Out with the old....

[sundead]

Who: Everyone
What: New Year's.
When: Dec. 31st, New Year's Eve, to Jan 1st, New Year's Day.
Where: Everywhere
Summary: It's New Year's, and the people of Luceti have a lot to reflect upon, and to look forward to. And on a more meta level, new journal names.
Rating: We'll see...

New Year's brings images of crowds, and songs, and fireworks; staying up til midnight and watching balls or bells being rung. But Luceti is a different time and place. Whether you're partying with friends or watching the sunrise, what are you doing today?

Comments

[ledbythewind]

[Instead of responding, Richard just bows his head and exhales a cloud of breath into the cold air.]

[musubi]

[Aaaand reaching over to bap Richard very lightly on the back of the head.]

[ledbythewind]

[Something flashes in Richard's eyes, and before he's even aware of it, his arm snaps up to grab Isamu's wrist in a grip that isn't exactly gentle.

Old habits of being jumpy die hard, especially when he's already on edge.]

[musubi]

[Isamu doesn't do anything, just sits patiently while Richard holds his wrist.]

[ledbythewind]

[And Richard just freezes, unmoving, staring at Isamu almost as if he's challenging him. There's obviously an internal struggle going on here, though he's doing his best to keep his face neutral...

... until at last he releases his grip and looks away, his voice cold.]

Leave me alone.

[musubi]

[Isamu doesn't budge.]

Don't think so, man.

[ledbythewind]

[Richard isn't budging either.]

That's a royal decree.

[musubi]

[That just makes Isamu laugh.]

[ledbythewind]

[... which in turn only manages to make Richard look even more upset.

Yeah, communication is clearly not his strong point.]

[musubi]

I don't get mad at you so you get mad at me, is that it?

Are you that determined to flounce off tonight?

[ledbythewind]

Are you that determined to continue bothering me?

[musubi]

Yes.

I'm quite the nuisance, aren't I?

[ledbythewind]

[Richard takes a deep breath, then exhales.]

Go. Now.

[musubi]

Make me, your majesty.

[ledbythewind]

[And for a second there, Richard looks like he's about to, muscles tensed as if to stand, though his entire body is shaking from the effort to keep his emotions under control...]

[musubi]

[Isamu just waits.]

[ledbythewind]

[... and then all of the fight just goes out of him and he slumps back down, still shaking, but for an entirely different reason this time.]

[musubi]

[He isn't going to reach over again just yet, but he'll continue to sit patiently.]

[ledbythewind]

[Honestly, at this point even Richard isn't sure what he's feeling, but he's pretty certain that it all boils down to 'miserable.' Right now he just wants to get away before his emotions end up betraying him, because if there's one thing he loathes, it's showing any sort of weakness in front of others. It's probably a little late for that now, though.]

[musubi]

[Isamu sighs.]

...It's coming up on a year now, you know.

[ledbythewind]

... I know.

[He's been trying to avoid thinking about it, but the closer it gets to the date, the harder it is to ignore.]

[musubi]

I don't want you dwelling on it too hard.

I may not want your sloppy drunk make-outs, but you're still my best friend.

[ledbythewind]

Someday you'll leave me too.

[Because, to Richard, that is fact. He's seen the way Asbel looks at Cheria, knows how his friend feels about her. Someday they'll get married and start a family and he'll be just an afterthought off in the castle. Eventually Isamu will do the same thing, and he'll be left all alone yet again. That's how it's always been and always will be.]

[musubi]

[There's a long pause now.]

...Probably.

That's just how the world works. I can't make any promises to be around forever. That's unrealistic.

But you can't focus on that. You make the best of the time you do get, or you hole yourself away and avoid people altogether. I've tried the latter. I still don't go running around making friends left and right. But I know living while worrying about when the next person it going to leave you isn't any way to live at all.

[ledbythewind]

[Richard can't help but let out a bitter chuckle at the irony of the situation-- he'd said almost the same thing to Asbel regarding Sophie, yet in the end he still can't believe it for himself. ]

... I don't know how to live any other way.

[That's perhaps the most painfully honest thing he's ever admitted.]