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

[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.