(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]

(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.]

[forethinking]

Gladly.

(If earlier was a bright smile, it cannot hold a candle to how mesmerizing the one he has on now is. Had it been less of a rollercoaster of emotions, Ren would have laughed at how the glove was removed aggressively, like Akechi was wordlessly asking Ren to move on and end his misery already.

It's with gentleness in contrast that Ren receives the ring, sliding it onto Akechi's ring finger and kissing the knuckles with warm lips. To his own, he too removes his glove, offering the other ring so that Akechi can do the same.)

[simulatio]

[The metal is warm against his skin. Of course it would be, he'd been gripping it like a lifeline. Ren kisses his knuckles, and Akechi extends his fingers, gently pressing them to Ren's lips. He doesn't know why the fuck he's still so, so scared, but he's made his decision. If this is what Ren really wants, then...

He takes the ring from the other boy and carefully slides it onto his hand, just holding it there for a moment to watch the rings glint in the light. They match. It won't be as obvious for him, but for Ren-]

People are going to notice, [he murmurs quietly, his fingers still touching the ring as if it were a piece in chess, if he might take the move back. His eyes flick up to meet Ren's once again.] You understand this?

[forethinking]

I do. Are you okay with this? (One of his biggest concerns. He doesn't mind people knowing, anyone who visited them over the past few months ought to know - they have only one bed, after all, and it's a known fact they have been living together for quite some time now.

Goro, on the other hand, Ren knows he minds. Why, exactly, he isn't sure. Still, Goro's ring would be almost unnoticeable under the thick leather of his gloves. Ren has no problem saying he's taken.)

[simulatio]

[For a long moment, he doesn't answer. His gaze flicks back down to the rings again, that same surging emotion beating around his heart. He wants people to know that Ren chose him. He wants to rub it in their faces, prove that even someone like him can be happy. Even someone like him can be loved.

But he's scared, too, of what people will say. What it means for their reputations -- for Ren's, more than anything. There have been enough slip-ups already, people who've learned the truth about the kind of person he really is. To have them think less of Ren for it is absolutely unacceptable.]

I can't make your decisions for you, [he says finally, forcing his voice to remain as steady as possible as he draws his fingers back, finally chances a proper look up at him. He's still scared of what this means, still wants to scream and fight and do something with all this anxious energy. But Ren deserves better.

Wasn't it Blue who'd told him to be better for Ren? Maybe something even as small as this can help set him on that path.]

Do as you wish.

[forethinking]

(Ren is not in this thought process, all he could do was anxiously wait for an answer, and when it came, it answered nothing. Akechi hasn't addressed whether he is alright with being known, but if he's giving Ren the driving seat, he can only assume he is.

It feels freeing to not be hiding, but this, Ren has always known to be true. "Do as he wishes" translates to Ren as another kiss, a gentle and lingering peck before he takes a second to admire the rings. He's overjoyed, his cheeks hurting from the smiling.)

Thank you.

[simulatio]

[Akechi returns the kiss, more from habit than anything else as he stares down at the rings. If someone had asked him what he'd have thought about this a few months ago, he'd have laughed in their face. He still can feel some kind of manic laughter threatening to bubble up in his chest, even if he can't identify the source.]

Don't thank me for this. [He cups Ren's cheeks in both hands as if he could somehow hold his smile, carry it with him like the precious thing it is. It's so heart-achingly genuine, it makes him want to keep it for himself.] I don't deserve it. Not for- this.

[He gestures with his still-gloved hand, as if to somehow indicate the abstract of his overall response.]

[forethinking]

(His thankfulness still stands. Akechi didn't run, he didn't lash out. A part of him is proud of the other, even if he did freak out for a while. It was exactly what Ren expected and with how scared he'd been from the situation, it still rings true to him to be happy for the outcome.)

We should go back.

(Their absence must have been noticed by now. Ren plants a kiss to the other's forehead, gentle, bursting with all the love he feels.)

[simulatio]

[He closes his eyes when Ren kisses his forehead, exhaling a quiet breath. Things like this come so easily to Ren. To literally everyone else in the world, it feels like at times. So why the fuck is he so different?]

You go ahead, [he murmurs, reaching with his bare hand to cup Ren's cheek before releasing him.] I... need some time. Please.

[forethinking]

Of course.

(Ren is never denying Akechi space, or even time. It's a lot for him to process and Ren knows it. He nods, delivering the a last kiss to the ring bearing hand before he stands up, offering a hand for the other to do the same.)