1 s t . r e f l e c t i o n . v o i c e

[kindaqueer]

[It had been a few days since Kaname arrived in Luceti, feeling more than a little disorientated and confused. He'd been convinced it was all a dream until he woke up again the next day, his back still sore from those wings.]

[The voice that sounds out from the journal might sound a tad more distressed than he usually would. You would be too if you suddenly found yourself in another world with no one you knew! Not that he'd want to subject his family and friends to this place, if everything that guide says is true. Experiments, a war, people with mysterious powers... it'd be a lie to say it wasn't a little exciting, but for the most part, he's just worried about what'll come next.]

[And whatever that was going to be, he couldn't shake the feeling that it'd be best not to try and face it all on his own.]

This may or may not be a longshot, but is there anyone else here from Japan? ...er, on earth. [...] And it was 2010 when I left, but I guess people can come from different times even if they know each other, right? [He taps the journal a few times and makes a face. It is recording, right...? Awkward pause.]

...sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how all this works. So, does pressing this make it sto--

[The voice cuts off.]

Comments

[returnthyname]

[Well at least he found a place to go... ] Do you know which one?

Ah... no. I've um--I've actually been here for a couple months now. [Don't worry too much about him bro!]

[kindaqueer]

The one closest to the plaza. [He more or less just took the first available room he could find.]

[But forget about that; Natsume's next words are actually pretty shocking.]

A couple of months? But I just--

...time is weird here, isn't it? What's the last thing you remember?

[returnthyname]

Alright. Meet me down on the first floor then, okay? I'm on my way. [Grabbing a raincoat and umbrella now]

I was at home, with Shigeru-san and Touko-san. There was... [God he still feels uncomfortable talking about it so plainly] something in the house. We had gotten rid of it though.

What about you?

[kindaqueer]

[He nods, then starts getting ready himself, still holding the journal in one hand.]

[...and bro, that is so specific you don't even know. Except, you know, not. There's a bit of a pause as he wonders, briefly, if Natsume will remember things differently than he does...]

[Only one way to find out:]

We just finished helping that youkai find the mirror it was looking for.

[returnthyname]

[Hey, he can't describe it very easily if you weren't even there to begin with bro. And talking about yokai still makes him uncomfortable so you can't blame him for being so descriptive!

But he... blinks at that answer. Mirror? What mirror?]

Mirror?

[kindaqueer]

[...oh. And for a Natsume who has no idea what all went on, this answer will probably just be kind of upsetting. He nods, looking a bit confused.]

The mirror that belonged to the youkai that was possessing me. You... don't remember?

[returnthyname]

...A yokai possessed you?! [Hell no he doesn't remember this! But hearing about it surely must be giving him the same reaction he got when it actually happened.

How could he have let Tanuma, of all people, get into a situation like that? Why didn't he protect him from it? Why did he let Tanuma even get that close to a yokai? Inwardly, he's upset with himself. If this is what happens in his future... ]

No... I don't remember. I don't even think I've gotten to that point in my life yet back home.

[kindaqueer]

[Natsubro, don't make that face. ): Kaname can't help but wish he'd been more careful with his words now.]

So then you must be from the past. [...] Or I guess I'm from the future? This is kind of complicated...

[returnthyname]

[Takashi just pauses for a long time, just beating himself up for letting Tanuma get possessed. His future self must be an idiot of some kind, honestly. Putting people in danger like that... ]

I'm from some time in your past. I'm not sure how far back though...

[Going outside now. Hear the rain, Tanuma?]

[kindaqueer]

[...he doesn't like that pause. What is Natsume thinking about? He knows it's not his fault, right? How could it be? Should he ask...?]

[How would he ask that? He might be wrong, after all. Damn.]

[All he can do now is get up and get ready to go out and meet him, starting to make his way down the stairs.]

Well... it was nearly Autumn before I got here. The new term had already started.

reason number one as to why i should not be doing tags.

[returnthyname]

The new term started? [It's not that far but... further than he expected Tanuma to be. Well, he really shouldn't be that surprised. Look at Reiko! She's from fifty years ago.]

It was around early spring time back in my time...

IT'S ALL COOL BRO. <33

[kindaqueer]

Early spring? [That's... that's a lot of things Natsume wouldn't know about. They were still friends, of course, but it wasn't until these past few months that they started to become actually... really good friends. Best friends? Maybe that was too presumptuous to say.]

[There's a pause. He doesn't really know what he should say in a situation like this... but to be fair, who would? It wasn't everyday you met someone from the past, after all.]

That's... this place is really weird.

<333333333333333333333333 ;v;

[returnthyname]

Yeah, it definitely has it's moments. [Weird is putting it lightly.

In all honest though, Takashi is pretty curious about his future. What did he go through? What yokai got their names returned to them? What happened when Tanuma was possessed? No matter how much it may hurt to face the facts how much of an idiot he was he wants to know...

...Well. Maybe he'll ask another time. Now isn't the time. Too busy running, yesyes]

<3333

[kindaqueer]

I'll bet... [Moments. Good moments? Bad moments? Painful? How has Natsume been doing, if he's really been here for a few months? Kaname can't tell from his tone. Has he been hurt by experiments? Sent out to fight in this war?]

[Would Natsume even tell him if he asked? Perhaps that's the most important question here.]

