Resume Play

[foundationmods]

After the collapse of the Winchester house, everyone will have some time to regroup. The dead can be given bodies, everyone can have the remnants of the miasma washed away, and the 2000's group can be brought up to date on what's been happening for the last twenty years. It's been a long day, and taking time to process it all is probably in everyone's best interests.

But they won't get to rest for long. About an hour after the house's collapse, several all-black vehicles will roll up on the site of the former Winchester house. Most people present should recognize the uniforms and logos plastered all over everything: this is a cleanup team, the kind sent in after a successful containment to make sure the locals don't talk about what happened. It must be nice to have a somewhat-positive reception for once, huh?

But along with the group, a certain misty-eyes O5 will make their grand entrance. And as they step out and look over the group, they have something important to say.

"You did it. I...thank you. Thank you for saving them."

There's still details to handle and paperwork and interviews to do, but that is easy compared to what's already been done. With everyone's efforts, a potential XK-class SCP has been neutralized, saving the world itself, all without any permanent Agent casualties.

You all have exceeded Foundation expectations.

Congratulations.

Comments

[kaliedoscopes]

[ It's maybe at this point that Hikage realizes just exactly what he's gotten himself into in several directions: technology and otherwise. Experience is both a boon and a bane but he's made his decision and won't be turning back so onward he goes. More like fluttering considering his state of inebriation but it's the forward movement that counts, probably. ]

Oh, that'll make things easy. For tomorrow. [ Specified and broken up because their current predicament is a bit more challenging. He smiles back of course, though his own is lax and more of an acceptance of his life right now. The good thing about being thrown off at least is that he's able to claim some of his thoughts back, enough to prioritize their needs before his wants.

One hand is good enough because he'll brush his free hand against the waitress' arm when she drops off their order with that spark of red in his eye. Apparently he can be more selective in several ways with how he's reading when he's not trapped in a miasma mansion, or maybe it's something to do with line of sight or both. Either way he now has the layout of this neighborhood and other random bits about dining and San Jose in his mind, all at the small cost of adding to the killer hangover he'll have tomorrow. ]

...there's a hotel a couple of blocks...that way. [ Pointing with one eye closed because it's not like his hands got him into some of this mess in the first place. He tussles his bangs to recenter himself, immediately sees more purple than he should because the whole world is kind of wobbly and just sighs. He already did a drunk stumble back once, how much worse can this be? ]

Remind me next time to wear better shoes. [ Ones that are easier to slip on, though at least these aren't the worst. Heels still mandatory, though. But okay off they go and Hikage will just try to deal with being smashed, holding Subete's hand, guiding them to the hotel, and settling into his new lifestyle. (Judging by the ease at which next time was said, it's more than a welcome change even if he doesn't understand it himself yet). ]

1/2

[noneforall]

[Fluttering and forward momentum paired together is considerably more coordinated and graceful than Subete is capable of at the moment -- he's still fairly steady at the table, a lifetime's worth of table manners sunk into his very spine and all of his sloshing wayward sensibilities just at the moment, but in between contemplating phones while not at all contemplating tomorrow and following that familiar flash of scarlet in Hikage's stare he loses track of a little more time.

So there's a soft laugh once they get upright and he gets a good look at Hikage's new sheepdog look -- he has no free hands but he's all about making his amusement known all the same, and he's swaying a little where he stands, somewhat stumbling when they get moving but by some miracle keeping himself on track by reeling himself in by their joined hands. See, there are several practical reasons to be holding hands right now, even if he keeps forgetting that's what they're doing while navigating the strange waters of San Jose on sake.

There's a hum as he reorients both his vision and sense of balance away from red and black and purple and back towards the rest of the world, and tries to account for the extra weight of a bottle of sake and two donburi.]

A hotel... For tomorrow and, I can probably-- [it's his turn to gesture, but once again: zero free hands so what he does manage to do is swing their hands a little before shaking his head and shrugging, look, he tried] --and the shoes, too.

[It's completely unclear what he's supposed to be doing about the shoes, or anything, but it's probably an agreement. That's pretty much the mood for the rest of their ridiculous trip to this hotel -- keeping hold of or leaning on each other at intervals, doing their best to keep out of the street, being a little too loud at who-knows-what o'clock and basking in the warm glow of streetlamps and what is probably not just drink. The long-absent hints of stars beyond the city lights don't light the way, but they're a silver lining on the evening all the same.]

2/2

[noneforall]

[It's surprisingly tiring trying to navigate a mostly-strange city in the dark while drunk, carrying things, and after an entirely-too-eventful day and come to think of it they're in new bodies too: it's certainly one way to break the gigai in, there's nothing quite like stress testing. They've definitely put themselves(?) through their paces at this rate.

There's probably still some leftover fatigue from ghost battle royale too, but that's not scientific nor is he able to separate it from the general cloud of fatigue and sleepiness slowly descending around his shoulders so Subete just rolls all of that together and tries to stay on track. There were probably some kanji-related mishaps in the course of trying to drag themselves into a hotel incognito and undetected and entirely smashed (there's at least one new fir tree by the hotel's entrance and possibly some of the hotel staff will be invisible to outsiders for a few hours, let's not talk about what happened at the restaurant while no one was looking), but there's still a sigh of satisfaction and relief once the door finally closes behind them.

