059: Let Them All Walk Away

[contract_star]

[Hei is at his hut again. He's sitting on the bottom step, leaning tiredly against the railing. By now it's clear that he's been growing his hair out, as it's now down to his chin.]

[There's a single, half-empty bowl of ramen with him as well as a tumblerful of something alcoholic. A basic, composition notebook is open on his lap and he's idly writing something on one of the pages--though you might notice that "Ryotarou" is written in Sharpie on the front. There's also a pair of black and electric-blue Air Trecks propped next to him on the step.]

[Hei yawns and taps his pen against the paper, frowning a little.]

Comments

[contract_star]

Right.

Oh...no. [He's staring at the ATs.] They were a gift from him.

[mercwamouth]

Haha, as if you would ever use them.

How is that kid doing? He still training or whatever? Haven't seen him in a dog's age.

[contract_star]

I don't as much anymore, but I have in the past.

[He's quiet for awhile.] He's gone.

[mercwamouth]

I'd like to see that.

...As in gone gone?

[contract_star]

[Chuckles.] I was never very good at it.

[Slow nod.] As in gone gone.

[mercwamouth]

...Had a feeling.

[contract_star]

Mm.

[mercwamouth]

What about Ryo? He gone too? That what this is about?

[contract_star]

Yes. Ryotarou is gone too. [He taps the journal.] That's not what this is about. At least that's not what it started as. .

Ryotarou and Ikki aren't the only ones, you know.

[mercwamouth]

...How do people leave this place? It seems like the Twins try really hard to keep people here.

[contract_star]

[He shakes his head.] I don't know. They just...disappear. Time goes by and you realize you haven't seen someone in awhile.

[mercwamouth]

Maybe they figure out how to go back to their lives before the Plane. Maybe they die and stay dead because the Twins don't feel like bringing them back.

[contract_star]

[He shrugs.] Who knows.

[mercwamouth]

[Cracks knuckles]

The Twins do.

[contract_star]

True.

[mercwamouth]

We should do something about that one day. Y'know, when you're less preoccupied.

[contract_star]

I like that idea.

[mercwamouth]

So what are you up to anyway?

[contract_star]

Nothing, really. I was tired and I just...sort of got lost thinking about things.

[mercwamouth]

What's with the notebook?

[contract_star]

...It's a long story.

[mercwamouth]

Better start now then.

[contract_star]

[He pauses.] Ryotarou wouldn't want me to tell you everything, but...essentially there was always the chance that everyone Ryotarou knew, everyone here, would completely forget his existence. When I found out... [Pauses again.] The Syndicate does that to people in my world. People who see Contractors, witness what they can do--their memories are erased completely. Sometimes it means erasing people entirely. Being forgotten like that is the same as dying.

I didn't want it to happen to Ryotaorou, so...I started writing everything down. That way, even if I didn't remember, I'd at least have something to start from.

[He sets the journal aside.] I'm kind of glad he disappeared before we had a chance to forget him.

[mercwamouth]

...That wasn't very long.

[contract_star]

The details I'm not telling you are what make it long.