June Aftermath: Magic Lantern Strange

[lifeaftr_mods]

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!

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[catpiper]

That's tempting and she can't say his offer doesn't pique her interest, even if she's content to play on the beached surfboard. The bit of water remaining is enough to slide her feet across and she wiggles her way down the board, scooting her feet until she reaches the end, where she promptly jumps off. Hell yeah. Slip and Slide and Surfing.

"It's okay. You look 'cool' playing with the pretty water," It's a testament to his kind heart that he tried to find a way to get her involved, but she's content to be a lighthouse this evening. He's smiling. Laughing. She wants him to keep doing that until exhaustion from this fun night makes him stop or amble somewhere else. Until then, lighthouse Ren is at his service.

"I can balance on the sand until you come back and-" She doesn't. Really. Want the Jormun to do it. She doesn't know them and shoreside surfing sounds lowkey scary," if your eyes aren't tired and I'm 'good at it'-can you push me?"

[ohshitsweetflips]

He'd still mostly just been bullshitting, but if that's actually on the table he is surprised but a thousand percent on board. Man, he really hopes her trust is not misplaced and nothing eats either of them. "Hell yeah I can!"

He's no fish person, but he can probably... Manage something? He'll make this work or die trying. It won't even be real surfing it'll be fine. Let! Ren! Boogie board! Forget him going back out, this is the new thing. He hops up, revitalized, and gets ready to drag the board back into the shallows.

"You won't even have to do much balancing to start with, you can just sit and chill on the board. If you don't flail around, it'll be fine."

[catpiper]

Regret sets in around the time the water's up to her knees and the only reason she doesn't immediately back out of this great idea is because sparkly bits are clinging to her skin. It's distracting in the best possible way. This is a limited time offer to play and she might as well. Do it. Taako's here with her? If something bad happens, he'll run away with her.

All she wants to do is play this game!! That's it!! Can she get up there on her own? What if she falls in? How long does it take for someone to drown? It's probably like five seconds. She really didn't think this through. Sit and chill becomes more appealing by the second and that's readily apparently by her quiet repetition of that phrase. No moving. No flailing. No problem.

"I won't cheat or move, so don't let me drown." Yes, don't let her die in this shallow water, that she wouldn't be fully submerged in anyway. Look, she's practicing now. Stiff and barely moving, eyeing the board as it gets put into place. This was fun on land. It'll be more enjoyable with Uncle Taako by her side, she's sure. Absolutely sure.

[ohshitsweetflips]

Oh she is dead serious about the drowning thing, isn't she. He barks a laugh even though he really shouldn't, but he can't help it. It's the most direct he's ever heard Ren be, and it's even more funny because that wasn't even like, a worry he had, not when horrible ocean chimerae are a thing.

"Got yourself a deal, pumpkin, no drowning on Taako's watch." Listen, he's not laughing at you, he's laughing...for you? This'll be funny once she realizes exactly how much she's not gonna drown, since he's a wizard and has multiple ways of stopping that from happening, probably. "Can't say no cheating though, we are deffo gonna cheat. Only little baby waves here, gonna have to Shape Water anything legit."

He holds the board steady and considers the best way to go about...actually getting her ON it. If he picks her up (can he even dead-lift an urchin?? Let's not find out.) who's going to keep the board in place? Nah, she's clambery, she can do it.

"Alright, so this is just like getting in the hammock, you gotta just go for it. It'll be even easier, actually, because I'll keep it from tipping. You got this, Ren."

[catpiper]

The ocean monsters are half cat, which means they're only half a threat, and the ocean is no cat, making its entirety one giant hazard. This is what a year's worth of trust culminates too, honestly, is the faith that he won't let this board shift under her weight and send her to an earlier, waterier grave.

She mentally prepares herself for the short journey ahead, quiet se no, se no's being repeated as she sorta preps herself to jump? Yes, she's going to jump because it's an all or nothing situation and the more she thinks about her feet being off any kind of stable ground, the more nervous she gets, and the less she wants to play. Horrible. Bad. She should've coerced Seto into trying this with her, or first, preferably.

But the thing about water is that it's hard to jump in and the thing about her is she didn't think any of this through and with that final se no, she leaps forward-

And does nothing but splash some sparkle water around, only managing to get her upper body across the board and just sorta kicks her feet in the water, as if it's going to propel the rest of her up. Give her a second okay?? She can do this and repeats his words because-"I've got this. I've got this." Even if it sounds more like terrified chanting.

But! She gets up there and only [1] elf probably got splashed in the process, so it's fine. She sits on the board, knees folded under her, and clutches the edges for dear life. "I did it!"

