#group writing

[wickedsrest-rp]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Vicker’s Beach SUMMARY: Night 2 of the Wicked’s Rest Bondfire is here, and while it’s debatable whether everyone had a good time, everyone did have a time. Feel free to take home some leftover food and goodies! NOTE: Please be sure to reblog this thread if your character is in it, and we will count it as a thread for the next Activity Check.

The Great Carapaced One did not rise last night, and as a result all of those s’mores materials were consumed by townsfolk enjoying the bondfire. OLD JONATHAN had run enough of these that he was expecting as much, but part of him had hoped all of those swarming shrimp along the shore were a sign The Drowning was nigh. Ah well. He shuffled around, shepherding the volunteers to restock the crafts table with new supplies, make sure all the lanterns were ready, and stoke the fire under the setting sun. The weather was agreeable again tonight, though the water a little more turbid. Maybe… just maybe… no, it was unlikely. He made the rounds thanking everyone for their work, saying things like “next year will be even better” and “just wait until next year.” As he and the volunteers departed to make way for the townsfolk, his only thoughts were about the shrimp. Next year indeed. Next year could be better.

It was hard not to remember the last party they’d gone to. Their heart was pounding in their chest as the smell of smoke strangled them, and they tried to force themself to relax. This would be good, they thought, would be fun; a relaxing night on the beach could be just that, even when your hands were trying to shake. Still, FELIX didn’t think they’d stay long. Just a little while, they thought, maybe just long enough to drop off the pies and say hello to a few people.

There were a lot of pies. It took several trips to carry them all to the table, stacked on top of one another. They’d done a variety of flavors, caught up in the stress relief that came with throwing ingredients together and tossing them all in the oven. There were fruit pies, there were meat pies, there were chocolate pies. There were some more experimental pies — FELIX wasn’t sure a shrimp pot pie would be particularly successful, but you never knew until you tried it, and they’d been feeling bolder about the shrimp cult lately, anyway. (It turned out experiencing one trauma could really do wonders for helping you forget another. Maybe therapy was overrated after all!) With the pies all piled on the table, Felix put their hands on their hips. “Do you think I should have made more?” He asked out loud, frowning. Thirty-seven pies was a lot, but maybe they should have gone for an even forty.

LIL wasn’t a big fan of gatherings on the beach, always a little weary of the water. Still though, a party was a party even if it was full of strangers. Being told by a few people to not bring anything food wise Lil had just let Jonas bring the treats. Treats that didn’t seem at all necessary.

Still LIL watched as the table got filled with objectively too many pies. Being in a bakery most of the time, she was pretty sure at this point she was an expert. Still, maybe the other was just enthusiastic about pies. Not quite recognizing Felix from their encounter before Lil chimed in, “Nah I mean that’s like a pie per person at least. You���re probably good. Are you like opening a pie shop or something?" She asked grabbing a plate to go try a slice.

The crackling of the fire felt like home, inviting and warm. On an evening like that, TEAGAN couldn't think of a better thing to do than to eat goodies and see their friends. Felix especially, considering they had made several pies in her kitchen for the occasion. Well, partly for it. She could tell there was something lingering in their mind, but she knew better than to push it. "Felix, my dear, 1 pie was plenty. I'm sure the whole place can be fed with all your hard work."

OLIVER had done his job, creating bouquets for the centerpieces. He had probably spent too much time stressing over good combinations since the most anyone would say was 'Oh how pretty', but it still mattered to him. Perhaps more than it should have. Looking at the table now, it seemed he wasn't the only one concerned about ensuring things looked good. There had to be what, over 30 pies? Not that he was one to complain, they all looked delicious. He would probably grab a slice after he ate some real food first. "I feel like the end of summer always comes faster than the end of winter." Oliver said to no one in particular as he finished placing his last bouquet in it's glass vase.

NICOLE considered turning her truck around several times before reaching Vicker's beach, indecision making a heavy pit in her stomach that filled with anxiety the closer she got to her destination. Subjecting herself to crowded spaces wasn't something she did of her own volition, when the option of being alone and spare herself from embarrassing moments was often available and enticing. By her side — on the passenger's seat — laid the reason she continued her drive. Nacho deserved all the time at the beach he wanted, possibly destroy a few sandcastles that survived, too. She kept driving, fighting against the instinct to isolate. Those day were meant to be in the past, she reminded herself.

She made it to the beach and let her dog run free, while she deposited the bottle of tequila she'd brought on one of the tables. Would've been fucking rude to arrive empty handed and avoid conversation too, no? It defeated the purpose of the bonfire. This way, she removed her self-imposed pressure to do more than she could. She spotted people she knew around the crowd, like Felix and Teagan hanging by what looked like a wall of pies, easing some of the nerves in her stomach. She decided to wait before approaching, instead, she strolled toward the s'mores station.

JONAS was amazed at the sight of so many pies. He set down the cupcake stand, the small desserts were decorated to look like they had small galaxies on the top with purple, blue and black icing. Golden sprinkles were added to represent the stars. He wasn't sure the cupcakes were even needed at this point, Felix's efforts could feed everyone in attendance and then some. "I um... If you ever wish to have a job at the bakery Felix please uh let me know." He smiled at them before turning his attention to placing his cookies out as well. Blue was at his side tail wagging and somehow resisting the urge to eat all of the snacks the humans left on the table.

Taking a cup of the tea she brought, TEAGAN scanned the area and saw a familiar face. "I'll be right back, my sweet" She kissed Felix's cheek and called out, "Ah, ain't you a sight for sore eyes, lass?" She made her way to the s'mores station and plopped her arm around Nicole. "Didn't think I'd see you at such a gathering, but I'm glad you came." Looking at the assortment of crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, Teagan rose her brows curiously. "What do we do here?"

MAGGIE was just a little disappointed. She had been hoping for at least a glimpse of some quality cryptid viewing- after all, the shore was perfect for Wormy sightings. But it was a party, first and foremost. People actually had fun at parties. And brought food. And socialized. The last of which was probably the thing she needed to do the most of... With a deep breath to steel herself, she marched towards the table with containers of what were basically pigs in a blanket... but she had made look like octopi instead.

Group social events were rarely the sort of thing KADEN would attend but something about everything that had happened recently, all the loss, he knew it was probably good for him to leave the house, be social or something like that. Monty knew that, too. Somehow they convinced one another it was worth the attempt. "This was probably stupid to bring," he said to his partner as he held the wine bottle in his hand. He was pretty sure you were supposed to bring something to places like this but he didn't really know what would be appropriate. So he grabbed a bottle of wine that had been tucked away in a corner of the kitchen for who knew how long. Wine was always a good choice for parties, right? "Is anyone even going to drink this?"

There were plenty of faces he recognized but approaching any of them seemed like a daunting task. There were two balam who he was sure were both still wary of him, the nyx who had nearly drowned him, and the twins among others. He didn't know where to start. Putting the wine down on the table in between the dozens of pies was a start. "That's a lot of pies," he said, eyeing the display. "Jonas? You make these?" It had to be the kid, right? No way anyone else would go that overboard.

Finding himself at the bonfire, ELIAS was trying not to let the entire thing make him wig out and leave, he was strong. he could do it. Still, he found himself by the snack table and staring down at the thirty-seven pies that Felix seemed to have baked. "That's a lot of pie," he muttered mostly to himself, then looking over to Maggie, he gave a small, polite wave. "Oh hey," he spoke to her with a smile. Better to talk to someone he knows then get lost in a sea of pie, right?

There had been no intention on MONTY'S part to attend this party, when he'd been told about it. Being around a bunch of people felt like the last thing he wanted to do, and yet... he would have wanted Kaden to go enjoy himself, so he figured it was only right if they both went. Even if it meant just standing quietly on the sidelines, sipping the wine that Kaden had thought to bring. Monty had nothing else to offer, so he'd just shrugged and given the man a small smile. "We will."

Following quietly after Kaden, fingers clasped in front of him as he looked at all the food he couldn't enjoy, the cowboy overheard someone else speaking to his left. He looked up to find a face he wasn't familiar with, and managed a chuckle. "This is true... especially this far north, ah?" He responded to Oliver. "Winter seems to be about half of the year."

ISA was never one to pass up on a party if she could help it. She loved being around people who weren't scowling at her constantly, people who were a lot more loose because of the lighthearted situation they were in. It always made her life easier. What wasn't helping was having to wear those stupid sunglasses at night. She could barely see anything when she walked up with Maggie and had to switch her eyes over so that she could follow heat signatures instead until she got closer to the fire.

"I don't think a lot of people turn down alcohol at a party." She said this with a smile thrown at the guy who'd asked about the wine before taking a seat next to the fire. "I bet it will pair well with the pigs in a blanket."

Now that the pies had been safely deposited on the table, FELIX wasn’t sure what to do with themself. Teagan fluttered off to speak to Nicole, and while Felix offered the other balam a small smile in greeting, they felt a stone form in their stomach at the thought of having a conversation with her. After all, the last time the pair spoke in person had been at that stream, blood still staining Felix’s skin. Their shoulder ached at the thought now, the injury left there after the barn party aching. They turned away only to spot Monty and Kaden entering, finding yet another memory of the last social event they’d attempted ready and waiting. This was a bad idea. This had definitely been a bad idea. “Um, no pie shop,” they said, forcing themself to reply to the woman beside him (wasn’t she an exorcist? Their throat felt dry.) with a soft chuckle. “Just, uh, had some time on my hands, I guess.” At least Jonas was here, a familiar face who hadn’t been at the barn party. Felix offered him a smile. “I probably wouldn’t be good at it,” they replied, making sure to look at him as they spoke so he could read their lips more easily. “I just, um… I felt like baking.” Baking let them forget about the stress, even if only for a moment. “They probably won’t taste good.”

NICOLE breathed out a nervous laugh when Teagan approached. Her smile, however, was genuine as she greeted her friend. If heat rose in her cheeks, she would blame the fire. "Guess I can't stay in the cabin forever," she watched out for Nacho, looking intrigued at the fire dancer. "Never done s'mores in a bonfire?" her words were laced in a curious tone. There was so much she didn't know about fae and what they did. She didn't think she would ever be in the position to teach the human ways to anyone. "Right. I can uh — s'mores," she pointed at a cracker, "you grab two, and a piece of chocolate—" she held it on top of one of the crackers, showing it to her friend. "You stick a marshmallow," she demonstrated, handing the stick to Teagan and then moved toward the fire. Guiding carefully to the flames. It roasted briefly. "Once that's hot, you put it on top of the chocolate, and— you... close with the other cracker. Like— it's like a sandwich."

LIL got a slice of some sort of pie, maybe a berry as she scooped up some into her mouth she said, “Nah dude this is great. You sure?” Looking over at her brother she signed with one of her hands knowing a lot of people might overwhelm him, “Okay?”

OLIVER nodded "Yeah, exactly. I feel like we are also missing out on a proper end to summer feel with all the rain we've been getting recently." He motioned to the sky. "Now, if we could also you know, not get snow in march, that would be great" Oliver joked, giving a matching smile to the other.

The corners of MAGGIE'S eyes crinkled ad a mix of joy and relief flickered across her face. Isa was at her side (though, if her hands weren't full of tin containers of her little not-quite-sea-creature creations, she'd probably have been holding her hand for a little extra support), and now she had Elias, too! "Hey, El!" The tins were plopped unceremoniously so she could give him a quick hug. "I'm gonna steal a whole pie- do you think that's okay? There are so many- Have you ever met Isa? She's the best-"

KADEN stood there blinking for a moment. So Felix had made the pies? Putain de merde. This whole thing was more awkward than he anticapted already. "They look nice," he said, attempting to be polite. He sighed and figured he could manage to go a step farther than that. He grabbed a knife and started to cut small slices from a few of the pies. "I'll taste test and let you know." He cracked a small smile as Lil beat him to it. Well, at least it wasn't inedible. "Which is which?"

As Maggie gave him a hug, ELIAS tried his hardest not to lock up and freeze at the idea of being touched. It had been so long since he'd been hugged, why was he so nervous all of a sudden? Snap out of it, enjoy the party. Elias shook his head and focused on Maggie's words. "I think there's enough pie for you to take a whole one, yeah." He agreed with a thumbs-up. Then his attention turned to the girl that was with Maggie, and gave a quick wave towards her. "Hello," he greeted with that same smile. He then looked around, noticing a few familiar faces. "Felix, the pie is good!" He told his friend, raising up a piece of pie that he had began to munch on. "Good job!"

"March.... sometimes April... there are ways to make me miss Oaxaca, and the snow in April here is definitely one of them." MONTY shook his head, letting his attention slide briefly over to Felix before looking away. He wanted to make sure they were okay (they'd said they were, but of course they had, even though none of them were okay after what had happened).... but now was not the time. So instead, he reached for the bottle Kaden had brought and pulled out the opener he'd brought along in his pocket, digging the sharp spiral down into the cork. He looked at the stranger he'd been talking to, raising his brows. "Would you like some wine? He tells me it is a good year." He looked at the cups on the table and chuckled. "Though drinking from a red solo cup might ruin the experience, a little bit. Oh well."

At least the pie wouldn’t go to waste here. FELIX tried to keep their smile from wavering as the exorcist (Lil, they reminded themself, her name was Lil, and wasn’t she Jonas’s sister? They needed to be better at remembering these things.) took a bite from one of the pies. “Uh, I don’t know. I got a little — I mean, I tried some new things, and I don’t know if — Um, it might not work.” Now Kaden was talking about the pies, too. Kaden, who was Monty’s boyfriend and also a ranger, and had probably had a lot of friends on the farm that Felix might or might not have eaten, and — They took a deep breath, trying to steady themself. This was fine. They were fine. “That one is avocado pie,” they announced as Kaden cut a slice. “It has. Avocados. In it. Uh.” They really should have labeled these. “The one next to it has grapes! And there’s — Do you like apple? People like apple.” Too many people were talking about the pies. Felix was regretting them now, regretting the attention.

