[MINGLE, ESPECIALLY TO NEWCOMERS] ROOFTOP FESTIVITIES!!!

[icanfixer]

WHO: All!
WHAT: Rooftop festivities!
WHERE: On a rooftop of an office building in the second open district!
WHEN: 8/14, evening!
WARNINGS: alcohol, tba as it goes


Banner displayed inside the train station, outside city hall, and on the most used residence buildings.

Follow the arrows.
So you're unaware. Maybe new. Or maybe you just didn't care the first time you saw it. That's fine. Between the banners hanging around key areas, and the flyers quickly drawn up in a similar fashion scattered across the city, it's hard not to know something is going on -- and there's helpful arrows, chalked on building walls and the streets the day of the party, to let people know where to go.

The Rooftop

A splendid scene awaits those who travel heavensward. Fairy lights connect the corners of the roof access building to metal poles at the corners of the building itself, lifted by cylindrical supports where needed, each one held straight by pots filled with well-packed dirty and stone. There's multicolored stars hanging from some of the lights, while various painted flowers hang on others, and what greets the ears first is some royalty free party music played from a CD player off the the side.

There's a long folded out table in the center for those who'd like to share cuisine, just set and serve yourself! Nearby is a space for Daan to do some bartending as well, a man who can make a multitude of cocktails and mocktails for those who want something less alcoholic. Also, pints of various ice cream flavors in a cooler!

Don't worry -- they won't have any odd effects on them, Don verified the lack of them herself. Not all of them are normal. Think loaded baked potato weird.

For those who'd like a quieter space, there's beanbags and a swirly, fuzzy carpet to sit on more away from the center of the party area. This'll be a great time to play some games, such as truth or dare, spin the bottle, and... whatever else you play at parties. Get to know your fellow man and such. Play the violin.

Naturally, no party... hosted... by Don Quixote would be without a space to fight, if one wishes to show off a little! It's also taking place on a swirly fuzzy carpet, just so no one smashes their head in, and there's a neat little banner hanging down from a string of lights that says thus:

WIN THREE MATCHES AND A PRIZE AWAITS THEE!!!!!!!
- NO KILLING
- HANDS ONLY

What the prize is, no one knows. But come find Don Quixote with your battle scars and she'll grant it -- and stick around a while, 'cause this party's gonna end with a bang... that is, with homemade fireworks donated by "a friend" through Junpei.

Anyway, have fun!!! Share words about your worlds!!! The society your characters are from, the cuisine they've brought, how they're working out in the city -- help the new kids along, too. There's more vets here now than there were a few months ago, after all.

Navi: Truth or Dare - Two Truths and a Lie - Hydra Storytelling w/Junpei - Drink Up With Daan - Qixi Festivites

Comments

[shtola]

( someone's finally crawled out of her little nook. though she can't really say she knew what to expect, considering the method of which she came across the little gathering. the flyers are hard to ignore, the sudden emptiness everywhere else in an already deserted city even moreso. signs of life being gathered in one spot for something more jovial is better than the alternative, at least. )

 — i.

( the existence of a fight pit isn't exactly new. there's an entire facility dedicated to the sport in limsa lominsa, albeit with less plush underfoot and string lights. not her thing, but one is likely to find her keeping an eye out anyway in the event someone needs to step in. could be mistaken for interest, which isn't wrong in some ways, but she figures it's likely best to have someone trained in healing arts at hand since one of the doctors she knows here has been conscripted into cocktail making duties.

pick a fight?? a friendly duel???? she will most certainly say no, but it would be funny. or, hell, if any were to come out rough from the pit she can set minor injuries, at least. a bruised cheek might get an ice cold drink pressed up to it, or she might hand someone a handkerchief to wipe blood off before it gets on things like the perfectly nice beanbags. )

 — ii.

( alternatively, to those that may look like they've had a little too much to drink, she's going to offer up a glass of water before their gracious hostess has to deal with that, too. her focus is better served entertaining. she's doing a lovely job at that. so unfortunately, they'll have to deal with the sorceress instead. )

 — iii.

( as for the collection of food (entirely ignoring the odd selection of ice cream flavors for now..), it is interesting to see what everyone's brought, and how it compares to food she's familiar with. food is intricately tied to culture, after all, and to see so many that are familiar is an interesting note of its own. whether or not it's made of ingredients she knows is another thing, but it doesn't seem too far off. for her part, she has a chocolate covered rolanberry that she's been nibbling on. just be thankful she didn't bring archon loaf, honestly. or maybe it's there now, slipped between some perfectly normal foodstuffs by the power of passing thought in the city.

it's an unfortunate bite for any who'd chance across it, but it is something of a masterpiece. nutritionally.

not that she's noticed the culinary landmine yet since it's fairly plain and unassuming by comparison. content to engage any other who might join her in perusing. )

What would you say your level of familiarity is in the preparation of meals?

iii

[worldexecute]

Zero. I didn't have to eat before I came here.

