you and me in the moonlight

[crosslaced]

Who: You!
What: A year end party MINGLELOG to help everyone recover from the Shit we’ve been through.
When: Forwarddated to Nov 24
Where: Enso E4, close to the ST Temple
Warnings: Mark as necessary, but none expected.

As the end of November draws near…… it’s time for that player plot the mods hinted at in their latest announcement.

Laurent’s Witch Labyrinth! -no, actually, it’s just a party.

[preparation]

All day on the 24th people are hard at work setting up on the golden beaches of Enso. The Storyteller’s Temple can be seen from the site and vice versa; it’s just a short walk away. There’s quite a bit to be done, so every extra pair of hands are welcome!

[the party]

As evening falls, a series of torches light up the party site for the lost; most prominent are the three large campfires spaced out across the beach, offering a variety of gathering spots for those who don’t like the loud partying going on at the other one.

There’s more than enough food to go around. An entire Cariborn is being dug up from the sandy soil way up the beach, having been roasted in the ground. There’s a wide variety spread out on tables… of handwaved origin… maybe they’re the ones left around from 4/20?? It’s probably fine. Herb- baked vegetables, fresh fruits, meat of various types, pizza!! and yes, Muffet’s Magic Blackberry Alcohol abound.

We’ve also got party favors. Amongst them, it seems like..... owo are these sparklers?

Come hang out! It’s a well-deserved break.

[activities]

The children (and adults so-inclined) have some cute party games to have fun with. There’s a simple little ringtoss area set up, with rings that aren’t even proper circles (listen, Laurent tried) and wooden stakes in the ground to be ringed.

Across the wide stretch of sand there's a lot that can be done- want to build some sandcastles? Pick some shells? Fight some crabs? The beach is dotted with doodles in the sand, inviting you to join in.

The biggest attraction is perhaps the petting zoo- well, it’s a cluster of animals just hanging out, but you get the idea. Located far up on the beach and away from the danger of the waves, the petting zoo has three whole Chocobos, two whole Tigerlilies (one of which is clearly guarding the Chocobos), and one whole horse. Sometimes two horses, but the grey wandering one is wearing a plaque that says “I BITE. PET ME CAREFULLY.”

[storyteller?]

Yes, ST-chan is invited! I’m leaving it to them to top-level or tag out at their leisure. Keep an eye out for the bunny god, they’re Coming.

Comments

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter is not a...social person by nature, exactly, but almost everyone they know is here, so they are here as well. They do brighten up when they see Mollymauk, however - first, because they recognize him and second, because they now have a guarantee that he made it to the islets all right. Or, at least, he did not perish in between then and now.]

[And, thirdly, though they do not recognize it as something conscious on their part, it is because they are...relieved, in some sense, to have someone else here who looks as strange and out of place as them.]

[They wave their greeting, approaching with a bit more verve than they would have some time ago.]

made it to islets?

[devilstongue]

Oh, hello!

[ Molly grins at the weird person that had helped him earlier, a little more prepared for the hovering text this time as they 'speak'. It still takes him a moment to read it, but then the tiefling is nodding to the Drifter. ]

I did, though I think I ended up on the other side. I found my friends, though, so it's all good.

[ He shrugs a bit, obviously doing fine right now. ]

Are you enjoying yourself?

[hyperlit]

[They...aren't sure about whether or not they're enjoying themself, per se, but they're not not enjoying themself, which is the important thing.]

many people
all in one place

[They tug at their cowl, pulling the scarlet material a little more securely around the neon blue of their skin. They...stand out. It's hard to forget it, how much they stand out.]

[devilstongue]

[ That gesture of hiding themselves a bit makes him think of Nott and her fears - so Molly frowns a little, concerned. Was there an issue here, or was it just that habits are hard to kill? ]

Well, I'm enjoying meeting so many new people. It's nice to have someone else colorful around to compliment my own, though!

[ Molly tosses his hair a bit, making the baubles in his hair jingle. See, he's more weird than you, so you'll be safe. ]

[hyperlit]

[In some ways, it's...refreshing. To understand that they are not the only one who grapples with that strangeness. They have become entirely too accustomed to standing out in that regard.]

it is

[They do mean it, even if they are terrible at actually translating it into words that others can understand. Or...forming words in general.]

not alone here?

[devilstongue]

[ Molly is always ready to make a fool of himself, especially for things like this. Shenanigans aside, he knows very well how it is to be seen as different - which was why he flaunted it as much as possible just to aggravate those bothered by it.

The little confirmation from the blue one is a good thing, too. It means it's working.

The next sentence brings a smile on Molly's face, and he shakes his head. ]

No, I'm not. Three of my friends are here, and I'm doing my best to make a lot more right now.

[hyperlit]

from home?

