[Omi. Ken damn near drops the phone. No, this is not what he'd been expecting at all. That caller name-- Ken lifts the phone from his ear, blinks at the screen. Replays the message. Omi. Mamoru. That name, that voice. Another thing to think about. What the Hell's going on now?
[Well, there's only one way to answer that. Ken is Ken, and he doesn't think about it any further. He just calls straight back.]
[Immediately Mamoru is struck by how young Ken sounds. Not so much a change in the voice as the mannerism. The tone. Even with but one word said, the uncertainty in the voice doesn't belong with the Ken that he knows.
After the conversations he's had with Ran and Schuldig, he's full of questions, but first things first.]
Ken-kun... I'm glad to finally hear from you. Are you all right?
[Well, that's a loaded question. if only Omi but knew it. How the Hell is he supposed to find the words to explain that in the - how long has it been anyway? Omi's not been gone that long, right? - since he's been away he's somehow managed to alienate Aya-Ran-Whoever-The-Heck to the extent that the dumbass kid thinks he's second cousin to the Devil himself while holy light shines out of Schuldig's-- whoa there Hidaka, that's way too much to lay on the poor guy all at once. Say something neutral. You can do that.]
[There was a question in there as well, wasn't there? Ken's sure he heard something like that; what he's not so clear on is what it actually was and how could he be when Omi's talking Ran and Schuldig and he might as well have said exactly what he was thinking after all?]
Crap, what did they tell you? It's not like they're saying, really!
Ken-kun, relax. You should know better than to think I would take Schuldig's word without a grain of salt. What have I missed? Please tell me everything you know.
Yeah, I know that. [You're not an idiot.] But Ay-- Ran's been telling everyone and their dog I hit him like I'm gonna make a habit of it and just-- just walked up and tried to deck him on general principle or something, and he keeps leaving out the bit where he was the one started on me! To Hell with that noise!
In it up to his neck is all I know. Sure he says he's just being this helpful friend and I'd do better with Ran if I was a lying, manipulative bastard too but then he would. You know damn well that can't be the half of it but he's got Ran convinced they're like true love forever or something else... kind of middle school bullshit like that. Since when has Aya been this dumb, I ask you!
That's the theory. Because Ran over there's an idiot kid who doesn't know a psycho when he sees one and also thinks Ouka's going to stab him in his sleep, it's so ass-backward it'd almost be funny if it was happening to someone else. Never thought I'd say this but damn, he's dumb!
[That stops him in his tracks. Ken frowns, brows knotting. There's something odd about all of this, and it's not just because they're discussing a bafflingly stupid situation or the bit where Omi's throwing around words he doesn't quite understand. Did Omi used to use words like that? Did he just not use them around Ken because he knew Ken wouldn't get them and if he did, why the heck would he have suddenly started?
[Okay, whoa. Back up a bit.]
Omi, do you feel all right? You sound kinda... [Older.] Different.
[He called him Omi. Suspicions confirmed: this is definitely a younger Ken. And he seems to have caught on to the difference as well. It isn't a surprise.]
I'm fine, Ken-kun... Most likely, I do sound different. I've heard a bit that there are issues here with time. I'm not sure what you last remember from home, but it's probably a distant memory for me.
The name Omi... [There's a bit of a sad smile in his voice.] That's a name I haven't gone by in several years.
[Except that last mission where they lost Youji and Sena, but he's not counting that.]
[That... is a lot to take in. Ken blinks. There are a lot of things he could say to something like that - oh's a pretty big one, as is not you too and well that's kind of dumb, but all that comes out is:]
[He's not sure what makes him want to add the extra few weeks. Perhaps it's got something to do with the tone in Omi's - Mamoru's - voice and no that name just will not stick for him. There's something about the way he speaks that makes nineteen sound hopelessly young. All Ken can say is he's glad he's got a little more to call on than that...
[How long ago is quite a while, Omi?]
Almost. But I've been here quite a while. Look, do I have to call you Mamoru?
[The confusion in his voice is obvious. He doesn't think he was that off-the-mark about when the battle with those three elders of Eszett happened, but the years have run together a little. Maybe he had been nineteen that year.
No. That can't be right. That was the year Ouka and Persia... father... had died. He was definitely seventeen that year.]
Oh... I see. [Two seconds' pause to consider the question, and there's a smile in his voice.] No, Ken-kun. Considering the circumstances... Calling me Omi is okay.
[But all he sounds is resigned. Been there, done that. Not like Aya the high-school kid is exactly normal.]
Still, I guess Aya's younger than me now. All we need now is for Youji to come back as an old granddad or a middle-schooler or something and we'll be all set.
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irregular
Voice
Date: 2012-12-12 01:55 am (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 05:22 pm (UTC)[Omi. Ken damn near drops the phone. No, this is not what he'd been expecting at all. That caller name-- Ken lifts the phone from his ear, blinks at the screen. Replays the message. Omi. Mamoru. That name, that voice. Another thing to think about. What the Hell's going on now?
