IC INBOX

[kaihentai]

[There's a brief click of a what seems to be the recording device, followed by some giggly "ahahas."]

Soooooo~? What're you-

[A hiccup.]

Wearing? Wait a minute, isn't this supposed to be a phone-sex hotline? Why is there an echo? Ohhh! Well, haha, I don't know if it's really an echo or not because I'm so loud all the time that it always seems like there's some sort of feedback from when I'm talking! Ahahaha!

Oh? Why is nobody answering?

[A pause.]

Ah! I must be on hold!

[There's a click- Leave a message after the beep.]

Comments

[taigabite]

....Sakamoto. Pick up. Your phone.

[kaihentai]

Taiga-chan?! What are you doing working at this sort of place? As your older brother, I demand you step down from this position immediately! You are too young!

[.................

This is actually no laughing matter to him, Taiga.]

[ishotyouuu]

[...

.....]

I honestly don't know why I was expecting anything different. Might wanna work on changin' that soon, dude.

[kaihentai]

Oh, hello! Did you need something? Dating advice, maybe?

[nosentimentalist]

...

[Honestly, what did he expect with calling this idiot.]

Sakamoto. Are you alright?

[kaihentai]

Why? Did you miss me?

[worthdisgracing]

[Bloody hell, is she even doing this right?

... Yeah, no, she definitely is, she supposes, cause that sounds right like that idiot.

Stunned silence.]

...

...

[Shit, what should she say, she's never made a phone call before.]

This is Beast.

[kaihentai]

Is that what you'll be calling me in be-

[He pauses before he realizes that this is not a phone sex operator finally calling back after several haphazard attempts, but instead, the troubled woman who he lent his jacket to. Sakamoto clears his throat.]

Yes, yes, nevermind what I was saying before! I remember you. How are you my dear?

[phone message]

[fearbringer]

[It's been two days since Pitch has taken his pills. Yesterday, everything had been normal, but it had somehow just slipped his mind. But ever since then, he's been plagued by intrusive thoughts and images, and they'd distracted and thrown him off so much that he'd forgotten again.

It's no wonder that Yao has called him in for retraining. Like the letter had said, they're disappointed in him. Anything that happened to him from this point on would be both deserved and necessary.

He has no idea what they were going to do, really. It could be a quick thing, and then he'd be released good as new. But if they found his mind to be permanently damaged, or decided he was a danger to society? They might keep him forever, or just put him down like a rabid dog. He wouldn't blame them if they did.

Just in case that happens, he has a few pieces of unfinished business to take care of. One of them is leaving the following message on Sakamoto's answering machine:]

I've been called in for retraining. If I don't come back, tell your daughter that I love her and that I'm sorry.

Voicemail;

[ragincajun]

Son of a--

[ God, he hates his boss' voicemail right now. Only because this situation is kind of dire, and even his wife isn't answering the phone. ]

Saka, I got bad news, homme.

Not gonna be comin' in to work anytime soon. Yao's brought me in for retraining or somet'in, 'n not a soul's tellin' me what dat entails or how long I'll be gone.

Rogue's not answerin' her phone. If you see her, can you please let her know I ain't dead? Me not answerin' her calls ain't never end well for nobody.

[ ... ]

Listen, I wanna t'ank you. For evert'in'. De job, de opportunity, de life I developed 'cause a' it-- It's all 'cause a' you. Wouldn't a' met my wife if it weren't for you 'n I just...

[ sigh ]

I don't know how long I'll be here. Or if I'll get out.

Laissez bon temps rouller, mon amis. You a good man.

[ Click ]

[kaihentai]

["You're a good man."

Not "swindler," "bastard," or "idiot."

He's not going to delete this. Sakamoto may need it on a rainy day, and every day in Haven is a cloudy one.]

mid-date

[voluptuous]

You should mention some movies, and he loves action movies. Preferably the ones with old gladiators.

text; happy haven au

[kaihentai]

i'm old and glad!

did u say he. you meant she, right? that was a typo. she likes glad old men. that's what you meant.

next day post-date / text; happy au haven

[voluptuous]

What happened to you? I heard you ended up in the hospital.

