The Age of The Masrui

Tesni swallowing thickly, silently processing all the background noise before shaking her head and whispering. "I - it doesn't matter. I'm not feeling great, can't... can't really come to the party. Give Cain my love."

“Don’t give me that shit, talk to me.” Karsi insisted then, the sound of her moving as she headed to another room. A door clicking closed behind her and the noise melting away in the background. “Talk to me baby.”

"No, no. You'll be happy... everyone will be happy and I can't be about it right now. I'm just going to shower, I shouldn't of gotten in touch. I'm sorry."

“If you don’t talk to me on the phone then I’ll come over and get it out of you that way. We’ve talked about this. It could be two am. If you need me you call me and I’m here Tes. It’s what moms do. Talk to me.”

((Officially at that age where taking a bobble off feels just as good as taking a bra off ))

(( Ahaha, love it ))

"Cain lost his baby this year, it's his birthday. You need to focus on him. I shouldn't of called you." Tesni mumbled, adding a quiet, "Sorry." before hanging up. Crawling into the shower - that had been converted so Ezra could use it over the past few weeks, and drawing the curtains. Pulling her knees her to her chest as she buried her face in the space against them and quietly sob.

((My hair only gets an hour of freedom a day it’s too long for anything else ))

---

Around ten minutes later the door would’ve opened as Karsi walked in. “Just passed Tobi and the kids on the way out - his friend Danny was in the car outside. Tobi wanted to come up and ask why you’d told him to come but I said not to.” She whispered before putting the seat down and sitting on the toilet. “Tobi told me about Leo… you’re not okay are you baby?”

Tesni shook her head in the negative with a sob, still beneath the water and having not moved a muscle. Clothes weighed down and clinging to her as mascara ran down her cheeks, eyes bloodshot and body shivering from the cold.

Karsi reached up and turned off the water, heading out of the room and grabbing the biggest towel she could find before coming back in and kneeling down to wrap it around Tesni. “Come on Tes, let’s get you into your room and warmed up, okay? I’m here now. It’s okay.”

"H- he is dead. He's dead a- and there is how people felt and how I want to feel but how I do feel contradicts all of that." She sobbed, leaning into her heavily. "M- my heart h-hurts.  M- my heart hurts... I- I wanted to ta- talk to him before h- he... I st- still l-l-loved him momma."

(( So... where do you think Felix should be with his life? ))

“Oh baby, it’s okay. You’re allowed to feel like this. There’s no wrong grief.”

---

((Maybe a social worker or something?))

(( That works! I reckon he'd do something pure hearted like that. How could they meet - Louisa runs cosmetics- a kid he is looking after comes into one of the branches whilst she is checking in, maybe? ))

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"There is! There is when he done what he did@ bu- but I also loved him. H- he turned into a monster, but I loved him once." Tesni sobbed. "I can't - I can't put that on T-T- Tobias... I-I can't. No-bot whe- when me and E-ez almost died. I- I can't put this on anyone wh- when right now h-he is the most hated person t-t-to everyone close to me."

((Yeah that could work! We can do tomorrow, I’m off to bed now. Night night))

---

“That’s what I’m here for… you can put it to me

"I- I lov- loved him s- so much." Tesni cried, beginning to rock herself backwards and forwards then. "I - I wanted to make it o- okay for him. I - I wanted to he- heal an- and fo- forgive a- and b-b-be fr-friends."

(( Night ))

Karsi wrapped her arms around Tesni tightly, holding her close. “I know baby girl, I know. You have such a big heart… but sometimes people just… they can’t be saved. They don’t wanna be saved - Leo wasn’t dumb. He knew he would die in that blast too. He didn’t want you to help him.”

"I- I loved him. H- he was the first per- person I was ev- ever in love with." She cried, turning her head to hide her face against her mothers shoulder.

---

"This is ridiculous." Louisa was tutting to herself as she stood with arms folded outside one of her shops. Eyes narrowed at one of the window displays.

((I have a full hour break at like 4 ish thank god what am I doing with Felix? Sorry I was like half asleep last night with working all day and not being well ))

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“He was good to you when you needed it mm? Doesn’t matter who he is or what he’s don’t you’re allowed to grieve over someone you loved.” Karsi kissed the top of her head.

---

(( Busy day today?
Uhh we were going to have him be a social worker, be with a girl who was interested in beauty so visiting the shop and that's where he bumps into Louisa ))

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"My heart hurts...."

(( Busy day today?
Uhh we were going to have him be a social worker, be with a girl who was interested in beauty so visiting the shop and that's where he bumps into Louisa ))

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"My heart hurts...."

((Working another 10-7, and tomorrow as well - and this cold is just hammering me because I’ve not had one in ages so I feel pathetic right okay cool I’ll throw something up on my break around 4))

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“I know baby, I know. And I can’t tell you it won’t stop hurting because it always will. The only thing that makes it a dull ache rather than a sharp pain is time. Lots of time and lots of love from the people still here.

---

"Bu- but people are going to be ha- happy. Peopl- people are going to expect me to be ha- happy, o- or upset bu- but for a dif- different reason. To- Tobi didn't under- understand wh- when I told him. He didn't get it."

---

(( Ouch! Get some paracetamol as soon as you get home))

“People are going to be happy.” Karsi nodded. “But anyone who loves you will know why you can’t be happy, they’ll understand.”

---

Felix headed toward the store, walking slightly behind a teenage girl who was dressed in all black with her hoodie zipped right up and the hood up over her head despite the weather.

"Useless." Louisa concluded aloud, eyebrows rising as she spotted the next customers that seemed to be approaching; "Excuse me, the two of you care to answer me a simple question. A bit of advice, perhaps.... look at this display, tell me if you think it is inviting? Does it make you want to walk in?"

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Tesni swallowed back a sob, "This is just all so strange..."

“I’m so sorry baby… I wish I could take it all away from you.”

---

“I uh… I guess?” Felix grimaced at being asked the question, looking it up and down before nudging the girl. “Sage what do you think?”

“I - I - uh… yes?” Sage spluttered, caught unawares, looking at the floor and not looking up.

"Yes?" Louisa frowned, shaking her head in disagreement. "Should things be added? Taken away?"

---

"I- I'm tired. Suddenly really tired..."

“Come on, let’s get you dried up and into bed mm?”

---

“I know nothing about retail and business, sorry about that.”