Her attention turned as a sixth sense picked up a pair of eyes directly on her, crimson meeting gold before Lúthien shot Ash an apologetic smile. { I’ll take over most of the custom stuff once we know what Acelios likes, promise! I’ll cover treats too…? } Hands pressed together in both a plea and a prayer as her voice echoed within the caenis’ mind, before her attention turned back to Ordnung as he wearily stood from the rocking chair.
It had all been done under the spur of a single thought and, quite honestly, Lúthien had been certain he would turn it down. To her surprise he wandered towards the center island in the kitchen, Ivan immediately recruited as his assistant without a word as the headmaster got to work.
"Oooh…?" Each movement was calculated and precise, no motions wasted as Ordnung handled the bottles and measured spirits and catalysts with a grace that reminded Lúthien of an orchestra’s instructor.
A glance was spared in Sophi’s direction then, wondering if the attention of his old flame might’ve been gathered by his performance. Guess he does have a charming side after all. She had no evidence of it of course, save the knowledge of the woman’s fondness for tea and the fact Ordnung kept a very well maintained and stocked tea set in his room, but maybe that’s what had drawn these two unlikely individuals together once?
"Right, can’t have y’all drinking on an empty stomach though." Those drinks certainly looked and smelled amazing, but she’d hold off on sampling them until her own task was done. "I’ll prep us some snacks to go with them~"
After a quick raid of the pantry and the fridge in the kitchen Lúthien got to work, an uncommonly serious expression on her face as the elf focused on the task at hand. The quickest snacks to come out were fried peanuts with lime, though some orange zest had also been added into the recipe to match some of the drinks being made by Ordnung, and crispy chickpeas.
With something available to keep their mouths and hands busy she got to work on two additional sides, making sure to sub any ingredients that might be missing for acceptable replacement available as she worked off her memory for a queso fundido with chips and some soy-glazed chicken skewers... and a pureed side of roasted pumpkin and carrots mashed up and mixed with a bit of butter and a pinch of salt for little Emme.
Food Prep: 3 of 4 successes Makeover: 1 of 4 successes
"Exactly, mister. New life, new name, new looks!" Kyanna uncorked the bottle, making it slip a popping sound. The tiny mushroom that was inside of the bottle wiggled its way to peek the head out of the bottle, locking its gaze on Accel (?) hair.
GuUuuukh...
"Now now, come here. We will make this hair the prettiest, and strongest hair of all Arcia. A foreshadowing of what you will become~"
Kyanna shuffled her basket of hairdressing tools, pulling out scissors and clicking them a couple times with a wide grin while approaching her target before aiming straight for his hair.
Cutting Magia hair felt slightly different from cutting other people's hairs, but she was plenty used to touching @MAI's hair, so she had a good idea of what to do with the blue-haired magia.
Rolls
Roll Result
1d100 (43) 40 = 83 (Success!) Esthetics Rank B Check
Nobody had been watching Sophistria cook. Maybe they should have. The glassy lady left the kitchen after a little while with a tray deviled eggs. Ah, if only that were true. These only carried the same concept as deviled eggs. The same shape with none of the meaning behind them.
Why's everyone acting so mumbly at this birthday party. What's the matter? Guess everyone's just hungry. Here.
Sophistria held up the pretty tray as she popped one into her mouth and nodded with a 'hm good'. The hardboiled eggs were stuffed with salted dark chocolate. A self-described 'efficient' recipe, Sophi made these for her team sometimes as a pick-me-up. For as much energy as they gave her staff, they also sapped the spirit. They weren't bad, exactly, but every person always said the same thing: 'The ingredients would taste better on their own...'
I call them my festival eggs. Because I make them with whatever I can find. Here.
She raised the tray towards the group further.
They'll give you plenty of energy. Here.
She continued, as she pushed the tray closer and closer.
Upon seeing the near-miss egg dish that Sophistria was presenting to the group, Ivan coughed as he sneakily shifted closer to the woman and pulled something out of his pocket that was brimming with golden energy, which he had picked up from somewhere.
Sunder Pepper
Food Ingredient
A mysterious pepper which origin appears unworldly with its waxy golden radiance. Who is brave enough to taste the Fire God's kiss?
