Yukito & Erin Maki's Apartment

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"Aww... no energy? Maybe you need sugar...." More giggles as she kissed him again. "Maybe I'll be contagious to you..." He rolled his eyes at her, but didn't push her away or resist her as she tried to 'energize' him with her emphatic kisses. Then, she gave a little sound of realization. "Yukito!! Tonight you don't have to sleep on the stupid friggen couch! You can sleep with me!" The thought had struck them both at almost the exact same time, and that made him smile.

She paused for a moment before bursting into laughs. "See what I did there!? Oh hey, wanna open some of the presents? Or look at the pictures?!" Yukito's face expressed that he didn't quite get the joke she had made, and he tried to piece together what she might have meant. He got the feeling it would make him blush once he deciphered it, though. Erin fell onto him, arms wrapped around him and her unique scent surrounding.

"Aww, Leigh! Hey, sweetie!" Erin pulled away, apparently speaking to the fuzz of a kitten that had tugged her attention away from Yukito. Leigh gave a little mew by way of greeting, allowing herself to be picked up by Erin and cuddled. "You're not gonna get jealous now, are you, Leigh?"

“Jealous?” Yukito queried with amusement, though he couldn't make much effort to joke. He really was tired from the trip.

Erin kissed the top of the kitten's furry head, a sweet little gesture. "Maybe Leigh wants to see the pictures!"

“Or maybe she wants to open up those gifts. Or take a nap.” Yukito yawned, glancing over at the mountain of presents. “They really outdid what I expected. I'm kind of afraid to see what's inside them.” He let out a wearied sigh, then went to the bedroom to bring out Erin's laptop, taking the camera from her and plugging it into the computer. It began to charge, and offered to extract all the photos onto the computer. He started the extraction then got up to go into the kitchen, pulling out the batteries from the drawer Erin never actually checked. “You thirsty?” There weren't any sodas in the fridge, so he threw a couple in and got them cups of water instead, coming to flop back on the couch next to her. He took a sip, leaned in and spotted a few of the thumbnails, and nearly choked on his water. Yukito continued to cough and splutter as he sent Erin a look. “You're insane! It's gonna take a week to get all of these, not to mention you took photos of...” He leaned in forward to look, then scowled, recognizing himself, sleeping flopped across the floor of their hotel room. Himself eating breakfast. The curtains in the hotel room, photos of most every meal they'd eaten... Random umbrellas. Himself buying something. “The most ridiculous things...”

[GGJ5]

Erin Maki

"You're not gonna get jealous now, are you, Leigh?" Erin asked the kitten playfully, scratching her head between the ears. "You're so sooooft..." she cooed softly.

“Jealous?” [/b Yukito echoed with a halfhearted laugh.

"'Course. Everyone's secretly jealous of us," she joked back before giving Leigh's head a kiss before letting her go. The kitten decided it was more fun to stay on the couch and stood on top of Erin's lap, very alert. "Maybe Leigh wants to see the pictures!"

“Or maybe she wants to open up those gifts. Or take a nap.” Yukito yawned.

Erin giggled, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "Don't project your emotions on my kitty!"

She followed his eyes to the pile of presents. “They really outdid what I expected. I'm kind of afraid to see what's inside them.”

"Twelve toasters toasting, eleven platters platting, ten irons steaming, nine, uhh... lords a-leaping?!" She burst into more giggles, wrapping her arms around the torso of a very sleepy new husband. "You try to do some!"

Yukito let out a sigh, disappearing for a short minute and returning with Erin's laptop. "Pictures?" she chirped, crawling onto her knees while still on the couch. He took her camera without saying anything and hooked it up to the computer, bringing it to life and importing the images.

"Aw, look how beautiful we are!" she chirped as Yukito slipped into the kitchen.

“You thirsty?”

"Mmhmm! Aritagooo!" She held out her hand for the cup from the moment he offered to the moment he sat back down, grinning all the while.

Suddenly a choking, sputtering sound came from Yukito. "What?" Erin started, seeing the expression on his face.

“You're insane! It's gonna take a week to get all of these, not to mention you took photos of...” He leaned forward to examine the hundreds of thumbnails a bit more closely. Erin followed suit. "What?" she repeated, thankful that he wasn't, you know, really choking.

