kyriff | 001. every story is a song // open post.

[ At the question he's remembering what it was like to walk own the entertainment district fully aware that so many eyes were on him. He would have tuned them out, except that the women -- and the men -- had called out to him, had approached, had approached Hikaru, asking things that had made him nearly blush.

It's not that he knows zilch -- at least, when it comes to understanding things like that. But there was never time or circumstance for anyone in his life even before his Awakening. Mom had left and Dad had gotten sick and Cindy was just a kid who needed him as much as he'd needed her.

It was probably the one time that he'd wondered if he should have changed into something else before they'd ventured to Vampire City; but he'd worn his suit to Seigi as a way to act as a sort-of representative for the Rhiannon Group, new as he was and mostly there because Gabriel thought it fitting that he learn the way most interns did: through hands-on experience.

Well, note for future trips: crimson? Not a good thing to wear head-to-toe unless you want vampires wondering if you swing this way or that coming onto you. ]

It was, [ a beat, and then: ] it was okay at the end of it. But, we uh. We went to the entertainment district.

[ He can leave it at that for now. ]

[Oh.

Oh.

Oh dear.

Have a sympathetic look, and a pat to your arm, Josh.]

I'm kind of happy that you got out of that one in one piece.

[Not that he did not trust Josh's company at the time to have protected him (hello, Daywalker-san), but... yeah.]

[ Oh, Rethe. You have no idea how you've made him feel so much better. ]

Glad someone thinks so. Everyone else was ribbing on me like I had a bulls-eye stamped to my forehead.

[ He hadn't had the heart to tell them all that he hadn't really appreciated being put on the spot like that. A bunch of the comments had ventured into incredibly personal territory -- and where he would gladly excuse Gabriel for asking the questions that led to them, Gabriel was asking out of purely professional reasons. And within a given context.

Huh. So maybe he was upset about the whole thing.

Owning up to Brianna being his type had been embarrassing. And he doesn't even want to go down the road to all the talk that happened later, at the bar.

He takes another drag of his cigarette. ]

[Reaching over to rub Josh on the back, and tilting his head to smile and catch his gaze.]

I'm sure they meant well. Really.

[ He lifts a hand and absently rubs at his brow. ] That's the thing.

I know they did. [ He looks over and smiles wanly. ] I guess, I'm just not used to being put on the spot like that.

[ He tries for a lopsided smile. ]

I can relate to that. Maybe we can try to get better with it together?

[Smiling back, of course. He wants to help Josh in any way that he can.]

[ A huge part of him smiles because it feels like he and Rethe are finally on the level. And it makes him glad. Josh loves his blade mates and he'd take a hit for any of them out on the field, but talking to Rethe like this reminds him of home and just chilling out with his boys.

He's about to tell Rethe that as well, and maybe lead into sharing the things he'd learned afterwards at the bar, when Hikaru had decided that talking was better done over booze. But the music picks up again and he can barely hear himself, so he winces a little -- not because of the music, but because the timing is off. ]

[Rethe catches that, and chuckles a little. Haven's not exactly conducive to conversations like this, but it IS fun in its own way...

Shifting a little closer, then, just so that they can hear each other better. And turning to his companion for the moment with a smile.

It's nice to have Josh here.]

I was going to say-- [ he leans in, his mouth to Rethe's ear as he tries to continue their conversation. ] See, there was this thing that came up when we ended up-- [ but the music's too loud and he ends up laughing mid-way, because they're likely better off waiting for the music the cycle back to something a little more conducive to talking.

Josh starts to pull back. It's a good song, and they probably should be giving Selene's mix it's due; anyway, the night is still young. ]

[It takes him aback, at first, how close he is all of a sudden. It's easy to chalk it up to the alcohol, though, and Selene's sets are always intense...

Besides, they're friends. This is what friends do, right? So he's smiling, chuckling a little again when Josh pulls back to wait. Then:]

You were saying?

[ The music's a little less overwhelming now, so he turns back to Rethe... and. A part of him kind of... stalls? Because it's never occured to him how disarming Rethe's smile actually is.

He chuckles at the prompting, clears his throat and tries to remember what it was he wanted to say -- and settles for: ] Thanks, for letting me talk to you about this. [ It's not what he originally meant, but that feels weirdly out of place right now. He can come back to it another time. ]

It's nothing that you need to thank me for. In fact, I should be thanking you.

[Leaning in, because he wants to show Josh that he means it. Besides, that allows him to say such a thing without having to shout it out, and it IS rather dark in Haven right now beyond all the flashing lights.]

This is really fun.

It is. [ The smile he sends Rethe is boyish. It's just that easy to relax in his company, to kick back and be himself.

Maybe it's the song that's currently playing, maybe it's the booze or the way, even in the dim light of the club, there's just something about Rethe that... shines. He'd watched him up there, lost in the rhythm and ebb of music, has been around Haven enough times before to see the way Rethe just sort of... gives over. It leaves a body speechless, and there had never been an evening when Josh had left to head back to the dorms that he hadn't felt how Rethe's music had made him feel a little less lost.

He's leaning in before he knows it, mouth pressing a kiss to the corner of Rethe's. ]

[Ah --

Okay. That was completely unexpected, and definitely changed the way things were going. Rethe pulls back almost immediately, smile disappearing, eyes looking at Josh with surprise, confusion and concern.]

Um.

[What does one say when something like this happens? It's easy when he gets it from the random, bold stranger or the admiring fan, but...]

[ In hindsight, the moment he'd leaned in, he'd known that this was a HUGE mistake.

Joshua Lee Brennan, what the hell are you doing?!??

He's as stunned over his own behavior as he is sobered up by the way Rethe pulls back, and it is something Josh can hardly miss -- the smile gone, concern in his eyes and a look he can only peg down as what just happened.

He steps away as if to give them both a little more room, the back of his neck incredibly warm. ] Rethe, I-- [ what could he possibly say? ]

[And of course Rethe's first instinct is to make sure that Josh is okay.

Smiling now, a little tentatively. Let's set everything else aside first, especially since he can more than handle himself. This was all a mistake, for sure. Josh is drunk, maybe confused, maybe lonely. No need to make it worse.]

It's okay. Maybe you should go home, though.

[Get some rest? Sleep it off? Recalibrate?]

I should, um, yeah. I should probably do that.

[ He can't look at Rethe now, and he digs his hands into the pockets of his Rhiannon uniform, feeling the flush creep around from the back of his neck to his face.

Thank God, it's dark.

His movements are awkward and he steps away from the bar, finds that there's a slight lag in the way he processes the movement. Fuck. What the hell did he drink?

Of course, his gaze wanders over to the bottle he'd purchased. ]

Josh...

[Rethe trailed off, and looked on a little helplessly as the Sin-Eater left. Should he try to go after him? If he did, though, what could he possibly do to help?

The Malice King bit his lip, and eventually forced himself to turn away.

This was going to be hard.]

001. every story is a song // open post.

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