behind the guitar
grahh the image quality messed up
Interacting with: Reuben Garcia (@Mellani Miller)
Mentioning:
ReducioAlone. That's what she felt.
Having a twin is one thing and that twin being pushed off a roof by some mysterious person was another. The cold, ickle feeling lingered. It was from him, the funeral, and her own emotions. Kanae'd cried several times at this fun Valentine's week already about it. Would she ever be able to move on? Probably not.
Kanae woke up in a cold sweat. ‘Again, huh?’ she thought as she rubbed her eyes open. At this point, this happened every night and she hated seeing him appear in that state. Perhaps she should organize her things to keep her mind off all this? Organizing and cleaning things gave her a sort of peace, comfort even. After joining this entire Valentine’s Week, she’d been surrounded by disgustingly happy people. Not that she hated them, more like she hated herself for ruining the mood. She wanted to apologize since she couldn’t match their high spirits. Self-pity in a way.
The bunk bed creaked as she went down from the top. Her face crinkled as she heard every single sound, she hated being the cause of someone’s suffering (even if just a minor inconvenience). The Mahoutokoro girl had enough guilt to reason this loathing over. Kanae’s suitcase was on the floor, beside the bunk bed she slept in, the white suitcase on its back while some of her things surrounded it. She’d gotten lazy in putting those back in her suitcase when she was still going to use them later on. The brunette sat down in a kneel-sit to open her suitcase when a reflection of light hit her eye, the dark brown orbs glancing to where it was from.
Her guitar.
She’d forgotten she actually brought it. How foolish was she? She didn’t even use the damned thing the entire week.
Unlocking the latches, it revealed a vibrant dark mahogany, her guitar. The fretboard still had the flowers she painted on. Memories filled her head.
– October 2020
“Here’s the paint you wanted. What’re you gonna do with that anyway? You don’t paint often..” A boy with the light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and plump cheeks said as he set the paint down on a table. Kazumi.
The 9 year old Kanae clapped her hands together as she smiled brightly. Her smile could light up the world, some would say. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down.
She was so animated back then.
“I’ll paint my fretboard!” the girl said excitedly. “Isn't that the guitar Hikaru Nii-san gave you?” the younger boy replied. She nodded.
“I promise to not mess it up”
“You better… We barely see him these days”
The elder twin sister gave him a thumbs-up before standing up and leaving the room to get her paintbrushes, leaving Kazumi alone with the guitar.
–
A warm liquid started falling down her cheek. God, she was crying again. Kanae quickly wiped it off before taking the guitar out of the case and holding it. Her left hand felt something scratchy behind the neck where her hand was positioned. Was it damaged?!
She quickly turned the guitar around to see what the hell was the damage at the back of the neck. There was a lump in her throat, a tremor in her chest that wasn't quite a sob yet.
Her lips pressed together to a thin line, it was a futile attempt to hold back the tide. She can't cry in here. They’d hear her. The first tear escaped like a traitor, a single, shimmering drop traced a path down her cheek. It wasn't a dramatic sob, not yet. She quickly got out of the cabin before anyone could hear her. The second tear came, then a third, then a fourth. Kanae's heart pounded... pain. Why the hell was 9 year old Kazumi so personal? Ever since that day, she was always so guilty. Why... Why was he so pure without trying? She usually had to fake it but Kazumi... he was always genuine."If you ever feel down,
I hope you look up,
and remember that
you give my sky meaning.
If I had another life,
I’ll try to find you sooner”
– K.S.
It was as if a dam cracked. Now its remains joined the typhoon. Silent sobs left her as she looked for a place to cry without disturbing anyone while still holding her guitar. Maybe there she wouldn't have to feel responsible for his passing. That damned punch.RP Word Count: 752/200
OOC: the entire dialogue in the memory is technically in Japanese but I didn't want to make things harder for myself or the people who'd be reading
behind the guitar
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15th Feb | English | Arabic | Spanish |
Alone. That's what he felt.
Coming to Beauxbatons, being his normal self, giving paper bouquets to every new person he met, wishing that he could give the one bouquet that had real flowers to the girl who he had slowly come to fall for. Looking at all the couples hugging, and remembering that he used to be a part of one of them too. He was a cheery guy. He didn't cry. But what if that was all a lie? What if he wasn't any different from all the people he tried to comfort? All the people he tried showing the bright side of things to? No. He was not going to become one of them. He would rather live a lie till it became true. If Lorelai @Violeta Roux didn't want him anymore, he would move on. That's what life was about, right?
