Fifty-Second Spool of Thread - [Voice]

[so_shik]

[It was a normal day in Luceti for Shiki. She woke up in her room at house 10 without the threat of an experiment settling in today. She had her breakfast, she got dressed, and she headed out with Mr. Mew to All Passions. She walked into the shop and turned on the lights, noticing that the door to Minato's special little room was open. That in itself was strange, seeing how it was meant to be a dark room.]

Minato? You here? [She walked forward, approaching the boy's workspace and pushing the door open only to find it empty save for a stack of letters.

She instantly knew what it meant, but she wasn't going to react yet. She decided to look through the letters first, tracking down hers. Upon reading it, she knows it's true...and she knows she has to let the others know. So she's grabbing her journal and begins recording a new message for the village.]

...hey, hi guys. Um...wow, this is really hard to say. [It's awful. Minato's been here nearly as long as she has and now she's lost one of her oldest friends without a real chance to say goodbye? That's great. It takes her a few moments to pull it together, but she addresses the journal again.]

Minato's gone. Minato Arisato. I guess he only left us last night but these letters weren't here yesterday. If someone could confirm he's really, really gone...that'd be great.

But either way? Nephry, Akihiko, Yuri, Ange, Keiichi,Haruhi and Kyon? I've got letters for you guys. I'm at the shop all day whenever you feel like picking them up.

[Filtered to members of House 10]

In light of people disappearing, I wanted to ask you guys...can we do something special to celebrate the friends we still have here? Like a potluck or something. I made a new friend who asked me to hang out with her, and with Minato leaving...I've realized I can't keep putting things off. Let me know what you guys think.

Comments

voice;

[repudiate]

[ .. Yeah. The message comes as no surprise to her, of course it doesn't. Minato lives with her and Keiichi, once she couldn't see him around the house and no note about him going out that early anywhere.. it was pretty obvious what had happened, right? It's so strange though with how long Minato has been here, much longer than her. It's why Ange is a little quiet and not entirely deadpan like usually, idly twisting the ring around her finger as she thinks. ]

I'll be over in a bit. [ After she makes sure Keiichi is okay, more or less, since she knows it'll hit him harder than her. ]

voice;

[so_shik]

I'm here all day. I'll see you soon, Ange. [Yeah no, she's fully expecting Ange to be the only one from the house to come seeing how Keiichi's not going to react so well...she can just tell.]

action;

[entreats]

[ It's exactly because of that that she arrives a little later in the day - since she wanted to make sure to stay with Keiichi first, but she figures she should go and pick them up now, even if it's just for a moment. She said she'd take Keiichi's along too, after all. There's something obviously a little sad or pensive in her expression, so it's not entirely her usual lineface, but part of her at least still seems somewhat calm. ]

.. Hey. Sorry for being a little late.

[Voice] - FIltered

[breaks_destiny]

Thanks, Shiki.

[The voice doesn't sound like it belongs to Keiichi, it's broken, rasped and weak. But it's definitively Keiichi and clearly it's a Keiichi that has been is crying like a toddler.

He knew already, how could he not know. As much as Minato liked to sleep he never slept this long and he was sure that his friend hadn't gone out while he wasn't looking. Besides... Minato's completely bare room is enough proof that he has left. Vanished in thin air. Just like that.

Keiichi can't thank Shiki enough for being the one to give the message, he should have done it but... He just couldn't.]

You're right... He's really gone. Completely gone.

[A shaky deep breath.]

I'll ask Ange to pick my letter too, if you don't mind to give it to her.

[Voice] - FIltered

[so_shik]

[Siiigh, Keiichi. She understands. It's upsetting and it sucks and she hates that they both understand and are feeling the same things. Maybe not entirely the same seeing how the relationships were different, but if anyone could understand? It'd be him.]

...it's totally fine, I understand. [And then a beat as she considers.] But I would like to see you later if that's okay.

[Voice] - FIltered

[breaks_destiny]

[He knows locking himself in a room isn't the way to go, for many reasons among the ones is the fact that Shiki is suffering just like him, and he knows that bearing sadness alone isn't good for anyone. So no, it's not that he doesn't want to see Shiki or anyone else, actually he would very much like to see everyone he knows right there, just to make sure they are still there. But at the moment he's too happy with sitting in Minato's empty and bare room, mopping and crying like a baby, he doesn't really trust his legs to stand even.

Still he wants to see her and talk, or whatever. But right now he can't.]

I know...

[There's a long pause before he speaks again.]

See you at Good Spirits after you're done there?

[No, he's not going to get drunk but a bar sounds like a must when meeting someone and you both are sad, depressed and kicked in the guts by life.]

[Voice]

[ilyana]

[Ilyana's eyes widened when she heard the journal entry. It seemed like just yesterday that the two of them had been talking about Haruhi going on a date with Minato, and now he was gone. She'd barely gotten to know him, but this still was a stinging sort of wake up call, as she remembered just how easily someone who'd been here for years could just disappear one day.]

