October | Event: A Night of Moonless Splendor

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A Night of Moonless Splendor↲ OOC Plotting

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On the morning of the 14th, as citizens throughout Nippon prepare for final day of the Tsukimi festival, the refugees will receive a message on their magi-comm from MRU in Kyoto.

"To all refugees who will be staying in the Western Kingdom for the annual Sakumi Festival, please be aware that there is a curfew for all Humans and Hanyo before sundown. It is for your own safety that you heed this curfew, and remain indoors until sunrise.

The Festival will continue until the night of the 31st. It is recommended that refugees do not look at the night sky for the duration of the festival. If you must go out, make sure to hide your face behind a mask.

Should you or anyone else you know experience strange symptoms after dark, such as erratic behavior or transformations unrelated to the side effects of Kizuna bonds, please contact the MRU right away. Affected individuals are encouraged to remain indoors and in brightly lit rooms, away from any open windows.

Additionally, we have a prepared a special area of refuge for those who have not been able to secure safe transit to the Eastern Kingdom, located in Tengoku's Skytower. More information will be available in the coming days.

Please enjoy the festival, and may the gods bless you all."

Understandably, this message is not met well.

Upon hearing of curfews and strange happenings, many refugees choose to flee, flooding the last train to Tokyo and contacting the NRL to secure accommodations in Nihonbashi on short notice. But they aren't the only ones, as most of the seats have been reserved by native Hanyo and Humans, as those who can afford it are also choosing to leave until the end of the month.

But what's the big deal? Weren't people excited for this festival? Well, as it turns out: it's only "celebrated" by Yokai. For everyone else, the Sakumi Festival is the worst time of year to be in the Western Kingdom.

A Festival of Darkness

According to legend, the moon was a gift from the gods. Once a beautiful string of pearls, now only one remains, the others shattered by greed and war, their remains gathered together to form Gaia's ring. This is the story of the Tsukimi Festival, celebrated throughout Nippon.

But there's a continuation to this story, told only in the Western Kingdom. Because this gift was no ordinary gift. It's said that the light of the moon is what allowed the Yokai to evolve from mere Ayakashi into enlightened and intelligent beings. However, that same intelligence is what would prove to be their downfall, as various clans rose in power and sought the magical radiance of the pearls for personal gain. As more and more pearls were destroyed, fewer and fewer ayakashi were able to benefit from their light, with the last remaining pearl not strong enough to offer even the slightest of blessing.

As punishment for their greed, the gods took back the final pearl, with no intent of returning it. Without its light, the Yokai became twisted, devolving back into their basal instincts, and feasting upon one another with reckless abandon. Saddened by their plight, the gods quickly reversed this decision, and the final pearl returned to the sky after 15 nights of darkness.

This is the Sakumi Festival, held in honor of those fifteen days their ancestors spent in perpetual darkness. As the festival begins, on the evening of the 15th, the full moon will begin to fade away, like a lightbulb that's gradually losing power. Within an hour after sunset, it will have disappeared entirely, causing the rings around the planet to dim in turn.

All through the Western Kingdom, Yokai will be celebrating late into the night, and most of them will be wearing strange masks that are designed to reflect their inner-self. Perhaps the Refugees should follow suit?

Monster Mash Western Kingdom, Nippon
Those who stay indoors between sunset and sunrise, or who simply avoid the Western Kingdom all together, won't notice anything special about this festival. But for those who venture out into the darkness of the moonless sky, they'll find themselves transforming and turning into monsters.

The exact form of these monsters varies widely. Some simply become more monstrous forms of themselves. Others may not transform at all, instead gaining supernatural abilities or minor cosmetic changes. And even others may become entirely unrecognizable. These transformations will last until sunrise, and will return every day they go outside or look up at the night sky. And as refugees from different worlds, the monstrous forms they're capable of taking seem nigh endless.

But what now? Well, that depends.

For some, they remain completely lucid throughout the transformation, merely transformed in body but not at all in mind. This is most common for those who choose to head indoors upon transforming, away from the transformative effects of the darkened night sky. For these refugees, the transformations are just a fun quirk of the holiday or an inconvenience. Thankfully, this is generally pretty easy to avoid happening more than once, as they won't feel compelled to transform again.

