It's time to party!

[atailoftwoworlds]

Who: Anyone!
What: After all the shit that went down in August and September and to help the newbies get settled, it's time for a party!
When: 26th October
Where: Outside the Denny
Warnings: Label any relevant warnings in your posts! Otherwise none that I can think of.

[It took a while to organise but it’s finally here! Outside the Denny is a warm fire with dragon meat and all sorts of other meat cooking on it. There is also food strewn on tables and various modern music in the background thanks to Michael’s phone.

Not only that but there are also games on a few separate tables provided by the Denny.

Feel free to bring your own food, drinks and games. Maybe you’re even helping cook some of the food yourself? Or you are keeping watch to make sure nobody causes any trouble! Or are you the person causing trouble yourself? Of course, none of you would dare do that, would you? WOULD YOU???? Or are you having a dance? Or maybe you're that wallflower who is just sitting there drinking and refusing to talk to people? Either way, feel free to come up with your own prompts!]

Comments

[reflash]

[He wants to leave.

Instead, he smiles, and nods.]

Not as much as I would like, sometimes. [But it's fine. He's getting enough food. ] But that's all right.

[vagabone]

Why not? You don't have to go hungry, there's plenty for everyone.

[Persistent little bastard, isn't he? A very bad, no-good shabby skeleton. Apparently the card game was just bait.]

[reflash]

Thank you for the concern, but you don't need to worry about me getting enough to eat.

[vagabone]

[Uh huh.]

Listen, no one is fine on this island. Not even me. And you don't have to be. And if you don't let some of the pressure out, you're going to explode.

...Which you'd probably hate even more.

[reflash]

I understand your concern. [He says, polite, polite, so polite. His tone stays soft, held to gentle with an effort.

Behind him, his tail curls in a low, tense arc, the tufted end held out beside him. It's not really normal positioning for a tail, but it's instinctive. (Hopefully the reasons for that won't ever be made clear).]

But it might benefit you more to focus on yourself, if you're not doing well.

[vagabone]

[He glances at that tail with the slightest hint of nervousness... but then, it is just essentially a knife, and stabbing a skeleton is not the way to go. It won't hurt.

Much.]

No reason I can't do both.

[reflash]

[The tail stays poised, tense and ready. It's not intentional, it's just an instinctive reaction to how threatened he feels. But his smile stays in place.]

Please, don't worry about me.

[vagabone]

[It's definitely not helping your case, Yukio. More proof that someone is very very stressed out. He stares at the tail pointedly for a long moment...]

Okay. Why not?

1/2

[reflash]

[Why is his tail betraying him he is going to TIE IT IN A KNOT or at least grab it and make sure he's sitting on as much of it as possible. There. It's gone.]

2/2

[reflash]

[NOW THAT THAT'S DEALT WITH


wait actually was that extremely stupid and embarrassing? Oh. Oh no it probably was.]

I can take care of myself. You should spend your energy taking care of people who need your help.

[vagabone]

[Well, that was unexpected. He must have come very close to getting a blade to the face, it seems. He's pressing too much. He should shut up and return to playing cards or just walk away.

...But he can't.]

Firstly, that looks really uncomfortable. And secondly, even I can tell you've lost weight, kid, and I don't see you that often. [Probably why he of all people can tell, because for a Héctor it's not happening gradually.] You don't want me to tell Muffet you need fed, she'll never leave you alone.

[reflash]

[He knows he's lost weight, but he didn't realize it was noticeable. Shit. He's been stressed, hasn't been eating enough, has been staying more active than he was even in the Carnival.

It's just... he doesn't want to deal with the inconvenience of actually getting food, or dealing with anyone who's cooking for mass quantities of people.

He needs to leave. He needs to get out of here. He can't. So he keeps smiling, holds his tail in place so he doesn't look threatening despite the fact that it is incredibly uncomfortable. Smiles.]

You really don't have to do that.

[vagabone]

I think maybe I do. She's not going to mind cooking, she loves to bake. I do too, actually. And we've got nothing better to do on the island than look after each other, so why not?

[There's that dreaded 'why' question again. Why, why, why. Why would anyone sit by and let Yukio starve himself?]

