Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

[bastionpc]

Who: Everyone in the Bastion
Open: Open
When: 346-352
Where: The Bastion in general
What: This is the calm before the storm. Any last conversations with NPCs? Any last things to take care of? Do them here.
Format: action
Warnings: none so far


When you make a thread in this post, please put the names of the NPCs you want to respond in the header of the first comment.

As a note, this is also your last chance to make any changes that will affect how endgame begins. All things that help or hurt the Bastion residents will be tallied up on September 18th, and the final post will go up shortly after that. So if you want to catch the thief, form any alliances with other NPC groups, or anything else, now is the time to do it.

Comments

[bastionpc]

[Zayna moved away from the door to let him enter, going over to set the beads she'd had in her hand down on a table currently scattered with various finished and unfinished projects. She had started for the kitchen in order to offer him something to drink, but stopped when he began speaking instead.

She turned then, raising an eyebrow curiously.]

... I'm sure there's many of us here that could have told you that.

[Not that she was judging him for it. She knew how difficult it could be to get away from such things.]

Why come to me about this, though?

[fuckthemancers]

I believe I have been told, repeatedly, but it's my own folly for not taking it to heart.

[He gives a small sigh at that, shaking his head. It takes him just a moment before he starts to speak again, quieter.]

As for why here, and you...

One of those who used to live in the Bastion was someone named Jay. He was fairly charming, I found, when we moved past his initial trauma of everything that had happened. We spoke. One day, while we were at the distillery, he showed a romantic interest in me. Even after so much time, I wasn't over my fiancee, so, of course... I turned him down.

[His chin dips down slightly.]

And some time later... He disappeared like so many others have.

[Recovering, he straightens up his shoulders.]

Perhaps if I hadn't been so stubborn, so lost in my own emotions, I might have reciprocated slightly or at least not been adverse to it. After all, so many romances begin from friendship. We could have talked, gotten to know one another.

However, now... We'll never get that chance.

[He meets her eyes, more certain of himself now than he's been in quite a while.]

Yet I still have this chance. I've thought over things, and I've realized that... I've enjoyed speaking with you, having tea and just happy with your presence. You're so thoughtful, and there's a sense of stability I feel just being with you that makes me want to reciprocate so that you enjoy being around me instead of it being a chore... So that you don't leave, and I can see you more as the days pass by.

This is a chance that I don't want to lose.

[The serious expression on his face breaks somewhat, falls apart into something that has his lips almost lopsided in a nervous but hopeful smile. It actually makes him look younger, instead of worn down and older from his trauma.]

I'm not proposing marriage, yet I'm afraid that the end of the world makes good dating spots that aren't fraught with life-threatening danger hard to find. So... I suppose I'm simply declaring my romantic intentions.

If you'll have them.

not here??? not even on the taken list

[evacuate]

[ SHALALALALALA DON'T BE SCARED YOU GOT THE MOOD PREPARED GO ON AND KISS THE GIRL ]

[bastionpc]

[Zayna had a vague recollection of Jay, though as she didn't socialize much outside of the other Ura she hadn't talked to him much herself.

At first she didn't realize just what Zulf was getting at, but the more he spoke the more obvious it became.

Zayna wasn't much for showing many emotions, often stoic in comparison to her father who tended to be silly and charismatic, so when her face started turning bright red it was all she could do to keep from hiding behind her hands.

It did make her wonder why, though. Sure spending time with him had always been nice... nicer than any other socializing she might have gotten dragged in to at any point there, but him having romantic interest in her? It was surprising, to say the least.

But not unwelcome.

Now if only she could find her own words.]

I--... ah...

[... fuckin' nailed it, Zayna.]

[fuckthemancers]

[Totally.]

[Zulf waits for a moment, trying not to fidget like an adolescent with his first crush, before his own pale skin starts to burn brightly red.]

I... I understand this is sudden, so if you want a moment...

[SHOULD HE LEAVE? IS THIS A BAD SIGN? WOW HIS ROMANCE GAME IS OFF AF, WHAT DO]

[bastionpc]

[They're both total experts at this.

Only not.]

N-no! I-- I mean. You... don't have to leave, I'm just... very surprised, is all...

Surprised and incredibly flattered.

[fuckthemancers]

Oh.

Well then.

[Not gonna fidget, not gonna fidget, not gonna fidget.]

[He is going to smile like a huge dork, 'tho.]

Then... How do you feel?

[bastionpc]

[... okay that smile alone would sell it. Like, seriously Zulf. Be cuter.]

I'm-- ... w-well to be perfectly honest, I wasn't exactly all that popular back home. That was... more my sisters' thing.

Th... that's all the more reason to say yes, though, isn't it?

[If she had to have some one be interested in her, at least it was some one she trusted and had so much in common with.]

[fuckthemancers]

I don't care about how popular you were back in the Terminals. You, as you are... is all I care about.

So, then...

[Glance, glance, so is this a go then???]

[bastionpc]

[That gets her to laugh, though it's a warm laugh along with her still flushed cheeks.

That seems to be a yes.]

[fuckthemancers]

[Hearing her laugh somehow gets it to echo in his own throat, his posture losing its straightness to instead shake with the sound. A bit daringly, he reaches over to take her hand and glances up with a shy pleasure from beneath his bangs.]

[bastionpc]

[Awkward babies.]

I'm... really glad you said something about this...

[And that Zahi is nowhere to be found at the moment because she knows her father and how he would react to this.]

[fuckthemancers]

Well, with how everything has been... I thought I should say it soon.

Before whatever happens... happens.

[bastionpc]

Are you... so sure that something is going to happen?

[fuckthemancers]

Well... There are plenty of worst case scenarios that could happen, I suppose.

But... I am trying to be optimistic. To move on, hope for a brighter future, and not get trapped in the past like I have been.

We're almost there, after all. I want to think that our chances will be good.

[bastionpc]

... that's... probably the best thing to be right now. Optimistic.

[Even if she is struggling with that.

And for good reason.]

[fuckthemancers]

And... Thanks to you, I think I can manage to be that now.

[listen to that super bass going off in his chest]

[bastionpc]

[At least it didn't sound like he was going to do anything foolish in the near future.

Not that it left much comfort for Zayna... but she wasn't about to bring that up here.]

I'm glad to hear that...