[MINGLE] chocolate and roses

[vrdr_mods]

It's Valentine's Day, and that means just one thing for the inhabitants of the Velvet Room: chaos.

And chocolate, possibly. Or even something else? Or perhaps you're spending the holiday entirely by yourself?

[[ooc: just a quick catchall post for any toplevels or threads people might want to make for the holiday! Feel free to make inbox or journal posts as well.]]

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[lakebrat]

His smile becomes a little more knowing, a little more understanding. "I knew you'd have your reasons for not doing anything. But I thought, if I were to do something, you might join in."

It really is up to Ren. If the whole thing is too uncomfortable, then Goro will let it go. But he would be startled to learn that Ren didn't think of it at all.

[willowandoak]

"I can eat dinner. Didn't know I was supposed to dress up, though."

He looks down, drumming his fingers restlessly against the bar. "I just thought," he says slowly, "it's all so fucking cheap. 'Buy this Valentine's chocolate, only a thousand yen.' Like, is that what your relationship is worth to you? A thousand yen? Do you really have to show up with chocolate for your boyfriend to know you like him? What the fuck have you been doing the rest of the year? ...So that's why I didn't do anything, I guess."

[lakebrat]

Goro's heart twists. "It's all bullshit," he agrees. "And, if I may say, unworthy of you. I wouldn't insult you with that shit."

He holds out his hand, across the counter. What do you think, Ren?

[willowandoak]

"Sweet-talker," he says wryly. But he takes Goro's hand.

[lakebrat]

Goro's smile blossoms. "You know it," he agrees, twisting his own hand around Ren's and stroking the back lightly with his other hand. But then he adds,

"I'm glad. This curry is really good. Would have been a disaster to have to share it with Trickster." Not that he wouldn't. Trickster deserves curry too. But he made it for Ren.

[willowandoak]

His eyes widen with outrage. "What the fuck? That's my curry, you didn't make it for Trickster."

Goro has him on the hook.

[lakebrat]

And this—this is all he wanted, for the two of them to connect and snark a bit and do something a little bit special. His eyes gleam.

"Okay, okay. And we can still do that cooking lesson, if you really want. You can help with dessert."

Listen, at least he didn't say dishes.

[willowandoak]

Ren doesn't even care. He wants to help with dessert. "What are we having?"

[lakebrat]

"Wait and see," he says, squeezing Ren's hand. He glances down for a second.

"I wasn't lying about Aki-chan, by the way. He really did insist."

It's not hard to picture. Goro didn't even want to turn him down. Part of him is still four years old.

[willowandoak]

"It's hard to say no to Aki-chan," he says sympathetically. "One Halloween, I ended up running around in a dragon costume with him in a princess dress on my shoulders."

[lakebrat]

That's quite the image. "Did you really?"

A dragon costume, eh? Then again, Goro got to see the real thing.

[willowandoak]

"Yeah. Then me and him tore down a giant gingerbread house. It was great."

His stomach growls as he remembers the food on offer that night.

[lakebrat]

As Ren's stomach growls, Goro's smile gains a bit of an edge. "You are hungry."

The curry is still smelling incredible, too. And Goro skipped lunch. He should have got a gingerbread house. With Aki-chan.

[willowandoak]

"Never said I wasn't." He tugs on Goro's hand with a smile. "Feed me."