With incredible precision, he produced a pairing knife from his sleeve and cut the pepper into thin strips and sprinkled them on the eggs with flair.
It was clear to anyone who had full view of Clarissa kitchen that there were too many goddamn chefs in the kitchen, but the cacophony from the crowded space was one of controlled chaos. Food-wise, @Luthien conducted the tune of crispy chickpeas, fried peanuts with lime, and a vibrant queso fundido with kitchen utensil instead of a baton. Her efforts seamlessly complemented the Headmaster’s unexpected foray into mixology. Even Sophi (@Plutopia), with her penchant for the unconventionals, contributed though the festival eggs were met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Thankfully, Ivan’s timely intervention was able to mask any culinary mishaps. Nin, on the other hand, subtracted herself from the festive chaos as the living room heated up with the intense makeover session.
At the same time the kitchen became noisy, the living turned into a makeshift salon with Accelerator reprising the unwilling centerpiece. @Kyanna had approached the task of hairdressing with excitement, scissors flashing for the magia’s blue hair that had grown a lot longer than when he last appeared in public. All the snips and snaps actually reframed Accelerator’s face, softening his features, whereas the previous thick bangs covering his forehead had given him a sterner demeanor. @Ash Vargold lent his tailoring expertise, matching fabrics and threads and laid out the selection of outfits for Accelerator, each piece representing Luthien's eye for style and his own skills. France meanwhile offered inspiring tales, bolstering the group in the way that most bards without aptitude for hand-skills often do, but it got the task closer to completion.
However, even with three successes, the final touch required was missing. As Clarissa approached with a mischievous glint in her eye as she brandished her shears snipping in the direction of the magia shut-in.
Well, she strode forward a little too confidently and slipped, throwing the scissor into space, which landed on one of Kyanna’s mushroom, which then barfed on Acelios’ head, turning part of his hair a light brown color and bleached the tip of his hair. France reflexively flicked his wrist and spot-fixed it with minor illusion with the precision of a Photoshop wizard, applying the color to the rest of the magia’s head sans the tip. There wasn’t a need to ruin the party with Clarissa’s lack of talent for hairdressing. Clarissa sat on the floor with a tear in her eyes, cursing her lot in life.
When Accelerator, or rather Acelios, was given a hand mirror to survey his new cut. He turned his head from side to side to take note of his hair at different angles, the stand felt strangely slimy, yet the cut itself looked good. It made him seem a lot more approachable than previously, which would be advantageous if he was to integrate into the Starcalled collective. “I think this new direction is great. What do you think, Emmie?” He asked the baby, who turned her grubby hands in his direction.
France didn’t know what effect the shroom vomit would have on Acelios’s hair, but it didn’t smoke or sizzle and only discolored his hair, so he figured it was safe enough to let the magia enjoy the rest of the party without falling into the pit of ‘I survived a core merger and my lover dying before my eyes and all I got was this lousy haircut.’
Yep, it was time to celebrate.
Ordnung’s drinks were lined up on the counter, each one a masterpiece. France, ever the showman, grabbed a tray and distributed them with a flourish, alcoholic to the adult-looking folks and those willing, and juice to the non-partakers. “A toast,” he declared, raising his shot glass, “to new beginnings, to unexpected friendships, and to surviving a calamitous collapse and a debate on morality! Also, to never letting Clarissa near a pair of scissors again!”
Clarissa puffed her cheeks and swatted at France's arm, but she couldn't suppress her own laughter. Acelios who had been broody up until now also flashed a genuine smile.
One by one, they slammed down the drinks, the potent concoctions warming them from inside out, though each person who partook experienced the snappy punch of booze in a slightly different way. France who was fully flushed after his shot loudly announced that there was going to be an impromptu talent show after the food are eaten and drinks drunken. He then pulled both Ivan and Acelios into the hallway and began teaching them some kind of dance choreography, “with me gentleman, let me show you how to woo the fairer sex.”
Ivan’s drunken howling of Clarissa’s name echoed as he was dragged into the hallway.
Fifteen minutes later, France announced from the hallway with a voice subtly amplified by a touch of Harmonic magic. “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, Headmaster, and baby, it's time. Introducing, EX03!!!"