[ohshitsweetflips]

Yeah, being splashed isn't even a thing, at this late juncture of Taako's beach party adventure; he only splutters a bit and carries on bravely with...not interfering in this Process. He's too busy taking in the production that all of that was, the very real drama, the struggle. Whatever she lost in the execution is mostly gained in the result? Sure. She's on the board, anyway.

"Hell yeah you did! And you didn't drown, so that's good too, we are really starting out on the right foot." This was a great idea, Taako is an exceptionally gifted teacher of urchins, no question. This is going to help Ren so much. Honestly, where's his medal.

"Now you just gotta, let go of the sides-- You're gonna want to tense up, but you can't, or you'll lose your balance. Don't worry about anything else, I'll move the board."

He takes a quick second to translate into something Ren hopefully can grok on a visceral level, and elaborates. "It's like-- It's like hiding when you want to run instead. It seems riskier but it's actually better, even if you kinda have to talk yourself into it." Should he be comparing this Fun Activity to dealing with monsters? Probably not. Oh well! She'll manage, she knows bravery is dumb, hacking your fight or flight reflex is where it's really at.

[catpiper]

Staying alive is incredibly important to her and she does count that as her single greatest victory in this surf session. That's why letting go of the sides feels like, maybe, the worst thing she could possibly do at this point. Did he let go of the board? Oh, right. He did. It was only a few minutes ago that was out in the surf himself. The image is seared into her mind, partially because she was terrified for him and also because he looked like a shooting star, streaking across the ocean.

No hands. No hands. He says no hands and really has to talk herself into that. That's fine. They're not going to run right now. She has to hide and that's her special talent-she can do that.

All she has to do is let go.

Yep, let go.

That's all.

The psyche up takes more time than she anticipated, but his pep talk is surprisingly helpful and shockingly easy to understand, even if her own execution of those instructions takes a minute or two. Her fingers peel away from the edges and she abruptly pulls them to her body, hiding her arms under her chest and pressing her face into the middle of the board.

Just call her Renmadillo, the surfing gremlin. The water's movement is comparable to an earthquake. It's catastrophic and scary. Surfing was a mistake and while she trusts in Taako's promise to keep her from succumbing to a watery fate, she's terrified and excited all at once. "Okay, I'm hiding. We can move-we can surf."

She's not sitting? Or standing? She's just a huddled ball on the board, ready to freaking fly. Let's go go go!!

[ohshitsweetflips]

Taako is fucking stunned by this turn of events. Maybe...maybe that explanation wasn't so good after all. He'd been so sure that would do the trick, but Ren's huddled form and her helpful if unintentional explanation of just where he went wrong say otherwise.

"Alright, well-- That one's on Taako, shoulda been more clear with the analogies, easy to-- to get off course." He pitches his voice as soothingly and coaxingly as if he really were teaching a raccoon to surf, completely at odds with his bullshit words. Ren is so obviously terrified, and yet she still trusts him. That's actually way more terrifying than surfing, if you think about it, which he would like not to. And he doesn't even have the option of becoming a ball about it, because now he really has to see this thing through.

So maybe he can just. Push her a bit like this, while she's a little Ren morph ball. Maybe that will help. "But I can work with this. Remember, no flailing, no tensing up, just-- listen for your balance, here we go!"

And that's that on that, this gremlin raft is on the move. Taako rolls a will save against making a 'nyoom' sound under his breath, and heartily fails. Kravitz would be proud. Ren is absolutely by no means clocking anywhere near nyoom knots per hour, but that's beside the point. This is surfing, if you squint, and she's doing it.

[catpiper]

I'm going to die is her first thought as the final instructions are doled out, his words drowned out by the mental countdown in her mind, and by the distracting way the board moves. One, two, three-she's counting the waves lapping under her like they're stars in the sky and it doesn't help. It makes things worse, actually, in a way she couldn't have predicted because now she can't ignore the fact they're traversing the deep, dark ocean.

And then, he nyooms and she mistakes it for nyaaaam, which is a cat related throwback she appreciates. Does he know that means something? He probably knows cats are safe, at this point. She's made it clear to anyone within five feet of her over the last year, so nyoom-nyaam is probably some kind of it's safe terminology he picked up. That word is powerful, even if it comes from an elf instead of her fuzzy friends and it's why she slowly peeks up from the board-

To the treasure water below. The whole reason she wanted to learn this scary game and why she asked him to help to begin with. No flailing, no tensing-she remembers the rules and tries to get on all fours, which makes the board wobble a bit too much and n o p e, back to the huddle. She's an armadillo for life now, which is fine, because there's a huge, beaming smile across her face as she taps her fingers against the board.

"Nyyyyyaaaam! We're surfing!"

[ohshitsweetflips]

Her enthusiasm is infectious, and he laughs giddily even if he has no specific idea why his quiet nyoom sound has morphed into a cat noise. Beyond the standard explanation of 'Ren being Ren.'

