ledbythewind | [Action]

[It's late in the afternoon when Richard awakens in the middle of the forest, clad only in the pair of white pants given to all New Feathers when they arrive. As if that weren't bad enough, it's currently raining, and he's disoriented and confused and why does his back hurt and where is he? There's something strangely familiar about this situation, though. He feels like it's happened before, but his memories are fuzzy and he can't seem to remember anything beyond... beyond...

And then, very slowly, like water trickling through a crack, it begins to come back to him. He's been here before. Twice, in fact, over a year in total, and Asbel and the others are here as well. He needs to find them.

So he'll be making his way through the forest - he remembers enough to follow the river, at least - to the village, feeling decidedly uncomfortable at exposing so much skin (he's royalty, this isn't proper, even if he's done it here before) and spending a few confused moments trying to remember where the clothing store is so that he can retrieve his own clothes.

That accomplished, he sets out for the house... only to realize that he can't remember which house it is. With only a vague memory to guide him, he wanders the streets until one house feels more familiar than the others. Let's just hope he's got this right.

And so it is that Richard opens the door to House 28, soaking wet and still trying to remember everything, but glad to be home.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That leaves Richard at a loss for a moment... until something occurs to him. Without moving his arms from around Isamu, he reaches up to tug off one glove and remove the signet ring he's wearing beneath it. It's a new one, since he'd given his old one to Asbel years ago, but it will do just fine for this. Once he's got it off, he pushes Isamu back just enough so that he can raise his hand up between them, motioning for the other to hold out his own hand in return.]

[Isamu does just that, though he looks baffled.]

What're you doing?

[Richard just deposits the ring in his palm with a smile.]

There. Now you have proof of my promise, even if I forget.

[Isamu just stares at the ring for a long moment.

But that's not the point! It won't bring the memories back, and...

He hates this place.

But this is something.]

Ah... You shouldn't... I mean...

And why not? Surely you don't think you aren't worth remembering, do you?

That's not... That's not the point.

Oh?

[Richard tilts his head, curious.]

I just... I don't know if I could deal with it if you just had no memory of anything.

Even if the mind doesn't remember, there are some things the heart never forgets.

[His hand drifts to cover the other, where the ring Naoki had given him used to rest.]

You know, even though I didn't have the memories of this place when I was back in Efinea, I had a strange feeling that something was missing. Something that I needed to remember no matter what.

[He feels slightly better at this though, but... only slightly.

Isamu buries his face in Richard's shoulder.]

...I don't even know what I'm doing with myself anymore.

[Of course, that triggers the hug reflex again - Richard vaguely wonders just when both of them became so okay with this sort of physical contact, but that thought gets shoved to the back of his mind - and he hopes that he's not getting Isamu too soggy in the process given how soaked he is.

His voice is soft when next he speaks.]

... without him?

[Because he understands that feeling, oh, does he ever.]

Without... I don't even know.

[Without him mostly, yes.]

[Richard just closes his eyes and inhales, turning his head away.]

... I'm sorry.

[Because no matter what he does, he can't seem to get rid of that feeling of guilt for making everything such a mess between the three of them.]

It's not your fault, dammit!

[Richard just stays quiet. In his mind it WAS his fault, at least in part, and while he's starting to recognize that he has a bit of a guilt complex, just that knowledge isn't enough to get him to stop blaming himself for things.]

Hey.

[Isamu squeezes him again.]

[At that, Richard just sort of deflates, pressing his own face into Isamu's hair because he's too tall to comfortably reach his shoulder.]

I still miss him.

Of course you still fucking miss him. Who wouldn't?

[That wasn't a sob just then. Kindly ignore it.]

[Oh, there's the guilt again. There are a lot of things Richard can fix, or at least try to-- his six months back at home have shown him that. But this is something that's completely out of his control, and that knowledge is what hurts the most.]

Isamu...

My room.

That's where you're staying.

And you're not going anywhere.

[And there's nothing gay about this, he'll hear nothing to the contrary.]

Just your room?

[Not that he minds either, but he can't resist the urge to tease.]

Yes. Shut up.

[He can't even be properly annoyed.]

All right, all right. But I was hoping you would offer.

[And five bucks says you end up clinging to him tonight anyway, Isamu.]

Fine. The bed too.

And no... you know.

Fuck, whatever. I don't even care.

[ ... blink blink. Not that he has any intention of doing anything, but Isamu usually protests a lot more.]

(no subject)

ingrate.livejournal.com - 2011-05-21 21:47 (UTC) - Expand

ledbythewind - 2011-05-22 03:10 (UTC) - Expand

ingrate.livejournal.com - 2011-05-22 08:56 (UTC) - Expand

ledbythewind - 2011-05-23 05:13 (UTC) - Expand

ingrate.livejournal.com - 2011-05-23 09:24 (UTC) - Expand

ledbythewind - 2011-05-24 02:59 (UTC) - Expand

ingrate.livejournal.com - 2011-05-24 08:52 (UTC) - Expand

ledbythewind - 2011-05-24 15:52 (UTC) - Expand