[BitPR²] Mortal World IV

[Selinia]

Spoiler

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[Okinawa, Japan]
(Asahi Apartment)

Umeko smiles as she continues to chow down. "...well then, to more milestones?" With that toast out of the way, she fills the evening with more casual conversation, eventually turning in for a short nap before work.

Of course, she's up and out by 6:30, heading out to the training facility. While she appreciated Naomi's company, it was quite a relief to get back to semi-normality. Of course, her trainees had some incredulous comments to get out of the way before she could return to her routine, after all Asahi Umeko calling in a sick day was like a snowy day in summer. But of course, there was little time for nonsense. She cracks the whip right into her usual drills before the entire team's given their jokes.

She's done by mid-afternoon, trading off to one of the other trainers and running back to her apartment. Given the beaches' proximity to her apartment complex and her speed, hopefully she'll make it back in time to meet Naomi. In either case, she picks out one of her nicer shirts and pants and heads out to the restaurant for the meet.

(Sunset Izakaya)

Sitting at a private dining area in a somewhat high-class beachside izakaya, Kiku Kimura waits for the scheduled meet time, calmly sipping on a beer. She's got her laptop out, perusing some of Naomi's work and other details. Her work, her social media pages, anything at all.

Based on her style (somewhat stylized, something like the more quirky popular works with lots of color), Kimura can say it's at least worth a try. And after all, she'd been in a rather good mood lately with Von Geister's contracts. If this went well, she could think about starting her own publishing company! There are certainly worse ways to make money than to exploit prop up artists looking for more creative license in an industry that sometimes takes the safe route to save money.

[Okinawa, Japan]
[Asahi Apartment > City > Sunset Izakaya]

Naomi finishes up her meal and goes back to fiddling with her laptop for a while - productively for once, organizing the myriad scans and folders of her work into something a bit easier for someone to browse through. And highlighting her best work, of course: some of her best pages or individual drawings, as well as the images she'd done on per-piece commission from time to time. Despite not being tired though, Naomi eventually forces herself to get to sleep purely so that she isn't dozing off the next evening.

Being back to work, after all that's happened, still feels... surprisingly normal, really. The manager at the costume cafe doesn't even comment on Naomi's brief absence (she's never been the most reliable with the timing of her days off), and she spends her day in absurd fake armor taking orders, stares, and the usual cringeworthy flirting from people completely unaware that she has just undergone a life-changing experience that would completely shatter the worldview of anyone to be subjected to such. Still, it's just work, and Naomi's shift is up soon enough, the artist practically bouncing back to Umeko's apartment to change.

After a quick shower and a change into her best clothes (which admittedly are still just a nice top and pants without too many wrinkles, plus a professional-looking braid for her otherwise somewhat unruly hair) Naomi joins Umeko in a walk to the nearby resturant, chatting cheerily and casually about her day. Thumbdrive in her pocket and with a desperate interest in not screwing this up, the artist offers a respectful bow to Kimura upon arriving and being directed to a table. The laptop is noted as Naomi introduces herself, and she can't help but wonder if this person has already formed an opinion of some sort.

"...Hello! You're Kimura, right? I mean, Ms. Kiku. I'm Hisakawa Naomi, and this is my girlfriend Asahi Umeko. Thank you very much for seeing us today. I actually had a portfolio prepared, but uh, if you'll forgive me for looking over your shoulder a bit, it looks like you've already been researching me a bit. So we can start with that, if you like."

[Kuroimaken]

[Somewhere in Russia]

<"Going to say goodbye to your wife or something like that? I've never met a recently deceased with that kind of ability.

In point of fact, anyone who could do something like what you're doing now, by all rights, wouldn't have any unresolved business that time itself didn't take care of.

Begging the obvious question...">

[strawberryman]

Spoiler

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[Okinawa, Japan]
[Asahi Apartment > City > Sunset Izakaya]

Naomi finishes up her meal and goes back to fiddling with her laptop for a while - productively for once, organizing the myriad scans and folders of her work into something a bit easier for someone to browse through. And highlighting her best work, of course: some of her best pages or individual drawings, as well as the images she'd done on per-piece commission from time to time. Despite not being tired though, Naomi eventually forces herself to get to sleep purely so that she isn't dozing off the next evening.

