October Catchall [OPEN]

[silky_bearing]

🧙 WHO: Lorenz+
⚔️️ WHAT: aftermath & keeping busy
🕒 WHEN: October & November
🗺️ WHERE: Enchantment, Around Camelot mostly
⚠️ WARNINGS: watch subject headers for applicable warnings

Comments

Enchantment [OPEN]

[silky_bearing]

[Lorenz is still finding his footing at the Host Club. Not being familiar with so much of the technology available in the city makes it a bit difficult but he's had more than one person that's been endeared by his ah "old world charm", as it were. What's surprised him most is the number of ladies that are thrilled to have something to explain to him, to talk about and feel confident that they are fully capable of elaborating on it.

No awkward questions about their lives, or love lives, no worries about what to say but still having the rapt attention of a lovely man... and everyone explains things differently so he's becoming quite well informed. It won't be something he can use forever but while he's still getting his bearings it's rather fun. As is learning about all the myriad types of drinks now available. Cocktails are delightful, he's found.

He's certainly had to get input from others regarding his outfits, especially now with the deep crimson lines that curl down his spine, but his attire is gradually shifting to more comfortable than the precise three piece suit and coattails that he arrived with.

And, as is his wont, whenever a client seems to have their eye on him he is eager to approach with a bow and kiss to their knuckles.]

What more could a lovely evening be wanting than such delightful company~

for JJ

[silky_bearing]

He knew it was silly to be nervous. It was just training. No different than swordplay or magic or any other number of things. But he was still a bit uncertain about the whole thing. Dance practice? With a man? And now one that's different from the one he's kissing somewhat regularly???

His life has become a series of increasing improbabilities.

Especially when he arrives at their designated practice space wearing something he'd had multiple staff members assure him was perfectly practical "athletic wear". Even the lounge wear they had at Garreg Mach (which was already absolutely scandalous) had more layers than thisbut... well it is certainly comfortable at least. Even if he does spend every other second until JJ arrives tugging at the hem of the top. He... hadn't realized just how short it was.

[kingfuckboy]

JJ arrives wearing his typical training gear. Black, relaxed pants, and a snugly fitting red tee with black sleeves. Of course the JJ logo is there, he dare not wear one without it. He approaches other man with an easy grin, and bright eyes. He waves.

"You look ready to dance!"

JJ doesn't flinch, react, or otherwise think about the other man's outfit. He doesn't seem to care.

"I'm excited to have a dance partner. My fiancé is good natured, but it's still best not to pester him nonstop for this sort of thing." He's pretty sure Makoto would tell him yes every time he asked for a dance, and the guy doesn't seem shy about telling JJ no if he needed to, but he still doesn't want to wear out his good nature. "I also like having a ready and excited partner."

He shifts, going to go turn on some music - it's just soft music with an easy beat. It's more for to make for an easy eight-count than anything else.

"So thank you for joining me here to learn!"

[silky_bearing]

There is so much in that greeting that he has no idea how to parse. JJ has a fiancé. His fiancé is a him. That alone brings his brain to a screeching halt but the other man prattles on with pleasantries, while Lorenz does his very best not to look affronted over a taboo he himself is also committing. He is a reactive person on the best of days, something he can't afford in political circles and so it is his politicking mask he falls behind to cover his mental scrambling.

Which means, for poor JJ, that Lorenz' genuine smile shifts to something a bit more distant and decidedly more arrogant as he nods along with what he's saying. "You could hardly expect me to arrive unprepared or lacking enthusiasm!"

See? He's a good student and training partner!!

"I must say, the ability to have music without the requisite musicians must be a great boon for your training regimen."

[kingfuckboy]

JJ doesn't notice any shift, of course. It'd have to be far more drastic for him to, or for him to be upset by it, too. He seems to be enjoying himself, all the same. He never has had any reason to not be proud of himself, his life, or Makoto. And anyone who has encountered the young man can tell just by being in his vicinity that he is, too.

"Huh - oh!" A blink. "Yeah, it's pretty amazing, isn't it? We have a lot of great technology where I'm from. Loud speakers that can fill an entire arena with music."

He takes a couple steps towards Lorenz, and offers the man his hand. "That works great for me, then. Let's get started. Let's start easy and work up from there."

