[open] i see you softly smile through the glass

[yesdoubt]

Who: Momo and you!
When: First half of Iuneril.
Where: Berry farms, the red light district, the partially-healed area of Wilde, and at the under-construction new outposts near Dorchacht.
What: Berry Picking, Sew N Sews, Silent Forest and Outpost Progress quest stuff (but also open to Bond Counselling if anyone wants to plot for that!)
Warnings: Potential for some rather nasty self-hate related stuff in Berry Picking depending on how honest Momo gets. Also obviously questionable themes for the Sew N Sews quest.

[a: such sweet sorrow (berry picking)]

[Momo has done a whole host of odd jobs in his life, so when he finds out there's berries to be picked while their very short season is here, he figures it can't hurt. He's curious about what makes them so sought-after in the first place, but also, having solid and regular work here doesn't mean he's not still prepared to pick up a little extra money here and there. It's nowhere near as bad as all the jobs he was running when he and Yuki started out and were flat broke.

On one hand, he's resistant enough to drunkenness that that aspect of the berries pretty much rolls off him. On the other...he's not very honest at all, and the lack of obvious side-effects from the berries to start with means he's not about to notice that until he talks to someone.

And what do you know, there's other people in the berry patch, and Momo's generally the type to take company where he can get it. So he sidles around his bush to whoever's picking nearby, offering a cheery grin.]

How's it going? If you're getting tired, Momo-chan can always take over for you. [A cheeky wink. Clearly the great motivator here is making sure someone else doesn't make berry bank before them.]

--

[b: dress-up dolls (sew n sews, 18+ characters only)]

[As an idol, Momo has worn some ridiculous things in his life. And has also worn very little for sexy photoshoots. Putting those two skillsets together, he feels like he can be at least somewhat helpful when the red light district calls for costume help.

For anyone doing the sewing, he's quite cooperative and polite, waiting for word from them or the staff before he strips down enough for measurements and they can figure out what's closest to his fit. Outside of being buried in his usual loose clothes, he's very toned, and there's the very faint tint of a flower-shaped spell tattoo on his spine just below the nape of the neck. The colours are shifted only slightly from his skin tone, as if someone had pressed some kind of translucent pink material to it, and the lines trail up towards his head before disappearing. He seems fairly comfortable with the situation, standing with his weight mostly on one leg and grinning cheerfully at whoever's doing the measuring.]

You can start whenever, I don't mind how long you take. [It is, actually, a professional point - he's used to drawn-out photoshoots where he's half-naked.

Anyone trying on costumes as well might be approached by him, too - second opinions are always helpful, and he practically bounces over to tug on sleeves and get people to face him so he can take a look. For his part, at the moment he's wearing...basically a harness with straps crossing over his chest and up to his neck, and down a little onto his legs like a garter. It at least has enough solid-colour fabric to cover his privates, because that part needs paying for, but besides that the rest of the fabric is just a lot of fancy pink arm drapes and a long, narrow panel from the front and back of the belt that trail very prettily but are extremely sheer and cover approximately nothing.]

Come on, show Momo-chan your look! I promise I won't judge you if you're new to this stuff. [Probably.

Also, there's a non-zero chance he might just swipe in the occasional adult passer-by who looks like they're wondering what's going on inside. Prepare to get walked into the brothel like this is business as usual.]

So, how do you feel about playing dress up for a little while? It pays well! [For the very small amount of work it is, at least.]

--

[c: hello darkness my old friend (silent forest)]

[Momo definitely wants to check back in on the forest healing, since that was the first mission he actually went out on after arriving here, but he ends up going with a larger part-Wilder part-Mirrorbound group rather than forming a smaller group of his own. His Bonding was pretty recent, and he does at least want to try and not do anything too dangerous this month considering what he was asked in the process. But that isn't going to stop him taking the safety-in-numbers route and going out with a sizeable enough group to hopefully reduce the risk.

He has vastly better control over his magic now considering he's been here months rather than the whole two weeks he'd been here last time, and his magical stamina has certainly improved too. But that just means he's putting all the more into it, trying to make his effort proportional to how much he's improved since then.

