( [Action / House 21] )

[Voice]

Just so I'm sure I got this right, it's December now, right? And less than a week for Christmas? I remember basically everything but my kid self didn't worry much with the dates to be honest, or I just can't remember that yet. So, is everyone in one piece? Any urgent news a guy that has been "gone" for well over a month should know before I dig down the journal?

I remember something about the end of November, the village going crazy with climate and places, not the worst of the things to happen... Oh yeah, this is late but did anyone manage to get any of the items on the list for the pyramids area? Because my little self wasn't very lucky with that and I ended assuming there was nothing like that there.

Oh, and are we going to do anything for Christmas? I missed the ball, so I would like to know if there's anything else in planning.

[Private to Haruhi Suzumiya]

I... [I'm sorry, that's not exactly what he should say, is it? He pauses for a long moment before he sighs in defeat.] I think I should have warned you long ago about how I was as a kid, eh... I hope you won't hold it against me or anything... Not too much at least.

[Private to Jeb]

Hey, Jeb. Just wanted to say that I'm sorry for not having been sending letters or anything lately. I was kidnapped at the start of November... I think, that memory is a bit fuzzy. Anyway I was kidnapped and the Malnosso decided to give me a second chance with my childhood, I found the letters while being a kid but... I wasn't sure how to send them or anything so I didn't bother with trying to do anything about them.

I'm normal now at least, how have you been? More normal than me, I hope.

[Private to Sokka]

Hey, Sokka, just dropping you this message to tell you that I've been not sending letters lately, as in the last month or so, because the Malnosso decided to have fun with me. You know how they are, it's hard to say no to them. How are you man? Eh... I think I remember something funny going on with the village at the end of November, didn't the smithy end in that place with all those gangsters or something? I hope nothing bad happened.

[Lately Keiichi has been honestly missing. It's not that he was kidnapped or has been on missions, in fact spotting him around has been possible, but he has been... Busy and distant with almost everyone in different degrees. Housemates have been the ones to enjoy an almost not distant Keiichi though he has been clearly distracted and spending many long hours inside of his room or outside without saying where he was going besides "to do some things I have pending". At the Brigade he has mostly just been on work mode, he did his job and that was all, no iddle chatter and not spending there more time than necessary, same with school. However it seems those days have come to an end, or at least he's making himself known in the journals again.]

Seems it's that time of the cycle again, huh? To... All of the New Feathers, welcome to Luceti. I hope some of you were lucky enough to arrive here before Saturday, otherwise you just missed an awesome party just by a few days to celebrate Tanabata, courtesy of the SOS-Brigade. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure many of you have better things to worry about than about a party but, believe me, you'll have plenty of time to get depressed, angry and whatever later when your problems start to be more than just being trapped here.

[His tone is slightly strained, but it could easily be blamed to him being tired, those have been very busy days for him, after all. It's the only explanation for him having been missing so much. And surely that small change of tone at the "all" was just your imagination, though it sounded as if he wasn't really willing to welcome all of the New Feathers. At any rate as he keeps talking the initial strained tone melts and fades away leaving nothing but Keiichi's usual friendly, optimist and loud tone.]

Anyway, my name's Keiichi Maebara and I'm the Vice-Chief of the SOS-Brigade that I mentioned earlier, under the orders of the beautiful and charming Haruhi Suzumiya. I like to paint in my spare time and I've gathered quite a big collection of paints by now, if anyone wants one or two to decorate their places, you can drop by House 21 and ask for me. I'll show you what I've got. I also accept requests if you want.

Now, in case anyone is wondering what the SOS-Brigade is... Well, we're in the guide that you all should read, for your own good, really, but I'm not going to blame you for skipping over it or something. In short, the Spreading Excitement all Over the World with Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade, known as SOS-Brigade for friends and those who aren't friends because we all know that's a really long name even if an awesome one... Is a group dedicated to ensure that everyone in this place experiences a worthwhile life, in other words, to help you all to make the best of your stay here. Consider us a support group, after all this is a huge change for many, there are people from worlds where electricity isn't even a concept yet or from periods in which customs were drastically different from what has become the norm in Luceti. Those things do nothing but to add unnecessary stress to us and make this place be worse than it is, no I'm not saying that it's not a bad place but it could be worse.

That said, we aren't just dedicated to New Feathers, it doesn't matter when you arrived here or what exactly your problem is, if you think you could do with some help and support, we're here for you. Maybe the people of your world that have been with you here just returned to their homes and you don't have that many friends outside of that group, you can come to us. Or maybe you just had a huge fight with your friends here and think that no one even bothers to listen to you or try to understand you, again, we're here for you. Even if you think the problem is stupid or that you should solve it on your own at the worst scenario we can still lend a willing ear to listen to you, sometimes that's all that's needed to feel a bit better and we all want to help even if it's just with that. You can locate us in the building with a huge sign that reads SOS-Brigade in the town's square, right besides the library.