Being back to work, after all that's happened, still feels... surprisingly normal, really. The manager at the costume cafe doesn't even comment on Naomi's brief absence (she's never been the most reliable with the timing of her days off), and she spends her day in absurd fake armor taking orders, stares, and the usual cringeworthy flirting from people completely unaware that she has just undergone a life-changing experience that would completely shatter the worldview of anyone to be subjected to such. Still, it's just work, and Naomi's shift is up soon enough, the artist practically bouncing back to Umeko's apartment to change.

After a quick shower and a change into her best clothes (which admittedly are still just a nice top and pants without too many wrinkles, plus a professional-looking braid for her otherwise somewhat unruly hair) Naomi joins Umeko in a walk to the nearby resturant, chatting cheerily and casually about her day. Thumbdrive in her pocket and with a desperate interest in not screwing this up, the artist offers a respectful bow to Kimura upon arriving and being directed to a table. The laptop is noted as Naomi introduces herself, and she can't help but wonder if this person has already formed an opinion of some sort.

"...Hello! You're Kimura, right? I mean, Ms. Kiku. I'm Hisakawa Naomi, and this is my girlfriend Asahi Umeko. Thank you very much for seeing us today. I actually had a portfolio prepared, but uh, if you'll forgive me for looking over your shoulder a bit, it looks like you've already been researching me a bit. So we can start with that, if you like."

Admittedly, what might be surprising to the pair is how young she looks, she definitely looks like she can't be older than either of them. She's in a plain clean white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and honestly looks more like a lazy college student than some kind of savvy investor. But who knows, maybe she's some kind of eccentric genius.

Umeko bows slightly, giving a small and guarded smile. She resists the urge to say anything about Kimura's age or clothes. "...Naomi said it all. I'm here for her, though probably won't have much to say, but I'll also offer thanks for this chance."

Kimura smirks and waves to the other side of the table. "It's fine, really. And call me Kimura! Beer? Something stronger?" She flags a waiter, gesturing to take their drink orders as the pair likely seat themselves. The table is low, such that the customer needs to sit on the floor on a soft pillow, but this is not exactly uncommon in Japan. Umeko orders her favorite beer, not wanting to turn down the hospitality. After they've been seen to, Kimura cuts right into it.

"And, yeah. I like to do a bit of legwork, especially in investments like this. But, well, it sounds to me from some of your blog entries and your... general lack of presence in the industry, that you haven't had much luck pitching your product. But... I have to say, from a personal standpoint, I like your stuff! It's fresh." She casually sips from her beer, leaning forward a bit. "So... I have a few questions for you. For one, why should I give you a chance? For two, if I do give you a chance, what is the product you'll be putting forward? Well, in a less businesslike standpoint, if you had to pick one of your series to put out there, which one would it be? I'd like to hear a little about it, of course." She shrugs after a moment.

"...don't get me wrong. I'm probably giving you a shot here. I just want to know that you're confident in what you're doing, and that if I give you this chance, we'll both be rewarded for it. A little selfish, maybe, but aren't we all, to a point?" Perhaps a crude viewpoint, but it's not completely wrong!

[Frozen_Feet]

At the remark about recently deceased, the stranger chuckles. <"Maybe you've just not been fast enough."> Not having any more candy, he gets back on his bike. <"That's what you say, but honestly? You wouldn't be in that form if you didn't have any such business yourself."> He restarts the engine. <"Maybe you're just in denial. It's never too late, as they say.">

[Kuroimaken]

<"My regular form is that of a giant bat. My only unfinished business would probably lie with a meal and pissing away liquid plasma.

I use this form because it amuses me.">

Sagarosso still didn't really know what unfinished business that was.

<"I'm going to tag along. If you go on a killing spree, it's a show. If you don't, I can always find out what is more interesting than a killing spree.">

[Frozen_Feet]

<"Denial it is">, the stranger remarks off-handedly while getting back on the road, continuing his journey east. Sagarosso can probably keep up with the bike, no problem, the only difference is that he's using his own energy, while the stranger is relying on good old fossil fuels.

It's going to take hours before the next stop, and the stranger has very little to say to the "vampire". So unless Sagarosso keeps making noise himself, he's going to have a boring trip.

[Kuroimaken]

Comparatively speaking, the old bat is spending a lot less energy than the stranger's bike.

