(open) where have you been? been searching all along 𝅘𝅥𝅮

[forethinking]

Who: renren and you!
What: a catch-all!
Where: bathhouse, hblanc, apartments, market place...
When: august-september
Content Warnings: none, but i promise nothing and will update this if needed! spoiler warnings will be on the top level or in the subject of the comment.

edit: remember when i said i promised nothing? there's people bathing in here

Comments

moments of calm (curry taste test)

[forethinking]

(With the new addition of hunger and the fact Ren feels hungry all the time, it's only natural he'll be cooking a lot while he's hyped to do so.

This time, however, it's not exactly out of hunger - it's an experiment. There are three plates in front of him while he sits on a booth, all containing a different secret ingredient:

Cardamom - for a refreshing aroma, sharp spiciness, and slight bitterness.

Coffee - for a bitterness and complexity, enhances the curry.

Coriander - for sweetness and delicate softness to the flavor.

Ren takes note as to which is which on his notebook. His goal is to make sure he can actually replicate what he can do back home with what he is provided here, and should the taste be the same through and through. He is about to take his first bite when the door opens.)

Welcome!

[bridge_princess]

[Ding-aling.

Parsee walked in, staring over at him quietly before making her way and sitting down right in front of the three platters. She was not drooling. She was absolutely not drooling. Her fingers clenched the side of this thing.

Normally food like this didn't make her mouth water, but this place was one-size-fits-all. Probably for the best. Her old hungers were ... problematic under the circumstances. Her stomach growled loudly and she glared at him.]

You're not eating all of this are you?

[forethinking]

(Ah, so Parsee came to see him this time around.

He laughs at her words, shaking his head 'no' and gesturing so that she could take a seat in front of him.)

No. Taste test. Want to help?

(Of course she did. Her stomach said as much.)

📚 apartments;

[forethinking]

(The door to his room is always open when he's there, unless he's actually busy. It's a pleasant space, now that he cleaned to bits and decorated it with several flowers that he has picked from the setting.

It's nice to have company and while he won't directly invite anyone, should they want to join him, they're more than welcome to. His door is (almost) always open.

Maybe you've noticed the Phantom Thieves early logo drawn on the door, or maybe you saw him with this enormous book between his hands and his dismayed look while he tries to get through it, or maybe you just wanted to say hi.

Either way, he's here. All yours.)

🛀 closed to akechi (ALSO IT'S A BATH)

[forethinking]

(Now that there's light, it gives Ren a better chance of proper recon. After thorough inspecting of the wall market, they finally reach the final destination - the Bathhouse.

The laundromat clearly doesn't work yet, although the buttons and functions seem to light. Ren has his first outfit in a bag that he just drops in a locker. They can handwash their clothes after they're done.

As Ren removes the gray coat and paces towards where he thinks the bath products are placed and frowns with the glimpse of the baths.)

... I wonder why the fish.

🛀🛀🛀

[simulatio]

Considering this place seems to take simple concepts rather literally, perhaps they simply thought that all water should have fish.

[Akechi hangs up his coat and smooths it to make sure it won't wrinkle. He'd left his briefcase behind in his room for once, not wanting the steam from the baths to get into the metal, though he did of course bring his sword. Since it was originally a product of cognition, he doubts it will rust.

He follows Ren to the baskets of products, starting to sort through them and wishing they had an ingredient list they could read. Nothing is labeled, so he starts opening the bottles and checking the look and consistency of the liquid within. Shampoo, conditioner, soap...

Give him a minute.]

Re: 🛀🛀🛀

[forethinking]

(Ok, checks out.

... ?

Ren doesn't come close to the thoroughness Akechi displays when sorting things out - honestly, it's with half a glimpse and zero care that he chooses a soap for himself and leaves Akechi to it, moving to remove the rest of the clothing, leaving it neatly in the locker along with the glasses and wrapping a towel around his hips.

He had hoped Akechi was done picking the products by then, but when he comes back, the other doesn't seem to have moved at all.)

🍶 closed - blue

[forethinking]

(Thank God for lights! Ren can finally check the Wall Market without being frustrated out of his mind that his sight abilities don't work.

At this time, Ren can be found in one of the food stalls, munching on the available snacks as he takes a look at the bottles. Sort of wish they had soda.

What's so special about alcohol, anyways?)

[halloflamer]

[Ren isn't the only one who's been taking advantage of the newfound lights to explore Wall Market....]

Oh, fancy seeing you here, Ren-chan~!

[Blue calls when he spots Ren seated at one of the stalls, jogging down the aisle of the marketplace to join him. He adjusts his backpack strap and pulls out a stool of his own, plopping down; Eevee toddles after him, and seats himself at Ren's feet with an expectant preen.]

