asgardeventide | first at-bat [video]

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first at-bat [video]

[ as the video turns on, you're treated to the sight of a confused looking young man. something that must surely be a familiar sight to anyone who's been here for a protracted period of time... though this one seems perhaps a bit more dazed than most. ]

Ah... hello, everyone.

[ despite his confusion, he manages a weak smile. his voice sounds rather calm, all things considered. ]

Let's see... I'm supposed to introduce myself, right? My name is Satoshi Houjou. It's nice to meet you at all.

Um... what else was there? Sorry, this has never happened to me before so I'm not really sure what to say. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Or am I one who's supposed to be asking questions right now? Hm... Can anyone give me some advice? Introductions sure are difficult. I'll do my best to pay you back when I can.

Oh! But we're saving the world, aren't we? Ha... that sounds pretty hard. I've never saved a world before, either. Well, I'll do my best.

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That's true... [ he's a bit surprised by how fiercely she'd shot down his suggestion, but he figures she must just be really worried for his safety.

in that light, it's actually kind of touching. ] Don't worry, if anything like that ever happens, I'll make sure it's safe before doing anything. [ hopefully...

though he pauses at that, before shaking his head. ] I don't think so. I never believed in him much, but I don't think anyone would ever call him kind.

Please, promise me you will. You just... never know what can happen.

[She shakes her head, glancing out her window - although he can't see it, she's looking toward the castle.] I wonder if any of them are. The more I hear and see of gods, the less I like them.

Alright. That's a promise.

[ there can't be any harm in that, right? her request seems reasonable enough. ]

Oh, that's right... there are gods in charge here too, huh? ...do these ones "spirit away" people too?

I don't really know what you mean by "spirit away"... but they do kidnap people, don't they? That's what happened to most of us here, taken away from lives and families and serious situations that are left to hang in the balance.

Spiriting away is a little different... it's when someone disappears and you never see them again. But maybe... maybe for the people back home, it's like that for us? Maybe we really have been spirited away then.

Does that happen a lot back home for you? People disappearing and never being found? [She speaks hesitantly. That sounds a little traumatizing, and she only wants to dance over issues like that, not dwell on them. He's new, after all - he's already got so much to worry about.]

Well, I don't know if anyone told you, but our timelines are stopped when we're brought here and restarted when we get back. So no one will even notice that we're gone, and if there's any kind of trouble in your world, it won't go on without you.

Once a year for the past few years. It might just be superstition and coincidence though. [ even if he ended up being one of the people spirited away... still, his own familial ties to the tragedies isn't one that's easily ignored. ]

Oh? Wow... that's really something. Then we don't have to worry about things back home, huh? That's good... I'm sure my little sister would get really worried if I was missing for a long time. Something bad could happen. [ except you've already been missing for a year satoshi... ]

Gosh... that's really scary. I can see why people would be suspicious, even if I didn't really believe in gods until I got here. I'm sorry you had to live with that kind of fear around you.

[Her face softens.] You have a little sister? Do you take care of her?

wouldn't worry too much about it. That's just how people are back home. People from rural towns are always kind of superstitious... [ a shake of the head. ] I think it was probably just coincidence, rather than a real curse.

That's right. She's a few years younger than me. [ he pauses at that, his demeanor growing a bit more serious. ] I have to take care of her. I'm the only one who can.

The only one...? [She looks stricken.] You mean...?

Mmm... our parents passed away a few years ago.

[ he won't bother saying anything about their foster parents... ]

Oh, Satoshi... I'm so sorry. [Her face works as she tries to stay calm for him, since he's being so admirably strong in talking about it.] I - I actually had a friend who had to raise his three siblings, because his mom was dead and his dad ran out on them. You must be really strong, like him.

I wouldn't call myself strong. [ anything but that, in fact. ] I just had to do my best for my little sister. It might have been tough at times, but it wasn't all bad. [ mostly bad, but not all bad. ] It might have been easier the village wasn't... [ oh, wait, no. ] Ah, never mind. Sorry, I'm probably troubling you now.

The strongest people always say that. [A sad smile.]

It's - it's okay. I've heard a lot, and I've been through a lot. If you want to share, you can... it's up to you.

It's not a big deal. Aha... the people in the village just didn't like my family very much. I guess that made things a little harder...

Really?

[She doesn't mean to look excited, she honestly doesn't, but it's her first and most honest reaction. Once she realizes it, she blushes.]

I'm sorry. It's just - my mom and I went through the same thing. She had two friends in the whole town, and I had none. It's... it's terrible to know that other people went through the same thing, but it's also - kind of a comfort? That's awful, I know, but I can't help it. I used to think we were the only person in the world who were so hated.

I'm really sorry, though. No one should have to live like that.

So you had to go through something like that too... I'm sorry.

[ it's a bit of a downer to be reminded, even if he's always done his best to ignore it. he'd had friends... sort of. just friends he'd always had to keep at an arm's distance. in the end, the only person he was truly close to was his sister, and that was mostly because he had to protect her. ]

But I think I understand what you mean. When things are like that, you always feel like you're alone. That there's no one you can turn to. [ a pause. ] So I guess we can sort of understand each other then.

I guess so. [She smiles shyly.] Don't worry, you'll make lots of friends here. People aren't as judgmental here... even the ones I've told about things back home still like me. It's not like a small town or village at all.

That's true. I've already noticed the people here are pretty different. [ pause. ] Maybe a little strange, but in a good way.

One of my friends had a theory that the gods chose mainly outcasts, people who were different or disliked in their worlds, so that they'd bond better here. It doesn't fit everyone, not at all, but it's unusually common for such a diverse group of people.

Oh... I guess that would make sense, wouldn't it? [ though if they want them to socialize, wouldn't it work better if they just brought people that were good at it...?

regardless, he nods. ] If that's what this is about... then I'll do my best. I've always wanted something like a fresh start.

[A fresh start. She grins. They really do have a lot in common.]

Yeah, me too. I used to daydream about going to university in a different city, someplace where no one knew me. This is... different, but it's still - a fresh start, like you said.

This is a little embarrassing, so don't tell anyone... but I used to think about saving up money so I could just go somewhere far away.

It never really worked out though. Haha... it was a pretty dumb idea.

I don't think it's embarrassing or dumb at all. Of course you'd want to escape if people were treating you badly. I probably would've thought of the same, but I couldn't leave my mom behind... and I guess your sister was what kept you, huh?

There was no way I could leave her behind.

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