[He reads the rest of Oushi's message and decides not to send it in the end. Instead, he pulls on his coat, sighs at his reflection in the mirror before heading out to meet him. Vanitas spends the walk to Chickadee's trying to sort out his hair to it falls the way it's meant to, even retying the ponytail at the back and combing his fingers through it idly so he looks somewhat put together.
For whatever reason he feels just as unwilling to make Oushi wait as he is unwilling to see him if he doesn't look presentable.]
What are you looking at? [Vanitas approached as silently as possible, only speaking when he's close enough to peek down at him.]
[ oushi doesn't glance up until vanitas is right there, the noise from the arcade and vanitas' own silent footsteps perfectly shrouding him from notice. he blinks once, gaze seeming to catch on something, but he soon brings his attention back to his watch.
he scoots to make room on that bench for vanitas, and as soon as the younger man takes a seat, oushi will scooch closer until they're shoulder-to-shoulder. until oushi is practically leaning into him — all so he can better show vanitas his watch, of course. ]
Some of these bids are getting kind of crazy. See?
[ he scrolls to one he'd been following in particular, where a small handful of people seem to be duking it out trying to win some guy named nanami. ]
[Vanitas sits down, crossing his legs automatically, head turning to look at Oushi when he scoots in close again. He wants to focus on what he's being shown but it's hard when he can quite literally feel the guy's body heat radiating into him. It's not a big deal in the grand sense of things, but it does take him a second to force some composure for a normal conversation.]
I'm not sure who that is, but his bidders seem very...passionate. [He can't even properly judge them. He was ready to do the same for Getou, but for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully he decided to let that go and would hold on to his savings for a while longer.]
If you had more to bid with, is there anyone you'd want? I'd offer to help cover the cost, but I'm not sure my savings are that robust. [Vanitas leans in closer, going to Nanami's profile to see what it is that has these people in a frenzy.] Ah, of course. The mysterious older gentleman. I suppose I get it.
[ oushi hadn't gotten nearly as... passionate as some of these bidders have gotten, but part of that was because of his own non-existent funds. the fact he's somehow managed to be the top contender for vanitas' own auction is a freak twist of fate, or so he's convinced. ]
I don't really know that many people, [ he answers, if one can even call it an answer. he wasn't so much as concerned about bidding on people, because that kind of thing feeds a little too much into the nasty, possessive side of him he thinks shouldn't be enabled. but there were some people he wanted to make sure didn't end up forced in a situation with people they didn't like... vanitas included.
but as vanitas tap-taps on his watch screen (bringing them closer still), oushi's gaze drifts from the profile to the man currently pouring over it. he keeps his expression relatively impassive, but there is an intensity in his eyes that is keen for any sort of reaction from vanitas himself. ]
[Vanitas only got passionate for revenge, but revenge alone isn't enough to outbid people who have been around far longer than he has. It's probably for the best. He doesn't suspect he would have done anything good to Getou.]
I feel the same way. [He's not antisocial exactly, but he's kept close to the small handful of people he's gotten to know. Oushi being one of them. If having invaded the older's space isn't any indication of that.
The question causes Vanitas to stop scrolling to look at Oushi for a solid few seconds, blue eyes narrowed in confusion then widening in realization of something he doesn't voice out loud. All he does is laugh, turning away and covering his mouth so he doesn't cackle in his face.]
Already looking for reasons to be jealous? [Which isn't an answer to the question, but Vanitas thinks the best answer to that question would be handing Oushi a mirror.] No. I prefer someone around my age. Don't worry.
[ don't worry, he says, and the petulant part of oushi wants to insist he had never been anywhere close to that. but he knows better than anyone what a giant lie that would be; that he has already felt the sting of lost chances once before, and the threat of it again cripples him to the point of paralysis.
one would think that sort of thing would encourage him to be a little more honest, wouldn't it..? yet here he is, refusing to so much as glance at the mirror vanitas offers him. ]
I was just asking, [ he still attempts to insist, but there is hardly any fight in his tone. instead, he retaliates with a faint shove against vanitas' shoulder, but rather than draw away after, he just stays there. glued to the other's side. ]
Besides, [ he says, faces mere inches away, ] you realize I'm technically an older guy, right?
[ now why the hell is he reasserting himself this way, after he just made vanitas confess to liking the opposite? because he's fucking stupid, that's why. ]
[The shove causes Vanitas to sway in the opposite direction, then right back into Oushi's side, smirking because he thinks he has this guy figured out. He's pretty easy to read, and even more than that, Vanitas can follow his logical gymnastics to see where he's coming from--just not where he's going.
