[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

[conqueredhearts]

Then we shall find a time when we are both free to go enjoy a spring in the chill of snow together. I look forward to it already.

[He chuckles a bit before shifting in the water so he can relax more.]

You know, I have a question for you. Something I have pondered since you extended your invitation to this celebration of your life.

[thedarkbond]

[Ren straightens up a bit, tilting his head with a touch of amusement around his mouth. He probably doesn't need to mention by now that asking a question doesn't necessarily mean he'll answer it honestly, but if it's something that the party invitation brought on, he's more inclined to think it just a curiosity.]

Oh? Well, you can ask whatever you like. Though I'm not sure what kind of question that would have made you want to ask...

[Legitimately, it could be a lot of things, and now he's wondering about it.]

[conqueredhearts]

Well, we have had some small conflict of late. I know I would not let that stop me from spending time with a friend I treasure but you seemed as though you might wish to keep me at a distance. Perhaps you will not answer this at all but why invite me?

[He's just curious really. Even if it's not a great answer he's not really the type to be offended by that. Nope. He'd just rather ask the question than let it stir in his mind.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren takes a full second or two to flat blink at Iskandar for that.] Wouldn't it be kind of petty to stop talking to you over something like that...?

[It takes a lot to get Ren to actively cut contact with someone, considering how much he hates abandonment. Nonetheless, he lets out a slight puff of breath, like it's something he was hoping to avoid the subject of.]

I'm not going to say it didn't make me re-evaluate my thoughts on you a little, but that doesn't mean I need to keep away from you. [Emotional distance is another matter entirely, and largely what Ren concerns himself with. After that reaction to what he'd consider one of the less dishonourable of his traits, he's not inclined to open up about any more of them anytime soon. There's a mild shrug after that.] Like you said, I invited you because we're friends.

[conqueredhearts]

Mmm...to stop talking to me wasn't what I meant honestly. To talk to someone is different than inviting them to celebrations. So that is why I asked. Because as you said, I believe you are shutting yourself off from me since you dislike my opinions while seeming to do what you hate. Providing judgement upon another and assuming a great deal.

[He reaches up to scratch his beard as he looks up at the stars above.]

And for that reason I had wondered why you would desire me to be around for a celebration of your life. However, I suppose if you simply wish to be around me then I suppose that is enough. An odd treatment of friends but I think perhaps that is something I am coming to see with you a great deal.

[thedarkbond]

There are people here who know less about me than you. [He shrugs, though there is somewhat of a terse element to his tone considering he'd hoped he'd be able to avoid the subject today.] I did invite you because I like spending time with you, because that's what I thought was the important thing. But what I told you that day was something I'd consider very minor about myself. So it's not a matter of judgement, it's a matter of me not feeling like trusting you with anything more than that right now.

[Opinions are opinions - practically all of his friends have opinions that differ from his in terms of how things should be handled. It's not a dealbreaker for him. But he absolutely loathes even the implication that he should suit someone else's preferences, and intentional or not, it's how the previous exchange had come off to him.]

[conqueredhearts]

[There's a moment before suddenly Iskandar's laugh rings through the night. Suddenly he stands up and walks over to Ren to put his hand onto his head, giving it a rub. Which might cause some hair to fall. Oops?]

I think you have had a long time since you could fully understand that just because someone doesn't like something and desires something doesn't mean they are trying to alter who you are. But believe what you will. You are still a treasured friend no matter how silly I think you may be about this.

[Rising back up, he slams a fist into his own chest.]

After all, I know silliness and foolishness better than just about anyone! I am perhaps the greatest fool of all!

[His hands go to his hips and his head cocks to the side as he grins.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren makes a somewhat whiny noise at the messing with his hair, holding his hands up so anything that gets loose doesn't end up dipping into the water. It's not quite putting him at ease, but...well, Iskandar's not entirely wrong in the observation about not being able to fully understand that. Mostly because he's literally so unused to the experience of people not wanting to take or change or claim him in some way that it is a little difficult not to assume.

Nonetheless, he lets out an amused little huff of breath.] Well, you are pretty silly about some things too...as long as we don't have to talk about this all night, though. It'll ruin my mood.

[At least he sounds more like he's grumbling for the sake of it in that more exaggerated way he normally does now. And also reaching for his hair ribbon to put his hair back up in a bun again, because that hand really did a number on it.]

[conqueredhearts]

Bah! It was just a single question.

[He waves his hand dismissively. Why bother to talk about such things at a party? That clearly makes no sense at all.]

Here. Let me help here. My wives had a lot of hair and I loved to help Roxana especially with her hair.

[Coming over, he climbs out of the water so he can sit cross legged behind Ren. That's a lot of naked man behind Ren but his focus is on that red hair instead. Which he's now gathering to bring it all back to being nicely out of the water. And, despite how huge and rough he is, he's gentle with how he handles the hair, never pulling and always being careful as he starts to twist and such to get it all up there.

Okay sure he should have fully waited for permission to start this but here he is all the same.]

[thedarkbond]

[Ren gives a slight hum of surprise at Iskandar coming to sit behind him - he doesn't have a problem with it, it just seems like he wasn't really expecting it. He lets his hands drop a little slowly, with a somewhat half-hearted protest.]

I can do it myself... [But he's certainly not unused to getting assistance with this sort of thing. It happened all the time at home, and while sometimes he appreciated it and sometimes he didn't, it's been a little bit strange, in a way, never having the option at all here.

So eventually, he leans back a little, apparently settling into it.] What was her hair like, then? It definitely feels like you helped her a lot with it.

[The careful motions are definitely noteworthy, especially from someone Iskandar's size.]

[conqueredhearts]

It was quite long though not as long as your own. But hers was fountain of curls. Flowing in dark waves along her shoulders when it was down. She often had it up but when we were alone together she let me help her to take it all down.

[He smiles as he carefully twists red strands up until all of it is out of the way. Grabbing his dry towel, he spins that to form a rope that he wraps around Ren's head as a headband. A simple knot and just like that the hair is going nowhere.]

She was breathtakingly beautiful. I love to think of her even to this day.

[thedarkbond]

[Ren closes his eyes briefly as Iskandar speaks - it's hard to tell whether he's appreciating the attention on his hair or imagining the person Iskandar is trying to describe. At least, until he finishes, at which point he hums slightly and nods, poking at the towel headband slightly as he straightens up.]

Mmm, it does sound like she was pretty. One of my friends back home had dark hair that's as long as mine, but hers was always a lot straighter and neater than mine was. I know a lot of people thought she was beautiful as well.

[Ren didn't fail to recognise Asaka as beautiful either, but it was a shame her interest was so focused on him when he might be the single person in the world she'd always be unable to capture romantic interest from.]