dollmaxing | Inbox & In-person meetups

Despite herself, Ichinose nearly jumps out of her skin when Zenkichi grabbed at the elevator door with a heavy THUD, the metal creaking menacingly in his grip. As he stood there, Ichinose's startled expression settled into a scowl - which only deepened as he finally moved into the elevator and left horribly mangled metal handprints behind.

She glowered at them even as the doors creakily closed, rattling as they slid back onto their tracks properly and the elevator began to descend.

Bitterly, spitefully, Ichinose thought as loudly and as hard as she could at the camera if he pulls something, just drop the whole elevator and kill us both.

Not like Takuto would be able to read her mind, but she would accept reviving in the Velvet Room.

I was so STUPID getting into a tiny metal box with a dangerous monster.

But she didn't say any of that, just scowling as she glanced between the mangled door and the camera, back pressed against the opposite side of the elevator cabin.

What's up with her? Is this not what she was planning? Inviting him into a tiny box like this?

Still, the scowling is new. Usually, the video footage and announcements he's seen of Kuon Ichinose in his world have been full of spite but most of them were stitched up by a thread consisting of a perfect smile. Absolutely no light behind her eyes, with a streak of white already running from her scalp, just a year after EMMA's victory over the world.

Instead, when the elevator started running, he brought his hand up to clasp and unclasp his fingers, flexing them as the suspensions installed within creaked, much like other human muscle joints. In tandem.

As it goes down, the view clears again as he takes a look outside. At Maruki's handiwork.

"...how are the people like?" He asks, not even looking at her, as his eyes remain focused on the cognitions. "Do they actually step forward with problems? I tried talking to some of them and all of them only wanted to talk to Dr Maruki."

Ichinose paused, glancing out to where Zenkichi was looking briefly before putting her eyes back on him.

"...They're about the same as the ones throughout the city. They see me as the tech staff, so they don't confide in me either - the way you wouldn't chat up the random computer maintenance person about your personal issues in a real therapist's office."

She took a moment to glance out at them again, but she could only trust her gaze off of this man for so long.

"There is one difference between them and the people you find in a therapist's waiting room, though," she admitted somewhat quietly, shifting as the elevator got closer to the floor with the food court, "...The people here actually open up to someone, even if it is to Takuto. The way I've heard, most therapists don't get anywhere because it's like pulling teeth with their patients to get them to admit something is wrong. Given how many of them are plainly incompetent in a field that's already incredibly poorly studied, it's no wonder."

He's only seen rare instances of people going into examination rooms. Areas that are docked in rooms and separated into different sections depending on what they choose to be their definition of happiness. He had only overlooked the general location, unsure in his ability to find himself in a situation where he might not be able to protect himself or run away from.

"..." He doesn't really care for the way he can feel her gaze on her, not like Ichinose will be able to tell that he's returning it, given the opaque nature of his mask. He keeps his head tilted at the grand sterility of this place. Paired with that? The banners. The patients. The staff. The posters. Promising paradise.

"Sounds like Doc, alright," is the only thing he says. The nickname sounds far more...soft in comparison to how he referred to the actual Maruki here. "I always found it naive, but from what I have been hearing and seeing, he's very serious about it."

Just a few more seconds of this.

Doc.

Ichinose's not always good at picking up tones and subtext, but that was obvious enough that it clicked - and plainly, too. She tilted her head a bit in thought, expression softening to curiosity at Zenkichi.

"Hmm. So you do know a Takuto, yourself," she observed, a less fake but certainly enigmatic smile on her face. The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened, and without further comment, Ichinose stepped out before Zenkichi could make a grab at her and started towards the food court.

The curiosity aimed at him, paired with the enigmatic smile, felt so strange. A blank face, a fake placid smile that felt like someone had surgically put it on her or the worst when she looks so utterly satisfied with herself.

He wanted to bite back. He wanted to shut up and bury the idea of bringing his past up with Ichinose of all people. She didn't have to make that observation now, did she? Or was it just because she was surprised?
Did Dr Maruki keep quiet about what they had talked about in the bar? Over drinks? Is that how dodgy he always was and Zenkichi was too dug up in his shit not to realize it?