Because he really doesn't understand the pivot if the point of that was to get reassurance. Maybe Oushi is just contrary, and unfortunately that is something they have in common.]
Mm, are you saying I'm too young for you? [Vanitas turns his face, a bad idea, he knows, but how else is he going to play this game without increasing the stakes a bit. His nose is close enough to touch Oushi's face if he makes the wrong move, using every bit of his resolve to appear aloof and unaffected by their proximity.]
[ he can be contrary to the point of shooting himself in the foot, but somehow, in this instance, a wiser part of his brain kicks in and he realizes there's something far, far more important to be done here than "winning" whatever standoff it is they've suddenly found themselves in.
because when vanitas meets his stare head-on, and they're nose to nose like this, he finds his head flooded with a dizzying kind of heat that makes a man want to do something reckless. something bold.
so he leans in, stealing a kiss from lips he's started to memorize. lips that haunt him sometimes, in the late hours of the evening when his mind wanders, and he has to resist the urge to reach out and pester. ]
Definitely not.
[ when he licks his lips, he can feel the heat of the kiss still lingering there. he can feel that heat travel down to the pit of his belly, where it rests like a cozy embrace.
as much as it feels like a chore to pull away and stand, he brings himself to his feet anyway. but at least he offers a hand out to help vanitas along, unable to fully resist the pull of being close. ]
Oushi catches him off guard and his plan to tease him into submission backfires on him. The fleeting kiss has Vanitas flustered enough that he forgets where they are. If he listens to that voice in the back of his mind and gives into temptation, he would have pulled Oushi in by the neck of his shirt for another.
But they're in public. And he still feels the lingering sensation on his lips. Vanitas glares at Oushi, conceding. The victory is his this time.]
No, I haven't. [He's been waiting for Oushi to take him, truthfully. But expressing that now would offer him more of that sense of victory, and Vanitas would rather not. But he does take that hand offered to him, and laces their fingers together even after he's on his feet and on his way inside.
While he doesn't quite know what to expect, the inside of the arcade isn't anything he could have expected. The machines lined most of the walls. Some looked like what he's come to understand are computers, and others seemed like more mechanical games where levers are pulled and buttons are pressed to keep a ball from sliding into a hole. Fascinating. And the UFO catcher seems self explanatory.]
[ now, did oushi mean for that kiss to be something of a "gotcha"? no no, certainly not. it was an impulse, and a highly intoxicating one, one that oushi often finds himself battling with whenever he gets particularly close to vanitas, or happens to catch the man's eye for longer than a second. it is, in many ways, a weakness in and of itself.
but it does feel rather good to see the other man look so stunned for a moment. oushi will be keeping that look in his back pocket for a while yet. ]
It can be pretty overwhelming, [ he announces over the din, glancing vanitas' way and watching the various flashing lights reflect in wide, blue eyes. he gives that hand in his a tug, coaxing vanitas closer still. ] You should stay close, in case it's ever too much.
[ a paltry excuse to keep the man by his side, of course. he knows vanitas is made of far tougher stuff than a few flashing lights and loud sounds could ever scare away.
he glanced around. it doesn't look different from his last shift there, a few nights prior. the vouchers he'd earned then practically burn a hole through his pocket. with every game requiring chips, and many of his currently riding on an auction for the very man he's holding hands with, oushi is grateful for whatever help he can get.
as for his favorite... ]
I'll show you later. Let me show you the claw machine first.
[ because he wants to win vanitas a plushie.........
steering him towards the long line of machines, he gestures with his free hand.
[He's going to conveniently forget about being caught off-guard like that for the sake of his sanity, but he'll also conveniently remember when it suits him to do so.
The lights and sounds inside the arcade could grow to become overwhelming pretty fast if he wasn't accompanied by someone who knew his way around these things. No amount of reading or film viewing could have readied Vanitas for this, but in addition to the unfamiliarity there's also wonder and curiosity. Still, Oushi is with him so he wants to at least appear cool...chill...WITH IT.
And he's the vision of tranquility until Oushi pulls him closer and suddenly he wonders if these machines might come alive and attack them.]
Claw machine? [He follows along apprehensively, expecting some form of torture device, but instead there's a glass prism with plush toys inside and a dangling thing that Vanitas assumes is the claw.]
What about that one? [Using his free hand he taps his index finger against the glass where there's a black and blue plushie that looks like a possessed cross between a labubu and a nyanpire.]
[ oushi stares at the plushie vanitas indicates, and for a handful of moments he seems incapable of even processing what it is he's seeing. he checks and, no, sure enough, surrounding that demonic thing are a number of perfectly pleasant, suitably cute plushies that would have done just fine. which means vanitas singled out that heinous thing on purpose.
so much for winning vanitas something cute that he will come to associate with oushi....... so much for that master plan..... ]
Right. Sure.
