OPEN :: A golden bird was singing

[baedalites]

Who: Everyone!
What: St Kelley's evening
Where: The Apache and surrounding environs.
When: Veerdi evening.
Notes:
(1) The topic threads are just suggestions; if you've got somewhere else that your characters simply must be, make your own thread.
(2) All mementos will appear overnight in some part of your character's apartment.
(3) Dance!

St Kelley's is one of the more sedate occasions in Baedal, at least as holidays go. It passes more or less unnoticed by the majority of the population as many of them feel it doesn't concern them. It's not their holiday; it's for the others. Those with severed ties and broken hearts. The temple and church preach that it's a time for reflection or for glorifying the generosity of the gods. It's one of the few days on which no one looks askance at first generation Citizens mourning their missing loved ones publicly.

As night rolls around and floating lanterns are set to sea, the Apache in Mog Hill prepares to accept guests from the newer cohorts. It's something that happens every year, making it a practical tradition. The alcohol will be cheaper for first timers, and the music will be kept at a reasonable level.

Comments

[fish]

This Boat Day thing is really depressing, Fish thinks, but he'll just keep that to himself. He has come here to stop thinking about his own little floating lantern, and by gum he's going to accomplish this somehow. (Likely via...lighter fluid or whatever the hell he's got in there.)

"Yeah, but that doesn't count. You don't get the whole..." Radiating warmth and heartbeats filling the room and he can basically smell your blood right now, Jae, isn't that a comfort? "...in-person vibe. And people can't spill their e-drinks on you or whatever. I'm gonna buy you one when you're ready, by the way."

[boomvox]

It could be everclear and rainwater, Jae has no idea. But he, too, is ignoring the lantern that he won't admit to have sent. So it's all good. Except for how Jae's blood is a little off in an unquantifiable way, maybe.

"I do have an excellent vibe." Solemn nod. "Oh?" In that case, Jae is going to knock back the remaining contents of his glass like a pro. WHAT NOW.

[fish]

Well, that gets a laugh—a sudden one, not loud but pretty distinctive nonetheless. "Wow, okay. Are you gonna do that every time I offer, cuz I can see that getting real sloppy real fast."

What now is that Fish takes this as his cue to move right up and lean on the bar, ready to order whatever Jae's having whenever he can catch the tender's eye.

[boomvox]

"I'm never sloppy. It's not how I roll- Jack and Coke?" He grins at the bartender, charming his way into it; well drinks aren't the same in Baedal, but the Apache makes whiskey happen. It's great.

[fish]

"Yeah, we'll see." Fish has cash on hand when the drink arrives—exact change, tip and everything—and once the business of paying is done with, he turns to hold out his cup expectantly. Clink with him or perish.

"To shitty little lantern boats that make everybody feel sad."

[boomvox]

"Cheers," and he sounds positively authentic saying it, having spent the last five years of his life in London - clinked, yes.

"To free stuff," is his wry contribution. Guess who's the only person in here not sad? Well, he's pretending, anyway.

[fish]

"Yeah, free stuff! Free stuff... that makes everybody sad." He announces this with a touch of theatrical flippancy before taking a big ol' sip. And then making a face about it. "Man, I really gotta stop ordering this shit, it's the worst. Look, smell it." Don't smell it, Jae, you will have no hairs left in your nostrils.

[boomvox]

Fine, be a stick in the mud about it, Fish. Jae will carry on being too cool for moping, suppressing it like he does everything else.

"What is that? Are you drinking nailpolish remover?" He can smell it plenty fine from here, that's cool, dude.

[fish]

"Basically." And so the foul beverage recedes into his own territory.

"It's pretty hard for me to get drunk anymore, so I've really gotta push it if I wanna feel anything. It's kind of a bummer... but it's way easier here than back home, so." He's holding his glass up, and looking at it, probably watching the light pass through it or something.

[boomvox]

"I fail to believe that with all the available poisons and flavored jet fuels here, you couldn't find something that still tastes like a Slurpee." This is his Professional Opinion™, by the way. "There is some alien blue shit a couple of places have that I swear to god I thought I was going to go blind having a shot of. But it was awesome."

