(no subject)

[espersions]

Who: espersions, belfire, moribound, popsometags, their cr, their cr's cr...
When: Early April
Where: Source Below: Cerealia's most surreal karaoke bar
What: How do you come to terms with death and disappearance? Get hammered and sing about it, obviously.
Rating/Warning: alcohol, hot tubs, death mentions, and j-pop


Ket Whiss is gone for good, and Minato has returned from his PLAYER ONE GAME OVER moment, courtesy of a hungry monster. And there's the residual trauma of everyone's jungle/elemental adventures.

So, well. Why not have a party?

Source Below is Cerealia's most popular — and most surreal — karaoke bar. It features a costume closet, with hundreds of outfits to try on, for that full idol experience. There are themed rooms: one with overflowing candy, another built to resemble the interior of a spaceship, one full of robotic cats who yowl in time with the music, to a pitch-black room filled with pairs of enormous, glowing, slowly-blinking eyes....

But Team Catastrophe's party isn't in any of these, because none of these losers made a reservation. Instead, they got stuck with the only one left, covered in white tile, with a hot tub in the center.

This is a bad idea on so many levels, but it's not as if that's ever stopped anybody.

(ooc: open to any extended cr, feel free to handwave how you heard about it. the more the merrier!)

---

Comments

[moribound]

[Between repressed memories, hospital visits that were painful for more reasons than one, Ket saying that he knows Minato didn't trust him and him vanishing for good just a while after, things have gotten inwardly stressful for Minato by this point that he's not even going to comment on the suspicious hot tub in the karaoke lounge Hyoubu's brought the lot of them to, figuring that the esper probably just has questionable if harmless tastes.

That's his first mistake.

The second and bigger mistake by far is downing some of the provided alcohol in spite of knowing that it tends to make for loose tongues- There's no drinking age limit at Cerealia after all, and lurking somewhere deep inside his mind is the thought that he's never going to be old enough.

...Five minutes later he's standing facing the tub and singing a song like this:

If I’m going to get hurt otherwise, I’d rather stay as I am
But because I met you
I found myself
Your voice, your weakness, your gaze
Even the bold front you put up, and that smile of yours - those will become my wings

Strange how Minato's smiling giddily with a flushed face, or maybe not since it's steamy in here but he's not so far gone as to strip.]

Current Condition: Forever naked and soberish

[belfire]

You're doing great, Minny!

[Kazuya, of course, was finding this absolutely amazing. He'd never seen Minny look so cheerful before since the jungle event, and what type of friend would he be if he didn't encourage this no doubt healthy mood rise? So here he was, Minny's personal, naked cheerleader, clapping his hands along to the beat of the song with one full empty bottle of alcohol situated in front of him]

Yeah - oh, dance! Daaaance~ Daaaance~

Kaz why

[moribound]

[Yeah, actually that hot tub is at least 25% of why Minato hit the alcohol in the first place. The last thing he needs on top of his mounting issues is the acute mental trauma of remembering that one jungle incident with Ket, and those who have been paying attention might recall him having stared at the hot tub before taking a cup of wine somewhat hastily...

Regardless Minato's drunk enough to attempt dancing in spite of not knowing how to, and the end result is somewhere between a gold star for effort and a combination of somewhat graceful maneuvers that keep him from faceplanting on the ground. He rubs his head as soon as the song's over, clearly not drunk enough yet to completely let go of his inhibitions.]

Thanks, Kaz! You didn't actually have to do that though. [What Minato means might not be immediately obvious except for how he's staring at Kaz- is he trying to make up for Ket being gone or something?]

because he loves you

[belfire]

Of course I did! By the way, those were some sweet moves you pulled.

[...well, okay, they weren't, but at the very least, those "moves" had been... interesting to witness. After all, what type of friend would he be if he didn't lie through his teeth about Minny's dancing prowess? If saying he's a good dancer makes him happy, then Kaz will say he's the world champion!]

Anyway- er. [Um, what was with the staring...] Why're you looking at me like that? Have I got something on my face?

[moribound]

No, it's just- you know, that. [Now what was it that he was going to say? Minato scowls as he stands there staring at Kaz with arms folded, suddenly coming to life once he remembers what 'that' is.

...At the very least it explains why the normally calm and careful Minato would do something as reckless as downing two glasses of wine without knowing his limits]

You didn't need to jump into the hot tub just like Whiss-san did the other time just to make me feel better about him leaving. Aren't you upset too?

[belfire]

Um.

[Okay, Kazuya understood those words individually, but strung together in a sentence, they may as well have been nonsense. When was Ket in a hot tub with Minny (and why hadn't he been invited?), and why would it make Minny happy...? How was all of this even related to the current situation??]

I have no idea what you're talking about. It's a hot tub. I wasn't gonna jump into it fully clothes like some weirdo. [He frowned a little bit more] And of course I'm upset, but, the whole point of this party is not to be...? [Seriously, why was he even... ah.] Gosh, Minny, you must be a complete lightweight if you're rambling about random stuff already. You haven't even drank that much!

[moribound]

I'm not drunk. [This is said insistently, in spite of how flushed Minato's face looks by now and how he's unbuttoned his shirt partially to combat the heat.]

I had a hot tub like this back at the jungle, and he tried to climb into it- [Man, where is he even going with this?] You're not going to run off naked like he did the last time, right? [The point may be that he's upset about Ket just poofing like he did, and being incapable of putting it into words, since he's usually the one letting people go.]

[adminproof]

[Here Minato, have some polite (and genuine) clapping for that performance, from someone sitting nearby and who was definitely not there before he started singing.]

