WildKat

I have a small stash of tools - not much, but a few things. No paint or plaster, though, but they might not be impossible to find.

And - this one is a little harder to explain. Every other Saturday night, usually, the Animus change something. They put the city underwater once and turned us into mermaids. They've changed us, too - entire parts of our personalities. Made us forget home, and the people from it.

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Any particular place you found 'em, or should I just look everywhere?

Underwater, huh? That's interestin'. Sounds like it'd take a lot of juice.

So the last one was personality reversal of some kind. What about the one before that?

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They were in the last apartment we stayed in. We left that place, though - it was too far beyond repair. I'd suggest looking everywhere you can. There's a ruined mall in the city, too, and things appear there sometimes, though it's typically been picked pretty clean.

[And Mami considers that last question.]

Last week, our personalities were changed. The week before that, we forgot our homes and the people from them. Before that, none of us could do anything but smile, and we couldn't express any sort of discomfort or unpleasantness, no matter how much we tried. And before that was the water world, when I arrived.

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Hm, all right. Somebody mentioned the mall for art stuff - sounds like it's worth checkin' out.

[He's making notes industriously on a couple scraps of paper.]

So you could feel discomfort, just not express it?

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Exactly. We never get much warning.

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Just the regular schedule, huh. [He shakes his head.] Well, thanks, little lady! I appreciate the help.

How've you been?

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Just fine. Trying to winterproof our own house a little bit, but that's not easy.

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I hear ya on that. That's what I'm lookin' for the tools for, honestly -- got a couple cracks in the wall where we're stayin', busted window, that kinda thing.

[Chuckling.] Not ideal for snowy weather, that's for sure.

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[He still distrusts you but, being as how he's crashing at your place, he'll lend a hand. For a bit.]

Whatchu need done, yo, I'll help.

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[Grinning. He appreciates the offer, especially given that you are crashing there.]

Lookin' to get some plywood nailed over that broken window and plaster the cracked wall. Maybe pull some cinderblock outa one of the wrecked buildings and make a stove kinda thing out back, too.

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[Don't get used to it, coffee-man.]

Aight, yo, I can look fo' some blocks. [You all are puny in your arm strength] Yo, any size?

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[C'mon. He did save your life.]

Long's they're all the same size I can work somethin' out. If ya spot any sheet metal or plywood, give me a call and I'll help ya drag it back.

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[You're suspicious, Mr. CAT.

Finally, something to do. He's getting fired up about this. Plus, he needs to help get the place fixed up for Rhyme.]

Leave it to me, yo! Ain't gonna leave any stone undone!

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[That's the trouble with kids these days. No gratitude.]

Think you're lookin' for "unturned." Thanks! Probably see ya round back when you find somethin', then.

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[Doesn't even hear the correction. In one ear, out the other.]

Aight, yo!

....

An' uh... thanks, yo. For lettin' us stay an' all.

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[Well, it was worth a try.] No problem. It's a big place, ya know?

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exarmatio

It happens sometimes, this time of the year.

[The mention of last week makes him wince, just a little, but he shakes it off.]

There have been a lot of different things, really... I've been here for two and a half years. I've seen this entire place get turned into a jungle, become a tropical island, turn into the ocean floor. We've also been completely stripped of our abilities, or have had our personalities altered, or have been forced into Victorian era clothing. Sometimes the event is harsh, sometimes it's lighthearted. There's honestly no way to predict what sort of event might be coming next.

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I've heard about the last couple months worth, but nothing before that. I guess the jungle and tropical island were sometime earlier?

[Shaking his head, amused.] Fancy clothes, huh. That's pretty bizarre.

Shame about the weather, but thanks for the warning. I'll hafta make sure I get the house patched up before it gets any colder.

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exarmatio

Mhm. The jungle was back during the summer, and the tropical island was earlier this year. February, I think. That happened once before, though, soon after I arrived here. It seems like sometimes, events repeat themselves, but it isn't common.

I can definitely suggest doing that. The last two years, the winters have been fairly harsh. The winter before last, it snowed nearly the entire month of January. A lot of us were snowed in.

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[Maybe he ought to lay in some canned goods, too. Hanekoma shakes his head.] That much snow, huh? Guess we're a bit more northerly than Tokyo.

Any of the mind events ever repeat on you guys? Personality switches, forced happiness, that kinda thing?

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exarmatio

It didn't snow nearly that much last year, but it never hurts to prepare. I'm a bit used to it, actually, though I haven't lived through a Japanese winter just yet.

There was one event in particular that's been repeated. I wasn't around the first time, but for an entire week, any time someone would sleep, they would enter someone else's subconscious.

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Unless you're plannin' to spend it in Hokkaido or up in the mountains, it's not gonna have too much snow. Maybe a couple a weeks where there's anythin' built up. [Shrugging.] Oh well, guess I'll scrounge up some blankets just in case.

Hm. Did the other guy hafta be asleep too? Or was it just mind-readin' in dreams?

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Maybe there's something we can scavenge from other buildings for you. Insulation or - something. Those cracks will definitely need to be filled.

[She doesn't want anyone to freeze to death. :T]

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exarmatio

Ah, actually, if we manage to make it back in time, it will be in Tokyo. I suppose it really is a little different there, climate-wise.

If you need blankets or anything, though, we may be able to find some spare ones that we aren't using.

[He pauses to think.]

I'm... not sure. I was in a coma the entire week.

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