[OPEN] I Shall Walk With You, Holding Your Hand With A Smile

[naughty_nurse]

Who: Mikan Tsumiki & You!
Where: Fantasy Land... and then Zombieville
When: Duration of the Event.
Rating: Possible PG-13 for Zombie?
Summary: Catch-all log for the event! Mikan loses herself in fantasies... and then zombies. Did I mention the zombies?
The Story:

A - Fantasies

"Oh nooo~! I'm late for school agaiiin!"

It all starts with a classic anime cliche - the girl running to school with toast in her mouth. She's headed towards Hope's Peak Academy, which may be familiar to some residents of Wonderland. But this version of the school has WAY brighter colors, and much happier students. Should you dare to walk inside, you'll find even more old-school cliches - the transfer student being introduced before class (Which is Mikan)! Eating lunch on the roof (Made and eaten by Mikan)! Opening your locker to discover a whole mountain of love letters (Of course it's Mikan's locker)!

But this isn't to say Mikan is oblivious that this is all fake... She knows. She's fully aware. It's just that she just does not care. After all, she's constantly surrounded by cheery students who want her attention 24/7. Why does she have to face reality just yet? Feel free to "bump" into her around the corner as she runs to school, or any of those scenarios listed above.

Special note for our Dangan Cast - you will see your "doubles" among the classmates. Dipper Fresh, anime-style.

B - Zombies

Inevitably, for her own good, Mikan has been broken out of her illusions and... now things are dark, grim, and once again -

"WHYYYYY?!"

She's frantically climbing up a tree, trying to avoid the one monster-type she dreads above all else. She's also crying hysterically - well, more hysterical than usual.

"Why, why, whyy zombies?! Why is it always Zombies?! Events aren't supposed to repeaaat!"

C- Wildcard
Make your own prompt - did she stumble into your fantasy? Karoke time? Go for anything!

((OOC: will match your format!))

Comments

[naughty_nurse]

[Mikan, who so desperately craves attention she will do almost anything to get it, is just having the time of her life.]

Heehee... you don't have to worry so much, Mondo! I'm okay, really!

[Which one is she talking to? Could be both. However, this isn't getting them to class! And if they need to go to class...]

But... I don't think the teachers will let you walk into class doing that. Could you put him down please?

["Mikan's always so nice!"
"Able to tame the toughest guy in school... is there anything she can't do?"
"I wish I could be like Mikan!"]

[trabryu]

Well, if Tsumiki says so... Guess it can't be helped.

[ And down goes Mondo #1.

It takes all his might not to challenge #2 to a fight, but he manages. At least just let him seethe his hatred through his teeth. ]

Tch... Fucking hell.

[ It's not everyday Mondo gets to see Tsumiki enjoying herself so much. He can count with one hand the times he's seen her having the time of her life here ー this is one of those. So honestly... he's stuck between wanting to shake her out of the delusion and letting her have some of the happiness, which is why he's not fighting back as hard as he wants to.

Then again, there's a possible danger in just letting the illusion lead her on. Even if slowly, he's gonna try to talk her out of this. He has to. ]

Tsumiki, you gotta get a hold of yourself. 'm sure you know what this is all about, right? You're not dumb.

[ Wanting to make sure he has her attention, Mondo #1 grabs her arm. ]

DING DONG DANG DONG

[ But as if it was well-timed, the school bell rings just a split second after, and his hand is quickly swatted by Mondo #2. ]

Time for class, Tsumiki. Let's get going.

[ This asshole... Like hell Mondo #1's gonna let this fly. He's gonna follow the two of them wherever they go no matter what now. ]

[naughty_nurse]

["What this is all about?" What does he mean? She might've even asked - but, yeah, that's one amazingly timed bell!]

Oh! We'll be late if we don't hurry!

[And she goes into the closest classroom she can find. Everything is perfectly clean and there are already students in there, all of them happy to see Mikan. The teacher chuckles quietly to see the trio entering.

"Late? Don't be silly! As always, you're early, Miss Tsumiki! Our straight-A student genius could never be late."]

I am...? Oh! I guess I am!

[She's not even going to question it any further than that. She chooses a desk near the front, humming merrily.]

[trabryu]

[ In a perfect world, this is how things are supposed to be. You're the perfect student who is the smartest among peers, never late, the center of attention, and are always fawned over. Mondo can see it clearly here, that this is the world that Tsumiki wishes for, just like how he wished to see his brother once more. Even if it was a lie, he did hope for it to last one second longer. He painfully understands that, but what's the good of holding into that illusion? It's not the real happiness. It'll hurt much more when everything falls apart.

