soul_campaign | January 24th; Video; several hours after rose's video

[Tohru is very quiet as she peers at Rei. While she is ditsy at times, she was not stupid to connect two and two together. She looks solemn and like she may cry too. Seeing people like that was heartbreaking.

Finally Tohru manages to reply softly, looking at Rei sadly.]

I--

C-Can..um.

I hope ..you get all the support you need to pull through.

I'm..I'm sorry.

[She closes her eyes, trying to get some semblance of control]

I'm sorry too. [A pause, and then] I didn't mean to worry you.

Oh no no it's ok!

I-I just hope things get better..

It's very hard loosing someone. Especially so suddenly.

[She glances down at her lap.]

Yeah. [She agrees on all accounts.] I... I don't know why this had to happen. This isn't like someone being taken home by BREW. THis is...

What happens if you die in this place...?

[Tohru glances down.]

I'm not sure...That is a good question to ask Spirit-san.
Though a part of me hopes they can somehow go back home.

[She's quiet a moment, thinking about that] ...I want to ask, but part of me is afraid of what the answer will be.

I'd feel better if he just goes back home again...

[Raidou is back from his mission... and the first thing he saw after arriving was Rose's post. The next few hours passed in a sort of stunned grief; he had continued to work without thinking about it, not knowing what to feel or how to even begin dealing with this.

Then he sees Rei. He doesn't need to ask what's wrong.]

Kurosawa-san...

Raidou. [She doesn't know what to say. She presses a hand to her eyes and tries to remember to breath.]

I-- Why... [She wishes she had a reason behind all this, something to blame or grasp to]

...Sometimes... this is how battles end. [The words may not be very comforting, but his tone is soft.]

May I come see you?

[Her fingers curl into her palm. It doesn't help, it doesn't make her feel better. There's a childish urge to just explode but-- She takes a deep breath]

...Yes, of course. [She tries to smile] I'd like that, really.

I will be there shortly.

[Soon he's on his way to Rei's home. He's not sure what he can do to comfort her, but at least he can offer his company.

And in all honesty... He could use the company too. Even if he wasn't as close to Yosuke as Rei was, he had considered the other boy a friend. Seeing him dead... It hurt.]

[Normally she'd get up and make tea for him, get everything semi-straightened up and welcoming but she can't be bothered with it right now.

She leans back against the couch and closes her eyes, rubbing her hands over her face in an attempt to somehow wipe everything away and pull herself together.

THe door is unlocked, as always!]

[He knocks before coming in regardless, good manners too ingrained in him to ignore even at a time like this. He quietly steps in and hesitates at the door, once again at a loss. What should he do? What can he say to make her feel better?

He nearly asks if she's alright, but the answer to that is obvious.]

...How are you doing?

[...Sorry Raidou, someone fell asleep sitting up on the couch.

That someone is Rei.

You should probably wake her, that can't be good for her neck.]

[Raidou's expression softens. As much as he'd like to let her rest, that looks very uncomfortable.]

Kurosawa-san. [He speaks quietly, trying not to startle her.]

[She makes a noise (it boarders on a whine) and raises an hand as if to bat him away.

But her eyes start to open and she shifts] Hm...? Raidou? [five more minutes, son ;A;]

You will strain your neck this way. It would be better to lie down if you wish to sleep.

[Does he need to tuck you in, mom?]

Rei-san..please hang in there. I'm here if you need me. [Kaoru is staring anxiously into the screen]

[I'll always need people.

She doesn't know what to say, shaking lightly] Yosuke... Yosuke was... [she can't bring herself to say it and she presses her hands to her face. WHat happened to being strong enough for everyone to rely on? She wishes she could get a better hold of herself]

...I know. I heard. I'm so sorry.
[she swallows. ]
We--Kenshin and I can drop by later? We both care a lot about you so--..if there's anything either of us can do..to be honest I could just come over now--I don't want you to be alone right now.

[She nods numbly; it's possible she's not even sure what she just agreed to, but Kaoru sounds nice while saying it so why not.]

I...Yes. Alright. Thank you.

[OOC: UNLESS YOU WANT TO. I'M FINE WITH ANYTHING BUT LIKE..I KNOW BOTH OF THEM CARE ABOUT HER SO I FIGURED THEY'D BE LIKE: D8!! ]

Just try to take it easy, alright..

Rei-dono?

[He saw Rose's video but has yet to connect the events—still, seeing her like that, whether or not he knows the reason he can't not want to reach out to her.]

Kenshin-- [What can she say? She stares down at the amulet in her hands, wondering how she can keep her hands from shaking so bad] I...

[grief, shock—he can see that and things are slowly beginning to click. and none of that should be dealt with over the impersonal method of communication the network provided.]

