ren (
forethinking) wrote in
apocalypsehowcomm2021-09-05 06:57 pm
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Entry tags:
- aelwyn abernant (d20 fantasy high),
- bucky barnes (mcu),
- kate cordello (original),
- zz_andrew jaeger (original),
- zz_jeff calhoun (original),
- zz_loki laufeyson (mcu),
- zz_malcolm bright (prodigal son),
- zz_monika (ddlc),
- zz_ren amamiya (persona 5),
- zz_satoru gojou (jujutsu kaisen),
- zz_stephen strange (mcu),
- zz_takashi shirogane (voltron),
- zz_tim drake (dc comics),
- zz_wanda maximoff (mcu)
(mingle) It must be party time
Who: Ren Amamiya, Wanda Maximoff, you!
When: 12th of September
Where: Good Harbor Beach
Summary: Here's the barbecue log! Eating, playing games, having a bonfire and sleep-over on the beach!
Warnings: Alcohol? Ghost stories?
ɪ. ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ
ɪɪ. ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ
ɪɪɪ. ᴀ ʙᴏɴꜰɪʀᴇ
ɪᴠ. ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏᴏᴄ ɴᴏᴛᴇ
When: 12th of September
Where: Good Harbor Beach
Summary: Here's the barbecue log! Eating, playing games, having a bonfire and sleep-over on the beach!
Warnings: Alcohol? Ghost stories?
ɪ. ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ
Congratulations, you've made it to the Good Harbor Beach September barbecue! With the weather cooling, but still pleasant enough, it's a pleasure to have a hangout involving ADI's residents and those who live at Bonnie's. There are still so many people who don't know one another, and many to strengthen bonds with, so the hours your dearest Wanda and Ren spend cooking and flipping and seasoning are nothing but rewarding! Seeing people enjoying themselves is great and it's motivating for them to keep doing these encounters every now and then.
On the menu, we have:
- Burgers;
- Steaks with jacked potato sides;
- Ribs;
- Zucchini-and-Pecorino fritters;
- Several different salads, including ovcharska;
- Aubergine kebabs with charred onion salsa;
- Salmon yakitori;
- Takoyaki;
- Cupcakes
- Apples and honey;
- Cherry dumplings;
- Sarmale filled with rice;
- Bundevara (pumpkin pie);
For drinks, there's a selection of alcohol, as well as coffee, water, tea, and a variety of sodas. Take in the nice view, jump on the ocean, sink your toes in the sand and enjoy yourselves. There aren't any usable tables, but there are several blankets on the floor for your perusal.
ɪɪ. ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ
With bellies full, now it's when the real fun begins. There are a few decks of cards being passed around, as well as one of their single tables now organized to a beer-pong competition. Individually, games such as Never Have I Ever, as well as Truth or Dare can be seen, and those who wish to use their skills for entertaining are more than welcome to do so.
A little bonding here, a little drunken chatting there, this is your time to shine!
ɪɪɪ. ᴀ ʙᴏɴꜰɪʀᴇ
With those who have a curfew to worry about in mind, a bonfire is lit, and a few tents are set around the beach (may have to be shared). If anyone's got a nice story, now it's the time to share it, or perhaps if anyone can play an instrument, it's about time to break it out of its case. The night will be lively until the early hours of the morning, and of course, mindful of those who couldn't stay up this late.
The next morning, everyone will be properly thanked for their attendance and tupperwares will be distributed with leftovers for those who'd like to take some food home, the beach will be cleaned impeccably and everyone will go their own way, hopefully with smiles and a new sense of unity and connection from the amazing night they've just experienced.
ɪᴠ. ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏᴏᴄ ɴᴏᴛᴇ
(Please put in your top-level subject line or prompt line whether it's okay to threadjack! Just to keep things more dynamic, we encourage it!)
look. i'll keep you awake and entertained w stories of hover eggplants.
it feels nice, it sounds nice, and it drags all those buried memories to the forefront of his mind, to have him being the one thinking you looked nice and considering that maybe he’s neglected parts of his humanity too. there’s been far too much going on for him to even allow himself the prospect of love and relationships or even scratching the itch of a couple of well spent hours. ever since adam and kerberos and the war…
adam.
it’s not just his mind spinning the name back at him, it’s said in keith’s voice too. he’s drunk, he tells himself, just to smooth over the fact that keith is throwing a broken engagement in his face to prove a point. he knows keith can’t comprehend how it comes across but it still stings.
just like that, shiro’s budding willingness to think of himself as more than a paladin or an agent with the sole purpose of preventing calamity, collapses. adam will always be a sore subject, especially with the one, two punch to his psyche done at the circus a few weeks ago. but it’s more than that here. shiro thinking, even for a few moments, that he could be with someone again? tch. he couldn’t keep a relationship together when he was whole, why should he think he'd be enough for someone now?
he grimaces, swallowing. ]
I think… [ he’s not angry. he’s not even necessarily sad. he’s simply tired and with slow movements, he unwraps his arms and takes keith by the shoulders, gently pushing back. ] It’s time we call it a night. Let’s head back.
