[Fourze characters/Liveman family/anyone really/go wild]

[catcameback]

To switch, or not to switch?

Why is it called a Switch anyway? It's obviously a button.

To press, then, or not to press? That is the question.

Comments

[hinooo]

I'm scouring the grass methodically. Maybe the pieces fell out of my pocket. Or a bird pecked them out and then dropped them somewhere.

I have to find him.

I see a person-shape on my right, and murmur absently, "Excuse me."

[catcameback]

I tilt my head curious. He's searching for something. But it's definitely him.

"I'm not sure there is an excuse for you, OOO."

[hinooo]

My head jerks around and I yell in shock. Kazari? Here?!

I scramble to my feet and drop into a defensive position. He called me OOO. Maybe he doesn't know I can't transform. "K-Kazari?"

[catcameback]

He doesn't transform immediately. Curious.

But neither can I. Yet. I hope.

Still, he should be able to answer the questions that Jou could not.

"It certainly seems that way, doesn't it." I do a little half skip-step closer to him and bow. "At your service."

[hinooo]

I take a step back automatically, but can't help peering at him. Why hasn't he attacked? It won't take him long to realise just how vulnerable I am without any Medals, without Ankh.

"But how? You -- um, you..." I trail off stupidly.

[fanhate]

I wasn't exactly made welcome at a certain house. But once the Ursa Major switch is put to use, I get the feeling the silver-haired one will want to know a little more about it.

He's not exactly hospitable, so I won't call around for him just yet. I'll be near the end of the street on the lookout for others.

[uchuukitaa]

"It doesn't do that for people," I say frantically, hating the way he's playing with it. "It doesn't help. It might make you feel good for a while but then you just feel worse."

[catcameback]

"Why?" I hold it right in his face and shake the stupid thing a big. "How does it work? If we're friends, surely you can tell me that."

[catcameback]

Yes, this is exactly what I wanted to know. I get right into his face and squint at him.

"I what? What happened to me?" I take a half-step back and start circling him. "What happened to you? You beat the doctor, I take it?"

[catcameback]

I am not surprised that he's not hard to find. If I wasn't so curious, I'd give him a hard time for lurking. Luckily for him, I do have questions, and it's looking like no one else is going to answer them, even if they know the answers.

I walk right up too him. I have no reason to be afraid of him, after all. "Oi."

[hinooo]

I jerkily turn to keep him in sight. I don't *like* it when he does this. "Yes, but why don't you know what happened to you?"

[uchuukitaa]

...I am not the right person to explain the science.

"I don't know!" I wail helplessly. "It transforms you! You go all cloudy and smoky and there are stars, because it's to do with space stuff, then you have another body, and it's all freaky! That's all I know!"

[catcameback]

"I don't remember, obviously." That's half a lie. I don't remember much of anything after that back-stabbing Doctor's arm going through my chest, but I can piece together a general picture of my own destruction. "And the others? You destroyed them all, too, I imagine." I stop, since he's not going to let me circle him properly.

I'm amazed he hasn't transformed yet. "And Ankh?"

[catcameback]

I really do wonder about this human. He's so strange. Excessive desire, but selfless in it. Overwrought with emotion but completely clueless about... most things. I assume he can fight, but he seems much more inclined to try and talk things out instead.

"Stars and smoke?" And the infinite power of space, whatever that's supposed to mean. "Not exactly what I'm looking for, no..."

[hinooo]

"Okay," I say warily. He looks the same -- but not quite. What's going on with him?

"Yes. They're gone," I tell him, almost apologetically, but then he asks about Ankh. I gulp. "I -- I don't know."

[catcameback]

"He didn't turn on you, in the end, then?" I muse. Impressive. I wouldn't have put it past Ankh, of course. He was nearly as intelligent as me, nearly as capable of scheming.

I hesitate a moment before asking the next question. He hasn't transformed, but obviously he has no way of knowing that I can't do so either. "Where are my Cores?"

[uchuukitaa]

"Good. Give it here," I say promptly, hand outstretched again.

[catcameback]

"I don't think so, no." I close my hand around it again, then slip it back in my pocket. "It might come in useful at a later date." I have a feeling he might be about to explode. I wonder how far he'll go to get the stupid thing.

[yellowlion]

My eyes go wide with delight. "No. No way! Oh, you'll go a long way, Kazari, silver tongue like that."

I juggle the box into one arm, and reach out awkwardly to clap him on the shoulder. "Very kind of you."

[hinooo]

"N-No," I say, because I'm not about to tell Kazari what happened. I knew Ankh would help.

...

I stand up straight, now, and scratch my head. "You don't know? But you've got at least one, right?"

[catcameback]

"No." Of course not. Ankh was in a strange position. His human host clouded his judgement. Made him think he could feel things. He obviously didn't have a clue.

Ah. "Of course," I lie, smoothly as I can manage. "But of course I want the rest of them, the ones that went... missing." That were stolen from me. "The doctor had them. Where are they now?"

[hinooo]

I can't even sense them any more without the purple ones. I never thought I'd miss them so badly.

I furrow my eyebrows. "All destroyed. I thought that included all of yours."

[catcameback]

Not what I wanted to hear. I snarl before I can help myself, I almost grab him, shake him, demand to know how he could let that happen. If I didn't know what feeling sick felt like before, I do now.

Then it sinks in.

"All of them?" I take another step back, smirking. "Except Ankh's?" I assume.

[catcameback]

I shake my head. "It's not a compliment, nor is it a lie. You are possibly the most selfless human I've ever met. It's... shocking, it's practically worthy of examining."

[hinooo]

I flinch when he snarls, but I don't move away. I'll do whatever I have to, if he attacks.

"Sort of," I agree cautiously.