"Why would a subway station be selling flutes? And you're trading plates for it? I guess if it's at some weird kiosk... I dunno. That can't be right. There aren't any flutes for sale from me, I can tell you that much. I doubt the bosses have any for sale either. It's probably just pulling up random keywords or something?"
You step down the stairs towards the Sphinx Line, and see a train already pulled up to the platform. Only the first car has doors open for you to enter. Thankfully, the fog is much less dense here.
The train is a standard modern subway car. Above the seats, where advertisements would normally be in a train, there are instead photographs depicting different scenes from within the prison.
[ Hm. This sure is all very new to her, but very cool! What isn't new, she realizes as she looks up at the photographs, is the scenery depicted within them. ]
—! Arthur, these photographs... They're of the prison, aren't they?
The scenes depicted in the pictures include: - Emmet and Ingo on a large bed, tangled in colorful strings. - Da Vinci in a wedding dress on the beach at sunset, smiling at the camera. - Vicious and Ingo on a default motel bed (fully clothed, though Ingo's hands are on Vicious's thigh). - Saturn sitting in Ingo's lap on the floor of the Pool Hall, as they hug. - Lucretia confronting her Shadow, a younger Lucretia. - A generic shot of Lear, Gordie, and Piers. - Hilda looking upset as she watches a slideshow. - Ingo hugging Oriphi in tears, in the aerial elevator game. - Arthur in a pile of clothing from Doki Doki Bingo, picking out outfits. - Ritsuka cheering on a Pokemon battle between Ingo and Emmet.
But as you linger over the picture, you understand something:
It's such a strange feeling. It feels too perfect to be true, at the same time as it feels hopelessly doomed. She's so beautiful and talented and charismatic, at the same time as she's frustrating, flippant and stubborn. She knows her own value, but she's always trying to build your confidence for you, too. When it comes down to it, she has the type advantage, and that is as intriguing as it is daunting.
You can't be too daunted when there's a security in this setup that you've never had before, though. Perhaps you can't control her, but you can show her the truth! You already made her accept your romance! Make her accept your life together! If you fail, you will mourn her with a clear conscience, without any regrets! Whether she lives or dies, it is as your beloved!
You had a commonality with him, and you were desperate for the acknowledgment of someone you could trust to be telling the truth, without flattering or consoling you. Yes, you built up momentum in that early desperation, and it carried you very far away... But, in the end, you got what you wanted, didn't you? You really thought you were lying to everyone when you said you would end things definitively, part without regrets, and then be a better friend to him afterwards. Isn't that exactly what happened, though? Incredible. You are sincerely happy to have such a close friend.
She's a sensible, dependable woman, and you're glad she's a teammate of yours. You were surprised to hear she was facing such devastating tragedy and self-criticism, and felt inspired by her tenacity in the face of it—her encouragement of you to fight, too. You can sense a wall that she keeps up, that you can't overcome with your politeness. But it's her business if she keeps the wall, you think. You only hope it helps her more than it hurts her to have it up.
[ It hurts a bit, because she feels the same way about their teammate...
She makes her way over to the photo of Lear, Gordie, and Piers. She had run into one of these gentleman before, hadn't she? She wonders what the photograph will say. ]
You didn't expect so many young, modern trainers to appear, who had no real connection to you. Are you a peer to them? Someone to look up to? You still feel like an impostor, having forgotten so much. You don't know how to approach people from your own world and your own time anymore. More than anyone else, these people hurt the most to admit your personal tragedy to. More than anyone else, they know you are an outlier. Most people at home will never go through what you went through, and haven't ever thought about it happening to them. You hope you can be of use enough to overcome that inherent discomfort, and support their bright and promising careers.
As you linger over the picture, you understand something:
For someone from such a distinct culture, you can relate to him. It excites you to witness someone who is comparably fond of his brother, and comparing and contrasting the situations is fascinating. Some things can be universal, even under very different circumstances, you suppose. If you had met Arthur a little earlier, you might have had a complex about him, too—someone so stylish and socially graceful, with the talent to heal others! It is all very impressive. You are honored and relieved that he will consider you a friend.
In the very beginning of your reunion you felt some fear, recognizing how much power he held over you. The vast expectations he had for you. The concept is hard to comprehend nowadays, even if a vague memory lingers. Does the sky hold power over the earth? It is a meaningless question to ask for two things that coexist closely enough to be one continuous whole. When the sky fills in all the gaps of the earth, is a vast expectation so unreasonable for either of you? Should you limit the definition of yourself, just out of fear? You can be considered separately. But why would you want to be?
[ Hey but for real why is that so touching? Arthur will never understand what it's like to be a twin, but he knows what it's like to be a sibling. What a lovely sentiment.
