Two and a Half Gears | Video (with special guest Kuzuryuu)

[motormouths]

[Souda had only heard about it once. Once, and it was with Ishimaru. Like many things, it hadn't immediately registered with him- that literally any of them could 'go back.' Maybe with the others, as he didn't have many attachments to them, but he didn't account for his soulfriend of all people to be one of them.

Now, Souda is by no means a pillar of strength. Hell, an evil blonde with pigtails could easily hurt his feelings. Mere hamsters constantly threaten his self-esteem and love life! But, by damn it, despite his teeth chattering and his hands shaking, he's doing this damn message!]

One of our friends, [or rather, leader] Hinata, went missin', and he left all his junk behind!

[He's obviously tried practicing what he's about to say, but he's still more looking at his feet than at his ‘gear. To his side on the bed are the remnants of all that Hinata had to leave behind- his bag, pokéballs, the works.]

H-Have ya seen him?! He's got short brown hair, this huge ahoge up top, [Souda even jerkily gestures over his head] white button up t-shirt thing, and a green tie with some letters or some shit on it!

[Midway in, Souda glances over his shoulder at the yakuza sitting on the couch behind him, messing with his pokégear in an almost distracted sort of way.]

...Oi, Kuzuryuu, ain't ya gonna say somethin'? You're all worried too, right?! I don't wanna do this thing alone, so help me out a little!

[Kuzuryuu frowns, looking up from his ‘gear.] Who said I was worried? Hinata can take care of himself. [He doesn’t say it but it’s pretty obvious that sentence should end with “unlike a certain someone in this room.” He turns his attention back to his own ‘gear screen.] He found his way here once, he can do it again. And when he does, I’ll kick his ass for leaving us in the first place.

[Okay so Kuzuryuu might be slightly worried. But only slightly. Possibly.

And with this completely productive exchange, Souda ends the feed. You're not fooling anybody, Kuzuryuu!]

Comments

[video]

[soundmind]

Hey, Souda, don't worry about it, your friend--hmm...have you tried contacting his Gear? If you can't, then he might have gone home.

[...That sounded a little too blunt. She clears her throat and tries again.]

But even if he did, it's like your friend said, he'll certainly find his way back.

[video] what a friendship

[motormouths]

[Damn it, Maka, are you psychic or something.]

Y-Yeah, his gear! Right!

[Ooo eee, ooo ah ah, ting tang, walla walla bing bang, suddenly the second thread and back. What magic.]

He...he ain't answerin' his 'gear! I mean, I just got here! It ain't fair, him leavin' us like that! [Welcome to his...second FTE? Something like that, though this stuff is near fourth FTE tier.]

[video] bein the straightman to all her ridiculous friends, that's maka's life

[soundmind]

Ah...

[No, of course it isn't fair--particularly not when it's a sudden introduction for an event like this to a person that's still new to this world. She might have to tread carefully.

Then again Maka doesn't usually tread carefully.]

Of course it isn't fair. Some people come here with friends only for them to leave, some people come here alone and never have their friends come with--so they all have to start over. But what counts is that they have the courage to start over and to not stop hoping for the best. Yeah, your friend is gone now, but he's sure to come back! This world likes to cycle between who it brings and who it makes leave. I'm sure he'll be back soon, and then you'll be able to say "why did you leave, that was messed up!" So just be a little patient and don't give up, Souda!

the most actiony of action threads

[impheired]

[Kuzuryuu remains silent as Souda turns off the feed. In fact, it's safe to say that he probably didn't even realize Souda had turned it off at all. Whatever it is he's doing with his 'gear, he's pretty damn absorbed in it.]

[If Souda chances a glance, it should be immediately obvious that Kuzuryuu was, in fact, lying earlier when he said he wasn't worried. Because displayed boldly across the screen is the following message:]

[>CONTACTING: Hajime Hinata...]

[>...]

[>ERROR: POKéCONNECT ID DOES NOT EXIST.]

[He's keeping a pretty solid poker face though, props to him for that much at least. Then again, how hard is that when frowning is more or less your default expression on most days?]

can't get any more actiony than this

[motormouths]

That’s it?!

[It's utterly remarkable how Souda has enough sense to shut off the thing before moving off the bed. Can't get Kuzuryuu to admit anything on camera, damn.]

C’mon, there’s no way ya ain’t worried li...

[Souda's breath catches him in his throat as he sneaks a look at Kuzuryuu's 'gear.]

..ke hell...?

Ha...? [Out of all of them, out of all of them, out of every single one of them...] Huh? [The mechanic's voice faintly cracks.] Kuzuryuu? Oi, Kuzuryuu, gimme that for a second!

it's just not possible

[impheired]

Wha... [He might have effectively spaced out for a brief moment. What's going on now? Oh you want his Pokégear.] Hell no, you've got your own don't you?! The fuck do you need mine for?

