"I'm not quite the same. I know they're dead. Mori's parents died before this even began and I didn't go to get him. As for my parents, we never got along anyway."
He pulled himself up on the wall so he and Lis could sit next to each other. "I moved away so I wouldn't have to live with my parents anymore. My sister, Mori's mother, said I could live with them, but they had a young child in the house and it just didn't feel right. I moved a whole state away, staying at various peoples houses. I would visit Mori all the time. But one day, without any warning, I got the message that they had died. Mori's parents. I just shutdown. I don't even remember the weeks afterwards. I didn't go to the funeral. I didn't go see my parents, despite their begging. I didn't go get Mori. I just stayed home screaming and crying and eventually-" He looked away, trying to block tears from his eyes.
"Oh," Lis replied, her gaze growing sad, "I had no idea. But… that's not your fault. None of it's your fault, I promise. It was a lot to face, and anyone who blames you for not being able to face it right away… well, they'd be wrong. What happened after all that, if you don't mind me asking? You sounded like you were going to say something else."
Lilac nodded. “I was just making sure you guys were okay. Bean would have done it but…she’s asleep,” the young girl sighed as she walked over to Tohru and sat down. “This whole thing has been exhausting.”
"It doesn't matter really," Levi said, picking at the seams of his jacket sleeves. "My online friend, Ace, broke down my door, almost literally, and dragged me off with him. He ended up getting me a job, in the army with him. I was a scout. A group from our regiment and I were out on training when the official outbreak notice was called. It was my first time out with them."
(I don't know how the american army works, I'm from New Zealand ;n;)
(To be fair, most Americans don't really know the ins and outs of it either lol. I definitely don't)
(I could probably do at least some of the ins and outs of the new zealand military)
(also my dad has the number of stripes and stars on the uniform of each rank (american) memorised and will criticise movies for getting it wrong)
(Oh yeah, I don't know shit about the military despite having family members who are/were military)
Tohru nodded slightly
"Yeah, it is. Lis already went through and checked on everyone this morning, so you don't need to worry," he reassured Lilac.
He leaned back against the wall.
"Oh, I see," Lis replied, "It's good someone tried to get you back on your feet, but-"
She stopped briefly.
"Military… seems like a big change, is all."
She shook her head.
"I'd just gotten a job too," she said, "Local aquarium. I was living the dream, man. It was so, so hard to get a job after college. I'd been working retail for years after I graduated, and then I finally got the opportunity to use my degree. But uh… this all happened."
"It was a big change, but I really needed it. I wouldn't be here, let alone alive, without the guys I met." Levi said, smiling faintly.
He laughed lightly. "Man, I loved the aquarium in my hometown, it was awesome. I probably would've tried to get a job there if I didn't move out."
"You went to college? I never got to go, I guess the military was like that for me, meeting new people, learning new things. What did you study? How was it?" He sat up and grabbed her arm, absolutely intrigued.
"Oh, well…" Lis sighed, "I majored in marine biology. I really did like it a lot. Made a lot of friends, but I guess it doesn't really matter now because they're all gone. Even my roommate through and after college- my best friend, at that- she disappeared too. She went to visit family around the time this all started, and I was never able to get to her. But that's enough about all that. You wanted to know about my job, right? I mostly worked in animal care and education in the aquarium. I led a lot of tours in my time there. Loved working with kids the best."
Tohru nodded slightly
"Yeah, it is. Lis already went through and checked on everyone this morning, so you don't need to worry," he reassured Lilac.
He leaned back against the wall.
Lilac nodded again. “I can’t help worrying though…” she laughed a little. “I was always the anxious one in my family. Even when I was little,” she added as she sighed. She leaned against the wall and thought about everything that happened.
Mori sat up and yawned, wincing a bit. He still felt pretty awful, and he wanted to be around other people. He forced himself to his feet and started wandering around, looking unsteady and uncomfortable. "Mmmmm… hello…?" He called out. "Anybody here…?"
