4 || [audio] backdated to August 1st

[incriminating]

[Adachi's communicator clicks on for the first time in a few days. Hey brats, did you miss him? There's the sound of languid footfalls for a few minutes as he makes his way through the village and then silence. His even breathing is all the audio feed picks up, until -- ]

Knock, knock.

[His voice curls around that one word, his tone feather-light

Comments

[voice // private]

[toplay_thefool]

[Missed you a whole bunch, man.]

What happened to you?

[voice // private]

[incriminating]

Oh, it's you!

[And my, but doesn't Adachi sound so delightfully pleased about this, like it proves some point, and a chesire grin splits his face before creeping into his voice.]

Heya, Seta.

Me? Let's just say I...loosened up a bit. Aha, ha, haha! I feel so...goddamn great. No more headaches!

[Excuse him as he chokes on his own laughter.]

[voice // private]

[toplay_thefool]

[There's one resounding word to be used here:

shit.

He's not forgotten their last conversation. But when last they spoke, Adachi was calm, too calm, mirror smooth - no, not like a mirror - rather than this.

Something's happened in the meantime, but what? Magatsu Izanagi, again?]

And what do you have to thank for that?

[voice // private]

[incriminating]

Sorry, kid. I'd like to tell you, but I can't.

[He makes a ziplock noise and snickers.]

Then again, what did you say before? About watching out for each other?

What do you say? You tell me your secrets, I'll tell you all of mine. Same theory, right?

C'mon, Seta. Souji.

[Audio]

[a_la_turk]

Adachi.

[ If Valeria sounds displeased, that's probably because she is. She is very displeased with him for his sporadic appearances and disappearances from their place of abode. That he never bothers to leave so much as a note as to where he is going or when he'll be back grates upon her nerves, and now, he goes and does something like this. ]

What in Shiva's name are you doing?

[Audio]

[incriminating]

Me?

[He's just about singsonging now. There's something boderline agressive about his disquieting cheer.]

Well, I'm coming home! What are you doing, Valeria?

[Smile, smile.]

[Audio]

[a_la_turk]

[ Blunt, straight to the point -- it was, is often her preference in so far as communication goes and this is no exception. ]

Waiting, wondering why you're in such a good mood.

[ Her eyes narrow unseen. ]

You could have at least left me a note.

[Audio]

[incriminating]

[He offers her a thoughtful hum.]

I did some thinking about stuff the other night. Cleared my head.

Gimme a break, Valeria! You're acting strange. Is it really so wrong for me to be happy?

[Smile, smile again.]

[voice]

[seventh_key]

[aww.]

Too bad you couldn't stay away. Isn't there that thing people say? About absence making the heart fonder?

[voice]

[incriminating]

Is that what you tell yourself when all the boys stop calling you?

Don't cry, Chie-chan. I'm sure there's somebody desperate enough.

[Hear that implication? Yeah, he'd like to give you a test ride, bitch.]

[voice]

[seventh_key]

Well! I guess you'd know all about that, huh?

[go to hell you sick twisted son of a bitch fslkjdf]

[voice]

[incriminating]

Oh yeah. As a cop, you see that kind of domestic shit all the time. Clingy women, obsessive men -- the whole nine yards.

[Oh but he's taking you with him. You're part of the game now, even more so than Seta.]

Video

[karazhan]

Not sure what part of this place you would call "home".

[Voice]

[incriminating]

Aw, c'mon buddy. You know what they say. "Home is where the heart is!"

[Voice]

[anearlmustmarry]

I'll bite.

Who's there?

[Voice]

[incriminating]

[Your signed death warrant.]

You seem vaguely familiar.

[Voice]

[anearlmustmarry]

You-seem-vaguely-familiar-who?

[Voice]

[incriminating]

[Adachi pauses as he registers what the hell this guy's talking about. Then, with a short, sharp laugh, he replies, tone annoyed.]

You-seem-vaguely-familiar Detective Tohru Adachi, pal. And I remember you now. You're the guy with the shrooms.