(RECOLLE) 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. ①

GOSSIP

P.THIEVES

MOCHI

Comments

text, 02/03

[justfists]

Hi... I hope you don't mind the text. But are you still inside the city?

[maskreant]

not at all.

i'm not and i don't think i'll be able to return anytime soon. what's up?

[justfists]

We just received a text about being in an interview.

Were you aware you were being assessed?

[maskreant]

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

what? i thought we were helping Retrospec out.

[justfists]

Yes... That's why you're gone, right? You/re out on assignment?

[maskreant]

yeah. so far, we haven't received any information yet.

this may be the first time i've left Recolle though. it's surreal.

[justfists]

Really? You've never left Recolle before? Or since you discovered the app?

[maskreant]

ever since i received the app, i haven't.

i used to travel a lot before, until we settled here for the second time.

[justfists]

Well... is it possible that once you have the app, you're tied to the city?

I hope that isn't true, though.

[maskreant]

[ ... What the hell? That makes so much sense. ]

that's actually unsettling.

i'm glad i'm going on a mini field trip, though. how are things in the city?

[justfists]

So far? So good. Though, it seems the mayor and the city leadership have all vanished so... perhaps that's "relative"?

[maskreant]

what?

i don't think that has happened before... At least from what I remember with my time at Retrospec.

[justfists]

I don't think it was expected to happen... But I'm not sure.

[maskreant]

that's concerning.

i wonder if our task will help us bring them back or something.

[justfists]

I don't know... but you're already somewhere else.

So... what is it like there?

[maskreant]

sometimes doing this elsewhere helps with the city.

curious?

[ He sends her pictures of the party bus. Seems like they're having fun for now. ]

calm before the storm.

[justfists]

[it does look calm before the storm... but she can't help but be a little worried.

Still, he knows better than her for now.]

It looks so normal.

What is the storm going to be like...?

[maskreant]

not sure. back in August, there were several puzzles, riddles, and monsters.

we went to different locations, too. a lot of it is surreal, almost like going to a different reality. i think everyone is enjoying what normalcy they can before all of that hits again.

[justfists]

So you don't know, essentially.

[why would they agree to go, what assessments were run... She just doesn't understand, at least not yet.]

Please be careful? I don't want you to get hurt, if it's as dangerous as you've said.

[maskreant]

nope. your guess is as good as mine, but i'm prepared for what might happen based on August. good thing we can contact each other. i'll try to text you every day with an update.

i'll be fine, Makoto. you should take care of yourself, too. the city must be lively in some other way even without Founder's Day.

[justfists]

Well, unlike the rest of you... I can't slack at my classes for an adventure outside of the city. I think I'll find some way to manage.

But I'd like that, if you checked in. I don't have many friends here, and it looks like the ones I do have are all gone this month.

[maskreant]

for some reason, i feel like even if you joined us, your grades wouldn't take a hit. knock those assignments out, anyway.

it sounds like we're pen pals again. text pals? thumb pals.

[justfists]

Thumb pals doesn't really capture the spirit, you think? You would almost think we were allies in a thumb war... or something like that.

Text pals seems better to me.

[maskreant]

are you saying you would not be my ally in a thumb war, Makoto?

i thought we had something special.

[justfists]

I guess we'll just have to see when the thumb war happens.