[closed] we took the long way around to the future we pursued

[thedarkbond]

Who: Ren Suzugamori (thedarkbond) & people he ended up inviting (so Juno Steel (stuns), Mollymauk Tealeaf (mollymocked), Iskandar (conqueredhearts), Yusei Fudo (planetary_bonds), Allura (quintessent), Diana Cavendish (fiendennor), and Axel (icingonthecake))
What: not another birthday log Ren's 23rd birthday party, a.k.a. a study in cramming eight people into a tiny apartment (mostly).
When: December 12th
Where: Ren's tiny apartment in western Wyver, and then some of the Fyrran-Blessed Waters further out west.
Warning(s): Nudity b/c public baths, but nothing yet otherwise.

[About a week and a half ago, Ren sent out some texts to people he actually knows decently enough here to invite to a party - he eventually caved on his own intent and did actually tell everyone that he was inviting them to dinner for his birthday, but it came with the caveat of only having to bring a present if you wanted to. There's even a bonus shrugging kaomoji there to accentuate exactly how much he doesn't mind.

It's a little obvious once anyone gets there that Ren had to be a bit...specific about the logistics, though, because even eight total people in an apartment this small is going to be an interesting prospect. It's single room and puny, with even the bed lying on a heightened loft since there'd be no room for it on the main floor, with the kitchen beneath the loft and the rest of the room mostly taken up by a couch, a cupboard and some drawers, and a line of shelves that sticks out of the windowsill, a small brown cat lying on the cushioned top of these. There's a table dragged out slightly into the middle of the room with plenty of food all over it ranging from cute sweets like donuts, cookies and dorayaki (many with cat designs or icing), to...more cute sweets, to some actual proper food in-between all that, including sausages cut to look like octopi, some kind of rich soup in a very large self-serve bowl with lots of meat pieces in it (that Ren probably won't mention is tripe unless he's asked, because he doesn't think that's important as long as it tastes nice), and lots of takoyaki. He's playing to his favourites here, really, but it's all made well and it even looks like Ren might be a little tired from making it all (all rumours that he's tired from having fallen asleep in the stasis room the previous night are entirely fabricated). He doesn't have a singular cake, but instead a plate of cute cupcakes of kittens playing with yarn. Each one has a different fruit center, so feel free to trade them around to find out what they all are!

Though, honestly, you're going to be sharing at least one thing anyway, because nobody is getting any personal space around this table. You're going to be pretty much literally rubbing shoulders with the person next to you for the entire dinner segment, so enjoy that.

Thankfully, at least Ren realises that's not really viable for the entire night, so after dinner, anyone who's happy to depart then can leave, and anyone who enjoys a good public bath can follow Ren out further west, down a lengthy and winding path that it looks like Ren himself might not even remember the way down at points (though the fact that there's occasional salespeople offering towels and bath salts and the like is probably a good sign he's still going the right way). What lies at the end of it is a large, but secluded natural spring, water running gently into it from a second spring that lies slightly higher up. It's pleasantly warm despite the cold weather out, and once anyone sinks into the waters, they may find themselves even more relaxed than usual. It's a lovely night, the pool is surrounded by flowers and the occasional overhanging tree, and there's the pleasant buzz that comes after good food and probably some amount of alcohol.

Anyone who can't make their way back to their own home or prefers not to find an inn afterwards is welcome to stay overnight back at the apartment, but the main sleeping options are either the couch, on the floor with all the cushions, or sharing with Ren in the loft, which is not terribly roomy.]

Comments

[thedarkbond]

[A: Dinner]

(i.)
[Unsurprisingly, Ren appears to be entirely at ease with the entire "squashed around the table" situation, to the point that it's probably safe to assume he orchestrated it this way for those who know how his mind tends to work. Nonetheless, he looks as innocent and airy as ever for the moment, dressed in a somewhat cutesy outfit with a long skirt over his pants that cinches his waist and oversized, shoulder-revealing sweater with stripes, and eating a cookie with both hands and the air of someone extremely delighted about how things turned out for him.

Of course, there's still work to be done. Mostly in making sure there's nobody trying to hide in corners or avoid sweets or otherwise not have fun. At least he's not being too obvious about it, though, mostly just periodically shoving plates he notices certain people haven't tried yet towards them with a bright smile.]

You should try this too, it's really good~ [He's just going to. Keep smiling very cutely and pointedly at you until you try it.]

(ii.)

