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deercountry2021-10-08 06:14 pm
reddosmod) wrote in deercountry2021-10-08 06:14 pm
Entry tags:
- *event,
- abby anderson: c,
- anakin skywalker: michele,
- ange ushiromiya: jelle,
- anna amarande: celene,
- ariadne: wizera,
- catra: pink,
- childe: bean,
- diluc ragnvindr: samuel,
- faolan: teresa,
- fern: pan,
- flynn fairwind: teresa,
- goro akechi: kei,
- izuku "deku" midoriya: tea,
- kaeya alberich: daisy,
- katherine pierce: jade,
- kd6-3.7: moz,
- lance: charley,
- luke skywalker: skyla,
- lumine: trix,
- luna lovegood: cheryl,
- luz noceda: pedro,
- manabu yuuki: elle,
- mebh og mactire: oggy,
- nehan: ray,
- orpheus: qv,
- peter graham: jhey,
- ryan akagi: billie sue,
- savage opress: vette,
- soldier blue: elle,
- stiles stilinski: charley,
- the medicine seller: greenrivers,
- tsume: shade,
- usagi tsukino: jax,
- varian: tf,
- wanda maximoff: jade,
- wei wuxian: tohma,
- willow rosenberg: lucy,
- winter schnee: mesi,
- wu: mads,
- yuri lowell: mads
Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom
OCTOBER 2021 EVENT
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Band playing on moving float with people in masks walking behind.]
[Image Two: Woman in gas mask and elaborate ballgown.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Man looking away while creepy corpse-like woman puts hand on window.]
[Image Two: Two contorted girls crawling across floor with blood flowing out.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Headless horseman with jack-o-lantern rearing on horse.]
[Image Two: Annabelle doll rocking on its own in chair.]
WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE
LONELINESS KILLS: THE CURSE OF CLOVERFIELD
LEGENDS OF TRENCH
CODINGPrompt One
[Image One: Band playing on moving float with people in masks walking behind.]
[Image Two: Woman in gas mask and elaborate ballgown.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Man looking away while creepy corpse-like woman puts hand on window.]
[Image Two: Two contorted girls crawling across floor with blood flowing out.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Headless horseman with jack-o-lantern rearing on horse.]
[Image Two: Annabelle doll rocking on its own in chair.]
WHEN: During the daytime every day of October
WHERE: Throughout the streets of Cellar Door and Willful Machine.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
WHERE: Throughout the streets of Cellar Door and Willful Machine.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
The Black Parade has begun in Trench. You will begin to see residents painting skulls and monsters onto their faces, even the ones who abide by practical lifestyles. By the first week of October, you won't see a single resident of Trench without facepaint or a mask of some kind obscuring their face.
"It's for the Black Parade," they say, "It's to keep us safe. You should start painting your face too. You should disguise yourself so they can't find you."
Who, you might ask? Anyone dangerous. It's vague and unsettling, but you think maybe they are onto something. Call it intuition or basic common sense. Stalls pop up all around Trench selling cheap masks and costumes. They aren't exactly Halloween costumes. There's less of a focus on becoming something and more of a focus on looking different than you currently do.
Then the Black Parade really takes off. Black and white confetti seem to fall from the sky and you can hear the distant sound of trumpets and drums. You can feel the earth give small tremors and Trenchies begin to flock to Cellar Door and the Willful Machine. They line the streets and you can see why: a literal parade is coming through. Stages are set with talented musicians rocking out, singing into wireless, floating moonlit mics. Incredible, giant puppets walk through the streets guided by a dozen talented Architects. Other people move about in stilted costumes, elaborate gowns. Some performers set up small, stationary areas to perform for smaller crowds. The sky is filled with massive and unusual kites. Find one among the many stalls or make your own!
