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[intelligencia]

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Waking the Dead 2.0 : Flashbacking / 17 May 2063, Tokyo

[larue]

[ He comes back from a morning free-running with the Hounds and makes a quick beeline for his room. His body aches in places he had no idea he'd ever feel aches again but it's a good kind of hurt.

Padding over to hit futon now and flopping down on his back as he slips out his phone: ]

SENT: 11:52 AM
let me know when you and dad land. kaz wants to drag
me and brianna off to akihabara but we're leaving that
for after lunch. maybe you can come with? we haven't
really had much sibling time despite living under the
same roof again. :(

[intelligencia]

[And she smiles the moment she gets her brother's text. It must be a pretty goofy smile, because her dad's looking at her funny now.]

SENT: 11:54 AM
Hi! We're about an hour away from landing now, actually.

I miss you too, bro. :)

[Thank god for Vice phones.]

[larue]

[ Wondering now if there's any way that he can get a car to drive over to Narita Airport. ]

SENT: 11:57
how's dad handling the plane ride?

:p

[ Yeah, he really likes how Netsach outfits their novices. They'd never had the luxury of mobile phones at home. ]

[intelligencia]

[Which might be why she's only too glad to respond, and keep responding, until you end up seeing each other in person again.]

SENT: 12:00 PM
Pretty well! He did complain a little, though, about why we couldn't just teleport or find some way of driving over. It doesn't help that there actually ARE ways, and he's been reading up on them? Lol.

He says hi, by the way. :3

[larue]

SENT: 12:03 PM
LOL DAD. tell him i said hi right back :)

[ And then shortly, because it occurs to him right after he sends that last one: ]

SENT: 12:04 PM
i could call, if you like.

[ He's not entirely sure how a call would differ from a text where it concerns Vicetech, but if it's at all possible your voice, sister dearest, is far better than reading words on a screen. ]

[intelligencia]

SENT: 12:06 PM
It's okay! We're going to see each other soon anyway, and I'm trying to catch up on some work. Dad's enjoying one of the in-flight movies.

So what's the game plan? Akihibara?

[Please? Please?]

[larue]

SENT: 12:08 PM
well well well, someone's a busy little bee.
what're they showing? :) and YES. akihabara
and a show i think.

kaz is in charge of the day's itinerary because
it's his present to brianna.

[ Lol. Kids. ]

[intelligencia]

SENT: 12:09 PM
Oh? Is it her birthday or something? And the movie's a classic. "The A Team", I think?

[Their dad loves that sort of stuff.]

[larue]

[ Biting back a smile at that. At least he knows his dad's got something to occupy him for a while. ]

SENT: 12:11 PM
yup! turned 20 three days ago. i actually went
with her, the vega sisters and eli tagabigay to
shop for her present, but we couldn't find
anything she liked.

got lots of candy tho. the kitkat flavors here
are kind of insane? :))

[ He's still got a box of strawberry, matcha-green tea and blueberry cheesecake for you. But he won't say anything about that just yet. ]

Waking the Dead 2.0 : 14 July 2063 | No secrets between us.

[larue]

[ He heads back to Falner after he and Kaz and Stan finish setting up what they can of his room at the Tower. Three boys? One of them a mage, another a Sin-Eater with near-telekinetic powers -- although really, he still preferred to do manual lifting -- and a kid with excellent style sense? Yep. Totally got things done within record time.

He takes his dad and sister out. Greenbelt is the closest place at hand and walking is an okay thing by them because none of them actually own a car. Dinner is great, and Josh pitches that they make this a regular thing: he has the means now, and given how crazy things have been over the last couple of weeks, it'll be nice to have something to ground them.

( Your kids are both supernaturals, Dad. Your son a hunter with some pretty notable engagements tucked under his belt, your daughter well on her way to getting the last few that she needs in order to ensure that her initiation is a definite thing by the end of the month. )

After dinner though, Josh gives Cindy a gentle squeeze on the nape, their subtle little code from yesteryear for Need to talk to you. Later, when Dad's not around.

Some things, after all, are better off discussed between siblings without parental intervention -- at least, for the moment. ]

[intelligencia]

[Cindy, of course, enjoys herself immensely in the company of her family. Being a student of Balamb has given her the opportunity to go around Metro Manila, but she hasn't really gone out of her way to have fun or tour around. It's also been way too long since the Brennans have done anything remotely like this together. The last time had been when their mother was still around.

That little signal from Josh, though, intrigues her. Nevertheless, she keeps this under wraps, and tries not to think back to anything that had caught her attention about her brother for the past few weeks.

So she's carrying on as usual, all the way until they've returned to the Falner Estate. She'll let her brother set things up, and help him do it if she has to.]