[If he's not around the table, then Ren can probably be found curled up around his cat on the windowsill, observing proceedings with a little smile. If anyone comes to join him, he curls his arms around his cat as if protecting it, though what he actually says stands in contrast to that.]

Do you want to pet him? He's very relaxed... [The cat's been asleep for most of the dinner, though it chirps awake when Ren touches it.]

--

[B: Fyrran-Blessed Waters]

(i.)
[Natural springs and baths are a bit of a cultural experience deal for Ren, so he's glad this planet still has some of them even if it took him a little while of living in Wyver to discover them. Nonetheless, he disrobes and buns his hair with a long black ribbon plus the deft hands of someone extremely used to this sort of thing, and...well, that's probably the end of anyone's peace and quiet, honestly. He's definitely not drunk, but he's had enough that he's a little more affectionate and handsy now (as if he wasn't enough already), and his towel is only staying on as long as it takes for him to get to the water. Decency is good to observe, but he feels wearing a towel into the bath is a little prudish, and he has very little to hide. His skin is unmarked, in stark contrast to a lot of people he's invited, unless anyone wants to look closely enough at his inner thigh to spot the scar reminiscent of a very confused vampire bite that Molly left there last month.

As such, anyone who's chosen to accompany him to the bath has a chance of having him slide up next to them. At least he's polite with the people he knows aren't big on physical contact, but anyone who he knows is fine with it, he's not going to hesitate to lean on and wrap his arms around with a slight and amused smile.] Have you been out here before? It took me a while to find out about them...

(ii.)
[After long enough in the baths, Ren climbs himself up to the rocky lip of the next bath and sits a little precariously on the edge, the only modesty he's afforded himself being draping his towel over as little of his lap as he can while still being decent. It's a pretty clear view upwards from here, and he's watching the stars with a strange little object in his hand, occasionally glancing down at it. It looks like a pocketwatch in shape, but there's tiny lights flickering above the opening - anyone who gets close enough might recognise that it's a star map, mirroring the stars in the sky above them perfectly.]

Hmm, so it does work like that...

--

[C: Wind-down/Wildcard]

[[Anyone who wants to stay over in the evening is free to wildcard that, otherwise one can assume Ren's doing his level best to get everyone involved and everyone meeting everyone and such. No wallflowering allowed, sorry srs people.]]

B-ii

[mollymocked]

[Molly seems to be working his way to becoming the physical embodiment of a prune given how long he's gone in the water, but he's delighted and the company is pleasant, and he's finally worked his way back over to Ren, pulling himself halfway out of the bath so he can get a better look at what Ren's looking at. He's nosy... that and it looks interesting.]

What is that?

[thedarkbond]

[When Molly pulls himself out of the bath close by, Ren turns his attention from the sky to smile and wave at him. He figured someone would get curious about it, but it's not as if it's something that needs hiding.]

It's a star chart. [He holds it out towards Molly, flat on his palm - the display is a hologram, but it almost looks like something magical, the little circle projected in light with various silver points dotted across it, some of them connected in the shapes of constellations.] I got it for helping Nurray-san with something a little while ago. I was wondering if it updated itself, since Nadril technology is pretty impressive, so I've been watching it every night for a bit to see if it had changed to match the sky.

[mollymocked]

[Molly slow blinks up at him. He understood none of that.

No, that's not true. He understands the ideas of stars and constellations and the importance therein. When you do a lot of camping, all you do is pay attention to the stars... But that's next level. It's no wonder Caleb stays buried in things so often.]

This place is so much more complicated than Exandria. If someone built something like that, something that could move with the stars... They'd be richer than a king, and they certainly wouldn't be able to give palm sized ones out as payment for services rendered.

B-ii also...

[quintessent]

A star chart!

[Her interest is immediately and obviously piqued, so much so that Ren’s current state of dress doesn’t stop her from making her way right over, eyes bright as she peers from around his shoulder. It’s rudimentary compared to the technology she was used to on her ship, but there’s still something nostalgic about it.]

Does it show any views other than this?

[She would love to investigate the cosmos around them, see if she could get some bearing on what part of the universe El Nysa was in.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren is apparently not modest enough to even remotely attempt to cover himself up more, since Allura is coming over anyway. He holds it a bit closer to her so she can see it better when she gets nearer - it's a small holographic display, though also a simple one.]

I don't think so, no...I've only seen the stars just around this planet. Maybe even Nadril can't see out that far past here. [It would make sense that there'd be a limit to even that technology.] Though it'd be pretty cool if it did, right? I wonder if there's any other planets nearby with people on them.

