ic contact;

[condoner]

This is Tsunemori! I'm sorry, I'm not here right now, but please leave a message. I promise to get back to you once I'm able. Thank you very much! ( action → text → voice → video )

Comments

[zitteraal]

I'll assume you haven't, given that you're talking about your own disappearance as if you took a vacation.

[ A heavy sigh, here. ]

You're flippant, but I didn't think you'd be this flippant.

[condoner]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude.

[ she laughs amiably. ]

Some of my friends thought I had died, that's all. Actually, I went back home.

[zitteraal]

...If the first thought that came to your friends' mind after you disappeared was that you'd died, that should tell you something about how they worry about you.

[ rude... ]

But, that aside— 'home'? ...You're sure that it wasn't just something CERES made you see, are you.

[condoner]

I suppose that can only be proven in person.

[ she laughs again. ]

With these new memories I've gained, I know how to fend for myself, now. I might even beat you in a sparring session.

[ she's just joking, of course. ]

[zitteraal]

[ she laughs, and there's a long pause on his end, almost as if he's deflating— he's relieved, to be sure. ]

Don't get ahead of yourself. Your form might not match your confidence.

[ he can't even be too mean right now, ugh. ]

...I want to confirm something. Is it alright if I go see you in person.

[condoner]

Of course. Would you like me to prepare you some coffee or some tea?

[ before he even asks, she sends him her address. thank god for wireless communications, as well as speaker phones. ]

[zitteraal]

It's—

[ 'Not a social visit', he almost wants to say, but who is he kidding, god. ]

—Whichever you'll be having. I'll be there in 15 minutes.

[ And sure enough, 15 minutes is all he needs to get over there! With some cake, too, what a nerd... Time to ring the doorbell and wait awkwardly, because now he just feels slightly stupid for worrying so much. ]

[condoner]

[ akane scrambles to put some clothes on because she doesn't usually wear much clothing at home. she likes the feeling of the cool breeze from the ac, ok. she's also prepared some coffee, which is currently brewing as she answers the door. ]

Hello.

[ she nods her head, bowing. it may not be so obvious, but with a closer look, it'll look like she's aged by a year or so. she just looks slightly more mature. ]

[zitteraal]

[ Adolf is very glad Akane has clothes on, otherwise Akane would have had to deal with a heart attack patient in front of her house.

He does note that she looks... more calm? It's something he can't quite put his finger on yet, but that aside, he nods at her and pulls one arm up to hand her a plastic bag. ]

...You look well.

[ If she looks inside the bag, she'll note that he actually did bring a cake. Mysterious gestures from a tsun. ]

[condoner]

Thank you. You look quite well, too.

[ she moves for him to go inside her apartment, and she peers into the bag as she does. ]

Oh, wow! You even got some cake; you didn't have to.

[ but akane is grateful. ]

[zitteraal]

I came here to do something potentially invasive. I didn't want to come empty-handed.

[ Is his excuse for why he brought cake. Who is he kidding though, he's just a weenie.

He steps in, excuses himself to walk towards the nearest table to put his 'gift' down. ]

[condoner]

[ she covers her mouth when she giggles, and when she's done, she follows him to the living room where she says: ]

I think you're the only one who believes a visit is invasive.

[zitteraal]

[ Ah, she's laughing. At first, he doesn't understand why, but then she speaks up... leaving him feeling slightly sheepish. ]

...There are other reasons why I thought it could be invasive. [ Which sounds slightly defensive on his part. D-don't get the wrong idea, baka... ] I also wanted to confirm something.

[condoner]

[ adolf, you are so tsun, omg... ]

Yes, what is it?

[ after saying that, she heads to the kitchen to pour some coffee for herself and adolf. she comes back seconds later with two mugs. ]

Here you go.

[zitteraal]

[ Where does he keep all this tsun? We Just Don't Know.

But he takes the coffee with a brief 'thanks', looks Akane up and down one more time to confirm that yes, she does look a little different. ]

You're the first one I've heard of that's been able to go 'home' and back. I wanted to confirm that you haven't been tampered with.

[ Bugged, monitored— maybe he's a little paranoid, but listen, it's better to be safe than sorry. ]

[condoner]

How would you be able to prove that?

[ akane at least feels that her code's been tampered with, but in a good way. she looks older now, and she has new memories. had her code not been updated, then she'd still look the same, probably... that's what she guesses, anyway. ]

[zitteraal]

...By feeling your electric potential. Despite being code, we all emit weak electromagnetic waves.

[ He hasn't actually explained to Akane that he has 'special powers', so this might just sound insane, but. At the same time, Cerealia has strange people, so it should also be par for the course, he figures. ]

If something drastic was done to you, or if you'd been bugged, I'd be able to feel the discrepancy.

[ Aside from the bug everyone's been wearing from day one. ]

[condoner]

[ that does make her feel slightly confused, but it immediately hits her that maybe adolf has some supernatural powers that she's unaware of. ]

Alright. Do I need to do anything?

[zitteraal]

No. All you had to do was be here, in person. That's why me being here could've been potentially invasive.

[ Because if there'd really been something wrong, he would've had to speak up... awkward. ]

...It's good to know that you're the real deal, if nothing else.

[condoner]

Thank you, I guess.

[ well, what else is she supposed to say to that? ]

Oh, and do you want to eat the cake together?

[zitteraal]

...I already ate.

[ That's a lie, but he's still self-conscious about his face, so there it is. ]

But you can eat. I'll watch. [ A beat later, and he realizes how PROFOUNDLY WEIRD that sounds. ] —Unless. That's an issue.

[ Ah yes, how to backpedal 101. ]

[condoner]

With how much you cover your face, I guess it might be why you've declined.

[ she takes a sip of her coffee, eyeing adolf to see what his reaction might be. and when she sets her coffee mug back on the table, she adds: ]

It's fine. I can eat it later, then.

[zitteraal]

My face isn't exactly something that'd facilitate your appetite.

[ He sighs a bit, and then adds: ] If you have things to think about, I can leave. It can't be all that pleasant, winding up back here.

[condoner]

Now, you can't just say something like that about yourself.

[ she really won't allow it! ]

I wouldn't pressure you to show me, but please know that I wouldn't judge you for anything. After all, we're friends.

[ yeah she said the "f" word. ]

[zitteraal]

[ she did it... why did she do this to him on this day ]

...It's just a general consensus. I can show it to you, but it won't be pleasant.

[ Friends... he's still wondering how this happened to him, and it shows in the slight furrow of his brows. ]