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[undermoonlight]

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Action;

[lightthedarkness]

[It was after Usagi and Atsushi had finished dinner that Usagi finds herself in front of his bedroom door. After her conversation with Rei she knew the priestess was right. She took a deep breath and then forced a smile on her face as she knocked.]

Sushi-kuuun, are you awake?

[undermoonlight]

[His bedroom. That's such a weird word. Atsushi has spent many hours simply standing in this room and trying to let it sink in. When Kyouka moved in, Atsushi moved into the closet. He's never lived with someone and had his own space. This is a fairytale come true.

Hearing her knock, he sets down a book on the bed and comes to check the door. While he's started to get used to Usagi's presence, enough to not start conversations with anxiety, he's still surprised to see her.]

Yes, I am. Are you okay, Usagi-san?

voice un: hino

[incandescentfaith]

[It's not hard to track him down at least. Rei's had time to get used to the network, and she's keeping this as voice for now so she doesn't have to possess the stupid fluid to type, and because she doesn't want to deal with questions about her being a ghost yet.]

Good evening. You're the young man that agreed to move in with Usagi, yes?

voice | un: atsushi

[undermoonlight]

[Politely matching her format, Atsushi turns on the Fluid to reply. A friend of Usagi’s, it seems? She’s such a kind person, so he isn’t surprised.]

Yes, I am. My name is Atsushi Nakajima. Can I help you?

A Gift Has Been Delivered!

[lightthedarkness]

[Sitting outside of Atsushi's door will be a very neatly wrapped BRIGHT baby pink box with a white ribbon. Attached is a little card.]

To Sushi-kun!

To help with restless nights.

Love, Usagi! ／(^ x ^)＼

[And should the box be opened, inside is a white tiger kigurumi that lets the wearer have a full, restful night's sleep.]

[undermoonlight]

[It's a gift! Atsushi is overwhelmed at first, not really sure how to go about opening the box. It's so cute, after all. He wouldn't ruin the ribbon-- What if the box was expensive?-- He doesn't know what the etiquette for gift boxes is.

But once it's opened and he's had a chance to figure out what it is, Usagi can expect her roommate to be in the kitchen. Trying his hand at the cookie recipe that Makoto taught him as a way to show his gratitude.]

Video; UN: Feedthebunny

[lightthedarkness]

Hey Sushi-kun, I wanna be a good housemate and ask. Are you okay with me keeping a pokemon if we're allowed?

[undermoonlight]

[Atsushi already has his Shuppet, who pushes into the frame before Atsushi can even answer.]

Usagi-san! You found one too?

I don’t mind. I was about to ask the same of you.

Video; UN: Feedthebunny

[lightthedarkness]

SUSHI-KUN, SUSHI-KUN GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT! [The rabbit is excited, Atsuhi, can you tell?]

video; un: atsushi

[undermoonlight]

[Almost dropping his phone from surprise, but hastily opening a response;]

Usagi-san! Yes, yes? Wait, guessing, uhhh... What?

video | un: cariboy

[spiritwalks]

[ After running into his weretiger form early this morning, it would be weird for Vyng not to check on Atsushi. ]

You around, buddy? Today's been one helluva day.

[undermoonlight]

[It may be a bad sign that, rather than turning on his own video for a reply, Atsushi responds via text. Not quite in the mood to be seen, apparently.

what a brat.]

I’m fine.

Are you okay? How is Tuck?

Voice; UN: Feedthebunny Throughout All of October 1/15

[lightthedarkness]

Sushi-kuuuuuun how are you feeling?

Are you feeling any better? No more stupidly avoiding me, yeah?

Cause I WILL hunt your dumb cute butt down and drag it home, remember ONE of us can fly and it ISN'T you.

Anyway, I've got everything organized! Even made a chart and got these super measuring cups to make sure we keep track of everything we use and how much. Although, American measurements are SO weird!

But hope you're feeling better. Talk to you soon!

Voice; 2/15

[lightthedarkness]

I am so so so so grateful we both stocked up! Oh just letting you know, I might need to deliver one of our gallons to Rei-chan's or Mako-chan's place, I'm waiting to hear back on that.

3/15

[lightthedarkness]

Are you doing okay? No more "sudden tiger?" Has there been any tiger transformations? You know, I never asked, can you do it intentionally or is it only ever when you're in danger. I feel like that's very important to know as your housemate.

Wait, did I ask that when you first moved in? I feel like I did?

Sorry, my mind's all over the place.

Hope you're okay though! I'm gonna check in on the girls.

4/15

[lightthedarkness]

How are you doing? Are you getting enough sleep? The kigurumi is working, right?

Just keep me posted, let me know if you need anything.

Text, UN: flowerhurricane

[thunderingcourage]

You probably saw the post from Vira-Lorr. I have to go find her. I have to find out what's going on. Please stay at home, and stay safe, just in case she comes back.

She wouldn't do something like that, there has to be a mistake.

[undermoonlight]

Makoto-chan, please wait! I can come with you.

We're stronger together, remember?

Text; UN: Godisdead

[in_loveless_memory]

Hey Atsushi-san,

Just texting to make sure you're okay. I haven't seen you all that much at the library. I'm sorry I missed your last visit.

Hope you're staying safe and hope to see you soon,
Aoyagi Ritsuka

Text; UN: Atsushi

[undermoonlight]

[Not dead yet, Atsushi has a chance to respond;]

Ritsuka-kun,

Thank you for checking up on me. I'm doing well. You?

Do you need anything?

