lifeaftr | June Aftermath: Magic Lantern Strange

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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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Are you seriously comparing the soft glow of luminescent paint to sunlight?

[Someone's being dramatic.]

A few feathers is hardly being covered with paint. Being covered with paint is what he's doing to me and what he already had done to himself.

[he doesn't know how else to be]

I'm comparing it to what it is, which is a nuisance. Why are you pushing the issue like this?

Because I want to share something with you.

[There's a slight bit of frustration in Ignis' expression, but somehow he manages to keep it out of his words.]

Is it so wrong that I want to leave a mark on you to help you remember I'm here? That the soft glow of that flame that burns for you is still with you even when you're alone?

It's foolish and so are you. I don't understand why you refuse to drop this silly little pretense and just ignore me for your precious Gladiolus like any sensible person would. Is this some kind of game to you? Do you actually enjoy tormenting me like this?

Oh, do stop being so dramatic!

[Ignis doesn't mean to snap at Ardyn, but in his frustration the words slip out before he can stop himself.]

Attempt to push us away all you want; you are going to fail every time because I know exactly what you're trying to do. Do you think I've forgotten our talk after the mess with Bliss? Do you think I've decided to abandon my promises just because the road is bumpy? If so, you're the fool, not me.

Shut up.

[Ardyn didn't raise his voice in the slightest; if anything it was quieter, sharpened and cold.]

Do you really think I care for your promises or your intent? Do you think I'm lying when I tell you how revolting I find this, or how it's tantamount to torture--and believe me, I would know. Or do you really believe I harbor any illusions that this will end in anything but replacement? Do not take me for some manner of idiot, because I of all people know what being replaced by a superior option looks like. Just because you can't understand it and may not even intend it does not mean it isn't happening regardless.

You're causing more harm than you know in this foolish misguided attempt to help. Give up.

No!

[There's so much more Ignis wants to tag onto that almost snarled word. How can Ardyn remember anything else when he's admitted he doesn't feel anything besides hate and anger? But there's more than that there. Why, just minutes ago there was the tender touch of the redhead's hand in his hair. Nowhere does that fit into anger and hate.

Nowhere.

He's done with words now, though, so instead of saying any of this, Ignis pushes himself forward intending to silence Ardyn's words with a kiss.

Roll a D20, Ardyn. Do you dodge or do you get smooched?]

[The sad thing was, he was being honest.]

[It really did hurt in some way he couldn't define seeing the two of them together right in front of him. Resentment screamed at the top of its lungs in his head, paired with a chorus of jealousy that twisted into a cacophony of hatred. Ardyn despised both of them, and why shouldn't he? All of this had just been a lie; none of it had ever mattered, because just as predictably as ever he'd be passed over for the better option the moment that useless behemoth came along.]

[Humans were pathetic, and worthless, and-]

[...and oh he was so incredibly weak to simple human contact that for just an instant it drove everything else out of his mind, pressing back against him as if out of some instinct that was purely human itself.]

[But he broke it off after only a moment, quickly pulling back in a flash of magenta and standing no more than a few feet away instantaneously.]

...You can't understand. All you're doing is making this so many times worse the more you insist upon it. You and everyone else-...just stop.

I don't know how else to tell you that all your efforts only cause further damage. If you continue like this, I'm just going to kill you to see if that gets the point across.

[When Ardyn presses back against him, Ignis lets his body sag in relief. He knows this is hard for the redhead after so many years of pain and trauma, but there is part of him that obviously wants--or maybe even needs--the contact and the comfort. Is it really so wrong to want to give that to him? To help him take back even just a small part of the life that should have been his so many years ago? It's a question he'd asked Kidwun several months back and it is one he is still debating the answer to now.

Then, suddenly, Ardyn's gone and it takes all of Ignis' quick reflexes to keep him from ending up face down in the sand. As it is, he only stops himself a short distance away, close enough he can feel the heat coming off the sand from where the redhead was once sitting. Frustration rises in him again and Ardyn's words wash over him muffled by it. No, he doesn't understand, but he's trying. He's trying so hard. Doesn't it count for something?

His hands curl into the sand and then Ignis lets out a sharp, sad laugh.]

It won't. You know me. Always willing to die for that which I love.

[Oddly enough, during all this, Ignis doesn't raise his head from the sand, his body bowed as if he were a subject beseeching his king for a favor.]

I'm not abandoning you, but if you really feel you must go, then go. I'll figure out something to tell Gladio when he returns.

