[semi-open]

[sweetdeath]

Who: Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Battler (and you!)
What: Hisoka's dead (or is he?) and Tsuzuki's not coping well.
When: March 27 & 28, 2016
Where: Tajimamori's temple
Warnings: Discussion of character death, depression, self-harm.

Closed to Battler/Late Night March 27

[Tsuzuki isn't sure how he got back to the temple. There are blank spaces in his memory, spreading darknesses after that searing moment when he felt Hisoka dying and his name shattering into an equally blank and empty space where their connection had been.

The sunflowers are blooming all around the porch, and the cloying-sweet scent of orange blossoms rises from the trees along the far wall. He isn't looking at them: he knows by the scent and the flower shadows swaying over the front door.

He reaches out and fumbles, blindly, for the door handle. Smooth, worn wood under his fingertips. Door frame. His thoughts come more slowly with each moment, leaving most of the information of his senses to flow past without interpretation or comment.

A splinter stabs his index finger, and Tsuzuki notes the pain as if from a very great distance. He doesn't flinch. His hand falls on the door handle, he turns it, and the door falls open.

Tsuzuki stumbles over the sill and falls heavily against the wall just inside it, sliding down slowly until he is curled at the base of it.

He closes his eyes.

There's blood everywhere behind his eyelids.]

March 28/Open to Visitors, Hisoka in the evening

[The window is open in Tsuzuki's room. He's not sure if he opened it. It's ... familiar.

It doesn't smell like cherry blossoms outside.

This isn't Meifu.

Hisoka was a shinki, not a shinigami, and Tsuzuki couldn't protect him.

All that blood, and he couldn't heal him.

His thoughts wander by slowly, and the blanks grow between them, until he's staring out the window without thinking anything at all.]

Comments

March 28, morning

[arealhardnose]

[Making sure her colleagues are all right has been part of Elsa's job description for as long ss she can remember, regardless of whether or not is is literally written in the job description. So when she's on her way to Hajime's pool party, she makes a stop at Tsuzuki's house. It's at least partly her fault that Hisoka is dead, after all. She owes Tsuzuki at least that much.

When she finds him, she watches for a few seconds, waiting to see if he has noticed her. He hasn't though, and knowing why makes her chest tighten up with guilt.

Well, she'll do what she can for him.

Tsuzuki?

March 28, evening

[outwardinsight]

[ This isn't the first time that Hisoka's found himself missing memories, but he's never had them competing before. This is not the Gensoukai, and he's too much of a rookie shinigami even after a few years on the job to know much about the doings of gods. That he might be one now seems utterly surreal. Were there promotions like that? And...

For some reason, he remembers an evening of cherry blossoms, viewing the flowers with Tsuzuki, and going back (back?) to a house surrounded by flowers. It's enough to go off of, and he finds himself teleporting there without a second thought. His head is still aching, but he can't afford to take a chance at indulging his own weakness. The part that scares him is that the place in his memories is certainly real.

The mingled scents of sunflowers and orange blossoms are nostalgic in a way that's scary, but he'd been here. He'd felt comfortable, if a little anxious that time that he came home (home?) with Tsuzuki. Everything feels a little surreal around the edges, and he makes his way inside without knocking.

For a moment, it feels like he's falling, and he has to clutch desperately at the door frame before he can get his bearings again. This is bad. The front door is left open as he kicks his shoes off clumsily as he pushes off to rush down the hall. Something is wrong. ]

Tsuzuki-? Tsuzuki!

28, afternoon

[sleepingknight]

[Even after the pool party to lighten the mood, she can't bring herself to be truly happy.

Tsuzuki... he said he'd go, but that he'd stay at the entrance. He would be safe. So.according to that, he should be back now, right?

Stepping up to the door, she knocks on the frame twice, calling out:]

Helloooo?

March 28th - Late afternoon

[birdstheword]

[It was easy enough to sneak out from her own Pool party. There were lots of guests and with Sheryl taking the stage all eyes were on her. Hajime even enjoyed the show for a bit before stepping away. After throwing on a long shirt over her biniki and grabbing a small plate to pile some sweets on, she made her way to Tajimamori's temple. Her ability had already had given her clues to what was wrong and the lack of Tsuzuki's or Hisoka's presence at her party just confirmed it.

It doesn't take long for her to arrive. Looking the Temple up and down before going over to knock at the door. When no one answers she skips around the temple. Maybe there's a back door or---oh hey! Open window! Hajime stands on her toes as she peeks in. It's impossible to miss Tsuzuki's form. She meets her eyes with his but its easy to tell that he really isn't looking at her.]

Tsuzu-kun! Good afternoon!

March 28th, super late afternoon/early evening-ish

[galactically]

[As a woman who's getting very good at spotting familiar faces in the audience, Sheryl immediately notices the lack of a certain presence at Hajime's pool party.

Tsuzuki was a no-show. As great as it was to see the rest of her friends in attendance, her last conversation with him stuck a chord in her all the same. He may be a few years older than her, but she could only hope that he didn't get hurt on his — in Sheryl's mind, that is — ill-advised trip to Hell.

Luckily the trip to Tajimamori's temple isn't too far, just a quick stroll in a sundress with her wet hair all wrapped up in a towel, thanks to taking a lengthy dip in the pool a few hours prior. Sheryl even makes sure to bring in some snacks from the party; as she recalls, Tsuzuki really likes sweets!]

Yoohoo! It's me, Sheryl!

[There's an open window and she can see him. Of course she's going to be loud.]

march 28th; sometime before evening

[roeh]

[Some people say anticipation is the worst. The fear, the sinking sensation in your gut right before you about to do something uncomfortable. Before you take the jump. Some people didn't have a fucking clue.

But people like Shepard, they knew it was the aftermath that really hit the hardest. Waking up the next day. Just getting up and out of bed. Knocking on so many doors and writing so many letters that the faces and names blend together like ripples on a lake that gather and grow until the entire surface is blemished with the unforgettable sum of them.

She knows Tsuzuki knew the true before he ever planned that trip. But he still...

And now...

Shepard didn't need to hear the news to know how these things ends. So she comes knocking. Windows worked just as well as doors.]

Is this the part where I buy you one drink or twenty or just offer my condolences.