I'm leaving.
[ as shiro dislodges keith from his spot, he stiffens up but doesn't put up any real resistance to being pushed away. it's one word, but his expression and tone fall with it, as keith turns his face towards the sea. suddenly, he wishes the guys playing volleyball earlier were still around to watch. ]
... you go back without me.I'll walk back with someone else later.
i'll allow it, just so you can rest your head. also, i decided they're beach camping afterall
telling keith that shiro wants to keep an eye on him sounds a lot like babysitting though. probably not the best way to approach coaxing a compromised boy into an agreement. so shiro takes an extra moment longer to gather his words, eventually settling on a hopeful look and an encouraging: ]
C’mon, we stick together, remember?
[ he gives keith’s right shoulder a squeeze and then a gentle shake, both hands falling away afterwards. ]
I need your help anyway. [ perhaps nudging keith into action will work better with a challenge? ] We need to snatch one of those tents before they’re all taken.
i'm distressed by this brainhack attempt
Find a tent? Okay, you got it. That's way better than going back to my creepy room.
[ questionable phrasing aside, keith ducks out from under shiro's grip and takes off running, arms outstretched like a jetplane as he clumsily runs back towards the campsite to zero in on one of the tents.
or more accurately, he kinda trips and bumps into the side of a red tent. mercifully the thing is unoccupied. ]
shiro is learning. he knows what keith likes.
nothing too unusual. keith did the same while tracking the blue lion; organizing his thoughts in such a way isn’t creepy, per say. eccentric, yes, but not creepy. so what does keith mean?
it’ll have to wait for now, because keith’s got a hefty head start on him. putting a pin in it with the promise to ask about it later, shiro takes off running after keith. it doesn’t take long to catch up, not when keith is still clumsy in his steps and distracted with being an airplane. he doesn’t want to admit it’s kind of cute, so he’ll pretend it isn’t. doesn’t stop him from laughing when keith crashes into a tent. ]
Careful! [ voice amused and still caught up in a laugh, he closes in and claps his arm around keith’s shoulders, helping haul him upright and steady him. ] I thought you could fly anything. A Keith craft should be a cinch.
[ he smiles and leads keith around to the front of the tent, letting go to bend down and peek inside the already unzipped opening. No people and no personal items, good. ] But you picked well, so you get a pass. Guess we’ll claim this.
funny i thought this thread was pointing out that shiro does not, in fact, know what keith likes
I was only a tiny bit wobbly with the Keith craft.
[ a tiny bit wobbly might be a bit of a generous statement, but keith still says it with a distinct pout. nonetheless, he follows shiro around to the front of the tent and hunkers down to crawl inside where there appears to be exactly one sleeping bag. keith pokes at it like doing so might make i bud into two, then looks over his shoulder. ]
Are we sleeping together?
Hey now. Shiro also knows keith likes his twinks.
stupid. he seems to be calling himself this a lot lately. he should have pushed for them to return to the apartment and settled keith in his own room, even if it is supposedly creepy.
whatever -- shiro isn’t all that tired anyway. he likely won’t sleep. he needs to make sure keith doesn’t wander off in his inebriated state and close quarters give the perfect excuse to do so. encouraged by this one positive, shiro crawls in too, soon turning to work on zipping the entrance flap closed. ]
We can unzip it and use it as one big blanket instead. [ is that a yes? a no? shiro doesn’t directly address it, instead skirting around. ]
There should be enough room for both of us to sleep comfortably.
i can't believe this is the takeaway message here...
as shiro works on zipping the tent closed, keith fumbles somewhat awkwardly to get the sleeping bag unzipped. it doesn't go all that smoothly, but after a few yankings he manages to get it at least halfway opened up. for better or for worse, he has a follow up question though: ]
But what about the pillow? [ there's only one of those and it doesn't look like poking things is getting anything to duplicate today. ]
Do I use you as a pillow? Or do you use me as a pillow?
what else is shiro supposed to think???
if keith had only asked who gets the pillow, this wouldn’t be an issue. who should get the pillow is a legitimate question; asking who gets to be the substitute pillow for the other person is not. it strikes up an image in shiro’s mind and before he’s even fully comprehended it, he finds himself leaning heavily to one of those two options.
but then he catches up with himself and decides that, no, neither of those should be considered options. he turns away from the flap at last and looks to keith. just one, brief glance and then he reaches for that half opened sleeping bag to begin working the rest open. ]
I’m fine without one. You take it. [ without looking at it directly, he nods toward the pillow. ] You’ll be needing it more than me, considering the hangover you’ll be waking up to tomorrow.
the obvious??
