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

[Well, to his defense things hadn't gotten out of hand just yet. Gambling is always, of course, more or less dubious activity but so far things had been innocent enough. No one has cleaned the opponents off everything valuable and sent them into spiraling debt, no threats of violence or anything!!

In a away Akechi finds this all pretty laughable. Kid's play even. Especially after the events that took place at Sae's Palace.

And if there was any indication he understood what she was asking he doesn't show it. Because what???]

Yes? [He blinks and gestures at the empty chairs near the table.] Have a seat, Shiomi-san?

[don't sit on his lap]

[No, she's not taking those chairs! Those are for other players! But he said yes, so on his head be the consequences. Don't worry, she has no intentions of sitting in his lap, that would be weird. But she will step forward and bump him with her hip as she moves to sit. Scoot over! Scoot! She is sharing this chair, laughing a little as she does it.]

So how do you play?

[Is it comfortable? No. Is it funny? Absolutely yes.]

Hey---!! [He lets out a rather undignified sound as she just... pushes him, making a room for herself in the wooden chair. He's flabbergasted enough by her boldness that he just allows it and scoots over. Damn your persona protag powers!!

One curious thing he notices as she slides next to him is a familiar shape of metal pressing against his leg. A holster with a gun on it. Now, isn't this interesting turn of events. Akechi really hadn't expected Kotone to be one to carry a weapon like that out in public. Sure, this is no Japan and they are free to have fire weapons and whatever but still.. That is another bold move. He'd expect that just about anyone from Japan would feel nervous enough to want to hide the gun.

He doesn't comment on the gun. He'll save that to later when they're alone again.]

Hm? I was teaching them about game called Napoleon. It is similar to the game of Bridge if you're familiar with that. Each player is dealt with five cards and each player goes around from the dealer’s left and makes a bid or a pass. A trick is won by the highest card played of the suit.

[It's only after she makes herself comfortable that she realizes her mistake. Oh, Dazai would probably scold her for making a basic mistake like that, right? She should have sat on his other side. But in fairness to her, it's not like either sharing a chair with someone, or carrying her Evoker hidden, are things she's really used to doing.

Thankfully, if he noticed, Akechi didn't say anything about it, and while she might have sat on the wrong side, she doesn't let it show on her face as she glances up at him to listen. Instead she just hums and nods, trying to commit that to memory.]

Sounds like fun! Have you been winning?

[How does his pile of winnings compare to everyone else's on the table...]

[Girl. It's common sense, like 101 of owning an illegal weapon. Keep it hidden! Back in Tokyo Akechi rarely carried his gun with him and those times he did he made sure to keep it hidden close to his person. Usually nested against his chest in his breast pocket.

Don't worry, Kotone. You have now another criminal-senpai in your life.]

A rather well if I may say so. Just like with poker it is rather easy to win with some math and people reading skills.

Would you like us to switch something else you're more familiar with? Maybe Tycoon.

[It's not illeeeeegaaaaallllll!! The whole reason she wasn't carrying it with her for a while was because she didn't want to have to answer any annoying questions. That would be so much work!

She shakes her head again. If they switched to another game, she'd have to give up her seat, and she's already decided that sharing seats with Akechi is way more fun than the game could ever be.]

No, that's okay. I'd rather watch you play. You know, if it's "rather easy to win," and all that.

[She gives him a teasing smile and a wink. Show her your stuff, expert!]

[Oh, sneaky little you! Kotone only increasingly keeps reminding him of the certain trash living in the attic. And well, seeing that the said attic trash is here Akechi supposes that it's only the matter of the time before they meet. He's not exactly sure if he wants to be there.

But a n y w a y--

Akechi takes the deck from the table, shuffles it and deals the appropriate amount of cards to each player. There's a quick moment when everyone places their bids on the table. It's nothing impressive, really. One bids a couple of hair clips with pretty design, one bids bottle of actual quality alcohol, one throws in some good. All junk in Akechi's eyes, but he offers one of the jewels because hey why not.

This really game really is on the easy mode. Akechi flips the card on the table starting the round. Aaaand it really just goes how he just explained: one needs to place a higher card on top of another or pass. It goes rather smoothly at first. But the rounds slow down the further they go and your usual mind games begin. Who's holding and what? Is it worth to play a higher card now or save it?

Let's just press the skip button and yay, Akechi wins the round with no one being able to follow the suit he's set up. Being an undefeated bidder also means that he just won all the trash. He doesn't care for the loot, but yeah. It does make him feel smug when beating his opponents in front of an audience like this and it shows on his face. He's a vain bitch.]

[She stays sitting next to him, occasionally resting her chin against his shoulder so she can peer at his cards -- though, to her credit, her cheerful smile doesn't change no matter what cards he draws or any wagers he makes. This is practice, like Dazai had told her!