For those who were unfortunate enough to stare at the sky for any extended period of time, their transformation may be more extreme, as their personality becomes corrupted. Certain aspects of their personality may completely overtake everything else, while others may act entirely out of character. But perhaps the worst part is that those who experience this corruption will feel a strong desire to trigger it again, despite the lack of a guarantee that it won't be any worse the next time.

And for the truly unlucky, they may find themselves in a state the Yokai refer to as a lunar curse. Those who are under the effects of a lunar curse will be overwhelmed with an insatiable appetite, hungering for any number of things, be it a specific type of food, a heightened sexual appetite, or even a desire to feed on the flesh and blood of others. As it turns out, this is the most common side effect, and is the true reason for the curfew: as Humans and Hanyo caught outside by a Yokai afflicted by a lunar curse may find themselves attacked or even devoured. Once someone has been afflicted by a lunar curse, they'll do whatever they can to continue the cycle the following evening, growing irrational and violent near sunset, even while wearing a mask.

You've Got Mail Everywhere, Nippon
But even those hoping to avoid the Sakumi Festival by fleeing to the East will find that the holiday spirit has followed them. With the advent of technology, mischievous Yokai have found ways to send curses via text message, which just so happens to overlap with the festival. Upon opening a message that will appear to be from someone on their friend list, they'll be directed a website that automatically activates the spell.

The exact spell seems to vary depending on which variety of curse they happen to receive. Some of these are quite ordinary, and will simply send salacious or otherwise overtly sexual messages to their friends or even complete strangers, with some capable of combing through their magi-comm for compromising photos to share. Of course, the latter feature is quite buggy, so the photos sent alongside such messages may in fact just be random.

But others may find themselves opening something more dangerous. Among these, one such curse will trap whoever opens it in an enclosed space alongside whoever happens to be nearby, forcing them to perform specific actions to escape. While some are relatively harmless, such as a dance more or shouting something humiliating, others will demand the pair perform particular sex acts in order to escape.

These closed spaces can occur anywhere, but to an outsider, they won't look like anything. Those trapped will look as though they've disappeared until the curse is lifted, but they'll still be able to see the world around them through the magical walls. So those who choose to browse their magi-comms on their morning commute best be careful not to open any suspicious links, lest they be forced to fuck on a crowded train.

Fly Me to the Moon

After a few days, all Refugees will receive notice that an area of refuge has been created for any Refugees who weren't able to leave the Western Kingdom prior to the festival starting. Provided by the Tengu of Tengoku, those looking to flee the chaos will be asked to meet on MRU campus on the morning of the 20th to be teleported to Skytower.

Unknown to many Refugees, Skytower is the only city of Tengoku that floats in the sky high above the Eastern Kingdom. Built long ago during a period of war between Humans and Yokai, it now serves as a watchtower to report on any danger approaching either kingdom, due to its strategic location above the Chubu region.

As the effects of the moonless sky do not exist in the Eastern Kingdom, it is believed that this location will prevent the Refugees from experiencing the transformative aspects of the Sakumi festival.

Or at least, that was certainly the intent.

Castle in the Shadows Skytower, Chubu
Perhaps due to their unusually high magical resistance, Tengu are rarely affected by the Sakumi Festival, and can often be found stationed as guards throughout more populous cities. This remains true at Skytower, where the Tengu monks who lives there assure their guests that they will not be harmed by anyone who calls Skytower home.

"For generations, we Tengu have watched over the lands of Yokai and the lands of Humans. We show no loyalty to anyone except the peace we have worked to maintain all these years.

"Rest assured, although you may be closer to the moonless sky on this sacred tower, you are not in any danger. May Tsukuyomi, goddess of the moon, grant you her protection during this time."

Refugees will be housed together in random room assignments, and although the rooms are small, every amenity they could ask for is provided free of charge. In addition to gourmet meals and access to an exclusive library that few humans have ever set foot in, extravagant outdoor hot springs that seemingly floating atop the clouds are available for the Refugees to relax in at any time of day.

