85

[perfectsymmetry]

[Action 1: Coming across a droned Kay Faraday while on his paper route was startling to Crowe. It practically gave him chills. Immediately excusing himself from her, he made his way over to her house. There would be an easy way to tell if it was permanent, and that would be her belongings. One look through the living room window would confirm the worst - her big flat screen TV was gone.

Just to make sure, the young thief quickly snuck his way around the back and up to Kay's room while she was still out. Sure enough, her Little Thief computer was gone too. Heartbroken, Crowe collects his former friend's notes she had on their investigative work, and slipped back out, hopefully unnoticed by her housemates.]


---

[Phone call filtered from drones/NPCs. Crowe sounds distracted.]

Ah. Everyone might here the drones whispering about the bowling alley. O-Or I think for some, maybe the hotel or a camping trip? Last year it was Makeout Point... A-Anyway, sometime soon we're all going to be stuck somewhere for a few hours. Nothing bad should happen if it's like last time, but you never know what Mayfield will do. Last year we all were, um, paired up in cars for several hours. Ah, the teens I mean. The adults were in the hotel and the kids were at camp, I believe. So. Um. Just to warn you all.

Uh, also, if anyone knows Kay Faraday, she... she's gone now. For good. I thought I'd just. Let people know.

[There's a moment of silence before he hangs up.]

---

[Action 2: Oh look, a package for Crowe! Standing at the mailbox, Crowe opens it up, wondering what he has left for the town to send him. Inside is a small, well-worn soccer ball, obviously meant for young child. He gives it a fond smile, turning it over in his hands. His first name is scrawled on it in childish handwriting.]

---

[Action 3: Later, Crowe can be found at the diner, sitting in a corner booth by himself with a milkshake. What else would his old BFF do in this situation by cure it with ice cream?

It doesn't seem to be working though. He's barely touched it, opting to sit there with his headphones in, drowning the world out.]

Comments

[phone]

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

Kay's gone? That's...[he wants to say it's awful but isn't it a good thing to be gone from this place?]

At least she's home now. [Kay may have hurt him by cutting off friendship ties, but he still cared about her so he's sad now.]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

I hope so. But she... she pretty much was here as long as I was. Th-there's not too many others who have been at this point...

Phone

[brotherseyes.livejournal.com]

I heard some of the children talking about a carnival earlier today. It might mean something.

[There's a beat. Nina sounds sad, to say the least. Another person she cared about, gone. At least Kay won't have to miss her boyfriend anymore.]

I'm sorry, Crowe. I'm sure she's safe at home now.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Carnival? Ah, that must be it... I-It wasn't anything dangerous, per se, more just sort of annoying, though I suppose it depends who you get stuck with.

I really hope she is...

Action 3

[beamiracle.livejournal.com]

[Lion heard the phone call, of course, but Crowe had hung up before he could reply. Later, when Lion is downtown, he sees someone familiar in the diner window. So in he goes to pay him a visit.]

Crowe-san? ...Do you mind if I sit down?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Crowe removes the earbuds.] Ah, hello Lion. Sure, of course.

Action 3

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa slides into the booth with him, regarding his frozen dairy therapy. ]

Want to talk about it, or are you still trying for sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia?

Re: Action 3

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[He blinks at her.] A-Am I what...?

Action 3

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

[Ema slides into the booth across from him. She seems to have a milkshake of her own.

She waits patiently for him to notice her, since he's wearing the headphones and all.]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[He does, after a moment, and removes them.]

Het, Ema. How have you been?

( phone )

[myougi.livejournal.com]

... What's the point of doing all that, though? They just stick us in there together?

Re: ( phone )

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's like, um, a forced date. Last year I was trapped in a car with a girl who was... possessed or something for several hours.

Phone

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Kay's... gone?

[Crowe had just said that. But he couldn't seem to think of anything better to say than that.]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[There's a soft sigh on Crowe's end.]

Yeah. I'm sorry, Lucas.

[Action 3:

[flameyedhunter.livejournal.com]

You going to eat that or am I going to take it away and eat it? [ Well at least someone is trying to be cheerful }

Re: [Action 3:

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Crowe simply gives her a weak smile, and slides it over her way.]

Here. Afraid I don't really have the stomach for it at the moment.

3

[volcanoes]

[There's a puffin perching on the edge of the table.] Ain't gonna drink that?

[He hops over to steal it, but Iceland grabs him.] Stop that. [...Well, Crowe looks unhappy.] Are you okay?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

O-Oh... hey. He can have it if he wants. I don't really think I have the stomach for it at the moment.

Ah, I'm okay, yeah. Just having a milkshake in another of yet another droned friend.

3

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

[Silence has been rather down himself ever since he discovered that Nusakan had been droned for good. He'd gone so far as to take the day off of work, moping around the house and doing nothing in particular; as such, he winds up hearing Crowe's phone call. A friend who's also lost a friend...he'd made a mental note to himself to extend some gesture of sympathy later, when he wasn't so depressed himself.

As it happens, however, he spots Crowe while walking by the diner later that same day, and - on a whim - opts to approach him immediately. He doesn't have much else to do, and very few friends in Mayfield to 'talk' to. Maybe they'll both be a little less miserable with some company.

He slides into the seat across from Crowe - and that's all he does. There's no need for Crowe to take his headphones off for someone who can't speak anyway. And, regardless, he didn't come over to make any demands of the boy; he wants simply to quietly keep him company, and benefit from it. No acknowledgment is actually necessary.

If Crowe does look at him, though, Silence isn't smiling the way he usually is, his wings are hanging heavily and his eyes are downcast. Someone who's used to having to broadcast their every communication isn't particularly good at hiding their emotions.]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Crowe removes the earphones anyway - it's more a polite habit than anything. But seeing Silence look so down was unusual and a bit distressing.]

Silence... What's wrong?

[ phone ]

[golds]

Paired up..? [ Oh, she doesn't particularly like the sound of this. ] And are these pairs randomly chosen?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Not sure. Last time I was with a girl I had never even met, so maybe. There's nothing saying it'll be the same, though. Mayfield's pretty unpredictable.

[phone]

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

That's what that was about? Damn, sounds like a huge pain.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Well, there's no guarantee it'll be exactly the same, but right before school started last year, the drone kids were talking about going to Makeout Point, like they are now about the bowling alley. All whispering and making dates. Then suddenly I-I was stuck in a car with some girl I'd never even met for several hours, like w-we were on some kind of forced date. The adults were in the hotels, and the kids were at camp.

[Isn't it a good thing this guy keeps thorough notes?]

[ohlookboobs.livejournal.com]

Oh, no - Kay, too?!

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Y-Yeah. Seems that way.

[Phone]

[tender-crook.livejournal.com]

Paired up? Like in c-- oh for God's sake. What, does the town intend us to mate now?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's, ah, you know, good old-fashioned teenage hijinks. Or something.

[notbloody.livejournal.com]

[HE HAS A BALL! The logical conclusion for every smart dog is that he'll throw it. Playing fetch is always fun, and this guy looks pretty nice.

Running over towards Crowe.]

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Suddenly a little dog out of nowhere! Oh, it's Finland's dog. Crowe gives her a smile, holding the ball out.]

Ah, I guess you're interested in this old thing?