[ it's late afternoon that nami appears at the jiang-jin household — there's a huge suitcase that floats behind her as she quite simply walks in, not even knocking. after yanli hadn't showed up for their magic practice lesson (something she'd never missed before), nami had tried contacting her... only to find that she couldn't.
it was the same thing that had happened with alex. if she couldn't reach yanli... that meant she was no longer in the city.
she'd barged out of her lesson with a hurried shout of sorry, I have to go.
she had run back to her house, packed up all her clothes and other essentials, and then was on her way.
but back to the present. once she's inside the house, she lets the suitcase fall on the floor with a thunk and calls out, hesitant, ]
A-Cheng...? [ she figures he'll hear her if he's home; if not, if he's decided to go and grieve his sister's departure somewhere else alone, then she'll stay and wait until he comes back.
[Jiang Cheng was indeed still at home. He didn't feel much like going out at the moment. Here he was sitting up in his room with Li Mei. The cat was good company even if she was currently pretending to kill a toy mouse with her hind feet.
Hearing the sound of the door open and something thunk down in the house, Li Mei stopped trying to kill the mouse and looked up, Jiang Cheng himself getting up and heading in the direction of sound when he heard her call out]
[ oh — he's home, then. good. she waits until he appears in the doorway and then she's beelining to him, throwing her arms around him. ]
When Yanli-chan didn't come to the magic lesson, I tried contacting her... it didn't go through. It was the same thing that happened with Alex-chan a while ago — she's gone... isn't she? Oh, A-Cheng, I'm so sorry.
[ she sounds it, too, the way her voice is tight and sad. she's not quite crying, but not far from it, either. ]
[He had been able to hold it together at least as much as possible when he was alone. He had already cried about it when he had awoken to find both her and Zixuan gone. Well, mostly her. Zixuan was his brother-in-law, but he knew that it would hurt Jin Ling, them both being gone.
But now that she was here, he couldn't help himself, beginning to cry yet again]
She's gone, A-mi. They both are.
[He put his arms around her as well, holding on tightly to her]
[ she seems to have expected that — she knew he'd be upset, of course, that was why she'd rushed to see him as soon as she'd realised that yanli was gone.
nami leans the side of her head against his, letting him cry, just holding on to him. ]
... both of them? Oh. [ she sighs sadly; perhaps it's a kindness, that neither of the couple had to stay behind. but it's not a kindness to those who were left here.
she doesn't say anything more for a while; she knows empty words of consolation don't do much. instead, once he seems to have exhausted his tears for the moment, nami pulls back a little and lets go of him — though only to lift her hand and place her palm against his cheek. ]
A-Cheng, I promise, you're not alone. I'm here, okay? I'm here and I'm going to stay here, with you, as long as you want. I know it's not the same... but you're not alone.
[He continued to keep his arms around her, metaphorically leaning on her. He wasn't literally because he didn't want to make her fall over... okay maybe a little bit, but not so much. Yes, it was good that they hadn't been left alone, their partner gone, but it was still painful for those who they had left behind]
Thank you.... It's hard, losing her again. But... you're here.
[Having someone helped. He hadn't had that luxury last time]
[ she doesn't mind it, not metaphorical or literal leaning — she may not look it, but she is plenty strong enough to support his weight. gently, she moves their foreheads together, leans her head against his for a moment. it's strange; somehow, seeing him this upset hurts her far worse than any of the wounds she's sustained back home. ]
... I can only imagine. [ perhaps after a time, he'll feel glad that he was able to have the time he had with her, here — but the time for that isn't now. he needs the time to grieve, first.
but — ] Yes, I am. And I'll stay here. I can't promise anything against this world... but I can promise that as long as it's up to me, I won't leave you.
[ she says that with as much conviction as possible, moving back to look at him so he can see just how much she means this... on the way, she decides to kiss his cheek, but due to the movement, she miscalculates and the kiss ends up landing more to the corner of his mouth. ]
[He closed his eyes as her head rested against his. It was comforting, feeling that warmth and companionship when it felt like he didn't have that at the moment.
He is glad that she is here, but he definitely did need time to grieve the loss of his sister again]
Thank you.
[Her conviction definitely came through and it meant a lot to him. He didn't mind at all her failed attempt to kiss his cheek which ended up almost kissing him on the lips]
I'll... I'll try not to leave either.
[He knew how much it hurt. He didn't want her to feel the same way did right now. And his arms tightened just a little bit more around her]
[ she, too, holds a little tighter to him — just the thought of him leaving is painful.
eventually, though, she does let go. gesturing to her suitcase, ]
Where should I take this? I... I'll make you something to eat, once I've got that out of the way. I'll be here for company, if you want, but if you need to be alone, that's okay too.
[ she shakes her head at that, a wordless no need to thank me. ]
It's the least I can do. But... do you think Li Mei would take well to Tangerine if I brought her here? I left her at the house for now, Sanji-kun is taking care of the house and the garden... but I think she'll miss me, if I leave her there.
I think that she would be fine. She does fine with the boy cats. Besides, she might like to have her sister to be able to spend time with. They can try to keep the toys away from the boy cats together.
Then, I'll bring her here too! I'm sure they'll make a great team against the boys.