Still, there are some spooky happenings at Skytower. As an ancient tower built many generations ago, many of the passageways throughout the tower are quite narrow and dimly lit. Refugees roaming the halls at night may find their shadows behaving strangely, moving on their own and even creating the sensation of being touched when one shadow reaches out to caress another. These effects are only mildly stimulating, and may even be mistaken for some kind of prank. Only those who dare bathe in the hot springs at night will encounter something more, their shadows engaging in blatant sexual acts under the water, leaving the shadow's owner to writhe as they experience every little sensation.

Curiously, this never seems to occur when the Tengu are around, and those affected may leave such encounters believing they hallucinated it.

Still, true to their word, for the first few days, Refugees at Skytower will be otherwise completely unaffected by the Sakumi Festival, regardless of whether they wear a mask or stare up at the eerily dark night sky.


Please note: Players have the option of having their characters leave for the Eastern Kingdom by airship on the 24th if they do not wish to engage with the second prompt.

Generic Horror Movie Title Skytower, Chubu
But on the 25th, as the Sakumi Festival enters its final week, those bold enough to look up at night sky will notice that the stars are disappearing. The sky will appear to grow blacker and blacker, absorbing any nearby light and appearing more like a dark void overhead than a night sky. Even with the lights on, Skytower will be notably dimmer, making it difficult to navigate the corridors of the tower at night.

Ordinarily, this would simply be yet another aspect of the Sakumi Festival, and one that should be avoidable due to their location on Skytower. But as paranoia among the Refugees grows, Kizuna powered by their fear manifests by causing the area of effect of the Sakumi festival to grow, reaching beyond the borders of the Western Kingdom, until Skytower is enveloped by it.

As the sun sets, an otherwise peaceful night will turn to chaos, as every Refugee on Skytower begins to change due to the power of the moonless sky. A number of Lunar Cursed Refugees begin prowling the tower, driven mad both by fear and by the effects of their own monstrous transformations, attacking everyone and anyone they come across.

And for certain refugees, the gradual loss of the stars and the moon will have more devastating effects. Those with an affinity for stars, space, the moon, or who have begin learning Sora magic will begin experiencing bouts of sudden weakness, causing them to collapse or lose consciousness. This effect escalates as the night goes on, as those afflicted will begin to fade away, their bodies growing translucent the weaker they become. Only prolonged contact with someone they've bonded with seems to have a positive effect, slowing or even reversing the symptoms. But others may disappear entirely until the festival ends, only capable of reaching out to loved ones through their dreams.

Refugees with mild symptoms will be tasked with assisting the Tengu in securing the Lunar Cursed refugees, as well as reaching the control center at the top of the tower to put out a distress signal. By the end of the night, all Refugees will be evacuated by airship to Kyoto.

Paper Faces on Parade

All of this culminates on the final day of the festival on the 31st, during which the sun never rises. A perpetual night blankets the nation, as the final celebrations of the Sakumi Festival take place.

Following news of the disaster at Skytower, Emperor Katsuragi decides to take matters into his own hands. Utilizing his own immense magical power, he cloaks his palace in a protective shield that will limit the transformations produced by the Sakumi Festival. Although negating the effects of the moonless sky using magic is borderline sacrilegious for a devout Yokai, after everything the Refugees did for the people of Shikoku last month, the least he can do is try and support them during this difficult holiday season.

And so, on that morning, all Refugees, no matter where in Nippon they may be, will receive an invitation to a Masquerade Ball to be held in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Those who want to attend need only wish it, and the invitation will automatically bring them to the castle grounds.

Additionally, all Refugees who disappeared as a result of the moonless sky will reappear thanks to the Emperor's power, just in time for the Ball to begin!

Kink Convention Gion, Kyoto
The Imperial Palace is much different from the Emperor's villas: a vast, sprawling mansion that seems to defy the laws of physics, with certain floors and walkways arranged in a way that makes them appear impossible to reach. Thanks to the many enchantments, those who walk the hallways of the palace won't notice if a corner suddenly twists, turns, or even has them walking along the ceiling of another room.