“The most ridiculous things...”

"Hmmm? Those aren't ridiculous! They're memories!" she objected happily. "See, that's our first breakfast together as a married couple! And that's important because it's a picture of the balcony outside our room where we spent our first night as a married couple, and those are the curtains in the room, so they're important, too, and that's the clothes line we used to avoid the hotel laundry, and those are your clothes out there drying, and, oh, there's the dolphin picture! If you zoom in I bet you can see their fins sticking out of the water! And that's my surfing picture! Oh, and there's that picture that waitress took of us at dinner the second night we were there!" She clicked on the picture to make it full screen and smiled at the memories it presented. "Mmm..." Erin sighed, leaning back onto Yukito. "You looked simply smoldering there, you know," she told him, grinning and waiting for that adorable blush.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

“You're insane! It's gonna take a week to get all of these, not to mention you took photos of...” He leaned forward to examine the hundreds of thumbnails a bit more closely. Erin followed suit.

“The most ridiculous things...”

"Hmmm? Those aren't ridiculous! They're memories!" she retorted, every syllable a fountain of giddiness as she started in on an explanation. "See, that's our first breakfast together as a married couple! And that's important because it's a picture of the balcony outside our room where we spent our first night as a married couple..” Yukito was already starting to flush. Trying not to mention certain things around Erin didn't go so well. God, she's probably going to bring up all the details to Cassie and who knows who else.

”And those are the curtains in the room, so they're important, too, and that's the clothes line we used to avoid the hotel laundry, and those are your clothes out there drying, and, oh, there's the dolphin picture! If you zoom in I bet you can see their fins sticking out of the water! And that's my surfing picture! Oh, and there's that picture that waitress took of us at dinner the second night we were there!" She continued to squeal about several photos, then leaned forward for the dinner photo of them both and made it full screen.

"Mmm..." Erin sighed, leaning back onto Yukito, easily fitting into her place against his shoulder, his arm rising up around her to support her. "You looked simply smoldering there, you know," she told him, grinning.

“What?” he queried, trying not to give into the embarrassment he knew she was waiting to see. But he could feel her eyes on him as he leaned forward and went back to the other photos. “I guess that photo is okay and all. But most of these don't really mean anything. You just took a photo of something there and labeled it 'our first such-a-thing as a married couple'.” He smirked, then turned to move against her, a little timidly. “Some first such-a-things I don't mind as much as others.” He touched his forehead to hers, sure he was flushed across his whole face, but at least she was close enough for him to kiss her softly.

[GGJ5]

Erin Maki

"Mmm..." Erin sighed, leaning back onto Yukito. Naturally he wrapped his arm around her. It was so nice to be able to be so close to him and not have to worry about or think about any barriers. There were none. "You looked simply smoldering there, you know," she told him, grinning. He still wasn't used to her dropping compliments like that, and partly, she did it to tease him. But a bigger part knew it was true what she said. He didn't seem to think so, and had said several times how he wanted to change his face and stuff, but she loved it. She loved the way he looked, the way he felt when she leaned against him or lay beside him. Erin loved the feel and smell of his hair when she played with it, running her fingers through his haphazard locks. She loved the sound of Yukito's voice and how it reverberated through him when she leaned against him. She loved the color of his eyes, the almost artistic shape, like God stroked them onto his face with the most soft of brushes He had. She loved the way his lips moved when he thought, and the way they felt when they kissed. No one was as handsome as he was. It amazed her sometimes.

“What?” Yukito's puzzled voice pulled her out of her reverie. She watched him as he browsed through more photos, ignoring her comment. Erin's lips formed a pout. You're supposed to say something back... or at least do something. I meant that when I said it. Just 'cause you're shy... “I guess that photo is okay and all. But most of these don't really mean anything. You just took a photo of something there and labeled it 'our first such-a-thing as a married couple'.”

"But that is what it means," Erin objected, still slightly injured. "All those things are special now. Don't you think so?" She looked up at him, her face purely inquisitive.

