not_meatbuns | Rebel 41 [Action / Written]

[Litchi awoke this morning to a slightly emptier house.

With some mounting sense of panic, she spent some time searching for the missing family member. It isn't until she wanders back into his room, beginning to go numb, that she notices the letters. The numb feeling just settles in deeper and deeper the more she reads, even though she's started to tremble all over. The gift he left her does nothing to ease the shaking, but that doesn't stop her from silently accepting it.

While the numbness lasts, she delivers the rest of the letters. Slips them under doors before the sun rises, hoping she doesn't need to talk to anyone. She's not even sure her voice will work if it comes down to it.

Just before retreating to her room and closing herself in, she writes in the journal, her handwriting small and increasingly shaky as the numb sensation begins to wear off. And then the journal is shut and stashed away, for the first time in at least a year. She doesn't think she has the strength to answer anyone just yet.]

[Written]

To any that knew him [...] Major David Jordan ("Yellow 13") has been sent home.

I'm sorry.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Tsubaki doesn't want to answer the door. She wants to go back to sleep and forget that things have changed. But she'll have to face facts eventually, and if she's cold indoors, then whoever's outside must be freezing.

So she gets the door. She'd been planning on forcing a smile, but fails to follow through.]

...Can I help you?

[It's okay, Tsubaki. Robert can't summon a smile either. His expression is... drawn, if anything, and grave, and sadder than it should be.]

...

I... I s-saw Doctor F-Faye-Ling's... message.

... And... I w-wondered if perhaps... if perhaps I could... [Help? There's no way he can help. Be there for her? Would that even do anything?]

... D-Do... something, I suppose...

[Poor guy. He clearly hasn't taken the news very well. Tsubaki nods, struggling to keep her composure, and opens the door a little wider.]

Litchi's still in her room, and... [She lowers her voice a little.] I'm not sure if she's ready to talk to anyone just yet, but please come in. [Standing aside.]

[He nods briefly, stepping after Tsubaki with an air somewhat more mechanical than even his usual motions. Robert is rehearsing all the words he could say to Litchi in his mind, but none of them would mean enough.]

... I... I u-understand. I just... if I could do a-anything at all, then... [He wants to try. He can't just let one of his most important people in Luceti suffer alone.]

[She leads Robert into the living room and gestures for him to take a seat. She starts heading for Litchi's room to let her know about her visitor, but falters mid-step and pauses before turning back to Robert.]

I... I feel the same way. I want to be able to help Litchi somehow, but... I mean, I'm finding it hard to accept that David's gone myself, but I know how much more difficult it must be for her right now.

I just... [She shuffles nervously, eyes glued to the floor.] I don't know what to do.

[Nodding slowly, yet unable to meet Tsubaki's eyes for more than brief periods, Robert looks cowed and frightened and ashamed.

He might almost seems like he blames himself.]

... Wh-when... when my... f-former adopted daughter, Miss Vivi A-Aislinn, was sent home... I... I did not know... what to do, either...

...

A-And this... this must be worse.

[... He can't even fathom.]

... All I know is that... th-that my friends would not allow me to... to s-suffer alone. Not if they could help it...

[...] I guess just being here... must count for something.

[She shakes her head. She's been wasting time; this is the doctor's visitor, not hers.] My apologies. I'll go tell Litchi that you've come to see her. [But she's forgetting something.] Ah -- I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name. I'm Tsubaki Yayoi.

... M-My apologies as well. My name is... Professor R-Robert Alexander Hastings.

[Softly:] Th-thank you for... for allowing me to come in. I... I a-appreciate it...

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