Stalls hand out candied applies, foil-wrapped candies, and roasted pumpkin seeds by the bundles. Hot ciders are kept in barrels ready to be served up in tin mugs, with or without alcohol. It's a festive atmosphere that seems to go nonstop 24/7 throughout October but exclusively in these areas. It's a good place to go to avoid some of the haunts of October and to have a good time. Why not get involved? Make your own puppet, float, or costumes, and join in the fun. Chunks of the road are reserved for parades, but others have been sectioned off for people to dance and mingle about. You quickly learn that face-paint and masked/concealed faces seem to be a good way of avoiding the attention of beasts, angry Pthumerians, and other unusual creatures in Trench.
It's not a foolproof method, but October largely celebrates the safety of ambiguity and is one of the few times the practical and pleasure factions get along. Get your face painted up or pick out a costume - it's both aesthetic and life-saving! The Black Parade is held annually every October all October long and is considered a significant Trench holiday. Many people refer to the costumes specifically as "Black Parade" costumes and sentiments commonly exchanged at this time include: Have a blessed and safe Blood Moon; May your Seasons pass unseen; Bless the many faces of cleverness; May you go unseen by the blood; Blessed Black Parade.
QUICK FACTS
1. Halloween costumes you can buy at the store won't be available unless a character intentionally makes one. Most of the costumes in Trench are more or less eccentric make-up looks and unusual masks. They look a lot more like Cirque du Soleil costumes than Halloween costumes.
2. Characters can have multiple costume/face-paint/mask changes throughout the month. No one will be forced into these - but it is strongly, culturally encouraged for everyone's safety to dress up!
"It's for the Black Parade," they say, "It's to keep us safe. You should start painting your face too. You should disguise yourself so they can't find you."
Who, you might ask? Anyone dangerous. It's vague and unsettling, but you think maybe they are onto something. Call it intuition or basic common sense. Stalls pop up all around Trench selling cheap masks and costumes. They aren't exactly Halloween costumes. There's less of a focus on becoming something and more of a focus on looking different than you currently do.
Then the Black Parade really takes off. Black and white confetti seem to fall from the sky and you can hear the distant sound of trumpets and drums. You can feel the earth give small tremors and Trenchies begin to flock to Cellar Door and the Willful Machine. They line the streets and you can see why: a literal parade is coming through. Stages are set with talented musicians rocking out, singing into wireless, floating moonlit mics. Incredible, giant puppets walk through the streets guided by a dozen talented Architects. Other people move about in stilted costumes, elaborate gowns. Some performers set up small, stationary areas to perform for smaller crowds. The sky is filled with massive and unusual kites. Find one among the many stalls or make your own!
Stalls hand out candied applies, foil-wrapped candies, and roasted pumpkin seeds by the bundles. Hot ciders are kept in barrels ready to be served up in tin mugs, with or without alcohol. It's a festive atmosphere that seems to go nonstop 24/7 throughout October but exclusively in these areas. It's a good place to go to avoid some of the haunts of October and to have a good time. Why not get involved? Make your own puppet, float, or costumes, and join in the fun. Chunks of the road are reserved for parades, but others have been sectioned off for people to dance and mingle about. You quickly learn that face-paint and masked/concealed faces seem to be a good way of avoiding the attention of beasts, angry Pthumerians, and other unusual creatures in Trench.
It's not a foolproof method, but October largely celebrates the safety of ambiguity and is one of the few times the practical and pleasure factions get along. Get your face painted up or pick out a costume - it's both aesthetic and life-saving! The Black Parade is held annually every October all October long and is considered a significant Trench holiday. Many people refer to the costumes specifically as "Black Parade" costumes and sentiments commonly exchanged at this time include: Have a blessed and safe Blood Moon; May your Seasons pass unseen; Bless the many faces of cleverness; May you go unseen by the blood; Blessed Black Parade.
QUICK FACTS
1. Halloween costumes you can buy at the store won't be available unless a character intentionally makes one. Most of the costumes in Trench are more or less eccentric make-up looks and unusual masks. They look a lot more like Cirque du Soleil costumes than Halloween costumes.
2. Characters can have multiple costume/face-paint/mask changes throughout the month. No one will be forced into these - but it is strongly, culturally encouraged for everyone's safety to dress up!
