[Open] Tea, Sun, Leather, and Sparkles!

[silentscales]

Who: Snake and you
What: Trying to learn all about
When: November 24 - mid December
Where: Out and about around the city and the far shore
Note:  26th on he will have a snake with him and be more talkative, so let me know what day it is, or at least if it is before or after the 26th.

Snake had only just arrived in the city recently, but after finding a Goddess and subsequently a home, he's decided to explore the city. It would make things much easier later if Marinette doesn't have need to direct him while they are travelling, especially if it's to fight with an ayakashi.

It doesn't take him too long to find a place that serves tea. He sits there many mornings, enjoying a nice cup in a nice quiet corner of the cafe, next to a window with sun whenever he can. He's been going down the list of options, trying them one by one. It's a nice place to rest and watch people come and go before he sets out to find new parts of the city.

A lot of the time he spends just wandering and looking around, stopping to rest on grassy sunny fields or near sunny planters from time to time. He might even fall asleep there on occasion, especially when Marinette has gotten him a snake friend to stay with him. At least a few of the days he'll also have a bag from shopping.

Since Marinette is a designer, she had Snake go out and pick a few outfits out for himself so that she could get a sense of his style. It took him a while to find something that he really liked. In fact, he found himself all the way in Harajuku when he finally found clothes that he really liked the look of. A lot of it was patent leather and stripes of a dark, near black colour, or black and white. There also seemed to be a lot of laces involved and shoes that were not always sensible and sometimes had heels over an inch high. It seemed these kinds of clothes were only sold in some very particular stores, though he couldn't be sure why.

Another place that catches his attention is the dance studio and talent agency, Sparkle Motion. He wasn't sure, but he felt like he could replicate what some of the fliers showed their dancers doing. It was something that made him keep coming back, trying to build up courage to ask if he could watch a group's lesson, or something of the sort. It just looked like fun.

[OOC: Pick anywhere to meet him, or throw in a wildcard around if you'd like!]

Comments

[priforprince]

"Are you curious?"

It just so happens that a different silver-haired young person is also passing by Sparkle Motion right now. Or, rather, is posing against the next building over, eyes up and arms crossed as she leans on the storefront.

Hibiki is the CEO of the rival talent agency. For the most part, she permits them to do as they wish, but every now and then she gets curious herself. Which leads her to do things like accost strangers on the street with a broad, knowing smirk on her face.

Don't question it. It's part of her genius.

Do you want this to be before or after he gets a snake? He talks more with a snake

[silentscales]

Snake nods at the question. He looks up at the storefront showing off their dancers and studio, with a sense of confusion. He just couldn't place why that seemed so interesting to him, but he found himself being critical about the techniques and movements of even the skilled dancers, finding he even had a preferred style. But... he didn't know how to dance, did he?

Hibiki might have some idea that he's not a total novice, as the clothes he picked out for himself were tight but flexible, and showed off the kind of physique of a dancer. One who hadn't necessarily been practicing that recently, but also wasn't out of shape, either.

A snake is just fine! As many snakes as he wants. Or can obtain on short notice.

[priforprince]

Yes, that definitely is the build of someone who knows their way around some sort of physical, graceful movement. Hibiki doesn't mind his silence right now, either. An audience that simply absorbs her advice is, in some ways, the best audience of all.

She detaches herself from the wall and lifts her hand in an elegantly expository gesture. "Moving with the rhythm and affixing your heart to its waves....Nothing is more sublime than performance.

"Of course," she adds, "a tepid show will produce no brilliance, like a poorly-lit fire giving off merely smoke."

Her tone of voice leaves her opinion of the current Sparkle Motion ambiguous - but doubtful. All of life, after all, is a stage. Perfect line delivery is her aesthetic.

XD One snake then~!

[silentscales]

There is a boa constrictor wrapped around Snake's shoulders that is watching Hibiki as intensely as Snake himself. He's fascinated with what Hibiki is saying, and is right now more than happy to listen to what Hibiki has to say. Obviously, she is doing a good job of delivering perfect lines.

[priforprince]

....This person is definitely no mere passerby. Hibiki had dismissed the snake initially as an accessory, but when it confirms itself to be not only very present, but also listening, her ability to know what to make of its wearer drops further.

Still. As long as he agrees with her, all is well.

"You must have felt it yourself," she presses further, hoping for confirmation of her sympathetic audience. "The dissatisfaction of an incomplete show, or the honor of witnessing true spectacle?"

