[ page 7 ] audio / video / text

[somniabar]

[Look, this is a voice post for once!]

I apologize to everyone for the recent events. I did not consciously change Island World in such a manner, and for that I am truly sorry. I hope nobody was hurt.

[Lengthy pause.]

It will not happen again.

[Click.]

[... Oh, look at this! A video feed! The LP, tossed behind her, lays on its side on what

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[audio] - TRAUMA INCOMING - 1/IDEFK

[masaderp]

[Behold, the one time his voice isn't on the verge of not being audible.]

Madotsuki! Y-you can't-!

[audio] - OH LAWD THE TRAUMA - 2/IDEFK - STFU THIS ICON TTLY FITS

[masaderp]

[No, she didn't... But there was that text... And-!! No, no, no, no. Not her. Not Madotsuki-!!]

MADOTSUKI! MADOTSUKI!

MADOTSUKI!

[audio] - HERE COMES THE TRAUMA TRAIN - 3/IDEFK

[masaderp]

................

[audio] - CHUGGA CHUGGA WHOO, WHOO~ - 4/IDEFK

[masaderp]

......................

[audio] - ALL ABOARD THE TRAUMA TRAIN - 5/IDEFK

[masaderp]

Madotsuki...

Madotsuki...

Madotsuki...

[audio] - THE TRAUMA TRAIN IS NOW LEAVING - 6/6

[masaderp]

[A small cry of something that is a bitter mix of both frustration and grief, then the feed cuts. Anyone who goes to look for the body, be it out of mere morbid curiousity or something else, will likely find that Masada beat them to it. And that he's devastated. But that's a given.]

[ Action ] BAWWWWWWWWWW

[sutoro_bell]

[Ichigo recognized the building that Mado had jumped off of; it was the roof of the apartment complex that she lived in. After she recovered from the shock (oh god oh god someone committed suicide they didn't just die they killed themselves), she hurried out of her apartment, only to find Masada-san already there.]

[Dear lord... she barely knew the girl yet her suicide had shocked her and very much nearly made her cry. When she rescued her from the Nexus, she seemed like a very nice girl. But... Masada-san was her closest friend. He always said that Madotsuki was the greatest person ever and he always held her in high regard... Ichigo couldn't even imagine how he must be feeling now.]

[Silently, she walked over to the man, keeping her eyes away from the bloodied corpse. She wasn't sure if she should hug him or not, so for the moment she settled on just placing her hand on his shoulder.]

Masada-san... I'm so sorry...

[akshuuun] - excuse me miss do you have a ticket for the angst express?

[masaderp]

[At first, he'd simply stared at her lifeless body, reached up occasionally to rub at his eyes as if a speck of dirt was there. As if his eyes were just playing cruel tricks on him and rubbing at them would help

[akshuuun] - i believe so just let me check my pockets

[sutoro_bell]

[Ichigo stayed silent, not moving her hand off of his shoulder, especially after he placed his own over hers. She crouched down so that she was somewhat level with him on the ground, staying by his side... not saying a word...]

[She was a little surprised that he wasn't crying. From what she assumed, Ichigo probably guessed that he would've been bawling over Madotsuki's corpse... instead, there was not even a tear in his eye. Not even a hint of tears... though she supposed it was plausible; he was probably still in shock.]

[Keeping her head down so that her bangs would shield her eyes, she squeezed his shoulder a little, keeping her voice low.] It's okay... you can let it out.

[akshuuun] - welcome aboard the angst express. please keep a close eye on your emotional baggage.

[masaderp]

[Masada ended up tilting his head so that his hair would act as a curtain of sorts.

What could be seen of his face through the curtain of black hair was very strained, though with his hair obscuring his eyes like that, it was a bit hard to tell. His mouth quivered open slightly, opening and closing as he searched for words. Something to say to her. Why was she being so nice? Why did she seem to care so much?