He walked through the gardens, looking at all the pretty decorations, and silently appreciating whoever put in so much time to help let couples make memories they would never forget. If he had the "phone" thingys that his muggle friends had introduced him to, he would take so many photos, the phone would probably burst. That's how it worked right? It would get thicker with every photo till it burst.
He was walking towards the cabins when he noticed a girl with a guitar sitting on the bench and... crying? No. Valentines was not meant for crying. This girl could not possibly be crying. Not when Reuben was nearby. He slowly went down and sat beside her, taking out one of the paper flower bouquets that he had made and keeping it beside her.
He just sat there for a while, looking at her guitar, which she had painted on so beautifully, that he was left in awe. He took the guitar out of her hands slowly and looked at it, quickly noticing the words scratched into it. It was a really sweet message, one that someone who deeply loved her would write.
Since the other girl was staring at the guitar, this someone was probably a boyfriend who had dumped her. The guts of some guys! Reuben understood her pain, but he had not been dumped. Not yet, anyways. A girl as beautiful and talented as the one sitting beside him did not deserve to be dumped, and Reuben was going to tell her that. "Hey, it's okay, breakups happen, the guy was probably an idiot for dumping a girl as sweet and pretty as you. Also by the way, I love the painting on your guitar!"
He looked at her a bit more. Why was she crying this much over a breakup? And what kind of an idiot was the guy for writing such a sweet message and just dumping her later? "I could have a very educating conversation with the guy if that would make you feel better?" Gods, he was going to make sure he made the guy cry and beg this girl to take her back if that was what she wanted.
Mentioning: Lorelai
Calming Presence | Evasive ManeuversReducioOOC: Calming presence in effect
iNPC: Reuben Garcia
behind the guitar
RP as Kanae Suzuki
Interacting with: Reuben Garcia (@Mellani Miller)
Mentioning:
ReducioShe felt the guitar slip out of her hands before she could even process what was happening.
Kanae had to blink back some of her tears upon hearing this boy’s statement. Boyfriend? What boyfriend? She’s been happily single for the past 13 years of her short life.
“NANI?!” she responded in her native tongue before clearing her throat. It was a pathetic attempt to not sob while speaking to this random person. "I'm sorry...?" The girl choked back a laugh (or was it a sob?), the absurdity of the situation momentarily overrode her grief. Here she was, grieving her twin brother’s death, and this boy — whoever he was — thought she was crying over some failed romance she never even had!
God this was awkward. She didn’t even know this person yet she can’t help but replay some of his words: ‘as sweet and pretty as you’.
Kanae, get over yourself, there’s a bigger situation going on. Looking at the floor, she said sorrowfully, “You can’t really have a conversation with the dead.” The words were bitter in her mouth. Heavy. But she was used to their weight by now.
He looked around her age. Some part of her felt calmer looking at him. The silence was deafening but it was weirdly comforting for her. The girl’s own mind hasn’t been silent since that day. Thoughts running through her head like a heavy weight, pressing down and suffocating her slowly. Each thought used to pull her further and further into nothingness but now, her head was empty. Not in a bad way but somehow those thoughts were silenced.
Maybe it was because of the unexpected amusement she got from this random person. Maybe because it was the comforting kind of silence.
Kanae swallowed. She wasn’t sure why, but the response — or lack thereof one — felt… different. There was no pushing for details, no pitying look. Just acknowledgement.
Her shoulders eased ever so slightly. She wasn’t sure why she was still sitting here, why she wasn’t pushing away or telling him to shove off like she had with others.
Maybe it was because she wasn’t hearing the usual phrases like, “He wouldn’t want you to be sad!” or “Time heals all wounds, dear” She’d heard those words way too many times to count, and they never helped. She didn’t want to hate those people who said things along those lines but she couldn’t help but be frustrated. Do they really think those words would erase all the sadness?
Kanae picked up the bouquet beside her, inspecting the careful folds of the delicate paper flowers. “You make these for everyone?” The brunette tried to make her voice not crack.
She didn’t know why, but those words made her chest feel lighter. Maybe. Just maybe. She didn’t have to carry her grief alone.
