middaeg | fellas is it gay if you can magically read your best bros thoughts (OPEN)

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fellas is it gay if you can magically read your best bros thoughts (OPEN)

Who: Rich and others
When: Morning and noonish, November 15
Where: Jeremy, Rich, and Michael's home
What: Rich and Jeremy's Bonding ceremony and celebration
Warnings: none

i. Bonding (Closed)

[Jeremy shows up at Rich's door bright and early the next morning. Despite how Rich claimed that suits weren't required, Jeremy still put together the nicest-looking thing in his wardrobe. His hair is slicked back, his skin is clearer than usual (where did he find concealer?), and he's used up a good chunk of his precious deodorant that he brought with him through the mirror.

The SQUIP had a lot of drawbacks, being an evil mind-controlling robot and all, but it taught Jeremy a valuable lesson: Jeremy cleans up good.

When Rich opens the door, Jeremy's waiting expectantly, hands behind his back and bouncing on his toes. It's clear that he's been there a while.]

You ready to go?

ii. Announcement (Open)

[To announce their Bond and to celebrate, Rich and Jeremy have opened the house up for any and everyone who wants to check it out--both quietly not mentioning how empty the space seems with Justine's recent disappearance. At Rich's suggestion, they've sent an open invitation out on the watch network to anyone who wants to drop by and offer congratulations.

Their budget isn't huge, but Jeremy's insistence on hospitality means that they've got enough finger food and drinks for people to try out. There's no alcohol.

Jeremy's still nervous even though the deed is done, so he's bustling around constantly to make sure that everything is perfectly neat, that they've got enough seats, and that nobody needs a refill. In his rush, bringing a hot tray of cookies from the oven straight onto a serving tray, he bumps into you. As he turns around to see who he's plowed over, he rushes to apologize. The niceties run into themselves before he even sees your face.]

Shoot--I'm sorry--thanks for coming!

iii. Wildcard (Open)

[Jeremy and Rich are both available to talk about their new bond with your character. Let me know if you want a specific situation!]

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[Rich had not been expecting Jeremy to come find him first thing in the morning, nor did he expect Jeremy to be that cleaned up. He's dressed nicely, but honestly casually, just in a simple button up that he purchased once. He feels underdressed when he opens the door, and holds up a hand to pause him in order to snatch up his vest from the masquerade. It matches well enough... plus it does have those brooches in its pocket, if Rich isn't too embarrassed about giving it.

As he slips it on, he gives Jeremy a nervous smile.]

Apparently I'm not as ready as you. Looking like a damn model, Heere.

Probably a Popular Science model, but hey, still a model.

You're welcome!

[This particular guest's face might come as something of a surprise, being a somewhat animated skull. Though maybe not - one of the replies to the watch announcement was by username CoolSkeleton95, and Rich may have mentioned his skeleton friend.

Papyrus and Rich are buddies with the budding notions for a book club that hasn't taken off yet... partly because Papyrus has been sick for a while. So this is the first time the skeleton's swinging by the house to actually step in for a visit.]

And, thanks for having me!

[So yeah. It's a skeleton, standing at the door talking, dressed in pretty normal-for-Aefenglom clothing, and a package tucked under his arm.]

[Jeremy grins in relief at Rich's reaction.]

Shut up.

[He nudges Rich with his elbow, cheeks already dusted pink.]

You look gr--fine, too.

So you're leading the way, right? I can't get the GPS in my watch to work.

Wow, ringing endorsement. I mean, no one's really gonna see us for this part anyways, so you're just lucky I don't look like a total slob.

[He certainly notices that blush, but he shrugs it off as Jeremy probably just nervous about the big event. He holds out his hand, gesturing that he'll lead the way. Jeremy can take his hand, or be "no homo" about it. Rich'll get plenty more times to embarrass him.]

Yeah, of course! I've got this. I've been a couple times. You should probably try once in a while too. They've got classes for magic and stuff.

[Jeremy gives in and takes Rich's hand. He's pretty sure his palms are already damp. Great. Last chance to bail, Rich.]

Oh, you mean--haha, it sounded like you got mar--bonded a couple different times. Gosh. Okay. No one told me about magic classes on orientation day.

[Way to make pointless small talk. As they start to walk, Jeremy steers them toward the kitchen for a moment.]

Edited 2019-11-16 19:54 (UTC)

[Jeremy can't help it. He stares.

Well... they've all seen weirder things in this city already.]

Y... You're welcome.