I don't want a hangover. [ because that's obviously something you can decide to avoid simply by willing it so. then in complete non-sequitur: ] I wanna cuddle though. Seems nice and toasty.
but what's the obvious!
nice and toasty -- wait, what? ]
With me? [ brain locked up, the question slips out and immediately, the surprise gives way for him to inwardly groan. of course with him, who else? keith’s crush. no. keith’s loopy and ridiculous right now, but it’s quite a stretch to take that as some subtle request for shiro to go and retrieve keith’s mystery guy.
keith wants to cuddle with him and that’s… fine? ] Uh… are you sure? [ not a no. why isn’t it a no? ]
im closing my eyes
Mhm. [ followed by a nod that comes without hesitation to further emphasize the point. ] I haven't been sleeping so good by myself. Keep thinking something bad's gonna happen.
[ a shift as he slides his other foot underneath their makeshift blanket. ]
Feels better when you're around.
i feel accomplished.
some best friend and some leader he’s turning out to be.
sitting through his own reprimands, shiro doesn’t give anything away as he watches keith slip his feet under the sleeping bag. feels better when he’s around? shiro hums softly, quirking the barest of smiles for two, three beats and then lets it uncurl into neutrality again. he feels better when keith is around too. it’s comforting to know he has someone watching his back and it helps settle his perpetual worry by having keith in sight. but most of all? they’re friends and it feels good to be around keith for that reason alone.
so maybe being close tonight isn’t such a terrible thought. ] You called your room creepy earlier. [ he works off his shoes; one pull each to have them off and set aside, socks following shortly thereafter. picks back the supposed blanket and arranges himself to scoot under. ]
Is it something about the apartment that bothers you? [ such as a roommate, who brings in contraband? ] Or is it… [ pauses and laughs once, even though it’s as far as it can be from funny. ] -- everything?
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[ keith scoots further down under their blanket until he's settled on his back. notably, he isn't using the pillow just yet, angling, twisting and burrowing until he finds a comfortable position. that position ends up lying on his belly, halfway flopped on shiro's chest. he continues in that small pensive tone of voice. ]
Feels like something's watching me. Not sure who or what it is. But I don't wanna sleep alone. Not safe.
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it’s almost a relief, honestly, to be the one following for once. now that the decisions have been made for him, shiro sees little point in disrupting everything by nudging keith off, especially when keith’s voice has gone soft and contemplative, shedding light to a vulnerability shiro was mostly blind to. if keith wants to sleep like this, for whatever reason, shiro can provide him that much. but first -- shiro sighs and tries not to jostle keith too much as he snatches the pillow neither of them have utilized. lifts his head and shoulders up, stuffing the pillow behind him, before flopping his head onto it.
much better.
he breathes in and exhales slow, relaxing into the feel of everything and once settled, he offers what he hopes is a comforting: ]
You’re safe there. [ even sleeping alone. is keith truly concerned about that? should shiro offer…? without much thought, his hand finds its way to keith’s back, palm flat to his upper spine. ] You know the kind of security ADI runs through that place. [ if they miss curfew, they even have a difficult time getting back inside. he huffs in a sound of vague amusement and swipes his thumb against his shoulder blade. ] And I’m there. Just one door over. Nothing’s getting into the apartment without me knowing about it.
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No. No, you wouldn't. [ it's said with surprising firmness, despite the lazy way keith's draped himself over his best friend. ] There's wormholes and fire and things in the mirror. Y
[ his grip tightens slightly on shiro's shirt, eyes closing. ]
But losing you's still scares me the most.
no subject
security can only be achieved when they’re together. and well…
he’s back to his earlier cut-off wondering: should he offer to room with keith? before, he would’ve instantly said no because he needs his space and he hardly sleeps and when he does, nightmares aren’t far. however, now, he’s stuck on keith saying he fears losing him the most. shiro feels similarly. he refuses to let anything happen to keith, not on his watch. so -- guess he should extend his watch, huh?
hand still at keith’s back, shiro drags it higher and touches his nape, brushing at the mess of hair there. he lets the silence extend a little longer and then: ]
Would it actually help you to have someone in the room while you sleep?
