Flowers For Your Grave

[Judah Lesan]

Spoiler

ooc: This thread takes place over a series of time periods

No one ever expected to attend the funeral of a good friend at a young age. War was brutal though and made death a reality. One of those realities was the fact soldiers were not the only ones dearh took. In this case death took an aspiring politician, a good friend who thought change could happen from fhe floor of the Senate, and fought for behind doors people rarely got to glimpse behind. Ric sat in the very back of the graveside service held for his best friend. For the first time since getting the news, he was sober and well groomed. Black, no matter the culture, it seemed the universal color for mourning. Ric was covered in the color. His hair was well groomed, and face lean shaven. He looked his best for the deceased friend and those called family.

The proceedings were short, but beautiful. Attendants worked at lowering the body I to the six foot deep hole dug out in a rectangular shape. Most left, but the pilot stayed to watch them lower the casket. He even stayed as the grounds keepers began to shovel the dirt into the hole. Thinking he was alone, Ric wept. Tears fell for the man who was like a brother to him. Such a display of emotion was rare for the pilot who some thought was never serious about anything. Ric just hid that part of himself.

Regaining control of the tears, Ric discovers he was not alone. His blue, but bloodshot, tired, eyes fell on the spectacular figure of a brunette. The sister. Ric had thought so many impure thoughts involving the two of them and a bedroom, but today those thoughts were far from his mind. In a moment of genuine comfort, Ric stood from his chair and walked to the front near the grave where her back wa turned to him. Gently placing his left arm around her shoukders, Ric pulled her close for a side hug and placed a pristine kiss on her right temple. He held his lips for a moment, and finally spoke as he pulled away.

"Sorry about James. Dammit this sucks."

[member="Jamie El-Eison"]

 

[Amz]

Jamie's hand was at Ric's back, she gave it a weak 'pat' and tried to return the hug, but felt as though all strength had left her and the hand fell back to her side as she shifted her shoulders uneasily to break away, wandering back to the fresh mound of dirt where an empty coffin lay beneath the earth. The last time she had been to a funeral, her husband had died and she hadn't expected to be here only three years later, burying her brother. Up until the day of the funeral, Jamie hadn't missed her twin. To miss someone, to mourn someone, you had to accept that they were truly gone. The realisation hadn't hit her until the coffin was rolled out and her eyes never wanted to leave his casket. Yes, he was gone. No, he wasn't coming back. Never again would he greet her with his grumbling complaint of crowded skylanes when he came for a visit, never again would she experience any of his many quirks that were once annoying, but now longed for.

"T-thank you for all the support." Her voice faltered at first, but was quick to regain control, an eroding smile on her face. It was the first time she had said something to anyone since that morning and she tried to think of what her Mother, Tadel, and Ric must have ben going through, but Jamie couldn't rid the haze, still too mired in her own grief and shock. "Could...could I just have a few minutes alone?"


[member="Ric Ardellian"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Sure, I'll wait in the back whenever you're ready to go."

Jamie was.... numb, numb and in a fog. At least she spoke. Ric was concerned for her because of the loss she experienced in particular. Her husband had seen them at the graveyard three years before. Then her father before then. Ric had seen his share of death, and Jamie as a pilot, she knew it too, but dammit that it had to be her family. Loss was hard no matter what, but family at such a young age. If only they had an actual body. Ric refused to believe the worst without a body, but the shuttle exploded and there would be no body.

Nodding, Ric returned to the back row and sat in a chair. He wasn't leaving without her. Once she was safe in her house, he planned on hitting a bar, drinking a lot, and finding some hot lady for sympathy sex. Jamie came first though. She was a sister to him, and the hot shot pilot wanted to be sure she made it home okay. At least Andrik was young enough to never have to remember this, a good thing in all the mess. Unfortunately, he'd never know how good a man his Uncle James was. Ric was no substitute either. Uncle Ric was no role model and he knew it. James, James was great.

[member="Jamie El-Eison"]