Happy Birthday Aster

[savedbyasong]

Who: Shion, Aster and anyone! Mingle among yourselves!
What: It's Aster's birthday. Any and all friends are welcome (and if you don't know them you are still welcome, they won't turn anyone away)
Where: The southern beach on Islet four.
Warnings: Hopefully none

Aster's birthday was important. A date she had chosen herself, a date to celebrate her and everything she had achieved so far.

The last time they had celebrated had been in the tower and now they were in a completely different world with different friends and Shion was determined for it to be a nice day.

He had had help. Ignis had helped cook of course. Shion heavily suspected the candied fruits were from Dagger and he had no idea how exactly Connor had managed it (and he wasn't going to ask) but Laurent had provided ice for sea salt ice cream.

There's a fire on the beach and fish on sticks to roast. Guests may have to wrestle off an overexcited Dreaeater but Shion tries to keep Excalibur under control for the most part. Cobweb and Thalassa are a lot more calm, flopping down near friends to demand pets.

Shion keeps an eye on Aster, hoping she is having fun.

Comments

[suspecteverything]

"Not necessarily. I've lost a lot of battles in my life. Still here. If you're planning on taking me out, you're going to have to use more than a knife."

Granted a knife is what had nearly ended his life before he'd met Ushara, but that was before. Now he has a lot more power and he's actually healthy. There's a big difference.

"I'm everyone's most hated asshole generally. Worse than you, though Shion's opinion of you is probably tainted by his general rose colored view of people."

Yeah, he knows who you are even though he's never actually met you. It's one of the pleasures of mind reading.

[jelliclerats]

"Then they weren't trying to kill you, obviously. Unless you're telling me you're a zombie. In that case, I just have to take off your head... Isn't that right? It shouldn't be too hard if I cut in at the right angles.

But since you're offering such useful information about your weaknesses, don't let me stop you."

His eyes narrow. He doesn't like that someone would have more information on him than he'd have on them. Information is a power Nezumi prefers to wield.

"And what has Shion said about me?"

[suspecteverything]

"Everyone tries to kill me. Pretty much part and parcel of my life since the moment I was born. I've lost a lot of battles, but that doesn't mean I lost the minsid war. I'm still alive, clearly."

He hadn't shared much of anything about his weaknesses either, and honestly, it wouldn't matter if he had. None of them are here.

"Very little. He's just thought a lot about you."

That's probably unsettling, but Jules had intended it that way.

[jelliclerats]

"Your math isn't adding up, but I don't feel the need to stop and give you a lesson. Instead, explain what you mean."

Thought about him. Nezumi knows what he's implying, but it also shouldn't be possible. Shouldn't is an important word here, really. He won't show how unnerved that very idea makes him. What Nezumi projects and what he thinks are often two very different things.

A test, then. If you're really in my head, tell me where I'm from. The answer, should you be able to read minds, is Barose.

A deeper thought lingers beneath the name.

Western District.

Yes, Nezumi is even trying to lie in a mindreading test.

[suspecteverything]

"Knock it off, would you? Blocking out the endless noise is enough of a pain in the ass without you purposefully directing thoughts at me. I try to keep that damn door closed to respect people's privacy and you're just throwing the fucking thing open full force."

Honestly, that's just irritating. He doesn't want an open invitation into anyone's head. He has enough of his own dark secrets without needing to carry anyone else's.

"And you could come from one of the minsid moons for all I care."

[jelliclerats]

The small trace of doubt that Nezumi carried vanishes. This man can't read minds. A simple test could have proven his point. It's an easy guess that someone's next move would be to test this stranger's claims.

"Save your cheap parlor tricks for somebody gullible enough to buy them. I don't know if I even believe a knife couldn't kill you." But Shion wouldn't want him to, not without there being a defensive reason. Maybe not even then, but Nezumi will defend himself. "But I'll bet even if that's your one truth, they won't feel good. Enough cuts will make you wish you were dead."

He can't openly tell the man to stay away from Shion. That's opening a door to a weakness, even if he doesn't admit how big of a weakness Shion is for him.

