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Her face, bearing the same usual look as she lets her mind wander a bit. Staring at a specific brick in Belle’s room. Though her concentration on said brick was cut short due to being prodded by the girl herself.
“Miyabi.”
Her ears, flicking as her head turned her way. “Yes, Belle?”
A smile soon turned into a light chuckle as she looked away from the fox. Confused by the sudden light hearted laughing coming from Belle, though, she would be lying that it didn’t make her own heart flutter.
“Don’t worry about it, I was just wanting to let you know that we’re gonna watch that movie you wanted to see!”
Belle ecstatically moved with the video tape in hand, moving to the tv she had in her room as she inserted into the player, Miyabi watched before suddenly questioning her. “What tape?”
“Oh come on Miyabi… the one you kept telling me you wanted to watch, remember?” She groaned a bit, whining as she flopped on the couch, grabbing the remote that was on the makeshift coffee table. Which was just a big ol’ black container.
As she looked at the screen, she closed her eyes to see if she can remember. Of course, the answer would come to her quickly, her own ears flicking as she then opened her eyes and drew their attention back to Belle.
“I remember, the movie poster you have on your wall”
Belle, looked back at the poster, a small bittersweet smile appearing on her face. “Yeah… any reason why you wanted to see it?”
Miyabi looked at her, staring before nodding after a second. Moving her hand over Belle’s, squeezing them as she let a small smile show.
“I wanted to watch it cause it reminds me a lot of you.”
Belle, wides eyes before laughing, leaning forwards at Miyabi before looking at the fox thiren, eventually she squeezed her hand, looking directly at Miyabi.
“It’s okay… It wasn’t your fault.”
Miyabi’s smile faltered, her eyes searching over Belle by the odd comment she just made.
“Belle?”
“It’s okay, Miyabi… It’s okay.”
Gasping for air, Miyabi lifted herself up atop the bed, hair frizzled as she took quick, rapid breaths of air, looking around the room before seeing This Is How I Am playing on the small television, the documentary going on as it explained how life was then before the Hollow disaster.
She looked around, her ear flicking as she grabbed her phone, which was under the ladybug pillow. Picking it up and turning it on to see the time.
It was a quarter past two in the morning. She had work and knew she needed rest.
Especially with how things have been going in her life, it was an odd thing to see. The great Void Hunter, Hoshimi Miyabi, now moping around and her stare more emotionless.
She rubbed her eyes, shortly letting herself fall in the bed. Belle’s bed.
One…
Two…
Three…
Four…
Inhale.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this, she wasn’t supposed to leave, to leave her.
One…
Two…
Three…
Four…
Exhale.
One…
Two…
Three…
Four…
An inhale of the sheets, it still smelt like her. The way her body wash smelt, especially the melon fragrant she always used when they hung out. Though it still had that recognizable smell Belle carried naturally.
She remembered when her brother pulled her out of the hollow near Port Elpis. The Phaethon twins went in after they took down Bringer, hoping they could find answers. Though in a last ditch effort, he unleashed a large explosion. Before Bringer could do any real damage, Belle pushed Wise off the dock ledge and into the water below to save him.
It was a victory that lasted short, Belle wasn’t responding. Her heart wasn’t beating the way it always did. Miyabi was the first to notice once she was pulled out.
The following days til now, she’s just been in Belle’s room, sleeping and dreaming. Wishing it was all a nightmare.
Morning eventually came, getting up from the sheets of Belle’s bed, she dragged herself out towards the hallway, seeing Wise coming up with two coffee mugs.
“Oh, hey Miss Miyabi.” Wise greeted her, walking forwards before stopping.
She stared at the coffee, it smelt rich, yet bitter.
The way Belle liked it.
“Wanna sit down and talk about it?” He offered her some solace during the time she grieved.
Without much thinking, she nodded, grabbing the coffee before walking back in Belle’s room, sitting down as she sipped it. Wise eventually joined her on the couch.
“You okay?”
No… no she wasn’t, in fact it’s been so long since she’s felt this way, this pain. She should be used to it by now, even after losing her mother. Maybe she isn’t as strong willed as she thought she was.
“I miss her.”
Wise understood, Belle and Miyabi were… well they were something. Wise knew her sister was into her, even after gushing about how cool Miyabi is and this and that, fangirling.
Though one night Belle did confirm that to Wise, telling her that she likes her a lot. Though he wasn’t sure if Miyabi ever felt the same way towards Belle.
Though a brief look at the stand where Belle put Miyabi’s hair pin at, she was somewhat sure that Miyabi had some thoughts of his sister.
“I miss her too… a lot” He stated, replying back to her as he took another long sip of his coffee.
“I never told her.”
Wise, looking back at Miyabi as she placed her mug down on the table, he watched as she got up and moved to the window to look out. “I never told Belle why I gave her my hair pin. The true meaning behind it.”