[A few seconds later, a shaking whisper almost lost to the sound of the waves rolling into the shore nearby, slips from his mouth.]

I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.

[Ardyn took a step forward, hand half-raised as if reaching out and opening his mouth to say somethin-]

[...why did it always come to this? This damnable contradiction he couldn't resolve? Knowing exactly what came of trusting others and determined to avoid that fate again, while also knowing some part of him was painfully desperate for that contact. Slapping a hand away and then reaching out for it, like Ardyn didn't even know what he wanted.]

[His outstretched hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist, teeth grinding in frustration. Don't you dare, he told that faint shred of whatever wasn't the screaming daemonic. You know how this ends. You were replaced once and you will be again. So it didn't matter how much part of him wanted to stay. This was all just a fleeting temporary thing with fleeting temporary mortals, and it would end one way or another.]

Don't come near me again. And if you send your behemoth in your place, I'll see to it he loses worse than just his sight.

[Ardyn turned sharply, drew a short dagger from its holster-]

...I'm sorry, too.

[-and was gone in a quick motion and trail of red light.]

Edited 2018-07-04 00:03 (UTC)

[Ardyn vanishes in a streak of light and Hresvelgr cries after him in a distressed little 'kweh!?' from a short distance down the beach. If the sound she makes is distressed it's nothing to the soft gasp of Iggy's name as Gladio rushes down the beach to him. The gold and purple paint are abandoned, dropped onto the sand as he comes forward, skidding through the sand to slide an arm around Ignis' waist.]

Babe? Igs, hey... [He had no idea what had happened while he was gone, they'd been making kissy faces at each other and Iggy was convincing Ardyn to be painted. Now somehow everything's fallen apart in a matter of minutes.]

What happened?

[Ignis barely hears Gladio's questions over the roaring in his head, a roar that all too closely mimics the sound of falling water and Leviathan's angry shrieking. It screams of failure to him--of pain unintended--and it's all he can do to keep the sob that wants to tear its way out of his throat silent. When Gladio pulls him away from the sand, though, it's like a switch is flipped and the next moment Ignis finds himself turning and burying his head in the crook of the Shield's neck, sobbing silently. His fingers curl tightly against Gladio's shoulders, tight enough there will likely be marks there tomorrow.

Poor Hresvelgr is as confused as Gladio is. Ardyn's sudden disappearance is one thing, but the young chocobo is smart enough to find her way home if she has to. That isn't a problem. However, she also knows and trusts Ignis who is obviously in pain. Why? She doesn't understand why.

In the end, she does what her instincts tell her and curls up behind Ignis, long neck wrapping around his side so she can slide her head between Gladio and Ignis and push it against the advisor's chest.]

[Seeing just how distraught Ignis is throws all his questions out the window. It doesn't matter, none of it does. All that matters is that Ignis needs him. He wraps one arm around his boyfriend, helping to support his head where it's pressed into his shoulder. The fingers of his other hand slide into Iggy's hair, brushing lightly through once and then curling in and holding on, firm but not painful, anchoring him to the here and now.]

Shhh... got you, babe. My pretty spark. I got you.

[Low and soothing, the same gentle rumble that eased Iris' nightmares as a child and soothed Talcott's pain when they lost Jared. It doesn't matter what he's saying, soft reassurances and nonsensical praise so long as that easy deep timbre keeps rolling.

His hand will slip away from Ignis' hair for a moment, catching the hand on his shoulder and guiding it down to Hresvelgr's head, just as he'd done to Ardyn a few short weeks ago. Then his fingers thread back into dirty blond hair, holding on tight, grounding himself as much as Ignis.]

We're right here, babe.

[It's been sometime since the panic had such a strong grip on Ignis. There is a distant part of him that realizes Gladio and Hresvelgr are there--a safe, soothing voice, soft feathers beneath his fingers--but most of him is elsewhere. Rain upon his face, not tears. Body so weak he can barely draw breath, let alone raise a finger. And failure. Failure weighing down on him like the heaviest stone, driving his body deeper and deeper into the pavement beneath it.

It's Altissia all over again, only this time it's not Noctis he's failed to protect. No, this time he's managed to hurt someone who's already carrying lifetimes of pain upon his shoulders.

Why? Why can't he do anything right?

