[Heart Game - Ed, Maya, Roxy]

[carptricks]

[It's dark. You're trying to move forward, but it feels like your limbs are weighed down by chains and shackles. Still, you push. You push and you pull and those chains are pulled taut and strained until suddenly--]

[Something snaps]

[You tumble forward, wind blowing past your face, until you lose awareness of anything around you. . .]

((another run ran concurrent to this one here))

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[feytality]

That's all you've got for me...?

[soulping]

[he bows, apologetic]

I'm afraid so. I am not the part of Kaito-kun that can be honest and straightforward with you, I'm afraid.

But you may find that part of him outside.

[feytality]

[HUFFS]

You know, you're pretty lame....

[but fine she'll go outside]

[soulping]

[You find yourself back at the front of the "casino" (now revealed to be one huge pointless obstacle course side trip orchestrated by KUROBA KAITO) to find everything as it was before. The drink shelf is back in place, obscuring the door to the obstacle course]

[There's an older man leaning over the pool table with a cue in hand, the tip hovering next to the cue ball. He certainly wasn't there earlier]

[feytality]

[slides closer to the man......watching.... thinking about possibly breaking up his concentration at the worst possible time...]

[soulping]

[the man jerks back when she approaches, surprised]

O-oh! Hello. . .!

[feytality]

[SHE WAS BEING SNEAKY]

Soooo, is this the big shot you need to win the game?

[soulping]

Well. . . currently I am playing by myself, so I suppose it does not matter whether I make the shot or not.

[a sheepish smile]

Though I would like to, of course.

[feytality]

You've got an audience, now!

And I'm cheering for you... I guess.

[soulping]

Ah, that's very kind of you, Miss.

[he smiles at her]

Do you know how to play?

[feytality]

Um, obviously!

[wait for it] You gotta get the white ball into the hole!

[soulping]

[A BEAT. . .]

. . . I'm afraid that isn't quite right, young miss.

[feytality]

Huh? Are you playing by different rules, or something?

[soulping]

N-no, I cannot say I am. Knocking the white ball into the pocket results in a "scratch," or a lost game.

I believe that is a universal rule?

[feytality]

It's okay, pool guy! I won't tell anyone you're losing horribly.. you don't have to make up rules!

Anyway, what else is going on?

[soulping]

[opens his mouth to argue, but decides against it and just. answers her question instead]

Ah. . . well. As you know, you're in the middle of young master's soul.

[feytality]

[A wise choice]

Yeah! Wait.. why is he "young master"? Is he secretly rich or something?

[soulping]

Goodness, no. It is nothing of that sort. I am merely his assistant, and I was his father's assistant before he passed away.

[feytality]

His.... assistant?

[Kaito seems more the sidekick type]

Passed away...?

[soulping]

Yes. Kuroba Toichi-san was a great magician who passed away when young master was only nine.

The loss truly devastated him, though I'm certain he did his best not to show it.

[feytality]

Magician, huh...

Yeah, that seems like the kind of thing he'd keep secret.

[soulping]

[the man's expression turns a bit sad]

Young master keeps much bottled within him. I worry about him, quite frequently. . .

[feytality]

[Awww pool loser]

Does he know you're worried....?

[soulping]

I believe so. . . [his smile is a bit lopsided]

After all, I am the part of his soul which acknowledges the worries of other people. I am willing to be more earnest than other area of this heart.

[feytality]

So how's Kaito doing, really....?