October Catch-all --a little early.

[jc_superstar]

⌛ Who: Jiang Cheng and Kinn Theerapanyakul
⌛ What: Neandering around town
⌛ When: Tail end of September but October (spoopy season)
⌛ Where: Wherever!
⌛ Warnings: TBD in threads



[Jiang Cheng, post qi deviation]

Once Cheng was strong enough to move around for more than ten minutes, he started trekking over to his friends houses to see how they were doing and to thank them for their help and apologize for causing so much trouble. With every friend he visited, he offered a fruit basket. If he thought cutting them would last, he would have.

He comes to the next home, takes a breath and then schools his face for a pleasant smile before knocking. All he had to do now was wait to be answered. Cheng fervently hoped that their relationship hadn't been ruined by the recent events.



[Jiang Cheng, Onsen]

Once he had recovered, he wanted to do ... something. Anything. He was tired of sitting in the house, tired of people hovering over him, worried about what he would do, if he would relapse. He just needed to get out of the house and relax a bit.

The best way he knew how was the Onsen. The incense was nice, the sound of water was soothing and Cheng was looking forward to relaxing, pampering himself with some expensive cleansers, and let the stress of the past three weeks drain out of him.



[Kinn, by the wharf]

Despite gathering evidence that overall, the place was relatively safe, Kinn still wanted to be prepared. So he made his way to the wharf where many had said one could find rare items, hoping he would find a seller who may have more than just information about firearms.

As he strolled through the allies, he walked with confidence as if he owned the place. His clothing was neat but not necessarily anything that would scream he was rich or in the wrong place. And as he walked, he considered the things he would change in the place. A floating market, some different variations in the market-maybe something foreign in terms of imports?

Evidently, he couldn't completely dismiss the mafia in him.








[Anyone who wants a specific starter with any character, please hit me up! Discord Aristastarfyr#8868 or pm the journals.]

Comments

[50000baht]

The answer was plain on his face when he looks up. Looking wretched and distraught, he swallows back the lump of pain before looking away. "Yeah. I miss him all to hell but.. I don't want him stuck here like me, either."

[hideawayparadise]

Riley looked down and nodded. "I've never really had a lasting relationship but that's how I feel about my parents. How I've felt about them for several years now. I miss them so much but I wouldn't want to put them through anything just to have them be with me."

[50000baht]

So they had more kinship than he originally thought. "What, a cute guy like you? No one's beating a path to your door?"

Yeah, Riley was cute. But Kinn was committed. He wasn't ashamed to admit that before Porsche, Riley would have been right up his alley.

[hideawayparadise]

"I dated a couple people in high school but they'd get jealous over how friendly I am and break up with me. Then about six years ago the Fae found me and it's hard to keep a lasting relationship when you're on the run."

He held a finger up to his cheek and tilted his head to the side. Clearly making himself cuter than he already was. "So I'm cute but apparently I'm too friendly and unavailable."

[50000baht]

There! There it was. The person Riley had been reminding him of. "Pete! You remind me of Pete. My brother's uh-assistant. Cute and friendly and easygoing. No wonder I like you." He even threw in a grin. Kinn didn't want to spiral down into relationships, current or past.

[hideawayparadise]

Blinking in surprise, he tried to figure out who Pete was. Then when it was explained he was still blinking. Finally, he burst out laughing and pointed at himself. "Me? I remind you of this Pete person? Is a friend of yours even though he works for your family?"

[50000baht]

"No, he resigned." From out-law to in-law in no time flat, it seemed. "He's practically engaged to my cousin now. We adhere to the rule of not fucking the staff." Mostly. Occasionally.

[hideawayparadise]

Riley stared at him a long time. A very long time. With fish hanging out of his mouth that he'd just put there. Slurping it in, he gave him a squint. "Why do I think that's totally not true and that more than one of you has jumped in bed with your staff?"

Look, he was writing a drama in his head about his bestie named Kinn. He had to get deets.

