He'd never learned where Mondo was staying the last time the other had hung up on him; calling him and accosting his voicemail is the best Ryuji can do short of pounding on doors until he hits the jackpot. He's tempted to do the latter, and dead set on the former.]
Pick up, you bastard--
[A mutter to himself as it rings, the sweat of the night's unconscious adventures still cooling on his skin.]
Edited (eventually we will get this right) 2017-10-04 00:04 (UTC)
[ Even if Mondo managed to fall back asleep earlier, not this time. Not after seeing the death of his brother and a murder he did with his own hands.
It's just a dream, he tells himself, a series of weird dreams in which he saw his past memories, and happened to interact with Tsumiki and the monkey dude. But why them, out of all people? Are there some kind of relevance? He tries his best to organise what he saw in an objective way, exerting his hardly used left brain ー but his mind refuses to cooperate. Instead, it replays the last words he heard before he woke up.
"You're tired?" "Look at this! Someone's dead here!"
It feels strangely real. Anyone who saw that happening would totally say that, huh. Well, at least he didn't get to see what kind of judgmental face was being pointed his way... not that it helps the sickening feeling he's feeling on both his throat and stomach much. How long has it been since he last saw his brother's death in the dreams, again? It was never this clear, and never from this perspective, like he's watching a movie of his own memory. It felt so fucking shitty, like it was supposed to be some entertainment. And, Fujisakiー
The sudden light from his palm pilot snaps him back to reality, and he grabs it without thinking. What's this? A call from Ryuji Sakamoto? His brows furrow. Who the fuck? He really doesn't feel like talking to anyone right now. How urgent can a call from a stranger be, anyway? Must be some prank call or scam.
Then again, it doesn't seem like Wonderland has one of those, huh? ...Wait, yeah, he's in Wonderland, after all. No one knows what's gonna happen ー there might be some serious stuff happening out there that he doesn't know yet. He can't back out just because he's got some nightmare, just because... shit. It's not 'just' a nightmare, goddammit. It's a fucked up nightmare, that Wonderland probably inflicted on him on purpose. He didn't know much about this world yet, but if it could drag him back from his death, why can't it do these things?
The backlight of the screen blinks, as if trying to capture his attention back. That means one thing: the caller has yet to give up. Well, who knows, it might be some urgent matter. It shouldn't hurt to just pick it up, right? Mondo draws out a long, suffering sigh, before pressing 'Answer'. He puts it against his ear, but doesn't say a word. ]
[Still clawing cobwebs off his waking mind, it's easy to forgot not everyone has the luxury of his history with cognitive worlds and can bounce back on their feet so easily, or that someone as bad with technology as Mondo might not have thought to look for his name.
He presumes--just as he's presuming a lot about the reason for this late-night call.
Murder. Can it be? Could both events he'd witnessed in Mondo's mind be an echo of something that had really happened? Presumptions had left him with doubts about the other boy from their very first encounter; the attitude, the entitlement, all the hallmarks of a dangerous juvenile delinquent worn like a badge of honor... Shitbags like that popped up on the phan-site every other day. He wouldn't have blinked twice to see the boy's name listed among them.
But murder?
Even for an unlikable guy like Mondo, that's a singularly depraved low. The part of Ryuji that had empathized with him in the moment of his grief, weeping for a brother that had made the ultimate sacrifice to save him, wants to deny it, but the silence when the call connects (a knowing silence? a guilty silence) seems like another nail in the coffin.]
Well?
[He picks up where they'd left off, like there hadn't been a break in between.]
Are you just gonna heavy breathe at me? What was that? At the pool... Your other self killed that kid. Was that real?
[ Mondo can't hold back the gasp that escapes him. What did this guy just say? The pool? His other self?
It's real? ]
...What?
[ No, hold on, he's... he can't. What the hell? Why's this voice so familiar? It sounds just like... just like... ]
You're... the blonde asshole from earlier?
[ Probably of the least importance this moment, but he has to ask ー he can't quite grasp this just yet. What the fuck was that if that wasn't just a dream? They went into his memories for real? So the monsters they fought... and the memories of Tsumiki he saw... they were all real? How did he get back here, then? Is that even possible in the first place?
He begins rubbing his palm against his face, as if that'll help waking himself up. ]
Yeah, me. That guy who saved your ass in Kamoshida's Palace, and saw not just one but two deaths in your head. Hey.
[The sarcasm is thicker in his voice than the residue of sleep by now. Did he think Ryuji would just shrug it off and not follow up? He's too caught up in the memory of blood to realize they're riding very different wavelengths.]
[ Outside of Mondo's door is a tin full of homemade goodies like chocolate covered pretzels, caramel popcorn, peppermint bark, and decorated sugar cookies. She left a little card on top, too. ]
Hey! Merry Christmas. And if you don't celebrate it, here's some stuff for you. Thank you for being there for me a couple weeks ago. Sincerely, Liv.
