I've always been marginally successful at that, at best. [He licks his lips a little and sets aside the empty glass.] Eight people in three days. Are we gonna wake up tomorrow and more of us will be gone? I hate having to wonder about that.
[And coping fucking sucks.] I want to know what happened to Tonbokiri. [...] Did anybody tell you about the journal we found in Chuuya's room on Wednesday?
[Give him a second. He's digging a black notebook out of his pocket and thumbing through the pages. If Haymitch looks, he'll find that most of the notes are in English and in Junpei's handwriting but the page he stops on is written in Japanese.]
I copied it down for my own records. "Last week, I hope. I’m sick of this place-- I’m tired of not being able to keep people I give half a shit about from dying. I’ve had enough of that at home.
They’re coming for me, but it was worth it if it gave everybody still alive a shot at getting the info they’re going to need. As long as they can get us all back… that’s all I need, even if Wei Ying’s right about this immortality business not always being permanent. If they get us all home--
Dying would be worth it for that alone. I promised I’d do whatever it takes to get back to Yokohama, so… wait for me, Boss. Anesan. Hirotsu-san, Kajii. Everyone."
He added stuff later.
"Two days and they haven’t come for me yet, but at this point it’s a matter of time. Whoever finds this- take the other notes and get them where they need to go. If I come back, I’ll just burn them and this won’t even matter-- why the fuck am I bothering to write that, then-- goddamnit. Nevermind. Look, if you can still find them, that probably means you should pass them on. I already burned everything else that was in this book, so don’t bother looking for that."
[...he closes the notebook.] I figure he must've written that right before he saw us. Or not long after.
Dunno what he got rid of, but he had letters for you, me, Kagachi, Higekiri, Edelgard, Nikkari and Wei Wuxian. He was absolutely prepared for whatever the hell was happening.
Chuuya made good on his word and left you the plastic dick. Didn't read the letter because it's not mine to read, but Dick'll probably deliver it to you now that this is happening.
--wait what? [All this time he deadass assumed Haymitch was from Earth and now he's openly staring at him.] Actually I don't think I've ever asked you where you're from.
Currently? Nevada. It's...a state in America, which is a country by itself. Japan's another country but it's on the other side of the world. I used to live there as a kid, and I guess Chuuya was from there considering his letters.
[Panem is 100% new.] How many districts were there?
[Okay. So Haymitch confirmed for apocalypse survivor, maybe? He'll take another shot because he's curious where this is going.]
That's the continent. North America's made up of a couple of countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico. [Thank you for knowing basic geography, Junpei.]
In some timelines, the world experienced an apocalypse in the year 2029 because of a virus outbreak. Six billion people were killed, and the world wasn't the same after that. In the timeline I'm heading back to, we're hoping to prevent a different kind of apocalypse and stop a nuclear war.
I wonder if you're from a timeline where we didn't fix either of those things.
[Which is unfortunate for Junpei, but not so much for Haymitch, living on the other side.]
Gets worse before it gets better, I'll tell you that much for free. But we were . . .
[He draws a quick, rough shape of North America, although it's a bit narrower than Junpei might remember. He then points towards Appalachian area, nodding.]
Sorry about that. [Sorry for the apocalypse, and the doomed history. But he's watching Haymitch draw and there's a noise of recognition.] You're a little further from where we were.
[He'll just notate the space where Nevada should be on this map.] But I've always know everything gets worse before it gets better. I'm just constantly waiting for the "better" part.
[...it's kind of a morbid joke, but here they are.]
[He's silent for a time after he says that, because it's not a joke, not really.]
. . . it's coming.
[And what a thing to say, coming from him.]
It'll be here for a while. And then maybe it'll get worse again, but I think . . . I think it's just a pattern. We don't remember much for too long, you know?
It'll come. One or two more days. You just savor it while it's there.
[...he seems to pause then, shot hovering near his mouth but something seems to be stopping him.]
Things that come and go, right? [...the shot is set back down for now.] Sometimes I wonder how fucked up it is to have found some good things in this place when everyone around us keeps dying. But it's not a celebration, it's just...glad to have it.
[He remembers what Haymitch said, at least.] What do you think? What're our chances that tomorrow might actually be better?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:01 am (UTC)[He grabs the same shot glass, lifting it up in an ironic cheers before downing it.]
You cope how you cope, Junpei. Just try to keep the destruction to yourself.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:09 am (UTC)[And coping fucking sucks.] I want to know what happened to Tonbokiri. [...] Did anybody tell you about the journal we found in Chuuya's room on Wednesday?
