savetheearth | 22 | [Voice] Post-Snake Recovery

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22 | [Voice] Post-Snake Recovery

I only slept two hours after yesterday. Two hours, after spending the whole day fighting. It's the tenth, right? I didn't just sleep through Monday without realizing it?

[Hajime sounds pretty worn out. The Lord of the Bugmen had a very long day after fighting Wise Snake, and he is blissfully unaware that his TV interview has been airing all over the place.]

Everyone's in one piece? Let me know if you need a good meal after everything that happened; I can work something out.

[He gives a long sigh. It would be even longer if he realized that the interview had actually aired.]

And if anyone's got any advice on dealing with your family suddenly finding out about this, that would be helpful. I think I'd rather fight snakes again…

[Private text to Jackson Isaka]
Mitsuko knows.

I don't know what to do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She knows I'm a giant bug.

Remember how I didn't want to change back after the fighting right away because I wasn't sure how my injuries would handle changing forms? I snuck into my own apartment through the fire escape. I didn't know that she'd been trying to call me all afternoon, got worried when she couldn't reach me, and went to the apartment to see if I was there. We surprised each other. She threw a lamp at me. I had no choice but to change back, otherwise I think she would have called the police.

Then when I changed back, I started bleeding again, and it kind of forced my hand. She knows it's got something to do with all the weird crap happening around here, and that similar things are happening to other people.

She doesn't know about you.

That sounds like it could have gone much worse. How is she handling it now? Has she told anyone else?

Also, how ARE your injuries coming along?

She's okay. Hasn't told Mom and Dad or anyone. She seems shaken; she ended up sleeping over last night after we had a long talk.

I'm fine--I heal pretty quickly now. Just a few bruises where the worst of it was. How are you? You were pretty banged up when we got the shawarma.

I see. You two were always close. Maybe it's for the best that she knows. She can help you keep your parents from knowing, if that's still something you want to do.

I'm still feeling a little rough. The bruises are turning some great colors. But my head's stopped hurting.

Yeah, she wants me to tell them but she says it's my decision.

Oh, man, the colors. I don't know what it is about green that makes bruises look worse than usual. Just remember what the talking horse said and don't try to push the mind powers too hard.

I'd say it's still best that they don't know. You don't need to worry them needlessly.

Or have to explain the Lord of the Bugmen to them. I don't think they'll like that.

I'm not sure that I like that.

I've barely used them since all of the fighting. Tried to practice just moving objects, but I'm having a hard time dialing back the force. Broke a glass, called it a day...

That's what I told her, but she says I'm already worrying them with the long hours, and that apparently I haven't been talking as much lately.

I dread the day I ever have to explain that to them.

The cameras surprised me. What else was I supposed to do? Blame Shou for the name and that time he took me through a drive-thru.

Stella and I were talking about going to a junkyard so I could blow some cars up while testing the energy scythe thing. You want to come too? If you accidentally blow something up there, no one's going to notice.

You should try to stop worrying them so much, then. Take a few more days off. And don't just save them for when you've been picking fights.

Shou may have set the situation up, but you've been keeping the joke going. It can't possibly end well for you.

I'd like to come along, sure.

[And then, with a timestamp several minutes later,]

Is it wrong to have enjoyed fighting those snakes so much?

I suppose. Still, staying busy helps with this sort of thing...

And at least the joke makes them think I'm not human. Stops them from trying to track down a human and his family.

[See, Jack, he's protecting everyone with the stupid!]

I don't think so. It was pretty intense. I managed to have fun.

[Even without Undead instincts thinking that was awesome, Hajime always did like a good fight...]

There's busy, and there's trying to work away your problems. Don't do the latter.

Maybe you've got a point. [It didn't mean he had to like it, though. It was so stupid.]

You've always liked that kind of thing. Maybe I'm just finally realizing what I've been missing out on?

[But somehow, that didn't sound right...]

And when was the last time you really disconnected from your work? You're always on the phone doing work stuff even if you're not there.

