synflux | [OPEN] Lost in paradise

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[OPEN] Lost in paradise

WHO: March 7th and anyone who wants to witness this
WHAT: Post-upgrade Problems...
WHERE: Around the base, around Japan
WHEN: April 12th and up to a week after that
WARNINGS: None so far!

A. Post-Surgery

[ Choices were made. March may or may not regret them a little, but upon remembering things like how badly injured so many of the Outsiders had been and Ishmael gritting her teeth while struggling to walk, she'd ultimately decided it was worth it.

Maybe not right now, though, not when she's kind of staggering around the base, looking very much Still In Pain and sheet-white. Of course, that's one thing. The other thing is that she looks completely disoriented and depending on where you find her, it's pretty obvious that it's not where she was trying to go. Maybe it's a non-Redemption wing. Maybe it's the cafeteria.

Maybe it's the rec room?? Maybe she's actually heading outside when she clearly shouldn't be??

If you're still not entirely sure what she's up to, she can be heard quietly muttering to herself in a shaky voice, definitely rattled-- ]

W-why is it so hard to find my room??

B. Compass Required

[ It's a day or so later! And she is.

... Not doing any better. Though at the very least, she's had some time to get the style upgrade implemented and is comfortably clothed in her much more familiar (to her) outfit from home.

But she hasn't actually been seen on the base all day, which probably isn't terribly strange, since March likes to go out and experience life, but at this point it's dark and if you're out at night, you might spot her. Talking to a few people who seem either amused or flummoxed by her current level of vexation. ]

No, sorry, I've definitely been to Shinjuku, and I know where it is on a map, I just--

I'm not drunk! Look, just tell me "this way" or "that way" and I'll figure it out from there!!

[ ... She has apparently been dealing with something similar for hours, given that she really does sound like she's on the verge of frustrated tears. ]

C. Bah Hummingbird

[ At this point, March has given up leaving the base on her own, so you can spot her in the greenhouse (though it's arguable whether she meant to be there or not), a cute little hummingbird perched on her shoulder. She's taking pictures of the plants, though she pauses to glance up when she realizes she's got company, offering a smile that is definitely a lot steadier than the mess she's been over the past few days. ]

These little guys are pretty cute, aren't they? I'm more of a dog person, but I gotta admit, they've got a lot of appeal!

[ OOC: Also fine with doing custom starters if nothing catches your interest! ]

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You might think that's not very important, but--

[ March wags a finger at him, holding up the bottle of sake with her free hand to prove that no, Izou does not actually need to survive this encounter entirely sober.

She settles herself down on the blanket on her knees, once she's relinquished the bottle to him. ]

Maybe I just want to look cute. I'm spending time with you, so why would I be lazy about how I look?

[ And she's very fond of the outfit! ]

( to have someone wag a finger at him so fearlessly, like he's a cat who just knocked over a stack of wooden weapons placed neatly against the wall of a training hall while the recruits have a breather...

he may have raised a stark objection with anyone else, but with march, he simply lets it go, a silly warmth spreading in light patches across his cheeks. )

... Fair enough. S'pose it's just a me thing, what with how it's taken time to get used to wearin' whatever I want. But, you're right. Might as well dress up for the occasion, and it's...

( a glimpse of sunlight shines through the cherry blossom trees around them and onto the back of his hand as he bends in to arrange cups from his bag and pour a half-full glass or two.

then, as he looks up with one eye through those tousled bangs: )

... It suits you a good deal.

[ Ordinarily, March would puff herself up proudly, because that's just a matter-of-fact statement, isn't it? It suits her because it's a cute outfit and she's a cute girl and normally she has to deliver that announcement herself because no one else will say it first if she doesn't. Except maybe Malkuth, but that's because when it doesn't come to her type in attractive face, her best friend has similar tastes to her.

But this time feels...

... It's hard to explain, even in her own thoughts. Izou doesn't tend to comment on things like that and his compliments tend to come in the vein of "you don't know when to give up" and "you're too damn nice for your own good" and not "actually, you look pretty today." But that's basically what he's saying now, the sunlight dappled over him as the branches rustle lightly in the soft breeze and when he looks at her, March is briefly at a loss for words.

So she does what she does best when that happens, lifting her camera to take a picture of him and that gaze on a whim. ]

Thanks. [ With a softer smile, despite herself. ]

--Actually, I did my best to dig into flower-viewing a little more, but all I really know is it's a good place to watch the flowers and eat and drink... am I missing anything?

( he pulls a face almost instinctively at having his photograph snapped like that, the barest hint of teeth showing. )

Warn a guy next time.