He smirked, then turned to move against her again. “Some first such-a-things I don't mind as much as others.” He touched his forehead to hers, kissing her with his warm, soft face so close to hers. But his sentence didn't make sense to her. What was he trying to say? She giggled, kissing him back slowly. "I have no idea what you were trying to say, you know," Erin told him quietly, then punctuated it with another kiss. "But you can just say the same thing in Japanese and we'll be okay," she added, giving him a very drawn-out kiss as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Aishiteru..."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

“What?” He continued to go through the photos while Erin pouted on. “I guess that photo is okay and all. But most of these don't really mean anything. You just took a photo of something there and labeled it 'our first such-a-thing as a married couple'.”

"But that is what it means," he could hear the defensiveness in her voice. "All those things are special now. Don't you think so?" She looked up at him, her face purely inquisitive.

He smirked, then turned to move against her again, initiating the contact this time, close and intimate. “Some first such-a-things I don't mind as much as others.” Erin just giggled.

"I have no idea what you were trying to say, you know," Erin told him quietly, making his smile vanish unexpectedly. But she met his frown with a quick kiss. "But you can just say the same thing in Japanese and we'll be okay," she added, giving him a very drawn-out kiss as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. He rolled his eyes. "Aishiteru..."

Responding to her cuddles, he moved in closer unil he was practically on top of her, pressing his forehead against hers and leading her back down onto the couch. He whispered to her in his native language sweet little things she would probably never understand, finding it hard to control his smile as he did so. Then pressed his lips to hers for a long, lingering moment, pulling on her lower lip a little as he drew back. “Maybe I didn't need sugar. Hmm..”

[GGJ5]

Erin Maki

Pulling herself close to Yukito, Erin breathed a content sigh. It would never get old, feeling him so close. When you could be close enough to feel the other person's breathing, to imagine both heartbeats reaching out towards each other with each beat. It might have been a cheesy thing to say, or think, or admit even crossed your mind, except for that it was real and it was beautiful and so good.... "Aishiteru..."

Yukito picked up it, pressing his forehead against hers as he leaned closer, pushing her down a bit into the couch as she clung to him. He started whispering things and telling her things that she didn't have to understand to know she loved. His lips met hers in a slow, lingering kiss. “Maybe I didn't need sugar. Hmm..” Easily and naturally, the one kiss turned into many more, not all on the mouth. Erin forgot that she meant to tell him she'd meant "sugar" as in kisses earlier anyway. "We don't have to stay on the couch, you know," she muttered between kisses. "...for this...."

Suddenly a tiny flash of fluff appeared at Erin's shoulder, nosing her with a tiny mew. And another one. Erin sighed. "Lei-igh...." Not now... Leigh meowed again, and moved to sit on top of her. Erin's eyes narrowed. "Really? Really." She sent Yukito a smile with a lingering hint of frustration. "Toldya so."

[More than Music]

OOC: SPECIAL PARTY FOR ERIN-CHAN. THEME: WILD WEST. YEE-HAW. ^_^ We ♥ you sensei!
Leave it to Cassayaki for a few posts, then join in everypony! ;P
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou -- with matching jeans tucked into these boots[/b]

Shifting the bags on his shoulders and in his arms as he came off of the bus, he looked towards the house and couldn't help but smile. He did love so many people, but there was only a handful of people he would lug all this stuff around on the bus for.

It had been such a long time since they'd gotten together as a group.

But he knew one person they would all be willing to celebrate, one person they could all agree deserved the best birthday in the world, one person who would light up as she came in the door.

'Ah, Erin-chan. We love you so much.'

It had even been enough to help Kagayaki to gather up the courage to speak to Cassie, to help him with the planning. It was nice, having her around again, seeing her happy to do something for Erin. She would following him soon, she'd said she had a few other things still to get ready.

And that wasn't the only thing in the process. He'd worked really hard and finally was able to master the oven over the summer, and one of the bags he was carrying was full of yummy pumpkin treats for Erin. Since pumpkins were for Erin. The biggest thing was pumpkin pie... it had really given him some trouble, and Chance-san had been laughing at him for the last few weeks because of all the shrieks of defeat.

But he'd done it! And one of the bags in his arms was an old pizza carrier that held a few carefully packed pies. Now he just had to reheat them.

He had gotten a few looks on the bus for his costume too, but he'd convinced everyone to dress up in costumes for the party, and he knew if he didn't put it on before he left, he'd forget it.

