Waking the Dead 2.0 || August 25, 2063 || Thursday

[takeitinstride]

[The unenlightened might wonder why the celebration for defeating Death during Brother Death's Hour is taking place at the Falner Estate, not at Seigi. The answer to that is simple: that event from some fifty years ago was as much an event for Netsach as it was for Zangyaku. That, and Falner's got a lot more space.

Everyone's out on the lawn, and the setup is beautifully haphazard and casual. Folks are going around offering free drinks and food, and the shops from the West District are all still open. There are stalls too, offering all sorts of things to chew on or guzzle down. From the looks of it, they're all going to be at this for a while.]



OOC Notes:
+ Noey, feel free to drop Lorenzo, Cisco, Renae, Maggie, Riley, and Calintz in here as you please.
+ Will count each thread you tag into or make as for EXP this time around.
+ All NPCs that have journals and did participate in Death's Hour will have open posts here, with the exception of Elias (Peter played him that night, and he left pretty early to be with Tala, so!). Feel free to do your own shenanigans too.

Comments

OTA

[conscient]

[ Have one Mr. Falner mingling as much as he can this evening. It's been a long, long while since he last fought and it was good to end the night the way it did -- dealing the finishing blow, holding is little brother close right to the end and carrying him off that battlefield so that he could recover in time for the festivities.

He's walking around and catching up with his people, his daughter, his fellow hunters in the Vigil -- and yes, he has a cane, but it's more for show than it is for necessity. He's finally got is strength back, and it feels damn bloody good. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

[And he's incredibly happy to see you up and about. He's heard about the fight, and how magnificent you were. He's definitely going to have to watch the play back.]

Looking good, Daywalker-san.

[There's his old crooked smile and his old wit, even if his eyes are full of fondness as he's on the approach.]

[conscient]

[ No words at first. Only a really, really tight hug -- don't even try to squirm, Blade King. ]

Good to see you back with us.

[ He's catching your face in his hands and beaming at you for a moment before he puts an arm around your shoulders. ]

Walk with me a little?

[icarusalsoflew]

[He won't, because he's honestly? He's grateful for the affection, and it's been a long time since the two of you could just be like this. It's also been a while since he felt stable enough to take this sort of thing from you.]

Of course. It's what I'm here for.

[conscient]

[ And he's leading you somewhere either of you can sit, and then gesturing to one of the Maenad operatives to bring you both a drink. ]

It was good to be on the battlefield again.

[ Taking out his cigars now, and going through his ritual of cutting one right. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

[He'll be happy to watch you do that. It's one of those small gestures that make Riley Falner who he is, and let's just say that he has a lot of fond memories of many a day/afternoon/evening spent in your company, smoking cigars, planning for the future.]

It's been too long for you, huh?

[House arrest sucks. The two of you are pretty familiar with the way it works.]

[conscient]

Too bloody long by half.

[ He's taking a moment to relish the first couple of puffs. And because it amuses him to do so, he twirls that cane. ]

I'm growing fond of this thing though. It suits me, don't you think?

[ A crooked smile. One the brings to mind all the shit you two used to get into, back in the day. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Yeah. It suits you better than one ever suited me, to be honest.

[He's had to go on a cane one too many times in recent history for himself, in his opinion.]

Must be the clothes. Mine aren't quite suited for Victorian Hipsters.

[Yes, that is him teasing you. As always.]

[conscient]

[ And he's going to grin at you for that and tip an imaginary hat in your direction. ]

I believe the phrase your looking for is "class", old friend.

[ This is very, very nice. And he's going to bump his shoulder gently against yours. It's been an interesting year, but all the trials and heartache is something he'd go through again as long as it leads to the both of you here, like this and finally alright again. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Different words, same implication.

[He'll gladly take that, because he does owe his decision to ease up and try to understand where the rest are coming from to you. He probably owes you in one other sense too, because the others stopped clinging hard soon after your talk.]

Should I take your participation in the Hour as Lia's way of saying that you're free to come out and play whenever you want to now?

