[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Round two.

Those were the same lights as back in April, weren't they? When the numbers started working. Makes me wonder what just activated this time.

So, did everybody feel something too? Flash back or pulse or whatever the hell we're calling them.


And how many of us are left who were there for the first one?


[[And a private text to Anthony]]

Anything happen?

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

....so you got anime hair.

And when did the zoning out thing happen? When you got a flashback?

[espigeonage]

Lol, well, I've always been leaning that way anyway...

Nope. My sister was there, she says my hair was turning while it was happening. This is not how that usually works.

[shiromadoushi]

Not unless you're in very intense shock...

But that might have been it. Where your body didn't know how to handle the change so you spaced out?

[espigeonage]

It didn't hurt. I haven't noticed anything different yet. Ah, paranoia.

[His genes and brain changed significantly, but they still work the same.]

[shiromadoushi]

Not all shock does. Just the shock of sudden fast physical changes that shouldn't normally happen might have sent you out to lala land.

Long as you didn't pass out, I guess it's fine, though.

[espigeonage]

Maybe. That's never been how it's happened before, but it's not like these things really care about precedent.

Yeah, it was okay. No one there who'd go say anything.

[shiromadoushi]

That's right, you've had a lot of physical ones before...

I've only had one of those that I know of. And I didn't realize that's what it was for years after....

Just Julian being a space case as always, eh?

...with magical colour changing hair. Your dye job had an expiration date.

[espigeonage]

None since July but loads of them.

Oh?

Nah, nah. My sister knows and my niece is pretty quiet with most people. Though we were kind of worried someone would say something on the walk back.

[Suddenly, Video | Private]

[shiromadoushi]

[[Bakura's left hand is raised, showing off the nasty, if faded looking puncture scar on the back of his hand, one finger tracing the line of the scar on his cheek.]]

Both of these were from a flashback. They vanished when I went to Japan. I've had them over 4 years now.

[espigeonage]

Oh. Huh! I try not to mention scars if they're not brought up, a lot of people don't like it. Guess I got used to those.

No one thinks it's strange? They must have seen pictures.

[shiromadoushi]

[[A soft sigh]]

No one mentions it. Because of when they showed up. I didn't even notice it until I looked back on the pictures from the last few years. Probably because I was looking for it.

[espigeonage]

That's... huh. I don't know what to say! I know scars in general don't stand out as much to normal people, unless they're really nasty. Maybe your people outside the city, if they notice, just think it's a camera issue and they'd have to look harder to notice.

[shiromadoushi]

Could be. [[starts idly playing with the one on his cheek, tracing the line down from his eye]] This one's pretty thin... and how often do you look at the back of a hand?

Or maybe they think when I go visiting, that I cover it up so it doesn't cause problems...

[espigeonage]

Yeah. Yeah, makeup or something. Not *totally* implausible, but weird.

[shiromadoushi]

Be a good boy and don't call attention to unpleasant things and all that. Not talking about things like that is kinda a thing with that side of the family. Makes sense that they'd think it.

[espigeonage]

A lot of people are like that to some extent or another. It's all well and good to a point, but...

[shiromadoushi]

Yeah... [[he shifts a little, leaning back, hand finally falling away from the scar]] When you only see family twice a year... you pretend everything's all right.

Really, you pretend anyway, even if it's family you're near to.

[espigeonage]

Mostly. I'm glad I told my sister some of it. She's been so burned out I'm not saying everything... Used to be she knew if I was keeping mum, but either I'm a better liar now or she's got too much on her plate to press.

But yeah there's others I wouldn't say much to. Not even complain about jobs in some cases, you get very tired of older people complaining about Millenials.

[shiromadoushi]

I just don't want my grandparents to worry. [[a long, deep sigh]] Even though I know they do...

You're lucky, you know. Having a sister you can talk to.

[espigeonage]

Yeah. Informed vs uninformed worrying.

She's the best. It's not like when I was a kid anymore, but she's got someone else to be mom to now anyway. I hope they can be safe.

[shiromadoushi]

Me too.

Family is the most important thing, after all.