JONAS had to tilt his head to the right to catch what Felix was saying, the dim light of the fire made his left eye practically useless. "I am sure they are wonderful." They looked good from what he could see so far and Lil was already digging in, he offered his twin a small smile before signing back, "I am alright." He was glad she was here, it would have been a nightmare trying to keep up with conversations otherwise. "Oh! Um Felix this is my twin, Lil."

"Okay but which kind do we want to take?" ISA lowered her voice a little so that only Maggie and the other person could hear. "Or we could take two because I want something fruity but also is that a meat pie?" Realizing Maggie's friend could probably hear her, she returned his smile and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm not the best, Maggie tells lies."

"How lovely. But why call them s'mores? What are you...some more of what?" TEAGAN grabbed the ingredients and placed them on a paper plate just as Nicole offered her a stick with a marshmallow on it. She followed the balam and crouched down to roast her marshmallow. "How does one marsh a mallow anyway? Do you know the process?" The fire danced just beneath the sugary treat, turning it melty and a golden brown. Teagan followed the next steps accordingly and made a pretty messy chocolate sandwich. "And then we just...take a bite, right?"

Giving a smile to Isa, ELIAS began to drift to other people. Noticing the discomfort on Felix's face, he strode over to the balam and waved at them. "Want to help me grill?" He asked, gesturing to the grill that was set up to the side. "Get us away from the crowd." He then added, shrugging a shoulder. It was a suggestion that didn't need to be taken, but he figured he'd try to give the balam an out if they needed it.

LIL stood next to Jonas ready to intervene but not trying to be overbearing. Her twin had been through a lot, and he was looking forward to this. She nodded tapping his elbow to let him know she'd stay next to him. Putting the pie down for a second she took out a Monster cracking it open with one hand. “Nice to meet you Felix.” There was something familiar about the other, but she figured maybe it had been a ghost haunting. She said keeping her hand free waving to Kaden “Hey you and Monty? Lucky day.”

OLIVER watched as the stranger's eyes moved away from him. Was he boring them? Oliver supposed that talking about the weather patterns wasn't exactly fun party talk. He had only come down because he felt like it was something that he should do, but watching everyone form groups and chat made him feel very much like an intruder. He wet his lips, "Oaxaca, that's in Mexico, right?" Oliver asked, racking his brain for if he had ever ended up there. He had been in Mexico once, for a year or two before setting off elsewhere. "I suppose you then run into the issue of it being very warm all year" Oliver joked before nodding at the possibility of wine. He didn't even really like wine that much, but he wasn't going to cause random tension for no reason. "That would be great! If anything, solo cups just make me think of a college party; which this has a similar vibe to anyway" Oliver grinned.

"Felix made the pies? Wait, Felix is here? You know Felix?? And I don't lie, I speak the truth." MAGGIE'S voice rose in growing delight as she peered around in the dying light of day. She'd have to find them if she could... and maybe keep the pie thievery secret. "There's like at least forty of 'em, I think we could totally steal two," The girl whispered in her best friend's ear, trying not to giggle and give herself away.

NICOLE offered Felix a tight lipped smile when their eyes locked. Should she go over eventually? A party didn't seem the appropriate place to ask about how anyone was dealing after presumably eating a few of their friends. She didn't know, her experience in partying was limited. But it seemed like the type of thing bound to bring the mood down. She mimicked Teagan, grabbing another stick for herself. At the question, she fell quiet. "I've never— No clue what a marshmallow is. Sugar?" She pressed her s'more together, looking at Teagan's. "Pretty good effort. Yeah, you can take a bite".

KADEN was worried his presence might give the balam a heart attack and wondered if he should find somewhere else to exist. First, he took a piece of the avocado pie. It was.... interesting. He did his best to keep his face neutral but no one had ever told him he had a good poker face. "Not.... bad." He tried the supposed grape one. Putain, where did they get these recipes? "This one is better." Which was true but only marginally. He decided that was enough pie for today. "Shouldn't have eaten before I got here." He was relieved to have Lil interrupt. "Yeah we managed to get both of us out of the house. How's Auggie?"

Elias offered them an out, and FELIX sagged in quiet relief. “Yeah,” they agreed, “the grill sounds, uh, fun.” It didn’t, but it sounded more fun than fighting off a panic attack in the midst of a mountain of pies. They offered Lil a small smile, turned to Kaden with a nod, avoided eye contact with Monty with a guilty gnawing in their gut. “Uh, I’m going to… Grill things. Not pies!” Were people worried they’d make more pies? Maybe thirty-seven was too many after all.

“Auggie is good! He’s a little too much of a rascal to go to the beach though, so it’s only Blue right now.” LIL replied finishing the slice of pie to have one of her hands free at least. “You haven’t met Luna yet. Or the chickens I don’t think.” Lil nodded to Felix glad that they seemed to calm down. Seeing Maggie out of the corner of her eye Lil waved slightly.

"Interesting." She smiled and held her s'more at eye level. Chocolate dripped along the edges and painted her hands. She was going to be sticky, TEAGAN was sure of it, but took a bite anyway. All the flavors mixed well together in an explosion of sugar. The nix smiled and nodded joyfully. "Good choice, dear. This is delicious!" Teagan collected a few more ingredients and made a second treat, a little neater that time. "Mind if I go get one to my friend Felix? I'll bring back wine if you'd like."

KADEN saw that his partner had cracked open the wine and that seemed like a necessity to get through the rest of the evening. He nudged Monty and handed him a cup to fill while keeping his eyes on Lil. "Luna? Chickens? What, you running a zoo now?"

Her hand lowered slowly as Maggie's friend walked away, ISA shrugging. Hopefully she hadn't offended him somehow. It didn't matter though, Maggie was ready to plan a pie heist with her, a tiny shiver passing through her as the girl's breath cascaded over her ear. "Alright, here's the plan. When we're ready to leave, I grab one, you grab the other and we make a run for the car. Nobody can say anything if they can't catch us. In the meantime, lets mingle."

Nodding his head and guiding Felix over to the grill, ELIAS placed down a few steaks that he'd brought, along with some chicken. "I'm not good at parties either," he told the other with a frown. "I'm trying, don't get me wrong, just... not doing great at the whole socialization thing." He waved his fingers as if socializing were a mystical idea. He stared down at the meat, knowing his heart wasn't in it. He could leave, of course, but that would be awkward seeing as he only just arrived.

Blue perked up at the mention of her name finally taking her eyes off the buffet before her to notice the familiar face next to them, she whined and pressed against Kaden for pets, tail thumping excitedly. JONAS watched as Felix moved not catching what the other was saying as they did but offering a small wave in greeting to the man who seemed to be guiding them away. He chuckled at the comment, "The um chickens are mine. It is lovely to see you again Kaden."

"Sí!" MONTY laughed, a little more genuinely this time, recalling how terribly cold this place had felt in comparison to Mexico at first. He'd gotten more used to it by now, but still. Popping the bottle open with a huff, the cowboy reached for the provided cups and poured them each a few fingers of wine (he was pretty sure that was not how you measured wine, but he was more of a whisky or tequila sort of person), and passed a cup to the stranger, and then to Kaden. "Ah, I am sorry, -- my name is Monty. What is yours?" While waiting for an answer, he took a sip of the wine, and failed to stop himself making a slight face of... disappointment? Again, he was more of a hard liquor drinker.

LIL barked out a laugh “No not a zoo, just a few animals. Luna is a cat Monty’s met her.” She didn’t mention what kind of cat Luna was assuming that she didn’t have the permit. Lil nodded along with Jonas. Signing to Jonas she said, "He's just messing around."

Her smile flickered momentarily as she watched Elias walk away, wondering if the hug had been 'too much'. Maybe she needed to tone her energy down? Cool. Be cool. And it wasn't like MAGGIE could ever be sad long- not with Isa grinning conspiratorially alongside her. "Deal. Socializing and then pie thievery."

"Oh, I didn't— I didn't come up with this, but... thanks, happy you like it—" NICOLE nodded, second-guessing for a moment before taking a bite of the s'more. It was messy, most of it spilled to the paper plate she'd grabbed and it didn't taste as sweet as most people claimed it did, but Nicole felt a small pang of nostalgia in her chest. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done this. Watching Teagan make another, she smiled. "Go for it. Think I'll pass on the wine— I'll meet you there," she nodded at the grill station, where Felix and a tall man hung out. "Will check on Nacho and that fire— dance thing, first."

OLIVER shook his head "No, you're totally fine. My names Oliver. Nice to meet you Monty" He said, giving a small cheers with the cup and taking a sip. It wasn't..bad, but it felt like the type of wine you used at a proper dinner party; rather than a beach party. He glanced over at the other person who had gotten a cup and gave a small wave. The other person seemed to be having a conversation with someone else and Oliver didn't want to butt in, but figured it would be rude to just ignore them. "So! Monty, what brought you here? Maine is quite a jump from Mexico."

"Wait, what kind are you grabbing? Knowing our luck we'll both grab the same pie and have an excess of one flavor." ISA spoke as she slung an arm over Maggie's shoulder and started to walk them towards the s'mores station. Chocolate was a must and there were people they could talk to. "Does anyone else love when the marshmallow is burnt to a crisp on the outside or is that just me?"

KADEN cracked a smile as Blue begged for attention. He was all to happy to give it to her, ruffling her fur. "A cat and chickens, huh?" he said, huffing out a laugh. "An interesting combination. I'm assuming you keep them separated." He was giving them a bit of a hard time but in truth, he trusted them both. "I'll have to stop by to see them soon." He realized the panic that might cause, given his job. "Just to say hi. No official business. Promise."

"Oh, if you start moving those legs, I'm definitely joining in. Don't think I'll get to hanging tonight." TEAGAN winked with a grin, turning around and closing the distance to Felix. They looked like they were a little anxious, but smiling overall with a few more familiar faces around them. When she reached them, Teagan offered the plate over and placed a comforting hand at the small of their back. She whispered in their ear, "You okay, dear? Brought this sweet thing for you."

LIL did look startled for a second and laughed. “Sounds good Kaden. And No Luna’s more likely to herd the chickens, but I make sure she’s supervised around them. Still come by anytime. You and Monty are always welcome.” She trusted Luna, but she wasn’t as domesticated as Blue and she always kept that in mind. Seeing people coming up she looked finding familiar faces. “Yo - Maggie right? Hey.”

Trying as hard as he could to keep a happy face on, ELIAS' smile wavered at the appearance of Teagan. The last time he'd seen her was when he worked at the fae bar. Back when he first discovered fae weren't just people in costume. A wave a panic surged through him, and he tried his damndest to stifle it down before it reared its ugly head. "Excuse me," he murmured to Felix and Teagan before moving toward the fire and staring into it, trying to ground himself.

The hand on their back was a familiar one, even amongst the stress. FELIX turned towards Teagan with a small smile, this one more genuine than the ones they’d been feigning for most of the night so far. “Thirty-seven pies might have been too many pies,” they told her quietly, faint humor to their tone. “Oh, you made s’mores? I like s’mores.” They paused. “One of the pies is a s’mores pie, you know.” Time to stop talking about pies, wasn’t it? Too much pie talk. Elias disappeared swiftly, and Felix looked after him with a furrowed brow. "Oh... Um, okay, see you in a little bit."

MONTY didn't... really know how to answer that question. Which was stupid, because he'd had six years to figure it out, but had never bothered. "Oh! Well... that is a good question," he laughed. "I guess I got to a point where I did not have much keeping me there anymore, and I just... started moving north? I did not have a destination in mind, but when I got here, I met a few people that convinced me to stay. And here I am, six years later! For some reason, even with the cold. What about you? Are you from around here?"

Two young girls walked over to the s'more station before NICOLE left to check on Nacho. One of them voiced a question out loud. Should she answer? Was she talking to somebody else? She turned to her, eyes darting around the younger woman's face, in an attempt at eye contact. Should she introduce herself? Fuck, she shouldn't be sweating at a s'mores station. It was the fire's fault. "Uh— now that you say it... Think I like it like that too," something about the smokey flavor added a quality to it, than the usual golden brown didn't. "Is that a weird thing?"

JONAS wasn't as startled as his twin was when Kaden said he'd pop round for a visit, the younger twin was always happy to have company at their house. "I am sure the girls will love a new visitor!" He beamed watching as Lil turned to look around the fire, opting to do the same. The man that had taken Felix was back rather quickly and staring into the fire with a fat away look he couldn't help but move over to him, "Are you um alright?"

As Lil moved on to speak with someone else, KADEN noticed Elias had made his way to the fire. It seemed like a calm spot and he gave Monty's shoulder a small squeeze before heading over to sit next to Elias, happy to be quiet for a bit. "Hey," he said to the man who was looking a little dazed and distant. "You doing alright?" Seemed like Jonas had the same idea. Of course he did, he was a nice kid after all.

"Too many of something isn't always bad." TEAGAN reassured, "Think of all the pies people can take home now and what a feat it is to have baked so many." She rubbed at few circles to try to comfort Felix. They were never too sure of themself, and while Teagan wished she could change that, she opted instead to be their biggest fan. She'd be their reminder that they were worth more than just what they could do or offer, and that their hope and kindness was a strength. "Gonny grab some wine. You want any?"

"I don't think it's weird at all." ISA gave the other girl a bright smile, reaching up to push her sunglasses all the way over her eyes. "I love them burnt like that. Some others might think it's not good but it's the only way I'll eat them." She speared a few marshmallows on a stick and stuck them directly in the fire. "You want one?"

OLIVER shook is head "No that totally makes sense. I'm in a bit of a similar situation. I'm actually from here, but left for awhile to travel and then came back" He was careful to not give specific time frames for how long he had lived here before leaving; and how long he had been gone for. "Wicked's Rest has it's charms for sure" He joked, taking another sip of his wine, if only because it was something to do. Oliver glanced at the people standing by the fire "Everything ok over there you think?"