But the palace is far from empty! Exploring the mansion will reveal special rooms tucked away with certain enchantments, with many designed to entertain guests who happen to be staying there. Aside from generic things such as black and white movie theaters, libraries, and spas, some of these rooms seem to be tailored for this specific event.

One room is offering demos and workshops revolving around particular kinks, specifically designed to get the most fun out of whatever transformations they've been dealt by the Sakumi Festival. Refugees will be able to rent out sex toys and devices to use throughout the palace, and will even be offered a map of hidden and secluded spots to play in without getting caught.

In another room, a Yokai-turned-tentacle-monster teaches on the importance of safety during bondage sessions, complete with a live demonstration that will require volunteers. Whether this demonstration is simply about proper binding techniques, or an outright public tentacle-fuck, seems to depend on the enthusiasm of the volunteers.

And in another part of the palace, those who want to indulge in their desires anonymously will find special stalls seemingly designed for completely anonymous play, with variously shaped holes cut into the walls to reach out and touch one another. The way the room is set up, there's no way of knowing who is in each stall, as each one has a separate entrance. There's even a special stall that instead blankets the pair in complete darkness, allowing full-body touches and embraces with relative anonymity.

Just don't wander too far. Those curious enough to venture deep into the palace may instead come across a number of cursed rooms designed to trap intruders. Those captured will remain in these rooms until an attendant happens to find them to let them out. In addition to rooms filled with aphro-laced incense, some contain complex mechanisms designed to fully bind intruders, with some even doubling as fucking machines. Thankfully, there are multiple warning signs posted, so only those feeling especially naughty will end up in these corridors.

Party in a Labyrinth Gion, Kyoto
Those who are familiar with the Emperor's penchant for parties won't be too surprised by the offerings on display tonight. Although officially a Masquerade Ball, in which all guests must wear either a mask or appropriate costume, the actual theme is a bit more raunchy, and all Refugees will be welcome to choose from a selection of outfits that come in varying degrees of sensual and erotic.

Refugees will find no shortage of fun and interesting things to do at the party! A live music performance will play throughout the night, allowing guests to dance their hearts out on the dance floor. Food and drink are plentiful, with all alcoholic and uki-laced goods carefully labeled for the Refugee's convenience. And of course, those who want to indulge in their Sakumi transformations can do so knowing they're at no risk of becoming Lunar Curse and will retain their wits about them until the festival ends.

But as the night grows long, a more traditional event takes place in the palace garden, where the various Yokai attendants and aristocrats present gather around a large bonfire for the Sakumi Festival's end. They dance and sing, and then give prayers to the moon goddess Tsukuyomi, begging forgiveness for whatever sins they committed during the festival.

Refugees who are curious enough to take part in this Sakumi Festival tradition will find themselves compelled to confess their guilt for anything they may have done during the festival as a result of the moonless sky's effects. Whether these confessions are truly anything worth feeling guilty about is up to the individual, of course.

As the clock strikes midnight, all masks are thrown into the fire, and the sky lights up with a brilliant display of stars as the moon takes its rightful place in the sky once more.

But as for Katsuragi? He can be found curled up in a corner, thoroughly exhausted from using so much magic, with his head resting in the lap of a certain individual. Probably best to leave them be.

OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's October event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.

• If you do not wish to participate in this event: characters who are able to flee to the Eastern Kingdom will not experience any of the effects of the moon's disappearance.

• If your character would flee but you want them to participate, it's entirely possible that they may find themselves utterly unable to secure a ticket to leave the Western Kingdom, given there is only one train. Additionally, all teleportation terminals to Tokyo will remain offline until November 1st, and due to the lack of the moon, teleportation magic may be weakened.

• While the sky will continue to look spooky in the East as well, this annual phenomenon is explained as a scientific one. As Gaia's moon and rings are magical in nature, the increase in energy expelled during the Tsukimi festival causes them to release a gas-like by-product that blots out the sky at night for a period of two weeks. This has been proven to be true, but the reason this happens at the same time each year is still unknown.

• You have 100% freedom to pick whatever sort of monster your monsterfucker heart desires, be it from Japanese lore, your character's canon, or another canon all together. Whether transformations are painful or not is up to you, and monsters with supernatural powers or abilities will also be allowed to keep those powers! Go wild!

