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[ This video is legitimately just of Natsume sitting on the a bare, dirt floor with his knees up to his chest. Nyanko-sensei is rolling back and forth on the floor, obviously bored. There's a strange pot with an eyeball. Behind him is a window with bars on it above his bag, hung on the wall. In front of him is an entire wall of thick wood bars, much like a dungeon cell, covered in ofuda. Not just one or two, a lot.

They just sit there for a while until Natsume glances up and realizes that the community seems to be giving him access through a piece of paper that fell out of his bag. His eyes widen, then he quickly dives for it and switches to text, cutting off the feed. It takes him a few seconds to get a pen out of his bag, then... ]

Can someone worldhop here, no questions asked? I need to be back before tomorrow night, I promised I'd go watch the meteor shower with some friends.

[ No, no he's not quite commenting on why he's stuck in what looks like a prison cell built to keep really powerful youkai in it.

..And yes, worldhops are cut off at this point. Consider it interference from the massive numbers of traps set up in the surrounding forest, not all of which solely affect youkai.

At least he's not tied up anymore. ]

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Natsume, I'll do my best to find a way out of there but I want to know who has you.

[Her voice is stern. Even if Natsume doesn't want anyone to worry, those people who have him can't think it's okay to just kidnap people.]

[ Kyouko doesn't have a worldhop, so she couldn't help with that either way other than ordering someone else around to get him out of there.. but there's more important matters first. Or rather, her emotions kick in first when she sees Natsume like that. What is... ]

N.. Natsume.. what the heck do ya think you're doing?!

Matoba.

[ It's not like that's going to be anything to go off of. ]

It's.. he's not someone I want you to mess with. I just need to get out of here for now.

I was getting something of mine back and I got caught and refused to cooperate.

Takashi. Who put you in that? It wasn't a youkai.

[A youkai wouldn't use ofuda.]

[ Grandma don't bring up youkai if you're not gonna lock it!! ]

It's an exorcist. This isn't the first time I've run into him. Last time he shot Nyanko-sensei and it took him weeks to recover. That was after I met him because he had no problem slaughtering and sacrificing servants under the Matoba Clan. He said I was dangerous.

[ All he did was accidentally bust a few seals in the forest, get caught by one of Matoba's servants, break out, get caught, then refuse to side with exorcists all while having really really powerful youkai help him out who aren't even his servants.

No big grandma. ]

I'm coming.

Thanks.

[ A pause. Since... Masamori's the one coming for him, he feels the need to actually fill him in here. ]

Be careful. Matoba's a powerful exorcist, he's managed to get Nyanko-sensei twice now and that isn't something a lot of people can do. Sensei's not injured this time, but he still sealed his abilities for the moment. Matoba's interested in me though, so as long as I protect him he can't hurt Sensei but I don't think he'd have a problem going after you. If you sneak around the back there's a window, but be cautious there too. There's a tribe of youkai trying to find me and I don't think they care much if I'm dead or alive either.

[ Despite all this, Natsume sounds... oddly calm. Like ridiculously calm. Like he's completely used to it and very much not saying why. ]

[The look on Reiko's face couldn't be more displeased. She crosses her arms. Matoba has the sight but he isn't like Takashi or her. He sees youkai as toys. Exorcism and sealing youkai away were only for stubborn or evil youkai. Making a weak youkai who only wants to live its life your follower only to sacrifice or kill it?

Unforgivable.]

He and his entire clan are disgusting. They have this power but they're no better than a family of criminals that shoots other humans. If he thinks you're dangerous than his family isn't prepared for someone like me.

[There's a growl entering h er voice.]

I don't know how old this man is, he might not even be born yet but I'll tell you one thing, Takashi. The Matoba clan isn't going go free.

He's not born yet. Don't do anything drastic, I don't..

Don't get yourself into trouble, Reiko-san. He doesn't know about the Book of Friends. At least I don't think he does. Even the youkai who found my bag earlier didn't tell him it was in there and he didn't look through it, so even his own servants know not to breathe a word about it. So just be careful okay? For your sake too. I won't argue against doing something against them as long as no one gets hurts.

[ A pause. Natsume figures he might as well mention it to her. ]

Despite all that, the primary reason I'm locked in here is probably because I refused to join the Matoba Clan then wouldn't let him hurt Sensei to make a point about what he claimed we were "supposed" to treat them like.

I'm not like them. It'd be easy to summon all the youkai in the Book to send after them but that'd cause more trouble than punishing them is worth.

I can do things like keeping an ear out for things that an exorcist might get hired for. Seal away evil youkai before they can. I can distract youkai away from them if I know they're around. I don't know if I can but I could even try to take the name of the youkai they've enslaved--let them live their lives.

[She glares at the camera. This is the first time that she's allowing herself to be angry in front of him.]

"How we're supposed to treat them"?! He doesn't know anything at all!

I know. I just meant.. don't get yourself hurt and don't do anything too flashy. All of those things sound like a good idea though. Thank you.

