56.) Open Commentlog

[havea_heart]

[Herz's frustration was slowly reaching its boiling point. He just didn't know what to do. Not with Link, not with Tan. He couldn't seem to solve one problem with the boy before another would rear its ugly head. He just wanted him to be happy...

And he personally hated feeling this desperate and...useless.  Even when he found ways to take his mind

Comments

[ixgideonxi]

[Well, Gideon was coming in to maybe take a shift or just cook something for the hell of it, but the commotion certainly attracts his attention. He can't help but poke his head in.]

Hey, Herz. It's been awhile. You need help with anything?

[havea_heart]

[Whoops, caught in the act! Herz sets the spoon down gently, as if it'll dispel any and all concerns that he's beating up on his kitchen wear.]

H--h-hey, uh. Hey, Gideon.

[He wipes his hands on his pants.]

Uh...not...n-not really, but...

[The teen motions to the kitchen as a whole.]

I mean, y-you're...free to, uh...

[ixgideonxi]

Oh. Well, I mean, I didn't want to impose. You seemed pretty adamant about the kitchenwear pummeling. If you would prefer to be alone, that's cool.

[havea_heart]

[...Oooh jeez. Herz blushes, head ducked and fingers to his cheek.]

Uhh...

S--Sorry.

You, uh. You--y-you caught me.

[brynkitten]

[Bryn had been carefully distracting herself the last couple weeks. She had purposefully flooded her days with not only her usual activities, but others as well.

Italian studies continued for an extra hour a day. Piano practice happened twice a day. She ate in Kuma-ko more often so she could bear-watch, and once the captain had issued his invitations, she had spent a week going through every nook and cranny of the ship to look for the perfect everythingIt kept her mind off of the recent rape and the captain's punishment. It kept her mind off of Tanvir and what she considered his pointless beating and kiling of Jinx. It almost kept her mind off of the fact that as days passed, she seemed closer and closer to some unknown day when she or someone she cared about would disappear from the ship

[havea_heart]

[Herz, nerves frayed, jumps at the sound of the door opening. He looks over his shoulder at his guest and is somewhat relieved when he doesn't immediately recognize her. True, she seems familiar, but he doesn't have a name to go with the face.]

Hhh--h-h--hi. Uhm. Welcome to--t-to--to Sergei's.

[brynkitten]

[Bryn doesn't recognize the guy inside either, at least not by his facial features, but the voice and his manner of speaking definitely rings a bell. It's a shame she can't connect a name with it.

Bryn gives Herz a small smile and makes her way over to introduce herself.]

Hi, thanks uhm, my name's Bryn. I don't think we've met...

[havea_heart]

Bryn? Uhm--uhm, hi. I'm--I'm Herz.

[He steps forward and offers her a hand. She may notice the inside of his wrist is scarred. Looks like the culprit was rope.]

's nice to, uh, to--to--to meet you.

[betterthanraph]

[Whoa. Okay look all he wanted was some stir fry, but now it appears there will be an impromptu counseling session.]

Herz? [He knocks on the door jamb. Look see, he can learn!]

[havea_heart]

[Still startles the hell out of Herz.]

H--Hi, uh, Leo.

[See? He's setting his spoon down very gently. He wasn't the one making all that racket. Honest!]

[betterthanraph]

[Sure you weren't. Leo invites himself into the kitchen and hops up onto a stool to balance atop it like a frog.]

You okay?

[havea_heart]

[One glance at Leo and Herz doesn't even think about lying or stalling.]

...nn-no.

'm...

'm just--just stressed. It's not...'s no big d--d--deal.

[not_methuselah]

[Rain was busy trying to keep an eye out for that Tetra girl and thought to check out Sergei's but... the noise made him change gears. Other people were helping look for that girl, this was more an immediate problem. He ducked his head in through the door to take a peek. He recognized the guy from that candle ceremony and GOSH HE LOOKED MAD.

Well, it was all the same to Rain. He wandered in with a quiet smile]

You know, if you keep beating those pots up like that, they might not want to work for you anymore.

[havea_heart]

[JESUS CHRI--

Herz jumps a mile at that, dropping his spoon back into the cake batter in surprise. He whirls around and begins stuttering out what may be an attempt at an explanation.

WAY TO GO, HERO, YOU BROKE IT.]

[ttlynotawizard]

[Remy hears more noise than usual coming from the kitchen and quickly goes to investigate its source. Upon seeing Herz, he looks a bit concerned.]

What's wrong?

[havea_heart]

[Oh god, it's Remy.]

I--

w--

[He drags his hand through his hair, then down his cheek.]

Just...stuff. With...w-with friends. Y'know...

[ttlynotawizard]

[Remy leans on the door frame.]

I don't, I'm afraid. What's going on, Herz? You've been upset for a while.

[Remy notices these things, like how Herz has talked to him less or has been on the quiet side. He's worried about the teen and he wants to help.]

[havea_heart]

[His dark eyes drop to the floor. Rem sounds worried...and now he feels guilty for that, too. Oh the wonders of concerning yourself with shit you can't control.]

...y'know, uhm, uh, L-Link? Little--l-little kid, the youngest we--w-we've probably had?