Recollé Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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recolle2019-02-05 05:06 pm
recollecters) wrote in recolle2019-02-05 05:06 pm
Entry tags:
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EVENT
PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
Re:Configure
Prologue.
It's on February 5th that every single Retrospec users receives a message from the liaison known as Zee Carlisle. Several of you have visited and expressed concerns already, but none of that mattered in the grande scheme of what needs to be said.
The thing about the city and the layers below is that the metaphysical can easily become the physical with the power you all possess. It's just a "handy" little trick that comes with intermingling soul essence. Thanks to my field agent, we've received some data that'll help advance our research to help track Vanderweele, stabilize the layers and figure out our next step.
The next step, of course, is going beyond.
You're not ready though. I know that, you're not, but I think I've figured out some workarounds. Just be careful and try to control yourselves. You'll need to embrace who you are and take the next step to protect yourselves.
It's not about finding keys anymore. It's about becoming them, generating the doors yourself and getting ready for things out there that're bound to be bad.
Keep balance in mind. And don't try to hide from what's happening. I'm not sure how this is going to manifest but this is all still you.
Well. That's not ominous, is it?
It's on February 5th that every single Retrospec users receives a message from the liaison known as Zee Carlisle. Several of you have visited and expressed concerns already, but none of that mattered in the grande scheme of what needs to be said.
The thing about the city and the layers below is that the metaphysical can easily become the physical with the power you all possess. It's just a "handy" little trick that comes with intermingling soul essence. Thanks to my field agent, we've received some data that'll help advance our research to help track Vanderweele, stabilize the layers and figure out our next step.
The next step, of course, is going beyond.
You're not ready though. I know that, you're not, but I think I've figured out some workarounds. Just be careful and try to control yourselves. You'll need to embrace who you are and take the next step to protect yourselves.
It's not about finding keys anymore. It's about becoming them, generating the doors yourself and getting ready for things out there that're bound to be bad.
Keep balance in mind. And don't try to hide from what's happening. I'm not sure how this is going to manifest but this is all still you.
Well. That's not ominous, is it?
I.
Not long after the announcement, anyone looking in the sky will soon notice something strange happening. While the moon hangs peacefully in the night sky, the second moon that had appeared some months ago begins moving on its own, slowly beginning to eclipse the regular moon. As the two of them overlap one another, a soft blue light emits over the whole city and in your head you'll hear a faint animalistic cry. Some of you may hear the roar of a tiger while others hear the whinny of a horse and others hear the shrieking of a monkey. These sounds only last for a moment…and then there's silence. The moons split apart again and everything seems to go on as normal.
The next day on the morning of the sixth, you wake up and find yourself feeling incredibly chipper and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world and all things in it. Nothing can bring you down today and even those who are usually fussy or angry will find it hard to stay that way for long. Positivity is key here, and as you go about your day you'll find your thoughts are often drawn to capitalizing on positive qualities that you may not even know you have.
This doesn't always mean it's a good thing, however. Just because a trait is positive doesn't mean that it's only meant to do good. Being overzealous and foolhardy can cause a clash and several of you may find yourselves being too caught up in your own traits to notice they'll imbalance the people around you. A person who finds themselves in strong possession of being charming may wind up over-promising several things to several people in order to win favor. Someone who's suddenly lucky at love will have to fend off admirers that come from all sorts of directions. Goal-oriented minds will find that they're creating several to-do lists and pushing themselves too hard to finish all of the tasks at hand. Each trait manifests itself differently for each person, but it's the year you were born that seems to determine which set of traits are being amplified. It's a pattern that will take time to recognize, but talking to one another may help bring this comparison to light.
In addition to the consequences of your actions, the traits you exude will be capable of giving themselves a physical existence in the form of small, ordinary objects. Creation of these objects is for the most part involuntary and users will not always know how these will manifest. Do be careful, however. An overabundance of each trait may get you in trouble and the objects themselves will backfire in ways you may not expect. Those who are popular can wind up generating several friendship bracelets that physically bind them to too many people. Those whose sense of humor has been amplified could bring a laugh-track to life, a small object that cannot be paused and will chuckle at everything that's said no matter how serious it is. It's possible to resist giving in to these traits and avoid generating these objects, but the longer you resist the harder it will be to concentrate on anything else until the creation is expelled. You'll find your resolve weakening and compelled to give in as the days march on, but the longer you wait the more likely the objects will appear unstable. Perhaps it's best to continually create instead. You never know what you might get.
