hobo?? eye-gazing party?? (open)

[goen]

WHO: Yato and anyone who saw this post willing to bring food!
WHERE: The Inkwell and (technically) its sister restaurant The Quill.
WHEN: Friday, June 16. Early evening.
WHAT: A... hobo eye-gazing party… but mostly it’s a potluck. Come stare into Yato’s eyes and eat the random dishes everyone decided to bring!
WARNINGS: Existential questions such as Why


[ Welcome to the Inkwell!

It’s an old-fashioned bar with a warm, homey atmosphere, old timey furnishings, and clever literature-related drinks. Get your Tequila Mockingbird or (in light of recent events) Pitcher of Midorian Gray! It isn’t much a party spot -- usually. But tonight there’s more bustle than usual, and the normally relaxed bar is buzzing with a greater Retrospeccer population than it’s used to.

Most importantly, the bar is lined with an eccentric variety of foods. Nachos, curry, cupcakes, samosas, steak, sandwich cake (what), and more: truly, the person who screened this food selection cared more about quantity than quality. Admission to this party required you to bring your own dish to share. What’s your contribution to this mess?

Technically, if you’re under 21, owner Chuuya Nakahara would like you to keep to The Quill, the restaurant attached next door. But this is Yato’s party and everything fun will be happening at The Inkwell, so he’ll casually smuggle in any underage invitees with the cheerful stipulation that they not drink illegally.

Stick to the honor system or die.

The hobo of the hour will be in his work clothes, serving alcohol out of his own pocket and dutifully offering his eyes up for prolonged gazing. Why? That is an excellent question. And one you’ll have to answer yourself, because you chose to come here of your own free will. Enjoy. ]

Comments

[goen]

[ A: HOBO STARING CONTEST

You’re here, which must mean you thought staring into Yato’s eyes would do something for you. Cool. He’s here for it. Extremely here for it.

He rolls up the sleeves of his black dress shirt (the uniform around The Inkwell is simply: black) and faces you with sudden focus. And say what you will about Yato’s personality, but his eyes are as blue as advertised. Perhaps even unnaturally so, their hue as smooth and clear as glass, threatening to overtake his pinpoint pupils. If you catch him in a dimmer part of the bar, his eyes may even take on a catlike gleam…

Now think fast because-- ]

Whoever blinks first has to give the winner a prize, okay? Go!

[ And now he’s very intensely staring into your eyes. Good luck. ]


[ B: BARTENDING

The Inkwell is alive and people are looking at him and Yato is having a great time. Which is good, because his wallet will be taking a huge hit from the open bar he’s both funding and working tonight. When he’s not holding excessive staring contests with people, he’ll be leaning against the bar and smiling more openly than he has in weeks. ]

Thirsty? What’ll you have?

(( p.s.: Some interaction notes for Yato! People who talked to him in the initial network post will most likely remember him, but feel free to play with it. ))

a

[skald]

[Man, Tuuri was not expecting this to be an actual eye gazing party. Like, she thought that was just an excuse. So here she is, two enormous party-sized grey bags of Cool Ranch Doritos tucked under each arm, startled into a staring contest when she really just wanted to like. Say hi. Maybe retake that selfie she promised him.

Important thing to note: she didn't forget this time, ha.] I-- okay! [She already blinked in surprise.] Wait, start over!

[goen]

[ How dare? Yato always delivers on what he peddles. ]

Wellll, alright. But this means the stakes are doubled! Ready...

[ He BLINKS REALLY HARD and moistens his bad boys up for a second round. Then he stares into Tuuri's eyes! ]

Go!

[skald]

[Tuuri was super not expecting Yato to agree, so she doesn't prepare as much as she should have; it's the best she can do to avoid blinking again when he starts it up.] Oh--

[Whatever, here they go! She stares back, trying to keep her eyes from watering-- Yato's eyes really are a nice blue! Maybe it's because it's been two whole weeks since she's seen any in person aside from some blueberries she had this morning, but they're almost a fantasy-level blue here. That would be the point of the party, though--

She totally blinks.] Ugh. Fine, you win. What do you want besides a lot of Doritos?

a!

