"Oh? Really?" While that question may have been one of concern for both, it's obvious that the large man was excited by the prospect, given his tone and despite his usual stoicism. Were he able to smile without frightening the guests at the wedding, he most certainly would have.

"Truthfully, I've been away from my gardening club for quite some time. Steven and I only moved into our manor in the Mistwood recently, so I haven't been able to accumulate my own garden." It was late in the season, too, but the Mistwood was likely not operating on the same seasonal schedule as the rest of the island.

"It's exciting to be able to engage with plants of a large number and variety. Perhaps if there are any offshoots, I could harvest them..?" It would be a wonderful payment, in all honesty. Oh, but Miss Kuroneko-

"Of course, we'll be sure to abide by the instructions you already gave. We cannot have her tricking us into altering her diet, after all."

★ --;; It's been a bit of a whirlwind; Vash keeps flitting back and forth between guests now that he's not entirely glued to Wolfwood by the hip ( though that doesn't stop him from making frequent pitstops back together again ). He's finally managed to get some food in him, having slowed down just the bit to do so, before he's back at it again. He's got his own drink in hand before getting stopped again.

"Oh, thanks!" Vash chirps. It's been impossible to get the same wide smile off his face that's been there almost the entire evening. It's far from the first time he's been congratulated in the past few hours, but each time is still deeply appreciated, each thanks genuine.

"Uh-- both for the congratulations and for helpin' us out-- we really appreciate it. There's-- uh-- a lot of plants at the house. Prrrrobably more than you're expecting," he laughs, hand coming up to the back of his head.

"So- ah- sorry if it's a bit of work." And then, as it suddenly pops into his head: "Oh-- and-- she's sweet, but she can a little glutton! Don't let her trick you into overfeeding her!"

"Before I forget again, congratulations," Klaus got along well enough with the newlyweds, given their connection to Steven. They were more than pleasant, if a little odd - essentially exactly the kind of people he tended to get along with.

Sipping his drink, he seems more than at home at the venue at this point. He'd already spent much and more time examining any interesting flora, and the bouquet that had hit his head was resting delicately at his table to be saved.

"Of course, Steven and I will be sure to care for everything while you two are away."

"Plants are my personal expertise, but Miss Kuroneko seems sweet enough to be no problem."

@amoirsetpacis

"Do you think...?" Klaus trailed off. Most of the weddings he had attended were far more formal affairs, and certainly didn't involve one of the newlyweds ripping open his shirt and tossing a bouquet at someone's head.

With ease, he puts a hand on Steven's waist, moving their held hands into position and joining the other guests on the dance floor. As Steven knew well enough now, Klaus was quite graceful in these situations, guiding Steven in a more formal dance than many of the others.

"Neither have I. Typically, I only danced when required of me, and I otherwise stayed to the side."

"...And I have never danced like this with someone I cared for in the way I care about you."

steven has been thinking more about the concept of marriage, recently, than he ever has in his life -- although he would argue it's kind of hard not to, in the lead up to a wedding. had you asked him even a year ago if would ever consider the idea of getting hitched himself, he would have said he was ill-suited. incapable. but then he had said that about any long-term committed relationship, before klaus. really, any reservations he had on the subject -- professional concerns, mostly-- were made moot by being with klaus. which leaves him... where, exactly? he hasn't decided.

and he's not trying to think too hard about it.

there no hesitancy in the way he places his hand in klaus', more than eager to be dragged away from his current conversation. the person he's speaking to only smiles when they tell him to "go on" and he's thankful that the grooms are going to be everything the cafe crew will be talking about for the next week, so he doesn't have to hear jokes at his own expense.

"We can probably take these back to the house, you know." he's speaking of the flowers klaus is still holding. the fact that his boyfriend technically 'caught' the bouquet is not lost on him. "I don't think either of the grooms are going to notice anything but eachother for the rest of the night."

then steven sighs.

"Haven't got to do this for a while." dancing or attending a wedding. "It's nice."

