(no subject)

[outofoffice]

Who: sensitIV + friends + enemies
Where: sensitIV
When: Day 447, post-game

[ what the fuck. ]

Comments

[outofoffice]

[ Oh my god

Lupine . . . ]

Well, aren't you cute~? ♪

[at_heart]

[ wow attacked?? ]

I — look.

[ HAS THAT GOTTEN ANY BETTER AS A SENTENCE FRAGMENT ]

Just... have some, okay?

[ It should be fine. He added the alcohol and honey proportionately?? Maybe a little less sweet, maybe a little sweeter, but it MOSTLY EMERGED from the third attempt unscathed. ]

[outofoffice]

[ LOOKS.

But yes, he does grab the thermos to take an experimental sip ]

Hmmm . . . lucky for you, it tastes just fine! I won't have to throw you out for attempting to poison me.

[at_heart]

[ ...Eyebrows lift, the fluster draining out of his face. ]

For the record, this would be a terrible way to poison someone. Told you, it's not very stable.

[ Settling down beside him at the kotatsu. ]

Plus, terrible timing, when I wouldn't actually be able to tell how noticeable the arsenic was.

[ —It's possible that it's kind of nice getting to actually see Venti enjoy the tamagozake. Like. Maybe. ]

[outofoffice]

No?

[ Lowering the thermos a little ]

So what was the price? Your sense of smell?

[at_heart]

Smell and taste. I thought there was something wrong with the ingredients, but nope. Wasn't the eggs or the honey — just me. Everything's just kinda... [ Nose wrinkle. ] It smells like nothing and takes like sand.

[outofoffice]

--That's awful!! You can't even eat anything yummy to deal with the hardship!!

[at_heart]

Yeah, I'm not a fan.

[ Would mind so much less if it hadn't screwed with his ability to cook, though. He's not all that hungry right now, but— ] [ Wait. ] [ Lupine turns a thoughtful look on Venti. ]

I guess the solution for right now is, I make this [ points at the thermos ] with you in the room. You can taste it and tell me if it needs more honey or whatever.

[ He did say he'd show you how it was made, back during Monster Bingo. And he's pretty sure that he can show you how to make it and you'll still just let him cook it for you 90% of the time, so there's no reason not to. ]

[outofoffice]

Ehh? So you're imparting the super-secret recipe onto me?

I gladly accept! For your sake, of course, as an act of charity.

[at_heart]

[ Smothered laugh. ]

It's very kind of you to let me make sure the food I'm making for you doesn't taste like crap.

[outofoffice]

I know! We can't have your reputation taking the hit, can we?

[at_heart]

[ Shaking his head, more laughter. ]

My reputation. [ He's only not getting tsun about this because he doesn't think he actually has much of a reputation for cooking. ] That'd definitely be some kind of tragedy.

[outofoffice]

[ Venti can always gun for more tsun later ]

Don't worry, though. Even when everyone else turned your delicious offerings away, I would gladly still take them!

[at_heart]

[ Cracking up. One moment pls. ]

[outofoffice]

[ Salutes. He's a true friend, you see.

And goes back to happily nursing this yummy booze ]

[at_heart]

[ Recovers! Eventually. ]

You're such a saint.

[ He's also being tugged away to assist with getting Alizarin to smell like flowers, so he stands up and asks: ]

She's said no to roses, and I know you probably just want us to smell less like blood... but do you have any scents you'd especially like.

[ what if your katamari wants brownie points ]

[outofoffice]

The fact that you would even ask is adorable.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure my favorite scents have yet been captured by the consumer products here.

[at_heart]

Brat. And here we are, doing you a favor.

[ So much affection, though. ]

Be back in a few? I'm sure you get why I don't wanna play sIV faucet roulette when we're trying to get the blood smell out.

[outofoffice]

Oh, I would argue I get it more than most would.

[ Lupine

HE HAS TO LIVE IN HERE ]

1/

[at_heart]

[ He knows, and you have his pity forever. As if the kitchen being weird isn't bad enough. ] [ Crooked grin, and he heads for the door! ]

2/

[at_heart]

[ ............and then they're just gone? For at least 20 minutes. Maybe more like 30.

Decidedly longer than a shower should've taken. And with no text updates! ]

[at_heart]

[ But eventually they do shuffle back into the sIV dorm. Zari smells like jasmine now, Lupine much more strongly of his usual rosemary, and.

Well, we'll let Zari tell you how she's doing, but Lupine is definitely more than a little self-conscious as he settles back down at the kotatsu.

He used mouthwash before they left LiliS (which was awful, sawdust and sand and somehow it still burned), and then still double- and triple-checked his breath before he got off the elevator. At least he can still smell blood, so he'd... know if it was a problem. In theory. ]

—Back.

[ Said after he's already sat down, very smooth. ]

[outofoffice]

[ Venti has thoroughly cocooned himself in blankets and pillows, but he pokes his head out with a plaintive little sound when they return. ]

That took foreeeeever. Surely you two can canoodle faster than that!

[at_heart]

[ You know he's genuinely embarrassed about something here, because that comment is absolutely begging for a snarky comeback (not the way we do it or something), and instead Lupine just sinks in on himself a tiny bit. ]

Yeah, sorry. I... we got distracted.

[outofoffice]

. . . You look surprisingly guilty about it, as if I didn't know that's what you were doing the whole time . . .