summer catchall

[yourlenore]

Who: Mishka & some poor unfortunate souls
What: Bingo et al.
When: Summer
Where: Anywhere
Warnings: NSFW & insects

Sometimes I feel tenderly
opened up, wet and revealed as if cut
in two.

Comments

ryuki

[yourlenore]

( Sometime around sunset, a certain someone (as breezily dressed as he usually is these days) is knocking on the door of a certain Ryuki & Adelis's home. If Adelis answers the door - well, he would pester him, and return for this business another evening.

If Ryuki answers the door, though... Well. )

[unsync]

[ Wtf you are out here with your very nice catchall. Anyway here we go. Ryuki does indeed answer the door tonight, and he looks... eh, he's looked both better and worse. He gets mopey sometimes when it falls to dusk -- it's when the shadows reach longest.

He blinks once, and then twice, eyes widening when recognition settles. ]

Mishka! Uh, hi -- [ What an hour. ] Did you want to come in? What is it?

[yourlenore]

( i'm the cringy aesthetic liker!!! its me!!! ANYWAY Mishka seems quite happy to see him, though Ryuki's slightly somber mood doesn't entirely escape him. )

Actually, I was hoping you might step out with me. Do you recall the tile I'd mentioned before - the one that asked for public intercourse? I'm quite pleased to say that I think I've found a very good spot.

( He lets that occupy the airspace for a second, like he's waiting for applause. He's not, but ya boy has spent some time investigating town and he's pretty pleased with himself. )

You said you'd help me with any square, yes?

1/2

[unsync]

[ I can't talk at all okay, I make dw codes as a hobby. Be free to pursue your most aesthetic dreams.

Ryuki really does just listen so earnestly, thinking literally no thoughts, until the word 'intercourse' happens, and he has to record-scratch reel it back and reframe the entirety of the scenario. ]

...Eh?

2/2

[unsync]

Wah -- woah!

[ That's one way to completely change the mood.

"Did I say that?"

"You diiid, but..." ]

I did? I guess I did!

Summer day 12

[passthrough]

[It's exhilarating to have a sparring partner again.

It's not often Otegine gets to draw his blade against someone with a dagger, let alone multiple. But the challenge keeps him on his toes, a dance of trying to keep distance and knowing when to aim a thrusting blow, when to try and sweep his foe's feet from out under him, when to block and leverage and try to give Mishka as little opportunity as possible.

Of course, things were never that simple. He's a slippery one, this guy... and Otegine finds himself delighted, even if he's heaving for breath by the time they stop, a hand lifting his shirt off his stomach to wipe the fabric against his mouth and face, spear held at a passive lean against his other arm.]

That should keep me sharp for now. You've got a lot of guts, Mishka. It's been a while since I've ever fought a person that was so bold with a dagger in their hands.

[yourlenore]

( Now, spears are a fresh sight for Mishka - not unknown to him, but they're unwieldy and take a sort of height and skill that most Ostoyan's can't afford. Much easier is docking a crossbow; much easier is stealing into a ballroom with a small dagger. Otegine, then, proves to be a challenge his experience has not bolstered him for - one he gladly relishes.

Mishka is quick on his feet and quick to react, but the length of this pole and the sweep of its fast-coming blade caught him off guard more than once, and, at times, he's felt it was only reflexes alone that carried him through. Otegine is a skilled wielder, this Mishka can see; he has known men who have practiced their blade as city watch, and he has known men who grew up with a dagger out of desperation.

Rare is it for Mishka to meet with a man who knows combat, truly moves with a rhythm of battle. By the time their spar comes to a close, Mishka is no better off than Otegine, and he wipes the sweat from his brow with his arm. )

I hadn't expected such a swift assault when you first stepped up with your weapon of choice - I haven't experienced such thrill in some time.

( Skilled with thrusting, indeed. He also hasn't had the satisfaction of someone who looks quite so good wiping off sweat, but that's neither here nor there. )

It was you who kept me sharp, I'm certain - but I'm glad to have been of aid. Ah... I think I'm near spent in the sun for a time. But I'd be pleased if we could do this again.