For much of his time infusing magic, he can be found very close to a thriving patch of flowers that look an awful lot like peach blossoms, except not on a tree as they should be. He's keeping his own eye on what's going on around him, but if any other Witches or Monsters approach, he'll free up a hand to wave them over.]

Can I keep you for a minute? I keep hearing something coming from that way and I could at least use some backup to go take care of it. [He points across into the trees with one painted nail, sounding almost apologetic that he can't just get up and deal with whatever it is himself despite the outpouring of magic he's visibly pushing into the leyline right now. Hell, it sounds like he kind of is planning to get up and deal with it now that there's someone else here and clearly nobody can roast him for being reckless now.]

--

[d: "what's that in your hand" "a knife!!" (outpost progress)]

[Momo likes Dorchacht and he likes the outposts for providing safe places to observe the Wilde, so of course he's up for helping Dorchacht's Wilders start to set up their own outposts. That, and he helped with the recent Aefenglom ones too, and sometimes it's good to just take a long day of manual work and wear yourself out for a good cause.

When he needs to break from the manual labour part, he switches onto the protection and scouting team, wearing a pair of gloves and covering clothing to help limit bare skin exposure to Shades. His clothing is also quite loose, and while he doesn't have a weapon out yet, when he moves the right way there's an odd outline visible for brief moments at a time that looks an awful lot like a weapon holster against his upper arm.

For now, he has one hand casually in a pocket and the other out, held in a very particular position like he's about to finalise a spell as he walks with whoever he's scouting with.]

So what've you got up your sleeve? Besides weapons, I like to have some idea of what people are gonna be throwing around when a Shade turns up. [His tone is cheerful enough, but he's still keeping a close eye out around them. He'll dampen the mood again when something comes at them.]
--

[e: wildcard]

[[Feel free to hit me up at reviseleviathan or on the CR meme for potential other stuff! I'm pretty interested in Bond Counselling but feel like that would work better with a tiny bit of advance plotting, and for any CR who visit or have a chance of catching him asleep, I'd be open to plotting Silent Forest aftermath wherein someone didn't learn his lesson from last time and gives himself magic backlash induced nightmares again.]]

Comments

B - you know what this is

[stopfen]

[Mikasa was there to sew, that was what the fae enjoyed. Though there had been an attempt to get her into some of the clothes there, she'd managed to avoid it. The mismatched chitin on her arms and the patchy fae dust coverage aiding her there.

She was perfectly happy just to sit there and work on the delicate lacework or embroidery. Making no comment on the antics around her, she might have gone off to her own world unless someone spoke to her directly. But her antenna gave a small twitch when they catch a smell she knows, then she lifts her head looks, oh it's Momo, back to wo-HUH? Double taking to look back at him. It's a good job her left hand was completely covered in exoskeleton or the undies she was working on would have bloodstains.

The large black eyes don't blink, only stare.]

...That looks like my uniform from back home.

[You know, where she works as a soldier.]

rip mikasa's brain

[yesdoubt]

[Momo holds his arms out a bit quizzically at that, because. Drapes? But he does get what she's probably talking about there, and he hooks a finger under the harness momentarily to pull on one of the straps.]

You wore a harness? I guess they're kinda multipurpose, but usually the sexy ones are a bit... [Well. He traces lines around his pecs with his fingers and then makes a motion as if pressing breasts together in front of his own chest. They're for enhancement purposes, when they're designed for women.] I've worn one for one of my concert outfits back home, but I have a bodysuit under that one. And a cape over it.

[It's certainly A Look, but he thinks it's cute, so he doesn't really mind the questionable aspect of it. Also the cape honestly covers most of the questionable aspect of it anyway. So in that sense, this is actually a pretty strong contrast to the version of it he wore back home, because in this one there is absolutely nothing covering the questionable aspect of it.]

[stopfen]

[Momo, what are you doing? She's too dense to realise the tiddy press attempt. But she nods.]

My new one has a bodysuit, it's black so it's harder to see at night...Our old uniforms were white. [Before they'd fought humans. Camouflage didn't help against titans and it was better to be able to tell wounds at a glance.] The straps are different though. [And she brings a hand up, glancing across the top of her collar.] And there were more on the legs for weight distribution.