[moribound]

Oh, it's you! [He'd normally ask what's Saiduq doing there being one of the few people who's unfazed by his ability to appear at random, but Minato's just happy to see another person he knows today because it's not as if he's feeling miserable underneath all that buzz.]

Thanks for coming, I thought it was just going to be us here. [Which is to say he appreciates the company.]

[adminproof]

You are welcome. It is good to see you partaking in leisurely activities such as karaoke.

[Minato wasn't bad, either. A plus.]

I was originally planning only to watch [like a creeper], but I decided to join in in the end. I wonder why...perhaps it is the camaraderie you all share.

[And his latent, selfish desire to include himself in such an atmosphere, despite being an outsider in so many ways.]

[moribound]

[Minato puzzles over the word 'camaraderie' for a bit being drunk as he is, frowning once he does and it looking a little like a pout.]

It's not as fun now that Whiss-san's gone, but it's better than coming here alone. [Ah, but thinking about that makes him unhappy and he huffs.] Anyway, don't be shy if you want to do something with us.

[adminproof]

[Ah. That energetic kid disappeared. From what he knew, they were good friends, so that might be the cause of this...gathering.]

Haha...thank you for the invitation. I have never partaken in these sorts of human activities, so I am unsure of the protocol.

[Teach him the ways of getting wasted, Minato...???]

[moribound]

There's no rules, you just do whatever you want. [??? Man, this is trippy- Saiduq talks like he's some kind of alien which Minato would realize is almost certainly the case were he you know, not drunk.

But not everyone likes drinking, so- aha! He nods in the direction of the mic, like he wants Saiduq to belt out his emotions (?).]

You could always sing if you can't think of anything else to do. How about it?

[popsometags]

[ Few things he could have counted on as far as Karaoke goes, was that despite him suddenly drinking, Minato was still way up for singing and acting far different than usual.

It gets a certain laugh out of Rinne, and an applause. ]

Good, good work, Arisato! Encore!

[moribound]

[Let's be real, that Minato's personality seems to flip completely after having a drink or two is justification enough to never let him drink again- not that he will after making a colossal idiot of himself today.

Rinne laughing makes him feel somewhat sheepish, but Minato obliges with a repeat performance of the same song with even more gusto this time, practically yelling on some of the verses.]

Thanks, Rokudo-san! [Then he's holding out the mic to Rinne.] Give it your best shot too- we promised, remember?

[popsometags]

I'll do my best. I can't really compare to that, though.

[ He really doesn't think he can. Minato's really enthusiastic, though that's... probably the drink yelling into a microphone. Rinne did remember promising that he would do his best to sing something... ]

Fine then. There's no choice... [ FIRST, GIVE HIM THAT DRINK. Now that it's come to this, he has no choice!

When he's good and ready, he decides to pick a song that's NOT FROM HIS ACTUAL SERIES THIS TIME, sticking with the exact same artist. It might be different from what someone would expect from him. At least he's settling down a bit. ]

[moribound]

[It's possible that it's the drink talking, but Rinne might recall how oddly passionate Minato gets when he sang before this- it was his only outlet for venting for a long while, and music's always spoken to him in a way that other hobbies failed to do.

Which is why he's smiling contentedly while Rinne's singing, having taken a seat so that he can cool off.]

That was great. I didn't quite expect you to sing something like that, but I guess we all have our surprises.

[popsometags]

I used to hear this band while I window-shopped back home from time to time.

[ Ah yes, home... it's spring, isn't it? If the world hadn't been destroyed, that would mean Sakura Mamiya would be heading back to school. A fresh new year, with her smile and a brand new bento box, waiting for him. Maybe he was poor back then, but there was still someone there to give him money and food from time to time... ]

Don't worry. I'll return soon.

[ He mumbled that under his breath... at least, he would have, had he not been still holding the microphone. ]

[moribound]

[That's not a surprise to Minato, since he's a little susceptible to catchy tunes himself. What Rinne was clearly trying to say under his breath that accidentally ended up bring broadcast though...]

The mic's still on, Rokudo-san. ...Something on your mind?

[good_ideas]

[Minato facing the tub means it's the perfect time for Shiho to make the rest of his alcoholic drink disappear by pouring it into Hyoubu's.

She fills his glass back up with water.]

Shiho no, I mean yes!?

[moribound]

[The song stops just as Shiho's done with her good deed of the day, and Minato seems to be positively beaming when he turns around.

This would be a good thing, were his face not flushed and this being highly unusual behavior coming from him.]

You look great, Sannomiya-san! I didn't think you'd come, actually, did someone tell you about the party?

Pretty sure you mean yes.

[good_ideas]

[Shiho knows it's already been way too many drinks for him and doesn't stop worrying isn't fooled by the way he smiles.]

I always look great. And I came here because some pervert was having a party.

Shiho yes then

[moribound]

Pervert- oh, you mean the Major! [Who's probably halfway towards sad country warbling by now and looking anything but like a pervert, let's be real.]

I didn't know that you know him too but come on, he can't be that bad if he offered to pay for everything here! [Uh Minato, considering that 1) There's alcohol and 2) These are all teenagers it definitely looks sketchy!]

[good_ideas]

[It's kind of sad to her that everyone knows Hyoubu as the pervert.]

Paying us off with money doesn't make him any less of a pervert.

[moribound]

[Not his fault that other people called Hyoubu a pervert first!]

Is he though? He just seems to like people with powers for some reason, don't think that's anything perverted. [Unless he has some kind of power fetish? Ugh, whatever, they're not arguing this!]