Did they want wine? FELIX considered it, sighing uncertainly. “I can come with you?” They offered, glancing towards the table again. They were here to socialize, so they needed to make themself actually socialize. Otherwise, the point would be lost, wouldn’t it? “I think I saw Maggie and Isa, some kids I know. I can introduce you, if you don’t know them already? They’re nice.” And hadn’t been at the farm party where Felix may or may not have eaten several people, which was a real plus.

ELIAS jumped as two people came up to him to make sure he was alright. One was a stranger, the other was Kaden. "Oh, I'm... good." His voice cracked. he wasn't good. "I don't do parties," he lied easily, though it seemed to get caught in his throat. "Just a lot of people. I'm not good with crowds." He looked back over to Felix who had been left alone again, then back to the fire. "I'll be... alright." He reassured the two, wishing they were somewhere else.

"Want any wine?" KADEN asked, looking back over to see Teagan taking a swig for herself. His eyes narrowed as he watched her. He wanted to snatch it away from her and say she wasn't allowed, like some kind of petulant child. He hoped she saw his glare from across the way at the very least.

"Splendid!" TEAGAN grinned and hooked her arm with Felix's, pulling them toward the table with wine. "Hmm...I'm feeling a white tonight, but the weather is a little cool." She tapped on her chin, contemplating with her eyes narrowed. "Red, it is!" Filling two glasses, Teagan handed one to Felix, and then took a sip of her own while her friend mentioned a few names. One of which was familiar. But she was too distracted with the glare she was receiving. She blinked several times, finally saying, "Oh, Maggie? I know Maggie. But, um...never mind. Friends?"

"Ah," it was settled then. NICOLE felt normal for once. And though she was curious as to why the young girl had sunglasses on, she figured it would be rude to ask about it. She was clueless, but thanks to her anxiety, she knew to avoid potentially embarrassing situations. If Nicole had to guess, she'd imagine the fire could have something to with it. Even she felt like her face was burning as they drew near. "Hm?" She noticed the stick and deliberated for a moment. Nacho looked happy, tail wagging at the dancer, who— she didn't have time to wonder why it looked like that. She was here to practice her social skills, no? "Yeah, sure. One sounds good," she fidgeted with her hands briefly then added, "I'm Nicole, you?"

Kaden seemed to know this man leaving JONAS to follow his lead. "Mm a um little bit of wine might help ease the nerves." Jonas wasn't going to partake in drinking himself, he didn't wish for anymore of his senses to be dulled while outside.

FELIX took the wine as Teagan offered it to them, taking a sip. They caught sight of Kaden looking their way, a dark look on his face. Was he looking at them? Was he angry about the party after all? Maybe he just hadn’t wanted to show it in front of Monty before, hadn’t wanted to bring Monty down. Felix swallowed, the wine in their mouth feeling more like shards of glass as it went down their throat. “Hm?” They turned to Teagan. “Oh. Yeah, that’s okay! Go, uh, go say hi! I’m going to…” They trailed off, nodding towards where Maggie and Isa stood talking to Nicole before heading over. They should say hi to Nicole, too, even if they felt uneasy. She was still their friend — and a good friend, at that. Felix made their way over, a small smile present on their face. “Hey, guys,” they greeted. “Is this — uh, are you having… fun?”

Biting down on his lower lip, ELIAS struggled to stay still, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt idly. "Oh, no I'm... alright." Elias's eyes shifted to the giant beak sticking out of the water. "Other people see that, right?" He asked, pointing towards the giant bird beak. "Like, that's there? I'm not... losing it more than I already have?"

MONTY nodded in agreement, then followed Oliver's gaze over to the people by the fire: one of which was Kaden, who had wandered over to talk to them. He hummed, and then shrugged. "Probably not," he answered bluntly. And, surprising even himself, he laughed about it. What else was there to do now but laugh? It was... insane, this place. These people. Yet he remained. "I think that is pretty typical, you know? What with the..." he gestured vaguely toward the ocean and the large, bird-like beak that rose up from it. "All of it."

It was so easy to fall into a sense of ease with Isa guiding her along through the party. With the girl's arm slung over her shoulder, things simply got easier. MAGGIE wrapped an arm around her waist to give her friend a quick squeeze as they went. "I'm stealing that raspberry cream pie. It's got my name on it." Some familiar faces were gathered around the s'mores station. Lil, the lady who was (unfairly) banned from the Cryptid Club... and also new people. The woman who answered Isa's question wasn't someone she knew, but she was right. The girl flashed a quick grin Lil's way. "Hi Lil- yeah, that's me..."

LIL followed after Jonas keeping an eye out sipping on her monster she kept looking at what seemed to be a mime on fire. It was hard to tear her eyes away as she spoke to Maggie. Juggling a lot of distractions was never her strong suit and a lot of it was making sure she kept an eye on her brother. “Nice. Glad I remembered. How’s the cryptid hunting? Anything here?"

"Oh I'm ISA." She wiped a hand on her jeans before thrusting it towards Nicole to shake. "This is Maggie." She pointed to her friend who was now in conversation with someone else. Just as she was about to ask Nicole a question, Isa heard Felix as they walked up to them. "Hey! I don't know about the others but I'm having a good time, what about you? You want a burnt marshmallow?" She pulled the flaming marshmallows out of the fire and blew on them quickly to make the flames go away.

"O-okay." For a few beats, TEAGAN stood there, staring back, the corners of her eyes stinging. The sensation eventually filled the tip of her nose, and she slammed her cup down on the table before making a beeline to Felix, and apparently Maggie too. "H-hi Maggie," She feigned a smile, pulling her friend a few steps out to say what she needed. "Um, Felix, I...I have to go. Someone..." Her voice lowered. "Someone I hurt is here. I shouldn't have come. Visit the cabin after?"

KADEN looked over to what Elias was pointing at. He sighed at the sight of the fucking beak. "Yeah, that's there. Like the legs, I think." With everything happening around him, he couldn't find it in himself to care about what sort of bullshit was happening in the rest of the town or what sort of apocalypse might be brewing.

OLIVER blinked at the other once and then twice before laughing "Honestly? fair. I feel like enough weird things happen around here that a lot of people have seen some shit." Oliver nodded toward the beak "Yeah...Don't love that whole thing. Maybe it'll just...disappear at some point or something." That would be too nice though, so something bad will probably happen at some point. Oliver tried not to think about that though.

"It's... nice to meet you two," she supposed it was the point of the bonfire. In other circumstances she would've never met Isa or Maggie. She doubted their interests aligned. Felix had walked over to the station as well, and NICOLE greeted them with a nod, before her facial muscles decided it was fine to smile too. It was a relief to see them after the clearing, where they've been so broken by their actions. "Don't know if fun is— the word. But uh... it's alright. Nacho's having a better time," he always was. "Have you, uh, made s'mores before? Had to— show Teagan," if that ended up being her job at the party then... she wouldn't mind that. At least she'd have a purpose and it would keep her busy until it was time to leave.

"Bird beak?" JONAS looked where Elias and Kaden were not looking. He wasn't sure how he had missed theat upon arriving but now that he noticed it, it was a little concerning. He turned his attention to another new face whose lips began moving as well. This was a nightmare scenario, he should have stayed by Lil but was now trying to keep track of the conversation happening between everyone on his own. "Oh I um hope so."

A burnt marshmallow sounded pretty good, actually. FELIX nodded, feeling a little more relaxed. “It’s, uh… It’s something,” they replied, glancing out towards the beak in the water. Something was the only word they could think to apply to it at the moment. “I’ve had s’mores, yeah! I like s’mores. They’re good.” Teagan appeared beside them again, and Felix let her gently pull them off for a more private exchange. Their smile faded as she admitted someone she’d hurt was here, and she needed to go. They wondered if they should make a similar move. After all, hadn’t they hurt Monty? And Kaden? Maybe not physically, but… They thought of the farm again, trying not to let the smell of the bonfire overwhelm them. A distraction. They were here for a distraction. “Okay,” they whispered. “Yeah. Um… You know, if you — If you wanted to stay, it’s — I think — You could.” But if she wanted to go, they wouldn’t stop her. Even if having her here did feel a little like having a security blanket to fall back on.

MONTY took another sip of the wine (also just for a thing to do with his hands), and sighed. "I do not know. I hope it does, but..." His gaze was fixed on it now, the gears turning in his head. Which was a bit of a feat, considering how rusty they'd become over the last century. "... what do you think it is? I have hear people claiming it is just an art thing, but... to make something of that size in one night?"

It was so strange to meet people all at once. Thrown in the middle of a conversation, with Isa conducting the whole thing like a damned Maestro. MAGGIE tried not to panic, casually scooping up Isa’s free hand in her own. “Cryptid stuff is going okay- hasn’t killed me yet- Oh! Hi, Felix, hi Teagan-“ Was she succeeding at the whole socializing thing? She wasn’t too sure…

ELIAS rocked back and forth on his feet, watching the beak for a while, wondering if it would open, what would happen if he stared at it for too long. Someone had called it an art display, but now this in the middle of the ocean? Something was seriously up, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He would He looked to Kaden once, then knew what he had to do. He walked over to Maggie and tugged on her shirt. "We should absolutely look into the beak at some point." He told her before walking back over to Kaden and Jonas. "S'more?" He offered, pointing over his shoulder at the table set up, now that he had a new purpose.

"Of what?" KADEN responded. Some more of what? He saw the marshmallows on sticks people around the fire were holding. "Is that what the sticks are for?"

LIL nodded and realized she had lost track of Jonas she panicked for a moment before seeing her twin had moved. "Oh sorry - I gotta go uh check on my brother." She normally wouldn't be this diligent, but with the last year she'd been weary. Moving back to Jonas she signed sorry and tried to listen in.

"I don't think I can," She sniffled, and blinked away her tears, knowing she had no right to cry. "Almost...you know." TEAGAN'S shoulder's fell with guilt, "Let me know if you need anything. I'll be home." She gave Felix a side hug before turning on her heel with a forced smile. "Sorry, I have to go, Maggie! But it was nice seeing you!"

OLIVER looked down, picking up a piece of pie (He didn't take the time to look at all options, feeling a bit intimidated) and grabbing a spare fork. Oliver figured he needed to eat something other then wine. He took a bite, (Strawberry it seemed, and it was delicious) and hummed as he thought of a good answer. "Doubt it's a art thing. Probably a weird... creature of some sort. I think it would be best to not get too close to it. I've heard rumors that the ones who tried disappeared so..."

Maybe it was some of the nervy, awkward energy that hung in the air, but the tugging on the sleeve of her shirt had MAGGIE damn near jumping out of her skin. Relief melted over her when she realized it was Elias. “You want to sail out to the beak????” And just like that, he was slipping off to the next point of conversation. “I don’t have a boating license though…” the words were squeaked to herself as her eyes followed her friend’s path away.

As soon as Lil was by his side again JONAS wrapped an arm around hers, leaving her hands free to sign but making sure he didn't wander off from his lifeline again. "People have disappeared?" He was leaning in an awkward way to see what the man at the pie station was now saying.

Teagan was gone just like that, leaving FELIX standing uncertainly at the edge of the crowd. They picked up one of the sticks meant for skewering marshmallows, fiddling with it absently. Was Kaden still glaring at them? They glanced up to find him more interested in s’mores now, but the unease remained. Hesitantly, they shuffled back towards the pies, absently grabbing a slice of the chocolate peanut butter and poking at it with a fork.

MONTY frowned. "Yeah... weird creature seems about right." Unfortunately. He raised a brow at the rumor Oliver shared, then looked over as Jonas commented on it as well. "They have?" That wasn't good.

Waving at Maggie's friend as she walked away, ISA placed a hand on her friend's shoulder when she jumped, eyes moving to the man who had startled her. Her eyebrows furrowed, hand staying right on her friend even as she turned to speak with Nicole again. "You can take the marshmallow off, I don't want to touch your food in case you're not comfortable with that." She held out the stick to her so she could pluck the top one off. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Disappeared? Tell me more..." Suddenly, ELIAS wasn't nervous anymore. He had something to discover, something to get to the bottom of. "Sorry Kaden, find someone else to teach you about s'mores, I need to know about the disappearances."

LIL quietly started to sign what others were saying so Jonas could see the conversation. "Oh yeah I've heard about them. People acting strange and leaving right?" She couldn't help but think about Caleb for a moment, but that clearly hadn't been the same.

OLIVER raised his eyebrows at the sudden influx of people around him. "I, uh, I mean when it first showed up, some people went out to it, to you know, cordon it off? And they disappeared." Oliver set the piece of pie down, no longer having an appetite when being questioned. "Apparently an arm showed up? like on the beach a few days later. But uh, yeah it sounds like it's just bad news" He wasn't going to mention the supposed feathered beasts that had come out of the mouth, that seemed like it would just cause more questions.

Before KADEN could get an answer, Elias headed over to Monty and whoever it was he was chatting with. He followed to see what was so interesting. “People disappearing is hardly anything new in this town,” he said, taking a sip of his wine before reaching out to take his partner’s hand. He should probably be more concerned by all of this but it was hard to care beyond their own tragedies. Unless… it wasn’t related, was it?

Blue, seeing Felix was also now back at the pies carefully moved to lay at their feet. She remembered this one was a little intimidated by her size, but still desired attention now that Kaden had moved on. JONAS took care to watch Lil's hands as she relayed everything said. "Oh that is um... I feel sorry for their families." He knew what it was like to have your loved ones disappear suddenly with no answers. It was horrible.

NICOLE wasn't comfortable with many things, but she never worried about her food like that before. Fuck, was she supposed to? "That's— sure. I got it. Thank you..." trying not to burn her fingertips or letting the marshmallow melt, she took it off the stick and placed it on top of another cracker, then smashed the other cracker on top. In the distance, she was almost certain she spotted Langley, from animal control, and the twins from the Bread Cemetery. Was the town truly that small? She excused herself from the station, finally making her way over to her dog and the mysterious fire dancer.