Not long after the announcement, anyone looking in the sky will soon notice something strange happening. While the moon hangs peacefully in the night sky, the second moon that had appeared some months ago begins moving on its own, slowly beginning to eclipse the regular moon. As the two of them overlap one another, a soft blue light emits over the whole city and in your head you'll hear a faint animalistic cry. Some of you may hear the roar of a tiger while others hear the whinny of a horse and others hear the shrieking of a monkey. These sounds only last for a moment…and then there's silence. The moons split apart again and everything seems to go on as normal.
The next day on the morning of the sixth, you wake up and find yourself feeling incredibly chipper and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world and all things in it. Nothing can bring you down today and even those who are usually fussy or angry will find it hard to stay that way for long. Positivity is key here, and as you go about your day you'll find your thoughts are often drawn to capitalizing on positive qualities that you may not even know you have.
This doesn't always mean it's a good thing, however. Just because a trait is positive doesn't mean that it's only meant to do good. Being overzealous and foolhardy can cause a clash and several of you may find yourselves being too caught up in your own traits to notice they'll imbalance the people around you. A person who finds themselves in strong possession of being charming may wind up over-promising several things to several people in order to win favor. Someone who's suddenly lucky at love will have to fend off admirers that come from all sorts of directions. Goal-oriented minds will find that they're creating several to-do lists and pushing themselves too hard to finish all of the tasks at hand. Each trait manifests itself differently for each person, but it's the year you were born that seems to determine which set of traits are being amplified. It's a pattern that will take time to recognize, but talking to one another may help bring this comparison to light.
In addition to the consequences of your actions, the traits you exude will be capable of giving themselves a physical existence in the form of small, ordinary objects. Creation of these objects is for the most part involuntary and users will not always know how these will manifest. Do be careful, however. An overabundance of each trait may get you in trouble and the objects themselves will backfire in ways you may not expect. Those who are popular can wind up generating several friendship bracelets that physically bind them to too many people. Those whose sense of humor has been amplified could bring a laugh-track to life, a small object that cannot be paused and will chuckle at everything that's said no matter how serious it is. It's possible to resist giving in to these traits and avoid generating these objects, but the longer you resist the harder it will be to concentrate on anything else until the creation is expelled. You'll find your resolve weakening and compelled to give in as the days march on, but the longer you wait the more likely the objects will appear unstable. Perhaps it's best to continually create instead. You never know what you might get.
II.
When the night falls, things change and suddenly everything you may have understood about what's happening doesn't make much sense at all. As the sun sinks below the horizon and the two moons rise again, something in your personality shifts and all of your positive feelings fade away. These emotions are soon replaced by something darker and more negative, altering thoughts and ideas to the point that you may feel like you're a completely different person. Moodswings may run rampant, and insecurities will be heightened the longer the night draws on. Some of you may find greed threatening to overwhelm you, or impatience clouding your judgment and causing reckless decisions to be made. While these may not be traits you possess normally, it all comes back to when you were born and what traits the stars seem to have determined to be yours.
While you can still display independent thought and will when you possess your positive traits in the daylight, the amplification of your more negative qualities begin to overshadow all else. Giving in to your darker side is much easier than fighting it off and indulging in these traits never hurt anyone…except for perhaps yourself. While positive manifestation creates objects in abundance to the point of annoyance, negative manifestation seems to generate the metaphysical into a physical being that causes harm. The creation of elements bound to your negative side allows these objects to slowly drain away your energy, zapping the goodness out of you and leaving you as a pale, empty shell. This can be remedied by finding someone who's managed to hold onto some form of positivity, or even going to a place with plenty of lighting to drive back the shadows. Exposing yourself to either of these will help you recognize what traits have possessed you this time.
But what about your "normal" personality? Where has it gone? It's still there buried deep beneath the surface but it's much harder to reach when your less-than-stellar qualities are amped up to the point of consuming you. You may need to find people to remind you of who you once were and allow them to convince you to try and focus on your positive sides again. An imbalance is the likely outcome without someone to check on you. Being alone isn't really an option now, but can you convince others to stay? That's something only you can answer.
