Fallen Rose

Scandal Night - Part 1

"Finally! Here, back in Italy..." Sighed a small, curly-haired man happily as he stepped into the airport. He stretched, readjusting his yellow ruffled collar, smoothing his green suit jacket. He walks around, taking in his surroundings with a hint of nostalgia.

"The memories here... my second home..." He thought to himself as he wandered around, warmth in his heart. He held a grin as he departed from the airport, holding his luggage. This had to have been the happiest he's been in YEARS- the thought of seeing his beloved again simply filled him with joy. He lingered around the airport for a bit, waiting for his companions.

It really hadn't changed much since he'd been here. Sure, he'd been gone two years, but this part of Italy? It was heavily nostalgic, being the airport he first arrived to Italy at nearly twenty years ago. He smiled to himself, recalling his own miniature travel across Italy. It was 1978, and he had been accepted to a notable theatrical college in Florence! He always heard about the flourishing of theatre arts and just couldn't pass up the opportunity. He had been learning Italian for about three years at the time anyways, and arriving early gave him a chance to put it all to use.

Not to mention he had managed to study abroad here and there, he always found it to be quite a lovely place. He always wanted to explore the country, with a stronger grasp on Italian now. One day during his travels, he had fallen to fate, meeting Aladdin in his own hometown. They were thick as thieves since then, but... No! There's no reason to be melancholic. With Hiroshi, they'd manage to find him. Aladdin had slowly became unraveled during their last years together, but he still had a grasp on how to handle him. For now, he could only dream about reuniting with him, for it had been a harrowing two years.

He smiled to himself as he took in the scenery, appreciative of the well-kept flora that surrounding the building. He looked around, finding the general area to be relatively the same. It was very welcoming but rustic, yet all around well kept. The buildings were older, though, but it was a lively place nonetheless.

Except for one area, an abandoned, greyed alleyway not too far from where he stood. The buildings that all stood there seemed to be in decent condition, just...empty. Thankfully, nothing shady really happened there, keeping the place fairly quaint when the bustle of life had quieted down for the evenings.

He gazed at the skies, a gentle autumn breeze picking up as he waited. He noted footsteps nearby, brushing it off as the last few people left the airport. He squinted behind him, figuring he had some time to spare. It was about 6 in the afternoon, both of them having left in the morning. They were arriving from different countries, but surely it wouldn't be too long. Perhaps, an hour or two? There was only an hour time difference between the Philippines and Japan, anyways, and they both had booked last minute. He didn't get any sign they had already arrived, and Hiroshi did notify him they managed to book a flight at around the same time. It was just a matter of waiting, then they would be together again, finding the lost actor.

Ring! Ring!

He shook his head, shaken out of his daydream by his phone. He grabbed it, a grin forming on his face. He did hold a perplexed expression, taking note of some breathing near him. He shrugged it off, too struck with excitement and anticipation to care. Have they finally arrived? He was so anxious for their arrival... finally, finally, they could begin the search.

"Hello? Hiroshi?!" He answered excitably.

Krssshk... Krssshk.

Static. He could hear a voice trying to get through, but could mainly make out heaved breathing, as if in some cramped space. It was such an odd sound, had something gone wrong with the flight? Was he upset?

"Hello...?" He began to feel small crackles of electricity as if some storm was brewing. He looked around, the only darkening of the skies coming from the time of day. He shivered as a breeze passed by him again. Perhaps he's been here, and it is just very windy where he is?