[For the first time in months, Kiriko's PDA clicks on, but the man kneeling in the dirt on screen is nearly unrecognizable. Much more time has passed for the boy than for the residents of Nesreca: his hair has grown a few inches, and his once well-kept uniform is tattered and filthy. Most notably, there is a bandage around his eyes - Kiriko slowly lifts his trembling hands to remove it. There are wide friction burns around his wrists, as though he had recently been tied up. As the bandage comes off, Kiriko lowers his head, and his blond hair spills over his face. He moans.]

Where...?

[When he does look up, where his left blue eye should be is a bloody and empty socket. His thoughts foggy, Kiriko's memories of this place are slow to return. He turns his head in a feverish daze, but the scenery doesn't register. He moans, falling forward onto his hands. He stays that way a moment before allowing his body to collapse, resting in the cool snow.

It’s not long until a pair of black boots come into view. The owner is not visible from above the knees, because of the angle in which PDA is recording the video. But it’s a woman, obvious from the style of her shoes and the light voice she speaks with.]

Hey. You dead?

[She nudges him with her foot. Not the most compassionate way to look for signs of life, but hey, no reason to get her hands dirty if she doesn’t have to.

Kiriko reacts as though he's been struck by a cattle prod, and rolls onto his back with a shout. When he looks upon the woman's face, his expression warps into horror and disgust, less like a soldier in battle and more like a terrified child.]

W-Who are you?! What the fuck do you want?! [He reaches for his belt as if to draw a weapon, but finds he's been disarmed.]

Relax. [Her voice drawls from above.] I’m not going to hurt you. Looks like you went through hell anyway.

In fact, I might just be convinced to help.

[She crouches beside him, of course at a reasonable distance to avoid at blows he might throw her way. It’s now that her face comes into view; She might have been considered attractive if it wasn’t for the discolored skin and scar covering the left side of her face. There’s a bemused smirk playing on her lips, as if life was a game she just so happened to be winning at.]

So solider, let’s start with your name.

[Kiriko swallows, and his fingers are digging so hard into the dirt that his knucles turn white. He looks ready to attack her - at least, he would, if he could so much as sit up without fainting.]

...Kiriko George.

[She flinches as though struck and her expression darkens with a scowl.] Haha. Real funny. [As deadpan as deadpan can get.] Have a serious answer hiding in that messed up head of yours? [And yet, he does look an awful lot like the woman who happens to share that name. A coincidence, or a joke?]

[Kiriko coughs, his fever putting him back into a daze, but he manages to spit back:] You bitch! If this is about my Dad, fuck you! Tell me where you've taken me, or I'm going to kill you---!

Big words from a man lying on his back.

[She’s not scared of him in the slightest. He’s barely conscious and unarmed; the only person he’s going to get killed is himself. She looks over the pathetic man before her, because he does look like a mirror of her very own death dealer back home, and even the rational part of her mind agrees that something crazy is happening.]

I’ll need more than idle threats to prove you are who you think you are. [Though the threats do help.]

I don't need to prove a damn thing to you...!

[At this point, Kiriko snaps, jumping to his feet and lunging towards her. He reaches for her neck and misses, his fingernails clawing at her face with all the strength he has left.

Bad move, Kiriko. He’s far too close for comfort, so she finds herself reflectively retaliating. She pushes his hands away and then there’s a mean right hook heading right at his face. Without the strength to dodge, it connects with a crack and Kiriko collapses at her feet. The feed ends.]

Now that winter is coming, it'll be easier to keep a blood store going. Some time in the next month, I'd appreciate it if everyone made an appointment with me. If any of you happen to know your blood type, tell me right away. If you don't, I can determine it for you.

[He's doing his best to speak gently, so the idea of jabbing everyone with a needle sounds as appealing as possible.]

I'd like to get small samples from everyone, and if you meet the requirements, start the donations.

We never know when we could have another invasion on our hands, and next time we might not be so lucky.

[The video begins with Kiriko examining a portion of the Apartment wall on the outside. He touches it gently, and then pulls his hand away. Nothing happens, but what he sees causes him to cry out in panic. He turns to the screen gravely.]

...The building's falling apart!

[In fact, to him, the whole city has turned almost to dust.]

Everyone! Listen! We need to evacuate, right now-

[At that moment, Mayuzumi Lin comes out the main door, and does nothing but sigh and look into the sky. What a miserable windy day.

But to Kiriko, something about her is enough to frighten him terribly. He stares at her and covers his mouth, trying to suppress a startled scream. He backs away slowly, and then bolts from the apartments until a very confused Lin is no longer in view.

Once a safe distance away, he inspects his hands, his arms, feels his face. He sighs in relief, but then addresses the PDA.]

What...

What has Libitina done to you all...?!

...It's already the 4th of July...

Hm. I don't think anyone else here is 'American,' huh?

[The Doc says the word as if he isn't sure he would even count. Is he really the only one here? Raven could be, he never thought to ask.

There is a small photograph in his hand, and Kiriko shows it to the screen with a sheepish smile. A black-and-white photo of fellow soldiers, seen long enough to catch a glimpse - he quickly hides it away. Despite the occasion, he doesn't seem to be in a very celebratory mood.]

Happy Independence Day, guys. ...You'd better not be dead...

[The video begins with a bang - quite literally. His handgun extended, Kiriko has calmly shot a deer that had been fleeing deep in the woods. The small animal crumples to its knees, and Kiriko nears it and shoots it again in the head. Storing his gun, the young man kneels down next to the corpse with a half smile.]

