aterat | It's a Watts party! (Just don't tell him)

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It's a Watts party! (Just don't tell him)

Who; Aerith + YOU
What; Potluck party
Where; Gray building's downstairs common room
When; Sunday June 26th; after 4pm
Warnings; None

Aerith co-opted the common room of the gray building starting on Saturday when she began the process of decoration. The most important part of any decoration (especially for Watts) was the flowers and Aerith had put together a few center pieces for tables. Each flower that she'd chosen had symbolized friendship in some way and they were set up in the center of small tables that had been brought inside. Of course she wasn't the one that moved those tables, she had a trust bodyguard for things like that, but she did the decorating!

And the cooking! The main attraction was a pretzel bar in the center of the room. Please, thank Cloud for bringing it in and Jacob for making the pretzel rack at Aerith's request. The soft pretzels were premade and there were plenty for everyone who may come through to have several (if not more). In addition to that there were also several dipping sauces to choose from including cheese, caramel, cinnamon sugar, honey mustard, and a spicy ginger sauce with chili flakes (eat at your own risk).

A table next to it had Materia Xiaolongbao. Yellow is crab flavor, black is soybean, blue is pork, green is cilantro, and red is spicy shrimp. Next to those are tiny moogle sweet bean buns. They fit in the palm of your hand but some of the moogles look...a lot better than others. She did her best!

There was another table with a few drinks set up for people to grab including a materia bomb cocktail with a bit of alcohol and different flavored materia ice (peach, strawberry, and blueberry) and bright green bubble tea with pop bubbles in the bottom. The green tea is flavored like something very different than one might expect it to be, it's a bit bit bitter and yet also a bit sharp, almost biting. It's meant to be the flavor of wind, whatever that's supposed to be. The pop bubbles are extremely sour and explode in the mouth with the sourness. The drink is also somehow fizzy, don't ask how.

A third table was empty save for the friendship bouquet at it's center. There was a little handwritten note on the table saying:

Leave your dishes here! Complete with a heart.

Aerith herself can be found wandering around and paying close attention to the drink table, making sure to run back to the kitchen quickly to grab more drinks if they run low.

OOC: Feel free to use this log as an open thing for anyone to mingle and get to know each other. Characters are welcome even if they didn't bring a dish themselves, but the more dishes the better! Anyone is welcome to come even if they didn't know she was throwing this party, it'd be pretty obvious that there was something going on in the Gray Building and she'll be leaving the door open with a small table that has a friendship flower bouquet on it. Please have some fun!

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"Indeed, I must admit I was quite surprised by how kind he was to me upon our first meeting," she said with a fond smile. Most would probably find it a bit silly, or at the very least perhaps overdramatic. But Haru was hardly used to people being kind to her without any sort of reason behind it. That was the main reason she had so few friends (none was a few...), she had learned early that they had always wanted something in return. Boss hadn't known who she was, he'd had no expectations of a reward for helping her, and and yet he had still offered her a safe place, wonderful coffee, and he'd even thanked her for bringing Morgana home. It truly had meant quite a lot to her.

"I can understand why you would leave something so precious to you with him, you will always know he'll take wonderful care of it." And it also meant he could always have an excuse to return. She shook her head and cast her gaze down. "That's very kind of you. I hope I won't disappoint should it happen." She didn't have quite the confidence in it that he did, but there was no reason to make a big deal out of it. She would just have to make certain she didn't disappoint him if she ever did make anything here.

"That is a very nice way to think about it," she gave a light giggle. "You probably would not be surprised to see how many mistakes I made along the way. I never threw them out though!" That would have been a waste. Sometimes she kept the failures as reminders of what she had done wrong. Other times she kept them to break down the material to reuse. Despite her wealth Haru had never been one to believe in wasting things. "Maybe we can share what we make with one another."

“He is a very surprising man, I believe. It’s hard to not expect him to be one way, and then find out he’s quite the opposite once one starts speaking with him.” He shook his head slightly. Yusuke was grateful for his hospitality and continued acceptance when he wanted to spend time in the small booth out of people’s way for the afternoon. It really was a comfort to know his mother’s painting was both safe and easily available if he wanted to stop in and see it. “I know I cannot speak for someone who is gone and that I have so few memories of, but I like to think she would appreciate knowing it had found a home in such a welcoming space where it could be appreciated.” Maybe, he supposed, that was just a silly notion to suggest… And he could only hope that it might be true.

Tilting his head slightly as his friend looked down, he offered another smile and a kind tone. “I am sure the chances of my being disappointed are quite low, Haru. Rather, I look forward to celebrating a friend’s success should it occur.” And even if it wasn’t perfect at first, that only meant she had a chance to improve. Practice made perfect, and some things just needed that time.