Coming up to the door of the Makis' house, he sighed with relief when he saw the Volvo was gone. Good, Yukito had already taken Erin out. So, while him and the others set up the party for Erin, the two lovebirds would be out having fun. Then they'd come back and have more fun! Just thinking about it made his smile grow as he unlocked the door with the spare key Yukito had lent to him.

Carefully coming inside, he set everything down and let out a heavy breath. So much stuff for throwing a party...

He shut the door up but didn't fasten all the locks, so he wouldn't have so much to fumble over when Cassie came over.

He rubbed the back of his neck and shoulder, looking around and trying to picture where they would put all the decorations. He began to slowly unpack his bags, setting out all the various orange and black decorations -- including their group favorite, crazy string -- as well as the treats.

Glancing at the door, he smiled, hearing a car out front. He peeked out the window. Cassie. He beamed, unlocking the door -- ah, he fumbled a bit even on the one lock -- and bounced out to her car and quickly opening her door for her.

"Hi-hi, Cassie-chan!" he said, shifting happily. "Can I, help you, with anything?"

The English still came a little slowly, because he was trying to say it clearly, but at least he knew what to say now. That was such a relief. Especially around Cassie, because, in the back of his mind, he was always still a bit afraid of her not understanding his English.

Some wounds wouldn't heal easy, but he was happy to have her around again.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright (Cassie is wearing this skirt instead of the jeans in the picture)

Her car radio was blaring country music to get in the mood for the Wild West party as Cassie drove up to Erin and Yukito's apartment. Wild West. A silly theme for a costume party, really--didn't give much up to interpretation, as there were only so many costumes one could choose from--but Kagayaki had insisted. And since it was a party for Erin, Cassie hadn't protested, but instead willingly agreed to help. It was weird, teaming up again to do something for Erin. It reminded her of when they had first met over the internet and arranged for Kagayaki to visit, to cheer Erin up. It seemed like another lifetime ago. Now she and Kagayaki had dated and broken up, Shelby had become a zombie and then rose from the ashes of her old self like a phoenix--with a boyfriend, no less!--Yukito had gotten shot and married Erin.

Would the person I was then recognize who I've become now? Would she recognize any of us?

She caught sight of herself in the rearview mirror and flashed herself a smile. Don't think so much!

But she had to think. Because as great as it was to hang out with Kagayaki again, she wasn't sure how he would react to learn that Cassie had invited...a date to Erin's party.

She shook her head, turning the radio up louder as if the music would push away her worries. "Can I get an thank God, hallelujah, you finally saw what she was doing to ya..." she sang along.

She pulled up to Erin and Yukito's place and got out of the car, readjusting her skirt and cowgirl hat before grabbing all of the party supplies--including a cake and her gift for Erin--and walking up to meet Kagayaki at the door. "Great outfit," she said with a laugh. "Nah, I've got it. Help me set it up, will ya?"

[More than Music]

OOC: Adjusted my last post when I realize I'd forgotten the other links. lol! Silly me.
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

And here they were. It was kind of like before everything, wasn't it? Getting together to do something nice for their friends. Like the reason he'd come. They'd both grown up a lot since that had happened, hadn't they? They were men and women now.

Sometimes, he wished they weren't. He wish they could be teenagers again... back when baking together didn't feel strange, and spilling flour all over themselves was just another part of the adventure. Now, his hands didn't shake so much, and he found it easier to think clearly around Cassie.

But he'd lost something that had been more important to him for a long time.

He looked up to see Cassie pulling in, smiling. Good. The earlier they got set up, the sooner the others would be coming... he couldn't wait to see Erin's face when she saw they'd thrown her a party. He bet she'd thought they'd forgotten about her birthday party, since they'd all grown so distant lately.

Who could forget the girl they all loved so much? No, these friendships were going to last lifetimes. They'd worked hard for that. And there was Erin, at the center. She always would be.

He held the door open for Cassie, bouncing a little. "Hi-hi, Cassie-chan!" he said, shifting happily.

She came out of her car, and Kagayaki's smile grew. Good, she'd gone all out too. He'd felt a little silly, dressing up alone. He was used to cosplaying with several friends... it was a comfort to see he wasn't alone.

"Oh," he said, calming himself just long enough to coolly tilt his hat in greeting before he fell into giggles. "I would be, bad cowboy, yeah?"

