Come As You Are // Open Post

[therealbrianna]

P.Y.T. [ Pretty Young Thing ]

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

Comments

[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.

[therealbrianna]

[ Just looking at him for a while before speaking up. ]

You like her, don't you? Not just her company?

[atlas_shrugged]

[ He's not surprised Brianna picked up on it. He wasn't trying to hide it anyway. But he couldn't bring himself to admit it either. ]

Yeah. [ A pause ] I kind of do.

[therealbrianna]

[ She sighs, trying to empathize with Brig. ]

That's... Tough. She is kinda up there, yknow. [ Pointing her finger up, alluding to the fact that yeaaaah Kasumi is no ordinary hunter. ]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ He catches her drift. ]

I... [ a beat ] I know. [ another beat ] And that's what attracted me. [ Same sentiments now from both her and Kaz. Something he hadn't acknowledged when he started asking to drink with her ]

[therealbrianna]

We can't help what attracts us, right?

[ Have an empathizing half-smile, half-sad face, Brig. Though she doesn't know what being attracted to another person feels like, well... Let's just say she feels an attraction to certain material objects that others may find impractical. ]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ A sigh ]

It'd be easier if we could, right? [ A pause ] I guess we can. Settle. But that wouldn't be attraction.

[therealbrianna]

Oh it would definitely be easier. But you do have to look out for yourself too, yaknow.

[ She slightly shrugs. ] Do what would be best for you even if things turn sour.

Digression: Tae, ang ganda ni Catriona Gray in that icon. uuuuugh

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Look out for himself. Brig's only good with that against things trying to kill him. Not with this sudden sidewinder of attraction. ]

And if it seems to others that that would be "drop it and run away", should I? [ He let's out a half-hearted chuckle ] I'm not very good at giving up. [ Although this might be a first. At least it's not the barrel of a gun. Just maybe some heartstrings ripped asunder. ]

Sobra. Dis girl :c

[therealbrianna]

[ She lets out a small laugh at that. ]

More like stepping away from something willingly, especially if it's something you won't be able to handle.

[ She pauses real quick. ]

But. Know that I know you can take on anything you set your mind to, if that means anything to you.

"Sobra. Dis girl :c" -----> YES!

[atlas_shrugged]

If I ever somehow have a fans club, can I make you President just because of that?

[ Brig's gotten all squishy. He's just stood up and hugged you tight, Bri. ]

It scares me you know, feeling things like this. Cause I can't hit it. I may be able to hit Paradox someday, but I don't think I can ever learn to hit feelings.

[ He's let go now and slumped onto the floor beside you, stretched out, his head lying on the beanbag she's sitting on ]

I can hit with feelings. Just can't hit feelings.