deercountry | closedish to cool guys having chill day

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closedish to cool guys having chill day

Who: a bunch of funky friends invited by Viktor and Palamedes*
What: Having a Party in a field with Fireworks
When: the second week-ish in May
Where: (the field outside of) Pal and Viktor's bunker in Gaze

Content Warnings: alcohol and teens drinking it, irresponsible use of explosives, see threads for anything else that comes up

*If you have friendly CR with Palamedes please feel free to handwave that he mentioned this happening, also if your character has CR with a Pal Friend (a pal^2) who would invite them along, he's broadly allowing this. It's not a formal affair in the slightest lmaooo

--

afternoon/evening.

Earlier in the morning on the day of The Fireworks Field Party (tm), Palamedes makes sure to send a quick location ping to anyone who's never been to the Sixth bunker (also tm) before, because it is, indeed, just in a field somewhere in Gaze. The treeline is comfortably distant from the door to said bunker, which is the only real indication anything is out here besides a few "big rocks" that he names, in his message, as landmarks.

As an afterthought, he has set up a little trail of mason jars containing glowing mushrooms to lead the way to The Field, helpfully. The Field is what it sounds like: a dang field, just slightly ominous in the Gaze fashion, although besides the usual somebody's-watching feeling, it's grassy and spacious for kitschy lawn games. Among the things Palamedes has provided (upon recommendation of a shopkeeper, so like, do not perceive his choices, they were made for him) include:

1. Just a load of blankets, big cozy ones dutifully spread out for chilling on, on the ground.

2. Throwing game Crossbones, definitely chosen because of the bones (they are wooden sticks), and just kind of left sitting there waiting because your host does not know how to play physical games.

3. beanbag horseshoes because it rocks

4. Just, like, a specific blanket that has pencils and blank paper sitting on it... This is a free station, no one will question what art happens here.

Harrow has also provided bone chairs for alternate seating, which are precisely what they sound like.

Eventually, the field will also feature a snack table, which is a community effort, and a booze table, which is slightly supervised in the way that your esteemed host(s) will not permit booze and cherry bombs at the same time.

And, because it's an open field in Trench, there is also a table where emergency incense is waiting. Wandering too far from the space immediately around the bunker (which, it's a big space, you'd have to go far) will eventually lead you to blood wards on the ground, on the trunks of a few trees, etc. Don't touch these. Don't be gross.

the fucken fireworks.

It's fireworks. Once it's dark, there are even more glowing mushroom jars and homemade alchemy glowsticks from Waver to be passed around, somehow, and at least some of the little beanbags glow in the dark, ooh!! Viktor has provided cherry bombs to be used with at least a little caution, for god's sake. There are also some slightly larger fireworks in much shorter supply, from a shop, that will be closely guarded until someone with pyrotechnics talent convinces Palamedes they deserve one. Godspeed.

Broadly: this is a fireworks party (tm) for individual wee ones you can throw around on your own, with only a brief smattering of the big ones that light up the whole sky above the field. It's a chill time for cool buds, fire safety is encouraged, so is vibing on the blankets and enjoying a nice evening.

At various times, local dope musician Anna Amarande will be providing some light musical entertainment, for vibes.

the bunker i guess.

The party is not in here, but for reference:
-it's locked via numpad and neither of these stickbug nerds are giving out the code but they'll open the door if asked... you don't have to leave the place to go to the bathroom lmf
-it's a bunker. it's one room and a bathroom in the back. it's full of disorganized nerd stuff and an oversized moon orb and pal's mean omen, rocky the cool rat (harpy eagle), who will aggressively flap at anyone with sticky fingers until they leave
-the code is 69420 so if you're super funny like gideon you COULD guess it

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[ There is some true communication going on here.

By which I mean that Chizuru has absolutely no idea whether the bird just responded to her, or that was just some random hop. It could truly be either with how that timing went down, and it makes her go quiet for a moment, hands carefully clasped to her mouth in thought..

But then she figures that she should just ask again. Just in case.

Even if the other people at the party might think she's insane for talking to a bird. ]

Um, was that a yes? I'm.. not sure whether you can understand me..

[ Chizuru definitely is not a bird whisperer, but she's trying here. ]

[Excellent! That's some progress here! More of a start of one, but it's more that he was able to achieve up to this point.

Iskandar hops again to confirm that, indeed, he meant yes. As well that no, this was no accident. He's not just any bird randomly hopping around. It's still frustrating he has such a limited range of expression.]

.. so you do understand me..!

[ There they go. At least a very, very basic form of communication has been established here. Chizuru may still be standing here and talking to a bird, but at least it's a bird that understands her, so she figures that ought to make the entire thing a little less embarrassing..?