“I’m sure we both have our fair share of mistakes or unsuccessful projects, it is a symbol of our path to bettering out talents!” Though… Yusuke’s failures were often marred by lines to suggest they were failed and abandoned attempts, or buried away in sketchbooks to never see the light of day again. Perhaps it was true that everyone was their own worst critique? His expression lit up, though, at the idea that they might share their project’s progress with one another. “Oh, that would be wonderful! I would be happy to share what I’m working on. Your thoughts and opinions would be invaluable!” And he would be delighted to share in return, after all. Colours and ideas, next steps. It had been a long time since he had any sort of company in his artistic endeavors, having gotten rather used to working alone once the rest of Madarame’s pupils left.

"Sometimes it almost seems as though he tries a bit too hard to give off that impression," she smiled. Boss occasionally seemed like the type that tried to make everyone think he was a lot more gruff than he actually was. She'd never been quite certain why that was, but she imagined he had some sort of reason for it. Her smile softened even more at his comment. "I can't imagine you're wrong there. You can see how important you were to her, I'm certain she'd be happy to know you found someone as kind as him.the" A good parent would be happy to know their child found a safe place with someone that would look out of them. At least that was the way it should be. His case was quite different from her own and, while Haru may not have known his mother, the painting showed enough that she couldn't imagine he hadn't been important to her.

"That is kind of you. I'll do my best then!" It was kind enough to bring a smile quickly back to her face. It truly was impressive how much of a difference having a supportive kind friend could make. In a way she felt a bit silly for having been so down on herself before.

She giggled at his comment. "Perhaps you're right that it's a sign of our progress!" That was a much more positive way to look at than she would have and she was a bit grateful for his perspective there. Sometimes it was quite nice to have a person that could bring her out of her more negative thought process. Sometimes it was so much easier to simply fall into that sort of thinking, especially given her particular background. "Then I look forward to what we can share with each other!"

A small, soft smile crossed his face at her reassurance he was correct in his decision, and for his thoughts about what his mother might think. “Thank you for saying so, Haru. It is nice to think I’m not simply imposing a hope onto something like that. To think that she would be happy with the decision is a comfort.” He responded with a small, thoughtful nod. Having spent so many years not even knowing what the Sayuri was truly meant to look like. What the woman in the painting was looking at, or that it was meant to represent his mother’s love for him… he was glad that at least now he knew, of course… But in hindsight it made sense, perhaps, why he felt about it so strongly beyond just its beauty. Why he wished to strive for such a level of talent as his mother had.

Yusuke was glad to see the bright smile back on his friend’s face, feeling rather accomplished to have brightened her spirits and managed to alleviate some of her obvious concern and uncertainty about her dream. “I look forward to it, of course! Perhaps I’ll even be inspired to create a commemorative piece to celebrate the success.” He added, with a pleased tone.

“As do I! It will be nice to have someone to enjoy the pursuit of creation with again. I’m sure you can find lovely supplies in this place. Perhaps there’s even a shop where one could find a variety of yarns to choose from?” It was at least a practice that had stood the test of time like other forms of art, something she might be able to get her hands on the supplies for easily enough while here. Or… Well, there was always Raimon. Even if Yusuke was still rather of the mind, that the man was a bit rude.

"I doubt that's a concern you should be having, Yusuke." While there were never guarantees when it came to something like, Haru was fairly comfortable assuming it. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on her part as well, but she liked to think that she was right. How could a mother not be happy by the idea that their son had found a place he belonged? Not just any place either, but rather a place where people truly cared about his wellbeing. Of course there was a degree of wishful thinking based upon her own desire to have a parent like that.

"I would be honored to have such a piece from you!" Oh that would be absolutely lovely for him to make a commemorative piece for her! What a terribly sweet thing for him to even suggest. There was also something quite nice about having someone that seemed to have such faith in her.

"Do you think so? I often visited specialty shops like that back home. That would be nice if there were something like that here." Now she certainly had something to look into in the future. "There's still quite a bit of market that I haven't explored yet."

There was something about her words that were extra reassuring and made him feel a little more confident in his belief that might seem illogical to some. He wanted to believe that she’d be happy after everything that had happened. But he smiled brightly at her excitement over the suggestion that he might paint something to commemorate the opening of her cafe. “Then I shall have to consider it carefully in the meantime, to make sure I can present you with something worthy of the space you create!” And that would be something he seriously considered, undoubtedly whenever they went back to their world it would be a subject that would come up again should she share this wish with him.

“I do! I have wandered the open air market, and some of the shops since arriving. There seem to be quite a few places where one can buy materials and supplies for such endeavors. I’ve even seen a tailor shop with bolts of fabric where everything is made by hand. I’m sure with a little more exploring, we may happen upon a shop or stall that sells traditionally dyed yarns as well.” Yusuke responded rather encouragingly. He had already spent… Probably far too much of his budget at a store that sold paints and other assorted art supplies. “I would be happy to assist in such a search, if you like.” After all, she should have the supplies she needed for her own artistic endeavors as much as he should! It would be hard to get together to share their creations otherwise!

