(mingle/open) happy new years!

[forethinking]

Who: Void Citizens
What: New Years Mingle!
Where: Heavenly Blanc
When: January 1st
Content Warnings: None!!

HEAVENLY BLANC

THE VOID, ON JANUARY 1ST

Ren
Food & Organization

Blue
Food & Organization

Eevee
Moral Support

Pidgeot&Arcanine
Lifting

YOSHIZAWA
Food & Organization

We hereby start the Void Calendar! All over the Void since yesterday, several handwritten notes have been taped or stapled to the Void's most populated areas in the hopes to drive the people to the popular bar/cafe. Heavenly Blanc's exterior has been protected from any upcoming storms by a large awning, and more tables and chairs have been temporarily set to settle any issues of overcrowding on the inside. Upon entering, one will be able greeted by the aroma of curry, although the spices vary from pot to pot, and coffee and alcohol will be served throughout the evening.

Within the interior of the bar, a small space has been divided and cleared out -- next to the jukebox. There, one will find a few microphones resting on their stands, waiting for whoever is brave enough to sing on them to whatever is playing in Heavenly Blanc when the storm hits. Last, but not least, a whiteboard has been visibly placed next to the entrance. It reads: "Names of the Months", and you may either write your own or add sticks to vote on your favorites.

CODING BY

Comments

[forethinking]

i. early

(Ren (dressed in a complete new outfit+red gloves, wow!) opens the doors of Heavenly Blanc, leaving them wide and welcoming to those who would like to come to the party. In the meantime, he's outside, putting the awning in place and making sure the tables are steady and good to be used.

Catch him working like he has had five shots of espresso, cleaning each of the tables, the chairs, making sure all the booths have all they need... He's not slowing down at all.)

ii. behind the mask bar

(It will take a while for him to unwind. There's always so much to do, so much to serve, curry here, coffee there, ask for drinks, check on everyone... Perhaps your order is just a tad on the slow side.

Ren gives a warm smile when he finally can get to it.)

Sorry for the wait. What can I get you?

iii. finally he chills!

(Only now that everyone seems full, happy, and engaged, Ren joins the fun. He's on his break, fidgeting with a dart, allowing it to roll between his fingers in loop before his lips turn into a smirk.

A throw. Bullseye.)

iv. karaoke bar

(Ren doesn't sing, but whoever is singing is getting his full appreciation, no matter how poorly or outstandingly are they performing. He's having fun, a lighter lit, up and swaying to accompany the slow beat. Good job, friend!)

closed to akechi

[forethinking]

(Ren keeps his eyes on the clock as its ticks approach midnight. The new year arrives in five minutes, and he's got plans, as sappy as the other most definitely call them.

Locating Akechi isn't difficult and he politely bows to his companions before he can come near the other man, a stupid smile on his lips before he gestures with his head for them to go outside.)

A minute of your time?

[simulatio]

Of course.

[Akechi inclines his head and takes the final sip of the cocktail he'd been nursing all night. One drink to carry to make himself fit in, without having more than that. The last thing he needs is to get drunk in front of the entire Void.

Slightly curious, he checks his watch before falling into step behind him, leaning in close to murmur,] Has something happened?

[The party is... nice. Weirdly nice, with the only combat thus far verbal jabs. The look on Ren's face doesn't suggest anything to be wrong, but, well. Is it wrong to hope? Considering the host of the party is heading outside during his inaugural moment, after all.]

[forethinking]

(While he is annoyed over previous events, it's nothing for Akechi to worry about, so the only answer he gets is a shake of his head while he opens the door for Akechi to go through.

He's got time to walk a little further from the bar, a little hidden from prying, gossiping eyes as they come. One minute to midnight, he checks on Akechi's watch.)

It's almost midnight. Can I give you a kiss?

(It's sappy, but the symbolism is something Ren couldn't just let go of.)

[simulatio]

You...

[He'd had an-- well, an inkling. A hope, perhaps -- that's what Ren was bringing him out for. Truth be told, he'd been dreading the idea that Ren might wish to make some kind of grandstanding ceremony about it all, in front of everyone. Isn't that what couples do for the New Year? Kiss each other without a care in the world for whomever might be watching?

But they're out here, in relative privacy. He huffs through his nose and reaches up, affectionately resting a gloved hand against Ren's cheek.]

Afraid I'll call it brainless sentimentality?

[forethinking]

(Not when Akechi prefers to keep their relationship to themselves. The reason why Ren is even asking rather than just pulling him into one as he does daily is the fact that they're not home. As much as Ren would like to start the New Year with a kiss, it means nothing if Akechi is uncomfortable with it, so he tried his very best to ease anxieties. The trees make it so they're well hidden from accidental walk-ins, and he can hear the chanting in the background announcing the seconds.)

I'm sure you will.

(Ren's grown accustomed to these little comments, not seeing them in a bad light in the slightest and just giving Akechi a beaming smile in return. The hand rests on his cheek and an arm wraps around the other's waist before soft lips make their way towards the other's.)

