mindofathief: (feeeeeliiings)
Duster ([personal profile] mindofathief) wrote in [community profile] melodiesoflife2016-07-05 07:41 pm

Bon Voyage, Amigo

Characters: Duster and everyone
Where: Aqures Ixen (Observatory, House A-03, Airship Port) and Balicea
When: July 04th - July 10th.
Summary: Duster sets up a memorial for Zelda and is sad, then mopes around in his house as he thinks about the case he was involved in. He travels to Balicea to clear his mind.
Warning: Discussions of death and murder and all the misery from the event.

July 04th, Observatory

[There's not a lot Duster can do after the bloodbath that lead to Rialynn killing Zelda. No, that wasn't Rialynn, but someone controlling her. One dear friend killing another, resulting in a chaos and tears. Lives senselessly lost because someone hated the Heroes so much.

And now Duster is alone to mull over the tragedy. Despite sharing the same pain of a Hero dying, there aren't man people he feels comfortable approaching. His guilt over killing two friends is nothing compared to the loss the Heroes are feeling. Not only were civilians killed, but they lost a long time friend, one who was a ray of sunshine during these dark times.

He has fond memories of Zelda. Meeting her in the music shop, buying an ocarina together, talking about music, comforting her in the Observatory when Link turned into a statue...so many little moments that are forever lost. Now she lives in the crystals and in their memories. There is a memorial set up to the Heroes outside the observatory, one created months before he arrived, but Zelda deserves something personal from him.

On the fourth, Duster picks one of the room on the second floor. The one where he spoke with Zelda in February. There's an unused set of drawers in the corner, and with a cloth he had Tamekichi buy, he creates a makeshift memorial. Written with paint on a ceramic plaque is "ZELDA", and he brings his offering: the same ocarina he had on him for the past six months. He has to thank her for teaching him and setting him down on the path towards mastering the Bard class.
]

July 05th - 07th, House A-03

[Most of the following days are plagued with vivid memories of killing Jack Harkness and Santa. How he carefully stepped across the rooftops, pushed Jack over and watched him calmly as he fell to his death. How he leaped down from the rooftops, striking Santa in the perfect spot to break his neck, feeling the snap underneath his shoe. Remembering running away, not looking back at the bodies of his dead friends.

And they're still here. Jack and Santa are still in Aqures Ixen; they know who killed them. Duster can't imagine running into them in public again without those memories flashing in front of his eyes. Akane might hate him. He can't think about going outside at all. Rialynn has her own problems to worry about. There's not one to really talk to about it.

For the next few days, he holes himself up in his room, lying on his bed or on the couch when Sparks Nevada isn't home and listening to sound of heavy rain hitting the streets and the roof. It's too difficult to get up and walk around again. Perhaps if he just stays here forever, things will work out.
]

July 08, Aqures Ixen

[There's one answer for his troubles: go on a trip to sort out his feelings, to somewhere far away from Santa and Jack. If he's having too much fun playing in Balicea, me might feel better about all this. The morning of the 08th, during a non rainy spell between stomrs, Duster packs a small bag containing two days of supplies, and umbrella, and his suit - the one Santa picked out for him. If they're able to talk again, he should thank him.

Duster's switched out his Monk Job for the new Dragoon Job he earned his month. It doesn't feel right to have the abilities that killed two of his friends. Two people he murdered himself. Dragoon isn't completely safe; it reminds him of pushing Jack off the roof, but at least he can't snap people's necks while he isn't carrying a weapon on him.

Before he leaves, he pins a note on the front of the door in case anyone planned on talking to him.
]

I'm leaving on a trip today. Be back on the 10th. I need to be alone for a while.

- Duster


[Tamekichi helps hims roll his double bass out the door of his house, down the two steps, and onto the streets towards the airship docks. The Moogle can't carry any of Duster's bags on his own, but he does his best to make sure the bass case doesn't tip over on the uneven cobblestones. It's a slow process, one that gives Duster the time to think about what to do.

He's going to visit the bars. Play some jazz for the patrons not as a Hero of Light, but just Duster. No dead friends or mind controlled friends to worry about.

Anyone keeping an eye out can spot him leaving and walking through Aqures Ixen, his head down and watching the pavement. It's not like he's going to notice you unless he bumps right into you.
]

July 08th - 10th, Balicea

[Balicea is a lovely place. If Duster wasn't carrying a bass and he wasn't in the pits of despair, he would love the breeze and cool weather. Stepping off the ramp, he wonders if coming here and performing was ever a good idea.

It's too late to turn back now. With not other choice, he finds an inn and settles down in his room. He has a performance tonight and three tomorrow, which means he has no time to relax. His work ethic kicks in, and with only music worth worrying about, he practices every chance he gets. Songs that will clear the terrible memories and emotions from his mind. Something else to focus on.

When not performing a quiet jazz solo in various bars, he's at the local music shops. His ocarina is now dedicated to his fallen friend, and if he ever wants to use the Bard Job again, he needs a new portable instrument. Not an ocarina, though. That reminds him too much of their first meeting.
]

July 10th, Aqures Ixen airship port

[It's raining when the airship lands, but the grey skies don't have the oppressing presence of the ones that he left on his trip. He hasn't forgotten what happened. To forget even the sad things would be disrespectful, and he would learn nothing from it. Instead, his heart is less heavy. The dread that permeated his mind is mostly gone, and he can walk through the streets with a clear head again.

Perhaps someone has been waiting for his arrival.
]
21stcenturyguy: (backside)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-07 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aoi grunts affirmation and starts walking in the direction of the residential district. He's still got Duster's bag slung over one shoulder and his umbrella in his other hand. Now that Tamekichi has Duster's umbrella, they don't really need to stand so close to one another. But if Duster is quick enough about following, they could still share.]

