oo24 [ voice // action for housemates ]

[fourteen]

[ Xion sits down to make this post in her room, quietly unhappy about it, but knowing she has to persevere. He wouldn't want her to be sad, she knows it.

She'll have to find a new teacher.

But Xion finds she just can't sit still, and rises, speaking as she moves down the hall. ]

For anyone who knew him... Longshot has...

[ then she notices something. Sora's door is slightly ajar, and the inside of the room...

as if entranced, Xion slows, then moves towards it, giving a gentle push. ]

Gone ...

[ it's empty. the room is empty, completely bare of any sign that Sora was ever there. ]

... home.

[ and that's it. Xion has lowered her journal, giving an upside-down view of the wall through the journal's camera as she stares at this empty room.

it takes a moment -- a long, numb, endlessly empty moment that may go on for two or even three minutes -- for Xion to sink to her knees. only then does she finally, slightly, come back to her senses. she adds her final statement in a voice that, while even, is just barely above a whisper. ]

And ... and Sora ... Sora has also ... gone home.

[ if heartbreak had a sound, it would sound like her voice. for anyone who replies to her over the journals, it will be some time before she responds. housemates will likely get to her first. ]

Comments

[ voice ]

[blessingone]

[ It doesn't take Fenimore long to reply, as she had been keeping an eye on her journal in case of this very circumstance. ]

Of course I would. The better question is if you're up for it.

[ voice ]

[fourteen]

... I need to get out of here for a while. It's just not the same without him here. Should I meet you somewhere...?

[ voice ]

[blessingone]

... Right. I'll be at the bridge in ten minutes. [ or however long it takes to go about halfway across the village /finishes poking at the Nitpicker's Guide She starts to get up when she realizes--oh, wait, even if that is a place that she knows is close to Xion's house, it mightn't be good to bring an upset Xion to a place where Xion was hallucinating last week. Er. ] The west one. [ That should still be pretty close and not too busy, right? ]

[fourteen]

[ good thinking, Fenimore. Xion really does have enough negative memories associated with the bridge near house 14 as it is. ]

Okay.

[ and she shuts her journal. she'll turn up in about ten minutes, dressed simply but warm, looking every bit as tired as she sounded. ]

[blessingone]

[ Fenimore is already there by that point, leaning on the railing if the bridge has one and staring into the river. She didn't want to make Xion have to wait in this mood, so she had hurried along. Fenimore still looks a little tired--as everyone would, after last week--but it's faded and is not nearly as bad as Xion.

She looks up as Xion approaches. She takes a look at Xion and wordlessly walks into arm's reach. ]

...Come here. [ And she'll be trying to pull Xion into a hug. She looks like she needs one. ]

... [ action ]

[fourteen]

[ hugged. and quite surprised by it, really. at least for Xion, Fenimore's always been about tough love, always erring more on the side of giving advice and nudging her to take care of herself than just simply offering comfort.

for a moment, Xion is too startled to react ... and then she leans against the girl, shoulders jumping as she fights off tears.

she did need a hug. she really, really needed a hug. ]

[ action ]

[blessingone]

[ Never fear, Xion. Tough love is certain to follow. For example, if she keeps from crying for more than half a minute, she'll be criticized for holding back. But Fenimore can give her that half minute of peace. ]

[ action ]

[fourteen]

[ and it is peaceful. the KH house was so silent, yet all that grief was deafening in its own way. oppressive. here, in the cool air, with someone who isn't grieving... it's actually a little easier.

perhaps surprisingly, she doesn't cry. her breathing calms and she just stays there, huddled against Fenimore, some of the tension slowly easing out of her shoulders. ]

[ action ]

[blessingone]

[ And here she had the perfect lecture all prepared about how it's okay to cry in front of friends. Though if Xion doesn't need to and isn't just holding it in, then she doesn't really have anything to complain about.

Still, a while after Xion has calmed down, she feels the need to make sure. ] If you need to cry, you really don't have to hold back, you know.

[ action ]

[fourteen]

No, I'm okay ... at least right now. I think I really just ... needed a hug. [ she looks up, smiling sheepishly, but she does seem less tense now. ] And to get out of the house.

[ action ]

[blessingone]

Of course you did. Anyone would, after something like that. [ headpat goes here. ]