[ well?? what's he gonna do, refuse?? rather begrudgingly, he taps his watch against the keypad, and the machine starts up in a cheery tune to signal it's begun. quite regrettably, playing this means having to release vanitas' hand for the time being, but at least they can stay close as he maneuvers the machine's joystick to properly place the claw directly over that ugly thing. once satisfied, he gives the single red button on the console hearty slap, and he stands back to watch as the metal claw descends upon the toy.
there is an exagerratedly triumphant song that plays when the claw retrieves the plushie and sends it sailing down into the cache. oushi digs it out of the compartment and turns to vanitas to hand the thing over, frowning all the while. ]
Here... [ "think of me" is what he was going to say when he plotted this whole thing out, but now he thinks that'd be a bad idea... ]
[The eyes on the plushie are huge and creepy, and kind of angled so the right is pointed a bit too far to the right and the left just as offset in the opposite direction. But the damn thing was so ugly that it was almost cute. Just the sort of thing Vanitas liked.
And then there was the bow. He loves a good bow, but can't really express that in words without sounding ridiculous.]
Ah, so that's how it works.. [He's too enthralled by the mechanics of the game to notice the sour look on Oushi's face. It's only when he hands the thing off that Vanitas notices, but cradles the ugly creature all the same.]
Which one do you like? Hold Oushi Jr while I try. [Vanitas doesn't know why Oushi hates the plushie, they're all kind of weird looking, but at least this one isn't pink. He kisses their new son on the forehead, then turns back to the machine.] Maybe he should have a twin?
[ oushi undergoes a number of complicated emotions in the span of a few minutes.
the first, yes, that petulance. sour grapes not because he'd lost anything, but because his "victory" here hadn't turned out at all like he wanted.
then comes the bafflement at vanitas' genuine fondness for the cursed thing, followed swiftly by a begrudging sort of acceptance. yes, it's ugly as fuck, but vanitas seems to honestly like it, so it's not all that bad, really.
and then comes the bright flush that warms his cheeks and his chest. oushi jr. the little, almost absent-minded kiss on its strange little forehead.
oushi stands there, cradling the thing in one hand against his chest, trying valiantly not to get caught up on the urge to steal another kiss from vanitas.
he forces himself to look back at the machine. ]
Uhh. That one?
[ he points to one that is a little less odd-looking, but similar enough it could feasibly pass for a "twin" if vanitas really wanted. this one's eyes are closed, its expression frozen in perpetual drowsiness.
he taps his watch to the keypad to start the game up again — just in case vanitas has any misconceptions that he is expected to pay for anything during this excursion. ]
[Vanitas pretends not to notice while he smiles inwardly at the rollercoaster ride Oushi's expressions go through. Most importantly, he seems to cheer up a bit whenever he hears the decreed name of the stuffed creature.
He's almost tempted to tease him about being so transparent regarding procreating with him, but he turns away to make sure Oushi doesn't have to leave here without his slightly less uglycute gremlin toy.]
This seems...simple enough. [On his first attempt the claw grazes past where it's ment to go, only pushing the plushie closer to falling into the hole, but he pays for the next attempt with his own watch before Oushi can get to it, and on the third or fourth attempt he hands the prize over.]
Now you have one too, so stop pouting. [Vanitas smirks, zipping his plushie into the front of his jacket like it's a baby carrier before stepping closer to Oushi for a quick kiss. Is this what they're doing now? Openly kissing each other? It was meant to fluster Oushi, but instead he ends up having to step away when his face heats up in realization.
[ ready on his lips is the insistent he isn't pouting at all, actually, thanks, but then there is vanitas in his space again, stealing another kiss like he had somehow known oushi himself was thinking about doing that very thing not more than a few minutes ago.
it shuts him up effectively, that's for sure.
he clears his throat, looking away. but his free hand is reaching right out to lace his fingers with vanitas' again, tugging him along as he walks further into the arcade. ]
We have to name this one...
[ we. what the fuck. oushi tries not to think about why that feels so good on his tongue, instead staring intently down at the snoozing plushie in his hand. he is almost tempted to go for the obvious: vanitas jr. but then he wonders if that's weird. if these plushies are meant to be twins, and they're named after them, then wouldn't that imply something strange???
...he's thinking way too much about this.
luckily, they reach his intended destination soon enough: the air hockey tables. now that he's won vanitas a prize, it's time for his favorite part of the arcade: absolutely obliterating his friends in silly, competitive games. ]
[Look at him keeping his mouth shut and not antagonizing the people he likes. That’s got to be some form of personal growth.
