applenet | COUNTDOWN: THE SMALL VOICE THAT RINGS OUT

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COUNTDOWN: THE SMALL VOICE THAT RINGS OUT

Seven days remain. Or so it would seem. Somehow you might not still be convinced. This is all just a strange coincidence, but to go as far as to claim that you have other memories... can it?

But things have already been set alight inside the hearts of those chosen few who have received the app on their phones. For some, it's just the first bite of the apple. For others, it's been like shaking down an entire tree. Things are beginning to look... strange. Surely there are more burning questions on their minds by now.

The warning bells of the Nightly Curfew ring across the city. There's a faint hum from the phone this time before the icon appears. This time it displays a time: 1:00AM

The rest of the night is normal. Perhaps you've cuddled up with family, or you've gone to bed early to wait, but sure enough, time tick by right until 1 in the morning when...

You're back into that application again. A single question before you're even permitted to type anything else. And while it seems to be overwritten by something inside of you, it feels a lot more natural than before. Which is, truthfully... troubling.

WELCOME TO THE FINAL QUIZ!
Answer from the heart, the part of you that has been denied for far too long.

Do you want to remember?
Yes | Hell Yes| Definitely | Of course I do!

And yet, a tiny little font at the bottom. A bit hard to miss but if you hover your finger over it will answer for you...

No. Not yet...
Once you are done, you are tossed once more into the main chatroom. Now your user names are the names that you wrote down in the last survey, but with all those questions it's... hard not to think of them as your own. Maybe you'll be cursing at this device, but it looks like you're already deep down the rabbit hole by now.

[OOC: This is the final network post before Awakening. Users will now be able to speak of who they are in their AU life without the information being blocked by the application.

As a note! Characters who select "no" will not need to Awaken next week and will be able to delay to later. Instead, the character will be able to proceed with logs as a Pre-Awakened, be aware of certain issues happening in the city, however their memories will not be complete and they will be unable to fight back (apart from their own weapons). Note that they will be unable to use a Persona until they fully Awaken. There will be more details to follow, if you pick this option.

As always, while they will not get any new on their own, speaking with Luci might grant the Awakened more memories... be careful that they don't get more than they bargained for.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tch.

[his gaze grows even more irate, if such a thing was possible, and Vincent shakes his head viciously. for someone so smart, Kit really did seem to repeatedly fail to consider safety precautions for himself.]

You're painting a goddamn target on your back.

[and that bothered Vincent because...because what? because he lived with him now, he supposed. any malevolent forces seeking out the obvious weakness and desire here would certainly not balk at the chance to consume two marked people such as themselves.

that's what he thinks, anyway. the other possible explanations were simply too far-fetched.]

[Without fail, Kit met Vincent's gaze and held it, his own piercing and yet also lacking in any of the other boy's irritation.]

Someone has to, yes?

[Civilizations evolved by being willing to take chances and make mistakes. Without people who were willing to be pioneers, no progress would ever be made. That wasn't something Kit could tolerate. He wanted...to be better than he was, and to do something worthwhile. So why shouldn't he be the one to take those first steps?

It wasn't as if he hadn't had a target on his back all this time. Or all his life, even.]

If you're worried about backlash...I can go someplace else.

[The curfew didn't matter to him. He knew how to come and go unseen, and besides...there were plenty of places around campus where he could carry out his business at no detriment to his guest.]

I'm not worried. It's just annoying to be associated with someone so embarrassing.

[someone had to take those big steps into the unknown, yes. the most common term for them was fodder.

let the expendable others on that godforsaken network prod and poke the invisible beings which ruled their fate and bring down the lightning. infuriating as he was, Kit was also far too good for such pointlessly reckless behavior. even if right now he wanted to put his head through the desk.

but that's why despite the sharp way he rebukes his companion, Vincent makes no attempt to accept the offer of throwing the other boy out until things resolve himself. if he went elsewhere then he couldn't keep an eye on him easily.]

There's a simple solution to that problem.

[Kit enjoyed Vincent's company. He enjoyed it far more than he had allowed himself to enjoy anyone in a very long time. What's more, they were friends and 'partners' in their other life, their threads of fate intricately woven together, and the depths of their trust for one another fathomless.

Despite that, Kit would not fault the other boy for leaving if that was what he wanted to do. He'd made it clear the first night Vincent stayed that he was welcome to leave, and the same freedom applied to associating with him.

Fate might have had one thing in mind for them, but they were both fighters, both of them determined to be masters of their own destinies. It was easy to cut ties with someone...]

