expiationlogs | (OPEN MINGLE) Ain't no party like an Aldrip party

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(OPEN MINGLE) Ain't no party like an Aldrip party

Who: The Chosen
Where: Aldrip inn
What: Open mingle log (with mod approval)!
Warnings: Nothing major anticipated, other than light (underaged) drinking and comic mischief, but PM me if any warn-worthy things happen and I can update this space.

Feel free to use this log as a completely open mingle for all characters new and old! There will be a few prompts below the cut, but you're free mess around with them or come up with your own ideas for toplevels, and tag around as you please.

Nestled in the heart of the quaint town of Aldrip, the inn, formally known as The Inn, has housed the Chosen of Expiation since their initial arrival. In spite of the occasional influx of new Chosen, they've dedicatedly provided rooms, food and drink, and basic amenities without buckling—even during the food shortages and other issues that have plagued the town. Of course, the Chosen have been no slouches themselves, repaying the hospitality with mercenary work, hunting and fishing, cooking, completing odd jobs, and much more to help bolster the economy. Even those, er, less magnanimous sorts have benefitted from this give-and-take, although there are those that prefer their living space to be a bit more solitary (or perhaps cave-ier) that might not have noticed as much.

In the days to follow, most won't be able to recount exactly how The Party started. The true story is that one particular new arrival, after having spent a day or two scouting the area out and, deciding it's chill enough, opted to do what he does best: be a public menace. What is known is that rounds of drinks start getting ordered and handed out, and soon platters of cheese, fresh bread, and other victuals make the rounds as well, appearing on tables that quickly begin filling with people. Somehow, someway, local musicians are pulled in to play and given a striking, energetic setlist to set the tone. The word gets out—party at the inn!

And boom: just like that, it's a party, and everyone's invited.

Early on, the offerings are relatively meager. The inn's food stores aren't completely bottomless after the shortages, to say the least, and there are a sight more Chosen (and local residents who also join in on the fun) than there is free food to toss at them. The drinks range from milk, water and juice to scuzzy, pisswater beer, which is a bit more plentiful. As the tavern portion of the inn fills with people, the music relatively ambient so that you can still hear the people at the table next to you talking, others bring their own food and drink, adding to the options on offer.

Others bring things like cards to play with, or dice and coins to gamble with, and set up spaces at tables toward the back. There's even an amateur fortune teller, heavy emphasis on amateur. Maybe you've got some party games of your own in mind, or you're a natural-born performer and want to hit the stage. Maybe you'd rather just grab a pint and lurk in the corner doing some people-watching. Or maybe you're just hungry and want to stuff a bunch of cheese in your pockets for later. Either way, there's something here for everyone.

As evening wears on, the peaceful inn party blossoms into a proper block bash. Even if you're not the partygoing sort, it'd be a little difficult to ignore the sheer ruckus going on downstairs while you attempt to read quietly in your room. The music, chatter and laughter carries on down the street, attracting even more people. By this point, it seems as if the food and drinks have multiplied, thanks mostly in part to others showing up with their own offerings, Chosen and local alike. It's getting rowdy in a few places—the music's louder and livelier, people are dancing and singing, and the gambling/party games' stakes seem to just keep climbing higher and higher. It's a good time all around. If you're not the quiet, loner type, anyway.

Thinking of sitting this one out? Think again: somebody starts going around to all the rooms and knocking on the doors, calling out to come join the fun. By the time you get to the door, though, whoever's up here disturbing the peace is gone, but maybe you can track them down by their voice at some point and wring their neck later.

In addition to the escalating merriment, all this imbibing also has the added benefit of loosening a few lips. Now's your chance to pick up the latest Aldrip gossip! You might even hear tell of a few pesky monsters that need slaying, so if you want to jump on that bounty before anyone else gets to it, you better act quickly. (But maybe don't run out into the woods in the middle of the night to fight monsters while inebriated... or do, nobody's stopping you.)

Late into the night, the festivities are still going, and they're... messy. Fortunately the drinks and provisions seem to have run to the bottom of the barrel, so those that've been partying hard for hours are getting cut off whether they like it or not. The band's getting tired, the tempo of the music fluctuating. Some people might like to go to bed sometime soon, so maybe now it's time for the voices of reason to tell those still dancing on top of the tables to get down. And why is there a chicken in here? ...And oh no, somebody tell those guys to take that swordfight outside!! Yeeaaahh, maybe it's about time to shut this production down.

Or maybe not. Let the good times roll until the sun comes up! That's up to you.

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[Hearing her full name out of his mouth is—Jarring, to say the least. She nearly stumbles, stopping short as she’s caught off guard, the name ringing in her ears before her brain connects the owner of the voice.]

Oh— Senpai! [She shakes her head to clear it and smiles, albeit uncertainly as he continues talking] Spiked? Senpai, are you— are you drunk?

[She laughs incredulously, but does reach out to high five both hands at once anyway, holding onto his hands afterward] Are you sure you’re okay to be moving around out there like that?

[He curls his fingers over hers, smiling so his eyes crinkle at the corners and he looks like a little lucky cat.] Maybe a little, yeah. But shh, it's a secret, I don't know the legal drinking age here.

