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June Aftermath: Magic Lantern Strange

JUNE AFTERMATH: MAGIC LANTERN STRANGE

Who: Everyone!
What: A celebration!
When: Evening of June 21st, and well into morning
Where: Ensō, E3 and E4
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Slide the Light Off You
As promised, the evening of the 21st finds the Jormun hosting a party on Ensō's largest beachfront. Near immediately, it should be clear that they've spared absolutely no expense when it comes to showing their story-walker brethren a good time.

Of course, they may also be...showing off a little.

The stalls and comfortable seating supplied around multiple firepits appears to be a mishmash of Jormun built contraptions and items requested from the Storyteller- many may be delighted to see the variety of beach cushions and blankets, items the Jormun will be happy to let their story-walker friends take home at the end of the festivities. A veritable smorgasbord of food and drink is also readily available, from the kid-friendly options of brrshavak (a spicy drink with a taste akin to liquified chili pepper) and molkavarr (a rich chocolaty broth) to the alcoholic rakvrhak (a rich wine that tastes oddly plumlike). Do be warned, however, that the last is incredibly potent.

Large slabs of driftwood have been laid out to form impromptu tables, bristling with the Jormun's culinary expertise: fried squid, seaweed wraps, spicy pickled kelp, kebabs of roasted eel, hard-boiled snapling eggs, and so on. The vegetables and meats of the sea have been laid out for all to enjoy, so tuck in!

Throughout the evening the air will be filled with the sound of music, with multiple Jormun eager to show off their skill in instrumentation. Conch-shell horns, carved driftwood flutes, urchin-needle harps, and countless more contraptions engineered by a deep sea-dwelling people fill the air with the most peculiar but nonetheless not unpleasant sound. Most of the bands will be set up in the shallow waters, however, as their instruments are not made to be used in open air - try playing them above the surface of the water at your own risk.

Of course, there's plenty more to entertain even the most difficult of people.

You're Living the Strobe Light
Those interested in proving their strength and skill will be encouraged to enter one of the many tournaments across the shoreline. The tournaments vary, featuring such challenges as play fights with the schlacknorkcvic to prove who is the greatest warrior, timed events to see who can stay on a bucking tigershark for the longest, and even a tourney of brovonkosshk, a board game somewhat similar to chess. Don't see anything you're interested in? Make your own. If you can think it, the Jormun will happily accommodate it - impromptu challenges are the highlight of such evenings, after all, though the Jormun won't be taking any responsibility for the first poor soul that decides to usher in a drinking contest.

A small variety of walker games are also available. Jormun children are more than eager to play such games as hide-and-seek or red light, green light, while Connor Murphy will be bringing his Cards Against Humanity deck, for those ready to completely screw with the idea of a fourth wall. There's even a game of Spin the Bottle... except the bottle is being spun overhead like a mace. Being hit by said bottle requires you to do a stupidly ridiculous task, so perhaps it's best to avoid that particular adaptation...

And of course, there's the lightshow.

As mentioned previously, the main show of the evening is the show of brssticca: bursts of magical light beneath the water that will put any fireworks show to shame. The lights are safe to wade and swim through, do keep in mind that the phosphorescent algae tends to cling to the skin. And should you reach into those spiraling, fluorescent nebulae of patterns beneath the surface, some of the configurations of light may abruptly shatter like broken glass.

Additionally, skilled Jormun will be happy to assist those who care to dress up for the event with intricate applications of shellivthiss - a style of waterproof body paint that is not only bright, but luminescent. Something the Jormun may forget to mention, however, is how similar shellivthiss is to henna; should you decide to get all dolled up, except to shine bright light a diamond for weeks to come.

Lastly, those who wanted to bring their own adventures are welcome to as well! Supplying some dope roast? Bringing those sweet, sweet greens? Have some alcohol to supply? All is welcomed by the Jormun - and undoubtedly, your fellow adventurers as well.

You May Find Some Peace
Feeling a tad adrift? Make sure to check the OOC Event Post, which has details regarding the event timeline!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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"Prom..." And for all the teasing his voice is a little more steady, a little more serious.

"I think it's less to do with gender and more to do with personality." Because he's sweet and adorable and shy. He keeps going after these sweet good girls that are not assertive enough to take charge. Prom just needs someone to step on him and tell him what to do. Like Aranea would've.

Actually... what's a filter?