[larue]

[ It's not as difficult as he thought it could be and a lot easier actually done: Dad enjoyed the meal and is laughing about What was that old thing Phil's mom used to say? Oh yeah -- food coma.

What Josh does is simple after that.

Dad, I'm going for a walk. I'm gonna bring Cinds with me, okay? Cue the look that says clear as day 'I miss my sister I want to catch up with her, can she and I be crazy kids together with your permission.' ]

[intelligencia]

[Sure thing.

The smile that had been on Aaron's face at that point had way too much emotion behind it, but maybe you could bug your father on that later. He's happy, see. Happy beyond words.

Cindy, in the meantime, doesn't say anything up until you're both stepping out.]

It's kind of nice how we can smoke pretty much everywhere. Heard it was different in this city back in 2012.

[larue]

[ He will -- or he could, but probably won't. Seeing his father happy is enough, given how tumultuous the last couple of years have been.

They're a family again, and as complete as they can be for now, while the move on TFV has not yet happened.

Pausing to light up his own cigarette as he takes in the sight of the city at night. ]

What do you mean? [ He hasn't really read up on the finer details of the city, occupied as he's been with other things. Most of the details he knows of Metro Manila are things told his way. But then again, your brother has never readily opened books for sheer leisure, Cindy.

Taking a puff now. ] Was it banned?

[intelligencia]

Yeah, kind of. They had these ridiculous bans and smoking areas that weren't really smoking areas, and some weird law called 'sin tax'.

[Rolling her eyes at that, then glancing back at you with the classic Brennan smile.]

And then the Vigil came along. Where easily 90% of the population smokes.

[larue]

[ Chuckling now as he's shaking his head. ]

With a name like 'sin tax' I can imagine how that must've been a pain.

[ He's getting a thoughtful look on his face though, as he's looking down at the smoke curling outwards from the tip of his cigarette. ]

[intelligencia]

[And she's peering at you at that, much like a cat who has noticed something emanating from its litter mate.]

Okay. What's up?

Waking the Dead 2.0 | 24 July 2063 "i met a girl of a different kind"

[larue]

[ He's on the patio having a smoke, trying to figure out how to do rings -- and failing spectacularly. The rest of the house is quiet, Dad asleep in his room upstairs.

He's thinking quietly on his own initiation, reflecting on the events that had led up to it, the steps he and Brianna and Brig had to take all the way to the exchange with their respective Malice Kings.

He's also quietly fiddling with the rings that had been given to him as a gift and wondering thoughtfully if he should have gone and bought you one. ]

[intelligencia]

[And this one's turning up on foot with a lighted cigarette of her own, looking dazed and happy. Mostly dazed. The senior op in charge of monitoring her initiation had offered to drive her straight to her house. She had declined; she needed a walk. It was a Brennan thing.

She's smiling the moment she sees Josh waiting, and comes right over. She only ever walks in this fast if she wants to punch something, or if she wants to hug you.

It's the latter, of course.]

[larue]

[ He's coming to his feet, of course. He knows the signals for when it's a punch and when it's a hug and the last couple of months have been good to you both. So yeah, have a really tight one the moment he's got you in his arms, Cinds -- and the accompanying swing-around that he used to do when you were a tiny little thing.

He does say one thing: hushed and thick with emotion. ] I am so proud of you, baby.

[ He says it with fondness. You'll always be that kid he brought up and dropped everything for. In some ways, that still holds true if you need it. ]

[intelligencia]

[She's laughing at that, and it's both because she wasn't really expecting it and it feels good to be able to be able to come home to all of this after achieving something great.

Then she's going quiet, and hugging you even tighter.]

Thanks. I'm... I'm really happy I made it.

[No witty comments or smart comebacks for this one right now. She's a bit overwhelmed.]

[larue]

[ Setting Cindy back on her feet now and smiling like the proud parent older brother that he is. ]

Are you kidding? Of course you made it.

[ Tweaking her nose at that, before he slings an arm around her shoulders and offers to guide her towards the porch. ]

You're amazing, Cinds. There was never any doubt that you'd kick ass.

[intelligencia]

Well, it's good to know that at least one of us stubbornly refuses to believe that I could never fail.

[Teasing, as she's letting Josh bring her over.]

It wasn't easy. Not that I ever expected it to be, but... yeah.

[larue]

[ He's going to wait for you to sit before he joins you.

Slipping out his pack and offering you a smoke though. ]

Tell me all about it?

[intelligencia]

[Taking that with a grateful look, and lighting up. She takes a drag or two before speaking.]

They dropped me off underneath New York. I had to reach a certain spot on my GPS before midnight, all on my own.