( next time... though. it comes out so effortlessly that it startles him, the way he relaxes back into their little get-together with a hand wrapped around a cup and without bristling further.

but maybe it's the way march looks at him, less like a monster or a burden and more like she really wants him here, that inviting smile filling up his headspace, as if they had all the time to be self-indulgent and just soak in the comfort of petals occasionally cascading from above with even the slightest breeze.

izou wipes a stray petal off his wrist as he takes a sip, shaking himself free of the distraction and back to the question at hand. )

Lessee... I told you it was an overwhelmin' sight to behold, partly 'cause I didn't have the luxury of sittin' around to appreciate it none back when... ( he pauses, biting the inside of his lip to stop from spitting a, "back when i was alive" ) ... when I was busy takin' orders to expel foreigners and whatnot from the capital. Aside from what you just mentioned, there's typically folks dancing or singing.

( the corners of his mouth upturn into a playful smirk. )

Did you end up practicin' any?

[ But if she warned him, the expression would be gone! Very important to capture things in the moment, as far as she's concerned, except when he's asleep and she'd feel bad for doing it completely without his awareness.

But March hums in light agreement anyway, sitting up a little straighter with brightening eyes. She's starting to get a little more used to his moments of hesitation, even though she's not entirely certain what they mean.

It means there's something he doesn't want to say, still, and again... she doesn't ask, instead flashing Izou a grin. ]

I sure did! [ Belted "Interstellar Journey" and everything. ]

... The singing, not the dancing. So whenever you're ready to teach, lay it on me! I'll show you what I can do!

[ She's going to be a very avid learner for once, Dan Heng would be so proud of her-- ]

( good to hear.

izou is more amused than anything, shifting on his weight on the blanket as he settles back on a hand and crocks a finger over his cup to recite a song, which is totally going to be understood somehow in its original language and through the way everything is translated to each other in-game at the same time. trust me. )

"Catfishes live in shallow waters,
Birds rest on trees.
As we live, we will learn the worldly ways..."

( his finger dances in the air in front of him for every syllable, the sweet-and-scratchy lilt of his voice turning sing-song as he closes his eyes and tries to recall those days where they barely had much to eat sometimes besides a meager bowl of warm rice.

here, though... in this second life, he had it good aside from the occasions where his freedoms were wrenched from him as punishment, and maybe he ought to be a little more thankful for that.

he'll repeat it again, clearly enjoying himself, even slowing down to let march catch up to his tempo with a simpler iteration if she's having trouble. his dialect was known for being boisterous and unrefined, much like himself, and if anything he's getting a kick out of someone trying to echo him in general. )

[ March's expression is intent as she listens, a little transfixed by the way his finger dips and lifts to dance along with the syllables. He makes it sound so easy, the words, the cadence.

It is, of course, not that easy. She fumbles the first few times, saved only by Izou taking pity on her by slowing down and her attempts are still pretty clumsy from someone who is far from a native speaker of his dialect. It's probably hilarious to hear her trying, but tenaciously, she works at it.

Because... He'd said so, hadn't he? This was a song from his childhood. This was something he'd carried with him for years.

No melody has ever seemed inexplicably familiar to her. Try as she might, and she had, her memories of being smaller, younger... it's like gazing into a snowscape that's been steadily buried more and more by a whiteness she can't thaw. There's nothing there.

And if the Aeon had their say, maybe that's how it's meant to be for her, forever. Even though she doesn't intend to give up.

One hand curls over her heart as she closes her eyes, her unconscious way of encouraging herself. It doesn't matter right now. She can't share similar songs with Izou, but she can at least show him she appreciates him sharing them with her, and gradually, March gets a little better until her voice lifts to join his properly, until she can sing along. ]

( izou isn't familiar with what her subtle tells might mean, but he catches them. wonders if maybe she's just nervous and he was pushing for too much when it came to the singing thing, though the shadow-softness of the shade cupping her cheeks as she joins him makes that wondering short.

honestly, izou almost laughs at the way she stumbles at first. almost, because he's too into the moment and his surprisingly chaste feelings with barely a half-cup of alcohol in his system. here he is, this unsociable man being granted such a tender moment with such a cute girl, and... not that his master hadn't been cute or anything back in chaldea, the infrequent moments they had together alone where she'd done her best to get to know him much like the others still eventful enough for him to recall, but there was something about this felt different.

this need to be personal... felt different.

he downs the rest of his second cup in one go, scrambling onto his feet to reach out and offer a coarse hand for lifting to march so naturally, like this is something they do all the time. )

Now, this is what I'm talkin' about. A celebration oughta be lively!

