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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The tables are props. Wouldn't be as fun if there weren't makeshift weapons hanging around.

[she shrugs.]

The guy who raised me had a bar, and... I've been in some fights too. So I guess you could say I've seen some shit, yeah.

Oooh, yeah, that would do it. If you grew up in one of these, I'm sure you've had plenty of people to tussle with. [ Especially if she wanted to push out some assholes taking up space and making trouble at her guardian's bar. That's a proper noble assumption, though. It could be just as likely that she was just drunk and ornery. ]

I can't say it's quite my scene. I've been in fights, yes, and bars, yes, but I try not to combine the two. [ He swivels in his chair, eyeing some of the rowdier clients with a chuckle. ]

There might be a first time for everything, though.

Oh, come on! Drunks are the best kind of people to get into fights with. Especially if you're practicing.

[she follows his gaze on the rowdier patrons as well.]

They won't even land a hit on you. Most of the time.

People generally don't land a hit on me in the first place. That's my specialty.

[ He props his elbows up on the bar, glancing over at Vi. ]

I use a bow and arrow. Nobody gets close enough to me to land a blow -- or if they do, it's time for a shoot-off. I'm no stranger to fighting, I just like to keep work and pleasure far, far away from each other. But duly noted for if I ever decide to stretch out my hand-to-hand combat skills.

[ He's never been great at that. He's not a small man by any stretch of the imagination, but he's certainly smaller than all of the brawlers he's met. Not that that stops people like his new acquaintance here. ]

Is that a challenge? That sounds like a challenge.

[she grins. she hadn't fought anyone personally since she'd gotten here, so... she's kind of itching for it.

even though he doesn't seem all in for it.]

You wouldn't be able to get an arrow through me.

What, really? You want me to shoot arrows at you?

[ Claude scratches his cheek, truly taken aback for a moment. He's no stranger to using arrows in training - though they usually blunt them - but it's been years since his academy days, and few people in his life had ever been keen on him shooting them. ]

Training arrows. I'm not messing around with the real stuff. But hey, why not? I could use a little exercise.

Why not? Can't be a whole lot worse than dodging gunshots, right?

[Vi no.]

Whatever helps you sleep better at night. Either way, you won't be able to hit me.

Hey, don't go getting too cocky now! I'll have you know I'm an expert sharpshooter. And people can't dodge when they don't know where the arrow's coming from in the first place. Don't go thinking that we're just going to be standing at opposite sides of a big field, if you're going to make claims like that.

[ Although... ]

What's a gunshot?

[she shrugs -- at least until she stops, eyebrows raised as she looks at him.]

What, you never seen a gun before? Big metal thing... metal bullets or whatever the put in there.

[she waves her arms about as wide as a normal rifle, and then mimics it, aiming at him.]

Pow. You're dead.

Closest thing we've got is a bow and arrow, like I said.

[ Never mind the fact that he doesn't even know what a bullet is. He rests his chin on the hell of his hand, brows furrowed. ]

Sounds like a hell of a weapon. You mean all you have to do is push something and it'll just shoot automatically? With a metal projectile?

[ An instant kill one, to boot? ]

...I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those.

[she nods. but then she frowns, crossing her arms.]

Not sure I wanna introduce more people to them... but they're probably around.

[she eyes him warily.]

You not the kind of person to go shooting just anyone, are you?

Funny that you're concerned about that after you told me I could shoot you for fun.

[ Claude grins, but in truth, he can see why she'd be concerned. He would be too. ]

Nah, I'm more of a diplomacy sort of guy. There's no problem that I wouldn't rather just talk out. But if dangerous weapons like that exist, I'd rather be the one holding them. I mean... wouldn't you?

I'm not really worried about myself. I'm worried about everyone else.

[she knows her own abilities to outrun most bullshit, but she knows not everyone has it.

she shrugs.]

I'm more of a person who'll beat the shit out of you instead of shooting you. Much less easier to just go ahead and punch someone in the jaw.

Maybe I should be the one worried about everyone else, [ Claude jokes, but he regards the woman in front of him with a careful gaze, as though truly assessing her for the first time in this conversation. Raised by a barkeep, quicker with a fist than a weapon, but quicker with a fist than a diplomatic discussion, he'd reckon.

Kind of reminds him of someone else he knows. ]

A punch to the face works when you're fighting against one person. Against a crowd? I can see why people would go for a weapon instead. But I guess I don't have much reason to worry about a whole battalion in a place like this. [ He laces his fingers together and hooks them around his knee, leaning back in his stool as he considers her. ] So, how'd you get fast enough to outrun a bullet anyway? I'm willing to bet that's not a common skill.

Whatever helps you sleep better at night.

[but then she rolls her shoulders and then her neck, as if trying to loosen herself up a bit.

at his question about her ability to dodge bullets, she grins, even if it might look a little sad.]

Thing is... bullets? Arrows? Once they leave the weapon they come from, you can't change it. It's not really about outrunning them, it's not giving them a predictable target to hit in the first place. Always know of an emergency hiding spot. Be better than the other guy about your surroundings and where to hide until they're either tired of following you around, or they run out of ammo. And how I got to be like this? Well... if you get shot at enough, you start figuring shit out real quick.

Ahh, so it's not about outrunning them. It's about dodging them. I get it now -- I'm not half-bad at it myself, though it sounds like you might have the upper hand on me.

[ Dodging is his specialty too. You have to do it an awful lot when you're a beacon on the battlefield like Claude, a sight to behold on an ivory wyvern, but also the biggest target in the sky.

It's nothing to brag about after years of training to do just that. Not this woman. It seems like she learned on the fly. He takes another sip of his ale, rests his chin in the cup of his hand. ]

That makes sense. And it's the sort of quick thinking nobody gets good at without practice, and a lot of it. [ No matter how dangerous the pub she grew up in, he's willing to bet there weren't a lot of gunslingers causing trouble in there. ]

Sounds like you come from a real dangerous place. Or, at least, that you get up to some real dangerous stuff. [ Outlaw activity, maybe? Her demeanor seems like it. But she could well be a soldier where Claude's from as well. He raises a brow at her, clearly asking her which is correct. ]

It just sounds cooler when I say I can outrun them.

[she tilts her empty mug around, frowning at it as she thinks some more about it all. he lets him mull over what her life might've been like before here, and she sighs and shrugs.]

I mean... someone who looks as cute and innocent as me never gets into anything dangerous.

[but she can't hold the innocent expression she'd tried to summon for long, and she ends up laughing before leaning back in her seat and kicking her feet up the table.]

Dangerous places create dangerous people, I guess.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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