(open) celebrating everything it took to free us from the land of the broken and betrayed

[whatsupcroc]

Date & Time: February 12th - February 14th
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: ANY & ALL
Summary: Separation Awareness Day is a festival and time of celebration for the hard won and retained freedoms of those who live on the island of Exsilium. Separate from the United Earth, they continue to exist, and thrive in their own way. As those identified as teenagers and children are showered with gifts of sweets, foods, and toys from the adult population, merchants are selling on the streets and color had invaded the often grey atmosphere. Feasting is practically a law, singing can be heard in the streets, and instruments that may stay safely indoors most the year are brought out to encourage dancing and such other frivolities as are rarely seen.

The night of the 14th there are fireworks shows throughout the city, with the most impressive display being launched from the remains of Buckingham Palace.

Warnings: Festivities!

Date your threads as you will, and feel free to use this as a Valentine's exploration as well for those more inclined to appreciate a holiday from home amidst the celebrations of a whole different sort of world!

Comments

[payback]

I want to get away all the time! But we're in a warzone. It's a party in the whole city. They're trying to get away.

[hostage]

Good for them! They're all so goddamn happy! Awesome! Why's that make you pissed at me?

[payback]

What's wrong now? I'm leaving you alone, exactly like you wanted!

[hostage]

You made me sound like I'm some scumbag!

[payback]

You've been picking up women for HOW many days?

[hostage]

What's wrong with it, huh? They want me there. It ain't like I'm bothering 'em!

[payback]

Okay, knock yourself out! Keep it up! I am LEAVING!

[BREAKING INTO A RUN HERE]

[hostage]

[CHASING HER.]

Wait! God, would you just talk to me for a second here? You got like some majorly wrong ideas!

[payback]

NO! I'm LEAVING!

[SPRINTING. She's pretty sure she can outrun him >:( SENDING WOMEN WALKING THE STREET SCATTERING, LEAPING PAST PILES OF GARBAGE AND RUBBLE]

[hostage]

Oh come on!

[He is meth-fueled. Look at him go! He's almost keeping up. Almost.]

Rin, hey! I'm sor - !

[He trips over a crack in the pavement, goes flying, and lands sprawling on his belly.]

[payback]

[SHE RUNS

for a few more seconds before realizing she's not being chased anymore. Then she takes a HARD RIGHT into an alley and goes invisible.

What just happened? She creeps back out and backtracks to where - jeez. Massive failure much, Jesse?]

[hostage]

[Um.

Yes.

By now he's rolling over onto his back and just... lying there for a second.]

...Ow.

[payback]

[Silent facepalm. She comes a little closer and sits on her heels and watches him.

Invisibility is so great.]

[hostage]

[Once he's recovered, he sits up but doesn't go further than that. He figures he's lost Rin by now, so he spends a few moments brushing dirt off of his shirt, then lights himself a cigarette. He cradles his forehead while he smokes it.]

[payback]

[Rin simply watches him do this. Staring intently, again. Really, she enjoys the freedom to inspect people without being watched back.]

[hostage]

[He has a different look to him when he thinks no one's watching. All the hardness goes away, and there's none of his strained innocence or smiles either. He goes blank, like the emotion's just wiped clean off of him. He's not even sad. He's empty.

He sits there on the ground until he's through with the cigarette. Then he starts to climb to his feet, turning to go back in the direction he came from rather than toward the main celebration.]

[payback]

[Rin stands up, glancing to keep him in sight, casting around at the same time for a piece of rubble small enough to fit in her hand. When she finds one she follows after him at enough distance to feel safe. The rubble is small enough that the stealth field she projects covers it up too.]

[hostage]

[Jesse pulls something - a small bag - out of his pocket and examines it while he walks. He thinks he has enough to pay for a few more hours. It depends on who he finds. He glances around, looking for a girl.]

[payback]

[Rin speeds up a little, approaching closer. When she judges she's close enough she stops and throws the rock hard at the face of the nearest building. Not aiming for a window, at least.]

[hostage]

[It was close enough that it gets Jesse to stop and look around, thinking it was aimed at him. Away goes the meth, very quickly.]

[payback]

[Rin, searching (and finding) another stone she can throw with that speed and accuracy, lets him alone for the moment.

As if she even knows what she's doing. She's just poking for a reaction, in actuality.]

[hostage]

[No one's paying him the slightest bit of attention, so he's chalking it up to his imagination. He starts walking again, albeit more slowly.]

[payback]

[She keeps pace again, long enough to judge that he's relaxed somewhat. This time the rock gets thrown at his heels. If it bounces and clips him a little, that's all right too - she didn't throw it hard enough to do any real damage.]

[hostage]

[It's enough to bother him. A lot. He whips around, thinking he'll definitely catch whoever it is in the act, but there's no one there. Frustrated, he grinds his knuckles into his forehead - and now he walks faster.]

[payback]

[Rin trots to keep up. She has to dick and snap up another rock fast and that one she follows up on quick: flipped into the street beside him to bounce over the road.]