Vanitas is equally placated by how quick Oushi is willing to take his hand again. But simultaneously disgusted? Why is he being like this? Maybe Oushi is under some kind of influence from the resort. The next time they stop he’s going to perform a quick physical, just in case.
What? Right the name.]
What do you think of Pierre? Or Jacques? Or Luna..?
[He doesn’t know why he gives that last one, but he’s glad they’ve arrived at the new game. It’s a broad board with markings similar to a sport that he is familiar with.]
[ regrettably, once more, he will have to let go of vanitas' hand in order to play this game, but maybe that's a good thing if vanitas is feeling disgusted by the gesture...... the very same gesture he started all by himself no more than twenty minutes ago................. ]
Do you know hockey?
[ it's hard to get a true measure of the things vanitas is familiar with. their worlds sound vastly different, though some key things seem constant — france, anyway. regular ol' humans. bathrooms.
without his own jacket-turned-baby-bjorn, "luna" gets set along one side of the air hockey table, right in the middle as if she were now their designated referee. oushi taps his watch against the keypad (lowkey bitter he didn't get to beat vanitas to paying for those last few claw games) and fishes out the discs that dispense out. ]
Each goal is a point, and you make goals by sliding one of these discs into the other's slot, using these paddles. Simple, right?
[Disgusted at himself. For liking it. And also for being reluctant to let go of Oushi's hand, but alas. He was the one that wanted to learn about his favorite game.]
I'm unfamiliar.
[But he knows about cricket and whatever they called football/soccer way back when. He's guessing from the set up that it's more like the latter. As Oushi explains the gist of the game, Vanitas steps behind the opposite goal, following his lead and grabbing a paddle. He keeps Oushi Jr zipped in his jacket, nodding to show he's following along.]
Simple enough. Promise you won't hate me once I win.
[Vanitas doesn't know the source of his overconfidence here, but apparently it's a bottomless. He stretches his arms over his head dramatically, then swings his arms in little circles to make a show of "warming up".]
If you win, [ oushi says with an arched brow. listen, he is not normally the type to talk shit when it comes to games — most of the time he's playing with good friends, such as batayan and mitoki. and when one isn't all that competitive (batayan), and the other is so competitive he amps up the trash talking to something vicious and personal (mitoki), oushi has more or less learned it's better to let his skills do the talking for him.
now, is he some air hockey whiz? no, absolutely not. but is he fairly confident he can wipe the floor with someone who has never experienced the game before in his life? yeah, actually. but, more than that, he wants to be so impressive at this one, silly little thing, vanitas will be left thinking about his prowess in the hours to come after this little excursion. ]
We can bet on it.
[ he makes a show of flipping the disk and snatching it out of the air. as if that somehow highlights how good he is at slapping the damn thing into goals. (it does not.) ]
If I win, you have to let me take you somewhere and pay for everything.
[He can sense Oushi's doubt dripping from his tone, and that just makes him all the more eager to win. Hopefully the beginner's luck gods will smile upon him this fine day.]
Like gambling? [Both his brows raise in surprise before a demonic smirk forms on his face and he nods. If he's going to live in this hotel of sin, he might as well dabble in all of the other sinful pleasures that comes with it. Betting being one he hasn't tried out yet.]
Mm, if I win, you have to let me try your blood..and not judge me for it. [He's not a vampire!! Just..very curious, okay?? Also..Oushi wanting another date only occurs to him belatedly and he feels his body temperature raise a few degrees in an instant.]
I'm ready when you are, handsome. [If he can't win fair and square, his first tactic is to fluster, watching the disk closely though he's tempted to take in Oushi's face in that instant.]
[ that earns a brief blink from oushi, who is suddenly thrust back to their first meeting. he had mistakenly assumed vanitas was a vampire then, and though he's since been corrected, he knows enough to know the man's ties to vampirism aren't quite so clearly defined.
briefly, he wonders how vanitas would do it. would it be via his neck? or maybe his wrist? both ways conjure an image that, quite embarrassingly, instantly heat oushi right up to his core, and so he hastily drops the hockey disk onto the table, hoping the loud clatter will jolt him back to the present.
his eyes snap back up towards vanitas, the second that handsome reaches his ears. ]
...At least wait until the disk is in play to use your dirty tricks.
[ hmph. he snaps his wrist, sending the disk barreling straight towards vanitas' goal. ]
[The moment Oushi's pretty eyes are on his, his smile goes from normal to something devious. Like he's just gotten visual confirmation that the word does something to him. Vanitas tucks the knowledge away for later, he'll definitely be using that again.
