what if we kissed while being chased by the ski-free yeti 😳

[beleos]

CEREMONIES OF HARMONIZATION (MERIDIAN)

Early in the month, a brief Communion message is sent out by Cetina and Kathova to their respective factions (if you’re unharmonized, sorry, you get both!) to inform them that Harmonization Ceremonies will be taking place on December 8th. While not required, it’s strongly encouraged that you at least make an appearance at the respective ceremony. This is a time for the factions to honor and celebrate you for making your choice and to symbolically represent that commitment. If you haven’t made your choice yet, you’re welcome to attend either ceremony. In fact, it would be a great honor to choose to Harmonize at the ceremony itself.

When you arrive to Heliopolis for the ceremony, the first thing you’ll be asked to do is… change? A wide variety of Greek and Roman-styled outfits are provided, all in light shades ranging from pure whites to soft pastels. But once you’re changed, you’re led deep into Heliopolis to a great courtyard where the tree is rooted. Along the edges, large tables full of appetizing food and drink are being set up, but first, you have the Ceremony to attend.

Once most people have arrived, Cyrus takes a place at the base of the tree and speaks to those assembled. He gives a warm, charismatic speech welcoming all to the celebration. This is a time to celebrate those who have Meridian’s light within them and to welcome them. He hopes that you’ll find peace and happiness here in Kenos, and just as much, he hopes the worlds you see in your Sunbeams return. One day, you’ll part ways, but for now, he hopes you find new friends and family here among the Meri.

After his brief speech, you’ll be given opportunity to approach the tree and touch your Shard to it in a ritualistic way. When you do, you’ll get the experience of briefly visiting a happy, peaceful time in another world as if the tree itself is Communing with you. You’re more likely to see the worlds of those in attendance at the ceremony, but it can also be random. Regardless, it fills you with a sense of belonging and resolve as if reminding you that this is what you’re helping someone return to and your own home is also waiting. From there, you’ll be directed to the sides of the courtyard where craftspeople are waiting. If you give them your Iliachtida, they’ll happily craft it into a piece of jewelry or other token of your choosing so that you can always carry it with you.

After this, it’s of course time to feast and to party!

You’ll find music, dancing, food, and drink, which the Tribune himself seems to be indulging in! Eventually, an interesting drinking game will begin… You’ll see Meri lounging in a circle and drinking wine, but once their cup is empty, they offer a toast, and then flick the remaining sediment towards a bowl in the center. This is Kottabos! Ask a yes or no question, and its outcome is decided by whether the remainder of the wine-lees lands in the target. Alternately, it’s a traditional gambling game as well. Make a wager with another player: candy and cakes, money, or maybe even kisses in the spirit of the season. All things work as currency in Kottabos!

CEREMONIES OF HARMONIZATION (ZENITH)

As Kathova informed you, Zenith’s ceremony is a formal affair, and you’re expected to dress as such. Don’t worry if some of the finer clothing is out of your budget—this ceremony is important, so you’ll be able to commission whatever you’d like from a local tailor, and Lady Yima will foot the bill. The ceremony itself takes place in the Courtyard of Yima’s Manor, and the twin moons shine brightly overhead in her garden. There are multiple large tables set up with enough seats to accommodate everyone in attendance and at the front of this setup is a smaller table with seats for Yima and Kathova.

However, while everyone is arriving, she’s standing at the foot of the tree. She’ll greet everyone who comes, and once everyone is settled, will give a brief speech of welcome: spreading her hands, she invites all gathered to be at peace among their kindred - as all are family among the Zenith. Each soul is connected, holding a crucial piece that will be carried into the new world to come. She understands there are struggles to come, that the road ahead may not be an easy one - but each of them lest but look around them. Do they see the faces of those at their sides...? These are safe hands to entrust themselves in, and she welcomes you as they will welcome you - with open arms. After this, she asks that each of you come to her with your Shard in hand.

When you do, Yima won’t take your Shard from you, but instead just hold her hands over yours. She speaks a Zenite blessing, and then leans down to kiss your Shard. The feeling ripples through you, but it’s not unpleasant. In fact, a sense of peace comes of you that will last the entirety of the night. With a smile, she tells you to enjoy your evening in the moonlight. If you received a Shard from her, she’ll direct you to one of the craftspeople to the side of the courtyard that will fashion a “home” for that Shard. An elegant piece of jewelry, a box, whatever you prefer, and while inside it, it’ll be magically protected. If you didn’t, then she’ll instead direct you to others who will make you a “token”. Much like the barista near the Tomes, give them your Shard, and they’ll create you a custom piece of jewelry or the like that represents your soul. The appearance, of course, is up to the player.