Alas, while he lets his mind wander, Mondo #2 already snatches the seat beside Tsumiki, throwing him a condescending smirk. That asshole...

Whatever, it's not like he can't sit on Tsumiki's other side. It's occupied, but he's gonna make it vacant. ]

Oi, get off. 's my spot.

[ Sorry not sorry, random fake student. He's not gonna take the shit of this place, and he's gonna shove you out of your seat if he needs to. There's no way he's gonna let that other Mondo to lure Tsumiki into oblivion. ]

"Eeeh! But today's my turn to sit beside Tsumiki-san!!"

[ Yep, not taking this shit. Mondo immediately grabs the student by their back collar, lifting them off the chair and dumps them on the other. Gasps and whispers of "ahhh, so scary!" "geez, why can't he be more like that Mondo?" begin buzzing like bees through the class, but he's not gonna let it bother him too much. ]

At the very least, I'm real.

[ He mutters it to himself mostly, but Tsumiki's probably able to hear it ー he's right by her side after all. Either way, if anyone looks out to the window, the clear blue sky will seem to turn rather gloomy. Mondo #2 meanwhile seems to be watching the whole situation, and yet isn't commenting about it. Instead, he tries to distract Tsumiki. ]

Hey, wanna sneak out after lunch? Let's go on a ride. I'm sure they'll let one time slide with how perfect your grades are.

[ It's whispered, so Mondo #1 can't really hear it, but he's squinting. Very warily. ]

[naughty_nurse]

[The teacher silently glares daggers at Mondo#1. No doubt Mikan is expected to ignore him, but even with the fantasy all around her, she's still a good person at heart - she can't just up and abandon people, especially someone she cares about. He's clearly upset... When Mondo#2 makes his offer, she bites her lip.]

I, um... can we talk about this later?

[With that pushed aside, she turns to face Mondo#1, worry clear on her face.]

Do you not want to be here? Is there something wrong with this class? Do you want to go to a different class? Do you have a favorite subject?

[Maybe if she can find his fantasy for him, he'll cheer up, and everything will be okay! Why wouldn't he want to be lost in this delusion, when it's so nice?]

[trabryu]

[ Mondo #2 managed to keep his perfected smiling face while Tsumiki was still facing him, but it quickly turns sour when she looks away over to Mondo #1. If you listen carefully, you might even able to catch him clicking his tongue quietly.

Meanwhile Mondo #1, not expecting Tsumiki to suddenly turn to him, visibly twitches in surprise. ]

H, huh? ......

[ He knows, more than anyone else, that he needs to wake her up from this dream. Right now. ]

......

[ He knows, but. ]

...Yeah, I don't like bein' here. This school's boring. Whaddya like here?

[ It's just. Hard to let her down straight up when she's so happy like this. There's surely another way to go about this, another way to make her realise. He gets up from his seat, earning a warning from the teacher, "Mondo Oowada, sit down!" which he ignores. ]

There are better places where you can be. Don'cha think so too, Tsumiki?

[ Mondo #2, who has been watching the exchange silently, stands up too. ]

'xcuse me for a while, Teach'. [ He takes a step closer to Tsumiki. ] Tsumiki, you're not thinking of leaving, are you? You've got all you've always wanted here. You have me and all your classmates here. Are you really okay with that?

[naughty_nurse]

[Her heart begins eating faster. Why is this going out of control? Why is Mondo#1 making her choose between him and this place? Why is he unhappy? What more could he possibly want?]

... What's so wrong with boring?

[Her voice is quiet at first.]

... All the things we've seen, all the suffering we've gone through... Don't you want something normal for once? Something peaceful and quiet?

[No waking up and being afraid right away. No murder games. No Wonderland. No monsters or robots or zombies or truth.]

Why would I want to be anywhere else? What can other places give me that this can't? We can be normal here! No Super High School Level titles, or burdens, or punishments! You can just be you!

[trabryu]

[ Mondo can see where she's coming from. ]

...Yeah, I do.

[ Exactly because he can see it, that this is so goddamn frustrating. He, too, wanted-- no, wants to experience a peaceful school life. One where he can actually learn things, befriend people, hanging out with friends doing stupid things, ...maybe even have a girlfriend. It's not like he hates the idea of school in entirety. This, where they are right now, is supposed to be the dream ー both what Tsumiki and he dreamed of: being normal.