Sorry, little guy. Wish things were better for all of us.

[He turns to the PDA and his smile becomes more cheerful. After Yuri's departure, he's felt a little lonely, and wanted to try and solve that.]

Good morning, everyone. I'll be back in a bit, why don't we share a meal together? I know it's hot as hell, but we shoul-

[Kiriko's expression suddenly hardens as a fog seems to cloud the screen. He hadn't noticed it approaching. He stands, and his eyes search the area... What's that smell? Is that...]

..Wait.

[There is a roar as a burning tree crashes down in the distance, and startled, Kiriko jumps. As if watching the ranks of an enemy army draw closer, the boy becomes deathly serious. He covers his mouth with a part of his shirt, an orange glow is reflected in his suddenly cold eyes. He stares ahead the same way a soldier watches death.]

Fire...

[Abandoning his kill, the video clicks off as he begins running in the opposite direction.]

[The Doc's video today is prefaced by a little precautionary message.]

Everyone, stay away from the floodwater. I'd tell you the sort of water and vector-borne diseases you could get but you probably want to take my word for it. If you have come in contact with the water, I'd recommend seeing me for a checkup.

[After that Public Service Announcement, Kiriko motions to a book in his lap. It's a Russian history book he managed to take from the library some time ago, and around him are a few modern ones he's received over time. It appears his Russian has gotten quite good.]

You know... I've been reading these a lot, lately. The world history is more or less the same as what I learned when I was younger...

But... [He laughs nervously.] It's weird. I can't bring myself to read past when I'm from. What if I find out someone I know is dead, or we lost the war? Or worse?

[He understands now how Elizabeth must have felt when he mentioned England. He realizes he shouldn't have done it, now.]

I mean, for most of you, it's probably no big deal. You already know.

[He closes the books, and puts them to the side.]

I don't think I want to.

[Recording without being told, Kiriko's PDA is misbehaving again. Kiriko and his sister Yuri are sharing a quiet moment in his room, reading some books they took from the library. Growing tired, the boy yawns, approaching Yuri from behind and wrapping his arms around his sister’s neck in a sibling hug, his face half-buried in her thick hair. He sighs contently.]

Mmmm.

[Moments pass, and Yuri’s long hair begins to irritate Kiriko, making his face itch. He idly starts playing with it, draping it over her opposite shoulder.]

Oneesan! Your hair is too long.

[Yuri pauses and almost sets aside her book when she hears that comment. The irony might be lost on him, but the timeline she’s remembering brings an amused smile to her face.]

It’s not that long. And I like it.

[Kiriko makes a face as Yuri’s hair starts spilling down her back again, and he begins the very worst attempt you’ve ever seen at braiding. Before long, the poor girl’s beautiful blond locks are in horrible knots.]

“Not that long?!” I don’t know what grew more: you, or your hair! [It seems he’s trying, now, to tie the braid at the top of her head in a bun. It falls down before long and Kiriko gives up.] Ugh! Women and their stupid hair! I’m glad I’m a man. I’ll never have to deal with this.

[And she tries not to laugh. She really, really tries. But it starts out as small giggles and snowballs into pealing laugher before she can stop it because it’s all just too funny. Goodness, Kiriko really has no idea about anything, and it’s absolutely hilarious. Yuri looks over her shoulder at him once she’s regained enough control to take a moment to breath and it takes everything not to lose it again.]

Never say never, Kiriko.

[With that she shifts her focus in detangling the mess that her hair has been twisted into. Fortunately years of practice make it that much easier to unknot the haphazard braid. Beside her, Kiriko's expression slowly turns to panic.]

Huh? What’s so funny? Yuri, what are you talking about?!

...Sis? Sis. Hey!

[And no one gets a chance to hear the reason, as his PDA stops recording.]

[Kiriko starts the video with one hand already strumming an old acoustic guitar, the same one he had been briefly fiddling with in his last broadcast. It looks slightly less broken than before, as he'd spent much time this month finishing its repairs. It's definitely not the best restoration job in the world, but it works. He plays a slow tune that we're going to pretend isn't anachronistic please, showing off the sound as he sings along under his breath. His voice has been well trained, but it's the music of the strings he cares about more than the words.]

So may the sun rise,
And bring hope where it once was forgotten.
Sons can be birds,
Taken broken up to the mountain.

[He stops and thinks, runs his fingers across the strings one last time. He hasn't played it since, well...

After a moment he stretches out his arms, offering the instrument to the screen.]

I wanted everyone to know that this guitar belongs to all of us. I found it a couple of months ago... I thought I'd wait until I was finished fixing it to give it out. I'm thinking of putting it somewhere on the eighth floor where everyone can use it. And if you don't know how to play, I could teach you.

[He sighs deeply.]

That includes Yukio... when he gets back. Someone let him know.

[The feed starts with Kiriko sitting in his room, no longer nearly as cheerful or upbeat - or even angry - as usual. His eyes are blank with boredom. A bit stir-crazy, when he speaks there's something "off" about his tone of voice. In his monotone drawl, there's a sort of unhinged frustration.]

The apartments are so quiet, lately. The network, too... Everyone's disappearing, or leaving Nesreca...

Who's still here?!

[He idly pokes at the strings of a nearby guitar he managed to salvage, and when it fails to entertain him, he sighs and slumps on his chair.]

Maybe she's getting bored with us. Maybe we won't be here for much longer, either...

Or... maybe worse...

[He goes to reach for something in his breast pocket, but his fingers come out empty.]

God damn it... Hey... does anyone have any cigarettes? I'm out. I'll pay if I have to...