But in the process of riling Oushi up, he became too distracted to move his paddle in time to block the shot. Vanitas makes a face, his competitive side taking over for the moment as he puts the disk down on the flat surface. He follows Oushi's lead to put it in play, but instead of straight down the center, he knocks it hard at an angle so it would hit the edge of the table and head toward the goal from the side. Who ever thought geometry would be of any practical use?]
I'll show you dirtier tricks than this later. [He could very well be serious or just trying to get Oushi worked up and distracted.]
[ oushi watches in satisfaction as his disk goes sailing straight into the gutter. he knows that kind of luck is likely unable to happen again, the more and more vanitas gets used to the game. after all, he's keen to the other's sharp reflexes, but more than that he can recognize very easily that glimmer in those eyes... the kind of competitiveness that means to crush every opponent in his way, no matter what.
honestly it's really hot on him. but will oushi say that out loud? ... maybe, actually. especially if it will make the other all cutely flustered.
anyway, he gets a taste of his own medicine when that angled hit sends the disk right into his own goal, his quick swerve of his paddle just not quick enough. he swallows back the bitter pill of defeat, glancing back up to meet vanitas' eyes. ]
Promise?
[ the lofty, challenging tone he affects sounds like it's better suited for the bedroom than an arcade floor, but that's the point, isn't it?
he puts the disk back into play, slamming it against the side wall to try for an angled hit. ]
[Unfortunate for Oushi, Vanitas is a fast learner, and has slightly above average reflexes due to his incomplete training--but it's enough to hopefully give him the edge to--]
Damn it to hell. [He laughs, that last one was out of his control. How was he supposed to know that Oushi was going to resort to the same underhanded tactics he was not above using. Followed by a couple seconds of daydreaming/consideration of all the things he might do to fulfill that promise.]
2-1. Are we going to 5 or to 10? [Vanitas asks, seeking to distract Oushi while he serves the disk into play, expecting him to defend this time, which is fine because he's prepared to do the same.
The longer they keep at it, the more used to it he gets, and the disk stays in play longer when Vanitas finally finds his groove. He can see why Oushi likes this game, but damn if it isn't drawing out his competitive side.] Don't hold back, mon vieux. I want to beat you at your best, okay?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[He reads the rest of Oushi's message and decides not to send it in the end. Instead, he pulls on his coat, sighs at his reflection in the mirror before heading out to meet him. Vanitas spends the walk to Chickadee's trying to sort out his hair to it falls the way it's meant to, even retying the ponytail at the back and combing his fingers through it idly so he looks somewhat put together.
For whatever reason he feels just as unwilling to make Oushi wait as he is unwilling to see him if he doesn't look presentable.]
What are you looking at? [Vanitas approached as silently as possible, only speaking when he's close enough to peek down at him.]
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he scoots to make room on that bench for vanitas, and as soon as the younger man takes a seat, oushi will scooch closer until they're shoulder-to-shoulder. until oushi is practically leaning into him — all so he can better show vanitas his watch, of course. ]
Some of these bids are getting kind of crazy. See?
[ he scrolls to one he'd been following in particular, where a small handful of people seem to be duking it out trying to win some guy named nanami. ]
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I'm not sure who that is, but his bidders seem very...passionate. [He can't even properly judge them. He was ready to do the same for Getou, but for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully he decided to let that go and would hold on to his savings for a while longer.]
If you had more to bid with, is there anyone you'd want? I'd offer to help cover the cost, but I'm not sure my savings are that robust. [Vanitas leans in closer, going to Nanami's profile to see what it is that has these people in a frenzy.] Ah, of course. The mysterious older gentleman. I suppose I get it.
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I don't really know that many people, [ he answers, if one can even call it an answer. he wasn't so much as concerned about bidding on people, because that kind of thing feeds a little too much into the nasty, possessive side of him he thinks shouldn't be enabled. but there were some people he wanted to make sure didn't end up forced in a situation with people they didn't like... vanitas included.
but as vanitas tap-taps on his watch screen (bringing them closer still), oushi's gaze drifts from the profile to the man currently pouring over it. he keeps his expression relatively impassive, but there is an intensity in his eyes that is keen for any sort of reaction from vanitas himself. ]
Is that your type?
[ as nonchalant as one can ever be, of course. ]
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I feel the same way. [He's not antisocial exactly, but he's kept close to the small handful of people he's gotten to know. Oushi being one of them. If having invaded the older's space isn't any indication of that.