[ as they get to the room, nami is happy to see there's little to actually do with it, except maybe light dusting... but that's it. she leaves her suitcase there and turns back to jiang cheng. ]
Do you want to come with me as I cook, or...? [ would he prefer being on his own, is the latter half of the question; one she leaves unsaid, but thinks he must understand what she means regardless. ]
after yanli's departure from aef;
Date: 2021-02-02 06:57 pm (UTC)it was the same thing that had happened with alex. if she couldn't reach yanli... that meant she was no longer in the city.
she'd barged out of her lesson with a hurried shout of sorry, I have to go.
she had run back to her house, packed up all her clothes and other essentials, and then was on her way.
but back to the present. once she's inside the house, she lets the suitcase fall on the floor with a thunk and calls out, hesitant, ]
A-Cheng...? [ she figures he'll hear her if he's home; if not, if he's decided to go and grieve his sister's departure somewhere else alone, then she'll stay and wait until he comes back.
after all, she's here to stay, now. ]
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Date: 2021-02-03 03:24 am (UTC)Hearing the sound of the door open and something thunk down in the house, Li Mei stopped trying to kill the mouse and looked up, Jiang Cheng himself getting up and heading in the direction of sound when he heard her call out]
A-mi?
[And he was approaching rather quickly]
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Date: 2021-02-07 07:29 pm (UTC)When Yanli-chan didn't come to the magic lesson, I tried contacting her... it didn't go through. It was the same thing that happened with Alex-chan a while ago — she's gone... isn't she? Oh, A-Cheng, I'm so sorry.
[ she sounds it, too, the way her voice is tight and sad. she's not quite crying, but not far from it, either. ]
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Date: 2021-02-08 01:46 am (UTC)But now that she was here, he couldn't help himself, beginning to cry yet again]
She's gone, A-mi. They both are.
[He put his arms around her as well, holding on tightly to her]
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Date: 2021-02-09 09:03 pm (UTC)nami leans the side of her head against his, letting him cry, just holding on to him. ]
... both of them? Oh. [ she sighs sadly; perhaps it's a kindness, that neither of the couple had to stay behind. but it's not a kindness to those who were left here.
she doesn't say anything more for a while; she knows empty words of consolation don't do much. instead, once he seems to have exhausted his tears for the moment, nami pulls back a little and lets go of him — though only to lift her hand and place her palm against his cheek. ]
A-Cheng, I promise, you're not alone. I'm here, okay? I'm here and I'm going to stay here, with you, as long as you want. I know it's not the same... but you're not alone.
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Date: 2021-02-12 02:17 am (UTC)Thank you.... It's hard, losing her again. But... you're here.
[Having someone helped. He hadn't had that luxury last time]
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Date: 2021-02-13 07:14 pm (UTC)... I can only imagine. [ perhaps after a time, he'll feel glad that he was able to have the time he had with her, here — but the time for that isn't now. he needs the time to grieve, first.
but — ] Yes, I am. And I'll stay here. I can't promise anything against this world... but I can promise that as long as it's up to me, I won't leave you.
[ she says that with as much conviction as possible, moving back to look at him so he can see just how much she means this... on the way, she decides to kiss his cheek, but due to the movement, she miscalculates and the kiss ends up landing more to the corner of his mouth. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-02-15 12:03 am (UTC)He is glad that she is here, but he definitely did need time to grieve the loss of his sister again]
Thank you.
[Her conviction definitely came through and it meant a lot to him. He didn't mind at all her failed attempt to kiss his cheek which ended up almost kissing him on the lips]
I'll... I'll try not to leave either.
[He knew how much it hurt. He didn't want her to feel the same way did right now. And his arms tightened just a little bit more around her]
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Date: 2021-02-19 06:46 pm (UTC)eventually, though, she does let go. gesturing to her suitcase, ]
Where should I take this? I... I'll make you something to eat, once I've got that out of the way. I'll be here for company, if you want, but if you need to be alone, that's okay too.
[ whatever he needs. ]
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Date: 2021-02-20 01:53 am (UTC)Come. I'll show you to a room. It's not completely made up. [Since he hadn't been expecting someone to show up] But we have everything for it.
[As they started walking] I would like you to stay for a while.
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Date: 2021-02-20 06:36 pm (UTC)... good. Because I'm not in any hurry to leave.
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Date: 2021-02-22 03:03 am (UTC)And I'm not a hurry to ask you to.
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Date: 2021-02-22 09:05 pm (UTC)Good, [ she repeats, looking down, and wonders just why the thought that he wants her to stay makes her feel so warm and happy. ]
If there's anything else than cooking that I can do around the house... let me know, okay?
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Date: 2021-02-23 02:02 am (UTC)But he took her hand as they started to walk in the direction of the room]
I will let you know... Thank you.
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Date: 2021-02-23 06:45 pm (UTC)It's the least I can do. But... do you think Li Mei would take well to Tangerine if I brought her here? I left her at the house for now, Sanji-kun is taking care of the house and the garden... but I think she'll miss me, if I leave her there.
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Date: 2021-02-23 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-03-01 06:56 pm (UTC)[ as they get to the room, nami is happy to see there's little to actually do with it, except maybe light dusting... but that's it. she leaves her suitcase there and turns back to jiang cheng. ]
Do you want to come with me as I cook, or...? [ would he prefer being on his own, is the latter half of the question; one she leaves unsaid, but thinks he must understand what she means regardless. ]
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Date: 2021-03-03 03:03 am (UTC)[Picking on his princess cat! Li Mei was a fuzzy princess and no one was going to tell him otherwise.
The room was in pretty good shape, just no one had been through in a little to do all the touch-up cleaning so it wasn't the worst option]
I'll come with you. Come.
wrapping up here?
Date: 2021-03-06 07:41 pm (UTC)[ it'll be good... keeping him busy. she's determined to help him deal with his sister's loss — starting by making him a good meal. ]
Sure!
Date: 2021-03-07 01:42 am (UTC)[it would certainly help, being her assistant in the kitchen]