you beam with joy as you force your brother into singing another round of off-key karaoke, oblivious that the bells have begun to ring around the world once more. the final dark hour approaches - mother has returned home. your joyous time has come to an end at last. your hands raise to high five minato but instead, you freeze, eyes becoming locked in on a ghostly figure sitting politely next to an applauding yukari. she shouldn't be amongst you all. you know that but find your mouth dry and unable to speak as the mic slips out of your hand. she continues to watch you impassively, studying you quietly and you swear that when you blink and open your eyes, that it is your deceased mother's face that's looking directly back at you. she's smiling.
you blink through the illusion, readjusting your vision before it's now the warm eyes of your long-gone father looking back at you. you're oblivious to the fact that yukari is now sobbing happily, desperately hugging an illusion, her father, as the end descends upon her too. just outside of your private karaoke room, the food junpei got for everyone now lays scattered across the floor. the boy is on his knees in disbelief, softly clutching an illusion's hand, the cute red-headed girl he never found the courage to speak to over the summer.
your brother is frozen, just as still as you ( fitting, isn't it? ) but you don't - or more like can't - think to reach out to him. all other existence is gone to you. denied. it is just you, the silence, and the same dead eyes staring right back at you. then she speaks.
' i see now. an interesting choice... but i guess this is to be expected from one of the wild cards. ’ her mouth never moves. her eyes never leave your own. her voice is all encompassing - it's terrifying and incredible. it's crushing and freeing - the thought of dying is suddenly elating to you! she continues but this time she speaks with not just her own voice but a multitude of them - the clearest two sound the most eerily familiar to you and it feels...wrong that you can't place either one. ' even after all you have forgotten...the wish to see him again cannot be erased, yes? hmm. i will allow it. ' she's gone after her declaration and there in her place, sits a little blue-eyed boy innocently smiling up at you.
❛ hey there. ’ he pats the free space on the booth next to him before excitedly picking up a song book from the crowded table, looking forward to you helping him satiate his infinite curiosity. you don't know him ( right? ) but strangely obey anyway, as it feels right to. you sit there with him, answering each and every one of his questions. you remain in peaceful bliss as the moon descends to wash anything and everything away. // the idea of what it would the fall look like if ryoji's offer is accepted came to me suddenly. and so i sent this, because i like pain ( and directing at other people uwu ). it's up to you if you want to answer it as an ask or enjoy it for what it is.
XXII ███ THE DAY HAD BEEN LIKE any other. wake up too tired, wash her face do a little makeup, make a small breakfast & a lunch for her & her brother while she's at it( leftovers dressed up just enough to make it seem different. nothing too wild. boring even. mundane. that's how life was right now. ordinary. yet her mind scratches, itches. it hurts. something hurts. her head, no her heart ? ), go to school with her eyes on the train & music in her ears, attend class, have lunch, go to club it's student counci--- no it's gymnastics ? why can't she remember ? the world becomes static & then it's clear she's taking a moment before leaving school--wait no that's right--go to club, on the way to get yukari spy on senpai pretending you're not like all the other fangirls, go hang out with yo-- you ? you ? you ? WHO IS SPEAKING FOR YOU ?
the day had been like any other. wake up, wash her face & apply a little make up ! just a bit of pink on the lip, a splash of peach on the cheeks, & a little mascara ! a smile before she would go downstairs, making some breakfast for her & her brother. lunch out of the leftovers from the night before. off to school & lucky is she to get a seat on the train, lost in the music her headphones play. a boring day just like any other. wake up, wash face, make food, go to school. the headphones do not play anything. you can only hear yukari's off beat singing in karaoke. karaoke ?
her vision swirls as her head spikes in pain, hands digging into her hair as she does everything not to scream the moment she's assaulted. what is trying to surface ? breathless as she tries to look around & stand up--- but she can't. suddenly she's sitting flat & lifeless, back against the sofa in the karaoke room, head tilted to the side & her eyes empty. devoid of life. stupid stupid girl. selfish selfish girl. dooming an entire world just for a boy ? "no--- no i didn't--- i--" who are you talking to ? "i don't know ! i can't even talk right now !" && suddenly she's playing the tamborine in beat to the song yukari's singing to. junpei is gone, off to get the food they've ordered & her brother is dead next to her !
the instrument clatters to the ground as she jumps up backing into the table that shutters & shakes, the bolts at it's feet keep it grounded but she she's hardly so; nearly falling backward on it. yukari keeps singing as if nothing's wrong & junpei has entered to announce the food is here. but minato, her brother that boy that shares her soul in a mirrored reflection, is dead. pale skin, blue lips, jaw slack, eyes flat. "what the fuck ?! does no one see this ?" she pushes from the table & shakes her brother screaming his name, demanding him wake up. his head lists side to side in the motion before twitching uncontrollably a horror that once more sends her backwards--- yet instead of falling into the table she simply..... falls. down, down, down, down into the darkness a pitch black nothing eating at her. the lack of light blotting her vision outside of that of her brother's corpse floating above her, joined soon by yukari's own her cheeks stained with tears from embracing her father as if she's not seen him in such a long time, of chidori her hands bloodied & her face twisted in pain. of her mother, her face gone as she doesn't remember it & her father, face gone in a matched pair.
she screams. ever so loud, but there's no where for the sound to go. even as her throat grows hoarse & she flails to escape or grab at something she hears nothing. && as quick as a blink of the eye she's suddenly back in the karaoke couch. yukari's singing, no crying ? her face twitches & shakes between two emotions. erratic & uncontrolled. minako tries to get up to help her but she can't. suddenly she can't remember what's wrong. yukari's singing, she's playing the tambourine. minato is chastising junpei who just brought in the food. she hears someone speak, but she doesn't remember a single word as it's uttered. her brows furrow; no, no, what was it ? ah, your brows furrow & you shake your head. you're just tired, today was a long day ! you nod & smile & you look over to see ryoji. he's smiling & asking for a song recommendation. your throat hurts, it's because you're screaming.