• As a reminder: there are roughly 10,000 Refugees in Nippon, so if you would like to utilize a random Refugee NPC for monsterfucking purposes, this is of course allowed!

• As stated above, characters who go to Skytower will have the option of leaving for Tokyo before things turn sour. These characters will still be able to attend the Emperor's Ball on the 31st!

• Please be kind to your fellow players and utilize content warnings for any graphic monster-related violence, kinks, etc! If you're not sure if something needs a warning, warn for it anyway!

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Comments

[charredflame]

[by now, his protests are just for the sake of it, something he knows he's supposed to be saying but at some point lost any real meaning. Later he'll probably be embarrassed from how quickly and easily he gave in when he'd done everything up until this point to keep himself out of it. Really, it's no one's fault but his own.

There's one last, brief moment of hesitation before he just takes off the mask, dropping and kicking it away]

I don't think a fight would be satisfying enough so I guess we're out here for the same reason, now.

[gangfanged]

Truthfully, I'm glad you're not looking to fight and fuck.

[Exhaling a laugh, Lilja strides forward again. She's... a little taller than him on a good day, but here and now? Lilja can't actually remove her heels, so she stands well over six feet. Hopefully that's not a problem, since it's not even on her mind.]

But I wonder what role you'd like... and where, of course. [closer now, it's clear that the broken bits of porcelain aren't a mask at all - her face is articulate indeed, though it loses most of its mobility around that break, the eyelid on that side not shifting quite as gracefully closed when she smiles. It's as though she some amalgam of porcelain and flesh, echoed in the joints of her limbs where they're visible under cloth.] I'm not opposed to here and now, but my hunger will be sated no matter how much control I take... and I do enjoy a demanding partner here and there.

[She's very accommodating, isn't she. Of course, now that there's some acceptance and accord between them, she's not likely to be idle too much longer. In fact, she reaches out to let her fingers drift over his chest, careful of her nails in doing so, simple and flirtatious.]

[charredflame]

[the height difference is a passing thought for him, and while it might be a slight problem sooner or later, it isn't as though there aren't solutions to it, either. Maybe not a problem for Lilja, but for him. However it's far from the top of problems that he should be thinking about and, well, he's not thinking much about those, either.

Still, Asch does try to stand a little taller as she approaches, huffing softly to himself. If he decided he wanted both he'd find someone else who wanted that, too - or he'd go find a certain someone. Later, of course, since right now he only wants the one thing] I don't like fighting as much as some people do . . . role?

[his hand had been reaching out for her hip, all intentions to draw her closer, but it pauses in confusion . . . until realization hits. Wait, he knows what that means, he's been asked that before. And it's probably obvious too, with the way he presses his lips together and briefly looks down at her fingers and then away, face reddening, and the way his fingers tighten.

Oh no, he knows what kind of person he's dealing with now]

—the only demand I have right now is that we don't do this in the middle of the street.

[gangfanged]

[Ah. She's not so surprised that his instincts lead him forward, nor that he pauses at her question really. Still, it's an effort not to giggle when he looks away, keeping that gentle smile instead.]

Mm. Some men want to have complete control, some like to fight a little, you know? And some don't want to win at all - I try not to assume.

[does he know? Maybe. Lilja places comfort at the fore, and the rest... the rest can be ironed out.]

Is that all? I do prefer that myself, after all - there are some long abandoned buildings nearby, if you don't have somewhere in mind...

[It's always funny when people think she's asking to go wherever they stand, rather than streamlining what happens behind closed doors (not that she'd complain about the middle of the street, sometimes...). And at least it's clear she doesn't seem to have her own affinity for any dominating role, based on the ease with which she turns to him for each decision.]

[charredflame]

[being laughed at would, ironically, be a lot easier to handle. He still has no real idea what to do with others being understanding and gentle and niceties - and especially not in this situation. He knows - or at least he thought he did - and her elaboration does line up with what came to mind. A shame that the curse doesn't just immediately wipe out embarrassment or awkwardness.