After this, the banquet begins. Gentle music plays in the background, but the focus here is to get to know your fellow Zenite Shard-Bearers. You’ll find a variety of food on the menu, but it’s all quite special, you know at a glance. Whatever your favorite food is, it’s offered at the banquet with your name next to it in parenthesis. This is a bit of a cultural exchange, but there’s also just a little bit of Yima’s more mischievous magic at play. While you eat, the effect is subtle, but you’ll be more open to those you talk with. It’s not so much that you’ll be revealing your secrets or anything of the sort, but just a gentle way to lower those barriers between you.

QIASU (HIGHSTORM)

On December 9th, the marker of the latter half of Takiltu, Kenos comes together to celebrate unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time. This celebration is an amalgamation of many worlds’ winter festivals, and as such, is known in the two cities as the Year’s End Festival, or Qiasu as Highstorm calls it.

This part of Takiltu is when Highstorm truly starts to hit winter. Snow is a frequent occurrence, but it’s one that the city welcomes, since with the snow comes a few of the most beloved traditions of the city. By far the most popular is heading to Greenwood Yards. The gardens themselves may be either dormant or showing their simpler winter gardens, but you may have noticed an area by the bathhouses left in surprising amount of disrepair… This is because during the winter months, this area fills up with a natural outdoor hot spring! Take a swim under the moonlight, and even explore some of those ruined old manors, now with their first floors warmly flooded. It’s a tradition to bring in your favorite drinks and spend an evening sipping it in a parlor with friends, and to make new ones by sharing your drinks. Of course, do watch out for the ghosts. They’re mischievous more than malicious, but this is their favorite time of the year too!

You can also head to the Great Tree, which is decorated for the season with glittering glass orbs and is the current roost for the pale Moonbugs of Highstorm. Write a wish on a slip of paper and hold out your hands, and one of the Moonbugs will come sit within them. Whisper the wish to the Moonbug and it’ll take the paper and fly away to find someone to fulfill it. Of course, this also means that a Moonbug is likely to come find you! Besides it being good karma to fulfill the wish, you’ll be given a brief vision of the person whose wish you fulfilled and be blessed by the tree for the duration of the month depending upon your Aspect:

• Advocate: People are more likely to buy you meals/rounds and every recipe you make turns out perfectly.
• Exalt: Animals seem to think more kindly of you, and you'll find them much easier to befriend.
• Harbinger: You're given a more silver tongue as your arguments seem to be better at persuading people.
• Iconoclast: You won't be effected by cold weather in any way.
• Savant: You heal much more rapidly from any injury and are generally the very picture of health.
• Stargazer: Your indulgences (whatever they may be) are both easier to find and are of higher quality.

And of course, there’s one more well-known practice in Highstorm, though it’s more of a tradition of Kowloon’s… The Gävle family is a well-known family who has lived in Highstorm for a long time, and they brought a tradition of building a festive Yule goat made straw in the square outside of their businesses. However, it also happens to be outside of Yura Szczepanski’s home. He’ll never do it himself, of course, but if you manage to burn it down? He’ll reward you, obviously. It doesn’t make it any more legal, so those that try generally spend some time in a Highstorm jail, but it’s an enshrined enough practice at this point that not only has it burned down more often than it’s survived, but there’s even a betting pool in Kowloon for whether it survives or not.

Of course, if these traditions aren’t quite your vibe, you’ll also find the city just generally set up for a metropolitan winter. The Antiques & Baubles Market is rearranged to make room for a large ice-skating rink, Tasseography (the coffeeshop by the Tomes) has a seasonal special for a hot chocolate that will fortify you from the cold for a few hours (and make you fire resistant? Weird,), and the city also hosts a full-size gingerbread house that you can indeed take a bite from, to name a few things. Generally speaking, if it’s something you could do in a snowy city at home, you’ll probably find an equivalent somewhere in the city of moonlight.

YEAR'S END FESTIVAL (SPRINGSTAR)

Springstar will never turn down a chance to celebrate, but eternally Highstorm’s opposite, this is the warmest time of year. With the sun always shining, some days can get near sweltering, but that just means you have a different set of traditions to have fun with it!

The ivy-like vines that decorated the city in the beginning of the month (November) are now in full bloom, and you’re now likely to learn why the Meri consider them sacred. Wherever the flowers bloom, they encourage feelings of warmth and slightly higher inclination for physical contact within those that encounter their magical pollen*. Holding hands with someone by the flowers will give you feelings of liveliness and happiness, and for a few hours, the positive traits of the person you’re holding hands with become more prominent in you and vice versa. These effects do linger a bit longer, since for a month, you’ll also find that being around this person also gives you both a little boost in energy. It’s very sweet! This also comes with a bit of a further game, if you’re at all a frequenter of Psychagogía...

