standingonmyneck | FOREST COVERED: IC CONTACT

[The time passed seemed to go on and on. For as much as Riye couldn't spot him, she thought about it from time to time when she hadn't been trying to keep herself busy with repairs. Once she did so, she reminded herself that he wouldn't be so daft to approach her easy. Considering what happened, and what occurred after, she had a hard time blaming him. Still angry for it but. Well, for everything else she had a hard time placing how she felt. She was upset with him and worried for him at the same time, and where that made her stand with the issue morally was pretty ambiguous. It would depend on how he approached her, if he ever did.

Which considering, she didn't really depend on. She knew he was probably avoiding him.

At least not easily.

Which led to that fateful moment when she laid down on her futon after a hard day of repairs. Cracking open a book and trying to relax. That would be when the door would slide open and That Guy would finally show himself...

...She was no longer reading.]

[ Before his eyes, the familiar sight that he had missed: his bookworm roommate at her most comfortable position she could manage down here with her favourite thing in the world. But upon her realisation of his presence, that changed. The air of comfort (if there was one to begin with) quickly dissolved into a tense one, following the first step in that Noir took. ]

...Hey.

[ That was about the most casual tone he could manage, the smile he tried to pull look awkward though not entirely forced. He took a couple more steps ahead after sliding the door closed behind him, approaching her very cautiously.

He stopped when there was a reasonable distance between them, mindful of how uncomfortable Riye might be after his disappearance and all that had happened. ]

It's... been a while.

[She placed her book down on her chest, not yet rising from her position. There was a lot she could say, but nothing was quite coming out yet. Riye was thankful he was alive and yet...so much was happening that she couldn't place which feeling should come out first.

It was horrible, because she SHOULD know.

Riye was just as spacious inducing as he was.]

Yeah...It has.

[ He made a point to watch what her face was telling him, slowly dropping to his knees to sit in a seiza posture. It felt right for the occasion. He couldn't just casually sit like he was just going to talk nonsense with a friend. Those days were great, very much so. But he didn't even feel like he deserved the rights to think about having it back to him now. The damage that the storm had caused was much more extensive than he initially thought ー it had killed living beings in the process, too. As someone who was responsible for this catastrophe, naturally, he had committed a murder, involuntary or not.

The air around them rapidly weighed heavier on his shoulders, hunching his back as his gaze fell upon the tatami beneath them. He could hear his own breathing clearly as he inhaled sharply, trying his best to pace himself, to coordinate things to say. ]

The storm...

[ And yet, ]

The storm was my responsibility.

[ it slipped out too fast that he couldn't even brake in time.

Shit. His fingers scrunched the clothing covering his thighs up. This wasn't how it supposed to go. ]

[...There was nothing but stone cold silence from her. Like a wind was blowing in between them. That wind was really damn cold, and her posture was stone frozen. She was like a statue. What he said was something she feared, that she came to the conclusion of after piecing everything together. It was so quiet, Noir could very well be able to hear her breathing. Riye let a puff of air that rooted from her chest.

What she was about to say, or ask, was very important.]

So. Did you always know that?

[ Indeed, despite the sweltering heat of summer, Noir could feel the chill, that he'd tremble if he wasn't so tense. Stupid, he thought to himself, stupid. That was the worst way possible to start the talk. He breathed in when Riye breathed out, readying himself for what to come. As close as they had gotten as of late, he wouldn't blame Riye for being wary about him ー in fact he'd rather her to be so, and was ready to hear words of rejection, or even chasing him out. ]

...Eh?

[ What she said was such a surprise that he lifted his head up right away. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't this. ]

No. I didn't know what was going on until after it all died down. But I know for sure now, that it was my responsibility.

[ With that, he lowered his head again, deeper than before. ]

And for that, I'm really sorry. It's not something that can be forgiven, but I still owe you and everyone else an apology.

[Noir wasn't out of the woods, just yet. So far, yes, she wasn't going to rage and throw him out. Although she was still largely unhappy with this development. So, what happened in the next few minutes was going to seem like an interrogation by a very cold cop. Not a bad cop, but the ones in which they act tough and cold hearted...when their intentions are good. She had to know the answers to her questions, for both of their sakes. She was naturally wary, so she had begin trying to trust him.]

So, you found the answers you said you were looking for? You're apologizing for what you weren't aware was happening?

It was a punishment you didn't even know you were getting?

[ And that was a much better response to what he expected to be receiving. Nevertheless, it still made his stomach twist and turn in the worst possible way, gathering cold sweat in his closed palms. He took a deep breath in, and responded: ]

What I wasn't aware of was the extent of the damage, until I returned to Koriko. But during the time of the storm, I found out that I was the cause of this turmoil, and for that I apologise. [ He stopped for a moment, weaving his words carefully in his mind. He wasn't planning to hide anything, no, but he knew that it was the time where he should choose his words wisely. ] ...The answer was, well. I don't know how strange this might sound to you, but, uh. I angered... a god. [ While Chou didn't seem to be fazed by this, it might be a different case altogether for Riye. ] The hallucinationー what happened that day when I nearly mu... [ He abruptly stopped. ] ... [ He thought he was ready for this, but he wasn't expecting himself to falter like this when he needed to say the word. He nearly murdered Riye. This wouldn't have been so difficult to say had he not have a guilty conscience. One that he tried to bury within, but would remind himself at the back of his head time and time again. ] ...endangered your life... I was seeing things, and you weren't you. The god did that to call me over.

FOREST COVERED: IC CONTACT

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god sorry for this slowass response