As for role . . . ]

I can't say I have a preference either way. [is what he says instead of glossing over it. He likes having control, of course, but his admittedly small amount of experience has kind of been the opposite of that]

Should I have other demands? [he glances back up to her, eyebrows raised] I'm fine with going to one of those if you are.

[he'd suggest his room, but that might not be the best of ideas - and he left it because he couldn't stand being in there any longer. And really, there's something about doing this outside is far more appealing than he thought it'd be. Even the potential danger is]

[gangfanged]

No? We'll play it by ear, then. [no one gets experience if they're not given the opportunity, right? But the followup receives a laugh, ball jointed fingers coming up to cover her lips.] Shouldn't you know better than I would if you have more you want? Though there's no harm in not knowing for sure yet, either.

[they'll start along, then. It's not as if they have to reach a place before they get impatient - he only cares to not be out in the open. That bit is fair, especially given the number of violent refugees hanging around at night.

Her strides take Lilja next to Asch again, and something in the process seems to have afforded her a little bit of clarity - or maybe she always had it and she's just a little inept at normal conversations.]

Do you mind if I take your arm? I've been itching for companionship for hours, you see.

[closer up, he can potentially catch glimpses of sharp fangs as she talks, hands rising as if to mime just... holding his arm. Really, she's so simple sometimes.]

[charredflame]

[it would be much easier if Asch knew exactly what he wanted, but he doesn't. He knows what he doesn't want, at least, and he doubts she's going to attack him when she's said she doesn't want a fight. A part of him knows he shouldn't trust that, even if Lilja hasn't done anything to make him question it, but it's only a brief thought. Along with how he should be careful of her fangs, but - odd, the more he tries to focus on it the less he feels concerned.

There's only the briefest hesitation before he holds his arm out for her to take] If I manage to think of something specific I'm sure I'll let you know.

[right now, he just knows he wants. He wonders if that'll change, the longer he's out here] I can't be the first person you've run into.

[though maybe he is, if she's been looking just for this]

[gangfanged]

You think not?

[He's a little shorter than her, but that doesn't seem to cause any issues as slim fingers curl around his arm. Her body bends just the softest bit stiffly, but that doesn't stop Lilja from comfortably basking in both his warmth and companionship. That her chest presses directly against his arm is either unnoticed or intentionally ignored, as if it's perfectly normal.]

I haven't run into anyone who suited my mood before now. Too many feral monsters and fighters, you see. I like a man who's a little wild, but I do value my wellbeing.

[Her fingertips are softer than one might imagine of someone made of some amalgam of materials, especially as they trace idle patterns over his arm. For now, it seems she really is content with just company, though the instinct to push him for more is certainly rising.]

[charredflame]

[it doesn't go unnoticed by Asch. His eyes dart down, briefly, before they're right back up and thankfully it's dark enough out that the flush that spreads across his face isn't as obvious. Lilja feels warm against him, a pleasant feeling that keeps that growing want at bay. The fingers drawing patterns draw a shiver out of him, making him briefly close his eyes. .

It's distracting, and after a moment he has to lift his other hand to cover hers, stopping it. He's careful, deliberately so due to his claws] And I fit that? [Lilja is right in choosing him for the sake of her well-being, but the wild part . . . he faintly shakes his head] You could do better than my company.

[it's stated as though it's a fact, rather than something self-deprecating or trying to chase her off. With a soft, amused noise he starts towards the abandoned buildings she had mentioned earlier]

[gangfanged]

Mm, do you think you shouldn't fit it? [the laugh Lilja gives is easy, her fingers turning idle with a warm hand over them.] Perhaps I could. Perhaps you could, too. Or perhaps you'll learn something you didn't expect about yourself.

[his lack of self-deprecation is appreciated, and fact or not, it apparently causes her no distress. every step she makes keeps in time with his own, hips swaying carefully to avoid nudging too much, too distractingly. despite all the changes, it's still important to Lilja to take notice of others' preferences, to coax them only where it's safe and comfortable to do so.

at least it won't be long before they reach their destination; they're perhaps not the most appealing locales, but the lack of people around is a boon of its own. most of them even still look like they may still be furnished.]

[charredflame]

Perhaps.