[reflash]

[The cards go down into the table, placed calmly but firmly. He looks up, makes direct eye contact. Smiles.]

As I said, you don't have to do that.

[He's barely polite, with the forced curve of his smile, the flash of fangs, the tension obvious in every line of his posture. But he's trying. He's trying, and he's saying what needs to be said and turning the skeleton down politely and appropriately and it's not working.

But that's the only option Yukio has.]

[vagabone]

[He lays his own cards aside then, giving up all pretense of actually playing. The game's most likely over for good. Soft, gentle voice, none of his usual teasing or goofiness.]

Hey. Deep breath, alright? It'll be okay. No one's going to be upset with you, it doesn't make you a horrible person to just... let us help you, we're offering.

[reflash]

[He stands, in a rush, knocks his chair down behind him and doesn't even notice and the sudden clench of his claws scores lines into the table and]

I didn't--! [That's out, too sharp and too loud and too much like

"-- and... Rin, he's worried about you too."

"I didn't ask him to be!"

There's too much going on, too many things to think about and process and too much noise in his head and he needs to leave, he needs to get as far away from all of this as he possibly can.]

Look. [He says, after a hiss of breath through clenched fangs.] I don't want your concern.

[vagabone]

[He jerks back reflexively, drawing in on himself, no body parts easily able to be grabbed, and ribs 'breathing' rapidly. Yeah. Okay. Yukio's closer to exploding than he thought, as he told the kid might happen earlier. So much tension, and all he's done is offer some food and to listen... yikes, yikes, yikes.]

...Mine specifically or anyone's?

[Ginko, perhaps??]

[reflash]

[Shit. He sees that flinch, sees the way Héctor curls away from him and he knows how he looks, can guess how he sounds, but it's too late to take anything back. He forces himself to sound like he's in control. Forces himself not to answer the question as presented to him.

Polite words, measured tone, calm and low and it would be more effective if his claws weren't digging holes in the table.]

This really isn't a conversation I want to have with you.

[vagabone]

[He loosens up, exhaling and running a hand through his hair.] Sí, I figured as much.

[Time to gather up these cards, they're too cool to be left behind...] Do you want to get out of here? Go someplace quieter?

[reflash]

[He sees the man gathering up the cards, and the tension doesn't fade, just clamps more and more tightly around his stomach and he wants to run.

He wants to get out of here. He wants to go someplace quieter. But if he says that, if Héctor hears one acceptance of one thing he's offering, Yukio will never hear the end of it.]

I... [No. He's stuck, one word out and the rest choking him as he tries to wrest control back.

But he can't...

He shakes his head. Hard. Somewhere between trying to clear his head and denying the offer.]

[vagabone]

[The deck is tucked away into his hip pouch and he stands, scooping up his hat and fiddling with the rim of it. Restless fingers, belonging to a skeleton only pretending to have a clue. What the hell's happened to Yukio that led him almost all the way to his breaking point, this suspicious of a little kindness? What does Héctor not know, and does he want to find out?]

Come on, let's go outside.

[Because obviously Yukio wants to, he just can't admit it.]

[reflash]

[Let's, Héctor says, tucking things away and picking them up and that's not what Yukio wants at all, that's not what he can handle, not when he just wants to be alone.

But--

He can't just--

He nods, silently.]

[vagabone]

[Being alone clearly hasn't done him much good so far--it's not going to happen, the skelepest won't let it. He smiles faintly, waving for Yukio to lead the way and not saying anything for the moment. A brief reprieve.]

[reflash]

[He wants to run. He wants to run to the mana pools and throw himself in and see where he comes out and maybe never see any of these people again. Certainly, he doesn't want to see Héctor again.

Instead, he moves quietly, smoothly outside. He's still tense, but it's more the tightly-wound braced focus of someone waiting for consequences than the barely-constrained hostility of earlier.

He's in trouble, and he knows it.]

[vagabone]

[That's alright, he's used to people not wanting to see him. Wanting to forget him. Wishing he would disappear. Perfectly understandable, it's the people who like him who are oddballs.

He clacks his way out after Yukio, a barefoot old skeleton with a bad leg, same as always.]

Better...?