Welcome to Gaia! ::

Above

The fire pit on the dorm's roof was blazing, chairs and tables had been carried up and now lined the area; several of them were covered in food and sat near a grill, currently manned by a stoic Russian in a polo shirt, which smoked enticingly. A number of coolers sat on the ground, open to reveal soda and beer chilling on ice. Top 40s music, both recent and fairly old, played on a stereo rigged from a dozen cell phones and red plastic cups. A redhead, hair styled up high and looking for all the world like some kind of vintage housewife, flitted across the area fixing things here and there.


Below

Several tables stood at the cemetery entrance. There were mason jars filled with small flags that represented Deus and all its divisions. Nothing terribly fancy, they were obviously homemade, printed paper wrapped around wooden skewers, but they were plentiful. There were also flowers, wild ones picked from around the island, and the more precious sort, coaxed into growing within Rin's greenhouse. Scissors and twine were at hand for those who wished to make bouquet to leave on the graves of the fallen.

The flag at the main building was at half mast for the day, and already gravestones with peppered with flowers, flags, notes, and trinkets.

Above

Dylon loved social gatherings. And parties. And ladies. And BBQs. And ladies.

However, he was unfamiliar with Memorial day. From what he knew of it, it sounded like it was similar to Remembrance day, except with food and booze? Americans sure were partiers!

The hapless Canadian whistled as he looked at the amazing set up. "You sure know how to throw a party!"

Below

Otto quietly made his way to the cemetery. He'd never allowed himself to visit his fallen friends before. He'd never allowed himself to. It meant accepting their death. However, maybe it was time he stopped pretending. Stopped trying to deny the things he didn't care to accept.

So he gathered up a couple bouquets, small and simple. He had some goodbyes to cement. The first was Clerise. She was given brightly coloured flowers. He sat in front of her grave marker, quietly remembering her smile. Her energy. Her passion. He remembered her for what she was. A fiery, intense star in Deus. He missed her a lot, especially that crazy smile of hers.

After some time, he moved on to the next grave. Nevada's. She was given a bouquet with lavender coloured flowers. He stayed there the longest, as he poured through photos of her in his phone. It was hard to believe she was gone. Hard to believe it had been over a month already.

America's posture stiffened at Lawr's entrance, the nearer he got the more she resembled an angry, hissing cat. She gave the food he brought a suspicious glance. Truth be told, some of it looked delicious but...

Moving closer to Kostya she asked the Russian loudly, "What kind of a*****e brings liver mush to a cookout?" Lawrence, she didn't bother talking to directly at all. Apparently she'd gone back to simply trying to ignore him for the time being.

Dylon, in stark contrast, she ran up to and hugged with a laugh, "Damn right! Do me a favor and try not to make any girls swoon near the edge."

Above

Lawrence did not look offended at America's comment but simply shrugged his bony shoulders. "There are some more light and simple canapes there too, but if it is all too cultured for your rustic affair, then you have my sincere apologies missy."

He watched her run to Dylon and neatly sat himself down without further comment, moving to clasp his hands only to remember the missing one all over again and instead to cross his arms to conceal it.

The canine all but ran in circles in his mind with delight, but he made no move to eat anything further, if he ate too much he would counterbalance the only tether he had to his own body, and he had nothing else to focus on.

"Sure. I just felt this was better to do first then to leave as the last note of the evening." Seeing graves before heading home was a rather grim ending to a party.

He watched her select the flowers and due to Rin raising them herself, wondering about each one's importance. The fact she had a few already made him wonder just how many people she knew who had died. She had been longer than he had after all.

He took her by the arm and walked out to the graves, but let his grip be light so she could slip away and have a private moment with all the graves.

Above

He didn't know these people. They were names. Just etchings on tombstones that he had no association. He head them from others with no real context that they were anything more than a hunter of this or that. Killzone he heard from Jerry and some others. Apparently he had been a great person who influenced many people on the island. Aside from that, he did not know. He couldn't connect a voice to these people, a opinion, a series of gestures or a distant scent. Not even a face was there in his memory.

So he walked with Rin, giving private thanks to people who had served before him, until she was ready to leave.

"Alright." He took her up the steps and soon arrived on the roof. He gave a wave to those around. "Place looks great."

Below

Otto lifted his head, his heavy eyes finding Stormy after a moment of disorientation. He'd been lost in his own thoughts for so long, the real world almost seemed unreal. He hadn't seen Stormy since that day.

"Um... okay. I guess." He murmured quietly, letting his head fall back down as he held his phone close to his body. "You okay?"