INBOX

[maskreant]

Hey, this is Akira Kurusu and I'm not available right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to it as soon as I can.

GOSSIP

SCHEME

P.THIEVES

Comments

[maskreant]

[ He picks up without saying anything?? Just expecting the other person to talk. ]

[sketchythief]

The call finally got through! Thank goodness.

It's been a while though. I'm sorry for not calling for a long time. How have you been?

[ He sounds pretty cheery... ]

[maskreant]

[ Oh... Kouhai. He never thought he would hear Daisuke so excited to talk to him? This is fishy. ]

Tiring, but this month seems a lot better. What about you?

[sketchythief]

[ There's something in the back of his mind... but his emotions just say nah ignore it, so that's what he does. ]

I hope work hasn't been so hard... I've been doing a lot better! I must have worried you with the police calls, but I promise everything is better now!

[maskreant]

[ Police... Calls? Akira is unsure. What have you been doing, Daisuke? What's going on? ]

Did something happen?

[sketchythief]

[ Oh.

Well. Um. ]

You didn't hear from Mom?

[maskreant]

[ His own mom?? Or Daisuke's mom? He has never talked to Daisuke's mom. ]

... Was I supposed to?

[sketchythief]

[ . . .

Okay, now the weird things finally settle into his head. He takes his head off the phone to double check the number he dialed--it's the right number. If so... then why-- ]

I mean... she would have freaked out enough--

[ . . . ]

Is it just me or do you sound a little younger than before...

[maskreant]

[ This is killing him... He's trying so hard NOT to laugh. ]

No, I'm still the same. What are you talking about?

[sketchythief]

[ WHAT IS GOING ON... ]

Um, well... My neighbor called the police that called Mom when I was gone for two days. I'm fine though, so don't worry.

... Are you really not sick though?

[maskreant]

[ HE SHOULD ASK YOU THAT? ]

Oh, because you passed out, right? I'm not sick, but I think I might be coming down with something.

[sketchythief]

Yeah... Don't get sick from working too much, Dad. Mom is going to fret if you get bedridden for days again.

[maskreant]

[ THIS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A DADDY JOKE, but he's so surprised? Like what— ]

This is Akira.

[sketchythief]

... W-What? This is... Akira?

[ Holy shit.

If embarrassment had tiers, this would easily be top tier. ]

Why didn't you say anything?!

[maskreant]

[ ?????????????? ]

... I was put on the spot?

[sketchythief]

But! I... I dialed the right number...

[ oh my god this must be another one of those weird city things

he wants to disappear into a hole ]

... You're not actually sick, right?

[maskreant]

... I'm okay for now, but I've been tired lately.

[ But that isn't too important. ]

I've been having trouble calling my dad, too, but I didn't get this kind of luck.

[sketchythief]

[ his bad luck rearing its ugly head at him again... ]

It took so many tries for the call to get through, but I guess the phone lines were tired of me and redirected me to you. Sorry about all that...

I might just send my parents an email at this point... Did something happen though?

[maskreant]

Yeah, but I'm kind of suspicious about all of this...

[ He doesn't want to bring up his theory that they may be cut off from the rest of the world! Stay positive. ]

No, I just thought I would give him a call since he's been on a lot of business trips lately. Who's your wound?

[sketchythief]

I think it's right to be suspicious after everything the city has gone though... And my shoulder is fine! It's as if nothing happened. I dropped off a basket of fruit so it should be in your kitchen somewhere. Elliot took them in.

Though, thanks again for taking care of me.

[maskreant]

You recovered very quickly. [ Oh. ] That was from you? Thanks. I think some of my housemates took a couple of bites into it already. Probably not Elliot, but the others.

[ EXASPERATED SIGH. ]

... I actually didn't do much. It'd be great if I could heal.

[sketchythief]

You did all that you could until I could get healed, right? I think that's more than enough... You even tried to get me to talk and stuff, so I think you did a good job. Like the first aid stuff! I would have just panicked if I was in your situation...

So, um.

I thought that was pretty cool of you.

[maskreant]

In hindsight, you should have not waste your breath when you're bleeding out. [ HE DIDN'T THINK IT THROUGH. ] But it got you to calm down a bit... I guess that's good.

[ .................................. ]

Th...anks.

[ HE'S SO AWKWARD. ]

[sketchythief]

[ . . . ]

Did I... say something weird?

[ what's with this atmosphere ]

[maskreant]

No—[ SHIT WHY DID HE DO THIS TO HIMSELF. ]

No... I just don't usually get called cool except from like... [ Uh. ] Yosuke.