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[Since Vampire probably isnt yet used to having a diurnal schedule, it's probably safe to assume he's asleep. Whether in Sparkling's bed or flopped over the couch doesn't matter, because Sparkling has been out all morning. It's his day off, and what with recent events bringing some things to a head...he'd taken every coin he had and brought them with him to finally try summoning Mana.

And, well. It actually worked.]

Vampire! Vampire! Vampire wake up!

[It's probably nothing short of alarming, the way Sparkling suddenly rushes in and actually takes the former-cookie by one of his shoulders, shaking him enthusiastically in a way that's almost out of character. Almost. But he's just too excited to care about appearances just now, not even bothered by the way his hair has fallen askew out of the usual perfect combover he wears.]

You have to come with me Vampire, quickly!

[Even being shaken excitedly, it takes Vampire some time to come around. He'd been face-down in Sparkling's pillow - hehe, smells like champagne - and at first he just rolls over with a groan, flopping onto his back without opening his eyes. When the attempt to wake him persists, however, and he groggily realizes that's Sparkling's voice, his eyes blearily crack open.]

Hwhuh? Wha's goin' on? I gotta get up?

[On any other day, Sparkling might have been more inwardly fussed about Vampire sleeping in his bed. Their arrangement in the tiny one-person apartment had been tenuous at best, but fortunately since they operated on vastly different sleep schedules, it meant that Sparkling typically could sleep while Vampire was awake and vice versa. Typically.

But that couldn't be further from his mind right now as he tries to coax Vampire to get up despite the fact he's clearly still half asleep.]

Yes you do, now come on! Trust me! We're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry!

I don't wanna hurry...

[But get up he does, given that Sparkling's probably one of the only people who could ever actually get him to so quickly, stumbling to his feet and stretching his arms over his head. He'd... conked out in his regular clothes, as he did so frequently, so while he's looking a little rumpled he's at least decent.]

What's going on, where're we going?

[Vampire scratches at his chin, slouched over but ready to follow Sparkling wherever he may lead.]

Edited 2022-04-10 02:44 (UTC)

[Poor Vampire isn't going to get much of an answer, at least not yet. Sparkling is preoccupied with turning off the lights and locking the apartment door behind him before circling around to get behind Vampire, literally pushing the other ahead of him to urge him off the premises quicker. He knows Vampire will drag until they can sit down again, but fortunately there's a bus stop not far from the entrance to the complex. It's one he takes when he has to go into town further than work, but this time they're going even further than that.]

You'll see, just come on!

[And before Vampire knows it, they're on a bus. A bus that putters along and takes them right out of Bavan. It's not terribly far out of Bavan at least, but it's to a place that Vampire's never been before. He'll see the ocean in the distance as they approach some twenty minutes or so into the drive, prompting Sparkling to pull on the cord to signal for the bus to stop.

It pulls up to a road not far from where the boardwalk starts as Sparkling gets off, waving Vampire after him.]

Come on, it isn't far from here!

[...there's a ferris wheel in the distance.

Is he taking Vampire to an amusement park?]

[Dang, Sparkling is REALLY excited about something, to the point that it's almost uncharacteristic of him. Vampire just kind of ends up following along in a daze - though he conks out again on the bus and has to be re-awoken. If he realizes he had his head on Sparkling's shoulder the whole time he was out, he doesn't show it.

He perks up at the sight of the ocean in the distance, though, as well as the towering ferris wheel. He's definitely not been this far out, and it's a new sight indeed, although there's really only one conclusion that he first draws - and of course it proceeds to tumble out of his mouth immediately.]

Is that an amusement park? Uhhhhh, is this a date?

[Yeah, Sparkling is....showing more enthusiasm and excitement now than at ANY point since Vampire has gotten here, which is probably cause for slight alarm. He seems to be in his right mind though, no signs of hunger frenzy or any sort of weird changes happening as he practically jogs across the boardwalk with Vampire in tow, looking up and down until he remembers exactly which direction to head before continuing that way.]

Yes!

[He replies immediately, hearing the "Is that an amusement park?" question a fraction of a second before the second part.]

...w...wait, huh? No! No.

[God he didn't mean for that No to be so...emphatic, but there's no point in trying to reel it back in now. He just keeps staunchly looking forward as he goes along, able to feel the new bit of fur growing along the back of his neck bristle with embarrassment.