[ It's nice.. having someone to talk to like this. Someone who really understands how much it's not okay for exorcists to do stuff like this. Even though he's friends with one, he'd never personally be involved and even then Natori's starting to get much more kind-hearted, he avoids working near Natsume if possible, and he's trying to keep other exorcists away from this area.

Natsume looks pretty pissed off too, which isn't exactly a common look for him. ]

If I can find a way.. this entire forest is rigged with traps and seals right now. There's a group of youkai after the Book of Friends because they think they'll be able to return it to its previous state this way but.. if I can do something about it I want to.

Don't worry about me. I'll take care of it.

[She sighs.]

There should be a way to return the forest to normal.

I'm going to worry about you. I know you probably don't like it but... it's natural when you care about someone and you know what kinds of things they go through.

[ It's why he lies to the Fujiwaras, even if they would probably believe him. ]

I'll find it. [ Something's speaking off screen at him, so the video goes off for a moment. Something about "Just give us the Book of Friends if you want to help!" and Natsume just kind of gives it a look as Nyanko-sensei starts yelling about having dibs probably... Natsume can't help but smile softly after a moment though. ]

I messed up your life. You don't have to worry about me.

[ He shakes his head, smiling softly. ]

I think without everything you did while you were alive, I wouldn't be able to be half as happy as I am now.

[ After all, the Book of Friends is the reason that Nyanko-sensei took an interest in him. It's the reason he's met so many youkai and made so many friends. That connection, everything Reiko was and did, gave him a chance to stop running from everything and see the world as beautiful instead of something to fear. ]

Suit yourself.

[She doesn't really believe it herself. That much is obvious.]

I know you're not trying to choose sides, Takashi. You're so different than me. I still don't get how you could be alright with having a family member like me.

[ Takashi stays quiet for a moment, wondering if he should say something or not. he doesn't want her to feel that way and if it's Reiko.. it's a lot easier to be open with her than anyone else. because he already knows so much about her, because they're family and they both can see the same world. ]

The way you want to protect the youkai from the Matoba says a lot. Liking youkai doesn't mean that you're in the wrong. Humans and youkai are both the same in some ways. Some of them are bad, some of them are good.. some of them will lie, some will betray you, some will trust you, some are courageous beyond belief. They fall in love and show gratitude, honor, friendship.

[ Takashi's voice is quiet, but he seems very earnest about this. Affectionate, even. His voice is warm and the tiniest smile on his lips reflects it. ]

They laugh and smile and get sad and angry and worry... But because most humans can't see youkai, so many of them think that we're the liars or the creepy children if we tell the truth. Spirits can see everything that we can though, so we don't have to lie to connect with them. I can understand why you chose them, Reiko-san. If I hadn't been so afraid of youkai when I was younger and I didn't get to see so many families, many of whom were kind despite how much of an inconvenience I was, I think I might've picked them too. There are kind humans, though, just like there are youkai, and there are bad ones like Matoba who think because they were hurt it's okay to hurt others and do as they please no matter what the cost. But.. you're one of the kind ones.

You can argue it to death but I'm proud to have a person like you as a family member.

[ Sorry Reiko, Takashi is honestly the most earnest person in the world when it comes to things like this. ]

Don't worry, I'll get you out before anything else. Do you know where you are?

[A voice that calm in a situation like this...that's concerning.

Still, what Masamori needs to focus on right now is the information.]

I'll be careful. I'd rather get in and get you out quietly. [Though he'd also like to teach "Matoba" a lesson.]

Thank you. Be careful of the forest too. Matoba set up a lot of traps, seals, and spells in the forest and Sensei said it could be that not all of them only affect spirits. I probably released a few just running through it without realizing it but..

[ Ahaha Natsume knows because he accidentally screws really powerful seals up all the time. ]

It's still better to be careful. There were way more than what I ran by.

Nothing else, Roze.

[ Natsume actually sounds firm about that. He doesn't want anyone he cares about getting involved in this, especially not with Matoba. ]

The Matoba Estate in the forest east of Yatsuhara. Back side, there's a small barred window. If you find someone with a worldhop, come exactly here and don't go into the forest no matter what.

[Reiko only answers after a while. There's a small hesitation before she speaks. What is this kindness? Can you eat it?]

I'm only doing this because I can't have some exorcist taking my followers away like that. This is my territory and the Matoba better work hard to take it away.

[She takes a moment, though, to be quiet.]

Then I'll save my breath. I still don't get it and I doubt that I ever will. The Book of Friends is the only thing anyone will remember me for--it's not exactly something to be proud of.

[The rest of it isn't worth arguing about now so she won't be back for a bit.]

...Natusme, it didn't work. I tried to come to you and nothing happened. Are you sure that's where you are?

[If he is, she knows what this means and she won't accept it. She won't.]

If you say so.

[ Arguing like this isn't going to get them anywhere. Takashi knows that, so he'll simply give her a knowing smile. He's seen that kindness in her, even if she can't see it herself. ]

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