[for a long stretch of silence Vincent merely holds the other teen's gaze, expression void of anything - including the ire which had populated it just moments before. with so little to go on it's difficult to say if he's contemplating or merely dragging things out for the weight of it all.

eventually, he speaks.]

There is, but apparently you're allergic to common sense.

[it was more than easy to cut ties with someone. especially someone who, despite their swift rapport, could really only be termed an oddly close stranger at this point. after having made his point clear the first night he'd stayed here, Vincent knows that there's nothing holding him to this place, this boy.

but he never was particularly good at following the orders of others. whether he'd allow himself to embrace the true reason behind the decision or not, he was here for the long haul. Kit would need a scalpel and more than a few bottles of whiskey to remove him now.]

[For several minutes Kit was also silent. He knew that he sometimes lacked common sense and was a little too willing to sacrifice his well-being for the sake of progress, but he didn't know how to be any other way.

Why was it so hard for the new people in his life to accept that? He'd had no trouble with being able to do as he pleased in his youth. People seldom grew attached to him, and even less frequently tried to argue with his reasoning. His 'logic' was accepted along with his leadership, his ability to enforce his beliefs helping to keep people in line as opposed to in his way.

But now...in attempting to appear normal, had he actually let down his guard so far that people had slipped through the cracks?]

This is an impossible situation, you realize that, right?

Maybe for you.

[it seemed perfectly resolvable from where Vincent was sitting. his roommate could either back down and not engage with Luci should the little imp actually decide to grace him with conversation, or he could go through with it and slap that EVISCERATE ME sign on his back.

and if it was the second option? well, that was easy. he'd just have to deal with whatever came hunting himself before it ever had the opportunity to lay so much as a talon on the other boy's door.

he didn't understand friendship, or fondness. everything was categorized into usefulness, and it was rare that anyone found themselves able to measure up. Vincent can't connect his actions with the desire to protect someone from their own bad decisions, and so his mind doesn't even try. from his perspective this was simply keeping his free meal ticket functioning.]

[Kit would not back down. Vincent had to know that.

He had tempted Fate again and again every day since they'd met, never balking at the repercussions for the decisions he made. If there was pain, he endured it. If there was hardship, he labored through it. He'd hurt worse. He'd struggled to overcome greater obstacles. In fact, feeling life push back at him so violently reminded him that he was alive.

He wasn't afraid of being a target. He wasn't afraid of being hunted. In fact, he was of the opinion that the only way to keep himself out of the crosshairs was to remain a step ahead of his opponents. To always ask questions. Always be seeking answers. Be willing to dig for clues and get his hands dirty if that's what it took...and to be the hunter. That was how one survived.]

I can't give you what you want.

[that was how one survived only if they had caution, power, or both. Vincent's submerged himself in the ugly side of Hagu long enough to know that people with the sort of breakneck ambition that his partner carried rarely possessed either in large enough amounts to carry them through. lean too heavily on the edge of life and eventually it would bleed you dry.

their encounters had taught him that Kit hardly lacked for caution - but he'd also learned that it could easily be scattered to the four winds if he was riled up enough. the way he was now, bullheadedly smashing against the glass ceiling for no reason other than impatience, was in many ways the most senseless he'd ever seen him. if the sight didn't prick at him in strange ways he might even call it fascinating.

Vincent shifts before he replies, chuckling lowly and moving to lean against the headboard of the bed. it seems that he's planting himself for the long haul, or at least to be obnoxious.]

You make it sound as if I've never fought you before.

[it was fine if Kit wasn't willing to give him what he was asking for. Vincent was more than willing to take it from him.]

[Kit stared as the other boy settled into the remaining space next to him on the bed. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, at least until he felt compelled to pull his limbs in closer, knees drawn to his chest, and arms draped over top of them. His phone dangled limply from one hand, the lit up face now and then flickering with life, but whatever activity seemed to be taking place on the app seemed to be very far away from his current train of thought.

He wasn't even looking at his phone or even Vincent anymore, but some point across the dimly lit room. The hollow of the bathroom doorway, or perhaps a blank spot on the wall. Anywhere and everywhere that couldn't stare back at him. Or worse, stare into him.]

Is that what you came in here looking for? A fight?

[if the other boy senses his unease, then for once he chooses not to press upon it. instead Vincent unfurls his limbs, stretching out with all the ease and comfort one would visit upon their own bed.]

