011

[contract_star]

[And here’s Hei. He looks strained and battered and tired, and the mask of apathy is clearly forced. He appears near Misaki’s batting cages and stares at them for awhile. Eventually, he steps inside wordlessly and grabs a bat off the shelf. Then he turns on the pitching machine; the machine fires and he swings and misses.]

[It becomes rhythmic. Fire. Swing. Miss. Fire. Swing. Miss. And so on. The mask of apathy slowly begins to waver.]

[Then, finally, there’s a loud crack as the bat connects with a ball. It’s a good hit. Hei stands back and watches as the ball arcs high into the star-filled sky, falling down somewhere out of sight. Hei stares after it for a long while, ignoring the pitching machine which is still lobbing balls at him.]

[It’s only when the machine has run out of balls that Hei seems to wake up. He looks at his feet; the apathy is gone now. Anger and loss flash across his face, almost seeming to compete with each other. Hei plants the bat against the floor and leans on it as if he can no longer hold his own weight.]

[The machine continues to whir.]

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

Who here will judge you? [Righting the machine with his awesome Telekenesis of awesome]

[contract_star]

[Removes his hand and just watches the machine right itself, not moving. And not answering, either.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[His stare is one that more or less demands an answer]

[contract_star]

[Blandly,] And who was going to judge you for crying when Milo died?

[lamb_of_gold]

Milo died as he wished to.

[contract_star]

Lucky him.

[lamb_of_gold]

Do not attempt to change the topic, Hei. Your ill mood is understandable, but your attempt at apathy is foolish.

[contract_star]

[Machine runs out of balls again and keeps whirring. Hei leans against the side of the cage, facing away from Mu.]

A Contractor attempting emotion is just as foolish.

[lamb_of_gold]

Yet you have it. I've seen it.

[contract_star]

[Slides down the side of the cage to the floor and drapes his arms over his knees. For some reason his chest hurts.]

I just...don't know why...

[lamb_of_gold]

[Approaches to sit nearby] Because, despite everything, you've held on to your humanity. You've held on to yourself. Your heart is true - the monster in you is only a guise.

[contract_star]

[Something inside Hei seems to break, but he just smiles bitterly.]

And how do you know that?

[lamb_of_gold]

I've spoken to you.

[contract_star]

[Hei doesn't respond. What do you say to something like that?]

[lamb_of_gold]

[Vanishes and reappears with the Tea That Heals All Hurts. Hands him a cup wordlessly]

[contract_star]

[Smiles a little--less bitterly this time--and accepts the tea, sipping at it.]

[lamb_of_gold]

Death...is difficult.

[contract_star]

[Bursts out laughing, mirthlessly.]

Understatement of the year.

[lamb_of_gold]

The Century would be more accurate, I think.

[contract_star]

Probably. [Yum, tea.]

[lamb_of_gold]

Would it help at all if you spoke about it?

[contract_star]

[Long pause, staring into his tea. Then he inclines his head and looks up at the stars.]

[Deadpan,] She was on the trail of a group of Contractors that had been killing children. She caught up to them, raided their den with her team, I presume. One of the rookies did something stupid. I expect a good portion of her team was killed.

She appeared on the Plane with fatal injuries. I held her hand and watched her die. It took awhile. She was in pain.

[lamb_of_gold]

[Sits and listens, quietly and not interrupting.] If you were with her...[Doesn't finish the sentence, figuring Hei's a big enough boy to fill in the blanks]

[contract_star]

[His eyes lid partway and he's silent for awhile.]

[Then something occurs to him and he goes B|]

My reality is merged with hers. [He finishes off the tea, sets down the cup and gets to his feet.] I could find that gang. It shouldn't be too hard.

[lamb_of_gold]

Hei, I will not attempt to stop you, but do not be foolish.