o29 Voice | 5-30, Midday

[recitings]

[Below is a series of locked messages sent to various personnel in the Watch and the Detective Agency. But since Genesis is bedridden in the Horrorspital due to his extensive injuries, people are very free to go bother him in person. In all these messages, Genesis sounds confident yet strained, as if clearly enduring intense pain with a calm face.]

[Filtered to the Watch]

Just so you are all made aware, during the mission in San Jose, my partner and I faced off against a witch after a battle against a terribly strong kishin egg. I protected him. And because of that, I sustained terrible injuries to my entire torso, as well as my right shoulder and arm. I think this has been the worst I've experienced throughout my stay here in Death City.

Not to worry, though. I don't intend to stay here long. Expect me to return to the field in a week or two. Meanwhile, Fabiola-- if you are well, please act in my stead on the field and report to me in person daily. Neji-- thank you for your hard work watching over my Zone while I was away.

Ah, and before I forget-- if there is a clerk free to coordinate with me while I am here in the clinic, I would gladly appreciate the assistance with my duties as a liaison to the Detective Agency.

[Outer Residential Zone II Patrols]

Your individual reports, please.

[Re-l Mayer]

Hello, Miss Mayer. Although I don't think I've gotten to be better acquainted with you, we are neighbors at the Fatality Condominiums, yes? How is it? Is the damage bad?

[Kotetsu T. Kaburagi]

How are you and your daughter? I hope you both are well.

[Yako Katsuragi]

I told myself that I would take you flying after the mission to San Jose, but I'm afraid it will have to be postponed. I'm too injured to fly right now.

[Near and Mello]

I heard that you both were here in the clinic. I hope my care package finds you in good spirits.

[It's a note that says "Get well soon." Attached is a box of condoms. Even while horribly injured, he will not back down from an opportunity to troll.]

[Sephiroth]

[It actually takes him a long time to decide to send this message and it comes much later than the others. Possibly after a nap and some conversations with the others.]

I am in a terrible condition. It is pathetic.

[His tone is as if he's laughing about it, though.]

Comments

[voice | private]

[recitings]

I don't need much. Company would be nice, though. It's boring, being here. And I'm not used at all to a hospital stay. Usually, I could go home with minor treatment, or I could simply slip out.

[Pretty much gives a hint to just about how hurt Genesis was. Hurt enough that he won't be able to move without pain for a few days.]

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

[As someone who's been caught trying to walk out of the clinic with his IV in tow, Mello completely understands.]

I don't want to leave Near, but I'd be happy to talk for a while.

[Near's asleep, after all.]

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Hm...

[Genesis takes a moment, discerning if he's up to some conversation. The painkillers are making him drowsy, but somehow, he's afraid to sleep-- not wanting to see Jenova in his dreams again.]

... what would we talk about, I wonder...

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

I wonder.

[It seems obvious to him. He speaks quietly, so he won't wake said topic of conversation.]

I don't think I ever properly thanked you for giving me a hand in the fight at the Agency. Or for whatever you said to Near not long ago.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Hm. You're very welcome, then. I honestly never expected that I'd play a part in bringing you two closer.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

Heh, neither did I.

[Near can say what he likes, Mello's still sure some of his suspicion was justified.]

You've known him a long time, haven't you?

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Almost a year, yes. It's not as long as the time you spent with him, as far as I have learned. But it's rather significant considering our time spent here in Death City.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

I've known him since I was six.

[But in Death City terms, a year is a long time.]

How long did it take him to let you see him in person?

[voice | private]

[recitings]

[He laughs a bit at that.]

Actually, I saw him in person by accident. I used to visit the library often when I was new. Maybe about two days after I spoke to him over DEMISE, we struck up a conversation there.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

I imagine you thought he was significantly younger than he is.

Did you ever meet the other me?

[voice | private]

[recitings]

A bit. [He grins.] I met the other you several times. Pissed you off a few times, too. The first time I met you, Near asked me to be his bodyguard and watch over him during your meeting.

And then you threw Near into a swimming pool.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

There's some precedent involving me, Near, and bodies of water. Why did I-- he do it that time?

[He didn't know his other version had done that, but he does remember pushing Near into a lake at Wammy's.]

You pissed me off a few times, too, but Near was playing both of us.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Hm. I don't know about you, but I did enjoy ticking you off whenever Near gave me the opportunity to.

Anyway, you pushed Near into the pool to piss him off, if I remember correctly. I wasn't exactly sure what your motive was, but you were laughing when you discovered Near's weapon form. And then he punched you for that.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

Heh, I would've enjoyed it more if his blatant attempts to make me jealous hadn't worked so well at the time.

[Mello remembers Near being irritated enough with his Weapon form during his own stay in Death City that carrying the cube in his pocket was a surefire way to annoy him.]

I bet it was to make him change. He was really that pissed off over it? He's never hit me except for the one time I hit him first.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

He was. Right after punching you, he left the area with me and didn't say a word more to you.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

[Mello has to wonder if the other version of him would've ended up feeling the way he does about Near now, if he'd been the one to stay in Death City. He's thought the progression of their relationship was inevitable, given the two of them in this setting, and the letter from Near's future self, which the Weapon had before Mello arrived, seems to confirm it. But he still thinks it would have been different. Maybe he just wants to believe he's the only one who could get Near to let his walls down.]

I'm sure the other me loved that.

Out of curiosity, why do you like Near? Most people never get close enough to have any idea he's likable at all.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

I found him interesting, a kind of person I would never expect to meet. That, and he reminded me of a friend to some extent. I found him likable from the very beginning.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

I assume he's told you I used to hate him.

But I was never able to hate him from afar. It always had to be from right up close.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Yes, he did tell me something along those lines.

Hm... [Genesis pauses for a moment, realizing that in a way, he went through a bit of the same as Mello. Different in a way, definitely. But he understands that feeling of not being to hate someone from afar. There was someone he used to feel that way towards, too. Sephiroth.]

So what did you feel for him when he wasn't around?

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

[Mello hasn't thought about that before, not in those terms. Near was always on his mind in their world; he was constantly trying to think of ways to get a step ahead of him, to beat him.]

Oh, I still hated him. I devoted a lot of energy to hating him. That's why the trolls' concept of fated rivals made so much sense when I learnt about it.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Fated rivals, hm? I don't think I heard about that concept yet. Would you care to tell me about that?

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

Trolls consider it a romantic relationship. It's more or less being in hate with someone, where you think about them almost as much as if it were the more typical sort of human relationship.

[He gives a short laugh.]

It doesn't really apply to me and Near anymore.

[voice | private]

[recitings]

Mm... there was a time I felt that way towards someone.

[voice | private]

[want_the_world]

Was there. How do you feel about them now?

[voice | private]

[recitings]

I feel... nothing much now. We broke our bonds a long time ago. I've been working to build them again, but his attentions are all to someone else now. A part of me is a bit jealous, I must admit, but I think I've moved on.