"Great outfit," Cassie laughed, and he nodded.

"You too!" He glanced at her whole costume for a moment. "I like, your, skirt!" he added with a chirp, before taking in her load of things. "Oh! Can I, help you, with anything?"

"Nah, I've got it." Of course. Cassie Wright, the independent little woman. He just smiled and shook his head a little.

"You should be, let-letting, good gentlemen carry, all them, silly things," he teased, stepping back to hold the door open wide for her as she went inside.

"Help me set it up, will ya?"

"Okay!" He was quick to inspect the things she had brought, his eyes lighting up at the sight of every new thing. "Cake!" He swooped it up, standing up as if at attention. "Should I, put in, here?" He gestured towards the fridge. "Oh!" He pointed towards the baked goodies he'd brought with a proud smile. "I made these," he said, clearly. "For Erin-chan! Pumpkins are, for her, she says. So, I make, pumpkin, things!"

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

She thought it was a little weird that he was there waiting to open her car door for her, but Cassie didn't say anything. He was probably just excited for the party and eager to get everything ready. "Great outfit," she commented as she got out of the car and started to gather up all her things.

"You too!" He glanced at her whole costume for a moment. "I like, your, skirt!"

Cassie laughed. "Much obliged," she said in a fake Western accent, doing a little spin and making the skirt billow out. "Oh! Kagayaki cried, "Can I, help you, with anything?" When Cassie assured that she could handle everything by herself--she had gotten it in to the car without any help, so it stood to reason she could get everything out of it by herself too--Kagayaki shook his head at her.

"You should be, let-letting, good gentlemen carry, all them, silly things," he told her. Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, getting slightly annoyed now. Who was he to say she couldn't do something by herself? "I'll have you know that the Wild West was full of strong, independent women who didn't need a man's help." Granted, most of them were prostitutes, but he doesn't need to know that. "Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane..." she paused, searching for another strong woman to add to her list, but her mind was blank. "Sacajawea..." Okay, that was a stretch and if she remembered right Sacajawea lived way before the true Wild West era, but chances were Kagayaki wouldn't know who any of these people were anyway. "All independent and awesome. I'm just following the theme!" She brushed past him and into the house with a smile. "Help me set it up, will ya?"

"Okay!" he cried, looking over all the things she brought like a little kid on Christmas day. Cassie's smile faltered a bit. It seemed sometimes that, since the shooting at the Mardi Gras party, Kagayaki had been acting more like a child than before, which was concerning. "Cake! Should I, put in, here?"

Cassie shook her head. "Freezer. It's an ice cream cake, it'll melt otherwise. I know that Yukito has an odd fascination with cheesecake, but you can never go wrong with an ice cream cake."

"Oh!" I made these," he said, gesturing. Cassie took a look inside the pizza box, seeing two foil pie tins. "Pumpkin pie?" she asked.

"For Erin-chan! Pumpkins are, for her, she says. So, I make, pumpkin, things!"

"I'm impressed, pumpkin pies are tricky. Did you make the crust from scratch or use a pre-made one? I say pre-made is the way to go, so much easier...anyway, great. I love pumpkin pie too. So perfectly fall-ish."

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"You should be, let-letting, good gentlemen carry, all them, silly things," he said, light-heartedly.

Cassie raised an eyebrow, like he had said something he shouldn't have. He tilted his head to the side slightly, confused. "Are you kidding me?" There was something wrong with her voice.

"...Yes? No?" he tried, unsure.

"I'll have you know that the Wild West was full of strong, independent women who didn't need a man's help."

Oh no!

He held his hands up. "I... I did no mean..."

"Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane..." she paused a moment, and he bit his lip. "Sacajawea..." His face twisted with confusion. He wasn't even going to try and figure out how to say that. "All independent and awesome. I'm just following the theme!"

His hands up in mock-surrender as she went past him, he tried to find something to say. "I, I did not mean, you could not, Cassie! I meaned... meant..." He sighed, letting his hands fall. "I mean, I want to help..."

Turning to look at her, a little helpless, he saw her smiling. "Help me set it up, will ya?"

"Okay!" he chirped, glad she could forgive him. He went through everything to see what he should do first. "Cake! Should I, put in, here?" He gestured towards the fridge, unsure.