Right on cue, the three men shuffled into the clearing in the living room, with Acelios, now sporting head full of mushroom vomit thankfully concealed by illusion, found himself thrust into the center, flanked by Ivan, who wobbled as though he was on a rocky ship. With a whisk of his finger, a rendition of a rather modern song played as the backdrop for the trio’s... unique performance.
Acelios, despite his initial reluctance, moved with a surprising precision, his body remembering the steps even if his mind was still catching up. He hit every beat, his movements sharp and controlled, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of his companions. Ivan sealegs, bless his heart, fully committed to the performance with exaggerated moves, throwing in some enthusiastic hip thrusts and improv flairs in random places to the audience’s dismay. The mastermind France, danced with a flamboyant flair.
The performance was a glorious mess, so bad, it was good. Even Emmie, nestled in @Chako's arms, clapped at the trio’s performance.
If your character's in-game body can handle alcohol well, roll 2d6 and keep the lower result.
This is an experimental type of threads under a new tag called [NPC].
In these types of threads, the focus is on a single NPC where you can get to know them more personally, interact with them, and/or help them advance their personal storyline.
This thread will explore the aftermath of Alarm from the MIT NPCs' perspective. While it focuses on Accelerator's afterstory, it will also resolve a number of questions and plot threads around the MIT since you are able to interact with both Ordnung and Clarissa.
Chako could not believe it when she saw miss Clarissa trip and lose the scissors... Did she never learn that she had to be careful when wielding scissors? Did she think she was a character in a gag manga? What if the scissor had come close to Emmie!? How could she take this little care of little Emmie!?
Chako got more and more disappointed at miss Clarissa with each passing moment.
There was nothing Chako could do about it though, so she just kept on playing with Emmie... Until some juice was passed to her, which she accepted, and shared a bit with Emmie if she was fine with apple juice... It probably wasn't sugary enough to cause issues. It didn't taste like juice with added sugar, at least.
"Cheers!" Chako repeated after hearing someone say something about never letting miss Clarissa near a pair of scissors again... And also something about a moral debate and a calamitous corpse... "Your birth was filled with some wild things, wasn't it, Emmie?" Chako wasn't sure she wanted to know the details of that... Well, she didn't know if they would speak about it anyways. They had said something about it being confidential, after all, so... No use worrying about it!
Either way, Chako was planning on giving Emmie to her dad when Emmie clearly showed that she wanted to go to his arms, but... He was dragged away? And there was something about wooing people? Why would a dad care about that though? Why was he dragging papa... Acelios? Chako was confused by the name changes, she was pretty sure she had heard Accelerator before... Well, maybe it was a nickname? Or maybe some other confusing thing. Maybe identity change to avoid evil pursuers!? Chako started brainstorming.
Regardless of that, she was still disappointed at the guy dragging a dad away from his child for the sake of teaching him how to flirt... Like, doesn't he know that papa Acelios has bigger priorities in his life now!?
Well... It didn't take too long for them to come back at least, and uhn... Even I can dance better than that, was Chako's conclusion.
Buuuuut, little Emmie seemed to like it, so Chako just smiled and clapped with her too, "Your papa is a great dancer, isn't he?"
And with the clapping done, she made sure to safely pick Emmie up in her arms; left the rocking chair, even if Emmie protested; and brought her close to her papa... Chako couldn't help noticing the strange smell coming from his head, but she figured it was probably just some very very strange hair product. Probably nothing to worry about. They wouldn't use a product that was toxic for babies in his hair, right? "Great performance, papa Acelios! Little Emmie was very happy with your performance!!" Chako happily brought Emmie closer to Acelios, letting him hold her if he wanted to.
Once the business with the clothes was done, Ash left the others to fuss over Name-To-Be-Decided's hair. He gratefully took an empty seat on the couch, making sure to shoot @Luthien a sharp glare for leaving him to his fate.
By the time it was time for food and drinks, Ash had checked out of the preparations entirely and was busy entertaining himself with a rather out-of-place puzzle cube. Perhaps that was what led him to grab one of the alcoholic drinks when France passed by rather than juice. He brought it up to his mouth and paused, catching the sharp smell of alcohol.
It was just one drink, and Ash had the fortitude to spare. It'd be fine, right?
The drink had gone down too easily, and on an empty stomach. By the time Ash realized his mistake, it was far too late.
