OPEN💗 LATE VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY

[peoplewatch]

WHO: Newbies, oldbies, everyone is welcome!
WHAT: A Late Valentine’s Party mingle, since Valentines’ Day was over Kaiju month…
WHERE: “MANTRA”, an underground, alternative club in Neo Toyko
WHEN: March 10th
WARNINGS: Romance and shippy things, alcohol, hookah, suggestive things. Anything NSFW is to be appropriately labelled.

Around the 10th of March, Outsiders will receive a message in their ocular inbox from Kabru, the Outsider also known as @ rasgulla. The message reads:

“To my dearest friends and teammates,

If we haven’t met before, call me Kabru. When not on missions as an Outsider, I work as a freelance event planner for various businesses and private organizations within Neo Tokyo.

Valentines’ Day is a popular holiday in Japan that was sadly interrupted last month by the kaiju. My current client is holding a belated Valentines’ Day event and they would really like the Outsiders to come. There will be plenty of food and things to do. Even if you're not looking for a romantic time, I'd encourage you to come!

Please wear something comfortable. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours sincerely,

Kabru.”



A location pin comes attached with the invitation. It looks like Kabru’s become more adept at technology over the months.

Follow the location pin and you’ll find yourself in front of ‘Mantra’ in metro Tokyo, an underground, alternative club making waves for its uniqueness in the club scene. Outsiders will all be allowed in without much fuss. The owner of the club is a gentle woman who kindly requests that all guests take their shoes off and leave them at the side. There is a lingering scent of incense and the people hanging out in the club look remarkably calm as they relax; cuddling and enjoying each other’s company. What kind of Valentine’s day party is this? A New Age, alternative kind, apparently. The owner of the club wants to be promoting togetherness in a completely different way.

Thankfully, finger foods and alcohol appear to be abundant, even if Kabru would really like you to be mingling with the people! There is a bar with free flowing wines and spirits, and a table with hors d'oeuvres and small desserts as accompaniment. These can include sushi rolls, small sandwiches, crab cake bites, small skewers, chocolates, little cakes and tarts. Food aside, there is live music playing and guests are highly encouraged to dance.

Naturally, couples are also coupling up, but anything too raunchy is of course cordoned off to a private room. Also, ignore the people smoking electronic hookah at the side…

What can you do besides eat and drink?

1. DANCING 💗

The DJ mostly plays trance and synth pop music in the background but he’s happy to take requests. On the dancefloor,there’s always a group of tipsy guests dancing their hearts out, some dancing alone and others dancing as a couple. There’s no right or wrong way to dance and most people will not cast judgement. Give it a try? Better hurry, before some of the overeager guests try to drag you in.

2. CUDDLE PILE 💗
Numerous cushions are set out around the venue for guests to lounge in and cuddle. It’s highly encouraged, in fact! Especially after a vigorous dance session. There are people lying together in larger groups, and couples choosing to spend their time lounging and enjoying each other’s company. Finding it difficult to relax? The owner might give you a whiff of her special perfume that’s guaranteed to put you in a state of complete calm. It might even make you more open about lying together with someone else.

3. SPEED DATING 💗

There’s a speed dating round going on in one side of the club. Guests are numbered and paired up randomly, then given a short amount of time to get to know each other on a speedy little date. Don’t know what to say? A list of questions will flow in through the oculars to give you a prompt. (Please refer to here and here for some examples or make up your own!)

4. MAKE SWEET TREATS 💗

In the spirit of Valentines’ Day, the owner of the club is hosting a quick desserts-making workshop at the event. Guests will be provided with ingredients and taught to make chocolate or cupcakes, and they will get the chance to decorate it however they like. It’s highly encouraged to make something to give to your sweetheart or the person you admire. Do you really want to be the person eating their own chocolate on Valentines’ Day?

5. PARTY GAMES 💗

What’s a party without party games? Throughout the night, people will be getting drunk and playing local drinking games such as the King’s Game. Eventually, other games from the West get introduced by other people. These games include Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle and 7 Minutes in Heaven.

6. TAKE SOMEONE HOME 💗

If it looks like you're having a pretty good time with someone else, a helpful robot will approach you and provide you both with a key to a private room. Some of these private rooms are normal and some are themed, similar to a love hotel. There's no need to actually do anything raunchy of course. You could just cuddle up and enjoy the warmth of the digital fireplace! Everything one might need for a nice time together (condoms, lubricant etc) will be readily available.