( He does a fancy little spin of his daggers before he holsters them, moving back to lean against a tree... The exhaustion that colors him here is sun exhaustion, mostly. Today the sun is hot. )

[passthrough]

Heh... I'll always be here for it. [His chest puffs out a bit with pride at the compliment.] But I'd rather we not get ahead of ourselves. No need for either of us to break under this heat.

[He's done that once already, thanks. No need for a repeat. He'll look up to gauge the slow coloring of the sky, the bare hints of afternoon fading.]

The sun should be going down soon, at least. Maybe the ocean air will be kind to us.

[He finds an equally shady spot to plop down into the grass with a labored exhale, drawing out a cloth to start wiping down his weapon. After a moment, though, he pauses, looking over his shoulder back to Mishka.]

Ah... while we're out here... Do you have your card with you? The one the goddess handed out to everyone.

Maybe we can make the best of our time for this.

[yourlenore]

( With Otegine taken a seat, Mishka seems inclined to take a seat, also. Perhaps it's just a habit, to stay up and on alert when he knows there's someone deadly nearby. Otegine, in theory, is not a hostile, but habit remains.

He's quite relieved for the sinking sun after such a brutal afternoon, though, and he palms a bit of remaining sweat off his forehead. He could only hope the cooling air would be just as kind as Otegine suggests. )

Bingo, hm? You're certainly productive.

( Not that he's complaining. He shakes out his hands a little before he fishes for the pocket with his card, offering it to Otegine. He doesn't seem he cares much about whether Otegine sees what he's completed, and what he has left to do. )

Pick whatever you'd like. I'm partial to just about any of them.

amber

[yourlenore]

( Mishka passes by the memo board in the following days to see what replies he's gotten. After Amber's helpful note, he comes home, one evening, and seeks her out on the farm to chat about it, wherever she is.

Amber did suggest it, and imply she'd be fine with it, but he does quite like their cooperative relationship thus far. He finds it would be a shame not to coordinate with her as to what he takes, and how much. Besides - perhaps she would have some ideas as to how to present an offering; Mishka, frankly, does not wish to rely on his experience from his church, because he is certain that would not translate to this. )

Do you have a moment? It's about the memo board. I appreciate the note, by the by.

[outride]

Hey, Mishka!

( guess where ya girl is? she's on the sofa lounging in her cow kigurumi, because she can! ever since she got this thing, she rarely takes it off when she's relaxing at home. )

Oh right! The note! So, did you want to leave an offering for her?

[yourlenore]

( His roommate can't be this cute... God...

He smiles, taking a seat beside her. Despite being a consistent flirt, he's actually pretty good about respecting personal space when he's not in flirt mode. )

Yes. I think your suggestion of crops is a fine and fitting idea. I did not, however, wish to take a bundle without your knowledge, and...

Perhaps, more selfishly, I was not certain as to how to present them. There is a ceremony about these things, yes? In how you put them all together? I do not know what a Goddess ( question mark ) might appreciate.

adelis

[yourlenore]

( A little later in the afternoon, after the sun has calmed, but before it's chill enough to be really evening, Mishka sets up a nice arrangement for himself and his date (date, if only for the bingo).

He'd picked up a few basic things at the boutique (some beach towels to sit on; two fold-out beach chairs; some sunblock, just in case), and he sets down his picnic basket on the towels once he's set up the towels and chairs. He'd cooked something and put it together for their little outing, given it was a bingo square of his own, but, really, he was just happy to be at the beach. The slow rush of moving waters in the near distance is nice, and being with Adelis is even moreso.

This summer, Mishka has been dressing pretty open and breezy, but today he's a little more normal, a little more modest in his garb. )

Have you applied the salve, or are yet you in need of it? ( The sunblock, he means. ) I'd hate to see you red as a skinned man a second time.

[for8000amonth]

[ Why he agreed to this, hells only knows. The appearance of a beach date on his card had been less than thrilling to begin with, far less enthused than his companion, but at least the sun overhead is not currently hot enough to threaten to cook them alive. Adelis has, most definitely, learned his lesson.