If you're alone right now—let me go to you, if you need it.

[Kotetsu stares silently at the video, actually unsure of what to say. He'd been on watch most of the day and hadn't had the time to check over the network, especially since he'd been a little out of sorts what with his recent talk with Barnaby so he'd completely missed Rose's video. Probably a good thing. He'd be as upset as Rei is right now and he'd never even met Yosuke.]

...anyone take you up on that offer yet?

[He could always spare an hour or two, or more. If not there then at least give her someone else to talk to while she waited.]

[She doesn't look up right away, staring at the cloth amulet in hand]

...Kenshin and Kaoru said they'd be here in a couple hours. [A pause and she finally glances over, rubbing at her cheeks with the back of her hand] I could always use more until then, though.

[If this was in person he'd be leaning in to try and get a better look at what must be in her hands. Too curious for his own good. Instead he tries his best to offer a comforting smile, nodding as he looks over his shoulder for a moment then turns back.]

Guess I can try filling up that extra spot. Looks like you need it. Where to?

Murder Manor. First floor, room A. [pause] The, uh...the door isn't locked, so you can just come in...

[pro tip: It's never locked. Ever. Rei sighs and covers her eyes a moment, trying to breath] Thank you.

[...forcefully hides a flinch at the name of the place. Why is everything here so morbid.]

G-got it... It might take me a while but, that's better than not at all--! [Almost about to laugh but nnnnope, not the best time for that so instead he scratches at his cheek.]

And don't mention it. It's almost like we're doing each other favors. --so, if I get lost I'll let you know, because then we owe each other. Or, more you than me. Actually just you since... ah, nevermind! Going!

[Without clearing up whatever he means by favors, Kotetsu turns off the mirror and makes sure to tell Barnaby's he's heading out for a while before attempting to find this 'Murder Manor' place. As expected from someone as smart as him (/sarcasm) it takes a while. A long while.]

[By the time Kotetsu has arrived, Kenshin and Kaoru have come and gone.

The amulet is still held tightly in her hand (she can't let go, because for some reason it feels like letting Yosuke go and she can't quite deal with that yet) and she's been laying in bed for a while unable to sleep.

SHe should really send Kotetsu a text or soemthing, but her communicator is all the way in the kitchen... Which she should be heading towards for food anyhow. Getting up feels like work though]

[And of course, Kotetsu had completely underestimated his ability to find the place in a short amount of time. He'd almost been about to ask her for some clearer directions until he realized that she might just try to call the whole thing off if he was lost, and that just wouldn't do. That was about enough motivation for him to finally arrive at the mentioned room.

Knocking out of courtesy first, Kotetsu opened the door and peeked his head in carefully before entering.]

Rei? Reeei?! Coming in! ...if you gave up waiting on me then, sorry! Maybe she left a note? Why is this nicer than our apartment...

[Kotetsu's voice rouses her out of her state of half-slumber and for a moment she just lays there.

Ignoring him after he came all this way would be rude, so with a sigh she drags herself out of bed, straightening her nightgown (she debates mentally on how much she cares to put something else on, then gives up), and opening her bedroom door to step out.]

I didn't give up. [she crosses her arms loosely over her chest, watching him with a muted amusement] ...Thank you, for coming all this way. I'm sorry it was such a hassle.

[Stopping dead in his tracks, Kotetsu just stares for a while. Nightgown? Had he really taken so long that she'd been about to fall asleep? Wait, how late even was it now?]

--huh? Hassle? Are you kidding me? I offered! The only hassle here is you reminding me that I really need to buy a better coat. It's cold outside!

[Exaggerated shiver as his fingers clutch at the front of his thin brown coat. Somehow looking at her just makes him feel colder.

Oh yeah, nightgown.]

You sure you should be walking around in just that?

[It's actually probably not that late, just Rei wanting to sleep the rest of the day away if the nightmares wouldn't rear their heads again.

She doesn't smile even at his exaggerated shiver, just gives a shake of her head. Silly man.]

Does it bother you? [Rei can't bring herself to care] I can change if you want.

It doesn't really bother me... I mean, not a lot. Or, barely. Just-- aren't you cold? I can give you my coat if you want.

...were you gonna sleep?

[She shakes her head] Cold doesn't bother me. I spent a lot of time in the snow. [She trails off a little, looking amused like it's some inside joke. It had been snowing at the manor of sleep, filtering in through broken ceilings and covering the floor in some areas.

She glanced back at her bedroom and stepped further out, closing the door behind her to block it from view (it was messy now anyway, pictures, paperwork and a few cameras she's started to collect scattered throughout).]

