The Pulse in the Pages | Lost Letters Car | Open

Haruka Yukimura

Frustratingly, Haruka hadn’t been wearing a watch when she came here, and her phone seemed to be out of battery. So she had no idea what the time could be. The cars they’d been through so far didn’t seem to have a regular day/night cycle, and here they seemed to be fully ‘indoors’, so there was no real way to guess either… Perhaps she could go off how tired she felt, but she always felt tired.

That was a good reason to keep trying to track the time, actually. Haruka checked her bag nervously, counting through something in her first aid kit. The result didn’t seem to be enough to cause her panic, but she definitely looked a little grim.

Well, perhaps someone around here would be a little better prepared than her. She looked for someone who didn’t seem too busy and headed over, waving as she approached.

“Hi. Sorry to bother you, but there’s no chance you have a watch or something with you…? Or even just know how long it’s been since we woke up…”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Haruka Yukimura

At this point, Jack seemed to have finally given up on his quest for Panera and/or steakhouse gift cards. Had he finally gotten one, or just gotten bored? A mystery.

Now he sat on the floor, or at least mostly floor, listlessly cleaning his knife. Narrowly registering the wave, he managed to look up at Haruka’s approach like a normal person. It still took a little too long for her words to find whatever part of his brain was responsible for understanding them.

He leaned back, crossing his legs.

“Depends. How much you payin’?”

Haruka Yukimura

Haruka’s face fell at Jack’s response, no matter how hard she tried not to look too disappointed. Well, it made sense that people in a difficult situation would try to get anything they could out of it, but…

“…I only have some lira, and they’re not worth much. If you really want it, then I’ll give you some, but… wouldn’t it be better to just co-operate? I can promise you that I’ll help if you need anything later.”

In real-world terms, all the money she had on her was probably worth about as much as one dollar from one of the Americans. She wasn’t poor, but she hadn’t got on this train with money on her mind.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Haruka Yukimura

Jack snorted, though he still hadn’t made it back to the usual grin. What, had she just been expecting him to be nice about it? Stupid. He wasn’t that kind of person.

Haruka Yukimura “…I only have some lira, and they’re not worth much. If you really want it, then I’ll give you some, but… wouldn’t it be better to just co-operate?

“Not worth much in the first place, and you’re still only offering some? My cooperation’s worth so little to you, huh?” Did he have any idea what lira were? No, but if she said they had value, he was supposed to get his hands on them. Simple system, no knowledge required.

Haruka Yukimura I can promise you that I’ll help if you need anything later.”

“Yeah, and how much did the punchy guy help ya before he took his hit?” Heck if Jack knew what either of them had gotten up to afterward, aside from getting on his case. “If you’re gonna promise something—which I got no reason to trust, anyway—how about somethin’ I wouldn’t get for free already?”

“Or wouldja just watch me die if it came to it? That’d be a twist.”

Haruka Yukimura

“Well, if you really want them…”

Honestly, it’s less that she feels guilty, and more that he has a point about their lack of worth. Haruka digs in her pocket and offers a few grubby-looking coins, palm up. Congratulations Jack, you can probably get more from the scrap value than the face value.

“…I will always try to help you, and everyone else. I would never - watch you die. You might not be the same, but that’s how I am.”

Her voice catches slightly, hopefully out of emotion rather than struggling with a lie. It’s a bit of a hefty statement to make, and another moral discussion to get wrapped up in with a stranger, but she won’t let anyone doubt her intentions. She’s also definitely not judging Jack at all, of course, it’s just a difference in personal values, that’s all.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Haruka Yukimura

Swiftly, Jack plucked the coins from her hand without brushing her skin. The quality or even identity of the coins didn’t seem to concern him one bit. Money: acquired. The only detail of importance.

Haruka Yukimura “…I will always try to help you, and everyone else. I would never - watch you die. You might not be the same, but that’s how I am.”

“Awww, well aren’t we lucky the world has good, good people like you!” He couldn’t sound more mockingly sugary-sweet if he tried.

“Least you’re not dumb enough to think I’m one of ’em. Got that much going for ya.”

Despite taking payment, he had no obvious intention of answering the question that started this mess. He just threaded one of the new coins between his fingers to get a feel for it. Slightly different thickness, hm.

Haruka Yukimura

Well, regardless of what Jack’s plans for the coins were, Haruka didn’t feel as if she’d been cheated. Ultimately, it did rather seem like he needed them more than she did, especially if he was that desperate for them.

“It’s not just me, but yes. I do think the world is better when people help each other.” She quite resolutely refused to take offense at his mockery and instead used it as an opportunity to put on her best Patient Teacher sounding voice. “I don’t think luck has anything to do with it.”

“And now I’ve paid, if you could tell me the time, that would be much appreciated.”

Regardless of whether or not he’d watch someone die, Haruka did somehow still trust Jack to be helpful now.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Haruka Yukimura

Haruka Yukimura “It’s not just me, but yes. I do think the world is better when people help each other.”

Jack just cackled—at least it wasn’t loud and in-your-face, but the disrespect was still palpable.

“Awww, you’re gonna change the whole world just by bein’ nice? Lemme know how that works out for you.” Even more condescending than his usual tone, somehow.

Haruka Yukimura “And now I’ve paid, if you could tell me the time, that would be much appreciated.”

…Oh! Oh right. That.

“Yyyeah, phone died ages ago, so can’t give ya anything exact there.” If indeed he could even find the time on a phone, but that was another issue altogether.

“If ya want a rough guess, uh… Two days?”

…You got the feeling maybe he wasn’t that great at estimating time.

Haruka Yukimura

[summary mode]

Haruka seemed utterly determined to let the condescension roll off her like water off a duck’s back. Maybe not the whole world, but she liked to think it was working at least somewhat well for her…

The time estimate does worry her, though. Two days?! Even if Jack’s guess was off, if they met in the middle with her own guess of a few hours… Her hand reached up again to pat the first aid kit in her bag. Quickly she excused herself and ran off. Even she wasn’t self-effacing enough to neglect her health like that.