[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

A Soosh

[gekkajuu]

Come talk to the newly appointed Master of the house? Atsushi will try to provide people with drinks and snacks (though everyone is free to grab their own, too), and he'll be happy to give you a tour of the place, though he may be a little awkward about it. He's very impressed by his own mansion - but showing people around also feels like showing off.

Atsushi's white tiger cub Daifuku will also be wandering around being some level of playful and/or naughty. He loves his new territory.

[eaudevamp]

Reign had received the invitation to come stay in Atsushi's mansion as well, but he'd kindly declined in the hopes that one day his friend, Shell, would wake and at least have a place to stay. Or at least made it easier for his friend to find. But he appreciated it nonetheless, and was pleased to attend the housewarming party.

He arrived dressed in a semi-formal attire, as he often did, with a gift box in one hand. His pet giraffe, Scorch, was in his other arm. Reign's smile was wide when he spotted Atsushi. He would have waved if he could, but... he had his hands quite full, literally.

"Congratulations on the new mansion, Atsushi! Oh, I've made a little something for you," Reign said as he held out a box, inside containing a potpourri glass jar to be placed anywhere Atsushi so wished. That done, he placed Scorch on the floor so the tiny giraffe could go look for Daifuku and join the white tiger in some play time.

[gekkajuu]

"It's really something, isn't it?" And a little embarrassing, honestly. It was such a big house...

"Oh, thank you! But you really needn't have brought me anything." Still, it was mostly obligatory politeness: Atsushi didn't feel too guilty for having 'made' Reign bring him a gift. Quickly unwrapping it, he was amazed at the scent. "That smells delicious! Thank you so much!"

"Oh - I have something for you, too!" Looking around a little restlessly as he tried to determine where to put the jar for now (he really was still getting used to this house, and it had to be somewhere Daifuku-proof!), he rushed off to the kitchen, soon returning with a box that had a ribbon around it. Not only did that look nice, but it had seemed the best way to keep other people from snacking on the contents - that, and the note indicating it was intended for Reign.

"Here you go!" Offering the box with two hands and a dazzling smile, Atsushi was rather pleased with the mochi he'd made. "The ones with one red dot have only a little blood, the ones with two red dots have a little more, but it's made the filling more fluid than it should be... I wasn't sure what would be tastiest."

[eaudevamp]

Reign waved a dismissive hand with a chuckle. "It's only polite. Besides, I get to put my ideas in fragrance making into your gift. You're the first to get it." He winked, a teasing grin on his lips. Reign had read about those in the Institute's library and ended up giving a try to make one. He hoped the end result turned out well and receptive not just by Atsushi, but those living in the same house as well. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

When Atsushi headed into the kitchen, Reign took that time to glance around, smiling fondly as he watched the two animals playing around. It was obvious both creatures had taken a liking to each other. When Atsushi returned, Reign blinked in surprise at the box, saying a word of thanks as he pulled the red ribbon loose and opening the box.

"Oh! Are these the mochis you mentioned before? You've succeeded in making them?" Regin was utterly impressed. He took the one with the single dot and gave it a sniff, able to smell the faint whiff of blood, then popped it into his mouth. Since he'd never drank Atsushi's blood before, Reign didn't know how it taste, but he knew now as he chewed.

"This actually turned out quite well, I must say. The taste of bl— urm, you know, isn't overpowering. Let's try the other type." He hummed softly as he tasted the second type, nodding his head. "Admittedly, the second one tastes better. It's not too overpowering either, but you're right, the filling is more moist and soft. Still tasty though." If anything, Reign was already biting into another piece of the two-dot one.

[gekkajuu]

"I have! It seemed a good way to give the new kitchen a test run." By including blood in the recipes. Just perfect.

Heh, Atsushi had more or less expected that more blood would be tastier... Still, he hadn't been able to resist making that 'diet' version, too. He'd made all that filling, and he hadn't been sure about tapping more blood. Even for a good reason, it was a little creepy to cut himself! Still, he'd been a lot quicker to heal himself than he'd been in healing other people before, so clearly that kind of practice was worth it!

"I'll try to put in a little more blood next time." He understood what Reign wasn't saying as much as he heard Reign's words. "I still have to perfect the recipe~!"

