Chapter Text
The voice of the pilot on the intercom is the first thing Julian hears as he slowly wakes up from his ‘nap’. But he doesn’t open his eyes right away, wishing to stay asleep. He feels way too comfortable in his position right now, with his chair reclined to perfection and his neck pillow as soft as can be.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the pilot says, "Welcome to Tokyo with Air France. Local time is 4:00 AM."
That sent a jolt through Julian. His eyes snap open, and he nearly breaks his back as he abruptly sits up. His vision slightly blurs, but he quickly rubs it away. He searches through his handbag for his phone in a frantic manner, disorganizing the contents.
Julian lets out a quiet sigh of relief as he finally finds what he’s searching for. He opens his phone, and he looks at it in disbelief. ‘4:00 AM’ is the time written on his phone.
“We are currently descending and will be landing shortly. For your safety, please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until we have come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign is turned off,” the pilot on the intercom continued. Julian nearly forgot about that in his panic. The intercom rings, signaling the end of the announcement.
Julian sits in his chair in disbelief. The flight’s duration was approximately 13-14 hours, since it was a direct flight. And he slept through it all. ‘I SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLIGHT?!’ He thought. ‘Is that even normal?!’
He lets out a soft groan, then opens his phone. He opens the world clock app and checks France’s time.
‘8:01 PM,’ Julian read in his mind. It almost made him giggle a bit. Italy, Germany, and Spain shared the same timezone as France. Which meant Julian could joke that he was already in the future, while the others were still stuck in yesterday. ‘Does Sae feel like this?’ Julian wondered.
He switches to another app, the messages app. Since it was currently 8 in the evening in Europe, he figured his fellow Europeans would still be awake. He wanted to tell them about this while he still had time before landing.
New Gen 11 BOZOS ‼️
flash french version ⚡: Guys.
Oh my gosh.
I’m in the future. Haha.
But, uh..
I SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.
I’M LANDING SHORTLY
golden shark 🤑: HAHAH NICE ONE LOLO 💥💥
WAIT
HUH
THE ENTIRE FLIGHT ⁉️⁉️
burger bunz 🐇🤘🏻: The ENTIRE flight?
The flight that’s 13-14 HOURS?
rose flavored cola 🌹:You didn’t even feel any turbulence or anything?
Hear the flight attendants that offer meals?
Seriously?
french ai 🤖: I checked the world clock.
It’s 4AM there.
Good morning, Julian.
flash french version ⚡: Yep.. good morning indeed.
Julian Loki replied to Michael Kaiser
—You didn’t even…
You can’t exactly blame me.
These reclining chairs are the most comfortable things I’ve ever slept on.
Plus, my neck pillow was as soft as a cloud.
Don Lorenzo replied to Hugo
—It’s 4AM there.
golden shark 🤑: O EM JI ⁉️⁉️
SAE ISN’T EVEN AWAKE YET RIGHT ⁉️⁉️
AND YOU’RE ALREADY LANDING ⁉️⁉️
flash french version ⚡: EXACTLY..
It feels so.. embarrassing.
Is sleeping for 13 hours straight even normal?
french ai 🤖: Occasionally, yes.
Chronically? No.
Though 13 hours in general is above the recommended amount of sleep for us, which is 8-10 hours.
burger bunz 🐇🤘🏻: But you needed it anyway.
We all kind of do.
flash french version ⚡: I guess that’s true.
rose flavored cola 🌹: Hold on
When you land and settle into your hotel, what are you even gonna do?
Because you obviously can’t go to sleep again.
flash french version ⚡: Huh.
Didn’t think of that.
golden shark 🤑: WHY DON’T U BUY THE THINGS I ASKED FOR ⁉️⁉️
flash french version ⚡: Too early for that, Don.
golden shark 🤑: Awwhh 😔💔
burger bunz 🐇🤘🏻: You could take a walk, get familiar with your surroundings.
french ai 🤖: You could read a book.
rose flavored cola 🌹: Or use the jacuzzi if your hotel has any.
burger bunz 🐇🤘🏻: The jacuzzi’s the first thing you suggest? Seriously?
rose flavored cola 🌹: What? It’s the first thing I do after a long flight.
It’s luxurious and guarantees premium relaxation.
flash french version ⚡: Actually..
