nexus_crossings | 1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

Current Mood: Festive
Current Location: The Plaza

1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

Perhaps it's the leaves of fiery golds and oranges drifting on the breeze, or the sight of various hard squash being mangled into festive ornaments, or even still the bowls of candy left out simply everywhere in the Nexus that signifies the import of today. Regardless of when you take heed, Halloween has come to the Nexus.

Neat little handmade signs and fliers of all kinds lead to a particularly festive sectioned off block with the Crossroads Cafe at the center. The brick building has more than its fair share of decorations hung from every available windowsill and door. Hanging skeletons, jolly Jack-O-Lanterns, orange and black streamers cascading down and blowing to and fro in the crisp breeze.

The doors are propped open just waiting to beckon you inside. What are you waiting for?

((See the OOC post if you have any questions! Backtagging and threadhopping are fine. Come on in and have a blast :D ))

Coats and Costumes
The Cafe
Bonfire
Dance Floor
Haunted House
Side Halls and Storage

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The announcement of her impending aunthood startles her and she blinks at him with wide, surprised eyes as he rambles. That had not quite filtered through before. There were plenty of other first thoughts to go through. But now thinking on it...

... Isidor actually scoffs and rolls her eyes. "There's time yet before any of that. V still has to actually become a father." And judging by the way her awkward brother blanched at the news of having to spend his life with a pretty woman, that's going to be a while yet. "Before all of that his future wife has to get used to sharing his life." She smirks at Harrowheart and tips her head at him playfully. "She has to get used to all of his weird friends."

Harrow smiles brightly at Isidor's humor. "She's got jokes!" he proudly says, and with it a gentle punch to the shoulder. "It must be this bonfire puttin' you in a good mood, huh?"

He glances toward the fire, but it doesn't hold his attention long. Better to not dwell on something worrisome when he can instead push it out of his mind and continue blindly enjoying life. Enjoying Isidor! He lifts his drink in silent cheers, but rather than take a swig himself he offers it to her if she chooses to take any.

"A little birdy told me you like bonfires. Before tonight I'd been thinkin' of settin' one up in this little meadow I found in the wilderness. It's real quiet there, real nice. I was gonna bring my guitar, make some food. Teach you to play or cook, if you wanted to. Get to know ya a little. That way I mighta been your weird friend too."

He shrugs one shoulder and continues smiling good-naturedly. "Snoozed and losed," he says with a single laugh. "'Cause now we're here, and I wouldn't look too creative takin' you to another big ol' fire, don'tcha think?" A few seconds more of tired, quiet smiling passes before he drunkenly mumbles, "Prob'ly for the best, huh? I wouldn't still be the weird friend without a little mystery between us, would I?"

"It might be," she says slyly, and politely holds up a hand to refuse his offer.

Of course her brother told him. She resists sighing. For a scholar, Viatorus really is clueless sometimes. One day, maybe, she'd sit down with him and have a talk with him about... people. Or maybe married life would open his eyes a little.

His rambling gets a bit of a smirk. "You wouldn't get off that lightly, Harrowheart. Even if I did know everything about you, you'd still be weird."

After a moment she shrugs casually and looks around. "If you did invite me to a bonfire... I'd come." Then she sets her gaze on him again and smiles, shaking her head at him as she explains, "Some things you just can't overindulge in."

What a sweet sentiment. He was already smiling, of course, but he certainly doesn't stop now. He glances down at his drink in consideration of the sorts of things he's been indulging in tonight. He bends down to set the bottle on the ground and returns to smiling at her. Some things aren't worth overindulging in, it seems.

"Consider yourself invited, then, Miss Durant," he says with an obliging tilt of his head and imaginary tip of a hat. "Soon, I think. While the weather's cool, but not too cold. Before I start workin' on a house for my folks on that land. I don't think anyone owns it, and it's as good a place as any."

A few seconds pass before his mind catches up with his mouth. "They live here now," he explains quietly. "My whole family. Almost all of 'em, anyway. My sister Hope stayed behind, but everyone else is here. Mom. Dad." And then, enthusiastically: "Anna!"

He livens up again quickly and smiles at Isidor in a way that suggests some gratefulness. "I think she's at this party. If I see her, you want me to send her your way so y'all can gossip about brothers and marriages?"

As Harrowheart extends the invitation, Isidor watches with her preferred demeanour of composure and polite distance. That doesn't stop a flash of surprise from crossing her face, backtracking and then staying there. His family? Almost his entire family? Here in the Nexus?

"Of course," she answers, though she's not smiling. Her expression is one of confusion and concern and she scans his face for answers. "Why did your family move here? Did something happen?"

Harrow opens his mouth widely, but no words come out. He hesitates, and it immediately becomes clear he's trying to formulate some other answer than the truth. He closes his mouth and, unsure of himself and the position of building up an obvious lie he's already in, forces a confused, humorless laugh through his nose. His attention slowly drifts to the ground, where he sees the bottle of alcohol he'd just set down, and it seems for a moment he might bend down to pick it up again already. What was that about overindulgences?...

