Cometh the Big Crying Wheel

[initiates]

Date & Time: Sept 15th
Location: A refurbished castle on the outskirts of Exsilium.
Characters: Anyone at the party!
Summary: Vanadi hosts a party that goes very poorly.
Warnings: Violence, probably! Let a mod know if we should update this.


It’s a lovely night for a party!

The venue at the outskirts of town is, unfortunately, a bit drafty — and actually rather sparsely furnished, as well. In fact, party goers are encouraged to mingle, drink, and enjoy themselves in the courtyard, as the castle itself wasn’t able to be renovated in time, and has proven to be a little bit architecturally unsound. Any explorative guests might find a small hail of dust and pebbles on their heads if they venture too far in — and who knows what else, if they continue on.

But the drinks and snacks both are plentiful and delicious, and the large canvas set up from castle wall to castle wall keeps off the sprinkling rain. The weather could even be described as warmish and pleasant, if one were feeling generous. A group of Exiles plays classic instruments in one corner of the courtyard, having been paid enough to even smile at any Transports that wander near.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be a good night. Until about 10 PM, that is. Come 10 PM, the Misery rolls into town, tearing down the canvas, nullifying powers, and crying corrosive blood everywhere. That’s the cue for all hell to break loose, as the final wave of mind-controlled characters snag their victims and make for the hills — or at least for the UE. The mind-controlled characters will also have the backup of a squadron of 20 of the Masked, the UE's special ops force. The Masked's main goal is to grab those on their list and get away, but they're certainly not above shooting to kill at anyone that gets in their way. They're also highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and physically enhanced by their suits, so they're a good bunch to try to avoid.

But do have a wonderful time until then, won’t you?

Comments

[werewolfing]

It is. And fate has smiled upon you this evening, as I happen to have extra little meat things, so you too can experience this culinary wonder.

[which just means he's lowering the plate of little fingerfoods he's been holding so that she can choose one.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( She mock gasps, eyes flaring wider for effect, and claps her hands together in front of her. )

Be still, my curious palate! Seriously, what is in these? I hope it's not cat.

( She remarks, plucking one off his plate and peering at it closely. )

[werewolfing]

Probably not, but I wouldn't think too hard about it.

[crocodilesmiles]

I promise to be absolutely thoughtless over this delicacy.

( A bit of a smile, and she pops it in her mouth. Good, for whatever it is! Spicy too, and her eyes close to appreciate something that isn't terribly common in the foods around here.

Spices were expensive, and only some of the places you could eat really had semi-affordable dishes for all the juryrigging that went on. )

Yep, not one thought in my mind! Just yummm.

[werewolfing]

Excellently done.

[he applauds with one hand against the flat of his thigh.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( She cant sher head forward in what might, had she been standing, have led to a mock bow. )

Thank you, thank you, I don't try half as hard as I pretend. So! When'd you end up here on Exsilium?

[werewolfing]

[he salutes, a lazy tap of two fingers against his temple and out, but the question makes his smile dim.]

Not too long ago. Seemed like a bunch of people showed up, there were cookies, et cetera.

[crocodilesmiles]

Ah, you've been inaugerated with the cookie tent.

( As one of the baker's, she won't lie -- it's good to hear people do still come by there, for all that it's more like blundering across something where people gather and dispense what friendly information they can.

When people weren't like, dying on you. Nathan Young! )

I'd say it gets better, but it's mean to lie. It doesn't all suck though! There are definitely better times, and worse times. May more of the good ones fall on your side than the bad.

[werewolfing]

The were pretty good cookies.

[now that he's been in exsilium for a few weeks, peter's seeing the point of the cookies, the way people are perpetually trying to convince themselves that it isn't all bad, that the humanity of others will get them along. his jury's still out on that. he smiles and tips an invisible hat before picking one of the meat things and one of the cheese things off his plate and popping them into his mouth together.]

We'll see, won't we? I wouldn't want to jinx it by saying anything about my luck. You've been here awhile then.

[crocodilesmiles]

Mmm, over a year by now. I showed up last July.

( A long time by now. This war, and it's inconsistent face, has been more hers than the war at home. Even if the one back home still has a hold on her in ways she doesn't always recognize. )

[werewolfing]

Shee-it.

[a year is starting to encroach on 'a long time to be in one place' for peter, and as places to get stuck for a year go, this one rates at the bottom of a list he didn't even know needed writing.]

[crocodilesmiles]

It's very rare -- ( she adds, after a small huff of laughter ) -- for terribly many people to be around for quite that long.

[werewolfing]

Well, now I'm just six sorts of reassured. You're just that lucky?

[crocodilesmiles]

What can I say? I'm good at being bad about reassurance. And yeah, pretty much! With how the Transporter brings you in, there's no tellling when you'll go back. Just that you probably will. Almost everyone does, sooner or later.

( It's an unsettling feeling she mostly ignores. )

[werewolfing]

Reassurance isn't worth half as much as knowing whether your ass is grass. How does the Transporter bring us in, anyway? I sorta did the cliffs notes version of the reading.

[crocodilesmiles]

It's all space-time dimension crossing stuff! It's like they're fishing blind. The whole thing looks for a kind of signal it can latch on to, I guess it's tuned for anything that seems reasonably sentient? Can't just be alive, we've had too many vombies and vampires here for that. Then bam! You're on the Transport pad, getting the most rushed tour of your life!

[werewolfing]

There are at least six billion people on the planet, and they picked me? That was some piss-poor fishing.

Also, vombies? As in the shambling undead?

[crocodilesmiles]

Yeah, magical and virus and also some are elves? I think what Koltira does is with -- yes, sorry, zombies is the real word, but yeah. The undead! I think I've only ever seen them shamble when drunk though. Or missing limbs.

( Added as an afterthought. )

[werewolfing]

Okay, obviously we're talking a different breed of undead than Romero envisioned. Your version sounds better.

[crocodilesmiles]

The Romero version?

( She asks, quizzical expression on her face. )

Yeah, Koltira is cool when he's not in one of his fits, and one guy was a total jerk, but he's been gone forever, and then there was Bariyan and -- more like Koltira, I think. I'm not fully up to date on our supernatural zombie cadre, gotta admit!

[werewolfing]

Guy who basically pioneered the zombie apocalypse genre of movies. Genius.

[he gives her a speculative sort of look as he picks something out of his teeth. his nails extend past the end of his fingertips, kind of long for a boy.]

There a bunch of supernatural cadres?

[crocodilesmiles]

Oh yes!

( Something she looks excited by -- which makes her next question, and the way she seems to go from more casually conversing to really watching Peter's face all the odder. )

You're not a hunter, are you?

[werewolfing]

Hell no. I have about a thousand better things to do than killing other people for daring to be outside the 'norm'.

[he follows that with what definitely sounds like a muttered curse in some other language, and looks almost offended by the idea. but he's not volunteering what, if anything, he is.]

[crocodilesmiles]

( She's inclined to believe he might be something, but as far as venues to get more curious in, this doesn't count as a proper one. Instead, Collette gives a firm, approving nod of her head: )

Good!

( And decides that is that. )

Try some of the little cake things before you head out for the night, hmm? They're really good too!

[werewolfing]

[he tips his invisible hat again, sketching a bow.]

Not being a racist asshole is one of my life goals.

[he makes no promises about other sorts of assholery, however.]

Cake, huh? I will be absolutely sure to do that.