There is a bit of a walk from the bus stop to the location Sparkling is referring to, but all along the strip there seem to be establishments of all kinds. Restaurants, inns, entertainment...it's separated from the actual amusement park at the end of the boardwalk some miles off from where they've ended up. No, where Sparkling is taking Vampire is on one corner of the strip all to its own, flanked on its right by another building while the left remains open, facing the sea and beach beyond.]

I wanted to show you- this!

[This is a bar. Two stories with a balcony and looking eerily similar to a certain building from home, save for the twin signs hanging up both as a hanging wood-burned placard over the door and a larger version fixed to be lit in neon up in the center face of the building, each one depicting a hanging bat made from a bunch of grapes.]

Welcome to The Grapevine!

Oh.

[Vampire doesn't say anything else about Sparkling's response to that question, though the disappointment in his voice is definitely there. Geez, he shouldn't have said anything to begin with, stupid. Of course someone as put-together as Sparkling wouldn't want a slob like him.

The sinking feeling in his heart is quickly pushed aside once they arrive however. Vampire looks up at the sign, the stylized grapes immediately catching his eye, then follows it to the rest of the building, his eyes going wide.]

A bar? Sparky, is this yours?

[Fortunately (or unfortunately?) Sparkling is too preoccupied to notice Vampire's disappointment. It's probably a good thing that awkward moment is short lived- at least for now- because no sooner does it pass before Vampire's attention has been grabbed by the real main attraction, here.

Sparkling nods emphatically as he gestures up at the sign hanging near the door.]

It is! I asked Mana to give me my Bar back, and...well, it's not exactly what I envisioned, it's even better than that! It's almost like having a real building from the Kingdom here!

[Sparkling has already given himself a thorough tour of the building and it's even more exciting on the inside, which is why he's quickly making his way to the door to.....immediately struggle a bit with the doorknob, damn these wings of his.]

Come look at the inside, it's incredible!

Edited 2022-04-10 03:53 (UTC)

It sure is! I like the name!

[Vampire gives a giddy laugh, trotting eagerly after Sparkling. He can't wait, to the point that when Sparkling fumbles with the doorknob, he reaches out and places his hand over Sparkling's claw to turn it for him. No hesitation, no being weirded out by the appendages, just casually helping like it's not weird at all for Sparkling's arms to have turned into awkward bat wings.]

[The way Vampire immediately moves to help him does not go unnoticed by Sparkling; he doesn't make a big deal of it, though he does note the way that makes him feel as they open the door together, Sparkling bringing his arm back to himself once they've stepped inside.

And, well...there's quite a bit of building to explore here. From the main floor to the bar itself, the fireplace and the stage where a beautiful piano sits...and that isn't even touching on the stairs leading up to the second floor, which Sparkling takes upon himself to explain as he pulls the door shut with his heel.]

This isn't just my bar. It's going to be where I live now once I get everything moved over- and where you will live, if you'd like. There's a space for an apartment upstairs that's much, much bigger than where we've been staying.

Whoa.

[Vampire is agape at the interior, honestly - it feels like the moment he stepped inside he was back in the kingdom. Of course, it's currently empty and quiet, but he can just imagine it fully lit and bustling with patrons and laughter, Sparkling behind the bar with that practiced smile of his...]

Sparky, I think this place might be nicer than your bar back home. And... we're gonna live here? I can live in a bar!?

[A WHOLE NEW WORLD HAS JUST BEEN OPENED TO HIM]

That's right. With a few ground rules, of course.

[Ah, of course there would be a catch...Sparkling talks as he crosses the floor, making his way over to the bar proper as he traces his claws along the surface, just so he can feel the smooth wood grain underneath. It looks so much like it could be chocolate, yet it isn't.]

You're welcome to be on the floor any time the bar is open, just the same as you would have been back home. But I do expect you to take breaks and stagger your drinks unless you want to be cut off an hour after we open.

[And then he adds, because he knows you Vamp-]

I also can't open the bar after hours, otherwise I won't have time to sleep. Not to say a drink or two can't be had in the comfort of one's own home, but...still. This is an establishment as much as it is a home, so there will still need to be a small degree of separation between the two.

[The hypocrite who NEVER STOPS WORKING EVER said hypocritically.]

