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

[electroburst]

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.

Comments

vi | arcane

[grappler]

a.

[Vi's not proud. she's going to be drinking pisswater beer to her heart's content, and scarfing up whatever food she can get her hands on for a while.

when she's done, she's going to find herself turning to the person beside her, head a little bit of a buzz.]

Are we sure we're supposed to be in jail or some shit? 'Cuz jail doesn't have this much beer.

b.

[or. when she gets super drunk, Vi gets super feisty. at least she's drinking water now, but she's still drunk enough to be annoying.

she looks unsteadily at anyone who's going to be looking at her, and she brings her fists up in a boxer's stance.]

What the fuck are you looking at, huh? Get the hell out of my face, or I'll make you.

a

[usarinpa]

[ Ever since visiting the farm and seeing just how much land there is out there, Mizuki has always kept her eye out for a place of her own. Anywhere that she doesn't have to share a building with Him. Seeing as how these sorts of things don't just happen overnight anymore than they do in Japan, however, of course she finds herself back at the in beside her roommate, Vi. ]

Still not sure it's supposed to be jail...

[ There's a mug of beer that sits in front of her, untouched. ]

[grappler]

[it's kind of nice, not being alone in a place like this. even though she normally likes being a loner, Caitlyn bullying herself into Vi's life at home had Done Something to her. awakened something, in which she realizes she craves some sort of companionship.

but she'd never admit that.

she raises her eyebrows at the comment, and then shrugs into another guzzle of the beer.]

Who knows. So long as I can get beer, we're doing okay.

[she points to the mug.]

You gonna drink it? You could bear to loosen up a little.

[usarinpa]

. . .

[ Are they really okay, though? Mizuki herself still doesn't know whether she's okay. She probably has had nightmares about that cat, and about the little piglets, but at least she doesn't have to worry about them, for now.

She makes a face as she stares at the beer like she's having a staring contest. ]

Dunno. Looks like piss. [ Piss with ink— ]

[grappler]

That's pretty much all beer. If you want something that doesn't taste like piss, you should go for some wine or liquor. But some liquors just taste like battery acid.

[doesn't that just sound awesome!!

but the thought starts to occur to her:]

You ever had anything like that before?

a

[theleadingman]

[Balthier wrinkles his nose in response to her question, looking down into the mug he's already made his way half through. He prefers something stronger, truth be told, but he'd like to keep his wits about him a bit longer if he can— certainly there's information to be gleaned by having so many of the "Chosen" all together in one place.]

Honestly, the quality is so poor that I'm not convinced the beer itself isn't a punishment.

[grappler]

[Vi gives Balthier a very loud, unladylike snort.]

What, you want some fine aged wine or some shit? If you don't want any, it'll be more for me.

[she's not picky.]

[theleadingman]

While I won't deny I do have standards, I'll admit to a preference for hard liquor. That said, beer itself is perfectly fine in theory, though I'd prefer it have a flavor other than 'piss.'

[Vi, you can hardly call this drinking. He gestures to the nearby pitcher on the counter, though noticeably doesn't set aside his own mug.]

Please, be my guest.

[grappler]

[and she's going to take some more. she's not fucking proud at all!!]

Well, considering they kinda didn't expect for us to show up here they're doing an okay job. Anyone know how to distill or make beer and wine around here otherwise? It'd be a real party then.

a

[feintofhart]

No, I don't think we're in jail at all. It's gotta be some big excuse. Still, we should be grateful for the hospitality.

[ Claude doesn't actually believe that. But the workers in the tavern are milling about and he knows better than to piss off the only people who have been feeding them and putting a roof over their heads.

For all that Claude is very slowly nursing his ale, he shows no such restraint with food, cheerfully helping himself to more bar snacks than is necessarily polite. ]

Last I checked, putting a bunch of - [ he wiggles his fingers ] - daaaaangerous criminals in the same room and stuffing them full of alcohol was a recipe for trouble.

[grappler]

Hey, I'm not complaining, I was just saying. You wouldn't be able to get this kind of higher quality shit back at home. At least the food, anyway. The booze...

[the last drop had always had good alcohol.

...

she finishes off her glass of beer to wash away the thought. but when he speaks again, she can't help but smirk again.]

Maybe they wanna see a good ol' pub brawl. Not like there's really a whole lot going on...maybe they want some entertainment.

