[Accidental-ish Voice] Video ♊ 009

[rise_to_caesar]

[The video feed is pure black - it's impossible to tell whether the video is even recording or if the Dreamberry is stuffed inside of a dark pocket. The muffled sounds of fabric rustling against the microphone lend itself to the latter-]

KEN! KEN! Where are you?! [The sound of a dog barking loudly can be heard, along with the sound of heavy

Comments

[love_lostomates]

Akihiko...? Someone's missing?

[rise_to_caesar]

Spain...

[Losing the officer facade for a moment, Akihiko grimaces. He appears all too weary from the recent turn of events, having been working far harder than he should.]

Yeah. A friend of mine - he arrived here just a few weeks ago and... [He breathes out a sigh, using this moment to collect himself a bit] He's gone now. I don't know where he could be.

[love_lostomates]

[He notices, too. He frowns a little in response.]

Well...I'll help you look, then! What kind of places does he normally go to?

[rise_to_caesar]

That's the thing - he wouldn't leave Hotel Dusk without telling me or someone else. To just disappear-- [Akihiko stops for a moment, he's been too rushed to even look at his contact list. He isn't certain if he can even bring himself to. The idea of Ken being missing somehow sits better than the idea of him being gone.]

...

Voice

[rise_to_caesar]

[There's silence for a short time before Akihiko finally responds. He'd muted his communicator, not wanting his superior to see him acting so weak. It wasn't befitting of an officer in active duty.]

I have now, Sir. I apologize - I'll cancel the alert right away.

[rise_to_caesar]

I will, Sir.

...I'll be back down at the station in a little while, if that's alright.

[letalis_anima]

[Oh man, this is not good. As a leader, Minami tries to keep her cool and not panic.]

... Senpai, do you want me to go look for Ken-kun?

[rise_to_caesar]

[He takes a few moments for Akihiko's response to finally come through. He still looks tired, trying to mask the defeat in his eyes.] There's... No point, Arisato.

[With a resigned sigh, he looks away from the screen.] We won't find him.

[notjust_risette]

[That's the first time Rise's heard Akihiko so flustered at least for the first part of the recording. She's taken a look at the contact list though and she already has an idea on how this will play out. Nevertheless, she's still wants to be there for him.]

Akihiko-kun... He might come back here.

[rise_to_caesar]

[Akihiko lets out a sigh, sitting on the front steps of Hotel Dusk. Rise can see the front doors behind him, this is probably the first chance since the castle fell where he's actually been able to take a breather.]

Considering all that's been going on... It's probably for the best he's gone home. He'll be safe there.

[notjust_risette]

[She's quiet for a moment, mulling over the details he had said about the boy he was looking for. And now that she actually had thought about it again...]

That actually might be better especially if he's just a kid. He's kinda lucky he doesn't have to go through what we might have to, huh?

[rise_to_caesar]

He may be young but don't underestimate him. He's as strong as any adult and he has twice the courage... But you're right. I can protect him better at home than I can here. He deserves a break.

[carpo_vita]

[He heard the shouting before he bothered taking out his Dreamberry. ...Of course, checking the contact list once he came out of his room and caught wind of Ken's disappearance then became only natural.

...

It's not wholly unexpected, but...

Sporting a flashlight, he makes his way downstairs without rush, to join Akihiko by the porch. And even when he knew that senpai was already aware, he'll say it out loud anyway.]

Ken-kun returned home.

[rise_to_caesar]

[Akihiko just sits, his back to Minato as his Akita lifts its head from Akihiko's lap, turning to look Minato's direction. The Somni City Police Department logo emblazoned on the animal's vest should give Minato an indication of why Akihiko's never brought the dog home before.]

Yeah... I figured. [He raises a hand to rest it on the Akita's head, giving it a light scratch behind an ear to keep it calm.] Did he only recently go? I've been so busy with work, I--[He stops there, not wanting to think that Ken's been missing more than a few hours, let alone the idea of him being gone days before he's had the opportunity to notice.]

[carpo_vita]

[Minato gives the dog a brief stare. When it simply stared back without any sort of other reaction, he gives it a quick scratch behind the ear, before settling down to sit on its other side.]

It must have happened during today. I saw him get milk this morning, before I left for the store. Ken-kun often keeps to himself too, so it wouldn't have been easy to tell. [In other words: don't blame yourself.]

[rise_to_caesar]

[The dog moves away from Minato, sitting on Akihiko's opposite side now and lying down. It knows that it isn't meant to be pet by anyone but its handler right now, not while its still on duty. Akihiko takes this opportunity to shift a bit closer to Minato, folding his hands in his lap and looking up at the dark sky.]

Yeah... He tends to be pretty quiet. I guess I've been careless. For a while there, I thought maybe the Dusk was really going to start feeling like home again. Having you, Junpei and Minami here is great, don't get me wrong... But to have both Shinji and Ken here too? It just felt... I don't really know how to describe it.