And for the first time in a long while, Kanae let herself believe that was okay.
RP Word Count: 489/200
OOC:
behind the guitar
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15th Feb | English | Arabic | Spanish |
The girl spoke in a different language out of what seemed like shock before she translated. She seemed to be struggling not to cry, and all Reuben wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and hold her till she stopped, but he had just met her, and that probably wouldn't be the right thing to do, so he just asked, "I'm guessing you aren't crying over a boyfriend dumping you...?"
Although the girl was struggling not to cry, Reuben was pretty sure he saw her choke back a laugh when she asked what Reuben meant. Maybe she had just been choking back a sob, but Reuben was pretty sure it had been a laugh. He had made this girl laugh, if only a little. That had to account for something, right?
It was then that the girl looked down and revealed that her boyfriend had not dumped her, he had died. Reuben had no idea what to say to that. "How long were you two dating?" was the first thing that came to his mind. It took him two second to realize how wrong that question was. "I'm sorry, I- uh- If you want to talk or just rant or something, feel free to... I guess?"
Gods, he was so stupid and so bad at this. He looked at the girl in silence, wanting to do anything he could to make her hurt less, knowing that there was nothing he could do. You can't really bring back the dead, but if he knew how to he would have brought back this guy that second, not caring what he would have to sacrifice for something like that.
The girl then examined his paper flowers and asked him if he made them for everyone. "I made a bunch of them, I give it to everyone who has the fortune or misfortune of meeting me, as long as they last, of course." If casual conversation was what this girl was comfortable with, that's what he would give her.
Mentioning: @
Calming Presence | Evasive ManeuversReducioOOC: Calming presence in effect
iNPC: Reuben Garcia
behind the guitar
RP as Kanae Suzuki
Interacting with: Reuben Garcia (@Mellani Miller)
Mentioning:
Reducio"Kareshi!? Īe, no, no!" Kanae exclaimed, panicking a bit. The sweet boy kept going on with a question about how long were her and her significant other were dating. Oh God she was too young for this stuff! She wasn't even considered highschool yet in muggle Japan if she did go to a muggle school. Even if she did have a boyfriend, her eldest and younger brother would probably kill them before they even had the chance to kiss!
“I wasn’t dating anyone,” she finally added, letting the record be set straight even if it no longer mattered. “The person who died was…” Her breath hitched. She inhaled slowly through her nose. “He was my twin brother. Kazumi.” The name hung between them like a fragile piece of glass. Kanae almost expected it to shatter the moment she said it aloud — but it didn’t. She blinked at her own composure.
Then she added, more to herself than to him, “He was the talkative one growing up. I always thought I’d be the first to go just so he’d finally shut up for five minutes.” And just like that, the grief twisted into something gentler — that fragile, aching affection she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in public. It lingered on her tongue before she swallowed it down. Her eyes drifted toward the boy again — he reminded her of her eldest brother if they were only closer. She hadn’t even asked his name yet, had she?
Kanae'd gotten more awkward since the tragic event, she hasn't talked to many people so her social skills naturally withered away. 'How do I ask them for their name?' she gulped.
The girl let her fingers trace the edges of the paper petals, delicate and colorful, each fold sharp with precision. The flowers were simple, but there was care behind them. A kind of quiet effort that made her heart ache in a new way—gentler, less like a blade and more like a soft tug.
She took a breath, deciding to continue her earlier topic. “He was the only person who really… got me. Half my sentences didn’t even have to leave my mouth. He just knew.” Her fingers tightened slightly around the stem. “And now it’s like someone cut off a part of me and expects me to just… function without it.”
She blinked, realizing how much she’d said. Her defenses bristled instinctively, the urge to retreat swelling in her chest. But then she looked at Reuben again. Really looked. He looked like he wanted to understand, even if he didn’t. Not everyone did. She heard an unfamiliar word coming out from his mouth earlier... "ranting" was it? Kanae wasn't a native speaker so she didn't know much slang.
“So,” she said, quietly steering the conversation, “how long does it take you to fold one of these?” She lifted the flower a little, letting it catch the light. “They’re kinda nice. A bit crooked. Like people.”RP Word Count: 494/200
OOC notes:
Translations:
Kareshi = 彼氏 = significant other (boyfriend in this case)
Īe = いいえ = no