How benevolent of her. She provides her reticent victim conversational partner with helpful prompts!

25th- a grassy place on the far shore. Hope this is okay!

[myblueskies]

Romeo was also new and exploring. He didn't go too far from Elfnein's temple. He didn't want to get lost. There was so much to see, all of the temples that the gods lived in were amazing.

The blue skies, the green grass the leaves that lay fallen on the ground. They were so pretty and made Romeo very happy indeed.

He currently was walking along a wall, arms spread out for balance. He paused when he came across the man leaning against the wall in front of him.

"Sorry, sir!" Romeo's words were cheerful and polite as he hopped down so he could move around the man.

Yup! He doesn't get a snake until tomorrow, so he'll be mostly quiet, though~

[silentscales]

Snake's eyes are smiling when he notices the boy balancing his way down the wall. It reminded him of someone, though he had no hope of remembering who. He nods in greeting, "I am sorry to have been in your way."

that's fine

[myblueskies]

"It's okay sir!" Romeo grinned at him, looking a little embarassed as he looked at the wall. "I probably should be walking on the ground anyways!"

Balancing had been fun though, but he doesn't want to get into trouble or annoy anyone! No one had told him any rules about what he shouldn't do but he still knew he shouldn't get in adult's ways!

[silentscales]

That seemed silly to Snake. There was no reason he should be walking on the ground. So he gets up himself and jumps onto the wall, offering a hand for Romeo to join him.

[myblueskies]

Romeo blinked for a moment, a little confused at what the man was doing but then grinned and took the hand clambering up.

"Do you like balancing too, sir?"

27th

[spes_phthisica]

Most of the clothes in this shop are honestly a little bit too elaborate for Souji, who honestly is mostly interested in function and comfort when it comes to clothes. Besides, so much of it is black, and while he doesn't care much about appearances, somehow he gets the feeling that black is just a bit too stern and masculine for him.

(Which is silly, because he recognizes that by Near Shore standards, a lot of it is probably considered rather feminine, what with all the frills, but he can't help subconsciously judging fashion after 19th century Japan standards.)

He does however find something that is white and frilly and incidentally has a really deep back plunge. Time to turn around to the nearest stranger and hold up the dress to him, beaming. "I'm not really good at judging... do you think this would be considered a flirty thing to wear?" Souji why.

[silentscales]

Snake is a little surprised someone has asked for his opinion. He's currently wearing a striped vest with tight black pleather pants and a black shrug that zips up the front. Maybe he did actually have some kind of fashion sense if someone is asking him for his opinion.

He looks the shirt up and down, but then nods. "'It is very pretty,' says Ayn."

[spes_phthisica]

Souji honestly just grabbed the closest person to ask, but while he is clueless about fashion, he'd definitely say that he thinks the stranger looks rather nicely dressed up. He has a generous heart, and he enjoys people looking like they're comfortable.

He tilts his head a bit in confusion at the answer. "Ayn?" His eyes dart to the snake, and then widen slightly. "Do you mean the snake? Does she speak to you?" There is no disbelief there, but then again, perhaps that's not so strange in a shinki.

[silentscales]

Snake leans back just a little, surprised at that excitement. He blushes a little and nods, "'Yes, we speak to each other, and Snake translates for me,' says Ayn." Why was he so excited? Or... she? He wasn't quite certain.

[spes_phthisica]

Honestly he just has a lot of excitement, and it tends to spill all over people around him. He probably isn't helping the he/she dilemma with the way he's bouncing happily on his toes either.

Now he tilts his head a bit, trying to figure out this rather peculiar mode of conversation. It's rather cute, in a way. "And Snake-san doesn't talk as much as Ayn-san? Is he shy?" Always ready to tease someone, this one.

Night of the 24th, as discussed~

[doodlebuginette]

It had been an eventful few days. For the longest time it had just been herself and Adrien here with the kittens. And it had taken her almost as long to adjust to the fact that she was basically living with him. If someone had told her last year that this would happen, she'd have laughed at them. And yet, here they were.