[kaihentai]

he was too hot for me

i needed to ice my burn

[A joke. Easier than an explanation.]

[kagune]

[ Well... that was a hell of a voicemail. He's silent for a good moment before he realizes it's over, and it's time to leave his message-- ]

... I found some bandages. I don't know if you've been wearing any, but a... wound... needs to be kept clean.

[kaihentai]

Oh! For your sake, I hope you didn't hear all of that.

[Sakamoto isn't entirely sure he knows how to change it. Never get drunk around phones.

After those few words, which were something of a knee-jerk reflex, he pauses. Sakamoto tries to imagine the ways this is going to go down in his head: He had made the kid a promise after all, but his conversation with a certain partner he isn't so sure he wants to risk his life.

After all, there are things he has to do.

Not to mention the fact that Sakamoto didn't seek proper care for his shoulder. Like most of his wounds during war, he cauterized it with some of the alcohol he had stolen, cleaned it up, and slapped some bandages over it, but that was no way to deal with a wound this bad.]

That's very thoughtful of you.

I could probably do with a change!

[And this is why Sakamoto is stupid. He still cares about this boy, despite Kaneki being incredibly dangerous, because the man who loves the stars can not bear to see anyone in such pain.

Loneliness can be like sitting in a prison cell by yourself, with no food or water, lacking the nourishment of love or human contact.]

How are you?

["Are you hungry?"]

[ragincajun]

See, I don' know why ya even got on my hide 'bout goin' to her room 'n helpin'. She was laughin' like a damn hyena by de time I got dere.

[kaihentai]

Oh no! Satan's powers are too strong! She's changing moods so quickly that it's unnatural! It can only be the work of the devil.

[SAKAMOTO]

voice, checkin' up on ur ass

[slushfund]

Are you dead yet?

[kaihentai]

Well! You sound lively.

audio;

[bokator]

[ She's shouting to be heard over the water... or really she just likes shouting at him. ]

You idiot!

[ She can't believe she listened to this entire message all the way through. ]

Have you drowned yet? You'd better not be!

[kaihentai]

I almost did, but instead of being pulled into a watery grave, I got a date!

Woo! Go me!

[STUPID]

How are you? I trust that you can swim.

audio

[ballcrush]

[ shouting and breaking things aside-- ]

Rations in your room. Don't waste them. Don't give them away; the last thing we need is you catching a cold on top of your STDs.

[ space transmitted diseases ]

[kaihentai]

Mutsu.

[Concern.]

Are you okay? You sound...

[A laugh of mirth-]

Well, hungry.

voicemail backdated to 11/02-ish ooc

[shatterstars]

You missed movie night. There's still some leftover popcorn if you want to come over.

[A pause.]

Has nobody told you to fix your answering message?

[kaihentai]

Movie?

[He perks up at that.]

Were there naked people in it?

voice; march 22

[ballcrush]

Sakamoto.

[ her tone is even and calm, controlled. like the past week hadn't happened at all. like she didn't just spend the past couple of days scrubbing his blood from her hands and clothes. ]

Call me back.

[ is what she says.

i'm back is what she doesn't. ]

voice;

[kaihentai]

[He's been trying to reach her, but holed up in bed. Worried sick, but every time he's gotten up to search for her he's had to sit down. The clinic's full of patients, and he's fine with waiting.

Either way, he'll make a call soon. He's all for kindness, for letting the other have care first, but he wants to stay alive. After all, that's the only way he can do his job.

Still, he answers with earnest joy, voices as pleasant as she remembers. Strong, despite the broken ribs he's sporting, and gentle, like it has always been.]

Yo~! Mutsu?

[A beat, he holds back the sigh of relief.]

How're you feeling? Sorry for clockin' ya. Didn't want you to do anything stupid. Bein' an idiot is my job! Aha.