With his eyes still on the ground his lips part again and it tumbles out of his mouth before he knows he's saying it: "Our house burnt down." And having actually said it, even he seems surprised. His eyes widen and his eyebrows lower, and it's obvious now that he's making a point of not looking at Isidor.

It seems for a second that he'd like to say more, but after a moment of a bobbing throat and silent movements of his lips, he chooses to stay quiet. Until, of course, the weight of the silence and the burden of being the one to cause it becomes too heavy to bear. Another uncomfortable laugh and a forced smile and he says, "It's nicer here anyway."

When he looks surprised so does she. She blinks at him, stunned by the news. Her first instinct is to reach out to comfort him, her hand touches his arm lightly before she realises what she's doing. It doesn't take much for her thoughts catch up to her and she goes a little red underneath that make-up for breaking her formal demeanour. Well, she's committed to it now, she'd better do it properly. She looks him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry."

After a solemn moment passes that hand drops away and her eyes turn to the bonfire. It seems insensitive to be so close to it now, so she takes a wide step away from it to bring them further from it. Then she pulls an encouraging smile for him. "I can't imagine what that means for you, for your family." Earnestly she adds, "If there's anything we can do for you, tell me and I'll make sure you get it."

Isidor looking him in the eyes is unexpected, and at first he averts his gaze in embarrassment. It's only then that he notices her hand on his arm. The faintest hint of a grateful smile tugs at his lips and he finds it in him to look at her for as long as she looks at him. He follows her unthinkingly as she steps away. Only when he's stepped farther from the fire and turns back to see it does he understand.

Harrowheart shakes his head lightly. She didn't have to do that. And then her offer... Light.

He takes in a breath just to sigh through his nose. "I appreciate it, I do, but I can't..." he starts, guilty already after just a few words. He stops to think. He can't slur or misspeak right now, not after she offered something so kindly.

"I can't ask you for help. Viatorus, neither. I've been so rude... Over 'n' over... So rude about y'all... Havin' means. How could I ask for anything after that? How could I take anything from you?..."

Edited (Clarification) 2016-12-03 05:05 (UTC)

A smile softly curls the corner of her mouth. "If it would help I could force you to accept. I'm a very determined woman." Then she sobers again. "Do you remember what I told you when you asked me for forgiveness? I told you to show me that you'll care for Viatorus. Because actions tell the truth of a person. You've been rude, that's true, but... You've also been a better friend to my brother than anyone else."

"We take care of our own, Harrowheart." That's a statement that's not up for debate. "We help our friends." She levels him a look and adds, "If they let us."

Guilt and gratefulness mix in his hesitant but growing smile. He can't deny her kindness a second time no matter how foreign it feels to accept someone else's help.

"Isidor, I... I wish I knew what to say... No one's ever just..." Light, he really doesn't know what to say. He struggles against his tongue and his heightened, drunken emotions for a moment as he stands before her.

"No one's ever just... Offered me help. For free?"

Suddenly he presses his palm to his temple and shakes his head. "O-of course not for free, I'm sorry. I-I'm bein' an idiot. I'm sorry. What do I gotta do? What's it cost? Whatever it is, I don't care. I'll do it."

Isidor stares at him with all the patient disapproval of an elder sister too used to watching her younger brother fret needlessly. She waits until he's definitely done. "Remember it. And don't ever say we never helped you."

"What's the point of money and connections if you can't put them to good use?" Maybe, just maybe, this time Harrowheart will get to see the good a bit of wealth can do. Her light heartedness dims when she tilts her head at him. "Are you ok? You look like you could use a seat."

Harrow nods along with her order. Remember it. He can do that. He thinks. He's going to have a hard time remembering tonight, he's sure, but it's very hard to forget kindness. And Isidor, of course.

He realizes only too late that he's still nodding when she suggests he sit down. He tries to counter with a, "N-no, I'm just!..." Don't say 'overwhelmed,' don't say 'emotional'...

"Overwhelmed." Shit. "Emotional." He sighs and laughs and shakes his head and ends it all by admitting, "Drunk and embarrassed. Maybe we oughta sit down, yeah. That's a good idea. Yeah."

With some difficulty he reaches onto his back and removes the sturdy plastic prop shield strapped there. When he bends down to set it on the ground he begins to lose his balance and laughs at himself as he sways, but ultimately he succeeds in the very challenging task of setting down an object. But rather than sit he stands again and puts a hand on Isidor's back, then quickly crouches and puts his other arm under her knees to scoop her up. Her weight must not be much to him, as he does it all in total silence and without a change in expression from glassy-eyed drunkenness.

Lucky for her he doesn't hold her long. He quickly crouches and sets her down in the bowl of the shield as gently as he can, then apparently decides it's his job to make sure any stray pieces of her dress' white fabric are with her on the shield rather than the filthy ground. And with that done he unceremoniously flops his own ass straight onto the dirt, where he sits with his wrists on his bent knees and his shoulder very close to hers.

A few seconds of staring at the fire pass before he turns to her with sudden surprise and asks, "Did you mean someplace private?"

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1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

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