✿ Forty-Forth Ink Drop ✿ - [Voice]

[chiisaichou]

[It's morning. Miyabi had neglected opening her journal for the time following the experiment for selfish reasons, just to calm down and gather herself. She still had to apologize to everyone, especially those she was closest to, but...she just was very afraid. With everything piled up onto her shoulders, getting yelled at would just break her even

Comments

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[Luke didn't know Issun, but the way she gives that apology just gave everything she felt away. Sure, things have to be obvious for him to understand sometimes... But that was pretty obvious.

He doesn't reply. He knows better.

Instead, he keeps the journal open a crack as he heads out to find her. He has a feeling he knows where she is. As he walks, he listens to the song... It's beautiful. Beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. Being made entirely of the particle of sound, songs resonate within him and the meaning echoes around him, even if it's never understood. It's why he'd never be able to truly sing the Grand Fonic Hymn.

Behind this song, though, there is a depth of sadness that he's only felt a few times in his life. It almost makes him want to cry.

He doesn't, though. And soon, Luke arrives at the cherry tree, the ending of the song behind heard up in the trees as well as through his journal. So, he was right. He stops at the base of the tree and looks up, seeing that little glow at the top.]

Miyabi?

[Action]

[chiisaichou]

[Luke's voice carries just about as good as Miya's in the openness of the hill. It gets softer once it get garbled by all the branches, but even then the little poncle could clearly hear her name. She's not surprised, or just doesn't show it if she is. Looking down from the tallest branch, she sees the mop of red hair and, briefly, a tiny smile spreads on her face.

She moves down from the branches at a slower pace than usual, and sits on one of the lower hanging ones, a few inches above Luke's head. He must've heard her, then... Stupid journal.]

H-Hello, Luke.

[Her voice seems strained. More so than it has been over the past few weeks. So much more. She just...she doesn't even know how to feel anymore.]

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[There's a bag full of something over his shoulder, though he lowers it to the ground as he looks up at the glowing light on the branch. At her greeting, Luke just feels his lips tug unhappily, because he can hear the strain in her voice. With a soft sigh, he steps closer until he's almost right under the branch, and he holds up one of his hands.]

Could you come down? I promise I'll catch you.

[Action]

[chiisaichou]

[The bag gets a brief glance of curiosity, but nothing more than that. Miyabi's focus is on other things, and her mind is muddled with all that's been going on. How many now has it been? The gods must be upset with her...]

Okay.

[She slides from the branch and onto Luke's palm, landing gracefully on her little feet. She knew she wouldn't fall, and the height wasn't that great either way, even if she did. Unable to think of what else to say, her eyes go back to that bag. Just what was in there?]

[poppetry]

[ Oh.

Oh no. ]

M-- .... little sister? Where are you?

[chiisaichou]

Xion...sis? [Miyabi bites her lip. Should she drop the title? She doesn't want to lose Xion, too. And if her luck is going the way it is...well. Best not to test it.]

The cherry tree. Ammy's tree. ...That's where I am, on the highest branch.

[poppetry]

[ She doesn't wait. She doesn't ask for permission. She just goes. Her portal drops her about ten feet away from the tree, and Xion walks the rest of the way, immediately peering up into the brances. ]

Miyabi? Miyabi!

[chiisaichou]

[The little glow from way up should be telltale. Miyabi spies her when she calls up, and begins bouncing her way slowly down from the branches. She doesn't seem to have the same vigor as usual, and her movement almost seem to be very robotic. Miyabi's not thinking clearly right now, after all.

She'll land on a lower hanging branch, about five or so inches above Xion's head.]

I'm here.

[voice]

[toujoursfluer]

....

That is a beautiful song.
....

I am sorry.

[voice]

[chiisaichou]

[At first, Miyabi only planned to mumble a quick and quiet 'thank you' back to the journal, mentally sighing that it caught her singing, but whatever...she doesn't care. She really, really...doesn't. But it's the itching of familiarity that brings Miyabi to look into her journal curiously, blinking when she sees the face.

The voice, too...right. She owes this person an apology for a wholly different reason.]

...Please don't apologize, miss. I...it's me who should apologize to you. I showed you...g-great disrespect some time ago, d-during that experiment... I was, uhm...not myself. I think. [Oh, but she was, more or less. That anger was real and very much her own.] ...I'm sorry.

[voice]

[toujoursfluer]

[Robin blinks. This is nothing she recalls and despite having little control during the experiment she is fairly sure she remembers all of it.]

[Never the less it is something this girl is concerned about.]

Don't apologize, Mellorine-chan. There's nothing you could do that could change a prince's heart.

[How strange to be saying things like that of her own volition. Though this time it is what she supposes Sanji would want to do]

[voice]

[chiisaichou]

[Miyabi takes in a quiet breath, holding her breath to keep from shaking. It's still hard, especially now with another of her closest friends gone, to hear that familiar speech pattern. This time, though, with a long exhale, all Miyabi does is smile sadly, wiping at the corners of her eyes.]

H-He never...told me wh-what that meant...

[lostinmyway]

[Grune listens to the end of Miyabi's song, and then, a little more gently than usual, says:] You have a pretty voice, Miya. Could you sing me another song?

[chiisaichou]

...All right. [It's a while that Miyabi has to think of what she can sing, and finally, she begins anew, with a completely different song. This song...she can vaguely remember singing it to Sanji, one time. It's a kind of sad tune, but one of hopefulness.]

Yondeiru mune no dokoka okude...

[lostinmyway]

[Once again, Grune listens quietly until the end.] That's a nice song. Is it one of your favourites?

[chiisaichou]

Mm...I sang it for someone very important to me a long time ago, in Luceti.

[...]

[mirrorbirth]

[Much like his replica, Asch doesn't respond either; he knows better, after being here this long. He does sit by the journal and listen, though, quietly, just taking in the tune and letting it carry him for a while.

He doesn't care if she notices or doesn't notice, but he's there, regardless.]

[Later | Written]

[chiisaichou]

[Miyabi doesn't notice Asch listening in, and it's only some time later on that she actually has the courage to even call on him. Her mood was improved quite a bit, after some time spent with friends and her Luceti family. Plus, she really did owe Asch an apology for that stupid experiment. She just...really hoped he wasn't too upset with her.]

Asch, could you come to the cherry tree later today? I'd like to apologize, and I have something here for you that I think you'll like.

[Written]

[mirrorbirth]

[He hadn't expected to hear from her at all, and considering what happened, he wouldn't have blamed her. He doesn't particularly enjoy socializing when people have been sent home either.]

Are you sure you're up for that?

[Written]

[chiisaichou]

I think I can handle it.

[You'd be amazed at what a little painting you in chicken form with your replica can do for improving one's mood. Might as well make good on her good mood. Who knows when Luceti will start severely sucking again.]