WHEN: October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological-based curse, feelings of intense loneliness, mental health.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological-based curse, feelings of intense loneliness, mental health.
It is said that the Blood Moon reminds Cloverfield of those he has lost over the decades. They say that the howling wind is actually the sound of Cloverfield's cries and there seems to be some truth to that. He can be seen wandering the Farther Shores and watching the moon. If you seek out Cloverfield and offer him comfort and companionship, he will bless you with a worn picture of a loved one or someone you miss desperately or even just a place you miss...Even if it's impossible for such a picture to exist.
Of course, not everyone will visit Cloverfield. Cloverfield's loneliness begins to curse the city of Trench. Sleepers will be impacted the most heavily as their blood will directly react to this curse. Sleepers who have a good sense of relationship may be able to avoid the curse, but those who often feel lonely or homesick will start to feel worse and worse as the days go by.
Eventually, their loneliness begins to manifest as a corpse-like version of themselves or the person they care about most. This corpse follows them around everywhere like a shadow. You won't notice your own Loneliness, but other people might, especially palebloods, Night Walkers, and Disciples. These corpses don't seem to care about anything or anyone and at first don't seem violent...But eventually, this Loneliness becomes consuming.
Once it does, you too will contort, and you and your Loneliness will soon be crawling about on all fours, blood floating out of you in thin streams. You'll be lost to your feelings of loneliness, stalking the streets with your Loneliness, looking for companionship. Of course, you're completely corrupt at this point, so your version of finding companionship most likely involves accidentally suffocating someone or other violent actions. Some people may never become violent once they are in the Final Stage, but the blood constantly flowing from them will create heavy blood pollution and may draw in far more dangerous creatures. You really don't want Lonely People walking around!
Better start some conversations - even if these Lonely People are creepy as hell. But, then again, they are just lonely. Hopefully, you will find peace of mind and find your people. Hopefully, you will banish loneliness...For the time being.
QUICK FACTS
1. This curse will impact people who are more isolated than others. Interaction with other people or animals will alleviate the curse and may completely stop it for some.
2. You can stop the curse at the corpse stage by confronting a Sleeper and opening up an emotional conversation about their loneliness. This may not always work, but the more the conversation works for the Sleeper, the more effective. The corpse will fleck away once the curse has been reversed.
3. Curses can continue to come back throughout October, but once you've experienced it once, it's less likely to occur again.
4. The Final Stage of the curse is the hardest to stop and most of the time, it's easiest to just kill the Cursed. It's easier to kill them than talk them out of their loneliness, but it is not impossible to talk them out of it. It requires dedication, patience, and some serious cleverness on how to survive a monster trying to kill you at the same time.
5. Loneliness can be widely interpreted once in the Final Stage. People should generally still look like themselves. How people act in this stage can vary from character to character and should be centric to how characters deal with their loneliness in general. If they're prone to shutting people out, then maybe their Loneliness is aloof and distant. If they're prone to clinging to toxic people, then maybe their Loneliness is accidentally violent. It's open to interpretation.
Of course, not everyone will visit Cloverfield. Cloverfield's loneliness begins to curse the city of Trench. Sleepers will be impacted the most heavily as their blood will directly react to this curse. Sleepers who have a good sense of relationship may be able to avoid the curse, but those who often feel lonely or homesick will start to feel worse and worse as the days go by.
Eventually, their loneliness begins to manifest as a corpse-like version of themselves or the person they care about most. This corpse follows them around everywhere like a shadow. You won't notice your own Loneliness, but other people might, especially palebloods, Night Walkers, and Disciples. These corpses don't seem to care about anything or anyone and at first don't seem violent...But eventually, this Loneliness becomes consuming.
Once it does, you too will contort, and you and your Loneliness will soon be crawling about on all fours, blood floating out of you in thin streams. You'll be lost to your feelings of loneliness, stalking the streets with your Loneliness, looking for companionship. Of course, you're completely corrupt at this point, so your version of finding companionship most likely involves accidentally suffocating someone or other violent actions. Some people may never become violent once they are in the Final Stage, but the blood constantly flowing from them will create heavy blood pollution and may draw in far more dangerous creatures. You really don't want Lonely People walking around!
