Video 03 → This Isn't Funny, By The Way

[irregular]

[This is supposed to be filtered from Youji and Loki. It's not.]

[Ken is in his bedroom. The room is dark save for the light provided by a desk lamp, and he sits cross-legged on the bed dressed in an oversized sweater and jeans. Despite the heavy clothing and the hunched posture it's quite obvious that something is off, and it's not just the bruises and band-aids.]

Um. This happens a lot, right? And it wears off?

['This' being the bit where Ken is quite clearly a girl, and nobody's yet told her there are limits to the sins an oversized sweater can disguise. Clearly the bruises aren't the half of it. As to exactly how this happened, suffice it to say that Ken is not exactly Loki's number one fan right now...

[She looks guiltily about herself for no readily explicable reason, then relaxes.]

... how long does it take?

Comments

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

It's not permanent. Already happened to some high school kid named Kyon.

[That Youji did not hit on for calling him on his filter fail. No sir.]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, good.

I think he may have called me earlier, actually.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Really now? What did he have to say?

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Uh... pretty much the same thing you just did?

Youji, do yourself a favor. If you see anything that looks like a phone card just lying about the place for God's sake don't touch it.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

[Curiosity. Piqued.]

Phone card?

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

That's what the thing looked like. He gave me this card, said to stick it in the Dreamberry. I do that and-- yeah. This happens. Seems like that's what happened to Omi back there, too...

I knew these things were out to get us.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Maybe you should just not talk to strangers.

[Hmm.]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Might be easier if they didn't keep calling me up. Youji, you know that ain't possible here.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Mm.

I suppose it wouldn't help you, anyway. Loki's no stranger now.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately. And if he really does know Naoya... well, Naoya ain't no stranger either. Guess all we can do is watch our backs from now on.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Sounds about right.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Wish I knew why us, though. There must be tons of people here. Loki ain't tried beating up all of them, it's not like it's an initiation ritual or somesuch crap... why hit on us four-- us five out of everybody here?

Damn. Six.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

[Seven if Kyo ever shows up. Youji tries not to think about that. That would be another broken brain for poor Ken here, wouldn't it?]

I'm sure he harasses plenty of other people.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I know that. But won't it stop there, most of the time? I mean prank calls, sure, but bodily harm?

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

[Gonna have to state the obvious, Ken. Sorry.]

You're the one who went to him, not the other way around.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

He said he had Omi! Youji, what the Hell would you have done if--

[Ken hesitates, just for a second. He can't think of anyone Youji really cares that much for, not even himself.]

-- if it was someone you were really worried about? I mean, he... I knew he could be lying but I... what if he hadn't been? I couldn't just sit round and do nothing!

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

[Youji notices the hesitation. He always does.

He is also a lying liar who lies.]

I would have done exactly what I did, Ken. I would have obtained what information I could, and verified it as best as possible. I spoke with Naoya after Loki's post. He assured me Mamoru was safe with him--so I called Aya and he verified it. He'd been spying on them and trusts them about as much as I do, but we had no cause for causing such a disturbance. Not when the kid would have no idea who we were, and be terrified out of his mind.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

That's real nice for you, Youji. Except Naoya didn't tell me a damn thing about where Omi was and it ain't like I didn't try to ask, either. What the Hell'd you think I was trying to do if it weren't figure out where Omi was? Shit, I didn't go into this because I wanted a damn fight!

[She hesitates again, just slightly.]

Look, Youji, it's real nice you guys can all trust Aya so much, but I'm not gonna start to just like that. I'm just... not gonna, okay? I know Aya's... different and all here but it just don't work like that. Back where I come from he's still throwing regular bitch fits about his sister and hanging us all out to dry by running off after some half-assed lead every five minutes - remember how he did that? Forgive me if I don't exactly always trust him to have everyone's well-being at heart after that!

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Then you should have called me, Ken. I told you I was going to call Naoya.

And they were provoking you. People like them try to get you worked up because they think it's funny, and you are entirely too easy for them to work with.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I'm an idiot then. Thanks, next time tell me something I don't know.

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

You're not an idiot.

[Beat. You know there's a catch, right?]

You are stupid, reckless, hotheaded, and completely unable to think before you act, though.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Oh go to Hell, Youji. Don't you think I know this was all my fault?

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

Just making sure my bases are covered.

Although, even I'll allow that Loki was out of line.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

That's real big of you, man. Thanks.

[Yes, she sounds sore. Both in the literal sense of the word and the figurative one. Sighing, she lets herself collapse back against the pillows again, staring up at the ceiling for a while.]

So, what happens now?

[slantedcross.livejournal.com]

I don't even know. Preferably, you'll stay put for a while and not get into worse trouble. Where are you, my place or Omi's?

[The interior of both are pretty similar.]