[Cindy, of course, enjoys herself immensely in the company of her family. Being a student of Balamb has given her the opportunity to go around Metro Manila, but she hasn't really gone out of her way to have fun or tour around. It's also been way too long since the Brennans have done anything remotely like this together. The last time had been when their mother was still around.
That little signal from Josh, though, intrigues her. Nevertheless, she keeps this under wraps, and tries not to think back to anything that had caught her attention about her brother for the past few weeks.
So she's carrying on as usual, all the way until they've returned to the Falner Estate. She'll let her brother set things up, and help him do it if she has to.]
[ It's not as difficult as he thought it could be and a lot easier actually done: Dad enjoyed the meal and is laughing about What was that old thing Phil's mom used to say? Oh yeah -- food coma.
What Josh does is simple after that.
Dad, I'm going for a walk. I'm gonna bring Cinds with me, okay? Cue the look that says clear as day 'I miss my sister I want to catch up with her, can she and I be crazy kids together with your permission.' ]
The smile that had been on Aaron's face at that point had way too much emotion behind it, but maybe you could bug your father on that later. He's happy, see. Happy beyond words.
Cindy, in the meantime, doesn't say anything up until you're both stepping out.]
It's kind of nice how we can smoke pretty much everywhere. Heard it was different in this city back in 2012.
[ He will -- or he could, but probably won't. Seeing his father happy is enough, given how tumultuous the last couple of years have been.
They're a family again, and as complete as they can be for now, while the move on TFV has not yet happened.
Pausing to light up his own cigarette as he takes in the sight of the city at night. ]
What do you mean? [ He hasn't really read up on the finer details of the city, occupied as he's been with other things. Most of the details he knows of Metro Manila are things told his way. But then again, your brother has never readily opened books for sheer leisure, Cindy.
[ He's going to smile over that, over how quick his baby sister is on the pick-up and how at ease he feels at the idea of opening up to her about this even as he feels nervous because it hasn't been a full day since the pieces fell into place.
He's always made it a point to shoot straight with this one though. So. Yeah. ]
What if I told you I was... seeing someone?
[ He'll admit it. Cindy's pretty resourceful when it comes to watching him. Always was and always will be. Tossing news as big as this at her out of left field is going to amuse him. So much. ]
Is it terrible that the first thought she has is "How did you even find the TIME"? Maybe not. Your schedule is kind of really insane, bro, and it's insane because of the Vigil --
-- wait.]
Okay... [Slowly, as she's studying the look on your face.] someone from one of the conspiracies, I'm assuming?
[Now she's got her Thinking Face on as she runs through every single possibility in her head. To be fair, her mind moves quickly.
It is also drawing up blanks.]
It's not someone from the Hounds. [Pause, staring at you.] Is it?
[Because she knows Kaz and Taning are both taken? And Brianna seems uninterested, and not exactly a smart choice. Yulia too. As for Brigade? Just. No.]
[ That her mind actually went that way earns her a laugh from her brother. The Hounds are more family than anything else to Josh now, and while his rapport with Yulia is its own thing, and he'd admittedly once harbored a crush on Brianna... well.
As for the guys... just... no. He's an 'equal opportunist' but... no. ]
No. [ Well. Hikaru is their unofficial Seventh but--
Of course he is. He'd like to see you piece things together -- and if you can't, he's going to be upfront about it. But this approach is always better. ]
No. It's not anyone from Rhiannon.
[ Taking another puff. There's a thoughtful look that crosses his features, because of the nature of the people in Rhiannon and how it's funny how he can track that back to Hikaru anyway. ]
[Well, that removes the most logical choices from the drawing board. Now she's sitting down on the nearest available bench, bringing her cigarette up to her lips, and keeping her eyes fixed on somewhere pretty far away while she's thinking.
Who else was close to her brother? She knew Josh well enough to know that not just anybody could catch his attention. His last run-in with anything remotely along that level had been Rethe Kyriff, and that in itself had been a crush. Annie was off the table as well.]
Give me some hints?
[No, she's not going to say "tell me". She's always been a fan of puzzle games.]
Well, [ resting his elbows on his knees at that, one hand running through his hair as he figures out how to phrase this.
Seigi was a pretty big hint, enough to give the answer away. He knows that he wants to see Cindy come into the revelation on her own though. ]
You could say that it was tense. And we weren't quite on the same page. I figured it was the engagement at first... and then my gut was telling me that it wasn't.
[ A thoughtful look now. ] You know how I hate being left in the dark. Especially when I'm left to wonder if I did something wrong but no one's telling me anything.
[Half-listening to that, and half-busy putting more of the facts together, aligning all of the pieces...
...Wait a second. There was only one person, at this point, who seemed to make sense. Especially now that she is certain that Josh mentioned Seigi on purpose.
Holy shit.
Outside of your sister's head space, Joshua Lee Brennan, you may notice that she's very slowly turning towards you with wide eyes, jaw agape.
Just a bit more. She has to be sure. (And maybe she doesn't quite believe it yet.)]
[ There's a thoughful look that crosses Josh's face then. Because that's an accurste description as any of what Hikaru does -- just because he can; just because he's a giver.
His response to that question is quiet, a little somber: ] Yeah. Yeah, he does.
[ And he's just going to stand up to finish off his cigarette, dispose of it at the nearest bin and light up another as he comes back to take his place beside his sister again.
Quietly smoking now. Because he doesn't want to read too much into that silence. Not just yet. ]
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That little signal from Josh, though, intrigues her. Nevertheless, she keeps this under wraps, and tries not to think back to anything that had caught her attention about her brother for the past few weeks.