Better start some conversations - even if these Lonely People are creepy as hell. But, then again, they are just lonely. Hopefully, you will find peace of mind and find your people. Hopefully, you will banish loneliness...For the time being.
QUICK FACTS
1. This curse will impact people who are more isolated than others. Interaction with other people or animals will alleviate the curse and may completely stop it for some.
2. You can stop the curse at the corpse stage by confronting a Sleeper and opening up an emotional conversation about their loneliness. This may not always work, but the more the conversation works for the Sleeper, the more effective. The corpse will fleck away once the curse has been reversed.
3. Curses can continue to come back throughout October, but once you've experienced it once, it's less likely to occur again.
4. The Final Stage of the curse is the hardest to stop and most of the time, it's easiest to just kill the Cursed. It's easier to kill them than talk them out of their loneliness, but it is not impossible to talk them out of it. It requires dedication, patience, and some serious cleverness on how to survive a monster trying to kill you at the same time.
5. Loneliness can be widely interpreted once in the Final Stage. People should generally still look like themselves. How people act in this stage can vary from character to character and should be centric to how characters deal with their loneliness in general. If they're prone to shutting people out, then maybe their Loneliness is aloof and distant. If they're prone to clinging to toxic people, then maybe their Loneliness is accidentally violent. It's open to interpretation.
WHEN: All October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts, Themes of death.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts, Themes of death.
Unfortunately, not everyone can gain control of their loneliness. As blood is spilled throughout Trench over loneliness, this blood pollution festers and begins to claim poor souls. Corruption leads way to beasthood and people lost to this find themselves transforming into familiar, legendary ghost stories of old-world lore. These Legendary Ghosts come out primarily at night. As the Black Parade established, anyone who keeps their faces disguised with make-up or masks will be completely safe from the Legendary Ghosts. Though if you go after a Legendary Ghost in a costume, you'll only be safe until you attack them. It's not a bad move for a sneak attack though!
...But those who forgot to dress up or felt like such superstitions wouldn't work...
Congratulations, you might come across the path of a Dullahan: a headless horseman carrying a whip made from a spinal cord, ready to throw basins of blood on you and draw in other beasts. Or maybe you encounter a far more subtle Legendary Ghost. Maybe you see a hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide to give them a ride, but when you look in your rearview mirror, they are no longer in your backseat. While most of these Legendary Ghosts are intending to harm you and spread more blood pollution, some just seem to be genuinely lost souls, lost to corruption, lost to their own failures and loneliness. In some cases, freeing them is protecting yourself and others, but in other cases, freeing them is just simple kindness.
You may meet a ghost bride who is waiting eternally for her wedding by one of the shrines in Cassandra. Maybe you meet a ghostly scholar at the Archives in Gaze. The spirits range widely and seem to haunt every corner of Trench - including your own homes. The only real way to deter a Legendary Ghost from your home is by heavily decorating your home with things like jack-o-lanterns, fake blood splatters, fake gravestones, and various other death-centric decor. This seems to repel Legendary Ghosts as they see it as a reminder of their own fate. Some are angered by the decorations while others are terrified by them and seem incapable of telling the difference between real blood and fake blood.
QUICK FACTS
1. These corrupt souls can be saved through blood rituals/magic/ghost banishings relying on blood artifacts. This will usually put the soul to rest - it will not bring people "back to life."
2. While it is mostly Trenchies turning into these beings, Sleepers can also be transformed into Legendary Ghosts. We provide a general outline, but the idea is that people are turning into legendary ghost stories so you can play with your own ideas/canons.
While Trenchies cannot be saved, we leave it up to you if a Sleeper could be brought back to themselves or if they will have to "die" to be cured of their Legendary Ghost status.