[He opens the door and stands just outside it, holding an umbrella at his side but still under the shade of the eaves. He's keeping his eyes peeled for Natsume... he should be here any minute now, right?]

[returnthyname]

[Takashi just decides to say nothing else as he makes his way over to the building. It's better he just talk to him about things in person anyways... even if he ends up not saying anything at all. In person is just much better. It reminds him that this isn't a dream.

After a few minutes, Takashi comes running around the corner of the building to see Tanuma standing outside the doorway and he automatically comes to a stop. Yep, definitely not a dream. He's here.

So with a faint smile, he walks up the steps, bringing down his umbrella to fold it back up.] Tanuma.

[kindaqueer]

[Even though it hadn't been all that long since Kaname has seen Natsume, perhaps it was just the loneliness of these past few days getting to him that fills him with -- relief? -- when he finally sees him.]

[It's relief. It's concern. It's happiness. It's guilt. Why Natsume? Why did he have to be brought to this place too? Kaname was so happy to see him and yet--]

[But none of it shows. Not now. He knew well enough that he wasn't the only one who was worried right now, right?]

[He smiles.] Natsume.

Ah-- sorry. For making you walk all the way here in the rain.

[returnthyname]

It's all right, I didn't mind. [It was definitely worth getting to see a familiar and somewhat welcome face. Somewhat meaning he still isn't sure this place specifically is the best place for Tanuma to be.]

Have you... been doing all right since you got here? [No one's hurt him right? His wings should be fine by now... ]

I'm sorry I didn't realize you were here sooner.

[kindaqueer]

I'm fine. It's only been a couple of days. [And he's probably got circles under his eyes from a notable lack of sleep, but really, it's more the wing's fault if anything.]

[But forget all that. Because there are far more important things to deal with right now. There's an uncharacteristically strong look of concern on his face. Natsume has been here for months. And Kaname has been here just long enough to have learned how dangerous this place is.]

[What if he's been hurt? Or changed? Or killed? What if he's been spending all this time by himself? There were so many questions, so many worries... but he didn't know how to put them all in words. He'll start small, and see where it gets him.]

You're the one who's been here for so long. Have you been all right?

[returnthyname]

[Honestly, Takashi would've been surprised if Tanuma hadn't made a face like that. He's one of the few who know what he does and worries about him.

Luckily, not too much has happened for Tanuma to worry about though. Aside from that weird love experiment, it's been pretty quiet. But that doesn't mean Takashi would tell him if he had actually been through something dangerous...

The more he keeps a secret about the dangers and strange things he's been through, the better. He wants to prevent him from getting caught up in his messes again.]

Yes, I've been doing all right here. It hasn't been as bad as people say.

[kindaqueer]

[Kaname may know that Natsume sees youkai and spirits, but it wasn't until recently that he's learned just what that entails. Nyanko-sensei said himself that Natsume was always getting wrapped up in the troubles of youkai, just like that one with the mirror... so perhaps Natsume's idea of "not as bad" is a bit skewed from how Kaname would see it.]

[As it stands now, Natsume's words just get a small frown. He wants to believe that Natsume's telling the truth, and maybe he is, but...]

Has... Nyanyan-sensei been with you?



[He's too tired to remember his ridiculous name right, okay.]

[returnthyname]

It's only been a few days since he got here.

[Ffffuu why didn't he lie? That would've made Tanuma feel a bit more at ease... probably. But what would've been the point in lying? Nyanko would've no doubt spilled the truth that he hadn't gotten here much sooner than him. Reiko too.]

[kindaqueer]

[Yeah, bro, you aren't really helping much in the whole not-making-Tanubro-worry department. His frown only deepens as he struggles on a way to properly phrase his next question. The one most on his mind apart from whether Natsume was okay or not.]

So you... ah, what I mean is... [He crosses his arms, averting his eyes just a bit.] You haven't been here by yourself, have you?

[He tried not to make that sound so condescending. He knows Natsume can take care of himself. He's just worried. Loneliness was something they knew in common, after all.]

[returnthyname]

[There is an obvious hesitation before he answers. Of course he hasn't been alone alone but would it be okay to tell Tanuma about Reiko? About his grandmother who can see ayakashi just like he can? Well that part he doesn't need to know about but still...

How to explain that his grandmother who was alive fifty years ago, is here now with him? Well, he won't lie about this one, maybe this will help him relax a little. Don't worry about him so much Tanubro]

...No. Someone's been here with me ever since I got here.

[kindaqueer]

[Natsume would have better luck telling water not to be wet or Sensei not to drink sake than trying to get Kaname not to worry, at least a little.]

[He notes the hesitation, but isn't quite sure what to make of it. Is it something Natsume doesn't want to tell him? That much seems obvious... but why? Was it someone dangerous? Someone he didn't like?]

[Maybe it was better to leave it at that. If someone was here with him since he got here, then at least he wasn't alone, right?]

[There's a pause. And then a smile.]

...that's good. I'm glad.

[returnthyname]

Yeah. [Another pause. He sure does like pausing in between his sentences right now. He would try to think of a conversation starter that doesn't have to do with his own well being but seeing how this is going, that'll be hard. They'll end up worrying about each other to death at this rate.

So after a brief moment-]

Would you... like to come back to my house? [So you don't have to be alone] Nyanko-sensei is there right now. [As is Reiko.]