Madame Dee’s hosts a very popular competition simply called Kiss Bingo. Approach the booth set-up outside the brothel and touch your Shard to a special card, and names will appear upon it. From there, the rules are simple. Just give that person a kiss! It can be on their hand, their lips, their [redacted], all of it counts, and once you do, a little kiss mark will mark their name out. Get a bingo, and you can pick from a variety of prizes such as a ticket for a week’s worth of visits at a local buffet, a shopping spree at a nearby store, or a box seat for a day at the Coliseum. Of course, if you’re really an overachiever, fill out the whole card to get multiple prizes. Madame Dee might just give you a job!

With the promise of home that the Meri deeply believe in, they have their own gifting tradition. The Shard-Bearers know best that it’s possible to receive gifts from the Timestream, and for Year’s End, it’s tradition for the Tribune to pull out all the stops. For a week of the Festival, the Tribune works just outside of Heliopolis, and with the help of priests from the Church of Helios, reaches into the Timestream to produce a gift for anyone that comes to ask. However, this is a tradition taken with great humor. For one, the Tribune wears a particular costume for the duration, said to be a figure from the first Tribune’s world, but with some tweaks for the hotter climate. And two, this was a tradition started when the city was much smaller. Now that it's such a bustling city, pulling good gifts out of the Timestream gets more difficult. It may not be what you asked for, but Cyrus will still hand over a gift just for you with a laugh and a smile, wishing you a Meri year of prosperity to come. There’s no time to stay and chat, however, since the line is quite long!

On rainy days (or simply the unbearably hot ones), you can also go to Starlight Park, which offers a reprieve from the weather. Inside the dome, you’ll find a idyllic, snowy valley where you can partake in all the natural joys of winter. There’s (highly) competitive snowball fights, sledding, and skiing to partake in, though you might be cautioned away from one slope. Head down that course and about halfway down, you’ll be chased by… a yeti? Luckily it doesn’t seem to be able to harm you, but it’s still shockingly fast and will catch you no matter how quickly you ski. You can also spend a bit of money to rent a yurt along the river for a relaxing and exceptionally cozy glamping experience. Some Yurts are even adorned with the sacred vines. You know, for no reason.

You’ll also find the Meri heading away from the city of Springstar a bit to head down to some of the beaches that surround Springstar. Being an island within an Island (capital ‘I’ meaning the Kenos kind of island), Takiltu is the traditional start of Springstar’s summer season and all the fun that comes with that. The beaches are bustling, but the cool and crystal-clear waters of the ocean surrounding the city make it worthwhile. Surfing, diving, and sailing are popular activities, but just make sure to stay within sight of the shore. It doesn’t take too long to hit the end of the Island and sailing outside the magical barrier that keeps Springstar floating in Kenos’s starscape generally isn’t survivable.

NOTES

Weather summary for the second 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

• Highstorm is out of fall and into winter. While there are some milder days, snow (and heavy snow at that!) is getting more common.
• Springstar is hot and humid, and it's not uncommon for brief thunderstorms to roll through in the afternoon.

Notable city changes:

• A new bar has opened in Springstar by the name of Punch Drunk! Located in Psychagogia, it's already seeing good business and Meri seem to especially enjoy people watching on the balcony.

Faction updates:

• Rumors have started to circulate that A Zenite Shard is being held hostage by the Meridian. There's a slight increased tension between Meri and Zenites as a result, but it's still understated. This is a matter that's expected to be negotiated, after all.

CODING

Comments

[epiprocta]

[ God, twenty-eight is, like, on death's door by most anime standards. And teen standards. But Gen doesn't know that, and Eustace still looks like Kenos' most eligible bachelor, so he instead gives a tilt of the head as he drawls, ]

You're not that old. You're like, what, twenty-three? Twenty-four?

[ Imagine being older than that. Like, imagine being twenty-five? Gross. ]

Why're so many people here prudes, anyway. S'just a kiss.

[ And with that, as the alleyway narrows and starts to force them to squeeze closer to avoid scraping against the walls on either side of them or whacking into the boxes stacked up on either side, Gen sidles a step closer to where Eustace walks.

He's, like, 90% sure Eustace's name was on that bingo card he got. And though he'd hazard a guess that Eustace might stiffly tolerate a kiss to the cheek if he were told that straight-up -- a 50/50 gamble, maybe? -- at the moment Gen's getting way more amusement from that stiff look on Eustace's face. Like he bit into something especially bitter. So. Might as well go for it.

Gen casually slings his arm over Eustace's shoulder and, following through with that gesture in one smooth move, pulls him closer

and kisses him lightly on the side of the neck, close enough to where he'd had the snow down his shirt. ]

[lockedon]

[ Fellas, is it gay to kiss your aniki on the neck in a dark, narrow space?

