expiationlogs | [04] birthday blues

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[04] birthday blues

Who: Mizuki Date & you [open]
Where: A tavern in Aldrip, 7/6
What: She has literally had no reason to tell anyone about her birthday. But...
Warnings: None.

[ It's a day like any other on Expiation for Mizuki. It's absolutely eerie that she has been free of Saito for weeks, and all the distractions in the world at the farm have not helped her get used to it. She has been jittery, paranoid, and can occasionally be seen snapping her head to look behind her without warning, or flinching when she sees a shadow moving the wrong way.

Even now, in this tavern after sundown, Mizuki sits at an open table alone, looking about. A drink sits on the table within her reach, but she doesn't look too impressed with it. It figures they wouldn't know what "birthday cake-flavored vodka" is. Not that it matters, anyway, because a man at the bar a short distance away seems to have caught Mizuki's attention somehow. He seems too deeply engaged with another patron to notice.

She is stealing subtle glances at him, almost scrutinizing, yet turns just in time to meet a local waitress approaching her table. Just a single cupcake is placed in front of her, which she... hadn't ordered.

She is just barely able to process the morbid design with an internal what the fuck? when the candle comes out and she is reminded: her birthday was definitely among the data listed in her parchment, wasn't it? ]

... Uh, you're not gonna sing, are you? [ Please, no. ]

(( OOC: just a small prompt i wanted to do for the girlie's birthday. feel free to wild card me if you want something else! I can be reached via PM, the game discord, or

yammdere for plotting. ))

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You never know, maybe things will get better with-- [Caitlyn starts, but as soon as Mizuki says the person in question's name, she freezes. Well. Damn. Of course it was Jinx.]

Actually, no. They won't. Because you're right, I do know her. [Her jaw tenses, because it's so hard not to hate Jinx. She does hate Jinx, to an extent, but she wasn't going to act against her unless in self defense, because Vi asked her not to.]

She...isn't exactly a fan of me, either.

[ Well, damn. She speaks with such authority that it surprises her, and she can't help but think of Boss. No use in reminiscing on people you can't count on to have your back at the moment, though... Whether it's by choice or not. She bites her lip, then shakes her head.

It almost feels like a relief that they're on the same page about this. ]

She's crazy. I caught her setting off a small bomb on someone at that party, so I was talking to her and she just totally got in my face out of nowhere. That was before I even mentioned Vi!

...Then later she just climbed up onto a food table and started eating like an animal. [ Without thinking, she reaches for that cupcake, probably more aggressively than she meant to, as if she's about to demonstrate. ]

[HONESTLY, it brings Caitlyn so much relief to see that Mizuki thinks the same as her. She's had to watch what she says to Vi, because it's her sister, but what Mizuki expresses is all the truth.]

Why does none of this surprise me? [She rubs her forehead briefly, sighing.] She...hates me. To put it lightly. She has some wild notion that Vi's replacing her with me. Which is not true, of course. How could I expect to replace her sister?

[She could keep going, but that's enough to start with. And she might be waving down the waitress now. If they're going to talk about this, she's going to need something to drink.]

[ Mizuki is stunned for a moment, and a similar look of relief seems to melt her as she sighs in return. Mizuki definitely the type to call it like it is, taking now shame in expressing her displeasure, but she is also forced step on eggshells on the topic, out of respect for Vi, who's had her back for basically her entire duration of her life in Aldrip.

She relaxes her shoulders. ]

That explains a lot. I'm sure she thinks the same thing about me. I told her there was nothing to be jealous of, but— [ But why believe a cop, right? Sensing her frustration mounting, she chomps down the first bite to curb it, taking the "knife" clean off the cupcake without care. Then she shrugs, as if to finish her sentence. ]

She-- They both have had a rough life. They were separated for quite a number of years, and the person she was with...Let's just say, he wasn't the best influence.

[Caitlyn isn't sure what Vi had told Mizuki. Honestly, she only knows bits and pieces herself. Whatever Jinx went through, it did a number on her.]

They were both raised to distrust Enforcers, so it doesn't help that I'm one. Vi and I worked past that, but Jinx? She sees me as the enemy and won't listen to reason. Vi still believes she can get through to her, but I'm...not as confident in that as she is.

[ Mizuki finds herself curious about this 'bad influence,' but she can already tell that that's a whole can of worms in and of itself for anther day. She gives Cait a look, but then she just continues, which is just fine by Mizuki.

It really doesn't feel like her business, but Jinx is making it her business. Either way, if Vi's going to get through to her, she hopes she does it soon. She doesn't want to get to the point where she feels like she has to leave. (But she will.)