Nakajima, Atsushi

Audio - UN: Runeseeker

[onerthes]

[By the time she reached Atsushi she was starting to lose it. She'd contacted McCoy, Makoto and Setsuna, only to find radio silence. And now, Atsushi wasn't reporting in. A percentage of FEAR and associated individuals just all disappeared at once...]

Atsushi? Are you there? Atsushi, damnit report in if you're there! I can't reach Leonard, and I can't find Makoto or Setsuna now. Too many people are missing. October's bad, but it's not this bad! Where are you?

If you get this message, contact me... please!

[undermoonlight]

[It won't be for another five days that Vira-Lorr gets a clumsily typed reply;]

I'm okay.

Where's Makoto and Usagi?

Text; UN: FlowerHurricane

[thunderingcourage]

I'm sorry. I wasn't able to bring her back. I'm so sorry, please come back.

[undermoonlight]

[Waking up, Atsushi is immediately struck by how miserable he feels. Even looking at the screen of his phone (such a bad habit,) makes his head pound painfully. He's confused and sick, still trying to remember what happened, but manages to type out a response.]

I'm back.

text; un: ushiromiya (early february, sometime in the middle of the night)

[entreats]

If a friend asks you to go to a party together on Valentine's Day and calls it a date does that mean it's a date-date.

This is a serious question, I'll only accept serious answers!!!

[undermoonlight]

You’re going on a date? That sounds great, Ange-san!

I don’t know anything about dating, but parties are fun? Is it someone you like being with?

Action;

[thunderingcourage]

[Makoto hadn't really known how long she'd been at the beach, she'd gotten a slight tan, but what kept going through in her mind was the encounter she'd had with that man. She disliked him before, but now she was even more sure that she could never get along with him. His words kept echoing in her head though, she had devastated Vira-Lorr and taken her happiness away. When she returned to the room Makoto showered before just sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair still wet as she stared at the wallet she'd found there, the pictures of her parents inside.

Did she really deserve to be happy, to have someone care for her the way Atsushi did? What right did she have to that when she had taken someone else's happiness away, left them devasted, sad, alone. To make it worse, she'd never even realized it, never acknowledged how Vira-Lorr had felt, just assuming that she was alright this whole time because that was what she had said. What would Atsushi think about her if he knew? ]

[undermoonlight]

[Sharing a room would have normally been out of the question for someone as skittish as Atsushi. Girlfriend or not, he couldn't help but find the idea as disrespectful to Makoto's privacy. It was their strange situation and the way it kept whisking them away from each other that drove him to request they share her hotel room. When he could not find her in the hotel lobby or hallways, he had come back to the room to wait.

It was a relief to come back to their room and hear the shower running. Confirmation that Makoto was there and he had found her filled him with relief, which overwhelmed any embarrassment regarding her showering. He had been waiting for her near the bed when she returned and smiled eagerly, about to express how glad he was to see her...

... But the excitement faded out. She seemed distracted, and not just by the wallet.]

Makoto-chan..? Hm... [Atsushi walked into the bathroom, trying to find the hairdryer. Popping out again, his new smile was tinged by nervousness,] I found the hairdryer! Do you, um... Would you like some help? You'll catch a cold..?

Action;

[lightthedarkness]

[Taped to your door there is a BRIGHT pink envelope. And inside is this note.]

Valentine's Day | Delivery - Action

[thunderingcourage]

[As soon as Atsushi woke up he would find several gifts waiting for him. The first would be a bag of Chocolates that she had spent hours making, once that were slightly different from those he might have spotted her making for Usagi, Minako, and the others. There would also be a stuffed cat, as well as a new shirt and suspenders. Makoto also left a card where she asked him to be her valentine and that she loved him. It invited him to have dinner with her, just the two of them, and that she would cook chazuke with extra salmon.]

text; un: livingfree

[prayed]

[ Atsushi is the last person Kyoko checks in in the end. He's the last person that she wants to talk to right now. There's still too much hurt, too much anger, too much resentment intermingling with adoration.

She doesn't want to know if he's still staying with a murderer. She doesn't want to know if he's gone. She doesn't want to know if he remembers her or has forgotten about her.

Most of all, she doesn't want to have to face the unwarranted kindness that he might show her. She doesn't want to deal with the relief or the worry that he might show - undeserved care, directed at a monster who's only purpose is to kill things. Undeserved worry for somebody who let him die to save their own skin. For somebody so pathetic, so weak, so worthless.

But eventually she does, for reasons that she can't quite be honest about. Because she can't stop thinking about it. It rolls around in her head over and over again while she lays in her empty bed in her empty room in her empty house.

So in the middle of the night Atsushi will get a very simple text from a username: ]

yo

[ Then, a few seconds later: ]

you up

[ There's a quiet relief and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when the text doesn't bounce back. ]

[undermoonlight]

[Since waking up to the new hellscape of Deerington, Atsushi had been caught in a whirlwind of concerns. He hadn't had time to check the list of residents and notice new arrivals. And deep down, he hadn't wanted to. Seeing new faces stuck in this nightmare made his gut twist. Not seeing the old faces did exactly the same. He wasn't sure how to feel anymore. It was too complicated, too hard, and much easier to push aside.

Seeing a once missing name reappear brought those complex feelings forward again.

'Be happy they aren't here anymore.' That's how he had coped with Kyoko abruptly vanishing before. It was a band aid for the wounded state their relationship had been in; A way to forgive himself. Seeing her username again, all of the awkwardness and misery hits him hard.

He doesn't respond right away. It takes him a while to realize this is real and not another one of this nightmare's games.]

Yeah.

Are you okay?