[silky_bearing]

It's impossible to remain too anxious in the face of JJ's boundless good cheer. It makes him think of Raphael and the thought makes him homesick for a moment. Another small temper for her nerves and Lorenz manages a firm nod, trying to carry that sense of confidence over into the way he takes JJ's hand with... some measure of success.

"It sounds like you have an idea of what, precisely, you'd like to start with then?" Yes, start easy and then increase the difficulty, of course, but they had discussed a few different types of dance and Lorenz isn't positive which would be the best starting point.

[kingfuckboy]

"A foxtrot," JJ grinned. He steps in, standing close to Lorenz without hesitation, he places a hand on the man's hip as he looks at him. JJ is, obviously, not shy. He's not embarrassed or hesitant. There's nothing in his mind that slows him down or stops him. JJ sees nothing weird or different about dancing with a man, of course.

He looks up at Lorenz with a smile bright enough that this man could say anything and it'd be unshaken. "It's only four steps!"

So, easy.

a chaotic shopping trip. (talks of nsfw themes will appear in thread)

[kingfuckboy]

He had heard through the rumor mill of a place that sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun. He didn't know if he would find anything he needed (though he might), but at the least he figured it would be entertaining. And he wasn't about to go it alone. He and Kate had agreed to meet and then discussed a third - Lorenz, who seemed like he could use some time to have some fun.

So after a short discussion, JJ sent him a text to meet in an inconspicuous part of town - near a small convenience store about two blocks from their destination one late afternoon. It was sent under the guise of being a day out with friends and that there would be talk of upcoming dance lessons. It was an honest message for the most part, he felt - he certainly planned to at least mention dancing again.

He arrived early, dressed in black jeans, a red long sleeve button up, and a black jacket over top. He had sunglasses on top of his head. He was ready to smile and greet anyone with a wave when approached.

(General ye olde attitudes on sexuality also likely to come up)

[silky_bearing]

Lorenz has come to understand a few things about JJ. The first, is that the man has no appreciation for the sorts of formality that Lorenz is used to. He's not worn any of the clothes he has designated as "work" clothes out for something casual yet but it was only a matter of time. So when he arrives he is not in the sort of formal suit he would normally wear but instead in supple black leather leggings with little lace frills along the seams, knee high boots, and a deep wine red open-backed blouse.

The other is that he's a bit.... spontaneous. Lorenz doesn't know what the general plan is and he sincerely doubts there is one. So he is certain to feed the horses before he leaves for the evening, no real idea when he's going to get back. Still, JJ's smile is infectious, though, even from a distance, and as Lorenz approaches he waves in return.

"It is certainly a lovely afternoon for an outing, is it not?"

(Kate's a disaster?)

[morns]

You know when you leave, lock the door and then two streets down the way you're wondering if you really locked the door? Yeah, that explains why Kate's late. She locked up the gym, started her way down to meet JJ and Lorenz, and then doubled back, certain she'd missed something in the lock up.

She hadn't, which is a pain in the arse, but thankfully there's this wonderful thing called kinetic magic and natural ability which means she makes up the time lost pretty well, and arrives only a couple of minutes after Lorenz.

... Of course, she arrives by blinking in — teleporting from the roof of a nearby building right next to the men, pink hair kept out of her face in long braids, her outfit nothing more than the usual leggings, sports bra and brightly coloured hoodie (today's choice: orange). Comfy and very indicative of just where she'd been before all of this.

"Hey."

[kingfuckboy]

"Lorenz," JJ's voice lifted in delight. He took a couple steps towards him and smiled. "It is, someone else should be on her way." Did he tell Lorenz that? He can't remember, he doesn't think he did. It's fine, though. Kate's a friend and he is excited to have her with the both of them. It's like he summoned her when she appears just then.

He smiles towards her and lifts up his hand in a wave. "Speak of the Devil. Kate!" He looks between the both of them.

"Are you guys ready to have a bit of fun?" Impulsive and a little chaotic.

[silky_bearing]

"The more the merrier,of cou-oh!" Kate's rather abrupt appearance makes him jump a little, gasping in surprise and then laughing once he realizes it's just Kate and her magic. Not that he's spoken to her much, and even then only over the internet.

He smiles, offering a slight bow even though he knows it's too formal for people like JJ.... from what little they've spoken he imagines it's much the same for her. He's working at getting better at modern informalities but it's hard. Claude has helped a great deal as has Hifumi.

