003 // forward dated to early 6/18

[cardcaptured]

Xiaolang Li shared a photo. 6/18 near Birch Hills

The man in the first photo is my cousin and legal guardian, Leon Zhong. He hasn't been home since yesterday afternoon, and some of his Retrospec-related items seem to be missing. The woman in the second photo is his girlfriend, Mio Sonozaki. She's the most likely candidate of people he may have been with, but I haven't been able to get in touch with her since last night. If anyone has seen either of them in the past 24 hours, please let me know. It's of the utmost importance.

Comments

[spiritoso]

[ She shakes her head, clutching her phone in case he might call back at some point. ]

No, not at all. I looked around before coming over here and didn't see him anywhere. Or hear him. It's like he just vanished...

[ So many things could have happened to him, but Kaede doesn't want to think about it. She can't. She shakes her head. ]

So, what places do you think he might be? We could check different areas since we know he's probably not here.

[cardcaptured]

[With the way Xiaolang's lips tighten and how he tenses, he doesn't necessarily want to think about it either. Especially with what he knows about what's happening to Mio, and the other ways people can lose things from Retrospec...]

If he's not here... it's possible he's at the library, or the bookstore. You guys still have finals happening, don't you? He could be studying for that, but...

[But not for over 24 hours. Still, if his phone was somehow broken, or he got NPC'd...]

We could try the arcade, too. He doesn't like admitting it, but he goes there a lot when there's nothing else for him to do.

[spiritoso]

We do, but... Let's go to the arcade. He might be there for a break too, plus I know where it is since I've been there a lot myself.

[ Leon definitely studies a lot, but he isn't usually holed up in the library as far as she knows. And since finals are nearly over he might be blowing off steam. ]

[cardcaptured]

[Maybe Xiaolang was just projecting his own habits onto him, since that's what he would do in regards to impending finals. But Leon did seem better at relaxing and taking breaks than he did, so...

There's a short nod in agreement to her suggestion, adjusting the bag on his shoulder and readying himself to leave with her.]

I've been there a lot, too. At least... recently, anyway. It's been a good place for getting that 'soul energy' Zee's been saying we needed.

... hopefully we'll be able to find him there, though. It gets pretty loud, so if he's lost the app, we might not be able to hear him.

[spiritoso]

It has. I've been able to complete a couple of tasks there.

[ She starts walking, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders. ]

With both of us listening, I'm sure we'll be able to hear him. We'll find him, Xiaolang.

[ Kaede smiles at him, although it's a little strained. ]

[cardcaptured]

[There's a small, half-hearted quirk of the lips in response to her smile, doing his best to try to return it, but the worry in his chest made it difficult.]

... I hope so.

[She's doing her best to try to bolster his spirits, and he appreciates it, but the possibilities of what may have happened were weighing heavy on his mind. Baren had mentioned people losing their items when they died, but it was crazy to jump to that sort of conclusion so soon. He might have just been knocked off the app, which also wasn't ideal, but it beat him being dead.

And then there was the other person who was missing, too...]

We need to try to find Mio somehow, too. I don't know her usual locations compared to Leon's, though, or if she'll even be there with everything else going on.

[spiritoso]

[ She nods. ]

Actually... I responded to her message on retrospec last night. She said some things that really worried me. Something about a terminal disease.

[ Kaede frowns. ]

I'm going to go look for her soon. I told her I would.

tw suicide mentions

[cardcaptured]

[His head snaps up in surprise, not only due to Kaede being aware of Mio's secret, but--]

She put something up on Retrospec? When? I didn't see anything when I checked this morning.

[It's possible she may have deleted it, although that just concerns him further. His teeth worry his bottom lip as he takes in this new development, considering. If she was telling other people about it, then he wasn't breaking his promise if he mentioned it to Kaede...]

As for the disease... it was something her other self had, that Retrospec gave back to her. From what she told me, it's not so much of a physical illness, but a... mental one. It makes you paranoid, and possibly violent, and...

[The next words are hard to say, because if it's really progressed that much--]

... it drives you to take your own life.

If you wind up finding her, please let me know. Her missing in the state she's in... it's not good.

[spiritoso]

[ Kaede's stomach feels like it's in knots, hearing that. It makes sense now, what she was talking about in her post and why she didn't want Kaede to come find her.

She nods, frowning. ]

I will, I promise. I had a feeling it was bad but... I didn't know it was so horrible.

[cardcaptured]

[He's quiet as he studies his hand, grasping at the strap of his bag, his own stomach twisted and sick now that he's said it aloud. He knew the disease had been taking hold since the beginning of the month, if her sudden disappearance from their house and talk of hallucinations were any indication, but to think it could be coming to a head...]

... thank you.

I don't know what prompted her to talk about it in the first place. She had told me not to tell anyone, because she was frightened of it, but...

I hope this isn't connected, somehow.

[spiritoso]

[ Kaede frowns. ]

Sometimes you need to tell someone else these things. [ Especially since Mio might be in danger. ]

I hope it isn't either. Until we find both of them, all we can do is hope.

[ She's starting to get a bad feeling about all of this now too, and it's hard to keep herself from letting her thoughts run wild. ]