Dancing All Night

[mindofathief]

Who: Everyone
What: A slumber party at the Observatory so the Heroes can experience something nice for once.
Where: Old Observatory
When: Night of May 12th - Morning of May 13th
Warnings: If your character comes, there's a huge change they'll catch the sickness from someone else who's infected but doesn't show the symptoms. Duster will have many regrets in the future.

[All those that had been invited to the Observatory tonight would see all the windows on the bottom floors lit up before sundown. Duster and Zelda had spent most of today setting up bedding and rearranging the furniture in preparation, and then Duster had to run back home to change into his new suit.

There were multiple rooms with lights set up. One has a corner turned into a makeshift stage where musicians could perform. Two had tables of food. Several rooms were left alone for partygoers to have private moments (Tamekichi suggested that). There was also a box of beer bottles as a sad attempt at a bar, with an empty bottle marking the area where party games were to be played, Spin the Bottle included (all that was Tamekichi's suggestion, too).

Duster greets the arrivals at the door with a soft smile, wearing a periwinkle suit, a white dress shirt, a red shit, and black dress shoes.]

Welcome to Club Ixen! It's time we had some fun.

Comments

[sesenta]

[Guess who totally bought preassembled stuff because she doesn't have very much cooking experience? Hint: it's someone's happy little sister who just walked in with a pink box from the bakery.]

I brought cinnamon rolls!

[They're cute, sweet, and smell heavenly. This she sets down on the table before her gaze strays to what Santa made. Hey, that's not fair, he's going to show her up with all of his awesome culinary skills!]

You brought the meatballs? I don't stand a chance...

[Akane, it's not a contest.]

[21stcenturyguy]

[Akane, it's totally a contest, and Aoi is in it to win it. Not that he'll admit any of that.]

It's no big deal. I just figured this lame party will suck less if we have something decent to eat. [He scratches his hair and shrugs in the same lazy motion.]

Besides, I figured other, less talented and beautiful people who don't know how to cook would bring sweets, so I had to have something filling.

[Your Santa loves you more than his own life, Akane, but that still doesn't exempt you from big brother teasing.]

[sesenta]

[GASP. Less talented and beautiful?! Akane's little hands ball into fists at her sides.]

Ooh, you're so mean! Maybe I'd know how to cook if you'd let me do it once in a while!

[So stop taking such good care of her???? She isn't sure where she's going with this. Akane looks at her box of cinnamon rolls and sighs.]

Actually, I do need to learn how to make more than sandwiches and cold cereal.

[21stcenturyguy]

Hey, I ain't stopping ya. [Except for those times when he's literally thrown the smoldering remains of her cooking attempts in the trash...or confiscated the sugar so she'd stop overloading...or otherwise physically intervened so they would have real food for dinner instead of a hot mess. Other than that, complete freedom to learn is what Akane has had.]

Now that you're not... [He waves a hand to convey 'sort of dead until we create a paradox to allow you to exist again'] you can come over when I'm cooking and I'll teach you.

[Because let's be real, he's actually powerless against Akane's pout. It's a problem.]

[sesenta]

[It must be a law of nature that if your name is Akane, you must be a wretched cook. If she's really that bad, then it's no wonder he didn't let her in the kitchen. How many hot messes would they have been able to afford on their limited budget?]

[Either way, her face brightens at the offer.]

Would you? That sounds fun! Then I can meet your roommates too!

[The pout has been banished.]

[21stcenturyguy]

[There might have been some slight exaggeration. Aoi never claimed that he wasn't a dramatic person.]

I guess. They're kinda weird. Might be better if we try to do it when they're out of the house.

[Because moments when he and Akane could just be together without worrying about Nonary Games or the world ending were rare, and he was reluctant to share them. It was one of the ways that Akane was a better person than he was. She wasn't a miser with her feelings, and she didn't try to protect happy moments by hiding them away from everyone else.]

[sesenta]

[But she also gassed her childhood friend and tossed him into a game with a callous killer, getting him murdered in a few different timelines. So she wasn't exactly a saint either, Aoi.]

You're sure? I wouldn't mind meeting them. But if that's what you prefer, okay! I'm in House B-08, come get me whenever you need to.

[21stcenturyguy]

[Meh, they got to an ending where only three people nobody important got murdered. And Junpei didn't mind. He kinda liked it, right? The non-murder, non-kidnap parts where it was just some people hanging out on a not-cruise ship.]

I bet the goth squirt wouldn't mind helping. I don't see a lot of the other two. [Santa shrugs. He's willing to do it if Akane wants it that way. Just, with a lot of sighing and side-eyeing. Nobody's perfect personality-wise. Santa's body is totally perfect and sexy.]

[sesenta]

[That's not what Keiko said. She seems delighted at his reponse, clasping her hands together and nodding.]

Good! I want to learn how to make the perfect bento box.

[She knows firsthand that his are amazing, so she needs to learn the art for herself.]

[21stcenturyguy]

[Keiko is a dirty rotten liar, then rest her crystal soul.]

Why, you gonna try to seduce someone with your cooking? [If you say 'Jumpy', Santa is just going to facepalm. Who actually finds their soul mate in freaking middle school, seriously?]

[sesenta]

Huh?! W-what makes you say that?

['Seduce' is such a strong word. There's just one or two people she wants to impress, that's all. And maybe one of them has a name that starts with a J.]

[And ends with an umpy.]

[21stcenturyguy]

[You mean, other than that really telling reaction, Akane? Santa just raises an eyebrow.]

I may not see the future, but I'm not blind or anything. [No offense to Snake, who was one of the few people Aoi didn't think was dumb as shit. Snake also probably would've known what Akane was up to, from the sound of her voice and stuff.]

Look, I didn't say I wouldn't teach you. [Just that he knows why. Big brother always knows.]

[sesenta]

[He might THINK he knows why, and maybe she'd like to make Junpei a bento box someday. But that's a bonus reason, not the primary reason. He'll find out what she's up to soon enough, once she's confident in her skills. Or once he gets sick and intends to set out on a long journey, so she can pack him a lunch to take with him.]

Really? Even the teriyaki salmon one?

[21stcenturyguy]

Uhh, we might have to work up to that one. But eventually, yeah. Sure. [It's gonna take a freakin' training montage, but they'll get there. Unless the world ends. Which is always a distinct possibility.]

[sesenta]

[If it does, they'll face it together, side by side. Holding hands as the walls come tumbling down.]

Great! Why don't we go to the store tomorrow and shop for ingredients? I want to be fully prepared for my first lesson!

[21stcenturyguy]

Ok, we'll start small, though. I still got lots of leftovers from this stuff I gotta get rid of before we make too much more.

[Yep, he'll clear his schedule for his little sister...barring major illness cropping up. What are the odds of that happening, though?]

[sesenta]

Leftover meatballs?

[She looks at the plate he brought, her brow wrinkled. Then, slowly, dawn breaks across her face, and her eyes shine with wild excitement.]

We... We can make spaghetti, Aoi!

[Yes! A true test of her culinary skills, boiling water and throwing noodles in a pot!]

[21stcenturyguy]

Yeah, it's hard to mess...uh, I mean, spaghetti is a great start. We'll do that.

[Smooth, like always. He's pretty sure he can keep Akane from ruining spaghetti, without having to intervene and upset her.]

[sesenta]

[That depends entirely on whether the sauce is made from scratch, or purchased pre-made in a convenient jar. At least the meatballs are already prepared.]

Great! I can't wait to get started.

[Humming to herself, Akane places a few items on her plate, along with one of the cinnamon rolls because she takes pride in her humble offering.]