( ...by all accounts this is very technically true, but it isn't as if being here was the deciding factor in whether or not she could eat. angela is sampling things as she lays her eyes on them—from the interesting to the mundane, none shall escape her tasting. the archon loaf is still a bit away from her fork, but it certainly is there. )

My friend is fairly skilled in it, though. ( well. roland can cook, that's all. she'll skim the room and then nod to him to point him out. her buddy. her pal. bestie. complicated. ) If you have the chance to bother him, I'd advise you to. He isn't doing anything important at the moment anyway, and he enjoys talking about good food.

[shtola]

But surely you were sustained in some way?

( is that rude to ask of a stranger you just met? that seems highly probable, but truthfully the curiosity got the better of her tongue in the moment. especially in seeing how she eats her fill by forking up all that her eyes seem to lay on. making up for lost time, or..

her friend is singled out pretty quickly, and the sorceress keeps a mental tab to touch on the subject with him later on. as of right now, she's still kind of marveling just how she seems to be able to stomach all of this. does that not settle in her in any dangerous way when her sampling seems so haphazard? )

Pray excuse if the question offends, though I do wonder why they'd burden you with hunger if it hadn't been a function you needed before.

[worldexecute]

( there's a method to it, but not by much, seeing as she tucks away something sour right after a spicy bite and pauses. even this... is a great learning experience. she's been learning a lot about food tonight. )

No, it's a reasonable question. ( or it's one she expected, at any rate. sometimes that's the same. maybe she should get something a little plainer, to help settle her stomach—that loaf, perhaps? ) It's a long, uninteresting story.

( it is long, but it's only so uninteresting to her, who had to live it, live with it— )

I'm a machine who recently became human, before I found myself here. That's the end of it.

[shtola]

( .. she's sorry? uninteresting? hardly. she has enough manners drilled into her to know better than to ask all the questions that are currently burning holes into the back of her throat, but she's going to make a mental note somewhere to revisit this in depth as time goes on. party. polite company. strangers. time and place, and all that. )

Perhaps you might honor me with the privilege of the tale someday.

( it's almost as though she has no frame of reference for flavor profiles, or even a minutia of idea for what to expect until the morsel lands on her tongue. it makes enough sense, given the little she knows, but she'd be remiss not to at least offer guidance. )

Were there any that's caught your interest thus far? I might be of better guidance for a similar suit if you wish.

iii.

[gradenine]

[ the said buddy ol' pal in question has finally managed to pull himself away from hotpot/kbbq, and is now perusing the wares that other people had brought in. he can't eat too much though - he gotta make some space for other food in his stomach and all.

the archon bread does catch his interest somehow, tucked between some seemingly normal baked goods. the poor thing looks relatively untouched, so roland may as well get a piece and a bite, and -- ]

...Huh. [ he makes a bit of a face as he takes it to his nose for a sniff. ] Is this made with... fish?

[ FISH BREAD... WILD... ]

[shtola]

( oh hi buddy, pal (complicated).

needless to say, the perplexity that bleeds into the word fish catches her attention. she's by pastries and desserts, unless it's from somewhere she's yet to learn of, why would - .. ah. )

Among others. ( she does look somewhat sheepish about that. to those who don't subscribe to the idea of 'efficiency is key' as far as foodstuffs goes, it's a bit of a hard swallow. in fact, she's already glancing about for water or tea or juice or anything that might help, and passing over a bottle when she finds something suitable. ) The scholars that created it wanted a convenient meal that would sustain them in longer days of study, unfortunately sacrificing tastebuds in the process.

[gradenine]

[ he'll gratefully take the water, thank you... just going to take a swig of that to get rid of the taste - ]

Makes sense. Like when you're burning the midnight oil but you don't have the time to cook something.

[ still, he narrows his eyes as he takes another piece of the bread and pops it into his mouth. nope, it just doesn't slap no matter the context. shame. ]

But even scholars deserve something better than this, right? [ a pause. ] Are you a scholar?

[shtola]

Precisely.

