ｆｉｆｔｈ。 ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ。

[repudiate]

[ ... It's strange. When Ange comes back from the mission she went on to get Battler's departure of her mind, she decides to visit her mother first, just quickly - just to make sure she's okay now, although she doesn't doubt it, Kyrie's pretty strong, after all.. but instead the house just seems really quiet, and no matter where she looks in it, it's like there's nobody there. She can already guess what it means, which is why she soundlessly drops on the floor with a near empty-looking expression as she opens the journal and tries to contact her mother that way. ... Still.. nothing.

No way. No way-- first Battler left, and now her mother did too, and neither times was she even allowed to say goodbye? Silently she shakes her head to herself, but instead Ange notices that she's already start crying. It's unfair, too unfair-- losing her family at the start of October twice by now..

It takes a long time before she even stops crying. But even then she doesn't move from where she's sitting, she completely lacks the power and will to do so. She doesn't even feel like going home anymore, even if that's only right next door to the house she's in right now. She just...
... After what seems like an eternity it still takes way too much effort to make herself open the journal, writing in it with shaky fingers, the words empty and meaningless. ]

For those that hadn't noticed yet, Battler Ushiromiya left Luceti a little while ago.

As of this morning, Kyrie Ushiromiya is gone as well.

( ooc: i'll be slow on tags since i have quite the backlog, so please bear with me! )

Comments

[Nothing/1/2]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[...Another one bit the dust.

No, two. They had the same surname, too...were they family? No, that wasn't even a question. That aching feeling started welling up in his chest again...as if something important to him was torn out. Chances to create new bonds...the chance to understand worlds beyond his own...and he'd foregone them.

Now he's too late to try and pick up what's left.

It hurt him more than he'd liked. So much more; it was unbearable, in fact, especially since he'd glimpsed so many others sharing the same pain this person must have been feeling. The tears stream down a little as he curls up in his bed, wallowing in his own self-loathing, wishing he could try to encourage the people whose hearts were just destroyed by the Malnosso. And yet, nothing escaped his lips.

Souji felt weak. He was weak.]

[Written]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[...However, he wasn't about to let that feeling stop him this time. He had to try. He just had to.

...So he takes the pen and writes a small response.]

...My condolences.

[repudiate]

[ She hadn't even mentally prepared herself for the responses when she started writing. Honestly, she didn't want to deal with it - it reminds her too much of that time by now even over twelve years ago, when her entire family died and she was only left with people telling her how sorry they felt for her without meaning it.

She glances at the journal, doesn't recognize the name added to the message. It deflates her motivation to write even further, but she feels so.. so empty that her hand ends up moving and writing back without thinking. ]

Did you know either of them?

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[...There it was. One of the reasons why he feared the worst.

Something in him told him to back away, not say anything--but the god lingering in his mind urged him to go on. 'You won't know until you try', to paraphrase its cryptic way of speaking--so he writes back, slightly shakily.]

No, I don't...but I know what it's like to lose family. [...And it was hard to sound sincere about that when it's just letters on paper. The temptation to switch was staggering.]

[voice]

[godbent]

[...Tap, tap, tap. She could insist Ange be a client. That would be cool, right? But that would also be pushing her and against the MO of the Brigade. Plus if this was too heavy it wouldn't help. No doubt Keiichi has some big plan here, but given what Keiichi has been going through even if she trusts him it would probably be irresponsible to him to just let him take the brunt of it...

Oh, she's got is]

Ange, meet me in the plaza in two hours!

written;

[repudiate]

[ ... She blinks blankly when she spots the message, still sitting there. The name associated with it makes her not really feel like going, but on the other hand.. what's this message supposed to be about? She just wants to be left alone right now, or.. no, no, she doesn't want to be alone, that's exactly the problem, but--

Even though her writing seems like the usual, the bite behind it is fully gone. The words are empty. ]

What do you want from me?

[godbent]

[NO REPLY... For Haruhi. Or Ange as far as Haruhi knows, because's she's not waiting for a written reply. In fact, she's getting things ready for the ~in two hours~ - so Ange has more time to do written or voice things within those two hours, or Haruhi can make a voice reply after the two hours]

[repudiate]

[ ...

Geez.

It's only since she's talked to other people before that that she can even move, honestly. She isn't entirely sure why she's even following what Haruhi said to begin with - it's not like she usually would've, right? But she's still much too tired to argue, even after listening to other people. So even though after those two hours she does bother to show up at the plaza, she's sticking to a very quiet corner of it, as if she still doesn't want to be noticed. Or maybe if senpai Haruhi doesn't notice her, she can just take that as an excuse to leave again. Her gaze is averted towards the ground, either way, so it's not like she could even spot the other girl. ]

[fierybluebird]

[No way. Both her family? Marco's blood runs cold. That's just beyond cruel.]

Ange...

[What can he say? What could anyone say? His very first conversation with her was just about this sort of thing. How family leave and you're just the one stuck behind having to carry on without them.]

Do you have somewhere else to stay? [Because he knows, he knows what it's like to have that place haunted with memories, it's enough to make anyone willing to have regrets.] And either way... you might want to get out for a little while. If someone better doesn't beat me to it, come join me for a walk, eh?

[His fist clenches tightly on something and his voice gets quiet.] You're not alone here, I promise.