[blowfish]

[ Tracking down Sakamoto seems more difficult now that Jesse is actually worried about him. It's funny how that works.

When he finally does stumble on the guy, seeing the living proof that he's alive? That alone is worth it. He doesn't have words for his exhaustion, the worry or the faded irritation he feels. It all jumbles together as he approaches him. He tries to find them anyway, and finds the only thing he can pull out in greeting is the name. ]

Tatsuma.

[ He needs to check in, or he'll lose it. Whatever hasn't already been lost. ]

[kaihentai]

Listen! I know, I know. It's been a long time since we've last seen each other. Spoken, even!

[Sakamoto nods solemnly, he can hear the concern in Jesse's voice, so he folds his arms, ready to continue this confrontation.]

I realize that this must be have been hard for you, being apart for so long...

However!

[He pauses dramatically, clearing his throat.]

The answer is still no. I refuse to sleep with you.

audio;

[nostalgiabomb]

[ just gonna... ignore that message... ]

Yo. John Lennon. Special delivery. Got anyone who can sign for it?

audio;

[kaihentai]

Where are you? I'll do it.

[it's the best voicemail ever don't lie]

voice;

[hasitsthorns]

[ A couple days have passed since her meeting with Yao went wrong. It still hurts, sometimes, but Rose is nothing if not strong. Resilient. Compared to selling her soul? This was nothing.

There's a lot she can think of to say; that's a lot that she probably should say to Sakamoto especially for the disappointment in her he'll no doubt feel. Ultimately though all her message boils down to is three simple words that carry a substantial amount of weight- ]

You were right.

[kaihentai]

[.....He had a feeling.]

Hey there.

[He swallows hard. Well, at least she's talking.]

What happened?

audio;

[enshields]

Sakamoto.

[It's as much a greeting as he's gonna get, and then Steve clears his throat faintly.]

I know Mutsu's gone. I'm sorry. You may not even get this, but if you need anything-- you've got my number.

[Annnnd he's terrible at this sort of thing so time to ollie out, bro.]

[kaihentai]

[He doesn't reply, because he doesn't feel the need. There isn't anything he can get from Cap right now, not what he needs, not what he wants to know.

"She isn't gone."

Good and bad. She's not home, but she's not dead, at the very list.

"She's still here."

The phone lies in his lap as he listens to Steve's voice. It's comforting, at the very least.]

voice;

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose had been so resolute in picking up the phone and finding Sakamoto's face. It feels natural to call him before anyone else. When the call connects though, her voice wavers and she chokes up as the realization of her mistakes starts to suffocate. ]

Hey, dude. I- I may have messed up.

[kaihentai]

[Spoken way too quickly:]

Who did you eat?

after the thread ok; voicemail

[voluptuous]

Hello, my dear. I'm just here to tell you that I'm going to rip you apart and feed you to the creatures in the tunnel if you tell anyone of what we spoke about.

Understand?

1/2

[kaihentai]

[after a long, cold shower-]

driveby;

[enshields]

[There's a small clay dragon waiting for Sakamoto one morning when he wakes up. It's sitting on a chair with a little umbrella over it in case it happens to rain (and also in the hopes Sakamoto won't sit on the damn thing unknowingly) on the front porch of his apartment. Cheers.]

[kaihentai]

[It's a goddamn miracle that he doesn't step on the thing, and perhaps it's the umbrella that seems familiar. The umbrella reminds him of another young man, with blood on his mind and wickedness in his heart, and so he stops to inspect the little thing, wary as he approaches it.

Oddly enough he finds a creature sculpted in clay, familiar. He smiles as he inspects it. The mouth is open, gaping maw twisted into some variation of a smile, almost as if it's laughing.

Like the Dragon of Katsurahama himself.]

Oh? I wonder who this is for.

[There's an object in its hand, and it looks as though it's selling wares.

Sakamoto's shoulders rise and fall as he sighs, picking up the object before looking over his shoulder.]

Finders keepers! Ah, I guess.