semi-open; birthday at the beach!

[gekkajuu]

Who: a soosh (gekkajuu) & friends & random passers-by maybe?? if your character knows atsushi, feel free to assume they were invited
What: birthday times at the beach! mingle at will; indicate in subject lines if threads are closed
When: this most fifth of days
Where: Flona
Warning(s): none expected! please warn in subject lines where it may apply

After the kidnapping and the dreadful frights that followed, it's been a long climb back up to a better state of mind, but Atsushi has managed it in the end. It still feels strange to celebrate his birthday, but it would feel stranger not to do it, so he's invited a handful of his closest friends - and maybe some other people he knows less well, if circumstances have prompted it - for a day at the beach. There have been several official occasions and big parties lately, and they have been fun, but Atsushi is in the mood for something quieter now. Besides... a huge celebration just for himself wouldn't feel right.

In the morning, most of the invitees gather at the train station to go to Flona together - though of course it's possible to join the party later, too. While Atsushi has tried to politely fend off any inquiries about what he wants for a gift (with one or two notable exceptions), he's requested that everyone bring something to eat or drink, for a nice picnic together on the beach - and of course he's bringing some things himself, as well. The weather is great, the company is better, and all pets are welcome. Food can be eaten, games can be played, and Atsushi feels his heart swell in his chest, thinking how lucky he is to have such friends and such a wonderful life. How could this be anything but a great time?

Comments

[gekkajuu]

[Chuuya called him badass..! The word has become a Thing between him and Dylas for reasons Atsushi can barely remember, but it always felt halfway joking to him - more try-hard than genuinely badass. If Chuuya says it, though, it definitely has to be unironically true, because Chuuya is the epitome of badass, himself! Atsushi will have to get used to wearing a hat, but one thing's for sure: he's going to keep that thing on his head all day.

And that was decided even before the surprise kiss. They've done so much "worse" together, but this is in public, and at a vaguely personal moment; Atsushi can't help blushing like a moron. (Besides, what if Daifuku saw?!?!)]

T-Thank you... for the watermelon, that is! [Because that's totally a necessary qualification. He rushes after Chuuya.] Watermelon really is the best on a warm day, isn't it?

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Atsushi has a long way to go before he’s as badass as Chuuya, but the hat certainly helps! And it’s okay, Daifuku is too busy being adorable and prancing around to notice or care.]

Yeah. Been forever since I’ve had any.

[Chuuya will choose a seat next to the window for the two of them, though he’s a nice enough guy to let Atsushi have the inside so that he can look out at the scenery.]

Are you gonna swim?

[What kind of swimsuit would Atsushi even wear? Does he even own one? Chuuya knows that tigers like water, so there’s that.

Finally the train begins to move, and Chuuya relaxes back into his seat as best he can. He’s a bit paranoid that the train might get attacked or something, but hopefully not. Ain’t nobody got time for that.]

Also, you might be getting a gift from Reign soon.

[gekkajuu]

[Oh good, the cub's innocence can be preserved...

Taking the window seat without even feeling bad about it - Chuuya may have other preferences, after all - Atsushi puts Daifuku in his lap, scritching behind his ears a little, and looks out at the station, excited for their trip.]

Swimming might be nice... Actually, I was considering giving Daifuku the chance to learn. He's done a little bit of it in lakes already, but the sea is something else, isn't it?

...! Did I bring a swimsuit?! [He definitely has a change of clothes with him, at any rate, but he's been so focused on food and drink for the picnic that he didn't think about anything else. Even the change of clothes was more in case something got accidentally wet or stained than because he intended to hop into the sea.] Well... I can always buy one there, if I need one.

And I have gotten a gift from Reign! He made a perfume just for me.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Two adorable cubs.

Chuuya will grace Daifuku with some ear scritches too, doting on him as always. The cub really hasn’t grown at all since Chuuya arrived, but of course he’s adorable simply because he’s so small.]

I bet he’d like that.

[Tigers love water, after all!]

Just skinny dip. It’s fine.

