Open

[purple_reign]

WHO: Inanna and YOU
WHERE: Heropa and other cities
WHEN: Throughout February
WHAT: Catch all w/prompts
WARNINGS: Discussions of death, trauma, depression

OTA - Beaches near Heropa
[Looking for a break from the chilly temperatures of Maurtia Falls, Inanna's come down to Florida for a relaxing visit; not too far from Heropa. They won't be staying for long, but someone lucky enough could spot them out on the beach. It may still be too cold to go swimming, but it's just pleasant enough to lay back and soak up the warm sun. Even better is when the sun begins to set over the horizon, lighting the ocean up with rich orange and pink tones while the first pinpricks of stars begin to take their place in the sky.]


Semi-open - Heropa - The Lucky Cat Cafe
[And as long as Inanna's in the area, they may as well stop by a local business for a bite to eat. And maybe they have a little business to attend to with some of the staff here that they've been putting off. That doesn't mean they're entirely preoccupied with whatever that business is, of course. In fact, if they spot anyone lingering too long on the menu they'll take the chance to try to strike up a conversation.]

You should try the macarons. The vanilla lavender is amazing.

[And then there's the actual reason they're here—the Vorkosigans. Inanna made sure to send a text ahead to Cordelia to make sure she'd know when they were planning to stop by, but that doesn't guarantee that other members of the family won't find them first.]

[[OOC: If you want to use this for the Valentine's event just note it in your top level. I am 100% happy to roll with anything, but Inanna specifically won't be affected. Likewise if you want a specific thread that doesn't fit the open prompts you can hit me up at jiora for a top level or just comment with a starter of your own. ♥]]

Comments

Lucky Cat

[dendarii]

[ Indeed, Miles is here first, arguing gently with person making coffee. There's a list behind the counter with all of Miles' known allergies, and here he is stubbornly ordering a drink with some of his favorites in it. His neck is already covered in itchy red welts courtesy of that goddamned swear-in perfume. He can't seem to wash it off. And it's making him damned moody. Euphoric one moment, bleakly annoyed the next. Like right now. ]

Just make the order. I'll take full responsibility for it.

[ He rubs again at the hives on his neck. And looks over to see ... ah. ]

Hello, Inanna. What are you doing here?

[purple_reign]

[Just their luck. They sigh around a mouthful of food and plaster a smile on their face; relaxed, charming, and just a little tired.]

I'm waiting for a lunch date, and I thought I'd have a snack before she arrives.

[dendarii]

[ Miles feels just as enthused to see them too. ]

Oh? Who's the unlucky woman?

[purple_reign]

[It's so strange to be faced with such an aggressive person. Inanna had certainly had their critics, but nothing quite like Miles. It's much more reminiscent of all the things they'd been afraid of before being awoken to their divinity, and that makes it difficult to smile so easily through it. There's an uneasy tightness to their expression.]

Lady Cordelia. She insisted on it herself.

[keep_nothing]

[ She's a few minutes late, the porter heckling her because of her unregistered status more than usual today. But she slides in as Inanna recommends the menu, just taking a moment to look them over.

But damn why did Miles have to pick a fight with this prime example of Betan sexuality? The comm message they shared doesn;t do them justice at all. She allows herself to stare a bit before shaking her head a bit to clear her ingrained Betan imagination. ]

Vanilla lavender, huh? Don't mind if I do.

[purple_reign]

[Inanna looks just as pleased to see her, taking a moment of their own to give her an appreciative look and flashing a bright smile when she answers back.]

I'm sure you'll love it.

[keep_nothing]

I'm sure I will when you buy me two of them.

[ It's not a request, but at least she's smiling. Inanna was the one who wanted to solve the tension even if she's the one who pushed an in-person meet. She can take a little advantage of the situation. ]

[purple_reign]

[Inanna would have offered if she hadn't demanded anyway. They laugh lightly and add the sweets to their own order, giving her another look over their shoulder before they finalize it.]

Anything to drink?

Lucky Cat Cafe

[apotheoppose]

[Tara's in Heropa running errands for work, but she has time for a quick meal, and she's been recommended the Lucky Cat more than once. After the hassle at the Porter over her being Unsettled, she figures she might as well take the opportunity to give it a try -- she hasn't any idea when's the next time she'll be back in this city.

When walks in the cafe, she's clearly in in cognito mode: something hides the blue mark on her face, so aside from her style, height, and looks, she looks more or less...normal. Her outfit is stylish but casual, a look that wouldn't have been out of place on a London street.

She turns when she hears Inanna's recommendation, relief and happiness breaking across her face at their familiar voice.]

Inanna! What are you doing here?

[purple_reign]

Oh, Tara! [That happiness is mirrored in Inanna's own tone. They hadn't expected to run into anyone they knew down here, so this is a pleasant surprise.] I felt like getting a dose of warm weather for a day, so I was in the area and decided to stop here for some lunch.

[apotheoppose]

[Tara had figured the search for Inanna had resolved peacefully, given the lack of Luci and/or Persephone tearing up the rest of the imPort cities, but it's still wonderful to be able to confirm it in person.]

