Crestfallen Soul, Rest For This Night [Closed]

[a_meebo]

Who: Mikleo a_meebo & Sorey unwaverings
When: OOC - 2/6; IC - 5/18
Where: Zestiria Apartment
What: Mikleo returns from his unexpected disappearance with a lot on his mind.
Rating/Warning: Spoilers for Tales of Zestiria and the DLC content, Rated E for Everyone

[Unlike Sorey's reappearance, Mikleo's goes much smoother. He finds himself in the Gardens, which isn't as jarring as suddenly finding himself in the PowerPoint presentation after looking back to where Sorey rested. Still, the water seraph is kind of lost in his thoughts. For him, it's been a while and yet the memories of this place are fresh. It's a curious sensation.

For a few minutes, he just stands there with a hand covering his mouth. Eventually, though, it sinks in that his best friend might still be here. Awake. The thought makes his heart clench.

Three months. It's been three months since Mikleo last saw Sorey as he was. He's been coping, being strong and not mourning over someone he hasn't lost forever, but...it's still hard when sometimes he catches himself turning to say something to someone who should be there and isn't. Sorey won't be there for a long time in his world.

The water seraph's instinct tells him to run straight to the apartment and see if Sorey's there, but he doesn't. Mikleo forces himself to calm down and walk. He needs to think about what he'll do if his closest friend isn't there...as well as if he is there.

Despite the time he gives himself, he's still not sure what to say as he enters the apartment. He sees that everything is where they've left it. Maybe it's a little messier, but....]

Sorey?

[Mikleo tries to keep the hopefulness out of his voice, but he doesn't succeed as well as he'd like. For once, he's just not sure what he'll do or how he'll feel if he sees Sorey.]

Comments

[unwaverings]

[ Sorey is just in his room, reading his textbooks and such. Maybe it's out of boredom without Mikleo around, maybe it's to see if he can get any hints towards what's going on with people going back to their own worlds, and that Nexus place, etc. But either way, he's not getting anything new from them. No answers to his questions.

He'd given himself a few days to try and stay calm while Mikleo was gone. He's learned a bit from disappearing to go home himself, and he decided he'd try and stay calm (keyword: try) about Mikleo's disappearance for a few days before he'd start to panic and look for him. If he doesn't come back, that's when he should be worried (even if he already was, low-key).

But he immediately hears Mikleo when he calls for him, and he's quick to set his book down on his bed and rush out into the other room.

His expression lights up immediately upon exiting his room and seeing him. ]

Mikleo! You came back!

[ He knows some people don't return, so it was a gamble, but ... he's here. And suddenly it's like all of his worries are lifted off his shoulders and all he can do is be overcome with joy that his best friend came back. ]

[a_meebo]

[Mikleo wants to say that he makes his usual witty, dry retort to that statement. Something along the lines of, "Well, yeah. You had any doubts?"

That doesn't happen at all.

Instead, he freezes momentarily as a lot of emotions he's been setting aside to deal with later (much later, when he feels that he's strong enough to handle the heartrending pain that's happened in so short of a time span) crash into him like a tidal wave. The one that stands out the most, that hurts the most, is just how much Mikleo has missed Sorey, who'd been a constant in his life.

The next thing the water seraph knows, he's throwing his arms around Sorey and burying his face into his chest. Mikleo tries to keep the tears back, but doesn't succeed completely when a few fall and get absorbed into the cloth of Sorey's Shepherd outfit.]

It's been three months.

[His voice is rough and chokes off at the end, but he thinks Sorey will understand what he means.]

[unwaverings]

[ —Oh. This behavior from Mikleo is a little shocking and confusing for Sorey at first — he wasn't expecting Mikleo to respond like that. It's only been a few days for Sorey, but then again, he experienced the same time shenanigans too when he first returned. Though he didn't react quite like this. ]

Three months?

[ Suddenly, upon repeating that, it sort of clicks with him what Mikleo might mean. The way he's acting, does it have something to do with Sorey going to sleep? Why else would he react like this upon seeing him, especially since Mikleo would've been with him and doing just fine in their world if it were just a normal three months.

But he has to clarify, placing a hand on Mikleo's back after a moment — for comfort (even if he was confused, he's always here for his friend regardless of what's ailing him). ]

You mean, since I ... [ went to sleep. ]

[a_meebo]

Yeah.

