burningblossoms | Recolle Inbox

[Eleanor was also mostly quiet on the way there, her eyes mostly out the passenger side window, fidgeting with her sunglasses in her lap. She finally spoke when they arrived.]

Thanks, by the way.

Any time.

[Locking up behind them, she sits on a huge couch, one they'd picked out together on that ill fated Ikea trip.]

What's going on?

[Eleanor stayed standing, looking around the apartment. She'd seen it lots of times, but it hadn't really sunk in that they'd be leaving here in a few months.]

Uh.

[She hesitated again before turning to face her.]

So you know that girl Chloe? The one I told you about? I went by the flower shop today on my lunch break to talk to her, it's been really awkward since...uh. The thing happened. And I was hoping to fix it.

[There's a long beat, her lips pursed.]

But she forgot. About retrospec, about...almost everything, really. I mean, she knew me, thought we were friends, but everything else...

[Yukiko listened, rather intently leaning forward, hanging off of every word. It'd been like that with a couple of people she'd met, like Honoka. It'd bothered her, but it was entirely something different to have a really close friend (or at least someone that thought they were close) suddenly break off like that.]

And you wanted me to see if her account was gone. I didn't see anyone named Chloe on that list. [So you don't think you're going crazy anymore.]

I'm sorry, Eleanor. Honoka Kousaka ended up the same way, I just...wasn't as close to her so I guess I didn't think too hard on it. But if she's back to being one of the Sleepers...

[Eleanor made a noise somewhere between 'right' and 'eh.']

No I mostly wanted to make sure you still saw it at all. [She groaned, reaching up to press her hand into her forehead.] I know it was irrational I just...

Chloe was so intent on figuring all this stuff out, more than anybody maybe and then she just...she just forgot.

[Eleanor turned and sank down onto the couch next to Yukiko, flopping down into the back cushion.]

I just had to be sure you didn't either. [A beat.] Hey this thing is pretty nice.

[Thanks, Couch.]

Oh. Yes. I remember all of it.

[And by way of proof she waves a hand and makes a little flicker of flame.]

No worries there. I'm fine.

[Shifting on the couch, she grins and slides an arm around El. Hug? Yes, you get one.]

It is a good couch but...that's not why we're here. Is it just that she stopped remembering?

[Eleanor settled against Yukiko's arm, her expression uncertain, her eyes distantly looking at a spot on the wall opposite them.]

I don't know. It's just...

[She trailed off, trying to sort out what she wanted to say, or even she even know what she wanted to say.]

Everything is so...uncertain. Everything is changing, and I don't even mean the sky, just...everything. I thought worrying about graduation and college would be intense and now we have to worry that our friends might forget huge chunks of our lives or we might forget it. And who knows what insane thing will happen to the world tomorrow.

[Her voice got a bit faster as she spoke, a bit louder, but when she stopped, she just sighed.]

It's just a lot.

[Yukiko was quiet, listening, letting Eleanor get it all out. It wasn't easy not to say something, but she just held her tongue and listened. This was important, and in a way it helped her solidify some of her own thoughts and fears. And more than a few.]

It is a lot. It really is.

[She leans back, puffing her chest up and then exhaled slowly...]

But you know what? I can't let myself focus on that. It's not...I can't. I know it sounds flippant, but I cannot give up hope that we will remember all of this, and unravel all the threads. It's a tangle, but if I let myself trap myself in my own head? Nothing's going to get done.

I guess...I feel like we have to hope that nothing like that happens. Have faith that it won't.

[Eleanor was quiet for a bit after that, perhaps a whole minute, before she suddenly laughed softly.]

You are way better at this than I am.

[Yukiko's brow furrows at the laugh, looking at her best friend in confusion.]

What...are you talking about?

[It was a good laugh, Yukiko!]

I mean you just handle all this better than I do. I feel like I'm losing my mind half the time and you always seem to be able to roll with things. Which is nice cause I know you'll calm me down.

[It's because she lives in cloud kookooland most of the time.]

I don't think it's that, so much as I think we face our problems differently. You can't change things, not if you're panicked. I take things slower, break it down into manageable bites. It makes it seem less bad if you focus like that.

I've never been very good at manageable bits.

[Girl who was planning two majors and rarely had any free time, after all.]

Well, at least one of us will keep her head as this all goes to hell, anyway.

Just learn to let it go sometime.

[But don't become one with the wind and storm.]

I'm sure things will be just fine, though. Have a little faith. We'll solve the mystery, I know we will.

Well we'd better, since we're professional mystery solvers now.

[Eleanor laughed softly again, a happy sound, and then fell quiet for a bit, just resting against the couch and Yukiko's arm. Finally she drew in a breath and scrambled to her feet.]

Alright. That's enough moping.

[She said as she twisted back around to the couch.]

I blew off my afternoon at my internship so I might as well get something productive done. Want to plan out some decorations?

[Yukiko would've been fine to sit there for a while, but when Eleanor rises, she does too.]

Absolutely. I got in touch with the one girl I was assigned to live with, and she may be joining us. I've made the offer, she asked for time to think it over.

[IE: App write.]

But we should at least get something up, and I should make sure to get you that spare key when we get back to the B&B. Our moving company should be dropping off beds this week, from our storage facility, and then we can more or less officially start moving stuff in.

Man... [Eleanor turned to look around, forcing her mind to stop dwelling so much and instead thinking about just the apartment. Their apartment. They had an apartment this was so weird. But she could already see what it would look like.]

Third roommate, huh? Make sure she's not crazy or anything. [Eleanor laughed softly.]

Oh hey are you bringing your dog?

Fuuka. Yamagishi Fuuka. She seems pretty sweet. I think we'll get along just fine, and it's better than throwing her back into the housing melee at the last second.

[She wasn't worried about it.

Perking up a bit at the question, Yukiko nods.]

I finally get a dog after wanting one since I was little and you think he's not coming with me? He's...lazy and sleeps most of the day anyway, so I don't think it'll be a problem.

[Eleanor was starting to feel like everyone she met was Japanese lately! So weird. But there'd be time to worry about that later.]

I think I'm gonna leave Grace at home. My sisters would throw a fit, even if she is my dog. And she's nine...

[That was old to relocate a dog, wasn't it?]

[Probably. And Grace was a bit bigger.]

That's fair. She might need to get out more than Al anyway. And she's used to the family.

Yeah. [Eleanor hadn't really thought about that until now. Or she hadn't let herself think about it.]

I guess we'll see.

[It wasn't like she couldn't change her mind later.]

Anyway. What were we doing?

[Eleanor the easily distracted.]

We were planning decorations. Nothing crazy.

[Nothing crazy at all.]

Right. Decorations. Let's start in that room.

[And off they go to decorate into the ~~sunset~~ dining room.]

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