01

[papartner]

From: Kazuki Kurusu
To: Everyone
Subject: [ this field unintentionally left blank ]

[ Whatever starts appearing in the journals looks a little messy. No, the writer is not drunk. They're upset. They're weepy, they're having A Time. ]

We left in October but got here in July... and now it's four months later and it's November here and back home, it's... That means today... today would be our daughter's birthday, AGAIN. And because of the time difference... It means I missed it TWICE! Our daughter's fifth birthday!! TWICE!! The FIRST one we would have spent together, and I'm not even THERE! Not there to make her THE BEST CAKE EVER, and decorate the house, and celebrate! I don't know how I'll ever make it up to her, she'll never get that I missed it two times... Wait. WAIT. does that mean she's two years older now?? My baby is growing up without me?! No WAY! Soon she'll be dating that little CREEP and then getting married and -

[ if someone were around the tree house Kazuki resides in, they would hear a pained shriek, followed by HE BETTER STAY AWAY WHILE WE'RE ASLEEP. It, in fact, disturbs some of the birds in the branches nearby, and they fly out of the tree at the sudden noise. Oops. ]

Comments

action;

[dadinside]

[While this world is without a lot of the horrors that Rei grew up with, he still prefers to sleep in the tub. Old habits die hard, it seems. Or rather, it's difficult to leave behind the traumas that draw him to safer sleeping places. He's currently fast asleep, having had another late night/early morning gaming session, except this particular instance doesn't seem very restful. Occasionally, Rei does have nightmares, most stemming from his childhood, but this one is a little different. He's kicked off the thick blanket covering him, his body overheated, when he usually runs cold. His skin is covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. On his face is a troubled expression, but more than that is the pain he seems to be in. Eyebrows knit together, his mouth ajar, panting, as a dull pain courses through his body.

Unseen is the wound he got a couple of months ago, on the back of his shoulder, pulsing with black energy. His heart is racing, but it's hard to tell if it's from the pain he appears to be experiencing, or the nightmare. It's a familiar nightmare- flashes of him killing people. Their cold, lifeless eyes boring through him in condemnation. Constant reminders of the orders given to him by his father, painful reminders of what happens to those that betray the organization. No one is safe. Bonds don't exist. Ties easily severed.

Then, at a glimpse, he thinks he sees a woman. She's familiar. He knows who she is, and in an instant there's a flash of light... before everything turns red--

It's late morning when he hears a scream that rouses him from that nightmare. He bolts upright in mid-panic, struggling to catch his breath. His hair and clothes are little damp and he immediately notices that he doesn't feel quite right. Something is off...

Nausea.

He leans forward, attempting to stave off whatever this feeling is- his vision blurry and head spinning. When he squeezes his eyes shut all he sees is red, all he smells is blood, and it's enough to force his eyes open.

Focus on something else.

Anything else.

Like that scream...

It was Kazuki, but he knows that particular scream. He's not in danger. Sounds like he's losing his shit, though. Rei remains sitting in the tub, trying to get his bearings under control, pushing back the awful feeling trying to envelope him. In due time, the wound ceases pulsing, and his breathing settles. Ignoring the rest, he uses the rim of the bath tub to pull himself up onto his feet, intent on walking it off, literally.

When he finally emerges from the bathroom, he can see Kazuki hunched over the table in the living room, writing furiously between choked noises and manic movements. Must be Miri, he thinks, and he slowly approaches the couch looking like a disheveled gremlin that just woke up from a thousand year slumber. His hair is all out of place and his jacket is hanging off one of his shoulders- he appears no different than usual.]

... You okay?

[He asks groggily, knowing the answer to that question, but allowing Kazuki to vent if needed.]

action;

[papartner]

[ Fortunately, because Rei knows that Kazuki screaming isn't necessarily an emergency, he's had a bit of time to collect himself. Not completely, but, you know. He's still got tears in the corners of his eyes as he looks over at Rei stumbling out of his metaphorical cave and into the light of day.

It bothers him to keep thinking about Miri being alone, on today of all days. But also, he's a little comforted by the fact that he isn't. What a selfish asshole you are sometimes, Kazuki.

