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

[ action ]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ It's a smile that Shuri doesn't even attempt to return for once. He steps aside to let his friend in. ]

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ And because of that, he can tell Shuri's taking this pretty hard. Of course. They were pretty close, right?

Mikado walks in and takes his place on the couch, patting the spot next to it. ] Come sit.

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ There's a headache pouning at his temples from crying too hard and he doesn't want to think about Mikage and Mikage not being around anymore, or how he should be cleaning or making sure everyone else knows, or...

Or the fact that there are massive suds rolling out of the laundry room and he should clean that up later.

He sits down next to Mikado, shoulders slumping, letting his head rest in his hands. ]

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ ...Well, he thought this was a good idea, but actually sitting down and watching his friend act like this is a little different. He didn't exactly plan what he was going to do next. ]

Ah... Should I make you tea, or something?

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ A nod. ]

Bergamot, please.

[ action ]

[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ Nods also, and gets up to go to the kitchen.

brb ]

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ waiting waiting waiting ]

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ He returns shortly with two cups and places them down on the coffee table. After sitting back down he looks over to Shuri. ]

Uhm, do you... want to talk about it?

[ action ]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ he takes the cup in hand, mulling it over. ]

I'm not going to see him again when I go home.

[ action ]

[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

You won't? [ ... ] Like, he's moved... or something?

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

Or something.

[ Don't be an evasive little brat. ]

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

So... Can't you go visit him? [ Or wait his world was weird or something. Something like that. He thinks for a moment trying to figure out a solution! ]

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ The hands holding the cup shake a little. ]

No.

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

...You can't?

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ ... ]

He... died.

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

He... [ And Mikado just shuts his month again. He knows that they're close, so he can't even imagine how Shuri must feel right now.

And now he feels bad for not knowing. ]

...I'm... so sorry.

[ action ]

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ the blonde shrugs. ]

It was a few months ago, for me... It's not like I was expecting to be able to go home with him or anything like that.

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

But, still... [ He falls silent, the rest of the sentence should be clear. ]

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

[ He takes a sip of the tea. ]

... We grew up together.

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ Takes a sip, and just watching Shuri. Is this story time?? He's waiting for a story. ]

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

Whatever. It's not like it matters! He was... [ His teeth clink against the edge of the cup. ] ... He was my friend when we were small. We drifted apart as we grew up.

[ action ]

[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

[ Nodding slowly... ] So then, when you both arrived here, you rekindled that friendship?

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[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

Not really. [ Shuri shrugs. ] He had Teito. I was living with Konatsu - the first time he was here - and everyone else in the Black Hawks. Then, around March, I woke up and everyone was gone. I didn't intend to stay that long but I just... never left.

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[dragons-peak.livejournal.com]

This past March, you mean...?

[acowardlyoak.livejournal.com]

No, the one before that.