I know you, I walked with you

[puffin_magic]

Who: Valdi, Raivis, Loto, Toris, Zhi (OPEN to all Deadbros)
What: Deadbro party Something so simple as picking up a parcel turns into complete chaos
Where: Charleston Lobby
When: Sunday 7th November
Rating: M for Moe. Lots of it.

Comments

I'm not doing this instead of math. What are you talking about? :|

[toris_tori]

But before he could get an answer from Valdi, the brunette heard another voice call his name, startling him. An unfamiliar but somehow so very familiar at the same time and he turned slightly away from the current conversation to see who it could be and froze at who he saw. His eyes, now as wide as they could possibly be without simply falling out of his head, scanned the other looking for...for what? Blood? Bruises? How could he find himself feeling so oddly protective over someone he hadn't even really met?

But hadn't he? This was the boy who he'd worried about for a moment before he thought of his cousin when he'd woken. It may have been a short time, yes. But the fact that it was him and not his cousin (the person he was closest to) that he'd first thought of, spoke volumes.

Toris had to give himself a mental shake to try and move away from these thoughts. It'd just been a dream. A horrifying, desperate and physiological damaging dream. But still...just a dream. The denial of ever knowing this black-haired boy was just on the tip of his tongue. The same greeting he just gave Valdi was about to be said, but the action from mind to mouth got lost and he found himself confirming rather than denying.

"...Zhi?"

and no, I'm not doing this instead of homework whatever gave you that idea h-haha..ha

[firecracker_bao]

The dismissing words or even the laugh Zhi had been expecting never arrived, but in the bemused silence that followed, in which he figured they were thinking something along the lines of what, was broken by what was definitely, unmistakably the sound of his own name, in that familiar but not familiar voice. Meeting the other’s gaze, he found his own shock reflected in them- there was the oddest feeling of déjà vu, that this was far from the first time he had seen his emotions mirrored in the green eyes. But he had never seen this person before, let alone make extended eye contact with. Or had he? Well, he had, in his dreams, but that wasn’t real life. Or maybe it was. Or maybe this wasn't real life. Or maybe it was.

By now, to say that Zhi was completely and utterly confused would be an understatement.

“W-wh-- how-- ...哈...?” A hand was dragged through his hair and he glanced at the floor, knowing that he’d only see their completely weirded out expressions on their faces if he didn’t. “Maybe 我还在 dreaming…” he muttered to himself, because maybe when he looked back up he'd wake up for the second time, or maybe they’d be gone, a hallucination from not enough sleep or something, or maybe he had just made himself out to be some poor soul with psychological problems in front of three complete strangers-except-not. For a brief moment, that felt like quite the accurate description of himself, and he looked back up.

Ah, no, they were still there.

[mouseover for translations~]

hmmm Doing this before I fall asleep....that always ends well

[toris_tori]

He was no less confused than Zhi possibly even more so. What in the world had drove him to say that name? He'd remembered the boy vaguely when he'd woken up, though that'd been only for a second, and only since "meeting" him again did he remember his name. It was frightening, confusing and altogether and jarring experience. He forgot for a moment that Valdi and even Raivis were in the room at all as he stared in shock for a bit longer at this black-haired boy that seemed to miraculously appear out of his very nightmares. The powers above much have some sort of twisted humor to make this happen.

Confusion and fear turned to concern when he saw what his calling out of a certain name (how it seemed to be the right one was completely beyond him) had caused the other. Concern for his own sanity was thrown out the window and he stepped forward slightly, instincts taking over as he wanted to help him. Felt that he owed it to this half-stranger to try and help.

"Are you alright?" When the dark eyes flickered up to meet his own, Toris was vaguely surprised that there was no bruised flesh around one eye...then he shook himself mentally, wondering why in the world he thought there would be such a mark. He reached forward but then pulled his arm back once more, afraid to make contact, his question lingering in the air, asking something so simple yet implying so much.

HURF HALF-ASSED IN-CLASS POST GOOOO... orz

[firecracker_bao]

He most certainly did not expect to see worry in those eyes upon looking back up, and the question and the genuine concern he could hear in it took him by surprise. Zhi could only manage a numb nod in response; once again there was a flash of red on white in his mind. The movement of Toris' arm was registered with a curious relief that it was whole and unbroken and faintly he wondered if his own hand would pass through it, if he raised it to try and touch.

