Comments | narukorp: So Many Fragile Broken Pieces... [Asuka, Kureno]

yuuhi_kureno in narukorp

So Many Fragile Broken Pieces... [Asuka, Kureno]

Feb 06, 2008 01:16

[[Backdated: set roughly 3-4 days after this thread; still previous to Tsurude's announcement.]]Three days was a lot of time to think, especially if you didn't do anything else. Kureno was rather talented at thinking, being the rational person he was and meditating regularly. Only two or three things in his life had ever taken him more than a day ( Read more... )

rp thread, kureno, asuka, january year 18

Comments 72

asuka_sensei February 9 2008, 01:26:13 UTC

Life had not really been too good lately. But then, that was all she deserved. A fat helping of suck to go along with all the other stupid things she'd done. Although, granted, not all had been bad - Konohako had been too busy with training to really bother her, and the Daimyo wanted to handle most of her side of the affair so Asuka didn't have to go dress shopping, or whatever one did when having to do this sort of thing - but spending most of her time moping in her bedroom wasn't really the best of ways to spend her time, either ( ... )

yuuhi_kureno February 9 2008, 01:44:08 UTC

He didn't notice her at first, currently preoccupied with talking himself out of into out of (...into?) leaving the envelope wedged in her door and coming back another day. Maybe with a different approach. Maybe he should invite her to meet him someplace like the Birch, then if she didn't show at least he wouldn't have to blame himself anymore.

Maybe when it was warmer, or when she was home would be a better start. Maybe when she had recovered more. Or maybe when he had actually gathered all of his courage.

Kureno lifted his head to sigh, then held his breath all together when he realized Asuka was standing before him next to her mailbox.

...Maybe he should come back when she looked happier to see him.

There was a swing in the playground across the street that had caught enough wind to rock itself back and forth, the old, ungreased chain squealing at one end as it swung in a slow, steady rhythm. It creaked five times more before Kureno hesitantly stood to his feet.

"......hi."

asuka_sensei February 9 2008, 02:27:29 UTC

The last time she'd seen him was... what, five months ago? Six? Their conversation had been short, bitter, unresolved, and after the full extent of his punishment had been revealed to her, likely never to happen again. And now that she'd been released from the hospital, and knew her own punishment, it was only a matter of time before Tsurude made the announcement and Kureno would hate her for a whole new set of reasons.

So why was he here? She'd ruined his career, she'd expected to never see him again. They'd been angry at each other for a wide variety of reasons before, although never had they gone so long without talking and over such a life-altering reason. Asuka had certainly been too chicken and tired to go apologize to him herself, what little good that would do. So why was he here ( ... )

yuuhi_kureno February 9 2008, 10:20:30 UTC

Maybe it was the way she clutched at herself so defensively (it wasn't just the cold), or the way she hadn't moved any closer; or even the way she looked like she wanted to shut her eyes and have him gone when she opened them again so she could pretend this had never happened, but... For some reason, the situation suddenly began to feel very hopeless to Kureno.

But there wasn't enough point in turning back now.

"I, uh..." It felt strange to talk a little louder then he'd like, but she still hadn't taken another step away from the edge of her property so he was left without much choice if he still wanted to be heard. He looked at the porch step beneath his feet, licking his lips and mustering his thoughts and willpower before looking back up, forcing himself to not turn away. "I came to apologize. ...I've been a real jerk lately. Sorry."

Insignificant. His words had been too simple and too few, but so far fulfilled the single most vital requirement that gave his visit purpose: they'd been spoken.

Thread 19

yuuhi_kureno February 11 2008, 21:31:47 UTC

Kureno kept to standing in her front room, only taking small steps or shifting from one foot to another as he carefully took in everything he remembered and everything he didn't. The lack of cigarette aroma was almost a disappointing familiarity. His offer to help her in the kitchen is unsurprisingly denied and he tries to find something to do with himself.

Sitting is an obvious option, and before...everything he wouldn't have wasted any time making himself comfortable. But suddenly there was just something so...presumptuous about making himself at home; at assuming he was welcome.

"...How's your recovery going?" he asked, trying his hand at small talk.

asuka_sensei February 12 2008, 00:39:17 UTC

The silence felt so... awkward. Not that they'd never had quiet moments together (those were the best moments, really), but this felt so much more unnatural than it should. She supposed she shouldn't find it strange. After all, months and months had passed and now they were awkwardly trying to make up. Or rather, Kureno was awkwardly trying to make up. She had much, much more to make up for, and didn't yet know how to go about doing it ( ... )

yuuhi_kureno February 12 2008, 03:11:41 UTC

He set the envelope down on her mail desk next to the many other items that seemed to have piled up there. He would have assumed it was just mail she hadn't caught up to yet since her release but the postage on many were too recent for that. He recognized a pile that had Chiriku-san's handwriting on them, the rest were unknown.

...Wait, didn't he know that name from...? No. Couldn't be.

