Twitter (@cosmicqueen)

[gunslingerqueen]

riko @cosmicqueen richard is gone. this is not okay and I will not pretend to be okay with it. you can't just take my family from me. #igiveup #happynewyear #not

Comments

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[twoscompany]

God. I know.

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[gunslingerqueen]

how could they do this. our album is doing well, we did everything right garnet EVERYTHING this is such bullshit. there was no reason.

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[twoscompany]

I know.

We won't forget him. We'll find a way to make sure our label doesn't, either.

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[gunslingerqueen]

you don't think. that he left because he wanted to, right? like, that wouldn't happen. He'd at least say goodbye or something. right?

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[twoscompany]

I know. I

I don't understand this, either. I really hope he's all right.

Let me come see you.

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[gunslingerqueen]

[There's no answer for a good twenty minutes.]

I'm in my room

[She hasn't left their suite.]

it's a mess.

[iitrebel]

Artolo Apemis @jackofthorns @cosmicqueen hi five for the label fucking over both our bands

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[consocius]

hey, i'm really sorry about richard. that sucks. but i've got hugs for you whenever you want them, okay? and ears too if you wanna talk

[gunslingerqueen]

[Sora doesn't get a reply for a while, which is incredibly unusual. They've both got crazy schedules but when it comes to texts, Nariko always makes sure to respond at quick as humanly possible. A new two hour gap is justifiably unsettling.]

i hate them.

let me know if I should change this any!

[consocius]

[Sora doesn't text her back yet. He goes straight to the Cosmic Indulgence penthouse to knock on the door. It's Page that lets him in. He gets told a joke regarding his hair. Normally Sora would laugh even though it was terrible. He's a little too focused on the fact that his friend is hurting, though. Instead he immediately asks if Nariko is in and if so can they point him to where she is?]

No it's perfect!

[gunslingerqueen]

[Her door is open by now because, at some point or another, she had to go take a shower. Sora will find her laid out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Her room is a complete disaster, and it looks an awful lot like she just ... Flew into a rage, and broke and ripped as much as she possibly could. Because Sora hasn't texted her back she doesn't know to expect anyone!

Which is fine, Nariko's almost entirely prepared to spend the rest of her life on the floor.]

[consocius]

[He probably should have texted her back, but he'd been a little too concerned. And he was afraid he'd have to wait a long time for a text back again. Which would only increase the concern. Not that her current state doesn't also increase it a whole lot.

He sort of wants to just come in and lay next to her, and he wonders for a second if that would be okay. He decides on knocking first, lightly on her open door, before just coming in and heading over to her.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[When he knocks - well, she can't pretend that no one is there. As far as Nariko is aware most of her bandmates are still here and she expected them or Page to kind of look in on her, make sure she wasn't dead or something. She looks over, expecting Terry or Koumei or - someone that's not Sora. There's a moment where she clearly doesn't understand how to comprehend his presence.]

Sora.

[She's illogically, dumbly angry at him for a second. Nariko doesn't want to look weak, she doesn't want to give their dumbass fucking label what they want and yet-] Sora!

[And yet now that her rage tantrum is done with there's only room for all that sadness, so is it really any big surprise that she immediately wells up with tears and begins to sob? Because it shouldn't be.]

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[nibelungvalesti]

I am sorry for your loss. Something is going... very wrong.

[gunslingerqueen]

what's wrong is that the people we work for are fuckwads

[nibelungvalesti]

I am certain that is your anger talking, and you do not mean to say that here. I know you are upset.

[Nariko, consequences. She hopes the other girl recognizes her careful choice of words.]

We should perhaps find occasion to speak in better circumstances.

[gunslingerqueen]

i'm going out for coffee as soon as I can manage to stop crying and throwing shit

[Nariko ... Hasn't taken note of Meril's words or the meaning that lies underneath them, but being near her friend sounds like a really good idea.]

[nibelungvalesti]

That sounds like a good idea. I think I too shall go out for coffee. There is a place I know that makes an excellent roast if you are ever in the area.

[Have a link to a map site to go along with that subtle hint.]

[gunslingerqueen]

yeah, that looks really peaceful. I think I'll go now, actually

talk to you later

and thanks.

[She's definitely caught on by now, though she could stand to be a little more subtle.]

[traumatizing]

[KNOCK KNOCK]

[It's a couple of hours after her tweet, but as soon as Terry sees it he's at her door. He knows Nariko and Richard were close, as negative as the tweet seems? He's fairly certain she's feeling a lot worse.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[There won't be an answer. If Terry is listening very closely he might hear her moving around a little bit, but she's either unable to hear him or she just won't answer. Still, the door is open and there's really nowhere else she could be.

If he does peek in or step inside Terry will find that she's trashed as much of her room as possible. Desk overturned, mattress askew with the sheets thrown all over. She broke as much as she could, and Nariko herself is near the window, sitting on the floor with her back up against the wall, staring off into nothing while she sniffles and wipes away tears.

So ... Yeah, she's not exactly a ray of sunshine right now.]

[traumatizing]

[Terry pokes his head in carefully first, checking she's actually there first before he goes in. He doesn't care about the mess beyond what it says about how Nariko's coping - or isn't, as the case may be - he just walks over to where she is and kneels in front of her, brushing her hair back and ducking his head to catch her eye. He doesn't say anything just yet, he just wants her to see he's here. Moreover, he's her for her.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She doesn't look back at him, not at first. First there's the incredibly slight way that she leans into his touch which, in truth, is very much a subconscious reaction. For as angry as she is it's still impossible to ignore contact, she's a tactile person and it's the best way to get her to respond, in truth.]

I want - I want everything to be okay again!

[And even though it would be incredibly difficult for her to describe why, Terry's smart enough to connect the dots. The hazing back in October, the fucked up party that Terry and everyone else had to deal with on their own, and now Richard is gone.]

Every since we got back from tour it's -- it's just been ...

[Fucked up, a mess. And she's tired of it, but it's also difficult to put into words.]

[traumatizing]

It's all so fucked up.

[He sighs heavily as he drags himself over to the wall so he can sit next to Nariko, hoping to pull her toward him a little if she'll go for it. It feels like just the other day he was saying the same thing to Garnet-- like ever since they got back from tour, everything's been wrong.]

I wish I could fix this, but I... I can't.

[Which he feels guilty about, as though he should be able to. But Nariko should know he'd do anything in his power for her, and for the rest of them.]

[gunslingerqueen]

[She goes for it, curling up into him like a child leaning on a parent, almost. And maybe, maybe if he hadn't said that she'd indulge in it that much more. Ever since they were first put together to make up their band she's always leaned on Terry and Richard the most, and looked up to Koumei for his intellect and composure, and Garnet for her strength and patience.

But it's about time she stopped being so useless, right? That's what occurs to her when she hears the guilt in his tone.]

It's not your fault. [She doesn't sound as strong as she'd like to but it's a start. She puts her arms around him in return, squeezing as if it might impart enough strength onto the both of them.] ... We'll make him proud. That's what we can do. He'll hear us no matter where he is.

[That much was in their control, and it's the only way she can think of retaining their family.]