3. You can use famous Legendary Ghosts from around the world. We gave a few examples, but have fun with this! The Legendary Ghost-like creature you go with should generally be "ghost-like" / have to do with death specifically. They do not need to be exclusively evil/violent spirits, but many are.
...But those who forgot to dress up or felt like such superstitions wouldn't work...
Congratulations, you might come across the path of a Dullahan: a headless horseman carrying a whip made from a spinal cord, ready to throw basins of blood on you and draw in other beasts. Or maybe you encounter a far more subtle Legendary Ghost. Maybe you see a hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide to give them a ride, but when you look in your rearview mirror, they are no longer in your backseat. While most of these Legendary Ghosts are intending to harm you and spread more blood pollution, some just seem to be genuinely lost souls, lost to corruption, lost to their own failures and loneliness. In some cases, freeing them is protecting yourself and others, but in other cases, freeing them is just simple kindness.
You may meet a ghost bride who is waiting eternally for her wedding by one of the shrines in Cassandra. Maybe you meet a ghostly scholar at the Archives in Gaze. The spirits range widely and seem to haunt every corner of Trench - including your own homes. The only real way to deter a Legendary Ghost from your home is by heavily decorating your home with things like jack-o-lanterns, fake blood splatters, fake gravestones, and various other death-centric decor. This seems to repel Legendary Ghosts as they see it as a reminder of their own fate. Some are angered by the decorations while others are terrified by them and seem incapable of telling the difference between real blood and fake blood.
QUICK FACTS
1. These corrupt souls can be saved through blood rituals/magic/ghost banishings relying on blood artifacts. This will usually put the soul to rest - it will not bring people "back to life."
2. While it is mostly Trenchies turning into these beings, Sleepers can also be transformed into Legendary Ghosts. We provide a general outline, but the idea is that people are turning into legendary ghost stories so you can play with your own ideas/canons.
While Trenchies cannot be saved, we leave it up to you if a Sleeper could be brought back to themselves or if they will have to "die" to be cured of their Legendary Ghost status.
3. You can use famous Legendary Ghosts from around the world. We gave a few examples, but have fun with this! The Legendary Ghost-like creature you go with should generally be "ghost-like" / have to do with death specifically. They do not need to be exclusively evil/violent spirits, but many are.
no subject
[There's got to be some water here somewhere. Or non-alcoholic cider. Something that will, you know, actually hydrate the poor guy. He glances around, his hands hovering, debating between carrying Ryan with him, or just... ducking off real quick. On one hand, it'd let him keep an eye on things. On the other?]
[He still remembers the night at Glass. Where picking up an inebriated Keith meant Shiro almost got thrown up on.]
Stay put.
[It's an order. Albeit one in a gentler voice than he'd use in any other situation. Hopefully it works. He's off and moving in a moment though. Weaving through the crowd towards a refreshment stall. They mostly have the fall offerings - same as everywhere else. But once he explains the situation, the stall manager nods in understanding. They get people in this situation all the time, don't even worry.]
[So that's how he returns with hard crackers, and a mug of watered down cider. Normal cider. No booze in this one.]
Here. Got your drink. And a snack.
[He'll take a seat, too. A bit apart from Ryan, to keep from crowding him.]
no subject
You found it! My heroooo!
[He laughs and accepts the mug, but when he takes a sip he makes a face. Something's...weird. This drink is weird.]
It's like... [Think, think, think.] ...not-juice. [No, that's not right, try again.] ...aaapple water?
[He still seems kind of unsure, but he tries drinking it again anyway, like it might be different this time. (It's not.) He takes the crackers as well, but for now he just hangs onto them and crinkles the plastic on the package a little for the neat noise it makes. Crinkle, crinkle.]
no subject
[Sometimes. Or, at least, that's what his name rhymes with. Isn't he hilarious? He keeps his tone light, mild. Amusement flickering in his expression.]
Yeah, sure. We'll call it apple water. Long as you drink it.
[That part comes out a bit firmer. Urging rather than ordering. Please drink the apple water, buddy. You'll feel better.]