Those could work.
I’ll relax in a jacuzzi first,
Then take a walk,
And finish by reading a book.
I think that’s enough to occupy me until breakfast.
And yes, Don, I won’t forget about your things.
golden shark 🤑: 😘😘😘
rose flavored cola 🌹: Ha, see? Jacuzzi works.
Don’t ever doubt your emperor.
french ai 🤖: 😑
flash french version ⚡: Oh!
I have to go, we’re landing now.
And you guys need to go to sleep soon.
golden shark 🤑: NOOOOOO💔💔💔
LOLO I MISS YOU ALREADYYYY 😭😭
flash french version ⚡: We can all talk again, alright?
Sleep first, and let me settle in.
golden shark 🤑: AWWH 😔
OKAY 👌‼️
Bye lolo ‼️👋
HAVE FUN IN JAPAN 💥
french ai 🤖: Bye, Julian.
burger bunz 🐇🤘🏻: 🤘🏻
rose flavored cola 🌹: Bye.
Julian closes the messages app and simply stares at his phone. He catches himself smiling, which surprises him. Were they really starting to become friends? Or have they already been, and there’s just no need to point it out—like an unspoken but true bond? The thought made him let out a small chuckle.
He puts his phone back in his handbag and makes sure the rest of the contents are secure. He leans back in his chair, patiently staying seated as the plane lands.
Julian practically throws himself face-first into the soft mattress of his hotel bed. Gosh, it felt wonderful. He drags out a long and audible sigh, feeling a bit of tension release from himself. He’s tempted to sleep, given how comfortable the bed is. But he restrained himself and kept his eyes open. He already slept for the entire flight, which was 13-14 hours–much more than he ever needed.
He forces himself to get off the mattress and stand up. He walks over to his suitcase, which is by the bedside table. Julian opens it and starts rummaging through the contents for clothes. He finds what he’s looking for: a simple, baggy, cream-colored cashmere sweater and a pair of baggy jeans. Casual and comfortable.
He sets the clothes down on the bed, then heads into the bathroom for a quick shower.
——
Minutes later, he comes out, wearing the complimentary hotel robe. It’s fluffy, like a cloud. Is everything here in Japan soft and fluffy?
Julian removes the robe, then puts on a fresh pair of briefs, then the sweater and jeans in a swift manner. He reaches for his handbag and pulls out his phone. ‘6:30 AM’ was the time.
A thought clicks in Julian’s head. It was already 6 in the morning. Sae would be awake by now, and Julian could chat with him. If, of course, Sae doesn’t mind. And if things don’t get awkward.
Julian opens the messages app and searches for Sae’s number. The two had exchanged numbers in private, for the sake of their meet-up when Julian comes to Japan.
Private message > Sae Itoshi
Auto-translate is enabled
Julian Loki: Good morning, Sae.
Sae Itoshi: Morning, Loki.
Julian Loki: I’d like to talk to you about our meetup, if you don’t mind.
Sae Itoshi: Oh, right.
Go ahead.
Julian Loki: Well, I’m obviously not familiar with Tokyo.
So I’m guessing you have a place in mind?
Sae Itoshi: Ah. I do.
This cafe.
Sent a link.
Julian Loki: Looks cozy.
Sae Itoshi: It is. I go there when I don’t want to deal with JFU’s bullshit.
Which is basically everyday.
I like it there. They sell great salted kombucha.
…
Don’t tell a single soul.
Julian Loki: Noted, haha.
What time do I have to be there?
Sae Itoshi: The afternoon, maybe. Specifically around 2 PM-4 PM.
My schedule’s clear around those hours.
Julian Loki: Ah, perfect.
How about 2: 30 PM?
Sae Itoshi: 👍
Julian Loki: I’ll set a reminder now.
Sae Itoshi: I must warn you though.
Julian Loki: ?
Sae Itoshi: Try to look as inconspicuous as possible.
PR’s everywhere, and it’s genuinely a pain in the ass.
And the fans.
Ugh, the fans.
The moment they recognize you, they’ll swarm you like moths to a flame.
It’s annoying.
Julian Loki: Yeah, I understand. Thanks for the advice.
Sae Itoshi: Yeah.
I’ll be going now, time for breakfast.
See you, Loki.
Julian Loki: See you, Sae.