Her crimson eyes, glossing over the displayed hairpin on the drawer. Slowly making her way to the display of pictures, statues and other things Belle was into, though the pin sat by itself, a shelf where it showed high importance.
“It was in trust, for the both of you.”
Her heart ached and burned as she talked. Though she didn’t fully understand why.
“I wanted to be by her side. To be the blade that protects her, the weapon that protects her smile.”
Her prosthetic arm, clutching at her shirt as she closed her eyes, seeing the same blue hair flow as she pictured the last time they were truly together, just them.
A short walk along the river, Belle gushing about whatever to Miyabi while she listened on, smiling as she listened about whatever movie Belle was currently watching or rewatching.
The memory, distant, yet it felt close, so close. The memory burned in her, comforting her like a fireplace.
“I wanted to be with her, everywhere.” She looked at the wall of pictures, seeing one of her and Belle, Miyabi staring at the camera with that usual stone face, while Belle smiled, fingers up as she looked her happiest.
She knew her goals, what she wanted. Miyabi is probably the only person Belle has spoken to about what they want, their plans on revealing the truth. The days where she went alongside her on commissions, hearing her voice brought out the best in Miyabi, her heart pumped faster than it ever has before, her stomach churned and fluttered at her voice. Her face grew in warmth as Belle held her hand, taking pictures with her and watching movies.
“Miyabi.”
Breaking Miyabi’s train of thought, she turned her body to see Wise walking over to the desk in Belle’s room, pulling it open before grabbing a box. A small gift it looked like.
“She left this… I know she wanted to give it to you, after everything with Bringer…”
A white cardboard box, a blue ribbon warped around it with a small tag showing her name. With a heavy heart, she pulled the ribbon off and opened the gift, seeing a letter and what seemed to be a hairpin, though it looked like it was made from parts of Bangboo, wielded down into a hairpin, resembling Eous somewhat, down to the yellow scarf with the number “01” on it.
After examining the hairpin, she looked at the folded letter, opening it to see what was written within.
“Dear Miyabi, I know we’ve talked and hung out but there is something I want to tell you, I wanted to tell you that I liked you for a while now. Ever since I helped you inside that hollow in the Outer Ring, I know I’m a proxy and you’re a Void Hunter, an unlikely pair. I’m no good with words, nor am I at writing them. But I wanted to say that I love being around you, you’re amazing in ways my heart can’t quite describe, the way you always turn every silly thing into ‘training’ which is funny and cute. Your unusual love for melons is awesome and you are just so… you’re just so amazing in general. I know it sounds like I’m repeating myself, and quite frankly I’ve been stumped on what to tell you, cause there’s a lot I like about you. But I think the best way to summarize all that I like about you by just saying I like you for you, I love the person Miyabi is. I am eternally grateful for you saving me too. Since I’m your proxy… can I be your partner?
- Love Belle”
Miyabi’s eyes, scanning over the words, the erases here and there, seeing some spots darker due to the amount of erasing she did. Her heart burned as she looked over the last part, those last written words.
“Can I be your partner…” Her words hushed, hands holding the paper in a gentle manner. Suddenly she felt her throat burn, her chest ached and soon she realized the paper below began having droplets fall on it’s surface.
“Miyabi?”
Wise walked closer, Miyabi wiped her face, seeing the salty water slowly seep out of her eyes. “I’m fine Wise.”
Wise stopped, nodding. Slowly he left the room, letting her have time to herself.
Closed eyes to break the tears away, holding the paper close to her chest, closing the gap between the page and her heart.
One…
Two…
Three…
Four…
Inhale.
One…
Two…
Three…
Four…
Exhale.
Repeat.
It’s been a week since she knew she had to train harder. Not just for everyone in New Eridu… but mainly for Belle.
Her Belle.
She was over at the office, at her desk with a scroll down on it, brush in hand and ink to the side. Harumasa slept after finally finishing up some paperwork, Yanagi was out doing some errands and scheduling down meetings for her team that she had to reschedule again. Soukaku was at her desk snacking on something.
She eventually finished whatever she got her hands on, deciding to see what Miyabi was up to. Getting up from her desk and waltzing over, walking to the side before seeing something displayed near her computer she had.
“Miss Miyabi, where did you get that from?” Soukaku’s eyes shined as she looked at the hairpin that sat on her desk, scanning over it.
Her hands down on her scrolls with her ink on her brush, stroking and painting the paper with ease. Suddenly stopping to look over at the displayed hairpin.
“Someone special, Soukaku.”
Her eyes shined even brighter, looking at it more before turning them upwards to Miyabi, laying her chest on her desk.
“Really! That’s so cool!”
She smiled a bit, taking a long gaze at the hairpin, seeing Eous in her head.
“Yes… it’s amazing.”