You're the one who said I was always trying to start trouble.

[an answer without a real answer. he's glad for how easily they come to him, and almost grateful to Kit for providing the perfect words to fling back at him in order to keep this intrusion from feeling out of the ordinary. antagonism was nothing new to them. it made perfect sense that he'd pursue the other boy into his room in order to continue squeezing him on this subject.]

You and everyone else. It's tiresome.

[But, despite his reluctance to look at either one, he was neither relinquishing his phone nor shoving Vincent off his bed and towards his bedroom door. For better or worse, the problematic people who had weaseled their way into his life were also repercussions he had to accept and learn to deal with. And in Vincent's case...

Even when the other boy's presence was disconcerting it was still somehow a comfort.

It was the strange amalgamation of those two very contrasting feelings that left Kit feeling even more tense than before, however. And with curfew having long since fallen and no academic work left unfinished to pour himself over, he was left without a means to channel his frustration.

He almost wished Vincent hadn't stopped at busting the door open. No, he did wish for that. Having anything else to think about other than the thing that was stolen from him and was being denied. That's what he needed.]

What's stopping you, then?

[it was a strange turn of events indeed: Vincent never thought that he'd find himself in the position of level-headed and obnoxiously amused while Kit did everything short of swinging a punch to start a brawl. there's certainly something entertaining about the unexpected reversal, but he can't saw that he cares for it. it's almost enough to coerce him into granting the other boy's wish.

almost.]

You, mostly.

[he tilts his head to the side to stare more fully at his bedside partner, heedless of the fact that it won't be met. there's something equal parts sardonic and sincere in the way he cocks an eyebrow.]

Your head's not in the right place for it.

[you're making a demand of him. hot-blooded as he was, Vincent couldn't stand being used as a vehicle for other people's desires. he'd refuse even a fight for that.]

You too?

[There was an sort of empty humor to Kit's voice along with what sounded a good deal like fatigue; whether the latter was due to the late hour or his exasperation at his current situation, it was impossible to tell.]

Deciding things for me...

[His whole life had been full of people like that. Teachers, the sea of foster parents he'd had, the first gang he'd been a part of, and corrections officers. They kept coming, people who thought they knew what was best for him and disregarded what he wanted or what he said he could do.

He could force a confrontation. He knew ways to get Vincent's blood boiling.

And yet...he chose to do none of things, instead opting to turn away from the other boy and stretch out on the bed, only with his back to Vincent and his face to the wall. If he couldn't fight and he had nothing else to keep himself busy to distract him from his frustration, then perhaps trying to sleep was his only option.]

You decided that for yourself. Don't get pissy when someone points it out.

[the only choice that Vincent had made here was the save his companion the embarrassment of having his denial physically beat out of him. his temper was always bobbing close enough to the surface that it wouldn't take much to break him out of this strange humor and into a fight, but for the moment...well, he had too much respect to solicit what would only be a sad, sorry distraction out of Kit.

either he recognized that or was simply lacking in the energy to goad him into battle. whatever the reason his sulking decision to attempt sleep was bizarrely endearing to his bedmate. it takes everything Vincent has within him not to laugh, and that's at the price of being unable to wipe the grin off of his face. thank god the other boy was facing the wrong way.

content that the conversation seemed to have been settled for the time being, he readjusts himself against the headboard. he'd drift off to sleep when he was ready, but for the time being it seemed more comfortable to wait until Kit himself had fallen asleep.]

[Although he had grown quiet and still, and although he had even closed his eyes, Kit had not drifted off to sleep. He was waiting. For the soft promise of Vincent's breathing. For the chance to check AppleNET again without raising suspicion. And for the opportunity to speak directly with Luci and plead his case.

When the time came, he was relieved to learn that, despite how dangerous it would be, what he wanted wasn't impossible. An early Awakening was within his reach. Not the power that came with it, but the part that mattered most of all: his memories.

Knowing that it would be the last time he saw Vincent this way and with his own eyes was nearly enough to convince him not to go. But the call of his long lost life and true identity gave Kit strength. He couldn't remain. He would never be content to wait and continue living a lie. He would never forgive himself if he didn't try...

...and by the time he did return, after a long and arduous night and an experience that surpassed painful, it was nearly dawn.

The door clicked shut softly behind him, habitually locked. It seemed that with remembering some things, he hadn't really forgotten any others. Miraculously, there was space enough inside his head for not one, not two, but three different lives. And it was the most complete he'd felt in a long time.

