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[wipingallout]

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Hi there! You've reached Hamuko Arisato. Leave a message and I'll get back to you soon!

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Backdated to 08/03 late night

[counterfeitphantom]

Akane easily accessed the communal PC once her server connected to the local cognitive network present in Tatsumi Port Island. Weaving through the protocols was child's play but an interesting thing she did notice was that most wireless networks weren't prevalent around 2010, which made her job a little harder since that meant she didn't have many sources to communicate with.

But she really wasn't going to talk on the phone. Not yet, she needed to know if Hamuko was even free to talk to her.

A notification would pop up on the top of Hamuko's phone.

Can we talk?

[wipingallout]

Hamuko had been lounging in the third floor lobby, laying back on the cushy seats as she read through a novel she never finished back home and listening to music through her headphones. It was the screen lighting up that caught her attention from the corner of her eye - she looked to the coffee table and saw a message had come through.

She put the bookmark back in place and sat up, exchanging the book with her phone. Ah! It's Akane.

Of course! I can move the computer to my room if you want to chat one-on-one.

The phrasing of the short message seemed a little sad or worried, after all.

[counterfeitphantom]

The moment the message pops up in Akane's window, she's already checking that notification and tapping into it- not even realizing the way her fingers glitch over the projected keyboard- her cognition struggling to process the anxiety left behind.

Whatever is more comfortable for you but I would prefer it to be private.

I just need you to turn it on.
I am already in the local server

[wipingallout]

No problem, I'll get it in just a minute!

She could hurry downstairs to fetch the laptop and its charger, turning it on to boot while still heading upstairs with it. A jog up a couple of flights and she elbowed her own dorm open, setting the computer down and plugging it in before closing the door. All set!

[counterfeitphantom]

It's alright. I can wait :)

No point in mulling over it for now. There was a lot to unpack and she needed Hamuko to not be stressed 24/7- only help her navigate through this whole mess she had absolutely no control over.

So she waited, floating between shelves and looking through directories. She needed to know more about her human self and if this year- if it was 2016 that's good enough start as any to narrow down all potential family matches and maybe possibly, her mother-

As soon as the laptop was booted, the notification flashing on her window- Akane's fingers flew over her keyboard. She worked away at a speed like no other, eyes flicking over multiple windows before her space shifted and her digital world transcended. Looks like the packet data transmission was successful.

Hamuko would watch the screen working away on its own. Opening a seperate guest account, the password and then a few command windows would pop up- flickering in and off with messages and data that really did make it seem like she was controlling it through the OS before the screen would flicker alive.

Akane sighed, waving at her while she brought her other hand and pointed somewhere at the screen- as if adjusting the camera as it followed her movement.

"Still porting my room so that I don't like I am just floating away in nothingness," she remarked sardonically as there was a loading bar floating at the side of the screen. "I didn't disturb you or anything, did I?"

[willowandoak]

[ Shortly after posting a message on the public network, Ren texts Hamuko. ]

hey hamuko
help me out here

[wipingallout]

[...? Oh, a text! Hamuko's been having a grand time trying out this amazing curry and coffee combo. She really wouldn't have expected it to be SO nice. She's been having a grand time chatting off Akechi's ear and laughing about the silly werewolf post.]

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
What's up buttercup?

[willowandoak]

my bf is being mean to me ( • ᴖ • ｡)
and ur the only one who can help
he wont let me sweep him off his feet and drag him upstairs bc be has a customer

[wipingallout]

Oh nooo, what a pickle!! What're you gonna do? What if I ~can't~

[willowandoak]

play werewolf games under the light of the full moon, brooding and alone
(；人；)

in text, between last week of april and first week of may

[takutomaruki]

Hamuko-san I meant to say this sooner, but thank you again for the satchel. It’s honestly perfect.
I’ve been using it almost every day now—really sturdy, really well made.

(attached image of: A close-up shot of the inside of the satchel. The inner lining is clean and minimal, with a faint discoloration near the seam where the takoyaki sauce has settled in)

Also wow turns out you just used the stained part for the inside, huh? It's a little embarassing to think about their meeting back then, really I could have been much more smoother than whatever I did back there 🙃

Seriously though, I’m impressed. Great craftsmanship, and really thoughtful design. I’m not easy on my bags and this one’s already held up better than most I’ve owned.