"Certainly!" All bright smiles and false confidence. He is absolutely not nervous about this at all. "I will do my very best to keep up... though I may have to ask that you explain a few things here and there."

Technology is...a lot, okay.

[morns]

Would it be a good thing or a bad thing to be summonable? Probably the latter. Kate can already imagine how much someone like Rosenberg would take advantage of whisking her into her office without the blessed buffer of a train journey back to headquarters.

Ugh.

That's besides the point, though. Rosenberg is, thankfully, a whole world away. The constant trips out of the city to fight things isn't quite, but at least it's all of her own volition nowadays. Which means she has this amazing thing called free time to spend with JJ and Lorenz, whose voice, at least, is immediately recognisable.

And no, she doesn't think she'll ever fully be used to the idea of people bowing as greeting, but it doesn't show in her face, which remains as flat as it normally does. She's ready without needing to wait, already moving as JJ asks the question. Not being good at sitting still is one of the many, many reasons they get on.

Unfortunately for Lorenz.

"Like what?" It better not be anything that involves the use of braincells, that's not her forte.

Claude & Flayn

[silky_bearing]

It may be Claude's house but Lorenz has insisted that he will be the one making tea. Which is a bit tricky as they don't have much overlap in tea preferences. Still they all enjoy trying new things and so he is confident that the floral tea he found should be well received for that if nothing else. The shop had assured him it was a new type of tea that they were going to be bringing out for the holidays so he was reasonably sure neither of them would be familiar with it.

It was rather fascinating, really, the rich scarlet color of the tea was certainly festive as he finally joins Claude and Flayn at the table, settling in to pour out three cups. He's started stashing sugar in Claude's tea cabinet just fr himself as he tends to take his teas so much sweeter. "A spiced floral blend I found. The flower is called hm-" It takes a moment before he is confident enough in his pronunciation to say it aloud. "Hibiscus I believe it was? Apparently it has a flavor similar to berries. I do hope that's acceptable?"

[leicesters]

Claude's certainly happy for the company, and while Lorenz may be taking over what should be his hosting duties, he's at least set the table and left out some snacks and treats to accompany the tea, should anyone want to partake.

He eyes the red liquid thoughtfully as Lorenz pours it, considering, before he seems to remember something. "Hibiscus! I read about them somewhere before. Probably because they're horribly, nauseatingly toxic." And before Lorenz can gripe at him too much, he laughs and adds, "I'm joking. Happy to give it a try, Lorenz."

[notcethleann]

Since Claude is hosting and Lorenz is making the tea, Flayn decides it's her job to bring a basket full of apples that she picked herself just this morning. She's already several bites into one of them herself, and she's filled her plate with a variety of the snacks that Claude laid out. (Listen! She's famished, okay? Chalk it up to dragon metabolism.)

She takes a deep sniff of the tea and smiles. "Oh, Lorenz, it smells delightful! I am certain it will taste just as good. And if it does turn out to be toxic, I shall heal us all so that we may drink more of it!"

[silky_bearing]

Flayn responding so earnestly to Claude's teasing is absolutely adorable, not that it stops him from rolling his eyes at the other man.

"I'm quite certain they would not be selling it at a tea shop if it were, in any way, harmful." A huff as he leans back, stirring in his sugar and eyeing the other two, caught somewhere between his own nervousness and the fondness he holds for them both. But aside from their usual banter he's... honestly not entirely sure where to begin, what is one meant to say in this sort of situation. All the books in the world couldn't give him a precise enough plan of etiquette to follow to make this more planned.

Which was precisely the point, of course, it's still just the sort of thing that leaves him off kilter and he ends up looking between the two of them expectantly. Surely it's not meant to be him that comes up with how to start..... this.

Whatever this is exactly.

[leicesters]

"You never know with the fae. They can be pranksters," Claude says with a knowing wink. It does take one to know one, after all. But he does also catch that expectant look, and there's only so long Lorenz will put up with his banter, so he takes a sip of his tea before launching right into things.

"So... We all know we're here to talk about us. Where we stand with each other. Honestly, I'm pretty relaxed, and I don't really like the idea of laying down rules, but I don't want to hurt either of you by doing anything without thinking. So maybe we could start with some basic things we can agree on? For example..." He drums his fingers on the table in thought while he considers. "Lorenz, maybe you'd prefer we keep discussing our time together private from Flayn, for example. Or Flayn, maybe you'd be happy to just be open about everything. What do you both think? I don't want to keep secrets from either of you, but I don't want to breach your trust if you think certain things should be private."

