damnpire | Kenos Inbox

[ This is a lot to digest with both his eyes and his brain, but Dokja is so desensitized to most things that it doesn't take him long to pull himself together and step down from his porch to lead D and his horse toward the gate that leads into the backyard.

He holds the gate open for D to lead his horse through... It's a spacious enough backyard, mostly empty save for the one corner that has a coop with four chickens living in it. ]

So... new horse, huh?

[ That's cool... ]

[CUTE CHICKENS!!!!

D follows Dokja with the Eldritch horse, surveying the backyard briefly without seeming the least bit nosy.]

Yes.

[The horse stops as if it understands it is essentially being stabled. D turns toward it to remove the sword and strap it to the saddle. Okay, so he came dressed like Blade, but he has manners...

After a moment, he... also removes the ridiculously long cape and collared pauldrons. He learned from Liem...

When he turns back to Dokja, he is a shocking display of lean young man. The idiot get-up really does a number in making him look bigger and older. But now he is a baby-faced smol adult.]

[ anna i'm in tears the way i was like wait blade honkai star rail or blade marvel comics but does it even matter when all three of them including d are just like That

But yes, who could have imagined D would look so young and spry under all that edgelord dressing? Honestly, it's not too surprising after Dokja had spent that time with baby D, and he sort of has to fight the urge to reach out and ruffle D's hair now that he's not wrapped in ebony darkness or whatever it is the kids call it these days. ]

You should have showed up looking just like this.

[ He says this with a laugh and a grin, then gestures for D to follow him to the back... sliding glass door? Sure. Anyway, Dokja will open that up, and the scent of prepared food fills the air. He kicks off his shoes, because this is an Asian household, and calls out. ]

Gray! He's here!

[ The impression Gray has been given of D is that of quintessential British energy, so as she gently trots out to greet him and Dokja and she's met with tall, lean, pasty young man with long dark hair, that pretty much tracks. Though her British experience might be a bit skewed.

She's normally a bit more shy around strangers, but as Dokja has given her the hallowed responsilibity of Welcoming His Nice New Friend (who could be Dokja's only other friend, she's never actually seen him with other friends), curiosity wins over her natural timidity as she approaches the entrance. ]

Hello...

[ She notes that D is tall. Everyone is so tall. Her hood tips back a little as she looks up at him, but she automatically tugs it back in place. She's indeed wearing a cloak indoors, over a much more normal sweater and skirt. Naturally, those are also gloomy blacks and grays. ]

I'm Gray. Nice to meet you, um, Mr. D.

[ She can't tell his age, but she gets the impression that he's old enough to warrant the honorific... ]

[D is not Asian, but he has been to Liem's strictly clean house. So at the door, by Dokja's shoes, he thinks about Liem making him remove his boots before entering...

He really doesn't want to take them off, but alas...

When he appears behind Dokja, he is now barefoot. Sorry to Dokja, but D apparently does not wear socks, and now they must suffer his bare feet. Lovely. Now inside, he reaches up to politely remove the traveler's hat from his head. This girl is in a cloak..... He could have worn his garbage Honkai-Marvel Blade outfit inside...!!

A pair of ancient, dark eyes settle on Gray. She is not entirely wrong about him being old; however, with the hat now gone... physically, D actually doesn't look much older than her. Even though no man or woman should be this perfectly beautiful. It is Weird. Dokja has dragged up some kind of weird cryptid teenager from the trashcan for Gray to befriend.]

Just D is okay. The pleasure is mine.

[His voice is softer than the aesthetic the fitted leather top and bottom give him.]

[ Dokja in tears like his goths are getting along.

D your feet are beautiful.

Okay, but no. There's something very funny about D and Gray politely greeting each other, and Dokja smiles as he glances over at the both of them. Look at how nice this is. Look how pleasant it is when a guest isn't making lewd remarks or breaking the top of their kitchen island. ]

Sit down, sit down. Both of you.

[ Corrals them over to the dining table!! ]

Did you want something to drink, D? Gray?

[ GRAY LIVES HERE BUT STILL. THIS IS FOR HER. ]

[ The longer Gray observes D, the more she gets a sense that he's more than just your average tall, stringy young man. He's physically flawless enough that she has to wonder if his appearance is the product of magic or magecraft; it brings to mind that one time she saw a lady so aggressively beautiful that everyone who bore witness to her would immediately go mad or lose their faculties.