[He's not sure how much it's worth coming from him, but it's the best he can do, and he does mean it.]

[repudiate]

[ Answering is even more difficult than writing the message. She hardly even dares to look at the messages coming in, they'll just hammer the point home that they're really gone - her family's gone again. Back home, so.. they're dead again. They died again, and she couldn't stop it.. again, again, again.

She ponders answering the questions, being rational, pretending she's okay. It's much easier as she writes to not show her emotions, even though they're playing up more than ever. There are several things written down and then promptly scratched out again before she seems to settle on something - the honest truth, really. ]

I don't know if I can get up.

[fierybluebird]

Would it help if I come over there?

[He gets it. He really really gets it. If anything, he considers her braver than him for at least being able to openly admit this sort of thing, where he'd just probably never let it show.]

I can bring food or cards or we can talk or just not talk. I just know I wouldn't want to be alone if that happened to me, eh?

voice;

[menial]

['... Uh-oh.

Brocon without bro is dangerous.

Wait, I don't even dare to think that without mentally striking it out. Seriously, Ushiromiya... I feel bad for you, but... what can I say here?

What did we say last time? About the -- burger thing--']

Ah...

That's really awful, Ushiromiya... I hope you don't feel... too "cold."

written;

[repudiate]

That's an awful joke.

[ She doesn't want to reply with voice herself, so she just writes - it's easier, she doesn't have to control her expression or tone then, words are more neutral and easier to hide behind at a time like this. It means that even though she hardly means what she writes, it still comes across as her usual deadpan.

As if she's fine, even when she's the opposite of it.

Or so she hopes. ]

voice;

[menial]

W-Wait, I wasn't-- trying to...

['Wait, what the hell am I supposed to get from that...?'

He can't really imagine her being normal at a time like this, so... he's not getting the deadpan vibe from it at all.]

[Written]

[de_bel_survivor]

[He knows what it's like to lose family. Reading this announcement really gets to him. In a way...he knows.

A small dot appears on the page, where his pen is touching the paper. A moment later, he write out the words.]

You have my condolences, Ange-san.

[repudiate]

[ .. Kouki, huh. Seeing the message is a vague reminder of the fact that yes, she does still have people here, even if her family is gone - it's not like last time. But it doesn't ease the hurt much at all, since.. well, they're still gone, right?

She tries to write, but it just comes out lifeless. ]

Thanks. I wasn't looking for it though by writing that.

[de_bel_survivor]

I know.

[Who really do, normally?

There's a pause, before he writes again.]

Do you want company?

[voice]

[illusionarymoon]

Battle-san's gone, huh? He didn't even say goodbye.

[They had a few chats, and while he and Reimu weren't close, she liked talking to him, at least. She'll sigh, and shake her head.]

If he shows up again, I'm going to make sure he gets tied down and enticed with the things he wants to touch - and can't. [Yes, she means the bountiful bouncing boobies he was so keen on wanting to touch around Luceti - though she probably won't go through with that.]

[written]

[repudiate]

[ .. One of Battler's friends? She stares at the journal - she doesn't really feel like casual conversation, but on the other hand, pretending she's okay might make it all okay again, just maybe. Even if she doesn't have the spirit for it right now. Good thing that writing hardly shows her emotions. ]

Good luck with that. He's the kind of guy that just does whatever he wants, tying him down would be difficult. [ Darnit, thinking about it, the memories just hurt more now. ]

[voice]

[illusionarymoon]

Depends on how it's done... tying him down with a false promise might just work.

[Reimu pauses for a moment, and then says quietly:] Sorry. Should have been a little more understanding. Are you his little sister, by chance? I know Battle-san was screaming over the network some time ago that his sister was dating some punk kid. That's how I started talking to him, I think.

voice;

[brokenpromise]

E-Eh? [ She had only just arrived and now Kyrie and Battler have disappeared? No way. It couldn't be her fault could it? ] ...I'm sorry Ange-sama. If you need anyone, you can always count on me.

written;

[repudiate]

[ ... Shannon.. That's right, there's at least one person from home still here, right? But then again, it's not like she's as close with her as she was with her family, so it's still a little awkward..

But somehow she feels like she has to keep appearances up even more so in front of her - thank god it's easier to seem normal through writing, despite how awful she feels. ]

Don't worry about me. [ she's trying to think of what to say that won't be too suspicious, but she feels.. so empty.. ] .. How about you? Are you okay?

[voice]

[hiken_ace]

[... shit. He can only guess those people are family members, and this place makes it all the better when you have them. But when they leave...]

Do you want some company? [It's all he'll send. If she says no, then he'll just talk with her through the journal.]

written;

[repudiate]

[ She isn't sure at this point anymore, honestly. Something inside her screams she does want company, she does want to talk to someone, just to prove she's not alone even though they left - unlike last time. But on the other hand, won't that just remind her of how they might leave too? How everyone might leave, and then she'll be the only one left again.. ]

no

yes

[ she furiously scratches through everything she writes. ]

... I don't know.

voice

[hiken_ace]

[He can understand why she's uncertain if she wants company or not. He was the same when Luffy left, and when someone died. He'll go for a compromise.]

We don't have to meet up. I can just stay here and talk to you, if it'll help.