highfiving | (no subject)

[a slight wry look and half wondering if he's going to regret this.]

Just don't turn it into some news piece, all right?

Come on, you know I'd never do that.

[ she might get way too into hunting down her next big scoop sometimes, and the sordid life of alfred vint svent would be a great title for an article, but she has tact. ]

Anything you tell me stays between us, all right?

I'm holding you to that.

[he does give her hand a slight squeeze, indicating that he really does trust her and just half-joking around. but seriously don't publish anything.

unless it's to say he's the most eligible bachelor.]

Anyway, we're almost there.

[and so they are! once again the crowds are crowing as the cross over and approach the central plaza. a lot of lights, music, chatter, and, of course, dancing.]

[ ~~they're cute—~~

her excitement grows as they approach the plaza, and by the time they actually get there, she looks really happy. she even picks up her pace, so it's a good thing she still hasn't let go of his hand. if anything, she's holding it tighter than before. ]

This is seriously awesome!

[ she's never seen anything quite like it. leronde may have had a few traditions of its own, but it was nothing like this, and trigleph couldn't really compare, either. ]

I wasn't expecting it to be like this. [ and after she takes a look around, she turns so she can look at him. her excitement (and her sudden change of pace) has her a little bit breathless. ] I don't even know what I'm going to write about first.

[ the atmosphere, the crowds, the dancing itself— she wants people to know about all of it, but she also knows that brevity is her friend, so. ]

[~~the most—~~

he's letting her take the lead, matching her pace fairly well. he's also watching her expressions change. it's a bit amusing, and without realizing it he's also grinning a bit, which only widens as he hears her comments.]

Well, maybe instead of just watching and writing about other people do...

[only now does he release her hand, both now placing themselves on her shoulders as he turns her to face the crowd of people dancing through the square.]

How about giving it a go instead!

[and PUSH. she's going to find herself right in the middle of a circle, and rather than breaking the pace, a woman grabs her hand and starts spinning her into the pattern. fortunately there are other people who have no clue what the hell they're doing and are just moving and clapping their hands as they try to keep along. it's not too complicated of a dance—just circles as people step and bounce in time to the music while clapping and swinging around with their partner before it moves forward for an exchange.

and Alvin? well he'll just be smirking on the sidelines with his arms crossed over his chest.

she probably should have seen this coming.]

[ because she trusts him, she doesn't see the push coming. she actually lets out a surprised yelp as she stumbles into the circle, and if it weren't for the fact that she was immediately swept up by the crowd, she would probably be glaring daggers at alvin right about now. instead, after a moment of hesitation, she works to keep up with the people around her.

if she thought watching the dancing was fun, actually participating in it surpasses her expectations. she bounces and twirls along with the other people in the circle, switching partners on occasion, and by the time she decides she's had enough (because it's more taxing than it looks, okay), she's almost as happy as she was before. she doesn't even look irritated when she breaks away from the crowd so she can make her way back to alvin. ]

You could've just asked me if I wanted to give dancing a try, you know!

[ and all of that movement jostled her hat a little, so she's going to. casually take a moment to fix it. ]

[she might want to take a look at her hair, a few strands may or may not have escaped some of those pins. but he just laughs as she approaches (and reproaches) him.]

Why ask when I already knew you wanted to? [smiiiirk.] Besides, you had fun, right? That's all that matters.

Yeah, it was pretty fun!

[ so fun that she considers trying to return the favor and pushing him into the crowd. she isn't sure how well it would work, though, so she decides against it after a moment. she'll find a different way of getting back at him when the time is right.

she also has no clue what kind of mess she made of her hair. ]

Now I can use some of my first-hand experiences when I'm writing, so that's a nice bonus, too.

[ now all she needs to do is talk to a few more people before the festival is over, and she'll probably have everything she needs. ]

[at least she didn't pull him in while she was out there. and he might not say anything—the hat covers most of it, anyway.]

And that should make your article sound more genuine. Easier to write about something when you relate to it, right? [winks.]

But there's still more ground to cover before the fireworks, and I actually know a pretty good spot.

