[open] one's home is one's.... hopefully-not-burning-like-the-actual-palace castle

[gekkajuu]

Who: Atsushi (gekkajuu) & anyone/everyone
What: A fairly subdued housewarming party! Also a chance to get some activity in while waiting for the event. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
When: Now. Ish. Now is good.
Where: Olympia, Noble District because tiger boy is moving up in the world~
Warning(s): None..? This is an open mingle, so tag each other with some (probably) lighter stuff between all the WAR and RAWR! Should things get some kind of naughty, please put proper warnings in your subject lines, thank you.

It's almost certainly not the biggest mansion in the Noble District - but who cares? Atsushi is honored (and more than a little surprised) that he got offered this housing in the first place. Carefully inquiring about the rent (because of course this had to be some kind of scam?), he was told that there wasn't any, and he could simply live there for free.

There is always that voice in the back of his head telling him "if it seems too good to be true..." - but he's trying to get better about ignoring it. After all, even if he has to go back to a simpler place to live later, there's nothing lost. So he moves in (together with some friends), tries to find his way - and organizes a housewarming party almost immediately. He could use something to distract him... and so could other people, probably.

Join him? The mansion is still pretty empty - Atsushi's previous possessions aren't enough to fill so much as his bedroom - but the kitchen is full, and there's enough furniture in the living room to make yourself comfortable, a long table decked out with food and drinks that took some effort to procure.

Some options:
- Enjoy the food! Enjoy the drink! Atsushi isn't big on alcohol, but he invited Chuuya to live here, so you can bet your ass there will be something to get drunk off.
- You're welcome to raid the kitchen, too! ... but, seriously, don't open that ribbon-tied box with a note that says "for Reign-san". Yes, those are some tasty-looking mochi - but they have a secret ingredient.
- Do you want to look around upstairs? The master bathroom is huge. Please don't have sex in other people's beds, though... Or do, I'm not your boss.
- Just do your thing, man. It's a party. Forget about the city being on fire for a few hours, and try to have fun. Or plot how to achieve peace over some nice snacks, that's also appreciated.

Floor plan, to help you visualize the place, is this - with the minor change that the office and massage rooms are combined into a single room: the guest bedroom mentioned in Atsushi's network post.

Comments

Dylas - OTA

[sullenstallion]

[To those who know him, it likely doesn't come as a surprise that Dylas is keeping to himself, even at the party. It's nice! And he does make an attempt to mingle, but those moments are brief and consist mostly of him standing in the same room as everyone else and not engaging. Obviously, six and a half feet of blue-haired horseman can stand around and not be noticed.

But he doesn't wander too far at first. He can be found in the kitchen. He's hanging a few impressive gyotaku in an empty space or two in between making food for the party. Fish and bread, mostly, and some desserts in addition to whatever Atsushi is pushing out. If anyone wanders in, he'll give them the same response without looking to see who it is:]

Can I help you with something?

[If he's cooking, he has his apron on. Don't mistake him for the help. And his tone is just as "wow, I'm perpetually annoyed" as ever.

Eventually, he'll retreat to his room—he has unpacking to do. Jewelry to display, fishing rods to mount (yes, plural), clothes to change out of. Hell, he has his own changing room? And there's a terrace right there that leads to a lavish bathroom...it all feels like a bit much, but he can't say it doesn't remind him of home.

He leaves the door to his room open for what will definitely be the first and last time (or so he thinks). If anyone comes looking for him, he might not be immediately noticeable...who knows what they'll find him doing?]

ACTUALLY PRE-PARTY using this as a catch-all and nobody can stop me

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi was slowly but surely getting everything sorted in the new house - even with relatively few possessions, it was far more of a hassle than he could ever have imagined - but after Dylas' call, he drops everything to head right over to their old house with a set of Dylas' clothes. All right, so maybe finding those had taken a little time... He was honestly hurrying the best he could!

Already, it's a little weird to return to the residential district. It even smells different... but it's still easier to find his way around in, for habit alone. Given Dylas' state of not-nudity-but-still-lack-of-proper-clothes, Atsushi knocks instead of entering.]

Dylas? I brought your clothes!

[... Probably a good thing they're moving out. Whatever will the neighbors think?]

[sullenstallion]

[Dylas appreciates the knock, but despite his above average hearing he still yelps when he hears it. He's been distracted by how embarrassing this ever since they stopped communicating over the network. His username does a great job describing how he really feels about the situation. No. See? Perfect.]

H-hold on.

[There's some shuffling of feet. Wait, what does he have to be embarrassed about? It's not like he's naked...well, his attempts to wear pants ended badly and those are discarded nearby...wait, did Atsushi go through his socks and underwear?! No. No, he can't think about that right now. That's overthinking. And that's. Bad?]