[fish]

"Oh man, I know! That stuff is intense. I've only had it a couple times, though, it's not always, like..." Perhaps this loose, flappy hand gesture will coax forth some words. "They don't always have it. It's good, though. But yeah, you're right, I shoulda had this shit mixed in something." Oh well, he's going for another sip regardless.

"Oh, so hey, when should I bring you that stuff? The music stuff."

[boomvox]

"I think it could make a good raw egg shooter. You know?" ... No?

Jae raises his eyebrows. "Are you gonna come see me at work?"

[fish]

Fish makes a contemplative face in response to the egg question. He'll probably try it.

And then, mutual eyebrow raising. "Huh? Uhhh, yeah, I guess I could. Which gig?"

[boomvox]

A beat of silence, but-- Jae is too much of a goofball not to laugh. "I'm just giving you shit about the Vault again. No, whenever you're free, I can probably swing by, or if you want to watch me struggle with equipment you can drop by the radio station?"

[fish]

"So, basically you're a jerk." There is zero conviction in this statement. He feels more strongly about this next sip he's about to take. "Yeah, no, I can stop in there. I like a good struggle. There's not like, a ton of stuff to bring... it'll fit into a couple grocery bags, I think."

[boomvox]

"I'm a man proud of my career." And it is a career, dangit. Eat it, Baedal, not even an interdimensional kidnapping can keep him down. (... For long, let's ignore the panic attacks.)

"Sure. I've been working weekends."

[fish]

"Sweet. During the day, right? When d'you finish up?" He learned a long time ago to stop asking people when they get off. Many a facepalm has been prevented since then.

[boomvox]

"Overnight, actually." He grins, lopsided. "All that hard core classical is me. Don't hate, it's better than intern work. My degree doesn't mean anything here. My lunch break is like 2am, but if that's too weird I can come in earlier? I start around ten."

[fish]

"Nah, two's fine, I'll be awake. I should have a day off this weekend. If not, I'll just, like... make a little sign and leave it on the desk." He uses one hand to indicate its placement. "AFK, don't fuck the place up while I'm gone or I will find you. With a heart at the end. For friendship."

[boomvox]

"Excellent, I'll pencil you in." His intense schedule making sure classical records flip on time, yes. "Is it totally insane working there, or are you super jaded about it anymore?"

[fish]

Before he answers, Fish finishes his drink in one final, and large, gulp, and gives the empty glass a little push forward on the bar. It leaves a smeared condensation ring behind.

"Nah, I'm not really... I guess I'm kinda used to it, like I'll get bored being there sometimes, but it's still weird." There may be a time and place to bring up the unfortunate things he's witnessed at the inn, but this...probably isn't it. "Nothin really crazy's happened, though. People don't tend to hang out there a lot, usually just to sleep, so it's pretty quiet. Maybe it's different during the day, I dunno."

[boomvox]

Jae is nearing that edge where he's juuuust about too buzzed to keep drinking if he wants to hold it together in a respectable way (it'd be fine at a club), but he's going to keep nursing this cocktail anyway. So there.

"It's cool that real people work there." Oh man, is someone playing something that sounds like it's rolling with my homies? Jae begins to wiggle one arm lightly, dancing in place... then realizes what he's doing and stops.

[fish]

Well, he was about to make some smart-ass remark about the supposed realness of people, but a thing just happened. A thing that he cannot under any circumstances ignore. He must now stare at Jae.

"Did you just...vibrate? Subconsciously?"

[boomvox]

"That wasn't a vibration. Vibrating would be like-" he raises one hand and shimmies it a bit, doing a good job of imitating vibration that humans can't do. "That was an aborted embarrassing 90s dance move."

[fish]

"Whoa, what was that. Dude—" He's probably too entertained by this, but whatever, he's been drinking since he got here. He grabs at Jae's hand, as if trying to make him raise it to the same position is likely to make him want to repeat the...whatever he just did. "That was freaky, do that again."