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Just hang in there, okay?

[Rin sounds calmer, and no hints of just how bad things have been since she died are in his voice. He's focusing on her right now, and it's probably for the best that he has that.]

I'm really glad you made it back...

Why wouldn't I make it back? We don't die permanently here, right?

Even then, though ... that was a pretty lame way to die. All I remember was trying to pick a pretty flower, and then suddenly ...

[ suddenly, heart attack. it was awful. but totally lame. she doesn't like talking about her deaths at all, but she'll try to make a joke about it anyway, for the sake of staying calm. ]

B-But hey, I'll bet the way I died is a lot lamer than your polar bear death.

[Rin is just... not going to answer that. Not going to bring up Night. Not going to bring up Hange. Not going to bring up Santana or any of the other bodies strung up in trees. Not going to bring up the Wall...]

I guess a heart attack from a flower is a pretty lame way to die...

[Oh he wishes he could sound more amused than that.]

[ she can hear in his voice that he isn't okay. she knows you, boy. in the short time she's known you (comparatively, anyway), she's gotten to know you well enough to be able to call you out when she knows you're not doing well. ]

Rin, tell me what's wrong ...

[Damn it.

Rin lapses in to silence, and it could be argued that he's focused on getting there as fast as possible. There is the noise of his bike wheels in the background after all. But eventually he does say... something.]

I know you just wanna help me but... I'unno if I'm ready to talk about it yet.

... Okay.

Just let me give you a huge hug when you get here and that'll be enough for me until you're ready to talk.

[ but she's still going to worry. rin is important to her, and she doesn't like knowing he's not doing well. ]

A hug would be nice.

[At least she got that much out of him. Most everyone else has been having fun watching Rin play the 'avoidance and deflection game'.

And by fun I mean worrying about him quietly.]

You'll definitely get a hug, then. But you know that you can talk to me, right? About anything?

[ worry worry worry worry. rarely anything in this place is ever good, but even those who are experienced in rolling with the punches have their moments where they just need someone there for them. ]

[Seriously...]

Yeah. 'course, I know that. I'm just--... I think I need a little more time to deal with it.

Okay ...

I just ... I really don't like hearing so much sadness in your voice.

[ and she can definitely hear that. ]

I know...

[And he'll give her a little more, just because he knows how much she cares about him.]

It's... it's a family thing. Yukio and I are fine, we're not in trouble or anythin'. It's just... really complicated.

Complicated how?

[ oops. that might be asking too much. ]

Sorry ... it's okay if you don't want to talk about it.

... I'm almost there.

[Sorry, Kohaku. He knows he's avoiding again, but it's for a good reason.]

Okay.

[ she'll let it go. for now. she's concerned about getting out of this box, though talking with him is definitely a nice distraction. ]

Gimmie a minute, I gotta find a place to put my bike before I come in.

[He doesn't disconnect, but he does go quiet so he can do that. There's a lot of rustling and moving and eventually footsteps.

He does end the call at that point, but only because he gets in to the morgue a second later.]

Kohaku!

[ she begins to panic a little the moment the call is ended, but she feels a little better when she hears his voice in the next moment. she pounds on one of the sides of the box she's in, trying to get his attention directed in one area. ]

Rin! It's this one!!

[That's enough of a sign to where she's at. In an empty room like that the noise echos, but he can still pinpoint it's location.

Running over, he yanks hard on the handle, throwing the door open and pulling the drawer out with her on it.

There's a breath of relief at seeing her alive and relative alright, and he quickly gathers her up and lifts her off the table, holding her close.]

[ her arms are around him almost immediately once she's off the table. she did promise him a hug, but the way she holds him only radiates the feeling of relief that she's able to hold him like this at all. she rests her head on his shoulder, a small smile coming to her face as she continues to feel his familiar warmth around her. ]

[He wouldn't mind if that embrace lasted forever, but that would of course mean staying in that horrible, half-sunken place.

He settles for shifting her down so she's sitting princess-carry in his arms, moving for the door carefully.]

You can ride on the back of my bike, if that's okay. We'll get home faster that way.

[ she nods. ]

That's fine, let's get out of here. We can continue where we left off with the hug once we're home.

[ home ... no, this wasn't home, but it may as well be for now. anywhere your heart was, that was home. right? even despite her understandable dislike of this place, part of her heart was here for the people she'd met, especially Rin. she could admit to that easily. ]

[It's home for now, and if anything they can be grateful they have a house to go to.

Rin nods, making his way out quietly if only to keep an ear open for any disturbances. He didn't want to be caught unawares while trying to make their leave.

But nothing attacks them, and soon enough they're back in fresh air and heading for his bike. Once there, he sets her down, getting the bike ready so she can sit on the back.]

[ she stands where he lets her down and waits patiently for him to finish, not really all too sure of what to say right now. she already knew he wasn't doing well. she already knew she couldn't ask him to talk about it. she knew he wouldn't, not now. he was busy getting the bike ready, and she didn't want to detract his attention from that, since both of them wanted to go back to the house as quickly as possible.

she begins to fiddle with one of her sleeve ends as she watches him quietly, continuing to try and find something to talk about that wasn't how he's been, or how she died, or ... anything like that. ]

[He's not really sure what to say either. He stays quiet, unusually so for how he normally is, picking her up again once the bike is sitting up right on it's kick stand. Once she's on the bike, he gets on to it and pushes the kickstand up with his foot, staring off a bit slow with the weight behind him.

Soon enough though, they're coasting along easily, his demonic strength helping out.]

[ she holds onto him for a little extra stability as he starts pedaling, her arms around his waist and her head resting against his back. she closes her eyes. ]

The breeze is nice ...

[ well, that was ... something. ]

[It's a start.]

The pollen is startin' to clear up... still wouldn't touch any flowers for a while, though.

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