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 Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:49 pm
"Hey, Sweetheart," Toby said softly. He held her in his arms and swayed with her softly. He kissed her cheek. What in the world was he supposed to say? He was supposed to be making everyone feel better, being strong and all as the man of the house, but he felt like s**t himself. How did you console someone who just found out their friend or lover was gone? He hadn't been well himself when it had first happened, and he was only vaguely better now.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:56 pm
Maia reached up and stroked Toby's hair. She leaned against him. She'd lost a great friend, but Toby had protected and raised Dari. She couldn't imagine how he felt. "I'm so sorry, love," she managed, hugging him. What else could she say? They'd both lost their closest friend. And Cody...
Maia couldn't imagine losing Toby. She almost had some months back, and that had been enough. Her hold on Toby tightened slightly.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:55 pm
That seemed to be all it took. Toby's face crumpled as he struggled against the tears, and then he fell into Maia and wept softly on her shoulder. His back heaved with painful sobs. Thought it was more conservative than an open wail, Toby pretty much never cried to begin with.
He remained there, quiet and crying, for quite some time.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:27 pm
Maia stroked Toby's back, holding him. There wasn't anything to say. She let go for a moment, but only to reach up again and stroked his hair. She pulled him towards the bed and sat down with him.
It was a long while before she said anything. "Is Cody downstairs?" She asked.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:32 pm
Toby resisted being pulled toward the bed. He snuffled and stood back, then wiping the tears from his face. His reddened eyes were nevertheless telling, but he expected everyone had been crying by now.
"Come on, Cody's downstairs." He took Maia's hand and headed down.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:40 pm
Maia followed Toby downstairs. They didn't have to look very far for Cody. He hadn't moved from where Toby had left him. He had turned on the television, and the xbox. He was presently killing zombies. He didn't look up.
"Cody?" Maia prompted, going to sit next to him.
"You can be player two," he said, giving her the second controller. Maia made a face and offered it to Toby.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:42 pm
Toby shook his head and set it back down. This was one of the games he and Dari played when Maia wasn't around. It didn't save characters or points or anything though, just trophies and achievements, so it stung less than some things might have. Still, it didn't feel right.
Hopefully some company would be enough.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:10 pm
Cody was silent for a long time, the only sounds coming from him being the clicking of the controller. Finally he looked up. He sniffed. "Felt like killing something," he muttered. He studied Toby for a moment, setting the controller down.
"Let's go get a drink."
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:31 pm
"I know that feeling," he replied with a nod. Then he just stood and went over to the misued liquor cabinet. He made a gran gesture at it.
"Take your pick."
He really didn't feel like going out right now.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:03 pm
They had a liquor cabinet? He hadn't really noticed before. He stood and looked inside. He paused and shook his head. He sniffed. "I don't know. What do you think he'd like to do?" He looked around. "Do you think we can do something for him?" He asked.
But what?
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:07 pm
"It's too early for that," Toby said, and went to the kitchen with a bottle of vodka. He came back with two cranberry vodkas and offered one to Cody. "Drinking we can do."
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:37 pm
Cody took the proferred glass. He sipped at it. He set his glass down then, and swallowed. He took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Did he want to say anything?
"Thanks for inviting me," he managed.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:48 pm
Toby nodded. "You can stay as long as you want."
Nobody, however, would be going in Dari's room.
- - -
It had not been soon enough then, but time wore on and there was still no sign of Dari. No matter who came or went there was no sign of the alien. Everyone was pretty distraught. Even those who weren't immediate friends seemed hurt that Dari had died. In week three it became clear that he was not coming back ever. Though the state wouldn't declare him dead for quite some time, Toby had lost hope.
They had handed out little candles within cupcake liners and marshmallows for eating and Toby was pretty sure he hadn't felt this horrible in forty years. Something in him had died. He took the front spot and the microphone, looking over the crowd concealed in the dim for Dari's human friends. They'd never have believed the truth anyway, but here at least they could blame it on costuming and such. Some of Dari's paintings stood under a canopy nearby, lit by outdoor lights. They looked solemn now.
"Alright, everyone," he said, "Thank you all for coming. I know this is a sad time for all of us. Dari would have appreciated you coming. Really, he would. He wouldn't like the crying, but what can you do." A few people chuckled. He nodded to Lori. "We'll start the passing of the flame now." The wind was low, luckily, and Lori lit his candle, then nodded the flame to the person beside him, which spread to those around them, and so on and so forth until light was flickering through the crowd in many directions. Not everyone here knew Dari, but when a civil servant died in the line of duty, people came. It was nice to see the world that he knew was so terribly divided finally coming together, if only briefly. It just sucked that it was for the death of his best friend.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 7:20 pm
Cody hadn't been able to hold the tears back during the service. He'd written and intended to speak, but he hadn't been able to. There was a lump in his throat that wouldn't budge. Everything reminded him of Dari.
He'd tried to keep everything the same as it had been before. Tried, and failed. As his candle was lit, he watched it for a moment before lighting the person next to him's candle. Dari would've liked all these people coming together. Toby was right. If only it were on better circumstances... Had Dari known how loved he was? Some of these people hadn't known him, maybe. But had he known? ...He must've known how important he'd been to Cody, right?
Maia took her candle and lit Luca's, taking the elf's hand with her free hand. She gave it a squeeze and let it go. The guy had been close with Dari too.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 7:24 pm
Toby watched the fire crawl through the crowd, lighting the faces of his brother-in-law, his fiancee, his friends, his coworkers, even total strangers. He felt a knot forming in his throat.
His candle was lit, and when the last flame burned brightly, he lifted his candle.
"Alright, Dari. It's a shame you had to go. We'll miss you." His voice caught in his throat. Ah, ********. He squeezed his eyes tightly and took a breath, candle still raised.
Somewhere in the crowd, someone began to sing Amazing Grace. Voices were catching on.
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