[008]

[bloodsugar]

A): phone - mid-morning.

[OPEN;]

[one hazard of spending a good deal of your time lurking on the phone lines is that one might become prone to forgetting that people can HEAR you while you listen. so, it's entirely innocent, of course, when the half-absent and somewhat petulant mumble comes across the phone lines sometime this morning.]

...all this talk of Valentines Day... honestly! As if they're rubbing it in some of us are destined to be forever alone. 'Vow of celibacy'? More like vow of perpetual and ongoing boredom.

[...a pause.]

It's not like I wanted to find out what a romantic holiday with another human being is like, regardless... eh? I'm sure edible underwear isn't all it's cracked up to be, anywa--

[...]

Eh? [wait for it.]

AH--

[...there's a rather flustered squawk, and a hasty CLICK of the phone into the cradle.]

[filter to Charles Fei-Ong]

Alright, so maybe I'm a little late in checking in. You'll forgive me, right? After all, I'm sure you've been busy collecting recipes and taste testing! [no really are you okay... :| last time he saw you, after all, was... uh, colorful, to say the least.]

...I don't suppose you'd be up for a cup of tea, Charles? [he has a feeling you'll just bs him even if you weren't alright over the phone, anyway. CLEARLY HE MUST BE NOSY IN PERSON.]

[filter to Esther Blanchett]

Esther-- do you have a minute? There's... ah, something I wanted to ask you. [AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EDIBLE UNDERWEAR HE SWEARS DEAR GOD.]

[filter to Django]

How are you holding up, partner? I hope the radio silence is because you've been gloriously enjoying the sunshine, hm? Making up for lost time and all that...! [are you okay partner? :(]

B): action; 1648 Albright Lane - lunchtime.

[there's the smell of something burning, late in the morning approaching lunchtime -- and if Rachel or Cain follows their nose, they might find the source in the form of one (1) Abel Nightroad with his drone wife's FRILLY PINK APRON several sizes too small draped around his neck and haphazardly tied back in the process of butchering... grilled cheese. yes, he is a total failure.

...somehow, he's gotten butter all over the counter and is trying to catch an overturned bottle of orange juice that is apparently spilling its contents over and onto the floor. the pan is burning and he's jostling cups and plates, trying not to drop EVERYTHING EVER as he fumbles to cease the spill of juice fruitlessly.

NO ONE SAID YOUR DAD WAS GOOD AT BEING DOMESTIC. this is why.]

C): action; around town - afternoon.

[the tall, lanky, and often times clumsy priest is among your streets today, Mayfield! anyone similarly prone to hitting up the bakery quite often might recognize his face, or simply wish to gape at the way he's leaving cheerily with a bag under his arm and so engrossed in the effort of inhaling the vanilla frosted doughnut in his hand he is clearly not paying attention to anything else. ...like the sidewalk. which, he may or may not inevitably trip over at an uneven crack and WOEFULLY lose his doubtlessly precious bounty as the bag tumbles to spill the fruits of his labor everywhere...

...and maybe his doughnut might happen to ah. misplace... itself from his hand and end up on your face. WHAT DO?]

D): action; church - evening.

[Abel's day eventually brings him to someplace to seek solace, to rest a weary soul... or something of that effect. one who enters might be hard pressed to FIND said priest who should be more or less easy to spot on the regular, right? how many 6'4 lanky bastards in cassock ARE there in here?

...but if one is apt enough, they might notice that the Father's side of the confessional is occupied. do you care to confess? ...or notice that said Father might just be lightly snoring if you listen hard enough...]

Comments

[kinship]

Beast Boy.

[SO EMBARRASSING.]

Do you remember what happened with all the flowers..?

[bloodsugar]

Mm, yes. [yes, yes he does--

...oh. awkward. Cain and Beast Boy...? lskjdf...] Ah.

[kinship]

We... sort of...

[Behaved in the most embarrassing puppy love crush manner possible.]

[bloodsugar]

Sort of...?

[alskjdf Cain now he's worried no fill in the blank DID YOU KISS YOUR FRIEND SCREAM]

[kinship]

[No, his lips are still innocent. HE'S ONLY TEN, OKAY?!]