[sharplydressed]

[It takes a lot of effort to not jab Yato in the eyes and frankly Kashuu doesn't think he appreciates this unspoken self-restraint enough.

BUT ANYWAY.]

What, is my attendance not enough of a prize for you? [Punk.] You'll have to pick something good before I agree, anyway. I'm not playing for beans here.

B

[bitemefightme]

[For whatever reason, when Orion mentioned this stupid thing in passing, his mom baked a cake for it, and told him that maybe he should go.

.......

After some serious debating with himself, he did decide to go. Alright, fine.

He sets the cake on the counter beside him as he looks dead at Yato when offered a drink.]

I'll start with a gin and tonic, make it a double.

[His tone is flat and direct. He pushes the cased cake toward Yato.]

You the one that asked for this stuff?

b!

[okitactless]

[INCREDIBLE...

This whole thing is incredible, because why? Are there actually people here??? Yamato wouldn't have been among their number if not for Kashuu (since I still can't afford the relevant regain) and yet here he is... he even brought a great big container of edamame, lord.

But memory issues aside, he is here, and for the moment, Yato's not slipping out of mind. He even remembers enough to notice how genuine Yato's smile seems, though he doesn't mention it just yet. There are other things to talk about, such as--]

Is it seriously a whole pitcher?

[parodeity]

a) it's nacho problem

[ since dave more or less set this off for some reason (he was bored) he actually does show up with the promised nachos + dip and even one or two other items. there's an apple pie from his mom, and for some vegetables and dip. there's also just like two 24-packs of apple juice boxes.

while he loiters around the refreshments table sometimes, he basically seems to just be having apple juice. how many boxes has he had. who the fuck drinks like 8 juice boxes in a row. eat something you loser. ]

b) prizes

[ anyone who wins a staring contest with yato (or even anyone who loses) is promptly handed a portrait lovingly drawn in crayon in dave's truly questionable art style, why this. ]

Nice job, dude. [ you did nothing to deserve this travesty. sorry. ]

c) stare off

[ he's wearing shades so a stare off might actually be hard, but: ]

No, no, I can't do eye-gazin' without takin' off the shades and I ain't gonna. But I'll do rock-paper-scissors with you?

d) music system

[ also if he can get anywhere near the music controls for anything he will be queuing up things he likes or messing with it to pick Annoying Ear Worms apparently just to fuck with people out of boredom. dave, stop. ]

c; continuing the trend of my characters commenting on the shades

[eyestitch]

Ah, you're joking, right?

[She leans close, probably a little too close for anyone with strict ideas about boundaries and personal space, trying to angle the light just right that she can get a glimpse at his eyes even if he doesn't remove the glasses. Her own (two) eyes are moon-sized. Life hack: If you pretend the shades aren't there, it's almost like the shades aren't there. Right?]

What is it, huh? A lazy eye? Hideous scar? [She gasps.] Oh, are you missing one? That'd be horrible!

[goen]

[ Fist pump!! He's the best!! ]

Yeah!! What do I want, what do I want? Let's see...

I want a five-leafed clover! Two of them!

[goen]

[ Kashuu lives with so much... ]

You really are a vampire, 'cause you sure know how to suck the fun out of a staring contest.

[ But ugh ok. ]

The loser has to let the winner draw a unibrow on him amd keep it on for the rest of the party!

[goen]

[ A cake...!!!! Yato's attention swivels toward it, momentarily forgetting to get that gin and tonic. So good?? Best hobo potluck ever. ]

Yeah, that's me!

[ Therefore he claims himself as the rightful heir to this cake. He pulls it toward himself... before remembering that he should probably be making that drink. He pulls some gin and tonic and gets to it, finishing off with a wedge of lemon. ]

Name's Yato. Who're you?

[goen]

[ Good priorities tbh... Yato assumed Kashuu would come despite his griping, god knows why, but he wasn't sure if Yamato would remember enough to be interested. But it seems like he does (or Kashuu dragged him along which is much more likely, he has to admit...) and Yato brightens to see him. It's a little strange, how some happinesses can feel so familiar yet so foreign. ]

Wanna find out? I'll warn you, it ain't cheap.