Cassie shook her head. "Freezer. It's an ice cream cake, it'll melt otherwise. I know that Yukito has an odd fascination with cheesecake, but you can never go wrong with an ice cream cake."

He laughed, nodding as he tried to fit the cake into the freezer. It was so cramped... "He does like that, yeah?" he answered, over his shoulder, still smiling. "But, it is, is very good!" He came across his pies and smiled brightly. "Oh!" I made these," he said, gesturing. Cassie looked over, curious, and he gasped slightly, pulling them out of the bag. Of course she couldn't see them! How silly of him.

"Pumpkin pie?"

Fighting his instinctive need to cry 'hai!' he swallowed first then, answered. "Yes! For Erin-chan! Pumpkins are, for her, she says. So, I make, pumpkin, things!"

"I'm impressed, pumpkin pies are tricky." He beamed. Oh, he knew they were tricky! "Did you make the crust from scratch or use a pre-made one? I say pre-made is the way to go, so much easier..." He was about to speak, but she seemed to falter a little. "...anyway, great. I love pumpkin pie too. So perfectly fall-ish."

His smile broke just slightly, but he shook his head just slightly to bring it back. "I make, all of it!" he told her, nodding fervently. "Is fun. I like... to bake." He nodded once more, then turned to the room. "Should put up... thing..." He picked up the paper chain he'd had wrapped around his neck earlier, to make sure it got crushed as little as possible. It should fit across the doorway... He stepped back and closed one eye, picturing it. Oh, it would fit.

But it was so... high... He pouted, sighing. "Need... tall persons..." He laughed, turning to Cassie. "Maybe, tall person, get here, soon. Said he would. For now..." He held up one finger, winking. "Need... music." He scrambled over to his bag, setting down his chain and pulling out several albums he'd worked out to play. Setting them up, he decided to start with this one he liked best: Long Black Train by Josh Turner.

He smiled at the song came on, looking over at Cassie, hoping to see her smiling too. "I like this," he said, quickly. "Do not... know... why... but makes my, heart, feel, good."

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

She could feel her palms begin to sweat, and it took every ounce of willpower Cassie had to stop herself from looking at the clock. Plenty of time, right? Oh, this had been a stupid idea from the start. What had compelled her to invite Cat, anyway? Who brings a date to a surprise party? And how would Kagayaki react when he realized what was going on? She gave a sigh so quiet she herself could barely hear it and tried to focus on Kagayaki's innocent chatter about baking and pumpkin pies, but Cat kept creeping into her thoughts again.

"I make, all of it!" Kagayaki crowed proudly, soounding like a little kid whose mother had let him bake cookies all by himself. Cassie smiled. "Kudos. Last Thanksgiving, Shelby and I tried to make pumpkin pie all by ourselves. It's a miracle we made it through without killing each other, because there were options. I ended up storming out and coming back with a Pillsbury premade crust and no one was the wiser. The pumpkin part is easy if you use canned pumpkin from the store like we did, but the crust is murder. But that's awesome that you managed it all by yourself!"

"Is fun. I like... to bake. Should put up... thing..." Cassie looked over to see him surveying the top of the doorway, trying to figure out the best place to hang his homemade paper chain. Cassie turned crimson, thinking of the store-bought decorations she had stashed away in her bag. Kagayaki had spent time on his decorations, making them 'with love', as people said, and Erin would probably adore them more than she would the stuff Cassie had bought. Why hadn't she thought of that? She was the artist, after all. She had her sketchbook in her bag...maybe she could whip something up real quick.

"Need... tall persons..." Kagayaki remarked. Cassie gave a little giggle along with him. "Aw, come on. You can do it. Just drag a chair over and stand on that.

"Maybe, tall person, get here, soon. Said he would. For now..."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "To what 'tall person' are you referring? You can't mean Yukito. He's smaller than you," she said teasingly. "

"Need... music." Without further ado, he went over and turned some on, a song that Cassie didn't recognize. "I like this. Do not... know... why... but makes my, heart, feel, good."

Cassie smiled, reaching into her bag for the 'Happy Birthday, Erin!' sign she had got customized at the party store. "I was listening to country on the way over here. A lot of Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert." She made a face. "Don't tell Erin and Yukito. They might disown me for it."

