[ic] Inbox

[diffidentive]

"You've reached Saihara Shuichi, leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Video ✯ Voice ✯ Text ✯ Action
(please include date in subject!)

Comments

Text; after alex's post about niel

[slieght]

[Of course Shuichi is the first one he texts. If anyone could talk some sense into Kaede, it'd be him, and he's sure the detective would at least want to know about this to keep an eye on her if nothing else. The way she's thinking right now...it's not right.]

Saihara-chan, I think we should keep an eye on Akamatsu-chan. She's acting...off. Go look at her response to jdenvH8r82's post.

[diffidentive]

Off?

[Presumably, Shuichi is checking the post in question because it's several minutes before he responds further.]


Oh. I see what you mean...
That's...
I don't know. But you're right, we should keep an eye on her...

[ action? / a day or two after they met ]

[parfaitgirl]

[ Whenever Shuichi comes back to his room that day, he will find a small pink box. Inside is a delicious dark chocolate cupcake with perfectly piped coffee frosting -- not too much! -- and a single coffee bean to decorate on top.

Along with the cupcake, there is a note: "Thanks for talking with me the other day. - Natsuki" ]

text; un: saihara

[diffidentive]

[Oh...]

[Well, that explains the "do you like sweets" question. Shuichi is super touched, honestly, especially since he didn't think he really did much to help her. But apparently just talking to her was enough... that's information to tuck away and keep in mind for later.]

[For now though: cupcake. It looks delicious and he's going to eat it once he's inside his dorm and has put all his stuff away and has a chance to sit down. And afterwards, he sends Natsuki a quick message:]

Thank you for the cupcake, Natsuki-san, it was delicious. :)

text;

[parfaitgirl]

[ Oh, good. She lets out a small sigh of relief when she sees the text, thankful that what she made was something he actually liked. And that he liked it enough to actually let her know.

Still, she can't exactly go and say that, so she's gonna play it cool instead by pretending like it was no biggie. ]

yeah i know i'm super good at baking (o_ _)ﾉ彡☆
i needed a break from training anyways and had some extras so i figured i'd give you one

[ Natsuki you literally asked him up front about it, don't lie and say you didn't specifically make a cupcake for him. ]

[diffidentive]

[Oh boy. She's one of those types, huh? The tsundere. Yes, he's sure that's what this is.]

Well, I'm glad you thought of me.
You really are an amazing baker, that was definitely the best cupcake I've ever had.

Did you manage to find a teacher, then? How is your training going?

video; whenever he's on his field trip to hell

[gotyourbach]

[Kaede had been in the music hall with Minato, and she had been rather excitedly picking up instruments she hasn't used before and giving playing them a whirl, when suddenly there's a feeling of something missing. Like missing a stair on a way down, enough that stops still where she's standing.

Her Oath with Minato is a constant thing, a low background hum of his presence, steady and reassuring with how unchanging it is. Shuichi's is a little different, just because of who he is as a person, and how they spent the interlude without their promise literally binding them together. She's better at differentiating the feeling now that she's had more practice keeping track of both of them at once.

So it's only a matter of moments before she realizes what that sudden emptiness in her heart is.]

Saihara-kun?

[She can't feel him. This has never happened before. Even when Minato was taken from her in Wonderland, she could still sense his presence. Shuichi is just gone. Where was he? Where's the last place she felt him?

She's running toward where the mirror is usually set up when she thinks to try calling him. This is too important for text.]

Saihara-kun, pick up!! Hey!!

[diffidentive]

[Shuichi doesn't immediately notice the connection between himself and Kaede cutting off. He's not the Paladin, after all he's the target of the spell.]

[Plus, he, you know, basically just got teleported to hell. Gromph didn't tell them WHERE he was taking them on this little planar shift field trip of his, and the Abyss is a lot to take in at once. Even without the Drow's explanation of what they're supposed to be doing.]