;; i do have some threads to catch up on, but here's a little starter call for klaus - may be on the shorter side, and uncapped

Putting Steven's arm in his own, he can feel the excitement building in his chest as he moves toward the car waiting for them just down the block. "It's a bit of a ways to walk, but I wanted to make sure we had a ride for most of the way there."

He doesn't, however, clue Steven in on where they're going, just easing into the car and nodding to the driver once Steven is seated by him.

"It's...Well, yes, a surprise."

...

The driver takes them to the edge of the Mistwood and drives off, not wanting to risk going farther. Klaus for his part, is at ease as he holds out his arm for Steven once more to resume their journey.

"I had come to the Mistwood once, and thought to myself 'this place reminds me of Hellsalem's Lot'. It wasn't until you left for that brief time, and I thought of everyone else still there, that I realized I am nostalgic for those times. I miss them - which is certainly not something I may have thought when we first began our stay."

"I...Admit that I hope you have similar feelings, or this surprise may end up being lacking."

one of steven's biggest faults, probably, is his tendency to overwork himself. even in a comparatively simple job like managing a cafe, he has a nasty habit of staying longer than he should if he isn't chased out of the place. most of the employees are pretty good at doing just that, eventually -- but klaus arriving to escort him home will always be the fastest way to get him out the door. he gives the typical farewells and 'see you tomorrows' to the few on the closing crew, and he pointedly ignores the same looks they always throw his way whenever klaus pops into the shop.

"Yeah, let's head out."

the chill of the evening that greets them is refreshing.

"Well, I have nowhere better to be," he teases.

"You gonna tell me where we're going or is this a surprise?"

A very tall guest was smacked in the head with the bouquet, and had politely hung onto it on the way to the reception. They really were lovely flowers, and it would be a shame to simply get rid of them. However, Wolfwood wasn't around to return them, so he continued to hold them while they waited at the venue for the newlyweds to arrive.

"Oh I'm so jealous!" A guest said - he recognized her from the cafe, but he wasn't sure what her name was. "So you caught the bouquet! Usually nobody throws it until the reception, so I wasn't paying enough attention."

"Oh, well, I didn't catch it so much as it hit me in the head."

"Still! Whoever catches the bouquet is the next person to get married! Who's the lucky guy or gal?"

"Ah, well, he's over there," Steven was mingling with coworkers, but he was easy enough to point out among them.

"Ooooh! Maybe he'll pop the question soon. Or you can - sneaky, catching that- Ah, there's my date. Good luck!"

Feeling the blood rush to his face, he stands quickly, walking over to Steven. Best to have a distraction from that conversation-

"Excuse me," interrupting, he places his hand out, palm up,

"I hope it's alright if I steal Steven away for a dance?"

@scarrfaze

"Steven," he arrives to pick him up from work. The sun had already set, and evening had long settled in. The cool springtime air was pleasant and followed him into the cafe. "Are you ready to go?"

"I have something to show you, if you are able to accompany me."

@scarrfaze

We're excited to announce the construction of your new house, the Reinherz-Starphase Manor, is complete! All of your items have automatically been moved into it. Welcome home! -- The Mistwood Dept. of Housing

Now we just have to move the family in.

nice

Luckily, he rarely makes any expressions, so his displeasure and judgement at the man talking about not being inclined to try didn't quite show on his face. A quick exhale, and he regains his composure, and considers their weaknesses.

It would be best for him to work at close ranged, with others providing auxiliary fire and support. He had no issues with that. Describing his weakness was...Potentially problematic, and entirely not necessary unless a very specific situation occurred.

Although it certainly made him feel boastful to say he didn't quite have any apparent weaknesses.

"I am durable, but not invulnerable - while my durability is superhuman and I can withstand most attacks, I will succumb to my wounds eventually. I cannot heal myself, so that presents an additional concern." That was a good way to put it, he believed, although he doubted anything in this arena would push him that face.

"Additionally, I utilize my own blood for my abilities. While losing some can provide additional material, it also means I will be starting at a loss. Still, with the abilities stated, I should be able to do more than well on the front lines with the proper support."