Ahem. Come in.

[But despite how his voice manages to sound dignified and self-assured for five seconds, he's...standing behinda curtain. It doesn't do much. Enough of his leg is sticking out to see that he's not nude, and the awkwardly worn shirt is...probably hilarious. On another day. If it happened to someone else!]

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi waits patiently, then pops in the moment he's invited. Only once he's hurriedly closed the door behind him does he pay any attention to the horse-man behind the curtain.

... Well. Okay... Sure. Dylas seems kinda like a dog that got its snout stuck in a jar of peanut butter, but sure.]

I brought your clothes...

[Staring a bit, Atsushi holds out the bag with clothes, as if he needs to present it for evidence. Too bad he's not holding it close enough for Dylas to grab it from behind the curtain.]

[sullenstallion]

[This is embarrassing. He's standing there like this is...scandalous...but it's not, is it? But it's Atsushi's shirt that he's pretty much ruined by putting it on. He feels bad about that, but how else was he going to get from Point A to Point B, Point B being wherever he could change into clothes that fit him?

Maybe he should have asked for help from the beginning.]

Uh...thanks. I'm...embarrassed.

[#NailedIt. Dylas stands there and stares at the bag. Why isn't Atsushi bringing it closer? Why isn't anyone saying anything? There's a steady thwap, thwap, thwap as his tail hits the wall behind him...before he steps out to grab the clothes. Hopefully this isn't Atsushi's favorite shirt or something.]

I'll take those if that's alright.

[Oh, gods, please don't laugh.]

[gekkajuu]

[...

.......

On the bright side: Atsushi isn't mad or anything. He's used to ruining his shirts (and pants, and shoes...) himself, when he transforms, so one more or less doesn't really make a difference. But seeing Dylas like that is just -...

Well, it's both hilarious and oddly adorable, to be honest. Which is probably why he manages to avoid laughing outright, though there's a soft hint of it in his voice.]

... That was never going to fit, silly.

[But here, have your own clothes to end your misery.]

[sullenstallion]

[Dylas can relate. Turning into a unicorn doesn't exactly treat his clothes well? The few times he's taken advantage of his power (the very few times), he's had to bring a spare change of clothes in a bag and hope he doesn't scar someone for life by transforming back in plain view.

Dylas scoffs, the familiar rosy color of his blush tinting his cheeks the second he hears that tone. He grabs the bag and holds it in front of him like he's been caught naked.]

It was either this or I stand around without anything to wear. I didn't have a choice. But now I feel like these are even worse.

[He huffs, his breath blowing upward and blowing that strand of hair in front of his face up before it falls down again.]

[gekkajuu]

[Okay, Dylas really is adorable... No doubt he'll get huffy again soon and this fragile moment will be ruined, but Atsushi can deal with that. He is also, however, determined not to let that intimidate him. They've known each other for a while, now; they can be expected to deal with each other's shortcomings.

Reaching up, he takes that loose strand of hair of Dylas' and tucks it away behind his totally-not-horse-like ear, even if he has to tip-toe to do it.]

You have your clothes now, so it's over, right?

Let's get you changed. We'll go to the mansion and dedicate the kitchen with whatever meal you want.

[Though he'll probably have to cook it himself... l-lol...]

[sullenstallion]

Yeah, it's over.

[He wants to get huffy. He feels like an idiot. The things he'll do to go out of his way not to bother Atsushi are pretty ridiculous. Atsushi is such a nice person, and here he is ruining one of his shirts, and...

Wait, what? His ears perk straight up and his tail sweeps along the floor.]

What do you mean by ' let's '? Are you going to help me change out of these?

[He's not sure what's worse, the fact that he doesn't know what Atsushi is saying or the fact that he can't really say no if his friend really wants to help dress him??? What's going on here. He's sort of frozen. What meal?]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya, of course, is indulging in the selection of alcohol that Atsushi had been kind enough to procure for the party, but eventually he grows bored of mingling and wanders into the kitchen out of pure curiousity. There he finds Dylas, looking sullen as ever but with an apron on. They live together now, soooo...they should try to get along, right?

Chuuya leans against the doorway, sipping out of his wine glass as he inhales the aroma of delicious food.]

What’s cooking?

[sullenstallion]

Fisherman's pizza.

[But unlike in his thread with Reign, it's just come out of the oven here. Frutti di Mare, a collection of shrimp and shellfish atop a tomato sauce and crust. There's no cheese to be found because Dylas isn't a scrub. There's also no manners to be found, because he still doesn't turn around. He recognizes that voice, remembers their awkward first meeting, and...they're living together.

He sighs loudly in the kitchen before finally turning around. Without his wild mane of hair, Dylas looks different; as is, it's tied into a ponytail, leaving him with two horse tails to deal with.]