"You just need someone to step on you and tell you what to do. No fumbling, no chance to second guess. Just pin you against a wall and take charge." He shrugs a little, hands squeezing lightly at Prompto's sides, a reminder of how easy it would be to pick him up and do just that. "But you wanna be the one doing the wooing so I think that's where the problem is. You either need to step it up..."

And now this was just teasing because it is fun. Gladio slides one arm around Prompto, pinning the blond to his chest, lifting him off his feet with absolutely no effort. "Or step down." Purred into his ear, audibly smug as he slowly lets the smaller man slide back down to his feet.

Ignis crosses his arms over his chest with a sign. While he can't tell what exactly Gladio's doing to illustrate his point, he just knows it's something that's going to fluster Prompto more. He doesn't start tapping his foot in irritation yet, but the urge is there.

"There is some truth to what he says, crude as his phrasing may be. However, you are the one who should decide the type of person you wish to pursue. There is no rush. If the person is the right one for you, they will love your body and your mind and will be willing to work with you to make sure the relationship is what you both want. Don't keep belittling yourself. You have an amazing amount to offer anyone be they male or female."

Astrals, why is he the one giving relationship advice right now? Has anyone looked at the mess his own is?

"Also, just in case there is any confusion, it is entirely possible for one person to think another is cute without it meaning more. And, if it does mean more..." Oddly enough, for just a moment, his words seem directed more at Gladio than Prompto, "...it's something all involved parties should speak about so they are comfortable and on even footing with each other."

As his feet were separated from the ground he latched onto Gladio's arm and kicked until his toes could skim the ground again. All of this was confusing. To be smashed against Gladio's chest and have him talking in his ear like that had his feelings all over the place. On one hand, it was nice to feel like there were people out there who liked him. He didn't have a lot of that in his life.

On the other, Gladio was usually more likely to be chasing him down at the campsite after an innocent kancho-related incident. Something like this had never come up before. The dynamics of their group had been changing. There were also things that didn't mesh with reality, much as they were nice to hear.

Once he had his footing he began softly, "Guys..." He sighed. He didn't want to be a downer. "I appreciate it. I really do." He glanced from Ignis up over his shoulder to Gladio and back, loosening himself from the grasp some. This wasn't something they talked about much and he didn't usually bring it up, treating them just like any other friends, but there was a difference between them that he couldn't ignore in this situation. The differences in their positions came with differences in how they got treated, and he wondered if they realized that. He didn't want to emphasize that, and tried to state it softly, "I don't think the way people, uh, treat you guys is the same way people react to me."

He huffed lightly in some weak amusement at the next idea, "No one's going to come up to me. Trust me, I've got twenty years of experience." He was almost positive that Gladio would have no idea what that was like, and he wasn't sure about Ignis, but Ignis was pretty well-built and successful, too. No doubt he had a fanbase. "It's okay, really. You don't have to worry about it. I'm fine. If I keep asking... there's gotta be someone eventually."

No money, no height, no prestige, small muscles. He didn't really think he was playing in the same league as Gladio and Ignis. He didn't sound particularly upset - for him it had always been this way. He knew well that he couldn't compete with the high status muscled mountain next to him.

At least he had a snowmobile. And a chocobo.

The thing was they were all on even footing here. There was no extra clout that he and Iggy had here that Prompto didn't have too. Gladio frowned as the blond tried to slip away from him. Talking like he was somehow lesser just because of his family.

He reaches for Prompto, tries to pull him back against him. All the humor is gone, just something somber in his expression as he curls his arms around Prompto, hugging him tight. One hand reaches out to snag Iggy's wrist and tug him towards them.

"Prom..." His voice is a little rough, he hates hearing Prompto talk about himself like this. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's like a knife to the heart. "That's bullshit."

"You're clever and enthusiastic and a fantastic artist and..." Squeezing a little tighter. "Dude we'd have been so fucked without you to keep us in line."

It was what drove them apart in the end, too. Prompto had been an anchor to them all. With Prom they weren't the Prince, the Shield, the Royal Advisor. They were people, they were friends. They were all just guys for a little while. He kept them from losing themselves in their duty completely.

A duty that Ignis refused to be separated from, that Gladio hid behind when his heart was breaking, that they'd left him for and drifted apart. But even with all of that Prompto stayed near Hammerhead, gave them somewhere to come back to when things got too rough, stayed with Cindy and made sure they all had something like home waiting for them when they needed it.