The question causes Vanitas to stop scrolling to look at Oushi for a solid few seconds, blue eyes narrowed in confusion then widening in realization of something he doesn't voice out loud. All he does is laugh, turning away and covering his mouth so he doesn't cackle in his face.]
Already looking for reasons to be jealous? [Which isn't an answer to the question, but Vanitas thinks the best answer to that question would be handing Oushi a mirror.] No. I prefer someone around my age. Don't worry.
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one would think that sort of thing would encourage him to be a little more honest, wouldn't it..? yet here he is, refusing to so much as glance at the mirror vanitas offers him. ]
I was just asking, [ he still attempts to insist, but there is hardly any fight in his tone. instead, he retaliates with a faint shove against vanitas' shoulder, but rather than draw away after, he just stays there. glued to the other's side. ]
Besides, [ he says, faces mere inches away, ] you realize I'm technically an older guy, right?
[ now why the hell is he reasserting himself this way, after he just made vanitas confess to liking the opposite? because he's fucking stupid, that's why. ]
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Because he really doesn't understand the pivot if the point of that was to get reassurance. Maybe Oushi is just contrary, and unfortunately that is something they have in common.]
Mm, are you saying I'm too young for you? [Vanitas turns his face, a bad idea, he knows, but how else is he going to play this game without increasing the stakes a bit. His nose is close enough to touch Oushi's face if he makes the wrong move, using every bit of his resolve to appear aloof and unaffected by their proximity.]
Because you weren't complaining before.
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because when vanitas meets his stare head-on, and they're nose to nose like this, he finds his head flooded with a dizzying kind of heat that makes a man want to do something reckless. something bold.
so he leans in, stealing a kiss from lips he's started to memorize. lips that haunt him sometimes, in the late hours of the evening when his mind wanders, and he has to resist the urge to reach out and pester. ]
Definitely not.
[ when he licks his lips, he can feel the heat of the kiss still lingering there. he can feel that heat travel down to the pit of his belly, where it rests like a cozy embrace.
as much as it feels like a chore to pull away and stand, he brings himself to his feet anyway. but at least he offers a hand out to help vanitas along, unable to fully resist the pull of being close. ]
Have you been to an arcade before?
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Oushi catches him off guard and his plan to tease him into submission backfires on him. The fleeting kiss has Vanitas flustered enough that he forgets where they are. If he listens to that voice in the back of his mind and gives into temptation, he would have pulled Oushi in by the neck of his shirt for another.
But they're in public. And he still feels the lingering sensation on his lips. Vanitas glares at Oushi, conceding. The victory is his this time.]
No, I haven't. [He's been waiting for Oushi to take him, truthfully. But expressing that now would offer him more of that sense of victory, and Vanitas would rather not. But he does take that hand offered to him, and laces their fingers together even after he's on his feet and on his way inside.
While he doesn't quite know what to expect, the inside of the arcade isn't anything he could have expected. The machines lined most of the walls. Some looked like what he's come to understand are computers, and others seemed like more mechanical games where levers are pulled and buttons are pressed to keep a ball from sliding into a hole. Fascinating. And the UFO catcher seems self explanatory.]
Wow. Show me your favorite?
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but it does feel rather good to see the other man look so stunned for a moment. oushi will be keeping that look in his back pocket for a while yet. ]
It can be pretty overwhelming, [ he announces over the din, glancing vanitas' way and watching the various flashing lights reflect in wide, blue eyes. he gives that hand in his a tug, coaxing vanitas closer still. ] You should stay close, in case it's ever too much.
[ a paltry excuse to keep the man by his side, of course. he knows vanitas is made of far tougher stuff than a few flashing lights and loud sounds could ever scare away.
he glanced around. it doesn't look different from his last shift there, a few nights prior. the vouchers he'd earned then practically burn a hole through his pocket. with every game requiring chips, and many of his currently riding on an auction for the very man he's holding hands with, oushi is grateful for whatever help he can get.
as for his favorite... ]
I'll show you later. Let me show you the claw machine first.
[ because he wants to win vanitas a plushie.........
steering him towards the long line of machines, he gestures with his free hand.
See anything you like?
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The lights and sounds inside the arcade could grow to become overwhelming pretty fast if he wasn't accompanied by someone who knew his way around these things. No amount of reading or film viewing could have readied Vanitas for this, but in addition to the unfamiliarity there's also wonder and curiosity. Still, Oushi is with him so he wants to at least appear cool...chill...WITH IT.
And he's the vision of tranquility until Oushi pulls him closer and suddenly he wonders if these machines might come alive and attack them.]
