WEEK 4 - VENUS FLYTRAP

[foundationmods]

Another week dawned.

But after the events at the trial, more than a few people would have wanted for time to stop still.

In this game, even unshakable loyalties....could be broken.🗈

If that were the case, then what was stopping even more horrible crimes from happening this thursday night?
And they knew they could do nothing to stop it from happening.

...Still, they had to continue the game, until one or both of the Witches admitted defeat, or the game itself came to a close.

Yet, they also felt as if something might change. Some big reveal felt as if it was just around the corner....but for now, it seemed as if they had to play the waiting game.

No matter how awful that felt.

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Comments

[anonnomnomnom]

Ehh, so there are vampires who would actually drink old people blood?? Wouldn't their blood be weak or tasteless or something? It really doesn't sound appetizing, and besides ending up as somebody old and rotting for eternity sounds like the worst!

[He is definitely judging the vampires on both sides of this transaction a little bit?? Whichever elderly vampire has the bad luck to get mugged by them for fangs or something sure is in for a time.

Anon cocks his head at Natsuno's half-hearted gesture, glances at his own fist and then makes a split-second decision punctuated by a happy laugh: he opens his hand and then bounces forward to tap their palms together. It's actually a less boisterous high-five than you'd expect from him, but Natsuno is still learning!

And improvisation. And stuff.]

We could do them both at once, too. I'd be up for that! That's what fireworks are for, right?

[That is not what fireworks are for.]

[sotoshini]

I never want to have to find out what they do taste like. I'd rather starve. [ Suffice it say he agrees here on both counts, and whatever geriatric vampire they find is in for a time. ]

Okay. [ To the both at once, give him a moment he kinda just realized that he both accepted and returned a high five. ]

...I don't think so. But we could launch fireworks after.

[ Nailed it? ]

[anonnomnomnom]

So no old people blood for you, got it! Hey, what about like, immortal blood? Like the blood of a Witch or maybe the blood of something that lives for tens of thousands of years.

[Which, to be fair, is mostly Celestial Beasts where he comes from, and he's not sure how that blood would work out in the end, but it's not that big a deal to experiment with it if they ever get their hands on a Celestial Beast. The universe is wide and Anon is unscrupulous, but he does have his connections, too.

He's paging through their options, is the point here.

He looks even happier coming off the high-five here, delight and smugness warring in his expression as he watches Natsuno have a crisis over it. Maybe the crisis is part of the fun, too.]

Ah, that's too bad. I've always wanted to set off as many fireworks as possible at once. but I can totally settle for blowing something up and then fireworks.

[sotoshini]

Mmn, I could try it. [ Slowly and with trepidation—this is all so new and it's kinda like running before you can walk, but there's a note of determination too. Plus he's still recovering from the whole high five ordeal. ] I don't even know what type of human I like the most...

[ Tapping a finger to the corner of his mouth. ]

It'd be like a post destruction celebration, right?

[anonnomnomnom]

A post-destruction destruction celebration!

[Anon claps happily at the prospect. Oh boy.]

Hm-hmm. It's probably easier to start with humans, there are so many, and then the others when we catch 'em! But there really are differences in human blood, huh? So younger and older, and do taller ones taste colder? What about lighter and darker hair, is it sweeter or more bitter?

[This has turned into blood tasting wild mass guessing, but obviously he's never really thought about this stuff in such terms or in such detail before -- this entire exercise has been both of them expanding their horizons and running the hell away into the distance, off a cliff and into a new game (not Game) entirely.

And they're not even wearing metaphorical shoes. Go figure.]

[sotoshini]

That sounds much better. There wouldn't be any loud annoying couples for those kind of fireworks either. [ Just you know, them. But he's oblivious here to the intensity of connection they have so nothing to see here. ]

...do you really want to know what different blood tastes like? [ You don't need metaphorical shoes when you have wings! Or something like that. ((Wings are later but details.) He's still not quite reached that point of jumping off the cliff with overwhelming enthusiasm, but by the sound of it he's still willing, just a bit thrown off. Gazing into the abyss before plunging into it and all that. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

The best way to enjoy something is definitely to chase out everybody else first.

[He says this with a shit-eating grin so it's pretty obvious he knows that's not what you're supposed to do at a celebration?? Even if he has some very off-the-wall ideas about fireworks. But the idea of blowing things up with Natsuno has always been an excellently attractive one, so this is just the natural conclusion here.]

And 'course I want to know all about what blood tastes like. Why wouldn't I?

[Wholly sincere question here?? As the abyss gazes back with bright, bright red eyes, just about the color of fresh blood or flowers or a slowly polished mirror that hasn't quite been unveiled yet. It will truly be a cold day in the Underworld when Anon isn't up for going cliffdiving in every way.]

