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The Avatar RP

An Avatar: The Last Airbender Roleplay

Previously, on Avatar...

Plot Update 10 March 2021

A year has passed since Fire Lord Zuko ascended the throne, and it seems like trouble is brewing between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom once more. The Fire Lord and the Avatar began the Harmony Restoration Movement to restore the Fire Nation Colonies to their pre-war state by bringing any Fire Nation nationals back home, but for many of the citizens — of mixed Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom … Read more ›

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Fear Of What's To Come

Anonymous
Oct 15, 2017 18:23:43 GMT -6
Everything had been normal. Things had long settled down, she had found her place on a pro-bending team, she had made a couple new friends, and she had even gone on a bit of an adventure. Ultimately, Mitsuko found her new pattern, her new life without her brother. While she still thought about him and wondered just where he had gone, she had managed to move forward in her life. Her silent doubts about his whereabouts never faded, they dwindled in the back of her mind and every so often they would come out. But it was rare. Mitsuko had learned to live again, without her parents, without her brother, without anyone but herself. She had managed to pick herself up out of her sorrow, albeit with the help of others, and had progressed. She was truly happy and looked forward to every day, knowing that it would likely be something new and she was okay with that. Despite it seeming like every day something out of the ordinary would happen, she grew used to it. If anything, Mitsuko grew to enjoy it. She missed her brother of course, but it had long been time for her to adjust and so eventually she did.

By the time the warmer months were racing towards her, she had already accepted that there wasn't a whole lot she could do but wonder. She had tried everything she thought of but none of it provided answers. If there was ever an opportunity to learn the truth, she would jump on it, but Mitsuko realized she just couldn't live her life waiting around for that opportunity. She needed to liver her life and she thought that's what her brother would want. She never really told anyone about the full extent of the situation with her brother except for two people she met once in the Dragon Flats district. There never seemed to be any reason to talk about it with anyone else. Instead, she just worked through it internally.

When spring was on the verge of ending, Mitsuko found herself happier than she had ever been in her entire life. She was doing exactly what she loved and from what she could tell, tensions had lessened. They were present, but not to the same extent as they were months before. However, it was when she saw a newspaper headline in passing that everything seemed to come crashing down. Six of the missing benders had reappeared just as they had disappeared, silently in the night with no answers as to of why. Mitsuko had raced home that day and she didn't think she had ever moved her legs so quickly. What if he was home? After all of this time? What if the brother she had grieved so greatly for had returned?

Mitsuko had quickly bought a newspaper before her sprint and by the time she had thrown open the door, she was panting and out of breath. She glanced around all the rooms, searching for those familiar eyes, the signature grin. When he was nowhere to be found, her eyes landed on his closed bedroom door, had she shut it before leaving? She couldn't remember. Placing a shaky hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath before turning it and slowly swinging the door open. Mitsuko was expecting to see him sitting there, the head of black messy hair he had inherited from his mother, the golden eyes of fire nation heritage. She truly believed that Tariq would be there, after all these months.

As the door opened, Mitsuko waited with baited breath, only to be met with a cacophonous silence. There was no reunion, there was no tears of joy, just an empty room that looked exactly the same as it had the night he disappeared. There was no new imprint on the bed signifying that it had been slept in, the window wasn't cracked open to let the sun shine in, there were no new scorch marks from a missed attack. It was just, nothing. Mitsuko felt her emotions flare up, her nose beginning to sting as she felt that tears were about to fall. After taking a small breath, she made her way further into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed to read the newspaper article in full. Her heart plummeted, even on the off-chance Tariq did return, would he even have his bending? Would he even be himself? Could she do anything to save him from meeting the same fate as the others?

Mitsuko knew she couldn't answer these questions, there was hardly anyone that could. But she knew one person who could maybe offer some advice on what she should do. Dropping the article on the floor she made her way out of the apartment and rode the ferry to the only place she thought she could find guidance: Air Temple Island. There was a scribe that resided there who had helped her quite a bit in the past, Mitsuko could only hope she could find some way to contact her.

