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sheryl. 10/30/21

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this is a late prompt for the MyHerotober but

I finally managed to whip it out - low quality

yet it’s better than nothing lol 🥱

to be honest i’m not too sure what i was going with

here u h but i used my new oc nao arisaka

again because why not - and i also felt sir

nighteye somehow? fit the ‘times ticking’ theme

or that’s probably just me..

anywaysss this is trash lol but i hope some of

y’all will like it somehow ! ! :two_hearts:

feel free to comment or dm a request !!

tw !! death

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Was it possible for such a cold hearted person to care so much for a single individual . . . whose life held no importance to her prior to this tribulation? Logically, she could not begin to fathom why or where she began to feel this much sympathy and comion for the man. Ordinarily she wasn’t the type to draw close to people so easily, especially for no reason - yet ironically she was drawn to him all the same and before she knew it, she was falling in deep. Yet it wasn’t love or infatuation that held them together; things like that never fancied her and her standards were high, but she knew he understood and felt the same even if it were never communicated in words between them.

She stood close by ever since and never left his side, always nagging and fussing over him as if he were some sort of child. Ignoring his constant reassurance that he was fine and for her not to worry - it’s almost like a subconscious part of her mind knew more, knew better, and made her fret alarmingly to the point that her attempt of affection towards him would come out as aggressive pets and forceful cuddles. On said occasions Mirai would simply submit to the woman’s whims - knowing he’d have to deal with either an earful or painful mood swing otherwise. Moments like such were peaceful and oddly pleasant in its own way, yet . . .

Time was ticking . . .

‘Did he know - his time was running out?’

‘Of course he did.’

Why else would he look so content by each ing day? Why else would he be so patient and understanding towards Nao all this time? Perhaps he couldn’t see through his own future, but the feeling in his soul was enough guidance, and little by little he began letting go. Letting go of the fragments of his life before there was nothing left but one, and he gradually became more and more distant, cutting ties with her until there was absolutely nothing left between them but their memories. Memories he was willing to let go of - no, forced to let go of, as his time was drawing near and he could not take her with him. As they drifted apart he could only watch as the seasons changed to summer, then to spring, then finally . . . to autumn. At times he would attempt to envision her face on the moon, only for it to be overshadowed by darkness.

No matter how hard she tried to tell herself she didn’t care what happened to the man now that he had detached himself from her life - she couldn’t lie to herself. Even if she disregarded the nagging feeling in her gut she can’t ignore it forever. But she was a stubborn woman, and her pride was bruised the moment he abandoned her without so much as an explanation whatsoever. So rather than letting go of her shallow dignity, Nao fell into a heated mix of pitying herself and bitterness for Sasaki. Yet it always ended with her succumbing to her sorrows and sending an uncharacteristically wholesome text message to the man.

‘You’ve never cared for anyone but yourself all these years, why start now?’

It was confusing to it, embarrassing even, where the change of heart even occurred - but she could no longer deny the obvious, the inevitable, any longer. Autumn neared its fruition, the various orange colored arrays contradicts the gloomy darkness of her heart, panging with despondency. Not knowing when it would end, the heartache for that stupid man.

But their paths would cross once more . . . yet not in a way ideal to her.

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Nao would be holding a recital at a fancy reserved bar in Tokyo with a number of her friends and family; surprisingly from her appearance and personality, she was good at music and often performed small recitals especially during the holidays. Though her spirits were incredibly low and she found herself continuously glancing over towards the clock, checking the time . . . but for what? She was gradually becoming antsy and couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t stand still, think straight - it’s come to the point she couldn’t even her lines or play the violin properly without stuttering the tunes. Seemingly no one appeared to notice her behavior, or, they simply pretended not to notice for her sake. Yet it wasn’t until she took her break, walking over the long stools to retrieve her purse initially to pull out her makeup, did she find a note that was not there before.

‘Sasaki’

Without even reading the note thoroughly she knew it was from him. The sentimental part of her wanted to open it and read what he had to say . . . the stubborn part of her however wanted to just tear it up, find him, and demand he man up and tell it to her face. But she was also a coward, afraid this letter was nothing more than a confirmation that he wanted nothing to do with her. So alas, her nimble fingers pinched the edges of the paper and held it closer to her face. Almost immediately her heart dropped at each word printed on the white sheet, and her breath caught on her throat. ‘An apology’. ‘Awkward but earnest feelings towards her’. ‘Their memories’. ‘A long due explanation of his departure’ . . . ‘His goodbye’. It was all compiled into a small letter that conveyed his thoughts and feelings. He must have had faith in her strength and heart that she would be able to take this, and not falter.

He used to often casually tease on how stone cold she was, after all . . .

But of course - he was wrong. Just like he was with many things.

She was cold, snarky and didn’t take crap from anyone. Yet it wasn’t because she was heartless - it was because she was strong, stronger than the rest. But even strong people break. Her icy blue eyes lingered on a particular sentence at the bottom, and her vision fogged as she swallowed a shaky breath, muttering a small cuss under her breath.

‘I saw your performance today. You were really beautiful tonight, I don’t often tell you that.. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay until the finish like usual, I hope you won’t be too upset.. I always seem to be seeking your approval somehow but I always fail, so I’m sorry. Again. . [ Oh, and Happy birthday Nao. I cherish you. ]’

Time was ticking . . .

Alas, time has finally run out, before she was even aware it was running short. Tears stained the paper as she slumped backwards against her seat, her face void of emotion as she became numb and cold all over. Mascara smeared her damp cheeks but at the moment all that ran through her mind were the words of his letter. He had been here, tonight, watching her performance, yet she hadn’t noticed nor had he said anything. More than that . . . He was dead. According to his note he had only managed to watch the first part of her show, that would mean he had left the venue at least twenty minutes ago. It was so surreal, her brain did not want to accept the inevitable but she knew - clear as day, he would no longer be here. And she cursed that time was too short, that life was too unfair, she had so much to blame. Yet none of it was no use.

‘Arisaka!’

‘You’re up!’

Voices faded into nothingness in her head as she didn’t move from her chair, not caring that it was time for her to perform her closing number, or the fact that she looked like a horrid mess right now with mascara and tears running down her red face, her crystal blue eyes looking as dead as can be. It was Halloween after all. Oh . . .

And her birthday . . .

#CITMtober.