aerialassault | 005 [Audio/Action]

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005 [Audio/Action]

[Audio]
Yo. Everyone.

[It was midday that he addressed the village as a whole, without any lead-in or hint of apology in his tone for being so goddamn casual.]

I'm lookin' for a friend of mine. He's got long hair and has a pet pig-- lemme know if you see him.

[Action]

[It was training, Souji had been insisting for the last few weeks when he set an enraged, squealing Saizou upon him without any warning. Speed training for a little game between the two of them that they both had a stake in. And, finally-- after many days of running from the grumpy little pig-- the game was on.

Cliff had 24 hours to catch Souji. Truth be told, he had no idea what the little prankster was up to.

He'll be anywhere and everywhere around town that day, searching every corner and under every table for any hint of that teasing smile...all the while remaining on high alert for anything that would attempt to dive-bomb him.]

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[He glanced over at Souji, momentarily surprised by the offered comfort, and wrapped his fingers around his partner's with a soft chuckle.]

I know.

[He smiled. Truth be told, he hadn't even gotten as far as having an existential crisis over learning about the truth of his world-- the surging anger over the notion of someone bigger and more powerful than him, someone declaring themselves a 'god', going and removing everything he cared about from existance had overridden all of his concerns. There was no time for anything else.]

Trust me, I know. In that situation, your mind's all you got, so you need to have your priorities straight...

And...you know what? I've always considered myself an athiest and, if those guys are gods? They just ain't worth the time wasted on 'em.

[Sometimes he forgot how level-headed Cliff could be. In this situation, his first instinct would be to question himself and everything that was happening. Instead, Cliff railed against those who were causing the problem and went for action. It was a fundamental difference in them and one which made Souji remember why he'd found himself drawn to Cliff in the first place. A person with a strong will and a call to action would always gather people around them. He'd followed someone like that at home as well.

Souji smiled faintly and gave Cliff's hand a slight squeeze before letting go.]

Thank you, for telling me all this.

No. Thank you for understanding. I was planning on telling you, but...I didn't exactly know where to begin.

[Or how. And, above all else, he didn't want to be judged for the treacherous state of his universe by someone he cared about-- a fear that he knew was foolish, but was still enough to quiet his tongue.

After all, if not for a small series of accidents in his life, odds were that he would never have been in position to do anything like what he was attempting back home. Whether it was by luck or design, events had fallen into place in his life in a way that shaped his perspective and influenced his decisions. And, without everyone that he knew in his life, what did he have?

His actions truly were nothing that special. He just did what was good by him.]

[He nodded his head slightly and then brushed a pile of origami on the couch aside.]

It can be difficult to reveal such things about ourselves unless strongly pushed.

[And even then some things would never see the light of day. Souji knew that he could ask some things, but not others, and he wasn't about to push for the impossible things.]

I just hope I didn't push too strongly.

Nah-- ya didn't. You just helped me find the right words.

[Even for a person who made tense negotiations a regular practice, finding the proper words for this context was tricky. He didn't know which ones to use at first, but it wasn't impossible. Nor was it too far.

Cliff shifted a little closer to Souji, feeling more comfortable with the air between them cleared of tension.]

I'm just gonna ask that you be a little bit patient in the future. Learning all of this was a shock, and all of us who made it here have come from different points in time. Nel...she hadn't even made it off of her homeworld by the time she got here. She had very little idea about any of this before we told her. And, that might be the case if anyone else comes. There's no way to tell.

[It was a simple request and it was simple to fulfil. Souji knew better than most what it was like to want to keep things close to the chest, and so he bowed his head in acquiescence. He wouldn't tell anyone or push the issue any further unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't his secret to tell anyway and just like he wouldn't want Cliff or Fayt or Albel to find his books, he wouldn't go telling other people about their world.]

You should know by now how patient I can be.

But my lips are sealed on this for now until such a time as you say otherwise.

Thanks, [Cliff said with a warm, grateful smile.] That was actually gonna be my other request-- we can't have Leon, that Fellpool in town, finding out. He's...ah, sorta famous to my understanding. But, besides that, we've got a few centuries on him. None of this is ever gonna affect him...but, that ain't the point.

Nel needed to know. He doesn't.

Ah. [That explained a lot of the secrecy quite easily then. He smiled faintly to show his understanding rather than nod again.]

I know Leon-san and I can find a way into the library to find any information on your time in case you need me to remove it.

I've already checked the shelves. [Multiple times, although he won't say that. There was no reason to point out just how unnerving this information was-- he didn't want anyone throwing questions at him out of left field.]

Looks like we're in the clear on that front-- a nice bit of luck for a change 'round here. But, I might take you up on that if that ever changes in the future...

My offer stands if you need it.

[Not saying how often he himself checks or how ready he is to destroy information found sensitive to people he cares about, of course. Souji wasn't about to let that secret out anytime soon considering how everyone who knew was now gone.]

Now, I'm sure you're tired after running around all day. Shall I let you sleep and tell Fayt-kun he has his apartment back?

[Souji's willingness to destroy information hadn't even struck Cliff as totally odd for Souji. The man had secrets that ran deep, and he wasn't surprised by the level of intensity that had come with the offer.

It wasn't his place to ask, nor would he. Some things were too dark to bring to light.

