Long lost days of you and me

[vermicompost]

Characters: Kariya Matou and open
Setting: The dormitories and the meadow (or anywhere else, if anyone would like to take him somewhere, as he isn't very mobile on his own– he likes visitors, and trips.)
Format: Action to start, but prose is fine, too
Summary: It's only been a year or so, by Kariya's reckoning (when he can remember), but time and magical parasites have taken their toll.
Warnings: blood and possible body horror or angst



Kariya's Room:

[It's difficult for him to move at all, yet he has his wheelchair, and he can push it a little ways. It's hard for him to leave the dormitories, yet sometimes he still tries. Not now. For the moment, he's resting in his room, his eyes closed, even though he isn't sleeping. It's hard for him to fall asleep.

His body is smaller than it used to be. He's shrunk. Both his eyes are oddly whitish, both sides of him equally affected by what lives within him. His pale skin is all lines and veins, and the movement of the worms within him is evident beneath it, where it shows. His skin appears so thin, it seems it might break at any moment. All of him seems like it might break. Sometimes it does. His skin cracks in lines where it's thinnest, and the blood seeps out. He hardly notices when that happens. Maybe it's because it happens all the time, or maybe he simply isn't thinking clearly enough to realize.

He mutters to himself sometimes, and today is no exception. Sakura, he says often, or he mumbles something about going back home. Back home. He's going to get there. He'll go back to the War, he'll fight and he'll win, and he'll make everything all right again. Suddenly, he speaks, his voice firming, loud enough to be heard clearly.]

I'll help everyone go home.

[That's what he'll do.]

The Dormitory Hallways:

[Kariya wheels himself slowly along. He probably won't get very far, but he likes the feeling of moving forward. (He hasn't told anyone he was going.) He likes to travel. He used to travel once, didn't he? He feels so confined when he's in his room too long, trapped in one place. It's better to get out and around. Unfortunately, the corridors are so confusingly, frustratingly similar.

When he's gone a certain distance, he forgets how far he's come and where he was headed. He stops in the middle of the hallway, not sure whether to go forward or back. Maybe if he waits here long enough, he'll remember. Or maybe it wasn't so important. This is a change of scenery, isn't it? He sits back and gazes down the corridor, a wasted figure with white hair, waiting for someone or something interesting to arrive. He can't see very well, but his expression, if anyone were close enough to read it, is a hopeful one.]

The Meadow:

[It's a good day when he can get to the meadow. Some days, he's stronger, if only a little. The meadow is his favorite floor. It's beautiful there. It makes him smile. The grass and the flowers remind him of the park where he used to play with the children. Sometimes he thinks it is that park. But not today. No, he's thinking more clearly today. He moves a thin arm and manages to take out his photograph, from where he always keeps it, in the pocket of his jacket. It's wrinkled and torn and stained with blood, but it's his. His picture of his family: that's Aoi standing beside him, his wife, and with them are two little girls: their two daughters, Rin and Sakura. When he goes home, he'll see them again. They'll be happy again.

He's forgotten that he never married, that he never had children. But why would he want to remember a thing like that?]

Comments

Meadow

[achillean]

[Waver had come to the meadow for a breath of fresh air, and somewhere quiet to read. But when he notices the wheelchair and familiar, broken figure, he approaches Kariya, standing beside him.]

How are your girls today?

[vermicompost]

[He turns toward Waver and, after a moment's confusion, smiles as he places him. He holds up the photo to show him.] They're beautiful, aren't they?

Rin's not here right now. You know how she is, always busy. But she always goes back.

Sakura... I don't know where Sakura is. I should go to find her. [Sometimes he does remember that she never came here, that she's still with the Matous. Not right now.]

[achillean]

[He looks down at the photo and smiles. He's seen it a thousand times over, but he knows how Kariya is, so he acts like it's new.]

They are, and they've only grown even more so. And is that your wife? They look just like her.

Dormitory hallways

[wrigurun]

[From behind him comes the voice of a young woman, who's tiny friends had alerted her to his presence]

Hey, don't strain yourself.

[Wriggle takes hold of the handles of the wheelchair but she doesn't move him anywhere yet]

Where're you headed today?

[vermicompost]

Oh, hello. I'm glad to see you again.

[He does seem glad, even though he is tired. He's breathing harder than usual, but he insists, as he usually does:]

I'll be fine.

[At her question, he pauses, not sure how to answer.]

I don't know. I wanted to go somewhere, that's all. Somewhere different.

[wrigurun]

You always say that when you don't look fine. I don't understand why you won't accept my help.

[It's an issue that's been done to death so many times so she doesn't peruse it much further than that]

Some fresh air might do you good? How about I take you to one of the outside floors?

[mycloudedskies]

I hope that you can find a way Kariya [Romeo smiles at him as he enters the room, he always finds time to come and visit the man who was kind to him when he was a child. And is always sad that there is nothing he can do to help his suffering.] I brought you some carrot soup.

