soul_campaign | [16: July 25th, Noon

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[16: July 25th, Noon | Video]

[It's already past 100 degrees out, so the video catches Kanji in his usual form-fitting sleeveless tops. He's bruised in several places and bandages are stuck on exposed skin every which way to cover up where beaks and claws had broken skin, but the Meister looks a little more tired than anything else. He runs an upper arm over his forehead to mop up a bit of sweat.]

S'dry heat, I know, but it's still hot as balls out--

[Oh. Shit. The red light's on a little sooner than he thought. Well then. Enjoy your colorful comparison, if you can call it that.]

Uh, sup? ...So it's done. Took down our witch, and we got ourselves another Deathscythe runnin' around. But somethin' went wrong after the witch soul was absorbed, so we had to stay in the clinic for a couple days until Naoto stabilized. Whole lotta power rushin' around in the soul beats the shit outta you. Yeah. Who knew? But...

[He turns the device to look over his shoulder. The detective's on the couch in the apartment living room, testing commands against Watson, the rottweiler pup, who is madly wagging his tail and making huffing noises as he sits, lies down, speaks and so on. Camera's back to the owner, who for the moment is still a little distracted by the scene.]

...We're all good, I think. Gotta check back in a day or two for the all clear, but... shit...

[He tightens his jaw and keeps himself as cool as he can be. But he's not looking at the camera and there's the slight tinge of pink across his face, betraying the demeanor just a little.]

I'm jus'... r-relieved, y'know? I thought I fucked up somehow. So I guess consider this a heads up for the guys out there gettin' close to their last few souls: Keep an eye on your partner. Don't let up.

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[A nod, though he's still fairly tired after the last few days.] Thanks.

...Better. Got discharged from the clinic last night. Naoto's sore, and resonance is mostly back to normal. But I'm just glad she's got an appetite n' everything back, can get outta bed n' all.

[Naoto didn't know how to describe it. Maybe it was a bruise, maybe it was a scratch, or maybe she had gotten something while pushing through the Witch's Madness. At this point, she didn't know.]

[Feeling her shirt lift, she remained still. Her skin was still clammy so she wanted to get this over with. Still, Kanji wasn't saying anything.]

... What's wrong? [Did she need to return to the clinic?]

I... I dunno. [He reached out and brushed a finger against the dark mark against her skin.]

But it looks like y'got some kinda fresh tattoo back here. Black wings.

[He knit his eyebrows in thought.]

I can bandage 'em, put some antibiotic on 'em. Maybe it's best to treat it like a tattoo, make sure it heals right, yeah? Did the Witch Soul do this...? She was a bird witch, but...

[His fingers don't hurt at least, but he knows to touch lightly since her back was hurting.]

... W-What? Tattoo?

[She turned, trying to see, but of course she can't see. But if she thinks about it, that Witch did have one too many tattoos... on her arm. Never saw anywhere else.]

Possibly... If you wouldn't mind, we could try that. [Though, when did it get there? The doctors and nurses didn't say anything.]

[It hadn't hit him until now, and he put his face in a hand.]

...Oh, for- that's why they didn't mention it in the damn clinic! They figured ya caved and got one before the mission or somethin'.

[The hand lowered.]

...But tattoos're harmless. I'll jus' do the stuff I did to take care'a mine so it ain't gettin' infected. It's always tender as hell for a couple days.

[He lowered her shirt, but he reached around a lay a hand against her forehead. She was pretty clammy.]

They needta be covered n' kept clean. I-I got some gauze n' tape in the bathroom.

... Why would I--? Why would they even assume...?

[But she sighed. Why not try getting something new before what could be their last mission?]

[Nodding, she held the sheets tighter as her shirt fell against her back, pausing when his hand rested on her forehead. Hopefully, she would be back at one hundred percent soon... or close.]

Very well. If you wouldn't mind... cleaning up...

[Sorry Kanji, he's just a bit excitable is all.]