Upon her arrival, she walked slowly, staring in awe at the place. She hadn't known why she had never made her way to the Island before, it was beautiful. She was so distracted, she almost forget why she had chose to come in the first place. It was only when she saw a person walking in golden robes, did she remember. Mitsuko approached the Acolyte and offered a smile.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for someone named Ren."
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Last edit by Deleted: Oct 15, 2017 18:27:51 GMT -6
Ren
Oct 18, 2017 12:07:09 GMT -6
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It was easier being back at Air Temple Island now.

When she took a breath, the smell of acrid chemical smoke was only a faint whisper and not an overwhelming force. When she walked down the hallways, the sounds of explosions and terrified screams where distant, as if reaching far across time. The walls of the temple no longer closed in around her, and she walked down the hall, mostly at ease, to the receiving room.

Ren paused in front of a window, looking out into the courtyard. It was here she saw Amon's forces overtake the Island. If she squinted, the brightness of day faded into night and she could see Master Tenzin in her mind's eye, fighting furiously with his family — even little Meelo! — as they bought time for the Acolytes to escape to safety.

Not that Amon was ever interested in the Acolytes, or anyone else beyond the Airbenders and Avatar; something they had all learned far too late.

She shook her head, shaking off her melancholy with it. It was a beautiful day; summer was just around the corner, she had traded in her long-sleeved robes for short-sleeved ones, and being here on Air Temple Island no longer resulted in immediate panic. She had come a long way, and that was something to celebrate.

Making her way to the courtyard, Ren took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. The sea air was something she had always enjoyed, and was one of the things she missed the most living away from the island. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone waving her over, standing next to —

"Mitsuko?" Ren broke into a wide smile, reaching out to clasp the other woman's hands in greeting. She bowed a little out of habit, too. "What brings you to the island? It's great to see you!"
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Anonymous
Oct 26, 2017 14:13:28 GMT -6
Mitsuko's entire face lit up when the Acolyte reached out for her hand. She took it and gave it a soft squeeze before shaking it and letting her hand drop back to her side, a wide smile on her face. "Ren! I'm actually here to see you."

She gave a small nod of thanks to the original Acolyte she had spoken to before turning and facing her friend. " It's nice to see you again too! I was hoping that you would have a tiny bit of time to spare?"

The young waterbender felt a sob in her throat that she forced herself to swallow it down. While she may have been upset, she wasn't going to break down crying in the center of Air Temple Island. Though she had never fully explained her situation to Ren, she knew that when she did, Ren would tell her just what she needed to hear. She wasn't sure if it would be advice or perhaps even a proverb of some kind, but Mitsuko had the feeling that talking to her about the issue would help. Then again, maybe talking about it at all would help her.

The situation was something she hadn't spoken of, she never got the feelings off her chest. She just bottled them up with the hope that the negative emotions would fade and that worked, at first. Then there was this mess of the new article and now it was all crashing down on her again. This heavy weigh in her chest that she couldn't manage to lift. Those old fears and negative thoughts had returned, stronger now than they were in the past. It was obvious that keeping it all in had just been a short-lived, temporary solution. Mitsuko wanted something that would last this time and she considered that the idea that talking about it with someone she trusted was the right way to go about things.

"There's something I wanted to talk with you about. Not to mention, I've missed seeing you around town. I'd love to catch up, see how Spring is treating you so far."
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Ren
Nov 5, 2017 13:49:56 GMT -6
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Ren was not always the most astute of persons, but it was clear that something was troubling Mitsuko. Her smile changed to a look of concern as she nodded and put her arm around the other woman's shoulders.

"Of course, of course, I have plenty of time."

She gestured and gently guided Mitsuko to a secluded field just a little beyond the air bison paddock. There was a small pagoda there, facing away from the city and nearby the edge of the island so you could look out and see the whole ocean. The floor was lined with several cushions for sitting. Normally the acolytes used this place for private meditation either alone or in very small groups, but sometimes people just needed a safe space away from the others.