Claw machine? [He follows along apprehensively, expecting some form of torture device, but instead there's a glass prism with plush toys inside and a dangling thing that Vanitas assumes is the claw.]
What about that one? [Using his free hand he taps his index finger against the glass where there's a black and blue plushie that looks like a possessed cross between a labubu and a nyanpire.]
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so much for winning vanitas something cute that he will come to associate with oushi....... so much for that master plan..... ]
Right. Sure.
[ well?? what's he gonna do, refuse?? rather begrudgingly, he taps his watch against the keypad, and the machine starts up in a cheery tune to signal it's begun. quite regrettably, playing this means having to release vanitas' hand for the time being, but at least they can stay close as he maneuvers the machine's joystick to properly place the claw directly over that ugly thing. once satisfied, he gives the single red button on the console hearty slap, and he stands back to watch as the metal claw descends upon the toy.
there is an exagerratedly triumphant song that plays when the claw retrieves the plushie and sends it sailing down into the cache. oushi digs it out of the compartment and turns to vanitas to hand the thing over, frowning all the while. ]
Here... [ "think of me" is what he was going to say when he plotted this whole thing out, but now he thinks that'd be a bad idea... ]
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And then there was the bow. He loves a good bow, but can't really express that in words without sounding ridiculous.]
Ah, so that's how it works.. [He's too enthralled by the mechanics of the game to notice the sour look on Oushi's face. It's only when he hands the thing off that Vanitas notices, but cradles the ugly creature all the same.]
Which one do you like? Hold Oushi Jr while I try. [Vanitas doesn't know why Oushi hates the plushie, they're all kind of weird looking, but at least this one isn't pink. He kisses their new son on the forehead, then turns back to the machine.] Maybe he should have a twin?
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the first, yes, that petulance. sour grapes not because he'd lost anything, but because his "victory" here hadn't turned out at all like he wanted.
then comes the bafflement at vanitas' genuine fondness for the cursed thing, followed swiftly by a begrudging sort of acceptance. yes, it's ugly as fuck, but vanitas seems to honestly like it, so it's not all that bad, really.
and then comes the bright flush that warms his cheeks and his chest. oushi jr. the little, almost absent-minded kiss on its strange little forehead.
oushi stands there, cradling the thing in one hand against his chest, trying valiantly not to get caught up on the urge to steal another kiss from vanitas.
he forces himself to look back at the machine. ]
Uhh. That one?
[ he points to one that is a little less odd-looking, but similar enough it could feasibly pass for a "twin" if vanitas really wanted. this one's eyes are closed, its expression frozen in perpetual drowsiness.
he taps his watch to the keypad to start the game up again — just in case vanitas has any misconceptions that he is expected to pay for anything during this excursion. ]
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He's almost tempted to tease him about being so transparent regarding procreating with him, but he turns away to make sure Oushi doesn't have to leave here without his slightly less uglycute gremlin toy.]
This seems...simple enough. [On his first attempt the claw grazes past where it's ment to go, only pushing the plushie closer to falling into the hole, but he pays for the next attempt with his own watch before Oushi can get to it, and on the third or fourth attempt he hands the prize over.]
Now you have one too, so stop pouting. [Vanitas smirks, zipping his plushie into the front of his jacket like it's a baby carrier before stepping closer to Oushi for a quick kiss. Is this what they're doing now? Openly kissing each other? It was meant to fluster Oushi, but instead he ends up having to step away when his face heats up in realization.
It's so gross. Why does he enjoy it?]
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it shuts him up effectively, that's for sure.
he clears his throat, looking away. but his free hand is reaching right out to lace his fingers with vanitas' again, tugging him along as he walks further into the arcade. ]
We have to name this one...
[ we. what the fuck. oushi tries not to think about why that feels so good on his tongue, instead staring intently down at the snoozing plushie in his hand. he is almost tempted to go for the obvious: vanitas jr. but then he wonders if that's weird. if these plushies are meant to be twins, and they're named after them, then wouldn't that imply something strange???
...he's thinking way too much about this.
luckily, they reach his intended destination soon enough: the air hockey tables. now that he's won vanitas a prize, it's time for his favorite part of the arcade: absolutely obliterating his friends in silly, competitive games. ]
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Vanitas is equally placated by how quick Oushi is willing to take his hand again. But simultaneously disgusted? Why is he being like this? Maybe Oushi is under some kind of influence from the resort. The next time they stop he’s going to perform a quick physical, just in case.
What? Right the name.]
What do you think of Pierre? Or Jacques? Or Luna..?
[He doesn’t know why he gives that last one, but he’s glad they’ve arrived at the new game. It’s a broad board with markings similar to a sport that he is familiar with.]