"Yeah, that's how we do! That's how it is!"

It's hard not to turn this triumph into an increase in speed, though it's also pretty hard to get any real momentum in the water. He's already designing a cat-themed boogie board in his head. Finally, a skill he can impart that doesn't put anyone at risk of food poisoning.

Of course, that would entail imparting some actual skill, instead of just pushing her around. He brings their circuit to a halt, catching his breath and planning Phase Two.

"You're doing great, pumpkin. Now we just gotta-- Gonna work on the, the standing up part, that's next. Start low, gimme your hand," he braces the board as well as he can, with the hand not on offer and a bit of his own weight, projecting as much stability as he can, which probably isn't much. "If you fall, it's fine, I'll already have a hold of you. You'll just break all my ribs probably. But you won't drown, which is the important thing."

[catpiper]

Her ability to balance has never been a source of stress until now, thanks. All his ribs? Really? That's the price of her incompetence? She either stands up against the tide of the ocean or watches her uncle collapse into a literal sea of pain? Won't he die if all his ribs break? That sounds like death. Those are horrible odds and she's not happy about that. She's tempted to say he can let her drown, but she doesn't want to die either? Horrible. The ocean is a fickle mistress and she reaches down to smack one of the gentle, bobbing waves beside her.

"Don't move a lot, okay? You can't do that or his ribs will break." But the ocean doesn't answer. She has to place her trust in the water and that's hm, not great given their past experiences and smacking it like a broken toy probably wasn't the best way to get her request across. She has a real fear for Taako right now. But that's whatever and she grasps his hand, slowly pushing herself up to her knees, moving to a slight crouch, and sitting back down because she feels the instability under her feet, despite his efforts to help stabilize her. The lingering terror of becoming her uncle's murderer is still fresh in her mind too, which doesn't help.

"You can-You can stand back. I'll get up by myself, so you don't die."

She's gonna do her Best and be super brave, which will definitely end with her falling, but she's confident he can. Maybe. Save her from a non rib breaking distance. Please.

[ohshitsweetflips]

When will he learn that sarcasm and hyperbole are not in Ren's lexical wheelhouse? It's just such second nature to him to say a bunch of dumb words. Also the results are usually hilarious; Ren just did a hit on the ocean, and that's just not something he can regret fully. Even if this is a really inconvenient time for her to be terrified by her own literal-mindedness.

But he's not gonna argue with standing back. Maybe an elven crutch is actually hindering her in finding her balance, maybe she has to do this herself to get the knack. That doesn't mean he has to stand back much, though, right? He splashes a step away, engaging in what he likes to think of as a confident, supportive hover.

"It's-- Listen, I literally cannot die like this, it's not a thing. And neither can you, because I'll just Levitate you. So no pressure, okay?" Except the pressure where a board can slip right out from under someone's feet and, he's pretty sure, knock them unconscious in the ensuing confusion. He's pretty sure that's a thing, and he's definitely not concerned about it at all, for example.

How's he supposed to bribe/congratulate the horrible urchin he already just gives stuff to continually? What's he gonna do, reward her with food? Didn't think that through. What does she even want? To stop surfing, probably. "I'm already impressed, so we can call this extra credit. That means it's fine if you don't do it. But you almost had it, before."

[catpiper]

The intense, immediate distress she feels when he takes that 0.5 step back abruptly vanishes when he opens his mouth. That trust in him and his weird elf powers is what made her comfortable enough to get this far. There is no pressure because the odds of her even touching the water is minimal. No drowning. No rib breaking. A part of her briefly wonders if she should ask someone to help her learn to swim, but that seems extra dumb considering she could just be levitated across the ocean, push come to shove. Elves are great.

Extra credit is an enticing reward, despite not having any ding dang clue about what that means. It might be like a gold star? Or points? And she sure loves collecting and amassing hoards of these imaginary prizes.

It takes another second or two for her to collect herself, to push back her fears and turn no pressure, no pressure into a new mantra for this surfventure. It has an oddly calming effect and when her heart stops pounding against her ribs, she slowly, slowly, begins to stand.

And maybe it's because of all the years spent balancing on unstable floors in old, unmaintained buildings or perhaps it's because she just has innate talent for surfing alongside her mad pitching skills. Either way, she's able to get to her feet with only a few bumps in the ocean road. She holds her arms out, trying to mimic the position Taako had surfing on the waves, and looks completely shocked she's not dead. Shocked, unsure, then thrilled. It's not scary at all-not yet.

"Look, look!" She's trying not to move at all. Even her yell is about 20 decibels less than normal, so as not to Anger The Water. "Do I get it? The extra credit? How much?"