[So, unfortunately, he also doesn't immediately pick up like Kaede so desperately wants him to. And when she reaches the place where the mirror SHOULD be, she'll find...absolutely nothing. The mirror is gone as well. She will get his inbox message, at least, so that's...probably something, right? At least it's not complete radio silence.]

[gotyourbach]

[Shuichi "I'm not very good with technology" Saihara strikes again.

Increasingly frantic, she just keeps doing whatever the equivalent of redialing on a bracer is instead of just leaving a message for him to get back to later. He can't be dead, right? There's no way! Everyone just comes back at the loop, right?]

Jeez, Saihara-kun, pick up!! Please!

audio;

[diffidentive]

[Oh my god, Kaede, just leave a message.]

[Fortunately, he does pick up...after several redials. Because eventually he DOES realize that something is off, that he can't tell where Kaede is anymore. And if he can sense it, she definitely can. And since he's incapable of ending the Oath himself, and hadn't given any warning ahead of time...]

[Yeah, this probably looks really bad on her end, doesn't it? Oops. And, sure enough, when he checks his bracer as he pulls his crossbow out of his bag, he sees that she's attempting to call him]

Akamatsu-san, I can't talk right now.

[Well, that's definitely his voice and it isn't the same pre-recorded message she's been getting so he's clearly alive, however...the connection isn't clean and clear as it usually is. For one thing, there's no video on his end, despite Kaede initiating the call as such. And the audio is choppy and weirdly distorted at times, like he's going through a patch of bad reception despite the fact that the bracers are not cell phones. There's also some fairly unsettling background noise: gunshots, crackling fire, and shrieking. But he's totally fine. Probably.]

I don't know what happened to the Oath, but I'm okay. [There's a twanging sound that Kaede may be able to recognize as that of a crossbow firing.] I'll call you when we're back.

Action; after returning to the moon base after Thay

[slieght]

[After all was said and done, after the magic was gone and the base had been landed and they were back within its walls, Kokichi spent a day or two in his room thinking. He thought about a lot of things, tested out his skills to see what he could still do, re-thought and re-worked his plans for what to do with his second path.

But what he thought about most was his friends, and what they would all do now. And the thing that stuck out to him the most was the fact that without magic...there would likely be no more resurrections. No trips to a cleric to be healed, no severe injuries able to be cured without worries, no nothing. They were back to relying on staying alive in the first place. And what worried him the most about that was Shuichi.

Before he was content to let Maki and Kaede help him. Obviously the assassin would train him and Kaede would protect him as needed until he could fight on his own. And if something happened, he'd be healed or brought back and could learn from it, no big deal. But it was a very big deal now and the assassin was reassigned elsewhere apparently. He didn't know how often she'd be able to see him, if at all anymore, nor how free Kaede would be to train Shuichi herself. But he, Kokichi, was made of free time. He did everything on his own and had no obligations to anyone.

So he decided he'd stop sitting on his hands and would step in himself. Because the last thing he wanted was for Shuichi to die. Which brought him to his door, actually knocking on it today before he lets himself in.]

Hey Saihara-chan, you here?

[If not he can just wait for him to get back easily enough.]

[diffidentive]

[Nope! Shuichi is most definitely not here. There's no answer to his knock, and Kokichi opens the door to a completely empty living room. If he goes into the shared bedroom, he'll find that just as devoid of life. (Unless you count Yacchi, who lays on Shuichi's bed by his pillow) Predictably, Shuichi's Bag of Holding is gone, presumably with the detective himself. It may not work at full capacity anymore, but it DOES at least work as a messenger bag should.]

[His lab stands forlorn on the desk, some of the beakers cracked or broken due to their expulsion from the bag when the Weave was destroyed. All the books and notebooks are closed. Several bottles of potions lay scattered across the desk as well, their multi-colored contents somehow dimmer and duller than previously. The various belts full of bottles and vials and tubes usually worn about Shuichi's person are slung over the back of the chair, the potions here just as depressing as those on the desk. Colorful liquids and salves that no longer serve any purpose.]