You have the right idea about grabbing some of this tasty food while it's here, huh? Red told me about this place, but I wonder how long it had been here without us being able to see it...

[forethinking]

( ... Eh.

Awkward to be eyeing alcohol after the party, where the whole thing was over Ren being a minor and thus, not able to drink. In Heavenly Blanc, that is.

Good thing is that Blue doesn't notice is, he guesses, and his attention drops immediately with Eevee asking for pets, which of course, Ren provide without a second thought, patting on his thigh to tell the Pokémon he is more than welcome to nest on him if so wanted.)

Hey, Blue-san. You hadn't been here before?

closed - rinoa!

[forethinking]

(It's just a walk, an opportunity to gather thoughts and review them. The different settings might do wonders for one who sat in the darkness for What Is Time long.

In the distance, he can see her sitting and resting. He hasn't seen much of Rinoa since she met her new companion and he has meant to ask her about her success in training the little creature... Maybe now would be a good time?

So he approaches, much less sneaky than their first encounter.)

Hey, Rinoa. Where's the...

(She named it, didn't she... What was it?)

[pinwheels]

[ Sitting and resting. It feels like there's little else to do in this place. Although things do seem to be returning to a certain degree of normal; hunger struck her a short while ago, and Felix too, if his nibbling at the leather of her boots was any indication. Remembering the stalls in the market, she was able to pick up some food for each of them, and now while she rests, she's letting her companion do a little hunting, insofar as her throwing small chunks of meat for the creature to run after can really be called "hunting".

She looks up at the sound of her name, and smiles when she sees a familiar face approaching. ]

Hi, Ren.

[ The trailed-off question makes her smile. ]

Felix? Wait just one second...

[ And just like that, the animal tears into view, a piece of meat clutched in his mouth. He drops it on the ground in front of them and chirps before eating it in a single snap of his beak. Rinoa smiles, eyes bright, and turns to Ren, holding out a piece of the meat. ]

Hungry?

[forethinking]

(She seemed ok with his approaching, so he sits after removing the coat (new outfit!) and folding it - resting his hands on top of the garment on his lap.

Felix! That was it. Ren smiles when the creature comes to his sight, offering a hand for Felix to sniff. Almost curious whether he recognizes him...)

Not right now, but constantly. Hope sleep is the next thing.

(Please! He's exhausted... Emotionally...)

closed - leo!

[forethinking]

(Ren and Leo haven't hung out in a while, so it felt like it was time to go exploring. Both of them have been clearly bored and surely it felt nice to do something different that isn't sitting and talking with Leo.

With the new things happening, he also expected there to be a new place to explore, so guess that's where they're headed! Ren leaves the coat in the Heavenly Blanc attic, just taking the knife with him before he gestures with his head. Let's get going!

Leo already knows what Ren can do with the knife, so he's not much to hide it, spinning it in his hand while they walk.)

Stop by the church for cakes and we can keep exploring?

[bachagain]

[ wow, look at ren show off. leo watches that knife spinning with some mild amusement, as if pleased that ren was allowing some of the hidden sides of himself show through, before he moves his focus back to their current shenanigans.

( it's true that something resembling monotony was digging into his sides, but perhaps that was more a sense of homesickness than anything else.

hmm, nope, don't focus on that one! ) ]

Sounds good to me! ♪

[ he's staying by ren's side, hands in his pockets as they walk. this world sure did enjoy developing randomly, suddenly, and leo's... not sure if he likes all of it, given the following: ]

Ah, man, I've sure got a like-dislike relationship with this new-old hunger thing! Of all the things to come barreling back in, it had to be punishment for forgetting to eat...!

[forethinking]

(It's nice not having to conceal it - they don't know what to expect in their journey and well, it is a pain to walk around with it tucked in the coat. It's not nearly cold enough to wear that thing around, so just the black turtleneck with pants seemed like a better outfit.

It's with a happy smile that Ren nods to the words! ♪ Here's to you, Leo.

His eyebrows raise at the words though. Makes sense that Leo forgets to eat, with how focused he seems to be...)

I can pack some curry for you to take.

open bathhouse (hijacking a-ok!) ALSO, NAKED PEOPLE HERE. IT'S A BATH.

[forethinking]

(Ah, the bathhouse! Just the place he needed. Whatever it is that is controlling the void certainly was kind by providing Ren with two familiar places where he feels comfortable.

Minus the fish. The fish is news.

Ren separates his (01) one piece of soap, ignoring most of the other products because really, who cares? It is when he hears the a noise coming from the door, and he jumps a little in place. Just... Wasn't expecting company?

