Listen closely and you should be able to hear

[BZZZZAP! Haruka lets out a grunt in pain as the communicator shocks him through his jacket pocket.]

Tch. [It soon goes up, and then down. Right on the ground with an audible clatter. He's been busy, and can do without the interfering spark.]

This is getting old. I guess trying to take this thing apart wouldn't be much of an option either, would it?

[...] I'm running errands for Kantarou, since he feels safer holing himself up in our room with the mistletoe around. Don't ask me why... though I can probably take a wild guess.

Moa-san, I'll be stopping by the inventory soon to pick up a few things. Watch your head.

[[ooc Haruka will be wandering through the high school from his room, and stopping by the Northern Lights for work in case you wanted to get your mistletoe action on.]]

This can't be happening. How can there be another me?

That doesn't even make any sense!


...an illusion?

[[ooc I apologize for any slow tagging on my part. I haven't been feeling very well, and it's really been cramping my style.]]

[There is a pause, though Haruka can be heard humming thoughtfully in the background as he examines the karasu tengu mask he received for Halloween.]

... Oi, Kantarou.

You can have this. I have no interest in holding onto it.

[...] I still don't trust eating this thing. What is it, anyway? It's orange.

Hm. About before... Don't people usually appear on those boxes when they start to work like that? Nothing happened this time. Though the air felt different... I'm surprised that I didn't see any youkai appear.

...and what was that scream? I have a bad feeling about this.

[...] I wonder if Bonten predicted that he would be returning home soon through his Heaven's Net.

[[ooc Strikes = thoughts/unhackable]]

--shit!

[CRASH! Something wooden collides with a hard surface and shatters upon impact. Haruka pauses for a moment, and sighs.]

Stop it. You're just wasting your energy, and destroying the bar.

Well, if you didn't dodge the chair, it wouldn't be broken!

[And the clicking of heels running at full force. The communicator falls out of Haruka's pocket, and shows an interesting view from the floor. Anemone's lunging straight at Haruka, a broad grin on her face. She takes a swing at his head.

( Click here for more BAR FIGHT! [Not an IC cut] )

Uh... Haruka, was your communicator always over there--

[The bar door swings open behind the two, to reveal dontcallmegol, in his rather colorful wardrobe.

...talk about awkward.]

[[ooc This is what happens when you jinx it in front of Anemone. Thanks goes to the mun for the awesome fight scripting!]]

[BZZZZAP!] Urgh... Damn!

[He grunts, reeling an arm back as he's tempted to throw his communicator up against the closest wall.] ... Hmph. [But that's not going to happen. At least not today.]

[Text]

Forget it. I have a question.

Since when have people started freezing in place with no memory of it?

Just what the hell is going on?

[[ooc Haruka saw what you did there, Rolo.]]

[Click. The video feed is bumped on haphazardly, as if something fell on top of it and was quickly picked itself back up. ...or maybe it hopped?

There is a soft jingle, and the camera pans up to what looks like Haruka trying to sleep in a chair near one of the hospital beds while the acid rain can be heard falling outside. His eyes are closed, head resting against his hand with one of the arms propped up, and his jacket has been slung over the back of the chair.

Unknowingly, a fairly good-sized gathering of scales have made their way over to the sleeping tengu. Hopping, tipped toward him and spinning around without him being all the wiser. They are lined up the floor, the bed and the chair... whereever there is room for them.

They carry on, until his brow furrows and he lets out a grumble as a few start to ascend his arm. Then his eyes sudden snap open, and he violently shakes them off.]

AAAGH! Will you just get out of here already! Go bother someone else!

[BBBZZAP! Haruka lets out a loud shout. Shocked and surprised. Not such a good combination.] Che...

What an unusual festival... [He seems vaguely amused.] Underdressed. But I guess it can't be helped, in such a place.

[A pause. He can't even believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth.] In spite of it all... it was kind of fun.

[Text]

[...]

A relative of mine has been brought to this city.

Her name is Youko. Please treat her well, or I'll kick your ass.

( Private to Kantarou and Youko; Hackable )

( Private to Kamui; Hackable )

[[ooc Strikes = Visible to everyone but Youko, and hackable to Kantarou.]]

[The transmission cuts in to the sound of shifting fabric and a lone pair of footsteps hitting along the asphalt. It must have turned on in one of his jacket pockets by accident.

Out patrolling the streets, there isn't much else to be heard past the occassional breeze or the distant howl of one of the wild wolves.

Suddenly, he stops. His breath hitches, and his fist comes slamming down against the side of an abandoned building with an audible WHUMP.

After a few seconds, a bit of crumbling rock can be heard falling to the ground, and the walk continues on until the feed times out.]

It's been happening a lot lately. People being returned to this city from their original worlds. Sometimes with the memories they had before, and some without.

Even I'm not counted out of that number. I can remember where I've been.

But what I want to know is the reason why; not that I expect an answer. Not from the people who would actually have it. ...Why the indecisiveness? Isn't one time good enough for you, Scientists?
Hell. I can't tell if this is something you do out of convenience, or if all you are doing is laughing at all of us.

[...]

What about you, Hunter? This must be convenient for you. You don't have to look far to find your prey anymore. ...Che.

[The frequency is promptly switched off.]

Hmph. [A powerful wing beat is picked up by the microphone. Muffled, but still there. It lasts only a moment before a soft thump can be heard. The sound of a pair of feet landing on a rooftop.]

[Haruka breathes out a sigh, before walking forward a few steps and sitting down.]

I hardly feel any different from before. Except now I could use a drink.

...If anyone had any words for me over the past few days, I hope you saved them. I didn't have the time to listen before.

[Filtered to the Northern Lights Bar "staff"; Hackable]

I'm coming back to work after dawn.

( Private to Testament; Hackable )