Luckily Gray doesn't lose her faculties, just her composure when Dokja begins to herd her and D over to the dining table. Why does she suddenly feel like a customer at a restaurant when this is supposed to be about Dokja bonding with his new friend D (or so she thought)...

She feels a bit like a rabbit being placed in a cage with a cat as she slowly pulls out a chair. Maybe this is a nice cat, or maybe it's a cat that will pop her little heart like it's a balloon. D does seem very gentle and polite so far, but there's no accounting for social anxiety. ]

I wouldn't mind tea... but are you sure you don't want me to prepare it?

[ Please?? She is begging Dokja with her eyes. No offense, D. ]

[With the same quiet stoicism, he allows himself to be herded away to the table. The hat is placed on the edge of the back of the chair out of the way.

He sits exactly as expected: a bit stiff, back straight and formal. He's at a funeral instead of a dinner among friends.

It feels inappropriate to ask for alcohol, so all that is left is for him to give Dokja a resigned nod.]

Tea is fine.

[This seems like the easiest answer as well as the easiest to bear considering Dokja doesn't know he isn't overly fond if eating food. It's fine.

D looks at Dokja. His eyes aren't pleading, but they do seem to say there is an understanding here Gray is trying to escape since this is as awkward as he assumed it would be for her.]

[ No one understands social awkwardness better than Dokja, and that's why it's fine as long as it isn't him.

In response to the pleading look that Gray gives him, he just gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder rather than a merciful out. Sadly, this is her burden to bear after Dokja has had to meet Dark, Mordred, and then Add. ]

Make yourselves comfortable. [ Smiles brightly! And ignores the way D is sitting like a statue. ] Oh, you guys should talk about D's new horse. Gray here loves animals.

[ He even gave them a topic to have a conversation about... Now excuse him as he flees to the nearby kitchen (it's literally right there because the living room slash kitchen slash dining room is open concept) and gets to work on that tea.

Speaking of animals, their giant dog Raisin is probably sniffing at D's bare feet. ]

[ Funny that as soon as someone peaceful and well-mannered is placed in front of her, she isn't sure what to do with herself. Dokja's reassuring shoulder pat ends up being completely unassuring, feeling less like a blanket of support and more like a shattered bottle sending a ship off onto the cold, unfeeling ocean. The betrayal is cutting her deep...

She blinks nervously, settling into her seat to look at D across the table. Her posture is good as well, but subtly uncomfortable: stiff shoulders softened by the fluff mantling her cloak, hands folded anxiously under the table.

That said, Dokja's conversational lifeline isn't a bad one. She does have an interest in animals, though she feels he's overselling things a bit. Just because she keeps a pissed off horse for months on end, suddenly she's a horse-lover?? (Though she did love that horse.)

Accepting that Dokja has left her for dead, she speaks up cautiously, voice not quite as soft as D's but close. ]

Um... you have a horse?

[Ever so slightly, D's brows pinch in the middle of his forehead. This is one of the first motions to ruin the unnerving perfection of his face.

His rusty eyes drop to his lap; he's looking under the table at the dog near his feet. There still isn't any movement from him yet. He does not pet, or recoil. It's strange to have an animal not fearfully avoid him because of the heavy patriarchal doom and gloom hanging over his head. After a moment, he turns his bare left hand over while it rests against his thigh, offering the palm politely.

It helps to keep him from intensely giving Gray his total attention.]

Yes, it's in the backyard.

[He feels a bit bad. The thing is barely a horse, if honest. Someone who likes animals... he doesn't want them to be disappointed. So he adds:]

It is a equine cyborg. They are more dependable where I'm from than teleporters and cars.

[And make better companionship, too.]

[ Speaking of animals....

Since there are five cats in the house and only so many open rooms, one of them inevitably makes its way out to the open floor plan, a slinky black cat that is no doubt going to vanish against all the black outfits of the people currently in this house. Why are there so many goths present. This isn't Highstorm.

