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[it's more than who she was now. Reimi was hoping to slowly prime the people who mattered most to her (and could know) for the revelation that what she was had changed as well. Fubuki doesn't know it know, but he's lost her in more ways than one.

few things truly frighten her anymore, but the prospect of having to tell anyone this is more than daunting. it had been different in Morioh, where everyone had known from the beginning and she'd forgotten many of the little things which came with living. but here...both she and her friends weren't prepared for this. she honestly doesn't know if she ever would be.

for now, she can give all of herself to Fubuki that's safe. Reimi focuses on that instead of her misgivings. it was unlikely that she was the only one suffering through an identity crisis of sorts, after all.

there's the sound of motion and rustling fabric on her end; she doesn't know if he'll be able to discern it without a visual cue, but it's Reimi bowing respectfully. it's at once a welcome to Fubuki and a farewell to Kouyuki. whether he felt it or not, he'd been changed as well. he wasn't the only one taking a loss today.]

It's great to meet you, Shirou-kun! I hope that we'll get along well. My name is Reimi Sugimoto.

[it's the first time that she's introduced herself with her real name, and the feeling is strangely liberating. it really does feel as if she's reaching out with her own hands this time, grasping at something she knows she's going to cherish.

was it the same for Fubuki? she has no way of knowing right now. she's willing to accept whatever name her gives her at the moment, but that doesn't mean she won't be making certain that's truly what he feels is best somewhere down the road. she had too much experience with people who couldn't say what they meant for that.]

[More than anything, Fubuki wished to feel the same sense of liberation, but he wasn't so fortunate. So long as he wasn't thinking too hard about any of it, though...well, that was part of why running and free-falling during high jump both appealed to him. He could outrun almost anything, even the dark cloud of his thoughts, and while airborne and soaring over the high jump bar he felt completely untouchable.

It was a feeling he missed at that very moment, that left him fidgeting on his end of the line with whatever was in reach on his desk. A notebook. A pen. A little stuffed sheep that Genda had made for everyone playing the game Kouyuki and Emily had created.

Yet, when she had completed her introduction, he practically sang his affirmation, still sounding unfazed. At least, apart from the restlessness he was clearly exhibiting.]

I know we will, Sugimoto-san.

[Perhaps it wasn't polite to be so presumptuous, but he was confident at least in their ability to get along. If everything else changed, that had to have remained the same. And if he had to start over, he had to at least believe that the thing he was hoping to achieve was a realistic goal.

As for not using her given name, well...she was his senior. But, more importantly, by using that shared surname he didn't quite have to bring himself to say goodbye to Emily, not entirely.]

Me too.

[her words are sincere as she straightens back up, but Reimi can already tell that there was going to be a lot of obfuscation for her to wade through still. his fidgeting doesn't go unnoticed - nor does the way he chooses to address her.

no, she clearly wasn't the only one still struggling with awakening. that knowledge isn't reassuring in the least.]

So how have you been?

[now that they've gotten one of the more difficult parts out of the way, she can ask this with its full meaning. she was hoping she wouldn't have to, but Reimi is now braced to scrutinize all of his answers for their hidden meanings. if he wouldn't be truthful, she'd just have to dig it out herself.]

[The age old question, and one Fubuki had perfected answering long ago. He delivered those practiced words with the same perfection he'd always given to his soccer plays...]

I'm fine.

[...but none of the same sincerity.

He was honest on the pitch, if occasionally a little overzealous. It was next to impossible to hide your feelings from your teammates when, with every powerful pass or shoot, the other players could sense the vibrations of your heart and soul. In theory, at least.

Sometimes...Fubuki wondered if he operated on a completely different wavelength or if people were just too focused on what they needed from him to pay attention to what he needed himself. But it was fine. Really, it was. So long as he was useful, he could achieve perfection. And if he was useful, people wouldn't go away...]

Have you been doing okay? You mentioned things were hectic.

[He really hoped she was. That, whatever Awakening meant for her, she didn't feel as alone as he often did. Someone as kind as her didn't deserve that. Her silly quips would be wasted on empty spaces and silence.]