But this... isn't really normal, is it? Incredibly coddling classmates and teachers, bending everything to your own liking, having everyone to agree with you... ]

But, don'cha feel empty right now, Tsumiki? Are ya really happy?

[ His gaze, which was directed to the distance between them, moves up to look at her straight on the eyes. ]

Are ya?

[naughty_nurse]

I... I...

[Her voice is dry, and she trembles. Isn't this happiness? Now she's unsure, because Mondo says it with such confidence.

But the class isn't taking this well. They're all getting up, loudly, their chairs screeching on the floor.

"Were you happy when your classmates ignored you, Mikan?"
"Were you happy when you got kidnapped by that rabbit?"
"How about when you saw your first murder? Did that make you happy?"

They circle around, faces blending together, and Mikan clutches her hair, tears in her eyes.

"Were you happy when Wonderland turned you into a zombie, going around and hurting others, until you were put down like a sick dog?"
"How about when they encouraged you to beat your friends with baseball bats so they'd need you more? Were you happy then?"]

Stop... p-please stop... I didn't... I don't...

"Were you happy when your first love turned you down flat? When you realized Mettaton would never, ever love you?"
"Were you really happy before us, Mikan? Don't you want to be happy?"
"DON'T YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY HERE, MIKAN? DON'T YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY HERE, MIKAN? DON'T YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY HERE, MIKAN?" over and over and over...]

[trabryu]

[ Mondo snaps his head around, surprised at the sudden retaliation of the class. Or is he really surprised? This was exactly what he didn't want to happen, what he wanted to warn her about. The dreams will eventually crumble and turn their backs on them. The colourful surroundings will tear apart into a terrifying one. ]

That's enough! Shut up!!

[ But there's no way they're gonna bother with him. They went on and on as Mondo instinctively inches closer to Tsumiki. As much as he didn't want to listen, as much as he didn't feel he had the rights to find out about these things about her... the words keep easing into his ears smoothly. Every single word, every single piece of Tsumiki's bitter memory. Some of them he's heard of, some of them--

"Were you happy when your first love turned you down flat? When you realized Mettaton would never, ever love you?"

Mettaton...? That wriggly narcissistic robot? She was turned down by him? Mondo's eyes dilate as he looks at Tsumiki, who's clutching her hair in agony, tears dropping.

No. This ain't the time for him to worry about that. He takes a deep, deep breath, and... ]

WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING BAD MEMORIES?!

[ ...he yells at the top of his lungs, kicking his table towards the crowds. The sound of it hitting the ground echoes around them, and the 'classmates' look at him incredulously. ]

Shit happens, but that's life!! It's shitty!! We feel sad, angry, disappointed... but what the fuck's wrong with that?! That's how we know what happiness is!! This, whatever you assholes tryinna do here... this... AIN'T HAPPINESS!! FUCK ME OVER IF THIS IS ONE!! HAPPINESS IS...

[ Happiness is... What is it? ]

HAPPINESS IS SOMETHIN' THAT YOU MAKE HAPPEN YOURSELF!! IT COMES FROM HERE!! [ Loud smacking noise resounds as he thumps his own chest. ] I DON'T FUCKING NEED SOMETHIN' FAKED LIKE THIS!!

[ As if to prove his point, he breaks the chair before him into two. ]

SHE DOESN'T NEED IT EITHER!!

[ Firmly pointing at the girl, he breathes in in attempt to control his volume. ]

...Do you, Tsumiki? Do you really want this kinda happiness? Don't you wanna find your own happiness yourself?

[ He's pretty sure there's no way to be happy 24/7. But at the very least, it's not impossible for you to feel genuine happiness ー he's felt that quite a number of times here, even if they're short-lived. They make you feel validated, like you're living, not going through a perfected script like this. Small or big those happiness may be, he feels like they'll keep them going forward, and eventually lead them somewhere. ]

[naughty_nurse]

[Everything hurts now that it's all out in the open, like a fresh wound that was ripped open. She's humiliated, she's in agony, she just wishes she could crawl into a hole and die. The tears rolling down her cheeks are big and the sobs sound as if they'll never stop. She doesn't want to fight anymore.