"That being said, I would like to nominate Miss Hanabi to be our leader. Please direct us where we would be best suited." While he was used to taking the leader role, the girl seemed a bit at a loss to be around superhumans.

Having her direct the battle would, he imagined, give her a confidence boost when it went well.

@hanabisays > pratisodha > hollowfaith

It would be weird if she were to admit that she'd seen the angel with Eiden on more than one occasion. Would probably sound like she's been stalking and so quickly she shakes her head and focuses on the others as they introduce themselves. Aurelius, Ramattra, and Klaus ... they are certainly a force to be reckoned with. She can pick up on their energies as being something fierce.

The thought of anyone dying or being gravely injured during the battle is something that does concern her. She's worried, to say the least, but holds that feeling to herself. "We'll make sure that we have this in the bag." She instead will sound confident! Not cocky, but having a bit of confidence that everything will go well is the best kind of situation. "Did we want to share each other's weaknesses? I know we went and talked about some of the things we can do, but I think we can also share our weaknesses just so we know what to look out for and protect each other even better! I'll go first," if only to quell anyone's concern about exploitation. "I am only human so I don't have any special abilities that allow me to heal and I'm not STURDY like you guys. So, while I am very good at hand-to-hand and can hold my own at close-ranged attacks, I am definitely more susceptible to getting injured."

yeah, the thought of anyone getting hurt is scary, but she can't pretend it's not going to be the case of them not getting injured.

@pratisodha -- @hollowfaith -- @crossfists

Klaus very nearly stops breathing when Steven answers, and carries on as though he hadn't just experienced a month of agony. Normal, typical conversation, as they always did, except for him it was not so typical. Interrupting Steven's musings about his glasses, Klaus grabs the other mans face and pulls him in for a rough kiss, keeping him in place until they both need air.

"You scared me." He finally says after a while, letting out the breath he felt like he had been holding the entire time.

"I was...Bored is the wrong word. I had to do something, and there were no Prosfair matches." He could have gone to solve riddles, he supposed, but it wouldn't have given him the same level of distraction.

"The blood is mostly others'. When I stepped into the arena, I gained my usual strength." And his durability, which came in handy. There was also teaming up with Aurelius which tended to keep most of his blood in his body.

Except for the blood he needed to fight, of course.

"Let's go home, Steven."

"I know where we are. I still remember everything, don't worry."

he needs to say that now and spare the poor guy any more anxiety.

"Coliseum?" he can feel his shoulders slacken, tension ebbing now that he knows klaus hadn't gotten into too much trouble during his impromptu vacation. although he's not sure where exactly this city would be housing a coliseum; even the parts inspired by roman architecture didn't house an arena for that kind of thing, so far as he could recall.

"I guess that explains the blood. Most of it better not be yours."

klaus might not know what he should be doing with his hands, but steven has no such issue. he very casually reaches up to brush away a spot of blood on klaus' cheek with his thumb.

"Didn't figure you'd ever join an exhibition match. Were you that bored while I was gone?"

and then, muttering almost to himself, "We'll have to see if we can't get someone to fix your glasses..." as if this is all just a perfectly normal conversation to be having, and they haven't been separated for god knows how long.

"Uhhhh..." He doesn't quite know how to respond to that. What the hell happened, as in, what are they...Doing here? Or what the hell happened, as in, his appearance.

So rarely is the man at a loss for words that he can only look dumbly at Steven, readjusting his glasses once more.

"I find that...A difficult question to answer."

"If I must admit it, fully, I was fighting in the coliseum. I have been featuring in some...Ongoing games. Erhem," he clears his throat, "If you are talking about...This place, then that is a question that requires an altogether lengthier explanation."

As Steven hadn't answered his question, he doesn't quite know what to do with his hands, bloodied as his knuckles are, and he instead tries to fix his sleeves, clearing his throat.