( there isn't much to teach on this end, the sweeping movements of either arm and leg done with a great deal less grace when coming from izou than it would from a traditional dancer. )

[ He's a lot more energetic and exuberant than the last time she'd seen the blossoms gently wafting down to land on his hair; "lively" was the right word, truly, and March laughs as she takes Izou's hand so he can pull her upright to join him. ]

You didn't give a girl much warning about the dancing either, you know!

[ And she isn't even going to pretend that she's going to be a pro at it; ballroom dancing lessons with Wriothesley were a far different thing than the movements Izou's putting her through now and March herself tends to be a little too lively to ever be considered "graceful", but she's at least enthusiastic about it.

It's nice to just enjoy it, to not have to fight not to flinch as he glared at her, to not have to stare at him and wonder if he'd really meant it, if she'd done more harm than good as someone who'd wanted to be his friend, to not feel horrendously guilty because the concern in his gaze had been palpable as soon as he'd seen her tearing up...

She understands, almost reluctantly, that that's what comes out of getting closer to someone. As she'd said herself, the good and the bad. That applied to her as much as they applied to him, no matter how much he was the one who'd insisted there was nothing good to come out of being his friend. (And she believes otherwise, fervently, even more now.)

But it'd be nice, she thinks, matching the curves of his arm this time, if most of his memories of her can be good ones. ]

( after so long here, it's funny to be able to manage a smile that isn't lopsided or curling into a bitter smirk to taunt someone, reassuring to not be so overwhelming guilt-ridden over something he might've done and said to her, the slow and deliberate attempt to dance over their blanket a moment as fleeting as the season itself.

light bursts forth past the trees, and izou squeezes his eyes shut briefly. laughs, genuinely. it's a nice day to be out, just the two of them, and it isn't lost on him how she didn't invite anyone else. he isn't thinking for a second there's anything more to it, being the one who made the request and all, but it still makes the park feel smaller than it already is. small enough where it's pretty much just the both of them to izou, and he sneaks a glance of her dancing while bending down half-way to swipe at his cup.

it's clumsy, but cute, the sight of her trying so hard to relate to him stirring inside of him recklessly fond, and while he's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she wants to know him for him...

right now, he's enjoying himself. )

You get to participate in festivals like this where you're from?

( down on the blanket again, one arm resting on his knee with the cup in hand, the other pressing against the creased cloth as it holds him upright.

come to think, he doesn't know much beyond her lack of a past and people's suspicions of her. )

[ His laugh is... nice, lighter than she'd expected, and March takes a few seconds to appreciate it, an Izou who sincerely seems to be having a good time.

She makes it through the dance, a happier flush to her cheeks as she drops back to the blanket beside him with her legs curled beneath her again. The breeze feels even better now and she lifts her gaze up to the blossom-laden branches before she answers him. ]

A few different ones, depending on the stop. I haven't been to one that was quite like this, to watch the trees, but there have been ones to celebrate holidays or special occasions or the changing of a season. A lot of them had food and music to dance to, now that I think about it.

That was one of my favorite things about being on the Express, actually. [ March's smile softens, reminiscent. ]

That no matter the occasion, no matter how they chose to celebrate it, people could come together to appreciate it. The sense of happiness always felt the same to me, no matter where I was. And learning about the traditions also made me happy. So...

[ Her gaze slips back to Izou. ]

Thank you. For teaching me about the things that are important to you. This might be one of my favorite festivals so far. [ Thanks, in no small part, to him. ]

( there it is again. that lump in his chest that's hard to breathe around whenever she expresses her honest gratitude, and so close to him at that.

breathe, izou. you asked her a question and she answered, in-depth, and he rummages desperately at what's holding him together to fight the rush of fight-or-flight energy that hits him as exhilaratingly quick as the flush does to his cheeks. what's a... what's a cold-blooded killer like himself getting so worked up for when this was just a play-date or whatever she was calling it?

he can stifle some overwhelming emotion no problem, and after a generous sip: )

Th... Think nothin' of it.

( there's no surprise in his expression at her answer, but he does grunt lightly into his drink over her statements in acknowledgement. well, and to hide any awkwardness o0ver their closeness that was threatening to rear its head. )

Still, good to hear you had yer share of enlighten' events thanks to this "Express" thing. Better to have some downtime and enjoy yourself, 'specially when it involves travelin' around so much. Though, I guess after all that, I get the feelin'...

( he curls a finger tighter around the cup. )

The feeling like we might've gone through somethin' similar. I told ya I'm from here, from Japan and all, but before LILITH pulled me in I was posted at this sorta... headquarters that would deliver us to splintered timelines. There weren't much time to relish in it all, but gettin' to see how others celebrate through their struggle was eye-openin' enough.

