[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.]]

Comments

[lakebrat]

a. locked to trickster

Frog has locked down the Leblanc counter for Valentine's Day, mainly by dint of smiling a lot whenever the topic came up. Now he's scurrying around behind it, in his green apron, with a suspicious number of bowls and pans, and far too many notes spread around and hanging from the shelves. Sojiro would be furious.

b. locked to sunflowren

Later that evening, everything is a lot less chaotic. At least, visibly. Goro even has a new shirt on, in a familiar shade of blue.

He's reading behind the counter, sipping coffee, as if it was all no trouble at all.

[youngestdawn]

In honor of Valentine's Day, Aki-chan has pulled out all the stops! In the Velvet Room, you'll find him manning a table with plenty of peach blossoms and jasmine branches -- both meaning friendship -- to give out to everyone, alongside some roses of many colors, alstroemerias, and forget-me-nots for people to give to their loved ones. There's even some dahlias and lilies and lotuses and sunflowers! Anyone is welcome to stop by and look at Aki-chan's display of flowers and their hanakotoba meanings and take some for themselves and their loved ones.

[lakebrat]

A rather frazzled-looking Frog bursts through the Tokyo door. It takes him a moment to notice the array of flowers—and Aki-chan.

He stops, catching his breath with a weird little smile. "Hello, oniichan."

[youngestdawn]

His first customer!! "Yu ar onii-chan agin, Fogsan! Nose-sama letme run a fower stand...wanwon?"

[lakebrat]

"Really?" He comes forward, looking carefully at the list, and slightly more carefully at Igor. "I'd love one. Can I take any one?"

[youngestdawn]

"Ani! Jus b reasonable." He's carefully enunciating the word. He's practiced! Aki-chan passes him a branch of jasmine. "Meams fen. Foru. Fom me."

A

[phantomlotus]

As Frog scurries about behind the counter, the door to Leblanc opens. Perhaps in the rush it would take a second to check who it is, but thankfully she's quick to speak up.

"Frog-san, I'm back~."

Perhaps a little more sing-song than it needs to be, but what can Trickster say? She's making the most of Valentine's Day, seeing as she's put the effort into dressing up for it.

Her hair is resting on her shoulder in a somewhat fanciful red ribbon, she's wearing a short, black long-sleeved jacket over a nice, short red dress with black leggings and black heeled boots.

Her eyes trail over to the countless bowls, pots, and notes all over the place. Oh dear. Frog's been having quite a time taking care of the place for Valentine's Day, huh...?

"You need help? I can grab an apron and get to work."

[lakebrat]

Aww. That's so sweet. And the part of him that is still four years old is delighted. He bows to take it. "It's beautiful. Thank you. I'll put it up in Leblanc."

He looks over the display again, cradling the branch carefully to his chest. "I suppose it would be silly to give you something from your own table, but I'll be back when I've been to Junes. Perhaps I'll find something there."

[lakebrat]

"Oh, no!" declares a slightly-more-than-haphazard Frog, lifting a pot lid nervously to give it a stir. "I'm on top of it. I have everything prepared. This meal is no match for me."

... but he glances, as she catches his eye. Huh. "Nice dress."

He didn't think Trickster was with anybody. Shows what he knows, perhaps?

[phantomlotus]

Trickster can't help but smile when she spots Aki-chan's stand. Naturally, she approaches.

"Hey, Aki-chan. These are some really nice flowers you have here. Did you set these out for Valentine's Day?"

[youngestdawn]

"Yeth! Nose-sama lemme." Almost shyly, Aki-chan produces a stem of Japanese primrose. "Admiration. Foru."

[phantomlotus]

Trickster isn't entirely convinced he has it under control, but...

"You're sure? I really don't mind, you know."

She walks up to the counter, setting her bag on it. Presumably filled with giri choco...

The comment about the dress though, you can see her practically beam. Her posture straightens, and she gets a larger smile as though the effort had actually paid off.

"Why thank you. Since I don't have someone to celebrate with, I figured I'd try to look my best today."

[phantomlotus]

Trickster can't help but blink, a bit surprised by the choice. Even so she smiles, gently taking it.

"'Admiration'... Thank you, Aki-chan. That's very sweet. I know just what to do with it."

She moves to stick it into the ribbon in her hair, adding a bit of color to her ensemble.

"Well? What do you think?"

Her smile grows more confident as she lifts up the ponytail resting on her shoulder.

[lakebrat]

"You definitely did that. Red and black are your colours." There's a stalk of jasmine on the counter, off to one side away from all the notes, in a water glass. His eye falls on the bag, with only slight trepidation.

[youngestdawn]

Aki-chan's eyes go wide, gazing on Trickster. "Beautifu..."

He almost forgets to breathe. Can he do that? He puts a hand up to his own hair.

[phantomlotus]

Trickster's eyes trail over towards the jasmine, still smiling.

"...So you visited Aki-chan, too, huh?"

Upon closer inspection, as Trickster takes a chance to start opening her bag, there's actually a stem of Japanese primrose along with the ribbon in her hair.

[lakebrat]

"I did. He's quite the little florist." But there's something odd in his face, as he glances over the chocolate souffle recipe that's topmost on the counter, for the twelfth time that hour. Something was lost, when he grew up again; something he's not sure how to recapture.

[phantomlotus]

Trickster pauses for a moment, watching Aki-chan's reaction. It takes her a second to realize...

"...Oh! Do you want a matching one? I can do that for you."

[phantomlotus]

"He is, isn't he? I'm sure he'll make a lot of people happy today."

As she says that, Trickster pulls a small, but rather nice box out of her bag. Perhaps it's not the most extravagant, but she put all of her effort into finding one she thought Frog would like.

She gives the wrapped box one last look in her hands before she lifts her eyes to look at Frog once more.

"...Frog-san. I want you to have this."

She holds it out to him from the opposite side of the counter, smiling at him.

[lakebrat]

Wiping his hands on his apron, he reaches out with them to take it from her with a neat little bow, charmed. "Thanks, Trickster. I'm glad you're my friend, too."

That means he needs a White Day list. But it's a really nice little package. "Who else are you going to?"

[pancakeboy]

Valentine's Day is stupid. Really stupid. And meaningless to Magpie. He would like that to be clear.

However, if you have anything for him, you might find him in the training room, or the Central Street gym. Or in the Dojima house.

[phantomlotus]

Trickster feels quite relieved when he accepts the chocolate from her. She relaxes a bit, shaking her head.

"You've been a good friend to me, so I knew I had to get you something."

There's the question of who else she's going to give chocolate to though. She goes through a relatively quick list, though Magpie may stand out as a mention.

"Honorable mention to Morgana, who I'll have to treat to something else."

Training Room

[phantomlotus]

Trickster has been looking everywhere. And boy, does she mean everywhere. Of course the last place is the new training room, she should have checked here first.

And so, right as she spots Magpie, she calls out to him.

"Hey, Magpie. Getting some good training in?"

Surely she's not here to distract people, at least. Surely.

[lakebrat]

They are interrupted by a burping pot. Frog actually squeaks as he runs to check on it, turning down the heat.

"Okay, it's fine. It's fine. Shit." Clearing his throat, he returns, almost laughing. "Morgana is easy. You always know what he likes. Magpie, though... I didn't think he liked people."

It's a joke. Kind of.

[pancakeboy]

"I was." He's actually on his back lifting weights, and not even being snapped in two by them. Trickster looks like she means business, too.

He unfolds on the bench, sitting up to catch his breath, emanating suspicion.