So she's carrying on as usual, all the way until they've returned to the Falner Estate. She'll let her brother set things up, and help him do it if she has to.]
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What Josh does is simple after that.
Dad, I'm going for a walk. I'm gonna bring Cinds with me, okay? Cue the look that says clear as day 'I miss my sister I want to catch up with her, can she and I be crazy kids together with your permission.' ]
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The smile that had been on Aaron's face at that point had way too much emotion behind it, but maybe you could bug your father on that later. He's happy, see. Happy beyond words.
Cindy, in the meantime, doesn't say anything up until you're both stepping out.]
It's kind of nice how we can smoke pretty much everywhere. Heard it was different in this city back in 2012.
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They're a family again, and as complete as they can be for now, while the move on TFV has not yet happened.
Pausing to light up his own cigarette as he takes in the sight of the city at night. ]
What do you mean? [ He hasn't really read up on the finer details of the city, occupied as he's been with other things. Most of the details he knows of Metro Manila are things told his way. But then again, your brother has never readily opened books for sheer leisure, Cindy.
Taking a puff now. ] Was it banned?
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[Rolling her eyes at that, then glancing back at you with the classic Brennan smile.]
And then the Vigil came along. Where easily 90% of the population smokes.
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With a name like 'sin tax' I can imagine how that must've been a pain.
[ He's getting a thoughtful look on his face though, as he's looking down at the smoke curling outwards from the tip of his cigarette. ]
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Okay. What's up?
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He's always made it a point to shoot straight with this one though. So. Yeah. ]
What if I told you I was... seeing someone?
[ He'll admit it. Cindy's pretty resourceful when it comes to watching him. Always was and always will be. Tossing news as big as this at her out of left field is going to amuse him. So much. ]
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Is it terrible that the first thought she has is "How did you even find the TIME"? Maybe not. Your schedule is kind of really insane, bro, and it's insane because of the Vigil --
-- wait.]
Okay... [Slowly, as she's studying the look on your face.] someone from one of the conspiracies, I'm assuming?
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Yep.
[ Go on, baby sis. ]
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It is also drawing up blanks.]
It's not someone from the Hounds. [Pause, staring at you.] Is it?
[Because she knows Kaz and Taning are both taken? And Brianna seems uninterested, and not exactly a smart choice. Yulia too. As for Brigade? Just. No.]
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As for the guys... just... no. He's an 'equal opportunist' but... no. ]
No. [ Well. Hikaru is their unofficial Seventh but--
--yeah. He's just going to grin at you. ]
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Is it somebody from Rhiannon?
[That seemed like the next logical choice. She isn't even going to bother naming the folks from her blade, or from Mia's.]
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Of course he is. He'd like to see you piece things together -- and if you can't, he's going to be upfront about it. But this approach is always better. ]
No. It's not anyone from Rhiannon.
[ Taking another puff. There's a thoughtful look that crosses his features, because of the nature of the people in Rhiannon and how it's funny how he can track that back to Hikaru anyway. ]
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[Well, that removes the most logical choices from the drawing board. Now she's sitting down on the nearest available bench, bringing her cigarette up to her lips, and keeping her eyes fixed on somewhere pretty far away while she's thinking.
Who else was close to her brother? She knew Josh well enough to know that not just anybody could catch his attention. His last run-in with anything remotely along that level had been Rethe Kyriff, and that in itself had been a crush. Annie was off the table as well.]
Give me some hints?
[No, she's not going to say "tell me". She's always been a fan of puzzle games.]
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Remember when you asked me if something else was wrong while I was in Seigi?
[ It's a hint. Lots of people were at Seigi. ]
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[She remembered it quite clearly, in fact. And now she's going through what she had managed to hear from him and from the reports in her head.]
You never did tell me what happened.
[Explain?
Giving you a look now. No worries; she's working the rest of it out. Just a few more pieces.]
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Seigi was a pretty big hint, enough to give the answer away. He knows that he wants to see Cindy come into the revelation on her own though. ]
You could say that it was tense. And we weren't quite on the same page. I figured it was the engagement at first... and then my gut was telling me that it wasn't.
[ A thoughtful look now. ] You know how I hate being left in the dark. Especially when I'm left to wonder if I did something wrong but no one's telling me anything.
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...Wait a second. There was only one person, at this point, who seemed to make sense. Especially now that she is certain that Josh mentioned Seigi on purpose.
Holy shit.
Outside of your sister's head space, Joshua Lee Brennan, you may notice that she's very slowly turning towards you with wide eyes, jaw agape.
Just a bit more. She has to be sure. (And maybe she doesn't quite believe it yet.)]
This person's a... guy. Right?
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Looking away now. Still trying ( vainly ) to keep that smile in check. ]
Uh... maybe?
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Wow. Okay. Man.
Okay.]
And... he does a lot for a lot of people. Right?
[Just give her this, all right? Because wow.]
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His response to that question is quiet, a little somber: ] Yeah. Yeah, he does.
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Excuse your sister, Joshua Brennan, as she turns away and just. Stares out towards nowhere, looking utterly shell-shocked.
This is a bit of a surprise. Just a bit.]
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Quietly smoking now. Because he doesn't want to read too much into that silence. Not just yet. ]
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Well.
[Um. Turning to give you a funny sort of smile?]
You always did aim really high, bro.
[And Hikaru Shinta, Blade King of fucking Zangyaku, is probably the highest target in the Fifth World.]
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famous last words, josh
LOL
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