soul_campaign | thirteenth dazzle | July 29, after dark

[Takuto doesn't look sad for this appearance on the network, but he doesn't look characteristically happy, either. He just looks... tired. Maybe it's just that the only light is the glow from the communicator's screen itself, but he looks far more tired than a seventeen year old boy obsessed with singing out his youth and being a source of metaphorical radiance has a right to look.

He sighs, turning the video feed away from himself, into what appears to be total blackness.]

...Some of them are missing. [The darkness of the image focuses in and out of a blurry gray before slowly resolving into tiny pinpricks of light. Stars. There's the sound of a heavy sigh once again.]

I know it's not a thing that's particular to this city or this world or the situation we're all in. People can leave for reasons much worse than a magical device's whim. But all this leaving is exhausting me. People coming and going and coming and going.

[He pauses, recollecting his thoughts as the images blurs, refocuses. The stars twinkle, distantly, silently.]

I think life is a string of people coming and going no matter who or where you are, but… but here, this… I’m getting tired of it.

BREW sent Yuugi away.

[text | private to Yako]

I'm on my roof and I would like some company.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The screen remains pointed at the sky, and the stars go in and out of focus because the camera lens can't cope with the distances.]

I'm not going to ask you on a mission, if that's what you're getting at.

[So he's holding up, but not exactly okay.]

Yes, I'm aware.

I didn't always know this, but you aren't as stupid as you look by a long shot.

You should be the first to understand that looks are often deceiving, Ryuzaki.

[He doesn't even care that that was such a backhanded compliment.]

Yes, of course. I've known a lot of people who are nothing like you would assume them to be at a glance.

[Either he didn't get it, or he's letting it roll off his back.]

Have you talked to Ryou? I know that he was close to Yuugi, too.

Maybe you should go see him. [Because he's not doing so well. Not if he's only responding to Takuto in texts.] I'd go but I'm already meeting people here and besides...

...I don't want to slip and fall.

[Also he's emotionally drained and the exhaustion makes him feel like he doesn't want to move. Watching the stars is about as comforting as things get right now.]

I plan to see him, of course... he's just been quiet lately.

[Which is probably even more of a reason to talk to him, but L will never, ever be winning awards for his social awareness. Ever. Even though he knows Bakura very well by now, he is still prone to assuming that all quiet means all good.]

They'll take care of you.

[He doesn't think he can take care of Ryou, other than giving the boy someone else to take care of for a little while to get his mind off of things, perhaps.]

I mean right now. You should go see him right now.

[Because even though Ryuzaki hardly ever helps, Ryou still shouldn't be left alone.]

[L rarely listens, either, but today feels different on a score of levels.]

Understood. I'm on my way right now.

thirteenth dazzle | July 29, after dark | video

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