... Well, that was surprising. The town itself was small and quiet, and it wasn't like there were that many people from the institute, but on the other hand, he could only claim to be acquainted with a few people, so Battler couldn't say that he'd been expecting anyone to call out to him. He looked up from the book to whoever was speaking. Something about their face was a little familiar, wasn't it? It reminded him of something, but he honestly wasn't sure what. ..... Was he just imagining that? ... No, he must have been. Any vague feelings aside, he was almost certain he'd never seen this person before.
"Who--..." he'd started to ask, but instead, his face clouded over. It was that, wasn't it...? Someone else who remembered him, even though they'd never met. Now that he thought about it, there had been someone else who had contacted him hadn't there? It was funny, but he'd forgotten all about that. Or less that he'd forgotten, and more that he really just didn't want to think about it. ... He probably should have known he wouldn't be granted that kind of escapism for very long. Even if he wanted to, issues like this couldn't be put aside for ever, could they? And now that it was right in front of him, he wasn't so irresponsible he'd continue to leave it hanging. It'd be better to sort things out as soon as possible.
"How should I put this..." he wondered aloud. There were a lot of things he could say in this situation, but most of them seemed kind of harsh. ... Was there any delicate way of telling someone who expected you to recognize them that you didn't remember them at all? It was awkward enough when you'd only forgotten. Here, on the other hand, there wasn't even some kind of reassurance that something would bring it back. .... There was no way for him to remember, because for him, it had never happened.
He shut the book he'd been reading and set it aside. "Do you mind sitting down? There's ... probably a lot we have to talk about." Ahhh, dammit, that way too cryptic, wasn't it...? Nobody was going to be able to figure out what he was talking about if he put it like that. ... Well, it was still a start. There was plenty of time, wasn't there? It wasn't like there was pressing need to explain everything all at once.
(dance_okok)
"Who--..." he'd started to ask, but instead, his face clouded over. It was that, wasn't it...? Someone else who remembered him, even though they'd never met. Now that he thought about it, there had been someone else who had contacted him hadn't there? It was funny, but he'd forgotten all about that. Or less that he'd forgotten, and more that he really just didn't want to think about it. ... He probably should have known he wouldn't be granted that kind of escapism for very long. Even if he wanted to, issues like this couldn't be put aside for ever, could they? And now that it was right in front of him, he wasn't so irresponsible he'd continue to leave it hanging. It'd be better to sort things out as soon as possible.
"How should I put this..." he wondered aloud. There were a lot of things he could say in this situation, but most of them seemed kind of harsh. ... Was there any delicate way of telling someone who expected you to recognize them that you didn't remember them at all? It was awkward enough when you'd only forgotten. Here, on the other hand, there wasn't even some kind of reassurance that something would bring it back. .... There was no way for him to remember, because for him, it had never happened.
He shut the book he'd been reading and set it aside. "Do you mind sitting down? There's ... probably a lot we have to talk about." Ahhh, dammit, that way too cryptic, wasn't it...? Nobody was going to be able to figure out what he was talking about if he put it like that. ... Well, it was still a start. There was plenty of time, wasn't there? It wasn't like there was pressing need to explain everything all at once.