[Chuuya says with a grin, even though it most certainly is not fine when there will be other guests there.]

Oh yeah? Did you like it? I helped him name it.

[gekkajuu]

Skinny -... [OHGOD!] I'm not going to get... [Covering Daifuku's ears, now.] ... naked!!

[Well, that's... not entirely true, of course. He does get naked from time to time.]

At least: not where everyone can see!

[Having half-hissed those words, he finally releases Daifuku's ears again - not that the cub minded at all. It's using this as an opportunity to roll around and playfight in its momma's owner's lap.]

... I should have guessed that was you. [The name was definitely too fitting to be a coincidence. Atsushi smiles.] Thank you. I like it a lot.

[He's also wearing it - just a teensy drop on one of his wrists, but still.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

I’m pretty sure Daifuku is naked all the time.

[What a protective nerd mom.

Chuuya has already gotten to smell some samples, so he can recognize the scent.]

It smells good. Mine’s called Wildfire.

[Chuuya is wearing some on his neck, but not enough to be too overpowering. It’s a fitting name with a fitting list of ingredients, as to be expected of Reign.]

Looks like we’re almost there.

[Flona cove slowly comes into view as the train rounds a few hills, and Chuuya is even more hype to get out and enjoy the beach. He’s only been once before, and he’d enjoyed every second of it.]

Wait a sec...is this the place with the aphrodisiac water?

[gekkajuu]

That's different!

[Pout, glare. You know exactly what he means, Chuu...]

I should visit Reign's shop anyway - I'll make sure to smell yours, too! Or... [Finally a brilliant idea that's truly worthy of a detective. Except for the part where it still misses the point.] Are you wearing it?

[DOES HE HAVE TO NUZZLE YOU!? Because you know he will.]

Aphrodisiac... It might be? Though there are all kinds of water all over this planet.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yup.

[Have a Chuuya leaning over so that you can smell his neck, soosh. Feel free to nuzzle.

Also, enjoy the cleavage.]

But you should still visit his shop. It’s nice.

[Finally the train comes to a stop, and Chuuya stands up and stretches. It’s been too long since he’s been able to soak up some sun.]

Well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we?

[He flashes Atsushi a playful little grin before heading out of the train, and the second he steps out he can tell that the air here is different. Salty and cool, it reminds him of Yokohama so much...

He snaps out of his reminiscing to call back to Atsushi.]

C’mon. We got a beach to explore.

[gekkajuu]

[Perhaps surprisingly, Atsushi leans in for a shameless sniff, so close to nuzzling.]

It's delicious!

[Then he glances down, and... Oh. Cleavage. Now all of a sudden he's embarrassed, face going red as he leans back again. He almost misses the fact that the train is stopping, belatedly gathering his things and rushing after Chuuya, with Daifuku in his arms for now. Once outside, he attaches a leash to the cub's collar - just in case! - and then he can finally think about the next step to take.]

Yes! [With a smile, he starts making his way to the beach, friends (presumably) in tow.]

Do you like the beach, Chuuya-san?

[thetaintedsorrow]

It sure is.

[Chuuya has that effect on people, but he’s already moving on, ready to make the most of their little trip. Daifuku looks adorable on his little leash, and Chuuya almost wishes he’d brought Apollo along as well, but he’d opted to leave him behind for the bird’s safety. Seagulls can be merciless, after all.]

Yeah. Who doesn’t?

[As soon as they make it to the actual beach Chuuya slips off his shoes and socks and buries his toes in the sand like an overly excited child. Listen, sometimes you just gotta indulge.]

I rarely ever got to just lay around on the beach because I was so fucking busy all the time, but I did used to walk along the shore sometimes to clear my head.

[And now Chuuya will walk down to the water and dip his feet right in. It’s the perfect temperature, not too hot or too cold, and he definitely plans on swimming at some point.]

What about you? The ADA ever take any trips to the beach?

