The white walls of the sanctum rooms are quiet, more so than usual. The Living Stones have gathered in the parlor room, a single letter placed on the table between them.
Joshua has been quiet--more so--since learning about the death. He's unsure about how to feel about Theo's death. It was, by all accounts, an accident, although a very preventable one. Who do you punish for something like that?
"So, uh," Ruby clears her throat painfully. "Well, he left us this. I thought it'd be best we open it together."
Joshua's hands rest on his knees. He says nothing to Ruby's comment, but instead just raises one of the hands, gesturing at the letter.
"Right, right," she whispers, putting her hand to her eyes before reaching for the envelope. The paper shears, a single sound before she extracts and unfolds a single sheet of paper.
Ruby is unable to finish the letter, breaking down as she tries to read Theo's name aloud. Her shoulders shake pitiably as she weeps.Originally posted by Theo:
Still Joshua says nothing. He crumples a bit in his chair as the letter ends, staring at the floor. He ought to say something, but maybe he'd just make it worse. He ought to comfort Ruby, but he's only able to lift one hand before it freezes in the air, then slowly returns to his knee. He just isn't sure.
Animus tries to think of something to say to comfort her, but what? That death was a natural part of life? The truth of the statement seemed to break down in the wake of what had happened. Theo had shown such promise, only to have it cut short by a twist of fate. It just didn't make sense. Soon, tears can be seen flowing freely down his face, as well.
"H-he was always so danged sure of himself," she whispers. "Never seemed to have the sense to think twice about leapin'. He just jumps! Make the rest of us poor souls look old before our time." Raspy, laughing, and sobbing she just can't accept it yet. You dummy. You dummy, why couldn't you be more careful?
Even after these months, Joshua didn't feel that he had known Theo all that well; he has nothing he can really add to Ruby's eulogy. The more that Ruby and Animus grieve, however, the more he wants to break down as well. He can't allow it; it wouldn't be fair to Theo. His death would not be the only one the Sentinel would be mourning, and Joshua knew that.
He has to stay composed, that's what he believes; he has to stay strong. So he puts aside that part of him that wants to cry, and instead he stands--he forces himself to stand, coming up a bit faster than he'd meant to, almost shooting out of the seat--and he comes around to Ruby's side, and sits next to her, and puts a hand on hers. After a moment, considering, he reaches over and puts his other hand on Animus'.
An unwelcome memory comes back to Animus: Blackfire reaching to touch an obelisk. Regaining consciousness to be greeted by the man's corpse. "Why do we always mess with things we don't understand?" He asks aloud.
The three fall quiet, few words and long moments pass between them.. Though a delicate touch connects the cabal mates in this instant, there's still so much distance. It's palpable and overwhelming, and even though Ruby is with friends she still feels so alone.
"Because we're all dummies, every last one," she huffs out a half-chuckle answer. "We saw the Truth, and now we're all fool drawn to it like a mule to a carrot on a string."
"But he wasn't messing with anything," Joshua says, and his voice is spiteful, bitter. "He was just... just in a damned storage room. A damned storage room, that someone had filled up with some magical Deathly Chessboard, filling up the whole room like it's... like it was the friggin' Batcave! Filled with giant pennies and stuffed T-Rexes and..." He trails off, jaw set, as he realizes he maybe said too much. He tries to make the anger flow away from him. Calm, calm, all is calm....
A thought whirls in the darkest parts of Ruby's unspoken mind. If there was anything, anyone to blame, it could only be Starling. All the warnings, all the things he could have should have said, were tiny ashen possibilities of a lost Human life.
Animus gives an ironic chuckle. "It's the way of so many of us, we hide the truth so that it won't hurt anyone." He shakes his head "But it can never be hidden far enough."
Although Joshua's fury is frightening, Ruby feels nonetheless comforted by the emotion, by any emotion. She turns looking to Animus, and her free hand alights gently on his shoulder. "I... was hoping you both could help me clean his apartment, set his affairs in order." She states in question to them both.
Animus nods once, slowly beginning to regain his composure. "Of course. Anything to help." Joshua just mutters an affirmative.
"There are some letters to his folks we've got to mail, and another one to someone I've never heard of."
"I can handle that, if they're already addressed," Joshua says. "I know a couple of post offices around town."
"Sure." She fishes a thin bundle of letters from her purse and places them on the table along with one last letter she sets aside labeled "Kyle Franesco"
"I tried looking him up on the internet, and there's a lawyer by the name here in Sacramento. I was thinkin' of tryin' him later this week, maybe callin' first."
"Mm," Joshua says, taking the thin bundle and leaving the one for Kyle behind. "Yeah. You might be better suited for that."
"It's probably just legal stuff. Shouldn't be a problem."
Joshua looks at the envelope, wondering what kind of legal stuff Theo might have needed. It's not like he was going to will his bike to someone. In thought, he drums his fingers on Ruby's hand, then stops with a mumbled, "Sorry." A bit louder he adds, "I guess you're right," and picks up the envelope.
"But I-"
"Wouldn't mind so much if you all came along anyway. Just... for company."
Joshua puts it back down on the table with a nod. "Sure." His voice is back to being as flat as he can manage.
Animus nods his agreement.
-ahem- "Well. I think I'd like to make some tea now." Ruby says suddenly, standing swiftly and practically fleeing from the room into the kitchen. "Would you like me to make you some?" Her cracked voice calls out, unwilling to talk about loss any more tonight.
Animus sits in stunned silence for a moment before responding. "Sure, I'll take some."
Tea is one of the few non-weapon related things Joshua has any knowledge of, and usually he'd be asking about the type of tea, the pros and cons of kettles versus microwaved water, loose tea versus bags; but tonight he doesn't feel like questions. "Please," is his reply.
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