[ Oh no, he's so... happy that he can't hide a little smirk when he sees it. He does have something for her too, and he's planning to drop it later on, but he'll send her a text first before that. For a moment he thought it'd be nice to meet and thank her in person as he hands her the present but that's... too high of a hurdle for him. So text it is. ]
hey liv merry xmas
got the present thanks a lot they look good
[ He does have quite a bit of sweet tooth, so this is nice. He probably can't share this with Komo, though. ...Speaking of which, he should introduce her to his 'son' sometime. They haven't seen each other in quite a long while after all, Liv probably doesn't know about him.
He sends another text then. ]
dya like dogs?
( text ) i had no idea this would happen but omg it's so good
[ Whenever Oowada steps out, he'll find a neatly wrapped package dressed up in black paper with flames on it. Inside, he'll find a toy to give to komo and a motorcycle dog carrier. There's also a pair of goggles for Komo to wear when he gets bigger. Besides the present is also a plate full of homemade christmas cookies. On top of the cookies, there's a cute holiday themed card from Sayaka written in pink ink. ]
Merry Christmas, Oowada-kun! Have a happy holiday and I hope Komo enjoys his new toy.
[And there's a package from Mikan, too! A black collar and leash for the pupper, along with a squeaky bone. There's also a slice of Christmas cake, and a note.]
Merry Christmas. Thank you for being so nice to me. And merry Christmas to the puppy too.
[There's another gift from someone who didn't bother to write out a card. It's just a mysterious box wrapped in colorful paper... That has a whole lot of dog biscuits in it. That's it. Just dog treats.]
[Whoever sent this was probably thinking more about the dog.]
[ Mondo can't help but let a surprised sound (read: noise) at the text he received. Jon's mom is here?! But... ]
the real one?
[ The past event... wasn't really great to him. It makes him incredibly dubious of what's coming, that instead of feeling happy for his friend, he feels suspicious. It's shitty, but Jon's safety is more important. After all, it can be real hard to separate the resl from the fake sometimes, especially when you're emotionally compromised. Sure, Jon's probably handling it much better than he had, but he just wants to confirm that first. ]
actually i just responded to her video msg earlier so shes ur mom
[ He doesn't know how to describe this feeling. He's relieved, and genuinely happy for Jon, mostly. But it's hard to deny that a small, hushed part at the back of his mind does feel some kind of envy. Thanks past event for giving him the false hope that he didn't want to ever have. ]
thats great ya must be excited are u guys plannin anythin
[ It's not bedtime yet for Mondo, as he's still fiddling with some of the woodwork he's been working on lately. Seeing the name on his palm pilot, his eyes dilate. Tsumiki's never really given him a call before, much less at night like this. He doesn't take any longer to pick it up. ]
Yeah, what's wrong, Tsumiki?
[ He sits up straight, like he's readying himself for... something. It must be something serious for her to sound like this. ]
[There's a bit of relief that he so readily picked up and went right to the point. She swallows, trying to steel herself.]
Have you... gotten any weird messages lately, over the devices? Any strange texts or scary images?
[Of course she doesn't want anyone else to suffer, but boy it would feel better to know it wasn't just her. Yet it's too soon for an another event, it goes against her knowledge and years of Wonderland.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice | backdated to the night of Sept 6th
He'd never learned where Mondo was staying the last time the other had hung up on him; calling him and accosting his voicemail is the best Ryuji can do short of pounding on doors until he hits the jackpot. He's tempted to do the latter, and dead set on the former.]
Pick up, you bastard--
[A mutter to himself as it rings, the sweat of the night's unconscious adventures still cooling on his skin.]
voice | DR1 spoilers!
It's just a dream, he tells himself, a series of weird dreams in which he saw his past memories, and happened to interact with Tsumiki and the monkey dude. But why them, out of all people? Are there some kind of relevance? He tries his best to organise what he saw in an objective way, exerting his hardly used left brain ー but his mind refuses to cooperate. Instead, it replays the last words he heard before he woke up.
"You're tired?" "Look at this! Someone's dead here!"
It feels strangely real. Anyone who saw that happening would totally say that, huh. Well, at least he didn't get to see what kind of judgmental face was being pointed his way... not that it helps the sickening feeling he's feeling on both his throat and stomach much. How long has it been since he last saw his brother's death in the dreams, again? It was never this clear, and never from this perspective, like he's watching a movie of his own memory. It felt so fucking shitty, like it was supposed to be some entertainment. And, Fujisakiー
The sudden light from his palm pilot snaps him back to reality, and he grabs it without thinking. What's this? A call from Ryuji Sakamoto? His brows furrow. Who the fuck? He really doesn't feel like talking to anyone right now. How urgent can a call from a stranger be, anyway? Must be some prank call or scam.
Then again, it doesn't seem like Wonderland has one of those, huh? ...Wait, yeah, he's in Wonderland, after all. No one knows what's gonna happen ー there might be some serious stuff happening out there that he doesn't know yet. He can't back out just because he's got some nightmare, just because... shit. It's not 'just' a nightmare, goddammit. It's a fucked up nightmare, that Wonderland probably inflicted on him on purpose. He didn't know much about this world yet, but if it could drag him back from his death, why can't it do these things?
