recolle | open || the irreplaceable people in our hearts

WHO: Minako Arisato and YOU
WHERE: Peach Beach and elsewhere
WHEN: August 26th and into September
WHAT: Grieving over the loss of a best friend. A ceremonial cremation at Peach Beach forward-dated to August 30th.
WARNINGS: Death. Message me at

raynestorm if you'd like to work out a different scenario. Also a note: please feel free to create your own threads and/or threadjack for the cremation prompt, just write in the title if you'd prefer not to threadjack.

I. MISTIC
Gym, Utsuki Dojo, Hollingberry Field; August 26th to 29th

[The first thing Minako did after finding out Ryoji died was burst out of the hospital and beat up monsters with her bare hands. She's not quite as self-destructive now, but she's still pushing herself to the limits. You might encounter her either at: the gym, throwing her fists at a punching bag; the dojo, swinging a practice spear in shaky kata forms; or at Hollingberry Field, running on the track with sweat pouring down her face, but not stopping for a break at all.]

II. MEMORIES FROM 10 YEARS AGO
Expressive, Hollingberry Field, outside Minako's apartment; August 26th to 29th

[Otherwise...you might find her sitting at Expressive, nursing a cup of coffee, or at Hollingberry Field, sitting on the swing set. It's obvious that she's been crying, but it's in these moments, after she's physically exhausted her body, that she can truly start sorting through her thoughts and start the grieving process. Perhaps you'd like to join her. She wouldn't mind the company.

If you find her outside her apartment, she'll be sitting on the curb with her eyes closed, soaking up the sun with Koromaru beside her. An isopod plush is sitting in her lap, and if you're close enough, you might hear a quiet crinkle of paper beneath the sections of the isopod when she hugs it.]

III. KIMI NO KIOKU
Peach Beach; August 30th

[Minako has no idea how a real cremation is supposed to go, too young and traumatized at the time of her parents' death to remember. And honestly, she doesn't care. The ashes aren't from Ryoji's body anyways. That...will be for a later time. Today is instead her own personal good bye, and for anyone else coming. She's reserved one of the pits that's off to the side of the beach, relatively undisturbed by happy families spending one last summer day on the beach, and in it, she's burning a black kintsugi bowl. Its pair is sitting nearby.

Once the black bowl is completely burned, Minako scoops the ashes out and slides them into the white bowl before turning to the friends who have come to attend.]

There was a month a while back, when Retrospec was making our phones broadcast all of our deepest secrets and painful memories. Ryoji heard my secret that I...that I was afraid people don't like me unless I'm always smiling. That I hate burdening people with my thoughts for fear that they won't accept me anymore.

And what he did in answer...was to give me two bowls. In Japan, there's an art form of fixing broken pottery by fusing the pieces with gold-dusted lacquer. It's called kintsugi, and kintsugi pieces are considered to be more beautiful than the original, sometimes. He gave me them as a reminder that I...am perfect the way I am, broken pieces and all, because all of that, in the end, is still me. I am good enough. Me, simply being Minako Arisato, was enough for him.

[She's blinking rapidly now, tears forming and falling down her cheeks.]

I know now, seeing you all here, that he was right. That it's okay to rely on everyone else. Because everyone else is going through the same things I am. The same sadness and grief. I will-- [Her voice cracks, and she has to take a moment to collect herself.] I'll miss him so much. He was a part of me, and now that he's gone, I've become irreversibly broken again. But I'll be okay. He left me so many texts. [A watery laugh.] So many texts! And selfies, and notes, and little gifts. I won't ever be without reminders of him. But most of all, he left me the memories of his smiles and laughter. I'll use these to fuse myself together until I'm whole again.

I've burned the black bowl today...as my good bye to him. The two of us who were inseparable, now parted...but the friendship we shared can never be denied or forgotten.

[She turns to the ocean and walks to the edge, the tiny waves lapping at her sandaled feet. Scooping the ashes into her fingers, she gently blows them into the wind and whispers as they float away.]

Ryoji...are you listening? Thank you for putting me back together time and time again. Good bye.

[Anyone is free to come talk to her at any point after the ceremony. She is still nothing like the exuberant young woman she used to be, but she's more willing to respond now.]

IV. BECAUSE I WILL PROTECT YOU
Various; September onwards

[After the ceremonial cremation, Minako is...better. It's still so soon after Ryoji's passing, and there are many times where she'll suddenly hurry away, or hide her face as a bout of quiet crying starts. But she is Minako, and Minako wouldn't be herself if she wasn't helping others. She tells everyone at the cremation that she'll be available to talk to, if anyone else is seeking closure. Talking about her feelings has helped a lot in the past few days, and she wants to extend the same offer to others grieving.

She thinks...it's better to grieve together than alone.

So whether it's at her apartment, in a quiet bench at the park, or somewhere else-- if anyone asks, she'll come.

Or if you didn't want to ask...well. She made a note of who attended the cremation. She's going to check up on you eventually.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes we did, my name is Fuuka.

[She said with a soft smile. After all, she was still new and getting use to everyone's faces. It just made her happy knowing that people know her!]

And I got it right, you are Ritsu?