Mishka offered to take care of mostly of the details, since he had been the one to offer, but he hardly felt like letting him do everything. So, he brings the drinks (not all alcoholic, because he has some suspicions), and does his best to not look like he's giving the lapping waves the death glare.

It feels odd to be so bare outside, dressed in little but a pair of shorts and a loose white sweater, zipped pulled halfway up his chest as he eyeballs Mishka with an unimpressed frown. ]

I hardly think you're in any position to talk. [ Somebody else looked pretty lobster-red after that, motherfucker. ] And no, I haven't yet.

[ He's squinting at the bottle as he did with the little container of sunburn cream back home, clearly unimpressed with all it's medicinal jargon. ]

...At least back in Ostoya, I knew what I was slathering on my skin.

[yourlenore]

( Look, we were lobster red... Together ♡ )

It might not be familiar, but it isn't poisonous, if that's at all reassuring.

( Don't ask how he verified that, because there are several ways. Regardless, he extracts the salve from the beach satchel he put together, taking a comfortable seat on one of the towels he'd laid out.

He waves a hand, indicating Adelis should come sit in front of him. )

I'll apply it, if you'd like. That seems properly date-like, certainly?

( He's got to append that last part, because there's really no reason Adelis couldn't handle it on his own otherwise. He's fairly sure Adelis would rather drench himself in a vat sunscreen to get those tricky spots on his back than get any help, normally— not that Mishka has historically pampered Adelis like this, anyway. This is a special offer, just for the bingo square. )

trahearne

[yourlenore]

( What a meeting, huh!

In the days following Van Zieks's town hall, Mishka has largely recovered, barring a few wiggly feelings here and there, which he chalks up, largely, to his insects (and what he thinks, but needs to test, are a few abilities returning— what a relief). He and Amber set to work on fixing up the farm, and he took the chance to get some renovations done with the squares he had. Phew!

All that productivity done, he's out and about being product in a more fun way— the beach. A little later in the afternoon (after the worst of the heat has past), Mishka is working on his sand castles along the shoreline. They're unimpressive, looking much more like domes than anything, but he's decorated them with some seashells he's grabbed from a nearby tidepool.

The shell at the summit, as it turns out, is a hermit crab, and he notices it's emerging from its shell with an interest in skittering away. )

My, you're the crown of the design, you know. What will I do without you?

( He says this, but he picks it up by the further tip of the shell (startling it back in, alas) and sets it back on the nearby rocks— and off it gladly skitters.

For his part, he's wearing a sunhat, sleeveless crop top, one of those loose, long beach wraps at the waist, and sandals, because he has felt like he will overheat and die all summer. )

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne has taken to wandering the beach in his more idle moments, for no more purpose than watch the gulls and listen to the waves and find a moment to breathe, alone.

The novelty of the beach and the warm weather seems to wear off as time goes on. And after the whirlwind that was the town meeting and the subsequent hurricane, plus the repairs that followed, he's found the beach emptier and emptier. Why that is will remain a mystery to him. Perhaps that's just him, though--after a lifetime of putrid sands and rancid waters, who could blame him for wanting to come back over and over?

And so a familiar face in the midst of it all is a welcome surprise. When he sees Mishka, he sets his course towards the other. He's close enough to hear the little exchange with the hermit crab, and he smiles a bit at the display of kindness to the little creature.

When he sits down besides Mishka with a quiet rustle, he has in his hand a humble, but nice-looking shell--empty of hermit crabs, of course. It rests in the palm of his hand as he extends it. ]

Hello.

[yourlenore]

( Mishka senses the presence of another not too far off, but does not pay it much mind until it approaches him. By the time he lifts his head, he sees a familiar green and a familiar face— and he pauses, before his usual smile is overtaken by a much broader one. )

Oh? Thank you. ( He glances at the open palm, and seems pleased by the donation. With a careful touch, he scoops up the shell. ) Have you been faring well after the hurricane?