[gekkajuu]

[Now that they're at the beach proper, Daifuku can probably go free for a bit: Atsushi only brought the leash so he doesn't have to keep an eye on the cub and/or chase after it the whole time. But Atsushi can keep an eye on Daifuku here and now - and those seagulls deserve a feline chasing after them, anyway.]

Not a beach like this, no. Of course we were at the coast often enough, and Yamashita Park is such a nice place to be, even not counting the ocean...

[For now, Atsushi keeps his feet dry. Further down the beach, Daifuku chases after a seagull a little too enthusiastically, and, not paying attention to the sea (or, rather: just not used to it), startles himself by suddenly ending up paw-deep in water, rushing to get out due to the shock more than because it's unpleasant.]

... It was a great place to be - the ADA, that is. But, at the same time... I feel like I'm a part of something bigger, here. That was pretty scary at first, but I think it also means I can do more good here.

[Which was exactly the scary part, of course: doing more good also means more chance of failing horribly and proving himself worthless. That still plays in the back of his mind sometimes, but the longer he manages to keep it as nothing but background noise, the more confident he manages to be.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[The cub really is an overgrown kitten, and Chuuya chuckles as he watches the little guy get his feet wet and promptly freak out about it. So cute yet so oblivious sometimes; even more traits he shares with Atsushi, Chuuya thinks.]

Yeah. I’ve been there a few times too. A lot of Yokohama was nice. Even the parts that tourists would avoid.

[You know, the parts of the city where shady shit would go down.]

From the ADA to the Royal Guard. I’d call that a step up.

[Atsushi is living better here than he ever would have back home, that’s for sure. It’s the exact opposite of Chuuya, who went from an executive with deep pockets to living in someone else’s home as an act of generosity on their part.

Maybe one day he’ll find another job, another purpose, but for now he’s just taking it one day at a time.]

Bet you never thought you’d be talking like this with a Port Mafia executive, huh?

[gekkajuu]

[RUDE?! Also maybe true, but, you know.]

I do believe that the ADA was able to do a lot of good because it was neither the government nor against the government. But it's pretty nice, being something so official for a change.

[It has nothing to do with the mansion and any other perks; it has everything to do with truly belonging... or just daring to belong. Some days, Atsushi still half expects people to realize their mistake and kick him out. But then, the Empress herself treated him so nicely... It's so strange, he can still barely believe that that meeting really happened. It feels more like a dream!]

I don't know! [The words are half a laugh, if sheepish, almost embarrassed.] It's true that I never thought I'd be talking to someone like Chuuya-san like this, but I once met the Port Mafia Boss, and he seemed like a surprisingly nice person, too...

[thetaintedsorrow]

The uniforms aren’t bad either.

[Chuuya can’t really say whether he cares about Empress Simwe or not, but her death would obviously cause a lot of turmoil in Olympia, if not outright war, so guarding her only makes sense.

Of course Chuuya will kick Atsushi’s ass if he ends up taking a bullet (arrow? Spell? Whatever) for her and dying on him. He will literally hunt you down in the afterlife and roundhouse kick you, soosh.

Chuuya’s grin grows wider at the mention of Mori. He really was a devoted guard dog back in the day...]

You met the Boss, huh? He was a hell of a guy.

[Nice isn’t really a word that Chuuya would associate with Mori, but he could certainly come off that way in a first meeting. Above all else he was worthy of respect, and Chuuya had given it in spades.]

I would’ve taken a bullet for him. It was kind of my job, after all.

[gekkajuu]

I never really thought about it. [It just figures that Chuuya focuses on the fashion - and of course he would be into black.] It's still a little funny to me that the uniforms are a Wyver color, though.

[Not that Atsushi minds that, but it seems a little silly, considering how much of Olympia hates Wyver. Still, black is better for camouflage, and better at hiding blood stains and such... and maybe it was deliberately chosen, to reappropriate the color?

His own uniform is... not that fashionable, probably, and certainly not impressive... but he wanted something that kept his arms and legs free for transformation. It would be a waste to have to get a new uniform every time he transformed...]

I'm sure he was. We only really talked the one time, but he helped me a lot with his words.

