and every broken heart will mend

[scourgingstars]

[Not too long after the trial, a note found its way under everyone's doors, all of them written in the same neat handwriting that had been asking after a ring not that long ago.]

If any of you would prefer not to be left alone after all of that, I propose we meet in the dining hall. Nari has taken up cooking at the moment, and should anyone wish to talk I will be present regardless of whether or not the group at large should choose to join us.

-Ardyn

[True to his word, Ardyn was at a smaller table in the dining hall with an untouched cup of coffee in front of him; lost in thought leaning his head on one hand as the other turned a silver coin over between his fingers.]

[King in an empty hall, and savior of nothing. All that effort to prevent bloodshed, and it had come down to a situation designed to force their hand from the beginning.]

Comments

[misanthropicprinciple]

Just point me in the right direction, and don't ask me to do anything that requires a delicate touch. I don't know flowers from flour.

[He pauses, then picks his body pillow up off the ground. After smacking some of the dirt off of it, he pushes a clean corner of the pillowcase towards her.]

Here. Use this. For your face, I mean. I'm going to wash it later, anyway.

[serrata]

I'll let you do the heavy lifting, then. I've got some buckets full of dirt that need taking here and there.

[ She takes the pillowcase from him with a weak smile and dabs at her face with it as best she can. The clean patches probably look a stark contrast against the dirt and she can't help but laugh as she hands it back to him. ]

Here, thank you -- and I'm sorry, I must look such a mess. I wasn't really paying that much attention to myself once I got busy working and then...

[misanthropicprinciple]

You lost yourself in your work? Hey. Far be it from me to judge. You should see me after a day at the office.

[You know. When he comes home covered in BLOOD. Junpei, please seek alternative employment, you are destroying yourself, kiddo.]

At least garden dirt smells better than gunsmoke. You look plenty clean to me, Rii-san.

[serrata]

[ Plenty clean, does she?

Her smile grows just a little warmer at that and she gives the hand she's still holding onto a little tug. Come on detective, you're going to learn how to garden today. ]

Come on, then. Let's go and tidy up that plot. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll even show you how to sow some flower seeds.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei allows himself to be led along by the hand, laughing a little.]

For the record, you mean flower as in plants, and not flour as in bread, right? Just checking.

[At least he can still kid around in the wake of tragedy.]

[serrata]

Definitely plants. I've made enough of a mess in here without spreading bags of flour around.

[ The memorials she leads him to are crude and still unfinished but it's clear she's put as much effort as she can into at least making them look respectful. She's got buckets of dirt and uprooted flowers lined up beside the plot and two mounds of dirt speared with support stakes serving as the centerpiece of the memorials for now. It's not much and Yuuri finds herself strangely nervous now that someone else is seeing them for the first time and in such an unfinished state at that. ]

... they are a bit of a mess, aren't they? But... once I've got everything fixed up, they should look nice enough. I hope, anyway.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Hey. [He pats her shoulder.] I'm sure they will. Besides, now you've got some muscle to back you up.

[Body pillow tossed aside, Junpei does some arm stretches, pulling one arm at a time across his chest and holding it there for a few seconds. His muscles aren't shabby, actually, when he's not standing next to someone like Finn or Church.]

So what do you need me to do? [It's not really the time for a play-bow, but he does try a small smile.] Your wish is my command, ojou-sama.

[serrata]

[ She laughs and covers her mouth quickly, an almost guilty smile on her face. A laugh here and now feels a bit disrespectful but... she doesn't think Mai and Mikaela would want them so utterly wretched in the aftermath. ]

Can you see the places where the soil's a little uneven? [ pointing out a few spots for him, just in case. ] You just need to empty a few of the buckets over and smooth things out.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Ah, good. Fill in the blanks. My specialty.

[He offers her one more gentle smile, salutes, and gets comfortably to work in the dirt.

He may be wrist-deep in the soil, but this--this is still the cleanest work he's done since November of 2027.

He closes his eyes and hopes that, wherever Mikaela and Mai are, it smells something like this. Like fresh soil and growing things.]