[Shortly after broadcasting his message, Ian allowed himself to lean forward to rest his elbows on his desk, allowing him a more comfortable position where to lapse into his thoughts. Last night had been... weird, in the way that it had been so comforting. For the first time in almost two years, Ian had dreamed of Shiro without it ending in his death. Instead, they'd... talked. They'd discussed Ian's fears, and... in the end, Shiro had encouraged Ian to set himself free from the weights he'd been carrying.
Ian had woken feeling strangely refreshed, and lighter than before. When he'd gone to bed it had been with a heavy heart, dread and grief filling him with the reminder of Shiro's birthday drawing near. It was a strange contrast to wake up feeling the way he had.
As gentle as Souji may have been, his touch still startles Ian out of his thoughts with a small jolt. The wisteria then placed in front of him doesn't lessen his surprise in the least, and with a few rapid blinks Ian shifts his hand to brush against the purple flowers gently. Yeah, those are... really there. Huh.]