New things were revealed on the network..

[tohko_amano]

Characters: Tohko and you.
Setting: The third floor library, the staircase (anywhere), and then the mailbox floor.
Format: Starting in prose, but I'll match you!
Summary: Tohko, after watching everything on the network in horror, tries to come to grips with things..before finding something in the mailbox floor.
Warnings:..If you can't handle a crying Tohko, this probably isn't the post for you.

Tohko forced herself to pull away from the network terminals and think on everything that had happened. She reflected while walking through the stacks.

Dax, their one ally here, was dead, having tried to overthrow Ruana. She, for some reason, saw empathy as the 'rotting' of a person. Everyone in the Tower was using recycled bodies..and while Tohko didn't know exactly what that meant, she got the basic gist of it.

And the final comments of the first video that had pulled in made her realize that her world wad destroyed. Her aunt, Ryuto, Konoha, Chia, who she was so worried about, and Nanase..

They were all dead. She would never see them again. She couldn't help out Chia or apologize to Konoha. They were all dead. Emotionally drained and hurt, Tohko slumped by a nearby bookcase. Feel free to bother her.

Tohko, having pulled herself up, started to walk up the staircase. She just..had to move, run, and try to calm down. Hopefully Tohko won't run over your character on the stairs.

Tohko, for some reason, had managed to make her way up to the mailbox room. On an impulse, she opened it up..and found a note stuck inside. Quickly, she read it and, after burning the information onto her brain, she ate it, not even trying to hide the fact that she was eating paper in front of anyone else.

With all that had happened, Tohko doubted that anyone would call her a monster for that. However, she had to work..and be very careful about it.

Comments

[tohko_amano]

I'm not dim! And you shouldn't be sarcastic about it! It's a wonderful novel! And yes, Woland is the literal devil in the story. And Ivan was chasing him because he killed his editor and caused all sorts of mischief in Russia.

[looselips]

...That's stupid. This book sounds stupid.

[He doesn't get it, so it must be dumb.]

[tohko_amano]

How does it sound stupid?!

[If he didn't get it, all he had to do was say so and Tohko would explain it.]

[looselips]

Why would the devil kill his editor? Wouldn't he have better things to do than that?

[tohko_amano]

[At that, Tohko smiled.]

It's because the editor had a very nice apartment, which the devil both needed and wanted for his stay in Russia.

[looselips]

He's the devil. I'd think he'd be able to afford an apartment better than some editor's.

[Now he's just being contrary.]

[tohko_amano]

The editor's apartment was quite nice, actually. And besides, by killing the editor, he could mess with everyone else that wandered into that apartment and cause even more chaos.

[looselips]

[Yeah, but... But...]

Whatever. It's still dumb.

[So there!!]

[tohko_amano]

How so?!

[looselips]

How is it not?

[He doesn't have any good arguments anymore, but he doesn't want to admit it.]

[tohko_amano]

[At that, Tohko smiled.]

Because it's a warm, rich satire of Communist Russia, and even if you don't understand the satire, it's still hilarious, and the characters in it are all memorable and interesting. The heroine, Margarita, is a strong woman who is one of the few people who make a deal with the devil and doesn't go to hell!

[looselips]

Ugh, seriously? The more you gush about this stupid book, the more I want to read it just so I can show you how dumb it really is.

[tohko_amano]

And I keep telling you, it's not dumb at all! However, if you want to read it so that you can properly criticize it, I can grab a copy of it for you.

[looselips]

Challenge accepted. [He even folds his arms and juts his chin out Shinji stahp] You'd better not wimp out at the last second.

[tohko_amano]

Of course I won't! Wait right here. I'll be back with the book, and then you'll see just why this novel is so amazing!

[Tohko would then dash off to the library, returning a few minutes later with a copy of The Master and Margarita. Which had a picture of a huge black cat smiling with a forked tongue. And..was the cat wearing a suit? Yes. Yes he was.]

[looselips]

[He does stay where he has been when she dashes off. Upon her return, he regards the book's cover dubiously when it's handed off to him. Why a suit-wearing cat tho?]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko just grinned as Shinji took the book.]

Trust me, you'll really enjoy this book. And the cover's a great draw-in, in my opinion!

[looselips]

Yeah, because your assessments have been so spot on before? [Harrumph.] We'll see.

[He will read it, though, just like he said. He isn't one to back down from a challenge.]

[tohko_amano]

Of course they have! At least, with books they have been. After all..I'm not the book girl for nothing.

[looselips]

[...Okay, no, you know what, he has to ask.]

So what's the deal with this book girl thing? Like, does it actually mean something or what?

[tohko_amano]

Of course it means something! After all, I wouldn't say it if it didn't. Back in my universe, I loved and knew the most about stories, so that's why I'm called the book girl.

[It was also because of her braids, but Shinji didn't get to know that yet.]

[looselips]

Who decided to call you that? Is this just, like, a thing where you come from?

[tohko_amano]

Well, I did, but it fits me so well that other people went along with it. And it's not really a thing..it's just my title, that's all.

[looselips]

Yeah, see, this? This is why people think you're a nerd.

["People" meaning himself, but.]

[tohko_amano]

But you're the only person I've met who calls me that.