I don't get how it's a thing they'd want you to wear here just without clothes...

[yesdoubt]

Yeah, actual climbing or safety harnesses back home aren't made out of these kinds of materials, they're made of stuff that's more hard wearing. [Leather is fine for a while, but by his time there are other materials more fit for purpose when it comes to harnesses that are bearing weight. To his mind, there's a distinction between a practical harness and this kind of harness, though he supposes it would be different to someone who wasn't familiar with the latter.

So he hums thoughtfully for a moment, like he's trying to figure out how to explain it.] Harnesses made out of this kind of material are more of a sex thing in my time, or at least racy since everyone's going to assume it's a bondage thing if you're just wearing one for no reason, so it's probably the same here. Even if it's not about that in particular, like I was saying before, they're sort of for exaggeration if someone isn't wearing clothes.

[It's less obvious on a guy, but...well, there's enough straps in the hips and groin vicinity to probably draw someone's eyes that way if they follow the pattern.]

A

[quintessent]

[On the flip side, Allura is sensitive to the mood altering effects of the berries. As such, she's having a great time, a basket of iunerberries hanging off of the crook of her elbow. And maybe she's helped herself to a small handful of them - the cunes are nice, but she just likes keeping herself busy, and the iunerberry fields smell lovely. When a familiar face joins her at the bushel that she's currently bent over, she smiles, bright and pleased to see him.]

Oh, hello Momo! Woah- [And she stands up straight a little too fast, pitching backwards with a startled expression. With her free hand she reaches out to grab him by the arm, steadying herself. She giggles.]

Apologies, I must have at this for too long.

[yesdoubt]

[Momo shifts his weight and catches her arm with his own as well, because his juniors get absolutely wasted often enough that this isn't the first time he's had catching duty. That said, this is his first time running into anyone under that effect of the berries, so when he helps pull her back to steady footing, he looks a little worried.]

You sure it's just that? You look like some of my juniors who can't hold their alcohol after a party. [Granted, she's also awake and not asleep, so that's one point she has over them.] Though if it's the berries, I might just be too hard to get wasted to notice...

[He considers that, now peering at the berries sidelong as if suddenly finding them Suspect.]

[quintessent]

I assure you that I am not wasted. Whatever that means! [The dramatic infliction on her voice says otherwise, sounding more like she did when she was acting on stage than just talking normally, and she leans heavily into his arm before he props her back up onto her feet.

She gives him a grateful pat on his arm,]

Has anyone ever told you that you are very strong, before? You wouldn’t imagine it by looking at you, but for a human you are very… muscular.

[This is a normal thing to say to a friend.]

[yesdoubt]

It just means really drunk. [Granted, he doesn't know if Allura's planet is big on alcohol, but it's common enough here he's going to at least assume she knows what being drunk is.

While Momo is used to touching other people's muscles because he's just Like That sometimes, he doesn't tend to get that treatment back very often. And Allura doesn't exactly seem like the type normally, which has him arching a brow a bit concernedly. Maybe she's an affectionate drunk. Still, he takes the compliment gratefully enough.]

Thanks! I guess it doesn't come up that often when I'm working, since I'm supposed to look cute and unthreatening. Good thing none of them have seen me in a fight!

[He laughs for a moment and then sort of...stops, brows furrowing a bit like he's unsettled by something. He usually really doesn't like bringing up how violent he can get if he has to, so why did that come out so easily?]

B

[pastregrets]

[What Omi is wearing is skintight, but it covers a lot. There are laces in various areas exposing skin, and his abs are out for all to see. He looks like he's somewhere between a motorcycle model and a stripper, but who's judging? How he got from sewing to modeling is a mystery, but it's serious enough that another tailor unzips the jacket and peels it off him, dead set on a few adjustments.]

Ah, thanks... I'll wait here...

[At which point he turns, his thoughts somewhere between embarrassment and enjoyment, and almost collides with one very scantily clad idol. It looks like Momo's outfit could use some adjustments, too... so maybe if he distracts himself with that...?

At least Momo is treated to the tall and beefy sight of shirtless Omi in very tight pants. I mean, if that's his thing, he'll have a coveted front row seat.]

