maplebrook_box | (no subject)

❄ HOLIDAY BASH ❄

Welcome to the totally rad holiday-themed party happening in a pretty sweet castle in the middle of nowhere! You were invited here by someone who was invited by someone else and--actually you have no idea who's hosting. You know how these things work. You think you saw Leonardo DiCaprio on a balcony when you were walking up the driveway, but it was probably just your imagination. Or a ghost. Spooky.

Whether you end up running into familiar faces or not, there seems to be plenty going on!

There's a food table covered with all sorts of sweet and savoury delights alike next to an open bar for all your rum and eggnog needs.

There's a piano trio playing jazzy holiday music in the corner who are also willing to provide karaoke instrumentals if you're feeling up to it.

Near the windows is a big Christmas tree with countless gifts beneath--you'll probably find at least a few with your name on them!

Need a break, or looking for some privacy? There are several small rooms branching off from the main room with comfy couches available for a quick nap. (Or other things, but keep in mind that a place as nice as this probably has security cameras everywhere.) Fresh air can be found easily out on one of the various balconies! What a romantic view.

Oh, and don't forget about the mistletoe! If you're found under one with someone else, you might find your wrist tied to theirs with a length of pretty red ribbon that'll stay there until you smooch. (What kind of castle is this?)

Anyway, the party seems to be carrying on 'til at least New Year's, so remember to sleep, eat, and stay hydrated, and most of all, have fun!

[ Threads have been set up for general areas of interest, but please feel free to post a new top comment if you have other ideas! Also, the mistletoe is literally everywhere so you have total freedom with when and where you happen to get tied up.

Lovingly yoinked from

altarianite! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ yosuke makes another choking noise that's a lot more pronounced when souji just GOES AHEAD and says it (of course, because souji is way too chill for his own good) and it's almost magical how instantly his face starts heating up. ]

We can't k-- do that here, we're totally out in the open! Anyone could be watching!

[ he doesn't know what that's his first concern when his first concern should be the fact that they have to do this at all?? his mouth is just kind of moving and words are coming out and oh my god what did he do to deserve this ]

If you're so concerned about drawing attention to us, for starters, pipe down-- [A breath. Okay. Staying calm.]

... We could always duck under the table or something.

The ta--

[ !!!! yosuke immediately wants to continue protesting, loudly, because the way souji's saying that is weirdly suggestive and giving him funny flipping feelings in his stomach that he's convinced must have something to do with all of the hors d'oeuvres he's been pigging out on. (a sudden onslaught of nausea at this juncture makes a lot of sense, honestly.) but he's right, doing so would probably just draw attention... and hiding from the world isn't the worst idea...

he also takes a deep breath, and counts to three in his head. ]

Okay. Okay, let's go.

[A nod before he glances around and slowly falls into a crouch, lifting the tablecloth.

He's making an effort to try and stay calm about this, but he's... unexpectedly jittery about it. (It's not a big deal, it's just a kiss, so why's the thought getting him so worked up...?)]

[ the ribbon is making sure that his hand is following closely behind his partner's, but yosuke takes a few seconds to make extra double sure that no one is paying attention before he dives under the table himself.

it's dark. of course it is. the tablecloth is heavy and thick, and the only light available is the ambient light peeking in through the small space between the edge of the tablecloth and the floor. yosuke hits his head on a metal support on the way in and just barely manages to stop himself from yelping in pain as settles on his knees, grimacing and rubbing at the sore spot with his free hand.

he can see souji's faint silhouette next to him... he's pretty close. but of course, they'd have to be under here. ]

[ when he speaks, it's in a whisper. ] I don't think anyone saw us. Good thinking, partner.

We should probably get this over with pretty quickly... [This isn't exactly the most comfortable place to be, after all. He inhales slowly again.]

... Ready when you are.

[ honestly... yosuke's pretty content to just sit there and space out and pretend that none of this is happening. it might be uncomfortable to be kneeling on the floor with your neck bent awkwardly so that your head didn't bang against the underside of the table, but it's even more uncomfortable to remember the reason they're down there to begin with.

he clears his throat, shifts around, and chews on his lower lip. a moment passes. he eyes what he thinks is souji's face, and lowers them to what he thinks is souji's mouth, and instantly wants to die again. his neck, his face, and his ears all feel like they're on fire. maybe he IS on fire and he actually gets to die? sweet salvation?? ]

Dude, I don't think anything could make me ready for this...

The sooner we get it over with, the sooner we get the ribbon off. [He'll lift his hand a bit for emphasis.

... This is still so weird, though. Souji shifts a bit, rubbing at the back of his neck with his untied hand.]

[ as if on cue, the ribbon gives a small tug and draws their hands even closer as it shortens. yosuke bites down harder on his lip and takes a deep breath. just one kiss! one tiny peck. a brotherly peck! and it could be a lot worse -- at this party, he could've been stuck under the mistletoe with any weirdo. at least he's here with souji, and he can at least count on calm, dependable souji not to make this any weirder than it has to be. he exhales. ]

Yeah... yeah, you're right! Alright, here I go. Heeere I go. Doing this. It's happening. Yep.

[ he's leaning forward as he's talking and, before he can psyche himself out of it again, he quickly closes the remaining distance and presses his mouth against his best friend's, eyes screwed shut. ]

[... Yeah, there was basically nothing that could have readied him for this.

As Souji feels Yosuke's lips on his, he can feel his jitters increase by ten--no a hundredfold. He tilts his head slightly as his eyes slide shut.

... So, what was that about not making this weird?]

[ so here's how it was supposed to go: yosuke had planned on making as brief and minimal lip-to-lip contact as he possibly could while still technically calling it a "kiss". he'd go in, contact would be made, and souji would pull away smoothly. that was the plan.

and here's how it is actually going: souji is not pulling away. souji is, in fact, tilting his head and consequentially making it a hell of a lot easier for yosuke to press in closer, which should BY ALL ACCOUNTS be something he, a Straight Man Who Is Kissing Another Man, should not even consider doing, but for some reason is exactly what he finds himself doing. because it actually feels kind of... not wrong. and not awful. and completely not brotherly, which might be the worst part. souji's lips are warm and soft and the longer the kiss goes on the more quickly and harshly yosuke's heart starts beating and he has no idea what that means. when his brain catches up (and wow, does it take a lot longer than it should) he thinks he should probably break it off now if he has any hope of pretending they can go back to normal, but instead he parts his lips against souji's mouth and sucks in a short breath. ]

[Souji never thought himself particularly concerned about whether he was attracted to girls or guys, but... well, with Yosuke, it was a little different. They were just friends, and yet...

... Well, the fact that Souji was enjoying this kiss as much as he was kind of implying otherwise.

It's a while longer before he breaks the kiss and Souji keeps quiet in order to catch his breath. It doesn't even occur to him to check the ribbon.]

[ yeah, the goddamn ribbon that started this whole mess is the last thing on yosuke's mind when they finally part, so much that he doesn't notice it's untied itself and fallen to the floor. his heart is still pounding in his chest, and he's barely breathing at all -- in fact, he's convinced all of the oxygen in the room has disappeared. he swallows and licks his lips before he remembers where they just were, before he remembers that their faces are still really close, at which point he slowly (almost reluctantly) moves back.

there are a lot of occasions when it's hard to shut yosuke up. this isn't one of them; this time, he has no idea what to say. what can you say when you're forced to kiss your best bro and you end up liking it? ]

(no subject)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

YOU HAD ONE JOB

:'D

no subject