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

[catpiper]

Egg.

[She repeats the name because isn't that self-explanatory?? Probably not. Boy, she's got some exciting news then. Let her regale him with a tale, accompanied with a terrible finger doodle in the sand. That sure is A Cat she's drawing. A big, fluffy one.]

They're a special cat that came out of a treasure called a wand and their heart said 'My name is Egg.' So that's what we call them.

[That is most definitely not what their heart said, but it's sure their magical cat name now.]

[postictal]

[He parses maybe a third of that, and concludes that the only solid takeaway is that Ren now has two cats, for heretofore unknown reasons.]

A wand, huh?

[catpiper]

Yes, it looks like a stick, but Uncle Taako called it a wand.

[But really, it's just like a super cool branch. ]

You can't play baseball with it either. It's very special.

[postictal]

And the cat is...permanent? If if they came from a wand?

[He was not actually aware that was possible here. Everything that's summoned seems to be of a temporary nature.]

[catpiper]

They'll go away if they die, but-

[Beyond that, she's not sure. Wand logistics aren't her thing and she was too enamored with the actual cat to really listen to the rules.]

They won't get hurt. Cats stay where it's safe, so it'll be okay. They'll be alive for a long time.

[postictal]

If you say so.

[He has no clue what the logistics of that are, and he's not about to expect to get a coherent explanation out of Ren, if we're honest.]

Glad they're around, I guess.

[catpiper]

Me too. Now home is safe all the time.

[Not because of Powerful Wizards or the grim reaper-it's because of the cats. The next time she sees Kravitz, she needs to give him a special braid as thanks for This Gift.]

So if your heart gets scared, you just have to look for them and they'll tell you where to hide.

[postictal]

[There are too many things he's...not going to say to that. Cats don't automatically mean everything is safe. The things he's scared of are so far removed from him being able to hide from them that there's no point. But, of course, he doesn't - because all he does, it feels like, is venture things that are too grim to be talked about to little kids.]

[So he doesn't say any of it. Instead, he says:]

You enjoying the party?

[catpiper]

It's fun. Everyone's smiling a lot.

[All she can do is assume he took her words to heart, even though he's changing the kitty subject. He might not understand, but the offer remains. It's not like they haven't had safety discussions before.]

Does the party make you happy? Does your heart feel warm too?

[postictal]

["Nothing makes me happy."]

[It's hard for things to just...generally pierce the dulled gray fog that comprises almost everything in his head, is what he means. But he doesn't say it. What point would there be in that?]

It's nice that everyone gets to unwind.

[catpiper]

[Well, that's not an answer to either question and she taps her feet against the sand a bit harder as she thinks of a way to make his heart happier.

There were other things by those party hats. A couple little treasures she had passed up while she was holding the pizza cone. She should go back and gather items for him, although 'stuff' never seems to put a smile on his face either.]

Are you 'unwinding' too?

[postictal]

It's a nice change of pace from last month.

[That's not really an answer. He's fully aware of that, but makes no real concerted effort to change it.]

What about you? Unwinding?

[catpiper]

[That word means something and from the context, it seems positive. She's probably. Unwound.]

I don't think I was winding before.

[A pause.]

I don't know if I can do that. So I'm always unwinding.

[postictal]

[He doesn't quite laugh, but he makes...a noise. A short huff of air that's the closest he gets to it.]

It means relaxing, kid.

[catpiper]

[If it's about relaxation, she's another occupant of chill town. There are too many strong, brave people in one place for there to be a problem. It feels safe, even without her kitty companions.]

I'm unwinding a lot. Nothing is scary here, so it's easy to do that kind of thing.

[postictal]

That's good. After last month -

[Mm. Ah. You know what, let's not go there. He doesn't pursue it.]

It's better than last month was, yeah?

[catpiper]

[Hearing last month is a reminder of how everything can fall apart overnight, if a couple ghosts appeared to take away her friends and family again.

But there was one part-]

We got to celebrate your birthday again. Lots of them. That was very fun too.

[For the split second they did, with her meager sparkler offerings.]

[postictal]

You...uh, what?

[He has definitely not heard about his future self. Whoops. He blinks, frowning slightly.]

Gonna have to explain that one.

[catpiper]

You were older, but you didn't look like a grandpa.

[How does one explain spooky future ghosts on the beach?? She doesn't know how it happened, just that it did. It was weird. ]

So I said 'happy birthday' to you and we played.

[postictal]

[He sits up a little straighter. There's something sparking his eyes, something like panic, something bright enough to pierce the dense fog that always shrouds his head.]

What...specifically happened, Ren? What was he like? Did he do anything to you?

[catpiper]

[The way he's inquiring about that moment and attentive look in his face is making her nervous, even though the memory itself is harmless enough.]

You still had your kind heart and you were making pretty wood things on the beach.

[He looked happier?? But it's hard to say and she doesn't comment on that.]

You didn't do anything to me. We talked and played with sparklers. That's what happened.

[postictal]

[His shoulders have drawn up, his heart spooled up into a tight knot in his chest. He's too busy thinking of something else - a dark, off-color version of himself, a small boy with strange eyes who couldn't give straight answers but bent over himself and ｓｃｒｅａｍｅｄ - ]

That wasn't me.

[It sounds harmless. That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense but it swells up, presses against his ribs, grits his teeth.]

Okay? That wasn't me.

[catpiper]

[This is one of those times where she isn't sure what's going on, but there's a dawning realization this might be upseting him for a reason she's not meant to understand. He says That wasn't me and she doesn't say anything because it was a piece of him.

Or maybe it wasn't. She didn't try to sit around and feel his heart in full, while he was being so kind. Simply accepted things as were because there was no reason to question it.]

Okay, I won't call that guy 'Tim' anymore. He can be someone else.

[Maybe Mit, the future boy.]

[postictal]

He didn't give you anything, right? He didn't...he didn't leave you anything that would stick?

[Could it have happened again? People would've said something, right? If there were shadows swarming all over, ever so slightly off, the true self burning through - ]

[People would have said something.]

[But he can't really know for sure.]

[catpiper]

[Anything that would stick? That's a weird choice of words, but she can safely shake her head because no he didn't give her anything.

The previous ghosts didn't give people things either. They attached to their hosts, trying to pull them people to scary places. Unless some tried bribery-Seto didn't. Couldn't. She can't be sure about her companions.

She holds out her hands, palms facing up, to show she has nothing. As if that's going to help ease his worries from a past exchange.]

No, there's nothing that 'stuck.' We just talked. He didn't act scary.