"I don't know what debates on morality y'all are having," he said, half sprawled across the couch once sitting upright became too difficult. It wasn't exactly clear who he was talking to - France had already dragged the others off for... whatever business they were on. "Ffff-ricking pointless, talking philosophy with NPCs... gonna give it anxiety like that other one..."
It was a sharp contrast with the proper mask Ash usually put on - closer to a true self that only Lúthien would recognize. "This ain't even real drunk. Could just log out and be done with it..."
He trailed off as France returned with the others and... began dancing. It looked like something out of a web video. It was absolutely terrible.
Ash slapped a hand over his face, unable to hold back his laughter. It was all pointless, and the pointlessness was deeply hilarious. "Fake drunk at a fake party for fake people-" and oh dear he'd said that aloud, but he was too far gone to realize or even particularly care.
She hadn’t meant to leave Ash with most of the makeover tasks, but one thing had led to another and before Lúthien realized it she’d been tied up in the kitchen. { I know, I know… I’m sorry, Ais! } She didn’t miss the sharp glare the caenis sent her way, privately addressing it as she wrapped up things in the kitchen.
{ I’ll treat you to a drink and a treat every day next week, promise! }
By the time she’d stepped back into the living room a lot had happened and, while the new look suited Acelios very well, she couldn’t help but scrunch up her nose ever so slightly at the odd smell coming from his hair. "Glad to see everyone’s having a good time, but I’m pretty sure it’s time for the little one’s dinner." She carefully gathered Emme into her arms, giving a soft coo to the baby before the unexpected laughter of Ash cut through the living room.
Looks like the drinks had claimed their first victim for the night.
Baby first… Unfortunately she couldn't be in two places at the same time, and feeding a baby wasn’t exactly an easy task… but there was someone in the room she trusted to hopefully help while she was busy. "Rissa, can you make sure no one’s drinking on an empty stomach?"
She was calm and patient while feeding Emme the mashed mix of carrots and pumpkins, making sure none of it actually made it to her clothes. A bottle of juice was a nice wrap up for Emme’s meal, the little one returned back to @Acelios’ arms for some father/daughter bonding time after Lúthien instructed him on how to hold both baby and the bottle.
With a drink in her hand the elf made her way to the couch where @Ash was sitting, giving the caenis a tap on the shoulder before she sat down next to him. "Fun afternoon, huh?" It had been a whirlwind of faces and experiences, and far from what Luthien had thought the day would be, but she hadn’t hated it at least.
"Feeling better, or should I fetch you a cold glass of water?" She had to admit that whatever Ordnung had concocted in the kitchen carried quite the kick, her nose felt tingly after just a couple of sips, but it tasted absolutely delicious too.
Well, she was certainly a bit apprehensive at first, but now that she was a few hours deep into this baby party… She couldn't deny she was enjoying herself.
It certainly helped that she wasn't the only dumbass bumbling around inside the house, which helped hide her own lack of etiquette and manners quite well. Still, she figured it was best not to push her luck and went about orbiting the few people in this party she was acquainted with.
Well, she would try, at least. But doing that came with a few hiccups of its own. Going down the list of familiar faces, MAI was currently preoccupied with a beastkin she was seemingly much more acquainted with, and Harper didn't want to intrude… Besides, the Magia was awkward to chat with at the best of times.
Ash… Was drunk. The tigress would give him a bit of side-eye before shaking her head. Skip.
Luthien seemed like a good option, dress comments aside, but the elf was a bit busy with the drunk wolf man, so she was no good either. The mechanic… Clarissa, was it? Also had her own alma-mater to tend to, leaving her pool of options very shallow.
The tigress would sigh, politely refusing a cup of whatever god-forsaken concoction had left Ash in that state before scouring the room for any ports of social interaction to anchor herself to, trying to not too laugh too hard at whatever that dance number just now was. Her golden eyes darted around, before aiming down... At a very frilly maid outfit.
There's her anchor.
Cup of juice in hand, she waltzed over to where Chako was with a friendly wave. The fellow felis was very friendly upon Harper's arrival, and it wouldn't hurt her mood to hang around Emmie more. The praises she received before also weren't unwelcome either...
" 'Eyo there, Chako wassit? How's the party treating you thus far? Hope you aren't being too overworked trying to take care of Emmie while dealing with… Everyone else." She noted with a dry chuckle.