[conscient]

[ Taking another puff and scoffing quietly, even as he's sliding a look in the general direction of one Liandrin Delacroix. ]

I should hope to Elaine so. [ He knows she can hear him. It's why he's not bothering to pretend otherwise. ] I did just take you down.

[ There's a fond note in that. Given the way the battle had started, it was an unexpected surprise, winning. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

[Chuckling.]

Well, that's as good of a reason as any, right?

[He is, hands down, the strongest force in the Fifth World's Vigil beyond the people who came in from the Fourth World.]

She won't be able to argue with that logic.

[conscient]

I would like to see her try.

[ Tired of being cooped up, this one.

And where, by Elaine and all the powers that be, is his bloody drink--

--oh, there we go. He nods his thank you to the one that hands you a glass each. ]

Indulge me with a toast, old friend?

[superbarbie]

[Did anyone say "daughter"?

Yep, that's her. She's currently hanging off your arm, laughing.]

This party is great.

[conscient]

Great, my love, is an understatement.

[ You were brilliant out there and it is so good to hear you laugh.

And because he does spy Raura in the distance. ]

So, [ saying that smoothly, ] has he proposed yet?

[superbarbie]

[...Eep.]

N-no, of course not!

[Sob, must you be a dad tonight. ;w;]

[conscient]

[ Chuckling as he notes the look on your face.

Have a kiss on the back of your hand, love. ]

And whyever not? [ Yes, he is playing the DAD card tonight. ] My darling daughter is beautiful and brilliant and one of the most influential people in this country to date. He should be begging for your hand in marriage.

[ The look he gives you though is tender. He has only ever wished for your happiness, darling. ]

[superbarbie]

[She knows that this is kind of your way of expressing your approval, which is something that she has honestly been worried about. Of course, you had entrusted Alejandro Raura both with the well-being of the Estate and with her own safety before, and he had more than proven himself in both of those directions.

Still, she had worried. Your opinion matters to her just as much as it matters to him. And there are other concerns too.]

We're not really official yet, and... there's still a lot to do.

[Saying that softly. The war just ended. Three years isn't all that long.]

[conscient]

[ Have a kiss to the side of your head, Barbara. ]

There will always be a lot of things to do, my darling.

[ Tipping your chin up and lifting is brows as he smiles. Love is precious, and it can slip away when you least expect it. ]

But if you wish to wait, then I suppose it is a good thing that our kind live for as long as we do.

[superbarbie]

Yeah. I mean, he's kind of really slow, and I don't blame him? It's kind of my fault, after all.

[She had rejected him before, hadn't even dared to consider the mere possibility of them being anything but friends. It had not been fair, how human she had been about the matter for such a long time.]

[conscient]

[ He's going to chuckle a little bit at that and then lean in for a conspiratorial whisper. ]

Well, as long as he doesn't take forever like a certain Aidan Clayce, I think that his slowness is forgivable.

[superbarbie]

[Oh. My god. You totally went there?!

She is so very amused now.]

You're horrible!

[And horribly funny, hee hee!]

[conscient]

[ Of course he went there. Have a rakish smile your way, darling. ]

Thank you, thank you. You are far too kind.

[ Yeah, he's chuckling with you now. ]

It's a shame though, [ his voice goes soft at that. ] That Aidan is not here.

[superbarbie]

Yeah, that's true.

[Pouting a bit now, since you reminded her. She has always viewed Aidan as a sort of uncle, since you're kind of her vampire daddy.]

Has he sent word to any of you? He's been gone for a long time.

[Based on her experiences back in 2012, that usually doesn't bode well for anyone.]

[conscient]

[ A heavy sigh and a shake of the head. ]

None yet. I am... truthfully doing my best not to worry.

[ But enough of that. He's offering you a smile, and tapping an affectionate finger on your nose. ] I'm sure he'll be home when he is able.

Come, [ looping his arm through yours now. ] What say you that we wander over there. [ Yes, he is going to troll you just a little bit. ] Might as well quietly give my unsuspecting future "son-in-law" a nudge in the right direction.

[ Heh heh heh. It's practically a done deal, right? He's powerful, he watches you like the sun and moon were made to be part of your jewelry collection and he's done well while this one's been asleep. ]