[PRP] The Five Stages (Aprife & Byakko)

[melona-pan]

Two old friends address a lingering issue.

 

[melona-pan]

While it was only visible in patches through the sprawling swamp treetops, the night sky was overcast and resembled brushed steel. Air clung heavy and threatened to break out into a storm; but for now, the clouds remained quiet. Salamire was darker than usual. The fireflies had retreated to safety, the lanterns outside left unlit.

A door opened, a weak flashlight beam wove across particles in the air before steadying on a rope bridge. A hooded figure slipped out into the system of balconies that connected the vast majority of hives in the swamp, working their way across and up to another doorway.

There was a light knock.

Byakko peered into a nearby window, wondering if Aprife was even home.

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

It felt a lot like one of those nights were nothing would get done. The hive was quiet, almost eerily so, and it gave Aprife time to think. As he sat in his office surrounded by paperwork and clutter, his lusus resting in his lap, he mulled over things that weren't important for once. He recalled a time when things were simpler.

Funny, then, that Byakko chose tonight of all nights to come knocking at his door.

The halls of the hive were empty, presumably because Muerte wasn't expecting company and chose, unsurprisingly, not to leave the lab to investigate. When Aprife checked a window to see who came calling, there she was, face-to-face beyond the pane. It drew a trademark grin across his face.

"Akko," he greeted as he opened the door for her, then glanced up, "smells like rain."

melona-pan

 

[melona-pan]

"Hello," following his gaze up, Byakko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it does. Probably a storm." While her expression was bland, as to be expected, she held a certain tension across her shoulders that was visible even under the heavy drapery she wore.

"Are you busy right now? I had something I wanted to give you, but I can come back later." Really, any excuse to put this off even longer than she already had would be more than welcome.

saedusk

 

[saedusk]

"A storm, huh?" he said mildly, his own expression easing up, but still happy, still Aprife in the way it didn't reveal much. They had that in common, at least, but he took note of the way Byakko tensed even if he made no mention of it.

"Nah, I've got time." He stood aside to let her in. "You know you don't need to go around getting me presents to keep me placated, though," he joked. "I'm plenty happy enough."

melona-pan

 

[melona-pan]

Byakko brushed past Aprife, making note to wipe her geta off on the mat laid by the front door. Stryke had made a point to inform her that it was polite to do so.

"It's not from me," even on her best of days, the joke probably still would have gone over her head. The sentiment was noted regardless. She shuffled around under her robes for a moment, drawing them back over her shoulders. Clutched in one fist was a small box, no larger than a child's shoe. Akko glanced down at it, lingering, then offered it out to Aprife.

"I was cleaning out his hive and it didn't feel right for me to make the call to burn it with everything else, so..." She met Aprife's gaze, extremely unsure what was supposed to come next.

saedusfkdjskfk

 

[saedusk]

His hive could only mean one thing. The joke died in Aprife's eyes, but the smile remained, stalwart and plastic, spread across his face. "That so?" he asked, but took the box without argument.

It must've been important, he thought, for Byakko of all trolls to hesitate like this. Aprife wasn't sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn't what he saw when he finally opened what she'd brought.

"Goggles..." he mumbled plainly after a moment. They were the same color as the ones he wore now, the ones he'd gotten from Zeffer, the very ones he hadn't stopped using even after what had gone down between them. It felt natural to carry on like nothing had happened. Easier, anyway. Something as simple as a pair of goggles shouldn't have held so much weight.

"You think these were supposed to be for me or something?"

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