I'm so glad I caught you, then.

[She quickly places her order and heads over to Inanna's table.]

[purple_reign]

[Inanna shifts their plate and drink to make room for her at the table.]

I'm glad you did too. Have you been able to settle in well?

idk why he's in heropa but shhh

[redhott]

[ It's an easy hop over to Heropa where the beaches are miles and miles long, giving him plenty of room to train on the forgiving sand. Plus it's always a beautiful scene with the sun shimmering on the blue ocean. All the brilliant colors are at play in the sky while he puffs down the shore in running shorts and a thin hoodie.

Kyle's not one to get distracted easily, but Inanna isn't just anybody. When he sees him on the beach in front of him Kyle stops his endurance running to take a breather and chat the handsome man up. ]

Inanna. Hey. [ He's out of breath, but his smile is bright. ]

everyone loves sunny weather okay

[purple_reign]

[Inanna had been dozing lightly in the warm sun, but they perk right up when they hear Kyle call out to them. Of course they're in a snugly fitted speedo, because there's nothing better to wear when the entire point of being in the sun is to work on a good tan.]

Kyle! It's been a while. [They sit up and pat the sand beside them.] Why don't you come take a break with me?

[redhott]

[ Oh, yeah, of course. Way to be a tease, Inanna. But uhhh, it's not something Kyle will say no to, though. So he dusts off his shorts and what he can of his sneakers and jogs over to where his friend is set up on the warm sand. ]

Don't you get cold like that? It's a little early in year to be sun bathing, right?

Lucky Cat

[use_everything]

[ As Inanna talks with Miles, a small, quiet conversation between the server filling in the break and a .. man who is not so much tall as he is large in presense. Like many men as stoutly built, he's unnervingly soft on his feet for the most part. He doesn't so much intrude on the conversation as simply reach out with a large, square hand, and pluck Miles' drink out of his hands.


And offers another, safer, one with a supremely wry look.


Inanna was... Aral didn't honestly know how to address or consider Inanna. He'd never served much at Beta where androgyny was both style, gender and occasionally, politic at points. Nor did he know what to make of the coffee date with his wife, or the conversation with his son.

He ended up giving them a long, assaying look. ]

The vanilla lavender is, indeed, popular.

[dendarii]

[ Dammit Aral. Miles glares at him without heat. ]

Oh come on, Da. I can't possibly get any more hives. Let me at least enjoy the experience.

[use_everything]

[ That isn't a rational argument. So Aral doesn't even try tackling it. ]

Are you saying that wont be as good? [ He nods to the fresh cup of coffee. ]

[purple_reign]

[Inanna watches the exchange between son and father with an amused quirk to their lips. It's nice, in a way, to get to see this side of Miles. Something other than the furious, vengeful man they were familiar with. And then there's Aral, far from what Inanna had expected his father to look like. He's so much...more. Taller (than Miles, at least), broader, grimmer. The imposing attitude, at least, is familiar.

Inanna offers him a bright, star-lit smile.]

Which is your favorite?

[use_everything]

[ The large man looks a bit baffled, not particularly used to that question. Normally, when patrons ask about the sweets, they veer more towards the younger workers. Or just the more outwardly genial.

After a moment, he inclines his head. ]

I'm not partial to them. There's little to take from it. The mille feuille is better.

[keep_nothing]

[ What are timelines. Sometime after her lunch date with Inanna, she comes over to the counter where a certain barista is busying himself with not trying to eavesdrop on his wife. ]

[use_everything]

[ On the plus side, so much coffee got ground. ]

Captain. [ He sets down a cloth, looking over her expression and trying to read the weather in her eyes. ] Care for a moment away?

Heropa Beach

[hunksmash]

[ Sun and sand are typically a good plan, and Hunk walks the beach with decent frequency, shoes and socks in hand with the cuffs of his pants rolled up. Really, he'd be a pretty ordinary scene if it weren't for the robotic lion keeping step with him, both of their heads dipped slightly.

It's hard to ignore sometimes that this isn't the right Earth, or the right kind of sand on the right kind of beach, and that he's jammed into another strange situation, which is totally way worse when you're Officially Alone.

Except, you know. There's other imPorts, like that friendly person he'd met at another friendly person's Thanksgiving party. Hunk draws in a deep breath and perks up enough to at least offer a nice hello, hand raised in greeting. ]

Oh, hey. Uh. Inanna, yeah? How's it going?

[purple_reign]

Hm? [Inanna sits up, brushing bits of sand out of their hair, and flashes an uncertain smile in Hunk's direction. It brightens into something more genuine when they recognize him, at least.]

Oh, hey! Hunk, right? Right now it's going good. There's nothing to complain about on a day like this.

[hunksmash]

Well, if you put it like that...

[ Even Hunk's not sure if that's supposed to be sarcastic or not. He might be able to find something to complain about, definitely, but Inanna had said it with enough certainty that Hunk figured maybe he shouldn't be able to find something to complain about.

Whether or not that makes any sense is also up for debate. ]

I take it you're a beach fan? Or at least a fan of the warmest climate they'll let us have?