estoria | (no subject)

Who: Aoba

aocatch , Clear

gasmaskguy , Koujaku

kaba , and Vietnam

hoasen
When: Monday, December 1
Where: Clear's apartment
What: Family dinner!! Well, two neighbors/good friends and Aoba, but close enough.
Rating/Warning: This is bound to be embarrassing in so many ways.

[ Having some time off from work during a weekday had left Clear with an abundance of free time, but he's made good use of it, he thinks! While his friends and Aoba were busy at their own jobs, he got an early start preparing a nice dinner for the four of them to share. It wasn't a grandiose idea, really, but he felt it to be an important one - a necessary ritual shared among good company. It promoted a sense of familiarity, home, and happiness.

Of course, he didn't believe that Aoba or Koujaku had the privilege of meeting Vietnam yet, but when he sent out texts asking them to share a meal at his place tonight, he assured them that the additional 'new friend' that he'd invited was a very kind person that they were sure to like! As for Vietnam, he'd asked for the opportunity to introduce her to Aoba-san♡ and their cool friend from home. They're sure to get along well, he juuust knows it!!) ]

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[ Once everyone had a taste and expressed some form of approval (Aoba's seemed to be stuffing his face, WHICH WAS GREAT because he really like it?!), Clear drew his breath with clasped hands. ]

Thank you, I hope you enjoy the rest just as much!

[ Satisfied at last, he begins to help himself to a modest portion of the dishes while soaking in the atmosphere, which is just so h-- wait, no. It's not happy, it's.....

Did Koujaku drink out of an empty glass? Is Aoba eating an entire shrimp? ]

Uu... [ Some rice grains escape his chopsticks, but Clear isn't even noticing because he's staring just as much as Vietnam. ] I-. I'm honored you think so, Aoba-san?

[ Setting down his chopsticks, he glances around fooor- aha! The champagne! Getting up to snatch it off the counter where it has been forgotten, he presents it with a: ] Ta-da~♪! This should ease the tension around here, right?

[ Said without any subtlety, he ventures back over with the glasses in hand as well, placing them down and beginning to pour them each a generous amount.]

[ Somebody just shoot him.

It’s the least he deserves. He’s not even sure how he’s supposed to calm himself down in the light of things—the food smells great and he thought it would be enough, if the drink hadn’t. Maybe he should get Aoba drunk? That’s a terrible thought, even if he would…maybe…let him loose when they’re both safe in the sultry privacy of his apartment. Whichever apartment.

There’s no turning back now, he thinks, even as he can feel the questions radiating off the other two in waves. It’s not fair for him to lock on to just Aoba for the entire affair, of course.

At this rate he might chopstick-feed everyone just to take the edge off this awkwardness.

Or make it worse.

He’s busy trying not to imagine what that mouth could do to something similarly shaped to a tempura shrimp before Clear opens his big yap and Koujaku nearly chokes on the heart lodged in his throat.

He opts for spluttering and staring dumbfounded at Clear, before carefully laying his chopsticks onto the table like Clear’s got a gun trained between his eyes. ]

…Yeah? [ What else is he supposed to say to that?? ] Thanks, Clear.

[ He clears his throat. ]

Not too much, all right? Because… [ He lays a surreptitious little glance at Aoba’s way. Remember what we talked about, his eyes seem to say to Clear. Clear, please read the atmosphere for once. The same doubly goes for birdbrain over here. ]

We…want to save room for dessert?

[Tension? What tension? There's no tension here!

No there is a lot of tension here, and while hers stems from utter confusion, she can tell that these boys have tension up the wall because there's something. It was like some of them are trying to act normal, yet parts it came out rather...forced?

Really, she wishes there was something she could do, but it's difficult when she doesn't know the details!

Quietly, she refills her bowl, trying to think of a plan. Or even find a way to say something that could lead to a conversation that might even break ice. Pressing the end of her chopsticks to her lips, looking like she's nibbling at it (though she's not, there will be no chopstick damage from her), she tries to consider all options. She could mention something about the food to Aoba, right? Ask Clear what he has learnt lately. Recommend something she tried from this spread to Koujaku.

Before she could even do any of that, Clear seems to be having the same idea and went for the champagne. Well, a drink is good as any. She can deal with one if there's food.]

Just...just once glass, Clear, please! Good food and good drink, that is truly living, no?

Though Koujaku is right, not too much so we can have some after dessert too.

[ Give or take a disastrous upheaval, he's likely not getting off the bat scotch-free. Aoba's literally going into contortions blithely tackling the food in ostensible, half-starved bites with no appreciable sense of satiation following each swallow. At this rate, he'll be lucky if he doesn't end up dry-heaving on chopsticks over gastrointestinal shame and, like, two unrepentant kilograms of oil-fried tempura.

There is no quick fix for piss-poor decisions made on the eye of a needle — or rather, the rapidly deteriorating state of their home reception. While he's all well and good entertaining thoughts of stabbing the nearest cutlery knife, serrated edge turned downwards, into his hand and calling emergency services before he hemorrhaged, even he realizes that it's a good indicator of insanity. And rather than give in to opportunistic urges for an easy way out, he's seeking an alternative.

The thought that readily comes to mind, of course, is diversion. If he can't trick his mind, he can at least trick his body. ]

You know, I am pretty thirsty. A few drinks never hurt anyone, right?

[ Perusing the champagne glasses with sparking interest, he ignores all social cues to snag one of the drinks Clear's poured out and gulping it down in one lengthy draught and soon punctuating with: ] Don't worry, I'll save enough space for desert.

[ Like that's actually comforting.

Ignoring Koujaku and Vietnam's reservations, there Aoba goes again, repeating the gesture and downing another glass in front a presumably shocked audience. Someone stop him, he's out of control. ]