[ oh a friend!! vax leaves people on read so he's used to this, this is just how marines communicate.
but here he is! he's in a nice fit instead of the deathwalkers ward today, because it's bloody and stinky. he's not.... completely healed but he is not dying! riff can see bandages underneath his vneck from where he's squinting at the menu of this little coffee shop.
he turns a little, and holds up a hand in greeting. ] Hey, Riff. [ and then looks down at the tiger?? he was expecting - well. teasing: ] That's not Bass, is it?
they will not steal vax's jacket. instead! they approach while keeping some distance for the time being even as the tiger saunters up to vax to eyeball him instead.]
Funny. I've been calling it Tora. [tiger the tiger...] It hands out sometimes, so I thought it'd be fine to bring it along.
this is cute... he reaches up to stroke his hand over its head and give it ear ruffles. vax is good with random attack critters, seeing as how he was raised with trink. ]
Maybe it just knew you didn't like to talk. [ vax smiles up at him from the ground, a little teasing - there's emotional warmth to it, as he ruffles the tiger before straightening back up. if it hurts, he doesn't show it. ]
'm alright. Percy's... we're getting by. Worried about him, but that's probably not surprising.
Probably. Or it just wanted someone to listen. [regardless, the tiger seems to be pleased but will ultimately back off to go be a cat elsewhere which kind of sucks because riff brought it along to help keep their own emotions in check. a buffer, if you will.]
It's definitely not surprising, no. I think I'd be pretty worried, too. But so far so good...we can be glad for that.
[ cute.... bye bye sweet tiger. vax gives it a last scritch behind the ear and then hops up, brushing himself back off. there's a little wince when he gets up too quick, but it's fine. ]
Yeah. Hoping to keep people off his back the best I can, for now. [ sometimes you just have to metaphorically bark at people to keep them away from your poor rattled brother in law. it's fine? it's fine.
his emotions read similarly - worried, concerned, but, as he's regarding riff, there's a little warmth there too. ] I'll take it. C'mon, help me figure out this fucking coffee thing. Why's this menu so complicated?
[the tiger goes to flop down under a table to watch them. riff is watching closely, and there are frowny vibes when they notice that wince. but okay. off they go.]
I think people...are more worried about him than angry. Knowing what we know now. Or at least I hope that's true. [but there's a glance at the menu.]
It's not that bad. How do you usually take your coffee anyway?
[says the zoomer who lives on take-out coffee mostly.]
and there's a very faint feeling of...caution, maybe.]
...there used to be a lot of places I'd go that had different kinds of coffee. I don't remember all of them right now, but I remember what I used to like. Or maybe I never stopped liking it.
[they are still...very uncertain about remembering things, or talking about the things they remember, like it's not going to help anyone and it's something to think through themselves. wary, maybe. with a touch of loneliness and general anxiety, maybe, but this is vax. so maybe it's okay?
this is going on in their little brain, but outwardly they appear fairly composed as they dig around for certain ingredients.]
Haha. Yeah, sometimes. I don't mind regular coffee with milk in it, or strawberry flavors or chocolate but nothing too sweet or too crazy. It takes away from what it's meant to taste like.
[ talk about your fucking feelings with vax he is here to be your emotional support bird you fool. anyway if he feels any of that uncertainty, for now he doesn't say anything about it, just taking the easy route of remembering coffee drinks instead of places, instead of people.
vax props his elbows on the counter and just watches him dig around for now. he has no idea what any of this shit is so he's just gonna let riff poke around. ]
Makes sense. We're lucky ours doesn't taste like shit water. Flavors're new.
[dead inside, do not open. give them a bit, they are working on it.]
Can't say I envy you, like, at all. [doot doot doot...the machine sputters to life.] ...sometimes I'd treat myself after school and stuff. It wasn't really expensive or anything.
[ heh! the vibes are very fond, though, amused. ] We used to. Maybe now, not so much. Used to think he was the most know-it-all person on the planet. Punched him in his smug mouth more than once. He thinks with his head a lot more than I do, think.
... I trusted him, and he fucked it up. [ this is a bit more somber, though. ] But he's earned it back, since.
[hm. they would like to ask how, exactly, percy fucked up but that is maybe not for them to ask.]
Sometimes it feels like Bass and I are like that. Except I'm the one who thinks too much and they get kind of annoyed about it. But I still trust them.
[they slide the drink across the table for vax. here. macchiato.]
that makes him smile. bass and riff... his kids... ] Told Bass something similar. [ vax will take the cup, though! ] But you two balance each other out, yeah? Perce and I are like that, too. Always have been.
[ but he will take this drink, thank you, and sniff it first. ] This is the Macchy - whatever it is?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
See you soon
no subject
but they do show up at the cafe a little bit later, letting themselves in. there is a friend trotting along behind them.]
