01 - Text

[faith_powered]

[It is currently ungodly 'o clock and Kanako hasn't slept one bit. She's also got a wicked headache, after outmaneuvering a business enemy she had gone back to the office to wrap things up. Before leaving the office, she fires off a text to who she thinks is her new secretary]

Mary, I need two copies of the O'Neil presentation on my desk by 9. Book a meeting for me with the execs, mark it urgent. Ideally before noon, I know getting their schedules to align is a nightmare but Harrison can skip the Accruals meeting and I know for a fact that Johnson tends to be out golfing in the morning and this is more important. I'll be in around 7.

Comments

[miraclemiko]

[Idea.]

Here, I'll write it down for you.

[And on her desk calendar, Sanae's bubbly handwriting starts to appear with a phone number.]

[faith_powered]

Huh. OK I guess you win. What's this?

[miraclemiko]

[Why you gotta be so logical, she was hoping to at least get SOMETHING out of her.]

Like I told you before, it's some kind of secret network. All the people on here had something weird happen to them and got something out of it, like a vision or an item or some kind of super power. I got some kind of vision. Since you're here, you must have gotten something, even if you can't remember right now.

[faith_powered]

That is consistent with the weird images I saw after that negotiation.

[miraclemiko]

Weird images? What did you see?

[faith_powered]

I saw... something. Like a battle. A battle I had won.

[miraclemiko]

[Darn, nothing like what she saw.]

Huh. Well, you usually manage to win battles in the office, so I guess that makes sense?

[If by winning battles she means making grown men cry, then yes.]

[faith_powered]

All in a days work, you know. Anyway, I'm heading home. I have an early morning tomorrow, we'll talk later.

[miraclemiko]

Have a safe trip.

[Please take a taxi mom you're probably drunk.]

Tiiimeskip

[faith_powered]

[the following night Sanae will find her mother passed at the dinner table]

[miraclemiko]

[As if this is an uncommon occurrence. She shakes her shoulder a bit.]

Come on, you'll catch a cold if you sleep out here.

[Spoken in Japanese.]

Japanese

[faith_powered]

[Kanako snaps awake]

No time for sleeping. Work to do. How was your day?

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

Work can wait, you at least need a nap. Come on, you were up really late last night.

Japanese

[faith_powered]

I can manage. Did you make any new friends on the magic network?

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

[REALLY?]

It's not magic. At least I don't think it is. You remember that?

Japanese

[faith_powered]

Please dear I didn't make Vice President as a female minority by being an idiot. You've also managed to send a text message via ordinary paper, I think that qualifies as magic.

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

[S-scary...]

...I know that! You just seemed really tired.

Japanese

[faith_powered]

That's why I'm home early. One of the perks is I get to set my own schedule.

So long as all my stuff gets done, anyway.

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

[She sighs.]

Which means you should be able to come home at a more reasonable hour more than you do.

[She smiles.]

Help rinse the rice? I'll tell you what I know.

Japanese

[faith_powered]

[Kanako starts rinsing out the rice]

It should, but I manage a bunch of engineers. You'd be amazed at how many supposedly smart people are unbelievably moronic when it comes to basic common sense principles. I swear they'd design an inward-firing death ray if left to their own devices.

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

[Death. Ray. Cough. MARISA PLEASE DO NOT HAVE AN INWARD DEATH RAY SANAE COULD NOT HANDLE. She very noticeably stops as she's cutting up vegetables, but tries to play it off.]

That's pretty impractical.

Japanese

[faith_powered]

It's a good description of every alpha prototype they've designed for me.

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

I'll take your word for it.

So did you read what I sent you a bit more thoroughly?

Japanese

[faith_powered]

A bit, yes. I went through some of the archives as well. Figures Thundercorp's up to no good. Bastards.

Japanese

[miraclemiko]

[She frowns. Language, mom.]

What I don't get is how no one's noticed so far. If people are getting super powers and changing physically.