Pheonix Down

Then you would never be at peace if you died... I don't want that!
Nor do I want you to leave...
*legs collapse from underneath and drops to the floor, hanging head forward and tears dripping onto the floor endlessly*
M... Ma... Maaaael... please don't die...
*voice drones, sounding lethargic and rather disconnected*

*picks her up off the ground*
Don't do that Shizuka..you'll get yourself dirty...

S-Stooop...
*voice sounds whiny and body stays loose*
Maaa~el, please don't leave...
*voice changes pitches and cuts off short by coughing*

*sighs and watches as Kenji flies into the flower shop*
Shizuka..you're getting sick, you should be resting, not worrying about me.

*shuts eyes and shakes head, clutching Mael's sleeve*
No... nooo... don't die, please Mael...
*coughs and shuts eyes, dropping head back*

*picks her up into his arms and begins to walk down the steps*
You need to get back to your dorm..

*moves around and shakes head, fluttering eyes as voice becomes completely lethargic*
S-.... stop it... I'm not le... leeeeaving.
*coughs and gasps for air, clenching Mael's sleeve tighter as knuckles turn white*

Shizuka, you're getting sick, and you're probably exhausted.
You need to get home.

*takes a while to speak, the word not coming out*
..... no.... no~oo...
*voice changes octaves and closes eyes halfway, moving around to slip from Mael's arms*

*sighs and lets her down*

*drops to the floor and flutters eyes, movements and speech drowzy and slurred*
*gets cold shivers and stays still, catching breath*

*slowly walks over and picks Shizuka up again*
If you try to slip out, I'll make sure you're thinking of nothing but a beach in ancient greece until it's too late to wriggle out
*said warningly*

*grunts in response to Mael's threat and closes eyes, shaking head childishly*
*clutches Mael's coat again tightly and looks down to the floor, tearing up*

*wipes her tears with the back of his coat pocket and looks curiously at her*
What happened to that other coat I gave you anyways, hmm?

It's on my bed...
*tries to enunciate the sentence, eyes fluttering and looking around*
... good as new too...

(I have to go to sleep! We can pick up tomorrow ^_^!)

*nods*
Keep it..
It's good luck.

(K ^_^ Night Zuka!)

*Walks into the shop*
This used to be where Kuro worked...
*Searches for Mael*
"Mael. If you're here, talk to me."

"Guess he's not here then..."
*Walks out of the shop*
The next place he could be... where would it be?
The park?
*Walks in the direction of the park*

*watches Kagami walk by and shakes his head*

*punches Mael's chest weakly and drops to the floor on feet, eyes regaining some life*
M-Mael.... I'm scared....
*tears up and begins trembling, eyes widening*
Someone....

*walks into the shop, relaxing and kicking back in a chair, leaning his head on his right hand*

Ravaged by time and wars, the academy was desolate, achingly lonely as naught but a single living creature traversed its cracked and worn cobblestone streets anymore. Crumbling buildings lined the empty streets, hollow and staring out on the world with vacant eyes. Winter took well to the effect of abandonment, cradling the forgotten academy in its bitter chill as naked trees shivered in the wind. Their skeletal branches scraped the burnt and scarred bricks, empty of even the blackest of birds to perch within the fragile cage of their embrace. A sigh built within the woman wandering down memory lane, as it were, and she lifted her face to the dove grey sky. Yes. This was the place.

She was young, the woman—perhaps early to mid twenties—but as she wandered the streets, her eyes betrayed that façade, old beyond her years. Long, honey blonde hair flowed behind her on an errant breeze as she scanned the streets with watchful blue eyes. In spite of the cold weather, she was dressed in a set of form-fitting white jeans tucked into charcoal grey boots with only the slightest heel and wore only a long-sleeved jade green sweater as a top, no jacket. For anyone who had known her long enough that was not the only missing article of clothing, however; the silver chain she normally kept tucked beneath her neckline was missing.

