After the Contractor mission

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

[Action]

*Minutes after congratulating and excusing himself from the Contractor hunting job team, Souji walks out of the bathroom on his floor of the dorms. His expression's normal, but he's a lot paler than usual. People who are used to a lot of wild partying or psychological distress will possibly recognize the signs that he was engaging in one of those two things.*

> You're not sure whether you're more upset by the gratuitous violence, the gratuitous violence against small children...

> ...or the fact that you weren't bothered by it at all until you got back.

> You seriously consider not going to that world anymore.

Comments

[am177.livejournal.com]

*Vimes has seen a lot of inexperienced watchmen stare death in the face. He knew the signs.*

It doesn't make any sense, does it?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

None of it does.

I like to think I'm good at keeping a cool head, but how I acted when we were there was...

[am177.livejournal.com]

It gets easier, after a while. It never gets easy, but eventually familiarity turns the knife in gut into merely a punch to the gut. When you stop feeling it, that's when you should start to get worried.

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

...

That is why I'm worried, sir.

[am177.livejournal.com]

You did know the effects of turning into a contractor, right?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

Being told about it's one thing...

[am177.livejournal.com]

It's not a pleasant thought that just going to these places can change your head around so much, is it? None of the worlds I've been to have done much to me, but I figure it's only a matter of time.

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

The changes just hit kind of close to home, that's all. I think I'll be fine now if I just avoid that place for a little while.

[inspector-li.livejournal.com]

Chun Li happened to see him walking down the hall shortly after leaving the bathroom. She'd been a young rookie once too and had felt physically ill during one of her first murder investigations.

Agent Seta...are you alright?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

...how easy is it to get used to that kind of thing? Normally?

[inspector-li.livejournal.com]

She gives a light smile.

It's never easy. Some would even argue that you never truly get used to it. I admit that even I still get knots in my stomach when I see scenes like that...especially with children involved.

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

I see...

*doesn't seem very cheered up*

1/2

[d-drive-love.livejournal.com]

[Looks up from her manga.]

Ah, welcome ba-

2/2

[d-drive-love.livejournal.com]

[They've been living together for a bit now. She's learned to pick up on a few of these signs.]

... um, you look kinda pale. Are you alright?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

I'll be fine, Konata. Just kind of a harsh job.

[d-drive-love.livejournal.com]

... well, if you say so... you look kinda like you're about to come down with something, though.

Which job?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

We had to take down a pair of Contractors in a version of Japan.

I was a Contractor myself there, and it was kind of...unsettling.

[d-drive-love.livejournal.com]

The Contractors job, huh? I-

... eh? Wait, wasn't that one an uber-dangerous murder case or something like that!?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

We had a lot of strong people on it, so it wasn't that dangerous.

The actual case we were investigating was pretty bad, though.

[d-drive-love.livejournal.com]

R-Really? How bad was it? I mean, the number of agents they were asking for to deal with those two people...

[detdojimer.livejournal.com]

[It's one thing to see your nephew in any other mood, but even Dojima (who can be emotionally dense at times) senses something's different - even if he has that characteristic expression. (Or lack thereof, one could argue.)]

...Hey, Souji. Somethin' the matter?

[punches-fog.livejournal.com]

Just a tough mission.

*thinks for a second*

If I were to head home for a day or two, you think we could say I was coming into town for a visit? There's a couple of people I want to see.

[detdojimer.livejournal.com]

[Well, it's not like Dojima would argue that. He misses his own home, and especially Nanako.]

Yeah. I wouldn't mind. Don't blame you, really.