[ he's on the mark about her article, which is something she would normally be very enthusiastic to talk about, but— ]

Fireworks?

[ clearly, she missed the memo about them. that, and she doesn't get to see fireworks very often. ]

All right! Go ahead and lead the way!

[ and she may or may not be reaching for his hand again. maybe. ]

What, now? There's still time, you know.

[if she is, he won't pull away. there might be a slight glance when he feels her hand brush against his, but he'll let her take it, his own fingers automatically wrapping around hers.]

[ she quickly ducks her head, bringing her free hand up to rub at the back of her neck. ]

I guess I got a little ahead of myself!

[ because she really wants to see the fireworks. for research purposes. but she's not going to pull her hand away, because it's crowded and they could still get separated. ]

Why don't we walk around and see if we can find anything else worth checking out while we wait?

[ like more interesting people, or another stall for her to empty her wallet at. ]

[how about grabbing some snacks while they're at it? maybe he'll even sneak a little gift purchase for her since she's been a good sport and having fun. might as well give her some physical mementos.]

Sounds like a plan to me. And tell you what—I'll even lead you down a winding way toward the place. It'll make it easier for when the time comes.

[also shall we timeskip to fireworks?]

[ snacks and a present are a definite yes. ]

The scenic route, huh? [ she would probably try to high five him if she didn't already have his hand, so she gives it a small squeeze instead. ] Let's get going, then!

[ and yes! timeskip away. ]

[all right all right. he leads her through the stalls and they can have their silly conversations as they go through. there will probably be a stall with masks and hats, and they'd probably goof around, putting one on each other and probably taking pictures with their GHS to send to everyone. maybe even buy a souvenir or two for everyone. when Leia is talking to people, Alvin will once again just be partly listening, partly networking, and partly looking around. there's one in particular that catches his interest, but when she finishes up he'll have long completed his own little task as well.

then there's the food. of course the food. by this time they've likely worked up an appetite to try the various samples. he'll even get them a couple of packs of Gaius' Dumplings—to be eaten later before the fireworks.

time will of course fly by and while everyone starts to gather in various places for the fireworks, Alvin, while still holding her hand firmly in his, leads her down some smaller side alleys and into a carved tunnel into the side of one of the cliff walls. there's not much inside and in fact looks as if no one really passes through it often.]

This was originally used as one of the look out "towers." [and down this corner...] There are a few of them around the town, but after the wars they fell into disuse and are now just generally open to the public. But not many people really know or use them anymore. [and there's the elevator. better than taking several flights of stairs.] I happened to find it when I was...seventeen?

[ time definitely flies by, and by the time that they're in the tunnel, leia is itching to see the fireworks. not even the sort of-scolding message she got from jude in response to the pictures she sent him is able to detract from her excitement. ]

Gee, thanks for the history lesson. [ of course, she's just getting in a joke; in actuality, it's always sort of interesting to hear about things like this. ] How'd you end up finding a place like this, though?

[ because it's kind of out of the way, and she can tell it doesn't see much traffic— she hasn't seen a single person since they got here, in spite of how over-crowded the streets are. ]

You want my info or not? [just giving her a wry look, but he's also teasing a bit.] I was just looking for places to sneak around. [because everyone knows he's good at that.] Of course this was pretty much a dead end, but I liked the view. Isolated, quiet.

So I just used it whenever I need to get away and clear my head for a while.

[of course he doesn't go into too much detail as to what exactly he was getting away from or he why would need to clear his head. she could probably figure out plenty of possible and probably right guesses.]

Of course I do! I was just messing around.

[ from what she knows, she can imagine a few possible reasons he would want to clear his head sometimes (she can't imagine being stranded so far from home, or having one of her parents fall ill, and even just being alone the way he was would probably make her want to hide away from time to time), but at the same time, she has to ask— ]

... so, what kind of things would you come here to get away from?