And it's kind of fun, watching everyone at the table getting into it. When Akechi collects his winnings, she cheers, clapping her hands and pumping a fist in the air in victory.]

Yes!! You did it! Awesome!!

[She's so proud of him! And those hairclips are so pretty, they would look great in his hair.]

[Having her this close is very uncomfortable and it's limiting some of his movements. Not that one needs much to toss cards on the table but still, he feels almost restricted with the additional weight on him.]

I did tell you it's rather easy. [He says without even bothering to hide away pride in his voice. Leaning forward he goes and grabs his winnings and notices her briefly paying attention to the hairclips.]

Do you want these?

Hmm... can I see one?

[She doesn't wait for his permission, reaching to take one of them off the top of the pile with a pretty red gemstone. Or maybe it's just glass? Either way, it's pretty. She holds it up to confirm her suspicions and-]

It matches your eyes! I think you should wear it.

[She starts to reach to put it into his hair for him, but- okay, she's done a lot to his personal space in a very short period of time. She raises her eyebrows to wordlessly ask for permission to put the pin in his hair.]

[...Okay no.

This is pushing it too far. If this was Akira or someone else he'd probably try elbow her and push away. Instead he turns his head to look at her over with the most unimpressed and cold expression in his face. ]

No.

[As usual, that cold look does nothing to dissuade her, nor does she look at all offended at his blunt refusal. She just shrugs and smiles at him.]

Suit yourself! Can I borrow one, then?

[She has her silver XXII pins on her right, but she'll twist a little of her bangs and pin them back on the other side. It's called fashion, look it up.]

You're really cleaning everybody out, huh?

[Bless her, it's a good thing that she doesn't have any context to that cold stare of his. The disdain keeps lingering in his eyes as he turns to push his goods out of the way.]

Obviously. [Huffhuff, he did tell you it was easy.

He grabs the cards from the table and almost drops them on her hands.]

Your turn.

What? C'mon, you want me to follow that?

[She grins at him, but shrugs. Alright, she'll try a round! She shifts to get more comfortable on her half-seat and picks up her cards with a nod. Alright, let's get serious. She's at least not going to bet with his winnings, that doesn't seem right, but she has some coins in her pocket from all the odd jobs she's been running around town doing! She'd been planning to use them for fabric for Sewing Club, but okay.

For all her talk of, "oh, I don't want to play!" she does get pretty into it. If nothing else, she has a great poker face, in that she's smiling and chatting with the other players the whole time -- again, it's what Dazai taught her to do. Don't change her behavior, but watch for changes in others'.

So while she doesn't win -- bad luck! -- she doesn't lose as badly as she might have, and she doesn't look disappointed with the outcome, either. Instead, she just grins and nods.]

Okay, I get it now. I'll win next time for sure!

[There's no way she'd win the first time she played! But she's pretty sure she gets the flow of the game well enough now. But for now, she offers the next dealt hand back to him.]

But I don't wanna take your spot.

[He observes her game in silence. It's by no means a bad play for her a first time and Akechi is quite certain that she came few times very close to winning. There weren't many turns when he would have played differently.

He is pretty impressed with her performance, which is enough to soften his mood.]

I have a better idea. [He says and takes the offered deck. Without a warning he stands up and gestures her to do the same.]

I want you to play against me. Your choice of the game of course, as I'm the one challenging you.

[She hums and blinks in surprise, but stands up when he does. She waves at the people remaining at the table (who honestly are probably relieved now that Akechi isn't there to keep taking their money) and clasps her hands behind her back as he addresses. Ah, hm. Okay, that's kind of funny, actually.]

Hmm... I don't really play a lot of games, so you're probably the expert. Can you play Old Maid with just two people?

[Her smile is cute and there's just a little sparkle of mischief in her eyes. A game based purely on reading people and more than a little luck. It would be a good chance to put what she's been practicing to the test! Or--]

Or we could have a different kind of competition. If you think you're up for it...

[Akechi was just about to lead them to another table nearby with a deck of cards so that they could play alone in peace. He stops halfway and offers her an amused smile.]

I believe Old Maid requires two to around twelve players so we can do that if you so wish. But very well, competition is a competition. [He briefly gestures to the corner where people are playing with darts.] Would you be interested in a game of darts, then? If so I must warn you that I'm rather good.

Never played darts, either! You'd have to teach me.

[What has she done in her life... surprisingly not a lot, but also, way too much. Her smile turns impish as she points toward the dance floor.]

I was thinking dancing. We could get some of the locals to judge! Oh!

[Her smile doesn't lose any of its light as she points to the ceiling.]

Maybe an eating contest? [Now she's just being silly, but also, she's pretty confident she could win that, too.]

...