[feintofhart]

If a brawl's what they wanted, then they should have had this shindig outside, not here where we'll break all the tables. They wouldn't have to do much convincing to get everyone out there -- you're right, there's not a whole lot to do around here.

[ Not that Claude is the sort to participate in a pub brawl anyhow. That would be his cue to slip right out. He knows what he's good at in a fight, and close combat has never been his forte.

He offers a grin right back at her. ]

You make it sound like you've been in your fair share of pub brawls yourself. Am I right?

[grappler]

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.

b

[overtid]

[ Still drinking shit beer, because it might as well be water, Nanami'd been getting another glass to suffer through when he noticed Vi. Until she raises her fists, it isn't much of a look. A slightly prolonged glance as he determines that, skunk drunk though she appeared, she's handling it.

Cue fists and threat, which steadies his attention, his look utterly unimpressed. ]

Abrasiveness really is your specialty.

[ Perhaps in addition to, as he'd before asserted, a personality trait. ]

[grappler]

[oh. it's that guy.

she hadn't seen him in a while, and she drops her fists briefly as she looks at him. she hadn't really minded him so much on their first meeting, outside of the somewhat pretentious attitude.

but whatever.]

Got a problem with it? You look like a fine wine kinda guy, too. Sad you can't get it?

[overtid]

Only if you try to make me.

[ No challenge in that, nothing in his voice but — nothing. A void of interest.

Aside from the inconvenience of having to dodge or block physical blows, it would also be an irritatingly illogical situation. She couldn't make him "get out of her face", since he wasn't in it. Hadn't been, anyway.

The shift in her stance is promising enough. Nanami lifts his glass in a wry gesture, the slight mockery of a toast. ]

I'm a fine wine kind of guy with the right meal. Cheap beer has its time and place [ fried and/or fast foods and/or izakaya ] but this is pushing it.

[grappler]

[eh, whatever. she finishes her glass of beer and motions for another one to be brought her way.]

Might as well get whatever you can get, that's my motto.

[especially since she's still living on the "eat and drink when you can" sort of ideology.]

Even though you seriously don't give me cheap beer vibes, but I guess everyone's gotta have their guilty pleasures.

a

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel is also taking advantage of someone else buying the beer to drink more of it than he might otherwise on his own dime.

Which is not to say that he's drunk - not yet. When he's good and ready, he'll take as much of this beer back with him to his room and drink it all so that he passes out. Right now, he's just kind of buzzed. ]

I dunno, the beer is pretty shitty. Might be jail beer.

[grappler]

[she shrugs.]

Beggars can't be choosers. Maybe if we're really, really good, they'll upgrade the booze as a treat.

[aintyourdad]

[ Joel snorts faintly, and only grimaces a little as he takes another drink. ]

Yeah, have we figured out what qualifies as bein' "good" yet? Fixing the fridges didn't do it, clearly.

[grappler]

Maybe we gotta become saints.

[hard thing to do when you got a bunch of rowdy drunks in a bar.]

Fix your halo, Joel. It's crooked.

a

[murderingjustice]

[Given his lack of experience it's no surprise that Akechi isn't exactly good at handling his alcohol. He hadn't meant to get drunk at all, only to drink enough to outmatch his rival who had appeared to Aldrip among the recent arrivals. But only after two pints of the so called piss-water-beer (which, to be honest, was rather accurate description) he finds himself flushed and light-headed as the alcohol did its job. It's distracting enough that he doesn't really pay attention to the person sitting closest to him as he's slowly nursing his current drink.

Only after that the redhead speaks he raises his red eyes up from his glass, looking at her with an amused smile.]

A jail? Not a bad way to look at this place.

[grappler]

[she tilts her head and snorts, draining her last glass unflinchingly before she asks for another one.]

I mean, we were charged with a crime, right? Maybe a new kind of rehabilitation to the people who're really pains in the ass.

[murderingjustice]

[Hah. Akechi laughs at that and leans a little bit closer in a conversational manner.]

In that case it's not very good rehabilitation. I'd put my money on one of those voyeuristic social experiments.

[grappler]

[she pauses, then shrugs and nods.]

Probably. Maybe they're waiting for people to go fucking insane around here or something. There's not shit to do after you've been here a few months.