[ it's a little blunt, but it's the only way she knows how to say it. if it hurts his feelings, she can always just offer support, she figures. ]

[huh, she actually asked. he's a bit surprised and it earns her a glance, but...

he lets go of her hand as presses his back against the wall, his arms crossing over his chest as his head tilts down slightly in thought.

there's a lot he could say. because there had been a lot he had try to just push to the side to try and not get overwhelmed. but should he tell her? risk ruining the mood? but she did ask and he did say he would answer... actually, a part of him wants to tell her. to have someone else at least hear what he's been going through.

so after a few moments of silence, with only the chains of the elevator clanking to fill the void, he finally speaks, boiling it down to one word.]

Everything.

[as if on cue, they reach the top level and the gates open, and without waiting a response, he walks out, continuing the dialogue.]

Rieze Maxia, Elympios, my missions, Exodus, Gilland—my mother. [the last two words come out a little softer.] There were times I just couldn't take it so I came up here to try and not think about anything.

[ she's quick to follow him, but she stays quiet for a moment. his words weigh heavily in her mind, and she isn't sure what to say— what can she say? ]

I bet it was pretty rough.

[ now that her hands are free, she links them together behind her back as she walks. ]

Sometimes I try to imagine going through some of the stuff that you had to deal with, and just thinking about it bums me out!

[ and she glances his way out of the corner of her eye. ]

But, you know, all of us are here for you. [ everyone in their group, that is. ] So if you ever need help getting your mind off of things, you don't have to make the trip all the way to Xian Du.

[ she especially would like to be there for him, but that... probably goes without saying, at this point. ]

[there's a small chuckle at her words before he glances back at her.]

I know, and it's appreciated. But I'll try to spare you from getting too bummed out.

[a slight joke—the kind he always does to try and redirect things. the walk from the elevator to the door to the outside isn't a long one, and when he opens it, there's a strong, cold blast of air. at this point he takes her hand again.]

All right, watch your step. The steps are carved in, so they might be a little slippery. But after that, we'll be at the top.

[although they're outside, the view out to the city is obscured by the thick trees and brush that hug and grow along the cliff's rocky slope. and although some of the lights and sounds from below could be faintly heard, it's rather quiet. and cooler, but not too cold that it would be unbearable.]

[ it surprises her a little when he takes her hand, but she curls her fingers around his nonetheless; when she steps outside, she holds on a little tighter. ]

You're not going to let me fall, right?

[ which is almost a joke, but not quite. she genuinely does trust that he would at least try to keep her from slipping. that doesn't mean she's going to be reckless, either, though. as they make their way up, she keeps her eyes trained on the steps, and walks a little slower than she typically does. ]

I'm holding your hand, right? [it would seem that is the reason why he took it.] But don't worry, I got you.

[fortunately there aren't that many steps, just about a single flight. and once they're up top, it opens up to reveal the flat roof of the "tower." short, rough rocky walls surrounded the top with some indentations serving as signs of where past scouts would set their telescopes to look about the city. a small, stone bench had been constructed to the side, some wild flowers and ivy vines creeping over the walls, further proving how little attention is given to this place.

but from here, the sky was completely open, the stars and moons seemingly within reach. and if she were to look over the ledges, she would see the entire city of Xian Du down below her, the lights of the festival dancing and flickering into the night.]

[ she stays quiet for the rest of the short trip to the top. once they get there, however: ]

You can seriously see everything from up here.

[ the sky in particular seems appealing to her, if the way she's looking up at it is anything to go by.

she doesn't linger in one place for too long, though. instead, she picks up her pace and leads the way to the bench, because that seems like the best place to watch the fireworks from. ]

It's even worth being a little cold!

[ and their timing is right on the money, because as she's setting the bag of souvenirs she bought down beside the bench and pulling her coat on, the fireworks start up. it's a little loud, but their position means that the view probably makes up for that. ]

[he lets her lead, thoughts already drifting as a few memories of visits past resurface. but they don't last for long, broken by her cheerful force and excitement. before he could even respond, there goes those fireworks booming above them. and fireworks being fireworks, he can't help but be distracted, his attention turning more to them. it's only after the first couple does he glance down at her.]

Told you it was a good spot.

[there's a bit of his old confident grin.]