There was a nice couple that Mana and I used to know when we lived in England. They ran a little inn, and every year since he passed on, they've invited me to come spend the holidays with them.

This year, I'm taking them up on it. With everything that's been going on, I need to get away for awhile and clear my head.

[NVPB]

I've been hard at work on a song the last few days. Timcampy learned this one even faster than the other ones I wrote. He's getting more people-friendly now, too, when one of my neighbors was over here yesterday he flew out of his cage and perched on her head. He stayed there the whole time, I even had to remove him when she left.

[Filtered From Kallen]

Kallen's birthday is Wednesday. I ordered one of the really nice little cakes we have at work, plus some other nice foods, to bring her – and, of course, a huge jar of every kind of gummy candy we have – although with Plates being the kind of place that it is, they're called "soft jellies."

I looked at the calendar and saw it's only a month until Christmas. (No wonder I feel so cold!) So much has happened since last year. I've got a lot more people to get gifts for!

Filtered from Cesare, NVPB

I've never had a boyfriend at the holidays before, and Cesare is, well, rich, so I have no idea what to get him. (Other than the song I'm writing for him, that is.)

My date the other night was everything I could have hoped for, and more. We're going to be seeing each other again this Friday. I'm now very, very glad I went to that Halloween party.

[Private, Hackable to Bandmates and Cesare]

It's a beautiful feeling to not wake up all alone. His bed was so warm . . .

It seems that whenever one of my friends starts to get better nowadays, another gets sick or injured. Kallen finally got out of the hospital, and Lavi's wrist is starting to heal . . . and now Lee is in the hospital with a broken leg.

I'm going to see him on the way home from work, so Cesare, I'll be home a little later than usual. I'll call you when I'm back at my apartment.

I'm keeping an eye on the news to find out what's going to happen with Shinra. From what Lavi tells me, Kanda's barely been home since the incident.

I met a man at the Halloween party. He bought me a drink and we danced.

I can't get him off my mind.

I have a date with him on Friday. No, I'm not counting down the hours. Really.

Just about ready for trick-or-treating! Costume's all ready to go, and for an older, recycled costume, it looks pretty good! I still have no idea what Lavi and Kanda are wearing.

Private, unhackable

When I was digging around for the pieces of my costume, I found a picture of me with . . . him. Edward. It still hurts, thinking about how it ended. I know it was my fault, I shouldn't have gotten drunk, shouldn't have let things go as far with Lavi as they did . . . and the irony is the whole reason I did anything with Lavi was so I'd be ready when it came time to be with Edward.

Since then, I've renewed my whole life. New job, new friends, new pet, new apartment, a bunch of new songs.

Am I finally ready for a new love as well?

Ready for Trick-or-Treating! I rearranged my work schedule so I have the late afternoon and evening completely free, and I don't have to work at all Saturday, so I can stay out as late as I want.

My costume for the party is going to be a bit easier to move around than the one I had last year. It was fun wearing a Goth Loli dress for one night, but it's not something I want to do again.

I have no idea whatsoever if Kanda is coming with us. Guess I'll find out that night.

Anybody know anything about this new Kita Land 2.0 park that's being built? Lavi, we're going to have to go. I'll organize a group to go with us.

Meanwhile, I've got my apartment decorated for Halloween. I've got a couple of pumpkins (Lavi, do you want to come over and carve Jack-o-Lanterns with me?) and some ghost lights and a big candle in the shape of a witch's cauldron. Still trying to decide between the two costumes.

I got out both my Halloween costumes and tried them on, and they still look good! I think I'm going to wear the catboy one to go out trick-or-treating and the angel one to go partying later.

Lavi's coming with us, and I'm so glad. He needs it, badly. On top of everything else he's been through, being in a cast must be really getting him down.

I just hope Kallen's well enough to come out with us by then.

[Private, hackable to Lavi and Kanda]

I'm slowly starting to feel better about what happened that night with Lavi. I don't have the guilt eating me away inside since he and I talked, and since we found out who shot him. I don't think I realized how much it was holding me back until now, in all areas of my life.

So here I am, worried about Sakura and Kallen because of their states of health, worried about Lavi because of what he's going through . . .

And I'm trying to keep myself calm and focused by doing silly memes.

