Memory Mingle

[gigadevilbreaker]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Everywhere!
When: 120 afternoon to whenever

[Did you get some points from that game? Why not buy some memories]

Comments

[foolishjourney]

[mmm...]

Give me a few? Meet back here in... 30 minutes?

[foolmetwice]

[ah. . .]

. . . you don't want me to sit with you for thirty minutes?

[foolishjourney]

No, it's not that. I want to go back to my dorm for a moment, change, wash my face. That kind of stuff. I feel kind of gross.

[foolmetwice]

You don't look gross.

[reaches out to smooth Lily's bangs across his forehead]

But all right. I can wait for you.

[foolishjourney]

[closes his eyes for a moment at the touch, and then leans over to press a gentle kiss against Mars' cheek]

I'll be right back.

[foolmetwice]

[tilts his head into that, before pulling his hand away]

'Kay. I'll be here when you get back.

[with all supplies necessary for a roasted s'mores date]

[foolishjourney]

[he'll come back later, showered and wearing an outfit he hasn't busted out yet, a flower pinned to his hat]

Hey.

[this is proper picnic attire rite]

[foolmetwice]

[IT TOTALLY IS, OKAY]

[and Mars waits for him, hands in his pockets as he kicks at the ground idly. he has a bag of s'mores supplies he purchased solely for the outing, along with a couple of sticks the can use to ROAST MARSHMALLOWS]

[when Lily approaches, he extends a hand, fingers wagging]

You look cute.

[foolishjourney]

[immediately takes his hand!!]

Thanks. Are you ready?

[foolmetwice]

I've got chocolate and marshmallows and graham crackers. Fuck yeah I'm ready.

[to the park!]

[foolishjourney]

[as they walk, Lily stays mostly silent, unless Mars speaks first. it's not until they set up and settle down on the grass that Lily deigns to finally speak properly himself, closing his eyes and letting out a breath]

...Iris is gone. Has been for a few days. And now Hellebore is gone, too.

[looks like he might want to talk a little, after all]

[foolmetwice]

[. . . . . . . oh]

Hell.

[he says in reply as he spreads the s'mores ingredients across the grass (they're all still packaged). Mars has only lived through one lost unitmate in all of his time in fake Tokyo, so he doesn't quite understand what that specific loss feels like]

[but he does remember what loss, in general, feels like. thanks to his memories]

That sucks.

[foolishjourney]

Yeah.

[he isn't all sure exactly what he wants to say -- everything and nothing, all at the same time.]

And now I guess my parents are gone, too.

[foolmetwice]

[pauses in laying out the marshmallows, gaze flickering down. he shifts a bit awkwardly, because how does one who is very irreverent about death talk about death, but. . .]

Yeah, but. . .

Just because they might be gone doesn't mean you're alone. You know?

[foolishjourney]

At least with Iris and Hellebore, I'm more worried about them being alone.

[fiddles with his fingers, leaning against Mars a little]

And how they're getting replaced. As if it doesn't even matter they were here at all.

[foolmetwice]

[slides an arm around Lily's waist, fingers coming to rest gently at his hips]

They'll be back. They're not gone gone. They're just on extended leave.

[a quiet pause, Mars's fingertips sneaking underneath the hem of Lily's shirt to brush idly (but innocently) against warm skin]

And no matter how many new members LiliS gets. . . nobody could ever replace them.

[foolishjourney]

I've barely talked to the person who came in to take Iris' spot — some guy named Destroyer of Worlds. I don't remember what flower name they gave him... starts with an A, I think. I know I shouldn't hold it against him, it's just... she was barely gone before they already stuck someone else in her spot. Dahlia I was never close to in the first place, I couldn't quite connect with her after she had a memory of dissecting someone's head open right off the bat, so it wasn't too bad when Camellia came in, but...

[sighs gently]

Lavender and I, at the very least... we've been viewing the others on LiliS like family to us. It feels like I've lost part of my family. Again.

[foolmetwice]

[. . . oh, Lily]

[the gentle movement of Mars's fingers against Lily's hip is meant to be soothing. something to maybe distract Lily from the sense of loss he is feeling so strongly right now]

It sucks.

[Mars eventually says, his words blunt but also sympathetic]

It sucks. . . and I wish there was a way to storm whatever program Hellebore and Iris are on and drag them back here. With you. Where they belong.

[foolishjourney]

[Lily closes his eyes at the brush of Mars' fingers against his skin, pressing his face against his shoulder]

Maybe one day.

[not any time soon, though.]

...Let's eat a s'more.

[eating away your feelings is valid, right?]

[foolmetwice]

Not maybe.

[Mars says, voice firm. his grip on Lily's waist tightens, as though he's trying to encourage Lily to continue leaning on him. physically, and emotionally]

One day. One day we'll burn this place to the ground. One day we'll get your family back.

[. . .]

And you won't be alone for it. You'll never be alone again, Lily.

[and with that. . . he reaches for the unopened pack of marshmallows]

[foolishjourney]

[emotion swells in his throat and he nods, nuzzling into his collarbone a little more and wrapping his arms around him.

he doesn't want to speak right this moment, he wanted to have at least a little bit of control of himself, to not completely break down like he's six years old again. so he's gonna just stay quiet, let Mars handle setting up the s'mores, and just... hold onto him.]

[foolmetwice]

[Mars wouldn't know what to do with a Lily who broke down on him, but. . . he'd figure it out. it's only by practice that he gets better at this emotional support thing, right? it's only by practice that he remembers how to do that which he forgot a long, long time ago]

[Mars tilts his head, using one hand to push back Lily's backs so he can press a kiss against his forehead. and with that finished, he cracks open the marshmallows and skewers them with a stick, offering one to Lily once he's finished]

[they still need a fire but he'll get to that in a minute]