Waking the Dead 2.0 || May 19, 2063 (Saturday) || Friendship in the cups.

[kawaakari]

[It's a little after lunch with the Shinta Clan that Kasumi Aoi makes an interesting suggestion: that the War Hounds wile the afternoon hours away in good company with their mentors, former or otherwise, that can make it. Invitations are easy; she can handle them.

So, there you have it: doing things the Japanese way, talking over sake, nibbling idly on onigiri and whatever else. The rest of the household has left you alone. This is quality time with the people who have watched your back, and taught you whatever they could.]



OOC Notes
+ Each thread here is for one-on-one conversations between players and their respective mentors. Group shenanigans can be played out on the table, if you guys like.
+ Noey and I are going to bring his conversation with Malia on the table!

Comments

Alistair & Kaz

[mordechai]

[He's only here because Kasumi asked him to. Paolo Inojosa wasn't available, and he HAD been Kaz's mentor before, so...

Nevertheless, he's sitting away from the group. That does appear to be his modus operandi.]

Re: Alistair & Kaz

[ktotheatothez]

[Kaz pokes his head into where Alistair is. Oddly enough, he's found his former master easily enough, definitely far from the groups. He's noted his Blademates talking and drinking, said hi, waved and - in the case of Taning and Tohru, a curt nod in greeting.

He's been wanting to talk to Alistair about things, but what with their trip to Shin Yamatai... There hasn't been time. Now, however, he walks over with purpose and sits down, pouring himself some sake and Alistair as well.

He sighs because now he's probably going to get on Alistair's bad side. He drops his voice as low as he can.]

You kissed him?

[mordechai]

[...

Have a look that says Really? Really????

In an Alistair Mordechai fashion, of course.]

We've been through this already.

[Only no, they haven't. He just kind of mentioned it and then other things came into the picture.]

[ktotheatothez]

[Kaz shakes his head because no they hadn't. He's not accosting his former mentor, not really.]

We have?

[Then it dawns on him and his eyes bug out.]

That was a month ago.

[He keeps his voice low, because even if his entire Blade does know, he doesn't want them knowing that he actually sort of maybe knew before them. Sort of.]

How'd that happen anyway?

[mordechai]

[And how did it happen, really? Considering this, letting himself remember as he pours sake for them both. As he lights up a cigarette, takes a drag, thinks on it more.

It's hard to decipher the expression on his face right now. There's too much on it.

"Why are you still here?"]

Well, for one, it started because he was being a fucking idiot again.

[Softly, without any heat. The anger had died a long, long time ago.]

[ktotheatothez]

Oh...? Did this happen before, or after I left?

[Because if it happened before, the night at Kibo would make so. Much. Sense.

Briefly relenting, he does slide some of the Sake to Alistair, clearly wanting to make this less like he's accosting the older man, even though he kind of is, but it's all beacuse he wants to make sense of it, after everything he'd learned about the two men.]

[mordechai]

Before I called you.

[There had been words, a lot of them cutting, a lot of them angry. All of it, however, had been quiet. It had been too long for them to devolve into something louder, something a little more explosive and a lot less mature.

"Why... why did you make me send you away?"]

I left, see. Back in 2012, after Operation Nyx. Sometime after the two of us broke up. [Wait, no. That's not right.] I made him order me to leave.

[Because, back then, he couldn't even muster up the courage to take responsibility for his own shit.]

[ktotheatothez]

[A resounding, maybe whiny Why would you ask him to make you leave??? rattles in Kaz's head, and if it makes him tip his glass back, that's just dandy.

If Alistair had been his age and dealing with boy problems, that would've earned him a smack upside the head, kind of how Danilo had done to him when he was being stupid over Nico.

But this and that were different, so he settles for sighing and setting his gaze on Alistair.]

So you left... And is that why you aren't always here?

[mordechai]

Yeah.

[He realizes now, how it wasn't fair. They could have actually worked things out if he hadn't been such a fucking idiot. If he hadn't let the hurt and the insecurities get in the way.

He should've never doubted it. The look on Hikaru Shinta's face that night had been a painful reminder.]

I kissed him because I wanted to show him that I'm not going to go back on my word anymore.

[That he was going to be right there, waiting, no matter how long it took. That what they had was fucked up and strange, but it didn't have to be so damaging, so unhealthy.

That they could be okay. That they would always be okay.]

[ktotheatothez]

So... With you being a Rivers, and a Dullahan of the Riders, that still means being away regularly. Could I venture a guess, though, that you plan on staying close?

[He gives Alistair a small smile now, refilling their cups as he does.]

[mordechai]

Yeah. Will try to be in every weekend from here on.

[And easing up a little, now that he doesn't have to talk about... well. That.]

[ktotheatothez]

[Kaz only relents because of the way Alistair talks. It's different, no less gruff, but it sounds like things weigh less on him now.]

Okay.

[He takes his former master's word for it, naturally. Alistair has never struck him as the type to go back on something he promised. Still...]

If you plan on sticking around now, I guess things are going to change for the two of you.

[What does that mean for Aria and Hikaru though? - and that thought goes unspoken.]

[mordechai]

Probably. Let's hope it's change in the right direction.

[Not that he'll just... let shit happen, no. It's a work in progress. Has been for the past 1,057 years for them.]

[ktotheatothez]

I suppose you hafta have faith that things work out.

[He pours a little more sake for the two of them.]

But this is nice, getting to talk to you about something other than Hunting.

[Oh he's trying to make light of it, just a little. After all, he's a worrywart.]

[mordechai]

Why? Because it's your next favorite topic?

[You and Nico. He has not forgotten.]

[ktotheatothez]

No, not really. I... worry about the people I care about. Like it or not, it includes you.

[He shrugs at that though.]

[mordechai]

Well, I'm fine.

[A little curt, mostly gruff. These things, he is not good with them!]

Worry more about people who can't handle their shit.

[ktotheatothez]

Mm-hm.

[He chooses not to press further, because he doesn't want to aggrieve the older man any more than he already is.]

I'm... going to start shooting more. I can't always rely on the tonfa when I've got the ability to heal. Running around the battlefield isn't a great decision half the time.

[He segues into that, and because he's training with Paolo, the guns make sense. Point of fact, he's been shooting with his left hand more often of late.]

[mordechai]

For someone in your position? No, it isn't.

[Yes, good. This is a much safer topic.]

You going for two guns or just one?

[ktotheatothez]

Well, I've been practicing shooting with my left hand... Eventually, two guns.

[He nods and drinks a little more sake.]

[mordechai]

Let's check your form sometime, then. Slinging in that fashion is very different from sticking to one.

[ktotheatothez]

[He nods at that.]

Uncle Pao's got me running through it. He really is kind of amazing, but yeah, we should shoot sometime.

[Hear the love? Yeeeah, Kaz's clearly big on the fact that his current master is Paolo.]

Although... I can never be a sniper. Too fidgety.

[mordechai]

A shame, that.

[Half-joking. Just half. (Maybe he is secretly disappoint.)]

[ktotheatothez]

Mmh, maybe. Maybe I'm being clingy, but I just can't be perched somewhere while my Blademates are on the front lines. Maybe not now.

[There're times when he just can't deal with being too far from everyone, not when he's their healer.]

[mordechai]

Fair enough. If it's not your style, it's not style.