... and eat the crackers. Trust me. It'll be easier on you tomorrow if you have some of both.
no subject
[He pouts a little, but he does take another small sip. It's taken a bit, but he's finally kind of understanding what's happening here. The reasoning behind why he needs to eat the crackers makes him whine like a child. He tilts his head back dramatically, and if this bench didn't have a back to it he absolutely would have toppled backwards.]
Ugh, but that's tomooooorrow! It's not tomorrow yet!
[There is a very very tiny part of him that knows this guy is right though, and he looks down at the crackers. He has never wanted to eat a thing less in his life, but the bigger problem is that he can't hold his Apple Water and open crackers at the same time. For a second he kind of struggles trying to figure out how to do both things at once, looking down at the things in his hands as though this is a difficult math problem.
Eventually he holds the crackers out to Shiro.]
...Help?
[:(]
no subject
[He knows there's a back to the bench, but it doesn't stop him from reaching back. From snapping his right hand out to try and catch the poor guy, anyway. To at least keep him from cracking his head against something. It's the least he can do.]
I mean it.
[Help says Ryan, and Shiro... can't not. He couldn't not help even if Ryan were entirely sober and fully in control of his hands. He sighs, quietly, but reaches to take the cracker packet, anyway. Popping a metal thumb into the wrapper before peeling it open. Like an orange.]
Here - go slow, okay? Just a couple, see how you feel.
cw: mentions of nausea
He can feel the drunk euphoria starting to fade a little and honestly? It's a huge bummer. Feeling really good and dizzy is one thing, but just feeling dizzy and unsteady sucks. He watches Shiro make short work of the wrapper though, and it makes him smile a little bit. It looks pretty impressive to him!]
Still my hero!
[This time he seems to put together that in order to have enough hands he has to put the Apple Water down on the bench next to him (c a r e f u l l y). He wastes a lot of time wiggling one of the crackers out and he tastes the teeniest bite out of one of the corners.]
Eating's gross.
[He makes a face as though he put something icky in his mouth, but he doesn't seem like he's going to lose his lunch just yet. He's more just...indignant about the concept in general for the time being.]
I mean...whooo decided you have to like, chew up stuff up into wet goop and swallow it with your mouth? It'ssooooo stupid!
[He takes another little bite of cracker and mulls over his own rant, trying to make his brain work correctly.]
...Chew's got ewww in it.
[Who could possibly have more solid logic than that?]
no subject
[The more this poor kid talks, the more convinced Shiro is that he made the right call here. Get him sitting down, get liquids and bread (kind of) into him. Honestly, he'd prefer to take him somewhere safe to rest, but... he doesn't know where that would be just yet.]
[His hand moves to steady Ryan's shoulder again. Just in case. You can't be too careful, even while seated.]
You're doing great. Tough it out, and tomorrow you'll thank yourself. Okay?
[Be encouraging. And do not laugh. Do not. Laugh. Even though part of him definitely wants to. It's kind of funny, really. Hearing someone get annoyed at chewing food. Probably the kind of thing you laugh at later, once they're actually safe and sober.]
no subject
Nuh-uuuh! Tomorrow...Tomorrow I'll be like--
[He gestures widely with his hands, even though he's still holding the crackers.]
--I'll be like, "Ryyyyyyyyan! You stupid asshooole! Whasswrong with you?! Why d'you suuuuuck so bad???"
[Even as drunk as he is, without the light and happy feelings to back it up he is very aware that he is going to hate himself a lot tomorrow, no matter how much water he drinks or how many crackers he eats.
He doesn't really want to be upright anymore, so he scoots over and tries to lean right on Shiro if he'll let him. Then, very seriously (though a little mumbled)--]
Booze n' pumpkin seeds are not dinner.
[You know. Just in case Shiro was thinking they might be. Ryan is here to update him that they are definitely not.]
no subject
[He doesn't really expect an answer. Or at least, he doesn't think one is forthcoming. Not from someone this intoxicated. Is it because he got drunk?]
Don't be so hard on yourself. This kind of thing happens. As long as you take care of yourself afterward, you'll be okay. Really.