As the event planner, Kabru will be buzzing around and making sure everything runs smoothly, but he can be stopped for questions or concerns (pls be nice to him he has anxiety). Characters can sit out of anything they want, but drunk and overeager guests might decide to drag them in.

[ OOC: I put this up so everyone can enjoy a chill mingle after the chaos of last month! And also because we didn’t get the opportunity to have do much for Valentines’ Day given the timing. Naturally, please label any NSFW, add your content warnings appropriately, and state your boundaries and preferences in terms of shipping/gen/being tagged by younger/older characters. ]

Comments

3

[penaltypoints]

[ Yesod technically has zero reasons to be here, aside from observing other Outsiders, especially since it reminds him of too many Complicated Feelings, but March marks March's and Malkuth's birthdays, so he will make himself undergo new experiences that they might have welcomed. Thus, he has participated in the desserts-making workshop and produced some carefully-decorated cupcakes. These in hand, he watches the gathering, in search of people who will accept the plate. ]

Neither do I.

[ Vergilius presumably isn't interested in cupcakes, either. At any rate, there are certainly questions that cross Yesod's mind upon seeing the other man. ]

Why did you choose to attend this event?

[immortalpoet]

[So that's the "Truth" he's going with, huh.]

[Vergilius stretches his shoulders back in a languid shrug, adding a sigh along with it.]

I don't mind the person who invited me to this. [As much of a truth as he'll state.] Truth or dare.

[penaltypoints]

[ Yesod does wonder whether Vergilius might have answered differently, were this Callisto's gala or Rodion's party, but today's function seems straightforward. He acknowledges the reply with a nod before the game continues with his turn to choose. As opposed to 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️... ]

I'll also answer a question.

[immortalpoet]

Hm. Very well.

[A truth for a truth. That's fair. The man seems all too fair, proper and prim.]

Do you like being at this party?

[penaltypoints]

[ Admittedly, this particular question gives Yesod pause, taking him by surprise. Considering it, he doesn't answer immediately. He must be as out of place as ever in such a setting, he imagines. The plate of cupcakes doesn't help matters. ]

...There is nothing here that currently appeals to me personally. Nevertheless, I made the decision to experience it.

[ Yesod lets his gaze wander across the room before turning back to Vergilius. ]

I'll continue playing this game, if you'd like.

[immortalpoet]

Interesting. I hope you don't regret it.

[Nothing appeals to him, and yet he's here. Going through the motions. What a man. He stares at him for a moment.]

Sure. It's your turn, this time.

[penaltypoints]

[ As far as regrets are concerned, Yesod thinks, any discomfort that he might feel in this sort of venue is bearable compared to plenty of other things witnessed and done. In any event, he meets Vergilius's stare, pensive. Almost a year ago, Malkuth spoke of birthdays — Elijah's, specifically. How can I not acknowledge it? Not celebrate it? When I don't even know if there's anyone out there who'll do it now that time's moved on?

It won't go forgotten, he'd promised. ]

...Did Malkuth mention the date of her birthday to you?

[ Perhaps she didn't have the chance to do so around the time that Gebura revealed the exact date. ]

[immortalpoet]

...

[Her birthday.]

[Malkuth's birthday.]

[Something passes through his eyes, like a shadow entering a room.]

She did. It's...coming up, isn't it. She never gave me the exact date.

[penaltypoints]

[ Noting the change in Vergilius's expression, Yesod responds after another moment's pause. ]

The twenty-fourth of March. Gebura was able to share this information with us towards the end of July.

[ During the small "birthmonth" celebration that Malkuth had organized to hold with their coworkers in his room. He'd wondered then whether they would all still be here the following year. ]

[immortalpoet]

I see. Good to know.

[Good to know. Too little, too late.]

Are you celebrating it?

[penaltypoints]

[ It would be better, if Malkuth were here, her wish to stay granted. Yesod can't help but return to that thought. ]

Some time ago, Ereshkigal and I discussed suitable ideas for the occasion. She suggested a gathering near the photo wall to remember those who have disappeared from this world.

[ Of course, such plans may not be possible, considering the state of the base, as well as the work to be done in Tokyo and Kyoto alike. ]

...These gestures now are insufficient.

[immortalpoet]

[...]

[Well, yes. What they have is gone. The photo wall? Gone. Everything physical they had, the places they had? Gone. Malkuth's room? Probably gone.]

[But somehow the statement makes him frown a little, something about the choice of work irritating like a burr.]

There are other gestures. I don't think she'd like if you just gave up on something like that.