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

[queenofkur]

[ You? D-Does he think he knows the person who is hiding under the cardboard box?! But how could he when this is a mere box and there is certainly no one under? Is he becoming insane, has this horrible love-seeking party driven someone to madness? This wouldn't surprise the box, seeing how it so wishes to escape!

And lo! A deep, evil voice emerges from the box!! It sounds vaguely familiar, like someone else once used that voice while doing a special introduction... But surely this is just a trick of the imagination. How could a box have a voice similar to an actual person? ]

Interlooooooper.... Leave..... Leaaaaaaaaave us alooooooone...

[ Is this box threatening him? It certainly is! Maybe it would be unwise to seek further conflict with the box, leaving it alone may be better. ]

[kaizou]

Hey, it's you! How're you gonna dance like that? Bring your legs back! Haha!

[Unfortunately for Ereshkigal, Gigan is good at placing voices; he relies on them quite a bit in telling humans apart in his day job (or night job, as the case may be). It's the voice that makes the ribbon thing click. He knows where he's seen these ribbons before! Probably a goddess has the power to turn into a box whenever she wants, so it all makes perfect sense! The mystery is solved.

Except for the part where he can't dance with her like this. Bring out those legs! Gigan shifts from tickling the box's side to rubbing his gloved hand over the top of it, like he'd be ruffling its hair if it had hair.]

[queenofkur]

[ ?????????????????????????????????

W-Why is he like this?! Anyone else would have understood she is in great distress under that box and that she needs to be left alone! But no, here he is asking her to come out as if it's nothing. ]

I-I am not dancing!

[ Oh wow, the voice from under the box sounds a lot more normal (and whiny) all of a sudden!! ]

[kaizou]

Want me to pick you up and dance you around like this?

[Anyone else surely would have understood. Anyone else would realize this question doesn't even need to be asked. And truthfully, even Gigan doesn't actually think the answer to this is going to be "Sure, sounds fun!" The discomfort is part of what draws him in to her. Even at the best of times, Ereshkigal seems like she needs all the help she can get having fun and enjoying life, and this is clearly not the best of times for her.

He begins to wrap his arms around the box, like he's going to scoop it up and carry it to the dance floor.]

[queenofkur]

[ This is a total disaster. No, she doesn't want that! But before she can reply, he wraps his arms around the box.

And should he pull it up... Lo! There is a goddess underneath. Trying her hardest to look as small and discreet as possible. Looking up at the interloper with empty, broken eyes. ]

... ... ... ...

[ Let her die. ]

[kaizou]

[Of course he lifts the box. He's still expecting her to be the box, and to transform back, maybe, while he's holding her up—but no, there she is underneath it. Well, if she's not the box, he's not holding the right thing anymore!

So he sets it aside on the floor and then goes to try and pick her up in his arms instead.]

There you are! You almost fooled me!

[queenofkur]

[ A-Alright, there is still hope. She just needs to explain she really needs to leave, and--

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]

W-W-What are you doing?!

[ Shocking! Nobody has ever dared pick her up like that before! W-What is he thinking?! She should punish him for such audacity, if she wasn't busy panicking. ]

[kaizou]

You sure you don't wanna dance? I guess I could take you outside instead.

[Hmm. He thinks this over, tilting his head to the side, effortlessly holding her up in a bridal carry in his arms. Which way to go? Dance floor? Away from the party? She's doing that thing she always does again, isn't she . . . is she going to sink into despair if he tries to make her dance? Probably. But what if she doesn't! What if she likes it instead and has a good time! Truly, these two outcomes are equally likely!]

[queenofkur]

H-Heh...?

[      ?     ??      ???    ?         ??       ?
   ??       ???       ?       ??        ??   ?
?    ???       ??          ???     ????          ??
  ?     ??    ?    ??     ?       ??       ??  
   ?    ???    ?     ??         ??        ??    ]

I-I... Gwah...!

[ He needs not fear, this goddess' brain is merely in the process of rebooting. ]

[kaizou]

[Hmmm, that doesn't help at all. He's just going to have to make the most informed and thoughtful decision on his own.

Obviously, that's carrying her onto the dance floor in his arms! He's making absolutely no effort to be subtle, either, or keep to the edges or anything. Everyone should get to see how cute she is when she's rebooting her brain!]

[queenofkur]

[ Alas, the rebooting process is completely ruined by the situation worsening with every passing seconds! S-She needs to do something lest things get too bad! She needs to draw on all of her energy and what little reserves she has to put an end to this madness!

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]

P-Put me down at once!

[ Yes, that's it. That's all the energy to do. And she didn't even say it particularly loudly. ]

[kaizou]

You got it, Goddess.

