Specks of Red in Black Corners

by reminiscent-afterthought

[drabble collection, side-story to Two Deaths and a Living Friend] Shou, after losing both Norun and Peck, tucks himself into a dark corner and continues to sink - except for the efforts Tsurugi makes to reach him that give a little light.

4. purring

Specks of Red in Black Corners

4: purring

Tsurugi was relentless. He was more than happy to accept a sparring match if it meant getting a response.

But, after a while, even those heartstrings touched by his words or his pranks failed to reach him. That purring, that barking, that crowing – he'd at first imagined Peck chased by other animals, but it wasn't the same. It failed to rouse him as he lost those simple memories, as only the vague, meaningful, ones remained.

And he couldn't bring himself to care that Tsurugi was trying to drag him out of there, or indeed that anyone was – his parents, other people he barely knew…

They could keep on bothering the door. It didn't bother him any more.