"I dragged myself to this party, and I'll be very disappointed if I end up having to go home to change. Even if you look like that, try to keep from trying anything."

[suspecteverything]

Oh a knife could kill him. A knife was what had nearly ended his life just before he'd met Ushara and Vasili. He isn't any more immune to the power of a knife than anyone else. The knife simply wouldn't be able to reach him in a state to make it useful, especially since he knows it could be coming. Even if he didn't want to shield himself from it completely, a little exertion of power and he could bend it in half. No problem.

"You could certainly try to make me wish I were dead, but trust me, you've got nothing on the Tadara."

His eyes shift from their usual red to a blazing neon color as anger simmers.

"If I'd been planning on trying something, you wouldn't have known before I did it. I certainly wouldn't have been standing around here where anyone could see me."

[jelliclerats]

"I don't trust you. I trust what I know. I know most people don't come to parties so they can stand on the outside and watch. Maybe they're a pervert who's come to watch somebody." Shion? Having a stalker without realizing seems up his alley. He'd probably even offer to help. "Or plan something." An attack? Why? Nezumi doesn't know and he doesn't care. Sometimes, people are just insane. Sometimes, people have motives others never see. The 'why' is not as important as the 'what'.

'Or are you just nervous and shy? If your date stood you up, that's very unfortunate. It's not really the dating scene down there, but it's definitely more adventures than waiting on the sidelines."

The silky-sweet voice disappears.

"I want to see what's inside of your pockets."

[suspecteverything]

Jules rolls his eyes and holds up his left hand before pointing at his ring.

"I'm married, chizzi, and I'm stralen for my wife. Definitely not dating someone else."

Really, all of that had been humorous and Jules had been willing to play along. At least until Nezumi started to make demands. A fanged smile spreads across his face.

"I would love to see you try that. Go ahead. Give it a whirl. I'm just a pansy-assed piece of shit anyway. You should be able to pull it off."

[jelliclerats]

Suddenly, despite the seriousness of the conversation, Nezumi starts to laugh. It's a soft sound, but it sounds sincere. Then again, Nezumi is an actor.

"You're right, my apologies. I am accusing you of planning some kind of crime, but it would be very disrespectful of me to think you'd cheat on your wife."

The chuckle dies down, but Nezumi's steely eyes never leave his face. He doesn't trust this man. Nezumi won't hesitate to murder him, but he doesn't murder without reason. He doesn't even fight if it's not the best course of action. Survival trumps everything, even pride.

Besides, Shion is here. The scuffle will draw attention.

"While I'm sure your self-depreciation attempts are true, I'll do your wife a favor and hold off unless you decide to try something. Then, I won't have any mercy."

[suspecteverything]

"Humans. You and your pure acceptance of cheating and how often it apparently happens in your culture without any real consequences is baffling."

If he cheated on Ushara she would literally rip his heart out and have every right to. No male cheated on a female. Females cheating on their males is slightly more tolerated, but even so it's incredibly rare.

"She will be so incredibly grateful, I'm sure. As will Shion. He wouldn't want to see you hurt."

Normally Jules would say dead, but he isn't willing to do that to a friend of Shion's no matter how much the guy irritates him.

[jelliclerats]

"I'm sure your wife is flattered that you think it worse you cheat on her than be accused of murder. Everyone else will worry about your priorities, but she'll be fine."

There's no outward reaction to Shion's name. Any change in his expression or verbal response would only make it seem like Shion is a weakness. He isn't. He's a kid that helped him once, and now Nezumi's returning the favor. That really is all.

Or so he tells himself.

"Luckily for him then, I'm not easy to hurt. If he's such a good friend, you wouldn't be creeping along the edges."

[suspecteverything]

"For Andarians it is worse. Murder is a pretty normal thing for us. I racked up a pretty good total just in the weeks before I was dragged off here."

And by pretty good total he means dozens. Plural. He hadn't kept a total count but it had probably neared 50. His mental breakdown had led to a wonderfully productive killing spree.

"Sure I would be. You could ask him. He probably expects me on the edges or to not be here at all. I certainly wouldn't have even considered it if he weren't a friend."