[He holds out the tray awkwardly.]

Cookie?

[Oh shit, do skeletons eat?]

[Ah yes, the staring. Surprise and alarm happen all the time, but this is fine. No rudeness, no fearful shouts, and Jeremy's pushing past it to offer food?]

Oh! So hospitable! Greeted with food right at the door...

[This skeleton eats, or at least he's quick to politely accept a cookie.]

Thank you!! I have a gift as well, but... It's for both of you. Where should I bring it...?

[Is there a gift table started.]

[Jeremy offers a nervous grin. Are skeletons a kind of Monster? Why has no one mentioned this to him?]

Oh, you know Rich!

Thank you! Um, we've just been putting them in the corner for now. Here, I'll show you--have you had a drink yet? The punch is no sugar added.

[Jeremy's got a lot of weird defaults when he's in a nerve-wracking situation and "overbearing host" is probably the best one in his repertoire. He doesn't often host so it rarely sees the light of day like this.]

[Rich gives Jeremy's hand a squeeze, apparently unbothered by any sweaty palms.]

Nah, it was just the once. And hell, even if they did mention it, you were probably too freaked to remember. I know I was kind of weirded out.

[He's surprised when he's rerouted, but smiles curiously.]

What's over here? The door's this way, bud.

Oh, Papyrus! You made it!

[He had indeed seen the username show up on the network post, but Rich hadn't thought to mention it to poor Jeremy. Even so, he's very excited to see his friend again, especially since he has extra books to give him, now that he's actually up for reading himself.]

How have you been? I was worried you got sick again.

II. Announcement

[The invitation was open; L doesn't feel like he quite belongs, and it goes a little further than the usual way he feels that he doesn't quite belong at social gatherings. He finds himself divided almost in an even split, here; he outright dislikes Rich while having an uncomfortable amount in common with the dragon, and he actually sort of like Jeremy, even though they have very little in common on a surface-level and know an uncomfortable amount each other's sex lives.

Still... isn't Jeremy sort of his friend, the same way Rich is sort of his enemy? L thinks of it that way, with his admittedly warped sense of how these things work. Therefore, it averages out to an entirely neutral presence here today.

L's rather the reason that Jeremy needs to bring another tray of cookies out. For someone so waifishly thin (who already looks gaunt and unhealthy again a week after Jeremy's excessive healing spell restored him in more ways than he really expected or wanted), he's eaten an obscene amount.]

It's OK that I'm here, right?

[Spoken like someone who knows it's technically probably alright, but would fully understand if he was asked to leave.]

III. Wildcard- OPEN

[L continues to wander and nibble, finding that the line between anonymity and familiarity is difficult to define here. He came alone, without either of his Bonded, and he's looking a bit like a creepy skulking wallflower. Feel free to talk to him, or catch him pocketing some of the sweeter finger food for later.]

[Jeremy lets out a shaky breath but responds with a smile.]

Right. Yeah. I wanted to do this the last way, and it was kind of last minute, but...

[On the kitchen table are two flower bundles in water cups like miniature bouquets. Jeremy lets go of Rich's hand to head over to them and shake off the water, wiping the stems on his pants for good measure--an awkward teenage imitation of decorum.]

The bou... button--the flowers you put in your lapel buttonhole.

[One of the boutonnieres is a cluster of delphinium, the other a magenta carnation with a lavender ribbon. Jeremy holds the delphinium to himself at first, offering the magenta to Rich. Then he changes his mind, holding the latter close and handing Rich the former. He pulls them back to himself, conflicted.]

Uh--which one would you like?

[Jeremy, despite all odds, actually relaxes when he sees that he bumped into L rather than a stranger.]

Yeah, of course. Open invitation. Don't bring the SQUIP around or there'll be a brawl, but otherwise, we're good.

I'm glad to see you here. Is everything...

[He raises his eyebrows.]

Okay? With your situation?

I know better than to bring the SQUIP.

[He's not offended, even if a month ago he might have been. He actually seems surprised, and heartened, that Jeremy is glad to see him here.

He doesn't get that, very much. He doesn't have long to marvel at it, however; his brows raise at the mention of his "situation."]

I haven't had the time or means to address it. It's the kind of thing that sounds strange when you try to explain it to a native Witch...

[An awkward shuffle.]

We should probably talk about a different Dick. Congratulations on your Bond.

[Jeremy looks positively scandalized until he realizes the Richard pun. He's left stammering as if each wrong syllable will discharge a bit of embarrassed energy.]