[Given the subject, his tone is as innocently curious as it ever tends to be when he's talking to her, even if he's been much less careful about maintaining that face than usual tonight.]

[quintessent]

[It’s fine, Allura has enough modesty for everyone at the party, which is why she’s carefully bundled up in one of the provided bathrobes, and very carefully keeping her eyes on his face and the device.

And yeah, don’t think she hasn’t noticed the mismatch in demeanor throughout the night. Especially by this point in the evening (since, presumably, he’s been openly acting out with all of the other guests by now). It’s less that he feels particularly duplicitous — most people put on difference faces for different people — but it still brings some of their… earlier interactions into a different light.

But he’s lucky that her interest in the star chart supersedes her skepticism (for now). Although she can’t help but be a little disappointed at its scope.]

If it did, I would hope that maybe I could find any constellations that were familiar.

[A slim chance since the universe is a mighty big place, but the hope is still there.]

Was it a gift for your birthday?

b/i.

[stuns]

[ juno is showing skin above the ankle in public, it's very scandalous. meaning that he's seated on the edge of the hot spring with his boots off and pants rolled up to his knees. hell, even his shirt is unbuttoned a little. extremely controversial. it's all you get. that being said, he does look a little more relaxed than usual. maybe it's the steam, the heat in general, the good food. he hasn't actually been to a party where a murder hasn't taken place in a pretty long time (the festivals here in el nysa don't count - there's always some kind of trouble waiting to happen.)

still, he's smiling a little bit. that's so weird. it doesn't happen very often.

regardless, when ren sidles up to him, he glances at him out of the corner of his eye. ] Never. Haven't really made the time to wander out this way. Kinda nice... I remember you mentioned that they had this kind of thing back where you're from right?

[thedarkbond]

[Ren responds to that side-eying with a smile of pure innocence.] Right, there's plenty of them where I come from...though even then, people usually build bathhouses around them and have the indoor and outdoor baths.

[On the subject of baths, though. Ren moves a little closer through the water and tugs at the rolled-up hem of Juno's pants with a disappointed pout.]

Speaking of that, do you always bathe fully clothed...? [He can kind of understand Allura with the swimsuit, since she's generally extremely reserved, but apparently the fact that he's seen Juno in a further state of undress before makes him being this clothed weird now.]

[stuns]

Only when there are a bunch of other people around.

[ flatly said as if it's the most obviously thing in the world now. he lets ren pout all he wants, not minding having his pant leg tucked a little bit. whether it's the combination of the heat and the booze or the fact that ren doesn't raise his hackles as much as he used to is up for debate. it's probably a combination of the two. ]

And don't go getting a big head about it - [ he holds up a finger as if he might say something else, but then brings it back down again. ]

OTA! Most of these are silly

[quintessent]

I. Birthday
[Birthdays are still kind of a novel concept for Allura. When you're from a species that lives for hundreds of years, celebrating yearly anniversaries just never really caught on. But she has friends in the know, and Lance was helpful enough to help her prepare.

a. But she's definitely doing more of the wallflower thing. Mostly keeping to watching the guests, much like when she would throw parties in the Castle of Lions. Although this was smaller. Much, much, much smaller. Actually, once all of the guests are there, there's barely any room to maneuver at all. More than once, some hapless party-goer ends up with a face full of hair. Maybe it's when they're sitting and Allura's trying to sneak past, or just unlucky enough to be short enough to fall victim to it's giant mass (or you're Iskandar and avoid it entirely by being positively gigantic, even when sitting). it's nice hair but boy there's a lot of it.]

Ah- Apologies!

b. [The dinner table is almost comedic, how small it is compared to the guests it was meant to accommodate. Allura sees the problem long before they even start eating and, well, she's always been on the slight side, and she saw a vision of her future, crammed between elbows, smushed into whatever space left over. With no elbow room-! This must be some cosmic karma for the time she forced the paladins to eat with their arms bound to one another.

And so, when it is time for dinner, Allura finds a seat early on, and, well she knows it's the opposite of helpful, she asserts her space in the only way she knows how- by becoming literally bigger. It's not by large amounts, and she intends to shapeshift back to her normal size once all of the seats have been filled, but those with a clever eye might notice that she is looking a little more... tall and broad-shouldered than normal. Weird. I wanted to use her shapeshifting powers for something stupid I'm sorry.]



II. Hot springs
[Technically, El Nysa is her home now. As such, it's important to partake in the culture and norms of the people around her. Doing so with friends and people she trusted was at least levels easier than surrounded by strangers. And it's been so long since she's experience hot springs on any planet...

