Who: All of my Gravelings.
When: Since the masquerade and the coronation, up until today. The pieces are not chronological.
Where: Their respective haunts.
What: Several mini-logs. Ohana and Oharu have a lazy Sunday discussion. Hamlin and Samra try to come to an armistice. Ganymede has a brush with Gideon. Garage has a conversation with his sleeping wife.


Ohana and Oharu

She was lying on her back in the middle of the living room, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Oharu had already finished the carpet he intended to gift to the king. He had wrapped it up earlier that week and prepared it for the brief journey into town. He didn't need to test drive his creations anymore; he knew his craft well enough that it would fly and fly well.

"Do you feel like you're in the right place?" she asked him idly.

Oharu laughed at his sister, sitting in a chair and making notes in the margin of a book. He'd been researching Daemon symbols again and came across a book he'd never read before. The edges of the book were filled with his scribbling and opinions. He knew without even trying them that some of the symbols were not correct. They weren't distinctly wrong either, but there were subtleties to the words and the intent behind them had been misplaced. "Are you talking metaphorically Ohana, or do you mean literally?"

She sighed, sitting up on the floor and leveling her brother with a gaze that meant this was serious, maybe even important. "I mean do you think that you're in the right place right now."

He set the book aside and looked at his sister with a strange smile. "I do. More so then I have previously."

"Me too," she said and flopped back onto the floor. "But I have no idea what I'm here for."

Oharu smiled. "Do you have to know? I mean, doesn't that ruin the surprise of it for you?"

"I suppose," she replied. She drummed her hands lightly on her stomach. "I do hope it's something amazing. I want my destiny to be wonderful."

Oharu didn't comment on that, only smiled down at his sister. You're a goof Ohana Hitomi, he thought before turning back to his book as she turned back to her thoughts privately.

Hamlin and Samra

They sat awkwardly, pretending that everything was like it was before that night with the masks and undeniable truth. Garage had taken Enki to school and Sam was baking something like an apple crumb with her unusual fae touches.

Hamlin sat at her kitchen table, a mug of warm tea nestled between his fingers. His eyes were on her always, though hooded with lashes and lids every time she looked over at him. "I know what you're doing," she said, a funny smile on her face and a spoon dripping cornstarch paste on the floor hanging from her hand.

"Do you now?" he asked, amused by the dripping and the utter distraction he provided.

"Yeah," she replied tartly. "You're pretending nothing happened."

"Didn't I say I wouldn't be weird?"

"Yeah, but that's being weird."

"How is that being weird?" he asked as she joined him at the table.

She rolled her eyes at him. Her fingers curled around her own mug of hot tea. It was green tea this morning with a touch of blueberry. "It's just weird. It's not like you to pretend that something didn't happen."

She was right of course. "Would you prefer me all moony and undeniably awful?"

Her eyes met his and she gazed a long moment before any words formed. Her eyes communicated so much more to him than her words ever would. "I don't know what I'd prefer," she said honestly.

He bit his lip, eyes bright and teasing. "Well I won't pretend I haven't made a wonderful mess of things. I won't pretend I'm not terrible when it comes to keeping my feelings bottled up." His eyes faded and he looked down toward his mug. "I won't pretend my heart isn't breaking, but I can't give up on our friendship. I'd rather be near you and aching then be anywhere else."

She reached out, fingers covering his in an old, familiar gesture. She couldn't take it back, and she found that she didn't want to. "Forget about pretending. Don't do anything. Just be my Hamlin."

The wording struck him more than anything and he found it was easier to smile, easier to breathe. "I'll always be your Hamlin," he said genuinely.

Gideon and Ganymede

Gideon smiled at Ganymede Orion from across the street. She had been out and about in public quite often of late and Gideon could not help but wonder why. "Ganymede Orion," he said warmly, as he moved across the sidewalk to her side. "How lovely to see you in public."

She wanted to step back away because she knew enough about Gideon Morrow to know that she shouldn't trust him. She held herself back and smiled. "It's nice to be out in public Mr. Morrow."

He could sense her unease and thought to prey upon it for the moment, perhaps to intimidate her into the direction of his choosing. "How many years have I requested an audience with you and how often have you turned me down?" he asked her.

Ganymede frowned a bit. "If your requests were never in person Mr. Morrow then I cannot claim I ever received them." She was polite in her wording, careful with the sneaky snake. Her family was never so well connected that she'd come into much contact with the Morrows, but she knew very well the influence this man had and how he had worked so hard to maintain appearances. Gideon Morrow was not an enemy you wanted to earn.

"Perhaps I should be more focused on ensuring the delivery of my requests henceforth," he answered, slippery as ever.

She smiled warmly. "Of course Mr. Morrow, it would be such an honor to have your audience. I cannot imagine why you'd want to speak with someone so unimportant as myself."

"I cannot imagine why you would think yourself unimportant sweet lady," he said, gingerly taking her hand and kissing it. "I must excuse myself, for I have business to attend to this afternoon, however I should hope I may devote an entire afternoon to your attention soon."

She nodded. "Inform me of a date which will provide you with as much free time as you think you'll need and I will make sure I am available."

He smiled broadly, gave her a slight bow as if she were royalty. "I will make sure to be in contact."

She was already wondering what that little encounter was all about.

Garage and Samra

Garage watched over the sleeping form of his wife. "It's been a few days since you said you loved me," he whispered, brushing her hair gently back from her ear and kissing that spot of cheek closest to his words. "I know he said something to you. I don't know what it was, but obviously you have doubts."

He sighed, his breath crawling over her skin and into her dreams. "I know you love me Sam. I trust you. But I don't trust myself. I don't think I can leave this alone. It's like a scab and I'm going to keep picking at it until you leave me."

He pulled away from her, sat up and watched her. She was breathing in and out, completely unaware of his thoughts. "I hate what the cards have to say to me," he said. "Because I know I'm going to mess this up somehow. I can't blame you for anything because you're being the honorable party here. All of the men in your life, we're impatient and mistrusting. We love you so damn much Sam. He loves you so much, maybe more, maybe better than I can. It's just that I can't give you up to him. I can't give in without a fight."

He didn't intend to give in or give up, even if the cards he'd read earlier that evening had said it would be far better. He didn't understand it at all. Only a few weeks ago those very same cards had said that taking Enki might just save their marriage and now it was threatening to crumble even faster than it was before.

When he finally settled to sleep his arms were wrapped possessively around her body. His eyes closed and his dreams were troubled. He didn't understand how he was going to make every mistake in this affair, but his cards had never lied. Samra would be true to the last and Garage Chance was going to betray that loyalty all on his own.