It ambles through the living room like it owns the place (never mind that there's a giant dog nearby, Raisin knows where he stands in household pet pecking order), pausing by D's leg to give it a cursory sniff before bunting its small kitty head against his calf. Look at all these friendships being forged in the Kim Dokja household right now....!! ]

[ Their mini zoo... Raisin definitely does not pay the cat any attention, too fixated on the offered hand where he promptly decides to give it a good lick with his slobbery tongue.

It would have been nice if Eustace was around to join them, but for some reason, Val wants to rp a cat. As awkward as the atmosphere in the house feels, Dokja is pleased with it. It had kind of always been a dream of his to fill a house with the people he cares about, and he'll take the awkwardness over loneliness.

Anyway, he's quiet as he tinkers around in the kitchen and prepares the tea. He might not look like he's paying attention to the conversation happening in the dining room, but he is absolutely eavesdropping. ]

[ Equine cyborg... more dependable than teleporters and cars?? Gray has many questions. Are the cars exploding. Are the teleporters teleporting halves of people.

When D looks downward, Gray peeks under the table to find both Raisin and [hitherto unnamed black cat] vying for D's attention. D doesn't seem to mind, which is a relief... and if the animals like him, then that's probably a good sign. There's something cute about D's stoically offered palm.

Gray straightens back up, figuring there's no reason to stop the animals from covering him in dog slobber and kitty fur. No harm, no foul. ]

The dog is Raisin, and the cat is [now] Midnight. Does your horse have a name?

Edited 2023-10-25 00:56 (UTC)

[Oh... Blessed twice.

The taciturn expression on his face....... softens slightly. He reaches up to pet the top of the dog's head in what could be a fond way. Dogs... Loyal, steadfast, enduring. He's a fan, he guesses.]

Hello.

[The bump to his leg gets his attention. Oh... cat? There are many animals here...]

I haven't named it.

[Not because he is mean, but because he isn't Picking A Name material... It's fine.

Hesitation keeps him from the cat. He already pet the dog. Should this happen at the table? Oh well. He leans his arm down and gives the cat some pets for peace.

Then he tries to see if he can lift it into his lap.]

[ Sometimes you just want to RP a cat? Don't be a hater.

D is doing a great job of not being a hater, speaking of, and his efforts are rewarded when the cat - henceforth known as Midnight - allows itelf to be manhandled upwards. It waits patiently until it's let back down, this time onto a soft lap instead of a hard surface, whereupon it starts kneading at one thigh. I'm going to assume someone in the house is trimming these cat claws otherwise D is going to have little puncture holes in his pant legs.

Once satisfied, it settles down into a little danish, where it will stay for the rest of the thread until someone (D) kicks it off. Okay I'm leaving again, goodbye forever. ]

[ Bye, Val and hello to Dokja who returns with mugs of tea in his hands. He sets them down in front of Gray and D, grinning wide as he finally takes a seat at the table. He's started reheating their dinner on their stovetop (it's chicken noodle soup), so he's got time to kill.

Which means immediately inserting himself into the conversation. ]

Gray might have name suggestions. She's named most of the animals in this house.

[ Like their chickens and most of their cats... Sometimes the gray-haired girl named Gray is bestowed with naming rights and that's how they got their white cat named Snowflake, their black cat named Midnight, and their fluffy cat named Fluffy. ]

[ Gray is peacefully thinking about how wholesome D and the animals are being when Dokja drops a HIGH PRESSURE, HIGH STAKES proposition on the table. She straightens with alarm, the tea in her mug sloshing precipitously as it freezes in its journey half-raised to her mouth. She looks quickly at D for his reaction (or lack thereof). ]

I wouldn't want to impose. It's okay for an animal not to have a name...

[ Sometimes a person likes to have a horse with no name for the mystery factor. Also she's quite aware that she's trash at naming things, thank you very much. ]

Thank you.

[Will he even drink this? Stay tuned.

Claws are fine. He has stupid, coated, special 12,090 AD leather pants. Somehow, they are pin-prick resistant.

Val here only long enough to trap D in the seat with a cat. Now he can't go anywhere because who would move a sweet cat...? He offers the feline a few strokes, then he leaves it be as if politely giving it personal space despite having none of his own.