[vermicompost]

I will. I know there must be one. There has to be.

[He repeats these words as he often does.]

If we work together.

[But it doesn't take much to divert his attention to the soup. You did? Thank you, Romeo. I like carrot. It's one of my favorites.

[mycloudedskies]

[Romeo nodded, because even though he had long given up hope that they would get out he hadn't given up the belief that they had to work together.] You're lucky then, there are plenty in the kitchens!

[He hands him the bowl]

Meadow

[oathshackledbird]

[Lancer watches Kariya quietly for a long time before approaching. He's not sure why he still comes to this place when he knows that the other man is here whenever he can physically make it. It hurts Lancer to see him like this.

Hurts him to know just how badly he failed.

Again.

There had been a time, long long ago, when all Lancer had wanted to do was see to it that this kind, honorable man find his way back to the one he wanted to protect so much, but nothing he had done ever worked. The tower had thwarted him at every turn.

And now, Kariya has been reduced to this state that can barely be called life, living in a delusion that Lancer cannot, no matter how far he's fallen, bare to break.

It's his fault after all and this...

...this his penitence for failing another friend, another...master.

He takes a deep breath and sets a smile on his face. The smile never reaches his eyes.]

It's a good day today, Lord Kariya, is it not?

Re: Meadow

[vermicompost]

Diarmuid. Hello. [He's glad to see his friend and makes the necessary effort to turn toward him. He feels like he's known him since coming to the tower. He'd only been here a few months before Diarmuid arrived, and now it's been– Years. He's not sure how many. He'll have to ask Rin. She has a better head for numbers.]

You know you can just call me Kariya.

[But this exchange is an old one between them, and it's mostly a formality. Kariya says to call him Kariya, and Diarmuid calls him Lord Kariya anyway, the next time they meet. But old friends have rituals like that, don't they?

He returns Diarmuid's smile, never thinking it's less than sincere. But there are a lot of things he doesn't notice about Diarmuid.]

It's a beautiful day. There were butterflies before. It's been quiet here lately, hasn't it? [He means this as a good thing. He doesn't like the tests. He likes it when everything can be happy and peaceful. Which it is much more often in his mind than in actuality.] It's good to see you.

dormitory hallways; hope that's okay

[pheliostasqueen]

[ Ishtar was zoned out when she was down the hallways. She always traveled down them everyday, to do things that she knew she had to get done; things that kept her from thinking about the past and the ongoing pain that ate at her.

She didn't look too different to anyone, but the extremely long hair and the taller figure was and obvious change to her usually childish looking form. She looked up and noticed the man that she had been taking care of for the last couple of years. At least, she tried her best in everything she did.

It didn't look like it helped him much at all, but Ishtar was a determined person, and she would find a way to fix this parasite problem. She had been trying for the past couple of years looking up things and researching but none of it came in handy because she didn't understand most of it. Where was Yujinn when she needed her cousin the most. He would have been able to explain things to her and allowed her to be able to use the research.

She tried, though. That was all she could down. There was a sad expression on her face as she saw him sit there with his hopeful expression and worn out form. She almost cried. It was so painful to watch. This man who was filled with such strong will from the first time they've met. ]

very okay!

[vermicompost]

Ishtar.

[She's a familiar form before she's a familiar face, as he can't see her clearly until she's almost upon him. He smiles, but doesn't move his wheelchair toward her. His arms are too tired. The worms are even in his hands. They pulse there, and he waits for them to still. He must have pushed himself too far.

He can't allow himself to grow too excited, not even the mild excitement upon seeing someone he considers a friend. There are many things he can't do. But he knows Ishtar has tried hard to help him, and without her, he's sure he wouldn't be as whole as he is.]

I'm glad to see you. Is it time for my treatment again already?

[He feels like he could use it.]

[redbranch]

Hey.

[Lancer gives a quick knock on the door frame. He's made visiting Kariya in his room a regular habit these days, since the other man is too weak to move around on his own.]

Helping everyone go home, huh? It's a nice goal. I bet Rin would proud of her father for saying that.

[He knows their actual relationship all too well, but he won't tell it to Kariya or anybody else. Not with the state that both of them are in. Better that they just stayed in their happy little fantasy, since they have so little else.]

[vermicompost]

Hello, Lancer.

[He smiles, turning toward the door. A visit from Lancer isn't unexpected, but he's always glad to see him.]

Rin knows that's what I want. Sometimes she says I'm being foolish. She often thinks her father's foolish, but I hope she'll be proud of me someday. [He's joking, a little, but at the same time he's sincere.] I know we'll find a way.

[Sakura needs them.]

