because I promised raincake

[retraced]

Who: Gilbert Nightray and OPEN
When: The afternoon of the 11th
Where: The park near Winthers lake
Summary: Gilbert laments best when there's bad weather.
Warnings: Warnings for soggy cake

[There's a cake in the rain.

Well, more specifically, there's a cake in a box on a bench near a man in the rain.

A box that doesn't reside inside of a bag, and is therefore damp from the rain. And, from the state of it and the man sitting next to it, it's been sitting in the rain for a while. It's a curious sight indeed. While people stroll by with umbrellas overhead and jackets wrapped tightly around themselves to protect from the late winter storm, Gilbert Nightray is sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes staring directly at the soggy ground through his damp hair, a half-finished cigarette hanging between his index and middle fingers.

People have been encouraging him to relax lately, take a rest, spend some time by himself to be alone and sort through his thoughts, to meditate, do yoga--the list goes on and on. It seems different people all have their different ways to unwind and cope, and so far none of them had worked for him. If he's home, he'll clean and bake and fret. If he's at work, he'll clean and bake and fret.

So he's relaxing outside. He's taking a 'breather'. He's trying not to think about obligations and duty and doing his best face his anxiety and stress head on, so he's sitting outside in the rain with a cake in a soaked box.

You know you're curious.]

Comments

[retraced]

I'm...fine...

[See? This really does happen to him all the time, he's good. Rubbing at his shoulder, he sits up and groans. Ouch.]

[motioned]

Are you sure? That looked like it hurt!

[retraced]

I'm used to it.

[But now that he's at least halfway up, he picks the umbrella up and holds it over her head. Hah, he wins now.]

Come on, I'll walk home with you.

[motioned]

[Betrayal!! But yeah, considering what happened last time, she'll just roll with it. She steps a bit closer to him so at least part of the umbrella can go over his head, too.]

If you wanted to stay, that's okay too!

[retraced]

No, it's fine, we may as well go home. This isn't working.

[And she's right, he's just sitting here getting wet like an idiot. He holds his arm up high to keep the umbrella over her head while he leans in to grab the cake box with the other.]

[motioned]

I'm sorry.

[As he moves, she notices the box for the first time.]

What's in there? I can carry it, since you have the umbrella!

[retraced]

It's my own fault.

[Definitely not hers. He holds the box up to eye level for a second, contemplating it.]

Cake. But I wonder if it's still good like this...

[motioned]

It's still too bad, though! You deserve to be able to relax.

It's only the box that got wet, right? [She looks at the box as well, appraising it.]

[retraced]

I think so.

[He hands it over for her to take so that he can keep holding the umbrella over the two of them properly. The box is pretty wet by now, sadly.]

It's fine if it's ruined...I can make another one.

[motioned]

It's still a shame if it is, though! Was it for somebody?

[retraced]

No. I can't remember why I bought it...

[Why does he have cake? No one will know.]

[motioned]

Well, I don't think you need an excuse to get a treat for yourself!

[retraced]

Oh - no! It definitely wasn't for me!

[motioned]

[...Of course.]

Well, it should have been!

[retraced]

I wouldn't know what to get to treat myself with, even if I wanted to.

[orz]

[motioned]

Maybe if you found something you like to do!

...Besides cleaning.

[retraced]

There's nothing wrong with enjoying cleaning!

[HIS PROBLEMS ARE NORMAL.]

[motioned]

Yeah, but it's not relaxing, either!

[retraced]

It helps my mind calm down. That's 'relaxing', right?

[motioned]

Isn't it tiring, too?

[retraced]

Sometimes.

[Depends on what level of Cleaning Desire he's on that day.]

[motioned]

Maybe you could try to find something that's relaxing and not tiring at the same time!

[retraced]

I've tried everything that was suggested! Except yoga, but - people keep telling me to 'google' it and I still don't know what that is!

[motioned]

Google? Like - the website?

[Alois showed her, okay.]

[retraced]

Is that what it's called?