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hello? can anyone read this?

[ A short pause, then the message continues: ]

i don't know what's going on. i'm scared. are you here, light? it looks like i'm in your room but -- you don't have a stuffed animal like this, do you? (i wouldn't let you live it down if you did!)

i found this cell phone next to it. am i dreaming? but everything feels too solid. right? i can't

[ Another pause, this one longer. ]

i mean i don't feel unsafe. maybe it's because things look so familiar. maybe i'm about to wake up! .... right?

[ And after a final, hanging pause, she places the blackberry back on the bed, accidentally pressing its keys in passing: ]

qrcsafqt

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[ Normally Sayu would've prefaced opening the door with a "yes, brother" but... saying so felt a little light for the situation, if you'll pardon the pun.

Creak.

For the first time since waking up in... whatever this place's called, Sayu gives a genuine smile when she sees Light. It's okay. It's her brother. ]

That was fast.

[It really is Sayu. Seeing her in person is another shock in itself, but one that he recovers from quickly. He's gripped by the idea of hugging her to confirm that she's really there, and not some kind of elaborate mirage staged by the Author, but hugs aren't something he and Sayu did anymore. He settles instead for a casual flick of her ponytail accompanied by a raised eyebrow, and a mock offended tone.]

What, did you expect any less?

[He's only half kidding of course, but he's trying to piece together how to explain this place, and all the people he needed Sayu to watch out for without overwhelming her with information]

Edited 2011-03-29 03:17 (UTC)

[ Sayu bats his hand away and grins after a quick readjust of her ponytail. ]

Not from you. So... are we really stuck here? It just hasn't sunk in yet. I still think I'm dreaming. I mean, you would feel just as solid [ she pats his cheeks a couple times, lips pursed ] if I were making it up, right? Until I woke up? [ Sayu sighs. ] I've never been good with this sort of stuff.

[ She glances up at him. ]

What's going on?

[Light tolerates the first pat or two, then frowns in annoyance.]

Oi. [His expression doesn't stay that way for too long, however. He too sighs, at the question. 'What's going on.' He's explained it so many times before, but it had never really affected him on a personal level. What did he care if some random person had a breakdown? Sayu, however, isn't just anybody. He settles on a more subtle approach.]

Let me put it this way... How are Mom and Dad?

Mom and dad? They're fine, I guess. Mom cleans the house like we've just survived a hurricane everyday -- we should really get her one of those robot vacuums, Light, when we get back, I mean -- and dad's... dad's been working even more lately 'cause of [ she spits the name out, as if it leaves a bad taste in her mouth ] Kira.

Why? Shouldn't you know that? I mean, you were home last night, when I was. [ She frowns, brows furrowed, breaks into a whine. ] This is so confusing....

[There's a short, but noticeable silence after Sayu is finished talking. Light knows Sayu's position on Kira more or less, so he's not as bothered by that. He's confident that over time, his results will speak for themselves. What's troubling him more at the moment is the phrase, 'when you were home last night.' Even when he was at home, he hadn't been home in months. How was he going to explain a time flux on top of multiverse theory? Damn the Author. Damn her to hell.]

Just like always huh.... [He attempts a smile, though this time it comes across as bitter.] About that, Sayu. ...I wasn't at home last night.

[He pauses here briefly to let it sink in.]

I've been here, in this place, for four months now.

Edited 2011-03-29 06:53 (UTC)

[ What. What. What. Whatwhatwhatwhatwhawhawhawhat -- ]

B-but that -- how does that work?! You can't be in two places at once, right? [ She gasps. ] Wait. Am I in two places at once? Right now? Right this second? I-is some other Sayu getting up and going to school? Am I that Sayu, too? A-am I even really "me" anymore? Are you "you?"

[ Something hits her then, shakes her legs. More softly: ]

Are mom and dad not here with us?

What?

[He laughs. He's teasing again in an effort to get Sayu to relax.]

You're not having an existential crisis, are you? You're you, and I'm me. It's not so difficult to understand really. Basically, for whatever reason, you were brought here by someone the people here refer to as the Author. She's... [He frowns slightly as he runs through a mental list of his descriptions of her. Most of them are vulgar.] ...tricky. She has the ability to break through the fabric of spacetime to bring people together across different dimensions, or in our case... different times. Having said that though...