But Mondo does. And as he destroys the foundations all around them, one thing becomes clear - he's fighting for her. Not for himself - he could've left at any time, let Mikan dissolve into her sweet dreams. Instead he planted his feet and refused to budge, all for her sake. Why? Because he cares that much about her? Because he knows the real her, not a picture perfect image, he knows the hideous past behind her and the scars on her soul - and still wants to help her all the same. He doesn't want her to be perfect. He never has.]

... Uuugh... Auuugh... I... I...

[She struggles to breathe, struggles to speak, struggles to think, to fight past the blissful web she's caught in and reach the sky.]

... Without... Without falling... no one can learn how to walk... And each wound I got... I learned how to heal it... The terrible bullies at school... made me appreciate the true friends I would make... And... and even those awful murders... if I hadn't helped solve them... We all would have died... So I... so I...

[She can barely see him anymore, with her eyes so blurry from tears, her hands clutching her chest, but she screams-]

TAKE ME OUT OF THIS PLACE, MONDO!

[trabryu]

[ Those sobs, those tears that are supposed to trouble him don't this time.

It feels necessary. It feels important. It feels like every drop that Tsumiki shed will strengthen her.

All these while, he's always seen tears as a sign of weakness. But this time, this very moment, it's difficult-- no, it's impossible to see it like that. Right now, before him, he's looking at someone who, across her tears, is fighting hard. She's crawling out of her tunnel, leaving behind the lull of easy reward ー a false sense of happiness. She's braving herself to stop looking away from the painful past, to look at the reality in the eye. She's struggling, but she's moving forward. ]

That's right!!

[ He shouts in encouragement, hoping his voice reaches her. You can do it. You can do it, he repeats in his mind, fist balling on his side. All she needs is one more push. So he thinks.

And he's wrong.

Before he can even give her that, she's gone further.

"TAKE ME OUT OF THIS PLACE, MONDO!"

She's strong. She's tough. She just hasn't realised that all these time. ]

OF COURSE!!!!!

[ But the happy ending isn't what awaits them. They chose reality, not fantasy.

"You're saying that you can live happily without us?"

The classmates aren't pleased. They're livid. Their smiling faces turn flat and unrecognisable, as if covered by masks. Their voices merge in a disarray, reverbing. At that, Mondo's hand immediately finds Tsumiki's wrist, tugging her close to him.

"You're not going anywhere."

Instead of coming towards the two, the crowd quickly blocks their way out. They melt down into abstract solid substances, merging together into what seems like a wall of coal obstructing the classroom doors. Meanwhile, the surroundings slowly begin to rot, starting from the chairs and tables. ]

Tch!

[ Like that will stop him! Mondo runs up to the opposite side of the class, kicking the window open with a loud creak.

"Foolish! Do you think you can get away safely?"

Mondo pulls Tsumiki even closer to him, ignoring the voices. The cold, merciless wind blows in as he looks down out the window, gauging the height. Even for him, this is pretty daunting. Since when did they get so up high? He licks his lips nervously, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before facing her with a determined look. ]

Listen, we're gonna jump from here. You gotta trust me.

[naughty_nurse]

[Mikan shrieks as the classmates melt and distort - god, these things were never human at all, were they? It's like the final mask has been lifted and Mikan's out of her sleep. Her stomach feels sick - had she really been tempted by these... things? Would she have held hands and hugged and kissed these aberrations?

The teacher lurches forward - her face is now a mess of worms, writhing, yet somehow can still speak -

"NOOOOO WAYYYY OUUUUT"

Mikan feels ready to gag. But upchucking won't do any good here, they need to escape, need to get out of this gilded prison. She clings close to Mondo, flinching as he kicks the window open... Oh, that won't be pretty. She could've sworn this was the ground floor... but then, had that also been part of the illusion? Or is THIS another illusion? Is it actually safe to jump? In the end, it probably doesn't matter - if they die, they'll just come back.

... But Mikan doesn't want Mondo to die. Not again. He's suffered enough, and yet he's willing to suffer again on her behalf.

There's no going back.]

... I trust you.

[A nervous gulp.]

... One... two...

[trabryu]

[ They have to move, fast. Their surroundings continue to deteriorate, revealing the true substances of each and every single thing in the classroom second to second. The teacher's podium disintegrates and spreads out to be maggots, threatening to crawl up to them.

Mondo slings Tsumiki's arm around his neck, then hauls her up on his shoulders ー the fireman's carry. This is the only way he can have one arm free to get them up the windowsill. ]

Close your eyes and hang on tight to... my clothes or anythin' you can grasp. Whatever ya do, don't let go.