What was your name again? You can't have any yet.

[thetaintedsorrow]

You seriously don’t remember your own housemate’s name? Christ.

[Or maybe he’s just trying to fuck with Chuuya. Either way, Chuuya isn’t exactly pleased, but he refrains from starting a fight out of respect for Atsushi. He just got invited to move in, so he can’t exactly crash this party without facing some serious consequences. Plus, he can’t give Dylas the satisfaction of riling him up.]

It’s Chuuya. Don’t forget it.

[A huff as he walks into the kitchen to hover over the food. It honestly smells divine, but he can’t just say that.]

Where’s the cheese?

[sullenstallion]

Cheese and seafood don't pair together.

[Okay. So, it's Chuuya, and he needs to remember to pretend he forgot in the future. His ears flick a little at the order; Dylas knows he needs to be nicer to his housemates for Atsushi's sake, but it's just so hard...short redheads bring out the absolute worst out of him.

But he eventually turns around, his tail swishing through the air. He doesn't rest his hands on his body because he's been cooking, of course, but there's one question on his mind. That word. He's heard it before. It's a name.]

Who's Christ?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Huh. Who knew?

[Chuuya is used to fine dining, but clearly he hasn’t paid that much attention to what he eats. Whatever, pairing food with wine is his specialty, not cooking it. He’ll leave that to Dylas and Atsushi.

Chuuya blinks a few times at the question. Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t be surprised because different words exist and all, but he’s not really prepared to answer that question.

He can’t back down now, though.]

Uh. Jesus Christ? Christians think he’s the son of God? Died on the cross? That sort of thing?

[Chuuya isn’t religious, but he’s aware of different religions, at least.]

[sullenstallion]

I did. Because I'm a chef.

[He says that with more smugness than he has any right to. He's just a baker, after all, who makes treats for sick children. But if he can sound smug and superior to Chuuya, something tells him he should just take the opportunity.

He listens to the following explanation, but it's clear from his expression that it isn't sinking in at all.]

So...he's a friend of yours? This Christ guy? And he's a god? Are you two close or something?

[He did just randomly say his name in the middle of a conversation.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Tch.

[That’s all Chuuya has to say to the chef comment. Look, he might not know much about cooking aside from what he learned on the food channels, but he’s not about to argue over something so dumb when Atsushi has just invited him to live here. Unless Dylas keeps poking at him. Then he will.

Chuuya lets out an exasperated sigh; he’s the last person in the world that needs to be explaining religion to others.]

No. It’s just an expression. Like “holy shit”.

[sullenstallion]

Holy...shit?

[Dylas scratches right beneath the scar on his cheek. He's heard that expression. Chuuya doesn't know he has, however, and he'd like to keep having some fun here. Who needs friends when he already has Atsushi???]

That's disgusting. Worship shit on your own time. And don't go worshiping anyone else's while you're in this house.

[eaudevamp]

[ Having been shown by Atsushi how Dylas looked like and where he could be found, Reign made a beeline for the kitchen after chatting with Atsushi and getting a tour of the mansion. He walked down the long corridor past other rooms until he found what he was looking for.

He poked his head in, glancing around until he spotted the man with the horse features. Of course, Reign made a mental note not to bring up the "h-word" that Atsushi had warned him against using. He smiled with a wave of his hand. ]

No, not now. I just wanted to come and say hello. You're Dylas, right? I'm Reign, one of Atsushi's friend.

[ He sniffed the air, scenting the delicious smell. ]

Oooh, what are you cooking?

[sullenstallion]

[Careful, Reign. The Orbiters have gifted him with animal hearing to go with his furry ears...

But whether he's heard or not, Dylas doesn't immediately turn around. He's in the middle of deveining some shrimp that seem to be native to this planet, and he considers that to be a little more unimportant. His ears do perk, so it's not like he hasn't heard Reign, it just takes a second for him to realize he's making a horrible first impression.]

Yep. That's me.

[At hearing Atsushi's name mentioned, ah. Dylas needs to be more polite. If it were someone else's friend, he really wouldn't have cared, but one flick of his tail later and he's turned around. ...Wait, is Rain really a name?]

I'm making seafood pizza. It's easy to eat, but it won't be done for a while. [His eyes light up for a second, more traces of his grumpiness vanishing, but...] Wait, Atsushi told you about me? Why would he do that, I wonder. He's been doing that a lot lately...

[He takes off his cooking gloves and sets them on the counter behind him before rubbing the back of his neck. His hair, a very definite periwinkle mane, is tied into a long ponytail that moves when he does.]

[eaudevamp]

[ Internal panic! Reign would be more careful if he knew just how good Dylas's sense of hearing was, but in all honesty he hadn't meant the words in jest. Hopefully Dylas would let it slide if he did hear it.

