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[odd_jobs]

[A video clicks onto the network. Tadashi flashes the screen a wide grin and then a peace sign.

He's been watching and commenting a little here and there, but time to finally really say hello. He brandishes what looks like a colorful, big buttoned remote control. He clears his voice and puts on his best infomercial voice.]

Today in Tadashi's Inventions, a made-up-right-now program, I have a solution for those of us who can't spring for a cell phone contract and the computer's being tied up by annoying little brothers.

THIS! One universal remote, though any old one in your couch cushions will do the job. Any surface that can catch and reflect infrared seems to manage it just fine. Like right now, I'm using the microwave door. Cool, huh? You don't have to all praise me at once, but you can if you want.

Lets talk practical AND convenient, this is now being broadcast while I nuke a potato! Advantages, delicious and timesaving, as well as the convenience and privacy of being at home. Disadvantages, if caught, talking to your microwave is ridiculously hard to explain.

So, hey, use it at your own risk.

Okay, opening chat! That'll be your mute button if you use it. [He levels the remote at the screen and presses a button.] How ya doing, world?

Comments

Video

[reckless_fire]

[Kenji usually sticks to voice or text because he knows fuck-all about using a webcam. But this. He'll make an exception for this.

So here's Kenji, standing in front of a mirror, looking stunned and a little shaken from a particularly vivid...memory? vision? Whatever the hell these things are.]

...Kimishima.

[No, that isn't the guy's name. What was it again? He'd just said it, hadn't he? Tadashi. Right. Taking a step closer to the mirror, he scowls, but more in confusion than anger.]

I know you--right? And not just from that day at the beach. From... [He shakes his head] But I couldn't, though--I mean... [He takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly with a shaky laugh.] Hell, I dunno what I mean.

1/2

[odd_jobs]

[There's a long moment when Tadashi looks just as shellshocked.

The name... didn't ring any bells at all, but it seemed a rather remote concern to the jumble of questions going through his head.]

[He takes a quick step back, pointing a finger at the microwave...]

Kazuma... It's Kazuma isn't it? I KNEW IT! Do you know how crazy I thought I was going?

[odd_jobs]

[And in the next moment, his face gets really big as he grabs the microwave by its corners and pulls it towards him.]

More importantly! Why the hell didn't you say something?!

1/2 because why not?

[reckless_fire]

Kazuma? Who the hell is Kazuma?

[He shakes his head stubbornly. The name means nothing to him, although he has a sneaking suspicion that it's somehow connected to that other guy. The one whose life he somehow keeps seeing flashes of. BUT IT'S NOT HIM, DAMMIT!]

No. I'm Kenji. Kenji Kobayashi.

2/2

[reckless_fire]

[The question strikes Kenji as an accusation, and he glares back through the mirror at Tadashi. If he could reach through the glass and shake the guy, he probably would. Instead, he leans in toward the mirror, his eyes narrowing.]

'Cause I didn't know 'til today! If you knew, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!

[odd_jobs]

But y-...

[He puffs out defensively. His arms go wide, hands far out of sight of the microwave door.]

WHAT THE HELL COULD I SAY? What if I was wrong?

[odd_jobs]

I had a dream about you?

That sounds creepy no matter how you say it. There's no right way to say it. The words don't exist.

[reckless_fire]

[He opens his mouth to say something. But yeah, what can he possibly say to that? So, he closes his mouth again.]

Yeah, you're right. There's no good way to say that, man.

[After a few moments, he shakes his head, a little surprised to find himself laughing.]

And here I thought I was starting to get used to all the crazy shit--and then this happens.

[odd_jobs]

I still have no idea what all this shit is.

I've watched a bit, naturally. It's weird how much seems to happen in bathrooms. But...

[reckless_fire]

[Okay, the bathroom comment cracks him up completely.] Yeah, no shit, man. At least I'm using the mirror in my closet.