( He's going to set the shell about where the crab used to be, then twist it in slightly so it sits in nicely. A nice new crown for his sand dome :) )

childe > mishka > amber

[sluice]

[ The reality that he's going to get violently murdered hasn't fully sunk in yet. Whatever haphazard truce he's made with Diluc is going up in smithereens, and Childe's just chilling there on the upholstery, the cup of hot choco conspicuously left untouched. His comeuppance is coming. For a guy on death row, he's acting very cavalier about the whole "complicit pawn in war crimes and acts of indiscriminate evil" dealio.

Spine ramrod-straight where he's taken a seat, Childe addresses Mishka with no small amount of resignation. ]

Sure you plan to stick around for this?

[ It's perhaps the worst decision he could feasibly make, but if it comes down to it, fleeing through the window is a viable option? Hydro won't be enough to put out the flames to come. Figures he'd meet his gruesome demise by burning to a crisp. Does Mishka truly want to be a casualty? ]

... Well, suit yourself.

[yourlenore]

( It's hard to say with confidence what Childe's usually like given their strange circumstances of conversation, but he's fairly sure he's not quite like this.

Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately), he isn't quite privy to the exact dynamic going on here; that Childe doesn't suggest he leave tells him it's not an affair particularly private, though perhaps it is personal. This, then, piques his interest.

Childe, his smile so far serrated like a knife and otherwise fluid in a dangerous manner, is not like the way he's been before. He simply wants to know why.

His own hot chocolate in his hands and half-sitting on the couch's plush arm, like he's ready to stand should he need it, he takes a satisfied sip. )

What else are friends for?

( Are they friends? It doesn't really matter to Mishka, because he doesn't know if Childe will match its meaning. It's a label that seems easier to apply than anything else, though, so he's glad to use it. )

1/2

[outride]

( what a day she's had. after how emotionally drained she has been feeling recently, there's nothing that Amber wants more than to put on her cow kigu and lie down in bed. if Mishka is in the kitchen or living room, she mentally notes to herself to go and greet him. she may not be carrying her usual excited sparkle lately, but she's definitely not rude. the last thing she would want is for him to be concerned about her, anyway. she's a tough girl - used to facing her problems on her own.

she turns the handle of the front door, assuming that Mishka is home because it is open ... when Amber heads through the door, she expects to see him lounging somewhere, but to her surprise it sounds like he has a guest over...? )

2/2

[outride]

( there is a striking flash of fury across her face the moment she makes eye contact with Childe. for Amber, an expression like this is definitely a rarity - why on earth is this member of the fatui in her home!? while the urge to summon her bow is highly tempting, she resists - but it seems that she can't dampen her furious surprise. )

You--! ( she barks, freezing on the spot in the doorway. ) What are you doing here?!

Mishka going for gold in the bothering Baz Olympics

[winebar]

[After taking a circuitous path home for very dumb and petty reasons, van Zieks isn't planning on doing anything besides being entirely left alone for the foreseeable future, save for the company of his wine. When he hears someone at the door, he doesn't even bother getting up to answer it to at least send them away properly. It's times like this he really misses the staff of the estate. Then he could at least have the visitor properly sent away. Instead,he just raises his voice from where he's sitting.]

I'm not seeing company at the moment. Come back later.
[There's a rough edge to his tone that suggests an unspoken addendum of "or never. Preferably never."]

[yourlenore]

( The knock at the door does not return, and the door falls silent. While there's no sound of footsteps leaving, presumably it's just that van Zieks can't hear the person leaving his property (preferably forever), certainly.

Some few minutes later, however, he hears the sound of his door opening and closing. There is then a figure approaching, and an unfortunately familiar voice: )

Drinking alone is hardly good for the mind, you know.

( van Zieks may catch sight of Mishka slipping what appears to be a lockpick into one of the small satchels at his hip, the door safely locked behind him. )

[winebar]

[Leaping to his feet, immediately. His eyes shift quickly to where his sword sits between where he is and where Mishka stands by the door, clearly oj guardand calculating if he can reach it in time, and for that matter if Mishka even has those ill intentions.]

If you leave now I'll overlook the criminal activity you displayed right now by breaking into my home.