Ren stepped into the pagoda first and arranged the pillows comfortably. She sat and gestured for Mitsuko to do the same.

"Spring's been treating me well," she said softly, her head tilted a little so that her braid — which was as messy as ever — slipped off from over her shoulder. "But I think you have something on your mind that can leave the pleasantries for later, no?"
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Anonymous
Nov 10, 2017 16:25:11 GMT -6
Mitsuko followed quietly behind Ren, staring in awe at all of the tiny beautiful details of not just the island but the pagoda as they approached it. She had seen it from a distance of course, but it wasn't quite the same seeing up close. She was starting to understand how one could live out a peaceful life here, everything about the island had this calming aura to it.

However, what Mitsuko was more thankful for than just the beautiful surroundings was that Ren had brought her towards a more secluded area. What she planned on talking about wasn't exactly something she wanted everyone on the island to hear about. On top of that, the private area felt safe and made Mitsuko feel as though she could talk without worry.

Sitting down across from Ren, she gave a small nod and smiled at her words. "Unfortunately, I do. I believe I've mentioned before my older brother, Tariq. I think the last time we spoke I said something along the lines of that I had lost him and he had passed away." She glanced away, embarrassed, "That wasn't the full truth. I did lose him but he didn't die, at least I hope he has not. I'm sure you remember a few months back, when all of those benders began to go missing in the middle of the night? My brother was one of those benders. There one day and then I woke up the next and he was just...gone.I searched everywhere I could possibly think to find him, I researched the other cases in the hopes that he would turn up somewhere. He never did but I didn't lose hope. Still, I managed to move forward in my life and,"

She paused wringing her hands together as she grew nervous. It was almost scary to say her thoughts aloud, it was if it would make them all true. "And now it appears as though it's all come crashing down again. I'm sure you've seen the newspaper, the missing benders are beginning to show up again. It sounds great, right? I should be ecstatic at the possibility to see him again and I am but I'm more scared than anything. The missing benders have been showing up with no bending and with no knowledge of where they were or how they lost it. I'm terrified that Tariq will show up at home again but he won't be himself. He won't have his bending which will crush him, it will change his entire life. He's a firebending coach, a teacher. He loves to bend, perhaps even more than I do. Such a thing will change him in every way imaginable and I don't know what do."

A small tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, "But, I'm also horrified by the idea that he never will come back home and he'll be forever missing. That perhaps he really has passed away and I'll never know. I think the worst part of it all, is that I don't know which possibility scares me more. I want to find him, I want him to come home, but I want it to be him. Not an empty version of him. I'm sorry for getting so emotional over this, I just haven't ever spoken of with it with anyone before. I'm just so confused and worried is all."
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Ren
Nov 14, 2017 17:57:59 GMT -6
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Ren listened with growing sympathy as Mitsuko explained her plight.

"You don't have to apologise for being emotional," she murmured, reaching out to take the other woman's hands into her own as a gesture of comfort. "There is no shame in feeling. The Air Nomads have preached detachment from worldly concerns in the past, but Avatar Aang always said it was his commitment to his attachments to this world that made him a better Avatar, because having ties here made him value what could be lost more."

As it was with Johar, the acolyte found it difficult to navigate what would be considered appropriate words of comfort. She hoped that her words, something paraphrased from what the Head Acolyte had told her when she came to him struggling with the more definitive loss of Hangetsu, would provide the same comfort for her friend as they did for her.

Haltingly, she spoke again. "I... I understand what it's like, not knowing." A lump formed in her throat and her vision blurred with tears. She blinked rapidly, willing them away. "About a year before the battle of Republic City, I began seeing someone. He was a police officer. Eventually, Amon took his bending — we didn't know it was blood bending at the time — and... well, when Amon invaded Air Temple Island, he disappeared. I haven't seen him since."