He did fly across the bloody Atlantic under his own power, after all.

For the most part, he chooses to follow from above, using nearby ascending currents to pick up altitude and occasionally speed. Right now he's the biggest bird of prey someone has ever not-seen. He wasn't lying though. He has no unfinished business; right now his interest in the stranger is built on nothing but ennui.

[Selinia]

[Okinawa, Japan]
[Sunset Izakaya]

Naomi partakes of a beer as well - she'd ordinarily probably try something a bit stronger, but she'd rather avoid muddling her thoughts at the moment. She listens to Kimura's requests, nodding along and forcing herself to give the questions proper thought before just blurting out an answer.

"Well... okay, in all honesty? I don't have much to offer on paper. I've got no real work experience, I'm sort of terrible dealing with editors - I'm trying to work on that - and my grades out of school were pretty mediocre. I didn't really go anywhere prestigious and most of the stuff I've done was just because I wanted to see that art come to life. But... I'm also not someone who just copies other peoples' styles. I've looked around, and I can't really see any major publishers that are producing the kind of stuff I am. I can't promise you that people will buy my stuff, because I really have no idea what makes people buy some things and overlook others, but I can bet you that the people who do buy it are going to talk about it. Because it's different, it's good, and I like to think people respect that."

"As for what I'd start with, if I could? I've got a lot of open projects, but one I've got here is something I think I could take a lot further than a few chapters. Here, this is what I've got so far..." Naomi hands over a binder with a mocked-up cover on the front and what looks like... close to a volume's worth of page's printed out and clamped loosely inside. If allowed to continue uninterrupted, the artist will quickly outline the story - Sparks (working title): a modern fantasy story of a group of flawed humans trying to harness the power of gods to avert a looming apocalypse. The action scenes are short, stylized, and brutal, and the focus seems to be on the antiheroes and their relations and choices far more than the abstract foes they fight.

The genre is a little fuzzy - some strong elements of serious romance (between two of the female leads, no less) edge it away from most of its similar counterparts - but the writing is solid, and the art is very evocative. The amount of detail Naomi puts into even some of the 'downtime' scenes is quite impressive, and she'll probably prattle on about it almost indefinitely until someone else makes a comment.

[strawberryman]

[Okinawa, Japan]
(Sunset Izakaya)

Kimura leans forward on the table casually, balancing on her elbows while Naomi speaks. "Confidence in your product, I like that. Well, I'm prepared to take care of marketing for a larger share, this time I'll let it slide, but we can talk numbers in the long run." When Naomi puts the draft for Sparks forward, she flips through it quickly, stopping at pages of interest and just getting a feel for it while the artist walks through the concept. Kimura lets her go for a little while, paying special attention to the story outline, as well as how she'd plan to space the issues out. But eventually, she puts a hand up in a pausing gesture, nodding and putting it down when she stops.

"I think I get the gist of it. Don't want too many spoilers, after all." This might be a joke, but she doesn't really change her expression any. "You've got some neat ideas, I'll give you that; but I can see why the big dogs wouldn't want to publish you. It's risky and exhausting putting in effort when the status quo is set to be so lucrative for the older titles that have been going a while. But independent publishing just doesn't have the support of good marketing or publicity. I think I can help you sell this, though. Now, I don't know if you've considered digital or print but I think you could benefit from both. I have a few tech management guys on my side, I'll work that into the figures." Kimura waves it off. "I'll admit this is pretty new to me, so it might be fluid in how your royalties are based on how much I'm spending, but I'm willing to work with you so you get more of a cut than you might get through a bigger publisher. Chalk that up to you being under Old Ghosty's watch, no offense. But!"

"...it's not just that. I'm a manga fan myself, and your work is pretty neat. I won't ask you to compromise that, especially if it sells. If not, well, hope you understand if I jump ship. I'm not a charity. But I won't force you to change it, at least. But that said, I've got a pretty good feeling that we can at least turn a bit of profit here. We'll see how much, but as long as it's not bleeding money, I'm good for it."

[Kuroimaken]

[Somewhere important and ominous]

"President, there is a call for you from the Ikari City Police Department."