[He is pretty sure he has made a good point there and is figuratively patting himself on his back for his shrewdness.]

Anything to keep the family safe, even if it's kind of unorthodox.

Maybe so--I've always thought things were more entertaining that way.

I've got a lot more work to do, and a lot of things that can't disconnect from! That's hardly the same thing.

[It is a good point, but Jack has no intention of admitting it. Or seeing it that way at all.]

It always seemed stupid, to me. Pointless. But now I want to.

Or maybe whatever I used to be wants to.

I have a lot of work to do too, only I can't just do it with my phone. I have to actually be there.

[And Hajime might have offered some sort of smart remark at thinking the violence was stupid and pointless were it not for Jack's very last remark, which makes his blood run cold.]

You think it could be a pulse or something making you feel that way?

[It's making him wonder just how long ago his first one really was...]

It's a restaurant! It's got set hours! You're not the only person that can do what needs doing. You're free to take time if you need it.

[But that part of the conversation seemed, suddenly, less important.]

I think so.

It's one thing to change physically. But can an echo change who you are, deep down?

There's other stuff to worry about too. Money and making sure we've got supplies and managing things. I need to be there for it.

[No, he doesn't. Not to this crazy degree...and he's quickly distracted by this new thing.]

I don't know. We've been wondering about that. Like how Thomas kind of turned into a crazed otaku overnight. Or if there's anything else going on in that regard that we just haven't noticed yet.

[There is a long pause before he sends his next sentence.]

I can feel the monster instincts starting to flare up sometimes if I get worked up. Or scared. I kind of have to watch myself sometimes.

If only we were lucky enough to just be turning into otaku.

[Which is a horrible enough fate as it is, to be honest.

Jack's response to the next bit is quicker in coming.]

I can feel the same kind of thing. If I get angry, or if there's the possibility of a fight, then it's there.

There's no changing it. I should stop worrying about it. How do you handle it? How do you calm yourself back down?

I've seen some of that moe stuff he was watching. It's pretty terrible.

[This conversation is not reassuring. Not in the least.]

I pulsed back some cards. They...I don't know how to explain it, but it's easier to stay calm as long as they're nearby.

[There is another pause. A very long pause. There are things he does not wish to admit or to talk about, but Jack might possibly need to be warned...]

Before I got one of them back, I almost killed Thomas once when I got too wound up. It's...better now. A lot better.

[~~What, the moe stuff?~~ The mention of cards is something possibly comforting.]

Here's hoping I get some soon, then.

[In contrast, he responds to this news regarding almost killing someone quite quickly.]

How can a card make that much of a difference? What does it even do?

I hope so. They...help.

So far, all they've done is make me change form. At least, that's the only thing I've been able to tell. I run a card through my belt, and then I'm different.

[Hey, if Jack doesn't want to say anything more on almost killing someone, that is just fine by Hajime.]

[It is not a comfortable thing to discuss! Especially via text! Jack is just going to try and avoid it. So, for now? Card talk.]

I see. It's a card that lets you turn back into a human, isn't it?

How many do you currently have? What do they do?

[Maybe it'll help him know what to expect in the future.]

[There's a very long pause before he answers. Admitting this is not a thing he wanted to do.]

Yeah. And it needs to stay close, too.

I've got three. So far, all they seem to do is let me change into different forms. Some feel more comfortable than others.

On your person? That would seem to make a sort of sense.

And I see. Maybe I'll start getting cards, soon. Did you start getting them immediately, or only after the, er, big change?

[These are important things to know. Really important.]

Yeah, I can get a little distance from them, but not a whole lot.

I got my first one two weeks or so after I changed into the other form.

[He is wincing a little as he types that.]

[Jack is wincing as he reads that.]

I'm suddenly thankful that I've got some vacation time set aside.

Hopefully it won't happen for you that way. Maybe you'll get your card first.

And there was the belt. I got the belt I couldn't take off before I got anything else.

22 | [Voice] Post-Snake Recovery

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