Ringo's Family's Apartment, Tokyo, Wednesday night
Ringo had done what she'd suggested to Dante she would do and left the island Friday afternoon to go back to Tokyo for a bit. Her sisters had been surprised, she hadn't warned them she was coming, but glad to see her, and Rika had made hotpot to celebrate.
It had been hard to smile through dinner, but Ringo had managed, if a bit stiffly. When Mikan asked why she was back, Ringo had deflected with something vague about the end of the semester and taking a break. She didn't think anyone bought it, but no one pressed her for more details, either. Ringo's sisters were awesome that way.
They ate, and then stayed up late into the night talking, and by the time Ringo finally laid down to sleep she was feeling better. It wasn't that the pain in her heart was gone, or even lessened really, but there were other things in there, too, and they helped.
She'd woken up on Saturday, and the pain was still there. Like it had been waiting for her. She'd thrown herself into AirTrek. Every day since she'd gotten back, Ringo had gotten up early, eaten a quick breakfast, and gone out into the city to ride. And she kept riding until late into the night. She revisited all her old haunts, retracing old runs and tricks and trying to recapture those feelings. Then she'd begun exploring new areas, places she'd never spent much time before, carving new routes across rooftops and through alleyways.
Getting lost in the run, letting past and future fall away into the pureness of now, was a huge relief, but Ringo couldn't run forever. Sometimes, as she stood alone at the edge of some rooftop, catching her breath as the wind whipped at her hair, the past and the future came rushing back in. All those little moments she'd shared with Kathy over the past year. Karaoke sing-offs, AirTrek, dress shopping, junk food, stupid bets, picnics, and parties. That confession on the roof of the dorm. Friendship and joy. And the future? None of those. Ringo was smart enough to know that she'd do those things again, but with someone else. Not with Kathy. Never again with Kathy.
When those moments came, Ringo would clench her eyes tightly shut and just scream into the wind. As if, if she could just yell loud enough and long enough, she could somehow expel the pain from her body. But each morning she woke up with that same ache in her chest, so each day she pushed herself harder. Each night she came home later and later, and while she could see the worry in her sisters' eyes, she just nodded stiffly whenever they asked if she was okay.
Even for someone with the ridiculous endurance that Ringo had couldn't keep up the pace she'd set. She could feel herself going from tired to exhausted, and at some point she went past that point to one where she didn't even notice anymore. Fortunately, her sisters had, and they were waiting for her when she literally stumbled through the door.
No one said anything at first. No one needed to. The way they all stood told Ringo two things: first, she wasn't going to bed without talking about whatever was bothering her, and second, all three of them were there for her. Whatever it was, they'd do everything they could to help.
Ringo stared back at them in silence for over a minute before her shoulder slumped. "Kathy died." Those were the only words she really remembered saying, and everything after all blurred together.
All four of them huddled into a tight, warm hug as Ringo let go and bawled her eyes out.
Trying to explain what had happened, as best she knew, while only managing to get in a few words at a time before more sobbing overcame her.
Talking about the great times they had had together, recounting all those little things that made her love Kathy.
It was late when Ringo blinked awake. Still exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but feeling like she could finally see a future she could smile about again. And smile she did as she realized that her sisters hadn't actually left her once she'd fallen asleep. She must have just drifted off after another bout of crying, and they'd just laid her out on the floor and brought in blankets and pillows before joining her. So here she was, literally surrounded by family, listening to their breathing in the darkness.
She turned her attention inward. The pain that she'd gotten so accustomed to so quickly was still there. Perhaps lessened a bit, but it was hard to say. The sharp edges of it were still there, and Ringo was sure that she'd keep bumping unexpectedly into them for years, but now those edges were wrapped in a soft layer of her sisters' love.
She quietly got up and padded to the bathroom, spending a few minutes washing her face. Then she stepped outside and sat down just outside the door where she could look up at the sky and smile a weak and tiny, but utterly genuine, smile.