It's tempting to just slide down to the floor and curl up but only a little -- sleeping on the floor just isn't a thing where he comes from and he's still carrying food and Hikage's hand and both of those are keeping him upright, just about. Instead he leans against the door and yawns briefly. Contemplates searching for the light switch.

It's not too bad coming in from the night lighting, though so...]

I should probably... put Verbalism to bed for the night too. [a little joke because it's been a while since he's used his powers with such reckless abandon and never with this much alcohol in his system, but since reckless abandon is the mood of the hour he takes advantage of their hands to tug them closer together again.] Hey.

[For one, he hasn't gotten to steal a kiss himself yet so that's what he's doing now, clumsy as all hell after everything but there's something to be said for the cozy vibe of the room that they've barely even looked at yet.]

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Hikage tells himself he would have protested more about their joined hands if it didn't have a practical use, because pragmatism > everything else, or so it usually is. That's decidedly not the case tonight, but the sake gives him the ability to use logic only when he likes, and no ones keeping score or has the ability to do so at this point. Still there's some residual huffing regardless because even amidst the glow and warmth there's room for butterflies.

By the time they arrive at the hotel (stumbling and fluttering into the place), the length of the day on top of the liquor has really caught up to him. They're not drinking anymore, but the last few drinks of sake ripple through his mind unfettered; the fir tree got a light laugh and a hand running through it because it's just as likely that he could have just imagined it existing at this point.

There's an equally pleased sigh of his own when the door clicks shut and they're in their own little bubble once again, away from all the distractions except the ones that matter. A few thoughts tumble in (light, sleep, shoes) before his attention sparks in the direction of the joke and what would have likely been him running his mouth because almost anything can be played with now. Except he's still trailing behind reality a beat or two, and by the time he goes to do so his mouth is suddenly occupied.

A soft startle later he's fallen into the kiss as messy as it is (and does his best not to fall into the door) without complaint. He's in no hurry to pull away, but he does mumble when he gets the chance with a gentle squeeze of their joined hands. ]

Hey. Bed? [ That was not included in his prior list but that's fine, the night is ever shifting. Who needs a light anyway when there's just enough from the city filtering through the partially drawn back curtains, which will be a problem in the morning but not right now.

He makes to tug on Subete's other hand for emphasis but mn there's a bag there. Better clarify. ] With just me.

[noneforall]

[Even at this point in the night some things are capable of pausing him a little and then making him turn a bit redder than drink and kisses can manage under the cover of late evening, even if it is considerably sneakier without any lights or much talking to give him away. But he's already made a mistake: the proximity and the tiredness and everything else is making it really hard to want to be away from their bubble, and even if he's going to regret a few things in the morning (he can vaguely list them now, but he won't, they're not the important things) it's still not morning yet because neither of them is carrying a watch nor paying attention to timekeeping devices when they're all tangled up like this.

The fir tree outside sure is going to be a thing at some point, but at least it means there will be more shade once the sun is out -- for now Subete puts it all away and squeezes back reflexively with one hand while he stumbles around trying to find the fridge with the other; it's a good thing he's been reminded that takeout doesn't actually mean take to bed, at least not in most of this case, so:]

Ahh, this room... [he could complain about the room being too big, ridiculously, but he finally finds the mini-fridge with his knees instead and huffs before shoving their no-longer-dinner in and kicking the door shut; the only thing left to do is try to knee-navigate his way over to the nearest bed, which he tumbles onto while trying his best not to just flat out flop across it] Found it.

[Instead of repeating words or anything else at this point he keeps himself semi-upright with their hands (still useful!) and blinks sleepily a couple of times, reaches for Hikage's other hand after a moment when he remembers that was a thing, possibly.]

[kaliedoscopes]

[ It's debatable whether Hikage meant it quite that way (even if the other reading is intimate too), but he manages a lazy smile anyway when they start to move in search of proper sleeping arrangements. He's fine with being tugged along because if he was to stumble into anything with his footwear and current state there'd likely be no saving it.

At least their not-dinner is saved, even if it takes them a while to find the bed (is this place that big or is he that drunk?). ]

Good. So then-[ Subete may have avoided flopping onto the bed but all it takes is the slightest tug (or in this case the tiniest momentum from having his other hand grasped) for Hikage to tumble forward into Subete and the bed. They're probably not even close to laying on it properly but it's good enough. ]

Bed...you...ah, shoes. [ Can't sleep with shoes on, so he has to wiggle them off which has the beneficial side effect of getting them both further on the bed in the process. Also likely more tangled up with each other but that's pretty much been their entire MO all night. ]

[noneforall]

Oof. Hey.

[No one knows whether that's supposed to be a protest or yet another interjection in their drunken and aimless but oddly engaging back-and-forth, but maybe it doesn't matter at this point -- there's something between a laugh and a wheeze at the jostling but he's mostly half-asleep already and more coherent reactions or keeping track of his limbs at this point is asking a lot.

On the bright side somewhere in the wriggling he does manage to lose his shoes (the upside of a somewhat simpler fashion sense, really); they might not find all the pillows or the comforter or even the right side of the bed but it's a damn big bed, just like everything else in here. That might be the only reason they haven't rolled right back off again. Once his feet are free Subete just curls a little closer into the warmth and his eyes are closed before he realizes it.

He's fast asleep too quick to even say good night but what few dreams manage to flow through the warm and sake-soaked seas are certainly a nice nightcap to this long, long day.]