[closed-ish]

[messianic]

WHO: Dave, Minato, Ochako, Okuyasu, Caramia, Lupin, John, Guren, Ignis! also you if your character has reason to gatecrash the party, go for it
WHERE: Dave's depressingly colorless house
WHEN: now
WHAT: It's a family dinner. The most makeshift family dinner in the world. They tried.
WARNINGS: i hope there aren't any

[With John keeping Dave busy, Minato and Caramia and Ignis are able to put together Food of Some Variety--

And with everyone else's help, it's possible to make sure there's a proper table, chairs, even clean dishware to use for all of the food.

Of course, you can't really expect a group this rambunctious to have a proper family dinner, can you? They tried.]

---

ooc: just treat this as a mini mingle log, honestly, there are too many of us for a proper thread order

Comments

[pursestrings]

[Fairy tales aren't for tough boys... Kyrie looking happy is a hugely impossible task, and the way Okuyasu raises an eyebrow at her definitely confirms this. No way.]

If the dude stops running his mouth long enough. And maybe one day I'll have a billion dollars and live in a house where the power doesn't go out once a week, while we're dreaming.

[Scoffs! Kyrie being pleasant! What laughable thing is this!!]

...Dave's got a camera.

[thriftea]

[...What kind of house does he live in? Her curiosity outweighs the incredibly exciting idea of a billion dollars, but asking about it seems kind of... rude. It's a party! He's wearing a stupid hat! They're supposed to be having tons of fun!

And that's why she enthusiastically latches right onto the safest option: the camera.]

Really? Does it work?

[pursestrings]

[A condemned one she'll no doubt learn about one day. It's not as bad as it... sounds... It is pretty bad, though. But they're having a good time!!]

No way, it's a piece of shit. [He gestures around at the weird cards all over the walls, you know, the ones that look like they might be photographs if you squint.] That's where all this stuff came from! I got one of me earlier!

[thriftea]

[Callout post: Elia edition, because I forgot about the stupid captcharoids on the walls. I admit it! It's fine! Ochako was just too busy talking to everyone to focus on the fuzzy images, and that's all there is to it.]

Oh. These look kind of... [She squints a bit, trying to get a good look at the nearest one, and—yeah, this isn't quite the HD quality she's used to.] B-But they're better than having no pictures at all. Let me see yours!

[pursestrings]

[I had to go back and check so we're both guilty here. Ochako was too busy climbing on chairs and making a scene... Anyway, Okuyasu reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of those weird cards, the black and white image on which is the side of his head while he clearly was not paying attention. Behold.]

At least you can tell it's me.

[thriftea]

[Ochako bends down a bit, taking a closer look at it. Ah, so it was a candid shot. It's, um... definitely him, and that's enough for her to genuinely like it. Things can certainly be improved, though. Hmm.]

It's not bad, but you're not smiling. That's the most important part, you know? And you don't even have your hat, so...

[She straightens back up, beaming at him once again.]

Let's ask him to take a picture of the both of us!

[pursestrings]

[Wow, this criticism over a candid?? He didn't ask for this Dave Pic^TM to be taken so suddenly.]

Both—? [Both?? A picture with Ochako? And he has to wear this stupid hat?!] There's no chance of me getting the hat out of the picture, is there?

[thriftea]

[The hat will make the picture, but she pretends to mull it over for a moment.]

Only if you'll let me give you bunny ears instead.

[She's teasing! Or is she.]

[pursestrings]

Can you reach? Want me to duck down?

[She asked for this one, to be fair.]

[thriftea]

[It's not her fault she's short!! Two can play that game, though.]

I'll just stand on the chair again!

[pursestrings]

[This is getting real Awkward Family Photos, real fast. A party hat and Ochako standing on a chair?! The... the mental image... oh, no--

This is it-- he blinks, thinking about it, and has to turn away with a hand over his mouth because now he's laughing.]

[thriftea]

[So this is what it feels like to be as funny as Okuyasu. ...Nice? It's not as nice as being super tall, but sheepishness aside, this is still a victory! She's going to make this Okuyasu Experience as authentic as possible and leeeean to one side, all in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his face.]

The chair was that funny? [Yeah, this is going to last all of two seconds before she starts giggling, but she stays exactly where she is. They look so lame.] I can't believe that's what made you laugh, but I did it!

[SHE WINS! Doubly so, because she always likes to see him laugh.]