[fine. the same fine that Rohan had been when she'd left, she suspects. but she doesn't call out the obvious falsehood just yet, opting for something a little more gradual. she wanted to make sure he knew that she was managing well along with ascertaining what was troubling him, after all. brushing aside questions would just be rude.]

Yeah, I'm alright. It's still a little hard to focus on things, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't.

[who could focus during nearly two weeks without sleep, after all? her transition into the world of the dead hadn't been nearly so bumpy, even with all of the anger and regrets it had carried with it. she'd have been worried about herself if it had taken less time to learn to cope.]

I think everyone's kind of feeling that way, though.

[like you, shitbag.]

[...oh, that was mean.

Fubuki was young, but he was smart. He knew a ruse when he saw one, and she was intending for him to react a certain way. He could either admit she was right, because they both knew that truth was irrefutable, or he could lie and say he hadn't been having any difficulty at all.

Well, whatever. He'd handle this the same way he'd handle a challenge on the field: head on.]

Hmm...I don't know about that. I've been focusing just fine on the things that matter.

[And then a touch more softly, because Fubuki has always been a little more gentle when speaking with girls than boys, not to mention ever eager to talk about other peoples' problems instead of his own...]

What things are hard for you to focus on?

[it wouldn't have to be a ruse if you weren't so emotionally stunted that she had to paper everything in harmless, calm-colored packaging in order to lull you into a false sense of security like some kind of bird with prey with fucking anxiety.

...is what Reimi would be thinking if she were a little harsher and also a mindreader. as it is she takes her victory with the same patience as always. there was plenty of time to keep trying.]

Ah, you're lucky! I've barely been getting any sleep lately.

[it's alright to admit to that much. sleeplessness could have a wide number of causes, even when taking awakening into account. there was no need to assume the worst.

(see, Fubuki? this is how you can avoid topics while still being honest.)]

It's made paying attention in class pretty hard, not to mention work...but I'm sure it won't last long.

[Ew, that sounds like work. That's not fun at all. Fubuki refuses.

Also, it isn't his fault that he has problems! Blame the mountain. That was literally the root of it all.

Except he doesn't really have problems at all, he's fine. Better than fine, even. He hasn't been losing sleep or anything like that. Can't lose sleep and...oh, who is he kidding? He doesn't get near as much rest as he should, especially for keeping up his physical activities. But it's because he throws so much time into those that he doesn't sleep in the first place. Because his head is clearer out there, and all the weight on his shoulders seems infinitely lighter.

...and sleeping means memories, besides. Things he doesn't really want to recall, not if he can help it.]

Well, lectures are a snoozefest, anyway...so if you really find them hard to pay attention to, maybe you should grab some extra sleep in class?

[Because that's a solid idea. Way to raise your academics, Shirou. You'll totally level up your social links that way.]

No way! I might miss something important.

[although she's laughing even as she says it. the things that Reimi fears missing out on have very little to do with the classes themselves; it's the little moments of being alive, of freely moving with other people around you. she has no idea how long she'll be allowed to retain those gifts during the daylight. to squander them because of her own fear would be unforgivable.

but, more importantly...]

Permanent marker takes forever to wash off your face.

[because if that was her first reaction to a sleeping classmate it must be everyone else's, right?]

It's not really my style, but you're right, it does take a long time to wash off.

[Fubuki only knew from second-hand experience, of course. Kogure, a newly recruited member for Raimon, had a habit of drawing on peoples' faces with black permanent marker when they were sleeping, although his mischief didn't stop there. Virtually anything left unguarded, from faces to property, was fair game.]

You could probably avoid that with a lookout, though.

[He was a ball hog at times, but his teamwork wasn't completely lacking. Having been a captain of his own team before joining Raimon, he had to have at least some talent in that area.]

Probably, but there's nobody around I could trust with something like that...