What’s this one about?
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Do you know hockey?
[ it's hard to get a true measure of the things vanitas is familiar with. their worlds sound vastly different, though some key things seem constant — france, anyway. regular ol' humans. bathrooms.
without his own jacket-turned-baby-bjorn, "luna" gets set along one side of the air hockey table, right in the middle as if she were now their designated referee. oushi taps his watch against the keypad (lowkey bitter he didn't get to beat vanitas to paying for those last few claw games) and fishes out the discs that dispense out. ]
Each goal is a point, and you make goals by sliding one of these discs into the other's slot, using these paddles. Simple, right?
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I'm unfamiliar.
[But he knows about cricket and whatever they called football/soccer way back when. He's guessing from the set up that it's more like the latter. As Oushi explains the gist of the game, Vanitas steps behind the opposite goal, following his lead and grabbing a paddle. He keeps Oushi Jr zipped in his jacket, nodding to show he's following along.]
Simple enough. Promise you won't hate me once I win.
[Vanitas doesn't know the source of his overconfidence here, but apparently it's a bottomless. He stretches his arms over his head dramatically, then swings his arms in little circles to make a show of "warming up".]
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now, is he some air hockey whiz? no, absolutely not. but is he fairly confident he can wipe the floor with someone who has never experienced the game before in his life? yeah, actually. but, more than that, he wants to be so impressive at this one, silly little thing, vanitas will be left thinking about his prowess in the hours to come after this little excursion. ]
We can bet on it.
[ he makes a show of flipping the disk and snatching it out of the air. as if that somehow highlights how good he is at slapping the damn thing into goals. (it does not.) ]
If I win, you have to let me take you somewhere and pay for everything.
[ date, oushi, it's called a date. ]
What do you want if you win?
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Like gambling? [Both his brows raise in surprise before a demonic smirk forms on his face and he nods. If he's going to live in this hotel of sin, he might as well dabble in all of the other sinful pleasures that comes with it. Betting being one he hasn't tried out yet.]
Mm, if I win, you have to let me try your blood..and not judge me for it. [He's not a vampire!! Just..very curious, okay?? Also..Oushi wanting another date only occurs to him belatedly and he feels his body temperature raise a few degrees in an instant.]
I'm ready when you are, handsome. [If he can't win fair and square, his first tactic is to fluster, watching the disk closely though he's tempted to take in Oushi's face in that instant.]
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briefly, he wonders how vanitas would do it. would it be via his neck? or maybe his wrist? both ways conjure an image that, quite embarrassingly, instantly heat oushi right up to his core, and so he hastily drops the hockey disk onto the table, hoping the loud clatter will jolt him back to the present.
his eyes snap back up towards vanitas, the second that handsome reaches his ears. ]
...At least wait until the disk is in play to use your dirty tricks.
[ hmph. he snaps his wrist, sending the disk barreling straight towards vanitas' goal. ]
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But in the process of riling Oushi up, he became too distracted to move his paddle in time to block the shot. Vanitas makes a face, his competitive side taking over for the moment as he puts the disk down on the flat surface. He follows Oushi's lead to put it in play, but instead of straight down the center, he knocks it hard at an angle so it would hit the edge of the table and head toward the goal from the side. Who ever thought geometry would be of any practical use?]
I'll show you dirtier tricks than this later. [He could very well be serious or just trying to get Oushi worked up and distracted.]
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honestly it's really hot on him. but will oushi say that out loud? ... maybe, actually. especially if it will make the other all cutely flustered.
anyway, he gets a taste of his own medicine when that angled hit sends the disk right into his own goal, his quick swerve of his paddle just not quick enough. he swallows back the bitter pill of defeat, glancing back up to meet vanitas' eyes. ]
Promise?
[ the lofty, challenging tone he affects sounds like it's better suited for the bedroom than an arcade floor, but that's the point, isn't it?
he puts the disk back into play, slamming it against the side wall to try for an angled hit. ]
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Damn it to hell. [He laughs, that last one was out of his control. How was he supposed to know that Oushi was going to resort to the same underhanded tactics he was not above using. Followed by a couple seconds of daydreaming/consideration of all the things he might do to fulfill that promise.]
2-1. Are we going to 5 or to 10? [Vanitas asks, seeking to distract Oushi while he serves the disk into play, expecting him to defend this time, which is fine because he's prepared to do the same.
The longer they keep at it, the more used to it he gets, and the disk stays in play longer when Vanitas finally finds his groove. He can see why Oushi likes this game, but damn if it isn't drawing out his competitive side.] Don't hold back, mon vieux. I want to beat you at your best, okay?
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