Eustace isn't sure whether he should be flattered or insulted that Gen thinks he's so youthful, but he doesn't have much time to ponder the implications of that statement before Gen's sidling up and slinging an arm around his shoulders. Not the first time he's done that and it definitely won't be the last, and while it's a casual enough gesture it has him stiffening all the same, because nothing good has ever come out of Gen pretending to act chummy around him.

Case in point: Eustace gets two seconds to wonder what the hell is going on before there's the warm, slightly dry press of lips against his neck.

If Gen wanted a visible reaction to his antics then he certainly gets it. There's a very obvious recoil as Eustace flinches away, lips curling back in a disgusted scowl. His body's stiff as a statue and there's an immediate follow-up of his hand reaching up to mash itself into Gen's cheek and shove him away. ]

Don't do that again.

[ He'll take ten fistfuls of snow over being kissed by Gen again. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Gen laughs his usual, shitty, wolfish laugh when Eustace shoves him away by his face, bootsoles scuffing against the ground as he lets himself stumble a half-step sideways to put a little more room between them. ]

Or what, Eustace? S'just a little kiss. [ A pause before he drops his voice a notch, letting his words linger more pointedly when he says, ] You're gonna hurt my feelings acting like that ...

[ -- yeah, no. He can't even finish that sentence without letting it trail off with another laugh. If it makes Eustace feel any better, Gen follows it up with a half-shrug and a flippant wave of the hand. ]

Relax. I'm not into you or anything. I'm just doing that stupid 'kissing bingo,' or whatever it's called -- you're on my card, and I'm not turning down an easy way to get a few free meals. [ One more laugh as he sidesteps a fallen trashcan. ] 'sides, you should've seen the look on your face. All frozen up like that over nothing. Here, this way.

[ Rejoice, Eustace. They've emerged from that horrible, narrow little alleyway, which will no doubt be a source of some trauma for Eustace henceforth, to step into ... another, equally narrow street. Though this one's quiet, and modestly lit, and is lined by a bunch of cramped, samey-looking buildings. Apartment buildings, Eustace might recognize. Gen double-checks the direction before tilting his head to indicate for Eustace to follow; his tags swings lazily behind him with each step when he leads. ]

[lockedon]

[ Why is he not at all comforted by those words? 'Just a kiss', okay, sure bud. Because this is how all people who are trying to win a free meal from kiss bingo decide to dole out their kisses. Sorry if he remains heavily unconvinced. ]

You put a lot of effort into something that was 'just a little kiss'.

[ It would have been just as easy to just lean over and land a fat one on his cheek? Or: ]

You could have just asked if you needed to cross a square off.

[ Even if the concept of a kissing bingo doesn't qualify as his idea of fun, he would have sighed and silently suffered through it if it meant helping Gen nab some extra food. He remembers being that age and being constantly hungry, eating enough food to feed the crew of a small airship.

Being here, in this jampacked city, makes him miss those times, though he follows behind obediently, his gaze fixed on the idle swish of Gen's tail rather than their residential surroundings. ]

[epiprocta]

Not that much effort.

[ Eustace was, like, right there, after all.

Gen briefly seems a little distracted counting buildings, starting from the alleyway they'd emerged from. None of the buildings around here have proper labels or numbers, and with how cramped and samey everything looks, he needs a little longer to commit the route home to muscle memory. Four, five six -- ah, that one. ]

I was gonna ask, actually. [ Said with a brief laugh as he steps forth once more. ] But it was funnier seeing you act all finicky about it. -- watch that curb, it's wobbly. Almost twisted my ankle the last time I was coming back late and the lights 'round here were broken.

[ It's a boxy, shitty-looking apartment building that Gen's leading Eustace into, and he takes an immediate right once they're inside so he can get them headed up a rickety, narrow stairwell. Hopefully, by this point, Eustace knows better than to have high (or even moderate) expectations for Gen's lodgings. ]

go to sleep

[lockedon]

[ His foot is already midair when that warning comes around and he hesitates briefly before gingerly putting it back down, testing the step carefully before placing the rest of his weight down. Should Gen really be living in a death trap like this?

But it's still a more permanent home than the inns and resthouses he oscillates between when he gets tired of sleeping on the ground, so it's not like he can give Gen any shit for the particular location of his tiny apartment. Even if he's pretty sure he just saw a roach skitter down the steps past him. His lips twitch downwards in another grimace, ears twisting backwards in displeasure. Maybe he should have camped one more day. ]

What made you pick a place like this to live in?