( sorry to say that it will NOT slap no matter what, but good on him for trying again just in case. sampling size is important in experimentation, and she respects that. +1. )

As it happens, not all share their particular philosophy. Convenient as it may be, 'tis a needless sacrifice. Proper nutrition need not come at the cost of taste, and a meal that is hard to stomach is not one I would call 'accessible', neither. ( but, she does look a little nostalgic. not that she's going to have any, mind you. ) ... I am, and while I am not one of the few that conjured this delightful meal, I happen to hail from where it originated from.

iv: i do what i want and you can't stop me

[onlythans]

[It was inevitable, mayhap, that at a rooftop party with drinks and music and merriment (and Ryne, Ryne, his Ryne), Thancred would be in superior spirits — or at least be doing his damnedest to give off every impression of the same. While it's true he's been keeping a surreptitious eye on Y'shtola all night, just as he's been keeping careful tabs on Ryne, for the most part he's largely done his vigilance from a distance — letting his girls stand on their own in the light, while he keeps to the comparative shadows.

Until, that is, the inevitable happens: sooner or later any off-brand party jam is going to Alexa play a knockoff version of Despacito, and that means it's time to have a little fun.]

Favor me with a dance, milady?

[Fun fact #1: this is not actually a question. Fun fact #2: my alternative to this ref video was an Ed Sheeran song so be grateful.]

im grateful for you always

[shtola]

( it's not as though she's the type to get belligerently drunk, so there's really not much to keep an eye on, nor is it particularly hard to. the party games are carefully dodged around, and the food is cautiously picked at. conversations are kept cordial when she makes them, content to simply watch the other guests in their cheer with a glass daan's provided for her some time ago.

the sideline is where he finds her, and there's a moment in which she wonders if she could stall what's likely the inevitable. )

My dance card rather full for the eve, I'm afraid.

( with a list of people as imaginary as the card itself, but, she can't help it. maybe if she sips from her glass he would hesitate to part her from it so soon. )

I would've thought your nose would be under a skirt by now.

( not literally. his world isn't so narrow to be limited to skirts. )

[onlythans]

I'm more than happy to take a gander under yours.

[This is how men like him get their fool asses killed but you know what, sometimes the remark is worth the inevitability.]

So, when might I expect your next scheduled engagement? I'll be certain to time my nosing accordingly, so as to put on a proper show.

[He's really gunning to get slapped here, isn't he.]

[shtola]

( much to her credit, she does not balk outright. almost as if the passing comment is one she's not unused to hearing. her smile turns just a little more polite under the rim of her glass - seemingly sweet to most who would not know better. there's even a moment she allows herself a sweep of his taller frame, appraising, before she sets her glass down.

just in case. )

Should you be so lucky. ( behave, thancred. they're in public and she'd rather not make witnesses of these perfectly nice people to another murder. ) If, say, I were to find you a slot, will you conduct yourself a little more properly?

[nomoresharks]

Very, very low, but I'm eager to learn if you yourself have any?

[It seems fun, and, perhaps, a better entry point to learning how to do things by hand than making a bow from scratch.]

Some things here look easy to recreate, but looks can be deceiving.

[He looks for something to use as example, but instead finds his eye drawn to what looks to be a loaf of bread amongst the pastries. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he takes a slice to try. Something sweet with the texture of bread, perhaps?]

What's this?

[Hythlodaeus takes a bite and knows regret.]

[shtola]

( oh, hythlodaeus.. what is she to do with you. the bit of loaf is in his mouth before she could even interject with a warning - not that she's about to stop anyone from enjoying it. it's healthy, and there are far worse things to put in one's mouth.

still, she does make for a curious glance to see where one particular gunbreaker might be. he has valid concerns, of course. their dealings with the ancients has ever been fraught with opposing ideals, to put lightly. but the last that walked (dubiously) by their side had saved her, even if she could not discern if she were nothing more than a convenient segue to earning some favor. then there's what tip of the iceberg they've uncovered in the events of amaurot, then meteion.

she doesn't laugh, at least? because laughing at misfortune would be rude even if they're the current subject of confused emotion. )

Better with guidance, I'm afraid. I cannot say I'm practiced enough in the subject to truly be able to show others. ( her sympathies for the violence enacted on his tastebuds though. ) And you've discovered a loaf that ought to come with warning, brought to plate by the creative minds of Sharlayan.

[nomoresharks]

It's... certainly something that exists.

[And is lingering on both tongue and gums despite his every attempt to remove it. "Rich" implies a value he isn't yet certain of, and so he settles for considering it dense instead.]

I'm going to guess nutrition and portability were the only thoughts that went into its creation?

[Because boy oh boy if that's the case, it's imperative that no one in Amaurot learns of this culinary abomination.]

iii

[icanfixer]

[ now, the pastries have been her personal favorite parts of this -- she has something if a sweet tooth, and she's delighting entirely in the smorgasbord of it!

the archon bread, as the others of the city are discovering, is an interesting taste, and it gives her a pause before she continues to eat through it with a thoughtful hum. ]

What an interesting flavor... It would do well with a soup, perhaps tomato...