She raised her hand to her mouth as she giggled lightly at his claim. The strange thing with Yusuke was that she knew it wasn't simply a claim. Somehow she knew that if it was left up to him he would do his best to actually create something for this potential café of hers. "Thank you, that's quite thoughtful of you." Still, she wasn't quite certain if she had what it took to actually run something like that all by herself. Now she did feel like she might be a bit of a disappointment if she didn't at least consider trying at some point.

"A tailoring shop with everything made by hand? That sounds so lovely!" She could only imagine the kind of effort that must go into that. "If we have no success in finding a place, perhaps I could learn how to dye my own yarns." It would be an undertaking but it might be fun. "I would be appreciative of some assistance in searching. We could make an adventure of it!"

“It’s quite a lovely shop. I’ve actually been asked to assist with designing something like a catalogue of the things they can make by request. I believe it will be a rather interesting challenge.” He responded with a smile. It was different from his usual endeavors… Which meant a challenge! Really, he’d been glad to find a few small projects to keep him busy on the side of his paintings. It had become rather important to keep his mind off of things before the arrival of friends. The more he could find to keep his mind off of those he missed, the easier adjusting to this world had been.

Haru’s idea was a rather interesting one, even if he wasn’t entirely sure how difficult it might be. “I hadn’t considered that. It would give you more control over the colours and shades you have to pick from if you dyed them yourself! I admit I’m not entirely sure what the method would be, but I am sure dyes are something easy to find if pre-dyed yarns are not.” It did seem like just the kind of thing that would be normal here, based on the things he’d seen in his time in the city. So much seemed to be done traditionally by hand, given the machines and advancements of their own world did not yet exist.

“It is an adventure I would certainly enjoy! Either for locating yarn selections or the methods and supplies, you might need to dye them. I would be very interested in learning the process myself.” He did enjoy mixing paint colours, and to see how that might work in other mediums would be fascinating. Plus… It really would be nice to share and support his friend with her own creative endeavors.

"Oh! Congratulations, I would be very interested in seeing it." She was very glad to hear there were people here that appreciated his talents. It was also nice to know he'd found things to occupy his time here. While this place did seem rather interesting it was also quite different from their more structured lives back home. There was almost limitless freedom here and it seemed as thought it could be quite easy to become overwhelmed and homesick.

At least this discussion had given her some thought on projects of her own to begin to look into. The idea of learning how to make dye herself seemed rather interesting. Especially with his mention of the kind of control she would have over the particular color. It reminded her a bit of learning how to make her own coffee. There was something quite nice about having full control over how the taste would turn out. "I wonder if there is anywhere here I could learn about the process..." she mused aloud. Her curiosity was certainly peaked in regards to what kind of process it might be.

“Thank you!” He responded brightly, feeling rather excited by the idea of sharing his progress with her as well and to see what she thought. “Clothing is rather interesting to capture. The way that material lays or folds on a form is fascinating.” He continued, rather pleased with the challenge and spending time working on something that would actually help a place in this world out.

Haru was right, of course, that it was rather easy to be swept up in the more unpleasant emotions that could worm their way into one’s head after being swept out of their life and dropped into a situation like this. He’d felt homesick often enough… Especially for the ‘home’ he’d found with his fellow thieves. Yusuke had even found himself missing their excursions to mementos, the excitement and the thrill that went along with knowing that even in that strange alternate reality hidden in the subway they were helping people and each other.

“Perhaps one of the local shops in the city might provide some leads on where you could get the materials for attempting it?” He responded to her musings with a curious tone.

Perhaps someone in the market might have experience with dying different fibers that might be used in yarns. Then, he chuckled lightly at how silly he had been to have forgotten one of the best sources of information in the city! “There would also be the historium? Though its organization is a bit haphazard, it seems to contain information about just about any subject one could imagine! The curator there also seems rather well versed in locating things more quickly.” He explained with an excited little flap of a hand. Perhaps it wouldn’t be quite so difficult for Haru to find what she needed after all?

"Oh, I can imagine how that would be interesting to capture. Are the styles here different than home?" She hadn't particularly noticed so far but then again she also hadn't been to this shop. It was quite possible it had it's own styles it produced that he would be drawing. She was certainly excited to see what he was going to produce!

"That would be a good place to start," as good as any. Though she was slightly hesitant to just walk into a place and inquire about it. Would that be rude? There was also the question of money, it was not as though she had an abundance of it yet here. If she couldn't offer them compensation for their information she would feel terribly bad.