...Somehow that doesn't look bad on you at all. That's the power of a celeb, isn't it.

[yesdoubt]

[On one hand, Momo has always been a very tactile kind of person. On the other, he doesn't have the benefit of just being able to bounce on whoever here by virtue of his fame. But also, considering Omi's background, he figures the other man is probably used to that kind of silliness from coworkers, since actors can get like that as much as idols in his experience.

As such, Momo picks up the conversation quite casually...and equally casually just reaches out to start touching and maybe squeezing Omi's upper arms. For science.]

Well, I can't let anything I have to wear for work look bad, can I? And it's hard to predict the kinds of things I'll have to show off. [So clearly he has to be prepared to make anything look good, including a pile of straps and drapes.] You have pretty nice muscles, though, so you could probably pull something like this off too!

[Momo's beef game is pretty strong, but also he can't just squeeze his own arms, that's no fun. At least he's not going for the chest today.]

[pastregrets]

[Omi can't help chuckling at the touches. He's used to being manhandled by Taichi already, so it's not like this is new. It makes him feel a soft pang of nostalgia, but Momo's a good guy, and he manages to pull Omi right out of it.]

I'm not sure I want to, but if it comes to that, I'm not going to run or anything. I'm not letting even an idol show me up today. [Wink.] You must work out, though. You're not bad looking at all.

[A pause.]

Ah, I mean... You're an idol, so of course you're gorgeous, but...

[yesdoubt]

[Momo pokes his tongue out in a mix between playful and challenging to that wink, but the way Omi chooses to follow up has Momo's smile tending a little more knowing. He lets go of Omi's arm, apparently having had his fill of touching, but it's so he can cup his hands around his own face in a very overdramatic way.]

Oh, what a flatterer...I bet you're popular with the ladies, making their hearts flutter like that. But Momo-chan's heart is spoken for, so if you want to flirt then maybe you should save it for someone closer to your age! I can't be a good wife with people trying to steal my purity away like this!!

[Because clearly six years is the hugest age gap ever (except it's more the fact that Momo considers himself an industry grandpa and Omi's kind of a fresh greenhorn junior in comparison). Also, nobody is allowed to say anything even vaguely flirtatious to him ever without him absolutely roasting them for it via comedy shenanigans, so there's that. Nobody out-flirts Momo.]

C-ish

[piromare]

( he's grateful for momo, in more than just the being bonded way. )

You can have more than just a minute. ( said with a half-smile, as lio looks at the flowers. they're awfully pretty, definitely something that would make his part of their home a lot brighter. but somehow, they also seem to fit momo in a way he can't particularly place. there's still a lot that he doesn't know about him, and accompanying the group seemed like the best way to do so... )

Something dangerous, you mean? Or do you not know?

( after all, he does have a sword now. something closer to a wakazashi, a blade he used in the past, that hung around his waist. )

[yesdoubt]

[Normally Momo is less inclined to openly make bad decisions in front of people closer to him, but he definitely doesn't want Lio going to deal with whatever it is by himself, especially when there's a very real risk it's going to be a Shade at best. He gives an amused sort of grin at Lio's first remark, but it fades a bit at the question, and he tilts his head to one side. He's a nature lover, but tracking in particular is never really something he did much of, so identifying possible traits just out of what he could hear is harder.]

Considering where we are, I feel like it's safest to bet it's a Shade until proven otherwise. It sounded pretty big, and it's getting closer, but not as quickly as something that's just out for something to eat would be. [Drawing and letting out a balancing breath, he pushes one last burst of magic into the leyline for the moment before straightening up. He doesn't have a weapon out, but his foot-long hunting knife is holstered in a concealed spot under the loose sleeve of his shirt, as it so often is.] I know they said it's the Monsters that are supposed to be doing guard duty, but I don't want to wait for it to try to jump someone.

[He doesn't want to expend too much magic - is starting to run a little low on magic to expend, since this is a shorter round trip than the expedition of last time and he doesn't want to hold anything back - but he'd feel more comfortable having his Bondmate's back, even if it's mostly with a big knife.]