"Gotta stop sellin yourself short, Prom." And if his voice is a little unsteady well... he's just... really glad to have him back.

Ignis allows himself to be pulled forward, one arm settling around Prompto. Instead of being pulled fully into the hug, though, he stays back a little, other hand coming to rest on the blonde's shoulder. He doesn't want the sharpshooter to feel both overwhelmed and trapped.

"Prompto, I realize that you see Gladio and me as above yourself, and it's true that because of our positions we've had a lot of opportunities that others haven't, but you must realize that there is a lot we've missed out on. In truth, you may have had less than we grew up with in terms of material items and attention, but you had something we didn't--freedom. You had time to develop hobbies, likes and dislikes, plans for the future. Gladio and I just followed the courses set for us before we even knew what that meant."

He pauses then, giving Prompto's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "I was so happy when you made friends with Noct, even if I didn't really show it. You were truly able to give him the life his father always wanted him to have. A normal one. It's something that Gladio and I could never give him. In fact, there are times when you've made me feel like a normal person and I never realized how good that felt until you did it."

He hadn't been trying to get pity. He really hadn't. Some of these thoughts had manifested themselves over the course of many years and he considered them little more than 'facts' that he had to live with. And he had. Despite thinking highly of Gladio and Ignis, and sometimes feeling jealous, he didn't resent them. He felt a little bad for causing them concern and his first instinct was to try and reassure them again, but with the arms wrapped around him and being surrounded by warmth he just wanted to sink into it a little bit. He held his tongue, letting them speak, listening quietly, an arm lightly wrapping over Gladio's.

He just wanted a minute.

Thanks astrals that he didn't really have to worry about looking Iggy in the eye anymore, because he wasn't going to be able to do that. He took the time to silently push down the urge to brush away any comfort and pretend everything was okay. It was some deep stuff, and honestly, it wouldn't all be fixed in one, or two, or three conversations, but he could at least take a moment to feel appreciated. Really appreciated. Not ignored or tolerated.

When he finally spoke he sidestepped the subject slightly. It could be hard to talk about things this real. Instead, he addressed the end of what Ignis said.

"You are normal. Welll. Actually, you're kind of weird. But that's normal. Everyone's kind of quirky in their own way."

He reached up his other hand to clap it on top of Iggy's on his shoulder. Finally, he let out a soft sigh and got to the more substantial part of their talk. Sometimes dealing with the heavy emotional stuff was the hardest part of their journey. "...Thanks guys. You're... like family to me."

Trust Ignis to put into words exactly how he felt, probably without even realizing he's done it. He smiles, leans down to kiss Iggy's knuckles where his hand lays on Prompto's shoulder before the blond reaches up to cover it. And then he squeezes Prom a little tighter, one brief smush that may well knock the air out of him before he lets him go a bit, straightens and lets Prom lean on him without actually holding onto him.

"No like to it, Prompto. You're family. We're all family." He would lay down his life for any of them just as readily as he would for Iris.

"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what." And yeah it's cheesy and just rote enough that it's clearly out of a book somewhere but it's true. Prompto was probably the first person in any of their lives to actually give a damn about them for who they were. Not their position, not their roles, just... them.

He doesn't want it to be weird, not with how this conversation started but he drops a light kiss to Prompto's hair, just one more piece of reassurance before he ruffles his hair hard, just shy of being a real noogie.

"And don't you dare fucking blame that on me being drunk." Maybe don't think too hard about how sober he is now and therefore how drunk he was not while feeling you up, Prom.

It's probably a good thing that Prompto doesn't voice his thoughts on this being pity. It's nowhere near pity. Ignis doesn't waste time on pity. There are times where he may use words to his advantage, but this isn't one of them. Everything he says is genuine. The laugh that the comment about him being 'weird' draws from him is also genuine. A little something to break up the seriousness of the conversation. It doesn't last long, but it does save everyone from Ignis thinking up a pun of his own to lighten things up.

"Our little family may be as weird as each of its members, but I would have it no other way," Ignis smiles at Prompto and then turns a smirk over his shoulder in Gladio's direction. "Are you certain you wish to so thoroughly throw away drunkenness as your defense for this night?"