Not really. I was trying, but it wasn't coming. Don't worry about it. [She offers a tired, slightly strained smile and sighs. Her eyes go to the cloth amulet still in her hand and her fingers curl around it tightly] Um, are you hungry? I can't cook, really, but I can use a microwave decently enough...

Edited 2012-02-19 18:05 (UTC)

[The further along the conversation goes, the more and more suspicious Kotetsu gets. Not as if that's not how it was before but he got there but whatever must have upset her was... bad. Really bad. And yet he can't seem to figure out how to bring it up.

His eyes dart down to the item clutched in her hands, swearing he'd caught enough of a glimpse of it to know what it was but he decides to leave it alone for the time being.]

I already ate so you don't have to worry about that. Besides, it kinda looks like you're not really in the mood to do any cooking, whatever you can manage. [Slight smile.] I'd take care of it myself if it was alright with you but I'm not much use in the kitchen either. You got tea or coffee though?

[She blinks at him and stares thoughtfully, as if noticing him there for the first time. Normally she'd protest; that she was certainly capable and could do it just fine. Could stand on her own two feet.

Any protests would take too much effort] ...Alright. I suppose arguing would be useless against you, wouldn't it?

I have tea. I think there's still iced tea in the fridge, but I have teabags for hot tea too. [A shrug] Whichever you want.

[A pause and her expression softens, her voice quiet and emotional] ...Thank you, Kotetsu. Really. [He'll probably be hearing that a lot from her tonight]

Not saying you can't try but at this point I think I'm pretty good at winning 'em. Unless you're my daughter, she gets me every time. [That would normally get a loud laugh and a few sappy words of how Kaede will always have him wrapped around her finger, but somehow he gets the feeling that he should tone down the energy for once and so all he gives her is an assuring smile.]

Anything cold is kinda out of the question so hot tea it is.

[He takes a few steps forward, taking his hat off and about to shrug off his coat when he hears the thank you. He doesn't respond, at least not exactly. All he does is keep smiling. He doesn't know what's wrong and he's not sure about whether he should ask or not but this was obviously something she needed, that she most likely wouldn't ask for on a normal occasion. He's just glad she said yes. Sometimes accepting help like this is harder than it seems.]

Just let me know which way the kitchen is and I promise I won't break anything this time.

[Rei shakes her head, laughing a little despite herself.] Over here. Help yourself to anything that could help you.

[She leads him over and takes a seat at the island to watch him] If you break anything you have to pay for it. More our of your salary. [Even though he didn't actually work for her. She really was going to have to think up something nice to reward him for doing all this for her. First helping with the gallery during the earthquake, and now this...

She was raking up a debt already. Still, Rei leans against her arms on the table, tilting her head. A daughter? Her thumb finds the paler patch of skin where her engagement ring had once sat]

You have a daughter? Are you married, if I can ask...?

[Kotetsu pulls out one of the chairs in order to set his stuff on the seat, making his way to the main part of the kitchen and making sure to keep his hands and feet to himself as well as possible. Right as he's about to look around to get a better feel of where everything is though he overhears her and that smile immediately turns into a confused frown.]

Th-that again? I thought that was just a joke--! I mean.... well it... makes sense, since back home I... h-hold on a second, I never even agreed to that before. And I said I'd be careful!

...if it happens a second time, I'll think about it. I guess it's just fair. As long as you actually leave me with something to keep. Living in a tiny apartment with another person ain't easy. [He lets out a very over-exaggerated huff, setting his left hand on the counter right as he's about to turn to the cabinets.]

[And he doesn't move. Doesn't face her. He's not tense, and his voice is actually a little light when he answers after a few seconds but it makes it sound like he's saying a simple fact. Nothing that needs to be thought over. Only spoken words, a necessary reaction as his left hand clenches into a loose fist so he can feel the slight shift of the wedding band on his finger.]

I am, but my wife is deceased.

[There was nothing to be said against his little tirade, she simply smiling faintly and ignored it--he'd get a reward for his hard work; she'd make sure of it.

He gaze goes to his wedding band and the smile falls. There's no 'I'm sorry' for his wife dying; no amount of apologies could bring her back, after all. She bows her head, eyes closed briefly]

Forgive me; I shouldn't have asked so casually.

[Her thumb rubs again and she shakes her head] My... [A pause and she swallows because it still felt like just yesterday. Yosuke's death hadn't helped that any; the wounds were raw again]

My fiance died too. [It had never hurt quite this badly before; not in a while, at least.] Less than a year ago.

[And the time felt both too long and too short. Had it really not been a year? The pain felt like it had been lingering forever]

[This time it takes him a while longer to reply back, not for his own sake really but hers mostly. There's a long heavy sigh as he finally turns around, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter.

