The Grand Adventures of Watanuki, logbook entry 057 [public :: voice; a few hours post-explosion]

[flailingbento]

[Watanuki's voice is shaking audibly, and he swallows hard before he speaks:]Is-- is everyone all right? I've just finished cleaning up the kitchen-- one of the cabinets just, just flew open! There was sugar everywhere... I mean, I've cleaned it up, the kitchen is fine, it's nothing to worry about! It's fine. Is everyone here? Safe, I mean. Was

Comments

[son_of_the_lake]

He was on the Rahki River mission, wasn't he? I'm with the Nahk crew, and we're still in the air. When was he supposed to arrive?

[flailingbento]

A few hours ago-- I'm not sure how long ago, but he was-- I guess he was delayed, or they stayed behind to-- to-- [There's got to be a reason they would stay behind, of course, he just can't think of it right now and he's going to leave off thinking about that for a moment.]

--so you haven't gotten word? Nothing over the radios, or--?

[son_of_the_lake]

No, but then I'm just a passenger at the moment. I'm sort of jammed into the back of the plane, and would have to climb over some serious obstacles even to get close enough to scream at the navigator/radio operator, let alone hear a transmission.

You sound really worried.

[flailingbento]

No, please don't go to any trouble-- it's fine. I'm sure he's fine.

[a shaky laugh.] Well, everyone's worried-- I mean, they're part of the crew, him and Utena. Everyone hopes they'll make it back safely.

[son_of_the_lake]

I absolutely believe that.

Look, hang on a second. [Muffled sounds: "Excuse me...excuse me...thump!...Oh, sorry...bump!" Silence. Several minutes go by. Then the same sounds are repeated, in roughly the same order.]

No news, sorry. But there could be all sorts of reasons for that, you know. The winds can be pretty erratic on the east side of the Badlands chain, in March. If they've got to fight the wind, it could delay them by at least an hour.

Oh, I'm Hisoka Kurosaki. I don't think we've met.

[flailingbento]

Oh, no, please don't go to any...!

[welp, judging by the thumping, that came too late.]

...trouble.

[Yeah, okay, he'll just wait. Maybe this guy'll have some piece of news or... damn. The disappointment is evident in his voice, though he does his best to cover it up.]

Ah. Er-- thank you for checking. I'm sorry to inconvenience you. My name is Kimihiro Watanuki. It's a pleasure.

Kurosaki-- that's a funny coincidence.

[son_of_the_lake]

I'm sorry I didn't have news.

[He can hear the disappointment, and his eyes soften.]

And I'm pleased to meet you, too. Coincidence...? Oh, you mean because I have the same family name as Ichigo-san. [Hisoka's almost fallen out of the habit of using honorifics, and Ichigo doesn't seem to care, but Hisoka is speaking with a person who is clearly a close friend of the man, and he doesn't wish to sound disrespectful.]

[flailingbento]

Yes, it's not one you see very often. I do appreciate your taking the trouble!

I just... I suppose we'll just have to wait for news.

[son_of_the_lake]

True. No trouble.

I guess so. I think it's harder to be the person who waits than to be the one who goes out and takes the risks.