(She's still seeming like a Disney princess though, standing over here and talking to animals.) ]

Oh, I'm so glad for that.. [ She does sound kind of relieved. ] You must be a really smart bird if you can understand what people are saying!

[Can he roll his eyes as a bird? Can he? Of course, he can't! This is so infuriating. How he's supposed to tell people he is not a bird? He is himself. He's just got turned into one.
Scratching letters onto the surface of the table takes time, and Iskandar hopes the owner of said table won't be very sad about his artistic addition. But that's his only idea right now.

Not a bird

That's what the message says. Three words, but it almost took forever.

(Later on he'll get better means of communication, but it is not yet. Not Yet.)]

[ Thankfully it's a very effective way of communicating. After all, Chizuru can just look and read the words the bird has scratched into the table, even though they make her widen her eyes in surprise. ]

You're.. not a bird..?

[ .. but he definitely looks like a bird. In every single way. In fact, Chizuru looks over at the bird again as she says those words, almost as if to confirm she didn't see something that isn't there..

But that's definitely a bird she's looking at. 100%. ]

You mean that you got turned into one? But.. how? [ No, that's too hard for him to answer, isn't it.. Chizuru shakes her head, and then adds: ] I mean, are you stuck like that against your will?

[ She figures that's easier to answer. Sure, birds don't naturally nod or shake their head, but if this is just a person in a bird body, then they could do as much to answer, right..? ]

[That's one hop for the first question. Yes, he's not a bird. And a hop for the second. He definitely got turned out against his will.

Iskandar has seen people getting seemingly worse affliction than his. The lady with iron shackles magically regrowing around her wrists every time she gets rid of them. Seemingly.
Because being unable to express his thoughts to other people, unable to say words, to touch, to make gestures, to hold someone's hand. To him: it is torture.

And believe him, he'd like to know even more what gods he had angered and how.]

I see..

[ Chizuru mostly just lets the words come out of her mouth instinctively, since she's immediately thinking about the other's predicament, but at the same time they also work as a sign to show that she did understand what his hops mean.

.. even if that doesn't directly resolve the situation, since this other person is still very much stuck as a bird. ]

I wonder if there's some way to turn you back to normal.. If this is all against your will, then I'm pretty sure you don't want to be like this. [ Chizuru frowns. She obviously can't even tell if this bird is someone she knows or not, but the girl seems concerned about the other all the same. It just comes naturally to her. ] Do you think there's something I could do to help..?

[A bird cannot slump, it cannot shrug, so Iskandar has no way of conveying his neither irritation nor his hope that this whole tedious affair can be resolved, and resolved quickly. What he can, is to bow. Even if it's as awkward for a bird his size, as it could ever be.

He has no idea what one needs to do to counter curses in this world. A clear weakness, he needs to rectify in the future. For now though, he doesn't even know if there are gods he can sacrifice to that could help him with his affliction.]

[ The bow is a bit of an unclear answer - Chizuru can think some things of it, but she isn't quite sure which was the intention of the person in the bird's body.

If she'd go by her own standards, she would assume the bow is a request for help though. And it's not like Chizuru can ever give up and do nothing when someone is in trouble, even during moments where she's severely out of her league. Like right now.

Which means the girl frowns, clearly thinking. ]

Well.. Maybe there's some reason you're stuck like this..

[ Even if it's hard to think of a reason. Chizuru mostly thinks it's just cruel to do this to people without their permission. ]

Do you know why it might be a bird? Maybe thinking about that might help us find a solution! Did you see any suspicious birds lately, or.. um, maybe birds have something to do with you..?

[Hop. Hop. Yes, he thinks there is a reason for this particular form. Especially, given that his eagle form is gold.

Then an idea strikes him, and one that he should have thought about a lot earlier. So he takes off to snatch a piece of paper and first writing implement he semi-comfortably hold in his claws from the artist corner. Then he comes back, drops the paper on the table. Here commences the process of painstakingly writing each letter on the piece of paper.]

The bird form makes sense. I know not what I have done to offend a deity here.

[Because that's where curses come from, right? Though, if he were to think longer about it and not just be irritated by it, he would realize that the fact this curse is more widespread means it's not really personal.]

[ It's the deity part that gets to Chizuru. After all, the beings here that are treated like deities by some are.. ]

.. the Pthumerians?

[ That might make sense. Some people did say they're often behind stuff that happens here, so Chizuru slowly nods.. ]

Did you talk with any of them? Or interact with them in any other way?

