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Jan. 18th, 2009 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagas_isaTitle: Two sides of the same coin.
Word Count: 869
Rating: G
Summary: Mier and Kage pass each other by.
Mier had spent the day wandering Utame, and now nearing the depth of night he turned the corner into Donya's market. If his route had seemed accidental this destination could not have been, for who else but Kage, alone and closing down shop would be here? Before calling out, Mier observed. He noted, with only a small amount of bitterness, how much more alive and human the Shadow looked than Mier felt right now. Could it be, that Kage was actually singing while he worked.
Mier waited until Kage closed the shop to talk to approach him. "Kage!"
The Shadow turned and approached Mier. He looked wary, giving him a sidelong glance. "Mier. You're changing."
Was it that obvious? Was it his appearance? Was it something else? Kage had changed more in appearance than Mier had. His face had a glow to it that the tower lamps only accented, and he wore Saidenese clothing instead of the clothes from his 'homeland'. Like Natalia, he had started to belong here, in Utame, in this world.
Mier had not. In the past few weeks, he had not turned to a mirror, but the ways his habits had changed. He imagined himself as Natalia or Kage might see him, graying over, wasting away.
"Maybe so. You are too." At Kage's look of alarm Mier amended his statement. "In a good way."
Kage tucked the store keys into his sash. "I am thanking you for that. Walk with me for a while?"
"Of course."
The two men fell into step together, their footsteps the only sound on the deserted selling floors. Mier paused, wating to ask Kage something, but hesitant. Would Kage know? Did Mier even want the answer to his question.
Kage asked first. "If this is rude...please be forgiving me. I still am not having much knowing of human ways...you are becoming Shadow?"
Mier nodded. He could not say the words, but the lightness in his bones made it impossible to deny. "That obvious, huh?" He tried to smile, even as his voice shook.
"Ahh! Not so much. Perhaps because I am Shadow, I can see it. How much is your time as a human?"
Mier winced. It couldn't be more than a night, the way he felt so scattered. He couldn't keep focus on anything physical, even Kage's voice faded in and out. What had the question been? "Not much." He finally managed to remember.
"That's..." Kage stopped, maybe looking for a word to console Mier, if such a word existed. "Do you have anyone that you will be far from?"
Mier didn't even have to think. "Natalia." Over the past few weeks, he had noticed how his emotions for her dulled, almost to the point of apathy, but the thought of never having her again dredged up the old emotions again. "I will miss her."
"Will you tell her of what is happening to you?"
"I can't." Mier couldn't express it better than that. For him, how horrible it would be, after becoming a Shadow to face even more consequences. Since his bargain with Zucaro, Shadow Law bound to him, even the secrecy, especially the secrecy. Beyond that though, how would Natalia cope, knowing that she did this to him? If the Sadiri's came to investigate his disappearance, Natalia would have to confess. She would for all her silliness, Mier didn't doubt that.
Kage turned away before Mier could judge his reaction. "Will you be saying goodbye?"
He wanted to answer yes. The sudden desire to be by Natalia and touch her one last time and just, well, say one last goodbye to her overwhelmed him. Could Shadows feel overwhelm, or was that just his lingering trace of humanity? "I--I haven't decided yet."
"You are having to choose soon." They turned the corner and stepped on to the elevator. They were alone.
"I know." Mier said. As much as he wanted to say his farewells, to tell her everything actually, he already knew he would do nothing more than stroke her hair while he faded away.
The elevator ride passed in silence. Mier watched Kage, who seemed to watch everything but Mier. The Shadow looked thoughtful, as though he were searching for something. A few people, a group of two and one of three joined and ignored them, talking amongst themselves and decided what songs they would sing tonight. They left soon enough.
When the elevator stopped at Kage's floor, he turned to Mier and said one last thing. "Please be forgiving if I speak wrongly in this. I am thinking it is best if you are saying goodbye to Natalia, even if you cannot be telling her the truth."
How could he answer? "If you would, when I'm gone, keep her safe please. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Kage looked suddenly very sad. "I am not thinking I will be here for very long as well, but I will try."
He left. The elevator door closed, and Mier found himself faced with what he'd been avoiding for these many hours: this was his last day with Natalia, and even by her side, he would be further from her than he'd ever been.
