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Ringo had done what she'd suggested to Dante she would do and left the island Friday afternoon to go back to Tokyo for a bit. Her sisters had been surprised, she hadn't warned them she was coming, but glad to see her, and Rika had made hotpot to celebrate.
It had been hard to smile through dinner, but Ringo had managed, if a bit stiffly. When Mikan asked why she was back, Ringo had deflected with something vague about the end of the semester and taking a break. She didn't think anyone bought it, but no one pressed her for more details, either. Ringo's sisters were awesome that way.
They ate, and then stayed up late into the night talking, and by the time Ringo finally laid down to sleep she was feeling better. It wasn't that the pain in her heart was gone, or even lessened really, but there were other things in there, too, and they helped.
( Read more... )
It was late when Ringo blinked awake. Still exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but feeling like she could finally see a future she could smile about again. And smile she did as she realized that her sisters hadn't actually left her once she'd fallen asleep. She must have just drifted off after another bout of crying, and they'd just laid her out on the floor and brought in blankets and pillows before joining her. So here she was, literally surrounded by family, listening to their breathing in the darkness.
She turned her attention inward. The pain that she'd gotten so accustomed to so quickly was still there. Perhaps lessened a bit, but it was hard to say. The sharp edges of it were still there, and Ringo was sure that she'd keep bumping unexpectedly into them for years, but now those edges were wrapped in a soft layer of her sisters' love.
She quietly got up and padded to the bathroom, spending a few minutes washing her face. Then she stepped outside and sat down just outside the door where she could look up at the sky and smile a weak and tiny, but utterly genuine, smile.
[ooc: NFB for distance, mostly establishy, but if anyone wanted to call or text or whatever, that's fine]
It had been hard to smile through dinner, but Ringo had managed, if a bit stiffly. When Mikan asked why she was back, Ringo had deflected with something vague about the end of the semester and taking a break. She didn't think anyone bought it, but no one pressed her for more details, either. Ringo's sisters were awesome that way.
They ate, and then stayed up late into the night talking, and by the time Ringo finally laid down to sleep she was feeling better. It wasn't that the pain in her heart was gone, or even lessened really, but there were other things in there, too, and they helped.
( Read more... )
It was late when Ringo blinked awake. Still exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but feeling like she could finally see a future she could smile about again. And smile she did as she realized that her sisters hadn't actually left her once she'd fallen asleep. She must have just drifted off after another bout of crying, and they'd just laid her out on the floor and brought in blankets and pillows before joining her. So here she was, literally surrounded by family, listening to their breathing in the darkness.
She turned her attention inward. The pain that she'd gotten so accustomed to so quickly was still there. Perhaps lessened a bit, but it was hard to say. The sharp edges of it were still there, and Ringo was sure that she'd keep bumping unexpectedly into them for years, but now those edges were wrapped in a soft layer of her sisters' love.
She quietly got up and padded to the bathroom, spending a few minutes washing her face. Then she stepped outside and sat down just outside the door where she could look up at the sky and smile a weak and tiny, but utterly genuine, smile.
[ooc: NFB for distance, mostly establishy, but if anyone wanted to call or text or whatever, that's fine]
