✿ Chapter 013 [Audio] (Day 176)

[burntviolet]

[ There are so many things Hanako would like to say over the network... but there are not enough words. That post during the battle... it became real, after all. The void would be more painful if she didn't rebel and go say goodbye to the girl properly. It's possibly the best decision Hanako ever took in her whole life.

It's audio, and it'll be curtly to the point. ]

To all those who knew her, Nakama-san has gone back to her home world.

Those of you I know, and I didn't have a chance to catch up with during the battle, please contact me. I want to be sure you're all safe and sound.

[ Feed over. She's going to respond in a hour or so, after she's less prone to sulking for the loss. ]

Comments

[Audio]

[occulthymns]

[Nakama is gone? Not dead, not coming back... gone back to her home world.]

She... she is?

[Audio]

[burntviolet]

She is. I have checked over to her paid house, all her belongings have disappeared.

[ Including that friends group photo Nakama showed her just before the battle... ]

[biifurcatiion]

[He doesn't actually know what to say about this. And here he was, just about to bother her for her last posting, wasn't it just so Nakama...]

well.
fuck.

[burntviolet]

I'm sorry, Sollux. Were you a friend of hers?

1/2

[dragonspeak]

[No. No. First Arthur and now Nakama?]

...this isn't fair. They're taking people away just when we think we're all staying? And Nakama--[is dead.]

[He shakes his head and cuts off the feed, needing some time to compose himself.]

[Video] | Private

[dragonspeak]

Sorry. [He can't quite meet her eyes even through the screen.] Shouldn't have done that.

[Merlin shifts uncomfortably.]

What about you, Hanako?

[video]

[corks]

...

[There's a while when he's silent, because Jacob has experienced and seen loss for himself, in multiple different ways, but dealing with it is a whole other matter.]

I'm alright. Would you like me to come over, Hanako?

[video]

[burntviolet]

[ ...

Generally she wouldn't even ask for this, but today... today, just... ]

Please do, Jacob-san.

[Audio]

[talking_dead]

...H-how do you know she went back? [Norman missed Nakama's earlier post, so this makes news for him. Home is where they belong, right? So isn't that a good thing? But it also hurts a little considering she was one of his new friends...]

[Audio]

[burntviolet]

I checked her belongings in her house. They're all gone along with her.

[ Trying to sound distant- because it's a stranger talking to her. ]

audio;

[hushedpenance]

... Nakama lived with us. If you... or anyone wants to visit her old room, you can. [He's trying to keep a straight face here.]

We still have the dog she named to give away.

audio;

[burntviolet]

I'm going to head over soon.

[ Ah, the dog. ] Aren't you going to keep it?

Video

[burningcreator]

[He hadn't seen her around since the war had come to an abrupt halt, and the chaos that followed didn't leave room for any type of normalcy. He'd been helping carry the injured and moving fallen objects, even doing what he could to pull a wagon into the city once Freyr had called the retreat. There had been so much death... So much pain.]

[He sat there, his palm crushed against his forehead, eyes blank and unfocused. Did he even realize it was a video?]

Tha' means she... [Died.]

[She was dead in her home world. This news settled heavily on his shoulders. She hadn't just gone home to continue her life like others had, she was just... dead. This had been her last chance at life.]

[The hand on his forehead sunk down to cover his eyes, the muscles in his face tightening as if he were to start crying.]

S-shit...

off-bracelet action hello;

[hushedpenance]

[He touched Shou's bracelet with a strange sort of tenderness, quietly setting it to private without a word. Surely Shou would not want all of Asgard seeing him sob (again).]

Shou... look up at me. [He slowly removed his gloves and pulled at those calloused hands.]
Let me see your eyes.

video;

[tipsygnostalgia]

Oh no...

[burntviolet]

It happened just as she predicted, didn't it...

video;

[this_chair]

I survived well enough, I think...

[burntviolet]

That's good. How about your friends?

Audio

[sparkling_eyes]

[There's the sound of a gasp over the line, followed by a few false starts as the words catch in Lyon's throat.]

Nakama...

[It's about all she can manage right now, knowing what she does about Nakama's circumstances.]

Audio

[burntviolet]

I'm sorry you had to hear about this all of a sudden.

[ That can't he helped though. Anybody would have done the same announcement later today. ]

[video]

[trinitylimit]

Nakama? She was Roxas' friend. They really seemed close. I wonder if he knows?

[video]

[burntviolet]

I would hope he sees this message. I know they were very close, they're both my friends.

[ Poor Roxas. He might take it the worst way, since they were... yeah. ]

[not here -- and wow, this got horribly long]

[redpaintednails]

[When Nakama told them that she was already dead, Mariko reacted with a borderline angry rant about how they shouldn't think of such things and promised her that the two would reunite with Nanako after this. Something that Mariko would've not done few days before she stepped into this world, considering what she had almost done to Nanako herself. Such a thing was a proof of how Mariko had somewhat started to change her views, and Nakama had been a big help in these regards.

This day, however, one of Mariko's worst fears was invoked. Nanako had gone missing again, Mariko herself had seen way too many things in the last days, and now Nakama was gone. One of the first persons to welcome here... she had left the world in which they had just met.