It takes some time for the silent sobs to shift to something else, though if the sound of Ignis struggling to breathe in something even tangentially related to a normal pace is actually an improvement is anyone's guess. At least he becomes a little more aware of Gladio and Hresvelgr presences even if he rebels hard against letting them comfort him. If he had the strength right now, he would push them both away. As it is, all he can do is finally speak in a cracked and broken whisper.]

You should go away. I'm going to hurt you too.

[He laughs sadly then, the sound wet as if it has been torn from his chest.]

I've already hurt you. It's just going to happen again.

[Gladio holds him, hand drifting down to stroke soothing circles over his back. Words drift into a slow, rolling hum of a lullaby Ignis might vaguely remember from years long gone. A rumble that doesn't stop, even as Ignis speaks.

The words mean nothing, he knows that. The fears of a broken heart and there's a hint of sting that he thinks Gladio would actually listen but most of him knows how irrational that is. He does shift back for a fleeting moment, long enough to lift Hresvelgr's head, to bodily pick Ignis up and settle him into Gladio's lap so he can hold him closer, even as the chocobo re-situates herself.

The humming picks up a little louder, a little deeper, reverberating through his chest and thus through Ignis.]

everything is gonna be alright

[He doesn't say anything else, doesn't voice the rest of the words of the lullaby. But he keeps the melody going, wordless reassurance that he's going absolutely nowhere.]

[Later, when he's come back to himself, Ignis will be grateful that Gladio has experience in the kind of panic he's feeling now. It means the Shield does exactly what he should do when he ignores Ignis' desperate attempts to validate those irrational fears and forces him to either abandon them or spend energy he doesn't have to keep pushing the topic.

Anger sparks in his chest--just as irrational as his fears--but Ignis is too worn out to allow the anger to do anything other than spark and fade. He curls tighter into Gladio's body, pushing away everything aside from the low rumble of the Shield's voice and the soft feathers under his fingertips. The song is familiar, but Ignis is too scrambled to remember why, and the last thing he should do now is go searching his memories for the answer. He needs to shut his brain down for a little while--or, at least, come as close as he ever does--not give it more to do. Slowly, his world narrows down to those two sensations and as it does, his breathing slowly returns to normal.

Soon enough he will have to let the rest of the world back in, but for the moment, Ignis lingers in this peaceful, safe place and lets himself rest.]

[Gladio is not usually a terribly patient person but when he needs to be, for the people he cares for, he can wait for an eternity. Iggy's breathing slows and steadies and Gladio waits, humming the same melody again and again, never ceasing. He sways slightly with the melody, places a slow, lingering kiss on Ignis' temple.

He knows the advisor will do what he always does, try to rein himself in as soon as possible, make sure he's "better", back in control, not give himself the time he needs to cope with what's happened. Gladio has no intention of letting him do that. His breathing normalizes and that means before he speaks he'll need to take a firmer, deeper breath, not to soft, steadying breaths he has now.

The moment he does Gladio is hushing him softly, shifting his hold on Iggy, coaxing him into turning, straddling Gladio's lap. Fingertips skim in swirling lines over Iggy's chest, soothing and distracting him from wherever his mind wants to go.]

Shhh... be still for me, spark. [Gentle and encouraging and if Ignis will let him he'll tip him back to lay him out on the sand, his head pillowed on Hresvelgr's shoulder.]

[Romantic feelings aside, this is one of the main reasons that Ignis missed having Gladio around. Even with the distance that Gladio says came between them during the darkness, the Shield knows him almost better than he knows himself. Ignis realizes he needs to shut his brain down and rest a little bit, but he does this only to regain control of himself. Actually dealing with the cause of everything is not in the cards. There's not time. There never is, or at least, there is never time that Ignis thinks should be wasted on such things.

Just as soon as he starts to surface, Gladio catches hold of him mentally and physically and settles him back into that restful space. Ignis isn't really sure what the Shield has in mind, but relaxed and emotionally exhausted as he is, he's willing to let Gladio do as he wishes for now with nothing more than a questioning whisper of his name.

He's trusts Gladio, and as dangerous as it may be to let himself be vulnerable again so soon after having that vulnerability stepped on by Ardyn, Ignis lets himself be so anyway.]

[The fact that Ignis trusts him enough to stay, to let himself be comforted and open after whatever the hell Ardyn said before he took off, says so much. That, more than anything, reassures him of his place beside Ignis and he leans over the blond to press a gentle kiss to his lips, soft and appreciative.]

That's it, babe. Shhh...