[ March blinks, curiously. She's oblivious to the trajectory of his thoughts, just maybe has the faint inkling that she might have embarrassed him by thanking him, but he'll have to get used to how she is sooner or later. He's not barking at her not to say certain things the way he had during their first mission, so it's probably fine.

More importantly... ]

Right, you said something about... being familiar with being a part of a group and fighting a lot. I thought that had to do with being in Japan, but was that what you meant? This other organization?

[ To investigate splintered timelines? Stellarons were a huge source of trouble, but as far as she knew, they'd never caused temporal distortions. ]

Does that mean you were recruited there? Ah, because you were famous, probably... [ She's thinking aloud. ] But what did you have to do with those timelines? [ And what had splintered them in the first place? ]

Same thing as here. Cut down everything and everyone I'm told to.

( he says so with a casual swish of his cup, as if it were as routine as putting away laundry or cooking dinner. )

Histories that aren't 'sposed to exist needed to be culled and all that. Some of 'em even felt similar to this.

( though he was a part of a group back in the day, enacting divine punishment on friends and traitors alike, not that that part of his history seems as pressing to bring up.

in the lull between answering her question and his next one, gaze lifting lazily from his hand towards the bentou boxes arranged neatly: )

Is there some sorta etiquette we gotta attend to, or can we just dig in?

Histories that weren't supposed to exist, huh... I guess I should be glad they didn't ask you to take care of this one.

[ Like, this isn't March's historical point, exactly, but she might not have ever met this guy if circumstances hadn't occurred to have their paths cross here. And that... she'd said it before, hadn't she? That at least this was the timeline she'd met him in.

But she nods at the boxes, voice lilted in amusement. ]

You might know that better than I do! I was just figuring we dig in.

[ Case in point, she's picking up one of the boxes to offer it to him. ]

( oh, yeah. i am playing the japanese character here... )

Just wanted to check 'n make sure there wasn't somethin' you did, given you're the one who brought the food.

( he clumsily accepts the box when offered, undoing the string only disassemble it piece-by-piece.

there's far more packed in here than would ever be during meal-time at the okada household, and while he isn't too concerned about the fact that most of it was surely manufactured or artificially grown at this point, it doesn't stop him from taking a little moment to gawk over it all. )

Typically folks say their thanks before eatin', but I can't say I care whether anyone adheres to the usual tedium or not. Not in the year... 2277, was it? A meal's a meal whether you're grateful for it. Before that, though...

( before that. he's starting to feel the press of her presence again, or maybe just... an awkwardness that's beholden only to him as he isn't too used to stuff like this.

maybe it's a waste of time, and maybe he doesn't have a good eye for this sort of thing despite the advice, but his hand reach for his bag after deftly placing his cup down so as not to spill any sake, parting the plastic to expose a neatly wrapped package. so neat that it couldn't have possibly been done by him and his hands so stained by violence.

peeling back the cloth reveals a wooden frame fashioned with pressed flowers tucked primly in every corner, though it's a wonder as to whether they're truly authentic what with genuine vegetation being a scarce resource at this point.

his heart pulses in his throat and his hands feel clammy, but...

izou still manages to hold out the frame to her, glancing away. )

Don't know if you'll like it, but... I got ya something.

[ March is in the process of tugging loose the string on her own box when Izou interrupts her current plans; although slightly puzzled when he pulls the package out, she doesn't immediately ask questions, instead waiting with the patience she's really only possessed when she knows the kind of person she's dealing with.

To say she expected any kind of present from him would be a flat-out lie and for a minute, she's so surprised by it, not the nature of it, but by the fact that Izou, guy who told her he wasn't really worth giving gifts to, went out of his way to get her something in return.

After a few more seconds, March rests the box in her lap and reaches out to take the frame from him, running her fingers very lightly and carefully over the corners. The fact that it's not just something like a cute plush or something pink doesn't escape her notice; this is something that alludes specifically to her love of photography, isn't it? And the flowers are such a cute touch and--

Her breath finally escapes her, belatedly, sounding a little hushed. He was thinking of her. ]

You don't know if I'll like it? Izou, it's perfect. [ Where does she put this? What does she put in it? It's such a cute frame?? It could go on her desk. It's just so thoughtful that it makes her throat close up slightly, even as she can't seem to stop smiling. Honestly, the only thing keeping her from hugging it closer to her chest is that it's a frame. ]

Thank you so much!! I'll definitely treasure it, but it means you're going to have to stop by again to see it once I know what sort of picture to put in this!