[piromare]

( he smiles thinly, stretching his wings as he rolls his shoulders. they're still a little sore from his trek out here, but not in pain; more of a very slow burn that's indicative of a muscle that's starting to grow stronger with use. he knows that if momo's concerned, he should also be concerned--- not just because of their bonded nature, but because if it were anything small he might've been tempted to deal with it himself.

then again, it feels anything that's corrupted always requires more assistance than not. )

Guard duty is boring. ( lio touches the grip of his new weapon. letting himself grow complacent is the last thing he wants. ) I'm sure we can deal with it, whatever it is.

( being bonded... it's given him some badly needed confidence. )

If you're ready, we'll head in that direction.

[yesdoubt]

[As confident as it is, Momo wouldn't class it as overconfidence - having lived the "fake it 'til you make it" life, he knows that a certain level of confidence is definitely a help. That, and he'd be very surprised if they couldn't take most Shades between them. If it was a full-on Cwyldtid, that'd be a problem, but he's reasonably sure it doesn't sound big enough for one.

In any case, Momo nods in response to say he's prepared, tapping his upper arm where the knife holster is hidden under his sleeve as if to make doubly sure it's still there and in order before heading to the left of where he'd been crouched.]

I've been pushing out magic all day, so I might as well use it while it's hot, right? [His tone is on the quiet side, still audible but obvious he doesn't want to attract more attention than necessary. Almost as soon as they leave the path and move into the trees, the sound Momo mentioned comes through the trees - a ponderous crunching of leaves that sounds like it's coming from somewhere out of their current line of sight, but ahead of them. It moves closer for a few moments, then stops again, leaving a somewhat ominous silence in its wake.]

That was it again. I wonder if it's going to keep coming straight this way now that I've stopped working the leyline. [He's pretty sure it's the magic that draws them, so there's a risk it might go more off-course now.]

A!

[turmoiling]

Jin Guangyao had been wearing a mask at some point, in hopes of warding off the effects. As long as he was quick about it, it shouldn't be an issue, right?

Except he was clearly wrong, and the mask had gotten lost somewhere along the way. He had more tolerance than either of the Lan brothers to drunkenness, but it also wasn't something he did often, and his tolerance for that sort of effect is clearly well below what the berry patch is putting out.

He nearly falls over when he tries to turn to face Momo, grabbing the younger man's shoulders to steady himself on his long snake tail -- legs are noticeably absent at the bottom of that robe, now.

My apologies. I'm not so tired. Only, it's difficult to stand up.

[He slurs, wobbling back and forth a little like he's riding a unicycle. Stand, is that even the right word now? Well, whatever.]

It is so very terrible, I'm afraid. But yourself, Momo, how are you as well?

[Drunk, he's caught halfway through a complaint before he realizes he should be polite instead. Gold eyes try to focus properly on Momo's face, though it takes some effort.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo raises his hands in turn to support the other man - while he's wearing his usual heavy clothing that somewhat conceals his figure, he seems to have no trouble taking Guangyao's weight. His steadiness on his feet might be noticeable compared to the general drunk effects around, considering Momo's not even wearing a mask, he's just extremely used to people trying to plaster him to the point that it takes considerable effort to even get him to a normal level of drunkenness.

His gaze flicks down to the snake tail briefly, expression shifting to something sympathetic. Everyone goes through changes here, and he saw a few of the people he knows from home go through the same last month, but losing legs is a pretty radical one to have permanently.

The flat-out complaint rings as a contrast to how the other man usually speaks, though, and while Momo tilts his head, he answers the question quickly enough, grinning a little.]

Not bad. [His response would usually be much more upbeat, but...well, last month had its ups and its downs, and the honest answer slips out. He could definitely be worse, but he's had better weeks and months in his life.

He's always a helper, though, and he looks around to see if there's anywhere he can help Guangyao sit so he might be able to get his bearings back.] If you want to talk about it, I'm happy to listen, but I'm kinda worried you're gonna fall over like this, so how about we find you something more solid to lean on than me?

[Momo is solid in the person sense, but he might have better luck if there's any rocks or tree stumps or something around that are actually attached to the ground.]

[turmoiling]

[Feeling drunk makes it hard to keep everything straight -- a primary reason why Jin Guangyao, as a rule, doesn't do it in general. Are you always sitting or always standing, when you don't have a rear end? Snake mysteries.]