[Shiro means it, too. He doesn't move away when Ryan slumps against him. Just sits forward a bit more, leaning his elbows on his knees. He's getting the sense there's more here than just the alcohol talking. Like when Lance gets into these moods. But unlike with Lance, he's not too sure where to go with this.]
[Hard to support someone you've just met.]
Where are you staying? Maybe we should get you home. Where you can lie down.
no subject
He carefully lifts up his head, trying to firmly place himself in his surroundings. It's...a little more difficult than he's expecting.]
Uhh...it's like...
[He holds up a finger and draws in the air for a moment, as though trying to recall how to get home visually.]
Thaaaat way? A couple blocks? [He points. In his defense, no one has real addresses. But there is one bit of information that is actually useful - though, getting the thought out is a lot harder.] It goes by the-- fuck, the parade goes by in...in the front?
[Good enough! Probably! On the upside, he lives right in Cellar Door and only got wrecked about five minutes from his apartment.]
no subject
[That doesn't really clear up anything at all. That way is too vague for Shiro's liking. For a kid in this condition, anyway. He squints, following the line of that pointing finger. And shakes his head.]
I know somewhere safe for tonight. [It's doubtful whether or not this is going to click. But he has to try.] I volunteer there, a lot. Koz's. Have you heard of that?
[It's the orphanage. Koz Orphanage. He doesn't know whether or not Ryan's technically an adult by this world's standards, but he seems young enough to where the building will watch out for him.]
no subject
I. LOVE. Kez. She's like...we're like best friends. She's soooooo cool! She's got a place here?! I didn't...oh my god, Keeeez!
[He had no idea, but he's so excited and starry-eyed now.]
Mmmmmm yeah, let's Kez. I mean, go to Kez's! ["Kez's" is really hard to say though, and it makes him laugh stupidly hard for a moment.] She'll tooootally help!
[Ryan is so excited about the possibility of seeing Kez that he's going to try and stand up and will almost immediately pitch forward a little as a result because he did it too fast. Whoops.]
no subject
No... No, Koz. The guy who runs the orphanage. I'm sorry, I don't know any Kez.
[Well, there's someone to keep an eye out for, at any rate. You know, later. Later, when everyone is safe and sober and not trying to stand up like that.]
[Shiro's quick on his feet, as a rule. Quick enough to reach out and grasp Ryan's shoulders to keep him upright.]
Easy. Easy, take it slow.
no subject
...Oh. Aw.
[That's really disappointing, actually. It would have been cool to see Kez again. He has no idea who Koz is, and honestly didn't even know there was an orphanage in Trench. But...an orphanage feels like a weird place to go for some reason. He isn't going to be able to formulate that thought now though, because most of his brain is busy thinking about how he super doesn't want to be upright anymore.]
M'kay. Going to...to Koooooz.
[He stretches it out, really making sure to say the right name this time. Kooooz. Not Kez.]
...Waaaait, where's Koz's's?
[Hopefully not far, or he'll attempt to abandon this plan and sleep right on the bench.]
no subject
I'm sorry. I'll keep an eye out for her if you want.
[A glance around. Mentally mapping out the route in his head. It's nearer to where Shiro's living than here, unfortunately.]
Kind of a walk. Think you'll be okay? I can try and find a ride, otherwise.
no subject
(Later he will note that like everything else, his paleblood powers slowed and delayed with alcohol.)]
Yeah! Yeah, totally. I can suuuper walk.
[Confidence! That's all he needs here. He gestures out in front of them, even though he has absolutely no way of knowing what direction it's in.]
Lead the way!
no subject
[Can people ride lions? Is that possible? He knows he could get both of them on Black, but that particular Lion is busy. Keeping guard over the house. There's the one he can summon, though, the one made of smoke. It was real enough to attack monsters...]
[Shiro's hand is steady on Ryan's shoulder. Gently guiding him away from the crowd.]
This way, all right? Tell me if you need to stop.