Blue came over, plopping down by their feet, and FELIX sighed. There was some relief, at least, in having someone to talk to. “I don’t think you can have any pie,” they told her apologetically, bending down to scratch absently behind her ear, “but you can hang out if you want to.”

"An arm?" That sounded like harvester behavior, but... the legs and the beak didn't make much sense in connection with it. MONTY had no idea what to make of the situation, and he assumed most others didn't either. "Well... I guess there is nothing to do but sit and wait and see what happens." He squeezed Kaden's hand as the man came back to stand beside him, wondering how the town would manage if there was truly something this massive living beneath it.

LIL didn't say anything, but couldn't help but agree with Jonas, that people missing stung. Still she quietly just signed what other people were saying for a bit. "I guess so. You all should be careful though. Beaks and things are abnormal, even for here."

MAGGIE glanced around from place to place, wondering if it was considered rude to eat your own food at a party. Somewhere, on a table, sat her octopus pigs in a blanket. And it was so easy to just… go and eat a ton of those rather than panic over potentially investigating the beak in the bay… “would the beak eat a boat?” She mumbled to herself as she stood there, lost in her own little world.

ELIAS shrugged as the stranger seemed to try and shrug off the information they had, knowing that he'd have to dig into it later on his own time. A party on the beach was hardly the time to behave like a lunatic, as badly as he wanted to. His attention turned back to Felix, and frowned. He gave an apologetic smile and scooted over to them. "Which pie is your favorite?" Elias asked Felix in a quiet voice, not trying to startle the other.

OLIVER gave a small nod, "yeah, but usually they are disappearing into the forest and stuff, you know? Where like, technically anything could have made them disappear. This was slightly bigger news because of the whole...beak situation" He said, feeling his face heat up at the mention of how it must be hard on the families "Uh, yeah, it's a real unfortunate situation. But I agree with Monty, I don't think there's much we can do." He brought his solo cup up to his lips again and finished it off "Either something will happen or it'll just...disappear"

FELIX looked up as Elias approached, abandoning their one-sided conversation with Blue in favor of something a little more stimulating. (Immediately, they felt a little bad for this thought; Blue was a fine conversationalist, Felix just didn’t speak dog.) “Um, the cheeseburger pie is pretty good if you like… meat,” they said. “Or the strawberry, for something more, you know, uh, dessert.” They shifted their weight. “I’m not sure it was a good idea,” they admitted. “Me coming here, I mean. I guess I haven’t been in much of a… party state of mind.” They looked out to the sea, to the beak sticking out of the water. Was a party a good idea for any of them? “Thanks for… you know. Checking in.” Quite a few people (and dogs) had, and it was nice. It was unexpected. It was probably undeserved.

Blue looked up at Felix, whining softly in protest of no pie. She paused as a new face approached, standing to move between Elias and Felix, giving the man a once over making sure he wasn't going to scare her timid friend, but when Felix seemed to act like they knew him Blue relaxed leaning back against Felix's leg. JONAS nodded, "I um hope it disappears without a um major incident."

Keeping her eyes on Maggie for a moment, ISA took her own marshmallow from the stick and started to make her s'more. She was nibbling on it as she made her way over to a group that was talking about disappearing people, her attention caught. She quietly listed while she ate, not enjoying the fact that more and more people were disappearing lately.

“It’s always something, isn’t it?” KADEN said with a sigh. The disasters in this town almost felt never ending. He looked off in the distance at the beak, trying to make more sense of it somehow. Unsurprisingly it didn’t offer any more answers the longer he stared. “You think it’s attached to the legs?” He wondered aloud. “That would be…. Big.” Very big. Alright maybe he was a little concerned.

ELIAS smiled down at the dog and greeted her in a happy tone, but then turned his attention back to Felix, who seemed to be struggling. "You're my friend, I want to make sure my friend is doing alright." He spoke with a shrug of his shoulder. He glanced back at Blue, who seemed to have relaxed again after inspecting him. "Honestly, I'm not doing much better. Maybe we shouldn't go to parties anymore, huh?" Elias scratched his beard, lost in thought for a moment before pulling himself back to the present. Elias picked up a piece of cheeseburger pie and took a bite, pleasantly surprised. "Not bad," he murmured before taking another bite. He looked to the others talking about the beak and legs, frowning. "If it's a giant bird, I'm going to cry." Elias spoke to no one in particular. I mean, it's just a matter of time before the whole thing emerges, right?"

LIL’s hands moved a lot now trying to get everyone she could hears words. It was a little challenging but if it meant Jonas could ‘hear’ she would always do it. “I mean if it’s just a big bird we might be okay. What can a bird do really?” Her eyes looked to Blue to make sure she was okay too.

“I was hoping it would help,” FELIX admitted with a wary smile. “But… I think it was a little counterproductive.” They didn’t feel much better now than they had before the party; if anything, they thought they might have felt a little worse. Still, they thought they were glad they’d come. The only way to know was to know, right? “I hope, whatever it is, it’s… not hurt down there. You know? I hope it isn’t stuck or anything. Or… afraid.” Wouldn’t it be scary? Pieces of you sticking out from different locations, all over? Felix would hate to be in such a position. “Hey,” they turned back to Elias, “I think I’m going to, uh… sneak out. Will you make sure everybody knows they can take a pie home if they want one?”

"That was my thought," MONTY answered Kaden grimly. "I suppose we will find out." He glanced around at the people who had gathered to listen to the discussion about the missing people and the large... avian body party sprouting from the earth, feeling badly for having brought up the subject in the first place. "No sense in worrying about it if there is nothing we can do, right? Might as well enjoy what we can control." He looked to Oliver and chuckled. "Like maybe seeing if there is any tequila around here anywhere... I do not know about you, but I don't think I'm one for wine after all." He squeezed Kaden's hand again. "Sorry, love."

KADEN rolled his eyes at his partner’s mention of tequila, but there was a smile on his face. “It’s alright. More for me. You have no taste, that’s all,” he teased, laughing to himself at his own joke. “Now can someone tell me what the hell a s’more is?” He needed to know just how offended he should be by whatever abomination was made with those burnt marshmallows on sticks.

Nodding his head as Felix snuck away, ELIAS looked toward the pies, then back to everyone gathered. "Take pie home if you want pie, Felix doesn't want to take it home." He told the others before picking up a raspberry pie with a shrug. Might as well, right? He looked toward everyone, then back at the fire, then toward the beak. "Gonna head out," he said to no one in particular before waving goodbye to Kaden and Maggie, then starting his walk toward his car. Too much excitement for one evening.

JONAS looked down at his sister's hands which were moving quickly and decided she needed a break from having to translate, "Let us hope it cannot do much. Lil, how about we um go take a look at the bracelets?" Jonas was always happy to have something new to wear and maybe he could get some as a gift for others while they were there. Plus Lil wouldn't have to translate as much that far away from the crowd.

It seemed like it was a good time to get out of there. The party was fun, the people were lovely, but she wanted to get her pies and go enjoy the rest of the night with her friend. Standing, ISA waved to everyone that had gathered, throwing them all a smile, before she made her way back to Maggie at the pie station. "Alright, are we ready to do this? You're grabbing the raspberry, I'm grabbing one of those meat pies, and then we run." She might even grab two. That lemon pie was looking pretty good to her. A mischievous glint shined behind her sunglasses before she looked to her friend. "One, two, three, go!" A meat pie was in her hand and then a second later the lemon pie was in the other. "Nice meeting you guys have a good night!" She yelled over her shoulder as her and Maggie ran towards the car to head home, laughter trailing the words.

OLIVER nodded at Monty, also feeling a little bit bad about dragging everyone into a conversation when he had just been trying to talk about what he knew. Apparently, no one else read the newspaper in this town. He preferred to just think of the thing out there as just a beak, maybe connected to a little body, or a sea creature with tail or something, but he did not want to imagine it as a bird. A bird meant that it could have wings. "I think that's a great idea, Tequila sounds perfect." Oliver said, grateful for the change in subject. Tequila and S'mores sounded like a much better way to enjoy the evening.

LIL looked the commotion with the pies and laughed at the scene "Bye you two!" At the idea of her and Jonas making bracelets she chuckled not quite realizing it was for her sake. "Sure. Lets go make some. Anyone else who wants to join we're gonna go make some bracelets."

Well, Kaden was right about that, anyway. MONTY smirked, rummaging through all of the things that had been brought to the party be people he didn't know, finally finding a lone bottle of tequila. So there was a god after all. "Come on, then. Shots and s'mores it is. I will show you how to make one, Kaden, but you're not allowed to call it stupid, sí?" He looked again to Oliver, motioning for the young man (ha ha) to join them. "No more talk of beaks and bird doom tonight!"

[ladydaybreaker]

Annnnd it got worse

We're all horrible...for reference...Luke is the name we gave Alice's husband.

[kdwilliamson]

Continue the story: SCIFI

Writing Prompt: "You're the last member of a lost flight crew to a faraway planet...except for the voice on the long-range radio." Guidelines: No-self harm material. Be creative, and respectful and have fun! Please limit to 2-3 paragraphs each.

---

"I don't think I'm going to make it..."

His voice echoed through the cabin, as Jessup lay on the floor and against the wall, alone.

A voice spoke through the room intercom system, "Don't say that Jessup." It was Aries, the ship's AI technical assistant. "According to my readings, you still have approximately 4 more days of oxygen left."

Jessup sighed slowly and turned his head to face the intercom, everything hurt, even turning his head. "Only 4 days? Will we even reach our destination?" ---

[planetarytransformation]

so many of the transfems i know spent their time pre-transition performing a kind of lifelong exercise in self-deprivation, the goal of which was to find out exactly how little a person needed to live. they starved themselves, dressed carelessly, shunned friends, and hollowed themselves out so as not to be burdens on anyone but themselves.

i see it now, too, in the girls around me. i'll ask if they want care – a home-cooked meal, relaxed company, sex without the expectation of reciprocation – and they say no, no, thank you, i don't need it; what would you like, what do you want, because in their head they're still doing that awful calculus, still training themselves to disappear in the eyes of the people around them.

i don't think i'd have died without transition – not in the conventional sense, at least – but to take that leap, i had to stop thinking of myself as a human experiment in fuel-efficient living and start nurturing the anemic, atrophied flame of desire in my heart. i had to learn to eat well, to exercise, to style myself beautiful, but harder than that, i had to learn to ask the people around me to work on my behalf in order to enrich my life and give me the things i wanted.

and i did it; i learned. and it was agony, but courage is a muscle you can train, and every day i get better at accepting gifts with the hungry gratitude i never learned in my years and years as a sad, scared, lonely boy.

so be patient with the trans girls in your life. better than that: be proactive, attentive, generous; be forceful, if you have to, and learn to distinguish real discomfort from the terrified reflex of self-denial that so many of us once learned to rely on.

and if you are so lucky as to love a trans girl, you must insist upon her. you must insist upon her happiness, her comfort, her pleasure, and her rest, because she may still not yet know how to make those demands for herself. if you can devote any amount of energy to becoming an engine that nurtures the flame of even a single tgirl then there is a place for you in trans heaven, which as far as i'm concerned is the only one worth going to

[crimeronan]

i think about this tweet Every Time i see people scared to write women with flaws bc they think it'll come off as sexist. cannot believe this is nearly a decade old. Ahead Of Its Time.....

[novasintheroom]

Ghost who, under “orders” from his army therapist (and with Price’s encouragement), starts looking around for hobbies when he’s on leave.

Not sure what to do at first. Tries gaming but gets bored of it and the PS4 stays gathering dust in his flat. Plants don’t appeal to him because he won’t be around enough to take care of them. Thinks about knitting, but is a bit too embarrassed to walk into the local craft shop to start making doilies.

Finally goes to the library after seeing a flyer advertising a painting class and thinks, “Hell, why not.”

Shows up in his hoodie, black face mask, and black baseball cap. Gives most of the old ladies attending the painting session a good scare

Until he rolls up his sleeves to avoid getting paint on his good hoodie. Then those old ladies are ogling his forearms and the tattoos painting his skin.

Is very attentive to the hired artist leading the session. Hasn’t got an artistic bone in his body, but dammit, he’s going to report back to his therapist that he tried if it’s the last thing he does.

Two little old ladies, Mrs. Levine and Ruby, pluck up the courage to sit beside him and start chatting him up. Compliments his painting, talk about their grandkids, how one of Ruby’s grandsons is into heavy metal (assuming Ghost is as well). Ghost listens half-heartedly, just trying to get the brown right for the deer he’s putting on paper. They manage to weasel out his name:

“Simon,” he announces gruffly.

“Oh, what a good name,” Mrs. Levine says.

He goes to the next activity as well: polymer clay creations. His hands are big and meaty and he has to take more clay than is probably reasonable to make the little pig he’s got going.

Mrs. Levine and Ruby are there too and sit right next to him to chat with him again. They love his idea of a pig and make a cow and sheep to go with it. When the hired artist comes around to see how everyone’s doing, Mrs. Levine announces that the three of them “have a little farm going” and that “Simon’s the farmhand.”

He's glad he's got his face mask on. He can feel his ears going red at the look the artist gives him.

Again, he’s very attentive to the hired artist, watching her hands carve into the soft clay with her nails to get texture on her dinosaur. He tries to do the same, giving whispy little hairs to his pig. It’s not pretty, but he feels a smidge better about going when it’s all done.

Mrs. Levine and Ruby get more information out of him as time goes on and he attends more activities. Soon their friends join in on the conversation, and Ghost – Simon – is well-known at the library for being the military guy who attends every Saturday when he’s not deployed. The little old ladies love him, even if he “doesn’t say much.” He’s helped them carry their bags of books and crafts to their cars, listens to them prattle on about activities and their aches and pains, and even scared off some hooligans who were trying to disrupt their library activity.