[ Except it's Yato footing the bill, so who is he really warning here... ]

a

[goen]

[ Yato pauses in his socializing to do a double-take at all the fucking apple juice boxes Dave is leaving in his wake. Dave?? Yato snatches up an apple juice carton and squints at the nutrition facts. ]

You know you've drunk like four pounds of sugar?

[ Like LOOK Yato is no health nut but he doesn't want you to die Dave... ]

[skald]

O-oh. [Shoot, she was hoping it would be something she could do right now... or something she could get, period.] Are those real? I don't... know how long it will take me to get that, sorry. Do you want anything... more immediately??

A

[frisyr]

Va--!!

[ He's so surprised right now, but he won't break eye contact. He's holding a fork in his hand, and trying very hard not to drop the food on it while maintaining the stare.

Food slips off his fork, but he stays still. The more he stares, the more he realizes how pretty Yato's eyes are. Damn. He's really missed the color blue. ]

Um... have you won against anyone yet?

[bitemefightme]

All yours.

[Seriously, Orion has enough food and sweets at home. Fai takes good care of him

Orion eyes Yato strangely as he takes a drink, before finally answering.]

Orion.

[A pause as he thinks.

He's going to hate himself for asking, isn't he?

He's going to really hate himself.

Goddamnit.]

So, what's an eye gazing party?

[sharplydressed]

[He lives with the exhaustion of dealing with idiots while simultaneously being an idiot, it's so hard.]

Stop calling me a vampire! Also, that's no good. You don't have any shame so you wouldn't even care about having a unibrow for the rest of the party, I bet.

a

[admiringly]

[ Chiyo is here for the warning, the existential questions, the why, the how, the party, the food, and her friends. She dragged Mikoto with her like promised, which was easy enough even if every other time she tries to talk to her best friend about Yato makes the sinking sensation in her stomach intensify.

Now's not the time to think about the blank look that Mikoto gives her sometimes. Now's the time to stare into Yato's stunning blue eyes. Chiyo's incredibly focused when she's determined and in working mode, but still, she can't help but comment: ]

Your eyes are so vivid, if I weren't here, looking at them like this, I might think they're Photoshopped. And I'm fine with any prize you want, but... you'll still talk to me about you-know-what even if I lose, right?

1/2

[goen]

No! I want my prize to be a five-leafed clover!

[ Don't try to wiggle your way out of this Tuuri!! ]

2/2

[goen]

[ Then again... she'll probably forget about this after tonight. A more immediate prize would be more prudent... His chin juts out as he sadly gives up on having a five-leafed clover. ]

But I guess... I'll settle for a hug.

[skald]

W-well, I'll try!!

[Apparently she could order one online if she needed to, especially since Yato looks so sad after all of this... too bad she'd have to make herself a reminder so she'd remember why she bought it in the first place.]

But I can definitely do a hug right now to hold you over while you wait! I need a new lockscreen picture from you too, so you better cheer up for it!

a+b

[admiringly]

[ Chiyo has a plate of cupcakes, and she accepts the prize with a smile. She's fine with his art style itself, so she's happier to receive something he's drawn in person rather than what's badly compressed digitally. ]

Thanks, Dave. I'll keep it in a safe place. [ She means it. She's going to put in a plastic sleeve and keep it in a binder.

She also holds out her plate with one specific cupcake facing his way. ]

It's apple cinnamon. Please take it. I got it for you.

[goen]

[ A formidable opponent... Not blinking even when caught off guard. Yato has to hand it to him!! Now Yato is even more determined not to lose this challenge. The hobo eyes intensify. ]

Tuuri lost. Twice! You think you can reclaim her honor?

[ Yato doesn't know how this guy and Tuuri are related, just that they know each other... ]

[frisyr]

Why would I reclaim Tuuri's honor?

[ They are not that related. ]

I can't believe she lost twice! It's this damn heat.

[ His eyes are watering and one lower lid twitches with nervous energy, but no blinking. ]

For... Tuuri...!!