(no subject)

[retraced]

Who: Gilbert Nightray & open!
When: All day on the 7th
Where: Funtom Bakery
Summary: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and a neutral business is doing their part to make sure that people enjoy the most important part of the holiday: THE PIES. Come get a free pie.
Warnings: Warning for cavities. No really, brush your teeth after eating, kids.

This is Gilbert's third time witnessing this modern holiday in Siren's Port. It's a different sort of tradition than his own world's celebration of welcoming in the harvest with a large feast, but then, there's nothing in this world that mirrors his own when it comes to holiday and tradition. Still, he and Funtom are doing their part to promote charity and goodwill by offering a free pumpkin pie ('One per customer, please!' proclaims a sign on the counter with a childish sketch of a happy black rabbit sitting in a teacup.) to complete your meal tomorrow evening!

Come in and get your free pie, sit down and enjoy tea and pastries, or just come in to bother the baker as he moves from the kitchen to the front counter to help pass them out.

Comments

[debtor]

Yes, he listens very well! I'll talk to him, he won't bother you anymore. Really, there's nothing to worry about...

[TIM IS A PERFECT ANGEL don't be ridiculous, Gilbert.]

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[See this face, Allen? This is a face that doubts you. Deeply.

But he also doesn't want to offend his friend by hating his flying cantaloupe, so he sits back in his chair and sighs.]

If you say so...

[debtor]

[Slowly... removes his hand from Tim's face... Look, no grin!]

I'm very sorry about your cake.

[retraced]

N-no, you don't need to apologize for him.

[He's already apologized once before! But he leaves that part out because it's probably still creepy to be told things that you did that you don't remember.]

He did sort of try to fix it afterwards. Sort of.

[debtor]

Well, I should have been watching him-!

[It's kind of odd, that he wasn't...!

It is a little creepy to even think about these things, though, yes.

He also gives Gil an odd sort of look at that. Even he can't imagine how Tim would attempt to salvage a. cake.]

Fix it....?

[retraced]

Mm. He...

[He gestures with one hand, miming picking something up and setting it on top of something much taller.]

- took the pieces that were still left on the ground that he hadn't eaten and tried to stack them back up on top.

[debtor]

Oh. That's-

[Er.]

Helpful?

Sort of...

[Allen quickly glances at his golem, who remains carefully blankfaced.]

You shouldn't ruin things in the first place, you know.

[retraced]

Especially things that took so long to decorate...

[It was a thing of beauty, Allen. But maybe that was Tim's reasoning all along.

He just wanted to destroy something beautiful.

In the inner theater of Gilbert's mind.]

1/3

[debtor]

[ALLEN CRINGES A LITTLE...] I'm sorry...!

[debtor]

[Tim would be rolling his eyes, if he had any.

This fellow with the seaweed hair is so overdramatic. And all over a cake from who-knows-how-long ago.

But surely there was a reason Tim went out of his way to sample one of his desserts in the past... So he shall endeavor consume one of these fancy cakes again in the future. For research. (Tim was created by science, so he's qualified for this task.)

Perhaps, while his boy is sleeping......]

[debtor]

Was it for something important? I could reimburse you...

[retraced]

What - no! It wasn't that, I -

[He holds up his hands in apology.]

Sorry, I got a little carried away talking about it now! I just hadn't thought about it in a while...

[BITTERNESS BUILDS UP.]

[debtor]

--Ah- all right.

[RELIEF... that he does not owe Gil money.

And now that that's cleared up, he quickly tries to think of a topic change.

new topic --------> cake...]

So... is baking a natural talent of yours?

[retraced]

[Good topic. Safe topic. Un-shounen topic.]

I wouldn't call it a natural talent...more of a survival skill?

[debtor]

Baking to survive...?

[retraced]

It's the only useful skill that I have in this world. Because I had that knowledge, I was able to provide for my brother and myself when we first arrived here together. And this bakery...it keeps us able to provide for anyone who needs help in this world.

[And with so many people coming and going every day, it's a necessary asset.]

[debtor]

I'm very glad that you do that. It's a wonderful that you're able to help those in need...

—Brother?

[retraced]

...Vincent.

[His expression changes then, but it's tough to say if he's happy or upset to be thinking of his brother like this. On the one hand, they'd grown to understand each other a good deal more in their time trapped in this city. On the other...there had always been an invisible wall between them, a bottomless crevasse that separated them across time and broken memory. But one thing had always been certain: no matter what Vincent had done, Gilbert would still choose to protect him.

Losing him had been harder than he'd care to admit, but easy enough that when he realized it, it broke his heart.]

Vincent and I were brought here together, years ago. He was always...

[He trails off, seems to think better of a sappy speech and instead finishes, tersely:]

The Core sent him home a few months ago.

[debtor]

[Allen isn't entirely certain what to say. The bond between siblings isn't exactly a thing he's personally experienced (though he does envy it, a bit)... but he can sympathize. Living with the Lee siblings, he's come to understand it a little better.

He knows that losing your brother like that can't be anything but painful.]

I'm sorry that he left.

[retraced]

It's better that he's not here.

[Stated with the same strange, conflicted emotion as before.]

He really caused more trouble than anything else...