[He sighs.]

...I haven't seen them.

So we're alone.

[ Her shoulders slump. An itch crops up in her throat; Sayu's almost surprised not to have felt it earlier amidst the excitement and anxiousness of her arrival.

She bites her lip, wills herself not to cry. Asks her brother instead: ]

H-how do you know we're not from the same time? Nothing happens to mom or dad in the future, right...?

[Light misses none of this. He can see that Sayu is on the verge of tears, though then again how could she not be considering the circumstances? He isn't quite sure how to answer either of her questions. He's tempted--very tempted--to avoid the issue altogether by redoubling with a thought experiment, but did it a) offer him any benefit to pretend he is from Sayu's continuity or b) introduce more complications than it was worth?

On the one hand, Light is, in general, extremely reluctant to pinpoint exactly what time he is from, because of the freedom to manipulate it that he gains by keeping it ambiguous. Misa is already acting as though she's never met L before. so it would be easy enough to go along with that story. ...On the other hand, this is Sayu. He's completely overthinking this. It's easy enough to engineer a perfectly believable white lie.

The second question then becomes a non-issue, despite it being immensely complicated in actuality. Technically speaking, nothing happens to their parents from the time Light found himself here. Well, no, that isn't exactly true. Their father did resign from his position in the NPA- how Mom and Sayu took that, Light had no idea because he'd been chained to his good "friend" Hideki Ryuga at the time.

....And then there's Mello. Light knows some of what happens five years into the future. The other Mello took great pleasure in telling Light every single gory detail about his father's death. Merely thinking about it makes Light's stomach twist angrily into tight knots. Sayu, obviously, didn't need to hear about that... but she did need to hear about Mello. No doubt the bastard is underhanded enough to use Sayu against Light in some manner.]

I spent the night before I woke up here at a hotel but that's not important right now. I have to warn you about something else first. There are a couple of people here you need to watch out for. We have a lot of detectives and police officers living here, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few dangerous people wandering around. Beyond Birthday for one is a known serial killer. Dark hair, white shirt, blue jeans, permanent slouch. [Why yes, he's ambiguous on purpose as it has the side benefit of making Sayu weary of L as well.]

There's also another guy who calls himself Mello-- easily recognizable blond hair with a large burn scar across his face, dresses in leather, almost invariably has a bar of chocolate on him. I can't say for sure what it is about this guy, but I don't trust him. Stay away from them alright?

Edited 2011-03-30 07:01 (UTC)

Okay, Light. I will. But --

[ -- she can't concentrate on anything else; she rubs her eyes with her palm, as if damming the tears in -- ]

-- why did you leave home? Did something happen?

[ Then, more quietly: ]

When will we go back? We... can go back, right?

[Leave it to Sayu to jump to the correct conclusion at the wrong time. Many things had happened. None of which, if Light had his way, she would find out about. He blinks once, seamlessly adopting a confused expression.]

Leave? It's nothing like that Sayu, I was with... [He trails off and clears his throat. His tone suddenly becomes very matter of fact. Knowing Sayu's overactive imagination, she would fill in the gap herself.] Look, it's irrelevant.

[He sighs. This time the sentiment is entirely genuine.]

I know that we can leave, but I don't know when. The Author has written people out of this place before, but I haven't been able to identify any patterns of disappearances. I will find a way home though, just try to be patient.

[ A gap said overactive imagination readily fills with of course, Misa! How naughty, Light -- but now's not the time.

After her brother reassures her, Sayu lets herself cry a little. ]

Okay. I know you will, Light. I'll be patient. What can I do? [ Added quickly: ] Besides stay away from those people.

I want to help.

Hey.

[What Light doesn't tell Sayu, however, is the fact that he's already tried multiple things. He has tried causing enough trouble for the Author to be written out of her story to no avail. He has already tried getting information about the Author's identity out of the goddamn lagomorph only to be rendered illiterate for a week, which of course, is swiftly added to the growing list of things that would never be mentioned to Sayu. Had he not already known that killing yourself here would only result in reviving a week later, decidedly not at home, he might have tried that, but really his aversion to his own death, in any form, would have made that a nonviable option anyway.]

I appreciate it, but you need to take care of yourself first. The plots here can get dangerous sometimes.

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