She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I stayed away from the city for a long time. I think I told you that I don't live here on the Island, but that wasn't always the case. I ... couldn't bring myself to come back to the Island. Amon had spoiled it's sanctity for me, and the very walls became oppressive. I figured that Hangetsu — that was his name — would eventually contact me, let me know he was okay, then we'd work on our plans for the future. I would have left the life of an acolyte for him, you know. But he never did."

Ren scooted a little closer to Mitsuko, leaning forward as she continued. "The only thing that helped me was looking for answers. My friend, Johar, suggested that we should do so. It was... incredibly painful, but it was necessary. When I found his apartment — more specifically, the altar to his beloved grandparents — covered in layers and layers of dust, I finally had an answer. It was rough, and I grieve still, but it allowed me to begin moving on."

A light ocean breeze blew, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the late spring sun. "Mitsuko," Ren murmured, her voice thick with emotion, "I can't promise that your brother is okay. But we can try to find out together."
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Anonymous
Nov 15, 2017 17:22:09 GMT -6
Ren's words offered comfort, it meant everything to her to hear that she has no need to be embarrassed for her emotions on the subject and that someone such as Avatar Aang had even prided himself on his attachments to the world and to others. Mitsuko was someone who wanted to be positive all of the time, even if that meant she were lying. She always feared that being truly open about her negative emotions would make her a burden to those around her. She never wanted anyone to feel obligated to help her and she had always worried that being open about such things would make others look down upon her for feeling in such a way. To avoid this, she had always just buried everything and attempted to find an outlet in other things.

Mitsuko frowned as she heard her, it pained her to know that someone as loving and caring as Ren had dealt with a similar issue. She wanted to offer some type of support but not wanting to invade her personal space, instead offered a small smile and scooted slightly closer to her. "I'm sorry you understand what it's like. I'm sorry that it played out in such a way, I'm sorry about Hangetsu. It's a pain I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. In cases such as this, bending almost seems like a curse. There have been times I almost wished Tariq was never a bender and then he wouldn't be in this mess. Then again, I probably wouldn't be here either if that were the case. People say that everything happens for a reason, but with things like this, it can be difficult to believe that it's true."

She grew quiet for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself further. "I understand why you stayed away for so long, there are some days I question why I don't just move. There was a point I even considered going all the way back home to the Northern Water Tribe. But, then I just get this feeling that the instant I did leave would be the very same instant that he returned and then I would never know. If I knew he wasn't coming back, I think I would move. I don't know if I could handle living in an apartment with such a strong reminder of what I lost. I can't leave now, I would feel guilty if he returned like the others, disoriented, lost, and without bending and I wouldn't be there to help him."

Her tears had stopped falling and now just remained welled up in her eyes, waiting either to run down or be quickly blinked away. Her eyes widened, "Thank you, Ren. But how? Where can we even start? No one else discovered the missing benders, they just turned back up. Where do we even begin to look?"
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Ren
Nov 26, 2017 17:46:32 GMT -6
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It was a good question. Ren stretched a little and made a humming noise as she thought. "Well, I'm not really a detective or anything, but I do read a lot of mystery novels. I would say that since your brother wasn't returned with the other missing benders, it's unlikely his disappearance had anything to do with what happened to them — at least, not directly. Perhaps he was taken by a different group of people with similar goals, or by the same group but for a different purpose."

The trouble with mystery novels was, though, Ren didn't have a very analytical mind. Her strengths lay in prose and poetry, and her ability to see into the twists and turns of a novel had less to do with her skills of deduction and more to do with her ability to recognise common tropes and subtle literary foreshadowing.

"We could hire an investigator," she mused. "I've heard of a firm in the Dragon Flats run by two sisters — they're pretty affordable, and I've heard that they occasionally do free cases. It wouldn't hurt to go talk to them, at least, and see if they can give us a consultation."

A breeze blew gently around them, cooling Ren's skin. "Alternatively, we could look ourselves. We'd have to start with what we know: where your brother was last seen, where he lived while staying here in the City. We'd have to find out where he worked, if anywhere, where he liked to spend his time, and with whom he spent it."

