New Feather season.

[ Joshua gives a frustrated sigh, and there's the sound of sipping as he takes a drink from a cup of coffee. Dammit, Hanekoma, your nervous habits have finally worn off on him two years after the fact. ]

If any of you were wondering, I've been gone for at least a week and a half. And if anyone cares to give me a date, I can give you a more precise duration than that.

[ Not that Joshua is too terribly fond of being in the village, but at least talking to people is good for taking his mind off of things. Being held captive by his lonesome gives him a little too much time to think, and being poked and prodded is almost preferable. As long as things never get as bad as they did his first kidnapping. He'd take a month of solitary confinement over that. ]

They tend to give us an experiment right before the New Feathers come, don't they? Cause or effect, which do you think? [ He takes another sip of coffee. ] And while I'm asking, what did I miss this time?

[ The picture in the feed is a rather disgruntled Joshua, sopping wet and with a towel draped haphazardly on his head. ]

Let it never be said that the Malnosso are inhospitable. Of all the places to be left out in the rain, they deposited me on my very own roof. [ Dramatic sigh. ] The least they could have done was given me a ladder to get down.

Well then, who wants to let me know what I've missed?

[ The entry opens with audio. ]

Wha--

[ But the voice is cut off almost immediately by the sound of sudden coughing. Red splotches appear on the page, and after only a few seconds, the feed audibly cuts off as the journal is quickly shut. A few minutes later, a written entry starts up in its place with the splotches still visible. ]

What day is it?

And who decided to poke around my home while I was gone?

[ Filtered from Sanae Hanekoma and Sho Minamimoto - 50% ]

Well, that wasn't exactly pleasant.

[ Filtered to Neku Sakuraba - 70% ]

Neku, come find me.

[ /Filter to Neku ]

[ /Filter from Sanae and Sho ]

[ The camera only catches a glimpse of trees from below. Joshua's back, but he's exhausted, among other wonderful things, so he knows he's not up to making his usual filters. So instead, he's hoping that the two won't think to look for a second part of the journal to hack once they get through the first one.

For those who want to wander across him, he's actually sitting against a tree a small distance from the back of Community Housing 2. He isn't visible from the building, but he can see that it's there... he just doesn't know which one it is.

No, no one can sense his vibe right now. >.> ]

[ The feed cuts in to the sound of coughing, and a very soft ] dammit [ before Joshua speaks into the journal, his voice somewhat hoarse and higher-pitched than usual. ]

Hanekoma, come get me. [ Mostly he just sounds exhausted. ]


[ Josh is sitting against a tree on the edge of the forest, staring at the mountains off in the distance, his journal in his lap. He looks younger... 10, maybe 12 at the oldest. He's covered in burn marks and bruises, and his clothes are completely ruffled and smattered with blood stains, not to mention a bit oversized due to him not being his usual stature. There's blood-stained bandages on his arms, and more hidden beneath his clothes. In other words, he's in bad shape.

Not to mention shivering. It's cold and snowing, and he's not dressed for the weather. ]