open || the irreplaceable people in our hearts

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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.]

Comments

[maskreant]

Cookie dough in general is enticing, but I'll definitely pass on that. I'm already a mess.

[ Anyway, he adds the appropriate amounts of flour this time and the other dry ingredients. There's a second bowl for the chocolate part of the marble, waiting for the coco powder. ]

Mind working on the wet ingredients?

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[She hums an affirmative in answer, baker's hands quick to start working on her half of the work. It's a familiar enough task that it's easy for her to zone out, to not think about anything while she does it, and she nearly does. But then remembers she has to be a good guest and glances his way.]

So, you have a sweet tooth, then? Just for cookies, or...?

[maskreant]

[ He actually finds the silence of cookie making to be calming and hopes that Minako felt the same till she broke the silence again. He perks up before turning to her— ]

I wouldn't say I'm a sweet tooth, but I do like sweets. [ Really, who can hate them? ] ... Anyway.

[ He's not sure how to approach this, but he'll try as they mix the batter together, one vanilla and the other chocolate. ]

Are you doing all right, Minako? I called you over here to check up on you. [ It was a trap. ] I know that you carry a lot in your heart and shoulders, so I wanted you to know that you don't always need to.

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[A lot of emotions flicker across her face, chief among them the equal parts of surprise and resignation that this was his true intention all along. But she settles for a soft smile gratitude in the end. Because it doesn't feel like she's being grilled about her mental state like with many of the others, being here. Instead, Akira was thoughtful enough to provide something she could lose herself in without drowning in anxiety or upset, something normal to balance out the rest.] You're really kind, Akira-kun. [She sets down her spatula with a quiet sound of silicone against glass.] I've been told as much, a lot of times over, these past couple of weeks. And...you're right, I don't always need to. But I've done it for so long alone, with only Ryoji to help me, that...now that he's gone, it's just natural for me to revert back to bad habits, you know? So...reminders are good.

[maskreant]

[ Despite the topic and atmosphere shift, he doesn't stop with baking. Morrigan is already looking to investigate, so it means more chances for the kitty to mess this up for them. The batter seems to be ready to to mix and create marble swirls, but he takes out some cookie cutters. ]

I know it's easy just to fall back on old habits. [ So he doesn't fault her at all. ] But you're not alone. Even if Ryoji isn't here, we're still here for you.

[ From what Akira saw at the funeral, there were many people that were touched by Ryoji's radiance. In the end, he merely thinks Minako, of all people, doesn't need to be strong for them. ]

Do you want to talk about him just a little more? Or do you want to enjoy baking?

[ Everyone copes in different ways. Even if they need to go out of their comfort zone once in a while, that's really on them to decide. ]

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[Her lips lift up at the corners, just a bit, and then she's looking back down to the bowl, subdued once again.]

I can multitask. My mom used to tell me that sweet things help bad moods, so...it'll be good to do this while we bake.

[Minako heaves a sigh. What to talk about, though? Even though none of it could completely encapsulate how much her best friend meant to her, she feels as though she's said so much already. Saying anything more would just be repeating herself. She wants to ask about how Akira met Ryoji, too, but he's being considerate and putting her first...]

What was your favorite thing about him? I'll go after you.

[maskreant]

Hitting me with the hard question while I'm taking out the cookie cutters... That's a low blow, Arisato.

[ But he can sense that she doesn't really want to go on about him. However, he does think that the direction and atmosphere can make a repetitive conversation feel new. There's a thoughtful hum as he starts cutting the dough, also passing one to Minako. ]

It's hard to decide, but I liked the pained expression he made when I ate a palmier after mentioning it looked like an elephant's ear. He wouldn't tell me why he didn't like it? I was just eating a pastry. He didn't even try to stop me, either.

[ More like Akira just kept eating and Ryoji couldn't do anything about it. ]

There was also something about his aura and smile that brightened up the room. I found that comforting...

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[She lets out a quiet snort before falling silent as he talks, her eyes falling down to the dough, her hands methodically pressing the cookie cutter down and separating the shapes from it.]

He was always like that. Always comforting others...me most of all.

[Ten years of it, in fact. She has wondered occasionally if he got tired of it. But Ryoji is very selfless when it comes to others, almost selfless to the point of selfishness.

She brings the cookie cutter down a bit harder than she did before, jaw clenching. She should've done more for him.]

[maskreant]

[ While he thinks in his memories that his other self brought the light out of others, he feels that Ryoji does that for him.

He takes out the sheet pan for them to lay out their kitty cookies. They can do frosting details after... But it means their intermission of everyday things will end to waiting for them to bake. The lack of things to do also reminds him of how he should have said more, should have done more, too. ]

Then we'll have to do that for others. [ To repay that kindness. ] Though it's making me wonder what kind of children you two were. Are you a troublemaker, Arisato?

[ He's teasing a bit now. ]

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[Minako is always doing so much for others anyways, but she knows, after this, that she'll have to strive to do more, help more, to make up for the light that Ryoji cannot offer the world now that he's gone.

It makes her tired just thinking about it, but it's a kind of tiredness that comes with the deep, stubborn determination of finishing a project one has started a long, long time ago.

She's pulled out of her reverie again, and she almost laughs, because Akira is strangely good at that, letting her think and then pulling her out before she gets too deep in her thoughts.]

I'm a hardworking girl, Akira-kun, I don't have time to be a troublemaker. [Too much time, at least.] But, when I was younger, yes, I was a little bit of a troublemaker.

[maskreant]

[ Senpai, don't take it that way. When he said that, he also means they she should accept the comforts of others, but... It's okay. He'll emphasize it somehow again later. It takes repetition and small nudges.

He only gives her a flat stare at that. You can't just tell him that and admit to being a troublemaker even in the past. ]

I never thought Minako Arisato would be a Bad Girl. I can see it now... Riding her tricycle with a temporary butterfly tattoo on her hand. [ So Bad. ] What did you do?

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[She snorts, starting to roll out the excess dough left behind after her cutting work.] In the beginning, Ryoji and I could only exchange letters. So...in the time between his replies, he was kind of my 'imaginary' friend that would encourage me to go on adventures. I climbed trees and fences, squeezed into places I shouldn't have gone, tried to eat everything at least once-- you name it, I did it.

[maskreant]

... Ryoji is not coming out of this as much of a great influence on you.

[ He's joking, he's joking. The freshly baked aroma wafts through the house. It's nice, inviting, and obviously warm. Akira's nose wrinkles at the smell, obviously pleased despite trying to throw Ryoji under the bus. ]

What's the weirdest thing you've eaten?

[ Actually, he's scared now. ]

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[That actually manages to get a quiet laugh out of her.]

He was the best influence. Imaginary and real.

[This question, though, she has to think on for a moment.]

Cicada. It was still moving a lot and making the little reeee ree ree reeee noise as I swallowed, somehow.