[She's standing there, staring at him like he's just slapped her across the face, and he thinks; it can't be real.]
[Then something else floods her expression and she's suddenly sprinting down the beach towards him, and he thinks; there's no way it's real.]
[Why, though? Why can't it be real? Like almost everyone Ichimatsu had loved here, Ren had stepped out of his life, but only because he stepped out of hers first. Just because he stumbled back in, blindly grasping at the people around him to anchor himself - doesn't mean she had to, as well. He'd always said he was a bad influence. Some part of him thought, when Jyushimatsu delivered the news to him, that maybe disappearing on her was the kindest thing he could have done for Ren. That it was the kindest thing he could do for anyone, really.]
[... that maybe that was his influence, too. Disappearing. Teaching bad things to good people, turning kind souls bitter by hurting them like he was, because those sorts of terrible things are what he --]
[-- doesn't finish the thought.]
[He can't, when the ghost of Ren reaches him and flings her arms around his neck, and it's suddenly like he can't breathe. Not because of her grip or even because of the sticky-sweet sap in his lungs; but something else that chokes him all the way up his windpipe. With a shuddering, wordless noise, Ichimatsu simply brings his arms around her, too, burying his face into the top of her hair. At some point, his weakened muscles loosen, and he has just enough presence of mind to slowly lower himself to his knees rather than collapse right there on the rock.]
[Of course she's real. It's so obvious. Even when he tries to make everything about himself, Ren is the strongest and kindest person by far; like Jyushimatsu, things around her fall into her orbit. Not the other way around.]
[She's come back. Now he has both of them. How could he think, ever, even for a moment, that it would be better if he didn't?]
[It takes him a moment, but after a bit of delay, Ichimatsu manages to process the things she's saying to him. He bites down hard on a sob and makes his crackling voice form words instead.]
N-no... it worked, Ren-chan. I heard it. I'm s-sorry it took so long... I...
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[Then something else floods her expression and she's suddenly sprinting down the beach towards him, and he thinks; there's no way it's real.]
[Why, though? Why can't it be real? Like almost everyone Ichimatsu had loved here, Ren had stepped out of his life, but only because he stepped out of hers first. Just because he stumbled back in, blindly grasping at the people around him to anchor himself - doesn't mean she had to, as well. He'd always said he was a bad influence. Some part of him thought, when Jyushimatsu delivered the news to him, that maybe disappearing on her was the kindest thing he could have done for Ren. That it was the kindest thing he could do for anyone, really.]
[... that maybe that was his influence, too. Disappearing. Teaching bad things to good people, turning kind souls bitter by hurting them like he was, because those sorts of terrible things are what he --]
[-- doesn't finish the thought.]
[He can't, when the ghost of Ren reaches him and flings her arms around his neck, and it's suddenly like he can't breathe. Not because of her grip or even because of the sticky-sweet sap in his lungs; but something else that chokes him all the way up his windpipe. With a shuddering, wordless noise, Ichimatsu simply brings his arms around her, too, burying his face into the top of her hair. At some point, his weakened muscles loosen, and he has just enough presence of mind to slowly lower himself to his knees rather than collapse right there on the rock.]
[Of course she's real. It's so obvious. Even when he tries to make everything about himself, Ren is the strongest and kindest person by far; like Jyushimatsu, things around her fall into her orbit. Not the other way around.]
[She's come back. Now he has both of them. How could he think, ever, even for a moment, that it would be better if he didn't?]
[It takes him a moment, but after a bit of delay, Ichimatsu manages to process the things she's saying to him. He bites down hard on a sob and makes his crackling voice form words instead.]
N-no... it worked, Ren-chan. I heard it. I'm s-sorry it took so long... I...