[eaudevamp]

That was definitely one way to break in the new kitchen, so to speak. With blood.

It was a good idea that Atsushi had experimented with different amounts of blood in the mochi recipe so Reign could give feedback on it. "This means a lot to me. But I don't want you to bleed yourself too much just to try all those recipe variations. Do take care."

While Reign knew Atsushi could heal himself, he wished his friend wouldn't sacrifice himself like that, even if it might not seem like much. So for now, he'll close and retie the box, intending to enjoy the rest of the mochi when he got home instead.

"Come now, show me around. I want to see how this place is like."

[gekkajuu]

"I won't! I definitely won't bleed myself too much." He was used to bleeding; he had a pretty good idea what he could comfortably spare, even if he was likely to push those limits in a pinch. That would only be when he bothered cooking with blood, though, and that would hardly be every day: he'd be fine. "I've gotten better at healing, too, so it's really no trouble."

Satisfied that he'd gotten his message across - and pleased that Reign had enjoyed his gift, too - Atsushi smiled cheerfully, giving a nod. "Let's start upstairs?"

Rather than a mansion the way one might see in movies - there was hardly room for that kind of country estate within city walls - Atsushi's place was a big house, simple in layout, but spacious, and sturdy in build. He'd start the tour with his own bedroom and bathroom, then cross over to the as yet unused bedroom. (He wasn't about to go into Dylas' and Chuuya's bedrooms without permission, of course - though he'd at least point out where they were.) Going back down along the other, narrower flight of stairs, he'd show Reign along everything downstairs, before finally going back to the living room.

"What do you think?"

[eaudevamp]

Well, if Atsushi said so. Reign will take his word for it that his friend wouldn't bleed himself too much. "Good, good. And I'm glad you're improving on your healing skill." That definitely come in handy.

"Lead the way~"

Reign followed ardently behind Atsushi, humming or nodding whenever his friend pointed out certain rooms or sections of the house and its function. It was certainly not as big as his family home, though definitely much larger compared to the one after he'd left the clan. This mansion had all the comforts and home-ness of a proper home. He wasn't even surprised that Chuuya got a room here as well since the two men clearly knew each other.

By the time they were back downstairs, Reign had a look of awe on his face. "This place is amazing! Chuuya said he'd known you before, so it's no wonder you invited him to stay here as well. I haven't meet Dylas, but I wouldn't mind an introduction through you."

Or Atsushi could point Reign in Dylas's direction if the man was here. "Good job, Atsushi. You've got yourself a mansion!"

[gekkajuu]

Atsushi's smile turned a little awkward. Yes, he knew Chuuya from before, more or less, but that was as bitter enemies. He didn't see any reason to point that out and raise unnecessary questions, though: the past was the past, and it bore no relation on the present.

"Dylas is probably hiding in the kitchen... He likes cooking. If you see a man with some horse's features, that is him! ... But please don't mention the h-word in front of him."

Atsushi only had the faintest idea of why Dylas hated being called a horse, and less understanding of it, but there was no doubt that horses being mentioned at a first meeting would doom the friendship forever. Dylas wasn't that easy to get along with as it was.

"I don't think I ever wished for a mansion, but... it's pretty nice. It feels a little extravagant, though."

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yo. Atsushi.

[And here’s Chuuya, drink in hand as he wanders through the crowd to try and find Atsushi. The guy is pretty easy to spot, at least, with that hair.

Chuuya waves as he approaches, and surprisingly enough, he’s not drunk yet. He’d gotten a late start to the party because you bet your ass he took a twelve hour nap in that luxurious bed.]

Nice party. Didn’t take you for the type to throw one.

[gekkajuu]

[Seriously, the beds are the best thing about the mansion. Atsushi doesn't even have the heart to kick Daifuku out anymore. It just feels unfair, especially when the beds are so big...]

Thank you! It's probably bad timing, but I couldn't resist. If there's one thing I've come to learn here, it's that we need to celebrate what we can, when we can - all refugees together, if at all possible.

[Words he truly believes, but saying them makes him feel like some kind of pretentious know-it-all, so he tones them down immediately.]

Well, the latter isn't really possible now.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Ah. Yeah. The Wyver thing.

[The Wyver thing, he says. It’s an all-out war, and that’s what he calls it.]