(They’ve all got little old lady crushes on this big man who takes time out of his day to better himself, and they love his dry/dad jokey humor)

(And he won't admit it, but these are his little old ladies now. Clarice brought him brownies that he absolutely devoured when he got back to his flat they were so good, and he can't help but laugh at how often they try to set him up with their granddaughters. And how they "trip" often just to hang on to his big arms. Birds are birds, no matter their age.)

[science-lings]

my dad saw ao3 open on my computer and asked if that was like my writing club and just so you know that's what fanfic writers are now, we're all in the same writing club where we all write about the same media and show each other our little stories and that's kind of cool actually

[composeregg]

edit (10/23/2024) now that the poll is over: Original version, with 10 questions, from April 2023 here

And, given that the original is from April 2023, that means I can very easily say:

No, this was not an ISAT reference!

Just because I use parentheses and 2nd person pov and love the same concepts of what a time loop can do to a person doesn't mean it's ISAT

(Yes, I like ISAT, the original poll is why I was recommended the game! But if you look at the original, you can see all the origins of the options to choose from, including what spurred me on with the moss option from the replies)

If I were going to make something for ISAT, I would never be so vague, you can simply look at my ao3 for proof of that

[wickedsrest-rp]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Vicker's Beach SUMMARY: Night 1 of the Wicked's Rest Bondfire is here, and while it's debatable whether everyone had a good time, everyone did have a time. Feel free to take home some leftover food and goodies! NOTE: Please be sure to reblog this thread if your character is in it, and we will count it as a thread for the next Activity Check.

There were a lot of shrimp splashing in the tide today, weren’t there? Ah, memories. OLD JONATHAN smiled fondly at the swarming crustaceans as the team of volunteers finished setting everything up. The craft tables were ready, the fire was crackling now, and the setting sun painted purple all of the sails sticking up from the harbor. Another Summer was set to conclude and night 1 of the customary Bondfire was ready. He admired the work, the whole beach stretched around them. Just like the boats pulling in to dock for the evening and the shrimp now forming those sweet little compact shrimp balls (those memories), townsfolk were now gathering to be together. Already, several food items and activities were being brought for everyone to enjoy, and the fire dancer had quietly – very quietly – arrived. 

“Alrighty folks,” OLD JONATHAN waved a hand at the team, “Let’s leave ‘em to it. It’s getting past this old man’s bedtime.” Jonathan chuckled, but before departing, he plucked up one of the shrimp and dropped the squirming critter right down his gullet, thinking nothing of it. “See everyone tomorrow, same time, same place. Maybe we’ll be able to save on some materials, eh?” You never knew in this town. Something could kill everyone here before the fire even went out. Groceries are expensive these days. They could really save on graham crackers and marshmallows.

This wasn’t his typical scene. EMILIO wasn’t a particularly social man. There were only a handful of people he hung out with intentionally, and it was due to a few of those people that he was here tonight. Plenty of them could use a break, and apparently a bonfire was a good way to offer something like that. And while food and conversation weren’t exactly things Emilio was known to enjoy… he did like fire. Fire was all right.

Taking an idle swig from his flask, EMILIO inspected the table in front of him. There were a lot of food options to pick through, though he did so with only a faint interest. He probably wouldn’t eat most of it, but people looked at you strangely if you weren’t at least holding a plate at these things. Squinting at the table, he made a face. “That’s a lot of cheese,” he commented to no one in particular.

The dead fish sloshed and squelched around beautifully in the bag as REGAN trudged through the sand. Katy Perry had nothing on a bag of dead fish, but they still weren't half as beautiful as her bone partner. She shot Jade an easy smile, and pointed to where smoke hazed through the colorful sky in a pillar up ahead. "Why didn't we think of logs to sit on, hm? Just Couches really should have carried those. Or maybe we missed them. I think you were distracted." Only Jade. Looking more closely at the crowd, there were a few people she knew there, which... was that better, or worse? It seemed like Emilio was one of them. Worse, then. She had come because Jade was excited, even after learning this was not a bonefire to venerate bones (dead), but a bonfire, to make s'mores (not at all dead). 

"Oh! Over here!" REGAN found the perfect spot. She tilted the bag and the dead fish slid out in a smooth, slimy glide, making a pile on the sand. The scent tangled with the fire. "And look, they even have a table for your cheese. People better appreciate those labels and toothpicks. You worked so hard on choosing suitable colors." Regan stood proudly over the fish. In her eyes, cheese was best enjoyed in the presence of decomposing fish. People would surely flock over like sea gulls, except not actual gulls, because she wasn't letting them get her fish.

It had taken some hyping up beforehand on CHARLIE’S part to get him to come out to the bonfire without Finn attached to his side. But this wasn’t at all Finn’s scene. It was his nightmare, actually. So that’s why Charlie decided to go at it alone. He’d brought some speakers to play some music in the background, give this bonfire an actual chance at being a good time, and nothing was a good time without music, in his opinion. So he set up his speakers on a table and allowed anyone to be able to connect to the speakers to play whatever they pleased. 

Making his way over to the large fire, CHARLIE crossed his arms over his chest and stared into it for a moment before backing away, looking over to the things that everyone had brought. “God, what’s that fucking smell?” He complained, covering his nose with a displeased expression. Then, he saw it. Rotting fucking fish. “You’re kidding, what?” He said to no one in particular. “Dead fish, really?” He spoke to the pale woman with an incredulous expression on his face.

Something about fire was so inviting. Maybe a callback to the days when this was all humanity was, people bonding over shared food, warmth, and light. A dispelling of the darkness and illumination of what community could mean. TEDDY often felt othered. From their childhood, pulled from one family, sacrificed to a demon, turned into a demon, growing up a demon around humans and never quite bonding with the other kids, to this strange amalgamation of human but not entirely, of part of something, but still on the outskirts. 

Tonight things felt different. Together. Whole. Like the pieces finally fit, and not just because they were snuggled up next to Emilio, with an arm looped around his waist as he contemplated various fermented milks. “Don’t know if I’ve ever seen that many in one place that wasn’t a cheese store.”

The prospect of the speakers was a fun little addition. One TEDDY immediately hopped on, queuing up some generally pleasant jams then throwing in one total vibe changer (but still a banger) every once in a while. 

METZLI hated social gatherings just as much as they hated small talk. The very thought made them shiver, but they sat down anyway. Leila had convinced them to venture out and do something other than lay in bed. So they settled in, sulking past the fire as it reminded them of a certain little ember that had been blown out. 

"Cheese. Yeah. Cheese." They nodded idly in their seat, taking note of a few familiar faces as they contemplated how to continue their amazing contribution to the conversation. "Um..." They licked their lips and added, "It tastes like...cheese. Probably."

VIC would definitely not go to such a ridiculous event if it wasn’t for Rosie, who loved the town and to watch people in it. It simply would have been cruel to keep the poor child from the endeavor, even if attending it was practically torturous for VIC. Or… at least, that was the story she was planning on telling, if anyone asked why she was there.   In truth, she was sort of rather excited to attend- watching the townspeople and seeing what they were up to had become quite fascinating. It must have been because she couldn’t wait to find what they were doing wrong. 

VIC had spent the night preparing two comically large sized dishes of potatoes au gratin, a delicacy if you asked her, and found a spot for them immediately when she arrived. She was glad she brought plates and cutlery too, because someone had apparently thought it appropriate to dole out paper plates and plasticware. In 2024? Preposterous. It wasn’t long before she and Rosie found the craft table, where the toddler had taken to painting rocks and VIC was currently making a wide array of bracelets- both for friendship and criticism. 

They should've invented a new word for the kind of excited JADE was. It was like her body was charging UP with extra energy the closer they got to the people gathered around the bonfire. (Not in a energy vampire kinda way, okay? Just... in an extrovert way). It was hard to ignore the scent of dead fish by her side, but one look at Regan's content smile shut down like, all her smell receptors. Gone. She didn't care how stinky they were between the both of them (Fish and cheese? Yup, it was a little much, but), cause they were doing this together. And! Cause she could spot a few familiar faces already. She couldn't wait to go pester Emilio and hang out with Teddy. Just like... oh. Oop. Metzli and their boo were here too. And that woman from the park who banged her sister? Penny, was it? Yikes. Things might get a little awks depending on who else showed up. (But like, that potato dish looked all kinds of amazing, truth be told).

She kept a big smile on her face, cause everybody was here to have a good time, including herself. She'd even brought her delicious cheese to the bonfire, knowing it would be a crowd pleaser. JADE set up her little arrangement of cheese cubes, watching as Regan let the dead fish free, not unlike a little kid drops their toys on the sand. (Maybe one day, someone would make a bonefire happen too). "I don't mind if people don't vibe with my labels, as long as they're gone by the end of the night, I'll be happy. I mean... cheese! Who doesn't love it?" she shrugged, noticing a few curious folks already approaching the table. She waved at the strangers, then turned to Regan. Was she planning on looking after the dead fish all night? "Should we make the rounds and say hi? We have manners, don't we?"

LEVI knew there were far better things to bring to a pot-luck style get together than century eggs, but it would be a fun little activity watching people eat them, confused, and then realize what was in their mouth. On the other hand, it had a container full of bacon-wrapped asparagus, grilled to perfection. The actual tasty treat among the two, unless you had the palette of a three year old who refused to eat asparagus. 

Leaving its offerings on the provided tables, LEVI didn’t waste much time in dropping eaves on the conversations of others, figuring where there were people, there was work. For now, it would stand back and listen (and keep an eye on the eggs for a laugh or two), and if it heard something interesting, it might engage that individual to dig a little deeper.

There was a stink that was currently permeating VIC’s nostrils so strongly that she had the urge to scoop Rosie up and shield her from such an offense. As she looked to where it was coming from, the sight was probably worse than the smell. “Baby Bloodworth and the Irish bone partner”, she muttered under her breath. Louder, she called to them. “I think you two got the wrong idea. The dumpster fire was last week. This one is about community.” Rummaging through the bracelets she’d made, she handed one each to the women. To Jade, a bracelet that said ‘societal menace’, and to Regan, one that simply said ‘stinky’. She wondered if they’d like them.

At least Teddy was nearby. EMILIO felt a little more secure with their arm looped around his waist, even if he was facing down impossibly unfamiliar things, like a table full of cheese and people making bracelets. (What were the bracelets for?) “There’s a cheese store?” He turned to Teddy with a furrowed brow, glancing over to Metzli as they spoke. “I don’t think it’s supposed to all taste the same.” Was it? Fuck if he knew.

METZLI shrugged at Teddy's comment, and shook their head while a foul scent overtook their senses. The pungent smell of fish became overwhelming for Metzli. It didn't mix well with the cheese, coating the inside of their nose with the horrible concoction. Sighing, they made their way to the crafting table and gazed at the assortment before organizing a few sets of beads in front of them to start their project.

While the debate on cheese was thrilling, TEDDY’S proverbial dog ears pricked up as someone mentioned Jade’s last name. At first it was excitement, hooray! Jade is here!! They could annoy Emilio with their friendship IRL. Perfect, except it was being called by some exceptionally snippy stranger. Teds frowned, which then immediately grew into a devilish grin. “Let’s go say hi.”

OH! Penny was approaching them, that was so interesting. Maybe she wasn't so scared of JADE after all. Wasn't that nice? Maybe now, with her D as limp as it was, (keeping "innocent until proven guilty" in her mind the way Van wanted it), she would be able to have a fine, civil conversation with the other woman. In reality, Penny had approached to complain, what a hater. "Nothing says community like cheese!" she forced a smile, turning to the pile of fish. "And um... dead fish. Something about... consumerism." A think piece if there ever was one! She reached for the bracelet, carefully reading what it said. "Aw, you made one specially for me. That's so sweet of ya!" 

Finding the smell of the fish a tad too overwhelming to handle, CHARLIE waved a hand as if it would make the smell go away, and made his way back over to the fire. The snacks were tainted, as far as he was concerned, seeing as the smell of rotting fish far overwhelmed anything else going on. He smiled as someone began playing music on the speakers, glad that he had brought them along. He took a deep breath of the fresh air (away from the rotting fish) and closed his eyes, deciding to let himself relax for once.

This had all sounded a bit too wholesome for KIERAN'S taste but once an event reached a certain size, the faun would be amiss not to show up and see if it was worth his time. The sand part of this also wasn't enticing for someone whose cheapest pair of shoes retailed for around 300 dollars but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make rather than chance missing out on the possibility of a new kind of fun. He faintly remembered the encouragement to bring something for sharing as he arrived (fashionably late, as per usual) and noticed the spread of various food and... other things? Whatever, bringing himself felt like plenty, attention moving from the table to the people milling around, a few familiar faces clicking. Kieran knew he had probably run into more of them but his interest in memorizing faces was notoriously bad. It was hard to forget someone who had popped up at your place of work to beat the shit out of you, and even with a drastic change in hairstyle, Charlie was easily spotted as well. Deciding to avoid both of them, Kieran settled close to the mostly empty craft table (really? crafts?) where a quiet and one armed stranger was poking at the beads.

Metzli took off, and Teddy was zeroed in on Jade. EMILIO sighed, eyeing his friend — and her ‘bone partner,’ and her bone partner’s dead fish, and… the woman he’d done some arson with at the Good Keep — and tried to decide if there was any feasible way to get out of conversation. It wasn’t as if he didn’t enjoy all those people individually (to an extent; he didn’t know Vic well enough to have a solid opinion beyond ‘didn’t get me killed’), but all of them together were a bit much. Teddy wanted to say hi, though, and Emilio wanted Teddy to have a good time, so he relented. “Sure,” he agreed, “but can we try to get them away from the fucking fish? Smells like shit.” He could barely smell it; smell had never been his strongest sense. It was more the principle of the thing.