[ It has to be dirt cheap rent, right....surely there's no other reason Gen would willingly live here. A]

[epiprocta]

[ Yeah, just -- just ignore the roaches. And that mouse that definitely when skittering by. They also live here, okay. ]

You think I'd pick a place like this? [ Gen snorts as he reaches the top of one flight of stairs, then rounds the corner to head up the next. ] The guy I work for just set me up with it. Said he didn't want someone working for him sleeping out on the streets. Don't think he's doing it to be nice, though -- think it's an image thing for him.

[ Another floor up, and Gen finally steps off the stairs to yank open a door that wobbles on its hinges. It's creaky as shit. ]

It's kind of a dump, and I've been crashing on Amos' couch instead if I end up near there when it's late. But at least having this beats sleeping on the streets. Slept outside in Highstorm one night and thought I was gonna freeze to death.

[lockedon]

[ Yeah but can they, like, live somewhere else? Ideally a little further away? It's not like he's squeamish or anything, but when faced with the option of having vermin crawl over him while sleeps versus not, he'd definitely opt for the former every single time.

But, well, sleeping with the mice for a night is also preferable to sleeping forever after being frozen into an dogman popsicle, so Gen has a point there. ]

I'm surprised you're letting me stay instead of telling me to find someplace else.

[ Not that he thinks Gen is coldhearted or anything, but he's not exactly the type of model citizen to readily dole out charitable gestures like letting people stay in his tiny, shitty apartment. ]

[epiprocta]

[ That earns a pause where Gen's pulled the door open, and he just looks at Eustace for a moment. The slight furrow of his brow and the flick of a ear suggest he's a little confused, even if his flat stare doesn't betray much, and he shrugs after a moment before ducking through the doorway so Eustace can follow. ]

S'not like I'm giving you the whole place. I'm also staying.

[ In truth, that really is the extent of thought Gen's put into the gesture -- that he was headed back to his place anyway, so letting Eustace tag along wouldn't be much of an additional hassle. Even if pressed, he'd have a difficult time articulating exactly why he's extended this courtesy towards Eustace. (Maybe because he trusts Eustace. Maybe because he knows Eustace had done the bulk of the work of making their camping life tolerable, and thus is owed a small debt. Maybe because he actually cares about Eustace's wellbeing a bit.) ]

Just don't go telling anyone else about it.

[ 'You're special,' is the implication, though he's sure as hell not about to say anything close to that out loud.

Though there's probably a limit to how honored Eustace can feel by that declaration when he might notice how cramped and tiny these apartments must be, given how close together the doors are as they head down the dingy hallway. ]

[lockedon]

[ It's not the first time Gen's admitted to any sort of goodwill towards him, but hearing such a sentiment, implication or otherwise, still gives him pause, one foot slowing in midair as he stares at the back of Gen's head.

He still isn't sure what to make of their relationship, a foundation of trust overlaid with too many coats of bickering, but he's grateful for the rare instances when Gen briefly lets his guard down and lets a thin sliver of his true emotions shine through. They're precious moments to him, for all that they're few and far between.

And so, instead of countering back with a sarcastic retort, he just says simply: ]

I won't.

[ He's not much of a gossip anyway.

Once again, he follows behind, the creaking of the floorboards slowly fading into the background as his ears get used to the organic noise of the apartment. ]

Did you bump your head against the doorframe the first time you went in?

[ This place is so.....small. ]

[epiprocta]

[ A sarcastic retort would have been fine, actually. It's how he's most accustomed to dealing with any actual emotions or positive sentiments he might feel. But mostly, he's just glad Eustace doesn't make a big deal of it.

Because, like, who actually talks about things like that? Processing relationships in proper fashion? Communicating? Gross. ]

Yeah. And not just the doorframe. [ As a demonstration, Gen has to duck his head to avoid getting brained by a random pipe that's just, like, sticking out of the wall beside them. Don't worry about it. ] But I'm used to it. I got tall pretty early, so I had to learn real quick to watch out for that stuff. -- here.

[ He gives a little wave of the hand to gesture for Eustace to slow down, and Gen fishes through his pocket as he stops before a rickety-looking door. The doorframe does, indeed, only come up to his temple; the lock grinds horribly in place when it's unlocked, rusty as hell, and the hinge creaks loudly when he pushes the door open. ]

Take your shoes off there.

[ And that brusque statement, accompanied by a point to a spot just next to the door, is all the welcome Eustace gets as he steps into Gen's apartment. Basically a large closet, with a low ceiling and no windows and crackling, stained walls. At least it's so sparsely furnished that it doesn't feel unbearably cramped -- other than a few up-side down crates that have been serving as a makeshift table and chair, and another crate carrying some random belongings, the only thing in the main portion of the place is a single, narrow mattress on a rickety-looking frame. ]

[lockedon]

[ Where the fuck did that pipe come from?