[He clears his throat, trying not to sound as bad as he does. As much as he doesn't want Sorey to worry, as much as he wants his friend to know that he'll be fine, the feelings are just too raw. Three months hasn't been long enough.]

Sorry. [Mikleo's going to attempt to pull away and turn his back on his friend so that he can wipe his eyes. Where the hell is his composure when he needs it most?

Besides...he doesn't feel like this is fair to Sorey.]

Had a bit of a scare. We'd sealed Camlann from the Elysia and Glaivend Basin sides, but someone tore through Edna's seal at the Basin. I managed to reseal it, although a couple of powerful hellions almost got through to you.

[The seraph looks over at Sorey for a moment.]

You fusing with Maotelus has kinda turned you into a stream of light. At least, that's all anyone's able to see.

[unwaverings]

[ Well that's quite a bit of information he wasn't expecting to get. Still, he takes a moment to take it all in, thinking about it. The world really is continuing on without him — even though he is there, he's not experiencing any of this. Or at least he doesn't think he'd be, considering he'd be cut off entirely. It's to be expected those who're malicious would want to go after where he's sleeping, though ...

So the first thing he needs to say is: ] ... Thank you, Mikleo. [ A pause. ] For ... keeping me safe while I'm there. It must be hard on you. [ It's important that he thank him. And he feels he should thank Edna at some point, too. Does she even know about this, he wonders. Ah, well he should keep on the subject at hand. His friend is clearly feeling badly here.

He'll give him a soft smile. ] But a stream of light, huh? Sounds ... cozy.

[ He guesses ... It's not like he'll be aware of anything, considering the closing of his senses. But he's not sure how else to feel about that. ]

[a_meebo]

[He shakes his head at the thanks.]

It's no different than what I've always done.

[As for whether it's hard on him or not, Mikleo doesn't say. The first century or two he knows are going to be the hardest on him. As long as the water seraph keeps himself busy and doesn't give into the loneliness, he thinks he'll be alright. He just has to keep the thought that Sorey will wake up and will find him close to his heart.

It's his friend's comment on the stream of light that gets Mikleo to chuckle a little.]

Certainly looks like a star hit the place and decided to stay there. [The seraph turns to face Sorey again, but the traces of his tears are mostly gone, now.] I'm just hoping you won't move around too much while you sleep.

[It's a tease, even if it's a weak one.]

[unwaverings]

[ He keeps up his smile at that. A star hit there, huh? That's a kind of neat way to see it, and he doesn't have any problems with that. Sounds like he looks pretty cool from outside, honestly. But he recognizes Mikleo's teasing when he sees it. ]

Hey, I doubt I even can in that state. [ Considering he's so cut off. At least he hopes he can't. Rolling in his sleep without being aware of it for who knows how long would kind of suck. For everyone involved.

But, even though Mikleo's tears seem to be mostly gone, he feels he needs to check. ] ... You feeling okay now?

[ He was pretty upset moments ago. And he doesn't want Mikleo to be upset. Still, even if he is, Sorey's not sure what all he can do for him. All they really have that can help is the time they spend together here in Cerealia. ]

[a_meebo]

Probably for the best.

[Sorey rolling all around that huge open space would be pretty funny, though.

Mikleo's quiet at that question. The answer is...kind of complicated. On the one hand, yes for the simple fact that Sorey's here and he feels complete for the first time in months. On the other, not really. They have to go back to that eventually. Yet....]

Not exactly, but I will be.

[It's the best he can promise.

The seraph looks up at Sorey with a more thoughtful expression. There's something he wants to say to his friend, a phrase he's been pondering on all this time even in Cerealia. He's been saving it for when the Shepherd wakes up, but...he doesn't think he'll mind saying it again back home.]

There was something I wanted to say to you when we went back to Elysia.

[It's a prompt to see if Sorey remembers.]

[unwaverings]

[ Well that's good. He's glad he'll be okay, then.

But that last bit gets him to look a little interested, thinking for a split second before he remembers what Mikleo means. ]

Oh, yeah. Did you remember what you were going to say?

[ Honestly, thinking about it, he's still rather curious. ]