She looked at Mitsuko, her expression gentle. "It's up to you."
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Anonymous
Dec 5, 2017 16:25:50 GMT -6
Mitsuko tapped her chin as she considered the options, both of which could lead to answers. She hadn't ever thought that perhaps her brother going missing was completely unrelated to those that had returned. With the timeline of events it just seemed obvious that he would be grouped into that same category but Ren was right, maybe his case wasn't related at all. Or perhaps it was, and his disappearance would serve a different purpose.

It was a difficult choice, Mitsuko was so guided by her emotions that often that got in the way of investigating his disappearance. However, it was personal and she didn't know for sure what was going on. If perhaps it was something that was supposed to stay quiet, that the general public wasn't supposed to know, it could endanger the investigators. However, an investigator would likely have much better chances in finding him, they had experience Mitsuko simply didn't. Then there was the money issue. Mitsuko was young and she worked a basic job, she wasn't well-known enough quite yet in Pro-bending to be making all that much and she surely wasn't about to write home to her parents and ask for them to fund it. She got by alright and usually with little stress, but she didn't have enough of it to really throw it around and buy something huge just because she wanted it.

"I'm...unsure." She glanced up at Ren, "All of this is so complicated and I worry that if things start to get serious they could get dangerous. I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt because of my curiosity. I mean, I don't even know what we're really dealing with here. It could be gangs which are dangerous enough as it is, or it could be something worse. If it is somehow connected to the other missing persons cases, whoever or whatever it is, is strong enough to take away bending. I'd wager if they can do that, they can cause a lot of damage."

Mitsuko felt torn, but there was a part of her that thought maybe because the subject was so important to her, she'd be more determined to find the truth. She would finally devote more time to the issue, really look into things. If they came to a dead end, they would always have a second option, besides Mitsuko would be upset with herself if she wasn't ever able to find him. At least this way she could say she gave it a shot.

"I think I'd prefer to look into things a little by ourselves first. I'm not sure I'm ready to trust someone else with all of this just yet. If we can't figure anything out, then how about I give those investigators a call? After all, they have much more experience and maybe whatever we learn in our investigation may help them."

She sighed, releasing all of her nerves. It was odd, she had this new resolve in her to find him but, at the same time, Mitsuko was terrified. She didn't know what she was going to find at the end of the road and sometimes that fear of the unknown was one of the most terrifying thoughts of all.

"It terms of my brother, he was last seen at home. It's a small apartment in downtown Republic City and though it's by no means huge, it's not the worst place. I was the last person to see him, everything was perfectly normal that night. He worked as a Firebending coach through a dojo in the Dragon Flats District so I suppose that would be the best place to start looking. Though that's not exactly the safest area so I understand if you'd be hesitant. Again, we can always call those investigators."

Mitsuko's biggest concern was someone else getting hurt, especially Ren. Her voice grew quiet and she offered a small smile. "You're sure you're okay with getting involved in this, right? I'm not sure how safe it's going to be and I wouldn't want you getting involved just because you feel bad for me."
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Ren
Dec 5, 2017 19:40:33 GMT -6
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"Hmmmmm...." The acolyte took in Mitsuko's descriptions thoughtfully. "The first order of business, then, would be to check out his apartment. We might be able to establish a time frame for when he was taken. In mystery books, detectives look to see if the room is in disarray to see if there are signs of a struggle, or if the occupant had come home or not — for example, if there are dishes in the sink it might be that he went out again after eating, or if clothes are missing he may have gone of his own will, or at least his own power. If you were the last person to see him, then it's unlikely we'd get anything from retracing his steps, but maybe he met someone beforehand or something happened before you met. Was he acting strangely, or different from normal when you last saw him?"

Mitsuko's quiet voice interrupted her train of thought. "Of course it's okay!" Ren looked at her, face filled with emotion as she held a hand to her heart. "I would never have been strong enough to seek out Hangetsu on my own, much less strong enough to face the worst. I had a friend there for me, and though it was bad, it was bearable. I promise, Mitsuko, I will see this through with you, like Johar did for me. I don't know how this will end, but I'll be there for you every step of the way."