He jerks back to avoid it, frowning deeply at this whole mess that's conglomerated together into something vaguely resembling a living space. If this is what it looks like out in the cramped-ass hallway, then what the hell does Gen's actual apartment look like?

The answer makes itself painfully clear not too long afterwards as Gen unlocks a creaky door, indistinguishable from all the other creaky doors that line the hallway, and ushers them both inside. As instructed, Eustace takes off his shoes one by one (after ducking his way through the doorframe), lining them up neatly next to the wall. Then he takes a good look at the.....closet.

It really is a glorified closet, isn't it. A miracle they managed to fit a bed in here.

Speaking of the bed— his eyebrows raise the longer he stares at it. Maybe it would have been better to freeze to death in the great outdoors. ]

Are you sure your bed will hold both of us?

[ Sorry if he sounds highly skeptical but that thing looks like it might break if he touches it? He doesn't want his first action in Gen's apartment to be snapping the lone piece of furniture here in half?? ]

[epiprocta]

[ Having already kicked his boots off (one's landed upside-down on the floor), Gen had trudged straight into the closet-apartment, and is halfway through pulling his jacket off by the time Eustace raises that question. ]

... dunno. [ Jacket still handing off one shoulder, he leans over to nudge the bedframe with his foot; it makes a groaning noise, but thankfully doesn't wobble as much as it looks like it should. (Yet.) ] Whatever. It's a piece of shit, if it breaks, it breaks.

[ Gen finishes tugging off his jacket and tosses it over one of the crates off to the side before plopping himself down to sit at the edge of the bed. Will it break under the weight of two men in the middle of the night? Maybe, maybe not.

He doesn't look like he can bring himself to care too much either way, shooting Eustace a lopsided smirk as he leans back. ]

I mean, you can go ahead and sleep on the floor if you want, but I don't have any more blankets. And it gets cold at nights. -- and speaking of cold. [ He tips his head towards the tiny door in the corner. ] Bathroom there. You can shower if you want, but there's no hot water, just to warn you.

[ Lovely place, ain't it. ]

[lockedon]

[ Bro, we gotta get you a better place.

—Is what Eustace thinks to himself but doesn't say aloud. It's not as though he can do anything for Gen as he is anyway, his own employment status a murky smudge. For now he settles for taking a singular glance at the bathroom ("bathroom") and grimacing. This grimace is going to be permanently etched onto his face by morning. ]

I'll pass.

[ He's lived without showering before for a few days, he can do it again. Time to join Gen on the bed (😳), though his own descent is much more cautious, the bed creaking only slightly as he delicately lowers himself on the bed, placing one hand down first to steady himself. ]

You don't kick in your sleep, do you?

[ Is he going to wake up with bruised shins? ]

[epiprocta]

[ Fine then, no shower. Gen gives a small shrug, the universal gesture for 'suit yourself' before casually scooting inward on the bed. At least this way, sandwiched between Eustace and the wall, he won't be the one that falls out of bed if he forgets how narrow it is and tries to roll over. ]

Nah. At least, never heard anything about it from any of my girlfriends.

[ Yeah, girlfriends plural. Try not to think about how the fuck he'd managed to con more than zero women into tolerating him as their partner.

That said, Gen's definitely growing drowsy, his words gaining a slower, muzzy quality to them as he rolls over to face the wall and starts settling into place. Having fallen into the habit of crashing as soon as he gets home, just lying down in bed is enough to start putting him to sleep. Of course he's claimed the one pillow on the bed (it's shitty and flat anyway), but at least the blanket has enough room for the both of them.

As Eustace starts settling in, he might feel that whippy tail shift against the mattress between them, touching briefly at his calf before pulling away once more. Gen still has a way to go with learning to control those canine parts of his. ]

You better not be a kicker either ... I'll kick you out of bed. [ His words are interrupted by a yawn before Gen adds at a mumble, ] ... but I guess s'not bad letting you stay over. Kinda feels like we’re camping out there again, in a way.

[lockedon]

[ Girlfriends plural........... Yeah sorry, Eustace definitely can't imagine that, his whole head turning to stare at Gen as soon as that casual bomb is unloaded. Not that Gen is necessarily unattractive or anything (hottest sexiest) but surely the attitude must have been a dealbreaker for most people? Apparently not for some.

But, well, Gen's love life (sex life??? he doesn't want to think about that) is really none of his business (and again, Eustace really doesn't want to think about that) so he lets the little factoid go and opts to take off his jacket instead before folding it and placing it on the floor. ]

I don't kick in my sleep.

[ Factually proven by all zero of his girlfriends (and boyfriends) but it's not like Gen knows that. He'll find out one way or another after tonight anyway.