Cliff glanced around the room, running a hand through his hair, and cast Souji a sheepish look in reply.]

What, you're gonna spend the afternoon making all of this and leave it here for me? I dunno what to do with it!

...and, to tell the truth, I was kinda hoping that we could hang out for a while.

That's the fun of making a mess, Cliff-san. It isn't up to me to clean it.

[He stood and brushed a few paper animals out of his way, smiling.]

But as long as I don't have to clean up my paper zoo I made so painstakingly for you, I can stay a little longer.

[Cliff stood as well, stretching out his arms in preparation for the task ahead.]

That's fine. Just keep me company while I shove all of your toys into your room, then.

...At this rate, we're gonna need to get you your own apartment.

That's why I keep my house and leave all my toys here.

[Even if he said he wouldn't clean, he still leaned over to pick up several piles of paper birds and little animals.]

Aah. You mean it's not because Saizou might decide to keep me outta my own place?

[Chuckling, Cliff went to a closet to pull out some bags. This was going to take a while...]

[His own place? Souji eyed Cliff for a moment, wondering if he meant anything by that, then followed after him to the closet.]

He's just lonesome without his litter here. He was just a baby when he left home and he was used to having his mother and siblings around.

[There were no hidden meanings-- Cliff simply had this vision of Saizou ferociously guarding Souji's place in the apartment if Souji ever decided to move in one day...and Souji's place was the entire apartment. It was enough to fluster even the bravest of souls.]

Hm. That make's sense. Maybe that's why the little guy's always so grumpy.

[Cliff hummed throughtfully as he pulled out a broom and started sweeping the paper animals into a pile.]

...Have you thought about asking the Malnosso for a brother or sister for him? Besides Peony's little friends, there aren't that many other pigs in town.

Well, he's always been grumpy, but he's more protective now than he used to be.

[Watching his friends come and go and seeing the effect on Souji probably hadn't helped any either. He knelt down and carefully picked the little paper animals up, craning his neck back up at Cliff.]

Peony-san and I take walks together sometimes. It's helped him relax. Although he might get a little mad to see you treating my little presents like dust.

It's just to keep 'em safe and make the job faster. Otherwise I'd be digging these out from under the sofa all night.

[He unfurled a bag and started to gently scoop the little animals into it, making sure to keep from tearing the delicate edges.]

It's good to hear that the company's helping the little guy. He's got friends at your place...but, a bunch of birds aren't exactly pigs.

I didn't put any under the sofa.

[He paused, craning his neck around to make certain of that statement.]

Although a few could have escaped.

Also Saizou is different from other pigs. He isn't going to be eaten like his siblings.

[Cliff paused in his work and looked up at Souji.]

...Well. That's sorta grim to think about.

[In an odd way, it wasn't too much unlike himself. What was the life of a pig that was destined to become bacon like? How did the pigs who escaped that destiny feel about their non-bacon status? Did they ever realize what the path led to?]

[He hadn't noticed that what he said was grim at all. He was still looking under the couch, counting how many of the little paper animals had accidentally found their way under it. His words hadn't fazed him in the slightest until Cliff commented on them, which was when he froze for a split second, realizing how terrible he sounded even if it was the truth.

After composing himself, he sat back on his haunches, looking up at Cliff.]

It is a little, yes, but the others wouldn't consent to me keeping all of the pigs for pets.

...

At least you got to keep one. That's something.

[It was hard for him to wrap his mind around that concept-- that the rest of Saizou's siblings had eventually become a nice dinner for a family somewhere-- but the technology of his era had a way of separating the steps in the process so that the person plugging the commands into the replicator never even thought about where it came from.

In a few ways, his era was too clean.

Holding the broom out to the side, perpendicular to the floor, Cliff eyed his partner curiously.]

What brought you to want to keep Saizou for a pet anyway? And how did you convince your friends to let you keep him?

[That question always made him remember things he didn't want to think about. He didn't want to remember the man who had caused him to keep Saizou, and who had given the piglet his name. Even if he could never forget him - or wanted to forget - it was still painful to think of how many years it had been since he'd last seen Hijikata and how many times the man had appeared here only to disappear again. It reminded him of all his friends, come and gone, and those who were gone forever - and how many of them would be soon.

He smiled brightly despite his thoughts, giving no indication of how much the question always cut him.]

I can be very persuasive when I want to be and he reminded me of a mutual friend we all had. It was something of an in-joke.

....huh.

[Cliff scratched his chin, considering the information and Souji's deep feelings for the people he counted amongst his friends back in his Japan, and wondering once again about all of the little details that he didn't know about his partner. The name 'Okita Souji' wasn't mentioned in any of the history books that he had read, but he never strayed too far beyond what was absolutely necessary to understand the Federation and contemporary Earthling culture.

--or, whatever was left of it whenever he returned to his own galaxy. Even after this heart-to-heart, he wasn't sure that he could tell Souji about the fate of his homeworld.

He shook his head. As much as he cared for his partner, there were many things that would remain a mystery between the both of them.]

Well, you and your friends certainly did a good job of raising him, that's for sure. [Cliff laughed, putting the subject away. It was a mystery for another day...] I'm just wondering how in this world I can get him to like me, that's all.

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