video ● eleventh reflection

[straying]

[ FORWARD-DATED TO THE EVENING OF THE 23RD. (As tags will be slow for a while after.) ]

[There's a click as the feed starts and Saya hums a bit. She looks a bit tired but there's nothing about her demeanor that specifically tells that she's been haunted for the last couple days.]

The eve of Christmas Eve, guys! I figure most of us are pushing back our holiday plans considering everything that's happening, but I've found the most reliable mailman, so I hope some of you get your presents! Is everyone managing with your ghosts, though? I had one of my own but I haven't seen him lately. Then again, he always had that habit with disappearing. But if you ever need a place to crash or someone to talk to, you know where to go~

[She grins cheekily. Though suddenly her expression is confused.

What was that chill?

Will you continue to destroy others, witch?

The air is electrified. Everything is tense. Every fiber of her being on edge. Him. That voice. That insult. Only he would- Only her murderer would.

The broadcast is left forgotten as she whips around in her chair, her back to the SFC now as it lay on the table, entirely neglected. Because all at once, she's forgotten. Forgotten the curse, forgotten the ghosts, forgotten everything. Only remembering that she is facing the man who took her life.

Nevermind that this voice is only in her head.]

H-Hey.... I-I liked Train better. Why are you here? I don't want to- to....

[--to die again.

Her voice shakes, much as her frame does now. All the worldly experience that she exudes in her posture and confidence has been stripped from her now, just as she feels that the world has been yanked from underneath her.

Train Train Train. You don't even deserve to say his name, witch! He's not here to save you now. And truly, I will not fail to cut out your heart-

She leaps to her feet and knocks the SFC off the table in her haste. It clicks off. There will be no audience as she loses her mind.]

Comments

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

After you.

[He'll follow her out and onto the roof.

They can't leave their ghosts behind, but...maybe they can pretend for a time.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[It's so aggravating to have Creed follow her, you have no idea. Takes all of her energy to keep from just breaking out into a run as soon as she hits the rooftop.]

Places to go or are we just running?

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[He gives it a moment's thought.]

We can start by just running. How about a race?

I've never been quite sure who won.

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

Hah, you're on. Ready- go!

[She sticks her tongue out at him and she's off.]

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

H-hey!

[And he bolts after her, grinning. This is better than the panicked state she'd been in before, at least.]

Just remember that you got a head start!

[And he pulls even with her, grinning cheekily.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[Then she laughs.]

Head starts don't mean anything when you don't have a destination! We're just beginning!

[Amping up the speed a bit more.]

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

Just running, huh?

[He calls after her, but after a few paces, he ups the speed as well, passing her up this time.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

A light jog, really!

[She's got a lot of pent-up energy. It's not long before she passes him up too.]

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[He trails for a moment, shaking his head.]

Well, no better way to waste some time and get a workout.

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it!

[Feeling so much more freedom than she did before, she figures that she'll waste some more energy while he's trailing.

She manages a one-handed carthweel and then continues to hit the ground running as she laughs. Doing acrobatics with the ghost of an assassin at her heels. It felt strangely familiar. ]

C'mon, Matthew!

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head at her acrobatics, laughing.]

You're a show-off sometimes.

[But he speeds up, catching up quickly and passing her up as he jumps to the next building.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

Don't act like you're not impressed.

[She'll be snickering as she passes him up too, gaining speed yet again.]

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

You're just full of talents, Saya.

[It's difficult to tell if he's being sarcastic or not, but he follows suit, pulling even with her.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[She laughs and decides to keep it even for a while.]

Not so bad yourself, Mister Actor-slash-Thief-slash-Spy-slash-Hero-slash-Culinary Expert.

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[They run~

As per usual.

When they reach the end of this line of buildings, Matthew takes a sudden right, jumping to those buildings. Ah...the center plaza. They've made good time.]

Thanks. Glad to see they're appreciated.

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[Following after! And once she notices where they are, she hops down and starts counting on her fingers. Don't mess her up.]

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[...He's curious.

So he follows, but he doesn't say anything, merely watching.]

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[Calculating... Calculating... Calculating...

AIRPUNCH.]

Hah! I won!

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[...And he is amused. And also bemused.]

What did you win?

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

[AND WITH THE EXACT SAME GESTURES AS THE CLIP I SHOWED YOU-]

The race! You passed me three times, but I passed you four! So~ I win!

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

[.........

.........]

You play by odd rules.

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

When you have no destination and no rules, you need an odd way to decide a winner.

But the fact is that I won~

C'mon Matthew, let's go get some milk.

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

I'll give you that. You won this time.

[He grins.]

Sure, sure. I would've been concerned if we didn't.

[sweeperesque.livejournal.com]

Starting to look like every time, huh~?

[A laugh.]

Good to see you've caught up with the program.

[redcloakedthief.livejournal.com]

Not at all. I'm sure I'll catch up soon.

[ffff--]

There's nothing wrong with milk after a run.