Medal 02 [Action]

[candothismuch]

[If anyone were to run into Eiji today they might notice that he seems to be a little distressed and looking for something. Or rather someone as he's asking people if they've seen another male who looks almost exactly like him. Unfortunately for him, everybody he's talked to so far has told him "No, they haven't."

Eiji frowns to himself but it's clear he's really worried.]

Tomoki, where are you?

Comments

[okayeverybody]

[Rei and Tomoki had been close friends for somewhere near six months at this point. It was a bizarre friendship, built primarily off a good work ethic and a similar intrinsic desire for the truth, but it was uncommon for them to go more than two days without seeing the other. So when it had been some time since Rei had last seen Tomoki around in his usual places, he got a touch concerned.]

[They all did.]

[When he went by Tomoki's place of residence, assuming maybe he'd come down with something and just hadn't left his apartment, only to find no one home, the worry increased.]

[He happened across Eiji in Venture Park, and was at least pleased to find someone that would likely have a more concrete idea of the reporter's whereabouts.]

Eiji.

[candothismuch]

Hm? Rei!

[When Eiji sees the other man there's a small bit of hope in his tone.]

Have you seen Tomoki? He hasn't been home in a while.

[okayeverybody]

[His face quirked a little. With the way he was wandering around distressed, he'd assumed as much, but he'd hoped for a different response.]

[He shook his head.]

I was hoping you might have.

[candothismuch]

Oh...

[Still at square one it looks like.]

I haven't either.

[okayeverybody]

[He tipped his head sharply to the side in thought, frowning.]

That's strange, even for Tomoki. When was the last time he was at the apartment, if you recall?

[candothismuch]

A few days ago.

[okayeverybody]

Hm. The same for me. We've checked most of the usual places he frequents throughout the city, but no luck in finding him. I'm starting to worry.

[candothismuch]

[They were on the same page in that regard.]

I am too.

[okayeverybody]

[A bit of a sigh, and he shakes his head.]

With what I know of Tomoki, he's probably gotten himself in trouble being too nosy.

[candothismuch]

[Eiji's brows furrow even more.]

Do you know if there are any other places he might have gone to?

[okayeverybody]

I thought I had checked most of them, but a second pair of eyes may discover something I missed.

[pyreseer]

[Her older half-brother is actually the person Rei Hino least wants to run into now, so of course she does. She glares at him fiercely for a moment before she realizes that he's too distress to pay attention to her facial expressions and possibly it hasn't even registered to him that she's there. Stupid brother.]

Who's Tomoki?

[Her accent isn't as thick as it was when she ran into Eiji a month ago.]

[candothismuch]

[Hi little sis. Eiji is a little startled when Rei speaks to him.]

Rei? Uh...

[Never mind the awkwardness that was already between them, how was he going to break it to her that they had a brother they didn't know about?]

[pyreseer]

[Rei gives him an impatient look.]

Who. Is. Tomoki?

[Ugh, maybe she should switch to Japanese. But school was starting in less than a week and she needed to keep practicing her English.]

[candothismuch]

[Eiji's tense expression stays as he thinks about how to answer. Tomoki had told him he and Rei had already met before already. Maybe he never told her his name?

It takes him a while to actually answer.]

Rei, before I answer that you might want to sit down.

[pyreseer]

[He did, but she doesn't actually remember what Chino-san said his first name was.

Anyway, Rei finds a street bench to sit down on and looks up at her brother expectantly.]

Well?

[candothismuch]

[Eiji takes a deep breath.]

You've met Tomoki before; he told me about it and you probably mistook him for me. [One Rei already did that with him.]

The thing is... Tomoki and I found out we're related. He's our brother, Rei.

[pyreseer]

[Oh, he's talking about Chino-san.

... wait, what did he just say?]

Did you just say that Chino-san is our brother?

[candothismuch]

Yes.

[pyreseer]

But-- but how?

[candothismuch]

Apparently he had been put up for adoption.

[pyreseer]

[Rei frowns.] Did Papa... [Ugh, she can believe she has to ask this.] ... did Papa have a mistress?

[candothismuch]

[The thought makes him frown too but he shakes his head.]

No, that wouldn't be possible since he and I are twins.

[pyreseer]

...

[But that doesn't make any sense! Well, it does, because Eiji and Chino-san are identical, but--]

But you weren't put up for adoption... were you?

[candothismuch]

No I wasn't.

[He's pretty sure that never happened at any point in his life.]

[pyreseer]

Then why wasn't Chino-san raised with you? It makes no sense!

[candothismuch]

I don't know.

[The only people who would know why were Mr. Tanaka, since he was the one to take care of the paperwork, Eiji's mother, and their father. But two of those people would be difficult to find and Eiji... still didn't want to see their father any time soon.]

[pyreseer]

Ugh! Why does Papa do these things?

[Rei doesn't want to bring the subject up with their father either.]

[hinavelous]

[She either left Ankh at her apartment, or he's somewhere doing Arm Bird Things, because he's not a purse accessory today. She's sort of glad for that, in retrospect, as it makes approaching Eiji much easier without an onslaught of OIs and shouting and general argument.]

[She slows her pace slightly when she notices how distressed he looks, and calls out to him before she gets too close, in case maybe he doesn't want company.]

Eiji? Are you all right?

[candothismuch]

[Hina's voice draws his attention and his distress lessens somewhat.]

Hina! You wouldn't have happened to have seen Tomoki have you?

[hinavelous]

[She tilts her head, making a sort of confused face and pouching her lips outward in a frown.]

Not in a few days, no. Why do you ask?

[candothismuch]

He hasn't been back home for a few days now.

[hinavelous]

[She frowns. Tomoki was a reporter-- but that wasn't like a job with the police where he would have a reason to be gone for days like her brother had. And even then, he'd always contacted her. Wouldn't Tomoki have done the same...?]

[She hefts her back onto her shoulder and hugs it to her a little.]

Do you think he's all right...?

[candothismuch]

I don't know. I hope he is...

[hinavelous]

[Still frowning, she scoots a little closer and bumps into his shoulder.]

Can I help you look?

[candothismuch]

[He nods his head.]

Of course.

[gigigigigigi]

[Hey, maybe the dude wearing a loincloth perched up in this tree knows something.]

You hunt? No find?

[candothismuch]

[Oh hey, it's that guy he met briefly when he was still camping out in the park.]

You're... Amazon?

[gigigigigigi]

Amazon.

[Amazon nods and points to himself. Then he points to Eiji.]

Colorpants Man.

[candothismuch]

[Blink. Well then... wait, no, that's not what he should be fixating on right now!]

Ah--I'm looking for my brother, have you seen him? He looks a little like me.

[Gestures with his hands to help emphasize.]

[gigigigigigi]

Only Colorpants Man Amazon see.

[Amazon frowns. There's another one like this? How odd.]