[Jihatsu] [11:36 AM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] I'm an adult now or something! Doesn't Izumi look great? (attachment: a rather good, if slanted, selfie of Wataru in a nice grey suit with a light pink shirt and a darker pink striped tie, and somewhat shorter and more tamed hair (!), and Izumi in a furisode with white fluffthing and fancy hair accessories, who is grinning and giving the V for victory!) [3:51 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Ran into Kyon and Katie. Like literally. Katie was mean to me :( But it's okay. [3:58 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Can you spot the orange hair? What are the odds? They're waiting for a table, I think. If I end up having a beer with Kyon Sorata today, Fate has a more twisted sense of humour than I would have imagined. (attachment: a slightly blurry picture of a crowded izakaya, taken from the back towards the front door. Through the crack of the door, which happens to be open as some patrons depart, you can just see a tall charcoal blob with an orange blob on top, next to a smaller and less recognizable blob.) [4:01 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] hi satoshi! im here w Wataru! wish u were too cuz he is SO CUTE in his suit!! <3 oh and ty for being such an awesome friend!! [4:03 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] That was Izumi. She had half a beer. My most prfound apologies. [4:04 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Profound, sorry. [6:29 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] PURIKURA. (attachment: a not-especially-clear picture of a page of decorative, scribbled-on, cutesy pictures of Wataru and Izumi being adorable, puffing their cheeks out, giving V signs, etc) [7:01 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Oh, also, ran into Katie AGAIN, not literally this time. She was a lot less mean, and now I'm meeting with her and Haruko for some reason?????? Not NOW now, later now. Should I be scared? ---- [Ciara] (Time: Approximately 6AM, Eastern Standard Time) Satoshi is heading out of his dorm room to take care of a few things before classes start that morning, before realizing that he nearly forgot his phone. He ducks back in, careful not to wake up Paul (who thankfully can sleep through quite a lot, which is good given Satoshi's tendency to get up early to get some extra skating time in), and grabs his phone, noticing that he has a text message. Messages. Many of them. All from Wataru. Some with attachments. Well, Satoshi thinks, he was warned. As he walks across campus, he begins to go through them, smiling at the pictures and laughing at some of the messages. Particularly Izumi's. Then he starts texting a response: "Hey! Thanks for the pictures! You guys both look great! Also, hi, Izumi! You're welcome. We'll have to meet up in person when I'm back in Japan." "I'm guessing you didn't have a beer with Kyon. And if it's Katie and Haruko, I'm not really sure if you should be more or less scared. ;) It's a good chance to talk about things, though." "Oh, weird question, but what's your mailing address?" He hits send and proceeds onward! --- [Jihatsu] [8:41 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Hey!!! No, no beer with Kyon. Beer with Izumi. Izumi likes beer, we have discovered. You're right though, Katie+Haruko= good chance to talk about things. Wish me luck? I'll try not to be weird. This is ironic, but I feel like you're the only one of the gang who isn't always judging me....... [8:44 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Oh sorry, my address is [NOT GONNA RESEARCH THIS NOW, BUT IT WOULD GO HERE]. And yours? --- [Ciara] (Monday, January 12th, 2004, 9:00PM Japan/7:00 AM Maine) "Heh, don't get too drunk, then. ;) And good luck! Is it happening soon?" "My address is [RESIDENCE HALL INFORMATION] Orono, ME 04469." --- [Jihatsu] [9:39 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] I don't know about soon. Maybe? Katie's gonna call or text [10:53 PM Monday, Jan 12th (Japan)] Man.... what a day. Made sure Izumi got home safe, she had a bunch to drink. But also food and water! The sky is so beautiful tonight. I miss you. I wish my parents could have been here, you know? [12:14 AM Tuesday, Jan 13th (Japan)] Also, my aunt chewed me out for the APPARENTLY SUPER EXPENSIVE video chat we had last night, LOL! Yet another reason to keep it shorter unless there's emergencies. Can you believe the internet people CALLED HER? [12:57 AM Tuesday, Jan 13th (Japan)] Going to bed now, night! have a good day in Maine. [and after much deliberation:] Don't get eaten by a moose And then Wataru goes to sleep, feeling incredibly stupid for the moose comment, but... whatever. They have moose in Maine. He dreams fitfully - about a perfectly still night filled with a million stars, over a blacked-out city. He dreams in narration, but can't understand his own words, although he knows how important they are, how desperately whoever he's talking to needs to know. He dreams about trains, endless trains going by filled with blank faces, and he looks down to his own hands which are a mile away, as hopeless to control as the passing train. He dreams about a moose with a dashing smile and a Canadian accent, padding along on soft camel-feet beside him, smiling at the words Wataru speaks but still can't understand. He dreams about wandering deserted streets, flipping cards in front of him, but all the cards are blank. He dreams, and then he wakes up, and it's time to be an adult again. --- [Ciara] [2:10AM Tuesday, January 13th (Japan) / 12:10PM Monday, January 12th (Maine)] Sorry, today's been ridiculously busy. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Promise. [End!]