Probably, that was something that Hiei would understand, but Vincent was another matter. As Kurama made his way toward the bedroom, silently peeling off the jacket he'd left in, he wondered how long it would be until his friend erupted. How much time did he have left to enjoy with him, since now he was only pretending to be Kit Florentine?

Would he wake him if he tried to crawl back into bed?

He didn't want to so instead, in order to be close to Vincent without disturbing his slumber, he pulled out the chair at his desk and sat down. He would work on a new entry for his notebook: Digitalis Purpurea. Purple Foxglove. In memory of who he had used to be...]

[without any outside disturbance, it's several more hours before Vincent rises. he'd been a live wire earlier in the evening when he'd started that confrontation, but the tension and foreign feeling of anger borne from concern had worn him out more than he'd expected. with the worries in his mind temporarily buried in the subconscious, he looks peaceful as he sleeps.

for a few moments after awakening, he still looks innocent. it's only after blinking several times at the ceiling does he realize the mysterious thing he's missing is Kit's presence next to him, prompting the boy to shoot up as if he'd been electrified. when he turns to find the cause of his alarm sitting sedately at his desk, his face falls back into the familiar surliness.]

Tch.

[is literally all he has to say right now, running a hand through his mussed hair with equal disdain. without having been woken during the night and with Kit sitting right there, he has no reason to suspect that anything is amiss yet. for the moment, he has no intention of checking that thrice-damned network until after breakfast.]

[The suddenness of Vincent jolting upright in bed just a few feet away didn't seem to startle Kurama, as if he'd been expecting it.

And, as if also sensing his companion's concern as well as his hunger, he closed his notebook and returned both it and his pen to the inside of his desk drawer. Although he was tired, his mannerisms cautiously slow and precise, his fatigue was otherwise well hidden. Unlike Vincent, he hadn't gotten any sleep through the night, but it had been a small price to pay for feeling more awake than he had in sixteen years.

If his sixteen years in Eddan were as real as they still felt, anyway.

Turning to face the other boy in his chair, Kurama smiled at the sight of his sleep-tousled hair and surly face. It was alarming that he knew who this boy was, and that he still didn't look like Hiei to his eyes. But perhaps that also made it easier.]

Good morning. Are you hungry?

[it was Hiei but not, even without the strange veil of the unawakened. what the younger demon may have become if his existence had actually been wanted.]

The hell do you think?

[Kit being able to predict his next move and then smile at it was nothing new at this point, but that didn't prevent it from further souring his expression. that too was part of their morning routine.

he slips off the bed easily, no longer feeling comfortable with his presence there. it had been fine when he'd been forcefully watching over the other boy, but now that the danger had passed it felt intimate. this was exactly why he'd tried so damned hard not to fall asleep here.

as he wanders towards the door and the implied start of breakfast, Vincent reaches out to spin the other boy's chair with enough force to nauseate. a little payment for making him worry and then laughing at it.]

[Kurama hadn't predicted Vincent's concern or appetite. Such things had merely become inevitable certainties in the course of their getting to know one another. What he did predict, however, was the other boy's attempt at a little revenge...

...although that, too, had become something he anticipated by now.

Vincent hated to lose as much as Hiei. Perhaps that was why Kurama had stood precisely when the other boy's hand had snapped out to spin the chair, and why the seat was empty as it danced around and around in its dizzying circles. Perhaps it was also the reason Kurama continued to be amused, the ringing sound of his laughter muted behind one hand as he walked around his partner and made to exit the bedroom.]

I think at this rate I might need to make a larger breakfast than normal to subdue your irascible nature.

[He paused then in the doorway and looked back at the other teen.]

Any requests?

Edited 2017-10-01 22:31 (UTC)

[as if a mere hand could hide the mirth that Vincent knew was lurking behind it. this was another inevitability in their relationship, but one that had failed to grow more endearing over time. they were too even in talent with each other to not see retaliations coming, and often things just like this occurred.

but the laughing...the goddamn laughter. it made him want to bury his fist into the other boy's stomach.]

Think you mean to keep your mouth from flapping so much.

[because so far the only thing that had come out of it this morning was hot bullshit. Kit should really look into getting that checked out.

the tight space of the doorway at least gives him another shot at some vengeance. as he passes through he makes to knock his elbow into his companion's side, punishing him doubly for having the gall to lift up his hand and find amusement at his expense.

it seems that he isn't going to deign the question with an answer as he continues walking, but halfway to the kitchen he throws out an easily missed response.]

