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Mokuba. Popcorn.

Seto. Popcorn.

A crumpled letter. A locket.

And Ryuuji, sitting in front of the door to the Popcorn Room, knees drawn up against his chest, head resting on them, horribly still and quiet, ignoring all passerbys and only moving if someone stops in front of the door as if they want to enter.

Seto and Mokie'll have to return eventually. Maybe they'll do it faster if he's there, waiting.

Or maybe it'll hurt less if he just waits there for them, because this is as close as he can get. Or maybe he'll get turned too.

((Warning: Char is being insanely emo. Char is prone to snarking/sulking when emo. Mun will understand completely if nobody wants to interact with char at current moment.))

Date: 2006-10-11 07:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilypotter60.livejournal.com
Sometimes, when she couldn't sleep, Lily went to the Popcorn Room, to talk with the kernel of Albus Dumbledore. (http://lilypotter60.livejournal.com/2057.html) Oh, she knew, intellectually, that he couldn't hear her. She knew there was no way, really, for her to even know which kernel he was. But Lily had always felt like she could talk to him, like Dumbledore was someone who knew all the answers, even if he didn't share them with her. And so, when the nightmares (http://lilypotter60.livejournal.com/1854.html#cutid1) drove her awake, and Perry wasn't in her room to give her reason to stay, Lily wandered the halls; most nights, she ended up here.

Only today, she wasn't alone. As she rounded the corner, dark circles under her eyes and skin pale, she spotted Ryuuji. And she recognized his posture. For a moment, she just stood there, wondering if she should keep walking. Wondering if she shouldn't pry. But something made her sit down beside Ryuuji, drawing her own knees up and resting her chin on them. Silent for a bit, Lily finally said quietly, "Who was it?" Grief was evident in the man's very bearing. This in front of the Popcorn Room lead her to surmise that someone Ryuuji knew was now residing within. Tipping her head back to rest against the wall, Lily waited. Ryuuji could speak or not, as he pleased. But Lily knew, as much as she knew anything, that no one should have to grieve alone. So she'd sit with him.

Date: 2006-10-11 07:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilypotter60.livejournal.com
She swallowed hard and closed her own eyes. Merlin, both of them? Heart breaking for him, Lily sighed quietly. "I'm sorry." Murmured, because that's what you said. It's what Lily had said, Merlin, how many times before? To all the families of people they'd lost, to the wives or the fathers or the siblings or the children of those in houses with Dark Marks floating above. The worst, though, had been when there was no one to say 'I'm sorry' to. When everyone was gone, and you stood at a grave looking down at a family with no one left to mourn them. No one but the very people who'd failed them.

One hand went out to rest lightly at the back of his neck, just a small means of physical support. Lily knew, from personal experience, that grief was an isolating emotion. The tiniest gesture by someone else, then, could be that much more important. If Ryuuji moved or reacted in a way that was negative, she'd draw back immediately. But if he wanted someone to just be there, Lily was more than willing to do so.

Date: 2006-10-11 08:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilypotter60.livejournal.com
"Not yours, either," Lily responded, voice kind and soft and brokering no argument. Because she knew how she reacted to loss, knew it in such intimate terms that she'd yet to see herself beyond the light of grieving. And, with the pain, came the guilt. The wondering if it was, in any way, your fault. If you had reacted faster, put things together quicker, said one more word, not said that one thing, if you had just been more, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe you could have stopped it. And the guilt was quicker to invade, harder to push away, when the loss was senseless and random. Like murder. Like popcorn. Like waking up one day to find the entire world was different than how you'd left it and you couldn't go back, couldn't fix it, could only keep going forward even though you felt as if your lungs had been ripped out and your heart slashed to pieces and how could you live when they were gone?

But you did. Because you had to. You drew in another breath, your heart pounded another beat, you took another step, lived another moment, because you had to. Because, as comforting and as easy as it would be to follow those you'd lost, if you did, the senseless whatever that had taken them would win. And you couldn't let it. Even if your only purpose was to keep the memory of those you'd lost alive, that was enough. They deserved that and more; you gave what you could and strove for the rest.

