[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Funny thing about having a scar on your face that vanishes when you leave the country. Family's not as stupid as they act sometimes. Does NOT help that somewhere on the way home I wound up wearing this weird cloak and kilt thing under my coat. Get in the house, take off the coat, and before I can even wonder WTF suddenly Grandma's all jumping up and down going "I knew it!" and asking me a million questions.

She basically guessed about... 60% right about stuff going on.

And is way too happy about this.

She thinks I'm a superhero. Or a magical girl. Or an RPG character. She can't make up her mind yet. But she thinks that cloak is my hero outfit and it took her a half an hour to get her to promise not to tell anyone anything.

I'm actually a little freaked out by this because I've been trying hard to keep her and grandpa OUT of this mess and now she's wanting me to tell her everything, going crazy with the guessing and getting a little too close to comfort on a lot of it.



So yeah. I'm back. Anything explode while I was gone?


[[Private to Lyall]]
Got you something in Japan. Grandma got you something too.

Please don't tell her anything. I don't know if she's going to ask but I'm kinda worried she will.

[[Individual private messages to anyone on this list that he has the number of]]

Got you a souvenir. When you want it?

Comments

[not_good_not_wicked]

Yes.

Also welcome back.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Thanks.

Blow anything up while I was gone?

[not_good_not_wicked]

I was the very model of self restraint.

Also I made you cookies before I realized you were out of town. You can have still have them if you want, but they're a bit stale by now.

1/2

[earnedmystripes]

couldnt you say it was one of those

uhhhh

what do you call those things again

the uh

where you get all dressed up and talk funny and stuff

like at that thing with the book signing a couple months ago

[earnedmystripes]

[huh, Bakura got him something...? he didn't actually expect that!!]

i can pick it up whenever's convenient

oh uh i had a thing for you, too

[he sent a message about it, but he forgot you were going out of town oops `_`a]

[shiromadoushi]

There's no way even I can convince Grandma that a magically appearing outfit and scar are cosplay.

Because magically appearing cosplay is not a thing. And it's winter, not con season.


[[and a pause.]]

... you do?

[[He's only... mildly side eyeing that. Not sure why fail-jiji got him something, especially considering the last time they spoke.]]

[text]

[peacefulwinter]

Welcome home. I tried to keep everything in as many pieces as it was in when you left. Things have been... not quiet, but we've managed.

I'm a little worried about your grandmother, but... we can't just keep everything the same. Someone will find out, eventually. There's just no way for us to keep everything a secret forever.

Um... and you didn't have to get me anything. But whenever is good for you is fine for me. Classes start again Monday, right? Then would be fine!

[text]

[shiromadoushi]

I thought I was hiding it better from her, but I think the scar thing was kinda a dead give away.

That and I don't act the same when I leave. Grandma calls it "Old Ryou" vs "New Ryou"

She's actually happier with "New Ryou" which I'm really not sure how I feel about. I think the magical girl marathons went to her head or something.

And yeah, I can bring it in to school. Souvenirs are just at thing, you always bring some back when you go somewhere, you know?

[[and he actually had people to get them for for once. It was weird.]]

[peacefulwinter]

There are a few of those dead giveaways - pulses are one thing, but when you suddenly stop talking to certain specific people, it's even weirder.

I didn't really know you before the network, but... I don't think this you is too bad. A little rough around the edges sometimes, but you usually mean well... I think.

And yes, I know... I just didn't normally have anyone to shop for, before all this. So I never really got used to the idea. It's still kind of a new thing, you know?

[Private text back]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall is a bit concerned, hearing all that. Civilians knowing is a problem, and all that, but... it isn't as if they're in any less danger not knowing. They all know that. And it might make life easier.]

Welcome home, Bakura. Should I expect a home visit or a school visit? :)

[Because of course he's going to get one, and he knows it by now.]

What all has she guessed? Does she know about the police, the alien, and the drinking water?

[Private Text]

[shiromadoushi]

From or or from her?

And she guessed the cops were the bad guys, which is kinda a no brainer with how I've been bitching, and that Thunder is behind it all. She said she guessed there was something going on with the water since my month long bad mood lifted after the media report on the pink goop. Guessed about the Locke Radius thing, and that stuff is appearing.

No mention of the aliens or other people's memories yet.

But she knows I forget stuff when I leave. And that the connections to people just... are gone.

She figured out A LOT. It's kinda scary, not going to lie. I really thought I was doing a better job hiding stuff, you know? She pulled the "I'm your grandmother, I notice things" line on me a good three times.

Apparently Grandpa noticed stuff too but just is keeping his mouth shut. Small favors, that.

[Text, private]

[chalicejoker]

[Having a family member find out about all this is pretty much Hajime's worst-case scenario, bar none.]

There's no talking her out of it?

[Surely there's some wacky sitcomlike shenanigans they can pull off to throw her off the scent! If he were any good at that, anyway.]

I can swing by and pick the souvenir up on my way home from work.

[Text, private]

[shiromadoushi]

She's gone full blown otaku on me, Hajime...

[[They are related, after all. He really should have expected it]]

Yeah, that works. Your bike have cargo space? It's in a box.

[Text]

[italktofish]

OH MAN I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN EVER SINCE MY GRANNY'S GOTTEN ON HERE TOO I'VE BEEN A LITTLE WORRIED I FEEL YOUR PAIN

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

You mean there's something that makes even YOU panic, Fishbrain?

[icy_heavens]

Geez, at least you talked her down. [He has a feeling his own grandma would've been high on the list of people to tell.]

Nothing blew up. But there's a new cop on the network who threatened to turn us all in but got convinced not to. Shiro took a bite out of Danny, who apparently really is a ghost, and I figured out that I'm supposed to be a death god.

[Y'know. Normal stuff for this group, right?]

[shiromadoushi]

[[whoa whoa what WHAT?]]

Wait wait, so is Shiro a cannibal or a ghost eater? Because one of those is a much better problem than the other!

[[One he has to watch his ass for, the other, he has to keep Diabound out of range.

...wait.]]

A death god?! For real?! That's awesome!

[Text | Private]

[scramasax]

[The private message on his receiving it is not the first thing on his mind.]

If she had to find out, then what do you think she would do? [Momentary afterthought, as he's not responding to the message to the network at large.] (I see your other message... Your grandmother noticed.)

[Text | Private]

[shiromadoushi]

I don't know, that's the problem.

On the upside, means you can come over to visit again, probably.

[Text]

[dyingtohealyou]

Looks like I'm sticking around after all. Unless that new cop on the network decides to turn me in.

'Sup.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Real one or another troll? Because it's getting kinda creepy how many cop types we've got on this thing, considering.

And glad you're still with us, in both senses. I got a few extra luck charms on the trip, remind me if I see you in person to give you one.

Text

[stop_hamerutime]

...magical girl?

Text *makes up a magical girl anime because too lazy to look up the expy list*

[shiromadoushi]

You know, like Super-Pretty Twinklestargirl Hana-chan and all those types.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Your scar was a pulse? I thought that you had likely gotten it in the traumatic event you didn't want to talk about.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

[[a pause. Wait.]]

That's what we thought it was for a while.

[[another pause]]

Don't recognize your number.