[He keeps their hands joined and sways a little, shifting his weight from foot to foot but not seeming entirely off-balance. He's not wearing his glasses.] Nah, 'm okay. Dance with me?

[She glances down briefly at their hands— they’re warm, she thinks, which seems like such a random thing to get stuck on. But they’re warm and they’re real, and Akira is here. It’s a little overwhelming, in a way. In a good way, but still. She gives his hands a little squeeze and considers the drinking age.

What was it? Would he actually be in trouble?? She kind of doubts anyone here would really care, but it still makes her a tad worried. She doesn’t want Akira to get in trouble in this world too…

She looks him up and down with a critics eye.] Well, you seem fine… [Definitely doesn’t look like he’s about to go falling down drunk right then.

Sumi gives his hands a tug and takes a step back, smiling warmly. Her face feels a little warm— he’s not wearing his glasses and she’s suddenly very aware of that once she notices—but she’s eager to spend more time with him.]

Alright, let’s go! You have to keep up, okay?

[He's definitely drunk, but he's a hard guy to put down, really. So he's mostly just a little chattier, a little friendlier. Looser, less subdued.]

[He's more of a teenager instead of someone who chose to shoulder the world.]

[He's also rubbing his thumbs against the backs of her hands in an idle motion, because he can't be fucking still for two seconds and that is magnified by alcohol. He lets her scrutinize him, smiles when he passes the check, and nods.] I'll do my best. Does this make you the senpai, for the evening?

[People tend to forget sometimes that their fearless leader is just a teenager like the rest of them. It’s easy to get caught up in things, rely too much on him, put him on a pedestal.

Hm. Seems familiar.

It’s nice to see him relaxed, even if she’s still a bit concerned about the spiked drinks. Surely someone should warn someone right?? But Sumi’s not even sure who’s in charge here, so…]

Haha! Like with our training! [But Sumi shakes her head] No senpais this time though! Let’s just… [She hesitates a moment before continuing, not quite as certain as she’d started] be us?

[He's so relaxed. He's so unbelievably chill, in fact. He grins at her lazily, still swaying like he can't stay still.]

Hmmm, okay. You're still gonna have to teach me stuff, I practically have two left feet. [This is a lie, he can functionally master just about anything, but he still wants to be taught.]

Don't lie, come on!

[Sumi can't help but laugh, though she tilts her head to listen to the beat and figure out how to start. Even if she calls him out on his lie, she still pulls him into a dance easily, tugging on him to show him which ways to turn and sway]

Here, like this! And then put your arm around my waist like this-- [She turns, using Akira for balance. The space is smaller than she'd like to really go all out, but she's having fun just doing little things and keeping close to Akira. You know, to make sure he doesn't fall or something! That's all!

But there's a smile on her face as she leads him around, pleased and having fun, losing herself in the music and the steady hand in her own]

It's not a lie! I'm competing with a world-renowned gymnast here, you know.

[It's an easy statement-- he loves to tell them all how proud of them he is. He's like a single father of nine, a cat, and the beloved nephew of an old man cop. It was exhausting, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. And he's happy to let her lead, pulling him this way and that, rearranging his arms.]

[He's glad for the contact, the stability. He feels a little off-kilter on his own, and he knows that's the alcohol, but having someone steady him is a welcome reprieve.]

Sometime I'm not stupid from spiked punch, we should coordinate an actual dance. Like-- like our Showtime, but not for fighting.

[It's nice.

It's just nice. It's nice to feel warm and safe and like nothing exists on this dance floor except them. She listens, sort of, but doesn't really hear. The words don't matter so much as the cadence of Akira's voice and she'd agree to pretty much anything at this point anyhow. SHe nods with a hum of agreement, but her concentration breaks as the rest of his words catch up with her.

She stops, stumbles a little and collides into Akira, her eyes wide and baffled]

Our Showtime? We have a Showtime? [WHEN DID THEY GET A SHOWTIME AND WHO WAS GOING TO TELL HER??]

Oof, [His arms shift to hold her in place when she collides with him, and he drops his head a little to get a better look at her.] Okay? [He forgot the "are you" part of that question.]

[More importantly-- She didn't know they had a Showtime? His head tilts slowly.] Yeah, did... Is there timeline shenaniganery happening here? Oh man. My timing is different from Akechi's, too, that is so crazy.

[She should be a bit more Aware of the way she's pressed to his chest, but this is way more intriguing. She feels a flutter of--something. Not anything good. Anxiety, maybe, and unease. he'd heard of timeline shenanigans between people, overhearing snippets of conversation. She hadn't thought she'd be caught up in it too.

What was the future like? Apparently they had a Showtime together, which was a big deal! And awesome! But Sumi was...

Who was she?

She nods at the question and straightens up a little so she's not putting all or most of her weight on Akira.] Y-yeah. Maybe? It...I'd just unlocked Cendrillon. [A pause and she adds] Really unlocked her. It was still mid-January...