Oh, her fish were getting so much attention. This was going better than REGAN had dared hope. The humans were even keeping a respectful distance while observing. There was only one dissenter, a man who seemed to think she was kidding about something. “I do not kid,” Regan said with crossed arms. She wasn’t a child either, for that matter. “It doesn’t look like you brought anything worthwhile, so you’re in no place to judge what I’m honoring today.” Those cookies looked pretty good, though. Regan gave Jade a questioning look. “I don’t have patients. There are no rounds to make. But if you’d like to say hi to Emilio, Teddy, and – wait a second, is that Chuck?” Before she could explain that Chuck was from the mayo mobile, a snippy woman who seemed to know Jade approached and handed them each, uh, bracelets. Regan didn’t examine hers but accepted it. The woman’s implication was not lost on Regan. “Then why are you here? You seem like you would be right at home in a dumpster fire. Awful smell, isn’t it? Burning trash?” So unlike her fish.

Seeing that a few of their friends were there, METZLI sorted out the letter beads to make a few bracelets for people. A small smile ticked up the corner of their lips as they spelled out 'death' for Regan, 'knifes' for Emilio, and 'loser' for Jade. When they tied the ends to secure the bracelets, Metzli rose from the table and handed them out accordingly.

“Oh yes, that one was made especially for you”, VIC agreed, pleased that Jade was finally getting the picture. Rosie liked the idea that she and mommy were giving people gifts, and she quickly joined VIC over where she was, her hands gripping two rocks she’d just finished. Shyly, she handed one each to Regan and the nice lady from the park, still wet with a mess of colors, as were her hands.  Overwhelmed by the sweetness, VIC picked her up, ignoring the mess of paint now staining her shirt. “If you’re implying that I am the stinky one, you are sadly mistaken, ma’am.” It was important for Rosie to witness good manners, even when scolding someone. “I am very clean, so my scent is only offensive to people unaware of cleanliness.” 

“Maybe you just don’t have any taste, the good doc brought us all a bountiful feast.” TEDDY stepped in, not that Regan or Jade or really anyone here needed defending, but there was a chord of chaos they sensed, unplucked. Ripe and ready for the setting. Just needed to put the pieces in order.

Opening his eyes, CHARLIE looked around, and his eyes stopped when he saw the familiar figure of Kieran over by the craft table. Fuck, really? Well, he could certainly leave, no one was talking to him, so who would miss him? Except... he couldn't get himself to leave after just getting there, something about a crisp 'I told you so' from Finn upon his arrival home was too much to handle. So instead, he took a deep breath and walked over to Kieran, a tight smile on face. "Crafting?" He asked in an amused tone.

"But still, it's good to know who everybody is. Show off your conversational intercoursing skills" JADE pointed out, noticing Emilio and Teddy approaching. She waved even bigger, in case they didn't see her. And... Regan knew someone named Chuck! Nobody named Chuck could be a bad vibe, right? That was like top, chill name. Not as chill? Regan and Penny having a Karen off. Jade tapped Regan's wrist, hoping to have some effect on her. "It's fine, she can have bad taste. Variety is the spice of life or something," she put on her bracelet proudly, then looked at the paper plates. Nice! Environment friendly and all. And when little Sammy came over and handed her a rock, she beamed at her too. Kids had good taste always. "Why don't we grab some of those nice potatoes? Food makes everybody happy!" She would even make a plate for Emilio and Teddy too, who had just come around.

Just as METZLI approached Jade to give her her bracelet, they saw a child hand her a rock. It reminded painfully of Cass. They stopped in their tracks and let out a shaky sigh, somehow managing to force themself to close the distance. "Here," Metzli hissed, shoving the bracelet in Jade's hand and walking away to sit by the fire. They should've stayed home. 

The woman from the Keep — Vic? He thought her name might’ve been Vic — seemed to have some kind of problem with Jade and Regan, and EMILIO wondered if it was fish-related. The big, stinky dead fish was probably a good reason to be annoyed with someone. But, really, Emilio was more focused on the kid Vic was holding. He hadn’t known she had a kid. His expression softened a little, and he offered the little girl a small wave before Teddy grabbed his attention again. “A feast? Babe, that’s a dead fish.” A very dead fish. That smelled. He glanced around the party absently as the conversation moved forward, making notes of everyone he saw. He bristled at the sight of Kieran, tensing a little. Levi was… doing whatever it was Levi always did. Metzli was making bracelets. Did Metzli understand the bracelets? Could they explain it, maybe? He thought of asking them as they approached, but they disappeared again in an instant. “Maybe we burn something?” He suggested, looking between everyone. “Is that what we do here?”

Taking note of the people was at least worth the trip, noticing the outliers and trying to determine them as social outcasts or watchers, like himself or grimacing at the cutesy couples. It seemed the hunter hadn't been lying about being taken, even if the person sharing his space looked nothing like what KIERAN would have expected. His musing was cut off by an approaching figure, easy smile settling on his face in sharp contrast to Charlie's tight one. "Since I'm not a child, no. You're all by your lonesome?" Noticing the child with some very wet paint on her hands, Kieran made a mental note to steer clear.

CHARLIE hummed in response to Kieran's question, and nodded his head. "Yeah, couldn't convince my boyfriend to join. He's a bit of a shut-in." He explained with a shrug of his shoulder, not thinking too much of it. Charlie watched the group of people conversing by the dead fish, and smirked. "I'm a party person, so I decided to check it out." He wrinkled his nose as he looked over at the dead fish. "Though this is the weirdest fucking party I've ever been to, I'm gonna be honest." He sucked on his teeth, looking about. "Not that I'm... surprised."

As Metzli approached, REGAN was surprised. Because... well, she didn't feel Metzli. What? How? She gave them a perplexed look, which was just an added layer of confusion to their last in-person interaction at Leila's (ex) store. "For me? You can look at the fish from up close in exchange. But why is everyone giving me bracelets? These are for children, aren't they?" Regan frowned at the one the first lady handed her (stinky?), then defiantly rolled the nitrile gloves off her hands. They were slick with dead fish juices. She offered the bracelet to the child. "You're not a fragrant child, but maybe you can give this to someone truly stinky. Your mother gave it to me by mistake, I think." Regan shot a cool glance at the woman. "I, too, am exceptionally clean. Aseptic technique is a hobby of mine, actually." Oh, good, Teddy agreed. "Isn't that right? There has never been a cleaner doctor." A look at Metzli's bracelet now. "This one is better. Not only because of what it says, but the craftsmanship." 

Watching was interesting. There was already a lot of people that seemed to be... agitated by one another's presence. Fascinating. Keeping mental tabs, CHUCK made his rounds, letting himself get caught up in some small talk there, some discussion about the smell there... and eventually landed on hovering by the fire itself, a roasting rod in hand with a weenie stuck to the end of it. He had an unusual love for things in miniature, and these tiny weenies were no exception. Slowly, he began to stick weenie after weenie onto the thin metal rod, glancing up to catch Teddy's eye and waving the stick excitedly. "Tiny food!" He called over to them and the gathering of people they were standing with, delighted.

PEDRO was at his most comfortable when he was in the middle of the natural world, or with a guitar. He’d come with the latter strapped to his back, and with some chips and drinks because he was not exactly good at cooking. Hey, a guy couldn’t do everything! 

He also had to resist the urge to fill up the speakers with a list of pop classics, although PEDRO did let himself put a few in the list. Having deposited his chips and drinks somewhere he couldn’t be really mocked for his lack of effort, he decided to stay away from the dead fish (what the hell?) and gravitate towards the cheese. “You can’t go too far wrong with cheese, for sure.” Or so he hoped.

“Babe, all fish you eat is dead.” They had eaten some live fish, but that was mostly when they were all kaiju-ey. TEDDY grinned, plucking a similarly dead fishy off the table and dangling it dangerously close to their face. Surrounded by familiar folks, emboldened by weeks of staying inside; Teds shot off a wink towards their dad and its miniature treats, and downed the fish in one long slurp. 

Never one to show up on time to anything, especially when socializing was involved, ALISTAIR walked up toward the group of people with Tommy guiding them over to the snack table, a giant smile on the child's face as he immediately loaded up his plate with potatoes that Vic brought. Once abandoned by their son, Alistair gripped onto Brutus's leash a little tighter, finding themselves stranded by the table of people talking about dead fish. "Is that what that smell is?" They asked, brows furrowing together. Alistair looked through Brutus's eyes in time to see Teddy slurp a dead fish. "Oh, gods no."

She didn't get a chance to see what Regan's bracelet said before she gave it to little Sammy. She smiled softly at their interaction. And...WOW. Another bracelet? Metzli really didn't have to bother, especially with everything they'd gone through recently. But JADE appreciated it, the time and effort. So she like, nodded politely when it was shoved into her hand, putting it on switfly. ('Loser?' The fact that she had two bracelets already would disagree). JADE gave her a small 'hey' of acknowledgement (in the honor of community!) and that was it, Metzli was off. She wondered how they were doing after Cass, but not cause she cared. She was just nosy. By her side, Regan explained that she was the cleanest doctor (not-doctor) in the world, and she hummed her approval, grabbing a paper plate and serving a portion of that potato dish she kept eyeing. She placed the cheese cubes on top. Cheese and potatoes, top notch convo. "Who wants food?" She offered the plate until it was taken off her hands.

Oh, this was fun. Rosie hadn’t realized just how many gifts there would be at this beach party. She slid down Vic with the bracelet that was handed to her, excited to find someone new to give it to. As Rosie trotted over to the person sitting along by the fire, who looked very sad, VIC  looked over at the person who stepped in on behalf of the smelly couple in front of her. “Dead fish is hardly a bounty. Have you tried my potatoes au gratin? I think you’ll find they’re flavored to perfection!” As she spoke, she scooped up a serving for them on one of her plates, handing it over with a smile. Rosie, for her part, handed the bracelet that Regan had given her to the sad person by the fire with a smile, because presents and hugs always made everything better.

Alright, so seemed the people he knew here were a hunter and a rockstar who had settled down with a shut in. "If this is the weirdest thing you've been to, your bar is set very low," KIERAN mused, his attention already moving from Charlie in search for some more interesting company - the people arguing over bracelets, the burly man excitedly holding up a stick chock full of food or the person that had just slurped down a raw fish whole. "Although this isn't really a good kind of weird so far..." Oh, and someone had shown up with an acoustic guitar. Perfect.

The fire glowed a haze of orange on the vampire’s face, each feature's shadows altering with each flicker of the flame. METZLI could feel the tears burning at the corner of their eyes, but they were interrupted by a random child they didn't know. A little girl, innocent and kind. "Leave me--" Metzli paused, shoulders sinking as they noticed the bracelet she was handing them. They smiled softly, taking the gift with teary eyes. "Thank you." They whispered, holding it to their chest. "Do you want to swing on my arm?"

There were far too many people from the keep incident here and VIC felt filled with equal parts dread and relief at seeing them. Must have been something about a trauma bond? Every time she caught one of their eyes, she nodded in solidarity.  Jade, the known murderer and proud societal menace, seemed to be trying to… keep the peace? VIC watched her with fascination and wonder, wondering when the facade would be dropped. Devilishly, she smirked as she scooped some potatoes. “Are you enjoying my cooking, Jade?” Over by the fire, Rosie took a moment to respond, the shyness of childhood and being away from her mother taking over. She chose to nod, instead, at the person’s idea of swinging, grabbing their arm excitedly. From her position, VIC watched cautiously, ready to pounce if even one hair fell out of place on her daughter. 

They put on the bracelet and jingled it around their wrist, hoping to coax a small giggle as they stood. The girl could not be no more than a few years old, and METZLI found themself yearning to fill the void in their chest, if only for a few moments. "Okay," They chuckled, extending their arm and raising it when the little girl had a grip on it. She was a light thing, easily going up and down with each raise of Metzli's arm. "What is your name, hermosita?" 

DAIYU was unfashionably late, if only because she had a poor sense of fashion. She hadn't been out a lot since her whole spat with lavagirl, but she figured that a bonfire was a great outing when recovering from burns. Even better, there'd be free food. Swinging her sandcastle contest prize (a bucket and pail) in one hand and a greasy bag filled with chicken nuggets in another, she deposited the latter at the snack table. A singular nugget was fished out and thrown towards Brutus. "Sup Tommy and all others," she said, still finding Alistair's new body strange and discomforting, "Pedro, are you gonna play Wonderwall?" 

After Kieran seemed to lose interest on CHARLIE, the rockstar hummed and walked away, feeling that he'd exhausted himself with that man for long enough. He walked over to sit beside Pedro, a grin on his face at the presence of someone with a guitar. "A musician, huh? Glad to fuckin' see it, what can you play?" He asked, plopping himself on the log beside the other.

A loud, hedonistic sluuuurp caught REGAN'S attention. Of course it came from Teddy. And honestly, the sound wasn't half-bad. "Careful not to choke, hm? Are you here with Emilio?" She knew the answer. He was standing right there. But she was being a little rude because she had paid Emilio $75 today, like always, but still hadn't received her daily affirmations. Also, people really seemed to be enjoying the cheese platter; Jade must have been thrilled. One man in particular was hovering over it, making a careful selection. Regan gave Pedro a small wave in acknowledgement that it was so much harder to choose something than to not. "Are you asking me to try your potatoes because I'm Irish?" She thought about it for a second, looked at Jade, and -- alright, she was digging in already. "I'll try some if you think it'll get her off my figurative back. Do you know this lady? I don't stink." A little more defensive, muttering. "Maybe she does. I can't smell her properly while we're so close to the dead fish."