Lily noticed that Sarah had (http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/941829.html?thread=46535685#t46535685) joined them, sitting on the other side of Ryuuji. Eyes going to her friend's, Lily shook her head sadly and looked back down at Ryuuji. Her thumb rubbed gently along the nape of his neck and she sat in silence. Eventually, Ryuuji was going to want to move. Perhaps to shout and throw things, perhaps to curl into a ball and sleep, perhaps something in between. Whatever it was, once he'd gotten past the initial, numbing shock of grief, Lily knew he'd need someone there. If only to listen whilst he ranted or pour him a cuppa or tuck him into bed as he tried to sleep away the world. And, knowing how close Sarah and Ryuuji were, Lily felt a small shot of relief that Sarah had somehow found her friend when he needed her.

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Date: 2006-10-11 07:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nopower-overme.livejournal.com
It came back.

Sarah's reply by paper dragon to Mokuba's paper airplane came back hours after she sent it and at first, she could not understand why. The charm was one she knew well, it should have gone right to him. That it did not was worrisome, but she simply decided to go to the suite and see if she could track down Mokuba in person or Ryuuji to leave a message with him. After all, it could just be a botched spell.

Only no one answered the door of the suite. Still not problematic, as she had her cellphone on her. Ryuuji was a short call away and all this would be cleared up. She dug it out of her pocket and waited for him to answer. Nothing. With a sick sort of feeling, she dialed the number completely rather than rely on speeddial, as though it would help.

"Ryuuji, answer your damned phone," she hissed desperately and when it went to voice mail, she hung up without leaving a message. Something was seriously wrong. The only thing left was to try looking through the school. She checked several places, stubbornly avoiding the popcorn room until finally, she gave in and went down the hallway, finding the person she sought, as well as Lily.

Silently, she walked up to the plaque and sucked in a breath at not one, but two names she recognized at the bottom. Oh dear God. Without a word to either, she dropped to the floor next to Ryuuji, laying a hand on his foot. She wanted to say something, to hug him... hell, she wanted to fix it and make it better, but right now just the simple touch.

Date: 2006-10-11 08:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nopower-overme.livejournal.com
The benefit of becoming best friends with someone was knowing what to look for when words did not come. He was not reacting to her presence and Sarah knew it, but it was not going to deter her. She squeezed his foot slightly and noted what he was clutching, not lingering on the note because it was likely private and instead shifting her focus to the locket. Oh God.

Her throat ached, but not for any loss that was hers - she had yet to have met Seto and had only spoken to Mokuba at her Sorting before today's letter. This was entirely for Ryuuji, who was going through something she could not even imagine. It was also something she could not fix and part of her knew she could not comfort. But she was not going to leave his side and she was going to do what she could, even if he did not take full notice of any of it.

She looked at Lily for a moment, acknowledging her presence in a way she knew her friend would understand, knowing that the focus here was Ryuuji. She moved closer to him, making her presence known now with the gentle contact of both her hands, one now on his leg and the other moving to his hair, gently brushing it back to see he had his eyes completely closed. It was an unnecessary gesture, but in the face of all of this she needed to do something and simple touch could still speak much better than words. 'I'm sorry' would be useless and empty and she did not want to resort to that.

"I'm here for you." The world were soft but distinct as her fingers brushed his cheek. These gestures, though restrained from the everyday, were no less lacking in affection. She doubted he would turn her away if she offered more, but she was not going to jump immediately into a hug and risk her fear of overwhelming him. That touch and those words were all she could offer him right now, to be here for him no matter if it helped or not. She would stay as long as it took.

Date: 2006-10-11 08:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] estebanmd.livejournal.com
Stephen had no idea that Ryuuji's brothers had been popcorned. He barely knew them. He had come to the popcorn room to see River, so to speak.

When he saw his friend in front of the door, though, he knew something was very wrong.

Date: 2006-10-11 08:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] estebanmd.livejournal.com
While Stephen was quite free in some respects, in others he was reserved; it did not occur to him to reach out to his friend physically. He did sit beside him, quiet.