"So, ah, I suppose, that would be a good place to start..."

being yanked back and forth is beginning to grow tiresome. either the powers that be -- bastards that they are -- bring him here and leave him here, or they leave him back in hellsalem's lot where he can get some actual work done. he knows which outcome he should prefer, but... well... there's the matter of klaus.

steven had let himself get far too comfortable playing the domestic. now he's not so sure he can give it up.

thankfully he doesn't have to. yet.

he doesn't bother to hide the way his face brightens when he catches glimpse of the familiar hulking figure. he feels he should apologize or something, again, even though, again, it's not his fault. klaus doesn't expect him to remember, but how could he? steven had forgotten once before.

any answer he might have had to assuage the redhead's fears is lost to the wind the moment steven registers his lover's appearance.

"What the hell happened?!"

how much of the blood is klaus'? is he hurt? did he get into a fight? (clearly.) is the island no longer safe? great, now he's worried. he hasn't even been here five minutes.

blood breeds

"Klaus von Reinherz." Placing a hand on his chest, the large man offers a bow to the rest of his group. "A pleasure to meet you, Ramattra, and to see you both again, Aurelius and Miss Hanabi." He doesn't smile, despite his polite words, his expression seeming to remain neutral despite the situation.

"I have been competing in the Coliseum battles since they began, as, ah," well, he would be far too embarrassing to admit that he was so deeply depressed that this was one of the few ways to feel connected to his old life and perhaps get out of the house. "Well, I have been competing in quite a few competitions."

One must remain stalwart, of course.

"I have extensive combat experience against myriad types of entities of various sizes. I am also able to engage in a combat style taught to me as a child. I use my blood to both attack and defend." ...To people not from his world, surely this would seem quite strange.

"I am also quite sturdy and my strength far outpaces any human. Allow me to be your shield, if need be. I am no stranger to the...Feeling of being pieced back together, so it is a burden I've no concerns bearing."

@hanabisays -> pratisodha -> hollowfaith

BATTLE AT THE COLISEUM

@pratisodha -- @hollowfaith -- @crossfists

Wow, her team looks real strong. While part of her is excited to have found a team to be a part of, there's a small sense of pressure. She won't let them down.

"I've never been in a group battle before," She admits with a light laugh. It may have sounded funny. OKAY, she's nervous, alright? Speaking of nervous, she can't help but side-glance at the man with blond hair.

HOLY SHIT THAT'S THE ANGEL THAT'S GIVING MISTER ITADORI A HARD TIME.

There are two people here she's familiar with. The angel that gives Mister Itadori a hard time and Mister Klaus. She finds herself hesitant to turn her head to look up at---is he a robot? When hazel eyes meet the Omnic's, she cracks a friendly smile (as NON-AWKWARD as possible) and bows her head.

"U-Uhm! So I'm Hanabi! I don't have much going for me, really. I wanted to try my hands at the different tiers to kind of sharpen my skills! Uh, uh...." And this is why she never did like standing in front of people when doing her presentations at high school OR college, "I'm a shaman, errr, kinda. In a sense. It's complicated BUT I can use any sort of weapon as well as control things with my mind! AH, Like you, sir!" She gestures POLITELY at Aurelius with a big smile,

"But I'm also very good at hand-to-hand---" The young adult lowers half her body in a respectful and gracious bow, "Thank you for having me a part of your team I won't let you down."

He hadn't been checking his phone, but he did go to every eclipse religiously. This time, sleeves rolled up, shirt bloodied - he'd barely left the coliseum before the skies cleared and the spring evening began to take hold.

Klaus wasn't one to give up, but there was always an expectation of disappointment, walking home to find another crystal petal having fallen onto the floor.

Because, well, there was a chance that even if Steven returned, he'd have forgotten everything. So when he does see the familiar silhouette, he tries not to get his hopes up too much, although he does try and straighten out his appearance as he approaches at a light jog.

"Steven-"

"You are, ah.." He pauses. "Back? Or...Arriving for the first time." He's certainly a mess, glasses broken and hair askew, blood - his and others - staining his rumbled appearance. Burn marks, a few shallow cuts.

@scarrfaze