Additionally, you'll have to do something about the object you've brought forth in the dark hours. Leaving objects out in the open without binding them to some form of light will allow the creations to begin reaching out and draining anyone nearby. Of course, you can try to destroy these objects as well...but you may wish to remember that time is a factor here.
When the night falls, things change and suddenly everything you may have understood about what's happening doesn't make much sense at all. As the sun sinks below the horizon and the two moons rise again, something in your personality shifts and all of your positive feelings fade away. These emotions are soon replaced by something darker and more negative, altering thoughts and ideas to the point that you may feel like you're a completely different person. Moodswings may run rampant, and insecurities will be heightened the longer the night draws on. Some of you may find greed threatening to overwhelm you, or impatience clouding your judgment and causing reckless decisions to be made. While these may not be traits you possess normally, it all comes back to when you were born and what traits the stars seem to have determined to be yours.
While you can still display independent thought and will when you possess your positive traits in the daylight, the amplification of your more negative qualities begin to overshadow all else. Giving in to your darker side is much easier than fighting it off and indulging in these traits never hurt anyone…except for perhaps yourself. While positive manifestation creates objects in abundance to the point of annoyance, negative manifestation seems to generate the metaphysical into a physical being that causes harm. The creation of elements bound to your negative side allows these objects to slowly drain away your energy, zapping the goodness out of you and leaving you as a pale, empty shell. This can be remedied by finding someone who's managed to hold onto some form of positivity, or even going to a place with plenty of lighting to drive back the shadows. Exposing yourself to either of these will help you recognize what traits have possessed you this time.
But what about your "normal" personality? Where has it gone? It's still there buried deep beneath the surface but it's much harder to reach when your less-than-stellar qualities are amped up to the point of consuming you. You may need to find people to remind you of who you once were and allow them to convince you to try and focus on your positive sides again. An imbalance is the likely outcome without someone to check on you. Being alone isn't really an option now, but can you convince others to stay? That's something only you can answer.
Additionally, you'll have to do something about the object you've brought forth in the dark hours. Leaving objects out in the open without binding them to some form of light will allow the creations to begin reaching out and draining anyone nearby. Of course, you can try to destroy these objects as well...but you may wish to remember that time is a factor here.
III.
There are two moments in each day in which your personalities will come into alignment and you'll have perfect clarity of the situation and who you are. During the hour of sunrise and the hour of sunset, an eclipse-like effect appears in the sky and allows users to grapple with both sets of traits. At the end of the day, you're still you, but these hours will give you the advantage to learn how to cope with veering too far in either direction and learn the sense of balance.
Working together, users will be able to generate items from both positive and negative traits during these hours. They must then learn how to fuse them together and create a balanced concept. Where there's light there must be darkness and while the answer may not be obvious at first, the overlayering of the sun and the moon(s) serves as a hint that perhaps the combination is the key you seek. Strangely, users are able to stare straight at this eclipse without worrying about damage to their eyes. Perhaps it's not as real as you think.
As objects come into being, willed into existence by embracing your positive and negative traits in performing some sort of action or skill encompassing the idea, they will begin to multiply and it will soon be up to users to find what items may match with someone else's items. An item created from love may go well with something created by indulgence. An item manifested from insecurity may react just as well with an item drawn from kindness. Should a user try to form an item created from two positive traits, it will explode into a shower of fireworks that rise up and spark above the city. For those who attempt to shove two negative traits together, a large smoke bomb will go off instead and the items will be destroyed, forcing users to start all over again.
Should users finally get it right and create an acceptable object, something unusual occurs. The object begins to glow and duplicates itself, hovering in front of both creators before they soon dissolve into black and white sparks that wash over you and add a thin, iridescent sheen to your skin. Your phone will beep loudly, announcing that a new feature has been unlocked on your Retrospec app and drawing your attention to a brand new map and a QR code to be scanned. The map will lead to a randomized location somewhere in the city of Recollé, and should a user choose to follow it they will come face to face with another silver door, QR scanner firmly affixed in the center.
Try all you'd like, citizens. These doors will not budge just yet, but the QR code will be accepted. A new message will appear once you've been scanned.
Make some preparations. The doors will open on the 17th and a group will be led down to undo what's been done. You in?