As a closure note, though our main purpose now it's to support you all in any way you may need and ask us to, the Brigade does much more than just that. We're one of the main groups, if not the only one, to organize events and celebrations, we're kind of specialized in those so if you also want to organize a festival or a party and are at a loss on how to get started be sure to drop by and tell us! We will be willing to help you with that and make it memorable! Also, do you like to write letters? Or maybe just to meet new people? Are you all alone in Luceti and worried that you won't fit and have at least one person to talk to? We got you covered!! Fellow Brigade member Oswald the Rabbit just has the right thing for you: The Project Hydra Social! Basically it's a penpal system, you get assigned a partner and you write letters back and forth, if you can't write or don't want to talking is also fine, basically the objective is to get you to meet new people and make new friends. New sign ups are accepted at any time though it may take a bit for you to get a pal assigned depending on how much people signs up and such... I should warn you, though, Oswald is very serious about this thing and likes to make sure that everyone and anyone who seems lonely or that could do with a new friend will get one, so... Don't be too surprised if you didn't sign up and show up on the next list.

[Small nervous laugh. But really just a glance at Oswald Hydra related messages and he can see many people claiming to have never signed up so... Better warn them. At least that way they can't claim they didn't know somehow.]

And that's basically all. If any of this pinged your interests specially be sure to drop by the Brigade or drop a note here. Customers are always welcome, new partners for Hydra Social are welcome as well, same with festival and party ideas, and finally, if any of you, New Feather or not, feel interested in joining the Brigade also drop a note or drop by the headquarters!

[Filtered to friends || 100% Unhackable]
[ooc: If you think your character would be here or wonder about it, assume a yes unless they have talked just once or something like that.]

[The filter is a hard one, Keiichi has gone to great lengths to make sure that no one can crack this easily, filter after filter conceal a simple message left later in the day. His voice is strained again, tense and terribly serious as if expecting the worst to happen in the next moment he blinks.]

Is... Are you all safe? No one is hurt or anything, right? ... Have any of you seen... Anyone suspicious around lately? Someone who gave you off vibes and that wasn't here on June.

[A New Feather, basically. One that is suspicious and seems off in this place, in the bad sense.]


[OOC EDIT: Feel free to Action this up if you prefer to go directly to his house or are already there :p]

[The weather is still cold and snowing lightly, but... That freezing rain finally ended and things seem to be mostly back to normal on the village. It's as good as any other time to go and check on Rena's treehouse. Though he's starting to wonder if he really should keep calling it like that. He hasn't stopped taking care of the place since it was built, neither has he failed to bring things to the area to create a dump of sorts for her to play at. But sometimes he wonders if it's okay like this, when he himself is basically wishing that none of the girls would come here even if he wants to stay here. Anyway, today he goes out early in the morning, he can be caught on his way to the forest but once there he will be missing until the afternoon, busy checking if the treehouse survived and fixing whatever needs to be fixed.

He takes a break on his work though, to send a message to the whole of Luceti during noon.]

[Filtered 100% from Ange]

Quick question. Any of you knows how to play the guitar and is willing to teach others? I would like to take classes for it. Though... If the guitar isn't good I suppose another instrument could work as well. But not wind instruments, I want my mouth free while I play.

[Filtered 100% to Haruhi]

[Aaaand... It has been over a week since Valentines. He doesn't know if Haruhi asked Minato already but it would make no sense if she waited this long even with the draft she was involved in, so... Assuming that she asked she has... Done nothing. Nor said anything. That's a bit unnerving, honestly, though he doesn't know if it's in the good or the bad sense. Then again maybe she just was taking her time and with the mission thing things got delayed.

Whatever, today, he decides to finally step forward. Welcome back Haruhi, your welcome present is finding your journal showing pictures of Valentines, the date clearly showing and... Ange dressed up as a beautiful maid while serving Minato. Ignore the peeks of a second maid that may be seen in reflections, please.]

[ooc: For action, feel free to bump at him during morning or from middle afternoon onward.]

( [Filtered to Ange || 100% Unhackable] )

[Open to all]

While I appreciate the effort from the Malnosso to bring in the Christmas mood... I still would have preferred to be able to decorate the house myself and decide what lights it has and all that. Guess we could still do it despite this.

How many of you are spending Christmas here for the first time? Or even hearing the term Christmas for the first time, I guess there are many of those. If you're curious, Christmas is basically a winter holiday, it has religious background but it also has a pagan tradition. Back on Earth many different religions and countries have it or an equivalent holiday. In simple terms it's a way to celebrate the end of the year and the start of the new one, also there's a tradition of giving and receiving gifts on the 25th, which is Christmas day. Or getting them from Santa Claus, or the Malnosso like last year.

It's a holiday to spend with friends, family and loved ones... Does everyone have someone to celebrate it with?