Edited 2023-04-27 17:37 (UTC)

[If anyone needs more awareness, it's Akira, and he appears to be fresh the fuck out. He rumbles a chuckle, felt more than heard, and drops his head further still, bonking their foreheads together. It's a slightly graceless gesture, but affectionate all the same.]

Mid-january. We came up with a showtime toward the end of January, I think, so you're almost there. [He squeezes her middle gently, briefly distracted and lost in thought. At least... at least she'd already come to terms with being Sumire. A brief panic had seized him at the realization he could have been calling her Sumire when she was still wanting to be called Kasumi, but... No. Her true awakening had come after.]

[He stepped sideways with her, moving back into a careful sway with the music.] I definitely couldn't recreate it right now, but maybe I can try to show you later.

[She closes her eyes on instinct when they bump foreheads, but chances a small smile when he doesn't seem mad or disappointed or anything like that. This was nice too, just moving with the music. No one else cares or minds, no one's really paying attention to them anyhow. There's no rush to disengage.

She clings to him, feeling a little adrift and then feeling immediately guilty for it. Wasn't she the one that was leading here just a moment ago? She didn't mean to put this back on him now.]

...Okay. I'd like that. [She's quiet for a moment again, the questions burning inside of her, before she takes a deep breath and a slow exhale.] And you called me-- I'm still Sumire, huh? So that's... That's good. [it's good. Right?]

[He squeezes her again, gently.]

You've always been Sumire. You just took an extended hiatus. [It's kind of a dumb way to put it, but he's a little dumb right now. It's the thought that counts.]

[Another deep breath and a slow exhale, and Sumi smiles as she nods.] Right. Yeah! The way things should be. And—

…And everyone else is… okay with that? [Her eyes search Akira’s face— drunk or not she doesn’t believe he’d lie to her even just to make her feel better like this. Even if it’s bad news, she has to be strong enough to take it!

Or at least try to be.]

[He tilts his head further, blinking owlishly at her.]

...why wouldn't we be?

[Suni doesn’t appear to know what to say at first, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times before she laughs sheepishly.]

No, nevermind. It’s a silly question, I guess. I just… Kasumi is—was— really great, you know? If she was in the Phantom Thieves… If it was her, instead of me…

[She trails off and then shakes her head sighing] It’s really no use thinking about that sort of thing, I know… And I know you guys like me for me. I know that. I just… have to remind myself. I’m sorry.

[He levels her with an impassive look, letting her finish, and then pouches his lips outward like he's trying to balance a pencil between his nose and upper lip, thinking. A hum is the only warning she gets before he stoops and hooks his arms securely around her, hoisting her off the ground and wrapping her up securely in his arms.]

Don't be sorry, be Sumire. [He could have given her a speech, but he's not much of a speech guy. So he just hugs her, and focuses all his attention on her. She seemed to appreciate being looked at-- he had to assume it had something to do with being in Kasumi's shadow her whole life, and he was happy to provide her all the attention she wanted.]

[Sumi yelps a little as she's picked up, throwing her arms automatically around Akira's neck] Senpai! [She tries to sound scolding, but it's ruined by the laugh that bubbles up in her tone by the end of the word, and she buries her face against his shoulder.]

You're drunk. [She accuses him instead, voice muffled, as if the drunkenness is the only cause for saying or doing such things so suddenly.]

[He burrows into the hollow of her shoulder in response, squeezing her gently.]

Listennnn, I didn't know the punch was spiked.

Then no more! [But she's laughing as she says it, not really sounding like she's commanding it or anything.

She's quiet for a long moment, just resting against him.] How long are you going to hold me? Aren't I going to get heavy for you?

I wasn't planning on it, no worries.

[He continues to stand there with her, puffing up his cheeks in defiance.] You weigh like, two entire kilos, I could carry you around all night. [He does not mean that suggestively in any capacity.]

You're ridiculous. [She closes her eyes, just letting herself, well, feel.]

But when you say things, I can believe it. I hope you can rely on me as much as I rely on you, one day. I really... [But she trails off, suddenly too embarrassed to finish her thought out loud and she shakes her head]

Guilty, [He butts his forehead against her a little, staggers, and carefully sets her down so he doesn't topple over with them and hurt her.]

's a lot of power to give a man, y'know. [He keeps his hands on her shoulders, bowing over her to put his head on hers.] 'm glad, though. I like being there for the people I care about. [He doesn't specifically address him relying on her-- he already does. He just doesn't really know how to tell her that.]

[Opening his eyes, having not fully realized he closed them, he looks down at her and tilts his head.] You really?

[She feels a bit relieved when she can put her feet on the ground, not worried about Akira tipping over now with the both of them. However, she isn't sure she likes having him look at her that closely right now either.

Her face slowly turns redder and redder, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times. She's not sure she has the words to use to describe any of what she's feeling right now. How does she describe the level of respect and admiration and affection for him??]

I r-really...I just really like... Um. H-hanging out with you! And... And being part of the team! I'm grateful for all of that! [Her voice is a bit higher pitched than before, her laugh nervous as she squirms in her spot]

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chemex - 2023-05-03 02:30 (UTC) - Expand

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