[pursestrings]

[No, she can't do that, that makes his moderately contained chuckles sputter into full-on ridiculous laughter. It's only because he knows exactly what she's doing that this is so funny - they look like complete losers, thanks for taking one for the team, Ochako!!

When he can't take it anymore he actually turns around to avoid her goofy leaning, both hands up over his mouth now as this laugh gets a little wheezy. Stop, he's lost, he admits defeat...! He claimed it would take more than a funny hat and technically he didn't lie; surely, his dignity is intact, while he wheezes into his hands while staring at Dave's wall.]

Don't— don't stand on the chair!

[thriftea]

[That is quite the laughing fit! Ochako straightens back up once he turns away, and while she's still giggling, she isn't about to start wheezing any time soon. Has she ever seen him this amused? She doesn't think so, and that's a real shame! It's nice to see him having such a good time...]

I don't know... maybe I really should. Silly pictures are the best!

[Oh, she'll do it. She'll do it in a heartbeat if it makes him smile for their picture. But they can hash that out after he fully recovers, so take your time, Okuyasu... take your time. She's content to stand here for a bit longer.]

[pursestrings]

[STOP... it's too much!! He needs only another beat to stop wheezing, but he still can't help a few chuckles when he finally looks back at her. Ochako...]

Nah, c'mon, I won't be able to look at the shitty camera! Spare me!

[thriftea]

[She's the best, she knows. That's why she just grins up at him, obviously quite pleased with herself.]

Fine, fine. We can take a normal picture, but you still have to smile.

[And no squatting?? Does she need to say this?]

[pursestrings]

[Let him squat freely? Fine, he won't, not if he has to squat all by his lonesome. Spoilsport.]

You saying I never smile? Get a load of these pearly whites!

[sighing over this tag...... anyway, he says this and immediately busts out a big, doofy grin.]

[thriftea]

[This is going to be an endless loop of laughter, because of course she's going to take one look at that expression and—PFFT. It's quick, and she doesn't even need to turn away this time, but it still happens. Jeez.]

That's not the right smile at all! [She reaches up to cover her mouth, just in case.] I like your other one better. Your real one!

[pursestrings]

[Okuyasu is back in the game!! He holds this expression for another moment, then stops trying to stretch his whole face in half. It's cool, it's cool.]

That was real! What's my real one supposed to be?

[thriftea]

[Thank God. She can actually look at him again, even though she's not sure how to explain that? A real smile is so obvious, but. Hmm.]

It's... hard to explain? Try thinking about something that makes you really, really happy.

[Money...]

[pursestrings]

[Money, ice cream, his weirdo friends, Ochako herself honestly... He looks at her for a moment without making a goofy face, then glances aside, rubbing his neck. Remember that he is wearing a party hat throughout this, ruining all chances of looking serious.]

I know what you're talking about, but putting me on the spot's not fair.

[thriftea]

[Oh, the party hat is never far from her mind... but while the sum of stupid and serious is almost always hilarious, Ochako isn't going to laugh at him when he looks embarrassed. Or uneasy, at the very least? She'll just keep her own smile in place, wondering what in the world he could be thinking about as she waits for him to recover. Two strange looks in one night... that's Interesting.]

Well, you don't have to tell me what it is. You don't even have to smile right now! Just think about whatever makes you happy when Dave's taking the picture, okay?

[pursestrings]

[The usual overwhelming feeling that Ochako is too nice to put up with him, back again. He will manage to smile like a normal person in this picture, he's sure of it, as long as he doesn't think about smiling in the moment.

Great. That's so settled and he has done nothing weird.]

Yeah, I got it. It's still an important memory even if I look dumb in it, right? Don't worry about it.

[Fun fact this is a line he got from Dave like an hour ago about the other picture. Thanks Dave.]

[thriftea]

[Nice one, Dave! That's exactly the kind of cheesy thing that goes straight to Ochako's core, and despite Okuyasu's silly addition—seriously, like she ever thinks he looks dumb—it's enough to bring a bit of color to her cheeks.]

I'm not worried! I'm just glad that we'll be in a picture together. [A picture of what is apparently an important memory, and that important memory is hanging out with her at a party. Oh, but that's... it's so...

Well, she's not sure what it is! Or why it makes her feel so pleased, honestly, so she's going to do the reasonable thing and turn away in a hurry.] S-So we should go find him!

[And off she goes! Goodbye.]