[The only hint to the detective's current location is the fact that his crossbow and its quiver of bolts are nowhere to be seen. He usually carries both in his bag of holding, but the bow is too long to fit in there now that it's lost its magical properties. If it's not here, Shuichi must be somewhere where he'd need it: the dojo or the simulator.]

[It's the dojo. He's in the dojo.]

[slieght]

[The sight of his potions so dull and useless now is a little heart-wrenching. Simply because he knows it's surely discouraging for the detective. That's the entire purpose of his class...but, for now, he has to abandon them. He can't make use of any of them, most likely...

Despite Shuichi not being here, the crossbow and quiver missing is a good enough of a hint as to where he needs to go. And it's also a good sign, since training is exactly what he had in mind today. So he hits up the simulation first, then heads to the dojo when he's not there, peering in to see if he can catch a glimpse of the other boy.

What are you up to Shuichi? For once he doesn't want to just pop in and surprise you, considering that you could be shooting that crossbow of yours.]

[diffidentive]

[Good choice, Kokichi. Because Shuichi is, indeed, shooting that crossbow of his. He has target practice mode turned on, clearly on the easiest level since the targets aren't shooting back at him and most of them are pretty close.]

[As for the detective himself...he doesn't particularly seem to be enjoying this training session. His expression is as dull as his potions and he seems oddly listless and unfocused as he shoots at the various targets. Though he does manage to hit all of said targets, all of his shots fall on the outermost rings. In all likelihood, he forced himself here just to be doing something.]

[Because Kokichi was correct about more than just what would be going on inside the dojo. He was also right about just how discouraging the destruction of the Weave was for Shuichi. Making potions is all he can really do, and he was actually starting to get pretty good at it! But now...now his potions are useless. And on top of that, Maki has been reassigned and won't be around to help him train anymore...]

Action; christmas/candlenights

[slieght]

[The month has been long and a bit of a struggle, at least with regards to keeping spirits up. Kokichi's tried to do his part, running around doing his best to cheer people up when he's seen them needing it or engage them in games and pranks...and he's grateful that the people of New New Aspen have been around to help too. And the Director's encouraging words, which still sit in the back of his head as he approaches Shuichi's door again. "Take these few weeks to focus on the people you love — and the people you haven't figured out you love just yet."

He's done his best, and now he's going to take that suggestion a little more literally. Or try to, at least. Dressed a little more nicely than usual, with a bouquet in hand and a gift bag in the other, he knocks on the detective's door. And, for once, waits for him to answer.]

[diffidentive]

...?

[Someone knocking on the door? Who does he know who does that? At least so calmly so? Kokichi always just breaks in and Kaede's knocks are a little more energetic. Maybe it's Minato...? Or Ferran? Did 76 perhaps lose his key?]

[Only one way to find out. And that is to put down his book, walk over to the door, and open it.]

..... [Yeah, he is...definitely surprised to see Kokichi standing there and does something of a double take. Since when does Kokichi knock and actually wait for an answer instead of just barging in? He's so caught off guard that it actually takes him a minute to speak.] H-hi, Oma-kun. Uhm...

[Wait...is he dressed up? And he has...flowers? And a gift bag? What the heck is going on here?]

Can...I help you with something?

[slieght]

You sure can!

[He offers him a bright smile, offering him the flowers.]

I was hoping you'd join me for Christmas! I mean, it is a couple's holiday, right? Or...Candlenights, technically, but let's not kid ourselves this is totally a sort of Christmas celebration.

[Yeaaaah that was smooth. Teasing enough to keep the atmosphere light, but flirty enough to totally get his intentions across. Nailed it.]

[diffidentive]

Err...

[Rather than alleviate his confusion, Kokichi's explanation only deepens it. Shuichi's wrong-footing becomes even more wrong. Is he hallucinating? Dreaming? Is Kokichi sick? Joking?]

