Come As You Are // Open Post

[therealbrianna]

P.Y.T. [ Pretty Young Thing ]

(Taken during THAT mission that we do not speak of.)

Comments

Timeskip shenanigans; June 3; Sunday

[atlas_shrugged]

SENT: 01:07 PM
Hey, Bri, busy today? I was hoping to pass by and tell you who gave the Sakura seeds for your tree.:)

[ And, well, maybe tell her about Kasumi too. Telling Kaz about it took a bit of the weight off his chest. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ She's been meaning to find out, so she can thank that person herself. ]

SENT: 01:09 PM
Heya! Not really, just at home. You can drop in! :)

[atlas_shrugged]

SENT: 01:11 PM
Be there in a bit.:) Want me to pick anything up on the way? Donuts? Fries?

[ He's just tightening his laces and starting on an even jog on the way to Brianna's. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ No need to tell her parents in advance that a friend is stopping by. They're very accommodating, after all. They won't mind, so she's just grabbing some refreshments and food and brings them to the tree house. ]

SENT: 01:12 PM
No need! Besides, I can't eat those. :( meet at the tree house?

[atlas_shrugged]

SENT: 01:13 AM<
On my way, I'll see you there.:)

[ And Brig's off, putting on speed so he can make it there quicker. Then a belated text. ]

SENT: 01:15 AM<
Why can't you eat donuts?:( Please don't tell me you're weight-watching.

[therealbrianna]

SENT: 01:16 PM
Those are so unhealthy. :( but again that's just me, lol.
We have a bunch of snacks here that we can munch on, don't worry :)

[ Not that she has to watch her figure. If anything, she thinks she has a smashing bod. Most of her food preferences come from her mom who really does watch what she eats; not too much fried and oily food in this household, yo. No wonder her mom ages so gracefully. ]

[atlas_shrugged]

SENT: 01:18 PM
Haha, okay. Be there in a bit.:)

[ Woosh timeskip ]

[ Brig arrives at the Lopez residence gate about 25 minutes later. He couldn't help himself, he passed by a nearby McDonald's to French Fries. Hopefully these Brianna can eat. He rings the doorbell. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ Brianna herself opens the door, smiling at Brig but scowls jokingly upon seeing the McDonald's doggie bag. ]

Well you're gonna have to eat that yourself, cause I sure am not.

[atlas_shrugged]

Not even French Fries? [ He's trying to put on a sad, puppydog face. He doesn't think he's doing it right. ] Everyone loves French Fries. [ Still trying to do a puppydog face. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ ... ]

You know Brig, I think puppy dog eyes are my thing. [ She says that with a laugh. ]

C'mon let's go to the tree house!

[atlas_shrugged]

Sorry, I just thought I'd try. [ Brig laughs with her too. ] Apparently, it's not for me.

Lead the way. [ He smiles and stands by the foot of the ladder, waiting for her to go first. She probably won't, but Brig wants to be there to catch her if for some reason or another she slips and falls ]

[therealbrianna]

Well, no harm in trying!

[ By now she's learned how to climb up the ladder expertly. No slip-ups for this one! She reaches the top and waits for Brig to climb in. ]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig follows suit and climbs up in after her. He plops himself down on one of the beanbags (slowly, lest he make it rip at the seams), and starts on the fries ] If I'd known a treehouse could be this cozy, I would've asked for extra seeds for myself. [ He gets this long look on his face. Kasumi ] But I guess Sakura don't really match me I guess.

[therealbrianna]

[ Smiling as she's plopping down lazily on one of the bean bags. ]

Yeah, I figure a manlier tree would suit you more. Who gave you the seeds anyway?

[ He's here to discuss that matter anyway, right? She doesn't know why Brig won't just tell her through text. It's just a name, after all. But she'll indulge him. There might be something else to this after all. ]

[atlas_shrugged]

Maybe I should look into getting a Narra or Balete, although I might have a [ what's it called? ] Kapre [ said in tentative Filipino ] for a smoking buddy. [ He chuckles at that ]

Well, Hikaru's mom did. [ Brig's tone is mixed sad and happy as he says it. ] Kasumi gave the seeds for your tree.

[therealbrianna]

[ She's watching Brig closely, cos she managed to pick up on that sad tone.

Still, playing it cool. He kinda just got here, yknow. Don't wanna just spring that on him like that. ]

Awesome! Well, guess I should thank her then. Any idea how I can do that?

[atlas_shrugged]

I guess you could email or contact her via her number on MAYAnet. [ Brig pulls out his phone and searches it up. He reaches it out to Brianna ] She was kind enough to give some seeds from their orchard in the Wolf's Ward. [ He smiles remembering that night. But just a half-smile. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ She takes it and notes down Kasumi's number. ]

Thanks. Wow, that was really nice of her! I hope you didn't have to owe her something or anything of that sort.

[ Fishing, fishing... ]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Yeah, she's very nice. The look on his face shows he thinks of her fondly ] Nah, didn't have to owe her anything. Although admittedly I do owe her a lot for keeping me company and helping me think a lot of things through. [ He glances slightly away and onto the side ] I think I screwed up our last night together though.

[therealbrianna]

[ Eh? ]

Hmm? How come?

Brig can manage casual encounters pretty well. But he's not used to dealing with genuine attraction.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig looks back at her and tries to smile ] Got to put it out on the table first, I guess, so you don't get lost. I'd been joining her in the evening regularly for drinks when we were at Seigi. [ There's a moment of fondness in his features. Then it's gone ] She said she enjoyed my company as much as I did hers. Then [ a beat ] on our last night, it felt like she just shut me out. [ He looks troubled and sad ] I must've done something wrong.

[therealbrianna]

Oh.

[ Sounding genuinely sad for Brig. She...might have done something similar in the past, although on a much lesser scale. She used to be a huge bitch after all. ]

I didn't know that. Have you at least asked her why she did that?

[ Suddenly, she feels like she doesn't really want to thank her... ]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig never thought about that really. He just suddenly felt like all the warmth was gone. Like suddenly she was a wall. ]

Actually, I haven't. [ His shoulders hunch ] She was just so curt with me at the end that I was too afraid to ask.


[ OOC: If Brianna verbalizes or let's a vibe like that on, Brig will jump to Kasumi's defense. He really does think it must have been him who did something wrong. Couldn't have been Kasumi, in Brig's mind. ]

[therealbrianna]

[ OOC she probably wouldn't have, cos Kasumi is still Hikaru's mom. That's still something. ]

[ She tries to wrap her mind around the situation, trying to comprehend why Kasumi would do that, but she draws a blank. ]

Maybe you should.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ He looks back up at Brianna ]

I'll try, if ever there's a chance to. [ A pause. ] I'm scared, really. Of what she'll say.