Blinking away some of the tears, he gets up from his spot in the living room, already closing the distance between him and Rei. ]

C'mon, we got places to be!

[ Kazuki has his one remaining bauble in his pocket. It's enough to do what he needs to do. And god, does he need to do it right now. ]

[dadinside]

[Please excuse him. Man got barely any sleep. Everything is going in slow motion for him as he inwardly fights to ignore whatever is affecting him.

Kazuki's seemingly renewed vigour is too fast for him and within milliseconds, the blond is up in his face and Rei can barely recall when he got so close. Which is saying a lot for someone with reflexes like a cat. A trained assassin.

He blinks, still processing words.]

Uh... Where?

[Did he... miss something yesterday? Is something happening today? What day is it?]

[papartner]

The Observatory!

[ like, haven't you been following along, Rei? Wait, he hasn't been, it occurs to Kazuki. ]

Today's Miri's birthday and we're going to see her.

[ Adjusting his coat, that's when he notices the circles under Rei's eyes. Well, he always has those circles, but they look... deeper today. Kazuki frowns but ultimately isn't sure, so... he doesn't push that envelope. ]

[dadinside]

[That gets his attention and he looks much more awake now, eyes widening a little at the mention of her name.]

Miri's here?

[So that's what the screaming was about? How long has she been here? Is she okay??

... It's her birthday?????????]

[papartner]

[ doesn't even know his own daughter's birthday smh, ignore the fact that rei didn't remember his own ]

She's not, but there's a way we can see her. A memory of her, or something like that. Whatever it is, I wanna try it. So get your stuff together and let's go!

[dadinside]

[Yeah, none of that makes any sense to him. But Miri is Miri, so he's in.]

I'm ready.

[Disheveled hair, clothes, eye-bags, and all!]

[papartner]

Uh, no, you're not. I'm gonna need you to wash your face and brush your teeth at a minimum.

[ you look like death warmed over, my man. Kazuki is gonna not so gently urge Rei back toward the bathroom ]

[dadinside]

[Remembering how to look like a human being is difficult, but he goes along with the shoving, also realizing Kazuki is probably right. Maybe doing so will make him feel better???]

... Fine.

[He'd been distracted by the prospect of seeing Miri, initially, though now he's not sure what the situation is, so he closes the door behind him and washes his face, brushes his teeth- the minimum. Within mere minutes he emerges from the bathroom looking like a cave-dwelling gremlin that managed to practice basic hygiene.

It's an improvement.

Slightly.]

[papartner]

[ He hasn't moved from his spot, expecting Rei would be fairly quick... and he's not wrong. What Rei's done is the bare edge of acceptable in public, so a slight improvement. He nods, if not approvingly, then in a kind of acceptance because he doesn't have much of a choice before turning on his heel and making a beeline for the door. ]

C'mon. We'll figure out how this works together.

[ he shoves his hand in his coat pocket again to reassure himself that the bauble is still inside, his fingers curling around it protectively. ]

[dadinside]

[Right behind you, man. Though the slight cleanup at least made him feel somewhat better, he has no trouble rushing out the door with Kazuki to... where ever this Observatory is.

Didn't even know there was one here.

Kazuki's words are not all that encouraging though, and he's supposed to be the brains between them.]

You don't know how it works?

[papartner]

I just mean it'll be our first time trying it. Just gotta make an offering - how hard can it be?

[ But it's not like he had time to plan. And the fact that he's only got one bauble is gonna make this probably short and sweet, but... maybe there really are others who might be willing to let him trade for theirs. Sure, that one person said she'd give hers up but like, it doesn't seem right to ask for them for nothing.

That said, Kazuki is already planning on this being a regular thing, regardless of how it goes. ]

Observatory's to the south.

[dadinside]

[That word, for someone like him, has a darker connotation. Not to mention all the games he plays certainly doesn't help.]

Offering...

Sacrifice?

[Sure, he'd do anything for Miri... even if he still isn't clear on what this is all about????]

[papartner]

Don't get any weird ideas. This place isn't like that.

[ he shakes his head, and pulls the bauble out of his pocket, opening his fingers just enough to show it to Rei without dropping it on the ground. ]

These.