[Ah, of course. Vampire might have expected something like this. He loves his juice - or whatsitcalled here again - it's true, but Sparkling has been insistent on how bad it is for him here to a degree he never quite was back home. Well, it's technically something a little different even if it has the same effect, so maybe that's true, he doesn't know. It's frustrating, though. Vampire frowns, scrunching his nose up and crossing his arms.]

Yeah, yeah, just like you've already lectured me about. Don't worry so much, I'll be fine. I guess running your whole own bar means you won't be workin' at the casino anymore?

[Honestly, Sparkling just doesn't want to see his best customer die of alcohol poisoning. At least with juice, that was never an issue...

Meanwhile, a sane person's answer to that question would be "yes", but...Sparkling sort of shrugs one shoulder as he steps along towards the stage, eyeing the piano as he tries to mentally map out where he's going to place the machines he picked up during the tech shower not long ago.]

Well...not exactly. I haven't planned to give up my position there just yet. I'm part time after all, so I'll just let Horatio know I need to be assigned a few less hours. I'm not just going to leave him high and dry out of nowhere.

[It's been...a few days now, since quite a lot of revelations were made on the floor of this very bar. Now, Sparkling understood that talking to Vampire probably wasn't something that needed to wait for a few days, but...he'd needed some time to mentally process everything that had just happened, because it was a lot. Between the conversation with Joshua, and then the one he'd had with Vampire immediately after...well. Vampire had kissed him, and it was an instance that hadn't lasted all that long before the two had to part for more physical reasons than mental. Sparkling distinctly remembers Vampire getting some drinks in him not long after that, so the atmosphere between them was at least prevented from becoming too awkward.

At least...for a short while, anyway. Needless to say, while Sparkling wasn't even trying to avoid his Naga roommate in the slightest, their paths not crossing simply happened naturally as Sparkling fell like a whirlwind into his work, busying himself with restocking the bar and handling the larger influx of visitors due to the sudden uptick in the Pooka population. Vampire remained a mainstay in the bar, of course, but keen-eyed individuals might notice the two not making eye-contact for much longer than a few seconds at a time.

It's obvious, and it's becoming a problem. So...Sparkling decides it's finally time to confront his own feelings whether he likes it or not as he pokes his head into the den of his apartment where Vampire was currently sprawled in his coils across the couch, sleeping off the prior day's round of booze. Normally he'd catch Vampire actually in his bedroom, just sleeping wherever he landed and not caring too much about it...but it was a little more obvious now that he wasn't choosing to go there specifically right now, perhaps unconsciously sensing the same awkwardness that Sparkling had been.

With his heart nervously fluttering in his chest, Sparkling pads into the room as he shuts the bedroom door behind him. It's early morning, but it's a day off for the bar.]

...Vampire? Are you awake?

[Vampire's limbs give a sudden twitch, and he snorts, then falls still for a moment. He's sprawled with his back half over the arm, head hanging off into thin air, one arm dangling and the other across his chest, with his coils taking up the entire rest of the couch in an almost comically massive series of loops. It doesn't look comfortable at all.

Then he rolls over, his entire tail flipping at once along with him without budging an inch, dangling both arms over the arm along with his head. How does he not have a serious crick in his neck by now?]

Mrrrgh. No.

[He's totally awake, he's just hoping that whatever Sparkling wants isn't going to require him to move. Well, he's awake now, anyway. He wasn't a moment ago, but... Sparkling's voice can just pull him back out of himself like that, you know?]

Why, what's up?

Mm, I'll take that as a yes.

[Sparkling replies as he quietly steps around the couch, turning an ear in the direction of the radio he keeps near the TV. It seems that everything is still off from the night prior though, so he doesn't need to go around turning things down. He figures it best to have Vampire's full attention if they're going to actually try to talk about this.

He just wishes his heart would stop hammering so, to the point where he's certain Vampire must be able to hear it.]

It isn't anything urgent. I just wanted to speak with you, is all.

[There's a moment where he considers having a seat in one of the chairs opposite the couch, but after eyeing the way Vampire's all coiled up on the cushions...he thinks of a better alternative.]

May I...?

[He indicates....well, what sliver of available space might actually be on the couch right now along with the rest of Vampire's body.

[Vampire has to actually prop himself up on his arms to look over his shoulder at what Sparkling's gesturing about - because he knows he's gesturing just from his inflection - but when he does his face instantly lights up.]

Yeah, of course! You don't have to ask, Sparky!

