17: dead man walking [OPEN]

[paladaddy]

Who: Shiro and OPEN
When: Just after the Station Master meeting
Where: the Villa + various locations
Style: action
Status: open

[In the evening hours, after the station master has talked about what is to come, Shiro can be found going to various places within the bubble. If this is all to come to an end soon, then there are things he would like to have taken care of first.

So, that evening, your character may suddenly have a visitor on their doorstep. Or they may come across him while he is walking from one place to the next.]

Comments

[keepsthefire]

[Rin lets out a huff, shoulders tensing visibly.]

... there's more important things right now, Dad. No one's gonna show up when we're all worried about when those assholes are gonna finally off us.

[paladaddy]

All the more reason to open it, right? I'm sure people could use a distraction from what's to come.

[keepsthefire]

[shaking his head]

Forget it, Dad. I tried and I got cockblocked by a fuckin' death threat. It just wasn't meant to be.

[paladaddy]

The only limit to what you can accomplish is your own doubts.

[Come on Rin, it's not like you're THAT easy to kill.

Though he's not here to make Rin feel bad about his school, he has other plans. So he'll let it drop there, unless Rin brings it up again. Instead, he'll stand by the coral, looking for the rest of their group.]

Night and Yukio should be here soon, I told them to meet us here as soon as they could.

[keepsthefire]

[He's more worried about everyone else.

But having it dropped leads to him going quiet, nodding as he takes a seat on the edge of wall around the coral with a heavy sigh, kicking his legs out while his tail sways lowly against the ground.]

[darkasnight]

[lo and behold, it's Night and Yukio coming up to the coral. While Rin and Yukio may look pretty gloomy somehow Night still manages to look decently upbeat.]

Ah, hey. You two weren't waiting too long, right?

[doctor_dragoon]

[Gloomy looking he may be, but Yukio pulls it off a little better than Rin. Gloomy on Yukio comes off more as deathly serious. The full exorcist uniform (including weapons) certainly helps. Someone's preparing, mentally and physically, for the worst.]

[paladaddy]

[Gosh Yukio you look ready to take on the world.]

Nope, we just got here too.

[And now his plans can begin.]

Okay, we have a few stops to make, but first things first: we need to go to the bakery and grab a cake, so while we're walking the three of you need to decide on a flavor you'll all eat.

[keepsthefire]

[Yeah, gloomy on Rin just looks like he's pouting.

He glances up when the other two approach, but it's little more than a nod in their direction before he's looking at Shiro like he's gone insane.]

... cake? Now?

[darkasnight]

Not chocolate.

[Yes he needs to establish this right away. Never again.

... And with that out of the way-]

... Wait, why are we getting a cake?

[doctor_dragoon]

[And add brother number three to the list of people wondering about Shiro's sanity.]

Aren't there more important things we should be doing right now?

[paladaddy]

Trust me, this is very important. Almost as important as some of the stuff that's going to happen soon.

[That's all they'll get out of him right at that moment though. If they're not able to figure it out, then he wants it to be a surprise.]

If chocolate's a no-go, then maybe strawberry? I think they're still in season.

[keepsthefire]

... should be.

[Nope, sorry guys, he can't keep his mouth shut on this.]

Uh. I know we're gonna maybe die and you've already done that shit before but are you sure you're not goin' off your rocker, old man?

[darkasnight]

[Night starts to say something when Rin goes ahead and vomits that mess of words that make him frown heavily.]

Rin.

[doctor_dragoon]

Niisan!

[Yukio's chastising hiss comes at the same time as Night's, the boy turning a rather harsh glare in his brother's direction. Not okay.]

[paladaddy]

[Rinplz

But it's okay, it gets a laugh out of Shiro.]

I guess it does sound strange, huh? Well, if you want to find out what's going on, then pick out a flavor.

[keepsthefire]

Oh. My god. Am I not allowed to be worried?!

[That was at Night and Yukio.]

Fine, strawberry. This better be for a good reason.

[darkasnight]

Well yeah... [But that was still pretty blunt, even by his standards.

The topic changes, but there's still a frown on his face as he looks between Shiro and Rin.] Strawberry's good.

[doctor_dragoon]

[Well if Shiro's not mad then Yukio will chill out on the glaring a little. Still, what the hell.]

Worried is fine. Rude is not.

[But he'll drop it there. No sense in arguing all the way to the bakery.]

... Strawberry is fine.

[paladaddy]

Boys, boys, there's no reason to fight over it. It'll all make sense soon enough.

[When they're at the bakery, he'll make them wait outside as he goes in to get a strawberry cake. A few minutes later, he comes out with it, as well as some plates and forks.

On the cake, in hastily-written words, is 'Happy Birthday' with a large gap between the words, almost as if it's meant to have an age written on it but was purposefully left blank. Instead of numbers, there are three tall, skinny candles sticking out of it.

Shiro will set the cake down on a small table that is outside for outdoor dining, and motion for the boys to come over there and take a seat.]

I don't have a lighter on me. Rin, Night, can one of you do the honors?

[keepsthefire]

[When Shiro leaves, Rin resumes glaring at the other two, but he refrains from jumping back on the 'why am I getting yelled at again' wagon. Which is good, because when Shiro returns with that cake it shuts him up even more.

He stares at it, eyes going wide and swallowing hard.

Oh..]

... y... yeah, I got this...

[It takes him a second to make it so he's not shaking visibly before he lifts his hand, managing to get just the barest needed blue flames on the tips of his fingers, holding them over the candles so they light.]

[darkasnight]

[It doesn't hit him right away, like it does for Rin. Having never celebrated a birthday before (it didn't make much sense for him to in the first place) his mind doesn't jump straight to the idea.

He watches Rin light the candles before raising his own hand to light the last one with his own red flame. He smiles brightly.]

This is the first time I've celebrated a birthday.

[Looking up from the cake to everyone else, the smile stays in place.]

Thank you for letting me share it with you.

[doctor_dragoon]

[Yukio holds that grumpy face while Shiro's inside, but it fades away quickly when he realizes just what Shiro's done. It's a bit early, still, but considering the time they have left...

He looks down at the candles, two blue flames and one red, expression going a bit tight. The slightest of smiles, tinged with nostalgia and sadness. He'd always thought that this could never happen again, and now probably really would be the last time.]

Well, if there's ever been a time for it...

[paladaddy]

Heh. Two blue, and one red. Just like our family.

[Even if Yukio didn't inherit the flames, he still totally counts for blue fire okok]

I know one cake doesn't make up for the birthdays I've already missed, nor the lifetime of birthdays I'm gonna miss, but it's what your old man can manage on short notice. Call me sentimental if you want, but it had to be done.

[keepsthefire]

... yeah... family...

[Rin's voice cracks at the end of that heavy word, and he looks away, intending to fight the wave of emotion that's been crashing on him all day. His fingers run under his eyes, but it does nothing to stop what's already coming.]

Jesus, old man...

[Another crack, and that hand slides over his face, shoulders trembling visibly.]

sorry...