[mystmoonstruck]

Easy "Cat" Tanner

Easy sat in the back of the cab he had taken to the address Cassie had given him. He'd had to sneak out of the house because he feared being sent in one of the limos that seemed in endless supply to his "keepers", or so he thought of the men who had taken control of his life. With your OK, he jabbed at himself, trying to ignore the looks from the driver who seemed to want to dump his cowboy-dressed passenger. Maybe he was close to being off-work, Easy mused, since otherwise he had a fairly decent fare at hand. He had been taught to be a generous tipper, so he knew that he would be worth the wait. It was just that he couldn't overcome the dread of walking into a roomful of strangers. What if Cassie had no time for him? It had sounded as if she would be very involved in the party, and he would be standing there, probably trying to embed himself in a corner. Finally, he knew he could put it off no longer, leaning forward to pay the driver, smiling timidly in response to the man's surprised expression.

Once on the sidewalk, he took a moment to straighten clothing that felt strange to him. The black jeans were broken in, but the red Western-style shirt and black cowboy hat felt alien. Chance had bought him a pair of boots~black with red stitching, when he had tried teaching the youth horseback riding, so he was faintly accustomed to them though he missed his usual well-worn footwear, whether sneakers or the short boots he had learned to like while living in Paris. But, there was no way a cowboy would wear those. He might not know much, but he had picked up enough of that Western look to know what looked right. He hoped he did. Upon reaching the door, he took a deep breath and knocked, tentatively at first, then rapped with more force. Well, let's say that, if someone was standing at the door, waiting for a visitor, she might happen to hear him. As if to assure himself that he was ready, his left hand patted his pocket where, in a black velvet pouch, awaited a gift he hoped would be enjoyed.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

It was good, talking to Cassie about baking. She seemed to be feeling better. He hadn't seen her happy for a while, not seeming to care about the bad things that had happened to her.

...Well, to them. But he was through worrying.

"Should put up... thing..." He eyed the doorway, trying to figure out how best to hang it up. One thing he knew, there was no way he was going to be able to reach up there. "Need... tall persons..." They laughed together for a moment.

"Aw, come on. You can do it. Just drag a chair over and stand on that."

He laughed again. "Me? On chair? I fall!" Kagayaki shook his head, still smiling. "No. Maybe, tall person, get here, soon. Said he would. For now..."

"To what 'tall person' are you referring?" Cassie asked, making him look over.

Oh. Oh no. It was a good thing it wouldn't just be the three of them, at least. That wouldn't turn out well...

"You can't mean Yukito. He's smaller than you," she finished, and he smiled, shaking his head again.

"No, no, have, set up, before Yuyukun, get here," he said, setting down the paper chain. Maybe best not to talk or think about tackling that just yet. "Hmm..." He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his lower lip thoughtfully. "What else... Need... music." Rushing over, Kagayaki turned on one of the songs he'd gotten a bit attached to lately, smiling. "I like this. Do not... know... why... but makes my, heart, feel, good."

Seeing Cassie smile made his heart feel good too.

She pulled something out of her bag that made his eyes go wide. "Ohhh!" He put his hands on his face with surprise. "Very good!"

"I was listening to country on the way over here. A lot of Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert." Cassie paused to make a face. Kagayaki leaned forwards a bit, waiting. "Don't tell Erin and Yukito. They might disown me for it."

He laughed, putting his hands in his pockets. "Ohhh, no, I will not."

Just then, he heard someone knocking. He straightened, thinking it might be...

"I get it!" he offered quickly, rushing over to the door. He opened the door carefully, seeing an unexpected figure waiting there. Kagayaki stepped back, a bit unsure. Recognizable, yes, but he couldn't put a name to the face. But, he was dressed up for the party, so he had to be a guest. "Uh..." Not his smartest greeting.

He saw a car pulling in, and tensed.

Oh. That would be Tall Person.

Kagayaki bit his lip a little, then smiled at the young man in front of him. "Come in," he said a little breathlessly, moving aside. His eyes were distracted by the figures coming out of the car, and the smirk that was growing to be more familiar.

