[ luke & senri are just two foolish redheads ]

[usogi]

tales of the abyss (2005)

Comments

week 1, saturday

[usogi]

[senri's in the kitchen, because depression really works up an appetite, you know?

.... okay, maybe not so much. he's actually just making hot chocolate.

and he turns his head when he hears someone else coming in. he offers up a smile.]

... rough day, huh?

[and he'll reach for another mug, just in case luke might want some too]

[dupelicate]

[Finished with updating his journal, Luke ambles towards the kitchen, stretching his arms and yawning, adrenaline wearing off into exhaustion and sleepiness.

When he enters, he inclines his head in response to Senri's question, twitching a small smile in return.]

You can say that again.

[mug investigation]

Is that hot chocolate?

[usogi]

Uh-huh.

[senri grins.]

I kinda want a soda, but I thought that something cold and fizzy would just hype me up again before bed. I'll make you some too?

I think it'll taste extra good after... well, everything.

[dupelicate]

Really? [His face lights up at the thought of 1) hot chocolate and 2) someone else making it.] That'd be great! Thank you so much!

[He leans on the counter as Senri chats and crafts delicious beverages, nodding along.]

Yeah. I think everyone's going to need some time before...

[he trails off, eyes drifting off to the side. Itachi was still going to receive punishment.

And what about Julius?]

And then it happens all over again.

[usogi]

[ . . . . . ]

Mm-hmm.

Have you talked to the gods yet?

[he'll keep working on the hot chocolate but - well, might as well try to decompress after all that anyway]

Week 2, Friday afternoon

[dupelicate]

[The beauty salon was not a place Luke would go as a natural matter of course, but here, he can't help but poke his nose into each of the rooms as he passes, surveying them for people, for changes, for things. When he sees the shock of orange juice hair lounging comfortably within the salon's recesses, however, he can't help but stop walking—unless there was another dayglo orange hair person around, it had to be Senri.

Taking an uncharacteristic step inside, he opens his mouth to greet him—and sees his face absolutely covered in mud. Blinking, his face shifts into confusion, concern, as he picks up his pace.]

Senri! Hey, wake up! Are you okay? [Who would do this to someone while they were sleeping???]

[usogi]

[wh -

senri will be picking the cucumber off his eyes as he sits up????]

Huh - Luke-kun? I'm good - you can calm down....?

[WHAT'S THE ALARM]

What's going on?

[dupelicate]

[Luke stops in place, gesturing at his own face, then pointing at Senri's.]

Someone snuck in and put mud and cucumbers all over your face!

[usogi]

[um.]

No, that was me.

You wanna join me?

week 2, saturday

[usogi]

[senri is in east wing - mostly. he's actually in the temple briefly to grab onto the stuff he needs for his nightly skincare routine? and it's as he's exiting and heading for east wing again that he

ends up bumping shoulders with luke.

probably not a surprise considering how lost senri looks]

Oh - sorry....

[dupelicate]

Senri? Woah--[a bottle slides out of Senri's arm, and Luke grabs it out of the air, holding it out to him.]

...I don't think I need to ask you if you're okay. [he's clearly not.]

Do you want to talk?

[usogi]

... do I want to? I dunno.

[he'll at least be honest about that even as he takes the bottle back, laughing faintly]

But... well, I don't mind company right now, if you want to hang out.

[dupelicate]

You don't have to--

[He holds up his hands as soon as Senri takes the bottle, waving away his dumb question.]

Yeah, let's do that. I mean, unless you have, uh... [He looks at the collection of supplies, and hazards a guess:] ...beauty stuff you need to do?

week 5, post-trial

[usogi]

[senri takes a while to come visit - when he enters, it's pretty clear why. his face is clean of tears, but still looks warm. his remaining eye looks red but... he'll come in with a tray of tea anyway, entering the room that he heard luke was taken to

and he'll go to sit down by him]

.... tomorrow, let's watch sooooo much anime that our brains melt.

[dupelicate]

[When the door opens, Luke barely seems to move in his bed, laying on his side. But when the visitor is Senri, he almost shrinks back, embarrassment coloring his features, eyes darting elsewhere.

But he doesn't move much more than that—except to bow his head at Senri's words, exhaling through his nose.]

You sure you want to spend time with someone as stupid as me?

[usogi]

Of course. I get tired of being around smart people all the time. If you're stupid then I super duper wanna be around you extra, because we can be stupid together.

[and senri will just - offer up a smile, no matter how exhausted he looked a second before. he'll reach a hand out to luke's shoulder]

.... I'm not gonna pretend to know what you're going through.

But.... I'm sure it hurts a lot. And I don't blame you, for doing what you thought you had to do.

[dupelicate]

[...]

Senri...

[He opens his mouth, and then closes it again, face drawn.]

...Do you have a little time? I want to tell more about myself.

You've done a lot for me. And... now you're here, when you don't need to be. I think I owe you that much.

WEEK 6 (SUNDAY)

[dupelicate]

[It's not until he's doing rounds, looking for a few other people, that he passes through the temple's kitchen—and spots Senri, doing his own thing. For a moment, he seems to debate bothering him or not, before setting his course solidly towards his fellow redhead. Senri had a million friends, and was probably more than supported, but...

Luke sidles up, until he catches Senri's eye—and gives a little half-wave, despite their close proximity.]

...Hey.

[yep.]

How are you holding up?

[usogi]

[senri has been hungry - and he's in the middle of preparing some rice balls when he manages to hear luke. he looks up and offers up a smile. it's weak, and uncertain but....

it's there.]

... I feel like I should be asking you that...

[seeing as for one reason or another, senri ended up between luke's sword and ishi himself, even if it wasn't for very long at all]

Are you okay?

[dupelicate]

[He shakes his head, holding up his hands.]

I'm fine. Seriously. I was just... [betrayed. again. exhausted. upset. emotional.] ...tired.

I'm really sorry about what I did yesterday. I'm sorry you had to step in like that. That all of you did.

[...]

I'm glad you did, though. Thank you, Senri.

[usogi]

... it's okay. [senri shakes his head then, and he seems to mean it] It was a little scary but - you were upset, right?

I know that you wouldn't want to hurt anyone, so you weren't going to do anything for real. You don't need to thank me for that, I just...

You're my friend. I don't want you to have regrets.

week 7, uhhh wednesday

[usogi]

[sometime in the day wednesday

wherever luke is, as long as he's alone

senri is just going to sliiiiiide up next to him]

I can't believe you didn't tell me that you and Pippin were like - a thing.

I thought we were friends, Luke-kun!!

[bUT AT LEAST

THE LOOK IN HIS EYES IS TEASING INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY HURT he just wants to do this]

[dupelicate]

[He's in the West wing, lazing around the fountain—it looks like he's nearly napping.

When Senri slides over, he opens one eye, and smiles a greeting--

--and his face rapidly goes through several color variations at once.]

Ah!

[In his scramble to sit up, he nearly topples directly into the fountain. Barely holding on, he scrambles over to Senri, and clamps a hand over his mouth.]

Sh-Shut up! Don't go around shouting stuff!

[usogi]

[AAAAAAAAAA

SENRI'S LOSING HIS DAMN MIND AND CACKLING BEHIND LUKE'S HAND]

[dupelicate]

Stop! Stop!

[HE'S DYING]

Who even--?! Why can't people keep their stupid mouths shut!?