week three ❧ saturday

[learnings]

[WELL HERE'S NINO going to go say farewell, because that's not depressing at all--

Okay, no, it's kind of depressing, but she has something for Akira, so she has to.

It's important.

Her eyes are red-rimmed, and it's obvious she's been crying... but she nonetheless has to take a deep breath and raise her chin as much as she can when she knocks on Akira's door, something small held in her hands.]

Comments

[jokered]

[he knows he needs to see her before it's too late, but akira too... has needed to collect his thoughts.

he needs to be able to face her with his head held high, so she can leave this shitty place without worries for him and whether or not he'll be okay.

the knock at the door comes at a time when he's not quite ready, and not quite sure who to expect—so when it's nino, there's a bit of subdued surprise in his expression.]

Nino...

[learnings]

Akira...

Um... can I come in?

[It's important, after all. She's not ready to face this yet, but...she doesn't have the time not to face it. This is her life now--and her death.

And she wants to talk to Akira before it's too late.]

[jokered]

Of course.

[it's not like he was ever going to refuse her, after all. this is a visit that needed to happen anyway—she just beat him to the punch.

so naturally, akira steps to the side, allowing for nino to enter the hut. once he's closed the door behind him, he'll motion towards his bed—she's welcome to sit there if she wants to.]

[learnings]

[She'll sit obediently, clasping her hands together in her lap. There's a long moment in which she just stares down at said hands, and then--]

Akira... there's something I want to give you.

It's... important.

[jokered]

Something... to give me?

[he tilts his head a bit—he's obviously puzzled by this. definitely unexpected, of all the thing he could have heard from nino tonight.]

[learnings]

Mm...

[She reaches out for his hand, and gently puts a small, heart-shaped locket into it. She'll let him open it on his own time, if he wants.]

This is...mine. It...has my family in it. The family that I never met.

Will you hold onto it for me?

[jokered]

[if he does open it, it'll be when he's alone, when he thinks of her. not now, and certainly not in the company of anyone else.

for a moment, he does look surprised as nino places it in his hand, but his expression shifts into a warm, subdued smile.]

Of course. I'll do my best to keep it safe for as long as I can. [...] It's your family, so it's something that needs to be protected, right?