[ oooh. maybe she'll ask roland to make a bisque.

anyway someone is willingly consuming this bread, she's even going for a second loaf!!! ]

power move, honestly.

[shtola]

( for someone to actually like it... )

Wait -

( this time, she actually has some time to very gently place a dissuading hand on don's wrist before she can take another. not out of worry that she wouldn't enjoy it or anything, because clearly she does, somehow. she's not about to tell people what not to enjoy, but in this case she's only a little concerned what an overdose of it would do to a human body. most would stop after the first loaf, and goodness she's not going to let their hostess find out if her stomach might rebel later or not. )

Here. ( it's a party. have one of her rolanberries, placed delicately on the palm that would've grabbed another serving of sin in bread form. ) It might be more to taste fitting for festivities.

you can't be picky when you're from the city...

[icanfixer]

[ oh.

the hand does stop her, and don peers up at the other woman quizzically before being granted... a chocolate covered rolanberry. oooh. it looks like a strawberry. yum. ]

All tastes are befitting of these particular festivities, my lady, be that mine intention is to ensure many such worlds are shared... Whence I am from, the Districts have each their own customs and cuisine, so I wished to imbibe the same here.

[ the knowledge... the culture... the food.............. anyway, this rolanberry is delicious, pressing a hand to her cheek. she loves fruits. ]

iii

[furibund]

[ Nebula's chosen not to eat, but that doesn't mean seeing what others have brought doesn't catch her eye. She's seen a variety of foods traveling the universe and so far it's really not strange to see... Strange, or stranger. Even if her own experience with cooking is... ]

Enough.

[ Her response is immediate when asked. Met with a sort of shrug as she thinks about it a moment and adds: ]

I can sustain myself and that's all I need. Anything else is a privilege to try.

[shtola]

( she was also expecting a little more than out of the ordinary, honestly. with the haphazard mix of people and stars, she was almost certain she'd spot more than her fair share of something unfamiliar. even the moon rabbits in her corner of the universe had stranger offerings.. )

For the lack of time? ( the alternative is less kind, and she would hate for that to be the case. lack of resources, or perhaps food being more necessity than anything else. it's simply the reality for some, but it is no less a cruel fate. ) Well, the others have certainly outdone themselves, and it would be a shame to let their efforts go to waste. Have you tried any?

[furibund]

Something like that.

[ Clipped, perhaps too quickly. Now days, it is something more like that. They spend more time working as Guardians to think about it and Knowhere always has fresh orloni to eat. But in the past, it was something darker she'd rather not linger on. So she doesn't. ]

[ Glancing back at the table, she shakes her head: ]

... No. I did not come here to eat. [ ... ] There's enough people here who need it more.

i.

[unrequite]

[ Miss Rhul wins. Of course she does. She has several more years of practical combat experience on Midnight, a lower center of gravity, and no reason to go easy on him, even if he was the one who asked her to dance.

(This does count, and he said so, so no one was actually scammed here. Win win?)

Anyway, Midnight's holding a cold pack to a busted lip, and definitely shouldn't look as pleased about this as he does, but there he is, humming like a tiny cat lady hadn't tossed him over his shoulder less than five minutes ago. Or, uh, he is humming like a tiny cat lady had tossed him over her shoulder less than five minutes ago, he's just kind of... into... it....... sorry. ]

Thank you, by the way. I've much to learn, obviously.

[shtola]

( well - this truly was not how she envisioned her night going. clearly, she needs to set down the wine and go back to being a little more inaccessible.

she's onto you, by the by. she's intimately familiar with all of the things she's good at, prideful and confident thing that she is, and among that list is not hand-to-hand combat. one could even say it's something of a sore point these days, considering the usual reliance on magic is not something she can draw upon now with the limitations in place.

now her hand kind of hurts, and the man has a split lip. she really should've expected the dopey smile though. please stop challenging her to things. it's too good at getting her into some shit. and why does she feel like she was the one who lost here??? )

Do you always thank your aggressors?

( just wondering. )

[unrequite]

Only when I'm grateful.

[ He shifts to look at her. ??? She's looking very blue for someone who just won a round of fisticuffs. What's going on there? ]

You're looking very blue for someone who just won a round of fisticuffs. What's going on here?

[ Whatever alcohol he's imbibed has, apparently, dissolved at least a hefty portion of his brain to mouth filter. He reclines where he's sitting, like he's on on some sort of chaise longue with a captivated audience, and certainly not at all like he's actively holding a cold pack to his face. ]