[simulatio]

[He huffs again through his nose, but doesn't repeat it. Instead, he just closes his eyes and returns the kiss, soft and gentle as if they hadn't done this hundreds of times before. It is brainless sentimentality, to think that any of it matters; even back home, it's a manufactured holiday. But manufacturing it themselves, allowing themselves to take that piece of tradition and keep it, for themselves...

His heart feels strangely light for how full of emotion it feels, his gloved thumb sweeping up Ren's cheek and burying itself in his hair with the gentlest of tugs to tilt his head and deepen the kiss for just a few moments more.]

[forethinking]

(It's one of those. Ren would be the first to admit he loves every single kiss Akechi allows him to have, but it's moments like this that he loves the most. Kisses that are filled with love, gentleness, and the joyful bliss of simply being able to be with one another.

His head tilts, tongue calmly caressing the other, almost in a slow dance as the kiss deepens. He can hear the cheers welcoming the start of a year, and Ren lingers a little longer in the other's lips before he has to pull away for air. A peck, and the first words of the year, whispered against Akechi's mouth.)

I love you.

(Akechi doesn't hear it enough - Ren dislikes the idea of making him uncomfortable with his emotions, but the first things he said had to be for him, and him only.)

[simulatio]

[Someday, maybe, his heart won't lurch in his chest whenever he hears those words. Someday, maybe, he won't be speechless as his hands cup Ren's face, and he simply closes the distance between them to rest his forehead against the other boy's. Someday, maybe, he'll be able to say it back without feeling like the words are going to choke him on the way out. Ren deserves to hear them.]

You're a fool, [he whispers, equally as softly, equally as fond as he closes his eyes and exhales gently through his nose.] Though I think I like this particular brand of foolishness. Don't change it.

[The "please" is unspoken, but it's all but audible in the way that he says it, changing it from an order to a plea.]

[forethinking]

I would never.

(He promises. Being called a fool is routine by now, and quite frankly, Ren has come to enjoy it -- the word never comes maliciously, always coated with fondness that Ren never gets tired of hearing.

The rings in his pocket have been waiting for the right moment for some time. It's truly a miracle Akechi hasn't found them, hidden among molotovs and things Ren much rather keep safe from any visiting eye. Well. What better moment than the start of a new year? Ren fishes them from his pocket, nervous in a way only Akechi would be able to tell when he takes a gloved hand and places a ring in it. Inside, their names have been engraved, although not very well, by him.)

If we go back, we won't forget.

[simulatio]

What are you...?

[He trails off as Ren takes his hand, struck by a sudden nameless fear as the ring is set in the center of his palm. He can only stare at it, then back up at Ren, jaw slack, eyes wide. The ground is steady beneath their feet, but it feels like his whole world is shaking.

How stupid. It's just a ring. It's not a ceremony, or a legally-binding document. It's just a piece of jewelry, like that silver bracelet back in Tokyo that he'd had his eye on. But this...

His throat seizes up as he stares down at it, choked with another one of those nameless emotions that swirl around his heart.]

You... you can't be serious, [he manages finally, the slightest hint of a by-now-familiar wildness edging into Akechi's eyes, the wildness that comes when he truly doesn't understand what to do with something, and his instinct is to simply run.] Ren, I...

[forethinking]

(Akechi freezes, not unlike the first time Ren kissed him. The look on his face as he processes it is the same, but this time, Akechi is not immediately pushing him away, declaring non-interest.

He's freaking out, and Ren expected this fully. He knew that the moment he gave Akechi the ring, he'd be officializing everything he's been saying, everything they've been doing... And it's scary. It's perhaps too much, but not a part of Ren is unsure that this is what he wanted.)

I'm serious.

(A hand, small and warm, rests on Akechi's cheek, comforting and reassuring in its caress on the skin. God, he's so nervous.)

[simulatio]

[He can feel Ren's hand almost burning his skin, like it's the only steady thing in the world right now. He can see the barest outline of engraving within the ring he hadn't touched yet, the crude attempt to personalize it and make it unmistakable.]

...We're not going to remember, [he chokes out past a lump in his throat. Vehemence enters his voice, and his hand closes tightly around the ring. If he's intending to just hurl it as far away as he can, or if he wants to make sure Ren doesn't take it back, he doesn't know. His gloves squeak slightly from the pressure of his clenched fists as he stares past Ren rather than meet his eyes, staring over his shoulder at nothing at all.] No matter what. We've proven that already, yes?

[Nothing here has any meaning in the real world. Physical changes do stay, that much is true, but there's no meaning behind it. No comprehension. Nothing.

He's getting dizzy again, blinking rapidly and consciously controlling his breathing to sound as normal as possible.]

[forethinking]

(Akechi's attempts to calm himself down are failing him. Ren knows at this point. He can recognize every turn of tone, every change in expression, each and every emotion the other fights so hard to keep hidden. Not from him, not anymore. Ren knows.

... Which is exactly why he wants to sit Akechi down, so that they can talk about it. He gently tugs the other by the wrist, the one not bearing a ring, so that he can join him on the grass.)

You'll look for me if you see it. (And Ren knows that he'll do the same. The other ring is in his pocket, and he takes it into a red gloved hand.) I'll look for you, too.