After the trio’s performance, Fran’s magical muse faded as the laughter around the room subsided into a warm, lingering buzz.
With his body having to expend so much energy to keep up with Slick Rick and Ivan Sealegs, Acelios wiped perspiration from his brows before he received Emmie from @Chako with a slight smile. The baby’s warm weight against his chest felt more grounding than anything his mechanical arm could offer, despite how heavy it was.
By now, he was keenly aware of the phantom mushroom vomit on his scalp and how other people wrinkle their nose around him, but Chako’s comment and Emmie's happy gurgles washed away the absurdity of the moment.
“Thank you, Chako,” he replied, voice soft but clear, and a stark contrast to the hollow shell he'd been that morning.
“She seems... happy,” he said as he prodded the baby’s cheek with his mechanical fingertip.
In response, Emmie reached up a tiny, grubby hand and patted his cheek, though retracting it the moment she felt the slimy texture. “Uwaaah!” she squealed in surprise, eliciting a chuckle from the ‘father’ figure.
When @Luthien took the babe and fed her before returning her to Acelios, he nodded appreciatively at the elf while he bundled her up in his arms as he sucked on her juice bottle. With so many people starting to crowd up the room, one of which was the tiger-beastfolk (@Harper) looking to talk to her friend, the magia quietly stepped out of the house to find fresh air outside.
He found a wooden bench underneath the window and took a seat there, tending to the baby as his eyes searched for meaning in the starry night sky while the sound of merriment simmered behind the windows he was leaning against.
· · ·
France, meanwhile, surveyed the scene with a satisfied self-nod. His impromptu dance number had been a disasterpiece, but it had cracked the ice and brought smiles and merriment to the party – pride was a small price to pay to make any party lively, though, any bard that feels shame is no bard at all.
Amid his survey, his gaze fell upon the couch, where @Ash Vargold was laughing his ass off while @Luthien played the part of the concerned friend. Retrieving a glass of cool water and a plate with savory chickpea bites, he swaggered his way to the sofa with his offerings.
"The world may be fake, but merriment and good food isn’t so easily faked, friend" France chuckled as he set the drink and snack on the small table within reach. "Speaking of, I don't think I'm acquainted with either of you, are you perhaps the esteemed travelers who have been dancing on many a bard's tongues lately?" he asked.
"AA FOOD! RIGHT!" Clarissa suddenly shouted from the kitchen doorway, having been snapped into action by Luthien's earlier request and Fran’s reminder. Somehow, her major embarrassment from the scissor-slip incident was immediately forgotten and replaced by the frantic energy of a host. “Ivan, you oaf, stop trying to teach the baby drinking songs and make yourself useful!”
Ivan, who was so drunk he had been leaning over the counter humming the tune of EX03’s score to the imaginary infant in Chako’s arms, straightened up in a panic. “Aye, ‘aptain!” he slurred, grabbing baskets of food and replenishing empty plates.
When the rich aroma of the queso, the zest of lime on peanuts, and the curious scent of Sophi's festival eggs filled the living room with Ivan’s wobbling busboying, Clarissa clapped her hands together and shouted, "Alright everyone, dig in! No one's leaving this place without being drunk on a full tummy!!!”
With a stoic face, Ordnung helped himself to peanuts and Sophi’s eggs as he kept a warm gaze over the lively party. Even visionaries need a break. Though, it seemed more like he was beginning the reconstructing of the collapsed MITHRA in his head as he enjoyed his drink in silence.
Check the thread companion post if you need help or context around some of these characters.
Both Fran and Acelios are open to a branched off, dialog-heavy scene now, either use the comms thread or make a private thread in the same forum and ping @Raid Boss.
I'm looking to wrap up the thread by C6, so get all your interactions done by then.
Meta
Anyone who partake in Ordnung's drink must roll a 1d6 to see how the shot affects them. This drunk packs a punch, see the below.
If your character's in-game body can handle alcohol well, roll 2d6 and keep the lower result.
This is an experimental type of threads under a new tag called [NPC].
In these types of threads, the focus is on a single NPC where you can get to know them more personally, interact with them, and/or help them advance their personal storyline.