We...should probably talk, though--but not here. Wanna meet up somewhere?

[odd_jobs]

Huh, yeah sure. I could- [There's a BEEP! BEEP!... and you can see Tadashi reach past your view to press a button. The view swings out and pans across an extremely tiny, if tidy, economy kitchen... and back. Tadashi's dropping a potato on the counter to cut up.]

There, finally!

Ah... considering it's gonna be crazy talk... Are you far from school? Gonna be dead this time of night.

[reckless_fire]

Yeah, that works. I'll meet you across the street from the main entrance, in about an hour? That good with you? [He figures that will be enough time for Tadashi to eat his potato. He also sends this text for your reading enjoyment.]

In the meantime, you might want to look over that text I just sent you. It'll explain some stuff. Not everything, but...some.

[odd_jobs]

[He levels the remote control at the microwave door and presses the play button. The text box springs up, blocking the lower half of the screen. Tadashi gives it a quick look, skimming without reading anything just yet, and lets out a low whistle.]

Looks like a lot, anyway. Yeah, sounds good. I'll be there.

Switching to action

[reckless_fire]

[And at the appointed time and place, Tadashi will find Kenji pacing back and forth like a caged lion. Well...perhaps more like a slightly nervous high school sophomore. Upon hearing approaching footsteps, he glances over, and after determining that it is, in fact, Tadashi, he waves the other over.]

Yo, Kimishi... dammit. Uhh...Tadashi, right? So, did you read it?

Re: Switching to action

[odd_jobs]

Tadashi.

[It's a vague distracted sort of affirmation. His hands are shaking just a little as he puts his keys in his jacket pockets and stops a little short of Kenji.

He feels tired. When he first started reading it, it was full of pure excitement, almost adrenaline filled glee. This was it, THIS was it. Finally, the breakthrough out of this two tone life into something specular.. something amazing. Something he could SHINE in.

And then he watched the video.]

Yeah... [The grin fails to hold any humor in it.] So, I get the issue with that knucklehead getting picked up now.

[reckless_fire]

[Kenji's answering laugh is about as humorless as Tadashi's smile. He's still feeling pretty guilty over what had happened--and even moreso over what could have happened.] Yeah...when I was slinging that bullshit, I wasn't even thinking about how close it was to what's going on. Then later...

[Trailing off, he shakes his head.] Man, I probably should've let him hit me. I had it coming.

[odd_jobs]

[He leans heavily back against a mailbox, shoulders slumping.] Who thinks about that kind of thing?

I coulda done it just as well without the first clue. Haaaaaaaaaah why did I wait this long to test out the numbers?

audio

[angelskills]

I'm doing well, thank you!

You're nuking a potato?

[reckless_fire]

[He sits down on the curb, wrapping his arms around his knees.]

Because who the fuck would think that some weird string of numbers would send you sliding straight down the rabbit hole, maybe? I mean, I got my numbers months ago, not too long after we moved here, and I didn't really think much about it. It was kinda like having some dumb song stuck in your head, or something.

[odd_jobs]

Smelling pretty good too.

Not to worry, in the interest of network safety, I've cut vents in it.

[odd_jobs]

[He's quiet a long moment before lifting his hands to rub at his face. He'd had them since the lightshow.

Just didn't have the nerve to try them...]

Hey, on the bright side. Even if you'd wanted James t'hit you, you'd have had to practically guide his fist to your face to connect. Wouldnta been satisfying at all.

[reckless_fire]

[Okay, that gets a small laugh out of him. More serious stuff aside, that entire incident had been pretty damn funny.]

Yeah, he was pretty fucked up. Did he even remember any of that shit after he sobered up?

[odd_jobs]

Enough to swear terrible revenge on me. I'm looking forward to it.

[reckless_fire]

You like to live dangerously, huh?

[odd_jobs]

What, you couldn't tell? I'm already sure I've got a James Bond alter ego goin' on here.