[the noise he makes could almost be mistaken for a laugh, albeit a quiet one]

It wouldn't be the first time. [why isn't this the first time something like this has happened, that's the real question. Asch can't tell she's being careful, but as they walk something in the set of his shoulders begins to relax. Not completely, he isn't so foolish to let his guard down while they're out here, but more like now he feels that, at least for now he has a bit more control over himself.

As they get closer he does become more alert, despite the lessening tension. Ears on his head perking up, no longer hidden in his hair. Hopefully one of these places has furnishings that aren't . . . too bad . . . ]

[gangfanged]

You almost sound like it's a bad thing. The learning was always my favorite part.

[still, there's no attempt to press the issue. Lilja, even as she is now, is pretty willing to go with whatever flow her partner sets.

Which settles into the vampire watching curiously each time Asch's comfort seems to shift, from relaxed to alert until his ears perk, seeming to signify either the end of patience or the end of their little jaunt. The buildings are... well, they don't look long abandoned or anything. In fact, a few of the buildings are still blatantly inhabited, the glimmer of a fire in a window or under a door.

Even the darkened homes seem almost... inviting, cosy and warm. The moonlight makes it difficult to see what furniture and decor lies within, of course.]

Mm... do any of them seem to draw you in? [an innocent question really; she herself has little opinion or draw from here.] I'm happy to follow your instincts.

[charredflame]

I don't know if I would say it was bad. Just not something I would seek out under normal circumstances.

[Nippon poked a few hormones into working and staying that way, despite how much he didn't want it to happen.

It's mostly that the end of their little walk here is coming to an end, though there is some tenseness when he notices that some buildings aren't as empty as he first thought. Normally that would give him pause, or rather, have him turning on his heel to get as far away as possible. But the influence of the night is stronger and Lilja on his arm are more than enough that he doesn't hesitate to lead them to one of the more unoccupied buildings]

Is one of them meant to draw me in? [there's a bit of amusement in his voice as he reaches out to pull open the door for her] My instincts say this one should be fine.

[gangfanged]

Ah, right. Busy life and all.

[She doesn't seem judgemental at all; it's more like she's just so used to her own way that she forgets. In the end, as long as it doesn't bother him enough to refuse, it's fine.

The lights, she'd surmise, are probably people under similar circumstances to theirs - fools caught in the moonlight just needing somewhere quiet to hunker down.]

Mm, maybe? I'm just following your lead, after all. [laughing in turn, Lilja shifts when he opens the door, stepping in and turning to reach for his free hand.] Shall we see what options we have, then? I admit, I'm a bit excited regardless.

[no surprise there, probably.]

[charredflame]

[an amused noise] Is being stubborn considered busy?

[as if to answer whether or not the other people here are here for the same reason, there's a sound somewhat nearby that has Asch flushing, just a little.

He pushes the door shut behind them and then lets Lilja pull him in further, eyes briefly narrowing as they adjust to the darkness, seeing what he can of the room. The room is cleaner than one would expect, but given that they likely aren't the only ones to use these rooms were already being used. Is that a futon? It wouldn't be a surprise.

But he does not look for long - his eyes snap back to her, eyebrows raised slightly]

It is a little exciting. [more than a little, but even with everything he needs to be a tiny bit stubborn, at least until he loses more of his control. Even if, him admitting to it at all is a clear sign that he isn't entirely himself] Shouldn't I be following your lead?

[gangfanged]

Mm, I don't judge. You were doing work, no?

[just because he was stubbornly avoiding other things doesn't mean he wasn't actually busy, after all! But his followup has her laughing lightly, still holding onto his arm as she had been.]

Are you? I think I said we'd play it by ear. Have you decided you'd rather follow? I can lead if you prefer.

[As before, there's no judgment. She'll still lead him to the futon, because of course it's a futon, what could be cheesier like this?]

[charredflame]

[he lets her lead him without any resistance. The futon gets a brief, annoyed look - not because it's there or because of what it is, but because if he can't bring himself to care much about what condition it's in. Now that they're here that feeling that had been simmering in the background starts to return, much quicker than before.

Asch lets out a slow breath, carefully pulling his arm free]

It might be better if you did.