Waking the Dead 2.0 || August 9, 2063 || Tuesday

[kalikat]

[Dinner is served late in the mess hall because it's a grand banquet in honor of the Magistrate of Kibo. It's a pretty modest celebration, all things considered: the people at Kibo are invited, along with her family, any Searing Wind members who feel like dropping in from wherever they've been as of late, and a few friends among the other Keepers of the Vigil. That's about it.

Still, Kalika looks like she's having fun. Her husband and her children are, of course, all in attendance, together with her husband's familiars and the entire division of the Strays from Seigi. The food, mind you, is excellent, and there is more than enough booze.

You're welcome to come and go as you please. Kalika's easy like that.]


OOC Notes:
+ Will have some threads for NPCs of note, but just to give you a general idea: many members of the three blades are in attendance, along with pretty much anyone whom Kalika views as family. If you want to request for somebody, lemme know!
+ Debby and Noey: feel free to put your NPCs in here. =w=
+ Feel free to start your own threads too. Just specify if it's open to all, or if you're going to thread something out with a particular PC.

Comments

[renascens]

[ And the smile that's going to break through is one that is quiet and hopeful and caught somewhere short of disbelief. ]

I think I'll do that.

[ It'll be a welcome break from trying to figure out all this Other World business.

He's going to take a breath and set his cup down, a light fist coming up towards his mouth. You'll also see the way he starts unconsciously chewing on the nail of his thumb -- a very old habit; one that only ever comes out when this one cannot words.

Eventually though. ] Have you told Mom?

[ She's probably going to cry, is what he thinks. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Not yet. She'll probably find out from someone else soon enough.

[He hasn't really spoken to Cisco in a while. He was of the opinion (and he'll never share this with anyone) that he had leaned on her only too often already, as of late.]

[renascens]

[ A quiet nod. He knows you've started to put her at a distance again. She's kept busy, what with Erinyes mobilizing a lot more frequently than they have in recent years, but he knows his mother very well. ]

You should tell her anyway. At some point.

[ Because it would matter a great deal, given how important this is. ] But take your time. There's no real rush.

[ Cigarettes, now. He needs one. Or five. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Perhaps. If the opportunity presents itself.

[That is the closest that Hikaru will get to a 'yes' on the matter, at least at this moment. There are too many other things on his mind, and too many heavy feelings.

...And on that note, he's polishing off a little more of his cigarette.]

As things stand, I don't want anyone to act on this matter just yet. It can wait.

[renascens]

[ He's going to lean forward and rest is elbows on is knees at that, and peer at you until your gaze slides his way so he can ask, his mind to yours; he never did get out of the habit of doing that, but it's not so bad a thing, just a carry-over quirk from childhood.

( Uncle... I don't want to pry. But I can smell the sadness off of you, tonight. )]

[icarusalsoflew]

[And it takes him a while to meet your gaze, because he's fully aware of your modus operandi and of your abilities.

One can only avoid concern for so long, though.

( Just dealing with some things. Josh and I had a bit of a fight. )

Come to think of it, he hasn't actually talked to you about that one yet. Knowing how things are around here, though, you probably already know about them.]

[renascens]

[ Oh, he knew. And maybe one of these days he'll tell you how disgruntled Maggie had been to lose their family's little bet. He'd been watching you at Brianna Lopez's party after all.

Offering you a smile that you'd be familiar with. It's the same shy one that he'd sent your way when you'd talked him out of his funk all those years ago.

( I was wondering why you guys weren't talking. )

He reaches out to pat your knee with just the faintest bit of awkwardness. ]

It'll work out.

[ It's a thing Maggie would say, but she isn't here yet so he's going to take her line from her while he can. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

I don't know. I hope it will.

[And you know that when he doesn't know, when he isn't certain and has to rely on hope or faith alone, it's difficult. He's usually so careful, so sure. He's usually the one who can make sure things go right for him, for everyone else.]

[renascens]

[ And when Hikaru Shinta says "I don't know" in the same relative breath as "I hope it will" that is enough to get this one more than a little concerned. ]

That bad?

[ The fight, he means. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Mm.

[He is usually much more eloquent.

Yes.

It's that bad.]

[renascens]

[ He is going to pour you both another drink. ]

He's been quietly poking around his tablet. I think it's... Kingdom Hearts.

[ That second sentence is a little bit wobbly and much softer than the first because he is terrible at this, socials were never his forte -- he probably should have just kept his mouth shut. ]

Sorry.

[ Yep. Looking down at his emptied cup now. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

It's okay.

[Let him fill that cup of yours.]

You're concerned. I get it.

[And it honestly touches him, how much people like you care.]

[renascens]

[ That's a murmured "thanks," before he takes a sip from it. ]

It would... [ and his voice is soft as he ventures into this ] It would just be nice to see you smile more.

[ And be happy. But he doesn't vocalize that part.

There was a time after all, that he thought Aria could make that happen for you, especially since the way the stories went, you two were incredibly close friends. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

There hasn't been much to smile about, I'm afraid.

[At least he's admitting to it instead of deflecting. That's a step, right?]

I'll be better tomorrow.

[He'll make himself better, at any rate. There is work to do.]

[renascens]

[ And the only thing he'll do is reach over and give your shoulder a squeeze, because he knows firsthand what heartbreak is like, and how sometimes, while it's hard, it's not weakness to feel at a loss. ]

Some things are always better in the morning.

[ That's coming out gently, and with a hint of hope. ]

And if they're not, there's always the day after.

[icarusalsoflew]

Yeah. It's a perpetual work in progress, right? Living.

[In all senses of the word.]

[renascens]

It's... [ yes, it is. ] It's an experience.

[ He's offering a small, hesitant smile. He's really not used to seeing you out of sorts. It leaves him a little helpless. ]

Can I sit with you a little until you go back in?

[icarusalsoflew]

Of course. It's been a while since the two of us have had an excuse to sit around together.

[And he really, really likes you. He kind of likes all of the kids of the three blades who pretty much saved his life back in 2012.]