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 doesn't respond immediately, just sort of lets himself be manhandled as Maxxie sees fit, but eventually he leans into the embrace and breathes a little sigh of his own. It still feels weird, and he's still more than a little self-conscious, but at least Maxxie's warm. Warmth is nice.

[He's quiet for a while, and then sort of apropos of nothing says:] Sorry I'm such a dick about everything.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie thinks on that a moment, keeping still.]

You're not a dick about everything.

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie lets out another short huff of air into Maxxie's chest. It's not immediately clear if it's a sigh or a laugh.]

I'm just a dick like 85% of the time.

[notahobby]

Seems like more of a topic-based thing than time to me.

[He can't manage a smile right now, but his tone is somewhat wry to imply that he's joking.]

[mildwildchild]

Hah. Yeah.

[Jamie shifts position a little, pulling his knees up to his chest and leaning more heavily against Maxxie. It's weak and childish and super gay, but he's just too cold and tired and sore to move away from him.]

...you're still a lot nicer to me than I probably deserve.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie hugs him a little tighter.]

Everyone deserves to be treated nicely. And after last night, none of that shit matters. I'm just glad we all made it back.

[mildwildchild]

Yeah, but -

[And he trails off. He doesn't know "but" what, just that he feels guilty - for upsetting Maxxie, for getting Yuffie hurt, for letting himself get attacked in the first place - and as much as he craves reassurance he doesn't feel like he deserves any of it. He lets out another frustrated, shaky sigh.]

...I dunno. Just. Thanks.

[notahobby]

It's no problem.

[Maxxie falls into comfortable silence then, occasionally rubbing Jamie's shoulder soothingly. He won't overstay his welcome but he needs a bit longer so he knows the message has sunk in that he really is happy Jamie's here and alive with him right now.]

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie remains quiet too, listening to the sound of Maxxie's breathing and trying to prod his jumble of thoughts and emotions into the first vestiges of some kind of sense.]

D'you ever think about just...quitting all this shit and going home?

[It's not an option for Jamie, but maybe Maxxie's more lucky than him. He hopes so.]

[notahobby]

Like a hundred times a day.

[Every time someone posts an unflattering picture of him on the internet, every time someone sends him some slur-riddled tweet, every time he wants to just go get a coffee but he can't because someone's leaked his latest favourite coffee place. He sighs and frowns.]

But, I really love doing what we do, you know? This is fucking crazy but we just won't go to another party, right?

[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.

[notahobby]

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

[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.]

[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.]