[Can he summon up the smoke lion? Would that work?]
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[He goes slow and careful, but he does manage to walk with a great amount of effort. It isn't always straight or steady, but he's doing it and that's what matters. Sometimes he stumbles, but Shiro's grip on his shoulder is enough to keep him from losing his balance completely. He hums a little bit to himself once they're away from the crowd, like he's trying to keep the music from the Black Parade going.
Something occurs to him though and he stops moving his feet before the words come out of his mouth. Coordination is not his strong suit right now]
Wait, wait. Wait...
[He looks at Shiro, with a very serious question of utmost importance.]
Is holding on cheating...?
[Not the way Shiro's holding on; he kind of needs that. But before Shiro can actually answer, Ryan's trying to shift himself so he can lean on him more easily. Shiro's a little too tall for Ryan to sling an arm over his shoulders comfortably, so he'll try for linking his arm around Shiro's middle instead]
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[And then nearly stumbles when they stop.]
What - what's wrong - ?
[Oh.]
[He makes a face - a thoughtful one. Before shaking his head. He'll let Ryan do what he needs to, and then... tries focusing.] I might have a better idea...
[That better idea turns out to be Shiro's Omen, arriving in a slow coil of dark mist, congealing into the lioness he'd seen in the Arena, last month. Golden eyes regard them both with a quiet aura of 'What?' For Shiro's part? He grins down at Ryan.]
Got you a ride.
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That's a lion.
That grip around Shiro turns into an actual hug very quickly, less for balance and more because somehow he got him a lion ride.]
Oh my god. Oh my god??? That's...that is a lion!
[Yes, yes it is. Ryan gasps softly with realization and reverence.]
You're a real lion tamer... [Which, of course, is reason for him to softly sing--] Liiion...tamer...
[Not that omens are tamed exactly, but it's too uncanny for him to not point it out.]
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[It's more of a surprised noise than anything uncomfortable. Look, he's basically a walking meat dorito, a hug isn't going to do more than surprise him. That noise turns into a quiet, brief laugh before he pats Ryan's shoulder. Carefully.]
No, she's just here to help. Not... really tamed. I don't think.
[He glances up, and, predictably, the look on the lioness' face is one of disdain. No way is she tamed, ugh.]
Yeah. Just here to help. She'll let you ride until we get to the orphanage.
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I...get to ride her?
[Ryan's in awe. This has suddenly become maybe the best night of his life. He holds a hand out as if maybe she needs to sniff it first, and then despite his excitement he doesn't try and climb on right away. He just clumsily pets her, trying really hard to be gentle.]
Oh my god. [He giggles.] You're...you're soooooooo pretty.
[The entire moment has the feel of the drunkest person at the party befriending the host's housecat. Except in this case the housecat is a lion that could destroy him if she felt like it. None of that seems to register at the moment though because he gets to pet a pretty pretty lion.]
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[The omen just huffs, sighing in that way only a feline can. Graciously allowing the human to pet her.]
She's okay with it. But just for tonight. After that, I'm pretty sure it's look but don't touch.
[A flick of the omen's ears indicates her human is absolutely correct. No rides after tonight.]
We just need to get you some rest... in one piece.
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Okay. Just tonight.
[He gives one last little scritch behind her ear and then...considers his options. He's been having a hard to keeping his balance just trying to walk normally, so climbing on a majestic, beautiful lioness will be a challenge.
Probably better to go right to the source though, right? At least, that seems like the best course of action to Ryan right now. When in doubt, ask the smart, pretty lady in the room.]
...Pssssst. Pretty Kitty. [He leans in toward Shiro's omen, as though she's going to answer him.] How do I get up?
[Shiro might want to come assist.]
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Here... [He steps over, while his omen lies down, the posture of a sphinx. Tail lashing in impatience. Apparently all the sass Shiro tends to bite down on gets channeled to his omen. But that's a thought for another day.]
[He moves to take Ryan's arm, to brace him.] She's nice and low to the ground now. Just hop on and we'll keep going.
[Nice and easy.]
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