[strawberryman]

[Somewhere Ominous, also known as Tokyo, Japan]
(Moto Corp)

Satomi Moto, for a brief fraction of a moment, is legitimately surprised at the message through her intercom. But then the gears start ticking. Ikari, of course. Likely related to the quincies dealing with her son and top agent. It was likely a ploy. But for now, she would humor them. Only a small percentage of her consideration is "wasted" on the possibility that this is a legitimate issue. Nonetheless, she activates the line, sitting back and speaking clearly. High tech speakers are quite convenient.

"This is Satomi Moto. How can I help you, officers?"

[Selinia]

[Okinawa, Japan]
[Sunset Izakaya]

Somewhat reserved though the approval might be, it's still plenty to send Naomi through the metaphorical roof, pumping a fist enthusiastically and returning a wide smile.

"A fair chance is a lot more than anyone I've talked to so far has offered! Well, any of the big publishing houses, at least. If I manage to screw this up, at least I've got nobody but myself to blame this time! As for digital distribution - well, you saw my site, right? I've got no problem with that. It's how I've gotten most of my commissioned work. Honestly, I'm online a lot, so it's not really a new idea to me."

"As for money, well..." Naomi hesitates for a moment, looking to Umeko before rallying to continue. "...I get that this sort of thing isn't exactly going to be providing serious returns out of the gate. I've got a job I can get by on already, and the hours leave me plenty of time to draw. I sort of... well, I pretty much just moved in with Ume, and I'm really hoping I'll be in a place to pull my weight before too long - we're looking at buying a house to grow into, so we're going to need all the income we can get. But... right this second, I'm willing to take whatever cut you're able to give me in order to get my work out there."

[Kuroimaken]

[Somewhere Ominous, also known as Tokyo, Japan]
(Moto Corp)

Satomi Moto, for a brief fraction of a moment, is legitimately surprised at the message through her intercom. But then the gears start ticking. Ikari, of course. Likely related to the quincies dealing with her son and top agent. It was likely a ploy. But for now, she would humor them. Only a small percentage of her consideration is "wasted" on the possibility that this is a legitimate issue. Nonetheless, she activates the line, sitting back and speaking clearly. High tech speakers are quite convenient.

"This is Satomi Moto. How can I help you, officers?"

A gruff, gravelly voice responds from the other side. "Afternoon, ma'am. This is officer Kondo of the Ikari Police Department.

We regret to inform you we have found a dead body whose description and identifications match your son's, along with one Shizuka Misaki.

We need you to come to the Ikari City Morgue to identify and deal with the body."

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Moto Corp - Phone Call)

Satomi is quiet for a few moments. Of all the things that go through her head, grief is not one of them. On one hand, this could be legitimate. However even if it were, his murderers would likely be counting on this, and could use it to draw her in. And anyone who could kill Misaki was not to be trifled with. On the other hand... everything about this stunk of a trap. The best case scenario was quite out there, that she would be able to go there and leave with no issues. Sure, that would happen. But nonetheless, she had to answer.

"...very well. However, I would request you first speak to Commander Ueno of the Tokyo Police Department to have the body transported to the city; I am sure he can clear up any jurisdictional issues. I am afraid I am extremely busy, I am in the process of renegotiating for several important contracts. This is a tragedy, but I should not allow it to be compounded by putting employees out of work if these contracts fall through. I cannot simply drop everything to go to Ikari." ...well, she sounded cold, but not much more or less than the average ruthless business woman.

[Kuroimaken]

"That is unfortunately not a possibility at this time, ma'am. Standard operation procedure requires that the body be identified within the same jurisdiction where it was found. Moving the body without strict legal authorization prior to the authentication of the same is something beyond the ability of the Metropolitan Police Department to authorize on its own. Besides, until his identity is fully confirmed, I'm afraid you have no legal claim to the remains either. We understand this is tremendously bothersome and we wish there was a way we could proceed differently, but this is where we stand now.

We also cannot legally maintain such a procedure open for more than 20 business days. If you could make it to Ikari city within that time, the identification process would take no more than two hours."

The officer on the other side appears to be unfazed by her reply.

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Moto Corp - Phone Call)

"Not accounting for travel time. May I assign an intermediary? My secretary is just as capable of identifying Yoshiro as myself." She's putting up quite a fight. Maybe she's worried? Who knows. But if the "officer" doesn't relent, she gives an exhalation of breath to subtly express her disapproval and annoyance. If this turned out to be a standard affair she'd have to see about sinking her claws into the Ikari police department and doing some restructuring. Of course she would probably do that anyway, given the plan to become the dominant quincy clan in Japan, but of course that somewhat requires survival.