Are you sure it’s fine for you to be inviting Wyver people over here? Won’t you get kicked out or something if the other nobles find out?

[He doesn’t know how that shit works here, okay? All he knows is that he’s enjoying the booze Atsushi provided, presumably just for him.]

Daifuku disappeared. Think he’s prowling around somewhere?

[gekkajuu]

[Technically not an all-out war yet, but that's bound to happen. Even Atsushi, ever optimistic, can't bring himself to believe otherwise anymore.]

... I might be. But some of my best friends live in Wyver. I'm not going to stop seeing them, just because they chose the wrong place to live.

[Especially when it often wasn't a choice so much as circumstances stacking up against them. Atsushi understands that very well - but he still considers Olympia his home, and he couldn't feel at home in Wyver at all. So this is the only thing he can do, he thinks.]

What - he did?! [Atsushi looks around, frantically trying to spot the cub against all odds. In his old place, he had a pretty good idea of what Daifuku would get up to, and how to keep the worst from happening; here, he has no idea.] He didn't get into the kitchen, did he?!

[Nevermind answering, Atsushi is already storming off there. Can't let Daifuku eat things that might be bad for him! Also: the humans and horses of the house need food, too.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

I should’ve known it’s because you’re a nice guy.

[Chuuya means that in the most endearing way, he swears. Maybe it’s a little foolish to risk such a thing, but friendship is magic and all that. Chuuya has no intentions of stopping him; this whole rising tensions thing is just plain stupid, and he’ll gladly welcome the chance to bend the rules right alongside Atsushi.

He really didn’t mean to freak Atsushi out about Daifuku, but he won’t lie, it’s kind of amusing to watch the guy go full “worried mom” mode as he darts off to the kitchen to chase after the cub.

Except the cub was hiding behind a nearby chair and pounces Chuuya’s feet as he walks by.]

There you are. You’re scaring your mom.

[Chuuya bends down to pet Daifuku on the head with a grin.]

Oi! Atsushi! He’s in here!

[gekkajuu]

I really don't know if this counts as "nice" so much as "selfish".

[He's putting people at risk, after all. Not just himself, but his roommates, and the friends he would welcome. Still, this is the choice he's made. He couldn't in good conscience have chosen differently.

Having run off, Atsushi pokes his head back around a corner, relief washing over him as he sees the cub.]

Oh, thank God... Who knows what he could have gotten up to? [But panic soon fades, and Atsushi sits down right there on the floor so he can cuddle his egg baby. Which probably just reinforces Daifuku's behavior, honestly, but...] All this time, and I'm still worried that something will happen to him, or he'll escape through a window, or who knows what else?

[Sitting there with his legs crossed, Atsushi bends over for a full-body hug around Daifuku, who seems to enjoy it as a kind of play fighting.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya shrugs.]

Might as well be selfish sometimes. Otherwise life would be fucking dull.

[It’s honestly adorable how worried Atsushi gets about Daifuku, but Chuuya can’t blame him in the slightest. It’s like a kid, but with more fur. Not to mention most cats are curious and playful by nature, so wandering off or stalking peoples’ feet is pretty much par for the course. It’s a wonder the little guy hasn’t gotten lost by now.

Pfft. Atsushi is practically a cat himself right now. What a dork.]

Heh. You sure you didn’t lay that egg?

[He’s teasing, of course. That would be weird.

He bends down to rub between the cub’s ears.]

He needs some accessories. Like a hat.

[Everyone needs a hat.]

[inaurare]

[the whole house has him... a little self-conscious, in all honestly. It has been a while, since he has stepped into a house of this size - too used to the small starter housing provided, which... one could call it modest, if they were feeling generous. The build reminds him a little of houses from home, but then, he is less experienced in being a guest, less sure of himself as he lingers in the entranceway.]

I have some small gifts for the hosts...

[A little smile, proffering his items. He doesn't know Atsushi's tastes, or those of his housemates, so his bag contains a few jars of preserves - some sweet jams, some chutneys, each made, jarred, labelled by hand. And held carefully in his other palm, what looks to be a pot of... grass? Though the little tag stuck into the soil labels it as "Cat Grass".

He even thought of Daifuku.]

I've seen little so far, but what I have seen of your home is quite lovely...