...pancakes.

[annoying to make and labor intensive. another layer of punishment for all this stupidity.]

[While Kurama had foreseen that too, it seemed as though Vincent had in turn been anticipating his readiness. By utilizing the restricted space in the doorway to make escape no easy option, the shorter boy's stabbing elbow found its intended home in Kurama's side. It was the least he deserved for...everything. So he didn't fight it off, instead absorbing the digging blow with a soft grunt and shake of his head before he left the bedroom and followed Vincent into the kitchen.

The mention of pancakes did not go unheard.

As he gently nursed his sore ribs, he made his way to the cupboards and fridge pulling out all the ingredients he would need for three different varieties: strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate-cinnamon. The first two would be simple, the same base batter being used for both with different fruits added while cooking, but the chocolate batter would be much more rich. Its aroma would also prove the most exquisite, its heady sweetness stalking relentlessly through the dorm for hungry victims to tantalize. Even Kurama, with his delicate appetite, found the sweet smell tempting beyond measure.

After several minutes of cooking and a few extra spent cleaning up, he finally emitted a small, satisfied sigh tinged with a hint of humor.]

It's ready, but I think I may have made too much...

[He knew very well he hadn't made too much, but only because he knew whom he was preparing breakfast for. Anyone else would only eat half of what he'd prepared, or perhaps even only a quarter, but Vincent was voracious. Even Kit had found it endearing after a time, and Kurama was no different. A healthy appetite was an important thing to have, serving to strengthen the mind and body. And since he would be Awakening himself in a week...

Vincent needed this.

As he set the table, placing three different plates of stacked pancakes on it to choose from, including various toppings from maple syrup or whipped cream to butter or chocolate syrup, he tried not to think about how this might be the last meal he made for them.

The clock was ticking...but he didn't even know how much time was left.]

Help yourself to as much as you like.

[although the realm of complex cooking is a mystery to him and there's no way for him to truly know, Vincent can't help but feel as if he's being catered to even more than usual as he lays suspicious eyes upon the veritable feast of pancakes being laid out on the table. it's a thought that, for once, he's willing to push to the back of his mind rather than make a big stink about it. his eyes have been following Kit ever since his nose caught the heady scent of spicy chocolate.]

Did you really expect anything else whether you let me or not?

[the words are just as sharp as the rest of them have been this morning, but there's a wry expression on Vincent's face as he settles artlessly into his seat that absorbs more of the shock. he really was starving.

without any further ado he slowly sets to work building a frightening tower of pancakes on his plate, heavily favoring the chocolate ones. he pauses intermittently to top some of them with the various options available before continuing to openly defy god with the hubris of man.]

No, not really.

[Taking a seat opposite Vincent, Kurama pulled a couple of the strawberry pancakes onto his own plate. He helped himself to a little of the whipped cream too, but nothing else. The variety was meant entirely for his companion, as Vincent had suspected. Between them, the smaller boy's appetite was greater, and whether or not he bothered to exercise his manners, Kurama knew that Vincent was grateful for what had been put before him.

He didn't need to say thank you. It was enough that he was eating and not wasting anything. And that was the way it had always been between them. Even...when Vincent was whom he was meant to be.]

To be perfectly honest, however...

[Kurama cut a piece of pancake free and dipped it into the whipped cream before holding it up on his fork.]

...I did expect that by giving you my permission you would inevitably bristle like a grumpy cat. And I was right.

[Vincent mumbles something around a massive mouthful of pancakes that sounds suspiciously like "a cat would've shit in your bed by now", but he doesn't deign to repeat himself. the true words will simply be lost to time.

as he swallows prematurely, his sullen gaze remains on the pancake bit being waved mockingly in front of his face. they've played this game enough for him to know it was meant as a challenge, but given the previous outcomes he isn't sure if indulging his temper is worth the risk.]

You're up your own ass again. It's just annoying for you to keep pretending as if you have any say in things.

[...ah, fuck it. he reaches out to quickly try and bat the fork (and its load) onto the ground.]

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This is based on discussed details, but we may still need to retcon some stuff after this point...

like anyone's even going to know if we fuck up and leave it

WE'LL KNOW

WILL WE

YES!?!!?!

I WOULDN'T BE SO SURE

WHY NOT

BECAUSE WE CAN BARELY REMEMBER OUR OWN NAMES

THAT WAS ONE TIME

WE'VE FORGOTTEN THINGS WAY MORE THAN ONCE