It had been happening for weeks on end, even after the storms that had caused issues with the civilian phones had seemed to vanish, and the world had seemingly moved on. Jada’s civilian phone had long since calmed down, but her senshi phone… it still blew up from time to time. And it was driving her up the wall. If she was familiar enough with a Guardian Cat, the poor thing would probably have been harassed up the wall by now, but the only Cat Jada had been on fantastic terms with had been Zirconia, who… was uncontactable. Itsuki, she supposed, but he hadn’t been seen in months. There was Etoile? But she didn’t want to be like ‘I know I haven’t spoken to you in a year or so, TECH SUPPORT PLEASE.’
Sometimes it was a few times a day, sometimes her phone flickered and vibrated for so long Scylla actually got worried her senshi phone was having some sort of magical seizure, but when she went to open the message that had been received there was nothing to be seen. All of the messages that did flicker through were unreadable, with no return address or phone number, no time, no title; those messages vanished as quickly as they could be opened, to the senshi’s supreme frustration. Charybdis, of course, was having no such issues and took DELIGHT in using her fully-functional phone in front of Scylla, beaming with all the snotty snot an 11-year old could muster.
And then, one day, something actually came through. Glynd flickered across her screen, and Jada thought her fingers had never moved faster to try and desperately stab at the electronic device. She almost hear his voice speaking the word, and the feeling of MISSING his presence caught her breath away as she fumbled her phone in shaking hands. His cloak, draped over her shoulders on a cold night as they discussed poetry and she tried to figure out his favorite foods; the crinkle to his eyes when she almost made him laugh. Glynd. Friend. Caedus. There was no name, no title, no way to respond to it, but this time it didn’t disappear between one breath and the next- and it was LEGIBLE.
Sometimes it was a few times a day, sometimes her phone flickered and vibrated for so long Scylla actually got worried her senshi phone was having some sort of magical seizure, but when she went to open the message that had been received there was nothing to be seen. All of the messages that did flicker through were unreadable, with no return address or phone number, no time, no title; those messages vanished as quickly as they could be opened, to the senshi’s supreme frustration. Charybdis, of course, was having no such issues and took DELIGHT in using her fully-functional phone in front of Scylla, beaming with all the snotty snot an 11-year old could muster.
And then, one day, something actually came through. Glynd flickered across her screen, and Jada thought her fingers had never moved faster to try and desperately stab at the electronic device. She almost hear his voice speaking the word, and the feeling of MISSING his presence caught her breath away as she fumbled her phone in shaking hands. His cloak, draped over her shoulders on a cold night as they discussed poetry and she tried to figure out his favorite foods; the crinkle to his eyes when she almost made him laugh. Glynd. Friend. Caedus. There was no name, no title, no way to respond to it, but this time it didn’t disappear between one breath and the next- and it was LEGIBLE.
A Letter From Caedus
Glynd.
I hope this message finds you well, if it finds you at all. I have not been able to make this connection work. I do not know if it is Earth, or here, but I am trying. My messages do not go through but I hope you will see even just one so you know that I am alive, and I am well, and I will see you soon, if all goes well.
I do not know if this message will find you or if it will find someone else. I hope you understand why I cannot say much. But I want you to know that I think of you often and I have been dreaming of Destiny City. I miss our talks. I miss your smile.
Things are not the same when you are not around friends. I have been spoiled by you. It does not feel like I am home. I have been keeping busy. I have worked on healing, but it has been hard. I am not very good at staying still anymore and every shadow makes me suspicious. I do not sleep well, but I do not remember the last time that I did. It is fine. My stomach is always in knots, but I am fine.
I think I will be better when I am back and when things are taken care of. It bothers me that I cannot reach you and I know you are dealing with the same problems that I left you with. I regret that I was not able to do more. I hope that I am not too late. I hope that you will have the upper hand when I see you again.
If things had been different, I would be back by now. But there are many things slowing me down. It is not bad, it is good to be prepared. I will not make mistakes this time. I hope.
I am sorry it has taken so long. I have not forgotten about you. I could not forget about you. I hope you know that.
It is dark and cold here, but it is not like where I was before. It is not what I thought it would be, but it is safe. A world with a heart is warmer. But I am where I need to be, and I have support. And I have a plan to make things right.
I will need your help again. I hope it will be the last time I need to ask. But I think we can fix things. I will tell you more when I see you.
Please be well.
I hope this message finds you well, if it finds you at all. I have not been able to make this connection work. I do not know if it is Earth, or here, but I am trying. My messages do not go through but I hope you will see even just one so you know that I am alive, and I am well, and I will see you soon, if all goes well.
I do not know if this message will find you or if it will find someone else. I hope you understand why I cannot say much. But I want you to know that I think of you often and I have been dreaming of Destiny City. I miss our talks. I miss your smile.
Things are not the same when you are not around friends. I have been spoiled by you. It does not feel like I am home. I have been keeping busy. I have worked on healing, but it has been hard. I am not very good at staying still anymore and every shadow makes me suspicious. I do not sleep well, but I do not remember the last time that I did. It is fine. My stomach is always in knots, but I am fine.
I think I will be better when I am back and when things are taken care of. It bothers me that I cannot reach you and I know you are dealing with the same problems that I left you with. I regret that I was not able to do more. I hope that I am not too late. I hope that you will have the upper hand when I see you again.
If things had been different, I would be back by now. But there are many things slowing me down. It is not bad, it is good to be prepared. I will not make mistakes this time. I hope.
I am sorry it has taken so long. I have not forgotten about you. I could not forget about you. I hope you know that.
It is dark and cold here, but it is not like where I was before. It is not what I thought it would be, but it is safe. A world with a heart is warmer. But I am where I need to be, and I have support. And I have a plan to make things right.
I will need your help again. I hope it will be the last time I need to ask. But I think we can fix things. I will tell you more when I see you.
Please be well.
Her breath came out almost explosively as she finished reading the last word, not even realizing that she had been holding it the entire time she had been reading the message that had come through, desperately poring over each and every letter of every word. There were no hidden meanings, and while if another senshi had seen it they wouldn’t know who it was meant for, or who had sent it, they would know one thing, one section that would speak more meaning to a stranger than the soft, personal affections of the rest.
I have support. And I have a plan to make things right.
That was nice, but Jada found herself staring at the assurances of her friend doing well. Healing. Keeping busy. She was not forgotten- and she wished she could reply, and assure him that he was not forgotten either. That she would help him again. That she could say something to ease the knots in his stomach, to offer her dear friend words of support. Yet when she tried to hit reply, there was no return address to reply to, and frantically typed words could not send to nothing.
Scylla screenshot the message carefully, dreading that the words would disappear, and desperate to keep hold of tangible proof that she hadn’t imagined the whole thing, if it did. And leaning her back against one of the light posts she was passing by, Scylla read the message again and again, closing her eyes and hoping for the day her friend would come home, safe and sound.
I have support. And I have a plan to make things right.
That was nice, but Jada found herself staring at the assurances of her friend doing well. Healing. Keeping busy. She was not forgotten- and she wished she could reply, and assure him that he was not forgotten either. That she would help him again. That she could say something to ease the knots in his stomach, to offer her dear friend words of support. Yet when she tried to hit reply, there was no return address to reply to, and frantically typed words could not send to nothing.
Scylla screenshot the message carefully, dreading that the words would disappear, and desperate to keep hold of tangible proof that she hadn’t imagined the whole thing, if it did. And leaning her back against one of the light posts she was passing by, Scylla read the message again and again, closing her eyes and hoping for the day her friend would come home, safe and sound.