[Light, soothing touches down his arms, coaxing Hresvelgr to lay her head just so, a steady warmth on Ignis' shoulder. Gladio shifts for a moment, moving away but he keeps his leg resting lightly against Iggy's so there's never a question of being left alone. He's still humming too, though the melody is a little more varied now, snippets of whatever passes through his head.

Then his fingers are back to tracing out idle patterns on Ignis' chest only now they're damp and warm with paint, slick and smooth, gliding over his skin in wide swirls with only a little more purpose than the touches from a moment before.]

Lemme look after you.

[He'd stopped himself from doing it before, for Ardyn's sake, but now he moves to straddle Ignis, sitting back against his thighs so he has access to his full torso.]

O-okay.

[The word is soft and unsteady only because of how drained Ignis is. It has nothing to do with a lack of trust or because he feels unsafe. The opposite is true, actually. He feels very safe with Gladio over top of him and Hresvelgr at his back. He could fall asleep here actually, even with all the other people around and that's no small feat.

Once he's sure he won't disrupt Gladio's work, Ignis carefully moves his arm up so he can scratch at the feathers on the side of Hresvelgr's head. It's soothing and the feeling gives him one more thing to lose himself in whenever his thoughts try to stray back to what just happened. He knows he should tell Gladio more, but whenever he tries to find the words, he feels tears threaten again and panic starts clawing at the back of his mind.

Tomorrow, then. They can talk about the details tomorrow when he has more distance.

With a tired sigh, Ignis lets his eye fall closed and just drifts in the sound of the waves, the feel of Hresvelgr breathing behind him, and the slide of Gladio's fingers across his skin.]

[The details don't matter. Not right now. So Gladio just works his way over Ignis' body, soft sure touches, steady and with increasing precision. Every time he thinks too hard or tries to talk, his body tensing, breath tightening, Gladio leans back, heavy and grounding on Ignis' lap. He'll hum a little louder, pick up a few scattered lyrics that he recalls from songs he hasn't given himself time to listen to or enjoy in years.

At least once Ignis will catch the lilt of the chocobo theme and Gladio's deep chuckle following it as he pushes up on his knees to drop a kiss on the advisor's shoulder beside their current choco-friend. He's not familiar enough with Hresvelgr to be comfortable actually letting himself kiss her beak, though he considers it. But Ignis is still tense and she's worried for him so he doesn't want to crowd her too much.

The last thing they need is a repeat of what happened with Rory.

Eventually Gladio's fingers are replaced by something else, slender and hard, pressing dots into his skin beside drying swirls.]

[Eventually, the tension in Ignis' body and the tightness in his breathing even out as his mind finally lets go of what happened. In fact, if Gladio thinks Ignis may have dozed off a time or two, no one can blame him. The only thing that shows he's actually still awake--if drifting rather far--is the way his mouth curves into a smile whenever he recognizes the tunes Gladio is humming or whenever the Shield presses a kiss to his skin.

As if to show just how far he's drifted away from the here and now, it actually takes Ignis several minutes to realize Gladio's shifted painting techniques. When he finally gathers himself enough to speak, there is no tensing of his body, only a soft, sleepy mumble.]

Mm...that's not your finger.

[Soft and sleepy and content is exactly what Gladio was hoping would happen, given enough time. He makes a soft sound, an acknowledgement of the words, but he continues his humming, the steady even press of dots. It takes a steady hand and pure confidence to ensure he doesn't make a mistake that would be irreversible.

Neither of them are in a place to think of it now but it's proof he has the skills to utilize the tattoo kit Ignis has.]

The spine of a shell...

[Quiet, a simple explanation as he moves to begin lining the next sweeping line with dots and fine lines alternating. He's careful to keep his movements firm as he can without making the paint spread out too far. Too light a touch might tickle and then where would all his hard work be.]

[A mess is where all his hard work would be because as relaxed and adrift as Ignis is right now, he would have no self-conscious worries to keep him from laughing and wiggling to escape the tickles. It would be a sad end for such hard work. Fortunately, Gladio has found just the right touch to keep that from happening even if Ignis does chuckle softly a few moments after finally getting his answer.]

Yes, your fingers would be too big for that. Like the rest of you, but I like you that way.

[That...probably sounds a lot dirtier than he intends it, but this is what happens when Ignis lets his mind drift this far. He becomes a lot freer with his words. Perhaps too free, but that is something he can worry about in the morning.]

June Aftermath: Magic Lantern Strange

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