Waking the Dead 2.0 || August 13, 2063 || Saturday || The Mordechai Home

[icarusalsoflew]

[So before the real work in Europe starts, you've all got a free day to roam around the Mordechai Home and its rather beautiful surroundings. Everyone is more than welcome to stay the night.

The Cooley Peninsula's a lovely place, and this particular section is even prettier than the rest of the area. The house, in itself, is pretty interesting too.

Knock yourselves out, guys. This is turning out to be a pretty sweet vacation, isn't it?]


DESCRIPTION STUFF:
+ The house is an old-style Irish home made of brick and covered in ivy. It's got two floors (all five bedrooms are upstairs, and each one has a bathroom), an attic, and a basement. Everything's antique in here, and there is pretty much NOTHING Japanese in the house except Hikaru. The binding motifs: Christian symbols with a Celtic twist, blades, brambles and water.
+ First floor's got the kitchen with the dining area right next to it, and the living room with a fireplace. There's a porch up front.
+ The attic is full of old and interesting shit, and looks like a study. Hikaru's Brotherhood of Violence stuff is here.
+ The basement is the strangest area: half of it is a workshop-cum-armory with a map that expands an entire wall. It's full of old notes, post-its and photographs. Observers will note that this was Alistair's project from way back when - the beginnings of how he always managed to keep track of Hikaru. The other half is under lock and key; the door's a vault. It feels cold beyond it. VERY cold.
+ There's a beach that's about a three minute's walk down from the hill that the house is on. The ancestral Mordechai cemetery's a ten minute walk from the house, through rolling hills. Alistair's wife is buried there, as are Maes' wife and kids, Abel, and both Seth Mordechais.
+ ...And then there are fields for miles and miles, and mountains in the distance.
+ The Kearney home is actually a fifteen minute drive away from the Mordechai home. Nobody's in, though.

OTHER OOC NOTES:
+ Feel free to go anywhere you like. Ping me if you need descriptions.
+ Alistair will only return to the house by sunset. He's in the cemetery or roaming around in the forest. until then.
+ Feel free to make your own threads, or pop in to bug the NPCs at the threads I am putting up for them.

Comments

Open to All!

[mordechai]

[If you're pinging him before he comes back to the house, you will find this one sitting on the only stone bench in the ancestral cemetery, drinking and smoking.

If you're pinging him while he's back in the Mordechai House, he's... roaming around.]

[ktotheatothez]

[Well, this one clambered out a window as soon as he could sneak away from everyone, and went after you. After all, you've been in America for quite some time and your student (former, but he doesn't care about that now) has missed you somewhat.]

Hello, Alistair...

[Funny how he's not even hesitating with you anymore.]

[mordechai]

[Glancing over, and nodding.]

Hey.

[Also scooting over to leave more room on the bench.]

[ktotheatothez]

Been a while...

[Smooth, Kaz. Real smooth. What's next? "Come here often?" he thinks as he settles down next to the Seer, before digging out his cigs and offering one to the older man.]

[mordechai]

[Taking that cig with an amused look.]

Has it?

[ktotheatothez]

To me, I suppose it has been a while since I last got to sit down with you. Naufragio notwithstanding.

[A small smile your way now. It's probably the shyest way he's said 'I have missed your company, Maistir']

[mordechai]

Ah.

[There is that. Now taking a drag from his cigarette, and turning his gaze towards the tombstones.]

It has been busy lately.

because talk is a thing

[larue]

[ He's been reluctant to leave the house all day, and largely because of the way Hikaru's been acting. It's a little like dealing with a particularly skittish cat. It's got him a bit worried, even if they're more or less okay. As such, he's coming to find you when you're back at the house -- and he's got a mug of freshly brewed coffee as an offering. ]

Hey, Alistair.

lololol

[mordechai]

[Heard you on the approach a while back because you didn't bother hiding (he appreciates that, by the way), and has already turned around when you're still some distance away. Taking in all the details.

Hm.]

Hey.

[Nodding once, then shifting to show you that he's going to pay attention to whatever's on your mind. This is more his quiet place in Ireland than it is anything else: the ghosts can wait.]

[larue]

Not sure if you wanted coffee, but, [ he's going to set that where you can reach it ] brought you some anyway.

[ There a pause from this one, and then: ]

Thank you. Again.

[ For listening that time on the wall. For handing him the ticket and the keys. ]

I think... [ he wets his lips a little nervously, because he knows that things are fine but... Hikaru's been acting weird. ] I think we're okay.

[mordechai]

You "think" you're okay.

[The emphasis is deliberate as he's taking a sip from that mug you got for him.

Might as well fess up, kid.]

[larue]

I mean, [ who is he kidding. This is Alistair Mordechai. ]

We're good. [ Saying that earnestly. ] We're really good, it's just...

...he's been acting strange.

[ Glancing your way now, brows slightly furrowed. ]

Really quiet. And he um, [ how exactly to put it... ] I suggested that we go out on a date and the I brought up movies, which I know is really not his thing and he just... said... okay.

[ He doesn't know if he's over-thinking this, but does that actually sound like Hikaru Shinta to you? He doesn't think so. Right? ]

[mordechai]

That's probably because he's trying to gear himself towards pleasing you at all cost.

[Hum.]

That only ever happens after a bad fall. You know how he is.

[Too good for his own good.]

[larue]

[ ...huh.

That... sort of makes... sense? ]

He's acting like a wary cat.

[ He didn't really mean to say that out loud but there you go. ]

[mordechai]

And that's a pretty accurate way of describing it.

[Looking amused as he's turning back to the tombstones, and to his cigarette.]

I don't think he knows what to do just yet. He thought he lost you, and he probably convinced himself for quite a bit that he had. Hence, having you back means that a part of him still thinks that he needs to be at his best and give in to whatever you want in order to keep you.

[larue]

[ ...oh. That's... incredibly humbling. ]

What do I do? To reassure him that he doesn't need to do that? Because I'm really not going anywhere.

[ Because all of this conplying to whatever he wants with very little question is honestly starting to unnerve him. Partocularly when it's plain to see that while the others are around, Hikaru effectively throws up a front to give the impression that he is perfectly fine. ]

[mordechai]

Take advantage of it. Call him out on it, then make sure that he knows that you're fine. Then let him indulge you, with a bit of guidance.

[Fucking him helps, but... telling you that is probably going to make you awkward. So.]

[larue]

[ He's going to light up one stick as he nods and takes all of that in. Most of it.

Taking advantage of the situation just strikes him as a bit unfair -- but you suggested it, and you've had more time with him.

After a while though, ] He broke down.

It was the most terrifying thing I've ever had to face.

[ It feels safe to tell you this. Just like it felt safe to talk with Aria. ]

[mordechai]

Usually is, especially if you're used to him being "fine".

[The emphasis is deliberate. You've talked plenty about strength already.]

[larue]

[ Nodding at that, and falling quiet as his gaze turns back to those tombstones. He and Hikaru had been here just that morning. And it had been good to laugh and joke around and talk.

Eventually, though, he clears his throat. ]

I'm going to head on back, sir. [ He offers a grateful smile towards the Seer. ] See you at the house?

[mordechai]

See you later.

[Then, with just that touch of Mordechai Grade dryness in his tone:]

Good luck.