[accidental video]

[anothersoul]

[The video camera shows Mami's apartment--richly furnished but empty. Nothing but a few dishes on a glass table and the light coming from a sliding glass door are seen. Nobody's home. That is, until the noise of an opening door. Lights flicker on as someone flips a light switch.]

Mother, Father... I'm sorry I was out later than usual.

[Mami walks into the view of the camera. She doesn't look around and instead just puts her schoolbag near the table with a heavy sigh, looking a bit more ragged than usual.] I understand that I could probably have returned sooner but not tonight. It was busy.

[As Mami talks, she picks up the dirty dishes and moves out of sight of the camera. There's noises of someone putting water into a pot.] I believe I've made a couple of new friends. I'm sure you would have gotten along well with them.

I hope you weren't too mad at having a strange man in the apartment. He was very cordial, as you remember. I used your recipe, Mother. [Mami re-appears as she sets the table again: for one person.] Don't worry about me, I promise I've been taking care of myself.

[Mami sits down at the glass table, pouring herself a cup of tea. She continues talking to herself but the video cuts out.]

Comments

[video]

[croibhristeoir]

...Mami?

[video]

[anothersoul]

[She's a bit surprised looking. Embarrassed? Maybe.]

Mm, I'm fine.

[video]

[croibhristeoir]

You...must be lonely.

[he knows all about the dead parents feeling, okay]

[callmeoniisan]

... um... [this is just sad on so many levels...]

[anothersoul]

I'm sorry. That was probably a waste of your time.

[trying to save face? Of course]

[callmeoniisan]

Ah. No... [awkward...]

[so unsure as to what to say] ... You must really miss them.

[good job kyousuke you said what could have been the worst thing ever in this situation.]

[mightletyouknowme]

I don't see anybody else.

[anothersoul]

I was alone. I'm sorry about that.

[mightletyouknowme]

I didn't see a phone... who were you talking to?

[icantbelievethis]

...

[anothersoul]

I'm sorry.

[icantbelievethis]

Don't apologize for the community. Tomoe-san, right? Are you doing okay?

[docfoul]

You could use some company.

[anothersoul]

I wouldn't mind it but I can manage.

[docfoul]

If I find the time, it would be a pleasure to have you in my apartment.

[ video ]

[selfished]

[ Once again - or rather, too often for her own liking when it comes down to this girl - Kyouko doesn't know what to say again. She frowns to herself and doesn't feel like answering since she doesn't have any clue what to say, but she manages to accidentally smack the recording button all the same without realising it. So have a stare. ]

[ video ]

[anothersoul]

[Mami doesn't exactly know what to say herself. She'll just stare right back.]

[ video ]

[selfished]

Do ya think actin' like they're actually there will make it better?

[ She does speak up, eventually. Her tone is not quite as harsh as usually - some spirit is lacking in it compared to usual. It's not as if the situation of not having a family is unfamiliar to her, she's lived with it for quite some time now. Ever since she stopped working together with Mami, in fact. ]

[voice]

[oceanicbutterfly]

...Tomoe-san. It's recording.

[voice]

[anothersoul]

I've noticed... Ah, sorry about that, Minazuki-san.

[voice]

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Mami what are you apologizing for. IS RETASU CONTAGIOUS?]

It's fine.

...welcome home. [Wow she feels silly saying that.]

[bettertoburnout]

Oh, shit, are you gonna cry?

[anothersoul]

No, no.

[video]

[yumadbro]

[He wasn't aware he'd turned on the video to respond, either. Maybe he'd done it without thinking, or maybe his hand just slipped. It was on all the same, and how it got there was irrelevant.]

[Just how many times had he lived through this exact scene? Sure, his parents weren't dead, but more often than not over the years he'd return to a spacious, cold, empty house. Just like Nanako, he was the responsible and quiet child who understood why they were so absent and just set himself to cooking and cleaning so they wouldn't have to worry about it when they got back.]

[But even though he'd been fine, said he'd been fine all those years, it would've been nice to hear, just once in a while--]

--welcome home.

[video]

[anothersoul]

[She had been drinking her tea, when she hears it. She knows already she's been caught and it shows in her face. A faint blush of embarrassment--of being caught without her walls.]

...Thank you, Narukami.