alex+anthony+banagher+vanessa; normalcy?!

[amberhearted]

Who: Alexander, Anthony, Banagher & Vanessa
When: October 31st - November 1st
What: Camping!
Where: At the beach!
Warnings: --

For Alex, the festivity of October thirty-first was twofold: Halloween and his roommate's birthday. As with all gift-giving occasions, he presented Ravindra's presents in, perhaps not quite the most, but still an admirably convoluted fashion. Two costumes were individually wrapped in standard printer paper decorated with shitty Halloween-esque doodles in sharpie. These costumes were feline-inclined, though no one was stopping Ravindra from decorating his arms with each if he chose to do so. In recycled shipping boxes resided each gift, their 'packing material' fun-sized candies, and the boxes themselves taped normally, decorated with question marks, and placed on the island separating the kitchen from the living room.

Laid in front of them was a rectangular piece of cardboard framed in purple string lights. On it, in sharpie: Which one is the real present??

If Ravindra thought to flip it over: Both. :) PS cupcake in fridge. Happy birthday!!

Alas, Alex wouldn't be there to see his reaction (which was why he set up the presents in such a fashion in the first place) for the very simple reason that he was taking a few of the Numbers camping for the night. After all the paranormal bullshit and subsequent pressure from the encroaching police, leaving the heart of the city for a breather sounded like a good idea to him. Wanting to keep it on the downlow, he proposed the idea to Anthony, Banagher, and Vanessa, and was pleasantly surprised by their agreement. (Ravindra had been invited, too, but he'd declined.)

The normalcy of camping would do them all some good (or so Alex hoped.)

As much as a vampire, a zombie, a space person, and a metal-power thief could be normal, anyway.

(It might be worthy to note that Alex might look kind of sketch given his costume. Sorry, not sorry.)

Comments

[amberhearted]

[ He doesn't answer right away. He reaches for a shell and turns it over in his hands, inspecting it. ]

Uneasy. I don't like the idea of leaving when things could get worse.

[ Not because he thinks he can do much in the way of help, but because Lyall, Ravi, and the others are his friends. Because he worries about Anthony and Reilanin. ]

[healspec]

[man he really probably shouldn't have the second muffin... he sets it down, not quite putting it back but putting it aside]

Is there anyone you would like for me to check up on while you are gone? [they both know that kind of thing will be MEGA AWKWARD for him (but hey what isn't), but if it will put Alex's mind at ease to know someone's looking out for people in his stead, then Ravi will make that sacrifice.]

[even if alex won't...know...technically speaking...]

[amberhearted]

[ He does know that'd be awkward as hell for Ravi, so he's mildly surprised by the offer. The surprise doesn't show on his face, though.

He considers the offer quietly, looking at the shell without really looking at it. There are three people he thinks of right off the bat: Anthony, Lyall and Reilanin. Lyall would probably be okay, though, as far as being honest about needing help at least.

Anthony and Reilanin? He's not as sure. He's not sure about Reilanin in general -- the potential safety hazards associated with her -- and it was still odd to regard someone in that way.

Reilanin had already sought help with Lyall. Maybe that would be enough.

Still...

He glances at Ravi once, then twice. ]

Anthony and Reilanin...?

[healspec]

Alright. [easy acceptance, belying how hard that will actually be for him. he has already met both of them, so it's not as bad as it could be. he'll do it because he doesn't want Alex to worry, and that's reason enough to force himself past his anxiety.]

[... that is a big commitment outside of his comfort zone. he definitely deserves another muffin for that. yoink!]

[speaking as he unwraps the muffin] Once you are gone, you won't remember there was anything to worry about. So there is that, at least.

[probably not a comfort. sounds better than the alternative as far as Ravi's concerned, though.]

[amberhearted]

[ No, that's not a comfort, but they've already done this song and dance, so Alex doesn't comment on it. He chooses to focus on the positive, instead, which is Ravi's acceptance to check on Anthony and Reilanin despite his discomfort.

Because Alex knows it's going to be uncomfortable to him. Initially, at least. ]

Thanks, Vin. [ Then, leaning backwards in his seat, in a lighter tone: ] I expect you to check in, too.

[healspec]

[he is glad Alex chose not to comment on it. not keen on another fight right now.]

Of course I will check in! I need to make sure you know Gogo is well so you won't worry about him.

[he is smiling when he says it. he knows Gomez is probably the last thing Alex is worried about right now, because a kitten under Ravi's care is about as secure as something can get. but that just makes it the perfect thing to focus on to try to get Alex's mind off all the other stuff he's got to worry about.]

[amberhearted]

Hah.

[ He lightly taps the center of Ravi's chest with the edge of his fist. ]

So I won't worry about you, either.

[ A second later, he drops his hand back into his own personal space. He may be smiling softly, but he is completely serious. He's worried about Ravi, too. He just doesn't want to focus heavily on it because he thinks to do so might ramp up Ravi's own worries about his planned expedition underground and their situation in general. ]

[healspec]

[his smile does not fade, but does become a bit more subdued. he knows there's plenty to worry about, and he acknowledges and appreciates Alex's concern.]

[even if Alex won't remember anything to worry about once he's out of the city. that actually makes Ravi feel better about it, but he knows Alex won't share the sentiment.]

[Ravi's answer is spoken a bit more softly than the last]

I have survived more dangerous things than this.

[it's something he tells himself to keep himself from worrying too much about it. he doesn't let it become false security, he's still taking as many precautions as he can and trying to plan around something going horribly wrong because something always does, but he knows that he's been in worse situations before and still managed to come through all right, and that's enough to keep the anxieties at bay.]