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

[therealbrianna]

Yulia and I got her a really cute cat cake.

[ She tilts her head. ] You?

[larue]

[ That earns you a grin. ] So you guys got that.

[ He caught a glimpse of it. Found it ridiculously cute. ]

I put together a charm bracelet. [ He's paused the game now, set it to the screen where he can check all his items for this round. ] I never got to show you... actually, I think only Stan, Yulia and Hi-- [ there's a brief moment of hesitation before he continues ] ...your Dad ever saw that box I brought with me from Vancouver.

[ He presses his lips together unconsciously, turns his eyes back to his game and saves the level. ] I used to collect a lot of things from secondhand shops and the like.

So I took some of the things I had on hand and just... put them all together.

[ Shrug. ]

[therealbrianna]

Yeah, we did. That's nice though, I bet the Magistrate loved it!

[ She pauses for a good two seconds. ]

You doing okay? And no, I'm not referring to your game.

[larue]

[ He falls quiet at that question, eyes flicking up to yours even as he presses those lips of his together again. ]

I'm alright.

[ That's really, really close to the signature "I'm fine," of someone else that you know. ]

Just... [ he's looking askance ] ...just not feeling like myself tonight.

[therealbrianna]

[ Her face softens as she really, really looks into Josh's eyes. ]

It seems a lot more than just not feeling like yourself.

[larue]

[ That's going to make him freeze, just for a bit, before he's leaning back and closing off that game, before he sighs.

What's the point of denying things, right? You were there when he'd bounced. And he has no doubt that you were there to see what Stan had told him -- the hurt on your surrogate father's face. ]

Just... [ Have a helpless shrug. ] Well, you know.

[therealbrianna]

[ She raises her gaze to the crowd. Too many ears.

In a hushed voice, close to a whisper: ]

Wanna head out?

[larue]

[ There is a look on this one's face that is torn between grateful ( for the offer to go, because he's glimpsed Hikaru a handful of times and while he can keep himself in check, it's becoming a little hard to breathe ) and an odd feeling of dread that he knows is simply because talking about this is going to hurt.

Again.

Like earlier, with Brig. ]

Sure.

[ He's tucking the tablet under his arm as he rises from his seat. ]

I need to smoke anyway.

[therealbrianna]

You can lead the way.

[ She will simply follow you as far as you're willing to go. ]

[larue]

[ And he's leading you out, past the crowd of familiar faces ( and some maybe not ) towards one of the doors. When he steps outside, you might hear it: the way that the exhaled breath leaves him like a shudder, the sound weighted and tired.

Josh is running a hand through his hair as he waits for you to fall into step beside him and he'll cant a head towards one of the paths leading towards the forested area of Kibo. ]

Come on.

[ Another wan smile. He's too tired to pretend to be okay. And what's the point really, when you know the truth that he's not. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ She's quietly studying Josh's reaction. This isn't because she's just curious or taking advantage of the situation, but this is the first time she's ever seen Josh act this way. It is, in many ways very new to Brianna. Kind of weird too, but she understands that every person has their downs. ]

Right behind you. You got a spot somewhere down here?

[larue]

[ There's a slight shrug of this one's shoulders in response. ]

I think better on my feet.

[ There's a slight twist to his lips when he says that. It's why he jogs in the mornings or late at night depending on the needs of his schedule, why he actually prefers walking and commuting to the few times he's ever driven a car.

But what was that old saying? Too much thinking gets you nowhere? ]

But I can find us a place to sit if you want.

[ Trying for a smile now -- operative word: try. ]

[therealbrianna]

I'm good with whatever you're comfortable with.

[ Granted, Brianna's already anticipating a long talk. Plus it doesn't help that what she intends to bring up isn't something Josh would want to dwell on or even think about. ]

[larue]

[ He sights a bench a little ways off and nods in that direction. Now that he thinks about it, he's tired and sitting down might be best. ]

Let's go sit.

[ He'll lead Brianna over to that bench and sit after she does. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ She follows him and sits down, patting down her dress and fixing her hair.

She flashes a concerned but genuine smile at Josh. ]

So...

[larue]

So. [ He's looking a little helpless. Truth be told, now that you're both out here, he isn't sure what to say or how to say it.

Feelings are hard. These ones especially. ]

You wanted to talk?