Home to a variety of cultural backgrounds, Lamenolai is a citadel city with stone walls that encompass the whole city and stone 'guardians.' It is also home to the Headquarters of the Purines, an opposing organization to the Imperialists of Lambastia. (+2 Defense, +2 Fame)

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A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/23/2017 10:08 PM

New Years Eve. A gaggle of teens huddled together around the lounge in a quiet cafe. The looks on their faces were mostly glum, though a few remained oblivious. The oblivious ones were mostly preoccupied with one another, or with their electronics.

One heaved a sigh. "You know... I wonder what our parents are doing right now."

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The boy beside him elbowed him in the ribs, though not very hard. Another rolled his eyes and said, "Damn it, Reaper, why'd you have to say that? It's not as if this isn't enough of a dump-fest already."

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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/23/2017 10:18 PM

The one who had sighed first did so again, more dejectedly this time. "I know... Sorry. I just couldn't help it, since it's... you know..."

"New years. Yeah, yeah." The boy who had rolled his eyes was looking out the window. His face had a sour look to it, but beneath that there was something more subtle, a kind of tired melancholy. They were all tired, of course, but this was something different. One of the other teens clocked his expression, and shifted a little closer, even though they were still absorbed in their game.

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Without looking up, they said, "Honestly, I'll pass on the celebrations, thanks. I mean, our house always did that before."
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/23/2017 11:41 PM

"Hey, not true," said Reaper. "Don't you guys go all out when Nova and Aunt Sunny come over?"

"Yeah, and it's exhausting every time. Why, what do you do that you miss it so much? It's just you and your mom, right?" Now they did look up, though their fingers were still tapping away at whatever it was they were playing. Reaper nodded, but he was smiling.

"We always ordered from the local Asian food mart, since mom doesn't cook, but it was still a pretty good spread. New years is a bigger deal than Christmas at our house. And we'd watch the new years programs, even though there weren't any subtitles."
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 3:08 AM

“Subtitles?” said the skinny, lanky-looking boy. “Don’t you speak it--- Korean, or whatever? Why would you need subs?”

“No… Actually, even my mom can’t speak it too well. She reads the subtitles too, when things get complicated; but I don’t know any, since she never taught me.” He smiled sheepishly.

The lanky boy frowned. “Is it fun, then, watching that stuff?”

“Well, most of the jokes go over my head... But it’s tradition, you know? It feels kind of empty if we don’t do it.” There was a pause, a lull in the conversation when everyone went silent. A moment later, he said hurriedly, “I mean, of course I know we can’t do it this year, just---“
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 3:08 AM

“We watch the new year shows at my house too. Mostly it’s mom that does it.” The boy who spoke up this time wore glasses, and was sitting a little away from the rest. Now he turned to look at them. Reaper was visibly relieved for what he recognized as an intervention, and sagged a little as the tension drained out of him. “I can follow some of it, pretty well, but the only one who doesn’t need subtitles at all is Psyche.”

“Do you do the big dinner too?” said Reaper.  “Or... the fireworks?”

The boy wearing glasses gave a shrug. “The dinner, sometimes, if more than three of us show up. Otherwise it’s just not worth it. If there’s not enough of us, we go out for a nice dinner instead.
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 3:09 AM

“Finding a place that isn’t full up is a little hard, but usually it works out. Not the fireworks though; that’s illegal. Nemo always pushes for them, but...” He trailed off, laughing nervously, in a way that was generally reserved for the topic of his youngest sister. The rest winced slightly in collective understanding, and left it at that.

“Since it looks like we’re hitting up all the Asians,” said the one preoccupied with their game, “what about you, Heat? Firecrackers? Temples?”

“Hell if I know,” said Heat. “Dad was raised by white folks, and then by the lab. Sometimes he tries to teach us about this stuff, but mostly we just do all the standard countdown grab-someone-and-kiss-em bullshit everyone else does.”
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 3:31 AM

“Oooh, and who do you kiss on new years?” They waggled their brows at him, while Heat shot them a withering look.

“Shut up, Fade,” he said, as they laughed.

The lanky boy rolled his eyes. "Do you even need to ask?" He darted his eyes toward Reaper, whose face went suddenly red. Fade snickered some more, while a last boy, up until then preoccupied with his own phone, sat up straighter so he could prop his elbow over the back of the sofa.

"Yeah, but it's not official," he said, with more earnestness than malice. "So we can't talk about until they tell us."
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 3:51 AM

For all his well-meaning, however, Threnody's comment struck the two in question as no better than what Fade or Stray had said. Reaper's face turned redder still, and Heat opted to collar the poor boy, pressing knuckles to his head in a fierce noogie. "Yield! I yield! Hey!" He yelped as he was released, rubbing his scalp. "I was just trying to help," he said, a plaintive note in his voice. Muttering low, he added, "I don't see what's the big deal anyway. Everyone knows."

"A-Anyway," said Reaper, with more force than was necessary. "Why don't we... do something for new years?" The others stared blankly at him for a moment, and Reaper could feel his ears beginning to redden again.
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 5:51 AM

Stray made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. "Come on, Reaper, at least make a good joke if you're gonna make one. Like I said, it's enough of a dump fest already."

"But why can't we?" Threnody chimed in, sitting up a little straighter. "I'd be game for some food. Or some fireworks."

"Still illegal," said Heat.

Threnody grinned. "Yeah, but we're fugitives anyway. What's one more felony, right?"
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Re: A Wealth of Resolutions [self]

Postby crow » 01/27/2017 5:59 AM

"You hear that?" said Stray. "That's the sound of Echo kicking our collective asses when we meet back up again, and she sees what her baby brother's turned into. Listen, Thren, don't ever say that in front of your sister if you know what's good for all of us."

"Since when could you tell the future?" said Fade with a laugh. "Isn't that Delphi's job?"

"Yeah, well, he's not here. And I don't need some goddamn power to know what would piss her off." Stray grimaced at the thought. When they'd been kids, Echo had gone off on him the most, after all.

"What about just the food then?" Threnody's eyes were still bright with anticipation. "We could go to a restaurant and---"
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