[Of course Atsushi knows that Mori can't be a good person: he wouldn't be able to run the mafia if he was. Likewise, Atsushi knows that Mori may very well have had his reasons for being nice to him that time.

But Mori was still nice, then. Atsushi isn't about to disregard that, just because Mori may have acted that way for his own, selfish reasons.]

With Chuuya-san's ability, I hope you would have never had to. [Take a bullet, that is - for Mori or anyone else. Not that Atsushi has any room to complain, but he still doesn't enjoy the idea of Chuuya getting hurt again.]

It's strange, isn't it? Our jobs were very similar, even if they were fundamentally different.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Black is definitely Chuuya’s color, and Atsushi surely looks good in it too. It’s practical as well as fashionable, and it does indeed hide bloodstains, so it seems like the best choice of color for a guard uniform.]

I wouldn’t go down easily, that’s for sure.

[If Atsushi only knew the extent of Chuuya’s past he’d certainly agree. Hell, he’s seen firsthand how resilient of a person Chuuya is, so it’s not that difficult to believe that Chuuya is a force to be reckoned with.]

You’re not wrong.

[Their goals and ideals might’ve been different, but in the end they were both protectors. Of their organizations, and of Yokohama.]

I think I’m gonna swim. Standing here under the sun makes me feel like I’m roasting.

[Who’s fault is that for not dressing properly for the beach?? Well whatever, Chuuya isn’t shy about stripping down out in the open, and underneath his usual outfit he’s wearing a pair of black swim trunks he’d prepared beforehand.

Why he didn’t just wear them from the start with a t-shirt or something comes down to just how extra he is.]

You should too.

[gekkajuu]

[Swimming? Well, why not? Putting down his bag, Atsushi opens it and starts digging around, careful not to mess up the food he brought. Waste not.]

That reminds me - did I bring...? Ah, yes!

[He triumphantly holds up a pair of swim trunks of his own, which are... a boring dark grey, actually. He'll kick this monochrome theme sometime! But not today.

Okay, but he can't change out in the open like this..! Why didn't he wear them under his clothes like a normal person?!]

... I'm going to find somewhere quiet to put these on. Keep an eye on Daifuku, would you?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Go ahead.

[Chuuya has no idea why Atsushi doesn’t just duck behind a tree real quick and change, but whatever. The guy deserves some privacy, if that’s what he wants. Meanwhile Chuuya will take Daifuku’s leash off and lead him over to the water like a parent teaching their child how to swim.]

It’s not bad. Come on.

[He’ll splash Daifuku with a tiny bit of water before wading waist deep into the sea. He could just use his ability to walk on water, but the water is refreshing, and he dips his head in to get his hair nice and wet instead.

Hopefully Atsushi will join him. It would be kind of nice, swimming in the ocean together, if not cheesy as hell.]

[gekkajuu]

[Mostly because there are no trees on the beach! But he doesn't go find a building where he can change, or anything that drastic. He does, however, trot off to find a screen or tent or anything else that will cover him from the waist down, so he can get his swim trunks on in relative safety.

It doesn't take long for him to return, at which point he drops his clothes with the luggage, then takes a closer look at what Chuuya is up to. Daifuku is venturing into the water a little bit, eager to get more playtime, but he doesn't go in that far. Maybe he's not afraid of water as such, but he doesn't seem to like it much when he can't feel ground beneath his feet anymore and there's no other foothold nearby.]

Come on, Daifuku. Let's join Chuuya-san~

[Kneeling next to the cub, Atsushi picks him up on his way into the sea, carrying him until he gets about waist-deep in. Then, he lowers the cub again, keeping its stomach supported.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Watching Atsushi help Daifuku into the water is incredibly adorable, and so is watching Daifuku try his best to swim. He seems a little calmer with Atsushi holding onto him, at least, and he can stay afloat well enough.]

Heh. Looks like he’s getting the hang of it.

[While Atsushi helps Daifuku swim Chuuya decides to dive under the water, and a moment later he resurfaces with a seashell in hand. The outside is white, but once he turns it over the smooth, rainbow colored underside is visible.]