This thread will explore the aftermath of Alarm from the MIT NPCs' perspective. While it focuses on Accelerator's afterstory, it will also resolve a number of questions and plot threads around the MIT since you are able to interact with both Ordnung and Clarissa.
After giving Emmie off to her dad, Chako suddenly felt herself very free. Like... What else was she even supposed to be doing now? Not like she could do any cooking or cleaning while there were people partying around anyways, especially not with drunk people being nearby.
She looked around for a bit, heard some people say annoying stuff about the world not being real, then miss Clarissa started shouting again, much to Chako's ears dismay... Luckily enough, she wasn't too close to Chako, so the pain of the shout was bearable... Still, with what miss Clarissa said next, Chako couldn't help wondering if miss Clarissa had gone drunk... And Chako didn't want to be near a drunk miss Clarissa when a sober miss Clarissa already seemed to be quite the hassle to deal with.
So, Chako decided to just go outside and follow Acelios or whatever his actual name was, and saw him sat on a bench with little Emmie...
Chako smiled. She wondered if her parents ever did this kind of thing with her when she was a baby... Just silently sitting together, gazing at the starry night sky... Well, not like they could really see the stars in London of all places, but that's besides the point.
She felt like she shouldn't interrupt the moment, so Chako just starred at little Emmie and her dad from a bit far away. Smiling the whole time, just like how little Emmie was.
Such a party was certainly far too much for any introvert, especially one like MAI. Not really able to get any of the answers she hoped for, the only remaining choice was to retreat outside. Enjoy some alone time on the roof, watching the skies, perhaps attempt to return once some of the rowdier elements have left the party.
It was quite surprising that the exact opposite had happened, the two biggest subjects of her curiosity leaving the house to get some fresh air. Well, not exactly just the two of them, but that was mostly irrelevant. With her weightless, silent movements, the machine girl slowly descended toward the ground, enveloped in a veil of reduced gravity.
Briefly, her golden eyes locked on Chako, as if to gauge what the nanny(?) was doing here... merely waiting for the child? Well, no matter. She took a couple more steps toward Acelios. Not quite sure where to start, she remained wordless for a moment, eyes shifting between the man and the child in his arms. Her lips parted, but no words came out... it took her a moment still before she finally spoke up.
"Indeterminacy - This Unit conveys its apologies for deeming it appropriate to perform such crude queries, given the melancholy, yet hopeful scent in the air... Accelerator... Ahylios... how much of Ahylios is there, exactly?"
The night, the cosmos... they were always her element. In its cold light, brought by distant stars that they could never hope to reach, her deep magenta hair turned darker, a gradient into dark blue as countless white dots sparkled across the silken surface, a reflection of the universe upon her. Golden eyes shone in the dimness of the outside, stalwart in the seriousness of her question. She knew full well, and had accepted, that the man in front of her was not the one she was seeking in whole, and that he had the full right to deny her any answers right here and now.
"C’mon, let’s get you somewhere comfortable so you can ruminate those thoughts over quietly~"
Ash twitched an ear towards Lúthien, staring vaguely into the middle distance as the drink crashed into him. He flinched as she nudged him, but then mumbled something like okay and made an attempt to stand up, and more importantly stay standing.
For a moment he swayed, his legs feeling too long as he tried to find balance. With a grunt he balanced himself on his former seat and waited for his stomach to settle.
"Fff...fuck. Right. I can do this."
In reality, he probably needed all the help Lúthien could offer. It felt like he was learning to walk all over again. Ordnung's drink had thoroughly beaten him, and in the soup of his mind was the certainty that he never wanted to feel like this again.
"Third time... game has it out for me... he's gonna have a field day-"
Ash's sudden pause might have seemed like a prelude to more sickness, but instead he spent a moment searching pockets he didn't have, flailing a hand through the air, and eventually managed to get a fountain pen into his hand, which he immediately took to his arm.
"C'n you... let Jake know I'll be late. Ignore the trip. Th'n block him."
Despite splotchy ink and messy handwriting, it was obviously a username he'd written, 'ketsubanned'. It was also probably the last coherent thing out of him before Ash was eventually escorted away.