"Fine. I will open a window for tomorrow. I expect expediency. You can send notice of any required paperwork to my secretary so I may have it prepared pre-signature by tomorrow, and I won't tolerate any dalliance." Way to go, Satomi, playing hard ball to make it seem like the cops are the bad guy in this! It's almost something a sociable human being would do!

"Is there anything further?"

[Kuroimaken]

"We have arranged for all the necessary paperwork to be forwarded to your secretary, though it shouldn't be necessary to actually sign if it turns out the young man in question is not, in fact, your son." The officer complies.

"Once again, we apologize for this disturbance. And for what it's worth, should it turn out for the worse, we are sorry for your loss."

Shortly after a cordial goodbye and hanging up, Hasunaga sighed heavily out and commented to Yoshiro.

"No offense, kid, but calling your mother a stone cold-hearted bitch might be a disservice to the kind anywhere."

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]

Yoshiro sighs. "She was always distant. I didn't know it was this bad until... until recently." He runs his knuckles across his temple tiredly. Misaki and Yuuta weren't in the room, they were prepping.

"...so what do I need to do?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Nothing much. We'll need you close by the building, but you won't be a stand-in for a corpse or anything.

See, we're going to use one of the Kuzunoha spells to displace the location of your spiritual pressure. This should convince Satomi your soul is, in fact, not in your body anymore, but still hanging around somehow. A makeshift corpse has been prepared that should stand up to all but the closest of scrutiny. Which is, if someone asks for an actual DNA test. But within the time of the operation, that won't come up.

The spell doesn't have very long range though. You'll have to be close by the building, though we'll make sure you can't be detected. She knows she's heading into enemy territory, so she can't afford the overt use of her agents. Done properly, Satomi will be left to her devices and her wits."

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]

Yoshiro nods slightly. "Very well. Let's hope this works, then." Not much more to say than that!

[Okinawa, Japan]
(Sunset Izakaya)

Kimura nods, sipping on her beer as Naomi talks. "Figured you'd be good for digital. Makes the startup pretty easy. But yeah, gotta build a base."

Umeko offers one of her slight smiles at Naomi for encouragement when it comes to talking about pulling her weight. Kimura shrugs. "...and hey, if you want to use me as a reference to get a better job while you're still in the startup phase, s'fine by me. I know what it's like to be hard on cash, I'm an orphan. I guess I've mostly lucked out recently, but let's not split hairs, right?"

"Now how about we order something a little harder to seal this deal, right?" She waves a waiter over, mumbles something, and smirks a little as the woman brings back several glasses with ice in them, and a bottle, pouring equal amounts out before bowing and leaving the bottle behind.

"Awamori. Figure I'd drink in style since I'm in Okinawa, right?" She raises her glass. Umeko looks a little nonplussed, grasping her own glass still so as not to be rude.

"So, what're we drinking to?" Umeko thinks, looking to Nao with a thoughtful smile.

"...to a happy future?"

[Kuroimaken]

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry we couldn't find a better alternative. This is exactly the sort of thing I'd hoped I could avoid dragging any of you through. Hell, it goes against everything I sworn I'd even get involved in so many years ago. But... here we are." Hasunaga notes to the youth.

___________________________

[Izumo-Taisha]

Normally, this section is closed to the public even during visiting hours.

But nothing about what is going to happen here could be called 'normal'.

For one thing, Shaya appears to be holding a shiny, bright green rock at the end of some red string as she walks around...

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]

Yoshiro sighs. "...if anything, the events up to now and her behavior... makes it all the clearer. I can't say I never really knew who she was. And now... I still don't know, because I can barely comprehend how cold she seems."

[Izumo, Japan]

Katsuo follows behind Shaya as quiet as ever, taking in the atmosphere. His guard is up, but he's really not sure what to expect...

[Kuroimaken]

((Gonna give Dorizzit the opportunity to respond before I continue with the Izumo events.))

"She's still your mother. Your blood. I'm surprised how you seem to balk more at the idea of killing than the fact we're talking about her.

