HAWKS PALACE

[doublefried]

The process of entering the palace is... smooth. Painless.


You are falling, but it's not scary at the speed you're going. You drop through the pre-dawn sky like a feather, light and easy on a breeze, descending towards a bright and multicolored island in a sea of dark trees.

When you land, you are somewhere new.

Comments

[doublefried]

"Thanks. I like your birds."

[survivaltricks]

Thanks. We're best buddies now.

[as determined by Akira himself]

What's your name? I'm Akira.

[doublefried]

"People called me Lady Nagant. Hero name, you know."

[survivaltricks]

[hmmm]

What about your real name?

[doublefried]

"You won't recognize it. Kaina Tsutsumi."

[survivaltricks]

I'm not asking because I expect to recognize it. I'm just making introductions.

[is her cell door unlocked, too?]

[doublefried]

"Fair enough."

It is very locked.

[survivaltricks]

[can heeeee unlock this one via lockpicking, too]

How'd you end up in the slammer, anyway?

[doublefried]

He can! If he tries.

"Killed a guy."

[survivaltricks]

[hesitation, but then he continues unlocking the cell door]

. . . did someone order you to do so? Under the excuse of it being "heroic?"

[once he picks the lock, he will open the door]

[doublefried]

"Yes, but I didn't get locked up for any of those. I got locked up for killing a different guy."

[survivaltricks]

[leaning against the open door, not encouraging her to exit but definitely allowing her to, if she wishes]

Who? . . . and why?

[doublefried]

She stands up, stretching out.

"You're in here looking for Hawks, right?"

[survivaltricks]

[nnnnoting that she isn't answering]

I am. Do you know where he is?

[doublefried]

"Well, he's not in this cell, but you're probably going in the right direction.

Anyway, I had his job before him. He replaced me after I went to jail. You can put two and two together from there, right?"

[survivaltricks]

[hah. . .]

[his lips curve into a wry smile]

I can, yeah. Are you two close?

[doublefried]

"We only met once."

[survivaltricks]

Soooo that's a no.

[hmmm. . .]

Even so, want to come with me to find him? You said I was going in the right direction.

[doublefried]

"I mean, I don't know if he'll want to see me, but I'm game."

[survivaltricks]

[. . . shrugs!]

Maybe he won't. But it's better than sitting around in a cell, right?

[doublefried]

"Most anything is, sure."

She comes over and offers a hand to shake.

[survivaltricks]

[reaches out to take her hand with a nod]

Welcome to the friend group.

[which includes him and like a ton of fire birds and now her]

[doublefried]

When you touch her hand--

This time it's an appointment with what sees to be some kind of therapist. While they're not dressed the same as the men with clipboards in some of the other memories, they have the same calculated gaze. Calm, businesslike, without a shred of empathy.

It's a general wellness check-in. They want to make sure you're not unstable. Is everything going okay? How are your stress levels? If you feel as though there's too much on your plate between your two roles, we can arrange for a substitute. As a reminder, your mental health is our highest priority.

We wouldn't want a repeat of the incident with your predecessor, after all -

-- then it fades.

"Yeah, I noticed those. They're kinda cute?"

[survivaltricks]

[. . . . . . . this would be hilarious if it wasn't so. . . infuriating]

Only kinda? I think they're adorable.

[gonna make his way to one of the EXIT signs]

[doublefried]

The EXIT signs both point to a wall of bars. They're not thick like the bars in human jails; they're the thin, delicate, golden bars of a birdcage.

And then another birdcage beyond that. And then another, and then another, and then another until it forms a solid wall.