because I promised raincake

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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

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For the most part...but maybe it would make some things easier. Like the dishwasher.

[motioned]

Other people can turn the dishwasher on!

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But I - shouldn't get into a habit of depending on others either.

[That's his job towards other people, okay.]

[motioned]

I think it's okay if it's something as small as the dishwasher!

[retraced]

The dishwasher can be important sometimes.

[motioned]

You know how to put stuff in and take it out, right?

[retraced]

Of course I do.

[Just going to ignore the fact that he put too much soap in the first time that he used it and flooded their first apartment.]

[motioned]

So just letting someone else turn it on is fine! I mean, you're doing most of the work, right?

[retraced]

Well...maybe. But it's still a burden, even if it's small.

[motioned]

But you take care of a lot of things! The least somebody could do is turn the dishwasher on after you'd already done the rest of it.

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...Maybe.

[He steps in closer to her to make sure that the umbrella is still covering her well enough as they cross a busy street.]

[motioned]

[Idly, she wonders if she'll ever be able to make him satisfied with himself, if only a little. Almost unconsciously, she reaches for his hand as they continue to walk.]

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[When her hand first touches his, he's afraid that he's bumped into her and prepares to take a step to the side to give her more room, but when she actually takes it, he jumps a little and wraps his fingers around hers, loosely. This feels nostalgic somehow...]

...Your hands are cold. [He mumbles before tightening his grip on it.]

[motioned]

Really? They don't feel cold! [She looks down at her other hand curiously.]

Is it bothering you? I can let go!

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No, it's not! I'm just worried that you're not warm enough...

[Holding on tight.]

[motioned]

I'm plenty warm! You don't need to worry about that.

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[The stop light turns, so he pauses on this corner. There might be a car hurdling towards a huge puddle in front of them, though...]

Are you sure? If you're too cold you can have my scarf.

[It's actually a cravat, but people here get so mad when you call it that. Or confused, at least.]

[motioned]

I'm sure! You should keep the scarf. You're a lot more wet than me.

[But not for long, at the rate that car is coming.]

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It's not really a matter of being wet, it's--

[And that would be the moment that said car speeds through said puddle drenching our two poor innocent bystanders just as the light turns yellow.]

[motioned]

[She quacks. She quacks really loud, but seeing as they just got hit by a huge wall of water, it only takes a fraction of a second for her to change back. Thankfully, her clothes haven't managed to go far in this span of time, so she's still dressed as the car drives off.

More or less.]

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[Just when the day couldn't possibly get any worse. Are they even still carrying that cake? Well, if they were, it's as good as gone. Gil lets go of her hand in order to brush the wet hair out of his face, so he luckily misses that little transformation.]

What the hell just happened...?!

[motioned]

[Awkwardly straightening her skirt before he notices! And trying to get the hair out of her face, too, yes.]

I-I don't know! But we should probably try to get home really quick.

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[No other choice, then. Still holding onto the umbrella (though what's the point now, really?) he kneels down next to her and leans forward, gesturing for her to climb up onto his back.]

Climb on, I'll carry you.

[motioned]

Huh? Oh, you don't have to, I can walk!

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You shouldn't walk around soaked like this. Plus I can get us home faster if I run.

[Which he's good at, okay. Years of running from cats and whatnot.]