towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: Margulis and OPEN
Setting: The graveyard floor during the day and various floors at night.
Format: Either or.
Summary: Jin Uzuki has disappeared from the tower, leaving his sword behind on top of Margulis' trunk. Margulis is not as okay with this as their fight on Christmas might lead people to expect...
Warnings: Angst, violence, death imagery, things being set on fire.

[Graveyard floor]

Margulis wasn't usually one to give in to sentimental feelings, but Jin's disappearance, and especially leaving his katana behind as a memento, got to him in ways he didn't want to even try to put into words. His feelings for the man he'd always called his best friend had been complicated since their clash fifteen years ago, and coming here to find a version who had died as a result of that fight hadn't simplified matters. But finding his fellow swordsman's weapon on top of his trunk had cleared some things up.

Now he could be found in the tower's graveyard, standing in front of the headstone marked 'Jin Uzuki,' holding his newly obtained blade in one hand with a downcast expression.

"You always did know how to get under my skin, Jin Uzuki...even in a gesture of peace, you find a way to get on my nerves."

[Nighttime]

It had taken a not insignificant amount of self control, not to mention avoidance, for Margulis to remain mostly civil throughout the day. But now, as the tower darkened and the dangerous creatures that called it home began to emerge, he had an acceptable target for all the rage that had built up since he woke and saw evidence of Jin's disappearance. With the katana sheathed at his right side, he used his own blade to carve through the more common of the tower's monsters, his every movement wreathed in an aura of flame. Occasionally he would, instead, send a ball of flame hurdling straight toward a foe, or conjure a web of lightning to electrocute a group. But no matter what the method, the attack was still harsh and forceful, fuelled by a severe and dangerous temper.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She stood silently for few minutes, before Jin's sword caught her eye. She had known Margulis had been friends with Jin, or they had some sort of relationship in the past, but it had never been something she had really dwelled on, but if Margulis had her brother's sword...

"You... Cared about him too, didn't you?"

His grip tightened on the sword in question, though after the brief glance to confirm who was next to him, his gaze remained fixed on the grave.

"He had been my closest friend for several years prior to our parting at Miltia. My years since have been spent in the hopes that he...and Pellegri would come to their senses with regards to U-TIC. Though from what I've been able to gather so far, mine is the only universe where our opinions on that organization weren't reversed."

"So then, why?"

She wasn't looking at Margulis anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the grave again. Angry tears began to slide down her face as she cleched his book in one hand, shaking.

"You had everyone that you lost... They were all here, so why?! Why couldn't you just..."

Be happy? Stay? Anything but leave?

"At least attempt to rebuild those relationships rather than making efforts to avoid those from your former life?"

That was easily what bothered Margulis the most. He refused to believe that their worlds had been destroyed, that he wouldn't be able to return to his mission on Michtam and confront his own version of Jin. But the fact that the version here had pushed him away, with no reason other than the situation in his own universe-and a reason that had only been given after Margulis had figured out the situation for himself, at that-had hurt enough, and the sword, proof that Jin did still care, delivered in a way that rendered the point moot for all but peace of mind, only managed to twist the emotional knife.

Edited (Icon menu and touchpad don't get along.) 2013-01-15 06:59 (UTC)

She dropped down to her knees next to the grave, and nodded, rubbing her eyes. At least Margulis's token was more than a joke. Of course, that was Jin, though. She knew his book was important to him, but of all the things to give her... A book. Of course Jin would want to leave the impression that his departure was nothing important. Just a normal, every day occurrence like changing careers or a fight to the death.

He was silent and still for a moment, unsure how to handle this, before he slowly knelt down and put a hand lightly on her shoulder. To say their last meeting had left them on bad terms would be an understatement, true, but it was clear that Jin's disappearance had hurt her at least as much as it had him, if not more. It was difficult not to sympathize with her in a situation like this.

"I'm sorry..."

She covered her face with the hand she was using to wipe at her eyes.

"For all of it, I... I didn't even mean it. I'm sorry."

Which was true. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to be so antagonistic at times, or why she chose somewhat inappropriate times to bring that fact up.

He hadn't been expecting the apology and it took him off guard for a moment, but he quickly regained what little composure he'd had left to begin with.

"And I reacted with more aggression than your accusations warranted. I've been growing distinctly impatient with those who recognize me primarily as the commander of U-TIC."

"I knew you weren't the same as the Margulis we met before. But, I took my frustration out on you, and... I just wanted you to know that."

She went quiet after that, and stared somberly down at the dirt.