Now on to the picture of Ori since she won't do it herself. ]
It was a blessing to have her with you in those elevators in the air. To have a teammate who has seen tragedy before, who has lost herself before like you have, but who still gets emotional about it happening again. It hurts that someone else has had to experience something like what you have had to experience. And it's uncanny to see someone else who is as polite and earnestly service-oriented as you are, if not more. But you have such positive feelings about her. It makes you realize more easily how people might feel positively about you, too. Do others see you as such a bright and loving person?
You had a complex about him at first. He was like you, but better and more successful in every way, you thought. More confident, less awkward, younger and prettier than you, on a team that won every time when you were desperate for a single token. It embarrassed you that he had to be the one to tell you that a person like that can be a friend and not a rival. But you haven't stopped being grateful that the friendship happened. He fills a unique space in your life. You hope he understands, even if you must be very vigilant about the boundary between you.
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I see... well then, thank you again for your assistance. Shall we, Ori?
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... Yes, thank you. Then let's make our way to the Sphinx Line, Arthur...
[ gonna just loop an arm around his to lead them away and toward the direction indicated earlier! ]
It definitely feels like that Azure Flute would be important... Maybe we'll recognize what the "plates" are once we see them!
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[ Steps onto the train with Ori! A pair of catte buddies on a catte train. ]
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—! Arthur, these photographs... They're of the prison, aren't they?
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- Emmet and Ingo on a large bed, tangled in colorful strings.
- Da Vinci in a wedding dress on the beach at sunset, smiling at the camera.
- Vicious and Ingo on a default motel bed (fully clothed, though Ingo's hands are on Vicious's thigh).
- Saturn sitting in Ingo's lap on the floor of the Pool Hall, as they hug.
- Lucretia confronting her Shadow, a younger Lucretia.
- A generic shot of Lear, Gordie, and Piers.
- Hilda looking upset as she watches a slideshow.
- Ingo hugging Oriphi in tears, in the aerial elevator game.
- Arthur in a pile of clothing from Doki Doki Bingo, picking out outfits.
- Ritsuka cheering on a Pokemon battle between Ingo and Emmet.
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They are! Let us take a closer look.
[ He's gonna start with the picture of himself because he's curious. ]
Ah, I remember this.
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[ she trusts Arthur's fashion sense. Just look at him.
She wanders over to some of the other photographs, and sees the one with Da Vinci and— ]
—! This is...! Did they get married without telling us...!?
[ SHE'S TEARING UP A LITTLE?? Miss Da Vinci looks so beautiful! ]
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But as you linger over the picture, you understand something:
It's such a strange feeling. It feels too perfect to be true, at the same time as it feels hopelessly doomed. She's so beautiful and talented and charismatic, at the same time as she's frustrating, flippant and stubborn. She knows her own value, but she's always trying to build your confidence for you, too. When it comes down to it, she has the type advantage, and that is as intriguing as it is daunting.
You can't be too daunted when there's a security in this setup that you've never had before, though. Perhaps you can't control her, but you can show her the truth! You already made her accept your romance! Make her accept your life together! If you fail, you will mourn her with a clear conscience, without any regrets! Whether she lives or dies, it is as your beloved!
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Oh, Mister Ingo...
[ She's absolutely going to blab about this to Da Vinci after this...
For now, she looks at... the photo with Vicious! ]
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Interesting... Ori has yet to meet this fellow, but now she knows about. This. ]
Oh! This one is of Lucretia...
[ She will look at that one, now! ]
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[ It hurts a bit, because she feels the same way about their teammate...
She makes her way over to the photo of Lear, Gordie, and Piers. She had run into one of these gentleman before, hadn't she? She wonders what the photograph will say. ]
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For someone from such a distinct culture, you can relate to him. It excites you to witness someone who is comparably fond of his brother, and comparing and contrasting the situations is fascinating. Some things can be universal, even under very different circumstances, you suppose. If you had met Arthur a little earlier, you might have had a complex about him, too—someone so stylish and socially graceful, with the talent to heal others! It is all very impressive. You are honored and relieved that he will consider you a friend.
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Oh... Ingo, my friend. I'm honored to know you, too.
[ What about... this photo of Emmet? Cause, you know, brothers. ]
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Now on to the picture of Ori since she won't do it herself. ]
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[ He's going to make sur Ori sees this one too, since it's so sweet. Sweet like the both of them!!
But after that, he will check out the picture of Saturn. He hasn't spoken to him much, but Arthur remembers him. ]
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He moves onto Hilda next. They've not spoken much since he taught her how to braid her hair. He wonders how she's doing. ]
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