Mizuki doesn't exactly know what an Enforcer is in this context, but she's pretty sure she can guess. ]

What do you enforce?

It's a peacekeeping force. Enforcing laws, stopping criminals, and such. [aka, she's a cop too.]

Our home has two sections. The Uppercity and the Undercity. The Uppercity is considered rich and prosperous, while the Undercity is struggling, and devastated by drugs and gangs. There's been dozens of conflicts between the two sides, but it's been getting worse recently. The Enforces are seen as bullies and monsters to those in the lower Lanes. Those like Vi, and Jinx specifically. Even Vi didn't trust me at first, but we... we managed to find common ground.

[Even if it still stung a little, when Vi left her and told her they would never work, that they were too different. But too much had been going on for them to, y'know, actually talk about that since she'd been here.]

[ ...Hm. Yeah, that's definitely a lot of words to say "cop." Not sure she ever would have pegged her as one, but then again, you could say the same about Mizuki. Cait's definitely got more of a goody-two-shoes vibe, at the very least. ]

So that makes you from the Uppercity? Like your regular Romeo and Juliet story, huh? [ Gross. ]

[ ... But Vi's definitely the Romeo here. ]

I...have no idea what that means. But yes, I was raised in the Uppercity. [Have your joke, Mizuki. It's going completely over her head. Which if for the best, otherwise she'd probably be embarrassed about it.

Was it that obvious they were pining for each other? Whoops.]

[ What? Someone who doesn't know Shakespeare...? She's so jealous.

But oh yeah, they're from Runeterra, not Earth, so maybe it's not too surprising. They probably have their own literature and their own influences that she might never know about. What a concept to wrap your head around...

At least she didn't make it awkward. ]

How'd it work out like that? Aren't there drugs and gangs in the Uppercity too?

[Phew, it's a lot to explain to someone that doesn't know their world, but Caitlyn's going to try.]

It used to be one, united city. Piltover. "The City of Progress." But with progress comes expansion, more buildings, more homes, more factories, meaning more toxins and wastes in those lower levels. As I'm sure you can guess, the richer families stayed in the Uppercity, and the workers and their families remained in the Undercity. There's been plenty of conflict in the past, but it's only getting worse. And I--- I honestly can't blame them. It was suppose to be one people. One city. But the Council-- my mother included, has done nothing to help the people that suffer down there.

[Caitlyn sighs, shaking her head.] It's bleeding through these days. Drugs, gangs, a few terrorist attacks even. Mostly because the main gang leader, Silco-- he's had Enforcers in his pocket. Including the Sheriff. [It still hurts, knowing Marcus had her fooled the whole time.]

I'm afraid it's going to turn into war before anything gets better. Especially since Jinx's last attack was a bomb...right at the Council's chambers. [She tenses at she says it, because she doesn't know what that means. Maybe her mom is okay, maybe she isn't. Maybe Jayce is okay, maybe he isn't. All she can do is hope, until she gets home and knows for sure.]

[ That... is all a very huge yikes, and even without saying anything, you can practically read Mizuki's thoughts. Japan has its own problem with corrupt politicians, but it sounds like they're on the brink of civil war. Good luck with all that, she thinks, though Cait is nice enough that she has enough tact to keep her mouth shut. ]

A bomb? ...Is... D-Did they survive? Did your mom survive?

[ Maybe less surprised about the "bomb" part in relation to Jinx. ]

[Caitlyn is quiet for a minute, tapping her fingers absently as she tries to find the right words.]

I don't--- actually know. We were pulled here, shortly after.

[She sighs, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms.]

We don't use magic in Piltover, not really, but a friend of mine-- Jayce, recently joined the Council. He's developed magic-like technology, allowing for quick travel, stronger tools and weapons, and--- hopefully, defenses too.

[Of course, she isn't privy to any of that information, but she has to believe they had something there that's going to keep them safe. But given Jinx's bomb was hextech too, there was...no telling.]

Oh.

[ Magic-like technology. Psyncing would probably fall under that.

Unexpectedly, she feels like Cait's words hit closer to home than she ever would have thought, though she is far from a rich girl riding in limos like a certain somebody she knows.

Knew. ]

Shit, I'm sorry. I get it. I'm kinda... in a similar boat. Ish.

Oh. [Once again, Mizuki and her see eye to eye more than she realized. Still, she feels for the other woman. It's not a fun boat to be in.]

I'm...sorry. It's not a pleasant feeling, being stuck here and worrying about the state of our homes. I want to know, but as long as I'm helpless to do anything about it, I'm glad I don't.

[Because knowing and being unable to do anything about it just sounds. The worst. And it's already pretty bad as it is.]

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[04] birthday blues

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