[Voice] un: 008

[hachitaro]

[The omni clicks on, audio already playing. It sounds tinny, like it's coming from a small speaker. It's slightly muffled, like there's someone blocking the sound a bit.]

[One of the voices on the audio is definitely Taro. The other voice is an almost croaking one, a little difficult to make out.]


---
"Right, so that's what you say I did. You're the one coming after me."

'You've crossed us for the last time, Watanabe. You might have been a big shot once, but not anymore. Now you're just scum.'

Taro huffs a little, almost laughing. "Are you kidding me? You're coming after me because I know things. Because I'm going to tell other people. Because you lot are just going to keep summoning -"

'Enough. You've said enough. Say your prayers. Any god of your choosing, doesn't matter.'

He laughs and there's a shuffling sound. "Fuck you. I don't need to pray to anyone."

There's the click of what sound like nails on a wooden floor, and then a loud squawk. The sounds of some kind of scuffle are audible, and Taro's heavy breathing. There's a gutteral cry of pain that dies down as the sound of the other person(?) gets up and starts walking away. Click... click... click... and then it's silent.
---


[There's the sound of a button of some kind being pushed and a sigh. Taro grunts in frustration for a moment and doesn't say anything for a few moments. There's a shuffling sound, and then a pause. ... Huh.]

Uh, hey Trench. Didn't see you there. Or... hear you? Anyway... huh. I... uh. Do you think those zealot guys are going to leave us alone? Kinda dangerous for someone like me to walk out at night. It's kind of frustrating, y'know?

Anyway... I'm still learning about this place. What's... uh. A good area to hang out at where there's not that many monsters? Kind of a noncombatant here.

Talk to you later. Taro out.

Comments

[hachitaro]

Japan. Out in the countryside. Like way out, where there's fields and no people.

[fogsong]

You ever figure out what happened to your birth family? Or why you were just... left out in the countryside? [ that's gotta be a sore topic but... he's an adult now. if it were her, she'd probably have tried to find them. ]

[hachitaro]

Nah. We moved countries anyway. I guess I could look, but... I assume they either didn't want me or couldn't take care of me for whatever reason.

[Or rather, they didn't exist. But even if he did actually have some kind of biological parent he wouldn't care.]

If they don't care about me, why should I care about them?

[fogsong]

That's... Yeah, that's a good point. It's better to appreciate the family that found you than yearn for the one that left you.

[ she idly continues to pet at his omen in a moment of quiet and then: ] Sorry for bringing up all this shit. Uh, I know I can get nosy.

[hachitaro]

[Yes good, pets. You will be spared in the upcoming chewing of everything.]

No, no. It's... it's fine. I'm lucky, I know. To have someone find me before something bad happened. I'm just glad to have had them.

... I miss them sometimes.

[fogsong]

What happened to them? I mean, if you don't mind me asking. [ Had them. They're gone now, though she's not sure if that means they've died or... simply drifted apart over the years. ]

[hachitaro]

[He considers how to answer it. The truth isn't really the thing to go with here - it'd expose him. But he can't bring himself to lie, either.]

My parents died because of racism. I don't... really want to talk about it. I kind of got estranged from the rest of the family.

[fogsong]

[ if there's one thing in life she's never had to deal with, it's racism. she's seen it in action, she knows what it can do, but it's never been something used against her. ]

You've been through too much shit. [ sympathy laces through each of the words ]

[hachitaro]

Yeah. But I mean... that's all in the past. Can't do anything about it now. You just gotta keep moving, right?

[fogsong]

In Trench, things are never just in the past. But you're right, you have to keep moving. Even when it's hard and shitty. Even when you don't want to.

[hachitaro]

[He huffs a little bit. The past is the past. He can't do anything about it.]

Yeah. I've kept moving for a lot of my life now. I'm not really fond of sitting and thinking about the past. I've got a friend to keep up with.

[fogsong]

I can get that. I'm the same way, really. Trench is the first time in a long time that I'm not ready to move the moment there's even a whiff of trouble.

[hachitaro]

You really feel that safe here?

[fogsong]

Kinda. This place has its own dangers but, I dunno, I feel safer here than I ever did back home. Safe to be me, safe to trust others. It took months to realize that, though, and there are days when I still question it.

[hachitaro]

... Yeah. I don't know if I'll ever feel that safe. I'm not judging or anything, I just... take a while to settle in. And it's been a while since I've felt... safe.

[fogsong]

Hey, I get it, it'll take time before you can even consider feeling safe here. I just... I don't know, I just hope you do. Or can. One day.

[hachitaro]

Thanks, Sharon. You're... a lot nicer than most people.

[Most people just see him as a nobody, and that's intentional. It's only a rare person who actually manages to give a shit in his experience.]

[fogsong]

What can I say? I... see a little of myself in you. [ the paranoia, the hesitancy with others. it's hard not to relate a little. ] I want to help you like I wanted others to help me.

[hachitaro]

... Shouldn't I be the one saying that? I'm older than you, after all. But... that's good of you to do. Really.

[He's struck by the urge to ruffle her hair, but he has a feeling that might not go over the best.]

[fogsong]

Age means nothing in situations like this. [ she says it with a smirk but ducks her head when he says it's good of her. ]

[hachitaro]

... Yeah, yeah. You're a nice person, accept it.

[He grins at her. Accept it. Accept the compliment, you weird teen.]