I suppose you could say that! [And yes, he's smiling and practically flushing with joy, so yeah... he's pretty happy.]

But then again, every day when we live is a good day to be alive!

You'll more liable to get a more accurate and open answer asking Cloud than asking Sephiroth. He tends to find everyone and everything other than his partner beneath him.

[She sniffs. It's clear Akiha doesn't like Sephiroth. Yet, they are one of the few pairs Cloud and Sephiroth has gone on joint missions with. Curious.]

When you both fought Kharon, did she ever make mention of a witch named Hachi? And what type of bird was her familiar?

I see. [Mello's tone is considering, and faintly impressed.] Has your resonance been affected at all?

I don't follow the mission stats closely, but I'd be surprised if my partner and I weren't the next closest to reaching Death Scythe.

Glad to hear that. I'm really glad. That must have been a really difficult mission.

Everybody's got a weird-ass reason for gettin' a tat, so I can feel 'em for not really asking.

[It'd been years since he had to do tattoo maintenance, but he had to do it with the added layer of subtlety- he had to hide it from his mom for as long as he could... until he fucked up and she saw it anyway, and tore his ass a new one. That was a night he didn't wanna remember. She was pissed, and he was in middle school and thought he knew everything. It helped that he looked older, fooling the tattoo artist.]

[But what she'd said brought him pause. Then he looked down briefly, pink-faced.]

Y-yeah, I don't- I don't mind. Cool water'll beat the heat and it'll probably feel pretty good on the back right now.

...I still swear you're high or somethin'.

Got a point. [He's met Sephiroth. Dude gives him the creeps.]

...Hachi? Nah. She seemed content to start hurlin' magic at us, kill us quick. She was all about crows n' ravens n' stuff. The real smart birds.

The minute it happened I tried resonating to help out, but it was like touchin' an electric fence like a dumb ass. But we can make a connection now, so I do it as often as I can to help with the pain. It's a little static-y 'cause she's tired n' the weather's bein' a pain in the ass, but it gets a little better every day.

Yeah? Good luck ahead'a time, man. Witches don't fuck around.

They weren't screwin' around when they said to run at the sight of a witch. They're seriously on a whole new level.

[Appearance doesn't matter when it comes to tattoos either. Her grandfather told her before of working with an officer who had one or two hidden under his uniform. This was, of course, in another country.]

[She nodded, remaining with her back turned so he could take the same spot upon his return]

Thank you.

Hmm? Oh! No, I scaled Shibusen's tower earlier today. I am patrolling the street right now.

[Yeah, way over his head.]

So neither of the ones that...

[Akiha then realized she murmured that out loud and let out a little 'tch'.]

Good. One less witch out there.

I'm glad.

...I suppose we should work harder to catch up.

Congratulations!!!

[And then he switches the video to private.] We should celebrate somehow!

Thanks, man. -- Huh? Cele- oh.

...Waaait. We talkin' a Takuto-style celebration?

Thanks.

[It's rare for Mello to say this, which might be obvious from the way it comes out gruffly.

This description of absorbing a Witch's soul is far more worrying than he expected. Once, he would've argued to himself that his main concern is remaining effective in battle, but he doesn't even make a pretense of that anymore: he's worried for Near.]

I'm glad she'll be all right. Was she hurt physically at all?

She got scuffed when the witch tried jumpin' us, but I kept my ass planted between 'em. They wanna get to her, they gotta get through me first.

She ain't fragile, but I'd rather take the knocks to the ribs.

I guess everyone's really got a reason to be scared of them, then. I didn't think they were going to be that scary when I heard about them.

[Kanji had already given her a call after he returned from that last mission to let her know he was going to be out a few days but she was still concerned.]

Did you and Naoto just get out of the clinic today? Anything I can do to help y'all recover?

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[16: July 25th, Noon | Video]

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[Video] Later in the evening after she gets back from her mission...