[You see nothing he's not worried, we're just going to close the 'gear now.]

I've not been in bed playing DR all day, no sir!

[motormouths]

Be..because it's gotta be broken, that's why! [As if Souda hasn't made stupid deductions before, and like hell he isn't going to grab at Kuzuryuu's hands.]

Just gimme it already!

[Give. him. the fucking. 'gear.] It's gotta be malfunctioning! [Did you mean: they want it to be malfunctioning?]

Text

[struck_out]

[ OK he knows who else is on the other side of that feed. So for the sake of self-preservation and because he still really likes his fingers unbroken and attached to his hands he swaps over to text. ]

sucks to say but ur friends prbly gone bck home. srry man.

Text IT'S A FABLED LEON TAG

[motormouths]

[Hey, Kuzuryuu can actually be a big softie once you get to know hi-- Okay, only to people like Hinata. To dumbasses like Leon and Souda... No dice.]

i dont get it! i just got here and this places gotta take him back? hinatas one of the few good ones! take somebody anybody else! like i dunno maybe saionji? shes the worst outta the ones here by far but no shes gotta stay!

i just dont get it!

the hell do people even do when people leave?

Re: Text IT'S A FABLED LEON TAG

[struck_out]

yeah shit happens like that. all the nice girls in my class left except for 1 and the others a lil crazy.

u jus gotta move on i guess

text spo...ilers??

[motormouths]

aint that easy. mightve been if he was somebody who died but hinata keeps us all kinda there. its all tense without him here!

its like were rusty gears kinda stuck together and hes the oil yknow? oils kinda useless all on its own but with us

you get what i mean?

[video]

[konpeitoqueen]

Ehhhh? Big Bro Hinata left?

[...goddamn. Okay, she's not going to show she's slightly disappointed, though. A bit of a pause.] Weeell, I knew he was going to be the first target, anyway! A plain, ordinary background character like him was ripe for cannon fodder.

[video] kuzuryuu is going to KILL THEM

[motormouths]

Ordinary background...?!

[There's some sputtering, mostly for Hinata's behalf. Saionji, is it any bit possible for you to not talk without pissing off people?] You should've been the one to leave instead, damn it!

[video]

[konpeitoqueen]

[well she anticipated that, and as much as she wanted to pull the crying card she couldn't, so]

Why me? I have things to bring into this world! What could he do? What can you do?

voice;

[lullabytes]

[ WELL THIS SURE IS ABOUT TWO MINUTES OF UTTER SILENCE...

Kuzuryuu should be familiar with this silence. ]

...So Hinata-kun left. I see.

voice;

[impheired]

[...Nanami, is this sleep silence or is this worried silence? It's hard to tell when there's no picture to accompany your (lack of a) voice.]

Yeah. Just keep getting the same fucking error message when I try and call him. Pretty sure something like that means he's not here anymore, yeah?

voice;

[lullabytes]

[ It is neither. It is a sad silence. Someday you will learn all of her silences, Kuzuruu. ]

...that's right. If something like that happens...it means that person went home.

[ ...MORE SILENCE. Can you identify it this time? ]

...He'll...surely come back soon...right?

voice;

[motormouths]

[Nanami, you okay over there? Souda fidgets.]

I don't wanna believe it, though! But...but we tried! I still wanna try callin' him again, but... [He's not like everybody else, all right. He's never actually had to lose anybody.]

voice;

[lullabytes]

[ Souda, aren't you used to her silences yet... ]

...He'll...definitely come back. Hinata-kun wouldn't leave us alone.

audio

[saxsongs]

Sudden disappearances usually mean someone has left us... of course, it could only be that he's traveling alone. Try contacting his gear to see if you can reach him... if not I'm afraid the first option is true.

audio

[motormouths]

It...ain't flyin'. Kuzuryuu tried, I tried. I even tried again! I mean, I wanna try one more time, but it's...

[Really killing his mood.] Hinata ain't the type. I mean first day I came, he was out with his Pokémon. Doubt he'd leave 'em all behind.

audio

[saxsongs]

Sometimes, it's not our choice. When people leave this world, they aren't given a chance to say goodbye. They just leave.

[He's seen it happen too many times already, unfortunately.] There's a chance he might come back though.

[voice]

[pathogenics]

Hap-P and I will keep an eye out for him if he's still here. Where ever he may be, I am sure that the underworld is watching over him.

[he means that in the nicest way.]

[voice]

[impheired]

You'd be better off keeping an eye on the network for his return, because he's definitely not here anymore. No amount of wishful thinking is going change that.

[Had it been anybody else who said something about the underworld, he probably would have asked what the hell was wrong with them. But it's Gundam, there is basically no point in asking that question.]

[voice]

[pathogenics]

As I have just said, we will keep an eye out for him. You would do well to listen to your new overlord!

[With Gundam you will never know what the hell is wrong with them.]