[ Ritsu nods. ]

Did you... want to sit together? I'm not very good company right now...

[ But she seemed like such a gentle person who already reached out to him to begin with. Kindness like this was the scariest thing of all. ]

Of course, I don't mind one bit!

[She said before looking around for an area to sit in. Before long, that's when she found some chairs nearby]

Do you want to sit over here? It seems like a good spot to just talk right now.

... Okay.

[ He doesn't know about talking, but he'd already stated as much earlier. Ritsu walks over, looking at the people around. ]

Ryoji-san was precious to a lot of people, wasn't he?

Yes, he was.

[She said with a nervous chuckle before sitting down on a chair somewhere]

I can see why though, he was really friendly and welcomed me into the city when I got here. He was pretty insistent that I be his friend though!

... I know exactly how that feels like.

[ Ritsu actually manages to smile, here. It's great that Fuuka is able to give him a sense of nostalgia. It's painful, but comforting to go back to at the same time. ]

We first met at a museum, we went from art opinions to some philosophy, to painting interpretations and what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Oh? Mind if I ask what did you want to be?

[She said with a smile. At least she was able to make Ritsu feel at ease. Maybe, just for a moment, she could distract him just a little...!]

I said "I didn't know". ... As long as it was something that could challenge me, in some way. What most other people might not want to be.

[ Thinking back on it now, how did Ryoji ever see him as a promising youth instead of just a boy too full of himself? Up to the end, he never understood him. ]

It's been months, but I don't think I'm any closer to the answer.

[ Plus, Ritsu's like 13, chill child, with your canonical nightmares about loans. ]

That's okay, you don't need to know the answer just yet! There are a lot of people who don't know what they want to be! You just need to take your time.

[That and he was 13. He doesn't need to know just yet!]

Although, I would say that you should go out and explore what is out there. Maybe you'll find something!

[ Ritsu nods slowly, before purposely willing himself to look at Fuuka. Otherwise he might begin staring off into the distance again. He remembered the moving boxes, and the neighbors saying Ryoji was going to college. There's another pang of guilt, more intense than what was consistently festering. Sorry Fuuka, you meant well. He's trying to keep it together. ]

I know. It's kind of weird being "the smart one" in class. Because then with life direction... [ and dealing with people... ] you've got no idea what to do.

Well, teachers aren't being paid for that. I think. [ Maybe the homeroom ones? ]

[There was something that Fuuka could relate to. While she wasn't really considered the 'smart one' in her class, she was seen as bright by her classmates. Not just anyone would want to major in computer engineering.

She was lucky that she knew what she wanted. As for Ritsu?]

Is there a counselor in the school you can talk to? I think they might be able to help you more than a teacher.

[Although, Fuuka felt a little guilty too. There was only so much she could do and yet...]

... Well... how to put it, it's kind of embarrassing, right? If you can't even tell your own parents.

[ Because they're your parents, probably; with such high hopes and expectations, and you're the only one of their two sons left. If he could make them proud, his own feelings probably don't matter too much.

But right now it was like he was drowning. Emotions are troublesome things. ]

[If Fuuka could, she would love to give Ritsu a hug. But alas, she wasn't sure if she could. Instead, she just placed her hand on top of his head. With a soft smile, she looked him as if he were her younger brother]

I don't think it is. There's nothing wrong with asking for help, I know I had to during a difficult time in my life.

[ There's surprise that grazes over Ritsu's expression, but he eases into the touch, and fights with himself to establish and maintain eye contact. It's been a while since he's received one of these, most people were very proud of his acting mature and as such didn't treat him like a kid.

This actually feels nice. It's gentle, and just the contact transmits her well-wishes for him. His feelings on undeserved kindness still festered beneath his skin, but for these few seconds, they actually felt quieter. ]

... How long ago was that? Is it okay to ask?

[Fuuka didn't say anything at first. Instead, she just looked back at Ritsu with a troubled look. It had been quite sometime since she had talked about this. Even now, after all these years, it was still difficult. With a sigh, she smiled sadly to herself]

...I was around 7 when I lost my mother in an accident and I had difficulties adjusting. It wasn't easy especially since I didn't want to trouble my family.

[Especially her grandmother too. Ah, she was quite problematic back then.]

... I'm sorry.

[ Ritsu looks down down into the sand, and inhales. Bearing his own heart as well, the first person he did this with--was the person whose death they were mourning today. Maybe sharing this to Fuuka was another mistake. But Ritsu did understand to some extent, how she felt. He didn't want her to feel alone right now. ]

My brother ran away a few years ago. He's... probably not dead, but. My life was never the same after that either. [ And he's been holding onto so much repressed anger, simmering under the surface. ] It really hurts to lose people.

[Fuuka didn't say anything at first. All she could do was give the younger a head pat as a sign of comfort. She wasn't sure if telling Ritsu about her loss was a good idea, she just wanted him to know that he wasn't alone.]

No, it's okay. It was a long time ago so it's nothing to worry about.

[That and she didn't want him to worry about her. Still, she had to smile sadly]

It does and I wish I knew the answer of how to handle it. I know it is cliched but time does help a little.

open || the irreplaceable people in our hearts

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