She keeps her head politely turned in the opposite direction of any of the gentlemen when they are disrobing, and as for herself, going totally au natural is about 15 steps beyond her comfort zone, so she'll be the one in simple swimwear, hair pulled up in her normal bun, and either keeping at a distance, or waiting until everyone else is fully submerged before taking the plunge.

Toes first, then with her hands bracing on the rocks behind her, slowly she lowers herself in. Despite herself, she can't help the blissful sigh as she sinks down. It felt as if all at once the heat enveloping was melting away the vast amounts of tension she'd been carrying.

It was positively divine.

Before long she's looking about as blissful as any person on this planet has ever experienced seeing her, sunken down far enough that the hairs at the nape of her neck are getting wet, with her head rested back against one of the smooth stones and eyes shut. She almost looks like she could be sleeping, except, regardless of who is nearby, she'll make the comment-]

Would it be much of a problem if I never left?

II

[conqueredhearts]

Well then we wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing you outside of the water and that would be a shame!

[He laughs as he moves through the water to come over to sit with her. The water that barely covers the fact that he sure did get into the water completely butt naked. Yep. There are those lines going ever downward and a glimpse of a bit of red and...

Basically it's a good thing when he comes to sit next to her.]

But does feel wonderful, doesn't it.

iskandar pls

[quintessent]

[When she hears Iskandar’s booming voice, it’s her first instinct to open her eyes.

…And immediately shut them again. But not before getting quite the eye-full, the image burning into her mind. After living in Olympia and Wyver for nearly half a year now, seeing people in various states of undress was getting a little more normal, but Spirits, that is A Lot.

Her eyes open again when he settles in beside her, gaze dutifully trained elsewhere as she catches up with what he was saying to her,]

It is. We used to have springs like these on Altea. It has been a very long time since I have partaken.

[conqueredhearts]

[He's really not sure why she shuts her eyes but that's fine he supposes. He's busy sighing and relaxing in the water.]

There are some springs in my time. But we also had open air baths where we heated the water from beneath the building. Rocks heated with fire.

[He pats the water gently.]

Not the same experience as this, of course.

battle of the hair

[planetary_bonds]

[Allura can be forgiven for not noticing Yusei's presence at the dinner table. He's just kinda...there; a silent, intense presence apparently glaring at everyone in the room. In truth, he's just feeling rather lost, and most of the intense look is due to him just not really knowing what he's doing there. Yes, he was invited, but he doesn't seem entirely sure why he was chosen to come over other people, and he's not exactly the most social of butterflies.

This is a lot of words to say that she likely doesn't notice Yusei until her hair gets in his face at the same time his brushes against her's; not due to volume, but rather due to its characteristic style. Spikes jutting out from both sides of his head are hardly unavoidable in these close quarters, after all.]

No...I should be the one apologizing... [Apparently, he's also been dealing with The Same Problem.]

[quintessent]

[It’s not the best look, hair getting tangled in hair, and as Allura spins to apologize, a hunk of her hair gets caught on one of the spikes and pulled in front of her face. With an embarrassed huff, she reaches to smooth her hair back, holding it close to her shoulder so it will hopefully stop getting in the way. She really should have worn a braid,]

It can’t be helped, with such close quarters.

[And quiet he may be, but he stands out by virtue of being one of the few guests she doesn’t know, and it’s hard not to at least notice hair like his. Still, this is their first run in, and Allura can’t help but stare a little bit,]

Do you.. is your hair like that by choice?

[That! Sounds much worse out loud than she meant it!]

I mean! It looks like a lot of work!

[Says the woman with probably the most hair on the entire planet.]

I-B

[mollymocked]

[Molly has placed himself pretty much in the thick of things, having no problem with people in his space. The circus used to cram around single tables in pubs all the time, so mastering the art of eating with a half-orc to your left and a woman who could set you on fire with her brain on your right was necessary. At least Allura isn't trapped with someone who's all elbows on her left side, though as perceptive as he is, he definitely notices.]

You know, that's definitely a look for you. Makes you look more assertive. [She's probably built similar to Yasha at this point, which is adorable and a little sad. He ignores the latter emotion.]

[quintessent]

[As a princess, her upbringing couldn’t be much more different. Even with the paladins on board her ship there was always more than enough room for everyone. The look she gives Molly is a little big chagrined at being caught using her powers for something so petty, but everyone is in good spirits and it’s infectious enough that it quickly turns into a smile,]

Is it so obvious?