Eventually, Masada shook his head slightly before looking at her through his hair. The ghostly man quivered both due to feeling cold and... Something that was indescribable.]

N-no... C-can't...

[His voice sounded a lot more hoarse than usual. A brief pause, then;]

Shouldn't look...

[Whether he was referring to himself or Ichigo was anyone's guess.]

[akshuuun]

[sutoro_bell]

[Ichigo stayed silent as he tried to find words. Silent, and still, and patient. Her legs were hurting from being in the same position for so long, but she ignored it. Right now, Masada needed someone.]

[Ichigo couldn't help but lean towards him when he looked at her. She had to strain when she heard him speak, even with her enhanced senses... not because he was speaking so lowly... but because his voice changed where she could hardly make out what he said.]

[Shouldn't look? Who shouldn't? Ichigo didn't want to look at the corpse, she didn't want to see all the blood, the body, the reminder that someone had just thrown their life away for something that wasn't even their fault. It couldn't have been her that Masada was referring to, so then...]

Then don't look... You don't have to...

[akshuuun]

[masaderp]

[His stare was quite blank, though slowly his eyes seemed to focus better on her. Or, well, his good eye was slowly focusing on her. Was she right? Was it all right to look away? To turn away? Part of him wanted to. There was blood. Too much blood. Blood. Blood. BLOOD. Splattered on the ground, life itself flowing out of her, a brutal reminder that he hadn't been a good enough friend, hadn't picked up on the cues.

It was enough to make Masada feel sick. Mostly because of himself. A bitter feeling that cut through the icy numbness. Failure to listen. Failure to understand. FAILURE.]

...I...

[Oh, his throat hurt so much.]

M-maybe not...

[akshuuun]

[sutoro_bell]

[His stare scared her. Twice in such a short period of time did she have to see such a blank stare, and every time she saw it, it scared her... to see no life whatsoever in those eyes. It was horrifying.]

[Yet she didn't flinch. She refused to. She had to stay strong for Masada-san. She couldn't let him show that she couldn't handle being a confidant for the moment. If he needed to talk, she would listen; if he needed her shoulder to cry on, then she would be there... so she couldn't show fear. She won't.]

Do you... at least want to talk about it?

[akshuuun]

[masaderp]

[However sweet and caring Ichigo was, she was still just a child. Even younger than Madotsuki. It wouldn't be right to demand comfort from a child. And in the end, no one could understand him like Madotsuki did. No one.

When he looked at her again, his face had fallen back to its usual melancholy, though somewhat calm state. Still rather pale, though.]

It's... Alright.

[akshuuun]

[sutoro_bell]

[Although she seemed a little upset, she nodded in understanding. It was clear that he wasn't ready to talk about it. Ichigo could understand that, so she wouldn't push him to talk about it. She'd leave him alone for now; it seemed like he was still in major shock from Madotsuki's suicide.]

[Of course, she wouldn't leave him alone without a little more comfort. Silently, she moved her hand to his opposite shoulder and placed her free hand on the other shoulder, squeezing them a little and moving closer so that she would give him somewhat of a small hug. It didn't last very long before she moved away and stood up.]

[She gave him a small, sad smile, sending him a silent message: "If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to come to me..."]

["I'll be there for you."]

[akshuuun]

[masaderp]

[Unused as he was to physical contact, Masada couldn't help but tense up slightly, regardless of how small the hug might've been. And it struck a bit too close to home, the small hands on his shoulders reminded him a little too much of a different pair of small hands and for a brief moment, he saw not Ichigo, but another small girl. A small girl with braided hair.

What was he even doing, thinking like that?]

...S-sorry...

[It was so silly and Masada knew it, too. There he was, smiling again, apologetic for something that he suspected he probably couldn't be blamed for, a certain air of melancholy haunting his smile in a slightly unnerving way. But that was just the way he was, the way he'd been for so long.

He too, rose and purely out of habit, one of his hands ended up placing itself on the top of her head.]