MAILBOX; inbox

[shoubai]

WELCOME

House 1411

"Hello? Hello?? I'm sorry, there's nobody home right now. [ obnoxious peal of laughter: go ]

Ahh, that's right! Leave a message, and I'll get back to you. Right? That's how it goes? Aha, no telemarketers, please!

If you run up my bill, I'll have to ask you to pay the extra costs.

[ BEEP ]

Comments

Re: T E X T

[whizbangs]

Answer your pheionadjasldjsdlf

[WE ARE MOBILISING

TO HIS STORE, TO HIS HOUSE]

Re: T E X T

[shoubai]

[ by now, he's made it to a shop he's never been to before, a spur-of-the-moment thing. a little flower shop, some blocks away from iwai-zake. he has to pick up something suitably apologetic and fantastic for katsura, after all. (maybe something potted and flowery, something he could tend to later on as his odd, innate housewife desires would want. sakamoto inevitably buys out a fifth of their stock, giving them katsura's address with reassuring noises and a cheque.

he's almost at the door before he turns back, picks up two bouquets on a whim. a little one of bright flowers. azaleas, white carnations for nill. a bustling mass of purple hyacinths for carol.

how little he knew, as of yet.

poor idiot. ]

the dumbest thing i've ever written

[whizbangs]

[an hour and a half of frantic searching later, and her quest has yielded no results, save for making carol even more harried and lost and upset than she was when she started. she's no stranger to people losing their lives to horrible things that are supposed to be impossible, but she didn't expect it here. she didn't expect it to be her friend.

she's still trying to deny it, but it's looking more and more feasible as panic mounts and there's still no sign of him.

it's dark when she finally ends up back at steve's place, utterly miserable, and shoots off one more last-ditch text before going inside -- for now. she hasn't given up.]

Don't be dead ok
You idiot

an hour later, at the most...

[shoubai]

[ it's the first text at the top of his little inbox, and it's the first one he reads. he has to balance the flowers in his arms to properly respond. he gets a mouthful of flower petals for his trouble, but he still laughs. ]

ok
im not dead
where are you?

Re: an hour later, at the most...

[whizbangs]

[jklsdjkljsKLAjSDLAJ]

Good because I am going tO KILL YOU
LEARN TO CHECK YOUR DAMN PHONE
1424
MORON

[shoubai]

[ it's while he's waiting on her reply that he finally sifts through the small text message explosion on his phone.

oh man, this is great. he is so dead. ]

1424 ok ill be there soon
pls dont eyelaser me from afar

[whizbangs]

[SO DEAD.]

I make no promises

[shoubai]

[ will he survive? will he get out of this in one piece? he's ringing the doorbell to 1424, bouquet behind him like his meager meatshield body could defend it from the wrath of a furious superhero.

please dont be eyebeams pleeaaase dont be eyebeams ]

[whizbangs]

[it's not eyebeams.

but it is carol yanking open the door, leaning against the frame with her arms folded and her eyebrows arched, less-than-impressed.

she doesn't speak. hope you've prepared your excuses, tatsuma.]

[shoubai]

It was a really good idea at the time.

[ quickly, firmly, and without preamble. he doesn't doubt at all that she knows what he's talking about. ]

Have you ever heard Zuraki's shriek? It's a lifetime experience, I recommend you try it sometime.

[ no, no that's not helping at all. quick! present the, er, present! ]

I got you these please spare my cranium I needwhatever'sleftinthere!

[shoubai]

[ and with that, he brings the bouquet around, pushes it in front of him like a peaceoffering and shield both. ]

[whizbangs]

[...oh.

for a long second she doesn't really know what to do with this, stares dumbly at the flowers (that is a lot of flowers, pretty flowers, when was the last time she got given flowers) while her brain shrieks angrily about mixed signals and stupid idiots and a myriad other equally frustrating things.]

[whizbangs]

[then sense kickstarts back to life and she takes the bouquet from him, frowns down at it, and tells him gruffly--]

Next time you're gonna get yourself presumed dead you need to warn a person.