…time to make some decisions, it seems. What will your choose? At least there's a moment's reprieve to decide.
There are two moments in each day in which your personalities will come into alignment and you'll have perfect clarity of the situation and who you are. During the hour of sunrise and the hour of sunset, an eclipse-like effect appears in the sky and allows users to grapple with both sets of traits. At the end of the day, you're still you, but these hours will give you the advantage to learn how to cope with veering too far in either direction and learn the sense of balance.
Working together, users will be able to generate items from both positive and negative traits during these hours. They must then learn how to fuse them together and create a balanced concept. Where there's light there must be darkness and while the answer may not be obvious at first, the overlayering of the sun and the moon(s) serves as a hint that perhaps the combination is the key you seek. Strangely, users are able to stare straight at this eclipse without worrying about damage to their eyes. Perhaps it's not as real as you think.
As objects come into being, willed into existence by embracing your positive and negative traits in performing some sort of action or skill encompassing the idea, they will begin to multiply and it will soon be up to users to find what items may match with someone else's items. An item created from love may go well with something created by indulgence. An item manifested from insecurity may react just as well with an item drawn from kindness. Should a user try to form an item created from two positive traits, it will explode into a shower of fireworks that rise up and spark above the city. For those who attempt to shove two negative traits together, a large smoke bomb will go off instead and the items will be destroyed, forcing users to start all over again.
Should users finally get it right and create an acceptable object, something unusual occurs. The object begins to glow and duplicates itself, hovering in front of both creators before they soon dissolve into black and white sparks that wash over you and add a thin, iridescent sheen to your skin. Your phone will beep loudly, announcing that a new feature has been unlocked on your Retrospec app and drawing your attention to a brand new map and a QR code to be scanned. The map will lead to a randomized location somewhere in the city of Recollé, and should a user choose to follow it they will come face to face with another silver door, QR scanner firmly affixed in the center.
Try all you'd like, citizens. These doors will not budge just yet, but the QR code will be accepted. A new message will appear once you've been scanned.
Make some preparations. The doors will open on the 17th and a group will be led down to undo what's been done. You in?
…time to make some decisions, it seems. What will your choose? At least there's a moment's reprieve to decide.
IV.
For the most part, this is actually fairly tame in comparison to usual Retrospec nonsense. It seems as though this storm can be weathered together and as users seek out one another it's easier to combat these effects with minimal damage. Create objects to manifest doors? That seems fairly simple and though the mysterious preparation message may leave some of you uneasy, it's the right direction to go.
Naturally, of course, there's someone who isn't too happy that light and darkness are becoming balanced and in sync.
On the morning of the fourteenth, positive traits are amplified as usual during the sunlight hours. It's a beautiful Valentine's Day in the city of Recollé. Sweet coffees are on special at both Expressive and A Good Bean. Romantic comedy marathons are queued to air all day long at Flix. Sweet Stems has a discount on flowers by the dozen, and oh look, there are black wispy hearts floating right past you through the air.
Wait, what?
Perhaps you're an overly curious type who will follow the hearts, or you may just be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These hearts are slow to move, floating aimlessly until they spot a target upon which they zip forward straight into your own heart. A tattoo manifests somewhere on your person, heart-shaped and black, and you feel an icy chill run through your veins as all kindness, love, and "goodness" are washed away to be replaced by the traits you've combatted in the evenings. Overwhelmed by the effects of the heart, the power within you begins to churn and give life and form to your personal darkness. A musician will be able to play notes that come to life, stabbing their victims and putting them into a deep sleep. An actor will be able to give in to their overly dramatic side and create set pieces around them, manipulating people nearby into "performing" for them. A hair stylist will have the power to create scissors out of their hands and grow out their own hair to use as a lasso to trap those they wish to punish.
The darkness in your heart will generate something different for every single individual, and no "villain" will be alike. Chaos will run rampant during the light hours and those uninfected will have to find a way to reverse this curse. The infected will recognize this as a "kissing disease", and through trial and error the uninfected will have to seek out the new tattooed marks and kiss them away, freeing the characters from their binds and bringing light back to the surface.
Good luck getting to each mark though. It will take teamwork and some clever thinking to outsmart the infected and hold them down. With a little skill, you might just be able to create your own objects to pin down the problem and save the day.