Hallways

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber comes up behind Kariya and stops. In the ten years she'd been in the Tower, the knight has come to the decision to let Kariya live, having learned it was Kotomine that was the real culprit. It didn't mean she liked him or forgave him, just that she wouldn't kill him.]

You should not be here. Go back to your room.

[vermicompost]

[He turns his head slowly toward her at the sound of her voice, and it's hard not to feel that cold fear he'd come to associate with her early on.

He's still afraid of her, even if she's no longer actively trying to kill him. The worms react to his emotion, and he feels some pain. In spite of his fear, he doesn't just do what she says. It's a moment before he replies, in his ruined voice.]

I don't want to. I wanted to go out.

[Maybe he sounds like a child, but if he realizes it, he doesn't care. She doesn't control him.]

[thiscloakisgreen]

[There's the sound of metal against metal in the air. And then it stops--and it is as if the metal itself is talking from the otherside of the hallway. As if by magic.

It probably was, too. A more focused person would not have seen him there at first.]

Going somewhere, Kariya?

[vermicompost]

[Kariya starts at the sound, confused. He doesn't answer right away, but he's used to strange things happening in the tower. Stranger than this. He tries to focus on the sound.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[Not now. He's only– waiting. He could try to go to the meadow, but he doesn't feel like admitting that.]

I'm just here.

room;

[angramaintsu]

You know you don't have to do that. [ Deep within the shadows of his room is a pair of red eyes that glow while addressing him. Rin's there, she usually is to keep him in order. She doesn't move to follow him or even leave the confines of the darkness she wraps herself in, choosing to use it to hide her emotions. Time has made it difficult for her to keep disappointment off of her face so she uses the shadows to do it for her. ] Go home. We can live here and not worry about the stupid war.

[ Not worry about Sakura. She's abandoned them by not coming here as far as Rin is concerned. So has her mother. All she has now is her father and she'll do everything in her power to keep him alive. In fact, that's probably the reason his body is still able to sustain life. Rin's selfish and she'll never let him go. If their grandfather can live for so long, then so can her father. ]

[vermicompost]

[He isn't surprised when she speaks, turning toward the bright red eyes. He'd rather see her face, but he's used to the shadows she cloaks herself in, and he's glad to know she's there, nonetheless. His daughter. He's lucky they can spend so much time together. At least they're not here alone.]

I know, but I want to do it. There are so many people here, suffering. [He might care for Rin and her welfare more than any of those other people, but he's not insensitive to the suffering of the others, especially the children, forced to go through cruel tests again and again.] This place isn't right. How can we stay here?

The War's important, Rin. I have to save Sakura. [He hasn't given up on Sakura or Aoi. If they're not here, that's not their fault. It's the fault of the administrators, and maybe it isn't a bad thing. Maybe they shouldn't have to come to a place like this.

Some days, he does think Sakura's in the Tower, but not today. Today he's back to his usual fixed idea of saving her. Even if returning to the War will kill him in a matter of days, without Rin keeping him alive and with the incredible toll supporting Berserker takes on him.]

Dorm hallways

[stopsyourtime]

[Rolo, now 27 and a bit taller, happens upon Kariya just sitting there in his wheelchair in the middle of the hallway.]

Kariya? Is something wrong?

[vermicompost]

[Kariya turns his head slowly at the sound of Rolo's familiar voice. He gives a faint smile. Rolo seems a little older than he remembers, but maybe that's just his mind playing tricks on him again.]

No, nothing's wrong. I wanted to go out, that's all. [He pauses, before admitting:] But now I don't know where to go.

meadow; oh my god i am so late

[fuhgeddaboudit]

Kariya!

[Labrys crossed the meadow to where her friend was; even now she spent most of her time there. In the time that passed she had grown out of most of her childlike curiosity. Though the mechanical maiden hadn't aged (couldn't age) physically, she carried herself a bit differently. Straighter, more mature and confident than young and eager.]

[The school uniform was left in her trunk today--sometimes she wore it, other times it caused an almost painful sense of nostalgia. But still she wore the yellow scarf that accompanied it, today tied in a delicate bow around long silver-blue hair.]

It's nice t' see ya. [The accent was still very much in place, and though it hadn't changed, the tone in which she spoke it had become less coarse and more gentle over time.]

It's never too late!

[vermicompost]

[He recognized that voice and turned toward the sound gladly, shifting in his chair as well as he was able. He wasn't surprised to see her here. She was often here when he managed to make a visit to the meadow. He was used to seeing the robot girl among the flowers. She always looked the same, even as he wasted away, but he didn't mind. There was something comforting about that sameness.]

Labrys. It's nice to see you, too. I hoped I'd find you here.

[He was proud of himself for making it so far alone. (Though Rin might not have approved.) He always enjoyed their talks. He wished they were able to talk more often, but on his worst days, he preferred to spare people, even Labrys, the sight of his sickness. The worms were starkly visible beneath his flesh, but at least they were motionless today.]