[she sighs with facetious drama, as if the entire world was going to come to an end because she couldn't protect herself from pranks while slacking off in class. who could live with such an empty existence? surely not her.

and no one there to save her, thanks to the fact that she'd trust Fubuki to do it about as far as she could throw him even if he was in the proper cycle. truly this was the greatest tragedy any universe had ever known.]

[It was probably wise not to trust Fubuki to save her from something so trivial as that. He could be protective to a fault, it was true, but that was only when the threat was real. Harmless pranks weren't something he cared to intercede...unless, of course, he could use the opportunity to play his own trick on someone.

It was fair game if they let down their guard, right? He and Kogure could agree on that. Although the other boy would probably be less inclined to support that belief as soon as he realized Fubuki was just as willing to make him the butt of his jokes.

Still, he was easily moved by the "plight" of someone not having a good time. He was a simple snow wolf in that way.]

Hm...what about skipping class altogether?

[Kidou would be so disappointed in him even suggesting such a thing, but sometimes one just needed to stretch their legs and breathe in the fresh air. Such a thing couldn't be done when chained to a desk inside a stuffy and overcrowded classroom.

Come to think of it...why hadn't he already thought of that? He could squeeze in more time on the track that way. And so long as it wasn't too often and his grades didn't decline too far, his club access wouldn't be revoked.]

You could borrow someone's notes to catch up. And there's more to see outside, anyway.

[one might expect someone as apparently law-abiding as Reimi to instantly veto such a suggestion, but instead she makes a thoughtful sound in the back of her throat. it seems like she's genuinely considering it.

once again it seemed as if her world contained more important things than academic advancement, whatever her feelings on the matter may be. if she wasn't able to 'blend' properly because of her struggles to completely adapt...it was worth thinking about.]

It's hard to say. There's a lot in the city I'd like to see, but I've missed an awful lot of school already.

[not in this world, but she can't help referring to her previous life as if it were now. with the memories of her afterlife returned, she'd never be able to shale those fifteen years off. all that time in the same alleyway...it was difficult to say what she wanted to reexperience first.]

[Fubuki didn't quite catch the meaning behind Reimi's statement and instead interpreted her words as referring to the current state of her attendance at Green Valley. He could neither confirm or deny it, the both of them being in different cycles and not often running into one another even when they weren't on break.]

Hmm...that's a tough position to be in.

[Wanting to do one thing, needing to do another. What was the right choice? He thought about it, but the answer seemed obvious to him. If no one's life hinged on being in school and he'd rather be doing something else, then the only thing to do was to go and have fun. Right?]

I think I'll stick with my previous vote, though. And if you want someone to go with you, I volunteer. Since it was my idea.

[Neither of them would be alone or lonely that way. It was a great plan.]

[that was the magic of words...you could be honest and still conceal your true meaning all at once. it's what Reimi had hoped would happen with a statement like that, and she feels a small rush of contentment at being proven correct.]

Can your grades handle something like that? It's going to be a pretty packed day, you know!

[she's teasing him, but the idea of spending a day out with Fubuki sounds truly wonderful. not only would it take her mind off her own problems, but she'd be able to spend time with him. that was something that had been severely lacking lately - and was more necessary than ever, given their transformations.]

[Fubuki didn't even hesitate.]

Mm. They'll be fine.

[His grades would survive a little truancy on his part, and if they fell a little, he knew he could count on Kidou to help bring him back up to speed. It was probably a little rude of him to presume so without asking, or to put that pressure on his...younger brother. But he'd always been there for him in that manner as Michi, and besides. They were teammates. If they couldn't rely on one another, they would never be able to band together when the going got tough.

More importantly, they needed this. If they couldn't separate themselves from who they were forced to be during the day and who they were required to be at night, if they couldn't just be sometimes and relax, they would fall apart at the seams. Fubuki didn't want that. Even if their packed day turned out to be cut short, he wanted it to an endless ride of fun from start to finish. Nothing else would be acceptable.]

You sound like you already have an idea what you want to do.

Well...there are a lot of things that I've been wanting to do for a long time.