"What about it?" he asks shockingly, keeping his expression even but casual as he follows behind her when the elevator reaches the designated floor. Even when he hears more voices and people.

"It's nice to hear he has something like a friend in one of these worlds, for one. He always seems so lonesome," Ichinose chuckled as she walked, able to relax and not need to constantly watch Zenkichi with the staff and the cameras watching. "Sometimes because he's done something abhorrent and deserves it, sure - but surely they can't all be like that. I wonder what each Takuto is really like."

Zenkichi's frown grows with Ichinose's comment. The chuckle felt so out of place here- does she not consider him a friend?

Not to mention, as things stand, he's watching them. Maybe he can't hear them? ~~What a great friend you have made, Takuto...~~
The bitter thought comes and leaves.

"..funny of you to assume we were friends," he says while looking away and makes a note of the path. Wait, hasn't he seen this sign before? Ah, well a lot of cognitive spaces look the exact fucking same sometimes- where the hell is she taking him?

"I was a patient assigned to him while he prepared me for my surgery. That's all."

"Oh, yes, that's all," Ichinose sarcastically chuckled back, turning down a corner towards the staff entrance of the cafeteria. "I shouldn't be surprised that his kindness even got through to your grumpy attitude. For once you and I have a friend in common."

With one last turn, she opened the door to the kitchen.

...Which was a mess. A pot turned over with spilled soup on the floor that a staff member was dutifully mopping up, a giant scratch on the refrigerator doors, and of course... a completely shattered coffee pot.

Scowling, crossing her arms, Ichinose turned around and gave Zenkichi the firmest disappointed, annoyed look.

"You really couldn't help yourself, could you?"

"Of course, that's how you see it," he rolls his eyes at the idea of him being grumpy. He's got plenty of things to worry about, then try to rectify his image before Ichinose (oh the sheer horror of it) as he pauses for a moment to look at this place.

The signs at the top, directing someone to different areas like the Food Court and the Kitchen just ahead..

And so he earns another loud and angry comment from Kuon the moment he follows up behind her, eyes closed as he thinks deeply over the layout of the palace and how much he's covered. "What the hell's your problem now? I didn't even- Oh.

He stops, noticing the mess. The spilt soup, scratched refrigerator doors, and the one cognitively mopping it with no complaint.

He raises a brow, a wry awkward smile which feels too unbecoming of the Wolf from before- "Uh...probably why I was thinking that this place looked too familiar. Ahaha. "

"All of this and for what? To kill a few shadows? Are you too proud to be asked to be invited in? Aren't you older than I am?" Ichinose scolded, her stance even more like that of a disappointed teacher.

Zenkichi's face twists into a befuddled expression.

"The hell do you mean by that? I didn't even have to enter a name or type of distortion on the metanav to get in- why would I ask for an invite into an open cognitive space-?" he shakes his head. "That's textbook definition of getting killed even if I just shared my location."

"Besides, what else do you do when a shadow lunges at you if not try to protect yourself or in my case- hit them with a megidolaon. Hug them? Honestly, maybe I don't want to know; given your weird goddamn answers."

Edited 2025-06-22 00:30 (UTC)

"You getting escorted directly inside by Takuto himself? Of course the shadows wouldn't get violent. I've never been attacked once."

Disappointment.

"You could have messaged him and he'd lead you right inside! Do you even use that brain of yours?"

"Oh, shut up!" Seriously. She's really asking him that?

"As if he would just let me walk around his palace freely and go into other rooms, authorized by personnel. Why the hell would he take me around and give a free tour of his place? Or need I remind you that our collaboration has nothing to do with the fact that half of this realm wants to infiltrate this place and get rid of it?"

"And I am no fucking different."

"It's Takuto. He absolutely would have given you a tour of the whole place."

"Uh huh."

Zenkichi folds his arms to his chest. "Do you know where his treasure is then?"

"Why would I need to ask where his Treasure is?"

Inbox & In-person meetups

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tw: slightly graphic thoughts

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1/2

2/3 I lied

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Re: 3/3

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