Even though Masaomi hears the message, he doesn't answer right away. He sits on it, letting ten, twenty, thirty minutes go by as he gets carried away with other things. Other things that only fuel his nerves. But what is he supposed to say?
Finally, he picks up the phone. Off in a corner where no one can hear (no one normal, no one human), he finally decides to get it over with. After everything he's done the past few days, dealing with a little blackmail should be easy.
It's not.
Masaomi takes a deep breath.]
You found it? Seriously?! The letter, right? I've been looking all over for it! Guess that's what happens when you're stuck with hand-me-down jeans, holes in the pockets.
Of all the people to find it though... Guess I'm a lucky guy.
[ ....What kind of answer is that, Masaomi. If you'd said, "I didn't want that garbage anyway. Can you believe them?" Cecil might have believed you. But to have lost it? To honestly want it back? ]
Where would you like to meet?
[ Because we're not talking about this over the network. ]
I'll see you soon. [ Cecil says and disconnects. And it's not a long walk to the church, so Cecil is there relatively quickly. He'll wait until Kida arrives or shows himself, if he's already there. ]
[Masaomi takes a bit longer to get there, actually. Between the walk itself and taking a few minutes to convince himself that showing up is the better option, he's a good ten minutes behind Cecil when he opens the door and slides inside. The door shuts behind him, and he surveys his dim surroundings.]
Echo, echo!
[Apparently, he's checking those acoustics. Actually, he wants to see who moves.]
I did tell you. [ Cecil answers, though he doesn't move at first. He's out in the middle of the place, where the rubble has been cleared away and seating of some kind put in, and he stands when he hears Kida. ]
Do you sing, Masaomi? Or perform any other kind of weather at all?
[That's like performing weather, right? Well, it's performing at any rate. His uncertain gaze lands on Cecil when the man stands, the first movement in the room. They're really alone then?]
That does make for something of a challenge. What with the lack of technology around, and all.
[ He looks around also. It's pretty well deserted, anyway. Although Cecil always assumes someone is listening in Haven. But we can't all just not talk! Not all of us, anyway. He approaches Kida, pulling the folded evaluation from his coat pocket and looking at it. ]
I don't believe you lost what you are pretending to have lost, Masaomi. I don't believe you wanted it returned. I believe that what you are doing is very dangerous, and you are not the first young man I've told this to. That other young man is not going to be revived, this time.
You're very brave, if that's the case. But. So was he. [ He hands the note to Kida. ] Please be more careful than Aoi.
[That's a hefty list of accusations. Masaomi stays uncharacteristically silent throughout, snatching the paper the moment Cecil hands it over. He doesn't want to be compared to someone who's dead. If he's going to die, he needs it to matter. It can't be over some lousy evaluation, or over some cryptic old man he hardly knows. He hasn't come all this way just to leave everyone behind.
So many people have made a point of shoving his incompetency in his face, laughing at the idea that he thought he could successfully work for Yao. This feels like just another reminder that he's doomed to fail, and it pisses him off. It pisses him off because he's scared he can't prove them wrong.]
I'm not Aoi.
[He's not smarter or more skilled or any better than him either. He's just different.
[Maybe it's meant as a compliment, but Masaomi can't see it that way. He'll survive as long as he's too afraid to do anything else, but if everything goes well, that won't be forever.
He doesn't turn back around. Just before he skirts out the door, however, he has one last thing to say.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Even though Masaomi hears the message, he doesn't answer right away. He sits on it, letting ten, twenty, thirty minutes go by as he gets carried away with other things. Other things that only fuel his nerves. But what is he supposed to say?
Finally, he picks up the phone. Off in a corner where no one can hear (no one normal, no one human), he finally decides to get it over with. After everything he's done the past few days, dealing with a little blackmail should be easy.
It's not.
Masaomi takes a deep breath.]
You found it? Seriously?! The letter, right? I've been looking all over for it! Guess that's what happens when you're stuck with hand-me-down jeans, holes in the pockets.
Of all the people to find it though... Guess I'm a lucky guy.
[Ha. Haha. Ha.]
no subject
Where would you like to meet?
[ Because we're not talking about this over the network. ]
no subject
How 'bout the church?
[He has never actually been inside the church. Nobody will expect him there.]
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I'll see you soon. [ Cecil says and disconnects. And it's not a long walk to the church, so Cecil is there relatively quickly. He'll wait until Kida arrives or shows himself, if he's already there. ]
no subject
Echo, echo!
[Apparently, he's checking those acoustics. Actually, he wants to see who moves.]
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Do you sing, Masaomi? Or perform any other kind of weather at all?
no subject
[That's like performing weather, right? Well, it's performing at any rate. His uncertain gaze lands on Cecil when the man stands, the first movement in the room. They're really alone then?]
But too bad, I only sing karaoke.
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[ He looks around also. It's pretty well deserted, anyway. Although Cecil always assumes someone is listening in Haven. But we can't all just not talk! Not all of us, anyway. He approaches Kida, pulling the folded evaluation from his coat pocket and looking at it. ]
I don't believe you lost what you are pretending to have lost, Masaomi. I don't believe you wanted it returned. I believe that what you are doing is very dangerous, and you are not the first young man I've told this to. That other young man is not going to be revived, this time.
You're very brave, if that's the case. But. So was he. [ He hands the note to Kida. ] Please be more careful than Aoi.
no subject
So many people have made a point of shoving his incompetency in his face, laughing at the idea that he thought he could successfully work for Yao. This feels like just another reminder that he's doomed to fail, and it pisses him off. It pisses him off because he's scared he can't prove them wrong.]
I'm not Aoi.
[He's not smarter or more skilled or any better than him either. He's just different.
His prize retrieved, Masaomi turns to leave.]
I'm not that brave.
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...I would like to help you, if you ever need it. If there is any way I can. If there is anything you would like to know. Anything I can do for you.
I would like not to see something like that happen to one of us again.
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He doesn't turn back around. Just before he skirts out the door, however, he has one last thing to say.]
I'll think about it.