[for a moment her voice slips into something softer and almost nostalgic. all those years that she'd been trapped in the alley, Reimi had never thought to consider what exactly she was missing out on. why should she? when she finished her task in the world of the living, she'd have to move on. there was no place for a ghost without a purpose.

here, though, it was as if the floodgates had been thrown open. all the things she'd never done, all the moments that had passed her by, they were suddenly within her grasp. it was nearly overwhelming.]

But it's always better to do that with a friend, you know?

Yeah, I think so, too. It's always more fun to do things with other people.

[Many of the things he liked to do before he couldn't do here, however. Not during summer. But that didn't mean he and Reimi couldn't find other ways to entertain themselves. The island of Eddan was enormous and there was no shortage of places to go and things to see. They could visit the Leviathan Habitat or any number of the parks, enjoy a ferry ride between the main island and Orust, or even visit the Meditation of Wildness in Pointe-a-Tarte to see the cute statue there. Or they could just go to the beach and go swimming. That was also good. Fubuki had no shortage of ideas for how to spend a free day.]

But if it's been a long time, why wait for a school day? Having a good time shouldn't be postponed.

No, but playing hooky would probably make everything a little more exciting. We'd have to pick up the slack if we just went on a normal weekend.

[like maybe...checking out some haunted places along with the more usual fun activities. Reimi didn't have the same fascination with the supernatural as Emily had, for obvious reasons, but she's amused enough by the irony to adopt the hobby as her own all the same.

and who knows? maybe with her new status they might actually suss out some real ghosts along the way.]

I guess so. But I don't really need to skip school to be exciting.

[Not that he's attempting to be unkind by implying she does, he simply can't resist the opportunity to gently rib his friend.]

If you'd rather wait, that's fine with me. Waiting is pretty boring, though.

Mmm, I guess if you do anything too much it starts losing its novelty.

[she knows that he doesn't actually ditch class all that much, if ever, but when nudged that way she can't help but return it in kind. fair was fair, after all.]

But it sounds like you're not trying all that hard to get creative if you think waiting's so boring.

That might be a problem if I did that, but I don't. I wouldn't be able to stay on the team if I did.

[Not the soccer team...oh, how he wishes it was. But track. Which is nice, too. It's just not what he wants. Sigh.]

Hmm...what do you mean? If we're waiting, we're not hanging out. Getting creative won't fix that. Unless you feel like playing a game on our phones somehow.

Somehow I doubt that you'd let them throw you off that easily.

[he's a nice kid, but when he gets something into his mind there's no way to dissuade him. if running is helping him keep his mind off the more uncomfortable aspects of having awakened, Reimi suspects that it would take more than some egregious absences to get him to stop showing up.]

But I was thinking of a game, yeah! Or something like one, anyway. Can you send me a picture of your palm?

Mm, that's not wrong. If I ran circles around them enough they'd eventually regret taking me off the team and let me join again.

[If not, well...at least he'd still be running like the wind. Not to mention driving people up the wall.]

I can take a picture of my hand though, one second...

[And...a few moments later Reimi will receive not just a photo of Fubuki's hand, but of him waving, palm open and clearly visible.]

Is this a fortune thing?

[she giggles at the surprise selfie, happier to see him in one piece than she'd expected. it was a more reassuring confirmation than just voices could ever be.]

Mhm! Although I can tell what kind of person you are along with your fortune this way.

[it took a little more concentration than the pocky fortunes, but it was just as fun. Reimi makes a humming noise as she leans in unseen, studying the photographic hand with almost comical seriousness.]

...your life line is short, but it's pretty deep. You've had a lot of physical problems you've had to overcome, right? It's been really tough, but you keep trying to move forward.

And your heart line's deep as well, but it's also really long and straight. You're afraid of being left behind by the people you care about, or that they'll find someone more important to them than you. But you don't know how to make yourself more appealing or stop those feelings, so it really stresses you out.

[she hums again, this time to break up the fortune as she looks for a more positive indicator. this had gotten a little heavier than she'd really intended.]

...oh, but your intuition line's really prominent! That means you see a lot more than people realize.

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tfw you actually get an accurate reading off an anime hand