[They look legitimately grateful for his presence as they climb aboard.
It's a fairly uneventful drive past some fields, though the truck eventually stops in front of a log house, standing among the trees. The woman climbed out of the truck, turning to Hermes still strapped in place:]
“Would you mind staying here? It’ll be troublesome to load and fasten you again.”
Well? What do you think?
[Hermes addressed the teen, already in the process of climbing down from the truck as well.]
...Hurricane will be with me. So I'll be okay.
Okay.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[There was not a soul in the living room that they just entered. There was a table with two chairs and a brick fireplace that had no fire lighted.
The teen took off their hat, put their goggles in it and held it under the folded coat.]
“We are here.”
[And from inside, a woman's voice responded:]
“Yes, I’m coming.”
[Soon a single woman came out of the back room.
It was a slightly thick-set woman of 45-55 years old, wearing round-lens glasses. She was wearing an apron above a one-piece dress. Seeing the teen, the woman addressed them with a smile.]
“Ah, it’s you. I was told that you know something about my son. What a charming traveler.”]
……Yes.
“What is your name?”
×××××.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[She offers them both chairs, indicating to the other woman that she can leave them be until later. The woman with the truck nods and returns outside, closing the door behind her.]
…Um,—— I’m returning this!
[The teen put the folded coat on the table. The woman took it and slowly looked at the number on the inner pocket.]
“There’s no mistake. This belonged to my son, Kino. Where did you——”
“I’ll tell you everything! I’ll tell you!”
“…I understand.”
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[Despite how frantic they are, it takes quite some time for them to get through the story.
During that time, the clouds on the sky were blown away, exposing the setting sun. An evening glow lighted up the greenish brown rural country and the log house. The room was filled up with a mix of light red and orange.]
“...So, that was it.”
I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry...
[When the woman responds, her voice is indifferent, lacking in emotion.]
“Thank you for letting me know.—— I almost gave up, since he didn’t come back and I didn’t receive any letters from him for a long time. When I heard about the coat, I thought that he probably passed away. There’s no point in blaming yourself.”
Still… I’m sorry. If I haven’t said such things to my family…
“Then you won’t be you, right? That child…”
[The woman's tone suddenly changed. She started speaking lightly, as if chatting about ordinary things.]
“That child told me that he would like to travel. He said that it relates to his own growth and the growth of the country. He left the country many times, then came back, then left again… Since he “became an adult”, he rarely appeared in his own country. That’s why, every time he left, I would be waiting for him, thinking, ‘What if he doesn’t come back?’
...Please, tell me one thing.”
[The teen raised their face —half in tears and half with an almost dead expression— and replied quietly:]
Yes?
“Do you have a place to return to?”
Eh?—— Yes. But…
“That’s good. That’s really good. You must return there. But it’s already too late, so please stay for a night in ‘this country’.—— I’ll make some tea.”
[The teen starts, beginning to rise from their chair, but the woman stops them.]
“It’s alright. You don’t need to help me. Stay where you are.”
Edited 2022-02-26 06:59 (UTC)
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[She goes to the kitchen, starting up a fire to boil the water. The teen just stares listlessly at the coat in front of them - startling faintly, and then carefully placing their hands in their lap as they wait.]
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
I'm just saying, like - you're worth caring about. Okay?
It ain't normal, for people to just - do that. Whatever it is they cut out of you, it must've cut out that part of them, otherwise they never would've done it.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[They nod mutely, only raising their gaze at the sound of water being poured. They adjust their posture, sitting up properly once more as the woman comes in, setting down tea in front of all three seats before taking the coat from the table.]
“I'll just put this away for now. Please, enjoy.”
Oh, um- th-thank you...
[It's a little awkwardly put as the woman returns to the kitchen with the coat, but the teen looks down at the cup sadly for only a moment before picking it up and taking a drink.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Thank you, Hurricane.
[They look legitimately grateful for his presence as they climb aboard.