She stood then, brushing her rear end free from dust and leaves. "Come on, why don't we go to my quarters? We can write down what we know, and supplies we might need as we search."
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Anonymous
Dec 6, 2017 16:50:19 GMT -6
She thought back to the night she had last seen him, it felt so long ago now. Mitsuko remembered him being particularly nervous about the rising tension but, at that time, she had been as well she didn't think much of it. However, it was possible he was more involved in things than she had originally thought which is perhaps where that anxiety came from.

Mitsuko nibbled on her bottom lip as she tried to think back to what all had happened that day. "Well everything was perfectly normal from what I could tell that day of his disappearance. Leading up to that day though, he seemed to be worried, quiet, sometimes even aloof. I had asked him what was wrong but he didn't really give me a straight answer, he claimed he was worried that Republic City was getting less and less safe with all of the tensions. We've never been the type of siblings to talk about our feelings or have a heart to heart, so I didn't really think twice about it at the time."

She cocked her head to the side as a realization dawned on her, "Thinking about it, everything seemed almost too normal the last day I saw him. He was himself, positive, sarcastic, I just figured he was in a good mood. But maybe he had met with someone, maybe he knew something was going to happen, so he was trying to act like everything was okay. That night, he came home late but that wasn't uncommon for him. What was a little odd was the fact that he looked tired, as if he had just ran a race or maybe even gotten into a fight. He wasn't beat up but he was breathing heavily. He also said good night to me which sounds perfectly normal except for the fact that I was asleep on the couch and he woke me up to tell me he was home and heading to bed. Usually he'd just let me sleep. I was tired when he did it, so I guess I just never thought twice about that either."

Mitsuko couldn't help but smile at Ren's words. It gave her the reminder that she desperately needed, the reminder that she wasn't alone in all of this. That she didn't need to do this all on her own, and that was the greatest comfort she could have ever possibly asked for. "Thank you, Ren. Really, I can't even begin to thank you enough for all of this."

She stood, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Things were starting to look up after all. "That sounds like a perfect idea."
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Ren
Dec 16, 2017 10:33:37 GMT -6
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With a smile, Ren led the way to her room in the family section of the grounds. The head acolyte had honoured her request to live in a gender-neutral space; she had always found herself more comfortable around families in general, so it seemed like the most natural place to be.

Her room itself was modest in size and decor. In the left far corner (if viewing from her door) was her futon, laying parallel to the back wall. Across from that was the bookshelf, the shelves facing the door. Along the right-side wall, perpendicular to the bookcase, was her small lap table where her calligraphy kit sat, opened, papers stacked neatly next to it. A couple of (very) dead potted succulents sat at the window. In the middle of the floor was a small wooden table with an electric heating coil underneath it — the kotatsu blanket had been put away though, unneeded as the city began transitioning into summer months. All of her furniture was situated low to the ground, in the traditional manner, requiring people to sit on the floor. Luckily, there were plenty of pillows with which to make oneself comfortable.

It was to these that Ren gestured to, motioning for Mitsuko to sit at the kotatsu table. After a few moments of rummaging around with her calligraphy stand, she joined her.

She lay a piece of paper flat on the table, picking up a pen — despite her temptation to use her calligraphy brush — and writing in very neat and precise (albeit slightly slanted) block text at the top: WHAT WE KNOW.

With perhaps surprising deftness, Ren then made a bulleted list of the things they had discussed outside. Her writing was impeccable despite her speed; her transcription skills were definitely coming in handy.

"So how's this?" She read off the list to make sure that it had everything they talked about — Mitsuko's brother's last known whereabouts, the places he liked to hang out, his demeanour, and where he worked. When she had finished, she tapped the pen on her chin as she thought.

"Is there anything else? Do you know any of his friends, anyone we could talk to about the day of his disappearance, or perhaps even the days leading up to his disappearance?"

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