Gen looks right at home on his bed, already rolled over with his face towards the wall with the blanket casually draped over him. Meanwhile Eustace takes his sweet time swinging first one leg up and then the other before once again carefully lying down until his back is pressed up against the (hard, kind of lumpy) mattress and he's staring up at the (stained) ceiling. At least it beats the floor.

Mild discomfort aside, there's something strangely nostalgic about sharing a bed with someone young(er) and obnoxious. The silhouette of those pointed ears in the dark lends itself to the immersion, as does the flick of a tail into his leg every now and then. He's not nearly as sleepy as Gen, his habit of falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow broken by the past few weeks of moving around, but the absurdity (and familiarity) of the situation goes quite a ways in easing some of his previously pinched tone of voice. ]

If you wanted to cuddle while we were camping, you could have just said so.

[ He would have said no though so the point would have been moot. ]

[epiprocta]

[ There's a short delay before Gen gives a drowsy laugh at that. It's most unintentional when his tail lazily whaps against the mattress under the drape of the blanket, jostling against Eustace's leg along the way. ]

Not interested in cuddling with some sweaty guy.

[ So he says when the bed is so cramped that his back is pressed up against Eustace's shoulder??? ]

Maybe if we're ever stuck somewhere in danger of freezing to death ... and even then, only as a last resort. [ His words are already starting to trail off, growing indistinct as sleep starts to take over him. When Gen next takes a slow breath, his shoulderblades shift under the lay of his shirt, nudging against Eustace's shoulder before sinking back down. ] Glad ... we didn't have to make Gray do that ... she would've melted from the embarrassment, I bet ...

[ The next breath he takes is slower, deeper, settling into that languid rhythm signature of sleep. Then it's quiet.

Lucky for Eustace, Gen's girlfriends were right -- he's not a kicker. Other than a few wayward shifts of the tail that brush against his legs, Gen is mostly still in his sleep.

Unlucky for Eustace, he's only mostly still in his sleep. And despite how easily he'd griped about not wanting to cuddle with a guy -- it's chilly, any extra warmth is enticing, and Gen's not really used to sharing his bed with people other than sexual partners. So when he rolls over in his sleep and his arm comes to rest against the warm shape of another person, he doesn't give it an iota of thought before pulling them close. Gen sighs in his sleep, his breath grazing warm against Eustace's shoulder when he drowsily nuzzles against him for a moment, then stills once more. With his arm wrapped over Eustace's chest in what is most definitely a gentle, if mildly possessive, cuddle. ]

[lockedon]

[ So if he weren't sweaty but still a guy it'd be fine, right?

Most of Gen's drowsy mumble goes unheeded, in one (oversized) ear and out the other, Eustace trying to wiggle his way into a more comfortable position on the bed. (Spoilers: there is none.) Cramped space aside, the heat that emanates off Gen's body is a nice ward against the evening chill, and enough to slowly spread a drowsy languidness throughout his own body.

His eyes drift closed, though his mind is only slightly fuzzy at the corners. His voice too is quieter, though not yet tinged with sleep the same way Gen's is. ]

Gray's tougher than she looks.

[ No doubt she would have turned as red as a tomato, but she would have trucked on through regardless. It's a nice thought thought, all of them clustered close to the dying embers of their campfire, huddled like an actual family might be instead of a ragtag trio brought together by circumstance. It's certainly a thought that sends him drifting towards sleepytime, his consciousness less and less aware of the creaks rattling through the apartment building and the light snores that occasionally permeate though the air.

It's only until extra weight slings itself over his chest that his consciousness struggles back up from the depths, desperately trying to prepare itself for sudden trouble. Blearily, he blinks and turns his head over—only to be met with a noseful of Gen's hair when it turns out that Gen is right there. Huh.

The truth of the matter is that his sleep-hazed mind is simply too tired to do anything with this revelation that Gen is a cuddler in his sleep. It's not like he's being suffocated in his sleep, or he's being forced into uncomfortable positions. Why bother doing anything about this when it's not actually impacting him in any way? Dimly, the fleeting thought of this is kind of cute, actually, floats through his mind, and then he's turning his head back over and letting sleep claim him again.

In an ideal world, they'd sleep like this until daybreak. Unfortunately, Gen's shitty apartment and shitty furniture are simply not equipped to handle two grown men, and it's somewhere around the wee hours of 2 AM that Gen's bedframe finally gives out, its already short life expectancy snapped in half in the same manner it itself snaps, sending the mattress (along with both men sprawled atop it) plummeting to the floor. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Well. This bedframe probably wasn't long for this world, anyway.

