musubi | twenty-ninth breath ✧ voice

I'm sure that is the standard opinion on this place.

[ Ange's own tone is a little deadpan, but the reply is just as short and simple. ]

Yeah, pretty much. Still think I'm allowed to complain a bit when I wake up in my bed with fuzzy memories of something else in my skin for the past few weeks.

Of course, I'm not saying you can't complain, I'm just saying that there probably are plenty of people who share your concerns.

[ Regardless, it surprises her a little though.. ] ... What do you mean though by 'something else in my skin'?

What do you think I mean?

I was possessed by a demon for at least a couple weeks. Or if not I at least thought I was. It's kinda hard to tell now.

Sorry for asking, in that case. [ Her tone is more than a little sarcastic. ]

Either way, I haven't heard of any demons possessing people here before or anything of the like.

I have.

well... I guess it wasn't really a demon, but it was close enough.

And anyway, this was something I'd already been familiar with before I got here.

Ah, so it's more something from back home than this place messing with you, huh? ... I guess that's good, since it means they're not planning to have us all possessed by demons or whatever for kicks.

Well, it's kinda both.

It's the Malnosso using shit from home to mess with me.

The worst from both worlds, I see. Did they just decide to randomly mess with you or what?

How the hell should I know?

It's not like they haven't already done it plenty in the past.

I'm just asking since it might be possible to learn something from this. To maybe somehow protect us in the future or whatever.

But, you know, if you prefer just being a toy for them forever, go ahead.

Of course I don't!

But I don't know what all to tell you, either.

['Sup buddy, hopefully you're in their room because that's where Richard is going to look for you right now.]

[Yep. Just sitting here on the bed with his head in his hands.

Try not to make too much noise, if you please.]

[Nope, no noise, but he'll be sitting down on the bed next to Isamu, studying him for a long moment to make sure he's all right.]

[And Isamu will flop over onto him. He doesn't even care.]

Worst part is... I don't even know if Noah was actually there, or if I just thought he was and was acting accordingly.

[Richard just pulls him close, one hand shifting to run through his hair gently.]

It doesn't matter now. Whichever it was, you're you again-- and I'm glad for it.

It matters because those assholes can just do shit like that whenever they want and it's bullshit.

[Not squirming out of those pettings, though.]

And having someone else in control of your body... it's frightening.

[He knows all about that, oh, does he ever.]

Yeah. No shit, right?

[He buries his face in Richard's clothes.]

...Fuck all of this.

[Richard can't help but feel a sharp pang of sympathy at seeing his friend so upset. He's starting to have second thoughts about breaking the news about a couple of departures right now (he'd heard the announcements over the journals, though he'd said nothing), but at the same time...

The hand stroking Isamu's hair stills for a moment, then resumes its soothing motions.]

... I'm sorry I couldn't have done more.

Don't worry about it. Nothing's your fault, anyway.

You did the best you could.

[Somehow the best he can never seems to be enough... He makes a quiet, noncommittal sound in his throat.]

Isamu...

[Just rip off the bandaid, Richard. He knows it's best if Isamu hears it from him rather than anyone else, and there's no doubt he'll start to wonder if he doesn't hear from Raphael for a while, yet still he hesitates.]

[He misinterprets.]

I mean it, man. Don't fret over it.

[Deep breath. He can do this. He just really doesn't want to see how much it's going to hurt Isamu.]

... Raphael was sent home. I'm sorry.

[It sounds so horribly cold and matter-of-fact that he hates himself for having to say it at all.]

[The response is instantaneous.]

What??

[His head jerks up and he immediately regrets it, wincing and burying his forehead back in Richard's shirt.]

Shit. Shit. How is that... even fair...

I'm sorry.

[The words seem so hollow, so empty, and when Isamu buries his face in his shirt again, Richard can't help but tighten his arms around him in a silent reassurance that he's still here.]

Fuck...

[He'd just gotten all his brothers together too. It wasn't right. And it left Isamu with even less people he felt particularly close to.]

When did this happen?

Just a couple of weeks ago, while you were gone.

[Which... probably makes it worse.]

While I was... god damn it.

[His grip on Richard tightens. He must look so pathetic right now, but he really doesn't care.]

[Richard couldn't care less about how pathetic Isamu does or doesn't look right now; instead, he just rubs his back gently.]

Will you be all right?

[A stupid question, maybe, but sometimes it just helps to hear it asked.]

Physically.

[He sniffs a little.]

Shit. He was one of the first friends I had here.

Go ahead and cry if you need to. I won't say a word to anyone else about it.

Man... You don't need to say it like...

[But he's already tearing up a little, and he lets out a choked sound.

He hates everything.]

[Did you say something, Isamu? Because he's just going to be tightening his hug now. Sometimes you just need to let it out, as he knows all too well.]

[Yeah, holding it in isn't going anywhere. Isamu breaks full-on into tears and sobs against his friend, still clinging tight.]

[Richard will just shift to lean back against the pillows to get more comfortable, tugging Isamu with him (because he suspects they may be here for a while), one hand resuming that back-rubbing. He won't say anything, because he knows there's really nothing that can be said at this point.]

[He'd better hope it's comfortable, because Isamu will tire himself and drift off again right where he is after a while.]

[Good thing Richard doesn't mind being a pillow (albeit probably not a very good one given how slender he is). In fact, he kind of enjoys it-- not that he'll say so out loud. He'll likely end up half-drowsing himself, though he'll wake up if Isamu stirs or makes any sounds. He just wants to be sure he's there when his friend wakes up.]

...Ahh, you're okay now, Isamu?

Define okay.

Well... You don't seem to be acting strangely like you were last week.

Then yeah, I'm better in that sense.

Thank god.

twenty-ninth breath ✧ voice

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