ryuwrighthistory | Empatheias IC inbox

[Unannounced visits aren't typically out of the ordinary for her. She would often bring sweets from the bakery to her friends when she took some home, and today is no different. The only difference is that she is carrying three boxes in her arms as well as another two in a bag hanging from the elbow of her other, and they're all filled with treats for Naruhodou and Sherlock.

Charley and Tofu are with her, both of them sitting on the front step behind her as she kicks the door with her foot to knock, unable to hit the doorbell.]

Naruhodoooouuuuu~! Are you home?

[Wagahai is first at the door, sensing all the commotion on the other side. It made her just a little uneasy, whatever was waiting on the other side. She looks at Naruhodou with concern as he comes walking to door, confused by the pounding. He's not really dressed for the day just yet, still just in a dress shirt and casual pants.

Upon seeing through the peephole who it is, he's both happy and even more confused.]

M-Maya...? [He says as he slowly opens the door.] And Charley-san and...who is this one again? [He'll remember Tofu sooner or later. He should probably help her with the bags, but he's kind of busy wondering why she brought a party.]

[As soon as the door opens, she pushes past him and lets herself in, the two wyverns happily trotting over the threshold behind her.]

It's Tofu.

[He seems to react to that and perks up at his name before following Maya. Once she kicks off her shoes, she turns to Naruhodou and holds out the boxes piled in her arms.]

I brought you some snacks!

[Some is a bit of an understatement... She can barely see past them and has to lean her head to one side to peek at him.]

Eh? Er uh, wait- [There goes Wagahai, hissing at the scaley guests as they barge in and make themselves at home in her house!!]

Maya- [Oof, he just got shoved a bunch of boxes.] S-some!? [He can hear the sound of the wyverns getting into things and stuff toppling over-- oh my god why???]

Ahh, make sure they don't get into Holmes' study area!

Why, is he afraid of anything that has scales?

[It's said with a deadpan voice and stare, but it doesn't last long before it's replaced with a wide smile again. She shoves the boxes into Naruhodou's arms.]

Can you take these?

[Too bad, regardless of his answer, she's already giving them to him.]

Hey. You've got tea right? I'll go make some!

[She's talking really, really fast and cheery and before he even has time to respond, Maya is already making her way to the kitchen.]

Well-- (I don't know, but that's not the problem here!)

[He'll try not to drop those boxes for the time being as Maya rushes off toward the kitchen, bewildered. Did Maya knew how to make tea??]

...Maya? [He calls out hesitantly as he carefully puts the boxes onto a table in the living room.]

[There's the sound of rummaging and cups clinking and water running as she scurries about his kitchen in search of items to make some cups of tea with. She moves quick and only hastens more when swirls of black smoke start to come off her fingertips and she tries to shoo it away with her hands.

When she hears him call out her name, she pokes her head into the living room, bumping into her wyvern on the way.]

Hm? Something wrong?

Ah, no but...is everything all right? [He's moving into the kitchen, or at least trying to with a wyvern in the way.]

--Actually, do you need some help in there?

Ahhhh, nope! You just relax and maybe open some of the boxes, but everything's fine! I'm fine!

[Really, everything is just fine. She's fine, and she might as well be channeling Apollo Justice with the way Maya repeats that mantra to herself as she goes on making the tea. There are a few loud clinks and a yelp from her as she almost drops one of the fancy teacups, but she eventually makes it to the living room in one piece with two steaming cups of tea in her hands. They get set down on the table next to the snacks.]

How have you been?

[She flops into a chair across from him, folding her hands neatly on her lap, black smoke curling up into the air in front of her face. She's just going to casually pretend it's not there at all.]

... [Naruhodou knows Maya enough to tell that something isn't right and she's not as fine as she claims to be. He'll sit down in the living room, quietly listening as she prepares the tea and observes her as she comes out to join him. He doesn't miss the strange black smoke hovering around her. ]

Maya, please tell me what's wrong. [He's put on his serious face now, forgetting the distractions from the tea and the animals.]

[She doesn't answer him right away, holding onto her smile even with one corner of her lip trying to twitch down into a frown. The smoke moves when she moves, her fingers brushing her hair away from her eyes only to have it fall forward again, and that's when Maya hangs her head, looking away from Naruhodou.]

You don't know, do you?

[Charley seems to sense the heavy emotion looming over her and trots into the room to rest his head on her knees.]

[He looks puzzled by the question, wracking his brain to figure out what she meant and feeling bad that he has no idea. It feels like he should know whatever it is that's bothering Maya, but he doesn't. After a moment of just sitting there with a blank look, he gets up from his seat and decides to come over and sit down beside her.]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you...?

[She scoots over to make enough room for him and Charley chooses his knees to rest his chin on instead, blinking up at Naruhodou through his bright amber eyes.]