Even if he can't see Prompto's face, it's clear in his body language and tone that the blonde is reaching his limit for this kind of thing and needs to move onto something else to let his brain process it all. He's right, after all. This kind of thing takes time to fix. What better thing to move onto than picking fun at the instigator of this whole thing? Gladio's his boyfriend after all--oh, and it makes something in his chest feel warm to think that. If anyone has right to pick on him a little, it's Ignis.

It felt good to be accepted somewhere. Really, that was all he'd ever wanted. He'd finally gotten it with Noct, and then eventually with Noct's friends. It wasn't many people, but quality over quantity.

"He might not be face-in-dirt-drunk, but he's cleeearly a little tipsy." Prompto turned lightly to smack Gladio's arm with the back of his hand.

"He's gotta be. Even if I was Cindy, he'd have to be nuts to be flirting around when he's already got you." A tease and a compliment all at once. But it was true. He respected Ignis and thought highly of him, and the last thing he wanted to see was relationship drama. Especially any sort of cheating.

He can handle being the butt of the joke this time around if it makes Prom feel better. The smack gets a dramatic response, grunting and holding first his arm then pressing his hand over his heart. "Oooh ouch" But he's grinning, laughing it off and reaching out for Ignis' hand.

If he realized Prompto thought there was even a chance that he'd cheat on Ignis he'd have been horrified, hurt and a little betrayed. He would never do anything to hurt Iggy. Not in a million years. But he was always a little flirty and handsy when he'd been drinking, they all knew that. It would never ever go beyond that.

"Yeah, he's right. Luckiest guy in the world." Hope you were prepared for that to lead into gross cuteness, Prom, because he actually brings Iggy's hand up and kisses his knuckles before tugging him close enough to put an arm around him.

"I... Goodness, I don't..." Ignis is so caught up in denying what Prompto and Gladio have said--and blushing too, he's as red as a tomato here--that he isn't prepared at all for the pull that follows up Gladio's kisses. As a result, he ends up stumbling into the Shield and having to place a hand against his chest to steady himself.

For a moment, Ignis has to fight back the urge to hide his head against Gladio's shoulder in embarrassment, but he manages to fight that back and take a deep breath, straightening his posture in an attempt to pull himself together.

It might even have worked if his face wasn't still so red.

"That's a load of rubbish if I ever heard it!"

And, yet, there is a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Prompto backed off to get a bit out of the way. Okay, he still wasn't used to this, but he was happy for them. Didn't mean he planned on sticking around to watch Gladio get mind-numbingly sappy on him, even if it was funny to see Ignis actually be taken off guard.

Well, the situation had been fixed. Gladio was now putting his hands where they belonged, kinda.

"Should I leave you two at it?" he teased, though it wasn't really a question as he turned to head off.

That small smile when he was trying so hard to put himself back together was irresistible. Gladio barely gave Iggy time to make that protest before he was kissing him, using the arm around his waist to pull him close.

He didn't let Prompto get away quite that easily though, as tempting as it was to let himself get lost in kissing Ignis.

"Hey!" Gladio shifts just enough to look over to Prompto without letting go of Ignis, holding one hand out, fingers curled into a fist. Fist bump him, bro. Do it. Do it.

"Family, yeah?" Don't forget that, Prom. No matter what. You're one of them.

"Gladiolus!" Generally, when Ignis uses Gladio's full name, it's meant to be a scold, but the fond exasperation in his tone when the kiss ends makes it clear this is anything but. He sighs, resting his head against the Shield's shoulder, face turned in Prompto's direction.

"Indeed. We are all family and we are here for each other no matter what."

There was a slight pause as he let it settle in, but when it did he smiled with a soft, reserved laugh that was meant to cover up his feelings somewhat. It wasn't so unusual for him, laughing when he was nervous or even sad.

"Yeah, of course," he answered in a more confident tone. He bumped Gladio's fist with a little bounce to it. Though he wanted to be manly and not overly sappy, it was generally clear enough when he was feeling happy anyway. "But seriously. Not gonna stand here and watch you two do human spelunking or something. That'd be weird. I'll catch you guys later."

Though, as he started to head away a thought occurred to him. While he had no intention of being a voyeur, if this was the new normal, he should try and catch it on film. So, when he was well on his way out, he paused to see if he could catch a candid shot.

Edited 2018-07-21 05:21 (UTC)

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June Aftermath: Magic Lantern Strange

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Sorry for lateness!