Fox & Goose with Kaze and Phoenyx

[Kaze]

Fox & Goose is an English styled pub on the east side of the Sacramento River which divides the city, just a few blocks south of Capital Mall on 10th Street.



Though the establishment is open from morning until night, Kaze invited Phoenyx out to lunch. It's just past noon when they arrive, and enter to be seated at a table on the patio, where it is a little more private and not so loud.

"Order whatever you want, Alice." Kaze suggests. "I'll pay. I'm going to have a drink, do you want anything?" He asks, ordering something called 'Smoked Clover' to drink.

Kaze would have established before hand that he is going by 'Chris' now.

[Kaze]

Kaze and Phoenyx are seated here.

Since it's got individual tables and such, I am thinking people can come in and setup their table as a side scene, to facilitate quicker conversations. That said, if they would come over to Kaze and Phoenyx's table please, feel free to join the side scene. It is an open Shard after all.

[Phoenyx]

"May I have tea? Chamomile if it is available," She asks with a smile.

When he returns, Phoenyx looks up at him. "Um. Thank you. For inviting me out. I know I have not been the easiest person to get on with." Dark eyes look back to the table. "Have you been keeping well?"

Sure, it's awkward, but it's a start. Kaze had always been the chatty one of the two of them.

I don;t think we need to open up separate shards, at least initially. Makes things a bit complicated.

[Kaze]

"Sure, of course!" Kaze says, smiling when Phoenyx asks for chamomile tea. "Here, check out the menu for what you'd like to eat while I go over to the bar to get our drinks." He suggests. "I've had the 'Fish & Chips' before, I liked it. It's good."

When he returns with her tea and his Irish Scotch and Whiskey, he reflects on how much he's changed. He used to be like her, keeping his body clean and ready, like keeping any other weapon maintained and ready. Now he's drinking whiskey pretty regularly. He thinks he likes the taste, and likes even more how people relax around him when he drinks with them. Since he added Body Mastery to his monthly rits, he thinks it just has a nice biting taste. Yeah. Gotta watch that.

"Yeah..." Kaze says. "Sure. It's...probably past time I should have called. I'm sorry."

Kaze sighs. "I missed you, us. I mean, doing things together and talking." He says. "I just...I guess I was kind of avoiding it, because I didn't know...yeah, you know what? I didn't have a good reason; no excuses. I was talking with Madison, and realized I should have done this a long time ago." He smiles.

"Actually you seem like you're doing really well. I mean, I think there's as much respect for what you are doing as I ever saw with anyone else doing it." He says in a complimentary tone.

"Me? I'm...doing okay. I've been trying different things out. Lately I've been giving acting a try. Turns out, I really like it."

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx stares at her tea. "I... did not try to call you either. It was difficult. You get on so easily with people. It felt like that meant I did not matter to you." She shifts uncomfortably. "You talked to Madison? What did she say?"

Her cheeks go slightly pink, and she glances up finally. "I... Thank you. It is easier... having the distance from people. But remember, many that stayed here in the company before us are gone. The ones that remain are more dedicated to their individual tasks. I do not want to run things, but soemone has to bring some order to things." She shrugs a little and sips her tea. "You are drinking," she observes aloud.

The Arrow cocks her head slightly. "You do?"

Why? It's just pretending to be something else. No. I cannot say that. He is enjoying it. Umm...


"What do you like about it?" she adds slowly, trying to think of a question.

[Kaze]

Kaze listens to Phoenyx telling him how it felt for her, watching him apply the lessons he learned from their break up to develop stronger acquaintanceship and friendships...she had no idea how the wake up call of losing her because he hadn't been honest or open up front changed how he relates to people, to himself even, now. But this isn't really about him. He listens and nods, as she asks about what Madison said to inspire him to finally call her.

Kaze smiles, "She said you are a good person, and I should call you." He says. It wasn't his place to go into detail and provide context, how Madison said Phoenyx had helped her deal with having killed.

He notes how she blushes a little at the compliment, when he says she is doing well as First Talon, how the Arrows are as much or more respected under her leadership as they were under Alastor. He nods as she points out that a lot of people are new, and any structure is good. Certainly the Council doesn't provide the structure that it used to. Probably better to talk about the Awakened community later, some time when they are in private.

"Oh. Yeah, it's funny. I didn't use to even drink caffeine." Kaze acknowledges when Phoenyx notes his drinking an achoholic beverage, something he never used to do. "I guess I got into the habit; I noticed it wasn't just about whether I felt good drinking; it seemed to help other people relax if I drank when they did. Honestly, I don't get the effects from it; it's like a toxin that my body fights off. I like the taste though, and I really like how other people seem more at ease when they drink, if I am drinking too." He explains.

She asks what he likes about acting. He's been thinking about that a lot. "Yeah. That's the funny thing." Kaze says thoughtfully."I used to pretend all the time, that I was happy when I wasn't, that I wanted to do something when I didn't, basically it was lying, being afraid people wouldn't like me if I was really myself."

