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

[counterblows]

Right. Alive.

[Or alive again in some cases. Not everyone made it out, he knows. He knows full fucking well.]

So it's a..."take a break, because people aren't dead anymore" thing.

[piercetheheart]

And not fucked up anymore?

[Come on, Wash, there are some positives here.]

[counterblows]

[Thinking optimistically is not a talent of his, no.]

...sure. [As if that doesn't conjure up its own fucking set of complications.] You seen C.T. around?

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio can move, he can hunt and cook and Hyperion is standing in the sand near the food tables. Yeah that's worth celebrating.]

Not yet. Been watching over the birds mostly but I need to track her down.

[A pause, uncertain.]

She remembers now, yeah?

[counterblows]

Yeah. I think so.

[It's just not something he's really...talked about with her. Talking about things isn't really their forte. It's amazing that they survived the floral plague, considering it all.]

Don't know if she'll...you know, show up.

[piercetheheart]

Welp... if she doesn't I'll have to go steal her cat.

[Because he knows damn well she's going to try to hide.]

[counterblows]

...I can't tell if you're being serious or not.

[It becomes obvious, in that moment, why Wash stays in armor as often as possible, or at least partially - his expression can always be suitably stoic through a helmet, and when his face is fully visible, there's no concealing the blink of slightly pained confusion.]

[piercetheheart]

I've found when people are avoiding you for stupid reasons bribing them with the return of pets works pretty fantastically.

[The number of times they've lured Ardyn out with Hresvelgr is absolutely ridiculous.]

Besides, she's gotta keep up with Ami's training or that cat is going to rule the house.

[counterblows]

For "stupid reasons," huh?

[He's not sure where to categorize that in terms of likelihood. Some of those reasons might be pretty legitimate, but they're also extremely likely to be the kinds of reasons that would have gotten them all killed and choking up flowers a few months ago.]

[piercetheheart]

I get she's upset but she keeps insisting that me an Igs are gonna turn around one day hating her and it's just not going to happen.

[He sighs, shrugs a little. He's not trying to disregard her feelings, he's really not, but torturing herself isn't going to help either.]

If I gotta steal her lily to get her to stop hiding from me then I'm gonna do it.

[counterblows]

...when'd this all start?

[If it was after her death, then that might have something to do with it. Besides that...well, it's clear he doesn't have the full story here.]

[piercetheheart]

Ah... the flower shit made things... a little awkward for her.

[Understatement. Oh she's going to kill him for talking to Wash about this. Shit.]

[counterblows]

Neither of you died from that one.

[He's not really following what might've transpired, because he isn't Tucker and so he never assumes that it's an issue of romantic entanglement. Or any kind of entanglement. That's just not where his mind goes.]

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio tilts his head a little, cocks a brow that clearly says really, dude?

But Wash isn't following so he sighs a little, shoving his hand back through his hair and even blushing a little bit.]

'parently I remind her of her guy back home.

[counterblows]

[He's not Tucker okay.]

She ever...you know, mention who that is? [How much does he know about Varric - and therefore the reason C.T. ultimately died last month?]

[piercetheheart]

Varric? Yeah she... told me a bit about him. Kinda uncanny really. Aside from the dwarf thing.

[There was a long discussion about why Gladio reminded her so much of her beau okay. ]

[counterblows]

...makes sense. Yeah.

[So that would be why things are...awkward. Okay.]

So she's still just - avoiding you, huh.

[piercetheheart]

If her memory's back? Yeah. And I apparently vanished for 2 weeks so you'd think she'd want to at least... check in?

[He wanted to check in with her, at least. But... well she is probably pissed at herself for being friendly. Again.

Dammit, Cee.]

[counterblows]

You vanished?

[He hasn't exactly been keeping up. He should probably be doing a better job of that, huh? As it is, he's mostly just unsettled by the blasé way Gladio puts it.]

In what way?

[piercetheheart]

Fell asleep one night, had some fucked up dreams, and came to during the storytelling.

[If he thinks too hard about it he'll freak out all over again so yeah he's gotta keep it light. No big deal, obviously.]

Pretty sure Tory'd have noticed if I keeled over on their floor so it wasn't that.

[counterblows]

Define "fucked up dreams." Were they the usual degree of fucked up, or something else?

[Don't mind the interrogation - it's just that since Gladio found it worth mentioning, Wash certainly finds it worth pursuing.]

[piercetheheart]

Usually my fucked up dreams are about home, not here.

[He shakes his head, frowning, clearly thinking back on the dream and what it might mean.]

I was on a raft, a really shitty one, off the coast of an island... not one I recognized but... well I'm pretty sure it was a volcano and the whole island was blown to bits. Crashing down into the ocean, people were screaming... running... I couldn't see a lot for all the ash but...

One of those fires Tory showed us before the bird thing had an awful lot of fireworks. If that's the kind of fireworks? Like hell I wanna be there.

[counterblows]

So you...saw...the future?

[It's not skepticism that arrests him - that'd be a pretty arbitrary thing, considering present circumstances. No, it's more concern.]

Has this happened to anyone before?

[piercetheheart]

Maybe?

Maybe it's nothing but it seems a little too obvious, especially when Mu was flaunting future versions of ourselves when I disappeared.

The disappearing part or the dream part? Because I think some of both.

[counterblows]

This didn't raise any alarm bells for you? You have any idea what prompted it or - what it means?

[He just finds this a little concerning, and the blasé attitude isn't helping.]