[ There's no other choice. If they stay here, they're absolutely gonna die. At least, by jumping out, they still have a 50:50 chance. Alright maybe 30:70, but still, it's a possibility. The feeling is mutual ー he doesn't want Tsumiki to die either. That's why he's gonna gamble here.

He puts a foot up, feeling the jitters on his skin. His free hand on the windowsill gives him the momentum and the spring for his other leg to go up, and there...

they...

gooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOO ]

Owahhhh!!!

[ His grip on Tsumiki tightens as they take the plunge, while his free hand stretches up, hoping to find something to hold on, to stop their fall. The combination of the force of gravity and blowing wind is keeping his ears from hearing anything, his eyes can barely keep up with what's going on.

All he knows is, the moment he feels something on his free hand, he grabs it tight, and,

everything comes to a stop.

Are they dead?

Mondo slowly opens his eyes that he doesn't remember closing, seeing that the ground is not too far below them. The next thing he does is to make sure that Tsumiki's still safe there, but before he can even lift his head, a loud snap! is heard and down he tumbles to the ground, cushioning whoever (or whatever) that follows after. ]

Khgー!!

[ For the second time, he opens his eyes again, finding themselves under a tree with rainbow-coloured leaves. He looks to his side ー a snapped glittery branch is on his hand ー then quickly below to check up on the friend he took a trust fall with. ]

Tsumiki!! You ok?!

[ Is it... really Tsumiki... ]

[naughty_nurse]

[Mikan wonders if she'll ever stop screaming - seeing the maggots, the jump, the fall, all she can do is yell at the top of her lungs, as useless as he it is. She clings so tightly that she can feel her nails on the other side, ready to pierce into her skin. She's afraid to open her eyes, afraid to see what this event of Wonderland is truly like.

Thud.

And thud again.

There's pain, but the kind that would come from any kind of fall. No broken bones. No signs of concussion. Possible bruising. All of that goes through her Super High School Level Nurse mind. She has to remember to breathe, and when she does, it's slow, haggard.

But what Mondo, and Mikan when she opens her eyes, will see is that she's no longer wearing the academy uniform. It's her nursing outfit, the one she always wears. The last remnants of the spell are gone. Ever so slowly, she dares to open her eyes and face him.

No sparkles. No glimmer to his teeth. No roses growing around his frame. It's the brash, rude, boorish, real Mondo. She never thought she'd be so happy to see him.]

... Y-Yeah... I'm... I think I'm finally okay...

[... Sheesh, she's never going to stop crying, is she?]

... Thank you.

1/2

[trabryu]

[ That's right. This is the real one ー no decoration, no extra oomph, just Mondo. The only thing sparkling is some obnoxious glittery matters that gather on his pompadour as soft wind blows them from the branches of the tree.

He lets a content, relieved sigh as he pushes himself up. ]

That's great.

[ Tsumiki's fine. Some scratches here and there, but she's good. She's alive. He's... really glad.

He fixes his posture, sitting up. His hand reaches out to her, and lands on her head. ]

We're alright now.

[ But... it's not enough. He needs to be sure she's here. He wants to feel it, closer. The hand slides down to behind her neck, gently pulling her closer, to his shoulder.

Yes, this warmth.

She's truly alive.

She's--

2/2

[trabryu]

--WAIT WHOA WHAT THE FUCK?! ]

?!!??!!

[ In a flash, he pulls away from her, both hands up in the air like a guilty convict. His face is filled with pure confusion and utter shock, as if he wasn't the one who just did that. ]

Wha... wha...

[ Shit, what the fuck's he doing?! He gotta stop stammering and explain himself! ]

M-MY BAD!!! I... I dunno what got over me, hah... haha...

[ Why the hell did he do that?! ]

I FUCKING CACKLED GODDAMN IT MONDO

[naughty_nurse]

[At least she's not full on sobbing now, the tears quiet as she rolls down her cheeks. Pain still radiates inside and out... but she's still happy with that outcome. She smiles weakly, relieved that the dream and nightmare is over. Now she can live again. Now she can help others again.

She's just so happy that they're okay and everything's okay that she really doesn't pick up on anything that would be socially unacceptable. She's kind of on adrenaline and runner's high. Not when he touches her skin and pulls her close, maybe he wants a hug? A hug would be fantastic right n-

SHOVE-THUD.]

Eek!

