OPEN SEASON 2.

[crawly]

1. pick a character.

☛ optional.
☛ character list here.
☛ full list.
☛ specify in the subject line if you want one character in particular.

2. provide a prompt.

☛ image, words, music, whatever you want.
☛ i like to think at least one of my three tumblrs has something interesting. (be warned that all three blogs contain nsfw material, including porn.)

3. gotta go fast.

☛ not actually. this is a permanently open post! tag at your own speed.

previous post here.

Comments

[canicide]

[ Oh. (Other people will be involved, so it's not a date. Just meeting some new people. It'll be fine.) Heine nods slowly. ]

Should I bring anything?

[indeliblestars]

Food or drink if you really want to bring something. The most important thing is just to show up.

[because the whole point was to gather everyone before they scattered to families and other obligations. he already knows some of the others are going to cook, so it's all up to Heine's own decisions.]

[canicide]

Okay. When?

[ It might be nice to talk to Fee's coworkers. He's seen all of them once or twice by now, but hasn't spoken to them beyond a few words yet.

(Voluntarily engaging in social interaction. Nill would be so proud.) ]

[indeliblestars]

Does the 18th or the 20th work better for you? I'm trying to pick what day works better for more people.

[canicide]

Either is fine if it's in the evening. [ He doesn't have any plans to travel. ]

[indeliblestars]

I'll let you know what's finalized, then. The evening's a given, so don't worry.

[and true to his word, Fee will send a text later to let him know it's the 20th, at 6:00, along with the address to his place. also a happy face emoji.]

[canicide]

[ Heine replies with a confirmation. On the day of, he arrives a little after six with another pot of poinsettias and a pre-made Yule log cake, because baking something that includes multiple parts to assemble is beyond him. ]

Hi. [ He almost manages a smile. ] Merry Christmas.

[indeliblestars]

Merry Christmas!

[opening the door wide, Fee gestures for him to come in - it's much warmer inside than out.]

Is that for us? It looks great! Oh, and just follow me - we can put it down in the kitchen.

[canicide]

Yeah. [ Heine trails Fee inside, looking around casually on their way to the kitchen. He puts the cake down in a space on the countertop, then offers the flowers. ]

These are... for your place. I don't know where you want them.

[indeliblestars]

[Fee's place is small, as would be expected of a person living alone, but it's cozy. aside from the Christmas decorations which appear to be slapped on in different places (why is Santa on the wall? just because) a lot of Fee's furniture is the sort salvaged from thrift stores in a mishmash, none of the chairs matching, coats hung up by the door. someone's got an album playing. one of the other artists, Mia, has taken up a spot on the couch and gives Heine a nod. she's a little gruff, if dedicated.

it's not so much that Fee's organized as he knows where everything is, and moves accordingly. some of the other food that's been brought is still wrapped in plastic wrap, but there's space enough for the cake. and when he takes the flowers, he looks genuinely surprised for a minute, taking the pot in his arms.]

...Now I'll have to ask advice on how to make sure they're happy.

[he's touched, he's just not wanting to make too huge of a fuss out of it and embarrass Heine. for now, he'll carry them out of the kitchen, glancing around before setting them next to the stereo. there. that'll do until everyone leaves.]

Do you want something to drink or anything? Usually I just say "help yourself" but since you haven't been over before....

[canicide]

These aren't hard to take care of.

[ Hopefully that's reassuring. Looking around the kitchen, Heine considers for a moment before replying. ]

Uh, whatever you have's okay.

[ He's not picky about what he drinks. It'll probably help him go and socialize with strangers, at least some. ]

[indeliblestars]

Well...

[Fee seems to consider this for a moment, before turning and ducking into the fridge, pulling out two glass bottles. one's a beer, one's a soda.]

I like giving people options.

[whichever one Heine doesn't take, Fee will.]

[canicide]

[ Taking the beer after a second of consideration, Heine nods in thanks. He takes a drink and glances at the doorway to the room where more people are. ]

So. Are all your friends as weird as you?

[indeliblestars]

They're not all weird.

[Fee shrugs his shoulders and takes a drink of his soda.

"weird", in Fee's mind, is relative. everyone's already accepted Heine as part of the gathering, and none of them treat him like he's brand new, even though he is. maybe Mia ends up trying to fake suffocate someone else with a pillow (Jack, Heine is informed, is basically her sworn enemy and someone who's also accepted it), and maybe there was a heated discussion about specific shades of purple, but overall it's chill. it's a family gathering, despite how no one uses the word family. it's a collection of whatever dishes people decided to bring and Fee pretending to sulk when someone called him Gennady and Heine being declared as "cool" and also "the man with the best idea" for bringing a cake.

eventually, everyone's getting ready to go, getting jackets and filing out. Fee's slowly tidying up, but he can't stop smiling, and looking over to Heine, he laughs.]

Was it at least decent for you?

[canicide]

[ Over the course of the night Heine comes to know these people. Fee's friends. They seem closer than that, though, with the way they gather around each other.

He makes the effort to at least help by piling cans and bottles towards one side of the room before he pulls his jacket back on. At the question he pauses before replying. ]

It was good.

[ Heine's looking aside as he says it, though it doesn't hide how his expression has undeniably softened. It was a larger Christmas gathering than he'd experienced in years. ]

Thanks. For inviting me. Are you going home for the rest of the holidays?

[indeliblestars]

[it's a change in him Fee's happy to see. seeing him happier, at least somehow relaxing with everyone - that was the point. some people don't have happier families to go to. some people don't have anything. but at least there's this.]

Just for the day of. I'm not staying over. What about you?

[canicide]

Might go somewhere on New Year's.

[ He'll probably even stay open on Christmas Eve until fairly late. Having a few days off at the end of the year will be nice, though. ]

I'll see you... whenever, I guess, if you're around.

[indeliblestars]

Yeah. Or I might text you, if you don't mind that.

[either for tips on how to care for the plant, or to meet up. or something. more likely something.]

[canicide]

Sure.

[ Heine will willingly give tips on plant care and maybe some extra fertilizer, if Fee is devoted to the poinsettias even after Christmas.

At this point, Heine isn't wholly oblivious to their situation. It's more willful ignorance now, and a leeriness of acting on any emotion, let alone a positive one. Still, Heine's departure is marked by a last backwards glance before he hits the corner of the street on his way home. ]

[indeliblestars]

[it isn't that Fee's shy. it's more that he's been waiting, figuring that Heine might want a more subtle touch - but even his patience has limits. eventually, it might be time to be completely direct, the way he could have been since all these emotions started with him.

so he goes home for Christmas itself, and the blood family part of the holidays is solved. and on the evening of the 27th, he gets the resolve to send a single text.]

What are you doing tomorrow? It's been a while.

[canicide]

[ Heine reads the text while laid out on the couch, half-watching a TV show. He replies almost immediately. ]

nothing. are you back already?

[indeliblestars]

Yeah. I didn't need to stay long.

I'm not doing anything either honestly but I wanted to see how you were.

[the movie he put on it one he's seen a lot. he can afford missing a few lines to text.]

[canicide]

I'm fine.

if it's not too late for u you can come over

[ They've hung out in the evenings a few times, but this feels a little different. ]

[indeliblestars]

do you want me to bring anything?

[it is different. it's different in the way that means Fee exhales hard at the ceiling, wondering if he'll be able to do this or somehow trip over his own words and fuck it up.]

[canicide]

no

see you in a few

[ That came out perhaps more curt than he intended, but he doesn't want to stretch the discussion out in case he... well, whatever. Heine's ready when he hears the doorbell. ]