Look. The water is so clear I spotted it from the surface.

[He’s not officially presenting it, but the way he places it into one of Atsushi’s hands should tell him that Chuuya thought he might like it, and wants him to keep it.]

Not as fancy as gems, but still nice.

[gekkajuu]

He's a natural~!

[To be fair, the cub has "swum" a little before, in baths and small rivers - but never anything as big as the ocean, and never entirely without help. Atsushi doesn't want to subject him to too much all at once, but he lets the cub find its own way of swimming about before releasing him for increasing periods of time, building his confidence. And, as expected, the cub really is a natural: before long, Daifuku is happily swimming along on his own.

Atsushi is a little surprised... Chuuya is giving him something?]

It's beautiful! [Which is an understatement, if anything.] Maybe you could use it to decorate the bar.

[Okay, so he doesn't quite get that it's for him.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Before long Daifuku is swimming on his own, which is perfectly fine when he’s got two parents nearby to help him out if he needs it, and Chuuya can’t help but feel a little like a proud father. Maybe that’s a little silly, but hey, nobody is going to call him out on it if they know what’s good for them.

Chuuya huffs; of course Atsushi doesn’t realize its for him. He never expects gifts, after all.]

If that’s what you wanna do with it. I’m sure it could be made into jewelry or something too.

[Who knows? He just thought it was pretty, is all.]

I think we should explore more places like this. No reason not to, right?

[There’s an unspoken “together” in there.]

Is there anywhere you wanna see?

[gekkajuu]

Jewelry... like a necklace?

[It's definitely pretty enough! Not that Atsushi is an expert or anything.]

I've enjoyed every place I've been to, so far! Even Wyver.

[... Okay, he didn't care for Wyver proper as much - but he can only admit that that's a matter of personal preference, and mostly due to the circumstances that first landed him there. He wouldn't mind going there again.]

... I think Daifuku is getting tired. Let me help him ashore.

[The cub can rest up while "guarding" their belongings; meanwhile, the adults can have more of a swim, or lie around on the beach some. Either way, they'll have more of an opportunity to do what they want when Daifuku is asleep.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Yeah, or even better, a choker.

[It’s Chuuya’s mission to make Atsushi look just like him cool, apparently.]

I only visited Wyver once. Didn’t see much outside of the bar I visited.

[Having a drinking contest with Takasugi where he got absolutely wasted, but shh.]

Sure thing.

[He’ll have to snatch up that shell and turn it into a choker later, clearly.

Chuuya might swim more later, but for now he’ll come ashore and lay out one of the blankets they’d brought to keep from getting covered in sand. He lies on his back, soaking up the sun and relaxing under its warmth.

It really is a beautiful day, and Chuuya is, for once, grateful that he has nowhere else to be right now.]

We should come here more often. Maybe at night.

[So they can lay under the stars, because that’s not incredibly cheesy or anything.]

Maybe the royal guard comes with vacation perks.

[gekkajuu]

I see... That would look pretty nice, too, yes!

[Just skip the bondage straps, kink leprechaun. Or, you know. Don't.

If Chuuya feels like flopping down on the beach, Atsushi will gladly join him - after drying Daifuku off a bit, of course. The weather is so nice...]

The Royal Guard already pays for my train ticket... I couldn't ask for more.

[He knows that Chuuya is probably not that serious about how fancy the job is supposed to be, but Atsushi is a little embarrassed to point it out, anyway. Not that he isn't already plenty embarrassed about the perks he does get...]

It would be beautiful at night, I'm sure!

Honestly... I've wondered if we should get a little vacation home here sometime. Just because it's by the ocean... [And that's lovely, and it reminds him of home.] But that would be too much! We already have the mansion, and... it feels better to stay in the city anyway. It's more like a home to me, now.

That way the beach can stay special, too. It's so easy to get here by train, anyway...

[Yet he still hasn't managed to come here that often. Clearly a vacation home would be wayyyy too much.]