After all, he had come to the popcorn room out of his own grief, a grief that had not been publicly or loudly expressed, but one that was real and powerful all the same. At least they could grieve their dead together.

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Date: 2006-10-11 12:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nemofound.livejournal.com
And suddenly, a familiar, if long-absent, house-elf came down the hallway, tugging a sled that still bore a fish tank with a tiny orange occupant.

"Ryuuji?" Nemo asked in a quavery voice. "You look sad. You look like my dad looked when he thought I was all goned. Are you okay? Do you need a friend right now? Would you like to hold Furryfurrysoft?"

((Hello again. Grad school is beyond fun and I'm quite busy, but I happened to see this and Nemo just had to stop by. Expect the reply to come at very great length - probably by the end of tomorrow at most, though.))

Date: 2006-10-14 06:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nemofound.livejournal.com
As Nemo had been tugged around the school, he had somehow never before entered this hallway, seen this door, or been tall enough to read and comprehend its plaque. And while he had wondered why certain of his friends seemed to have gone away, he'd never asked any grownups about it. The owl he'd sent to Judas Iscariot had returned without the envelope it had carried, albeit seeming very exhausted and trying to shake sandy dust from its wings. So Nemo really had no idea what was going on. He could tell it was sad, though, and Ryuuji was his friend. And Nemo knew what to do for a sad friend.

So Nemo nodded to Domino, who twitched his ears and winked. Moments later, Nemo sat beside his tank in little-boy form. He stood up and fumbled with the catch on Furryfurrysoft's cage. With the house-elf's help, he got the door open, lifted it and took out the cooing tribble.

Nemo walked over to the doorway.

"Here she is, you can pet her as long as you want," he said, placing the furry ball in Ryuuji's hands. The tribble chirped an inquisitive friendly noise. Nemo edged closer and gently hugged his friend around the shoulders.

Nemo sat on the floor next to Ryuuji and, leaning against him, placed his hand reassuringly on the older boy's arm.

((Would it completely overload Ryuuji's circuits for Nemo to ask what popcorn means? He won't if you prefer he not.))

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Date: 2006-10-12 03:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ian-ma1co1m.livejournal.com
Bleary-eyed and unshaven, Ian stumbled down the second-floor corridor to the popcorn room.

A body occupied the available space at the floor of the doorjamb.

"May I go in, please." His voice was low, quiet.

Date: 2006-10-13 03:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ian-ma1co1m.livejournal.com
Once inside, Ian followed his usual routine. He took a small notebook and pen from his jacket pocket and studied the popcorn case plaque, and made careful notes of the additions and removals. He looked behind him to make sure the envelope addressed to Ophelia was still attached to the wall opposite the popcorn case at eye level. Then he traced her name on the plaque with a finger and left.

The young man was still sitting in the doorway, shifted over to make a walking path.

"You too?" he asked, looking down with weary sympathy.

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Date: 2006-10-14 03:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ringoate-mybaby.livejournal.com
Oz made his way past the popcorn room, but then stopped when he saw his friend. The posture only meant one thing. Uh oh. The werewolf quietly sat down next to him, and was quiet for a moment before softly saying, "Hey."

He didn't say anything else as he rested against the wall.

Date: 2006-10-14 04:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ringoate-mybaby.livejournal.com
Oz didn't seem surprised by the gesture because he wasn't. He figured that someone had gone, had popped again, and that it was someone important. That it was someones and Ryuuji's brothers was something he only just now knew, but it didn't change his reaction. He moved his arms to wrap Ryuuji into a hug as best he could, his right hand moving up to cup the back of his friend's neck.

He didn't say anything in response to his brothers being gone (what could he say? It sucked? No shit. They could be back? How could he know? It's ok or it would be ok? Didn't seem like it would be much comfort now). Most the time words seemed to be unnecessary gestures to Oz, anyway.

Except for this part. He mumbled, "I'm staying here" into Ryuuji's ear, while he began to minutely rock, from instinct.

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