Oh... oh Shiki I'm sorry... I...

[What exactly was she supposed to say in this kind of a situation anyways?]

Is there anything I can do?

[Voice]

[so_shik]

Ilyana, hey. [She sounds fine, but she knows she has to put on the brave front for the time being.] It's okay...[It's really not, seeing how Shiki knows what's waiting for Minato at home.] Nothing that I can think of, but thanks. I'm just kind of bummed you didn't get to really meet him.

[Voice]

[ilyana]

Well, for what it's worth? He really was very sweet to me when I did meet him.

[Which was mostly in that he stopped Haruhi from kicking her when Ilyana had grabbed her foot >>]

Morrigan really loved the dress by the way.

[Voice]

[godbent]

I'm not picking up any stupid letter.

[That's her cold and short reply. Really, she would go up to pout on the roof, but it's cold. Instead, she goes to pout in the Brigade's HQ. She also means this voice thing to imply she ignored everything else Shiki said. And might be erratic about being home today]

[Voice]

[so_shik]

Then I'm bringing it home to you. Or I'm reading it myself. What do you think? [Don't even go there girl. Don't. Even.]

[Voice]

[godbent]

Do whatever you want, Shiki.

[voice]

[thunderfists]

[The first sign that something was wrong was the sight of Koromaru walking around the village alone with his head down; it was an odd enough sight for Akihiko to stop his jogging, and he knelt down as Koromaru whined forlornly. After trying to ask the dog a few questions, Akihiko sighed and opened up the journal to try to contact Minato.

That's when he hears Minato's name announced on the journal.

He's numb for a moment, of course. Mitsuru's disappearance had prepared him for the possibility of people he knew leaving, but Minato... Minato had been around this place for years.

He sounds somber when he speaks up.]

This is Akihiko. Thanks for telling us. [He pauses, looking down at Koromaru. No wonder...] I'll come by in awhile for the letter.

[voice]

[so_shik]

It's the least I could do. [And it sounds fake and she kind of hates it, but she quickly moves on.] Sure, take your time Akihiko. I'll be here for a while. [Looking for anything else Minato's left behind, anyway.]

[voice -> action]

[thunderfists]

Got it. Thanks.

[There's really nothing else he can think of saying over the journal, so he shuts the book. He should at least try to see if Koromaru will eat before he heading over to the clothing store.

Under the circumstances, strange as it would be for a place of business, he feels the need to knock before entering. Koromaru trails in after him, sniffing around with his ears still tilted down.]

Hello?

[silversnowfall]

Gone?

[But if he returned...then he went home to-]

I see. [To die. Her voice is shaky.] Thank you. I'll come pick it up.

[so_shik]

Yeah...home. [She's not sure how many people know about Minato's fate.] Sounds great, Nephry. Take your time.

[voice - filtered]

[forgetfulchime]

[ ...Oh. She never knew Minato well, only met him a few times while helping out at Shiki's store but they must've been good friends. It isn't a good feeling to lose someone so close, or anyone you'd consider to be a friend.]

I'm so sorry Shiki... [A pause and a sad smile as she tries to steer away now. She doesn't want to dwell on it when Shiki already has to with everyone else who's talking to her] I wouldn't mind doing something like that, it's a very nice idea. It'll help remind us of the great friends we've made here and how we shouldn't take them for granted.

[voice - filtered]

[so_shik]

It's okay, Rhyme. I'm just kinda bummed you didn't get to know him as well as I did.

Yeah, definitely. Who would you like to invite?

action;

[proxyerror]

[ He doesn't know Minato, and he's not really sure what he meant to Shiki. So he doesn't feel right, really, commenting on that- instead, he's just showing up at her shop, bag in his hands.

And he's keeping a lookout by the door, standing a little awkwardly as he looks around for her. ]

action;

[so_shik]

[She comes stomping out of the back room that used to be Minato's, several letters in her hand as she's sorting through them and mumbling to herself. However she stops when she spots Neku, blinking in surprise at his sudden appearance.]

...Neku, hey. What are you doing here?

voice;

[gleamed]

[Another one of her friends, gone home...]

Minato's gone? ...I'm sorry to hear that. Are you alright, Shiki?

voice;

[so_shik]

Yeah...Ange and Keiichi confirmed his stuff's gone from their house. It's official. [She sounds sad, but she's keeping it together for the most part.] It'll be okay, Rapunzel. [Whether she's saying that for the sake of Rapunzel or herself it's hard to say.] I mean obviously I'm going to miss him a lot, but...I guess it was just meant to be.

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Minato went home?

[That comes as a huge surprise to Emil. The other boy had been there about as long as he himself has, so the idea of him going home... well, it's strange, to say the least.]

[Voice]

[so_shik]

Yeah. They're starting to send out the ones who have been here forever...have you noticed that?