ahappylie | 048 [Voice

Entry tags:

048 [Voice | Action]

...oh. They really did leave me in the woods.

...

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[Souji's back from his mallynap as a kid; a kid totally opposite of what he's usually like. He vaguely remembers Luceti and is wandering around in the woods on the edge of town, confused and dragging his journal around.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He frowns and reaches for the latch again, then gives up and goes back into the shed. A moment later, he comes back with a short stick and uses that to pop the latch open. Tammy tries to push, but he snaps the stick at the gate and she backs off.]

It's not nice to laugh at people's shortcomings.

[And with that he'll go back to dragging the bale of greens over.]

No, it isn't. [Good thing Homura isn't trying to be nice, huh?]

But it is good to be clever, and determined. Those are admirable traits.

[Rude people. Wonderful. Rude people who are watching him and judging him? Oh...even better. He looks over at Homura, then goes back to work, pulling the bale of greens into the pen and hoisting them up into Tammy's feed box. While the bird goes to eat, he leaves, using the stick to lock the pen again. He tests it to make sure she can't get out and then looks up at Homura.]

Curious to a fault, prideful, assesses people even though no assessment is requested thinking that praise makes up for the strange way he watches them. You aren't helping yourself to remove the weirdo label.

[Deadpan and rude himself, Soujirou turns to go back to the shed and put the stick away.]

[Aw. It's so cute when Okita tries to turn the tables. The rudeness doesn't phase him in the least, though.]

And perceptive--with one mistake. I didn't offer praise to somehow apologize or repent. I said it because I believe it to be true. It's an important distinction.

[When it comes to the name, Homura merely shrugs.] I've been called far worse.

[He comes back from the shed, staring at Homura warily.]

Truth isn't always the most important thing.

Oh?

[Homura meets Okita's stare with that same so-called "creepy" ease.]

Then what's more important than truth?

[Guh. He turns and heads toward the house.]

Something you don't know until you've lost it.

That's very philosophical.

[And of course, Homura is following.]

Have you lost it?

[He stops by the door and lowers his head, remembering back on home and how it is and never will be home again.]

...Yes. I lost it a very long time ago.

[Now that is a revelation Homura hasn't quite been expecting. Given what he knows of Okita's personality as an adult, however, it certainly makes sense. The man who sought to hid himself learned the habit early on, as a resul of whatever loss he speaks of now.]

That is unfortunate.

[Yet while the somber attitude of the child certainly makes sense in this context, it's a far cry from Okita's cheer as an adult.] But perhaps something good will still come from it. As bad as loss can be, there is the potential for a new gain.

No.

[He sounds very certain of that and turns back to look at Homura. His eyes lack any of the emotion his older self shows and he simply stares at the demigod as if he were looking at any other person.]

I would have to disappear for that to happen.

Oh?

[The certainty of such a conviction for a child is a rare one. At last the creepy look that bothered Okita so fades, a calm neutrality coming over Homura's features.]

Why do you think that?

[He looks away, hands balling into fists at his side.]

...Because it isn't me they want here.

[He's not so stupid as to not figure it out after searching through the journals and hearing Ayumu and the others talk. He knows, somewhat. He has the vaguest knowledge that he - as he is - isn't supposed to be here.]

[It speaks towards Okita's cleverness that he's figured out so much; Homura doubts that Ayumu would have made such careless statements around the boy for it to have been truly blatant.

Homura keeps that thought to himself, however.]

You're somewhat right, but also wrong. I know they miss their friend, and they would like him back. But that doesn't mean they would wish you away in exchange. You have as much "right" to be here as he does--if such a right can be said to exist in a place where no one goes by their own will.

While that sounds pretty, you know as well as I do that can't happen. If he is here, I cannot be. If I am here, he cannot be. Just because I'm a child does not mean I am stupid.

[Soujirou turns toward Homura, bows, and then steps inside, closing the door behind him.]

[How cute. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work. By the time Okita's got the door closed, Homura has teleported himself back inside, just beyond where the boy is standing.]

I didn't say you were.

Are you afraid of going back when he returns? Supposedly, those that vanish are sent back to their own worlds.

[WHAT THE FRACK IS THAT. Soujirou jumps, flattening himself against the door. He doesn't know what you're saying, Homura. All he knows is that you suddenly appeared in front of him and you should be outside. You should be outside.]

What are you?!

[Figures. But Okita's reaction is rather priceless, but Homura doesn't mind repeating himself.]

A god.

[A god. He says it so easily, but Soujirou doesn't believe in the gods anymore. He believes there are demons that take the shape and form of people, that there are things unexplainable and things that require suspended belief, but this? He can't even compute this. Instead of saying anything else, Soujirou runs for cover.]

[Homura watches Okita dash off, shaking his head slightly. The boy is clearly afraid, but it won't do much good; Homura is planning on eating dinner there that night.

So he'll just wait. Patience being a virtue that Homura has in abundance, he watches Okita go, then makes himself comfortable in the meantime.]

[And the kid isn't going to move from his seat until someone explains to him that this man isn't here to like...eat him. Or something.]

[Poor kid.

Even if Homura doesn't give physical chase, his voice carries fairly well. So after the silence has stretched on for a few minutes, he calls out to the boy.]

You do understand that if I wanted to harm you, I could've done so at any time, without revealing myself. That isn't my intention at all.

[And from his hiding place, Soujirou snaps back.]

And you still could. Who says I have to trust you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

048 [Voice | Action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

[action]

Re: [action]

[action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]

Re: [action]