[...yeah, knowing him, this is probably some kind of joke. Or, maybe not a joke, but definitely that weird brand of Kokichi teasing that Shuichi has grown so used to enduring, even if he still is none the wiser on how exactly to deal with it.]

I...guess it's both of those things, yeah. But...we aren't a couple, Oma-kun. So...what is it that you want me to join you for, exactly?

25th

[hxppythxughts]

[A messily-wrapped box, with Shuichi's name written directly on the colorful paper. There's a handmade card on top, decorated with stickers and doodles of wintry images like snow, gingerbread men, etc. It's not properly signed, but the signature isn't necessary. On one side of the interior:]

Tall green trees in lights twinkling bright,
Sparkling strands of tinsel and snow pure white,
The smell of hot cocoa and apple cider too,
A very merry Candlenights, from Sayori to you!
[And then on the other side:]

I hope you like the book! I figured since you're like a super detective that you might like that kind of story. I don't know if it'll be challenging enough but I did my best! I made sure to read it too, so we can talk about it when you're done if you want! I think it'd be fun.

[Inside the box is a nice pair of gloves and a mystery novel about a jewel theft.]

audio; 25th!!

[gotyourbach]

[Presumably, Shuichi is rather busy the day of the 25th. Kaede is pretty busy herself, what with as heavily as she's involved herself in the New New Aspen preparations! So she'll give him a call sometime during the day.]

Saihara-kun! When you have time, can we meet up in the music room? I have a Candlenights gift for you! It's not a big deal, but... there's something I'd really like to give you.

audio;

[diffidentive]

[Apparently Shuichi was pretty busy on Candlenights as well, because it's nearly seven o'clock in the evening before he finally calls Kaede back. But since the pianist was in New New Aspen...it's entirely possible that she has at least some idea of why it took him so long to respond. Because he'd spent the afternoon and early evening with Kokichi, and it's entirely possible that Kaede saw them while they were eating dinner, shopping in a little bookstore, or carving ornaments at the tree.]

[Weirdly though, Shuichi doesn't mention this fact when he finally DOES call Kaede back.]

Ah, I'm sorry. I just got your message, Akamatsu-san... [Not a lie, technically. He hadn't checked his voicemail while he was out with Kokichi since that seemed like kind of a rude thing to do on a date?] But I'm free right now, if it's not too late.

[gotyourbach]

Presents don't expire, you know...

[There's a hint of a pout in her voice, though. She had seen him out with Kokichi, and she's a little hurt she wasn't invited along! He hadn't even checked his phone to invite her, otherwise he'd have seen her message!

Well, as long as her friends had fun, she guesses that's the most important thing.]

I'll meet you in the music room in a couple minutes, then! Oh, wait... maybe in half an hour? I want to practice a little...

[diffidentive]

[Yeeeaahhhh...it would have been incredibly awkward to invite you along though, Kaede. Literally a third wheel situation.]

I know! I just...didn't want to interrupt if you were in the middle of something with Arisato-kun. That's all.

[Because Candlenights is Christmas and Christmas is for couples, so SURELY they are doing something special together. Surely.]

But sure, I can meet you in half an hour.

[Though she has now kind of given away what the present is by saying she wants to practice. She's going to play something for him, surely.]

present!

[feytality]

[ shuichi will find a book on botany, a handmade ornament of him, and a card from maya wishing him happy candlenights! the card is full of doodles of him in various posing, for example: him with kokichi, him watering yggdrasil, him shooting lasers out of his fingers, and etc. the card details how smart and compassionate maya thinks he is, how she's happy to have him as a teammate, and wishes him happiness and safety. ]

25th.

[protegge]

[Happy Candlenights! Shuichi receives: Packets of vegetable seeds (cucumber, tomato, carrot — you know, the most basic vegetables). One enormous sugar cookie (cookie cake?) that looks like Kaede's face.]