For the most part, this is actually fairly tame in comparison to usual Retrospec nonsense. It seems as though this storm can be weathered together and as users seek out one another it's easier to combat these effects with minimal damage. Create objects to manifest doors? That seems fairly simple and though the mysterious preparation message may leave some of you uneasy, it's the right direction to go.
Naturally, of course, there's someone who isn't too happy that light and darkness are becoming balanced and in sync.
On the morning of the fourteenth, positive traits are amplified as usual during the sunlight hours. It's a beautiful Valentine's Day in the city of Recollé. Sweet coffees are on special at both Expressive and A Good Bean. Romantic comedy marathons are queued to air all day long at Flix. Sweet Stems has a discount on flowers by the dozen, and oh look, there are black wispy hearts floating right past you through the air.
Wait, what?
Perhaps you're an overly curious type who will follow the hearts, or you may just be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These hearts are slow to move, floating aimlessly until they spot a target upon which they zip forward straight into your own heart. A tattoo manifests somewhere on your person, heart-shaped and black, and you feel an icy chill run through your veins as all kindness, love, and "goodness" are washed away to be replaced by the traits you've combatted in the evenings. Overwhelmed by the effects of the heart, the power within you begins to churn and give life and form to your personal darkness. A musician will be able to play notes that come to life, stabbing their victims and putting them into a deep sleep. An actor will be able to give in to their overly dramatic side and create set pieces around them, manipulating people nearby into "performing" for them. A hair stylist will have the power to create scissors out of their hands and grow out their own hair to use as a lasso to trap those they wish to punish.
The darkness in your heart will generate something different for every single individual, and no "villain" will be alike. Chaos will run rampant during the light hours and those uninfected will have to find a way to reverse this curse. The infected will recognize this as a "kissing disease", and through trial and error the uninfected will have to seek out the new tattooed marks and kiss them away, freeing the characters from their binds and bringing light back to the surface.
Good luck getting to each mark though. It will take teamwork and some clever thinking to outsmart the infected and hold them down. With a little skill, you might just be able to create your own objects to pin down the problem and save the day.
BONUS.
Beginning on the fifth, a few things will happen. For one thing, anyone who visits the liaison's office any time after this point will find that the door is locked and the office is empty. That's probably nothing to worry about. However, messages will be sent to each user's phone over the course of the next few weeks with status updates.
Users will find themselves in possession of what looks like a digital map of Recollé with several black dots scattered around. As each user successfully fuses an object that manifests a door, a black dot turns white and flashes on the screen. Over time, all of these doors will begin to appear to show users locations that may grant them access to the next layer.
Users will also find themselves in possession of a short biography about themselves. Featuring information such as their height, weight, level of combat and other key notable traits (three best qualities and three worst qualities), these biographies also appear to have notes added about regains you've recovered or events that have happened in the city.
Too bad these biographies aren't just meant for you. The moment you read over them, the biography forwards itself to just about anyone on the Retrospec app and you'll receive someone else's biography to read over instead. Not long after, a video call will connect you to this new person and cannot be disconnected for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
This gives "getting to know each other" a whole new meaning, doesn't it? Maybe you'll learn something useful today.
Beginning on the fifth, a few things will happen. For one thing, anyone who visits the liaison's office any time after this point will find that the door is locked and the office is empty. That's probably nothing to worry about. However, messages will be sent to each user's phone over the course of the next few weeks with status updates.
Users will find themselves in possession of what looks like a digital map of Recollé with several black dots scattered around. As each user successfully fuses an object that manifests a door, a black dot turns white and flashes on the screen. Over time, all of these doors will begin to appear to show users locations that may grant them access to the next layer.
Users will also find themselves in possession of a short biography about themselves. Featuring information such as their height, weight, level of combat and other key notable traits (three best qualities and three worst qualities), these biographies also appear to have notes added about regains you've recovered or events that have happened in the city.
Too bad these biographies aren't just meant for you. The moment you read over them, the biography forwards itself to just about anyone on the Retrospec app and you'll receive someone else's biography to read over instead. Not long after, a video call will connect you to this new person and cannot be disconnected for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
This gives "getting to know each other" a whole new meaning, doesn't it? Maybe you'll learn something useful today.
NOTES.
Welcome torecolle's February event part one!
