The Longest Day (Open to All)

[cordibus]

Who: Open Log (All)
Where: Point-à-Tarte
Summary: The Longest Day
Warnings: N/A

"Do they ever stop partying? Probably not...I gotta say that's one thing Eddan has going for itself..."

A Festival for the Sunlight

Eddan prides itself in its many festivals. While the summer solstice doesn’t have much religious significance to the city, it’s surged back into popularity as a holiday partly due to the city’s curfew. More daylight means more time to be out and about and to party!

It’s for this reason that the rest of the week is a holiday for most of the city. Everywhere people look, the city is decorated in bright flowers and lights that light up even the darkest of night (although everyone is warned to stay inside regardless).

A music festival with rock and electronic concerts is being arranged in Point-à-Tarte's park. Many great local acts are scheduled to take the stage until sunset, though that won’t be enough for some. The party will move into bunkers and underground clubs once the sun goes down, with the pounding beat of the music lasting until dawn.

The Arrows Never Lie

However for the Awakened, they will soon notice something odd. Some of the festival goers around them will take on a different appearance if they don’t look at them directly. If that’s not enough for someone to notice, the red arrows that begin to appear over their heads with the same symbol from Applenet is a pretty big clue.

No one else seems to notice, however. Not even the people themselves.

However if an Awakened person gets closer to one of them, a disclaimer will appear on their phone.

"Don't overdo it, got it? If you shake their brain too much, it might be dangerous. But keep a close eye on them for me, won't ya? Don't give them multiple headaches! That's bad!"

[OOC: If Awakened speak with non-Awakened characters, their conversations may bring little bits of memory back to them. However, be careful! If they overload them with memories they might attract the attention of something they wouldn't want to. Let us know if that happens!]

Comments

[kouteipenguin]

[He knew it. There was absolutely no way he could hide any of this. For just one moment he'd hoped maybe he could soften this, or maybe somehow Kouyuki could find a way to laugh past this or brush it off. It wasn't that he wanted his preferences to be ignored like that (he really didn't), just that he really didn't want to be the one responsible for putting that look on his brother's face.

Kidou has to fight down the urge to say whatever it is he's going to say, and ends up having to break eye contact.]

Sorry.

[For everything.

He reaches up, gently pulling out... what turns out to be a leftover holdout from flower war. He tries to smile; that much he can even admit is genuinely amusing. He even half manages it, but a sad smile is probably worse.

Was that the last real thing they did together, as them?]

... I should have known.

[No, really. He honestly should have seen that coming. Clearly he's been far too distracted.]

[touketsu]

[Brotherly instinct guides him almost as soon as Michi apologizes. Nothing he's done has been to deliberately inflict hardship or pain on others. Even without knowing what his brother's affliction is, Kouyuki knows that with certainty. Michi is a good person. Everything he does is and always has been done with others in mind. He can get carried away at times, if less so recently, but he was and still is one of the most responsible people Kouyuki knows.

And that's something precious to him, something he wants very much to protect. So he holds out the sunglasses, but not before stepping a little closer and patting his younger brother on the shoulder.]

It's okay. [He's still worried, but for Michi's sake, he manages a smile as warm as the sun itself.] Let's eat, maybe that'll help.

[Not that he'll push to have this sort of fun after they're done eating. As much as he misses the way they used to be, just being with Michi is something he enjoys. And if that means just sitting down over lunch and talking, that's fine with him. Maybe they can even talk about what those sunglasses mean? It's worth a try.]

[kouteipenguin]

[Michi might have reached it faster than Kidou does, without the open look of surprise in the middle, but the warm, grateful smile that Kouyuki gets in return is every bit as affectionate as it's ever been. Kidou not sure how it's even possible, given that he's explained nothing, but somehow... it feels like Kouyuki understands this, just like he always has. Enough that he's quietly returning the glasses. Enough that he puts meaning into it, reaching out to reassure. In that moment, it doesn't feel like it's Michi that Kouyuki's looking for and not finding, but that it's Kidou himself that he's reaching out to.

It doesn't solve everything - the core problem is something Kouyuki never could and shouldn't be expected to - but it's salve on a raw wound.]

...Yeah.

[He'll even hesitate to pull away, letting Kouyuki do so first. The contact is minimal, but Kidou never needed much. Michi didn't either. It says everything it needs to as it is. Kouyuki may or may notice that in that moment, the faux flower gets slipped into Kidou's pocket stem first, angled carefully so that it hopefully will stay secure. It's so important that he keep this, but he can't very well wear it in his hair. He's got an image.

Once free, he'll move deliberately to the other side of the table, letting his older brother have the closer seat so he doesn't have to go as far. He'll switch out glasses in a minute, once he's settled.]

It's true that late lunches rarely help things.

[Thank you for that observation, Kidou. Your conversational skills are noted.]

[touketsu]

[Kouyuki's hand doesn't linger, and neither does he. Kidou's right to assume that the brief amount of contact between them has said all it needed to. Although he might not know everything going on in his brother's life right now, Kouyuki is no less willing to be a pillar of support. It seems Michi understands that even without needing to be told. Whatever's changed...Kouyuki's glad to know that that has remained the same.

Taking his seat opposite his brother, he seems to center his attention on unpacking their lunch, but not a moment passes where Kouyuki isn't equally aware of Michi. He may not have seen precisely where that flower ended up, but he's noticed where it didn't. While Kouyuki can't imagine why Michi'd want to keep such a thing, he knows his brother has always been so careful with the things he was given, even in play. It's one of his more endearing traits. Though, certainly not his only one.]

I didn't know you had two new pairs of sunglasses.

[Setting out two paper plates, one for each of them, Kouyuki opens the sushi they bought to split between them.]

They're pretty nice. Where'd you get them?

[kouteipenguin]

[As Kouyuki sets up for them, Kidou closes his eyes, sliding off his backup sunglasses. There's no carelessness to the actions; every part is deliberate. From folding the arms of his backup pair carefully before setting them down, picking up the other pair and slowly sliding them back on. It takes him a little more time than it takes Kouyuki to get everything else ready.]

This pair, I got at one of the station gift shops.

[The exact name is omitted. Neither of them have much reason to need to take anything regularly; they're very close to the school. Within walking distance. So any trip would be noteworthy, especially at the lengths Kidou had to end up going to get it.]

The other one ... [Meaning the backup.] ... it wasn't too far from here.

[But he doesn't really need it if Kouyuki's going to stop going after it anymore. Hm. He leaves them on the table for now, instead of putting them in his pocket alongside the flower. While he's hungry, he doesn't immediately reach to take anything for his plate once he's finished his odd little ritual; instead, he's looking down at the backup pair in quiet contemplation.]

[touketsu]

[Although the answers given aren't very specific, they seem to placate Kouyuki's curiosity for the time being. He gives an enthusiastic nod, but then...stares at the pair of sunglasses his brother is wearing. He's not really sure why, but they do suit him better than the ones resting now upon the table. Maybe it was a face shape thing? Or maybe it had more to do with Michi's own confidence when wearing them.]

You almost look cool wearing those ones.

[Not to imply Michi didn't look cool otherwise, or...is it? If it is, the way Kouyuki's mouth quirks into a teasing smile should communicate he doesn't mean anything by it. He's just having fun. As usual.

Although the compliment is real enough. There's a strange edge to Michi these days. But he's still Michi, Kouyuki's little brother. So he doesn't worry too much. As long as he's safe and happy, that's all that matters.]