(Figured I'd let him pop in since Kas isn't going to be doing much until people notice they're gone lol)
(hey, im back, sorry I disappeared so long, I had to turn my chromebook in for the summer)
(also can someone dumb down whats happened for me at some point-?)
(Honestly, it's been really slow go since you left? They're still in the abandoned hospital lol. Mostly character development/relationship development stuff, I think.)
(Let's see, only 10 pages of new stuff since you last posted. Kas is having a small gender crisis, Lis is now Levi's ~wingman~, and people are really just trying to recover from their injuries and all that)
Luka stirred awake from his sleep and stood up before walking around. He wanted to find Kas and check on him. He had been worried sick about the other boy and it was showing on his face.
(alright thanks, im just gonna have Aspen be napping though, since last I remember she was pretty tired)
Aspen was resting in a sitting position on the stairs, her elbow on her knee, and her cheek cupped in her own palm, her breathing slowed as she dreamt of various multicolored butterflies.
Bean noticed her siblings gone and went looking for Aspen. Once she found the other girl, she sat next to her. She stayed quiet so she wouldn’t wake her. Meanwhile, Luka continued looking for Kas until he finally found him. “There you are!” he moved near him.
Kas groaned softly at the noise and glanced up, relaxing a little when he noticed it was just Luka. "Oh… hi. Sorry for disappearing." They laughed weakly. "I've been talking to Tohru and my leg was hurting."
(sorry, I dunno what to do with Aspen rn-)
Aspen stirred quietly in her sleep, mumbling the word "home".
While inside her mind she was dreaming of her mother and sister, a mere memory of them playing Uno together on the living room floor, and table. She self consciously wrapped herself in a hug, and watched her little sister smile, after winning for the fourth time in a row.
Kas groaned softly at the noise and glanced up, relaxing a little when he noticed it was just Luka. "Oh… hi. Sorry for disappearing." They laughed weakly. "I've been talking to Tohru and my leg was hurting."
Luka laughed a little. “It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay,” he smiled sitting next to Kas, tapping his hands on his knees. “What were you talking about?”
Aspen stirred quietly in her sleep, mumbling the word "home". While inside her mind she was dreaming of her mother and sister, a mere memory of them playing Uno together on the living room floor, and table. She self consciously wrapped herself in a hug, and watched her little sister smile, after winning for the fourth time in a row.
Bean smiled softly, hugging Aspen a little as she soon fell asleep again. She began to have a nice dream about all her siblings being together. They were laughing and chasing each other as their parents made lunch. It was beautiful. She missed those days.
"Um…" Kas hesitated, clearly uneasy at the question. "I'm… uh… I-I'm not entirely sure you'd get it…" They laughed weakly. "It's kinda weird, and… I dunno… uncomfortable…" He mumbled to himself.
“You can tell me. I won’t judge you,” Luka smiled, sitting closer to Kas as he wondered what the other was talking about. He leaned back a little to try and get more comfortable. He had been there when Lilac and Bean came out and supported them unconditionally.
"Mmmh… well…" Kas considered for a few more seconds, fidgeting with his hands. "I don't… feel entirely like a boy sometimes? But not like a girl, either… Mr. Tohru said that I should try and mix in some they/them pronouns with the he/him and see if it helps…"
“Oh!! Well, if you want me too, I’ll do that for you too!” Luka smiled warmly, giving off very loving vibes. “You can count on me…you know that, right?” he grabbed Kas’s hand softly, still smiling. He was glad they trusted him with this.
Kas smiled weakly and closed their eyes, sighing. "Y-Yeah… thanks. I'll have to tell the others, but it's making me really nervous… I mean, you guys don't know me all that well, and this is a lot to put on you."
(Levi vibing with their own He/Him/They/Them pronouns)
“No problem! If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask!” Luka smiled again. “I’m gonna let you get some more sleep,” he added, getting up. He left the room after waving.
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