( Trick or Treat Meme )

I couldn't fall asleep last night. After seeing what Lavi posted, about the memories from that night coming back, it just kept replaying itself over and over in my head.

I tell myself that I shouldn't feel guilty about it, but I do. He was trying to help me when he got shot. And then I just did what he said when he told me to go back home.

I should have insisted I wasn't going to leave him. I should have taken him to a hospital right then.

And now I'm worrying about Lavi because of what the memories are doing to him. On top of that, I'm worrying about Kallen because she's pushing herself too hard again and she's going to make herself sick.

I ended up taking a heavy dose of cold medicine, even though I don't really need it anymore, or else I wouldn't have slept at all.

I think I picked up a slight cold at work. I've been sniffling and coughing all day. Maybe it's a good thing that we can't practice as a band while Lavi's hand is out of commission, because I don't think I'd be able to sing anyway.

I don't want to give this to them. I've seen Kanda when he's sick. It's not something I'd want my worst enemy to deal with, let alone Lavi.

We're out of commission as a band for a little while. Lavi got into an accident and dislocated his wrist. I'm just glad he wasn't hurt worse. I'm going to be keeping him company later until Kanda gets home from work – I don't think he's still going to want to go out clubbing if he's in pain.

I finally got a television. I figured I might as well, since I'm paying for the cable hookup. The news broadcasts just annoy me. They don't reflect what life around here is really like at all.

Kallen, I'm still interested in getting together sometime, just say the word. And I haven't heard anything about Zero yet.

I met a girl coming home from work the other day and we got to talking. She's got a background that's similar to mine in a lot of ways, I don't meet very many people like that. So, I've made a new friend!

My canary (I think the name Timcampy is going to stick) is more intelligent than I thought birds could be. Namely, he's found more ways to escape his cage than I can keep up with. Most of the time when I'm home now, he kind of flitters around behind me wherever I go, and sometimes sits on my head. I don't mind, though.

[NVPB]

I even think he's started to learn my songs. A couple of times, I've heard him chirp in a way that sounds suspiciously like what I was just working on.

Lavi, Kanda, when can we get together and have a band rehearsal?

Lavi clogged my phone with messages again. This time, I actually answered them! I'm so happy that they're engaged now! Lavi was so miserable when they were apart.

Me, I'm busy with work and my new bird and . . . other things. (Oiishi, my boss said he wants to interview you and your friend sometime this week after your classes, he's very glad for the help!)

NVPB

Lavi played me a version of a song we'd written several months ago when I was at his place. He really, really improved on it. I've been working on it as well. Now that Lavi and Kanda are back together, I want to have a band rehearsal as soon as we can. We have something here. I just know it.

I really, really want us to be able to play at the rebellion's next big rally.

I think I've permanently adopted a pet bird. There's a couple in my apartment building who have a lot of canaries, they breed them. One of the smaller ones kept escaping from them and flying around the hall. Whenever it would see me coming, the bird would land on my head and stay there. I'd bring it back to the couple, and the next day, the whole thing would start all over again.

Today, the wife said to me, "You might as well keep him, he's adopted you!"

So now, I have this cute little yellow bird in a little cage lined with a junk mail jewelry catalogue. I'm trying to think of a permanent name for him. Right now, I'm calling him "Timcampy," since that's the company whose catalogue is in his cage.

[NVPB]

He seems to like hearing me play music. Sometimes, it even sounds like he's trying to sing along with me.

My new job at the gourmet food store is very hectic! Lavi teases me about wanting to eat all the food there, but I wouldn't have time to do it. You'd be amazed at how many people want overpriced coffee beans and pasta scooped out by hand for them.

[NVPB]

You'd think I'd be exhausted when I get home, but I'm fired up. I've been writing a lot over the past few days, more than I ever have. I want to show them to Kanda and Lavi as soon as I can.

I think it's hearing about what happened with the protest that's made me go crazy writing like this. I've stayed away from getting involved in the rebellion until now, but . . . now I'm remembering when Mana used to go to the meetings during the first rebellion. He'd come home, and he'd want to play music more than anything, and we'd go into the secret room at the back of the apartment and work on songs.

He'd like that I'm part of a band now, I think. I don't know if he'd like Kanda.

Lavi, why is my phone completely clogged with text messages from you?

(Is it good news on the Kanda front?)