Y--s--sorr--I--sorry--you--I!

[He takes a deep breath and tries again.]

Yeah, it happened out of the blue. Rich suddenly needed one and I owe the guy more than this. And from what you said it sounds like I needed to Bond too. Still haven't tested the limits or whatever but Rich's brain didn't explode when we did it, so... point for me.

Really, don't mention it.

[Much more stammering and L would probably reach out and poke Jeremy between the eyes, since it worked fairly well last time. As it is, he does manage to get a grip on himself, and L just waits it out with surprising patience for someone of his particular disposition.]

You absolutely needed a Bond. Did you... expect his brain to explode?

[He reaches for another still-warm cookie.]

Kiiiind of? Yes?

[Jeremy offers them out to L, glad for a distraction.]

I'm still not convinced he won't regret it, but it's gone surprisingly well so far.

You're a magic expert, right? Tell me like, medically. Can someone's brain explode here?

Well, yeah, I mean, if you needed more time...

[Rich is already rambling, up until he sees the little flowers. It's... just like when he got bonded to Justine, the flower he offered for her hair, the one pinned in his own lapel.

So similar, and yet so different. More fumbling and adorable, sweet and genuinely affectionate. Rich smiles crookedly, and as Jeremy waffles over which cluster to give Rich, the colours stand out to Rich just enough to make him realize with a sharp inhale, and then a fierce blush.]

Jeremiah fucking Heere, I can't believe you picked out bi flowers. That is the most adorably queer thing anyone's ever done for me!

[He reaches out to take the carnation with a soft chuckle, admiring it for a moment, lost in thought.]

That's... really sweet, Jere. Guess I'm going to have another flower to press after this is done.

[Jeremy lets out a sigh of relief. Half of it is that Rich likes the gesture, but honestly, he's just as happy to not have to choose the color.]

Since we're both out now, I thought it couldn't hurt.

[Jeremy presses his hand against his face like he can physically push down the blush, his other hand fiddling with his blue boutonniere. He laughs and it sounds almost like a hiccup.]

When you came out and you didn't have the vest on I thought I'd have to toss these out.

If you would have tossed these out, you would have committed a fucking hate crime, Heere.

[He laughs so Jeremy knows he's kidding, slipping the other bouquet into its proper place on his vest, making sure the lavender still shows.]

I actually wasn't sure if you'd come out yet in your time. I couldn't exactly remember when it was, or if I was thinking it was earlier because my radar kept pinging you for one of us.

[L just goes ahead and takes three. Might as well; he's eating for one very malnourished superdetective whose brain burns like 500 calories an hour, here.]

I'm not a magic expert.

[But he's been here a pretty long time. And he's also put some seriously hard work into honing his witchcraft. It's not ridiculous for Jeremy to ask him this.]

But brains can explode, along with everything else. Usually it's because magic was mishandled... and usually it's the Witch, and not the monster. Monsters go feral, and if Rich needed a Bond "suddenly"... that's what I would guess was happening with him.

It was less than a month after the SQUIP got shut off. You and I haven't talked a ton, but...

[Jeremy fidgets with his fingers.]

The SQUIP and the bi thing were hot topics when we were in the hospital together. Helped clarify my whole thing.

Should I be more obvious about it? Am I being too internal-biphobic about it?

[Look, he's trying his best to use the vocab.]

He seemed like he was doing fine...

[Jeremy sounds unsure.]

If people can explode like that, why don't they pair you up with a Bond when you first come out of the mirrors? Like roommate dorm assignments when you get to go to college. Then no one's brain would explode or they'd eat anyone.

[Jeremy is still not entirely up to date on his lore.]

Yeah, I remember that much. I mean, I was kinda high on painkillers for a lot of our conversations, so... I was really just glad some of my advice was coherent.

[Aw, look at you, Jeremy. Social Justice 101 with Professor Goranski really helped you out.]

Nah, dude. You're fine. It's a part of your identity, sure, but it doesn't have to be everything. And you certainly don't have to tell everybody. It's just nice to know you're proud of who you are, man.

[Jeremy messes with his lapels, suddenly shy. He mumbles an "okay", but he seems happy about it.]

H-hey, we're not gonna be late, are we?

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fellas is it gay if you can magically read your best bros thoughts (OPEN)

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ii - announcement party

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just sliding in here don't mind me

L Lawliet (Linden Tailor) | OTA

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II. Announcement

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