Did I mention he's in a towel? Because he is.)

... Hi.

[yinception]

Oh! Greetings~!

[Wuxian wasn't expecting anyone else to be here, either, but unlike Ren, he isn't shocked. It probably helps that, unlike Ren, he's still fully dressed.

Then again, maybe that doesn't make a difference to him after all, because he sure is starting to undress then and there.]

Come to freshen up, too?

[forethinking]

(... Does Wuxian know what a shower is? How were things back on whatever time Wuxian is from, Ren's mind really wants to know...

When the other starts undressing, Ren doesn't react. Normal things!)

We have been without a bath for way too long.

closed - dinner date between friends w/ tifa

[forethinking]

(With two containers of curry in a plastic bag, Ren knocks on Tifa's door a few times. Now that he can cook, it felt only right to share it with his partner... He hopes she likes it? Aerith mentioning never having had curry, so he wondered if she was the same.

When she opens the door, she will be greeted by a smiling Ren lifting up the bag.)

Made some food.

[starshower]

[Even Tifa, who's been Around and likes to think she's well-versed in the land of drinks and cuisine, has never had the opportunity to treat herself to some otherworldly delicacies, so even if there had been curry on Gaia somewhere, chances are she hasn't had it. Which is why the smell of the food surprises her when she swings open the door, and her eyes dart to the bag in his hand.]

Wasn't expecting you to be there, but great! I'm starving.

[Thankfully, she's been eating on the regular regardless of whether she had been feeling hungry or not. She's gotta maintain her shape somehow, and she didn't think she'd do that without eating... strange how, looking back, it wouldn't have made a difference.

She steps aside to let him through.]

Come on in! We can sit at the desk.

[This may just be Ren's first time in her apartment since she moved in—she's been busy cleaning and decorating it so that it was up to snuff enough to have company over—so he'll notice a few things: the handmade punching bag in the middle of the room being the most obvious, but smaller decorations are scattered around as well, including a white board with one thing written on it: "Get some rest."

Important life lessons.]

closed to raccoon, but open for characters to eavesdrop.

[forethinking]

(Comfortable silence. A page flip. The scratching of a pen tip on thin paper. Soundless breathing aside from the occasional short sigh, the surroundings a gentle mix of colors resembling an indoor flower field.

This is a rare moment, with Ren sitting on his bed, scribbling thoughts and findings on his probation diary and Akechi on the chair, reading his overcomplicated philosophy book.

The pen is spinning in Ren's fingers for the time being while he decides to read back on the entries he had written back home. Maybe there's something there that could tie to this situation and he has overlooked.

After a few pages, Ren's low chuckles fill the room with sound.)

You will never let me touch your hair again, will you?

(ooc. any part of this thread can be heard through the void, should you want to! we're playing with the whole thing that sound and distance are inconsistent. if your character is a Nosy, feel free to have this conversations echoing in their ears, wherever they are!)

[simulatio]

[Akechi had, strangely enough, been enjoying himself in Ren's room like this; sure, he'd made a snide remark about how if Ren wanted to be outside so much, he should just go out there instead of bringing all this clutter inside. But it's peaceful to just sit with someone, occasionally remarking aloud about an interesting point he'd read, but otherwise being in companionable silence.

So of course it had to be broken, but at least Ren's the one doing it. Akechi looks up from the book, incredulous, and it takes a few seconds for him to realize what Ren's referencing. Once he does, of course, he frowns.]

After the stunt you pulled the first time? You should count yourself lucky I didn't break your fingers back then.

closed to ren! cw: underage drinking, alcohol use

[simulatio]

[Sometimes, Akechi can be nice. Usually it's because he's actively trying to get something from someone else, or he's banking their good-will for future use. But every now and then, he spares a thought for someone other than himself. It's what has him carefully taking several skewers of cooked meats and a few servings of sushi and packaging them up neatly to bring back with him. He's absolutely certain that others have been taking advantage of Ren's cooking skills and good-will, and while Akechi can't cook himself, he can at least do this much.

Just so that Ren doesn't think Akechi owes him for all the times he's made him curry, of course.

So perhaps he can be forgiven for simply walking into Ren's open room and, reflexively, closing the door behind him, because he wasn't raised in a barn.]

Here.

[forethinking]

(As Akechi could see, Ren wasn't doing anything particularly interesting - just watering the plants, although there was no need as of now. It was important to pick up the habit if they ever do get the risk of withering...

He's a little distracted before Akechi made his presence known, eyebrows rising a little before he offers the boy a soft smile -- what is he holding? Ren's eyes fix on the package and with a slight tilt of his head, he speaks.)

What's that?