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:10 am (UTC)[He glances over at him.]
Which is comforting news. What'd it say?
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:15 am (UTC)I copied it down for my own records. "Last week, I hope. I’m sick of this place-- I’m tired of not being able to keep people I give half a shit about from dying. I’ve had enough of that at home.
They’re coming for me, but it was worth it if it gave everybody still alive a shot at getting the info they’re going to need. As long as they can get us all back… that’s all I need, even if Wei Ying’s right about this immortality business not always being permanent. If they get us all home--
Dying would be worth it for that alone. I promised I’d do whatever it takes to get back to Yokohama, so… wait for me, Boss. Anesan. Hirotsu-san, Kajii. Everyone."
He added stuff later.
"Two days and they haven’t come for me yet, but at this point it’s a matter of time. Whoever finds this- take the other notes and get them where they need to go. If I come back, I’ll just burn them and this won’t even matter-- why the fuck am I bothering to write that, then-- goddamnit. Nevermind. Look, if you can still find them, that probably means you should pass them on. I already burned everything else that was in this book, so don’t bother looking for that."
[...he closes the notebook.] I figure he must've written that right before he saw us. Or not long after.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:22 am (UTC)[There's a lot to take in, but one thing at a time.]
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:26 am (UTC)[Time for the second shot.]
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:28 am (UTC)No. Nobody's given me a box.
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:33 am (UTC)Chuuya made good on his word and left you the plastic dick. Didn't read the letter because it's not mine to read, but Dick'll probably deliver it to you now that this is happening.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:41 am (UTC)[But fine, he'll go bother Dick after this. But first: more alcohol. Third shot? Third shot.]
Keep up, kiddo.
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:42 am (UTC)Get him to translate for you. I'm gonna guess you can't read Japanese.
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:49 am (UTC)[He says it as he takes his next shot, leaning back, his head bumping against the wall. Fingers tightening around the rim, he shrugs a shoulder.]
Never heard of it, either.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 04:51 am (UTC)[Hm.]
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:53 am (UTC)[He, on the other hand, has long given up trying to figure out who comes from where.]
District 12, within it. You?
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Date: 2019-11-23 04:57 am (UTC)[Panem is 100% new.] How many districts were there?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:01 am (UTC)[But wait, that stirs a memory . . .]
. . . you ever hear of a North America?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:03 am (UTC)That's the continent. North America's made up of a couple of countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico. [Thank you for knowing basic geography, Junpei.]
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Date: 2019-11-23 05:05 am (UTC)[He stares at him for a long few seconds, and it's funny, honestly, because he was so numb before, but now he's just wildly weirded out.]
That was at least a hundred years ago.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:09 am (UTC)In some timelines, the world experienced an apocalypse in the year 2029 because of a virus outbreak. Six billion people were killed, and the world wasn't the same after that. In the timeline I'm heading back to, we're hoping to prevent a different kind of apocalypse and stop a nuclear war.
I wonder if you're from a timeline where we didn't fix either of those things.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:14 am (UTC)[Which is unfortunate for Junpei, but not so much for Haymitch, living on the other side.]
Gets worse before it gets better, I'll tell you that much for free. But we were . . .
[He draws a quick, rough shape of North America, although it's a bit narrower than Junpei might remember. He then points towards Appalachian area, nodding.]
Lived there.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:20 am (UTC)[He'll just notate the space where Nevada should be on this map.] But I've always know everything gets worse before it gets better. I'm just constantly waiting for the "better" part.
[...it's kind of a morbid joke, but here they are.]
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:33 am (UTC). . . it's coming.
[And what a thing to say, coming from him.]
It'll be here for a while. And then maybe it'll get worse again, but I think . . . I think it's just a pattern. We don't remember much for too long, you know?
It'll come. One or two more days. You just savor it while it's there.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:39 am (UTC)Things that come and go, right? [...the shot is set back down for now.] Sometimes I wonder how fucked up it is to have found some good things in this place when everyone around us keeps dying. But it's not a celebration, it's just...glad to have it.
[He remembers what Haymitch said, at least.] What do you think? What're our chances that tomorrow might actually be better?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-23 05:46 am (UTC)Tomorrow?
[Hmm. He sits up, then downs the shot quick. Five.]
I think we've got a shot. You, me, Edelgard, Dick . . . we're not exactly rookies. I think we've got a good shot, but it won't be easy.
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