You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for manifesting an item and dealing with the consequences. This item may be a positive or negative trait, and this thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by fusing one of their objects with someone else's and creating a door. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by healing someone from the kissing disease. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Please keep in mind that the bonus is a bonus prompt! If you do not want your character's biography floating around for other users to see, you do not have to be affected by this prompt.
-While the Chinese zodiac traits are linked, these are merely suggestions that you can build off of. These traits will be what's most prevalent and attached to characters, but you're free to have others in a similar vein show up. Objects manifested from these ideas into real life may also vary and the above in the log are simply examples.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
Welcome to
recolle's February event part one!You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for manifesting an item and dealing with the consequences. This item may be a positive or negative trait, and this thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by fusing one of their objects with someone else's and creating a door. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by healing someone from the kissing disease. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Please keep in mind that the bonus is a bonus prompt! If you do not want your character's biography floating around for other users to see, you do not have to be affected by this prompt.
-While the Chinese zodiac traits are linked, these are merely suggestions that you can build off of. These traits will be what's most prevalent and attached to characters, but you're free to have others in a similar vein show up. Objects manifested from these ideas into real life may also vary and the above in the log are simply examples.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
no subject
That nostalgic smile could melt the snow, Rean thinks. It hangs a little heavy in Rean's chest – how could it not, when they're talking about someone who isn't with them anymore? – but brings a slight warmth to his cheeks all the same.
So this is Crow. The real one, the one he'd tried to hide.]
...he sounds wonderful. I'm sorry for your loss, Crow.
no subject
Heh, thanks. It's appreciated. The guy would've probably teased you even more than I do...would've loved to see that.
[But he'll continue, with another soft exhale.]
It must've been around Freshman year that Gramps started to lose his spark. We never really talked about it. I figured that as long as I could come home and do what he needed to have done, we'd be fine. But his health declined pretty fast...faster than my eyes could keep track of.
He didn't go out like he used to. I took up part time work to cover our expenses, but the car still got sold, and I had to help him with things like getting across the house. But he never lost his wit--to this day I never beat him at a game of cards.
But like all things...he died. Almost right after I graduated high school. It's like he was waiting until I could function on my own before he left, the stubborn old bastard...
[His eyes sadden.]
He never told me how to arrange a funeral, though. Or deal with things like inheritance. Those were things I had to figure out on my own. Not that I had many to invite to the funeral. Pretty sure they were mostly just his friends and my uncle's family. I shoved all his stuff in a storage unit, grabbed my belongings and took off for Recolle.
Not tellin' anyone when or where I was going.
I guess I didn't think about it, or I didn't care.
I got here with a suitcase and a duffel bag and just enough money to cover a month at a motel. I hopped from motel to motel for awhile, enrolling in RU to study paramedicine. Gramps taught me first aid, and...it was something I was always good at. Then Astrid found me at the gym needing a place to stay inbetween moves. We hit it off and she got me the apartment and...
The rest is history.
no subject
[Not that he enjoys being teased, but it would have been nice to meet someone so important to Crow, he thinks.
There's nothing much to interject with as Crow continues, and so he just listens, eyes eventually turning down to the frozen ground as well.
That's... so much for an 18 year old to have to deal with. Hell, Rean's 20, and he's positive he wouldn't be able to hold together nearly as well as Crow seems to have. Really, everything Crow's saying is partially digging into the back of his mind: You've had a blessed life in comparison. What do you even have to be sad about? What do you even have holding you back? How pathetic are you—
Like with all things, Rean shoves those feelings down into the pit of his stomach to deal with later (never) and turns his attention back to Crow.]
...No wonder you didn't want to talk to your cousin. I imagine that was an awkward conversation. [If he even had it.] Still... you're a strong person to have done all that, you know. At least, I think you are.
[And he turns his eyes back downward, because there's something about matching Crow's gaze with what he's about to say that makes his cheeks flush just that much more:]
And... well. The circumstances are regrettable, but... in the end, I'm glad you wound up here. That I could meet you again.
no subject
You put that self-deprecation back where it came from or so help him...]
Mm. [A hand goes to his chin in thought.] I did call her--my uncle too. But apparently they're off on an expedition where phone service doesn't reach 'em. It's like a couple months-long trip of roughing it in the Everglades.