So, uh, where'd you go? Your note didn't say...
21stcenturyguy: icon by Rune (shiver)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh, so he went to be alone with Johnny, huh?]

He's dating someone now, isn't he? It sounded pretty serious in those letters.

[Just, you know, pointing that out. Oh so smoothly.]

[Their umbrellas bump again as they walk, sending droplets flying onto both of them. Aoi shivers, then huffs.]


This is dumb. Move over. [He collapses his umbrella and steps under Duster's.]
21stcenturyguy: (eyebrow raise)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. Pretty strange coincidence.

[He's playing super cool, like walking arm pressed to arm with another guy under an umbrella is no big deal. Yeah, it's warmer, that's all.]

Look, do you wanna...maybe...do the self-defense thing again sometime?
charming_jerk: (blue)

[personal profile] charming_jerk 2016-07-08 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
Um, we decided to get away for a little while. Me 'n Reno. After everything that happened, y'know?

[His face reddens slightly at the mention of who he's here with, though he might not even realize it.]

My guess is ya had a similar idea, huh.
shinrasfinest: (Suspicious)

July 04th, Observatory

[personal profile] shinrasfinest 2016-07-08 12:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even though the urge is there to step closer, to even fall in beside Duster and take a knee there, Sephiroth finds himself rooted to the spot. The pressure being somewhere between doing what he feels is right and whether or not it's appropriate to do so.

One thing is for sure, he thought, Zelda wouldn't want them to be paralyzed in the grief she leaves behind. Couldn't they take the Job she's delivered to this realm as some indication that she will always be with each of them. Sephiroth didn't have the room in his crystal and so had discarded it; it wasn't right for one such as him to use her in that way.]


She didn't, you're right. But it happened anyway.

[Sephiroth's low tones are bitter as so easily the reply could be applied to any such situation here, or indeed the very fact they were all here in the first place. Not to mention each Heroes own personal story within their own world.]

...always seems to be the way.
thegreatninja: (talking/ realization)

July 04th, Observatory

[personal profile] thegreatninja 2016-07-08 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yuffie rolls her shoulder in a shrug.]

But you don't know. So why be sad about it? Look...

[She isn't good at helping but she's at least not tearing herself up over the loss.]

Being sad won't do anything. If this person was a friend of yours then she'd want you to keep going and doing stuff right? Not that you're stopping to do... [She waves a hand.] This.

But if you don't know, why assume the worst possible outcome? That's sorta messed up.
21stcenturyguy: (grrr)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
So, what, you're gonna smack me with your big spear? [He's joking. There are too many inappropriate comments to be made about a Dragoon's weapon.]

Maybe I should change too. But freaking Cid, man. He sends me on the most weird-ass missions when I wanna change. It's dangerous. [He's pretty much useless in a fight, which makes it hard for him to switch to a job that would let him fight better. Vicious goddamn cycle.]
21stcenturyguy: (upset)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Dude. [Duster, no.] What did I just say to you? I know you're not gonna...

[Is he this infuriating on purpose? Must be karma for Aoi's life of pissing people off.]

Can you stop flailing around back there? Like, holy shit. [He snags Duster's wrist and tugs his arm around his shoulders, because that's easier than having Duster bump into him every freaking second.]
shinrasfinest: (Pout)

July 04th, Observatory

[personal profile] shinrasfinest 2016-07-08 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[She died because an Avatar wanted to make a point. The fact that they clearly seemed to enjoy it was secondary; the salt to rub in the wound.

Sephiroth has never known anyone like Zelda, and she was one of the main-stays for him all the way thus far since they arrived in that first wave together. Despite all the walls he had up around himself, her warmth really had melted them thinner at least. Without her, Sephiroth has no doubt that he'd be a very different person stood here now.]


Maybe she can.

[It means that she's a part of this Planet now, they're connected to it and thus she must still be there.]

...she'd be telling us all still, never to lose hope.

[They were just words, but as Sephiroth took a step closer to Duster again, the outside edges of his eyes softened. Was hope really just an illusion, too?]
21stcenturyguy: icon by Rune (explain a thing)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aoi glares at Tamekichi. If he's gonna say something about it, he can can it right now.]

'm not cold. It's fine. [But, you know, he's not trying to wiggle out of Duster's hold or anything. And he's not shivering anymore.]

So, yeah. We'll practice together sometime. And nobody's killing anyone, unless people die of shock when they see our amazing moves.

[Yep, just a normal conversation between normal friends walking down the road in a manly fashion. Nothing to see here.]
21stcenturyguy: (grrr)

[personal profile] 21stcenturyguy 2016-07-08 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aoi tucks himself more closely under Duster's arm as the umbrella moves and rain starts to hit them. Duster's the one with the jacket, after all.]

That son of a bitch! This is why you can't trust anyone. [He mutters angrily to Duster, that guy he trusts, as he tries to get his black umbrella unfolded again to shield them.]

And those sunglasses are really freaking tacky. You tell him that when you see him again.
charming_jerk: art by and-babel-fell.deviantart.com (the usual glare)

[personal profile] charming_jerk 2016-07-09 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
Sometimes I think about movin' here, man. But that sounds too much like runnin' away to me, so... [He shrugs.]

Gonna be really bummed when the Calamity sucks this place up. So I thought I better enjoy it while it lasts.

[Okay, let's not have this whole conversation be a bummer, shall we? There's a whole music store in front of them! Time for Johnny to try to steer the conversation in a better direction.]

So, uh, you gettin' anything here? I've gotten strings here before, but never a whole new instrument.

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