✿ Chapter 004. [Audio/Video](Day 65)

[burntviolet]

[When the audio feed opens, you can hear the high pitched sound of some yapping, and then a hushing noise.]

Shhh... please be quiet for a moment...

[Hanako speaks softly, before returning her attention to the bracelet.]

Um... g-greetings again, everyone.

I suppose Laurent is... gone. [There's a gloomy tone to it.] I wish him the b-best and that he'll return s-safe and sound to his world.

...

[A pause.] There's... another particular matter I n-need to press. Laurent left me s-something. I guess he w-wanted me to take it, but he disappeared b-before he could tell me anything...

[And there you hear more yapping.] Ah- please not now! Um... well... hold on.

[Hanako switches the feed off. Some fiddling later, the feed opens again, this time set on video. You won't see Hanako's face, instead, the bracelet's camera is set towards the floor of her room, so you can only see her shoes, and...

And then there's an adorable corgi puppy dog sitting there, with its tongue out, tail wagging happily, and big curious eyes staring at you. It yaps a few more times before Hanako hushes it up again.]

I already checked... i-it's a female. I couldn't ask Laurent how o-old she is. Uhm... [Her feet shift awkwardly. The puppy still stares up as she speaks in the background] All I k-know about domestic pets I only have read in a b-book, but- I don't remember much and I have no experience whatsoever w-with animals. So I wondered if those o-of you who have a p-pet or know something about k-keeping a dog could... give me some advice.

Also... I w-wondered if you could... suggest me a name for her. I- I'm not good at these s-sort of things...

[Another pause. Hanako's growing anxious with keeping this a video.] I hope I wasn't a b-bother to you. Good... good day.

[Click! And the video ends.]

Comments

[burntviolet]

... I probably wouldn't mind.

[seventeenpills]

[He laughed a little.]

Just so long as I don't get any books or pillows thrown at me on those mornings that you DO mind? I think this should be a good arrangement!

[burntviolet]

[Oh man why those jokes]

... I would never do that, Hisao!

[seventeenpills]

Hanako - I know you wouldn't. It was just a joke. I was kidding. It's funny because you would nev.... You know what? Nevermind.

[It loses humor with every word of explanation.]

[burntviolet]

... Oh. Uh... sorry. I didn't know. [Her life is suffering...]

[seventeenpills]

It's fine. Really. I know my sense of humor doesn't always strike the right angles with you. Eventually either you'll get used to it and figure out when I'm kidding or I'll get the message and stop joking. Either way, I'm looking forward to jogging with my new partner.

[He's still rubbing Nashi's belly. She's in Corgi heaven, probably.]

[burntviolet]

[Yep she is! :D]

Uh, I'll try to... understand more, so you won't have to limit yourself for me. It's something I wouldn't stand.

[seventeenpills]

[He chuckled a little at that.]

That's sweet, Hanako. But if you don't find my jokes funny, then it's probably better I keep them to myself. It's really not a big deal to me, and I wouldn't say it's a limitation.

[burntviolet]

... But that's not it!

[seventeenpills]

Huh? What do you mean?

[Was he missing something? Again?]

[burntviolet]

You don't have to stop that... I just need to learn how jokes are about!

[Much more quietly.] It's not like I don't find every joke unfunny...

[seventeenpills]

Well, to be fair, my humor is what's generally called wry humor. They're just slightly sarcastic observations, usually, so, they kind of fit naturally into my conversation. They can be easy to miss, if you're not used to that sort of thing.

[burntviolet]

Um...

But I feel as if you wouldn't be... you, if you discarded them for me.

[seventeenpills]

OK. I'll keep them around. I just hate the idea of making you feel awkward. That's all.

[burntviolet]

Just... tell me you're joking if I don't get it, ok?

[seventeenpills]

Alright. If that's what you want.

[burntviolet]

Yes, that's it.

[Nashi begs for more attentions now, yap yap yap!]

[seventeenpills]

Oh! Sorry, I forgot you, didn't I?

[He goes back to rubing the little dog's tummy.]

[burntviolet]

[Eeeee she makes happy growl sounds and wriggles her paws :3]

... Anyway, I wouldn't mind waking up a little earlier. I might go back to sleep later anyway.