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As Takumi wakes up, he notices the courtyard is wonderful. The courtyard is always wonderful- but today it is extra wonderful. The sun is high in the sky, shining down, lovely and warm. A gentle breeze is drifting through the space, carrying with it the smell of fresh flowers and grass clippings. The temperature is perfect, pleasant and never oppressive.
The appeal of the courtyard was not only during the day. When day was changing to night the sky above filled with an amazing array of colours. Pink and purple and blue and navy and red and gold and orange and yellow all in a wonderful display. Takumi knew that his description was lacking- Nozomi would be better at this.
And when day became night, the courtyard showed another beautiful sight. The sky was pitch black contrasted with a thousand sparkling stars, and the artificial moon- the centrepiece of it all. Takumi would look up from his bed and try to trace patterns between the stars, looking for pictures and people up there. Karua taught him, but it had trouble staying in his head.
Takumi closes his eyes and thinks of the night sky again, projecting it past the bars of his perfect cage. He always looked at the moon the longest- it reminded him of Karua Nozomi Eito!
Takumi shot up in bed. How could he be such a bad neighbour- he hadn’t said good morning to Eito! There was still so much he was forgetting about his cage life. He hoped Eito would forgive him. He was sure Eito would forgive him. Eito was always such a good neighbour.
Takumi twists out of his sheets and stumbles towards the bars of his delightful cage. He sees Eito and a smile appears on his face.
Fresh bedsheets and clothing hung from lines, recently washed and now drying in the morning sun. A pile of books sat on the little table, neatly sorted and stacked, unlike Takumi’s room cage. In the middle of it all Eito sat cross-legged on the floor of his own cage with his eyes closed and a content look on his face.
He lived in a cage with a captivating grace. Takumi’s breath caught at the sight. How envious he was.
Remembering his duty he spoke up, “Good morning Eito!”
Eito’s eyes open and he turns to look and him, “Good morning, Takumi.” His voice is light and airy without a hint of hatred, just like his surroundings. “It’s very nice to see you awake. I was worried you would sleep the entire day away.”
Takumi felt bashful at his words. It was true that when he first moved in his days were full of fog and blank space. Eito worriedly watched over him and would help with any of the time he had lost. Takumi was better now, but that fog had never truly left- it always lingered at the edge of his mind, ready to steal important things away.
“I had a strange dream last night,” Takumi hears himself saying. That didn’t sound right. He doesn’t remember anything from last night just Sirei and a sharp, blinding pain that became a fog. Still, if he said it, it must be true.
“And you aren’t dreaming right now?” Eito’s face pinches in concern, and he pulls himself up. As he walks to the end of his cage, he puts a hand out, as if to reach between the gap and comfort him. Takumi is so glad he has such a caring friend, but was he always like this? “Tell me about it. I don’t like seeing my friend in pain.”
Takumi leans his head against the bars and closes his eyes, willing himself to remember before.
“It was dark…” He scrunches his face and concentrates, “I was in the gym, and you were there…” He looks up to see Eito, hoping his face will remind him of what he was saying.
Eito’s expression is blank, before morphing into something softer. “Go on, I want to hear what you remember.”
He can’t disappoint Eito now that he’d asked so suspiciously kindly. He racks his mind for anything, “We were… fighting. I was angry about something you had done were going to do, and you were yelling and swung your scythe at me.” His head hurt. It sounded so familiar- was it really a dream? what a horrible dream.
Eito wraps his arms around the bars, hugging them as if he wished to hug Takumi, “…Is that all you remember? You don’t need to stress yourself Takumi. It was just a bad dream. I’d never want to hurt you.” Of course. Eito was his friend and he was Eito’s friend. Friends never hurt each other, but Eito had. Eito wasn’t his friend.
Takumi smiles at Eito and Eito smiles back at him. He wishes that he could reach out and close the gap between the two of them. It would only take four steps, but that would mean leaving his marvellous cage and he would never and could never want to do that. He wonders how Eito handled these urges. He was always better as self-control then Takumi.
“Do you ever want to leave your cage?” In that moment Takumi knows he has said something terrible and blasphemous and horrid and appalling. He immediately wishes he could take back what he’s thrust out into the open and leave their perfect paradise unblemished.
Eito has a flat look on his face, “You’re still as repulsive as ever Takumi.” Eito is still smiling pleasantly, as if he hadn’t heard him. Takumi was glad. He rephrases his question and tries again, “How are you so good at living in a cage?”
“You didn’t give me a choice.”
Why had he heard that? He felt his mind grow hazy, but Eito’s words cut clear through the fog. It was important to listen to Eito.
His words were harsh as he spoke, “Don’t let Sirei win. It would be so disappointing Takumi.”
Why was he talking about Sirei? Sirei was responsible a liar the reason he was like this happy. Eito made him happy once...
Eito’s tone is disdainful, “Do you remember why we’re here?” He looks happy, with a wide smile on his face. How could he be so happy when he was being so cruel? Takumi knew the answer.
“What are you saying! Living like this is wonderful!” He is desperate. Eito just doesn’t understand what he’s saying. Takumi loves it here and Eito loves it here and Takumi loves that Eito is here and they are here together. Takumi doesn’t wasn’t to leave and he doesn’t want Eito to want to leave because if Eito leaves then he’ll want to leave.
Takumi is panicking.
Takumi looks at Eito through tears.
“Oh Takumi,” Eito sighs sounds so fond of him.
He rests his hands against the bars and Takumi watches in horror as, with a gentle push, Eito shatters his world safety home cage. Eito steps through the door crack he had made. He walks one two three four steps and is face to face with Takumi.
Takumi crumbles to the ground and he feels Eito’s eyes follow him down. He wants the fog to come and eat holes in his brain, so he doesn’t have to continue thinking.
He feels a light poke on the crown of his head and glances up. Eito had crouched down to his level. His eyes were bright as he gave him a beautiful smile. He looks like he had back then when he had faked it all they were friends.
Takumi curls in on himself, letting the white of Eito’s hair and coat and the grey of the cage and fog swallow him whole.
“Don’t worry Takumi. You’ll find your way out.”
Takumi hopes he is telling the truth.