Immediately, EMILIO wanted to insist that he didn’t eat fish at all, but he doubted Teddy would let that stand. They’d say they’d fed him fish before, and call back to specific instances, and that was hard to argue with. So, instead, the slayer crossed his arms over his chest. “Not fish like that,” he replied stubbornly, making a face as Teddy picked up a (thankfully less stinky) fish off the table to slurp it down. “I’m not going to kiss you later,” he said, though they both knew it was a lie. Levi was slurping down meats with a similar vigor, and Emilio wondered how he’d wound up here. He sighed as Alistair, too, joined the party. Wasn’t that exactly what the evening needed? Someone else who annoyed him and was annoyed by him in return? Fucking Christ. Eyeing Daiyu, he shifted towards her slightly. “Oh, I thought you were dead,” he greeted her. He pretended the thing tugging at his chest at the sight of the cast on her arm.

DAIYU glanced at Regan, "It is nice to meet you I R L, old doctor lady. Jade talks highly of you." She would extend her hand, but she was still holding the pail and shovel. An annoyed look was sent to Emilio. "I would be haunting you if this was true. Boo. Etcetera."

Tommy whisked his head around to Daiyu's voice, throwing up a hand and waving. "Hey, Daiyu!" He greeted happily, before his eyes locked onto Daiyu's cast. "Can I draw on it?" He asked, eyes alight with excitement. ALISTAIR sighed dramatically as Brutus seemed to be eating something out of the sand. "Daiyu, did you just feed my dog?" They asked with a look of disappointment. Tommy was busy jogging over to Daiyu and looking at the red cast, seeing the perfect canvas. 

Her cast was not signed besides Jade's glorious work and DAIYU was secretly kind of sad about it. Just like she was sad about not having found a way to take it off herself. "Fuck yeah you can, Tom-Tom! I just don't have any markers or whatever, but someone's gotta around here." Her head angled towards Alisander. "Nope. I would never." 

This must have been Daiyu, Jade's friend. REGAN studied the short woman for a moment, her eyes spending too long over an injured arm wrapped in a red cement block of a cast. "Eye are el? Yes. Hello. You can call me Regan, because that is my name. Though old doctor lady is also acceptable." She seemed to know Emilio too, which made Regan wonder if she was another slayer. "She likes you, too. So I'm pleased you could be here today, despite your obvious injuries. The fish may provide comfort. I've learned that's important for you..." Humans. "...beach... goers." Regan shook her head. that wasn't so awkward, right? "Brutus." Her eyes widened at Daiyu as she spotted the talented canine nearby. "I know that dog." 

“You wouldn’t even be a scary ghost,” EMILIO scoffed, rolling his eyes. There was a quiet pang at the sight of the kid he assumed was Alistair’s son. He took his flask from his pocket, taking a long swig and turning his attention to the adults instead. Or… Kavanagh. Whatever she counted as. She’d given him his daily seventy-five bucks — a portion of which had promptly been spent on the whiskey filling his flask — so he owed her a statement. Was it acceptable to say it here, at the party? In front of people? She might like that. “You’re looking human,” he told her flatly. “Bringing dead fish is normal.” He’d give her that one for free.

REGAN'S eyes lit up as Emilio finally said what she was paying him to say. She looked around, optimistic that many others would hear and agree, because humans were like that with group think. "Yes. I am. I know. Aren't I?" She looked around for supportive nods. "I thought someone else might have also wished to bring dead fish, which would have been embarrassing, but then I decided, can there really be too many?"

ALISTAIR frowned as Daiyu denied the allegations, then shook their head as a familiar voice called out Brutus's name. "Oh, Regan, right? Brutus, your howling friend is here." They spoke to their dog with a conspiratorial nod of their head. Tommy pulled out some markers from his pocket with a grin. "I'm always prepared to draw!" He declared, then began to draw a rather good drawing (for a 12-year-old) of Brutus onto Daiyu's cast, then signed his name below it. "There! Now it's cool!" Tommy spoke happily, looking up at Daiyu with that same grin on his face. 

It didn't take long for Charlie to pick up on the lack of interest and KIERAN watched him head over to the man who hopefully knew how to play that guitar strapped on his back. The faun prized himself on being able to turn almost any situation but one commandeered by someone badly playing the guitar around a bonfire? That wasn't a situation worth salvaging. Left to his own devices again, Kieran wandered over to the fire (giving Emilio and the sticky looking children a wide berth) and lamented on his assumption that there would be alcohol here. So far, it seemed the only person that had brought any was the one more likely to shove him into the fire than share. "Don't suppose you had the foresight to bring anything to drink?" he asked the stranger who had previously shown such excitement about the miniature food.

"Nope. I'd be an annoying one. Even worse." DAIYU figured that being sleep deprived because of annoying people would become scary at some point. She flipped Emilio off before turning her attention back to Regan. She really was weird. Even by her estimates. "In real life. Regan, I can do that. My name is Daiyu, but you may call me Blade too. Dead fish don't bring me comfort. They kind of fucking overwhelm my sense of scent. Your source is incorrect." As she was yapping, Tommy was working on his artwork and once done, Daiyu lifted her arm to look at the drawing. "Holy shit, this is amazing. So cool. Hey, Tommy, do you want to give that marker to that grumpy man?" She pointed at Emilio. "He wants to sign it too."

Someone CHUCK didn't know approached him, lifting a brow at the question and then laughing breathily. "You're in luck, stranger," he obliged, fishing a hand into the antique-looking messenger bag that hung at his side and pulling out a leather-bound flask. Passing it to him, CHUCK plucked the last weenie off the stick where he'd been roasting it over the fire. "Leave me some."

Tommy beamed up at Daiyu as she praised his artwork, then nodded his head as he was told to bother Emilio. ALISTAIR walked over to the group conversing about dead fish and frowned. "I'm afraid to ask," they commented with a wary expression. Tommy walked over to Emilio and stared up at him, holding out a marker. "Wanna sign Daiyu's cast? I drew Brutus." He held out the blue marker and wiggled it in front of Emilio's face. "Also I'm Tommy. Hi!"

JADE cackled at Teddy's antics, shooting a quick look at Emilio, who had that annoyed but smitten look about him. She was gonna make fun of him so hard. And, she almost got to, until she spotted her girl Daiyu approaching the group. She was looking so much better since she visited her at the cabin, which made her feel all kinds of relieved. And... was she planning on building more castles? She would join in for sure. "Daiyu!" She hollered, despite her friend being at like, arms length. She smiled in approval as she and Regan got acquainted. Another person was approaching Regan and wow, wasn't she way more popular than she gave herself credit for. She was so proud of her. (Why did Emilio call her human though? Weirdo). JADE began drifting a little, talking to other folks (like the guy who was debating over cheese), and even Penny, who was apparently responsible for the amazing potato dish. "You're not half a bad cook," she shrugged. See, she could play nice! 

While TEDDY hadn’t ever met Daiyu “Eye Are El” as Regan put it, they’d seen pictures and heard stories enough to know that she was perhaps their greatest nemesis. (Maybe) But other folks didn’t seem to carry the same animosity towards her that burned in Ted’s heart. So they veered off. Parking their butt by the fire next to Levi, and the cute dog they’d seen out with that Necromancer guy. Allystair? Aelister? Alistair! Wondering where he was, or if he’d just been a dog walker, which didn’t make total sense cause Teddy thought the pup was working, maybe it was a rent a seeing eye dog thing?? Must have been cause they didn’t recognize the guy attached to his handle.

At least Regan seemed pleased by his statement, though EMILIO told himself that he didn’t care about that beyond the fact that she might choose to tip him. He tensed as Kieran approached, jaw clenching as his hand tightened around the flask he held. But Kieran seemed to know better than to approach him, going over to Levi instead. Which was fine, until Teddy joined them both. Emilio watched his partner warily, expression dark as he contemplated approaching. Before he could do so, someone was holding a marker up to him. He glanced down, seeing Alistair’s kid — Tommy, apparently — staring up at him. And, despite the complicated wave of emotions he was struck with (this kid was just a few years older than Jaime, from the looks of it, or a few years older than how old Jaime would have been now), he softened slightly. He didn’t know what the hell the kid was talking about (signing a cast?), but he nodded anyway. “Yeah,” he said, quietly uncertain, “sure. Won’t be able to, uh… draw Brutus, though. Not much of an artist.”

There was some hope for this evening after all and KIERAN was quick to accept the offered flask - not accepting drinks from strangers was for lesser people. After a quick drink, he returned it just as Emilio's partner appeared next to the well-prepared stranger. Seeing that the hunter was currently occupied with one of the children, Kieran risked sticking around. "Appreciate it. I'm Kieran," he greeted, offering a hand to each of the strangers in turn.

Grinning at Teddy as they came to sit by the fire, CHUCK gave them an affectionate, soft pat on the shoulder. "Hey, tadpole," he greeted warmly, looking back at the stranger -- Kieran -- and accepting the flask back. "Mm, pleasure to meet you. I'm... Chuck." he added, shaking his hand with a nod. It was his turn to take a quick swig of the liquor in the flask, and then he glanced at Teddy. "How's Mister Grumpy Gills handling the soiree?"

TEDDY knocked their head against ‘Chuck’s’ shoulder, leaning their for a second to enjoy the contact. “Ahh, well Oscar the Grouch would probably be happier if he threw some things on the fire.” Their hands outstretched, one going for a snack to offer to the pyre, another doing grabby hands at Emilio who was far too far away. That’s when they noticed the guitar guy. “Oh sick, live music is amazing. We should hook you up to the speakers bud”

Sometimes, with people they didn’t know, mommy told people names that were different than normal. It must have been important to know who to tell what, because it always made mommy so very serious. So, between giggles as she swung on the persons arm, ROSIE said “I don’t know. What’s yours?” And then, after a moment, “I have a doggie.” VIC watched the interaction with a small smile, still cautiously waiting for something to go wrong.  She nodded approvingly at Jade’s comment, wondering if she was finally seeing the light.  And, oh god, she knew Daiyu. Of course they were friends. “Are you two… bffs?”

She offered a large grin to her friend, "Jade!" She was always a delight to see, which was not a sentiment DAIYU extended to many people. At Vic's question, she shrugged. "We're pals, yep!" To call Jade her BFF would be presumptuous and she wasn't sure she even knew what constituted a BFF, due to never having had one. She moved to catch up with Tommy rather than overthink it. She extended her arm towards Emilio. "You can just write something really sweet and heartfelt on here."

"Yes," REGAN confirmed for Brutus's owner. "And you're Alistair. Is your dog going to perform tonight? Whoever's on guitar should stop this..." She tilted her head. "Are they playing ABBA or Chappell Roan? Forget it." She nestled in a little closer to Jade, because it had been over two minutes and forty three seconds, which was illegal even if the state of Maine hadn't signed that into law yet. "I like the name Blade," she told Daiyu-now-Blade, which was as close to a compliment as most people received from her (that didn't evoke comparisons to death like something more heartfelt). "My source is correct and you're atypical, but that is your loss. I will sign your cast. That seems to be a gesture that is still done." 

After speaking with Pedro, CHARLIE watched Metzli playing with Rosie, a smile on his face. "You're pretty good at that," he said to Metzli with that same smile on his face.

METZLI furrowed their brows curiously at the girl's answer, afraid that she might be hurt. They stopped swinging for a moment and scanned her for injuries, but she seemed fine. "Hm..." Metzli hummed thoughtfully, remembering an old adage about children and strangers. She had every right to refuse Metzli the knowledge of her name, and they respected that. "My name is Metzli." They swung the girl one more time before taking their seat back by the fire. It felt nice to feel lighter for the first time in weeks. "You have a dog? Where is it? Can I meet it?" Someone else spoke to them and they arched a brow. "Oh. Do you...want to swing too?" 

After considering it for a moment, CHARLIE grinned. "What, you offering?" He asked with a playful smile on his face. "Because you're definitely tall enough that I absolutely could go for a swing." Charlie looked over to Regan asking the music to be shut off, then laughed. "The dog sings? Fuckin' nice." Charlie spoke before turning back to Metzli. "I totally won't swing on your arm if you don't want me to, but I won't say no to the offer."

ALISTAIR frowned at the idea of Brutus howling again, and sighed. "Brutus. Speak." The necromancer commanded, causing Brutus to sit in the sand and begin to sing the song of his people. A loud howl began to drown out all the conversation happening. Alistair slowly nodded their head, letting out a tired sigh as Brutus seemed to get louder. At least Regan was having a good time now.

“You want me to lie?” He deadpanned, twirling the marker absently between his fingers. It was the same motion he often defaulted to when holding a knife, not quite a nervous tic but a thing to do with his hands when his body was forced to stand a little too still. Popping the lid off the marker, he scribbled a note on Daiyu’s cast and signed his name at the bottom. Later, when Daiyu read it, she’d probably be less than impressed at the way EMILIO phrased things, but he doubted she’d mind walking around with so many ‘fucks’ written on her arm. Although… he eyed Tommy again. Were you supposed to curse in front of children? It hadn’t mattered with Flora or Jaime, who were viewed by the rest of his family as less children than they were weapons, but maybe it was important for other kids. “Don’t, uh… Don’t read that,” he muttered, turning back towards Teddy, who seemed to be gesturing him over. He eyed Kieran again, pressing his tongue against the back of his teeth. Fortunately, he was saved by the sound of Brutus howling. “Christ,” he muttered. “Loud.”

CHUCK scoffed. "Bit of a pyro, that one," he explained to Kieran, nodding his head in Emilio's general direction. He took a moment to take in Kieran's appearance a little more, then passed the flask back. "Nice outfit. You a city transplant? Don't see many folks from around here that take the time to look presentable."

“Get a room Dad, jeeze.” TEDDY elbowed Chuck.

Trying to decipher the relationship between these two, similar age and strange nickname considered, didn't get KIERAN very far - they clearly weren't fae and lacked a family resemblance. Then again, he didn't really care. The conversation turned to Emilio, who seemed to be attempting to make the faun vanish with the pure intensity of his gaze and in pure opposition, Kieran moved closer to the duo clearly trying to gesture the hunter over. "He looks the part," was all Kieran offered, deciding against revealing that he had in fact met Emilio. A topic change to Kieran's clothing - a personal favorite - dragged his gaze from Emilio. "Been all over. It's my personal mission to bring some style to this town. The two of you should drop by Covet Couture some time, I already have a few things in mind that would suit you."

