lifenet | farstones; backdated to aug 26th

[The last time he used the Farstones, he was making a pretty big deal about the whole dying-of-flowers thing. Kind of embarrassing in retrospect, but -- more anticlimactic than anything.]

[It went just as he'd expected it to go, waking up the same way he had died: alone.]

[That's how he'd wanted it. That's why he'd had no complaints as he'd picked himself up from the cold, flower-laden floor of the Storyteller's Temple, shook the petals out of his sweats, and went home. Slept on and off for a couple days. Scrounged around unsuccessfully for the courage to check which one of his friends had made it and which ones hadn't. No big surprise in any of that.]

[Anyway, this time, there's no melodramatics; Ichimatsu's voice pops over the network in a sigh, and then a simple question:]

Everyone's done dying now, right? So I have a question. Especially for you guys who got kittens from Karamatsu.

Did anyone's pets get sick, too?

[His voice is nasally, as if he has a lingering head cold, but it's far off from sounding like anything from the Overgrowth.]

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True... they are.

[It comes easily enough, but his relief is quickly dented by her question. Not because of the question itself - anyone with ears could hear that he's still got some weird sinus stuff going on - but because of their last conversation. Shit, he owes her... he doesn't even know. An apology would never cut it. He wandered off and left her alone, even if he still thinks it was the best thing to do; even now.]

[But how could he ever tell her something like that?]

... I'm fine. Just had to go away for a while.

[The empty tree nest already told the truth he's trying to hide now. Had to go away like they all did, but that doesn't explain why he didn't resurrect with the rest of them. Talking about his brothers hadn't been enough to save him and that realization had hit her the second she had pulled his confused, hungry companion into her arms all those days ago.]

We're happy you're home now. We missed you.

[There's a chorus of meows in the background, as she lowers the rock to her cat friends so they can hear his voice. There's your dad, Pachinko-chan. It's all good.]

I --

[Whatever he was going to say dies in his throat with a soft, folding crackle. Sitting here in the dark by himself for the past couple days... he's not sure if it was his way of punishing himself, or if he really needed that time. Either way. He doesn't really have the right to say I missed you too, does he?]

[Even if it's true. He's only been alive for two days, but hearing Ren's voice and ESP and Chi's meows... it feels like it's been weeks since he's seen them. How is that fair, this feeling of their absence reaching back through all that time he was dead? Obviously, they're getting on just fine without him, but...]

...

Is it... okay if I come visit?

[The hesitant request throws her off. It's as if he thinks there's a chance she would say no. Like they wouldn't collectively jump at the opportunity to see him.

She's already gathering the cats into her arms with a hushed I'll carry you and good boy, good girl as she brings the feline bundle together, almost forgetting she hasn't answered him yet.]

Are you at home? We'll come see you. We'll walk really fast.

[Ah. That gets Ichimatsu to sit up straight. He quickly eyes the state of his nest, which is just short of disastrous: blood and clothes and unswept cat hair strewn all over the floor, not to mention his own unwashed state. Ichimatsu swallows and quickly holds up his farstone again.]

Ah... n-no, it's better if you walk slow. I gotta take care of some stuff, so it's fine. Let Esper and Pachinko do some hunting on the way here.

[he's got to clean this place holy fuck!!]

[Whatever some stuff means, she won't pry. A cat's business is their own and all the truths they were forced to speak about in the previous month have left her exhausted when it comes to pursuing much else. He'll be able to clean in peace, with an occasional play by play of their hooliganry along the way.]

Okay! I'll call you if they catch something so you can say 'I'm proud of you' to them. We'll be there very-

[A pause. Not soon. Because they gotta walk slow.]

Late?

farstones; backdated to aug 26th

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