I left a message, though, so I'm bound to get her lecture whenever she comes back.
[He smiles, leaning his head against that chain of the swing again.]
When that time comes, it's just something you know has to be done. It still feels like a blur.
But--
Since you're turning the sap on...I'm glad I came here, too. And I'm glad I made you buy me that coffee.
Even if it put me into debt for a lifetime and beyond. [He throws a wink at Rean, swinging sideways to bump into him.]
no subject
Aha... well, here's hoping she doesn't just pull a Raina and follow you here out of sheer spite. I think the phone lecture would be easier to deal with.
And blur or not, I still think it takes strength to pull through that. I don't know that I'd have that, especially not on my own—
[Oh. Crow's bumping into him, and that pulls him out of the sad-sentimental rut and into a laugh. He goes sideways to bump up against Crow, as well.]
Heh. I'm not sure I'm capable of turning the sap off, you know...
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...You know, I can't say she wouldn't. Uncle Rutger would fund it too... heh, I still remember him begging Gramps to have custody of me.
[There's something different about Crow now, once it's all out. His shoulders seem lighter, his smile's a lot less jokester in nature (not that his smiles were disingenuous, just more of a front), and he's got this glow about him like a dog that's comfortable in it's environment.
Crow laughs as he's bumped back, letting himself pendulum back towards Rean naturally, bumping into him.]
Heh, that's for sure. What am I gonna do with you...
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Heh. Sounds like it'd be fun to meet them someday, too.
[Rean, talking about wanting to meet his family is just a little gay. Just saying.]
Well... long-term, I can't pretend I have any idea. But you know, if you don't have any plans for tonight...
I do believe I owe you for bailing on you before.
[Rean returns that genuine smile with one of his own, as natural now as it was when he first tried that pancake his first morning at Crow's.
It's nice, having this much open between them. It certainly makes Rean feel more at ease, too.]
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[Do either of you realize how gay this sounds.
But his eyes flick up at the mention of getting together, and with the mention of that whole situation, he can't help but smile, a light pink flush on his cheeks. That's just from embarrassment, right?]
...You want to come over? [It's funny, being alone's kind of the last thing he wants now, despite how he'd practically built up his whole post high school life around it...]
Heh, don't hold that against ya. I don't know what was wrong with me that night. [In hindsight, it would've never bothered him if he just thought about it rationally.] I was planning on shoving ingredients at you to make that pizza again, that was all.
[A pause.]
I still got 'em, though. [If you catch his drift. He may have bought some other ingredients too, for a certain fish-related mcdonalds item]
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[No. Neither of them do, because they're both stupid.]
If you'll have me, yeah...
[Wow Rean you're not helping with this gay situation at all, but... ah. His eyes widen a little at that admission.]
...Really? You liked it that much? And I burnt it last time, too... well. In that case, I really can't say no, now, can I?
[The smile on his face makes it clear he doesn't mind that one bit, though. He hoists himself back to his feet, leaving the swing behind.]
What do you say we get out of the cold?
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[Rean, you're too much.]
Said my door's always open.
[Although Rean's surprise gets a little chuckle in return, hands gripping the chains of the swing and tilting forward.] I haven't been able to have delivery SINCE, Rean. And that was your BURNT version!
[You have a fan of your work, boy, accept it.]
Alright let's--[He starts to stand before--
immediately sitting back down, eyes wide and hands gripping that chain.]
....
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[And to those compliments, a scoff.]
Oh, come on. You don't need to flatter me that much. But yeah, sure, I can make it again, no problem—
...Crow? You okay?
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Crow sits there, staring straight ahead for a moment before the hints of a smile tease the corners of his mouth. He's trying to act as serious as possible about this, but it's too ridiculous. His poker face only barely manages to keep itself straight.]
Rean.
I'm stuck.
[And as proof, he stands up, the entire swing seat coming with him instead of dangling like it should.]
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[Bless his heart, Rean tries, but after a second of faltering he's covering his mouth and wracked with laughter.
Give him a minute.]
Oh... oh my god. I can't believe you're actually too tall to ride...
[A couple gasps for air later, and he's more or less calm again. Or, at least, approaching it.]
All right, all right... come on. I'll pull you out.
[He reaches out his hands to take Crow's.]
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Now help a guy out! He's got a date with some of your Japanese pizza!
