ahappylie | 058 [voice]

[Souji is at home and it's too quiet. He ends up talking to Saizou, his pig, for company a lot lately and this time, Saizou steps on the journal as he's talking, picking up bits and pieces of their one-sided conversation.]

--nder...why...--that some ......--ile others go, Saizou?

[The pig grunts and Souji laughs softly, sounding tired and worn.]

Mm...yes, I suppose we'll never know.....--haps....world returns.....--work still left to complete; and leaves ...... --no longer necessary.

[He's quiet for a moment and then lets out a heavy sigh, dismissing his own thoughts.]

No, that's silly. ....--ing me the jour--....

[The microphone picks up the muffled bumps and thumps as Saizou bites the journal and brings it over for Souji. He presses the on button again, unaware that it was already recording. When he addresses everyone, he's much chipper like he always, no trace of his earlier stress.]

I learned a new game so I have a question for everyone~

Would you rather eat nothing but your favorite food forever or never eat your favorite food again?

Also, it has been quite awhile, but anyone who knew my other self, Hijikata-san or Chizuru-chan; they've all returned to their homes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Does it happen often? The deadly version of hide and seek?

If it did, I wouldn't be here. That's a waiting game that will eventually go wrong for the hunter, no matter how good he is.

I tend to get sent on hunts that only involve a couple of vampires at a time. If there's more than a couple, then I'll spend a lot of time observing first. Finding their hunting spots, their nest. And I'll wait and make sure that they're all in there when I go after them, if I can, and keep my head down and out of sight until then. If I can get one on it's own and be reasonably sure the others won't notice, I will. Otherwise...I wait.

[Like a den of thieves, or one full of rebel samurai. He understands that well and remembers doing much of the same. Day by day they watched the country samurai roll in and begin to gather at their various hideouts. They watched and waited for the big fish to swim upstream.

And then they went in and slaughtered them all.

Souji pauses as he remembers that summer four years ago. How long ago it seems.]

You have a boss who tells you where to go? I once thought Derek-san was more of the self-employed type.

I have a boss; he's the one that gets the calls, and I go where he tells me they are. Once I'm there, I'm on my own though unless I needs supplies or more information.

...And it doesn't exclude me from going after vampires I find on my own. We just don't get paid for those.

[How strange...to be paid to do such an odd job. Souji thinks for a moment.]

Is it a good job? I assume it must be for you to do it so long.

It's a good way to drive yourself crazy if you don't take any breaks in between hunts.

I don't do it for the money. It's necessary though for supplies.

Well, that is true of any job, don't you think?

[Although probably truer for Derek's work than the Everyday Sam's job.]

I never did hear why you started in such a dangerous business. But that's likely not a story for first time re-meetings, yes?

Maybe not. Let's just say that they messed up my life, and I wound up messing with them as a result. It went downhill from there.

Ah.

[Always revenge. It seems to be a popular theme among people.]

I'm sorry that you were tangled into such terrible events.

It happens. Not everyone gets a peaceful life. At least it was my loved ones the vampires picked and not someone who wouldn't have survived it.

[That. Doesn't sound like something someone would put "at least" in front of.]

But they did survive, yes?

[Mental self-salving for hunters is a very...unique thing.]

...No. They didn't.

....I'm so sorry, Derek-san.

I should not have brought this up.

It's all right; it's normal to ask about family. Not your fault that something bad happened to mine.

Edited 2013-03-21 13:02 (UTC)

[Normal for most people, but he should have known better coming from a broken family himself. Souji is quiet for a moment, and then gives Derek a smile, which comes through in the slight lightening of his tone.]

Hopefully here you can have a more peaceful lifestyle now? It must have been a long time since you last had a chance to relax.

Yeah, I guess I could.

[Although...that's going to be a hard concept for Derek to adhere to. He's not used to it, he's aware of the underlying nastiness that Luceti holds, and he's left a team in dire straights back home, with no solution as to how to save them.

He's normally restless anyway...this...just makes it worse.]

You don't seem convinced.

[Not that he doesn't understand.]

There are also the missions or training others here, for those unable to settle so easily.

I've been looking into the missions.

[He admits that easily--after all, it had occurred to him too that it might alleviate the sensation of being helpless and trapped.]

Not so sure about the training though. Most of mine is pretty specialized.

You'd be surprised at how sometimes we need the specializations.

[Like the zombies that one time. Without people knowing how to deal with them, how to cure it, they would have died.]

If nothing else, it keeps you busy.

I'll think about it. Maybe I will.

[Although he's not sure yet he wants to get that close to anyone just yet.]

It is - as the people here sometimes say - "food for thought," yes?

[Speaking of food.

Souji goes quiet for a moment and a pig grunting can be heard in the background. His voice grows a smaller as he turns away from the journal and talks to someone else. ]

Oh, Saizou, I just fed you. Did Fish take your corn again? It's because you keep eating her food, you know.

That it is.

[He'll fall silent as Souji goes to feed the pig, still looking thoughtful]

[Souji comes back a moment later and the grunting gets louder and louder until the pig knocks the journal over and squeals.]

Saizou!

[He sighs.]

I'm sorry, Derek-san. He's being jealous again. I hope that wasn't too loud.

It's all right. You need to go give him what he wants?

No, he's just upset that I've been shut inside for so long.

[Because what is going out and socializing when you're upset.]

He'll settle down when I take him for a walk tonight.

[Voice]

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