[simulatio]

[He resists being tugged at first, more out of reflex than anything. But the world is still spinning, and Ren's hand is the only solid thing that means anything, and after what feels like an eternity but couldn't have been more than a second or two, he follows. Next thing he knows, he's sitting on the grass with his knees tucked up close to his chin with no memory of having gotten there. The ring is still clenched tightly in one fist as he shakes his head, unable or unwilling to believe it would be that easy. Ren won't look for him. Ren thinks he's dead. Akechi intentionally allowed him to think he's dead.

He feels like he's drowning, and he doesn't know why.]

I don't... [he starts, stops, then realizes with a surge of fear that Ren might think he's rejecting it, and his fists clench harder in a childish fear that Ren will actually try to physically take the ring away.] But rings, Ren? You know what- what this looks like.

[forethinking]

(In Ren's mind, it works fairly simple - he wouldn't just shrug off a ring with their names engraved just popping on his finger all of a sudden, in his handwriting to top it all off. He might think Akechi is dead, but he would not stop investigating if there was a shred of evidence that perhaps, he wasn't.

But he takes a look at the man he loves and he sees the terror behind his eyes, the way he is so defensive in his pose, terrified. He can't help but to worry about the other's well-being when he's so panicked, and all he can do is gently caress a knee, so that it doesn't spook him further.)

I know. (He starts off, tone calm when it's the last thing he's feeling, as the drop of sweat sliding down his temple may suggest.) I want to be with you. It's what it means.

(Titles don't matter here. Who would even marry teenagers, to begin with? All Ren knows is that he doesn't want to leave. It's a promise that he won't.)

[simulatio]

[He jerks his knee away from Ren's hand, unable to see the comfort as anything but the actions of someone trying to reassure a child. But just as quickly, his free hand snaps out, taking Ren by the wrist to hold him tight and keep him from leaving. As much as Akechi feels like he needs to run right now, he can't bear the thought of Ren being the one who needs to leave.

After a long moment, he laughs. It's a helpless sound, quiet and subdued, lacking the malice of their time in the engine room together but no less desperate.]

I want to- be with you as well, so why... [he grinds his teeth, presses the hand with the ring to his heart as if wishing he could just claw it out.] What the fuck is this kind of response?!

[forethinking]

(The grip on his wrist is tight, unfiltered in strength, but Ren doesn't pull away in the slightest. Ren lives in a silent world, where actions do the talking that words cannot convey. Easily, he comprehends the gesture as Akechi barring him from leaving, and there are no thoughts in his mind of doing so. Instead, he comes a little closer, still respecting a boundary of space that he knows Akechi desperately needs.)

Goro. (Still calm, still collected, even if there's a small shake to his voice. He too is scared, even if his own process isn't so noticeable as Akechi's. Perhaps he has crossed a line.) It's a promise. I'm staying with you, no matter what, no matter where.

[simulatio]

[What is he so scared of?! Hereward's desire to wreak havoc, to stay true to himself and never let anyone make choices for him again is roaring through his body, making him shake with the force of it. What the fuck is so scary about this?]

When are you going to realize, [he says, and realizes dimly that he barely recognizes the sound of his own voice, so choked up and hesitant does it sound,] That you deserve someone better?

[forethinking]

(That can't be the only reason that Akechi is shaking, Ren's sure. The hand not being held wipes off some of the sweat that insists on forming on his forehead. Fuck, he feels like his heart is coming out of his chest through his mouth.)

I don't want better, Goro. (His voice is quiet, but genuine, strong in conviction.) I just want you.

[simulatio]

[In a weird way, it's a comfort, hearing Ren acknowledge that yes, he could have someone better. At least he realizes. At least he knows.

Fine. If Ren knows that he can do better, and still wants him anyway, then he'd better fucking do it already. Akechi releases Ren's hand and violent rips the glove off his left hand, holding out the ring back to him.]

Put it on, then.

[His voice is still shaking, it's not as firm an order as he'd like to give, but his eyes are resolute. He isn't going to run away. If Ren really wants to go through with this after that shameful display, now's the fucking time.]

II

[fluffyharpy]

[Lysandra smiles back, not one to make waves over such a small issue.]

What kind of soda do you have?

he was dared - karaoke

[forethinking]

(Every now and then, the jukebox jams and Ren gets stuck listening to the same song over and over again. When he was dared to sing the same song he was once fighting against, Ren makes a face of displeasure before standing up. He's never backing down from a dare or a challenge, even if it's something as idiotic as singing karaoke.

Good thing that his deep voice fits the song, so he steps on stage, confidently, greeting the people who might be listening. He's not even justifying his presence with being dared, instead, he takes the microphone with a smug smirk before he engages with singing the song.

Which song, you may ask? You guessed it!)

(A quick reference to Ren's singing voice!)

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct straightens up from where he's leaning against a nearby table, approaching Ren as he moves to retrieve the dart.]

Nice throw, man.

[forethinking]

Thanks.

(He offers the man a dart -- he has five held in his hand. Perhaps they can play?)