The backlight of the screen blinks, as if trying to capture his attention back. That means one thing: the caller has yet to give up. Well, who knows, it might be some urgent matter. It shouldn't hurt to just pick it up, right? Mondo draws out a long, suffering sigh, before pressing 'Answer'. He puts it against his ear, but doesn't say a word. ]
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He presumes--just as he's presuming a lot about the reason for this late-night call.
Murder. Can it be? Could both events he'd witnessed in Mondo's mind be an echo of something that had really happened? Presumptions had left him with doubts about the other boy from their very first encounter; the attitude, the entitlement, all the hallmarks of a dangerous juvenile delinquent worn like a badge of honor... Shitbags like that popped up on the phan-site every other day. He wouldn't have blinked twice to see the boy's name listed among them.
But murder?
Even for an unlikable guy like Mondo, that's a singularly depraved low. The part of Ryuji that had empathized with him in the moment of his grief, weeping for a brother that had made the ultimate sacrifice to save him, wants to deny it, but the silence when the call connects (a knowing silence? a guilty silence) seems like another nail in the coffin.]
Well?
[He picks up where they'd left off, like there hadn't been a break in between.]
Are you just gonna heavy breathe at me? What was that? At the pool... Your other self killed that kid. Was that real?
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It's real? ]
...What?
[ No, hold on, he's... he can't. What the hell? Why's this voice so familiar? It sounds just like... just like... ]
You're... the blonde asshole from earlier?
[ Probably of the least importance this moment, but he has to ask ー he can't quite grasp this just yet. What the fuck was that if that wasn't just a dream? They went into his memories for real? So the monsters they fought... and the memories of Tsumiki he saw... they were all real? How did he get back here, then? Is that even possible in the first place?
He begins rubbing his palm against his face, as if that'll help waking himself up. ]
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[The sarcasm is thicker in his voice than the residue of sleep by now. Did he think Ryuji would just shrug it off and not follow up? He's too caught up in the memory of blood to realize they're riding very different wavelengths.]
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voice ▹ action
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text;
Are you busy?
text;
nah im good
wassup
text;
Damian was helping me keep up on my school lessons and we found a planetarium.
text;
what
sounds cool
where you wanna meet
text;
text;
forward dated to Christmas Day
Hey! Merry Christmas. And if you don't celebrate it, here's some stuff for you. Thank you for being there for me a couple weeks ago. Sincerely, Liv.
( text ) whispers i love this CR so much
hey liv
merry xmas
got the present
thanks a lot
they look good
[ He does have quite a bit of sweet tooth, so this is nice. He probably can't share this with Komo, though. ...Speaking of which, he should introduce her to his 'son' sometime. They haven't seen each other in quite a long while after all, Liv probably doesn't know about him.
He sends another text then. ]
dya like dogs?
( text ) i had no idea this would happen but omg it's so good
[ Dogs are magical, so: ]
I LOVE dogs.
( text ) sobs i'm so glad
seems fishy
i tried yours though
its real good
thanks
ill eat em slowly
[ Oh man, if only you can see his face now. Shining like those Christmas lights. ]
great
whenre you free
ill let you meet mine
hes a good boy
( text )
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12/25 - Christmas
Merry Christmas, Oowada-kun! Have a happy holiday and I hope Komo enjoys his new toy.
From, Sayaka Maizono
12/25
Merry Christmas. Thank you for being so nice to me. And merry Christmas to the puppy too.
Mikan Tsumiki.
12/25
[Whoever sent this was probably thinking more about the dog.]
Christmas Eve delivery
text;
text;
the real one?
[ The past event... wasn't really great to him. It makes him incredibly dubious of what's coming, that instead of feeling happy for his friend, he feels suspicious. It's shitty, but Jon's safety is more important. After all, it can be real hard to separate the resl from the fake sometimes, especially when you're emotionally compromised. Sure, Jon's probably handling it much better than he had, but he just wants to confirm that first. ]
text;
Her name is Lois Lane.
text;
so shes ur mom
[ He doesn't know how to describe this feeling. He's relieved, and genuinely happy for Jon, mostly. But it's hard to deny that a small, hushed part at the back of his mind does feel some kind of envy. Thanks past event for giving him the false hope that he didn't want to ever have. ]
thats great
ya must be excited
are u guys plannin anythin
text;
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Voice | Feb 21
[It's night, almost time for bed. She's been hesitant to make this call, but she trusts him, and maybe he has the answer.]
I-I'm sorry to bother you, but I didn't want to... I mean, that is... Can I ask you something?
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Yeah, what's wrong, Tsumiki?
[ He sits up straight, like he's readying himself for... something. It must be something serious for her to sound like this. ]
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Have you... gotten any weird messages lately, over the devices? Any strange texts or scary images?
[Of course she doesn't want anyone else to suffer, but boy it would feel better to know it wasn't just her. Yet it's too soon for an another event, it goes against her knowledge and years of Wonderland.]
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No, nothing...
[ He holds his breath for a moment. Has she been getting those? Someone harassing her? ]
What didja get?
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mild dr1 spoilers
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