By now Reign knew better to ask about Dylas's features unless the man himself voluntarily divulge that information. Sometimes Reign could be pretty blunt and needed a little knock on the head. Dylas seemed friendly enough, Reign noted as he properly stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

Truth be told, Dylas would be surprised at the naming culture of Reign's world, specifically those of vampires. Hey, his best friend's name was Shell. Was that weird enough? But if Dylas ask, Reign will be sure to spell out his own name. ]

Smells delicious though. [ Although Reign wouldn't be able to really eat it, not if he wanted to give Dylas the fright of his life by saying he drank blood. ] Atsushi only told me because I ask. Maybe he wants to introduce you to more people.

[ Reign took a step closer, then stopped, wondering if he was allowed to be around someone who was busy cooking. He knew personally that when one was in the midst of a task, focus was most important and any interruption wouldn't be appreciated. So he stood where he was, unless Dylas invited him closer. ] What kind of seafood pizza are you making? [ He asked instead. ]

[sullenstallion]

[It's going to be an odd ability to have now that he lives with so many people. He's sure there are some things he really, really doesn't want to hear.

He folds his arms against his chest, not having the heart to tell Rain that what he's smelling is the previous fish hors d'oeuvres or other breads. He's not going to be able to finish constructing his pizza until his attention is back on finishing the shrimp. He'd like to get back to it, but he can spare some time for a friend of Atsushi's.]

It's mussels and shrimp served on a tomato sauce bed. It's a pretty popular dish from the restaurant I used to work at.

[He wasn't a chef back then. No, he was just a waiter. Nowadays, he's just practicing and refining his cooking on his own and at work to keep the days of his old life in his head. His ears droop at some depressing thoughts of his own design, that he might be making trouble for Atsushi if he's so concerned he has to send new friends his way.]

I know lots of people...tch. That tiger's too pure. He should be focusing on other things.

[eaudevamp]

[ In truth, Reign would have been impressed that Dylas was able to use what little remaining food there was and create a new dish out of it. As much as Reign was a chatter and wanted to get to know Dylas more, he didn't want to take Dylas's time away too much. ]

That's quite amazing. I haven't try anything like that before.

[ That was probably Reign's faux pas #1: mentioning that he'd never tasted a certain food and being offered it when it wasn't in his diet. What would Dylas think if he knew that Reign was a vampire that drank human blood? Dylas may be safe from Reign since he clearly wasn't human, but even Reign had drank demon blood before, though that was more Mephisto being in a human body.

Either way, he chuckled softly. ] But that's what makes him endearing. [ A pause. ] Urm, I understand if you prefer to be alone while preparing the seafood pizza, but... is it all right if I watch you cook?

[sullenstallion]

Really? It's nothing special.

[But his cheeks color at the compliment, enough so that he turns around and pretends to check on his work to give himself a second to get over how embarrassed being praised makes him feel. Even if it's nice? He has no idea about any blood stuff going on, of course.]

You can try this if you want. I already seasoned and cooked these shrimp. [He grabs one of the bowls and holds it out for Reign.] I wasn't sure if I wanted to bake them in the oven or add them when it was over. Both ways are fine, I think.

[The shrimp are delicious, actually, so he expects Reign to take one and try one. He can't imagine someone not liking seafood.]

There's not much left for me to do, anyways. Once I put it in the oven, we just have to wait.

[eaudevamp]

[ Oooooh, that was a good look on Dylas. Did the man not receive compliments often? Reign will have to change that. It reminded him of Atsushi a little. Whether Dylas knew about the blood stuff, Reign wasn't going to bring it up, not unless Dylas broach the subject.

He stepped closer as he was offered the shrimps, and while such food wouldn't give him sustenance, it didn't mean he couldn't give it a taste. ] If there's enough ingredients and time, why not try both?

[ Either way, he picked one of the smaller shrimps and popped it in his mouth, chewing with a thoughtful hum. ] Not bad, though I'm not really a good judge when it comes to flavours. [ Maybe if Dylas sprinkled a bit of blood on it... ]

Does it take long to bake?

[sullenstallion]

[He certainly doesn't make it easy for others to give him compliments. El Nysa seems to make his moodiness worse. He has high highs and he has low lows. Everything is so much more frantic than it used to be.

At 'why not try both,' he offers a helpless shrug.]

I don't think there are that many people here waiting to eat pizza. One will be enough. [He tries to sound apologetic; it's a rare tone on him, but Reign seems pretty...not annoying so far.] It shouldn't take more than twenty minutes, I guess. I guess I'll wait in here. [As opposed to going back out into the party.] You not a big fan of seafood or something?