But I guess everyone views the issue differently. If she weren't this dangerous, we could probably explore other options...

I have a different question for you, though."

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]

"...I am closer to Yuuta, my driver, than I am to her. She had handlers for me. She almost never spoke with me." Yoshiro sighs. "I don't know her. Blood only counts for so much."

He raises an eyebrow slightly. "...what question, then?"

[Kuroimaken]

"What are your plans once we're done dealing with your family?"

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]

Yoshiro is somewhat taken off guard by this. It's clear he doesn't have a prepared answer. "...if I were to be honest, I have no idea. But I believe there's hope for Misaki. That perhaps she can lead a normal life. And if I have to be the one to see that happen... then I suppose that's my lot in life." He's a little businesslike about that admission, but depending on how good Hasunaga is at reading people, it's pretty obvious there's some flustered self-denial there.

"I'll reveal the truth to the Akiyamas, and... I will hope they can be merciful to her. The Moto clan itself... perhaps it can be redeemed, and if not, then I'm afraid it's on those stronger than me to see to their punishment. Other than that... I'm a businessman, not a fighter." He offers an exasperated shrug. He was really not in his element here.

[Kuroimaken]

"Good a plan as any. Although, personally, I would hold off on telling the Akiyamas the truth. At least as far as delivering her is concerned.

Three reasons I can think of.

One. It's not your decision to make. It's Misaki's. But you know she'll go along with whatever you say. Just because the Akiyamas deserve to know the truth, doesn't mean it has to come from you. And it certainly doesn't mean she has to face their hatred.

Two. Your mother was the one who had the Akiyamas dismembered, and Misaki certainly didn't do the deed alone. Letting her face their justice, whatever it may be, won't bring the Akiyamas back. Besides, she's hard at work to redeem herself, to earn your love. Taking your mother out is as good a way to make up for her mistakes as any, even if only in part..."

[Selinia]

Spoiler

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[Ikari, Japan]

Yoshiro nods slightly. "Very well. Let's hope this works, then." Not much more to say than that!

[Okinawa, Japan]
(Sunset Izakaya)

Kimura nods, sipping on her beer as Naomi talks. "Figured you'd be good for digital. Makes the startup pretty easy. But yeah, gotta build a base."

Umeko offers one of her slight smiles at Naomi for encouragement when it comes to talking about pulling her weight. Kimura shrugs. "...and hey, if you want to use me as a reference to get a better job while you're still in the startup phase, s'fine by me. I know what it's like to be hard on cash, I'm an orphan. I guess I've mostly lucked out recently, but let's not split hairs, right?"

"Now how about we order something a little harder to seal this deal, right?" She waves a waiter over, mumbles something, and smirks a little as the woman brings back several glasses with ice in them, and a bottle, pouring equal amounts out before bowing and leaving the bottle behind.

"Awamori. Figure I'd drink in style since I'm in Okinawa, right?" She raises her glass. Umeko looks a little nonplussed, grasping her own glass still so as not to be rude.

"So, what're we drinking to?" Umeko thinks, looking to Nao with a thoughtful smile.

"...to a happy future?"

[Okinawa, Japan]
[Sunset Izakaya]

Naomi isn't too enthusiastic about the drink of choice - hard liquor never really suited her - but raises a glass anyway for the sake of politeness. Still, the toast she could get behind.

"...happiness and prosperity! And we could probably use more than our share of luck, when you get down to it. But what's life without the occasional gamble, right?"

And really, there's not much more to say on that.

[Dorizzit]

[Izumo, Japan]

Naito follows, very clearly wary of the surrounding area.

[Kuroimaken]

[Izumo, Japan]

Shaya continues to lead the boys as she follows that especially attuned dowsing stone, until she seems satisfied and says, "Well, that's it, that's the entrance...

...boys?"

Only then does she realize that neither Naito nor Katsuo are standing behind her right now.

The boys noticed it earlier, of course... in a sense. First, the world turned to negative colors for a moment.

Then their own colors turned mute, and finally grayscale.

Then they stopped seeing each other, though they could still see Shaya in the room, and realized their voices were muted too.

And finally, all at once, they were enveloped by darkness for an instant, before their eyes lay upon two sets of desolate landscapes with neither one in sight. They looked like murky, swampy terrain, dead and twisted trees scattered about everywhere. And such a fog...