"Hey there, neighbor!" Clarence said easily, tipping the edge of his brown cowboy hat. Kagayaki put on a shaky smile. "Party doesn't start till the gorgeous ladies get there, so I bet you're glad I brought them with me."

"He-he," Kagayaki managed, shoulders tense. Clarence sent him a look. "Sorta of. Need you, help me, with..." He gestured what he guessed looked like a banner, and Clarence rolled his eyes. "Goes up high," Kagayaki pointed out.

'Please be good. Cassie and you do not get along so nice.'

[issie]

Jessica Seeley

Jess inhaled deeply as she exited the car. She hadn't been to a costume party in ages, but she wasn't going to show any indication of that. She was determined to go out and mingle, and that was exactly what she was going to do. It wasn't hard to go out and speak to people, because she had done it her whole life. Jess was born to be in crowds, though some hideously obnoxious people would say it was simply because of the lack of socializing at home that drove her to find company elsewhere. Either way, nothing was going to screw this event up. Straightening out her dress for what seemed like the millionth time, she scrutinized her reflection in the car for just a brief moment. It was no good looking at her reflection for too long, because then people might think that she was a vain lunatic. Jess had to admit, though- she looked absolutely stunning. The red saloon showgirl outfit she had purchased was perfect. The dark black feathers attached to the fabric seemed to be in all of the right places, and it hugged her form beautifully. Of course, it didn't originally come fitting so well. She had to take it to an alterations shop. An expensive one, of course, because there was no way she was going to have her outfit done incorrectly multiple times, like what she knew happened in the less pricey places. They had it fixed in no time, and she found herself pleased with the quality of work that they had accomplished. A bright red choker with a tiny amount of black lace was clasped around her neck, and small, dangling ruby earrings hung from her ears. Her hair was curled expertly, and a black, fuzzy feather contrasted with her blonde hair in a way that was almost artistic. She wore bright red lipstick (something she swore she would never do) and some way unbeknownst to her, it worked in with the costume beautifully. The dress itself was a similar red, with black lace for details. As usual, she wore Christian Louboutin black stilettos, loving the signature bright red on the bottom, and the way it always made her look stunning. Yes, she was ready.

Moving over towards the back of the vehicle, she opened the door to retrieve her bundle of joy. She was dressed as a little pink cowgirl, and her short hair was up in a little ponytail. Overall, Quinn was undeniably adorable. She was proud of the fact that even if Yukito and Erin had a baby, her Queeny would still be the cutest. Yes, Queeny. Originally, she had detested the nickname, but similar to Clarence himself, it was beginning to grow on her. "Hey sweetie." Jess cooed softly, unbuckling her seatbelt. "It's time to meet some friends." She smiled wide at the sight of her daughter's beautiful smile, and scooped her up in her arms. Even if she was old enough to walk, that action was purely out of habit, and denial that her baby girl was, in fact, getting bigger.

With her gorgeous baby in her arms, Jess turned her attention towards Clarence, who was already attempting to play the part of a cowboy, tipping his hat at the asian behind the door. "Hey there, neighbor!" She immediately added the asian's face to her mental list, composed of the people she needed to get to know better that night, while offering him a friendly smile. "Party doesn't start till the gorgeous ladies get there, so I bet you're glad I brought them with me." Shutting the car door behind her with her free hand, Jess caught herself looking at Clarence again. Country was never really Jessica's style, but she couldn't deny that he was very attractive, then. Suddenly, Jess realized that she was staring at him like a junior high child, and that there had been a whole conversation between the two of them, and she hadn't heard one single word of it. She could have smacked herself for being so blatantly rude. That was something that was absolutely not allowed to happen. Ever. Plus, she refused to give in to what feelings she thought she might have for Clarence, at least for now, anyway.

She saw him gesture to a banner, and Clarence rolled his eyes. "Goes up high," He said, and Jess instinctively arched an eyebrow. Apparently this man didn't know English.

"Well?" Jess asked after a moment's hesitation. "Are you going to help him or do you somehow have mind powers now, and can move things with your mind?" She said playfully. Quinn silently stared at Clarence and the stranger in turn, with wide eyes. Clearly, she was out of her element for the moment, but Jess was sure that once she got comfortable with everybody there, she would be just as adorably playful as ever. "It's nice to meet you, by the way." Jessica said, offering the man she didn't know another smile.