[ooc: NFB for distance, mostly establishy, but if anyone wanted to call or text or whatever, that's fine]
It had been hard to smile through dinner, but Ringo had managed, if a bit stiffly. When Mikan asked why she was back, Ringo had deflected with something vague about the end of the semester and taking a break. She didn't think anyone bought it, but no one pressed her for more details, either. Ringo's sisters were awesome that way.
They ate, and then stayed up late into the night talking, and by the time Ringo finally laid down to sleep she was feeling better. It wasn't that the pain in her heart was gone, or even lessened really, but there were other things in there, too, and they helped.
She'd woken up on Saturday, and the pain was still there. Like it had been waiting for her. She'd thrown herself into AirTrek. Every day since she'd gotten back, Ringo had gotten up early, eaten a quick breakfast, and gone out into the city to ride. And she kept riding until late into the night. She revisited all her old haunts, retracing old runs and tricks and trying to recapture those feelings. Then she'd begun exploring new areas, places she'd never spent much time before, carving new routes across rooftops and through alleyways.
Getting lost in the run, letting past and future fall away into the pureness of now, was a huge relief, but Ringo couldn't run forever. Sometimes, as she stood alone at the edge of some rooftop, catching her breath as the wind whipped at her hair, the past and the future came rushing back in. All those little moments she'd shared with Kathy over the past year. Karaoke sing-offs, AirTrek, dress shopping, junk food, stupid bets, picnics, and parties. That confession on the roof of the dorm. Friendship and joy. And the future? None of those. Ringo was smart enough to know that she'd do those things again, but with someone else. Not with Kathy. Never again with Kathy.
When those moments came, Ringo would clench her eyes tightly shut and just scream into the wind. As if, if she could just yell loud enough and long enough, she could somehow expel the pain from her body. But each morning she woke up with that same ache in her chest, so each day she pushed herself harder. Each night she came home later and later, and while she could see the worry in her sisters' eyes, she just nodded stiffly whenever they asked if she was okay.
Even for someone with the ridiculous endurance that Ringo had couldn't keep up the pace she'd set. She could feel herself going from tired to exhausted, and at some point she went past that point to one where she didn't even notice anymore. Fortunately, her sisters had, and they were waiting for her when she literally stumbled through the door.
No one said anything at first. No one needed to. The way they all stood told Ringo two things: first, she wasn't going to bed without talking about whatever was bothering her, and second, all three of them were there for her. Whatever it was, they'd do everything they could to help.
Ringo stared back at them in silence for over a minute before her shoulder slumped. "Kathy died." Those were the only words she really remembered saying, and everything after all blurred together.
All four of them huddled into a tight, warm hug as Ringo let go and bawled her eyes out.
Trying to explain what had happened, as best she knew, while only managing to get in a few words at a time before more sobbing overcame her.
Talking about the great times they had had together, recounting all those little things that made her love Kathy.
It was late when Ringo blinked awake. Still exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but feeling like she could finally see a future she could smile about again. And smile she did as she realized that her sisters hadn't actually left her once she'd fallen asleep. She must have just drifted off after another bout of crying, and they'd just laid her out on the floor and brought in blankets and pillows before joining her. So here she was, literally surrounded by family, listening to their breathing in the darkness.
She turned her attention inward. The pain that she'd gotten so accustomed to so quickly was still there. Perhaps lessened a bit, but it was hard to say. The sharp edges of it were still there, and Ringo was sure that she'd keep bumping unexpectedly into them for years, but now those edges were wrapped in a soft layer of her sisters' love.
She quietly got up and padded to the bathroom, spending a few minutes washing her face. Then she stepped outside and sat down just outside the door where she could look up at the sky and smile a weak and tiny, but utterly genuine, smile.
[ooc: NFB for distance, mostly establishy, but if anyone wanted to call or text or whatever, that's fine]