[ The girl seems to have a realisation after she says it. Gently taking the equipment from him, Chizuru writes 'yes' and 'no' on the paper, making it a bit easier for him. ] .. there, if you don't have anything to add, you can just point to an answer now. That should help a little, right..?

[ It's still not ideal, but it didn't exactly look easy for the bird to write out all of that. She's doing her best to help here! ]

[Hop. Hop. Yes, he meant the Pthumerians. They're as close to gods of this place as he's aware of.

Hop. No, he didn't. He knows better than to bother the gods. Unless, in matters of great urgency. They didn't seem to notice his presence at all.

The signs are actually brilliant. Iskandar steps on the one that says yes. He definitely thinks this is helpful]

How strange..

[ Thankfully that's her being able to actually interpret the answers here, rather than her being confused what he means in the first place.

But just the answers themselves are enough to make her think. It's so strange that this would happen to him when he's done nothing wrong. When he hasn't personally offended any of the Pthumerians who seem to be - in their own way - in charge here. It's.. kind of sad, actually. Chizuru feels really bad for this person stuck as a bird for no reason. She can only imagine how scared she'd be in his shoes.. ]

If it's not a punishment, then maybe.. [ .. for what other reason do god-like beings do things in stories? ] Maybe it's supposed to be.. some sort of lesson? Though I think it's a cruel one..

[ Look. She just wants to have said that much! It's not cool to change people into animals against their wishes!! ]

Maybe it's trying to teach you something about being a bird.. but I don't know what. What could you learn from being one..? [ It's partially her asking him, but also just wondering out loud to herself. Chizuru knows she's not that smart, so she has to try and think extra hard to figure this one out. ]

[What kind of lesson being a bird might impart? What one might learn from being unable to communicate with others? Unable to express his thoughts and feelings in ways that others can understand? Other than that he shouldn't express them so freely as he always does? But such a notion is silly. What previously unpossessed knowledge can the divine beings of this place bestow on him that needs to render him mute? It makes no sense in his mind.

To Iskandar, speaking, freely sharing your thoughts and ideas are the best ways to connect with people. So maybe there's more importance in the fact, that he got turned into a very particular type of bird. Not any bird, but Zeus' favourite, an eagle. So what is in that eagle is so special, it could serve as a lesson to him? Other than being quite the convenient form for kidnapping pretty boys to serve you.

Iskandar chuckles, even if it comes as a bird squawk, he doesn't mind. Well, when it comes to getting pretty boys serve him, he didn't need to be an eagle to succeed at that. Besides, he'd have trouble lifting Waver now that his boy is a centaur.]

[ Chizuru is quiet for a moment right alongside him, also trying to think.. but then there's that squawk.

It takes a moment for her to try and interpret it, since there is quite a distinct tone to the squawk, but it's something she can't instantly place. After all, it's hard to imagine human sounds in bird tones, after all.

But then she seems to grasp it after a moment. Her eyes go a little wider with slight surprise. ]

Wait, did you laugh..?

[ Did he realise something? Or is something else going on?

Chizuru thinks it is - at the very least - a good thing that he doesn't sound bothered, despite being stuck in that form. Being able to still laugh is a good thing in that case. ]

[Iskandar hops on the yes card. He very much did. He would have a hard time explaining now what he finds so funny. It would take too long. But it's also true that, in general, to laugh in the face of adversity is what he always does. Iskandar never lets circumstances bring his spirit down, no matter how dire. To move forth without regret, without looking back, this is how a King should carry himself.

Unless, he gets angry. That's another thing altogether.

Oh...

There are actually several things he does regret in his life. Things he tries not to think about, never really faced what he did then, and sure as the Sun and sky above, he'll never want to talk about them. Are the gods here trying to force him?]

[ At least that answer is pretty clear - and Chizuru is kind of glad that she got the right idea there, rather than it having been some angry or sad squawk instead.

While she lets the bird think to itself for a moment, she herself steps closer, reaching out a gentle hand to carefully pet the bird's head a little. ]

I'm glad you can still laugh..

[ You know, despite the bird's situation not exactly being great. ]

Even though you can't talk, or do some other stuff that would be easy if you were human.. You're still laughing. That's pretty amazing. [ It's a sentiment the girl seems to mean, with a small smile on her face. ]

[Iskandar performs the most elegant bird bow he can. It doesn't come half as bad.
As much as this form is annoying, no, endlessly frustrating for limiting his ability to express himself - something he has always taken for granted - he finds his ways.

Come to think about it, birds can be pretty expressive in their own way.

It doesn't mean he wouldn't want to be back in his own body. For more reasons than being able to talk to people.]

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