[Surely nobody would notice that the barely five-and-a-half foot princess is suddenly pushing six feet.]

hot springs what up

[stuns]

[ as someone who carries ten times as much tension as he really needs to, the hot springs are a foreign blessing he hasn't really indulged in. sure, taking a bath is one thing, but there's something about the combination of the naturally occurring heat in the spring and the way it soaks into sore, tired muscles that makes someone just want to deflate.

head heavily tilted to the side, basking in the warmth, he opens one eye lazily and gives a smile.

god what is it about tonight he has to stop giving away these smiles for free he has a reputation to uphold???? ]

I mean you might run into some problems eventually. Pruning's kind of annoying?

Sorry for lateness! Hello!

[quintessent]

[They are birds of a feather, really. And if he's anything like her, it will probably take no more than half a day for all of the tension to return, but the respite is nice while it lasts.

And she certainly doesn't seem to mind the smile, even if he's having an internal dilemma over it, and she returns one all the same. They may not have exchanged words yet, but a friend of a friend and all of that-]

Pruning?

[She raises her head up, shooting him a curious look.]

I assume it is a figure of speech and not relating to... topiary?

[conqueredhearts]

Arrival

[So Iskandar actually doesn't arrive on time. It's less to do with a lack of desire and more to do with the fact that he's needed to go out and get what he's bringing to the party. Not the easiest thing but he's managed it. So there is a sudden BOOMING knock that almost sounds like someone is kicking the door. Hard enough that it might fly off the hinges if he's not careful.

Of course opening the door reveals a massive chest and the need to look up to find a grinning bearded face.]

Hello! I am here with gifts!

[Namely the two enormous barrels of wine that he has balanced on each shoulder. Is there room for him and these barrels in this place? Guess you all are about to find out!]

Dinner

[While he doesn't actually need to eat to survive, the fact is that he loves to eat. So he's piled his plate high with a bit of every single thing to be found there and is tossing food into his mouth from where he's been crammed at one part of the table. (Heavens help whoever got seated next to him.)

But you can be sure the table isn't quiet with him there. He's roaring with laughter and talk, affectionate and always making sure there isn't a moment of silence. If you're one to usually shy away from that? Guess who is now looking your way.

At some point though he will raise his wine up (this has to be his tenth glass now) and grin.]

To Ren! May he thrive for many more years to come! Happy birthday!

Hot Springs

[It's customary to at least have a towel around your waist when you go to the springs. But not Iskandar. Nope. He's thrown his onto his shoulder and is proudly walking around completely out there for all to see how big he is. All. Over.

Even him stepping into the water causes it to shift a bit with how heavy he is but he lets out a sigh as he lets his arms drape over the edge.]

Ahhh. What a fine night for this, wouldn't you agree?

[Wildcard]

[Got another idea? GO FOR IT! I'll go with the flow~]

hot springs

[thedarkbond]

I like to think it's always a nice night for it...unless it's raining or something, but even that can be nice sometimes.

[Considering Ren's experience with public baths, he is completely unfazed by anyone else's nakedness, and only kept a towel on long enough to actually get to the water before abandoning it. He's not quite leaning on the bath edge right now, but instead settled somewhere a bit further in, knees up and his arms crossed over them, with his head settled on top. Thankfully, he's put his hair in a high enough bun that he can get away with that, though the bun itself is still a bit oversized and messy due to the sheer volume of hair involved.]

I heard some people hadn't done this sort of thing before, so I thought it would be nice to do. Outdoor springs and indoor baths have a pretty different feeling, right?

[conqueredhearts]

I think even going in the rain can be nice. Rain is beautiful thing, after all. It helps to keep the world alive. But you're right. This is different from an indoor bath.

[He lifts a leg out of the water with a bellowed laugh.]

I fit after all!

arrival

[mollymocked]

All hail our generous king! [Molly responds back like this is some kind of call-and-answer game, as he aborts whatever thing he's doing to bound up to Iskander like a terrier to Iskander's giant Mastiff. He took one look at those barrels and nearly swooned. That is a lot of wine which promises an eventful evening, even if Ren won't allow himself the benefit of getting truly wasted.]

Should we start taking bets on how much of this Ren will even drink? He has a thing with alcohol. It's very mysterious.

[conqueredhearts]

[The declaration makes him burst out laughing and he comes to duck himself inside, setting the barrels down. Hearing that Ren doesn't drink makes him blink before he quickly gets over it.]

Well if he doesn't drink then we shall just have to drink this for him! Then he will have none left to worry about for later!

[Problem solving...Iskandar style.]