maskreant | (RECOLLE) INBOX

Hmm...

Because power corrupts. So, I need to make sure you aren't one of those.

Besides, what if I have my own agenda?

hm. i'm not sure i'm completely convinced.

oh, do you have your own backstory ready?

I'm a strict believer in justice. War for war's sake, even with thumbs, is not one I can abide.

How does that sound?

it almost sounds like you're going to slam your hammer of justice on me if i don't prove myself good and worthy.

i don't want to be a pancake.

Are you worried about passing the test? That's surprising to hear. I would've thought you believed otherwise.

there's no need for me to worry.

give me a rubric and consider it done.

[shes finally about to text back, with her homework completed and time spent considering a good, not totally joking, metric. But then she gets hit with the memory and pauses.

Either he didn’t know, or he was lying to her about the Other hantom Thieves. And worse, this was confusing after her other memories.

What should she do? Should she say anything? It would be awkward to end the conversation there or to take it in a new direction, with him out of the city. And Yukiko’s words about how people could change from one life to another, and that it might be a sensitive subject. Perhaps... she should wait, and feign ignorance. At least for now.]

Very well... Akira, we know each other rather well, don’t we?

[ He blinks slowly at the text, feeling its foreboding message that he may be complicating. Still, there is some guilt. The timing is unfortunate on both of their accounts. ]

i want to say more than you probably know, but i'm not sure. i want to tell you more, but it seems impersonal through text.

Impersonal how?

I was just going to say that my test should be a lot more personal than anything else. But that also seems really serious, compared to what we were just talking about.

[ Ohhh, boy. That memory makes him unsure. Makoto, please. ]

something important should be done face-to-face. at least to me.

i'll take whatever test you give me. that's what pen pals are for, right?

[she's so confused now. She remembers the feeling of desperation that she had, just hidden behind her threats.

And that she really wanted to be proven wrong about something. but worse, she's wondering if... he knows too?

Text was hard.]

Well, you'll have to make sure you take pictures for me of everywhere you go.

I can't trust someone who doesn't follow through with their promise for status updates, after all.

[ This is such a tense conversation over absolutely nothing. Akira isn't sure why he feels anxious. ]

i'm already on that and posting photos onto my Instagram.

so is that what you want? photos of the trip?

Yes, I want to see what you're seeing. It may be the only memory I have, if the app goes away.

[and then she'll forget everything, including why this was such an awkward conversation. For now, she's deciding she'll wait until they're safe, and then interrogate them.

About everything.]

that's right. if you're not on the app anymore, you forget everything related to the changes. i've seen it happen a couple of times before. consider those photos yours.

[ ... ]

do you know about wolves on the top of your head? like their behaviors, their likes?

I'd heard that, as well. So, thank you.

[but the next question is much less fraught. And she considers it for a moment]

Not off the top of my head, but I'm a good researcher. What specifically are you wanting to know...?

what you can do for me as your friend is to watch Streamdale when you can. i promise you won't regret it.

[ You're going to regret it 100%. ]

general behaviors, how to befriend one maybe, things to know when handling them? how they interact with humans. do's and dont's mostly.