[sotoshini]

[ He returns the grin, not quite equally bold but he's getting there. It's not an emotion he can really keep up for the vampire cuisine, but he manages to preserve it somewhat. ]

Ha, you're you so I shouldn't have even asked in the first place. [ And that's comforting, even if he doesn't fully grasp why yet. ]

It's...I've only drank from a few people and never from any women. They were all pretty different, even though two of them are doctors. One was heavy and the other one had this warmth that felt like a fire in my stomach.

Ahh all blood—human blood—is sweet like water, with a sharp edge on the end. Sweet like apricots, or sweet like red bean, or sweet like scallops. Always, always, sweet...

[ Poking might be necessary as he definitely just zoned, oops. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

I'm me! Now you're getting it. ☆

[He definitely repeated that with an additional layer of cheerfulness, like it's a real compliment (or he's taking it as one), because he's apparently added vampire cuisine to his repertoire of Eclectic Foreign Food Trivia.

There's a small laugh as he absorbs Natsuno's rhapsodizing about blood-drinking despite his reluctance, soaking everything up like the ridiculous Kirby sponge that he is and filing it away under 'probably shit that they're going to victimize somebody's kitchen with at some point'. He does let the zoning out continue for a moment or two just because it's fun to watch before finally reaching forward and prodding once or twice.]

I've definitely never tasted blood like that, vampires really have like, super-powered tastebuds, huh? [at least he's going to start counting it as another skill at this point, all things considered] I'm almost jealous! Most blood just tastes like blood to me. So you're going to have to try girls, and more kinds of sweet things, and people with different jobs...?

[There's a lot here but look, he's helping.]

[sotoshini]

[ His smile does brighten briefly at the very audible star; the compliment was very much as real as the dumb look on his face.

Blink, blink. It takes two pokes before he starts from his blood trance, red irises wide. ]

Huh? Yeah, yeah. [ He totally just signed up for a blood buffet by accident, but that's fine. ]

Wait, what? [ Maybe not so fine, but- ] I don't want to get fat.

[ Nope, his brain still isn't working properly yet. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[So maybe he took a moment or two himself to just soak everything up; it's a good respite to settle into before they plunge deeper into the topic of plunging fangs into people, so to speak. Blood buffets are definitely going to be an important part of their future endeavors -- that was probably the doomed conclusion the moment they got onto the topic of dragons.]

Yeah!

[Yeah, Natsuno definitely got himself into all kinds of things by now. It's fine, everything is fine. Anon looks way too pleased with himself, as always. His laughter gets a little louder and more amused, and he reaches down to poke a little at Natsuno's gut instead.]

Wait, wait, wait, I didn't even know vampires could get fat! Can you, really?

[Another poke like he can maybe find any residual blood sloshing around. That's not how it works, probably.]

[sotoshini]

Hey! [ That's probably not how it works, but Natsuno is as noodly as ever to the touch. As grumpy as ever too, but there's something else hidden in his consternation. The fact that he's nearly biting his lip trying not to laugh has nothing to do with this. ]

I wasn't-I never drank that much so I-I don't know!

[anonnomnomnom]

Heheh.

[Well, it's not like Anon's going to miss that opening -- he's not built to miss things like this! That is to say, he's redoubling his efforts and going for the noodle-target with both hands now. Poke, poke, poke, pokepoke.]

Well then, all the more reason we've got to try things out! What if drinking a specific type of blood gets you fatter than a different type of blood? You could totally snack on some people and then have a real dinner on other ones! Or maybe some of them are sweeter, so they're better after dinnertime.

[What he's saying is that he's accusing Natsuno of having dessert for every meal?? Terrible. A true glutton! That means it's also, apparently, Anon's duty to make it exponentially worse.]

[sotoshini]

[ He's made a mistake. He's made a mistake and he's boxed himself into a corner, literally. They've been talking so long that he had found a nice comfortable spot against the wall, which while good for his back means that he has nowhere to escape.

Drawing his knees up to his chest his only defense is flailing, because he's trying too hard not to turn into a ball of laughter. There's a string of what sounds like cursing in Japanese too. ]

Fine, fine! [ Huffing and trying to get control of the situation. ] I don't understand how people want me to eat better as a jinrou than a human.

[anonnomnomnom]

[Natsuno has made so many mistakes but hey, mistakes are evolution. He's going to come out of this some kind of beautiful vampire butterfly or something else confusingly wingéd because that's just how you do on Witchy wishing island at this point. Anon snickers as he gets some last pokes in, challenging the knee barrier by going for his sides instead and seeing if he can get some proper laughter out.

They're all the way in each other's space now, but that's what happens when you goad him on like this, he'll take a few miles for every inch.]

Yep, that's the spirit. I wouldn't know what to feed a human, so it's a good thing we only have to learn about the jinrou bits.

[Well, technically he learned a bit more about what to feed humans here, and the answer is whatever the heck happens in the kitchen. Obviously.]

