001.st Fragment: A Soaked Arrival [action]

[shred_the_sky]

[ A new arrival might seem unusual so late in the month, but there is one in town today. Visit the clothing store today and you might see a tall young man hanging out near one of the shelves. He's dressed in usual New Feather pants, except their color and the way they sit on him is a tad unusual. Coming up closer reveals why: the newcomer is

Comments

[shred_the_sky]

[ He could have simply approached her and said hello. It would be a perfectly normal reunion, nostalgic and more than a little awkward. And yet, it would never satisfy him. Because so much time has passed for him that it feels like a thousand years, a simple "hello" would never suffice.

So he sits down on the back of the bench, his back facing the seat, and opens a book he had got from the library on the way here. Rather than wondering about how to say this any further, he flips through the pages and lets himself stop on a poem that resonates with him particularly well.

A sign and, in the same soft voice as he so often used, he begins to read. ]

Chieko says there is no sky in Tokyo.
I want to see the real sky, she says.
Surprised, I look up at the sky.
Among the cherry tree leaves, is the kind of clear sky I remember from my childhood.
The leaden horizon tinged by the moist pink of morning. Chieko looks far off...
Every day, there is a blue sky high above Mount Atatara.
That's what I call the real sky, she says.
She's like a child when she talks about the sky.

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

[ The book in his hand closes with a soft thud. Aether sighs, his expression turning nostalgic at her face, and finally begins to talk quietly. ]

You know, there was a time when that name was the only truth I knew. Then, this place and... you came along.

[ He turns toward her, a shaky smile on his lips. ]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to forget you.

[inabook]

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

I...

[ His words hitch in his throat the moment she hugs him. There are so many things he was supposed to say - things that are important, honest, or at least seem that way to him - but this display of affection feels so important and out of place at the same time.

It takes a little time before he finally gathers up the courage to wrap his hand around her back. It's not much, but it's the best he can muster right now. ]

It's hard to believe that it has been over five years.

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

I can tell. You haven't changed at all...

[ A feeble chuckle escapes him. ]

Not that I have the room to talk.

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

I'm sure something did. I hope your adventures have been happy ones.

[ Happier than his, at least. When she mentions his time back home, Aether's eyes turn a little cloudy. It's not that he doesn't treasure what he learned and remembered.

No, it was because he remembered so much that his time at home would never be peaceful again. ]

"Peaceful" is a heavy word. Would "fulfilling" be a good replacement?

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

That's good...

[ And it means he can avoid going into detail. There are things there that might make her happy, yes, but then there are dozens of truths that are best to not worry her with. In the end of the day, not letting her know things that would hurt her seems like a good idea.

There's just one thing left. ]

But Estelle... [ The hand on her shoulder squeezes a bit. ] Don't you think we've been staying like this for too long.

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

It's... it's fine.

[ He'll just... step away from the bench now. Let's pretend this didn't happen and nobody saw them. ]

I missed you too.

[inabook]

[shred_the_sky]

I cannot promise something like that...

[ Judging by the apologetic chuckle that accompanies the words, he would if he could. It is their misfortune alone that the world refuses to work that way. ]

But I'll try to fall asleep in the library more often so you aren't worried.