The only warning the two of them get is the sound of the bedframe giving a low creak in complaint, then after a dreadful moment of silence, the mattress crashes to the floor. It's briefly bent into a V-shape as the two halves of the bedframe on either end struggle to remain upright -- then those halves are also pushed out from under the mattress' weight, sent clattering to the floor as the mattress ends up flattening out straight on the floor once more.

Of course, even an exhausted teenager can't just sleep through all that racket. Gen does start awake with an undignified grunt, his arm winding marginally tighter around Eustace's midriff as he raises his head and tries to make some sense of what's going on.

But as soon as all that jostling and movement stops -- he decides he doesn't care enough to try and figure things out. It's still dark, the only light in the apartment seeping in from outside past the shitty, ratty curtains, and the sounds of late-night partying from outside still a steady drone. Daybreak's not due for a few hours, right? And he doesn't have any courier jobs lined up for tomorrow morning. Like hell he's sacrificing his precious, precious sleep. ]

Whatever... [ So after a sleepy blink, he closes his eyes once more. That arm wound around Eustace's body pulls tight, and Gen sighs as he nuzzles against that warmth. With his brain still largely paralyzed by sleep, he isn't thinking at all when he nuzzles into the tantalizing warmth of Eustace's shoulder again; his tone of voice is languid and almost affectionate. ] Let's go back to sleep.

[ And then -- was that a kiss? That sure was a sleepy little kiss he pressed against Eustace's shoulder, muscle memory dictating that the only people he'd ever cuddle with this are his girlfriends, and thus worth granting that little token of affection for.

For better or for worse, Gen simply sinks back into the mattress again, snoring softly within moments. Have fun thinking about that one, Eustace. ]

[lockedon]

[ How the fuck does Gen just go straight back to sleep after all that? Man, must be nice to have a relatively comfortable upbringing, where sudden loud sounds aren't a sign of impending danger.

The mattress slams onto the ground and Eustace snaps awake at the noise, one hand pressing against the mattress in a reflexive shove upright. Except he doesn't get too far, the tightened grip of Gen's arm around his waist keeping him largely stapled in place. There isn't any abrupt movement nearby that he can sense anyway, the apartment largely peaceful outside of the usual background noise of Kowloon.

So he sinks back into the mattress, head turning automatically to make sure Gen's alright despite the kerfluffle. (Though why wouldn't he be??) It ends up being a bad move; his eyesight adjusts just enough and just in time to catch the the way Gen's head moves sleepily forward to


,

There's a brief moment where his mind goes blank, not from sleep but from simple shock. Not so much at the kiss, though arguably two kisses in one night from Gen is unprecedented as hell, but at the casual affection on full display. It would be cute if it weren't all directed at him and if he weren't presumably some sort of stand-in girlfriend. (Because surely that's what this has to be??) Unlike before, there's no room to slide away between the arm still draped over him and Gen's face mashed into his shoulder.

He thinks about saying something, or even forcibly shoving Gen away, but his mind remains empty on the former and there's literally no room to do the latter unless he wants to end up on the floor, so he's left where he is, still on his back and staring tiredly up at the ceiling as the sound of partying echoes through the thin windows.

It takes him a long time to fall back asleep after that. Someone's going to wake up with circles under their eyes in a few hours. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Damn, Eustace breaking Gen's bed and then Gen even keeping him up all night, not letting him get any sleep ... 😳

Anyway, Gen ends up sleeping great.

He'd be loathe to ever admit it out loud, but he's been touch-starved ever since being displaced from his hometown, thus losing easy access to his girlfriend. And while he's gotten a few spare moments of relief here and there, getting to cuddle someone throughout the night is an indulgent hit of stress relief that he hasn't had access to for some time, now. Not to mention the inherent comfort and warmth of having a living body-pillow to hold overnight, through the early morning chill of Kowloon's dawn.

So while dawn might find Eustace blinking awake to stare at the ceiling, bleary-eyed and disoriented from barely getting any rest, it also finds Gen getting some of the best sleep he has in a long time, hugging Eustace close. Basically spooning him as much as a man can spoon another man determined to lie flat on their back like a plank of wood -- arm wrapped over Eustace's chest, legs practically entwined against Eustace's, head tucked into the crook of Eustace's shoulder. Even the whippy length of his tail rests loosely against Eustace's ankle, the tip of twitching ever so slightly.

At least sunrise heralds the sounds of early-morning activity, the noises seeping in through the apartment's shitty insulation as the neighborhood slowly beings its usual antics. A particularly large thump from below -- several heavy crates behind put down, it sounds like -- earns a drowsy snuffle and a grunt from Gen, though he refuses to rouse just yet.

It does have one of those pointy ears of his flick right against Eustace's face, though, the slender tip of it tickling against his nose. ]