"Ah, the historium! Would that be a better start?" she wasn't entirely certain, though it sounded like a place she would like to visit. The idea of finding what she was looking for was sounding much easier than she had previously thought which was quite exciting for her to hear. "Considering my financial situation that might be a better start. Unless they require some sort of fee?"

“There are! Or… I would more describe it as a rather interesting mix of styles. Some modern and some more close to eras gone by, and one of the tailors at the show is looking to try other styles from the various worlds arrivals come from when they find the opportunity.” So many possibilities. It was really quite fascinating to see the different kinds of clothing that people were used to wearing compared to what he already knew of.

Haru, of course, had a very good point about money. Yusuke himself had been scraping by since arriving, he was still trying to figure out the best way to secure funds… Which would be easier if he’d let go of his concerns around selling some of his art, but he wasn’t quite there yet, unfortunately. At some point, hopefully one of them would get a brilliant idea… Ren usually had those, given how resourceful their leader was.

So he nodded at her suggestion, “You do make a good point… The need for money to trade for goods and services in this place has proven to be something of a challenge. The historium is quite free, though! I have spent many afternoons there since I arrived, and none have suggested that anything need be paid for.” He responded, tapping his chin lightly as he considered the option. “I would be happy to assist you with looking around? There must be a section on such subjects somewhere in the place. It may only take a little while to locate it!”

"I'm afraid I'm not particularly fashion conscious, but I cannot wait to see more of the styles of this place." Ann was the fashionable one of the group, Haru knew that she lacked much in the way of style. Not that she had a problem with that, the less she stood out the better. "Including the fashion of those brought in? Hmm, that sounds like a very creative idea." One she'd be very interested to see the results of. "It seems like there could be an endless amount of combinations that could be made from all the different worlds." It seemed nearly endless once she actually started to think about it.

"I suppose I will have to look for work of some sort." Which she wasn't opposed to in the slightest. In fact it was slightly exciting to think about given her plans back in her own world. Still, it was rather new to actually have to worry about such things. "Then I think I'll start with the historium. I'd be happy to have your assistance!"

“It truly is an intriguing idea, isn’t it? This world may cultivate quite an interesting variety and uniqueness in its styles, as those of us who arrive influence it. It could present quite the interesting inspirations and opportunities for projects.” He responded, beaming lightly again at the very idea. The interesting sights he’d happened upon thus far were already quite intriguing as far as creating art was concerned, to think that things may evolve in such a way here as it did in their own world, but with the twist of multiple worlds involved, was rather exciting to think about.

Yusuke nodded more solemnly at that. “Yes, it would seem that the securing of some form of income will be as important here as it was in our world. There do seem to be various opportunities for arrivals to find work, though I have not found something I would excel at as yet…” He responded with a small tilt of his head. Which was about on par for in his own world, since his experiences were rather lacking outside his art or his time with the phantom thieves as yet. Not that he wasn’t used to having little money and a need to make what he had last. It was just that he was terrible at managing it and making it last. The cake from his arrival being a prime example of this. But he was intent on figuring something out, even if it was in assisting with odd projects that might keep supplies and necessities stocked.

“Then do let me know whenever you would like to visit it. I would be happy to accompany you and we’ll see what knowledge we may uncover there!” He added with a brighter tone, rather interested in the process himself and what other information they might locate.

"It is! I'm sure quite a number of worlds must have unique color patterns and accessories that can be combined." Which would be very interesting to see. Now she was just excited for him! Now she could barely wait for him to show her some things. He certainly was a wonderful choice to ask for help with a project such as that.

"Perhaps you can eventually work towards selling your art? I believe I saw some sort of upscale area while wondering around. That might be a prime location to look for investors." People who had spare money were often quick to throw it towards artwork, especially if it could be considered more on the rare side. Though she did know that her friend occasionally struggled with moral quandaries about selling his work.

"I will send you a message on the devices when I decide to go!"

Yes, and Yusuke was still rather deep in that struggle from the current point in time he was from. “I had considered that, yes… And I can’t deny it would make things somewhat easier?” But his brow furrowed lightly as he folded his arms lightly. “But I feel as though I would rather people simply enjoy it, to have my art hinge upon what profit can be found in it is unsettling.” He added with a small shake of his head, he really wasn’t sure what he was doing. Yusuke did at least recognize the fact that he was going to need to find some way to make an income.

That he was at least thinking of offering his creative services to assist with certain media that might help the city in some way was the most he had considered thus far… But he certainly could use a little more encouragement on that front, given he wasn’t even sure of charging for his help with the fashion catalogue. One could only hope that he might work up to selling some of his art without feeling that particular tug of fear at the idea that he might turn out to be somewhat like his mentor had been, even if that was so very unlikely knowing Yusuke.

But he perked up at her confirmation, “Wonderful! I look forward to your message, Haru.”

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It's a Watts party! (Just don't tell him)

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