I won't pretend that I intend to stop living

[mildwildchild]

Who: erryone in Pride
What: recovering from the events of December 7
When: late December 7/early December 8 - ???
Where: Pride HQ and wherever else they're allowed to go
Warnings: Carnies? references to I Will Twist the Knife


So maybe you've just gotten back from the most mellow kidnapping ever and you're itching to tell your bandmates about what went on with the cool helmeted guys while everyone else was at that stuffy party. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a little while to tell them, but that's okay - surely you can keep yourselves occupied until everyone else returns.

Or maybe you're one of those who wound up at that party of Naomi's, and your night was a little less fun. Now you're back at HQ, possibly with mended physical injuries and almost certainly with a few new psychological scars. Now's your chance to check in on your friends and bandmates who missed out on all the trauma and deal with things as best you can.

Comments

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie starts to protest, but even as he tries to form the words he realizes that he can't argue. Performing is the only thing that seems safe and normal right now, the only thing he thinks he can look forward to after all that's happened. He snorts, very lightly and very tiredly.]

You know you'd lose your shit if we never went to another party.

[nandemonai]

[her thoughts drift back to the way her band members acted after she used her twitter account, and so she nods in understanding]

Sure. Don't sweat it.

[mildwildchild]

He follows Terry's movements with the same trancelike focus, brows creasing briefly at that little noise of discomfort. Jamie averts his eyes when he picks up on that probing look trained on him, hunching into his jacket and staring into his coffee.

"You uh. You got hurt pretty bad, huh." Deliberately or not, he's dodging Terry's question as well as his gaze.

[notahobby]

No singing at parties then. No live concerts. Nothing organized by Virgo, at least.

[traumatizing]

Terry laughs a little weakly, turning his gaze down to his own coffee. He doesn't really want to talk about it, but they can't both dodge every question all day. "Turns out getting shoved out a window fucking sucks."

As does having some guy kick you in the ribs because you didn't recognise him, but that's neither here nor there.

[mildwildchild]

Sure, avoiding live music in the music business should be easy. [It takes all his energy to force a little levity into his voice, to emphasize that he's trying to make a joke and not just being negative for the hell of it. He's sure that his dead weight against Maxxie has to be uncomfortable by now, but he doesn't know if he could move even if he had to.]

[mildwildchild]

Jamie risks a glance up, looking concerned, then just as quickly looks back down at his drink. "Oh," he says quietly, and then repeats it after a few slow breaths: "Oh."

He goes silent, jaw slightly agape as though he's at a loss for words or buried in his own head, and then he says, "I'm sorry."

He doesn't know for what; he just doesn't know what else to say, what kind of comfort to offer, because he knows that nothing can be said to make the situation feel better.

[traumatizing]

"It's fine." Terry says, a little dismissive but he does appreciate it it. He's still alive though, right? Probably shouldn't be, but that's an issue to wrestle at a later date. Like never. "A lot of us got pretty fucked up at that party anyway," he shrugs a shoulder, "it's just about figuring out how to move forward now."

He looks back up at Jamie, gaze gentler this time, less probing. Mostly he hopes that resonates enough to get Jamie to open up a little.

[punchesyu]

I don't know! I always thought that everything just went black and you never woke up again or some freaky shit like that!

[He wasn't sure. He felt alive. He felt weird, but alive. Neither does he know what to make of the idea that the afterlife was in this room with everyone else from their label who'd gone to the party.]

Stop saying we're dead! It's creeping me out!

[punchesyu]

She did?

[He's confused, and mildly terrified.]

If she's got the ability to do that...then... [He doesn't finish that thought. That's scary. His body trembles a little at the very idea.]

[punchesyu]

Thanks...

[He feels like an idiot. Sure, the people who'd been with Pride and Virgo before the new hires came in had strange visions, but he doesn't know if it's happening to anyone else yet either.]

This...might seem kind of strange, but... if something weird happens -- you know, like besides what just happened at the party -- tell me, okay? I've just got a bad feeling about all of this, I guess.

[sailorlaughter]

Ooooooh, that sounds awesome! I dunno what I'm gonna make people, besides the cookies. Maybe like...cupcakes or something...

[blindfoldcode]

There's gonna be a lot of sweets around here, huh?

[sailorlaughter]

Totally! It's gonna be awesome!

...maybe let's not tell Jin though. You know how she is about like...image and stuff...

[blindfoldcode]

I'm the last one who's gonna be talking to Jin about anything.

[She has yet to figure out how to approach what Greg told her at the party.]

[nandemonai]

[hm. Molly tilts her head in thought, bringing up a hand to play with some strands of her hair]

It's one thing to talk to our bandmates, but you and I don't really know each other that well...

[why should she tell Yosuke if something weird happens, is what she's trying to ask, without being rude. perhaps it was something she learned from the rest of System Crash, to protect herself, to be more careful about who she talked to. she hadn't talked to Yosuke that many times, but Rei trusted him, right? and Molly trusted Rei... Augh! everything was so confusing!]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

That'd be a defense, I'm talking about fighting fire with fire-- maybe.

[She frowns, tapping her coffee with her nails for a few moments.]

You ever feel like you're sharing your feelings more with an audience than just through words or volume?

[stylistic_disloyalty]

I guess so. [Luci sets her cup back down and twists it a little in a thoughtful fidget.] It's rough for me-- I hate having anyone tell me what to do, but... whenever it comes to doing what management tells me I'm just... spineless.

[Annoyed, Luci picks up her cup again and drinks.] It's always bothered me.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

I know, I know. [She covers Jamie's hand with hers.] It's really fucked up. There's no part of this that I feel any peace with-- but it's not something to think about right now. Right now, you should sleep, Jamie. I'll be sure you get home.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

You didn't walk away feeling... different?

[punchesyu]

Oh, right...

[He sweats nervously. It got suddenly awkward and he knows it's because of him opening his mouth again. He tries to play it off like it's no big deal, waving his hand.]

Forget it! Sorry! No biggie, just take care of yourself.

[He's afraid of getting her involved in something that might not be affecting her, but...with Lesedi freaking out like that, he wonders if it's just safe to tell her even if Koumei told him to keep it quiet.]

[notahobby]

We'll figure it out.

[On the contrary, Maxxie finds it to be rather comfortable so far. It takes a long time for him to get tired of cuddling.]

[notahobby]

She can also turn her fingers into giant fucking claws and rip right through a person if she wants, in case you missed that part too.

[This is followed by a particularly long drag on his cigarette and a hard exhale, his mouth setting into a firm line afterwards.]

[notahobby]

[He gives her a nervous laugh.] I'd never expect that, coming from you.

[And then back down at his coffee bashfully.] I'm the same way though. 'Course, I'm like that with anyone.

[punchesyu]

[He glances at him in terror.]

T-That's not cool to joke about. [He knows it's not a joke.] I...sort of remember that. I kind of wish I could forget it. You...you're okay, right? I mean...did she have to revive you too?