Participants:
| Scene Title | The Very Least |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | It's Graeme's birthday. And family…well, family calls each other on their birthdays, at the very least. |
| Date | March 17, 2011 |
Le Rivage: Keira's Apartment // Dorchester Towers: Remi and Graeme's Apartment
It's early St. Parick's Day today. March 17th. Her big brother's birthday. Keira paces quietly in her apartment, Odin resting on the couch and watching her with his ears perked up curiously, quietly gnawing on a behemoth of a bone. Her phone is in her hand. He probably hates her for what she's done…probably doesn't want to hear from her. But…he's also family.
And family…well, family calls each other on their birthdays, at the very least.
Quietly, she taps the screen of her smartphone, lifting it to her ear to listen to the buzz that indicates that she is calling her brother.
Graeme is back up in his apartment, having showered after being down at the basketball courts earlier. Remi's already off to the studio, and he's at home by himself, which means that when his phone rings, that's the only thing it could be. A glance at the caller ID, though, and he hesitates, letting it ring once before answering.
"Hey there," he says, voice mild, with a little surprise making its way into his voice. "Morning." The greeting is still, overall, friendly. Happy to hear from her? Maybe not quite that much. But still pleasant.
"Hey," she murmurs back, her voice hesitant, but still…perhaps a little happy to hear his voice. "Happy Birthday." Keira flops down on the couch, halfway laying on Odin, scratching at his neck. The dog lets out a grunt of acknowledgment, before returning to his bone. "Hope it's treating you okay so far."
There's a grin, and it's reflected in Graeme letting out a low chuckle. There's a pause. "Thanks," he says. There's a hint more surprise in his voice, that she actually remembered. It's not been something in the exact forefront of his mind. "Yeah. It is. I took the day off. Went down and did some hoops this morning. Been … been a nice day so far."
The smile can be heard in Keira's voice. "That's good to hear. I'm glad it's going well. I — I'm sorry I didn't get you anything. I didn't know if you'd even want to talk to me, after…everything." She pats Odin on the back, a little bit on the side of being at a loss for what to say.
"Don't worry about it," comes Graeme's response, immediately. "You remembered. That means a lot to me." His words are genuine, and it's clear he means them. Last year on his birthday, he didn't have a family to remember his birthday, and however dubious his sister's affiliations may be, it's still important to him. Even if that she did remember is throwing him for a bit of a loop. "So … thank you for that, yeah?"
"It's easy to remember. You're a lucky baby." Keira's still smiling faintly. "And…I know that my associations aren't the most savory, but…you're probably the only family I have that cares, save for Uncle Ben, and he's usually impossible to find…sorry, I'm babbling. I just…felt like I should let you know that…I really do care…"
Once more, Graeme chuckles, and there's the sound of footsteps as he makes his way to the couch, flopping down onto it in what really is more of a heap than anything else. The smile is evident in his voice. "Thanks, Keira," he says. "That's a good birthday present, in … in and of itself." He stares up at the ceiling of the apartment as he searches for words, for what else to say.
"I mean it. You're the only family I have, so …" At all. "We can work through this. Everything."
And now, she's going about scritching the dog's tummy and chest, even as she halfway lays on him. Odin doesn't seem to mind in the slightest, still enjoying his bone. "We will. It'll just take…time. I've been doing a lot of thinking…I think I'm going to give Dick a call and have a chat. Who knows…he's got a lot of connections, maybe he could help. And…and I could help him."
Graeme nods, despite it being a phone call. Bad habit, and he quickly remembers to give verbal acknowledgment as well. "That's good," he says, voice mild and encouraging. "And hey, everything takes time." He furrows his brows, then decides that the best way to avoid the awkward topic of conversation is to change the conversation. "Seriously, thanks for calling." The smile is now evident in his voice, though he's quiet, as if even in the privacy of his own apartment he might be overheard.
Keira smiles faintly. "No problem. Thanks for answering." She rolls a bit, still laying on her dog and staring up at the ceiling. The entire talking without saying anything gets a little awkward after a little bit. "I hope the rest of your birthday goes well. Can — can I call you tomorrow? See how it went?" She shouldn't hang out with him right now. Not until she has a bit more figured out for herself. Phone calls are much better, much easier.
"Of course," Graeme responds. "That'd be nice." There's a smile that's more evident in his voice, now. "I work tomorrow morning, but I'm off at noon." He lets the silence linger in the air. "Anyway, Keira. Take care, and all."
Graeme saves his sister the difficulty of ending the conversation, and Graeme pulls the phone away from his ear, finger finding the red button that ends the call. Ended, he stares up at the ceiling a bit longer, before sending off a quick text message, for another call. As much as the fact that she's family might be important to him, it's that same thing that's throwing him for a loop.
Still. There're worse things that could happen on his birthday.
"Talk to you later, Graeme." This is let out before he hangs up on her. The tattooed woman pulls her phone away, staring at it for a moment. That went well. Maybe there's hope for a family yet. Maybe. For now, though…Keira is quite happy to snuggle up to her dog and doze the rest of the morning away. She has some new product that needs to be sold later this evening, anyhow.