[50000baht]

"What?" He stared back, blankly. As blankly as he could get. Did Riley know? No, he couldn't know! "Why do I think that you're just fishing for details?" He counters back, squinting. "And why would you want to know?"

[hideawayparadise]

Riley pouted at him then pointed his chopsticks right at him accusingly. "So you get to ask about my dating life but I don't get to ask if you've slept with your staff? Rude!"

But then he burst out laughing and shrugged his head. "I'm making up an entire story about you in my head and details make it more fleshed out. And no, I'm not going to share it yet. It's not done."

[50000baht]

"You're... writing fan fiction? In your head?" Well, worse things could happen to pass the time. Kinn leaned closer, holding another bite in his sticks. "So maybe someone else slept with the staff. How would you write that one out?"

[hideawayparadise]

"Describe them to me. I'll make something up right now for you." Writing stories was a lot like painting after all. Everything had a story and you just had to put that story to the paper. Then others could read it and enjoy the magic of it. It was why he loved books and art so much really.

[50000baht]

Okay. He could do this without outing himself, right? RIGHT! "Alright," he mused, thinking about it. "So one is a successful businessman, calm and steadfast, and the other was security detail. Security was... not really trained for it. He was flippant, disrespectful, and horrible at anything that a security guard was supposed to be accomplished in. And hot. Sweetness made up for his incompetency. And after an outing in the words, there was a new understanding."

[hideawayparadise]

He paused with some water partway to his mouth. At first it seemed a pretty normal description but then it got almost intimate. Like fondly intimate. Kinn had mentioned he was taken... "You're describing you and Porsche aren't you."

Again, not a question.

[50000baht]

"No!" He tried to deny, looking aghast that Riley would imply such a thing! But then he sighed, nodding. "Yes."

[hideawayparadise]

Riley smiled at that. That was seriously so cute. He laughed a bit then finally took his drink of what. "So that's what he's like, huh? He sounds like an amazing guy."

[50000baht]

"Yeah, he is." Kinn fell quiet then, deciding that he should eat some more but settled for poking his food with his sticks. "He has my back no matter what and ... I hate to admit it, but I feel like I'm drowning here without him."

He used to be not like that! Love sucked, sometimes.

[hideawayparadise]

Yep, those two meant the world to each other. They had probably been through hell and back again and it had made them stronger. So without him Kinn probably felt really lost. Moving his seat around, he put it next to his friend's to let himself be able to bump his arm with his own a bit.

"I'm not some cool fighter or anything. But I'll have your back until you can see him again."

[50000baht]

He... wasn't expecting the contact. Even when people didn't know who he was, having a retinue of bodyguards following you made it apparent that he wasn't supposed to be touched. Or have a comadre. He scrutinized Riley for a moment, then relaxed, smiling something warm and genuine this time.

"Thanks. It means a lot."

[hideawayparadise]

Grabbing another piece of sushi, he gave the man a big smile. Kinn was definitely not used to the level of affection that Riley was known for but he knew how to keep himself in check for people like this. So an arm bump it was. Just enough to let his friend know that he was there for him.

"You know, I've decided I like swordfish."

[50000baht]

The subject change was welcomed, too! "Oh? Because you can stab people with its face?" The fish was delightfully fresh-it was the only way to eat sushi, in his opinion.

[hideawayparadise]

"Can you picture my tiny arms trying to stab people with a giant swordfish?" Riley mimed struggling with the size of it and pretending to fall over before righting himself with a laugh. "I'd make my enemies laugh themselves to death before I got the stabby side in!"

[50000baht]

As he chews his next morsel, he eyes Riley critically. "Not if you wear it. Fish suit. Terrifying and effective."

[hideawayparadise]

"Wear it? How are you supposed to wear a fish?" Now it was Riley's turn to eye Kinn critically.

[50000baht]

"Like one of those snuggie things! You know--" Kinn gestures vaguely with his hands. "Put it on, the hood is the head of the thing? Only there's a spike on this hood."