[FIN] Laid to Rest

[Suudonym]

If he could just stop thinking altogether, even while asleep - especially while asleep, for his dreams were often more cruel than his waking thoughts - that was what he felt would be the ideal. But that ideal was unattainable, as was the second best solution of escaping somewhere those thoughts could no longer reach him. But that was just another negative thought, and so he tried to dismiss it.

Returning to the manor was a heavy task; he suspected that his father would hardly be pleased with the knowledge that he had left to wander the town aimlessly. Was it better to face that sooner or later? "…I'll go back." It wouldn't do much good to avoid it.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"All right," Yuri said, rising to his feet.

Repede then took that opportunity to come over and sit at Luke's feet. The one eyed canine looking up at the red head and giving a single bark as if trying to encourage him, Yuri smiled just a little, and waited for Luke to follow suite before heading back. His gaze wistfully turning in the direction of the Lower Quarter for just a moment.  

[Suudonym]

The smile Luke offered Repede could only barely be called as much, offering none of the confidence it attempted to convey. He stood and moved to follow Yuri, catching a fraction of the swordsman's expression and remembering from it that he also had once lived in the city. "I can get back by myself," Luke said. "You haven't been here in a while, right?" There were probably people or places he would have liked to see if he weren't roped into looking after some whiny idiot kid.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri blinked once at Luke's suggestion, apparently having caught him red handed.

"Yeah, but its not like I can't go some other time." He shrugged and started walking back towards the noble quarter.

"Besides, if I left you alone, I think your dad would kill me."

Plus he didn't really wanna leave Luke by himself either. That was the last thing the kid needed.  

[Suudonym]

He made a valiant effort to prevent labeling himself a burden, but even the voice of reason supported that one as truth. Gaze following the ground, he nodded nonetheless, "Okay."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Luke might have been a burden, but it was a burden Yuri was willing to bear. Otherwise he wouldn't have given the boy the time of day. He didn't waste his time with people that weren't worth it.

Eventually making their way back, Yuri paused at the gates of the Fabre manor. Glancing down the street just in time to see a funeral procession coming their way and passing by.

He stood there in respectful silence as the vehicles with their military escort went by.  

[Suudonym]

The funeral procession was impossibly to ignore, though Luke hoped, on memory of his father's earlier warning against disrespect, that he wouldn't ignore it even if the possibility existed. This was real and there was no way to reverse it. Blame and self-deprecation faded, leaving in their wake a cold knowledge that transcended sacrifice or survival or reason: The opportunity to as much as speak with Asch would never come again. The brother he had hoped to call his friend was dead. Disregarding location or circumstance, Luke leaned down into a crouching posture, folding his arms on his knees and burying his face, bereft.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri remained standing there, watching the procession go by. Even as Luke crouched down on the ground, he remained standing beside him. His gaze watching the vehicle that held the body of the one soon to be buried.

Stupid b*****d, he thought to himself. You sure left us with quite a mess to clean up.

Once the last car passed, Yuri finally bent down next to Luke and placed a hand on his shoulder once more.  

[Suudonym]

The shoulder trembled, betraying lamentation poorly concealed by forced silence. He couldn't will himself to respond.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri didn't say anything. He just remained where he was in supportive silence.

The sight of the procession had triggered his own memories. Of a younger self dressed in uniform, saluting a fallen captain.  

[Suudonym]

Eventually he sighed harshly, as if to expel what remained of his grief (it failed to accomplish as much), maneuvering a hand to draw the back of his wrist across his eyes. Pointedly he kept from facing Yuri as he pushed shakily back to a standing posture, hands clutching the sleeves of his elbows. This was a vastly different misery from what he'd grown accustomed to.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri stood and turned away without a comment, leaving Luke with at least some shred of privacy. A man's tears were his own business, so he left it at that. He would speak nothing of it.

Thus he began to walk towards and through the gate, expecting that Luke would follow.  

[Suudonym]

With a ghostlike silence Luke followed behind Yuri, all concept of where they were headed lost. At least temporarily, he had achieved his sought after ideal of blanking his mind of thought. It wasn't as fantastic as he had hoped.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri lead the boy back to his room, unsure where else to send him. However, he still wasn't ready to leave the boy alone just yet. Thus he took up a seat in the open window.

It was a nice day despite the gloominess of the circumstances. The man enjoyed the warmth of the sun while deciding to burn time by polishing his sword. The steel of the blade gleaming as he rubbed a cloth over its smooth surface.

Repede helping himself to laying at the foot of Luke's bed.  

[Suudonym]

Luke sat on the bed, knees drawn up to provide a surface against which to lay his head. He was silent and listless, numb to all surroundings, until a knock on the door drew his focus. The door came ajar without awaiting a response, Lord Fabre standing in the space. "Lucien, I'd like to speak with you," his eyes fell momentarily on Yuri, "privately, if possible."