[Well, there's only one way to answer that. Ken is Ken, and he doesn't think about it any further. He just calls straight back.]
Hi?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 05:27 pm (UTC)After the conversations he's had with Ran and Schuldig, he's full of questions, but first things first.]
Ken-kun... I'm glad to finally hear from you. Are you all right?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 05:35 pm (UTC)[Well, that's a loaded question. if only Omi but knew it. How the Hell is he supposed to find the words to explain that in the - how long has it been anyway? Omi's not been gone that long, right? - since he's been away he's somehow managed to alienate Aya-Ran-Whoever-The-Heck to the extent that the dumbass kid thinks he's second cousin to the Devil himself while holy light shines out of Schuldig's-- whoa there Hidaka, that's way too much to lay on the poor guy all at once. Say something neutral. You can do that.]
I'm fine.
[Well, that's a good start.]
When did you get back? I must have missed it.
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 05:38 pm (UTC)Schuldig said I've been here before. Do you know anything about that?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 05:56 pm (UTC)[There was a question in there as well, wasn't there? Ken's sure he heard something like that; what he's not so clear on is what it actually was and how could he be when Omi's talking Ran and Schuldig and he might as well have said exactly what he was thinking after all?]
Crap, what did they tell you? It's not like they're saying, really!
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:02 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:10 pm (UTC)[So: a lot.]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:15 pm (UTC)What role does Schuldig have in all of this?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:28 pm (UTC)In it up to his neck is all I know. Sure he says he's just being this helpful friend and I'd do better with Ran if I was a lying, manipulative bastard too but then he would. You know damn well that can't be the half of it but he's got Ran convinced they're like true love forever or something else... kind of middle school bullshit like that. Since when has Aya been this dumb, I ask you!
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:33 pm (UTC)[You'll have to time-out kid, you just broke his brain. Was this really something you could afford to break?]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 06:36 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 10:58 pm (UTC)[He's still trying to process this lovers thing, you know.]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 11:46 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 11:49 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-15 11:55 pm (UTC)[That stops him in his tracks. Ken frowns, brows knotting. There's something odd about all of this, and it's not just because they're discussing a bafflingly stupid situation or the bit where Omi's throwing around words he doesn't quite understand. Did Omi used to use words like that? Did he just not use them around Ken because he knew Ken wouldn't get them and if he did, why the heck would he have suddenly started?
[Okay, whoa. Back up a bit.]
Omi, do you feel all right? You sound kinda... [Older.] Different.
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 12:02 am (UTC)[He called him Omi. Suspicions confirmed: this is definitely a younger Ken. And he seems to have caught on to the difference as well. It isn't a surprise.]
I'm fine, Ken-kun... Most likely, I do sound different. I've heard a bit that there are issues here with time. I'm not sure what you last remember from home, but it's probably a distant memory for me.
The name Omi... [There's a bit of a sad smile in his voice.] That's a name I haven't gone by in several years.
[Except that last mission where they lost Youji and Sena, but he's not counting that.]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 12:08 am (UTC)[Ken? That wasn't a question.
[That... is a lot to take in. Ken blinks. There are a lot of things he could say to something like that - oh's a pretty big one, as is not you too and well that's kind of dumb, but all that comes out is:]
Why not?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 02:40 am (UTC)I remember the collapse of the tower. That was quite a while ago. How old are you, then? 19?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 04:53 am (UTC)[He's not sure what makes him want to add the extra few weeks. Perhaps it's got something to do with the tone in Omi's - Mamoru's - voice and no that name just will not stick for him. There's something about the way he speaks that makes nineteen sound hopelessly young. All Ken can say is he's glad he's got a little more to call on than that...
[How long ago is quite a while, Omi?]
Almost. But I've been here quite a while. Look, do I have to call you Mamoru?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 05:07 am (UTC)[The confusion in his voice is obvious. He doesn't think he was that off-the-mark about when the battle with those three elders of Eszett happened, but the years have run together a little. Maybe he had been nineteen that year.
No. That can't be right. That was the year Ouka and Persia... father... had died. He was definitely seventeen that year.]
Oh... I see. [Two seconds' pause to consider the question, and there's a smile in his voice.] No, Ken-kun. Considering the circumstances... Calling me Omi is okay.
[Even if the name is a lie.]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 05:10 am (UTC)[Man, it doesn't sound like Omi thinks being twenty-one is much use either. What the Hell is going on here?]
How old are you?
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-16 05:13 am (UTC)[Not really answering your question, is he?]
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-19 09:44 pm (UTC)[But all he sounds is resigned. Been there, done that. Not like Aya the high-school kid is exactly normal.]
Still, I guess Aya's younger than me now. All we need now is for Youji to come back as an old granddad or a middle-schooler or something and we'll be all set.
[Voice]
Date: 2012-12-23 09:52 pm (UTC)Indeed. I believe if he achieves coming back pre-teens we'll have given our ages a complete inversion, won't we?