...you know.

[bloodsugar]

[look most kids experiment with kissing at like, 5... not getting it... it's all innocent. KIND OF CUTE ALKDSJF...

he is sinking into his coat a bit.]

N... no. I'm sorry; you'll have to... elaborate, my son. There is no need for shame, here...!

[kinship]

[Cain isn't most kids. Before coming here, he only hugged and kissed his brother, affectionate physical contact was for family only.]

We...

[NO IT'S TOO EMBARRASSING.]

...kept telling each other how sweet and special the other was.

[bloodsugar]

[...oh

my god h-haha... he feels bad for him, but-- at the same time, this is... s.... so adorable...]

R... really?

[kinship]

[Sob, shut up, it was humiliating.]

And we hugged. [Or more precisely, Cain had latched onto Beast Boy.]

[bloodsugar]

[LSKJFSDF trying not to laugh... shifting. fidgets.]

O-oh. [LMAO what does he even say...] And... you feel like-- this is a sin?

[kinship]

No.

[That hadn't been his fault, that had been all the town's doing, embarrassing as it was.]

The 'sin' is avoiding him because of it.

[bloodsugar]

[oh, good. if he had felt any guilt about that... Abel would've had to correct him.]

If you don't feel like it was a 'sin,' or something bad... then why are you avoiding him?

[kinship]

[See, now this is where it gets a bit more complicated. Cain isn't even good at admitting to himself that he's starting to care about one or two people beyond the initial polite mask... and Beast Boy was certainly one of them. Honestly, he's scared of rejection. Not the romantic kind, he's just scared his friend will be too embarrassed and awkward now to want to spend time with him. He's so mature deep down, isn't he?]

I'm not sure, it's--

[Haha... ha. Surely Abel can understand the awkwardness underneath, and how bizarre it is to be treated as an equal instead of sub-human.]

He's my best friend.

1/2

[bloodsugar]

[yes...

...he does... and, for once--]

[bloodsugar]

[he's happy for his brother's turmoil. this is the sort that he -wanted- for him... the kind that comes of finally and truly being someone's 'friend.' of being... 'human.'

the smile at his lips is fond.]

If he's your best friend, then... he'll understand, won't he?

It's scary to have faith in someone else like this, Cain. [he presses his hand lightly against the grate between them.] If you can call him your 'friend,' then he's earned that faith. Right?

[kinship]

[He stands up on the stool again to press his hand against Abel's in return, an old gesture. He swallows down the denial that he's at all scared, it seems silly to be scared of a friendship. But... this is pretty much the first one he's had.]

Right... you're right.

[As always, all he needed was his brother's backing and validation to feel secure once more.]

[bloodsugar]

[he presses his hand a little more firmly against the tinier one fitted to his.]

It's okay to be afraid. As long as you don't let it hold you back... it'll teach you just how precious that faith is when it's rewarded. [Beast Boy is a good kid; he doesn't doubt him at all.]

[kinship]

...You sound like Lilith.

[Strange, it makes his heart tug in his chest.]

[bloodsugar]

... [it makes his chest tug, too.]

She... taught me a thing or two, now and then...

[kinship]

I can tell, you're... a lot like her now.

[In some ways. His love for humanity, his preaching of faith in everyone... all the things he didn't recognise in his brother from before.]

[bloodsugar]

[agh, his heart. his fingers press a little more against the grate, harder still, before drawing away. it's time to change the subject.]

She'd tell you the same thing I am, wouldn't she?

You should go and talk to him, Cain.

[kinship]

Soon, I... have more things to confess.

[Also changing the subject, away from this tender moment.]

I lied before, I can think of a few good points to that simple man.

[bloodsugar]

[heh...]

...Ahh. Lying isn't good for your soul, my son.

Maybe you can pay penance by explaining these good points?

[kinship]

[Then his soul is fucked, all he does is lie.]

I'm not sure, I think that might be bad for his pride.

[bloodsugar]

[don't worry, you're not beyond redemption... or something...]

Your lips to God's ears, my child.