Having Snake here with them was different. Not bad, just different. In fact, she genuinely enjoyed having him around. His presence was was soothing in its own way, or at least it was after she'd gotten used to feeling two new sets of emotions.
--

She had no idea what time it was when she jolted awake, but her eyes snapped open and she just stared up at the dark space where her ceiling should be. It was weird, waking up this way, and she didn't particularly like it. There was an overwhelming sense of loneliness and she had no idea where it was even coming from. Adrien had crashed in his own room, which had surprised her, but she'd fallen asleep just as easily on her own. Now, though, she was half-asleep and confused.

[silentscales]

Snake had woken up from a dream he couldn't remember, but he could still feel the fury and terror and desperation all wrapped up around his chest. It didn't ease as he doesn't recognise the room he's in, at least not at first. He starts to remember the events of the day as he gets up, reaching a hand out for... something? He figures it must be still part of that dream, even as an overwhelming sense of loneliness fills his heart.

But then there was Marinette. Had he screamed? Did he wake her up? Or the other shinki? He makes his way out of his own room towards hers, moving as silently as he can, but finds Marinette waking up, confused, and a sense of guilt settles in his chest as he realizes he must have woken her up from sleep. He bows his head, "Sorry."

[doodlebuginette]

At first she wasn't even sure that anyone was there. Adrien would've just come in, so it probably wasn't him. Before she could really think too much about it, she realized there was someone there after all. She'd just started to sit up when an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over her.

"Snake?" Her voice was scratchy from sleep and her hair was mussed. "Are you okay?" It was probably a ridiculous question, considering he was lurking in her doorway instead of sleeping in his room, but she was still trying to wake up enough to think clearly.

[silentscales]

"It's lonely." He steps inside, "I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." It's more words he's said at once than he had said all day, but there was no other way he could get that across without words. It felt uncomfortable to say it, but he would feel worse for waking her if he didn't say anything, or give any explanation at all.

He still stands by the doorway in the dark, his arms wrapped around each other for what comfort he can give himself. He felt especially vulnerable and anxiety-ridden, and he couldn't figure out just what was making it so bad.

[doodlebuginette]

Well that explained that. And it was certainly understandable. "It's okay," she told him quickly. "C'mon. Sit with me," Mari suggested, patting the edge of the bed.

She couldn't actually see him, because her night vision was nonexistent at best, but she could sense his emotional state, and it was somewhat overwhelming at the moment. "The kittens didn't wake you up, did they?" As farfetched an idea as it might be, they could get a little rambunctious sometimes.

after the 26th and the big cuddle pile

[purr_ince]

[Adrien had been feeling better after the massive cuddle pile that he, Marinette, and Snake had been in and the talk. Confessing his jealous moments in that first little bit of Snake being with them was... freeing and he's pretty sure he'd been stinging Marinette with it which was something he apologized for profusely.

Snake had asked him to meet up for tea so now he was settling down in the chair across from him, carrying his own mug to the table carefully. He's exhaling softly once he put it down and smiled at his fellow Shinki. He's tilting his head just a little.]

This is a pretty nice cafe. I don't think I've been here just yet. But you said you wanted to talk to me? What's going on?

[silentscales]

[Snake nods, feeling a little nervous, but Ayn slips her tail tighter around him. He hesitates,] "I am sorry for making you jealous, but I am not sure I understand why," says Ayn.

[purr_ince]

[Adrien blinks then nods.] Well. It's just Marinette. I like her.[It occurs to him that he has to clarify so he's forcing the words out.] I think she's wonderful and amazing. Then you came along and you two were so chummy and she let you cuddle with her.. so I got jealous because I think I might... really, really like her.

[silentscales]

[It takes Snake a moment to process just what he means. When he does shock washes over him, and then he blushes. He's not sure on whose behalf, though. He hasn't figured out his feelings yet, but that night stirred a lot up. ]

She is wonderful. I feel like I have never felt so special before. But I also don't want to get in your way... But I also wouldn't want to be unable to do that again... says Ayn.

[purr_ince]

She really is. She's something absolutely breathtakingly wonderful. We'r so lucky to have her, aren't we? And I'm glad we have you now too - you know? You'll help me protect her and we can be friends.

[Adrien has the same problem. He really does. Then he's shaking his head gently reaching out for Snake's hand.]

You're not. You're not in the way and I wouldn't stop you from finding comfort and cuddling with her or me; or both of us. I would never take something like that away from you. I want you to be happy. I want you to feel special and for us to be friends.

[He gave Snake's hand a squeeze as he grinned at him.]

That's never going to be something you have to worry about. I promise. And I never, ever break promises.