retrospec | [video] forward dated to 9/13

Ryoji Mochizuki shared a video.
09/13 near Apprassage

[ The video starts up, dark, silent. A bedroom, if an empty desk and neatly made bed and too many cardboard boxes count as a bedroom, and then the view flips over with a soft ] Oh. [ as the user finds the front-facing camera instead of the rear that he always uses on his phone. ]

Hi... It's been a while.

[ The bottom half of the screen blurs as Ryoji draws his knees to his chest where he sits on bare floorboards, phone in his hands. He doesn't introduce himself— doesn't need to, when his name is up there for people who don't know him, his face right here for people who do: the people he's recording this video for, whispers in an empty room. ]

I'm back. I know there are probably questions as to why, or how... and I can't really explain it well myself. But I'll answer the best I can, if you want to ask, texting or in person.

[ Ryoji sits up a little straighter now, looks a little more serious. This is what he meant to say: a confession. ]

But before that, I want to say that I'm glad to be back, however it happened... a second chance like this. I also want to be more upfront about myself, and there are things I want to say to a lot of people.

There was a time in the past where I was a monster: I'd hurt a lot of people, and I ran from all of that, hid myself away, and pretended it hadn't happened. The memories I've been experiencing, I kept the good ones close, the bad even closer, pretending they weren't real and that they have nothing to do with me. I thought... that it would be better to forget about all of that and return to a simpler time. Unconsciously, I think that's what I did. I went back to before everything happened, to start over, and do better this time. But I got it wrong. I made myself forget, but I wasn't forgotten...

[ He's rambling now, a little, so he turns his eyes away from the screen, staring off at something in the distance- it's the moon reflected in his eyes, only half. ]

There's somebody I still need to say goodbye to, but after that... I want to see so many of you. I owe a lot of "thank you"s and "I'm sorry"s and "I love you"s, and I want to be with people again. I don't want to leave this world or its people ever again.

So... I'll see you guys soon.

( ooc: forward dated to 9/13 to give myself a buffer. replies can be via text, or an in-person if you want to fast-forward to ryoji showing up at your character's house/class/chance meeting at some cafe/hi roommates/he'll be finding people around town somehow. for his cr, please assume he checked up on them, whether it's handwaved or not! )

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I'm sure you'll love them! There's Marley and Fuku and Cinnamon and Zeus— and the gorgeous Mona Lisa who has my heart forever.

[ There's only a dozen cats, but you bet Ryoji had made it his goal to learn all their names after his first several visits. All of which were crammed into a single week, he kept coming back, he's too weak. ]

Is she as gorgeous as Georgia Parva, though?

[That would have to be one stunning cat.]

Nothing in the entire universe is as gorgeous as Georgia Parva.

[ Their beautiful daughter who he also loves forever... Ryoji loves a lot of things forever. ]

Truer words have never been spoken. ...Well, actually, my boyfriend is more gorgeous, but Georgia comes second.

[Not even Georgia can dethrone Mista in Shuji's heart.]

First of all, who is your boyfriend? Second, no.

Guido Mista is the most beautiful man in the world. I don't make the rules.

...Oh! I've spoken to him before, on Retrospec! He writes poetry?

[ Or was planning to. That was months ago, he feels, so far in the past that he barely remembers what they've spoken about. ]

He hasn't mentioned that to me...

[Now he's going to have to ask Mista about that.]

Maybe he's just waiting to surprise you with a poem. If that's the case- pretend I didn't say anything!

Oh - I guess I'd better not say anything to him...

[Concept: Mista writing love poetry, Shuji dying of happiness.]

[ Now Shuji can wait in anticipation forever. Ryoji's glad for him though, and can't wait for that day. ]

It'll be our secret. I'm sure it'll be wonderful... You said you were an English Literature major, right? Does that include poetry?

I've written some, but I'm really more of a prose person...

[Love stories aren't as catchy, though. Maybe he should work on love poetry too.]

I'd love to read your work someday... I think I've only written one love poem in my life, and it was a collaboration.

How do you collaborate on a love poem... Oh, was it a ménage à trois?

[Scandalous!]

[ The answer is super lame and disappointing: ]

Bingo!

[ ...........he means the bingo game that happened in June, NOT that he's agreeing, about. that. but okay. ]

[Unfortunately, Shuji also had that bingo square, so he makes the connection. Laaaame.]

Oh, for Janet? Boring.

We poured our hearts and souls into that poem! It wasn't boring!

It can't have been that sincere. You didn't even know Janet.

It's possible to be sincere towards a stranger! We included all the important things, such as her eyes and job and... I think we begged her not to marry Jim.

[ Apparently, their appeal wasn't heard. ]

They got married while you were gone. This really is the worst thing that could happen.

[You don't even get to come back to good news??]

[ all he does is make this face in response; janet W H Y ]

You can't say we didn't do our best.

[ They certainly did not do their best, or it wouldn't have happened. Ryoji is a firm believer of "we can do anything so long as we try hard enough!" ]

No, we were slacking, Shuji. I don't like to interfere with relationships between others, so I'd thought Jim would have been a deterrent enough.

Maybe Jim has virtues we don't know about somehow, like... well...

I've got nothing.

Maybe he's wealthy? Or has a really cute dog?

[ What else do people marry for, if not for the love of a person? ]

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