WHO: Xerxes Farronhart and Al-Cid Margrace(?) WHAT: Xerxes is working out his feelings over Isaaru's departure, has an audience WHERE: The Training Center WHEN: Wednesday evening WARNINGS: tbd
Xerc had arrived home a few days before. Sunday night to be exact. He had spent the last month working for his father on his fishing boat, doing grueling work that only his father could convince him to do. Most new SeeDs didn't get THAT much paid leave when they first started out, but his father still was respected by the Garden's staff with his prior service, so a favor was tossed his way occasionally. And hey, a little pocket money for the summer was nice. He could buy Isa something really great.
They corresponded the whole time he was gone, texting each other almost a hundred times a day on their Cactoid phones. He hadn't seen his face in over a month and it would be to him a bigger ball of sunshine than the actual orb of light that blasted down on his noticeably darker skin every day on that damned fishing boat. Which is why his face Sunday night made his heart drop.
He had never seen Isaaru cry like that. Not in the way he was that day. His eyes were red, face paler than usual. Maroda... there was an accident. He was on life support and the doctors weren't sure he was going to be able to leave it. And even if he did, he would never be able to live on his own again. Isaaru and Paace were the only family he had, and Isaaru was the only next of kin that could take care of him. Xerc protested and said he would go with him. He would follow Isaaru to the end of the world. And Isaaru smiled through the tears. And he told him... No.
Xerc had been working... dreaming of being a SeeD since he was a child. He'd told Isaaru all of the stories. Isa knew how important it was to him. He wasn't going to allow Xerc to give up his dreams for this circumstance.
"But... I love you, Issy..." He remembered muttering. The boy answered with a simple "I know." and they held on to each other for as long as they could before the cab came for him.
"BULLSHIT!" He screamed out as he punched the bag in front of him hard enough to split open the side, sand pouring out. He heaved a breath and wiped his tear away from his eye. He couldn't be mad at Isa. He did the noble thing. And yet he was FURIOUS. He stopped as the bag swung back toward him and grabbed it with both hands, leaning his forehead against it as he closed his eyes to breathe. He was not going to cry. Anymore. That one tear was enough. He was a fighter, pain made him stronger. He would get through this.