[closed] no tears left to cry

[toremainbehind]

Who: Izumo and Alex, and Izumo and Reisi
When: December 19
Where: Double Cross Bar
What: Mikoto's gone. Talks occur.


[Mikoto's gone.

It's difficult not to notice that. Despite the tensions that were formed between the pair of best friends, Izumo still does check up on him from time to time, even from a distance. However, when he's noticed that a certain redhead had gone missing more so than usual, it's caught his attention.

He wonders how this should feel like. He's grieved for Mikoto once, but twice?

Something in him does feel a little empty admittedly.

Izumo can be found at his bar, a glass set in front of him and another set to the side, as if in memory of his former King and best friend. He plays with the glass, seeing and unseeing. He wonders if he should tell anyone else about this, especially Totsuka and Munakata, but...for now, he opts not to.

He sighs, placing his glass on the bar and suddenly feels like he's reliving the moment of Mikoto's death over again.]

Comments

[sing_for_me]

[ The first thing Alex sees when she wakes up is a red feather on her her pillow. When she finally rises, she'll find a familiar bird hopping on her bed side table. It had been a while since Mikoto had last attempted to return the finch. Why do so now? There was something almost unsettling about it, but Alex opted to push her paranoia aside. She could always bring the bird back later when she drops off some food. And so goes about her day as usual until she heads over to Mikoto's temple.

She glances right, then left, but no sign of the building remained. It was as if it was never there. The finch hopped onto the ground, searching for what once was its new home.

Alex stood there, frozen, unable to react to what dawned on her. Or maybe her reaction was so overwhelming that her body just shut down. How she hated it when Barry was proven right again.

As she walked away, the finch flew after her, perching on her shoulder. Her body must have moved on autopilot, because the next thing she realized, she was stepping into Izumo's bar. That's right, she wanted to check on him. Just as Izumo's death had devastated Mikoto, she worried about how he was doing. If he knew. The sight before her seemed to answer that question.

She stays by the entrance, not wanting to intrude. Even if he was alone, it still felt like she was disturbing a moment between him and...well. ]

[toremainbehind]

[He's quick to become aware that someone has joined him. While the bar isn't closed, it's also generally a quiet time inside that it's usually Izumo left inside. With winter, it's slower than usual, but Izumo isn't complaining.

In a way, he's almost enjoying the thought that the day Mikoto disappears (or has died again), it's close to the time when he died back in his world. It's like an anniversary of sorts. Of the twisted kind. But after a moment, he finally speaks up.]

You're welcomed to join me.

[Izumo glances at her from over his shoulder.]

1/2

[sing_for_me]

[ She straightens when he looks over at her, hesitating a moment before walking over to him, her heels clacking against the floor till she reaches one of the stools. She'll take a seat, leaving one stool between them.

Suddenly, she has no idea what to say. Not that she knew even one her way to the bar. What was there to say? Was there anything to be said?

If there was anything she's learned so far, words weren't always needed. And so she'll sit quietly, looking down at her hands resting on the counter. ]

2/2

[sing_for_me]

[ Suddenly, the finch hops onto the counter, making its way towards Izumo's glass. ]

Ah-Sorry--- [ So much for not talking. ]

[toremainbehind]

It's okay.

[He smiles at her and then looks to the finch.]

I guess you saw that Mikoto's temple is gone?

[sing_for_me]

Yes.

[ Another pause before she looks over at him. ]

How..are you?

[toremainbehind]

I'm coping.

[He shrugs.

Izumo sips his drink.]

What about you?

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex wasn't sure what to make of that. Unless he was that good at dealing with his emotions, then she commends him. ]

I..don't know yet.

[ Maybe it hasn't really sunk in yet. She just wasn't sure how to feel about it exactly. ]

It's like I can't choose how feel.

[toremainbehind]

[He's used to dealing with his emotions, used to needing to be the strong one for the others, used to being a support pillar.

Izumo smiles slightly.]

Losing someone important is never easy.

[sing_for_me]

No. [ She agrees, looking back at him with a steady gaze. ]

No, it's not easy.

[ Which is why she had a hard time believing that he was simply 'coping'. ]

[toremainbehind]

No reason to give me that look, Alex.

[He's a little too composed.

He sips his drink.]

[sing_for_me]

I do have reason.

[ Which was why she was still giving him said look. ]

You don’t have to keep it together for anyone..Not here.

[toremainbehind]

[Ah.

Izumo hums softly.]

No, not for anyone but myself, Alex.

[There's that bit of honesty?]

I've already grieved him once. Twice even. Drinking in his memory is the best you'll get from me now.

[Izumo is...tired of losing people he cares about. Losing Mikoto again is hard, yes, but Izumo's always been strong. A pillar. Not for any others but for himself because he knows that if he lingers too much on Mikoto's memories, his oldest friend would be annoyed by it. He has Anna back home still. He has the rest of HOMRA back home. They're Mikoto's legacy.

He knows what awaits him back home.

He doesn't want to dwell on the sadness for a fiery lion.]

