☀ 03

[hispalette]

[there are a lot of things Red would like to do right now, all of which involve a hefty amount of screaming and would no doubt be very healthy at all in the long run, though he has neither the energy nor motivation for such things. "drained" is as close as one can get to describing what he's feeling right now; "small", too. from the beginning of

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[perfectvoice]

[Miku, humming to herself, notices the familiar-looking boy as she wanders about the park. Weird, where'd she see him before?

Nah, it would come back with time. For now, she'll just sit down next to him.]

Are you okay?

[hispalette]

[pretty sure it's just you, Miku. Red, on the other hand, has no clue who you are which is why he doesn't respond much less look up. merely, he just tilts his head upwards a little, enough for her to see that she has a little bit of his attention.

given his current state, it's better than nothing.]

[perfectvoice]

[She sucks in a deep breath, realizing that this, perhaps, is an effect of what's going on. She's certain about it, seeing as she's been seeing and hearing so much of it.

She tries again, this time phrasing her query differently. Maybe if she starts a conversation...]

Is something wrong?

[hispalette]

... ...

[talkative one, isn't he? but, of course, the best way to answer that question is with another: what isn't wrong? he bites his tongue, attempting to choose his words carefully before eventually resigning himself to giving up entirely.]

...Nothing. Just felt like being alone.

[thatsnotaknife]

[He wandered for a while, trying to find shade or water, but when that failed Australia feebly stumbled back to the phone in the middle of the desert.

His voice is tired and hoarse.] Blue?

[hispalette]

Mr. Australia...?

[thatsnotaknife]

G'day.

[hispalette]

What happened? You sound awful.

[pot, kettle, black]

[knowthestakes]

[Of course Margarita is out and about at night! Otherwise she couldn't spread Christmas cheer like Santa wanted....

Gonna poke your depressed knee with a candy cane.]

Hey.

[hispalette]

[sup, sis. brb can't talk, contemplating the ~the great mysteries of life~.

or not. mostly he's just sitting there, not responsive at all to any poking save for a tiny barely audible grunt as he tries to inch away.]

[knowthestakes]

[WHY ARE YOU MAKING THIS HARD, BRO. Fine, she'll eat it instead.]

Geez, what happened to your Christmas spirit? [said in a quiet, horribly guilty tone, because she has no right to talk.]

[hispalette]

[if he was the type to snort derisively, he would do so right now. an awful, sad little ghost of a smile flickers across his lips very briefly.]

It...really wasn't there to begin with. [hunches his shoulders] Maybe I'll have better luck next year.

[white_pretear]

[Himeno sounds extremely sick as she answers the phone. Her voice is weak and it breaks up every now and again.]

How...how are you? Did something happen...

...to you too?

[hispalette]

...Yeah. [he says that as if he isn't surprised at all, which he isn't. they all knew what they were getting into, more or less.] Just like we thought it would.

What did he leave for you? [concern, though subdued, is in his voice regardless.]

[white_pretear]

[She gags a little, then coughs, trying to recover.]

S-sorry.

It was...it was food.

[hispalette]

Not your fault. Not anyone's fault.

Food? [sharper] Poison?

[updollsdresses]

[I-It's not like he was in the park looking to kill Santa Claus or anything.

He's just holding a box of coal because he feels like it, okay.]

It's far too cold to be sitting outside, Red.

[hispalette]

[there's someone he wasn't expecting to see. the other's presence catches him by surprise enough to elicit a moderately lengthy stare. after about a minute of this (most of it envy for that sweet box of coal because hot damn is that a fine box of coal) he goes back to turning his gaze onto the ground as if nothing had happened.]

I didn't notice.

[updollsdresses]

[damn straight this is a fine box of coal]

There's snow on the ground. ["Dumbass."]

[hispalette]

Not that much. It doesn't bother me; I'm used to it.

[that much is true. one of the perks to living on Mt. Silver. going alone with his expression, his voice is rather...curt.]