[ tentative and gentle, it’s not an offer just yet, but it’s a step in that direction. ]
no subject
having his own room to sleep in, away from the eyes of other kids from the group home and his garrison roommate had always been such an incredible joy and relief. somehow this feels like regressing but different somehow? hard to connect the dots, but it still makes keith frown as he thinks about it. ...or tries to. ]
Not someone. [ mumbled eventually, still while his eyes are closed. ] You. Just you.
no subject
you, just you? he swallows back a question: why? it makes sense, he supposes. they’re the fragments of team voltron and beyond the commonality of a shared universe and a shared history, their friendship has them trusting each other with their lives. so who better to be with at his most vulnerable?
despite what keith’s said, keith’s mystery crush comes to mind. his suspicions are few. he can’t put a face to a guess but he imagines it down to the bare bones: keith’s room, keith’s bed and a different body -- slighter, perhaps -- than the one keith is resting against right now. keith said, he tries to remind himself, but he wonders anyway, if keith would inevitably find comfort curled up with this someone else. he doesn’t know why it bothers him. it’s not like he’s being replaced. they aren’t like this. keith wouldn’t want to cuddle while sober.
his inner voice betrays him then and points out how he isn’t denying wanting to do it himself. he shoves the thought back but it’s difficult to deny it now; to deny how it’s nice having the weight of keith’s head on his chest, feeling it through every draw of breath. that’s not why he offers, no. it has nothing to do with… whatever this is. instead, it has everything to do with shiro wanting to support keith through the worst of what this universe has in store for them. ]
My door is always open to you, you know. [ voice still holding all those gentle notes, shiro gives up on watching that mop of hair spilled out on him and looks to the poles crossing at the tent’s top. perhaps none of this will matter come morning. keith might not remember or if he does, he may never admit to it to take shiro up on it. either way, shiro can’t leave it alone right now. ]
If you can’t sleep or you feel unsafe… you can sleep in my room. [ he twirls his index, absentmindedly winding the ends of keith’s hair round and round it, tight. ] Any time. I’m usually awake anyway.
no subject
You mean it?
[ equal parts hopeful and incredulous, he leans down close, nose inches away from shiro's as he crowds. he doesn't wait for an answer though, breaking into a lopsided smile.]
How come you aren't sleeping? Have you always not been sleeping?
[ given an extra moment of thought, this might be more self explanatory, but well.... thought and keith aren't exactly best of friends right now. ]
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it’s not just the questions either, that have shiro feeling completely off-kilter with where everything is headed. there’s palms on his chest, weight pressing more firmly into him, and a face, a very sweetly happy face filling the whole of his gaze.
-- double fuck. he presses his head back further into the pillow, although it does little to broaden the space between their noses, and then grasps keith by his shoulders, not quite pushing ( yet ) but holding to keep him still, just in case. ]
No real reason other than I’m not sleepy. [ a beat. a hastily amended: ] Usually. But I am right now. Aren’t you?
[ and here, now he’ll gently nudge keith back, encouraging him to return to his earlier spot, cuddled against him. ] How about you settle back down and we get some sleep, hm?
no subject
I'm not sleepy at all.
[ lethargic, dizzy and kinda out of it, but still pretty energetic and wanting to run some more on the beach as a matter of fact. but here, as if he thinks he's actually extending some kind of compromise olive branch rather than making a ludicrous demand, keith snakes his hand up to cup shiro's cheek. ]
Sing me a song to sleep?
no subject
so he lets go of one shoulder and grasps keith’s hand, momentarily, unintentionally pressing it closer to his cheek before he skirts his fingers around and tugs keith’s hand away. one crisis averted, now for the second. ]
Uh… [ great start. sounding uncertain but willing to play along: ] If that’s what you want… ?
[ he'll try just about anything to get keith to settle down and sleep at this point. though, he hasn’t given it any mind up until this point: how far off are the tents from each other? hopefully they don’t have any neighbors listening in, especially for the next couple of minutes. ]
Do you have a particular song you’d like to hear?
no subject
Uh-huh, I want a song.
[ stated emphatically as he squirms and finally gets comfortable, lying down with the back of his head resting on shiro's chest. ]
Sing me one of those old-timer tunes you used to play in the jeep. Or make one up. Just wanna hear you sing. Bet it's real nice.
i want you to know, this is the first song that popped into my head and idk how to feel about that.
in the shower? in a vehicle, alone? sure, shiro isn’t shy in belting out familiar lyrics, but in a tent, likely within earshot of a slew of acquaintances and one drunk boy now -- finally -- settling down? no thanks. and yet, even as he thinks this, he’s also shuffling through his memory bank, not only trying to pinpoint a song, but one he actually knows the lyrics to.
he hums, both in response and in some half-ass attempt to warm up a singing voice. ] I don’t know about real nice but -- here goes.
[ he continues to let keith hide his eyes under his hand. it helps in a way, though, shiro is also looking back to the top of the tent, which stems the last of his unease, enough so for him to start mid-song. ]
Oh, I am what I am. [ pretty decent. he can hold a tune. ] I’ll do what I want. But I can’t hide. [ classic music right here… and yes, he is powering through, despite the mix of awkward and shy warming his face from cheeks to ears. ]
And I won’t go. I won’t sleep. I can’t breathe -- until you’re resting here with me. [ recognize it, keith? likely not, but listen to the end message: rest. ]
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