Suddenly aware once again of the other two standing silently to the side, Zhi became rather self-conscious of the situation he was in. A complete stranger, talking to someone he had never met before except in his dreams, interrupting a group of friends mid-conversation, and feeling convinced that he was going crazy. "A-ah, I'm sorry for..uh.. yeah.." he trailed off awkwardly, not sure whose eyes to meet now as he glanced around nervously, making some vague hand gestures before giving up and letting his arms drop to his sides. "..I-I think I'll just... go... now..?"

INTERRUPTING RBFF AND HS BRO A-GO-GO

[puffin_magic]

For a moment even Valdi had forgotten that he was there, watching the two interact before him as if it was none of his concern. Like actors in a play.
And it should have been none of his concern, it really should have.

It would have been, had he not experienced the same moment of unexplainable recognition and familiarity with Raivis only moments earlier.
"Zhi?" That's what Toris had called him, right? They seemed to know each other, but the boy was flustered for reasons Valdi didn't want to dwell on.
"I don't know what's going on but, no one's kicking you out."

HS BROOOOOO \o/

[firecracker_bao]

The feeling of deja vu made its return, and Zhi's eyes widened for a moment as they took in the white hair, the violet eyes and the sensation of pricking guilt at his conscience. He promptly kicked it out of his head- it had to be just another coincidence, after all... but then again, how common was it to find someone walking around with white hair and violet eyes? The answer was: not very.

"I-I'm not sure what's going on myself, to be honest." Zhi shifted his feet nervously, meeting the other's eyes for only a brief second before his gaze wandered, as though looking for some sort of escape route from the lobby and maybe the day in general. "but I'm probably interrupting something so..."

--was that a puffin by his side?

/BROFIST

[puffin_magic]

"Actually, this was all just coincidence," He was starting to hate that word, but at least in this instance it was true.
All Valdi had intended to do was come downstairs and grab his parcel; Raivis, Toris and Zhi, they were all here by chance.

"So not reall-" He followed Zhi's gaze to the bird at his feet and smiled, "He's not gonna hurt you."

Valdi knew that wasn't his foremost concern; Zhi wasn't the first to question the existence of a puffin in Liberty but..what else was there to say? The damn bird had followed him out on its own accord, and he'd gotten so used to it that sometimes he forgot that others weren't.

/BROFIIIIIIIST-- derp bad post is bad and raivissss I feel like we're ignoring youu /A/;;;

[firecracker_bao]

A coincidence? Zhi had decidedly enough of that word for one day, and it wasn't nearly over yet. The puffin's presence provided a convenient distraction from the awkwardness of it all, though, so he knelt down to get a closer look at the bird. The bird looked back at him, tilting its head. He stretched out a tentative finger towards it, but evidently thought better of it and straightened back up instead.

"He's.. cute." Zhi allowed himself a small smile at the puff of black-and-white feathers, managing to bring himself to meet the other's eyes. There was a strange twinge of guilt once more, but it was fast fading. "--ah." He started, suddenly remembering his manners and sticking a hand out awkwardly. "I'm Zhi, but you already knew that.

I'm here, man, I'm here \A\

[man_nav_naudas]

"Priecājos ar Jums iepazīties."

Immediately thereafter rectified with- "My apologies- it's: 'pleased to meet you.'."

Raivis stood among them patiently, observant, thoughtful, but as both men shook, he had been inspired by a need to speak. Interrupt when normally he would have remained indifferent. "I don't mean to interrupt but would assuming that we've all somehow known one another from... maybe a party or a similar event be accurate? Because I think-"

He peered at Zhi speculatively, "It was a group function wasn't it? That feels right."

Me too /A\ Sort of

[puffin_magic]

Valdi shook his hand and introduced himself- and Puffin- to Zhi before turning his attention to Raivis;
"I think it was. Or something like that."

Valdi knew that was a lie, on his part at least. He knew where he'd seen Raivis and Toris before, and this must've been the first time he'd met Zhi but...
Well if the others were as confused as he'd been upon running into Raivis, then maybe it was just better to go along with a more logical explanation.