Perhaps... that would be a good idea. Just for a moment or two. Not bad... well, it's better than simply bad, isn't it.

[He replies a little mournfully in obvious frustration, his tailtip uncurling from around the base of one of the bushes, and he tries holding on and slithering along behind Momo towards a small boulder nearby. This might end up being half-dragging his entire snake-y bulk more than anything, because the full tail is still new and drunk coordination of that movement is not so good.]

But no, there is no more talking to be done on the matter. [It's not so much dismissive as is mildly aggrieved.] What have you been up to, Momo? Surely, whatever it has been, must be better than my troubles.

A

[wordsinthesoul]

[Thancred gives Momo a grin in return. He's a little more cheerful than usual, perhaps, though it hasn't struck him that the berries might have anything to do with it- he likes to think he has a decent tolerance, at least.]

Ah? [In a teasing tone of voice-]. Are you sure you wouldn't like a break yourself?

[yesdoubt]

[Momo runs into enough generally good-natured people at work that he doesn't question whether this guy's temperament might've been berry affected just yet. He likes to be optimistic until given a reason not to be, so he grins back and pokes his tongue out between pointed canines.]

There's not a berry field in this city that can challenge me! [He says in a rather hammy, dramatic way that's obviously intended to be more comedic than anything, which goes double for what he says next.] I'll just wait you all out and then sneak away with the bounty once everyone else is too tired to catch me...

[The schemes.]

[wordsinthesoul]

[He can't help poking his own tongue back out, careful with his own now-sharper teeth, noting Momo's teeth in turn. Hm- a vampire, or something of his own?

It does get Thancred to laugh, so that's a success.]. So confident, already? Ah, I suppose I could see that- but would the fields let you get away with it?

D for dammit I'm late to the party

[getting_better]

[ The outposts were a good worth while idea that Bishop could get behind. It gave folks jobs, made others feel safe, researching was slightly less of a hazard, and the pay was not half bad. Not to mention it was practically made for a guy like him.

He readied himself as he's done a hundred, thousand, million times before even prior to his arrival in this strange land and armed himself with steel, magic, and wit. The only tools he's ever truly needed. The familiar voice came as he made the last checks to his gear and condition, his dark figure hunched over a table with various supplies he packing into pockets and pouches tied around his waist, arms, and legs, and turned his head slowly while noting the hand that stuck out. ]

Momo, I didn't expect to see you here.

[ The last of the items, a katana, served as the answer to his question. There was also a combat knife strapped to his left upper chest with the sheathed tip pointed upward for easier drawing. ]

Magic and steel. What are you packing?

but the party is still happening

[yesdoubt]

[While Momo tends to "hold" certain spells while he's doing this sort of thing in the sense that he keeps a certain level of focus and magic on point, the hand positioning is more just so he's prepared to do the final motion at a moment's notice, so he relaxes it for a moment and taps his upper arm. There's definitely some kind of weapon there from dull sound it makes that's not of a finger against skin, and by the size it's most likely some kind of knife.]

Basically the same thing, though I'm more of a defensive mage. So I can cover you or run interference if you want to take point.

[Momo is flexible, and one look at Bishop's preparation and mannerisms tells him that the other man has vastly more experience in this specific type of work than he does. So he'll happily let the experienced person take the reins if it makes things go more smoothly, even if he'll definitely be watching his back very closely.] I've been helping with the outposts for a while, since physical work is one way of keeping myself in shape.

[No remark on why he's doing this specifically, but as far as Momo's concerned, if he has the strength and stamina to be useful in a fight, he might as well put it to use.]

[getting_better]

You're using scouting as a way to stay in shape?

[ That's concerning. ]

Momo, there has to be a better way for you to do that. Scouting is much too dangerous, even in a company like this.

[ Well, more like a ragtag militia but, eh, you make do. ]

Let me see your gear, at least. It's a little late to change the orders now and we are short handed.

[ He doesn't wait for approval and instead goes over and checks him from head to toe. Never mind personal space, if a civilian is going scouting he's at least not going to let them go unprepared. Not on his watch! ]