[He.... Hadn't expected that. Dancing doesn't really belong to his skill set as he barely has any experience with it. Though, he believes he's familiar with the basics, at least in theory. And he has done TV appearances with idol groups before where he got to observe their work and techniques. He might not be able to recreate any of their popular choreographies from memory but that doesn't mean he won't be able to put up a show.

He thinks for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.]

Very well. If we get a local to work as a judge we should be able to be able to get an objective verdict. Neither of us are familiar with local dances, I assume.

[Still, so risky. Better amp up the stakes!]

Our bids should match the challenge. How about the loser will have to obey winner's command?

I'll ask!

[Well, she was learning some local dances earlier, but if Akechi hadn't seen, that's his business. Instead, before Akechi can change his mind, she's turning back toward the table they'd recently vacated. Maybe it's a little mean to get people he'd just taken money from to be a judge, but also, maybe they liked him because they'd been playing with him? Hard to say! To her, it's literally just that they're the closest people.

A few of them agree and turn their seats around so they can watch the floor, and Kotone turns back with another grin. Oh, stakes? Okay!]

Oh, sure! As long as it's nothing that would hurt anybody.

[Those are her terms, bucko. She clasps her hands behind her back and saunters out onto her chosen area of the dance floor, starting with some simple steps and small arm movements until she's gotten a feel for the beat. Then she's spinning, all big movements and cute smiles as she takes over her section of the floor and makes it her own. Her skirt once again swirls up to reveal her Evoker, but that's not nearly as important as showing off how well she can move to the music.

The smile she gives Akechi is a little less cute (to most, probably), but it's an obvious mischievous challenge. Try to keep up!]

[Well... He might have made a miscalculation here. When he mentioned that getting a local to work as a judge for them Akechi hadn't really thought of his previous gambling mates. They're not exactly a neutral to him, after all. He wonders if he truly had misjudged Kotone and written her off as a 'straightforward good girl' too easily.

But!! He's not going to let any of that bother him. Or at least let her know that he's not a fan of the situation she's set up. His eyes immediately are captivated by the flash of gun strapped on her leg, reminding him of what he wants.

He allows her to have a headstart and observes keenly her movements. Not bad, as is to be expected, he thinks. Then, almost carefully, he slides into the dance floor and begins to move along with the music. 'It's important to move both your legs and hips at the same time' he recals the advice he got from the idol group as they did the quick bit for TV.

For someone who's supposedly has little to zero dance experience, Akechi is doing pretty well! He makes sure that he hits each beat and keeps himself constantly on the move, legs working fast. Still, what he's doing might be a bit too much calculated than what the music requires. Instead Kotone's more free and spontaneous dance that just follows the flow rather than pre-planned routine seems to fit the mood of the music much better.]

[Oooh... as expected from a self-professed idol. It looks a little too precise, a little too rehearsed, it's impressive! She watches him out of the corner of her eye, watches the way he's stepping and then-- mirrors it, taking some of it for herself but adapting it to the music. It's a shame she doesn't have Shiva with her anymore; none of her current Personas are really suited for dancing, but she can remember a little of how it felt to have him in battle. She lifts her arms over her hands and sways her hips from side to side, matching his footwork and coming to dance in front of him, like they're dancing together instead of beside each other.

If anything, her grin is even wider now as she meets his eyes, hoping she's at least offering him the challenge he clearly wants. He's good! But she thinks she might be better, at this, at least.]

Just have fun! [she encourages with a laugh and a wink.] Don't be so tense!

Edited 2023-04-26 22:48 (UTC)

[It's really too bad that Akechi can't just let go of that tension and relax, as he is very much outside of his comfort-zone here. He's not enjoying the dance-off a bit and is fully powered by the drive to win. (which might not be happening anytime soon.)

However, to create the illusion of enjoyment he crafts a playful smirk to his face as he continues to dance, trying his best to match Kotone's movements.

Luckily, the song doesn't last more than the usual 4 minutes. While Akechi isn't really out of the breath he does feel few droplets of sweat damping the back of his neck, making some of his hair stick to his skin. ]

So, [He offers her an effortless smile and brings his hand to rest against his hip.] how was that?

[Oh, Akechi. In spite of his smirk, she doesn't think he's having that much fun. Maybe she should have taken him up on cards? That probably would have been the selection to make him happier, anyway. She's out of practice picking things for people to like, instead of choosing what she wants to do!

When they're done, she just laughs and claps her hands, breathing a little hard herself. She put all of her effort into it, after all!! And she could use a sit-down.]

Really good! You really are an idol!

[It's clear he'd used what he knew, at least, and with her hands clasped together, Kotone turns back to the judges... only to win. Ah, yeah, that's probably not going to make Akechi happy at all, but she still claps her hands and grins. He'd wanted a competition, right? Maybe that she was a worthy opponent might mollify him a little bit.]

Yes! [And she holds up her hand for a high-five. Be a good sport, Akechi?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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