[When Rean offers his hands, he gratefully takes them, looking back at the attached seat on his ass.]
You are gonna be one hell of a story, you know.
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Come on. One, two... three!
[And tugging Crow as hard as he can!
...Which is maybe not the best thing on the frozen ground, with his momentum suddenly going backwards and Crow's coming at him when he finally pops out of the damn thing.
Down they go, then.]
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[Crow's silence on the 'spilling the secret' may or may not be answer enough, but he'll let Rean tug him as he feels that swing loosening.
And...one...two...three!
It flings back to its position on the swingset. Crow, however, is still in momentum as both he and Rean slip and land smack on the ground. And had Crow's forearms not caught him...
Well.
Crow's now a mere inch or two from Rean's face, red eyes blinking in shock as they stare right into the big, lavender ones of his friend. Mesmerized and...trying not to think of what would happen were he to close that gap.
Did he say 'trying not to'? Because he failed. It's all he's thinking about right now.
Dammit.]
...
Y..You okay, Rean?
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And it's not that Rean hasn't thought about it before. Rean makes a point of trying to ignore those thoughts in his waking hours, but it's not like Crow only appears in his dreams in the form of memories.
And it's stupid, he thinks, this immature little schoolboy crush he's found himself with. Crushes are called that for a reason, and acting on what is assuredly just a passing fancy brought about by not being used to being this close with someone who isn't family would be disastrous.
Crow means too much to risk that. Besides, what could Crow possibly see in him, anyway?
But right now, with their faces so close he can feel Crow's warm breath... there's a quiet, fluttery part of him that almost wishes Crow would see something in him, even if the rational part of him knows there's nothing there.
...No. Just... going to act natural, just going to pretend the flush in his cheeks is from the cold and the exertion. That's all. This doesn't mean anything, and he's thinking way too hard about it.]
Y-yeah. Fine. Just a little surprised, that's all.
[He brings up a hand to push on Crow's chest, signaling for Crow to move so he can get up.]
You?
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Cute little habits that Crow couldn't help but smile to himself about, tracing the edge of his beer can with a finger and trying not to think about what it'd be like to just gloss his lips over those.
It became harder and harder to hide, and Crow wasn't stupid--he realized how obvious his flirting could get. He hated it, in a way. He didn't want it to JUST be flirting.
But...well, there's fear of losing what he has. One of the few lights in his dimly lit life that could flicker out in an instant. Maybe he'd get the courage someday. Maybe now....
"Just a little surprised, that's all." as a hand pushes on his chest, signaling for him to get his ass off of the man.
Damn.]
Ah..yeah, yeah. Just kinda had the wind knocked out of me a little.
[He smiles, getting to his feet and holding a hand out to him to help him up.]
But was it surprise from the fall, or surprise from 'yes, Crow IS as good looking as he says he is!'
The world must know.
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[Rean takes that hand, maybe letting that grip between them linger for a second or two just to soak in the feeling before pulling himself to his feet. It's not exactly what he'd want, but it's enough to fuel his stupid, childish imagination for the time being.
Once he's to his feet, he can't help but laugh at Crow's joke, swatting at him without any real force.]
Tch. I'm sure your ego would love it to be the latter, but no. Falling flat on your back tends to be a pretty big shock.
C'mon. Let's get going.
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Or...maybe not so much of a joke. Rean was just Nightmare mode.]
No one said it couldn't be both!
[A hand slaps heartily at Rean's back as he starts leading him, his whole posture somehow different than usual. It's amazing how light Crow feels, with all that off his chest and shared with someone he...he honestly could trust.
He can't remember the last time he felt that close to anyone who wasn't family.]
So tell me, how do you feel about whitefish?
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[It's amazing, too, how Rean doesn't even flinch anymore at Crow's affectionate gestures. This was all completely foreign to him just a few months ago, and now...]
I like it! I mean, I'm generally pretty good with just about anything you put in front of me, so you don't even really need to ask. Whitefish, though, definite yes.
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I was hoping to get more than just 'whatever's fine' out of you! Because I'm gonna try my hand at a recipe I haven't made in years, too.
And you're my first victim.
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Victim, huh? Oh, no. I'm positively quaking in my shoes.
[He couldn't possibly sound less threatened.]