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Who: The fine crew of the SS Red Fish!
Broadcast: Probably not so much...
Action: You betcha.
When: Barely forward-dated to Halloween!

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[welcome to the Red Fish, the ship that always looks ready for Halloween anyway.

while today is a popular Earth holiday, it's also Zhas' birthday, and he has probably mentioned it to everyone on board in an unsubtle way over the last few weeks. there are a hilarious number of jack-o-lanterns around the ship, showing off skull-face carvings of... varying quality. thanks, Syeira!

what's in store on this spooky night? HILARITY, probably.]

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[maybe Coil had been hoping that Zhas would have forgotten the date... because when he runs into him and spots a distinct lack of paint on his face, something about his expression sinks.

he doesn't have to worry about Zhas seeing his disappointment, though. he knows from experience that nothing can make a dent in that good mood.]

[HA HA... oh, Coil. prepare for a day.

Zhas walks right up to him, smacks him cheerily on the shoulder by way of manly greeting, and signs the equivalent to: 'why the long face?']

[he doesn't flinch or even brace for it. his shoulder just sinks crookedly to the side when Zhas smacks it, and he doesn't answer his question. not directly, anyway.

'are you going out?']

[Zhas does not seem at all bothered by the indirectness. he shakes his head, hands moving with that sort of looseness that suggests he's maybe already been drinking. a little.

'there's nothing to do out there. staying in.']

[and he's really not sure whether this is a reassuring bit of news or not. on one hand, they won't have to deal with the crowded madness of the way-stations, but on the other... everyone he would like to avoid during this holiday is right here on the ship.

'going to take it easy?'

he can hope.]

[that naked face of his slowly splits into half a grin, which is not a reassuring expression in the slightest (in fact, it's mostly terrifying).

'no spirit, huh? no costume?']

Edited 2016-11-10 04:28 (UTC)

[nope. there goes any hope of a normal night heading his way. there's a small twist in his stomach that he's mostly sure is of the negative sort.

and he looks down at himself then. he's in his new clothes, but he's been wearing them often enough--especially after making it through the milestone of his own birthday--that they feel sort of normal now. no pretense there.

so, looking unsure, he shakes his head a little.]

[Zhas looks down at him too, grumbling thoughtfully. do new clothes mean a new face? Coil's never exactly dressed up before...

...except that one time that Zhas kind of made him. now there's an idea.

'idea', signed quick, before he grabs Coil's arm and yanks him back down the hallway.]

[he audibly gasps and stumbles over his feet before he catches up, because that is far more animation than he'd been expecting.

Zhas really has gotten the party started already, then. but Coil doesn't dig in his heels, despite his reservations. this is Zhas' day. he'll play along, like he always does.]

[good! then he takes Coil to a more secluded corner of the ship, somewhere where they won't go blocking traffic. once there, he digs into his pocket and takes out a familiar, shallow tin of makeup.

just because he's not wearing his face doesn't mean he isn't prepared... just in case. he holds the tin up in front of Coil, for him to see, before gesturing (slightly obscured by him still holding the tin in one of his hands).

'you deserve a face. can I?']

[once he gets what Zhas is asking, he's nodding quickly before he can think twice about it.

the vague dread he'd been carrying about tonight turns into a sudden lurch in his gut. it's an unsettling feeling, but he doesn't think it's bad really. he's caught between the honor and the strangeness of it, but this has always been the night for things to feel a little bit wrong. he just wishes there wasn't a whole ship full of other people to mix into it too.]

[contrariwise, Zhas seems to think this is a perfect idea. the last time he put any paint on Coil's face, it had been for a funeral. given that today is a day of life, birth, and in some ways, renewing... maybe giving him a proper face on this good day will make it a little like Coil's birthday, too.

or maybe that's the tipsy reasoning of a fairy-tale romantic. whatever the case, he opens the tin, scoops some black up onto his finger, and smudges it under Coil's good eye.

he looks happy. not smiley or grinning like he was before, but focused and purposeful. at the very least, Zhas is getting a good present.]

[Coil is perfectly obedient, and feeling younger despite everything. it's probably the nostalgia that is making him feel small, but he doesn't mind it at all in this case.

he holds still, stands up straight like a good soldier, and lets Zhas dress him up. and after a minute or so, he tentatively reaches to nudge up the edge of his eyepatch a little. just so Zhas doesn't have to leave ragged edges there if he doesn't want.]

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