A mostly useless video post; backdated to the 20th

[trainwrecking]

[He spent three hours staring at his (now mostly functional) watch, rehearsing this a hundred times. Shouldn't it be fine?

Unfortunately, no, thanks to the TRIHARDO virus. The feed opens to a sterile white room and a bandaged up redhead, who seems to be doing his best to appear confident and normal despite the lingering rasp in his voice. haha! "normal"]

A-a-ano, ahh, hello, it's— No, that's stupid, I mean to say— er, no, I, um—

You don't have to do this if— a-ah, ehhh, umm... I... I-I... uhh.

...

N-nevermind. I forgot what I was going to ask. Ahah... [No! TRY EVEN HARDER. TRIHARDO.]

Wait! [Cue an emphatic gesture for "WAIT."] No, ahh, that wasn't true..! I would really appreciate it if someone could get something for me!

Or— uh, if you can sew, that would be great too.

Ahh, uhh, I'll do anything I can in return! Ahh, no, that was worse than when I practiced... Eh? Did I leave the video go—

Comments

[frequent_flyer]

[At the invitation, Hinata lets himself into the room, making his way over to the redhead's bedside.]

Are you ah... feeling any better? [There was a mysterious box tucked under his arm, along with a grocery bag in his hand. He set the bag down, lowering himself into a chair beside the bed.]

I ah... found this outside your apartment. I think someone wanted to leave you a present? [He handed over the box, which he conveniently hadn't looked inside.]

[eyewillprotect]

[Oh... Maybe this was a bad topic after all. She certainly didn't want to make him feel guilty about it.]

...Yes, it is. But don't worry about it.

[It had been disappointing to realize of course, but it wasn't as though she wanted others to feel badly about it, too.]

All of the suffering forever and always

[bondsofsuffering]

[Him? Able to save someone?

He almost wants to laugh.]

Sorry, but I'm not nearly as self-sacrificing as you are. Dying in a blaze of glory in an effort to save another's life--

That kind of thing doesn't interest me at all.

[trainwrecking]

Hah... some "birthday."

[How could it have happened this way? He thought they were doing a good thing by going out that night--

-- but then, it wouldn't be the first time he failed to do good for someone.]

I don't... I don't even know where to start making it up to you. [But he'll have a while to think about it while confined in here.]

[trainwrecking]

I think I used to believe that, too. I-it's all different when you're forced to make that decision.

[His voice drops nearly to a whisper. It's calmer, more reserved.]

But I--I hope you never have to. For what it's worth.

[trainwrecking]

[By now, he sounds more out of it than he had earlier in the day. He's silent, dazed, until Hinata mentions the box.]

Oh, uh, sorry-- yeah. Yeah, I feel a lot better. I, um, I might not even lose my eye. It would be a pain to play catch if I did...

[It's a strange thing to affix on, but important enough to him to mention. Otonashi had been disappointing people left and right lately, and this would just be one more thing.]

That's... weird... It almost feels like some kind of joke. [Did someone else remember his birthday when Otonashi himself had forgotten? He shimmies the box between his good hand and the heavily bandaged one, searching for a tag, a card, some indication of a sender. Nothing.

Strange that a box would buzz and bump like that, though.]

[a_gentle_boy]

I-It's alright...! You can't help that you've been injured...

Please try and rest if you can. I might be a little while.

[And Lucas will give a small nod before the feed shuts off. And as he says, it will be almost an hour on his part before he calls again.]

[all_wound_up]

Of course I would! And don't worry about the money.

[eyewillprotect]

[She shakes her head slightly.]

There's no reason for you to. Even if you hadn't been there... I would have done my best to help that woman.

[bondsofsuffering]

[There's an obviously drawn out sigh.]

You're doing it again.

[trainwrecking]

[In the meantime, Otonashi fidgets with his book or kills time by staring out the window. When a call comes in, he's vaguely startled.]

H-hey, sorry. [Cough. He hit the button, right?] Can you hear me?

[trainwrecking]

... What?

[Though he's slightly afraid of the answer.]

[trainwrecking]

I know. But you wouldn't have had to--

[He stops to cough, continuing to hesitate after the fit passes.]

... M-maybe I should make this private.

[trainwrecking]

That sounds... really great after all the hospital food. But I'd like to give you something for the trouble...

[bondsofsuffering]

You're the one in the hospital bed, but you're still coming up with reasons to worry about everyone else.

It's getting kind of tiresome.

[Private]

[eyewillprotect]

...?

[She looks at him questioningly, but obligingly switches the feed over to private on her end.]

[trainwrecking]

I... can't tell if you're actually concerned about it or just sick of hearing me talk. Do you care?

[He won't go for the obvious joke opportunity this time. The last thing he wants (or needs) is more ego-bruising, thanks!]

[Private]

[trainwrecking]

... You wouldn't have had to come back for me.

["Revive me," he wants to say, but it's almost too impossible for him to believe, even now. It shouldn't be. Returning from death was a casual occurrence in the afterlife. But knowing that this world followed the logic of the living world challenged his already weak perspective on "everyday" death.

He shouldn't be here. This world and its gods didn't protect the inhabitants from death.]

I was... I was dead.

[bondsofsuffering]

Why would I be concerned? I gave you my advice a long time ago, so whether or not you follow it is all on you.

[He's not here to police Otonashi, after all.]

I'm just surprised you can keep spouting that stuff with a straight face. It sounds like lines out of a comic book or something.

[Private]

[eyewillprotect]

[There's a quiet but sharp intake of breath. She'd... honestly hoped that he had forgotten. That he had simply been under the impression he was knocked unconscious for a moment.

But in hindsight, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?]

...I'm sorry. I didn't realize... you knew.

oh the irony of that tag. "from a hospital bed" ha ha HAH...

[trainwrecking]

I guess I should learn to expect that from you, right? [But--]

I keep "spouting this stuff" because it's--it's important to me.

it'll be great when this all comes back to bite Hizumi in the butt

[bondsofsuffering]

Important enough to send yourself back to the afterlife over?

[a_gentle_boy]

Yes, it's me! Lucas.

[Lucas's face can barely be seen as the camera shows a large bag instead and some golden hair peeping over the top.]

What room are you in in the hospital? Can you have visitors now?

video;

[leadthebeats]

It's fine. I haven't gone crazy like the others, thankfully.

[all_wound_up]

It's really no trouble! I make more money than I know what to do with between the marketplace and the inn. I'll pay for it all, Yuzuru-san, please don't worry.