( against his better judgement, izou looks over as soon as he hears her enthusiasm, that "it's perfect" chipping away at the wall he fashions between them with greater expertise than a blade ever could to his flesh.

but it's that smile of hers that makes his chest tense up. a smile that might as well be brighter than any flower in their immediate vicinity, or at least from izou's perspective, the sight of it twisting something fond in him more than it did a month ago. every bit of her feels so accepting and as he keeps on stumbling into it, clumsily, wanting more, she gives it to him freely and with purpose. how can she be so... )

It's for what you got me the other day.

( izou nods slowly, reaching over both their boxes to fill his cup out of habit.

the invitation into her room again takes him aback, and before he can stop himself or make sense of everything running through his head, it spills from his mouth: )

I don't mind comin' by again, but... you sure you're okay with a man like me bein' in your room so often?

I told you, you didn't have to repay me or anything...

[ Well, but if his stubbornness is anything like hers, you can say something so many times and someone will still decide to do what they want, without feeling obligated to. Which isn't to say she thinks he did this just because he wanted to, maybe actually that he did feel like he ought to return the favor... it's difficult to say, really. But there's not really a point in dwelling on his reasons now, especially when he'd said it himself: that this was in exchange for the scarf. ]

But yeah, of course I don't mind. As long as it's not, like, three in the morning, you're welcome to come visit whenever. If it's you, I've got no problem with it. [ So often, he says, when it's only been once and he'd stood there as though he'd deeply desired to be anywhere else at that moment. If he says he doesn't mind dropping by, isn't that also positive development? ]

--Oh, actually!

[ The thought occurs to her, a kind of oh, duh moment, and March bends her wrist to beckon him closer with quick, fluttering gestures. The frame is placed down beside her with the utmost of care and she picks up her camera, one-handed. ]

Lean in for just a few seconds, okay? I don't have any pictures with you, so this is the perfect opportunity! [ And then she can just stick that one in the frame, an extra reminder of the person who'd given it to her. ]

Another photograph?

( no. he wouldn't show up at three in the morning. something like that would mean, he...

—time for a generous sip of sake to dash the thought of what the sheets on her bed must feel like. smell like, even. something nice, like fresh linen and sunshine and whatever else came to mind when he recalled the landscape of her room in rose-colored trinkets and fairy lights scattered along the wall like fireflies in summer.

if it's you.

izou downs the rest of that cup so quick that it goes burning down his throat. )

G... Guess I could take another.

( he says while stifling a cough, the lean-in towards her smaller frame somewhat stiff. regardless of the time they've spent together and acclimating izou when it came to hand-holding, this sort of closeness... this casual intimacy—he still isn't completely used to it yet.

his free hand feels awkward just sitting on his knee, though. what did oryou do during... right. izou raises it in a crumpled sort of peace sign, too sheepish over the act to raise each finger properly. a photo of them together, where everyone else can see it. )

If I can't have multiple photographs of my friends, then I'm slacking and not in the fun way.

[ And March says this with a laugh, head tipped towards his. It's definitely close proximity right now, so she'll try to keep it brief. He'll have to get used to it, but for now, him agreeing to another one is a far cry from the amount of pestering she'd had to put him through to get him to come out and pose for one the first time.

It feels like... a lot's changed since then, in ways she can and can't quite define.

There are other things to think about, though, and March moves her free hand to gently nudge at Izou's bent fingers, bumps them a little straighter before she flashes a wink at the camera. Two peace signs! ]

And there we go!

( and nudged they are, making for the perfect picture.

he thinks, in the moment, of how many people are going to see it. tries to recall the faces on the ones that'd already been pinned up next to the picture she'd badgered him into taking nearly two months ago, that already feeling like an eternity from now. would they be the only two in a pair? no... no, not when her profile on the network frequently featured a cute selfie of her and malkuth, but malkuth wasn't someone he needed to worry about. malkuth, who commented on march's confidence and how... how soft her skin was, stating they were just friends.

but then it settles, the fact that he's puzzling over who might be closer to march on that wall than him.

that he wants to be one of the closest, and then he fidgets slightly. protecting people was easy. killing, even easier. but this... )

You're real tenacious about this wall of yers. But, ... even I'm lookin' forward to this one.

( a bentou tray is back on his lap after regaining some distance, and he playfully clacks his chopsticks in her direction before gently separating portions of artificial meat and plopping them unceremoniously in his mouth. clouds move across the sky above them at a reasonable clip, making for a right fine picnic. )

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[OPEN] Lost in paradise

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damn there ain't no way he can keep up this facade bye

pours one out for him

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