[Voice / Action]

[notakor]

[Mikage wakes alone this morning, the shared bedroom empty, which... is unusual, to say the least. It's more than that- the room suddenly feels bare, as if half the belongings within are... gone. Just like the other occupant

Comments

[acowardlyoak]

[ when he comes home, shuri's in the kitchen, staring intently at the directions for baking. he's hungry and walking to the store is too much effort, and too frightening, and everything is right here anyway!

... but he's not sure what to think of the fact that no one's around today. so he doesn't think! ]

[notakor]

[Mikage wanders in rather shakily, leaning on the doorframe of the kitchen entrance without noticing Shuri there at first. Gone. Gone. Does it mean it's for forever? What if Teito never comes back? He'll never be able to talk to him again. Going home means Ayanami would...

...is it over, then...?]

[acowardlyoak]

[ it takes a few seconds for him to notice the other boy's condition, too busy mentally whining about how much better it would e if he was home and had his servants. when he hears someone walk in, he just waves a hand toward them, ready to bark out an order to make himself feel better about, well, himself. ]

Hey!! [ the tone is arrogant and bratty, up until he glances up and sees that expression... wh...

he's never seen Mikage like that. Ever. ] ... Mikage?

[notakor]

[Mikage looks up uneasily, finally noticing Shuri and looking somewhat startled and... something else. It's probably going too far to call his expression "heartbroken", but he's as close as someone can get at this point.]

Shuri... Teito's... gone home.

[acowardlyoak]

[ this is a weird feeling.

it's a weird mix of satisfaction, envy, loss and victory. shuri sets the box down slowly. ]

Are you sure?

[notakor]

All his stuff is gone. And he wasn't there this morning. He doesn't do that kind of thing.

[They often go their separate ways day by day- it's not like they were attached at the hip or anything. But Teito doesn't just up and disappear entirely without so much as a "good morning".]

[acowardlyoak]

If he went home, he went home. [ because shuri will never admit that he's going to miss him, or that he's considered the other boy a friend after all the time they'd been here together, or that thinking of him gone is bizarre and actually hurts in some strange way. ] It's not like he's gone forever. You'll see him when we all go home anyway.

[ and there's something he should remember. he knows it. and there's a reason why that statement sounds wrong to him, but he's not thinking and his foot is lodged firmly in his mouth. ]

[notakor]

[Mikage is not usually prone to violence. He's always been the first to walk away when the urge to fight comes up, unless it's a life or death situation or he's under orders to fight. Trivial battles, bullies, the words of idiots who are only looking to provoke- they've never meant anything to him. It wasn't worth it.

But that. That. Was the wrong thing to say to Mikage just now.

He lashes out without thinking, slapping Shuri right across the face. He knows, he knows what happens, doesn't he? He'd been told Mikage's fate. There wasn't going to be any happy reunion back home.

How could he say something like that!?]

[acowardlyoak]

[ he doesn't have the time to apologize when he's realized his mistake. no, by then he's stumbling back into the countertop, his hand clutching his cheek.

he clutches the counter, ready to spit out some stupid retort - you slapped me! or, how dare you! ... but he shrinks back. rubbing his cheek and wiping the tears stubbornly from his eyes, swallowing the metallic. ]

I-I didn't mean that...! [ how is he supposed to remember that the very real, very alive boy in front of him is dead back home!? ]

1/2

[notakor]

[The words are half lost on Mikage; his eyes are already blurring, his hands shaking, his whole body aching out of residual exhaustion. He'd been running around like a madman all day, he doesn't have the energy for this, or the will to argue about it.

Shuri forgot. He didn't understand. He didn't know. And it's not fair to take out his grief and frustration on him like this.

He stands there for a long moment, trembling, as his eyes begin to flood. Teito's gone. Teito's gone.]

[notakor]

[He tries to apologize, but his voice catches and he just turns away, making a run for his bedroom. He really can't fight this right now.]

[acowardlyoak]

[ and shuri stays where he is. out of fear of being hit again, not for any strong desire to respect mikage's need to be alone and deal with his grief.

the blonde stands once he's gone, rubbing his cheek and glancing at the knocked over flour... he's going to have to go out and get some more.

it'll be an hour or two before he approaches mikage's door. ]

[notakor]

[By then, Mikage's pretty much over his initial shock and dread, and has moved into the "push it down and away" method, which is more tried and true for him. It's not like there's any reason, in his mind, to talk about it.

He's also made the announcement, so right now he's sitting up in his bed, flipping through his journal in vague disinterest.]

[acowardlyoak]

[ there will be a knock on his door.

shuri doesn't do this apology thing. ever. usually, it's insincere and he doesn't care once he's already done it, unless the negative consequences are chasing him. he usually doesn't make an effort to do anything like this - but he is.

he braved the outdoors to get new ingredients, and now he's got a peace offering. they're slightly burnt, crumbling cookies. ]

[notakor]

[He can't imagine who it would be- Hakuren, maybe, or Labrador, to check on him. Putting on a brave front now.]

Come in.

[acowardlyoak]

[ door is now opened! shuri lingers in the doorframe, awkward. ]

... I made you these.