[He pulls back so hard and startled her so much that the combination makes her fall off him and land on her back on the ground. She blinks rapidly, trying to understand what just happen.]

Uuu... a-are you all right? Were you hurt from the fall after all?

forever cockblocking himself

[trabryu]

[ PANIC MODE: ON ]

Shit!!

[ With the surprise of his burst of impulse and her falling back, he doesn't have a time to think properly about many things, not now. He quickly hovers over her, panicking more. ]

I-I'm fine, you okay?! Did you hit your head?!

[naughty_nurse]

[She tries to sit up, rubbing the back of her head. Yep, there's a bump - did this actually hurt her more than falling out a ???story window?]

I-I'm fine... No signs of a concussion, or bruising. I-I was just surprised...

[She looks up at the school building, which has lost all of its bright coloring, and seems to be... falling apart, brick by brick.]

M-Maybe we should go somewhere else!

[trabryu]

Sorry...

[ He hisses it out, frustrated at himself more than anything.

When she points out at the crumbling building, he looks behind him. Ominous growling noises can be heard from a distance, as smoke begins to engulf their surroundings. Even the tree beside them is starting to rot away. ]

Shit, yeah. [ He gets on his feet, offering a hand to her. ] Can ya stand? ...I saw some cars parked outside there when I came. [ Thumb points. ] We could grab it and go.

[ Mondo can you even drive. ]

[naughty_nurse]

Stealing a car? But that's illegal!

[MIKAN.]

... I g-guess we don't have a choice!

[She grabs his hand, getting up quickly, and not letting go of him anytime soon.]

SO MUCH SKINSHIP

[trabryu]

Yeah! Who the hell cares 'bout that now?!

[ Mondo sure does look like he doesn't care about that anytime... OKAY WELL HE DOES BUT HE REALLY DOESN'T RIGHT NOW. With the green light from Tsumiki, DASH he goes, tugging her along in tow. The cherry blossom tree-lined street that led up to the school has lost all the pink at this point, instead having black squiggly things to replace the flowers. Don't look at them.

When they've reached the end of the street, as Mondo said, three convertible cars are parked in parallel, every one of them is so blindingly... uh, unique. The first one is shocking pink with white flower pattern all over it. The second one is glittery gold (what's with this place and glitter?!) from the coating to the seats. The third one looks... relatively normal in comparison, apart from the striking red colour. ]

Let's go with that one!

[ With Tsumiki's hand in his, he's practically not giving her a chance to choose (albeit subconsciously), leading her towards the passenger's seat. ]

Aight. Buckle up.

[ He'll then get to the driver's seat, and only after Tsumiki does buckle up does he say: ]

I've never driven a car before.

[ With so much confidence. ]

THIS IS THE DUMBEST AND BEST HOOK-UP

[naughty_nurse]

[She's trying not to look at everything falling apart and becoming gross, but it's really hard! She makes a tiny "eeee" noise of distress, struggling to catch up with Mondo, as he's much faster than she is. She also knows nothing about cars, but since Mondo is a Guy, he probably knows all about them, yes???]

Y-yes, safety first...

[Click! ... and then he says the goddamn worst thing possible, thank you.]

... I-Is it anything like riding a motorcycle?

[NO, AND YOU GODDAMN KNOW IT, MIKAN]

I'M CRYING

[trabryu]

[ OH YES, OF COURSE, HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT...

in his dreams.

He knows nothing about how to drive because cars are SO goddamn overrated and bikes are the best. Curse himself. ]

Ye, yeah! I think so!

[ Someone's confidence is dwindling. Look, he knows it's not, too, but sometimes you just gotta... you know? IT'S RIDE OR DIE, MIKAN. Anyway, he's gonna try to at least start this car, this one's simple and anyone should be able to do it right? It's just, you know, turning the key. Easy as a pie.

SNAP.

What's that noise? ]

Oh. Haha.

[ If you look closely that's half of the key on his fingers. Well. The car started so. It's. Okay???

By the way, is it just him or is he seeing something approaching them? ]

Uhh. I think we should get going.

[ He slams the pedal on the right, causing the car to jump forward, towards the direction they'd very much like to avoid. Nnnnnnonono. He throws the steering wheel sideways to make a sharp turn screeeeeech aaaand okay. At least now the car's facing the other way around. They can now make a break for it. ]

Ready?

[ Aaaaand GO.

Screeeeeeeeeeech VROOOOOMMMMMMM

Hold tight, girl. ]