Don't mind the sobbing noise she makes as she turns her feed off, Hanako. Mariko will not be seen around for some hours, maybe a day... but better this than her potentially snapping on somebody else.]

audio;

[hypertoxic]

.... huh. Of all people, I sort of thought she'd be the one that never left! That is kind of lame. Isn't she dead back home or something?

[ Vriska Serket: completely insensitive about dramatic character deaths since pretty much always. ]

audio;

[burntviolet]

Yes, she was dead upon coming here. That means she can't materially exist in her world until she returns here.

[ In a detached tone, pretty much ignoring the sass in that reply. ]

[unimpressive]

[It's not like he knows Hanako that well, or like he ever spoke to Nakama more than once, but still...]

Are you okay, Hanako?

[burntviolet]

I'll be okay, Vyse-kun.

[ Which means "I'm feeling terrible but I'll manage"... ]

video;

[darkbreak]

[Back to her home world felt like a stab in the heart. Because she wasn't alive there, not like she would be here.]

...Great. Just great. [Losing people left, right and center.]

Are you okay, Hanako?

[burntviolet]

I'll manage, Riku-kun. This is not the first time a friend of mine leaves like this... and I could say my goodbyes to her properly, at least.

[ That last network message from Nakama was a godsend, in a way, even though Hanako didn't really like how it felt cheap for her. ]

audio;

[fortitudo]

[Oh god no....

For once Lucas is on audio, not sounding as chipper as he usually is.]

...She's really gone?

audio;

[burntviolet]

Yes, she is. I would hope you saw that post on the network and sent her your goodbyes properly.

[ Nobody's a happy camper today... it's ok, Lucas. ]

video

[holyfight]

Oh no... Nakama-san... I hope she's okay...

[although, if she remembers correctly, wasn't Nakama dead back home?]

I'm okay. So is Kurosaki-kun. I'm glad you're okay too, Hanako-chan.

[burntviolet]

[ Indeed, and Hanako can't help pointing it out. ]

I'm not sure about that... she was dead in her world.

And, that's good to hear... I was especially worried about Kurosaki-kun. [ Knowing Ichigo, seeing him jump into the battle was something she'd taken for granted. ]

Video

[seventeenpills]

Th-then that means....

[That meant she was dead. Really dead. Back in her own world, she'd died and now, all they had were memories of her. Just when they'd finished the battle - Nakama had been a huge help and now she was being sent back? That was the least fair thing he could think of. He was angry and upset, but also concerned. He'd do his best to concentrate on that last one.]

Is there anything I can do for you, Hanako?

[burntviolet]

Can you come over?

[ It's brief and curt, just like the rest of her responses. But now that everything is over, Hanako needs comfort, and Hisao is on top of that list. ]

Please.

[Text - Filtered]

[lethechained]

[Naminé doesn't really have the presence of mind to say anything about her own wellbeing; that she's alive is sort of already implied, regardless. What she's focused on is,]

Are you certain?

[Except she's already checking the list, herself. Please, say it isn't so--]

[Text - Filtered]

[burntviolet]

Yes. If you checked the contact list, you'd see that she's no longer there.

[titties]

--Are you alright?

[burntviolet]

I'll be alright.

Are you, Battler-san?

[Video]

[comeonthensexy]

[ Ah...

She seemed like a sweet girl. ]

I'm sorry.

[burntviolet]

[ A light sigh. ]

At least I could say goodbye to her properly.

[Video]

[foodshortage]

[ Oh. And Nakama seemed to like it here and everything. Why do those people seem to end up going? ]

That's a shame.

[burntviolet]

I know, sir. Was she your friend?

[ Not that Hanako knows she's talking with a king. Psh. ]

voice

[socializes]

I only talked to her briefly, but I'm sorry to hear that. [though he had a feeling they may have known each other from before. not that he could know that now...] Was she a good friend of yours?

voice

[burntviolet]

She was one of my best friends, and now she's gone- while we all stay here. [ Nakama had made that goodbye post knowing that everyone would have gone to their home worlds after the war ended. Hanako can't imagine the bitterness Nakama would feel upon realizing that it hasn't been the case for anyone except for herself. ] It didn't go as she expected.

video;

[sworntovalor]

[He thinks back of the first time they met, of all the things they've spoken of, of how their friendship just started to feel more comfortable.

She was the first person to greet him upon his arrival at Asgard and to think of her gone.]

Asgard has suffered a great loss when the Gods decided to take her away. [He speaks quietly, trying not to let too much of the heartache show; he doesn't know this person, but she surely feels this loss far more than he does if she is the first to note it. And Merlin; Merlin would need to be comforted as well, he knows.]

If there is anything you need.

[burntviolet]

I'll be alright, sir. Please don't worry about me, but I appreciate the offering.

[ She's already got Merlin, Jacob and Hisao who will come over and take her company. ]

video

[ironclad]

[ She puts it on video because her voice is so quiet, it's hard to tell whether she's speaking or not. This news hits her hard.

Nakama...was her first real friend in Asgard. And a friend to many others. And now she's...well. Jasmine saw her die here, and now...she had to go back to being...that, in her home world. Even though she fought so hard, and never stopped resisting injustice.

Jasmine allows this moment of selfishness to think merely about her own situation and her grief, but it's only a moment. What about Hanako? ]

Do you need anything?

[burntviolet]

I'll be fine, Jasmine-san. What about you...?

[ Because even in her own wallowing, Hanako can't ignore the quietness. ]