A Farewell to All Futures

Cold Minds and a Gentle Voice

Warning: Implied ableism, mentioned neglect, mentioned abuse, mentioned murder, likely inaccurate portrayal of therapy

***

"Are you sure you have all the things you need?" Setsuka repeated, helping Kanade carry her bags out of the residence building.

"Yep, I've got everything I need." Kanade reassured. "Let's see... About four changes of clothes that I can wash, pyjamas, hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste, face cleaner, about a hundred dollars for snacks, a few books, my student handbook, guitar, can't bring my phone though... That's about it!" The guitarist exclaimed.

"I still can't believe you're going away..." Hibiki sighed, walking beside her girlfriend as she spoke to her sister.

"W-Well, you're at least going to keep in touch, right?" Iroha asked, the last person in the group.

The guitarist giggled as she readjusted the guitar case's strap on her back. "Of course! I still have my handbook, don't I? I might not be allowed to keep my phone, but I can still keep up with what's going on at the school!"

"Well, that's a relief!" Setsuka remarked. "And you said that you were going to come back and visit occasionally, right?"

"That's correct." Kanade looked around outside before letting out a sigh of exasperation. "Where's the goddamn car?" 

Right on cue, a white car pulled up in front of them. "Hey, mom!" Setsuka called as the driver rolled down the window.

"Thanks for coming, Mrs. Chiebukuro!" Iroha smiled as Kanade and Setsuka put the bags in the back seats.

"It's no problem. I take it you guys are Setsuka's friends?" Mrs. Chiebukuro asked. At the same time, Kanade had opened the car door and got sat down in the front seat.

"Yep, that's us!" Hibiki exclaimed before looking over to the side at Setsuka. "Well, maybe a little more that that~" She smiled and pressed herself into the billiards player's side.'

"Uh, what she means to say is that she's my girlfriend." Setsuka chuckled awkwardly, wrapping an arm around the vocalist.

Setsuka's mother clapped from inside the car. "That's wonderful, dear! I knew that you'd find your somebody someday!" She cheered.

"Yeah, haha..." Setsuka trailed off. "She even knows about...THAT..." She might not have mentioned it by name, but everybody knew what she was talking about.

"Oh my, I would've never expected that." Her mother went quiet, as if talking about Setsuka's eye was taboo in their household.

"Why not? Am I supposed to be ashamed of it?" Hibiki questioned. "She has really pretty eyes, you know."

"H-Hibiki! I don't think you should discuss this now..." Setsuka pleaded, placing a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

Mrs. Chiebukuro was taken aback by that question. "Miss, please consider things from our angle-"

"Do you guys not like her eye? She survived a car accident, so it's like a cool battle scar! And she can use it too, so it's not just some useless handicap!" Hibiki continued.

"Guys, I hate to cut this short, but can I leave already?" Kanade interrupted. "We're killing daylight and I want to at least talk to the shrinks before I pass out." 

"Y-Yeah, all this arguing is making my head hurt..." Iroha whimpered.

"See? Even more reason to cut it out." The guitarist chirped from the shotgun seat.