Word Count: 869
Rating: G
Summary: Mier and Kage pass each other by.
Mier had spent the day wandering Utame, and now nearing the depth of night he turned the corner into Donya's market. If his route had seemed accidental this destination could not have been, for who else but Kage, alone and closing down shop would be here? Before calling out, Mier observed. He noted, with only a small amount of bitterness, how much more alive and human the Shadow looked than Mier felt right now. Could it be, that Kage was actually singing while he worked.
Mier waited until Kage closed the shop to talk to approach him. "Kage!"
The Shadow turned and approached Mier. He looked wary, giving him a sidelong glance. "Mier. You're changing."
Was it that obvious? Was it his appearance? Was it something else? Kage had changed more in appearance than Mier had. His face had a glow to it that the tower lamps only accented, and he wore Saidenese clothing instead of the clothes from his 'homeland'. Like Natalia, he had started to belong here, in Utame, in this world.
Mier had not. In the past few weeks, he had not turned to a mirror, but the ways his habits had changed. He imagined himself as Natalia or Kage might see him, graying over, wasting away.
"Maybe so. You are too." At Kage's look of alarm Mier amended his statement. "In a good way."
Kage tucked the store keys into his sash. "I am thanking you for that. Walk with me for a while?"
"Of course."
The two men fell into step together, their footsteps the only sound on the deserted selling floors. Mier paused, wating to ask Kage something, but hesitant. Would Kage know? Did Mier even want the answer to his question.
Kage asked first. "If this is rude...please be forgiving me. I still am not having much knowing of human ways...you are becoming Shadow?"
Mier nodded. He could not say the words, but the lightness in his bones made it impossible to deny. "That obvious, huh?" He tried to smile, even as his voice shook.
"Ahh! Not so much. Perhaps because I am Shadow, I can see it. How much is your time as a human?"
Mier winced. It couldn't be more than a night, the way he felt so scattered. He couldn't keep focus on anything physical, even Kage's voice faded in and out. What had the question been? "Not much." He finally managed to remember.
"That's..." Kage stopped, maybe looking for a word to console Mier, if such a word existed. "Do you have anyone that you will be far from?"
Mier didn't even have to think. "Natalia." Over the past few weeks, he had noticed how his emotions for her dulled, almost to the point of apathy, but the thought of never having her again dredged up the old emotions again. "I will miss her."
"Will you tell her of what is happening to you?"
"I can't." Mier couldn't express it better than that. For him, how horrible it would be, after becoming a Shadow to face even more consequences. Since his bargain with Zucaro, Shadow Law bound to him, even the secrecy, especially the secrecy. Beyond that though, how would Natalia cope, knowing that she did this to him? If the Sadiri's came to investigate his disappearance, Natalia would have to confess. She would for all her silliness, Mier didn't doubt that.
Kage turned away before Mier could judge his reaction. "Will you be saying goodbye?"
He wanted to answer yes. The sudden desire to be by Natalia and touch her one last time and just, well, say one last goodbye to her overwhelmed him. Could Shadows feel overwhelm, or was that just his lingering trace of humanity? "I--I haven't decided yet."
"You are having to choose soon." They turned the corner and stepped on to the elevator. They were alone.
"I know." Mier said. As much as he wanted to say his farewells, to tell her everything actually, he already knew he would do nothing more than stroke her hair while he faded away.
The elevator ride passed in silence. Mier watched Kage, who seemed to watch everything but Mier. The Shadow looked thoughtful, as though he were searching for something. A few people, a group of two and one of three joined and ignored them, talking amongst themselves and decided what songs they would sing tonight. They left soon enough.
When the elevator stopped at Kage's floor, he turned to Mier and said one last thing. "Please be forgiving if I speak wrongly in this. I am thinking it is best if you are saying goodbye to Natalia, even if you cannot be telling her the truth."
How could he answer? "If you would, when I'm gone, keep her safe please. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Kage looked suddenly very sad. "I am not thinking I will be here for very long as well, but I will try."
He left. The elevator door closed, and Mier found himself faced with what he'd been avoiding for these many hours: this was his last day with Natalia, and even by her side, he would be further from her than he'd ever been.