His attention lifts to Gray, and he peers at her from beneath his lashes momentarily before glancing at Dokja. He has always tried to take care of every cyborg horse he's had, but... sometimes... in his line of work at home...

Anyhow, he never considered naming them because of attachment issues, but maybe that is where he had unintentionally been mean.]

I don't mind, but you may want to see it before giving it thought.

[A nightmarish, Lovecraftian horse named (looks at the names of all of the animals here) Sunrise.]

[ shoves yuul over

It seems like D is a good sport, and agreeable enough that he might not protest too much if Gray tried to name his horse Sparkles. It's a small consolation as pressure weighs down on Gray's fluffy shoulders, but the momentum of the moment is already bearing her irrevocably toward horse namedom. She rises from her seat to poke her head out the window for a gander at the robo-horse.

It's. Well, it's something. Gray is glad that D can't see her mildly sweating as she struggles to interpret what looks like one of the Four Horses of the Apocalypse now idling in the backyard. A couple chickens have come outside to sit plumply near the horse.

It's easy to name a cat Fluffy, but there's no way she can try to give this horse a pet name. She is not above cheating. Still leaned out the window, she calls to the horse. ]

Excuse me...! What kind of name would you like?

[ Since coming to Kenos, Gray has gained the ability to speak to animals. She will happily abuse this ability in order to gain intel on this horse, or at least get an impression of its personality or wants. If it even has those. It might just be a horse-shaped robot. ]

[ falls over and dies

Dokja is simply vibing... So far, his plan hasn't crashed and burned around him, and he's quietly patting himself on the back for it. Soon enough, he might be able to leave these two on their own, completely unsupervised, and trust that they'll... bond over gothic architecture or something.

For now, he leans back in his seat as he watches Gray head for the window. Is it Anna's turn to rp an animal... ]

[This is cheating...

The horse outside is as large as a Clydesdale without the fluff or broadness. It's a lean, black, and powerful gelding with scarlet eyes and a pair of organic horns. The neck, body, and legs are metal plates and joints, and the face is a conglomerate of flesh and steel carapace. It's saddled respectability, but it truly looks like something a demon would probably be riding.

(Maybe that isn't so far-fetched considering.)

D turns his head to attentively watch Gray by the window as the horse looks up at the peculiar sound of a voice is somehow understands. One hoof digs at the ground, careful of the chickens sitting, of course. There are enough horse innards left to give way to a personality. A strong, honorable voice reaches back out to Gray.

Erebus, it says, because of course it does. Of course.]

[ Gray perks up with surprise when she gets an incredibly straightforward answer in a surprisingly regal manner. What a good horse. And how very Gray of Gray to favor the most demonic-looking thing in the vicinity.

She thanks the horse politely before backing out of the window and reclaiming her seat with a barely there smile. She is mostly just relieved to have survived this harrowing trial, and her shoulders are more relaxed as she moves for her tea again. ]

Erebus.

[ In the end, it's really only half a step away from "Midnight".......... ]

It seems like a good horse.

[ What a dignified name, and one that goes right over Dokja's head because he's not well-versed in Greek mythology despite being the adopted son of Hades (very long story). ]

A good name for a good horse.

[ There is some bias here because D's horse has not tried to maim him like a certain other horse that has been boarded at his home. Anyway, the sound of boiling soup has Dokja rising from his chair and heading back toward the kitchen. Looks like dinner's ready... ]

Keep talking. I'll bring out the food.

[ THE FOOD IS JUST SOUP. ]

...

[D continues to watch Gray at the window during the strange revelation, and then he... looks across the table at Dokja as if Dokja will somehow have the explanatory answers for this entire event.

Erebus...?

Dokja leaves him answerless however, but D at least has the decency to say:] Thank you. He is.

[For a long moment, he gazes again at the window, a bit baffled this horse has a name which he hadn't bothered to ever realize. Huh.

His eyes lower to the tea he hasn't yet touched then raise to Gray. He is alright with not talking actually... They can sit here in silence.

He thinks for a moment to ask them about what has been happening in Kenos, but he figures Dokja would disapprove. So... he... well:]

Do you like to bake?

[He still thinks randomly asking Gray about pie is very weird.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i joked about this to anna but i'm making it real now

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject