[There is a 90% chance she touched you first. She's always been the habit of doing it so if she doesn't pay attention she'd end up reaching to touch your sleeve or hand or shoulder...
And then...]
i: Her childhood wasn't exactly happy.
[You're in a hospital. Just a regular hospital at first glance except for a few things. The face of everyone bustling around is hard to see, as if they've been blurred out. There are a couple of men in very...official looking suits. But otherwise everyone is pretty normal! Aside from the blurred faces anyway.
Sixteen year old Kaoru isn't anywhere to be seen, but in the hall, there's a little five year old girl with short, red hair crying and compared to the faceless crowd her every feature and sound is crystal clear. Also, everyone walking near her gives her a wide berth so there's a one meter radius around her where there's no one.
She's not crying very loudly though, like she's trying not to be heard.
What will you do?]
ii: Welcome to her disreputable childhood
[Now you're standing outside a busy amusement park. Over the walls, you can see the top of a tall roller coaster, a ferris wheel and balloons. There's the sound of people screaming and laughing beyond the walls and it all looks super fun!
Except...at the gate, there are machines like what you'd expect from an airplane security check...and security officers at each one. Do amusement parks normally have such high security...? And what are they searching for anyway? Weapons?
Nah.
Look to the side and you'll see a big sign that clearly reads: NO ESPERS ALLOWED.
...I don't remember that sign being so big. [That's Kaoru speaking, the same one who was with you before you ended up here.
But, then, from the corner of your eye, you might spy another Kaoru, this one only ten years old with short hair who's scowling at the amusement park gates with her arms crossed.]
no subject
And then...]
i: Her childhood wasn't exactly happy.
[You're in a hospital. Just a regular hospital at first glance except for a few things. The face of everyone bustling around is hard to see, as if they've been blurred out. There are a couple of men in very...official looking suits. But otherwise everyone is pretty normal! Aside from the blurred faces anyway.
Sixteen year old Kaoru isn't anywhere to be seen, but in the hall, there's a little five year old girl with short, red hair crying and compared to the faceless crowd her every feature and sound is crystal clear. Also, everyone walking near her gives her a wide berth so there's a one meter radius around her where there's no one.
She's not crying very loudly though, like she's trying not to be heard.
What will you do?]
ii: Welcome to her disreputable childhood
[Now you're standing outside a busy amusement park. Over the walls, you can see the top of a tall roller coaster, a ferris wheel and balloons. There's the sound of people screaming and laughing beyond the walls and it all looks super fun!
Except...at the gate, there are machines like what you'd expect from an airplane security check...and security officers at each one. Do amusement parks normally have such high security...? And what are they searching for anyway? Weapons?
Nah.
Look to the side and you'll see a big sign that clearly reads: NO ESPERS ALLOWED.
...I don't remember that sign being so big. [That's Kaoru speaking, the same one who was with you before you ended up here.
But, then, from the corner of your eye, you might spy another Kaoru, this one only ten years old with short hair who's scowling at the amusement park gates with her arms crossed.]