He smiles, "Now, I try really hard to be myself, and not worry about whether people like me or not. Usually, I think they are thinking about themselves, not me anyway."

Kaze laughs, "But I have those skills still, all that pretending I did before. Acting is a way that I can use pretending to be honest. When I am being a character in a play or TV show, I am connecting with the story, like if the character is sad, I am being them, being sad. Everyone knows it is an act, so I am not lying, but I have to really connect, bring up sadness from me that is real, be...'sad me', I guess, to really tell the story right. It...I am not explaining it great, maybe that doesn't even make sense. I guess I can just say, it feels good, like...like how painting a picture for some people can get the feelings out in the open. It makes a big difference how good a story it is that I am being a part of telling"

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx watches carefully. "Perhaps. But now you do it on your own. You have changed. I suppose I have too."

Listening to him talk about acting is met with a small frown as she concent rates on his words. "Does that not make it more difficult? Being reminded of being someone not yourself, all the time? It does not sound like something I could do." She thinks for a moment. "Is it not overwhelming? Feeling so many things? How can you tell what you are feeling and what you are making yourself feel?"

[Kaze]

Kaze nods and smiles at Phoenyx's observation that he's drinking alone' that he's changed. "I'm not really though." He says. "Drinking alone. That's bad a bad sign, drinking when no one's around. Right now though, I'm not alone. I'm with you." He grins.

Kaze listens to Phoenyx's questions about acting. It's funny. It's the first time he can remember when she seems interested in something he's doing that isn't something she would do. In the past, she would usually just dismiss whatever he thought or felt or did that she didn't related to as 'stupid'. Actually, she usually would say he was stupid. It seems she really has changed.

"That's the interesting thing." Kaze says, excited, his eyes lighting up, "Every character I act, is really me. I mean, anything I do...comes from inside me. I can't act any role exactly the same as another actor would do it, even if I wanted to. There's always going to be something unique, something that's me in every role I act." He says.

Kaze laughs, "I mean, sure, I am acting the role of a completely different person from me, it's not literally me, it's pretend," he admits, "but the intepretation, the expression...still comes from inside of me, some part of me." He says.

She asks about it being overwhelming.

Kaze nods. "Yeah, definitely; it feels like a long, hard workout, no not just a workout because it's not just practice; there's an audience and you want it to be perfect." He says passionately.

"The point is, it is exhausting, physically and emotionally. I can totally see why a lot of actors do drugs and stuff. It's not just that they have money and access and like no self control; it's a coping thing too I think. I have been meditating a lot more; it helps."

Kaze smiles again. "You know what though? The feelings...sure, it's draining to reach down and let them out to channel them into a performance...but they are all there already, and keeping them down there, stuffing them all the time and never letting them out? That's pretty exhausting too. I think in the long run, expressing them, even by pretending, is better for me."

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx shakes her head. "That was a poor choice of words. You are not drinking alone, but choosing to drink when I am not. Is that clearer? It is no longer a social act to make me more comfortable."

She could feel herself becoming... something. The Arrow did not have what one might describe as emotional depth, so recognising her own feelings was always a challenge. Agitated? whatever it was, she didn't like it at all.

Trying to follow Kaze's descriptions was also challenging. Mostly because she did not see the point of an awakened soul following a fictitious life within a sleeping world - a dream within a dream. And it drove people to dependence on substances? Even worse. But it clearly meant something to him.

"That sounds.... nice?" Her lack of comprehension was written all over her face. She tried keeping her emotions in an Iron vice, and despite Aurora's advice it was the only way she knew how.

Phoenyx sips her tea, unsure what to say.

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles, "Sure, you're right. Sorry. I didn't mean to nitpick your words. I just mean that I am being careful not to ever drink all by myself, like just because I feel like it or whatever." He says. "Right now though, yeah. I just chose something I wanted to try, and told you, and then got you what you wanted. The fact that I chose an alcholic drink, and you didn't...doesn't seem like an issue to me. I like the taste better than a coke." He explains. "So...yeah, I chose for just me, not how I thought it might affect you."

He can tell Phoenyx is trying, really trying to follow and understand where he's coming from, what acting means to him. He can tell she's not there, but she still doesn't dismiss it, so yeah. She is being nice, and being open, which is different in a good way...and she's also totally in a different place emotionally from where he is. This isn't going to be some big chemistry discovery thing where they just click like before...did they really click before? Anyway, the respect is there, and new and seems real, so...yeah, yay.

"Thanks. It is. I really am excited about how it's coming together." Kaze says when Phoenyx tries to be affirming about his acting.

"So, what have you been up to?" Kaze asks. "I mean, that time watching movies at Skye's place was the first time I've seen you outside a business meeting in a while. And...I heard that Skye left?" He asks.

"Have you been hanging out with Madison? She seems to really respect you a lot."