Sleepover!

[clothes_make_the_man]

Who: Forrest, all of his teenage CR, and CR of that CR
What: Giant sleepover log
When: The night of June 21
Where: Lakshmi's temple
Warnings: Cuteness overload

[Forrest has never had a sleepover before, so he's pretty excited to host one at his temple. He sends out invitations ahead of time to everyone he can think of, letting them know to bring pajamas, snacks, and even a friend or two if they want. He's clad in a frilly pink nightgown with ribbons and bows for the occasion, and he's temporarily converted Lakshmi's audience chamber into a space where the guests can all party and sleep. It was already mostly full of pillows to begin with, so all he had to do was move some more in and set up some tables for snacks and things. One of the tables conspicuously contains all of his beauty supplies, because like hell is Forrest hosting a slumber party without makeovers. Anyone who shows even the slightest bit of interest will get their makeup, hair, or nails done. Soft music and the scent of lotus blossoms drift through the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.]

((OOC: If you've got a teenager that Forrest has talked to more than once, assume he invited them. Friends of friends are totally welcome as well. Everyone can feel free to put up their own toplevels, and everybody tag everybody and mingle to your heart's content!))

Comments

[brynwieldr]

I know of you--I was told you invited most of the people here. That's all.

[He doesn't mention Sora, just in case]

[pure_radiantics]

Oh, that, well...

[Her expression softens a lot.]

I just wanted Forrest to have a nice party... and meet more people who shared his interests...

[brynwieldr]

And thank you for that. I'm not the best father, but I do want the best for my son.

[pure_radiantics]

[She wants good things for Forrest too and while that makes her blush at the thought all over again, she does remember what she'd been thinking earlier in the night before things got complicated.]

Actually... I wanted to ask about that. Sora's... Sora. He's a wonderful friend, but he couldn't tell me how that really worked - because Forrest is my age, I thought?

['And you're not old enough' goes unspoken.]

[brynwieldr]

...ah.

[Leo sighs a little]

So. Back home, there was a very large and very terrible war against my adopted sibling's former homeland--I won't bore you with the details of that, however, but just know there was an army and I was a part of it. Now, back home? I don't have a son, and I was incredibly surprised when Forrest showed up claiming to be just that.

[Things are about to get complicated, sorry.]

The nearest I can tell is at some point, the events I went through and the events Forrest's father went through diverged and that Leo married another one of Corrin's friends, a woman named Charlotte. And then, for reasons I still cannot fathom, didn't bother to use a fertility curse to prevent children and had Forrest in the middle of this long, dangerous war.

[He pauses, letting that sink in]

And promptly shipped him off to what's called a Deeprealm for protection, where time doesn't move at the same pace as it does in our home realm, leaving that Leo the same age I am now with a teenaged son in the space of a few months.

[Leo may love Forrest, but godsdammit other!self. Why did you not think about how stupid that was?]

[pure_radiantics]

[Kairi understands the broad strokes of it - Leo was caught up in a war. That much is believable. That he doesn't think he has a son is a little weird but she keeps listening, until it's explained that Forrest was actually born during the war. She can understand his concerns about that... but 'shipped off' the way he says it with such disdain... at least HE doesn't think it was a good thing either, having a son grow up completely separate from you like that.]

I... I see.

['I'm not the best father, but I do want the best for my son.' He'd said. She wonders just how bad things got that Forrest's 'real' father thought all of that was a good idea, as much as Leo thinks it was a terrible idea.]

And yet you're still treating him like your son now.

[She can't help but feel appreciative toward him.]

No wonder you stopped by his party.

[brynwieldr]

He is my son. I may not be married to his mother, but he is still so obviously my child that it would be beyond cruel to pretend otherwise.

[He smiles a little]

And I do love him, despite it all.

[pure_radiantics]

[She's incredibly touched, so much so that it takes her a moment to collect herself. Maybe asking about it on the heels of her embarrassment was a terrible idea, but hearing Leo say that makes her convinced it's well worth it.]

... He's lucky to have your love.

[She holds her hands in front of her in a desperate attempt not to fidget.]

I know I'm just a shinki, but it's hard to imagine that I ever knew anyone else quite like him before.

[brynwieldr]

[Leo smiles at that, touched. He never thought he was particularly special, just being a decent father.]

You're not just a shinki, and I'm sure you did at some point, Kairi.

[pure_radiantics]

[She smiles back, very happy for Forrest in spite of everything.]

Hm. I hope this means I'll see you around again sometime. Knowing Sora, I'd guess you're always welcome to stop by his temple too, if he's calling you father too.