He's never been in this sort of spot with another person, this exact shared emotion. It honestly makes him just the slightest bit uncomfortable but for once, he doesn't push it away or ignore it like he normally does when he feels that clench in his heart at the thought of Tomoe. Instead he looks at Rei, lets her know she has his attention. Whatever she wants to share or not, he's fine with it and he'll listen, say or do whatever he can because he understands more than anyone else could.]

Don't worry about it. You couldn't know any other way. Me neither. Its been seven years for me so, I can talk about it. It's just... hard.

[Even with the patience he's giving he still has that impulse to do something else, and so Kotetsu brings up a hand to rub at his neck.] I've always been a little bad at those kinds of things, depressing stuff and all that. Thoughts. Gets me to places I don't really like.

[She gives a short laugh, bitter and self-mocking] Welcome to my life.

[She gives the amulet a light toss, letting it fall to the table as she presses her face in her hands, taking in deep breaths to get herself under control. It wasn't said dramatically, or at least wasn't meant to be; it was simple fact.

Her life had, literally, been a continuous nightmare from the time her fiance died up to when she ended up in Death City. Friends, family; dropping like flies around her. Her own death almost completely assured the moment she went back.

She takes a deep, shuddery breath.] ...It was my fault. I don't think I can ever forgive myself.

And I'm tired... of people I love dying...! [Teeth grit and she shakes her head as if to try and apologize, her body trembling. She hadn't wanted to lose it again--especially not in front of him, hadn't he just said he didn't like depressing things? Doing all of this then was rather selfish wasn't it?]

Edited 2012-02-22 07:18 (UTC)

[His hand drops away at the movement from the corner of his eye and when he turns again to face her his expression is pure emotion, sympathy and frustration and pain and everything she must be feeling right now that he wishes she wouldn't because he knows no matter how angry you are, how heartbroken and lost you feel, how desperate you are to feel better nothing changes. He's gone, she's gone. Nothing changes that. It's how things will always be.

Kotetsu takes a few steps closer, picking up the omamori and setting it down in front of Rei. He sets his arms on the counter and again just watches her for a while, keeping his voice quiet, comforting yet with a slight firmness.]

Don't blame yourself. Even if I don't know anything about it... don't. It's not what you need. Not what he'd want.

You can do anything you can, more than you ever expected from yourself but a person is still a person. You're not invincible, neither are they. You can't protect them from everything. [Not even as a hero with the strength of a hundred. That doesn't get you anywhere with an incurable illness. Standing there with all this power and yet you can't do a single thing for the person who provided that much strength to you in the first place.] And that's not your fault. It's not ever your fault.

I'm-- sorry. [It's a little muffled and she laughs, but there's no humor in it. She's feels like an idiot and slowly her hands fall away with a sniff and fingers curl around the omamori again.

There's still a part of her that wants to lash out; that she should be able to protect them, that she should have done more, somehow, some way. But she knows, too, that he's right, as difficult as it was to swallow. Yuu's death was her fault, at least partly, and no amount of pretty words would change that.

She takes a deep breath and wipes at her face (she didn't cry again, not really, though a few tears managed to fall loose), looking to him silently for a long moment. The 'thank you' is on the tip of her tongue, but that doesn't even being to encompass her gratitude. He didn't have to do this, after all. Any of this.]

My debt to you keeps growing. [It's said lightly and Rei smiles a little] I don't know how I'm going to repay it at this rate.

[He wonders if he should go bring over some tissues, or a towel. Something, because she looks so sad and miserable and obviously trying so hard to not break down. As strong as she's trying to be he's not sure how much of this might be just for show. It's bound to be, just a little. He knows. He knows so well because it never doesn't hurt. When he looks at Rei all he sees is himself on bad days, days that are few and far between now but he's sure they won't ever go away. One year or seven, there's no difference in how much he misses Tomoe, but he knows better than to let feelings and memories keep him down forever. It's just how you try to move on. That's what counts. It gets better, slowly but surely.

When she finally looks up he feels a little relief in the air, not much but still enough to know that he's managed to help. They're only going uphill from here. No more depressing talk. That doesn't get them anywhere. Kotetsu smiles right back as he pushes away from the table to give more room.]

You can start by smiling a little more and having tea with me. Might try adding a little more to the debt but for now we'll keep it small.

January 24th; Video; several hours after rose's video

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[ACTION!] eeek sorry for slow ;___;

[ACTION!] it's fine <3

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video; did you want to log this, the three of them...? :Oa

video; awelkfjawle well i mean if lina wanted to. i just sort of figured it'd be a handwaved

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1/2 weeps

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sob sorry this is so late. things happened etc etc /oozes