Ninety-Seventh Explosion

[god_is_a_dude]

[Action]

[In the likely empty (what with having no manager left to it) Seventh Heaven on this fine day is a boy that many people know and have many varied opinions of. He seems to be in tip-top shape, no injuries or anything, right? His face is distant, however. He looks around the place and then down at the book on the table. He opens it

Comments

[themoonuplifts]

[Usagi steps into Seventh Heaven, probably to grab more delicious food, and approaches the counter. She leans over it and rings the bell, but when no one comes, she huffs and turns around. To the bakery it is.

Except she spots Haruki. All thoughts of food are gone, and she smiles widely; she's glad to see you, Chief.]

1/3

[god_is_a_dude]

[...Usagi. Haruki spots her before she spots him, but he makes no movement to try to make himself known to her. In fact, he's not sure what to feel right now. He settles for something of a detached stare bordering on a glare. Should be be relieved or sad or angry? He doesn't know. He doesn't know at all.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[But then he takes note of her grinning at him. He blinks once before relaxing his expression just a bit]

[god_is_a_dude]

[...and then he waves lightly at her]

[themoonuplifts]

[She heads over and takes a seat in front of him.]

I was wondering when you'd come back.

[god_is_a_dude]

[...He was gone? Yeah, he might have been. He's tempted to tell her she was the one gone, to yell at her for leaving him, but somehow this lump in his throat isn't going away so he just shrugs]

[themoonuplifts]

I'm glad you're back. [She wouldn't admit it, not to him, at least, but she'd been afraid he wouldn't return from wherever he had disappeared to.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[..."I'm glad you're back too-"

"Glad to be back-"

Both of those die in his mouth. He just nods, not really making eye contact with her]

[themoonuplifts]

[She's suddenly worried when he doesn't speak, and she leans forward. Who knows what happened to him. Did he lose his voice?]

Are you all right?

[god_is_a_dude]

[...No. Of course he's not. Of course not. His eyes are probably even starting to tear up. But he forces out a snort before nodding. Yeah, he's fine.]

[themoonuplifts]

Oh, Haruki. [She sees those watery eyes and laughs.] Everyone missed you, you know. Brigade meetings just aren't the same without our glorious leader.

1/2

[god_is_a_dude]

Yeah? Yeah. [That comes out more like "mmeah mmea" or something. He rubs his eyes with the back of his hands and shakes his head]

[god_is_a_dude]

[...He starts to say something else but, well, it all falls short of what he wants to express. Sigh]

[themoonuplifts]

[The way he's acting is starting to make her feel a little weird, though she keeps the smile, it softens. She tilts her head at him in curiosity.]

You sure you're all right?

[god_is_a_dude]

...Yeah. [..] Yeah. Yeah I'm alright.

[themoonuplifts]

It doesn't seem like it. [Usagi isn't a fan of this. She'll nudge his legs underneath the table with one of her feet.]