Kureno turned away, concerning himself with the careful way she moved as he listened. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

asuka_sensei February 12 2008, 10:52:17 UTC

For a long time she was silent - settling the filter into place, spooning in the right amount of coffee, adding the water, putting all the pieces into place, and pressing the button to start the machine percolating, all without a word. It wasn't until she was done that she slowly moved back to the livingroom, head down in thought, avoiding looking at him as she unzipped her jacket and pulled it off a little awkwardly before hanging it by the door.

"..... I don't.... really feel like I deserve to be asking you any favors, Kureno," she finally said to the doorknob. She didn't deserve to be asking anything from anyone right now.

Thread 26

yuuhi_kureno February 14 2008, 13:13:31 UTC

Automatically he grinned back again, not just because it was the most polite thing, but because it simply felt the most natural thing to do. He nodded in agreement and sat back into the couch, although he didn't remain there long before he was leaning forward again.

"Do you need help, or...?" Okay, it seemed rather silly to ask if she needed help pouring coffee, but... "I just noticed earlier you couldn't reach so far."

asuka_sensei February 14 2008, 13:23:48 UTC

Asuka shook her head as she retreated to the kitchen, even though he likely wouldn't see it.

"No, it's... mostly sort of... stiff." And sore, but stiff described the sensation best. Stiff like she'd over used it and now the muscles were demanding a well deserved rest. She pulled two mugs down from an over-head cabinet, along with matching spoons. "When they.... well, when they had to do surgery, they had to cut between the ribs under my left arm. Along with everything else, it's just made healing more difficult."

If you didn't smoke so much, she could remember Sakurai lecturing her, your recovery would go much faster. Which is why we're not letting you smoke until your lungs are done healing. She'd heard the same from Rin before he'd gotten... distracted... with Kakami, and likely would have heard the same from Tsurude if he hadn't spent his whole life dealing with her mother. That was about the only blessing she had right now in having Tsurude taking over as primary in charge of her case ( ... )

yuuhi_kureno February 14 2008, 13:40:33 UTC

"Ah." That made sense.

He accepted the mug he handed to her, but his eyes looked a little past them toward her chest. The talk of her operation had him imagining where they must have needed to go to tend to her injuries properly. ...It also made him remember where those wounds were, and if she stayed still long enough, he could still see where and how that sword would be sticking out of her.

...He should probably stop looking at her like that before his staring was taken the wrong way.

"Thanks," he said quietly, turning his attention to the sugar. Normally he preferred milk if he was going to have anything at all in his coffee. But since there wasn't any, he took half a spoonful of sugar and took his time stirring it in, letting the hot drink cool.

asuka_sensei February 14 2008, 13:44:50 UTC

"Welcome." She retreated to kitchen long enough to retrieve her own mug, and returned to sit next to him again. "Tsurude doesn't seem to think it will take too long to get everything working again, but....." Her words trailed off for a moment, and she took the time to regain them by beginning to spoon sugar into her mug. ".... I haven't really been doing anything outside therapy, to be honest."

Thread 21

asuka_sensei February 16 2008, 02:07:58 UTC

If there was any way to sum it up more succinctly than that, Asuka didn't know it. And whether he spoke his thoughts out loud or not, she didn't need to hear it to be on the same wave length. She was thinking the exact same thing.

All that for a medal, and all he's getting is more salt in an open wound...

"... yeah," she breathed, very quietly, because she couldn't say anything else.

yuuhi_kureno February 16 2008, 02:39:48 UTC

And then he began bringing himself back to the surface, back to reason, climbing back out of those bitter feelings until he was standing above them again and keeping them away. But the effect was like pulling yourself out of the water; you weren't drowning anymore but you were still soaked.

"............Congratulations."

There was no sarcasm, no disgust, no anger, no barely-tolerated disdain. But there wasn't any sincerity or forgiveness either. Just very, very calm, even tones.

asuka_sensei February 16 2008, 21:17:53 UTC

"Yeah," she murmured. "Congrats. Thanks."

Asuka wasn't surprised at his reaction. She hadn't expected him to have known about this yet; after all, there hadn't been any grand announcement. But that didn't meant she had to like his reaction, or even that she was the one to tell him. Had to be the one - he didn't deserve to get this second hand.

If it took him four months to decide he still wanted to be friends with her, after Sasoriza, how long would it take after this? Six months? A year? Never? But how much more worse would it be if he hadn't heard it from her at all?

"I don't want it." As if something like that really needed clarification. But if only there was something she could do to change this...

yuuhi_kureno February 16 2008, 22:26:14 UTC

There was another agonizing stretch of silence, this one going so long that he lost any sense of good timing and when he finally did speak, even he was a little surprised to find he had something to say after all.

"I know."

If she had something to respond with, she didn't. Or maybe she was just as unaware she had something to say as he'd been. He waited another minute before giving up on listening for it.

Despite how wronged this new situation was making him, Kureno still didn't want for things to be ending like this; he didn't want them to be ending at all! He meant it when he said he wanted things to be better again. He was already dedicated to letting this emotion-grating depression of his slip into the past.

Unless it found something new to live off of, digging itself right back into the wound in his heart and pride that hadn't even properly scabbed over yet, getting settled in for another round of festering...

No. No, he wouldn't let it. She didn't do this on purpose, she wasn't trying to hurt him! ...She just had a ( ... )

Thread 6