[Video]

[whatwas]

[The feed begins early in the morning, just before dawn. It's impossible to say who's recording, because all it captures is the sunrise. And it's beautiful; the colors are vivid, the day is cold and it makes everything that much sharper.

The sun climbs over the horizon at last and there's a flurry of dust across the screen. The PCD turns off when the feed times out.]


[OFFLINE: a note to Raven]

Hey, Spatzi.

I need to speak to the Higher Ups. Hold it together while I'm gone, ja?

[It's not signed because, well, she'll know who it was from.

There's also a note to Alphonse, saying simply, 'Sorry. Watch after Negi'. The few herbs Johannes left that Horst recognizes are mixed into sachets for Killua, Kotarou, and Negi. It encourages dreamless sleep.

If your name is Tyki, you get a key to Horst's bar and a note: 'Help yourself.']

Comments

Re: [Video]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[For a moment she's tempted to ignore it; not because it's Cloud or because he's done anything wrong but because she simply can't handle one more thing. Of course, she doesn't really want to ignore someone, especially him. So she takes a few deep breaths before she clicks the PCD on to reply.]

Cloud? I'm at the temple.

[Video]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

I'll be right there.

[Because he senses you could kind of use that hugging thing right about now.]

Re: [Video]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[People have been traumatized, put in comas, buried alive, left, committed suicide, seen things they never should have, and said things that maybe weren't meant to be hurtful but that have stuck to Usagi coming so thick and fast from so many at once. This is in the past day or two.

Yeah. She could use that hugging thing.]

[Offline] /Destroys peoples inboxes

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[It won't take him long. But soon enough he's at the Temple of Heaven, finding his way to her room, where he knows she has to be. He knocks on the door lightly, his voice calm as he speaks.]

Usagi?

Re: [Offline] /spammmmmms with

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She's sitting on her bed, quiet and calm but with her knees drawn up to her chest. She finds a small, soft smile after a second, when she finally turns to look.]

You came.

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[He smiles softly for a moment, before walking over to her, not even hesitating before wrapping his arms around her tightly. He needed to do this hugging thing too.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She stays like that a long time. She may not be letting go.]

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[He won't be either, because while friends have come and gone, he's never seen them die right before his eyes. And all it does is bring back horrible memories he'd rather leave behind.

So if he holds her just a little bit tighter than normal, that's probably why.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She's killed herself before in certain worlds; even in her own, hadn't jumping after the prince to their death been the same? It hits so close to home seeing it right in front of her.

Usagi may cling forever. She can't even make words come at first.]

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[He wants to say that it'll be okay, but he can't, because even he doesn't believe that. So when he buries his face in her hair, it's the closest she's ever going to get to him saying the words.

Because he can't make them come either.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

I just want to go home.

[They're the only words she thinks in Adstringendum sometimes. Now is one of those times, the only words that make themselves come.]

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[Because he isn't so sure he wants to anymore. But the reasons why he wants to stay are falling apart right in front of his eyes. And he doesn't know how many times he can watch it without falling apart himself.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She's never been able to accept Adstringendum. It's made her miserable from start to finish, hurt her like nothing ever has, made her feel lonely and hated and useless like nothing ever has. She's just good at finding reasons to be cheerful anyway.

Right now? Not so much.]

Sorry. I should be more cheerful.

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

You don't have to pretend for me, Usagi.

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

It's not pretend. [Not... really, anyway. A bit forced, maybe.]

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Maybe not, but I don't want you to force yourself to be cheerful either.

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

I'm fine, really.

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Good.

[Because he's not. Excuse him while he's going back to hugging you.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She has absolutely no objection to being hugged. Excuse her while she clings back.]

I'm really tired, Cloud.

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Me too.

[He was tired of life here. Of the constant fighting. He was tired of all of it.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[So the same. The past twenty-four hours have been nightmare after nightmare, worse than any she saw in the dreams. And it's not just about this past day, either. It's about this place doing these things to all of them, all the time.]

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

[It had been a long, hard road. And granted, the week before had been easier for him than most. He had gotten his memories back, no one had invaded his dreams and caused major havoc. But this? This just reminded him that it would never, ever end.]

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[It wouldn't, would it?]

But even if I talk about trying to go home, everyone gets angry.

[Offline]

[mirroredecho.livejournal.com]

Not everyone wants to go back, Usagi.

Re: [Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[Please don't say that Cloud.]

I know that! That's why I promise I wouldn't force it! And no one knows how anyway yet! So, why?

[Why can't they trust her? Believe her? Listen to her? Even Cloud... It kills her to make such a wrong promise in the first place; she's never liked herself from the moment she first said it. And they still won't even listen to it, still make her keep saying it!]