Mm.

[Maya hums to herself, lost in thought for a moment, before she takes in a deep breath. She isn't really sure where to start, but there probably isn't a good place to start with something like this, really. Maybe she should've rehearsed this in front of the mirror a few times before coming over.]

Nick's gone home.

[There's a long silence. Before he could even answer her, his mind is already trying to reach Wright. His eyes widen when he doesn't reach anyone.] He... [He's still trying to reach him, in disbelief. A chill creeps up around them.]

He's gone...? Really gone home?

[Maya brings her feet up onto the chair and hugs her knees to her chest, chin resting on them. She shivers against the chill that she suddenly feels.]

Yeah. A couple of days ago. [She starts to twirl her fingers idly, watching the smoke come off of them with darkened eyes.] I thought that maybe he had just gone home like I did, so I figured I would give it a couple of days... but when I went into his room, his blue suit, his badge... all of it is gone.

...Is that so... [He stares down at the floor. It's funny, how one starts to take things for granted in this world the longer one is here. Maybe Naruhodou did know they all wouldn't stay here forever, but he chose to never let it concern him. Now Wright is gone, and it feels like their time together was too short. There were still things he wanted to know about his descendant, but this place had other ideas.

He glances over to Maya, seeing her curling onto herself. Someday she won't be here too, he thought. He raises his arm and wraps it around her shoulders, leaning into her.] I'm sorry.

[She leans into him, taking comfort in the closeness of a friend. There's a tiny sniffle and she chokes a little on the emotions that she's been holding in. She kept telling herself that she'd be strong and put on a smile for Naruhodou and yet, here she is, biting back a sob.]

Me too. You didn't get to spend a lot of time with him.

I wonder if, since he won't come back, he'll remember his time here and meeting you and everyone else.

[Wagahai climbs onto the sofa across from them, as if sensing the sad feelings. The lights in the room flicker and dim.]

...There's a chance he won't forget either. [He says, trying to reassure her even if he wasn't certain himself.] Even if he does, we still remember.

We will.

[She turns to Naruhodou, her hand finding a place on his knee to rest where she squeezes it reassuringly, and she smiles up at him with tears in the corners of her eyes.]

I want to make sure that he remembers you. Or, at least know that he got to meet his great great great... great great...? grandfather.

[He chuckles.] I-I think that's several too many greats. Please it's all right. Even if he doesn't remember, I want...I want us to make new memories too.

[He rests a hand behind his neck.] I'm sure he would feel guilty already for forgetting everyone here.

[She drops her feet back to the floor and swings them, leaning forward a bit as she watches Charley blinking up at Naruhodou and nudging his chin against his knee.]

I told him that if he ever left, I'd show him how good my right hook's have gotten. If he forgets, guess I'll show him my left one, too.

[Maya tilts her head enough to glance back over her shoulder at Naruhodou, lips puffing out a bit as if she's deep in thought before she adds:]

When you went back, you didn't remember either, did you?

I...I see. I'm sure he'd look forward to that. (I'm glad she hasn't used our family relation to test that out on me instead.) [He's met Charley plenty of times, but he still tenses a little because wyverns. Very lightly he pets him on his head. His gaze softens, there was sadness behind those eyes.]

...No, I'm afraid I didn't, not until I came back here again.

Yeah, neither did I.

[Maya reaches across to the table to take her tea. She doesn't sip it yet but holds it up near her lip to smell it and feel its warmth against her nose.]

It felt like something was missing, but I could never remember what it was. Until I just kind of ... forgot as the years went by. I wonder if that'll happen when it's time for all of us to go home.

[Her voice sounds a little wistful and distant, more like she's pondering out loud than making actual conversation. As her attention slowly returns, though, she laughs sheepishly and finally sips her tea.]

Ah, sorry. I don't mean to be a downer or anything!

[He folds his hands together, fingers intertwining and squeezing gently, feeling unsettled at the thought of forgetting everything that's happened here. It's the reality of things, having gone through the same experience, but it was just so....sad to forget all of it. He snaps out of his thoughts when Maya apologizes, looking to her.]

Ah, no it's...it's all right. I think it's good to talk about this. I wonder why it has to be that way. Why can't we remember until we come back here? And also, why do people sometimes not remember being here before? [He picks up tea to take a sip, frowning soon after.] Um, what kind of tea is this?

[She's about to respond to his questions with some deep, meaningful, philosophical answers but she pauses when he makes a face at the tea. She looks down at her own, not having taken a sip just yet but it doesn't smell off to her. Maya returns the look at Naruhodou.

Are you dissing her tea making skills!?]

I dunno, I just grabbed whatever I found in the cupboards. What kind of tea do you have if it's making you make that face?

[She sniffs it again.]

action, 9/2!

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