Thanks again, really. This was a very thoughtful gift. 😊

[wipingallout]

Yay!!! I was pretty proud of those satchels, they're cute and pretty sturdy!!

I thought you'd find it funny that I really did make the stained fabric work

and well how often can you say that you LITERALLY bumped into someone right? LOL

When did you want to meet up again? I promised we could chat honestly when you were sobered up!

[takutomaruki]

It's like a fun little inside joke now! Honestly- I might be getting somewhere with using takoyaki as a new dyeing material 😌

Jokes aside- I will try not to bumble next time.

That said- I think we discussed we will follow your lead this time. I haven't explored the Tatsumi Port Island door at all- despite the fact that its reasonably close to Odaiba! I may have missed out on the opportunity completely.

[wipingallout]

You bet!! There's a GREAT ramen place and then we can walk off the carbs going to the shrine. It's a lovely little shrine.

It's one that she feels comfortable being honest in, too.

[takutomaruki]

Oh, I am excited!

The last time I visited a shrine was in new years- it will be good to visit one in good company :)

When are you free?

[willowandoak]

[ The night Sam arrives, Hamuko gets a text. ]

hey hi hello
whats up

[wipingallout]

Not muuuuch

whatchu doin

[willowandoak]

im just vibin
so like
i met a newcomer today and he needs friends
and u would be so good at making him less of a sad wilted plant
so i wanted to know if i could give u his number

[wipingallout]

Aww yes!! He can contact me whenever!

[willowandoak]

cool ill let him know
his number is +7676 44 XXXXX XXX XXX so u recognize it
his name is sam and hes kind of like
if u ever met someone who knows everything a teacher ever said but if u put them in a rough neighborhood theyd get stabbed within 24 hrs
hes that guy
ive never heard of him or his persona event, idk if anyone else has? so hes feeling extra alone
thanks for this

after Sumi's thread with Evening

[shakenit]

[It's Shinji who texts Hamuko first, as it happens. Your girlfriend's been holed up upstairs since she came back this afternoon. Says she's not hungry.

They are both, at this point, well enough acquainted with Sumire's habits - and appetite - to know this is a blatant fucking lie, and that something is badly wrong. And while Shinji's not going to force food on her until tomorrow, he's not above outsourcing things to Hamuko, who's better equipped to deal with whatever the hell's going on anyway.]

[wipingallout]

That's no good... Hamuko catches the text and decides to make a small batch of rice balls from some of the leftovers. Easy, simple... and hopefully enough to whet an appetite after a heart-to-heart.

Bringing a plate up with her, Hamuko went to Sumi's door, giving it a knock.

"Hey, Vi! Can I come in?"

[shakenit]

Sumire flinches at the knock, and almost tells whoever it is to leave her alone on instinct.

Except, of course, it's the one person here she could maybe stand to talk to right now. (Not the one person she wants to see, because he's not here.)

"I guess."

She's curled up on her bed, clinging to a pillow in the absence of a stuffed animal to strangle, and... she hasn't been crying. It's been a while since she was too numb to cry. She didn't miss the feeling.

[wipingallout]

"Coming in!"

Gently turning the knob, Hamuko entered the room and... well, while it isn't her own room with her own things, the scene isn't an unfamiliar one. Something painful happened.

Still, she just politely closed the door behind her, setting the plate on the desk in the room and going to sit on the bed next to Sumi, smiling warmly.

"Something happened," she said softly, though left it there for the moment, letting Sumi dictate if she was ready to talk details yet. "I can be an ear. Or a shoulder! Or a cuddle buddy. Anything you might need."

[shakenit]

At least she's not making a big deal about the food. (She shouldn't be surprised Aragaki-san said something about it, but she is, a little.)

Practically as soon as Hamuko sits down, Sumire leans against her, but it's still a bit before she manages to say anything.

"...Have you met Morning-san?"