† 005 [text → video]

[stillsomehope]

[after reading the newspaper article and copying it out into an empty notebook he picked up, Kei stops to turn on the communicator's text function]

Another spirited away, huh? At least it's a [familiar situation] starting point...

[ - click - static - ]

[a short while later, the communicator comes back to life with a strange video. Kei's

Comments

[sword_of_k]

I see you are interested in this as well. Perhaps a more direct approach is necessary?

[stillsomehope]

Hm?

... It's not too different from what I was researching before, about urban legends and people who were 'spirited away'. This... might be an offshoot of something like that.

Though I don't recall ever hearing something like this before that news article.

[text]

[eternalritual]

Why do you always have to use that tape?

Don't leave me out here.

[voice;]

[stillsomehope]

Tape...?

Leave who- ...!! I- [don't know any other way to keep the other ghosts away]

[text]

[eternalritual]

Don't leave me.

I don't want to be alone.

[voice;]

[stillsomehope]

[really though, Mayu, he's in the same boat as you. The Amakuras; a family with social problems]

Where are you?

[demurepastel]

You don't ever take a break, do you? What are all of those books for?

[stillsomehope]

[quiet laugh is recorded over the communicator] Well, I try to do what I can whenever I'm awake... [because only god knows when (or if) he'll wake up again]

Urban Legends, and me brushing up on Noh theater. Every mask has a name and a particular role so it might give us a hint to what caused it... We should be able to figure out how to stop it that way.

[oh Kei, don't you remember what happened the last time you used that logic?]

[demurepastel]

That's good of you.

[she's quiet, listening.]

I've never heard of Noh theater before, but that mask looked ominous when I had it.

...You really think we can stop this?

[stillsomehope]

... What did it look like? [the communicator clicks a couple of times before the video function is turned on and he directs the camera to several images in his books, showing a variety of masks] These are some examples... The mask that's been going around might not look exactly like them, but it would give me some idea as to what it's suppose to be.

...

We'll never know unless we try.

[voice;]

[manor_of_sleep]

Oh, Kei... Always so busy, busy, busy, busy... Busy...

[text;]

[stillsomehope]

...

How are you doing, Miku?

[voice;]

[manor_of_sleep]

[Miku giggles]

Oh, I'm wonderful, Kei. How are you?

How is Mayu?

[voice;]

[stillsomehope]

['no you're not', he thinks, but keeps quiet]

The same as always. [...] I'm... still looking for her.