[ oh god late-ass vacation day 1??? backdated to the 3rd. ish. ]

[hasaringonit]

[ Hello, Zawame City, you have a tiny visitor in a cute pink coat and her super cute new boots all but hiding behind your enormous graperider and maybe also possibly she has a hand curled into the sleeve of his shirt ]

This is Kureshima-san's home?

Comments

[hasaringonit]

[ SOMETIME LATER you will probably hear tiny feet shuffling through the halls. By now it's probably late at night and there's a good chance Micchi is doing that thing weak mortals do and is curled up in bed somewhere. And this time, rather than her cute pink coat, she has a fluffy red cloak with the symbol from her ring embroidered over the heart and Norse runes along the hem ]

[doesntfallfar]

[By then he is sitting by himself with the phone on the table. He's never asleep so he's just resting

and listening to the feet in the hall, apparently.

Sits up to prepare for whatever is about to happen.]

[hasaringonit]

[ Not much more than a lady politely admiring the architecture, but if there's a light on she may come to investigate ]

Hello?

[doesntfallfar]

Miss Koyomi.

[inclining his head to.]

[hasaringonit]

[ That's an invitation, right? She'll step in, but only just inside the door ]

I apologize for the intrusion, Kureshima-san.

[doesntfallfar]

Any friend of Mitsuzane's is welcome here. Please make yourself comfortable.

[hasaringonit]

[ Well, if you insist. She'll take a seat in some chair a respectful distance away ]

Thank you. Is Kureshima-san unable to sleep? It is very late.

[doesntfallfar]

I had a lot of work to attend to. I'm usually up this late. What about you?

[Motioning a hand over]

[hasaringonit]

I'm--

[ a pause ]

I am unable to sleep.

[ This is safer phrasing than "I don't need to sleep" ]

[doesntfallfar]

If that is the case, you are welcome to sit here as long as you need to. I may have to go back to the office at any time.

[hasaringonit]

[ Oniisan, I'll be here all night if you say that. ]

It won't be any trouble?

[doesntfallfar]

[I am fine with that, non-threatening loli]

It's no trouble at all. Usually, it's just Mitsuzane and I here anyway.

[hasaringonit]

[ LBR even if you could see the sweet-ass dagger I keep in my bodice I'm still about as threatening as a paper bag ]

Kureshima-san has told me much about Kureshima-oniisan in the past. It is nice to finally make your acquaintance.

[doesntfallfar]

[I'm not even perturbed by the orange.]

Did he? I didn't think he'd speak about me so much.

[hasaringonit]

[ Nodding slowly ]

That he wishes to make amends. That he wanted to try to atone for his past mistakes. I do not know the full story, but he seems sincere.

[doesntfallfar]

That is something I'm sure he and I will discuss at a later time.

[It's not an easy subject, but that's also his little brother.]

[hasaringonit]

There are times it may seem to be so, but he has not yet lost hope.

[doesntfallfar]

You talk to him about ti a lot?

[An outside source might not be so bad. maybe.]

[hasaringonit]

I would not say as much. I understand he made mistakes in the past, and at the time believed he was doing the right thing. To what end, or what he did, I do not know, but he does feel remorse.

[doesntfallfar]

What he did hurt many people. There were a lot of lives and well-beings in the balance and he behaved selfishly.

However, he has been punishing himself more than anyone else could hope to. [If that memory was anything to go by]

[hasaringonit]

[ I saw that memory too. It was not pretty :( ]

He wants to take responsibility. He does, I believe the saying goes, have his heart in the right place. It's just that his methods were wrong, from what I understand.

[ Dropping her head a little and her voice is getting quieter ]

Kureshima-san has nightmares, sometimes. And sometimes, Kureshima-oniisan is there, too.

[doesntfallfar]

[He didn't know about the nightmares. Then again, the daymares also look pretty bad.]

They still happen?

[hasaringonit]

With less frequency, now. For that, I am glad.

[doesntfallfar]

That's good to hear.

I don't like placing my responsibilities on others, but I would like to ask you to look out for him.

[hasaringonit]

Kureshima-san has been kind to me, and has accepted me. And while he is a resident of my hotel, I will do what I am able to ensure his stay is an enjoyable one. After Haruto, I have become accustomed to caring for silly boys who sometimes take things too far.