[sing_for_me]

[ That has her straightening up. Not fully understanding his words. ]

What do you mean...twice?

[ This was starting to sound familiar to her. She had a similar conversation with Mikoto once regarding...]

[toremainbehind]

Mikoto's dead in our world. When I came back as a god, I mourned for him again since I've remembered him.

[That was not fun.

Izumo would've preferred remaining a shinki if it meant not having to remember how exactly Mikoto has died.]

[sing_for_me]

[ That wasn't what Alex expected to hear, and the fact that she wasn't aware of that was probably quite apparent on her face. Of course she knew there was a lot she didn't know, but this....

She shakes herself out of it though. This was a talk she had with Mikoto when Izumo disappeared. These two had lost each other twice now--hell in his case, three times. While she didn't expect Izumo to have a reaction as explosive as Mikoto's, but that only convinced her even more that he couldn't be okay.

Still, she wouldn't pull it out of him, there really wasn't anything she could do for him. That wasn't her place. But she also wasn't going to leave him alone.

She reaches over to pick up the bottle, pouring a little more into his glass. ]

[toremainbehind]

[Alex, Izumo is fine.

He knew from the very beginning when Mikoto became the Red King as to how things would go. He often had nightmares of watching Mikoto burn to death under his own power. It really isn't surprising and he's steeled himself to the point where he had once considered ending Mikoto's life by his own hand should that Sword ever fall.

Him shouldering that burden would be a lot more better than having Munakata do it.

Still, he inclines his head in thanks to her.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Sorry, Izumo. She's not going to be certain of that for some time.

It seemed like every time there was something new to learn about their group. Even if it was forgotten, something tied them all together. A heavy burden--and yet, something enviable. ]

Was it easier...not remembering?

[toremainbehind]

....Who knows.

[Izumo breathes out.]

Even as a shinki, it wasn't easy. I think I'd rather remember than forgetting to be honest, no matter how much it might hurt.

[sing_for_me]

....Yeah..[ She could understand that. While remembering Emilio brought a lot of pain, she still preferred to have remembered him than not. ]

The others..are they okay?

[toremainbehind]

Define 'okay'.

[Yata was upset, as was Eric, but no tears were really shed. Fushimi wasn't close to Mikoto either and Munakata is...Munakata.]

[sing_for_me]

[ She opened her mouth to reply, only to close it after. How could she say what okay was? Considering all they’ve been trough, it seemed unfair that they be ‘okay.’ ]

I’m sorry.

[ In more than one way. They’ve endured so much—more than she’ll probably ever know.]

...I think I’ll have that drink after all.

[toremainbehind]

Alright.

[And in no time at all, a drink has been poured for her.

He slides the glass over to her.]

ok, like a million years late

[mostsuitable]

[It isn't long after visiting Tatara that Reisi heads to the Double Cross Bar to meet with a certain bar owner. The last he'd visited that bar was probably before Kusanagi had become a god, perhaps before even the incident at the Temple of Ra. But in light of Suoh and Bar HOMRA's disappearance, Reisi feels that he owes Kusanagi a visit.

He pushes the door of the establishment open before stepping inside and taking in his surroundings. Last time he'd visited, the bar was in the middle of renovations. But still, Reisi recalls that Kusanagi had started a project collecting pictures of those who'd come and gone from the Heavens, and placing those pictures on the wall. Would Reisi see Suoh there?

Then again, Reisi isn't actually prepared for the answer to that question, so his gaze doesn't linger over the photo wall before he regards Kusanagi and strolls to the bar to quietly take a seat.]

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo greets him with a nod.

At some point, he's figured he'd see Reisi considering his rather....curious relationship with Mikoto.

Still, he does silently offer him a light.]

[mostsuitable]

[Reisi motions that there's no need as he pulls a familiar Zippo lighter bearing the HOMRA insignia from his pocket. His other hand plucks the trusty box of Blue Sparks out from another pocket before he lights up for a smoke and waits for the other man to slide him an ashtray.

The pregnant silence continues for some time, until Reisi taps the ashes off his cigarette. Holding out Suoh's lighter,]

Did you receive a memento as well?

[toremainbehind]

I did.

[He eyes the lighter briefly before he slides an ashtray over to him.]

Just a sign for HOMRA bar.

[But that sign means a lot to him--to a lot of people from their world even if they don't remember it.]

[mostsuitable]

I see. [Though he'd already felt certain of the answer, the confirmation is still relieving in some way. He sucks on his cancer stick—its taste and toxicity are actually truly revolting—rolling an intake of smoke in his mouth before exhaling.]

Then you received the sign. And Totsuka, the jukebox.

[And Reisi received the lighter. Their mementos couldn't be better suited to any of them.]

It's as if he'd selected them himself. [Which seems unusually sentimental as far as Reisi's concerned.

Though it's not unlike when Reisi had received Enomoto's saber after his disappearance. However, at this point Reisi is well aware that not everyone who disappears can leave belongings behind. Why might that be?]

[toremainbehind]

Seems like it, doesn't it?

[Izumo twirls his drink, watching the liquid swirl.]

How are you faring with his departure?