It was difficult to imagine what to do- how to go about it, and what he was even going to begin to say to manage to seem convincing in his disappearance?âŠbut he imagined at this point- if he pushed it off any longer, the topic would be even more unbearably difficult to explainâŠ
âSorryâŠ.that cat⊠had to find it- it ran offâŠâ The words bounced back at him from his small mirror⊠Somehow managing to sound so much more ridiculous than they had originally in his head even. âUh- I ⊠left the oven on⊠and it took five years to figure out how to turn it offâŠâ He was seconds away from just suggesting he lit himself on fireâŠ.and the reconstructive surgery took a massive amount of effort, and doctors from all over the world had to⊠⊠hu⊠or maybe he just set his FRIEND on fireâŠ
WellâŠLuke was pretty hotâŠ
âMay I see⊠Luke⊠Fon Fabre ?â Was that it? Had Luke taken Tearâs name? Or had Tear taken Lukeâs name? Wasnât he supposed to know this? What if Tear had been especially masculine - (Thereasonwhyshewasalwayslessscary?) and had forced Luke to take her last name? Wouldnât that be important to know? What if he wasnât personable enough?
âDonât psyche yourself out now⊠You can do this⊠youâre just going to see some old friendsâŠâ Gailardia felt the reflection reflexively smile back, but the right side of his lip was twitchingâŠ
His hand raised to his mouth to touch it⊠that was odd. He had never done that beforeâŠ
Was it really that difficult???
So Gailardia made a decision⊠he was just going to act like nothing had ever happened what so ever. After all, he could completely skirt the topic of where he had been for the last five years the same way he skirted any other topic⊠by smiling really big until he backed out of a roomâŠ
So it was with heart that was skipping every third beat rattling like a trapped bird in a cage in his throat that he went directly to the main doors of the Fon Fabre residence. The sun was beating down upon them, and there wasnât a single thing out of place from what he remembered. The thrill of familiarity calmed his nervesâŠand he felt oddly as if he was only returning home from a long vacation⊠it felt like it hadnât been any longer than a week, and to say otherwise would be blasphemous..
So he went directly to the front gate⊠Then stopped, looked at the guards. He imagined asking LukeâŠno⊠no he wouldnât do that⊠perhaps Tear? She was pregnant thoughâŠwasnât she? Wouldnât that be difficult, for her to make it all the way to the door? Would he be asking too much of her? Approaching the front gate he opened his mouth, bit down⊠and opened his mouth again⊠one could almost enamor this to a very confused fish.The guardsâŠjustâŠ
âIsâŠLuear Fon Tech⊠Art⊠home? No? Iâll just⊠go home then!â Raising his face high, as the guards looked across from each other, and one began to raise the helmet. A man who ranged from his mid- thirties answered easily enough. âWho?â
âNO ONE!â Gailardia was puffed up like a cat, rigid with his hands at his sides, flat as a board he made a very hasty side step and then took off. Running down the entrance and taking a back entrance he breathed to himselfâŠ
âLuear Fon Tech Art??? Who is that? Who am I??â Making his way around the back entrance, he raised his eyes skyward.
The next thing he knew he was sneaking around corridors that he knew like the back of his hand, looking for Tear, LukeâŠ
OranysignsthattheywereoutsothathecouldsayhetriedattheveryleastâŠ
Stepping into a main foyer, he stopped, taking in a deep breath, seeing Tear, looking almost not a single day older than he remembered, talking to a â- maid? The red headed woman serving Tearâs orders, caught sight of Gailardia and cried out in shock. To which Gailardia merely flinched.
âHey there- itâs been quite a while hasnât it?â
Because - he didnât know what else to do - he just resorted to smiling⊠BecausegettingonyourkneesandpreyingwouldhavelookedquiteridiculousâŠ