twenty-nineth • audio

[militia]

[ action for 07-ghost house ]
[ Shuri had started doing laundry. Not started, attempted. But after the machine had begun to bubble over and it began making angry, congested sounds, the young noble decided it might be better to get someone more suited for the job. ]

Mikage! Come over here, I need some help with the laundry. [ no reply. ] ... Mikage? [ ... ] Mikage, don't you ignore me! This is your job, be grateful that I'm doing it for you! [ Huffing, he stomps on into the living room.

There's no cheeky grin waiting for him. No put upon sigh. ] ... Mikage?

[ ... The rest of the house is thoroughly searched. Nothing. No sign, no trace. The magazines that once sat on the table are gone. ] Mikage, this isn't funny! Come out here and help me!

[ Nothing. Gone, gone, gone.

He's half frantic. By the time he gets to the other teen's room, he already knows what's happened. ]

[ voice ]

... Uh.

[ Shuri clears his throat. The snapshot shows bright blue, bloodshot eyes. He sniffles hard, presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, and tries to compose himself. ] 

[ His lower lip trembles. ] Mikage, he... He promised. This isn't fair. This isn't fair at all... I...

[ He flings the journal shut with one hand, taking deep, shuddering breaths to compose himself. It's not right, it's not fair, he already had to deal with this once why does it have to happen again? After they made everything better, and...

Eventually, after much stifled tears and muffled sobbing, Shuri brings the book back to him. He doesn't look at it, instead his gaze is set to a fixed location just under the book. ]

Mikage Celestine has gone home.

Comments

[ voice ]

[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

Mikage-san has...?

[ That's... odd. He knows anyone can go home at any time, but Mikage was just one of those people who, in his mind, would stick around forever.

But more than that, he's more worried about the person who's made the entry... ]

[ voice ]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

Mmm.

[ Shuri's shoulders slump, he pushes the book to one side and leans forward, the heels of his hands resting on his eyebrows. ]

[ voice ]

[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

...

Hey, are you okay?

[ voice ]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

I...

[ He bites his lower lip. Hard. ] No.

[voice]

[emp3thy]

[Honestly, Minato didn't know Mikage well at all, but hearing Shuri so obviously trying to compose himself...]

Do you need anything, Shuri-san?

[voice]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

No, I...

[ ... ]

I don't know how to do my own laundry.

[voice]

[emp3thy]

[....oh Shuri.]

I can show you.

[voice]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ There's a long, reluctant pause. ]

Okay.

Does it... have to be here? [ He wants to get the hell out for a while. Far away. So he won't have to look at the empty space and wonder if Mikage's going to remember anything when he goes home.

Or if he's still going to die thinking that there really wasn't anything left between them. ]

[Voice]

[bamfing]

[... Mikage. Gone. Wow. It's. Kind of hard to believe.]

You're sure? Maybe it's just some kind of prank, yeah?

[Voice]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ He's thought about that, but... ] He wouldn't do pull a prank like this.

[Voice]

[bamfing]

[Sighing.]

Yeah. I know.

[voice]

[squaring.livejournal.com]

Mikage-san...? [Wait, that's not exactly important right now.]

Um, is there anything you need, Shuri?

[voice]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ ... You're an Oak. You should have better control of yourself than this.

But didn't Mikage always say that he shouldn't try to adhere to those standards? ] ... I'm just going to go out.

[voice]

[squaring.livejournal.com]

Ah, yeah... getting a little fresh air might help. [Though, that's clearly not the concern here.]

Um, are you going anywhere in particular? [Miiight be a good idea to keep an eye on him, afterall!]

[voice] you saw no fail, nope

[insertsparkles.livejournal.com]

[Tamaki may not know this person, but little things like that have never stopped him from being concerned about people before. It's almost a natural reflex for him to just feel the need to help others when he can tell their upset, and the bloodshot eyes are a clear give away to that.]

Perhaps your friend is only hiding from you! There are a lot of people who think jokes like that are really funny even though they aren't. [Two twins come to mind, but they aren't here so that's not important.]

/side-eyes

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

No!

[ Oh, that came out a little more forcefully than he meant it to. He could be. He could be hiding and making some really elaborate prank, but... there's no way he'd remove everything from the house. ] No, he's... He's gone.

no errors there, nope.

[insertsparkles.livejournal.com]

[He's a little surprised at the force of that 'no', but he manages to recover easily.]

No, I'm sure of it! Friends just don't leave friends without an explanation! He must be around here somewhere! [He's trying his best to be cheery, but it doesn't occur to him that saying things like that might not actually be helping.]

voice;

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[Oh dear. She's only spoke with Shuri briefly, but it's always depressing to lose someone. And he doesn't seem in good shape at all.]

Will you be alright?

voice;

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

I'll be fine. [ His voice wavers, lower lip trembling. He's trying to be strong, trying to be a good Oak, but... ]

I just... I'll need a new servant. [ that sounds unconvincing to even his own ears. ]

voice;

[byakkoyagirl.livejournal.com]

[A new servant? She isn't convinced and bets she wouldn't be even if her lying radar was busted. But, she won't pry.]

Sounds tough. Take it easy until you find one then, Shuri. Clear your head somehow. [It's all he can do, really.]

[action]

[keepsthelight.livejournal.com]

[Ouka passes by Mikage's room, pausing when she sees Shuri.]

Shuri?

Re: [action]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ oh CRAP. of all the people you don't want to be caught crying by. ]

P-princess...

[action]

[keepsthelight.livejournal.com]

[TOO LATE. She looks him over, eyes widening in concern.] Are you alright? What's wrong?

[Voice]

[shadedsunlight]

[Mikage? She didn't know him well, but they talked about family, laughed about their siblings...]

Mikage?

...Thank you for letting us know.

[Voice]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

It was no trouble.