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi's expression brightens as he recognizes Linneus. It's so good to have people he knows come to his housewarming party: it makes him feel like -... Like a normal person, somehow. Not that he would ever declare himself anything else, but there's a difference between knowing that and feeling it.]

You needn't have brought anything! Thank you for coming~ [Polite protestations aside, Atsushi still accepts the bag gratefully, eyebrows shooting up as he peeks inside.] Those look so good! Did you make them yourself?

I'll show you around later, but have a drink and make yourself comfortable first, okay? [He came here carrying all those jars, after all! Actually, that last one...] Is that for Daifuku?

[inaurare]

That's very kind, thank you.

[he will accept a drink from the table, then, holding it carefully.]

I did - I'm not sure how you all enjoy preserves but hopefully there is something everyone likes? [indicating the plant-] The vendor told me it was cat grass, so I'm not sure how Daifuku will take to it...

[the plant was more cumbersome than the jars - Lula would have been quite happy carrying the jars in the little saddle-bags Linneus had picked up for her, but he decided to keep her safe at home, this evening. While he would have preferred to keep her near, it would still have felt... presumptuous to bring her.]

[gekkajuu]

Cat grass! Then, I'm sure he'll love it.

[Atsushi puts the jar aside for now. Daifuku is walking around somewhere in the house; Atsushi is sure he'll show up sooner rather than later.]

How is your llama doing? Did you ever pick a name for her?

[inaurare]

I did - I settled on Lula, in the end. "Peace" took me to quiet, which took me to her snoring and-- well, I suggested "Lullaby" more out of a sense of irony than anything else.

[a shy little chuckle]

It was a short enough jump from Lullaby to Lula, once I'd written it down, and she took to it well.

[gekkajuu]

That's an adorable name! It really suits her.

[It's then that Atsushi spots Daifuku coming into the room.]

Oh - Daifuku! Look, Linneus brought a present for you.

[Whether the cub recognizes his name is doubtful, but he's certainly come to recognize his owner's behavior: he wanders right over. Atsushi grabs the jar to put it on the floor, and Daifuku jumps up at it with his front paws, sniffing at the contents, before it's even all the way down.]

[inaurare]

Though I can't say the origins of the name were in the kindest of spirits. I can but hope she will forgive me.

[a light chuckle at the creature and his antics]

Oh, but he's even more marvellous in person-- do mind he doesn't tip over the pot!

[cassus]

[ When Dazai filters through the milling crowd to find his prior protege, he's respectfully chosen to leave behind any semblance of silly costumes and the anonymity they provide. It wouldn't be right to face the other man as anyone else, even symbolically, after everything they've been through. And while he's never been wholly honest with Atsushi, he continues to aim as near to sincere as Dazai has been with someone in years.

In the place of interrupting Atsushi's conversations with his guests, Dazai chooses to patiently wait on the sidelines until there's a lull. Then and only then does he push away from the wall, hands pocketed in his coat, and enter Atsushi's line of sight.

Of course not before he gives a low whistle of appreciation that's diluted just enough so that Atsushi is the only one to hear it. He can't make his grand entrance without a few obnoxious theatrics, now can he? ]

This sure beats the Agency's apartments, huh?

[ The words aren't meant to be a dig in the slightest. If anything it's the most roundabout type of praise, comparing Atsushi's first official 'home' outside the orphanage to what he's come to gain here, all under his own steam. ]

[gekkajuu]

[It's been so long since Atsushi has seen Dazai. The man has never left his thoughts for long, of course, but something about seeing Dazai again now is so unexpected that Atsushi's mind takes a while to catch up, even after instant recognition. In part, it's because Atsushi has been trying (and, after a while, succeeding) not to get his hopes up about Dazai returning someday. There's also the fact that Atsushi's mostly independent success at life on El Nysa has, from the start, been characterized largely by the lack of Dazai helping him: as grateful as Atsushi will always be to Dazai, building his new life by himself, on his own efforts, is the best proof of how he's slowly but surely succeeding at being an actual independent adult-to-be.

He's still overjoyed at seeing Dazai again, but the emotional impact just won't come yet, and that makes the experience strangely surreal.]

Dazai...san..?

[Staring a bit, Atsushi waits for it to hit him - or for this mirage of Dazai to disappear. The latter seems as likely as the former about now.]