luck with that, okay? _{[ wow she's not getting in your business where she isn't wanted it's amazing ]} Your mom is so lucky to have such an independent girl like you!

[headedforhope]

[warning beeeells, even through her current state of half-confusion, with all those niggling little thoughts tugging at her mind]

...Miss Ciel isn't my mother, Taiwan-san.

[naicha]

Oh, don't be silly! _{[ Then, genuine concern: ]} Did you and her get into a fight recently?

[headedforhope]

No, I- [Mami shakes her head to fight off a sudden, strange, impossible memory of that very thing, and hardens her voice a touch both for Taiwan's sake and her own] ...no. She's not my mother, I'm not her daughter, we're not related and we never will be.

[naicha]

That's not a very nice thing to say about the one who raised you, you know. She fed you, clothed you and gave you a name... You should be thankful... _{[ She tightens her fists as she recalls a distant memory, but it's too faint for her to remember the details. ]}

[headedforhope]

Except she didn't, of course. [eyes Taiwan carefully] Look, did you hit your head or something today? You're starting to worry me.

[naicha]

I'm perfectly fine! If there's anyone who's acting strangely, I think it's you, Mami. Do you want me to talk to your mom about this? I can help!

[headedforhope]

While it's completely like you to be so nosy, Taiwan-san, [ouch, Mami] it's not as if you're an idiot. You're not claiming to be related to Japan-san or something, right?

[naicha]

_{[ welp droned so it goes over her head... ]} I don't know what you're talking about... And why does everyone keep calling me and Kiku that? It's a very strange joke, you know.

[headedforhope]

Because you're- [knuckles her temple, as if to brush away a rising headache, and in the process an epiphany bloom]....ah. Droned. That's what it is.

[naicha]

You and Shiki have a weird sense of humor. And it's wrong to call other people names, you know! I'll definitely have to tell Mrs. Wilder about this.

1/2

[headedforhope]

[....okay, that gets a laugh out of her]

[headedforhope]

[welp back to being serious]

I see that I can't reach you as you are now, Taiwan-san....so I'll just leave you to your shopping. Sorry to have disturbed you.

[turns to go, a bit regretfully...]

[naicha]

... Wait.

Do you know anything about a... murder, in this town?

[headedforhope]

[looks over her shoulder]

Which one?

[naicha]

_{[ That catches her off-guard. ]}

... All you can remember...

[headedforhope]

[She calmly rattles off a list of names and their targets from the letters event; everyone who ended up on the high scores plaque in the new award hall, basically, with at least one "kill" to their name.]