[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

[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.