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

[postictal]

It's 'cause we're all sick of mana pool water and eggs, and this is the first ready-made thing any of us have eaten in months.

[In...years, in Tim's case.]

It's a goddamn break, is all.

[deathfindsaway]

[Those words seem surprising to him, as he tilts his head down, furrowing his brow. Hm.]

I... suppose I wasn't thinking about that.

[He doesn't really know how to recognize breaks. He just sort of lived from mission to mission, with downtime, sure, but it was... busywork. It wasn't a break.

With so much downtime here, he wonders what he'd been doing to go at that pace before. It bothers him that he doesn't know.]

I guess there's value in food you don't have to prepare yourself. To uhm, save time and energy.

[postictal]

[Honestly, that's most of it. Food that you don't have to make yourself is automatically a notch up from anything you do make. The shittiest possible pizza is still pizza, which already gives it a leg up on almost everything else.]

It's just nice to have something we didn't have to make ourselves for once. For some of us, it's been years. [For him, anyway.]

[deathfindsaway]

[Kravitz is lucky enough to have a chef for a boyfriend, so while he does assist with the cooking, it's not a massive thought weighing on his mind. But he's also absolutely in the minority on that front.

Though that last bit does prompt him to ask-]

Years? Is that how long people have been stuck here? Or... are you referring to before this place, as well?

[postictal]

For me? I was somewhere else for a little longer, yeah.

[He spent some of that time...dead. Something like eight months, but hell if he remembers. Not sure if that counts; it felt like the blink of an eye, to him.]

[deathfindsaway]

Oh. You're not the first I've heard of who's had that experience.

[He doesn't look like Ginko, though, so probably not that one.]

Was it better than here? Or about the same? Would you prefer to go home?

[postictal]

[Thank god. Tim has enough monsters in his life - is enough of a monster in his own right, in plenty of ways - already.]

Depends on how you define "home." It's not as advanced, [Sol at least had phones and a generator, albeit one that didn't always work,] but I'll take an island over a war zone any day.

[deathfindsaway]

A war zone?

[Mmmm. Well, doesn't he get that one, after clawing his way out of the apocalypse to be spit up here.]

Yes, I... for as unpleasant as this place can be, not being in constant danger is preferable. Or well, not being in organized danger.

[This probably isn't helping.]

But I would imagine home would be wherever you originally came from. If you have the power to go back.

[postictal]

I don't think anyone who's ever been to Alabama actually wants to go back to it.

[So that'd be a no, a hard no, on returning to Alabama. It's not like he had much of anything waiting for him there - not much of a life, not much of a circle of people who can't really be called friends.]

[The only good things to happen to him there are long gone, now.]

[deathfindsaway]

[He hums in response, trying to search his mind for what an Alabama is.]

Well! That's fair, I suppose.

[He has absolutely no idea.]

Is that where you found out about pizza, at least? Though from the reactions of most of the people here I imagine that's not unique.

[postictal]

I guess pizza is a...constant. Across universes, or something.

[Good thing, too. Pizza should be a multiversal constant. Pizza deserves to be.]

But yeah. I guess you could say that.

[deathfindsaway]

I haven't seen it back where I was, but I confess to not paying much attention to food. I'll have to poll the others.

[There's probably something like it back in Faerun, some flatbread with sauces. He's convinced Taako could replicate this, though- maybe they can have it more frequently.]

At least it can follow you here, if you can leave the rest behind.

[postictal]

Right. You were too busy being a death cop.

[Who was apparently not the best at his job when it came fro crossing multiverses, but hey. Who's fucking counting.]

[deathfindsaway]

[He sighs, dropping his shoulders and his eyes to match.]

Yes, as you so eloquently put it. You know, out of all the names my profession has been called, that is certainly the least graceful.

[If that's... really what he's worried about here?? Grace??]

[postictal]

Don't worry. I'm sure someone out there will top it someday.

[He doesn't sound bitter about it, at least. Just...tired, and dry, and offhand. Holding grudges is impossible to maintain in a place like this one. Haven't you heard?]

[deathfindsaway]

Knowing everything that happens in this place, it would be no surprise.

[He also doesn't seem very disturbed, just... resigned.]

I suppose it matters not, considering it isn't my position here. Considering I don't have a position here.

[postictal]

So make one.

[One side of his mouth twists faintly. He glances out across the seawater, glittering in the moonlight, and tries to fight down the wave of something akin to nostalgia that runs counter to the words.]

[Feels wrong to be the kind of person who gives people advice like that. Feels wrong to be the person that Rin was for him, pointing him in a more concerted direction with calm, no-nonsense efficiency, snapping away the temptation to wallow in self-pity behind a wall of practicality.]

It's not exactly a fresh start, but it's not nothing, either.

[deathfindsaway]

[He's certainly caught by surprise, blinking a bit at Tim's suggestion, trying to think of even what to say to that.]

I-- I mean, I suppose. But I liked my job. I've been at it for so long, I don't even know what I would--

[Well, he stops, sputters a bit.]

I mean, I have something I'd enjoy, but it's not practical here either.

[postictal]

Spending stories on pizza isn't exactly practical either, [Tim points out, not entirely unkindly.]

As long as it's not making life difficult for anybody else, does it matter?

[deathfindsaway]

[He looks like he's really thinking about that one, at least. There is a merit to having something to do around here, and he's pretty sure he has a lot of stories...]

Well, it's-- something to consider. I find myself not used to having free time. Uhm... thank you.

[He scratches at the back of his neck, a bit awkward.]

[postictal]

[Tim shrugs. He's pretty sure it's not the best advice possible, and that he's pretty shit at advice anyway, but hey. He tried. That's more than he would've done a few years ago.]

Try not to settle on something that requires a regular schedule. Never know when you're gonna go missing for days at a time, y'know.

[deathfindsaway]

[He sucks in a little air through his teeth, giving a small nod.]

Yes, that's certainly something that needs to be considered. It's not the best to think we can't control our own schedules, but it's better to work around that sort of thing versus fighting it.

[Kravitz nods a bit to himself, like he's agreeing and also thinking.]

Thank you, I'll... think about it, for certain. Figure out something.

[postictal]

It's just advice. You don't have to take it.

[He's not used to uttering advice that's liable to be followed, if even listened to, and the question of whether or not he'd be responsible for whatever comes of that has now arisen into rather uncomfortable prominence.]

[Rin was better at this than him. She was better at most things than him.]

[deathfindsaway]

[I mean, technically you're responsible for all your words, but that's neither here nor there. Kravitz looks over to him, a little puzzled.]

I mean, it doesn't sound like bad advice, exactly. And you took the time to say it to me. There is a kindness in that I would be remiss to ignore.

[Some old and stuffy part of him wants to say something about contracts and the bonds of one's word and all that, but he's gonna let that one go.]

[postictal]

Are you calling me nice?

[He doesn't sound offended. Just - you know, kind of puzzled, because he's pretty sure that he's an asshole and was definitely and decidedly kind of an asshole right to Kravitz's face last time they talked, so it just - ]

[Tim. Kindness. Yeah, that doesn't feel right.]