He'll go along with whatever both of them think is best, in other words, even if both of them have different ideas on what that might look like.

[notcethleann]

"They can indeed! I am familiar with quite a few tales of their antics. For instance, I have heard that once, they replaced someone's shampoo with a very sticky glue!" Is she serious or just messing with Lorenz? Who knows?

She munches on a pastry while Claude talks. "Oh, I certainly do not mind telling Lorenz anything he wishes to know. In fact, perhaps he and I shall speak about you when you are not present." She giggles.

Snowed in for Claude

[silky_bearing]

[By the time Claude manages to make his way all the way out to the cottage there's already evidence that Lorenz has, in fact, managed to get out of the house. A fine latticework of vines sprawls from the window in the loft along the top of the snow, something to disperse weight similarly to snow shoes. Eventually the path begins to dip down, snow mounded up on the sides of the path. Sides that have also been reinforced so the snow doesn't collapse back in on itself.

It's a little messy after that, heaps of snow tossed here and there until the top edge of the barn's shed roof comes into view and it seems that Lorenz managed to dig his way down to one of the windows at least.

It's hardly a stretch to think that the stubborn fool would be more concerned about the horses than his own well being. Probably best to check the barn first.]

[leicesters]

[Claude is not at all thrilled about snow, or being out in it, or interacting with it in any shape or form, but his concern for Lorenz surmounts all that. He personally has the luxury of being in a tree house raised well above the snow, but with Lorenz in his little cottage, there's no doubt he'd be snowed in. So he downed an Everwarm potion and wrapped up warm. Then, using the tunnels that had been made to get around, he reaches as close as he can get to Lorenz's cottage and above the snow.

Or the roof of it, anyway, and he follows the trail of vines to what -- of course -- leads over to the barn.]

Lorenz! [He calls, treading carefully along the vine path, hoping he can hear him.] Are you here?!

[silky_bearing]

[It's quiet for a moment, long enough that Claude might have started to worry if it wasn't clear that his horse at least had heard him. Before Claude really starts any attempt at descending toward the barn, though, Lorenz leans out of the window. He looks a little bit ridiculous, a scarf that was clearly meant to be decorative (and probably actually Marianne's) wrapped around his head. Bits of hair spill awkwardly out of it in a way that implies Darby attempted to lick his head.]

Khalid? Wha- [He shuffles back inside and then a moment later is heaving himself up onto the window ledge to pull himself back out into the snow.] What are you doing out in this!?

[It's colder than Faerghus and he's been huddling for warmth with the horses. Of course... he also made a point of coming out to feed them while he, himself, hasn't eaten anything and has, clearly, blown through a lot of magic this morning. Still he's going to fuss over Claude. Of course.]

It's freezing out here!

[leicesters]

[Claude's at least sensibly dressed, having learned his lesson from their mountain excursion, wearing a thick padded coat, gloves, boots with extra grip for ice, and a yellow patterned scarf pulled up to almost his ears to ward off the worst of the chill. He regards Lorenz with a look of dismay and shakes his head.]

I'm fine, don't worry. I have potions to keep me warm. I came to bring you one, but... [He gestures at the barn, where Lorenz had so evidently been preoccupied.] Are the horses okay?

[silky_bearing]

[Lorenz hadn't expected things to get as extreme down here out of the mountains so he hadn't really gotten more gear. The long fur lined, fitted coat he'd had on the mountain side is warm enough but his gloves had been light and, while heavy, riding boots were just not built for this sort of snow. Thus having Marianne's scarf acting as an impromptu hat/scarf combo and his poor legs are just... suffering.]

It's insulated the barn pretty well. They're alright.

[For now. It's keeping water available for them that has been difficult.]

L-lets get you inside.

[Far more concerned about Claude than himself. He, at least, had just recently had his hands tucked against the velvety warmth of Safrano's chest.]

[leicesters]

I'm glad. [And now Lorenz was fussing over him... Ah, well. Claude doesn't immediately argue the point, leading the way back up the vine path and to the window of the loft. The sooner they get indoors and out of the chill, the better.] You squeezed out through here, right? The vine idea was clever.

[He crouches down and lowers himself legs-first through the window, dropping into the loft, before moving aside so Lorenz can make his way in after.]