[Nott did not include Mollymauk in her, uh...rudimentary drawing of her friends for whatever reason, so they're not quite certain that there's actually a relation there. Or that Nott's name is Nott. She introduced herself as Robert.]

[devilstongue]

[ Nott that is so fuckign cute what the hell? (Well, she had a completely justified reason for not including him.) ]

Yeah. Beau, Yasha and Nott. Three of the six members of our little group of friends.

[ He doesn't know Caduceus so excuse him from leaving his death replacement out. ]

Are you alone here from your world?

[hyperlit]

[They recognize Beau and Yasha, but...not Nott, fittingly enough. Her name, as far as they know, is Robert.]

was for a time
not anymore

[Which Is Awkward As Shit By The Way but the Drifter seldom if ever gets into that, so they don't.]

know them
yasha
bo

[They weren't sure how to spell "Beau," so laying it out phonetically seemed like the best option. That, and they language most things seem to be written in at home tends to see most sounds as interchangeable.]

[devilstongue]

[ That seemed a little sensitive, and Molly isn't sure what to think about it. Was it good? Bad? Neither?

Since he doesn't know the Drifter that well, he's not going to push. he's not drunk enough to be an asshole yet.

...and don't worry, that's probably how he'd spell Beau too if he had to write it down without seeing it first. His idea that reading is too boring to bother with is really biting him in the ass here on the islands, though. ]

You've met them? Yasha is great, she's my best friend. Beau is... Beau.

[ He loves her, really. ]

[hyperlit]

hits things
very well

[That is actually a glowing compliment, coming from the Drifter, who has been known to come at things with such a fervor that they will smack straight into them and topple themself in the process. Beau does, in fact, hit things very well. They can respect such verve.]

[devilstongue]

Oh yes, she's excellent at that.

[ He still has bruises from her 'welcome'. ]

Kind of an asshole, but so am I.

[hyperlit]

[There's that presumption again - the idea that they are not...kind or good people, perhaps. Many continue to say that about themselves: Ichimatsu, Guzma, the twins. All have continuously proved those declarations wrong time and time again.]

[They are beginning to think that no one here simply has a very accurate picture of themself. But then, what gives the Drifter the right to pass that sort of judgment?]

have both been kind

[By which the Drifter means: neither of you have been dismissive, hostile, or outright fantasy racist in my direction, which is largely their metric for what constitutes as "kindness".]

[devilstongue]

[ You have a very low expectation of what's a good person, Drifter. Molly knows quite well he's not a good person, even if he does his best to do good, but there's a difference.

Plus it's really hard to be fantasy racist when you're the weirdest guy out there (mushroom centaurs aside) ]

Well, you haven't known us long enough yet, I suppose.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter has some frighteningly low standards, and they're not really showing any sign of lightening up any, either. It's worked just fine for them thus far! Which is why Molly's dismissal doesn't quite...register with them.]

don't understand

[devilstongue]

[ Molly isn't sure how to explain it and doesn't really care to, so he just shrugs. ]

Don't worry about it. Tell me your favorite part of the party instead!

[hyperlit]

[Favorite...part.]

[Well, that's a conundrum. It's a conundrum because the Drifter is not terribly social, and doesn't feel like they're justifying really being here because they're not exactly acting terribly useful to anyone. That being said...]

nothing trying to kill us

[devilstongue]

My friend, you have to get higher standards.

[ Seriously. ]

What makes you smile and feel all happy and excited inside?

[hyperlit]

[i cannot stress enough how few standards the drifter has]

[...they don't really even have an answer to that one? Things have made them happy here, to be certain, but they were temporary measures, and they did not dwell on them when they passed.

living for another day
being sick no longer

[devilstongue]

Ooookay, that's not good enough. Those are things everyone should have.

[ SERIOUSLY. ]

How about eating good things? Drinking? Ever been kissed?

[hyperlit]

eat food
drink water
continue to function day by day

[They don't uncover their mouth for any particular reason, and have no genuine interest in kissing, but as for the rest - they are accustomed to a frugal existence. They haven't even settled down in any particular area, or chosen a house. They simply wander.]

[devilstongue]

[ Jeez, man. ]

Living for the sake of living isn't a life. You have to fill it.

[hyperlit]

[If they were the sort to shrug dismissively, now would be the time to do so.]

does not matter
already dead

[devilstongue]

You too, huh?

[ Between him and the skeleton, Molly's first idea that this was an afterlife is starting to sound plausible again. That's a shitty thought, honestly. ]

Well, we're still kicking here, so make a new life of it! Dance, laugh, get drunk, go skinny-dip. Anything that makes your heart soar. Life's short enough as it is, let's not squander a second chance by not filling it up.

[hyperlit]

[That does prompt a blink - slightly startled, then taking it quietly into account. Some others they have met here are the same. Too many, in fact.]

[The world turns endlessly onward.]

still dying