It's a fairly uneventful drive past some fields, though the truck eventually stops in front of a log house, standing among the trees. The woman climbed out of the truck, turning to Hermes still strapped in place:]
“Would you mind staying here? It’ll be troublesome to load and fasten you again.”
Well? What do you think?
[Hermes addressed the teen, already in the process of climbing down from the truck as well.]
...Hurricane will be with me. So I'll be okay.
Okay.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
You ready...?
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Y-yeah. Um... I'll go first.
[There was not a soul in the living room that they just entered. There was a table with two chairs and a brick fireplace that had no fire lighted.
The teen took off their hat, put their goggles in it and held it under the folded coat.]
“We are here.”
[And from inside, a woman's voice responded:]
“Yes, I’m coming.”
[Soon a single woman came out of the back room.
It was a slightly thick-set woman of 45-55 years old, wearing round-lens glasses. She was wearing an apron above a one-piece dress. Seeing the teen, the woman addressed them with a smile.]
“Ah, it’s you. I was told that you know something about my son. What a charming traveler.”]
……Yes.
“What is your name?”
×××××.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[She offers them both chairs, indicating to the other woman that she can leave them be until later. The woman with the truck nods and returns outside, closing the door behind her.]
…Um,—— I’m returning this!
[The teen put the folded coat on the table. The woman took it and slowly looked at the number on the inner pocket.]
“There’s no mistake. This belonged to my son, Kino. Where did you——”
“I’ll tell you everything! I’ll tell you!”
“…I understand.”
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
During that time, the clouds on the sky were blown away, exposing the setting sun. An evening glow lighted up the greenish brown rural country and the log house. The room was filled up with a mix of light red and orange.]
“...So, that was it.”
I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry...
[When the woman responds, her voice is indifferent, lacking in emotion.]
“Thank you for letting me know.—— I almost gave up, since he didn’t come back and I didn’t receive any letters from him for a long time. When I heard about the coat, I thought that he probably passed away. There’s no point in blaming yourself.”
Still… I’m sorry. If I haven’t said such things to my family…
“Then you won’t be you, right? That child…”
[The woman's tone suddenly changed. She started speaking lightly, as if chatting about ordinary things.]
“That child told me that he would like to travel. He said that it relates to his own growth and the growth of the country. He left the country many times, then came back, then left again… Since he “became an adult”, he rarely appeared in his own country. That’s why, every time he left, I would be waiting for him, thinking, ‘What if he doesn’t come back?’
...Please, tell me one thing.”
[The teen raised their face —half in tears and half with an almost dead expression— and replied quietly:]
Yes?
“Do you have a place to return to?”
Eh?—— Yes. But…
“That’s good. That’s really good. You must return there. But it’s already too late, so please stay for a night in ‘this country’.—— I’ll make some tea.”
[The teen starts, beginning to rise from their chair, but the woman stops them.]
“It’s alright. You don’t need to help me. Stay where you are.”
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
We don't mind helping.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[She goes to the kitchen, starting up a fire to boil the water. The teen just stares listlessly at the coat in front of them - startling faintly, and then carefully placing their hands in their lap as they wait.]
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
...hey.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Huh?!
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[Their gaze drifts restlessly before settling on the coat in front of them again.]
...Y-yeah. If you say so and she says so then... I guess it isn't.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
It was how he wanted to live his life. And what he decided in the end was that there was something more important than that to him.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
[Their gaze remains on the coat, but they nod when they say that.]
Yeah, I-- it's not like I could stop him...
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
He gave you a chance to live, yourself.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
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...I don't know...
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
It ain't normal, for people to just - do that. Whatever it is they cut out of you, it must've cut out that part of them, otherwise they never would've done it.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
...Yeah. I guess... I guess that was my whole country.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
That don't make it okay.
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
“I'll just put this away for now. Please, enjoy.”
Oh, um- th-thank you...
[It's a little awkwardly put as the woman returns to the kitchen with the coat, but the teen looks down at the cup sadly for only a moment before picking it up and taking a drink.]
Re: Finale: “To Do Something • a” —life goes on. • a—
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