10

[asea]

Who: Walter and you
Where: Plaza
When: Afternoon
Style: Either
Status: Open

[Today, Walter breaks his typical routine by heading down to the plaza. Normally, he would check on Shirley first but lets her be, and goes out without the usual cape to boot. He doesn't appear nearly as tense, though his posture is still guarded; careful.

Upon seating himself in an outdoor cafe, a familiar waitress attends him.]

Hello there! Oh . . . you look a little different today. Waiting for someone?

[Walter stares, and she continues on on an assumption.]

Here's some water, free of charge. I'll be back once your girlfriend comes!

[But he came alone. And alone he is, sitting near a fountain with an untouched, full cup of water, across an inversely empty chair. If he had to answer why he's there, he wouldn't be able to supply a reasonable answer. There's . . . nothing else to do.

He just looks out of place. There's a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, and it's steadily beginning to irk him despite his otherwise cooler disposition.]

Comments

[asea]

[Walter is not even looking at Tiir anymore.]

Yes, and you're here now. So please, order something!

[contemptibility]

[Blink blink]

We were merely talking, though...

[asea]

You must be hungry, then, if that's all you were doing. It's lunch time; eat!

[Shut up, sit down, and order something, Tiir.]

[contemptibility]

[He looks so lost right now.

But okay, okay, shutting up now and sitting down.]

[asea]

[The waitress, too, shuts up now. With a smile, she beckons them to sift through the menu.

Walter does no such thing, because he's not hungry and can just cop out with something small if she keeps insisting. The burden of ridding themselves of her lies upon you, Tiir.]

[contemptibility]

[B-But.

He looks up from the menu and at Walter.]

... Aren't you going to order?

[asea]

[ . . . ]

Scones.

[The waitress doesn't merit a glance as he unenthusiastically orders.]

[contemptibility]

[Okay, Tiir has better manners than that, so he actually looks at the waitress and smiles politely even if uh human.]

Then I'll have the same.

[asea]

[They didn't even touch the menu . . . The waitress shrugs, retrieves them, and heads back to fetch two scones -- then comes scuttling back to pick up the now empty cup before going about her earlier business. She'll be a while.

Walter has no words to impart to Tiir.]

[contemptibility]

[Don't be awkward, Walter.

Tiir'll just be eating his scone, before pausing.]

... Well, this wasn't quite how I was expecting to spend my day.

[asea]

[Walter doesn't touch the scone. But if Tiir is talking and leaving room for answers, he should supply a response. He doesn't sound very interested, though -- when does he?]

What were you expecting it to be like?

[contemptibility]

[Eat your scone, Walter.

Tiir props his elbow on the table, before placing his hand over his mouth as he thinks.]

Hmm... I didn't think I'd run into you, especially in a place like this.

[asea]

[He eats his vegetables, don't boss his diet around.]

This area is the most susceptible to damage. I come here more than you think.

[The plaza, that is. He doesn't normally indulge in the cafe.]

[contemptibility]

[DON'T WASTE FOOD.

Also too bad misinterpreting that.]

This cafe? I didn't know you mingled among people.

[asea]

[ . . . ]

I meant the plaza.

[contemptibility]

Oh, did you? My mistake.

[...]

So you come here because it's... 'susceptible to damage', as you said?

are you sleep-tagging.

[asea]

That's what I said. [And just for this occasion, he'll elaborate:] Lamufao rests here, and most newcomer arrive in this location. It's the most traveled district in Vatheon.

yes,

[contemptibility]

Well, that's true. Are you waiting for someone to arrive?

oh, my.

[asea]

I don't need anyone else to come here.

(yay)...

[contemptibility]

Then why are you here?

[jan]

[asea]

Information flows freely between natives. More than that, the coral is too vulnerable.

[jae]

[contemptibility]

So even you're curious about something like this.

[jan2]

[asea]

If the coral fails, the pressure will kill everyone.

I don't even remember which one that was.

[contemptibility]

[He blinks.]

But you said before that you weren't concerned, as the barrier is inevitably going to fall one day.

Yours.

[asea]

[That's right. He said that early in the month.

But a lot has happened between then and now that he has to reevaluate that particular thought. Or maybe not that much. Fact of the matter is that Shirley had been threatened, and that's all it took. It became clearer at that point that the coral can kill her if it missteps even once. And it has already done so once with Yami.

"Survive."

He doesn't command the sea.]

I won't allow it to fall while she's here.