[OPEN] Don't worry it's just telepathy

[shamtagonist]

WHO: Kokichi and you!
WHAT: Kokichi testing his new power on helpless victims willing participants.
WHEN: Late February
WHERE: Around the city
WARNINGS: Bad romance novel writing, will update as needed.

[Kokichi has found himself a comfortable rooftop to roost on, peering over the edge of it and watching the people passing down below. He's trying to stay somewhat out of sight, though with his wings it's definitely possible he could be spotted, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything suspicious? Aside from the slightly suspicious act of being on the roof of a building but hey! Maybe he's got bird instincts to match all those feathers or something!

Spoilers: it's not bird instincts. Recently he's been practicing a new power and wants to give it a proper test...make sure he's really mastered it. After all, it'd be a shame to go to use it in an emergency and have it not work!

That's why anyone walking by may experience one of the following:]

A
[They may be pulled into a random game of Marco Polo!

Telepathic Marco Polo.

As they're walking by a cheeky, cheerful voice in their head will call out, "Marco!" and go silent, obviously waiting for a reply. If they reply in any way (properly or not) or after about a minute or so of silence another, "Marco!" will be heard.

And he will creep along the rooftops to follow his target, happily continuing their game.]

B
[A dramatic narration may begin playing in their head:]

This is the climax; A desperate struggle between a masked stranger and a man in uniform fighting for possession over the 'Chamogelastó Diamánti'. The sweltering sun sets in the background, counting down the time limit the detective has for retrieving the stolen gem minute by scorching minute. Miss Arbourton's stern voice grates against his nerves, those threatening words playing in his head as his fingers slip on the thief's jacket.

'It's worth more than your life! You have three days, Detective Wren. If I don't see it in your hands by Wednesday, midnight, I'll have your head!'

Three days...the thief flashes a cocky, charming grin at him as he twists free of his grasp and the detective's mind begins to ruminate on those three days that lead to this moment, to him watching as the phantom thief Maestro makes off with both the diamond...and his life.

There's no chance he'll be able to catch him again now...it's over. He's a dead man walking, what more can he do now than reminisce?

It was three days ago when the dangerous Miriam Arbourton had walked into his office...

[Hey, how do you feel about a read along? Well, Kokichi is doing all the reading, though pauses there like any good dramatic narrator should in order to assess his "audience's" reaction and let a little suspense build up.]

C
[No matter how careful he is there's always the possibility someone might come along with equal ability of making it up to the rooftops like him. Whether Kokichi himself notices or not, a Klefki floating at his side definitely will, jingling its little keys in alarm to get the naphil's attention.]

Relaaaax Kagi-chan! Whoever it is is probably harmless. Only someone truly evil would attack an innocent angel, after all~

[Supremely unconcerned, he glances back at his visitor with glint of mischief in his otherwise rather convincing innocent smile.]

Comments

B + C

[abnormalizes]

[Evangeline recognizes that voice, especially when it's being overly dramatic. Thinking back to their first meeting, when she doesn't immediately spot Kokichi, the first place she looks is up.

Manifesting her wings made of fire (thanks dragon blessings!) she zips up to the rooftop.]

I'm interested now, thank you for the recommendation, but I don't usually do audiobooks because I read faster than people talk? Or think in this case.

[Telepathic book rec.]

[shamtagonist]

[Okay, her zipping is a little faster than either him or his Klefki could have anticipated, so that jingling is more Kagi moving to hide rather than alert. Which is fine because obviously Kokichi's aware that she's here!

At first there's a little bit of a pout because hey. Reading out loud was the whole point and the most fun part of it?? At the same time though he can't complain about someone who obviously shares his taste in literature.]

Eva-chan, I'm going to counter that audiobooks rarely make listening to a story read aloud as enjoyable as a dramatic reading does.

[Still...using his telepathy. And despite this argument he doesn't gatekeep the book, showing her the cover. It features two handsome looking men - one obviously the rugged detective that was just introduced, the other a daring masked phantom thief holding an expensive looking diamond - with an angry older woman looming in the background, the illustration framed by artsy golden feathers. The title of the book, "The Early Bird", in simple gold script across the top.]

[abnormalizes]

The Early Bird, got it... I'll check it out later.

What's the difference between an audiobook and a dramatic reading? You both do the voices...

[This is a genuine question, help.]

[shamtagonist]

[That genuine question earns the most offended gasp, Kokichi almost looking hurt.]

Are you really comparing my voices to the ones those boring audio book narrators make?

[Getting to his feet he shakes his wings out a little, straightens himself up, pulls the book back up and continues reading. Maybe there just wasn't enough dialogue for Evangeline to fully appreciate his skill! So he's sure to really put in a full performance's effort for her.]

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Madam Arbourton?"

Though it was hardly ever a pleasure seeing the head of the local mafia walk through his office doors it was best to keep up appearances. Without any ties to the local police it would be all too easy for her to make a private investigator like him 'disappear'. The silence was thick as she wandered in, ignoring his question in favor of a long drag off her cigarette, the imposing men at her sides squaring up as if telling him not to try anything - as if he posed any threat to her, much less in the presence of her body guards. He knew full well that even at 59 she could knock his lights out before he could lay a hand on her.

"Surely you've heard the news by now, Detective Wren...the theft at the museum? The one my family owns?" The emphasis made it all too clear what she wanted without her having to explain it; Of course he'd seen the news. The museum's most famous exhibit had been stolen, the impenetrable security that was always boasted about defeated somehow, the thief managing to sneak in and slip away in under an hour... "That was the work of Maestro. I know you've been following his cases. You're going to get it back for me."

That was a tall order. Yes, he had been following the infamous thief's cases, eager to track down and capture this criminal that the police seemed to struggle with so much, but that didn't mean he was in any position to just go out and capture him on command.

"Madam, I appreciate your vote of confidence, but-"

"You will get that diamond back for me, Detective!" It was clear he had no choice.

[Stopping there, the naphil clears his throat, gesturing with his hands a little in a question of, "See?"]

C

[ainteasy_beingcheesy]

[ Indeed, there is another winged visitor atop the rooftops these days... but this one may be smaller than Klefki! A Cookie with wings crosses her arms, tilting her head at this oddity, more interested it in than Kokichi. ]

Interesting... are these a ring of keys, with thought and voice? This world truly does not cease to amaze!

[shamtagonist]

[Kokichi, meanwhile, turns fully to face this new visitor once he finally spots her because did that cookie just talk to him?? Well, no, she's clearly talking to Kagi or perhaps herself about him, but the point is she's a cookie that's talking.]

I'm not sure exactly how much thought goes through his little head yet seeing as he's pretty newly hatched but that's about what I thought too. [Not to mention the fact that this ring of keys hatched from an egg to begin with? Though there's a jingle of what might be offense at that suggestion...or maybe just interest in the conversation? Maybe Kagi is happy he's getting attention. It's hard to say.]

No sentient cookie key rings where you come from, I take it? That'd be a shame, they'd probably be even cuter than this guy is.