Vax? [are you here already and also are you rested, are you alive, ahhhh.]
no subject
but here he is! he's in a nice fit instead of the deathwalkers ward today, because it's bloody and stinky. he's not.... completely healed but he is not dying! riff can see bandages underneath his vneck from where he's squinting at the menu of this little coffee shop.
he turns a little, and holds up a hand in greeting. ] Hey, Riff. [ and then looks down at the tiger?? he was expecting - well. teasing: ] That's not Bass, is it?
no subject
they will not steal vax's jacket. instead! they approach while keeping some distance for the time being even as the tiger saunters up to vax to eyeball him instead.]
Funny. I've been calling it Tora. [tiger the tiger...] It hands out sometimes, so I thought it'd be fine to bring it along.
no subject
as the tiger starts eyeballing him, vax squats down to greet it, offering his hand for sniffs. ]
Like all the other animals we've got around? 'llo, Tora. I'm Vax.
no subject
Think so. It was following Aymeric around and talking to him, so I took it off his hands. It's been pretty quiet since then but I don't mind.
[their eyes are examining vax carefully though, a brief flutter of worry.]
How're you feeling? [a pause.] Percy, too.
no subject
this is cute... he reaches up to stroke his hand over its head and give it ear ruffles. vax is good with random attack critters, seeing as how he was raised with trink. ]
Maybe it just knew you didn't like to talk. [ vax smiles up at him from the ground, a little teasing - there's emotional warmth to it, as he ruffles the tiger before straightening back up. if it hurts, he doesn't show it. ]
'm alright. Percy's... we're getting by. Worried about him, but that's probably not surprising.
no subject
It's definitely not surprising, no. I think I'd be pretty worried, too. But so far so good...we can be glad for that.
no subject
Yeah. Hoping to keep people off his back the best I can, for now. [ sometimes you just have to metaphorically bark at people to keep them away from your poor rattled brother in law. it's fine? it's fine.
his emotions read similarly - worried, concerned, but, as he's regarding riff, there's a little warmth there too. ] I'll take it. C'mon, help me figure out this fucking coffee thing. Why's this menu so complicated?
no subject
I think people...are more worried about him than angry. Knowing what we know now. Or at least I hope that's true. [but there's a glance at the menu.]
It's not that bad. How do you usually take your coffee anyway?
[says the zoomer who lives on take-out coffee mostly.]
no subject
vax tilts his head to the second part, mostly just nodding at first to the bit about worrying. god, he hopes so.
but also. frowning at this menu. ] ...Iunno, however it gets made? Without anything in it...? [ unhelpful ]
no subject
and there's a very faint feeling of...caution, maybe.]
...there used to be a lot of places I'd go that had different kinds of coffee. I don't remember all of them right now, but I remember what I used to like. Or maybe I never stopped liking it.
[the before times, they mean.]
no subject
What'd you used to like? I bet you'd like sweet stuff. I could see it.
no subject
this is going on in their little brain, but outwardly they appear fairly composed as they dig around for certain ingredients.]
Haha. Yeah, sometimes. I don't mind regular coffee with milk in it, or strawberry flavors or chocolate but nothing too sweet or too crazy. It takes away from what it's meant to taste like.
[middling binch riff riffson.]
no subject
vax props his elbows on the counter and just watches him dig around for now. he has no idea what any of this shit is so he's just gonna let riff poke around. ]
Makes sense. We're lucky ours doesn't taste like shit water. Flavors're new.
no subject
Can't say I envy you, like, at all. [doot doot doot...the machine sputters to life.] ...sometimes I'd treat myself after school and stuff. It wasn't really expensive or anything.
no subject
anyway. he laughs a little at that, propping his chin in his hand. ] School? Can't say I envy you.
no subject
It's not like I remember much of it. Just that it was probably a thing I used to do.
no subject
Well, I doubt you're missing much. [ stop it school is important ] Though Percy'd probably disagree.
no subject
no subject
[ heh! the vibes are very fond, though, amused. ] We used to. Maybe now, not so much. Used to think he was the most know-it-all person on the planet. Punched him in his smug mouth more than once. He thinks with his head a lot more than I do, think.
... I trusted him, and he fucked it up. [ this is a bit more somber, though. ] But he's earned it back, since.
no subject
Sometimes it feels like Bass and I are like that. Except I'm the one who thinks too much and they get kind of annoyed about it. But I still trust them.
[they slide the drink across the table for vax. here. macchiato.]
It's a little obvious though. That you trust him.
no subject
that makes him smile. bass and riff... his kids... ] Told Bass something similar. [ vax will take the cup, though! ] But you two balance each other out, yeah? Perce and I are like that, too. Always have been.
[ but he will take this drink, thank you, and sniff it first. ] This is the Macchy - whatever it is?
no subject
Sure, something like that. But lately...I dunno. Things feel different.
[they do not elaborate on that and instead they nod.]
Macchiato. You have to try it before you decide you don't like it. That's the deal. [there was no deal.]