One hand tucked into her pocket, she approached the door to the old tea shop, staring up at the faded and peeling paint. Memories washed over her in waves as she opened the door to the ringing of a bell, smiling faintly at the vaguest memory of drunkenly trying to open the door the wrong way. She stepped in from the cold, the door clicking shut with a soft finality behind her, and gazed about at the dusty old establishment, surprised that it had survived so long. An ominous prickling at the back of her scalp raised the hairs on the back of her neck, but she paid it little mind. Spirits had always haunted this place, and in this day and age, they roamed the academy all over. That was, after all, why she was here.

Sinking down into a plush chair near Kuro’s favorite old tea table, she waved away the dust and leaned her head back, shutting her eyes. For a moment, she stayed quiet, then, tentatively, she addressed the darkness.

“Mael?” she murmured. “Can you hear me, old man?”

An echo of a woman's familiar laughter accompanied by a painfully familiar chuckle filled the air as a deep, resounding voice filled the air. The collection of a few bright lights lingered in the area, gathering to resemble a foggy shape at first, and finally settling to reveal a vibrant form slowly. First came the familiar long blonde hair, eyes of a golden color that could pierce the depths of hell covered in glasses that lent him a look of benevolence. His impressive beard followed, preceding broadened shoulders that were dressed in a white collared shirt with sleeves rolled to the top of his forearms. His powerful form filled the room as his legs were revealed to be wearing khaki slacks and nice brown shoes.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." came the familiar voice, given that spirit-y rasp that lent credence to his having departed.

The spirit of the old man held every bit of powerful influence as he once did, the other spirits lights edging away as the corporeal Mael walked over to the wooden chair he sat in so often, sitting down and looking across at the wanderer.

"Boo." he said, a loud boisterous laugh following that shook the aging ceiling.

While not many things could spook the blonde anymore, Mael’s appearance certainly did startle her a little. The laughter was not unexpected, ghosts of old memories floating about this place as they were, though it did pierce her chest with pain. It was when he actually spoke that her eyes snapped open and she shot to attention, her back ramrod straight and her eyes wide and wary as she looked at the ghost sitting before her. Finally, she laughed with him and relaxed back into her chair, putting her hand to her eyes.

“Why am I not surprised that you actually can come back from the grave? I suppose the spiritual energy here is just that strong, or else you like watching me talk to myself in all the other places I’ve tried talking with you,” she snorted in amusement.

At the memory, she grimaced and sighed, dropping her hand so that she could take in the sight of her old friend. As if she hadn’t learned from her recent experiences, seeing him and knowing that he was truly gone hurt. Leaning back, she drank in the sight of him, his glasses and his old man’s beard. It made her smile, seeing him, though it was laced with pain.

“I’ve missed you, you know?” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to disturb you from your afterlife, though. It sounded like you and your wife were having a good time. I just…needed someone to talk to.”

"While that may be something I would do from time to time, I frequent this place alone. I have no pressing urge to see things that may make me wish to return, though this time, sadly, I cannot." he answered.

Her smile hid nothing from the old man's eyes. Spirit or not, he could see that she hurt in many ways from his departure, and evidently had not heeded his advice. His smile faded into a face of seriousness that few could match, and he spoke as if he were slightly cross with his old friend.

"As I have you, and many other things that come with being alive. However, I think I've earned the right to die after all my long years." he reflected with a sigh.

"I see you haven't heeded my advice to live if you truly have found no one else to talk to among the living, hmm? Part of living is finding a partner with whom you can confide. I've left you plenty, I believe. My protege, my son, my godson, and my dearest of friends still reside in the world of the living. Not that I won't be here for you in your moment of need." he began, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"I just want you to be happy. Living by the ghosts of the past is...not an easy path, and often makes people older, if I am any example at all. Or your old partner, Alexandre." Mael replied, gaining that smile near the end at his own poke at his old age in his more recent years among the living.

The corporeal Mael shifted forward in his seat, holding out transparent hands to her in a gesture of kindness following his rebuff of her current state. His old eyes glistened with what would've been sadness, but no tears could fall from the whispy eyes that gleamed before her.

"That said, what is it that bothers you dear? What words of wisdom can this old man impart on you today, hmm?" he asked, leaving his hands out for her to grab as she saw fit.