[And he does! He doesn't even drop her or anything cruel like that; he sets her carefully back on her feet. But he is setting her on the dance floor, in front of himself, facing him, and he's not stepping back and walking away after either. Instead he's keeping his hands on her shoulders and watching her keenly.]

[queenofkur]

[ H-He does it...? And gently too?! T-That's... Unexpected? Surprising? Astonishing?

That goddess has no idea what she's supposed to think right now. ]

T-Thank you...? [She hasn't realized they're on the dance floor yet. Is this even real? She's starting to doubt it. Reality isn't that weird.] I wonder if that is what a lucid dream feels like...

[kaizou]

A what dream? What kinds of dreams are you having, huh?

[If this were one, she probably wouldn't be dreaming that he's beginning to nudge her at the shoulders to try and get her to sway in time with the music. But he is, so maybe this is reality after all.]

[queenofkur]

[ She shakes her head. S-She's not going to talk about her dreams while they're surrounded by people. ]

N-Nevermind that. I think I should--

[ Blinks blinks. Wait, why is his hand on her shoulder? Why is he swaying her as if they were dancing? C-Clearly this can't be them dancing, she hasn't drunk her three mandatory glasses of alcohol for her to be inhibited enough to dance! ]

W-What are you doing?!

[kaizou]

I set you down! Now we can dance, right?

[He knows damn well that's not why she wanted down, but sometimes he can play dumb as well as he can actually be dumb. Not that he sounds entirely serious, though; that smile is a dead giveaway that he's teasing her.]

[queenofkur]

T-There's no way I could possibly dance right now.

[ He has to be serious, as far as she's concerned! He's proven to be a kind (if only strange) soul before, he wouldn't purposefully terrorize her like that! ]

Besides, this-this is meant to be a special thing for romantic partners!

[kaizou]

You don't have to be romantic partners yet to dance with each other. Then how would anyone get started? You can dance and then decide that after.

[As someone who works at a club and sees strangers dancing with each other all the time, this is a brand new concept to him. Sometimes those strangers hook up after, but that's after! They don't have to already be doing that to start dancing! His hands are still resting on her shoulders, holding her there, but he tips his head at her curiously.]

[queenofkur]

[ Wait... Did she hear that right? ]

Y-Yet? [Blinks blinks.] YET?!

[ Is-Is that his intention here? His kindness is a disguised ploy to try and charm her? H-How terrible! She admires his good tastes, but: ]

What are you implying there? Villain! Pervert!! Degenerate!!!

[kaizou]

Yeah, you could call me those, but that wasn't what I was implying, so I dunno how you got there from here!

[He is pretty unabashedly and shamelessly those things! But that's a whole different conversation they hadn't even gotten to! Wait, she was upset about the "yet" part, right . . . ]

Oh, I didn't mean you've gotta or anything like that. Just that it's one way to figure it out, like going on a date!

[queenofkur]

N-No way!

[ The gall! The shamelessness!! He should ask Ishtar, she'd probably say yes in a heartbeat! ]

I shall only go on a date with my destined love. I shall settle for nothing less.

[ How will she know they're her destined love before they even date? L-Look, she didn't think about those details, and that's not what's important there! ]

[kaizou]

How're you gonna know they're your destined love before you even go on a date with them?

[He's so damn dumb in so many ways, but unfortunately for Ereshkigal, he did think about that detail. It's the kind he notices! That said, his tone is genuinely curious, not sarcastic. Gigan just assumes that she does in fact have a good answer for this, and he just doesn't know it yet.]

[queenofkur]

Heh?

[ Why must he bring that up? B-But she does have an answer, even if it takes her a couple seconds to talk again. ]

W-Well, I will know obviously. [A pause.] I would have all the symptoms of someone in love. Butterflies in my stomach, difficulties to talk properly, intense blushing, a disregard for common sense. and of course inability to think rationally. [That's what people in love feel according to her romantic books.] And I do not have those symptoms right now...!

[kaizou]

Isn't all that just what you're like all the time?

[These symptoms she's describing . . . Gigan's never felt them before, which isn't a surprise to him, because he's pretty sure he's not in love—maybe never can be in love. There are feelings he questions sometimes that he couldn't even begin to put words to, but they aren't really like that. But doesn't Ereshkigal blush, like, all the time? And stammer a lot? And do things thoughtlessly that she then regrets immediately after?]

You must be in love with the whole base!

[queenofkur]

... ... ... ...

[ ... ... ... ...

And lo: she throws a fist right at his face! ]

VILLAIN! [Fists won't do any more, so she grabs a bottle from a nearby table.] SCOUNDREL!! [Bottles are her going easy, so next she grabs a chair.] MONSTER!!!

[ Really a chair is being too kind, so now? She grabs the closest table and launch it his way.

Some would say this may be the slightest bit excessive, but pointing out things like that to a goddess is unwise indeed. ]