1/2

[sotoshini]

[ The problem when you're a noodle is that body barriers aren't very effective. This honestly might be a decent argument in favor of him eating regularly, but it's lost in the fit of laughter he finally breaks out in.

Give him a minute. ]

[sotoshini]

[ And when he's finally recovered, he transitions seamlessly into exasperated, his mannerisms gruff as he tries to smooth out his shirt, bangs and dignity. ]

Hnn, sweets work for humans too. Everyone likes cake, supposedly.

[ He's already been dragged for his growing gluttonous(?) taste, might as well just spit out what's on his mind at this point. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[Anon only leans back a little bit to take in his handiwork in that extra minute or so, big ol' smug grin on his face and inescapable mane of pink hair tickling in the scant space between them even though he's put down his hands for now. He's all mischief from head to toe in this moment and his hair is apparently no exception, though there's an elusive warmth to both as he basically just popcorns at Natsuno trying to act like he isn't enjoying himself.

Anon, for his part, is enjoying himself very much indeed.]

Mmm, is there such a thing as blood cake? I know even humans eat blood sometimes, but...?

[He's probably talking about things like blood pudding, but details are hard when you're demon-adjacent and also distracted.]

[sotoshini]

[ Natsuno can't hide it, but the important thing is he tried. Or something. Nevermind that his grumbling softens under the warmth radiating from the infernal. ]

I don't think so. There's red cake, though. Red Velvet cake, it's really sweet too.

[ Mnn, great now he's even hungry for human food. Crossing his arms with a huff and totally looking in the direction of the kitchen. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[Some days and things you should try, and try again, and other times and places you just need to accept the life and roll with it. To be fair, most things involving Anon end up being the latter. Natsuno still has a lot to learn, but they've got plenty of time right now.]

Red velvet cake... It sounds good, but why is it red, then?

[His smile ticks up at the corner as he glances over towards the kitchen too. Honestly, yeah, they've somehow been talking about food -- vampire, human and everything in between -- for long enough that his stomach has probably grumbled at least once or twice by now, even if it probably has no idea what it actually wants to eat at this point. Still!

At least thanks to Ann, they know the kitchen is regularly stocked with cake...?]

[sotoshini]

I think for Valentine's Day. [ That's not why it's red, Natsuno. ] Everything is red and heart themed, and stupidly sweet because of love or whatever.

[ He's not fully recovered, but he catches that look. Slight head nod in that direction: "Want to go have some?", they've long given up on two truths and a lie and food is a nice distraction. So what if it's Valentine's Day food with the boy who just tickled him into oblivion. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[It's not like he knows anything about this cake so now it's just the blind leading the blind thanks. Anon does perk up a little, looking bemused as he presumably rifles around in his limited stores of human trivia--]

Ah! That's the super red holiday, I've heard about it. It never really made much sense to me, but I hear there's just a lot of candy? So having a red velvet cake for it seems like something humans would do.

[And he perks up a little more yet at the immediate prospect of exploring this; it takes him a little longer to gather himself and then bounce up onto his heels, all ready to go. There are no misgivings here -- why wouldn't he want to eat all the things with Natsuno when they've just planned enough menus for the next zillion years?]

[sotoshini]

Mmhmm, a lot of chocolate. [ He settles into a small smile as he stands, taking a moment to stretch. Partway through he not so sneakily gives Anon a little push, just in retaliation for earlier. It's all done very purposely, but what is coincidental is how their hands brush at some point in the middle. Similarly, how his heartbeat increased just then is surely happenstance.

Not lingering on it, they have food to eat. ]

Maybe we can have hot chocolate with the velvet cake to fit the whole theme.

[anonnomnomnom]

[There's a laugh in response at the not-terribly-sneaky push, and Anon does an exaggerated little hop-dance to keep his balance just because; everything is warm now and somehow hard to capture, like Natsuno's hand and the strange, momentary recollection from other trivia (vampire) that he should be cold, instead.

But then, Natsuno's never really been most vampires, and Anon's much more interested in learning from the source (or just in learning Natsuno, but that's neither here nor there).]

Of course I don't mind adding chocolate! But you really do have a sweet tooth, huh, Koide?

[That's entirely teasing as he starts leading the way to the kitchen, steps relaxed and meandering. It's wholly indulgent to go mess around with cake right now, but then again, that's what they're all about.

It's a good start.]

[sotoshini]

No. If we spent this long talking about natto I'd probably want that too, and it's gross. [ Insistent here, even if Natsuno is pretty much wrong. It's more accurate to say he had a situational sweetooth as a human that's only been further incentivized by his jinrou tastebuds. But it's much, much, easier to just deny this and then eat several slices of cake.

And that's exactly his plan as he follows behind Anon with a drawn out huff. He might actually just develop one after enjoying the cake and hot chocolate more than he thought he would—food tastes better in good company, but that connection will be lost on him. ]