[Not even if Vampire wasn't cold blooded and feeling constantly warmth starved! He even pulls some of his coils aside to widen that one possible bit of actual couch cushion space - good thing Sparkling's small now, huh.]

Hell, you can even sit on me like a couch if y'want. Not like I move much, heheh.

[A good thing indeed...it's not surprising though that Vampire replies like that, prompting Sparkling to take the offered seat. It's basically impossible for him to sit without sitting somewhat on...some part of him though, but he supposes that can't be helped. At least he's able to keep his tail on the couch with his legs draped over Vampire's actual snake body.

Goodness.

He shakes himself back into the present, bringing a paw up to anxiously groom the side of one cheek for a moment now that he's here and Vampire is looking at him expectantly.]

It's about the other day. We left things......a bit unresolved.

Oh! Well yeah, of course we did! We can't even kiss properly!

[The whine in Vampire's voice is keening as he flops over on top of himself, sprawling his torso in the other direction now across Sparkling's lap. Look, if you give a mouse a-

-uh

-if you give a cookie a snake body? I got nothin'. But what else is having so much length good for if not layers of cuddle, right?]

[Sparkling blinks, giving a soft exclamation under his breath as Vampire just flops across his lap. Welp. Now he's sitting both over and under Vampire's body, with Vampire practically tosses himself across the Pooka's legs. He lifts his paws slightly, and...ultimately while one of them remains nervously up near his face, he'll settle the other atop Vampire's head.

If he wasn't red under all of that fluff before, he sure is now.]

Y-yes, but that isn't...quite what I meant...

[His nose twitches as he tries to look at Vampire directly, wanting to be addressing him properly when he says this.]

We didn't...establish the status of our relationship. [To put it bluntly, and also needlessly wordy.] Which is partly my fault, I...did get a bit caught up with work.

Edited 2022-06-21 03:04 (UTC)

[Vampire smiles blissfully as Sparkling's hand settles on top of his head, relaxing until he might as well be liquid. He does turn his head as he realizes Sparkling's trying to look him in the eye, though, making at least something of an attempt to meet him halfway.]

Huh? Establish the status? Ehhhhhh... you mean like, are we going steady or whatever? Do we even really have to?

[It's enough to him, he thinks, to have realized that Sparkling seems to return the feelings he's been trying to sweep aside for so long - and they can kiss! If uh, if Sparkling isn't a rabbit forever now, maybe. Anyway, Vampire's never been one to try to label or categorize everything. That just seems exhausting. But if Sparkling wants to, though...]

[Sparkling knows Vampire better than to think he's being intentionally callous when he says that, but regardless it does sting a little. It's a very big deal and constitutes an important step to take, as far as Sparkling is concerned.]

I wouldn't call it that, so much...

["Going steady" puts an implication on them both that Sparkling feels might be...a little too restricting, especially when they're both so new to this to start. Not that he doesn't intend to be totally devoted to Vampire, if...they are what he hopes they are.

Either way, he imagines that's what Vampire is thinking. So he decides to clarify, stroking his paw through Vampire's hair.]

What I mean to ask...is if we are partners now, or not.

Boyfriends.

[At that last word, Vampire's eyes go wide.]

Boyfriends...

[Then, in a flash - maybe a bit too fast; he still hasn't quite learned how to curb that urge to move at striking speed when excited - he's pulled himself upright, hands on Sparkling's shoulders as he almost pins him back against his own coils.]

Sparky!!! Are we boyfriends now?? I mean, can we be?? Can I tell people that??

Ah-!

[Sparkling exclaims softly in spite of himself, the fluffy white and yellow fur all around the back of his neck and shoulders bristling with surprise when Vampire moves so suddenly towards him. As long as he's a Pooka, he won't be able to completely shake that immediate prey instinct, the compulsion to just go completely still in the hopes that a potential predator will drop the chase. But...he knows better than to think this really means anything, and thus forces himself to relax.

A hard thing to do when the topic at hand is enough to leave his heart pounding.]

I- I thought I was asking you that...

[He sighs, but...it's in a good natured way, his ears laying back against his head.]

...I would like it very much if we were. You can tell people as much as you'd like.

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHARACTER NAME/ALIAS. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.07.154.55 * grapjuic has joined 018.07.154.55 <grapjuic> hy its vamp <grapjuic> say stuff i guss i dunno if ill chck it tho <grapjuic>** also how do u gt juic out of kybord my ky brok