2nd sleep note, audio SN: pnwsalex

[11calls]

[Hey look, it's two thirty in the morning and guess who's not sleeping. You're right, it's definitely Alex.]

I don't suppose anyone managed to hoard some of that incense that helps you sleep? I swear, I haven't had a good night sleep like that in two years before I got here.

[A beat, because she didn't mean to admit it.]

It's also the first time I willingly used magic. Well, that and the candles at the party. Back home, magic isn't supposed to be real, and all of the instances of it have to do with demons and sacred geometry. I guess I guess my journalism major self always knew math was evil, but I never thought it would be so literal!

[There's some amusement in her voice at that, because she literally just came from so many math lectures. SO MANY.

But changing gears:]

But that's what magic is like in my world. What's it like yours? Also, I'm definitely serious about buying some of that incense if you have it.

Oh! And for those who don't know me, I'm Alex. Alex Reagan.

Comments

[11calls]

[Alex really doesn't want to ask, but as a journalist, she sort of feels compelled too. So, with obvious hesitation on her face and in her voice.]

Okay...?

1.2

[glitterpants]

_{[ don't say okay because he takes that as yes. He doesn't give Alex much of a choice in this situation and I'm sorry.
And so, without further ado...
Karamatsu pulls out a blue colored acoustic guitar. He raps his knuckles on the body of the instrument, counting himself off. He strums, and the playing his nice, but when he actually sings. Well, it's not exactly bad, just kind of normal and nothing to wow over-- it's probably a little deeper than anticipated. What he sings, though, it's not exactly a lullaby: ]}

♫ Totoko-chan, where are you tonight?
You could be here, where the stars are really bright,
Are you with somebody else? Is it someone new?
You know that I would do anything for you— ♫

♫ Totoko-chan, your tits are so nice,
I wish I was cross-eyed, so I could see you twice,
Totoko-chan, you're sizzling hot,
You're absolutely everything that I'm not:
Quick to anger, spiteful, jealous, and mean,
But to me, you're the sweetest angel I've ever seen,

Totoko-chan, I've got NO PLAN,
But come closer and see that I'm your man,
You're the girl that I wanna plow,
Shh, no words, just dreams now.. ♫

_{[ It sounds like he's singing about a girl back home, but what???? Thankfully, it's over and doesn't last very long, but then.. ]}

[glitterpants]

_{[ He strikes a pose, and then pulls out from his butt pocket of his denims.. a small disc in a case. ]}

It is my single. You can have it for free for being my first private audience. I hope it soothed your soul, madamoiselle.
_{[ abort mission, he's annoying as fuck. ]}

[11calls]

[For a moment, Alex just visibly blinks at the screen. It's a slow blink, once, twice a third time. And then she finds herself reaching over and pressing the webbing of her thumb on her left hand between her thumb and forefinger on the right. It's pain stimulus and if she was dreaming, she'd be waking up.

Clearly, she was not dreaming this.

Okay.

When it ended, she let out another slow blink before she pressed her hands together in the bare and most polite of polite applause.]

Uh. Thanks?

[glitterpants]

<sub>[ A bare and polite applause is better than no applause... or even worse.. Alex could have shut the feed off before he could even finish. Already, he feels more confident in himself and is mistaking Alex's politeness for something else.

A gross word called friendship. ]</sub>

Heh, you're welcome! I am generous, am I not? Just think.. without me here.. you would still be struggling to sleep! How do you feel? Relaxed enough to drift into dreamland?

[11calls]

[For a minute Alex really doesn't know how she's supposed to respond Honestly, she's trying to be very nice to everyone here, but she... well. This is weird.

So, she just tries another smile, and removes the question from her voice.]

Thanks. Really.

[glitterpants]

_{[ Being passive like this will only make it worse. He's used to people being firm with him and get him to leave them alone. ]}

I'm pleased to have helped with your trouble. Oh, I don't know if you've seen me before.. I actually have two other identical brothers that live here, but you can call me Karamatsu.
_{[ there's two more...... two more of him. Thankfully, they're both very different. ]}

Answering your question, though.. magic wasn't much of a thing from where I come from. It was all science!

[11calls]

I can't say that I have seen you before. Any of you, but it must be difficult to have that many people who look like you here, Karamatsu. I think I would go nuts if someone confused me with two different people!

What kind of science was it?

[This she's actually interested in, so she's not going to brush him off just yet.]

[glitterpants]

Madame, you haven't the scarcest idea of the torment I go through. Ah, do not get me wrong.. I love my dear brothers with all of my very heart! But.. my mother was cursed, you see.
_{[ no she wasn't. ]}

Cursed with the offspring of sextuplets. Imagine being vulnerable to being mistaken your entire life... but by five other different names! A-ah, I get anxious thinking about it. It's not Osomatsu, it's Karamatsu! Karamatsu.
_{[ He's got some identity issues. ]}

It was.. strange science. Dekapan could do almost anything. Once he gave my brother's cat the ability to read people's moods in attempt to make him a friend he could talk to. My brother.. he does not like people very much. Only cats.

[11calls]

Jeez. Your poor mother. I can't imagine having one baby, never mind that many.

[But she just blinks and lets the name thing go by for right now. Choosing to focus instead on the magic stuff.

Or the science stuff, she guesses.]

How did he do it though?

[glitterpants]

He created a serum.. and injected it.. into...
_{[ A LONG... DRAMATIC AND WISTFUL LOOK INTO THE DISTANCE.. ]}

...the cat's derriere.
_{[ and then.. a FLOURISH. It was almost like he was performing for her. ]}

Ah! I do not have much knowledge in the ways of science, nor magic. My interests settles on other things.. the goodness of humanity, divine Fate, romance. The ingredients in the serum or how it exactly it works it beyond my expertise I'm afraid.

Heh. The good news.. my brother is here, and the cat who had the ability.. he is also present. Unfortunately for you and your curiosities, Nyanko no longer has the empathetic talent anymore. He is just a normal cat, but he used to speak a person's true and honest thoughts which lead to some embarrassing circumstances.

[11calls]

[Having a cat that told people's honest thoughts were kind of Alex's idea of a nightmare, so she was a little glad for the fact that it wasn't here. Still, there's a little bit of a laugh.]

I bet it definitely did cause a stir. And there's nothing wrong with caring about people, in my opinion!

[glitterpants]

What about you? You never told us what kind of magic you can perform!

[11calls]

Unfortunately, I don't do magic. Well, magic in my world kinda sucks so I'm glad I can't do it. Summoning demons isn't fun. For me anyway.

[glitterpants]

_{[ He completely does not understand, but he rolls with it. ]}
.. How does one summon a demon?