IC Contact/Voicemail (Some More Heroes)

[cursedtolive]

Hi. If you're hearing this message I can't answer right now. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. [open to text, audio, video, and action!]

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[hououji]

[She doesn't understand why that matters.

But there's a very important question she needs answered.]

... Why are you doing this?

[cursedtolive]

Well... I came out and I saw you crying. I don't just leave kids crying most of the time.

[hououji]

[You've given her enough reason to cry. And fff "kid" what.

But she bites her tongue. She nods. She promises herself she won't stay long.]

[cursedtolive]

[He figures she must be in terrible shape if she's even talking to him.]

I'll make you some tea.

[hououji]

... Thank you.

[She'll take any kindness. Even if it's from the person who's been worst to her here.

But hey, she's been doing well. The people who should rightly hate her are treating her well. The people who she wants support from the most are treating her awfully.

She's got this friendship thing all worked out.]

[cursedtolive]

[Oh definitely. Czes tugs her gently and opens the door, letting go at that point to let her walk in herself. Then he'll lead her to the living room, sit her on a couch, give her the toss pillow and a blanket and goes to the kitchen to make tea with the hot water he had on the stove from earlier.

Have tea.]

[hououji]

[... She just. blinks at him.

SHE EXPECTED. HIM BEING A DOUCHE. She expected civility from Umi. She expected Hikaru not here. She did not expect civility from him, yelling from Umi, Hikaru being in the motel.

Her world is upside down.]

[cursedtolive]

... I didn't poison it. [That's what he's expecting her to think, anyway. He's still holding the mug out to her to see if she'll take it.]

You're cold, so drinking something warm should help.

[hououji]

[She... will. After turning away for a moment because staring at him like that is rude.]

... After how I've been treating you, you are the last person I expected kindness from.

[She. Doesn't. Get. It.]

I thought you would yell, like Umi-san, or Danny-san. Or just ignore me.

[cursedtolive]

I don't have a reason to yell at you. And I don't need to.

If you don't want to impose on Elijah, you can stay here. I can sleep on the couch.

[hououji]

... I asked you to leave.

[No she didn't.]

... Why? [Seriously she just doesn't get it.]

[cursedtolive]

[Seriously you didn't. You told him not to blame his own leaving on you. Fuu. Come on.]

... When you're alone, the UAA might take their chance to hurt you. It'd be an easy time to make you and your friends fall apart more.

I don't want to give them that opportunity, if that'd be easier for you to believe.

[hououji]

[Yeah well she feels guilty.]

I... don't understand why not. [You certainly didn't mind it when you shot her in the head.

Or the shoulder.]

[cursedtolive]

[Charon did something. He considers Charon a friend...]

... Charon is the one that wants to go home more than I do.

[hououji]

... I wish I could help, then.

[cursedtolive]

I thought you didn't want to kill anyone.

[Don't forget the Baccano status of Charon Walken, Fuu.]

Drink your tea. I didn't bring you in here to talk about me.

[hououji]

... I don't. That's why I can't go home. [She takes a sip on command--!!]

I suppose, it's more that I refuse to hurt anyone. I won't hit that level.

[cursedtolive]

Then you shouldn't help him. Don't get in his way, either.

What happened?

[hououji]

[She's trying to hold back the tears.]

I don't want Umi-san to kill or hurt anyone else because of me. She won't listen... and Danny-san's taken her side...

Hikaru's here and we couldn't even stop fighting long enough to make her comfortable. She's seen my eye, she blames herself. She wasn't even here.

Souji-san wants to put himself at risk to protect me after the way I challenged the UAA. And people are dying, over and over, because I encouraged them to fight back against the UAA.

And here I am, imposing on everyone still. Staying with Elijah-san... and you don't even like me, but you're still... helping...

[and now she's really crying again because this is what she wanted from Umi, not from Czes. To be honest she wanted someone to hold her and promise it'd be all right, she wanted someone to let her be the kids she still is. She hasn't found anyone yet.]

[cursedtolive]

That's their choice. Like it was my choice to kill people in order to ensure my survival.

[He gently takes the tea out of her hands and puts a pillow in them instead. He won't hug her but he'll give her something to hug, and then sit next to her.]

Aren't the three of you close? I wouldn't be surprised if she got upset, and I'd expect her to be confused. Of course you'd be upset; I've lived with you and Umi long enough to know.

But you're still a kid.

[hououji]

[She shakes her head.]

... I don't want anyone else to die because of me. Because of my mistakes.

I... can't take any more blood on my hands. I'd rather die a thousand times, I'd rather lose both eyes, I'd rather anything than to see Umi-san become a murderer for me, or see Souji-san be killed because he wants to help me.

I... I'm only 15. I don't want any of this! I wanted to go home with Hikaru-san and... I wanted to be a family with them again. They're like my sisters, but Umi-san is still angry with me over what I said...

... I've seen how she is when she hurts, I've seen how much she takes on herself. Is it that wrong to try to remind her why we don't want to kill anyone?

[cursedtolive]

It's not wrong.

But Umi has been here longer than either of us. Can you blame her for being angry? I bet she doesn't want it any more than you do, but if she takes it upon herself like you say she does, that would explain why she made the decision.

The city is driving both of you mad, Miss Hououji. And it's driven her to alcohol, at least. And your friend is still new.

[He's frowning. Of course Fuu wants to go home. He's 230 years old and he wants to go back to 1711 when he was happy and he was around people who cared for him.]

... Stay over tonight. I don't care; Charon won't mind.

[hououji]

I want to go back to our house. She doesn't want me there.

[But she shakes her head.]

I can't impose on you. I... I left my wallet, I just have to go get it again.

[cursedtolive]

But she doesn't want you there. If you go back right now, you're just going to get into a fight again.

I can ask Charon to get your wallet later. I stayed in your house for months after shooting your head; I don't care if you stay here for a night.

[hououji]

Yes, and Umi-san still resents me for it. She resents me for a great deal of things.

[She... offers a smile, though. A weak one.]

... Thank you.