"Easy does it, Ash…" Her hands hovered close to the taller caenis as he stood, present in case he needed a little push or someone to lean on, though she allowed Ash his own freedom in the process. The disorienting sensation of one’s brain floating in a sea of booze was one Lúthien was familiar with, and she knew nothing good would come if she tried to rush his steps.
Her biggest concern had been the stairs leading onto the second floor, but the obstacle was thankfully cleared by Vargold with only a bit of stumbling and a helpful hand from the wall he braced against at one point. "I knew you had this… almost there now."
An eyebrow was raised in silent question when Ash mentioned this being the third time he’d been afflicted by an in-game DoT status, trying to remember if she might’ve witness all of them, before his sudden pause had the blonde reached for the nearby guest trash can in the room. She held it close to her side as a just in case measure, while her left palm rubbed soothing circles against his back.
"S-Sure, I’ll let them know…?" The messy blotches against his arm were unexpected, and it took a bit of squinting on her part to properly make out the sloppy letters. "So don’t worry about it, focus on getting some rest mm’kay?"
She made sure Vargold was properly laid out and comfortable on the guest bed. Ketsubanned… what an odd username. His boots had been taken off and set to the side, while the edge of the trash can brushed against the fingers of the one arm dangling from the side of the bed—a silent reminder of its presence, just in case Ash felt the need to puke at some point.
"Sweet dreams, Ais..." A quiet whisper as the elf tiptoed out of the room and returned to the gathering below. A look around the place had Lúthien sighing heavily, various glasses and plates stranded at odd places about the living room..
Better get started then… Rissa had done enough these past weeks to earn a proper break tonight, and so Lúthien began tidying up what she could to lighten the woman’s workload when morning eventually arrived…
As the party’s rambunctious energy began to wane, it left behind the echo of laughter and the scent of spilled drinks and good food sticking to the wall. The living room, where a whirlwind of activity took place, has now settled into a comfortable state of disarray: empty plates, glasses, and slumbering people.
When the brown-haired magia came into the house with Emmie in his arms, he was immediately approached by Ivan.
“Oi, Papa-lios!” Ivan bellowed as he grabbed the new father by the shoulder, his grip surprisingly firm for a sealeg who could barely stand. “S’time for bed! Family sleeps together!”
He pulled the duo towards a large, impromptu nest of blankets and pillows that France had assembled on the floor. In the background, Clarissa, who was half-asleep and smashed, was swiping at a table with a cloth, though mostly just smearing a spill into a wider circle.
Ivan got Acelios’ attention on his wobbly finger and pointed between himself and the teal-haired bard, who was already lying like a French girl with his head propped up. He was patting the comfy spot right next to time. “You an’ the baby gotta sleep right here,” he slurred, patting the space between them.
“The uncles gotta protect ‘er. Y’know? He’s the singin’, womanizin’ uncle,” he gestured to France, “and I’m the public safety uncle. Any boy who comes near her in fifteen years, POOF! Fire plane. No trial. No talkbacksy. Y’dig me?”
Acelios, processing this declaration with the earnest logic of someone still figuring out the dynamics of humans simply nodded. This must be how friendship between men worked, he thought as he carefully took off his shoes, setting them neatly to the side before settling into the bedding, positioning the sleeping Emmie carefully on his chest.
Nodding affirmatively to Acelios' reaction, Ivan plopped down beside him with a contented sigh, his frame curling protectively around Acelios. He leaned over and planted a gentle, drunken kiss on Emmie’s forehead, who cooed happily in her sleep.
From the kitchen, a new shout erupted. Clarissa had spotted the remaining awake people.
"NIGHT-NIGHT TIME!" she roared, abandoning her cleaning duties as she gathered @Luthien, @Chako, and @MAI into a group hug before unceremoniously toppling them all into the cuddle pile on the floor. Afterward, she scrambled around the room, turning off the lights sources one by one until only the soft moonlight remained painting the floor through the window pane.
• • •
Meanwhile, Ordnung sat on the chair and watched the scene unfold. His face remained unemotive at a glance, but there was an uncharacteristic softness behind those weary eyes. Acelios was out of his funk, and made friends it seems. The experiment was a success.
He turned and looked at Sophi, who had been observing the night’s events with her own quiet curiosity before he jotted down a note and passing it over to her,
"It's going to take some time and a lot of resources, but gather our children, let’s initiate Operation GODRUN."
Outro
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