( [Filtered to Brigade members, Hughes family, Winry, Arisato twins, Loki, Rosa, Shiki, Ami, Usagi, Naoto || 100% Unhackable] )

[During the morning there will be an audio message sent through the journals, it's not filtered and everyone can see it, however any attempt to reply to it will be meet with hours and hours of waiting. No, there won't be replies to the audio message. The feed starts with the sound of something falling, the journal, being picked and dropped several times until it stops falling facing to the ground, giving the camera a nice shoot of the forest and the sky before a bear approaches to sniffle at the book. The bear roars, it's mostly a calling sound but for anyone who doesn't know about animals it will probably sound just like a threatening roar, this goes on for a bit, the animal not leaving the journal alone, sniffling and apparently fighting with its own mouth. Eventually a word comes out from its mouth. ]

Minato... Minato...

[But that's all. The animal moans and shakes its head before it paws at the journal to turn it off.

A bit later, villagers will find a large brown bear walking around the streets, holding a journal with its mouth and looking at everyone currently affected by the undergoing experiment... Well, bears aren't very expressive so it's mostly an intense blank stare, but rest assured, the bear finds you lot stranger than it finds itself. And that's a lot to say. The bear will eventually make its way to House 21, one thing is sure, this animal knows where it's going.

However, if you're lucky enough to catch sight of the animal at sunset, you'll be in for a treat as a magic transformation will take place. The bear will shine briefly and shrug off its fur, revealing under it a very naked Keiichi Maebara. Good thing he has the bear fur to cover himself and not have to parade around the village naked.]


(ooc: Keiichi's back from the mallynapping, he's not affected by the experiment but apparently the Malnosso didn't want to leave him out of the fairytales fun. As a bear he can talk but his vocabulary is limited yet until he gets used to talk with a bear's tongue, but I'm sure there are many fairytale's characters out there who are used to talk to animals and will know what he wants to say... Or make it up, whatever you prefer. The audio won't be replied until it's nighttime so you can ignore it or have your char wait until then to get a reply.)

Okay, so... The last week of April, I was an artist, and a productive one despite claiming to be blocked. I've the room full of sketches and paintings, and a few that aren't finished yet but I'll probably get to it eventually.

[It would be silly to just throw them away after all.]

Problem is... I have a lot of them, really, and as much as I like some, I find silly to keep most of them. Besides it's not as if I can sell them, and actually many are kind of slice-of-life themed. Things I witnessed during that week and decided to portray on a whim so some of them could even be considered pictures I suppose, and that's not counting the random portraits I made without anyone asking for them. So, if any of you guys want any of them, the sketches, portraits or paintings, just give a shout and I'll give them to you.

I'll set a stand for today outside my place, House #21, with the sketches and paintings that are up for grabs, so just drop by and have a look if you want them.

[True to his word, there's going to be a stand outside House #21 the whole day, with sketches and paintings on display. The paintings are mostly generic and landscape style though a few may picture a few of the Luceti habitants. The sketches are all from Luceti people, from portrait-like sketches to family scenes, Keiichi spent all his time drawing and painting after all. In fact he will probably be painting, giving the finishing strokes to a couple of paintings he had pending.]

[ooc: Feel free to come up with scenes for the sketches yourselves. Keiichi was pretty much an artistic version of Hughes during that week so he drew many things -of course the amount of sketches isn't as big as of pictures and there's probably like one or two featuring a similar scene, but there may still be ones your chars like. he was actually pretty good at it -must be the genes-.]

( tl;dr explanation )

[Filtered to Adell || 100% Unhackable]

Can I borrow some of your time? I... Need to ask you a favor.

[Filtered to Hughes & Minako Arisato || 100% Unhackable]

I'm sure you two are busy but during the time of the draft, would you mind keeping an occasional eye on my friends at the house? I'm worried the syndrome may give them problems while I'm gone.. And if something happens to me.

[Filtered from Haruhi || 100% Unhackable]

In case anyone missed it, I'm being drafted... Everyone who remains here, take care, okay? I'll be back and see you all when the draft ends, so... See you until then.

[Hopefully. And though the message is wide open it's mainly directed to three groups: the Brigade, which meetings he hasn't been attending since past week, the school, which he has been skipping the whole week though since it's voluntary it may not matter for anyone... And House #22.

He considers making a message for Haruhi but... He ends leaving it like that. Minako (Aino) and Ami will find him in the room he has been using for those days if they feel the need to talk in person or want to poke at him for whatever reason.]

[Filtered from Takano 100%]

[The feed starts almost violently, someone isn't happy right now.]

Enough! Stupid thing, I'm going to throw you through the window!

Oi, Minato! Come over whenever you can, please!

[And that's it. However Keiichi leaves the journal, waiting for a reply from his friend. Unfortunately, or not, he forgets about it as he tries to relax from the technology frustration, and since currently none of the girls are at home...

Luceti, say hello to a shirtless Keiichi dancing around the house with just pants, socks and sunglasses on while he sings this. They journal will probably even catch his current dressing attire at some times though from the distance.]

( Cut for lyrics )
Ah! I've done that wrong... That doesn't really rhyme, well, whatever.

[It's not as if anyone heard or saw him, right?! Except that he left the journal on and he was pretty loud so even from the outside people could hear him singing. Feel free to point and laugh.]