"Come on, can't a guy appreciate some effort being put into one's appearance?" CHUCK laughed at Teddy's dig, elbowing them back. But, there was an offer on the table, and CHUCK wasn't one to ever let an opportunity slip by. "All over, huh? We could say the same. Interesting offer, though... one I'm inclined to accept! Where've you been that was your favorite?" Good conversation and tiny food? This was turning into a very profitable evening out.

It was a strange request from a grown man, but who was METZLI to refuse such joy? "Uh..." They stood up again and towered over the man, putting out their arm for him to latch on to. "I can spin you too. You probably have better grip than small child. Ready?"

CHARLIE was seriously considering it, then decided fuck it! It was being offered, why the fuck not? Shrugging his shoulders with that same 'fuck it' attitude, he latched onto Metzli's arm and held on tight. "Swing me!" He shouted, ready for the ride.

She was certain Emilio would be unable to write something actually nice on her cast, but it didn't matter. She was just glad to be gathering more text. DAIYU grinned. "Appreciate ya!" She glanced at her arm for a moment, noting a few 'fucks' and finding the sentiment fitting. She plucked the marker from his hands and turned towards Regan, extending it to her. "Blade is a great name, is it not?" That it was the alter ego she'd given herself when she was 13 was a detail best forgotten. "What is your source? A troll account on reddit, I bet. Please sign my cast."

JADE grinned when others offered to sign Daiyu's cast. Her own little cat doodle was looking lonely there. She loved that for her friend. Penny seemed to be aware who Daiyu was too, which was super interesting. Did she like, know every hunter in town. "Wait, you guys know each other?" Huh. Maybe there was more to the squeaky clean Karen after all. As soon as she drifted away, she felt Regan's presence follow. (Gay, but sweet). Okay, so maybe she still needed a little encouragement. Nope, wait, how long had it been? Probably like three minutes already. Time went by fast when you were having fun, but that didn't mean she would neglect their promise. She placed hand on her lower back, and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, just cause she could. And cause she was proud that she was also gonna sign Daiyu's cast. "I don't think it's either ABBA or Chappell. But it's a nice little ambiance music, maybe I can go request some Carly Rae," in fact, why couldn't she shout it? "Hey! Can you play Run Away with Me? I'll give you my whole cheese platter". 

The dog had started howling, and the night immediately got so much better. REGAN pulled Jade closer, to one of the logs by the fire, because the twinkling stars and mournful baying of a retriever who needed no lyrics to convey anything was a beautiful backdrop for a kiss. And then the rotting fish nearby? And the log an uncomfortable reminder beneath her coccyx that comfort like Jade was a luxury? Perfection. It didn't even occur to her that six months ago this would have felt an impossible thing here. "What do you think of the dog?" She asked Jade quietly. "And the night. Do you think we should check on Teddy to make sure they're digesting that fish okay?"

Taking a few steps from the fire, the vampire rose their arm a little higher, dangling the man and few inches from the ground. They took a few more steps to avoid hitting other people and began to spin. Almost instantly, METZLI could see the man's feet go higher and higher as the momentum grew in speed.

Shocked as CHARLIE felt himself lifting off the ground, he found his grip slipping. He began to swing faster and higher before he lost his grip and felt himself go flying. Flying RIGHT into the ocean. A loud splash was heard alongside the dog's howling, and Charlie just sat in the water, shocked. "What the fuck?" He found himself saying aloud, eyes locking onto Metzli's with astonishment. "How the fuck?" He asked, rising out of the water and sloshing over Metzli. "That was amazing, but how the hell did you fucking do that?"

People started getting closer to the fire and DAIYU felt little interest in doing the same, though it was just because fires were boring. In stead, she pointed her not injured arm at Charlie in the water. "Ha!"

Kieran was looking back at him, and EMILIO felt the anger burning in his chest grow a little hotter when he shifted closer to Teddy and Levi. Fuck it. Daiyu was busy bothering Regan now, and he had no more marker to twirl between his fingers, so he made his way over to the group on the other side of the fire, anyway. He’d be uncomfortable in Kieran’s presence, but he could take some solace in the fact that Kieran would be just as uncomfortable in his. Having no winner was fine so long as it meant Kieran was losing, too. He made a quick stop by the food table, snagging a plate and carrying it over. “Brought you cheese,” he greeted, handing it to Teddy and greeting Levi with a nod. Kieran got no greeting. “You think we can convince them to make the dog stop —” A splash interrupted him. He turned towards the sound, raising a brow at Charlie plucking himself from the ocean. If anybody threw Emilio into the water, he thought, he was going to start setting things on fire. But Charlie seemed pleased with it. (More proof, Emilio thought, that Charlie was a weird fucking guy.)

Oh no. They made a horrible miscalculation and a man, now presumed human, was flung into the ocean. He was asking questions, likely because METZLI'S strength was unnatural. "Uh..." They bristled, looking around  and taking a few steps back to prevent any water from landing on them. "I...exercise." Which wasn't a lie, at least. "I...have to...go." Metzli swiveled on their heel and fast walked out of view.

It always caught PEDRO’S attention when Daiyu started pointing and laughing at something. Or someone. “Hey; what happened here?” He chuckled, jogging over to join her.

The night went on, and ALISTAIR cut off Brutus's howling after a few minutes, getting annoyed with it. They pat the top of the dog's head, then softly commanded Brutus to find Tommy, which he did, finding him beside Emilio. "Having fun?" Alistair asked his son in a rather uncharacteristically soft voice towards his son. "I got to draw on Daiyu's cast!" He explained. "And gave it to this guy, but now Daiyu has the marker..." Alistair rolled their eyes. "You're never getting that back, kiddo." Alistair told his son before holding out his arm for the boy to take, ready to head out now that Tommy had their fun. "Sorry," Alistair said to Emilio with a shrug before walking off with Tommy on their arm. "Time to get you home for bed," he told his son, who groaned in response and stomping off with Alistair.

JADE needed zero encouragement to let herself be whisked away by Regan, especially when that meant a little alone time. The night was young, there would be plenty of time for socializing. She considered sitting on Regan's lap, and making it more uncomfy (for Regan, who'd have to deal with the weight), but there was a perfectly decent (albeit boring) log next to it. So, she sat there instead. Snuggling up to Regan. She still had a plate of potatoes in her hand for some reason, so she took a stab at it. They really were scrumptious, after all. "The dog is just as incredible as you described it, even better. He deserves all the crackers. And actually... he looks kinda familiar." She couldn't remember from where, though. She glanced toward her friends, a soggy smile spreading across her face. "We will, but first... which one was the large intestine and small intestine?" she wondered looking up at the sky, which somehow, still paled in comparison to how bright Regan's eyes looked tonight. 

It would be interesting to see whether Emilio would spill the beans on what had transpired between the two or keep his mouth shut and allow his partner to knowingly meet up with a faun, even if it was just for clothing advice. At least Chuck seemed plenty interested and so, along with making Emilio uncomfortable, this evening had also provided a new customer and maybe a connection to someone intriguing. So KIERAN would stick around, allowing for the small talk of where he'd been, all the while professionally hiding the tension in his shoulder just in case the hunter decided it was time to throw more punches but luckily, it seemed this Teddy was an expert in diverting Emilio's attention. At least there was someone here worth talking to, even if the threat of violence and honestly, the presence of children making this feel about as wholesome as Kieran had expected it to be did result in the faun leaving the beach much earlier than the rest. He had better places to be, people to feed on. And sand to get out of his shoes.

Alistair was pulling Tommy away and, frankly, that was probably for the better. EMILIO wasn’t the best person for a kid to follow; history had proven that much. In any case, the party seemed to be winding down. Apparently, the shrill howls of a dog and seeing a guy get launched into the sea were the signs of a social event coming to an end. Emilio made note of this for future occurrences, then looped an arm around Teddy’s waist. He shot Kieran another glare (one he thought was subtle, but might not have been) and looked to Levi. “Going to get drunk on the beach,” he announced once Kieran had left. It wasn’t an invitation, but it wasn’t not one, either. Levi was one of the few people who could keep up with him when it came to drinking, after all. It was, in any case, an announcement of his departure, and he tugged Teddy gently back towards home.

"Have fun, kids," CHUCK said to Emilio and Teddy when they decided to take their leave, instead opting to stay at the party well into the night. Kieran eventually left as well, leaving the demon to his own devices, which did end up resulting in a couple new deals. Profit!

Watching as Metzli ran off, CHARLIE shrugged, now sopping wet. "Yeah, laugh it up. I had a great time." He told the others laughing at him. "But fuck, I'm dizzy..." he complained with a hand to his head. "Anyone bring a towel?" He asked with narrowed eyes. "Should probably go and... change." He decided, realizing that wet clothes did not make the rockstar very happy to be there. He considered drying off in front of the fire, but after shooting Kieran one last look, decided it was time to go home. "Whoever wants the speakers can have them," he announced before walking off to his van.

She laughed even harder at Charlie's request, feeling a level of ease that she hadn't in a while. DAIYU looked at Pedro, shrugged, "No fucking clue. He was thrown in, I think. Real funny." Back to Charlie: "Alright Chuckie, see ya!" Wasn't it strange, how she was certain she'd see him and plenty of the others here again? Maybe the fire was bonding.

[musewrangler]

Very cool ideas

Potential cool group writing prompts

Flash Fiction Scramble: Everyone starts writing at the same time and has 1-2 hours to brainstorm, write and post a piece of flash fiction

Everyone writes a story based on the same picture

Everyone retells the same fairy tale

Everyone chooses a cover from a book they know nothing about and writes a short story with the same title based on the cover imagery

Group comes up with a shared setting and/or group of characters and everyone has to write a short story using those elements

Group story: Someone writes a set amount of a story and passes it off to the next person to continue. Story ends when everyone has written a section

Group Story Chaotic Edition: Everyone writes one section of a story but each section must turn the story into a different genre

Group Story Epistolary Edition: Each person invents a character and story is comprised of letters between these characters

Someone writes a story and other people rewrite the same story from different POVs

[kaibascorpse]

some of you people are so obsessed with having an acceptable group to ‘punch up’ at that you would rather pretend a marginalized group are Basically The Oppressors™ than listen to their valid criticisms about the fact that ‘punching up’ very rarely hits the intended target, and the majority of the actual damage of that act is suffered by fellow marginalized people in your own community. there is a significant difference between venting frustrations about privileged groups and just outright attacking anyone who (you assume) experiences that axis of privilege regardless of - and in many cases outright denying - their actual lived experiences. it goes far beyond just ‘venting frustrations’ when what you’re really doing is trying to find a moral justification to bully people you don’t like, and when your own desire for catharsis and moral superiority leads to ignoring the voices of the vulnerable people you hurt. you’re not ‘punching up’ - you just like punching people for the sake of punching.

[bluerosefox]

A DPxDC soulmate au idea

So DCverse is a soulmate world (pick any soulmate way btw, words, touch, drawings on the skin, can't see color(s) until they see or touch them, etc etc)

DPverse doesn't.

Meaning Danny wasn't born with a soulmark BUT he gets one after becoming a halfa because he is now connected to the Infinite Realms.

SO its during another one of Vlad's schemes, he's popping into different worlds and stealing things or something like that (basically like that one ep where Danny chases Vlad through the timeline after he stole Frostbite's map)

During the chase they pop out into the DCverse in one of the hero cities (pick any, not picky on which) and their fight is getting a bit out of hand (Vlad's fault, he's using the stuff he's been stealing, and Danny is doing his best to getting innocent people from getting hurt)

ANYWAYS during the fight, one of the cities hero's come to try to help/find out whats going on when Danny is hit by Vlad and gets tossed at them. The moment they either touch or Danny/Soulmate says something to the other, Danny feels the odd mark on him burn up and is MEGA confused on whats going on but decides to do what he does best.

Ignore it for now. He'd figure it out later he still needs to stop Vlad.

He apologizes to the other hero and gets back into his fight, missing the look of complete smitten awe/shock said hero had on their face.

[naydralikessoup]

jojo's bizarre adventure is a life altering series if you're susceptible to the brainrot pathogen. if you're not i'm sure it's kinda whatever but if you are. you get enrolled in a secret jojo club and you lose the ability to fully speak your mind outside of it. you realize a tantalizing desire to sightsee in italy, but know that you must never, ever set foot there, else you'll risk annoying everyone around you with the constant pointing out of familiar locations. you cannot go to an aquarium without thinking, "jotaro kujo would love this." when you take a drink of water that's especially refreshing, you think of okuyasu, in tonio's restaurant, where he cried the sleeplessness out of his eyes, and wish you could do the same. and like a zombie, you attempt to spread the disease to others, the people you love most. you say to them, with a sly smile, "hey, there's this anime i think you would like," and if they're not sick of hearing about it, on the off chance they decide to try it, and like it, you'll rejoice at having another person share your curse. now you're both ruined, swapping looks and pointing out things "you just thought were cool." you have matching cherry earrings. your music taste is better than it's ever been.

[ozzgin]

Had this idea today and I couldn't help myself. Feel free to replace it with your own The Fic™ that's an instant ticket to hell.

[atomicsheepscientist]

I was reading a dpxdc summoning prompt and got an idea...

What if Danny, Dan, and Dani/Elle summon each other for fun?

I'm imagining like big, burly, (reformed) Dan doing some complex summoning ritual in Gotham when the bats drop in.

They fight, but the ritual goes through... only for a like smaller, less burly version of Dan to appear. The bats are rightfully confused. Danny is laughing at Dan for getting caught. Dan is enjoying getting to punch heros again.