vestigelogs | lake party invite + mingle (open)

Entry tags:

lake party invite + mingle (open)

Who: any and everyone!
Where: the lake and nearby!
When: right now! (july 7th, afternoon)
What: motha 👏 fuckin 👏 lake 👏 party
Warnings: Language (!!!) for now, will be added as needed!

[no, this is not a joke and yes, it's an actual invite to a party over the network from the username: cock.licking.idiot (and no, that's not a joke, either).

those who decide that they'd rather not be square will arrive at some unspecified patch of lake shore (thanks, klaus) at a similarly unspecified time (good work, asshat) to discover that something resembling a slapdash but heartfelt lake party along the northern waterfront. a couple of tables have been dragged out of nearby cabins and now hold a probably inadvisable quantity of foods, at least half of which don't belong at a party by any means. is this what rationing looks like? this is definitely what rationing looks like. there's also an alcohol table, filled pretty sparsely early on in the party but gathering bottles and cans throughout the day. (word of mod says feel free to wing it on what kind of alcohol we have!).

a number of chairs sit in a wobbly line in the stone-filled waterfront sand, most of them not meant for beachgoing but nearly all of them able to recline. about fifty feet down the beach seems to be the splash zone, where all water horseplay exists well out of range of splashing those sitting in beachside chairs. some people dive or cannonball off the mostly-sturdy pier, while others seem to be batting around a-... is that a beach ball they have? no, it seems to be a balloon that says "get well soon". how fitting. please, someone bring them a fucking beach ball.

(this is a mingle! go ahead and make top-levels or tag into other people's.)]

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arriving late;

[ His dad told him that sometimes he'd talk to his dead wife as a means of mourning. It sounds like a good way to make yourself crazy, to Luke, who still finds himself arriving at the party in part because he thinks that his dead sister would want him to. And she would point out something like it's probably a good idea to make sure anyone knows you exist besides that one lady and her dog, and someone on the forum who only knows you as 'bad.at.drawing'.

But he probably needs to cut that out.

Later. Because for right now, he happens to agree, so while the party is already in a state of swing, Luke arrives. He is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and sneakers, and has brought his contribution to the party in the form of a loaf of sliced bread he'd defrosted last night, and a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of pickles.

He sets these down, maybe mutters a 'hey' or 'how you doing' to whoever glances his way, and keeps his head down. The alcohol is all expected and he doesn't so much as glance at is, picking up an off-brand bottle of soda and squinting at the label. ]

people watching;

[ Luke finds the furthest most chair along the waterfront, sits there, and nurses his soda.

And observes. He is perfectly content to do this, watching groups form and unform and reform. He notes, a little, who is drinking a lot and who is not, as a matter of habit. He does not try to flag the attention of anyone having a good time, but he might nod in a sympathetic manner if he sees someone a little like himself, off to the side.

Eventually, he watches the lake, and feels the sun off the back of his neck. ]

leaving early;

[ Eventually, it becomes enough sun, enough noise, enough people. Luke matter of factly plucks up a few of the untouched food items on the table, the kind no one's really going to crack into at a party, bundles them under his arm, and starts heading away for the forest. ]

[it's when luke makes his pit-stop at the table to collect some of the less favored food items that klaus notices, keeps an eye on him for as long as until he starts heading toward the woods. that's the moment he tips back what's left of his drink, abandons the cup on the rocks beside the lawn chair he'd procured earlier and goes after the guy.

he tries to keep it casual, which isn't difficult, given the fact he's quite sociable (and definitely buzzed).] Hey, [he greets cheerily, reaching a hand out in an attempt to catch luke's shoulder before he gets too far,] where are you headed off to?

Hopefully not into the woods by yourself because that seems like a terrible idea!

[ Luke doesn't startle, thanks to the relaxation baked into his bones by the sun and the smells of summer, but there is a guarded twitch all the same under Klaus's hand when it finds his shoulder. He stops and turns, hands stiffened into a defensive clutch of the food he took.

But he says, ] Hey, [ in response. ] Uh.

[ Klaus gets a zigzagged once over, quick and assessing, and warier than Luke would like to seem. ]

Home. I- I mean, the cabin I, uh, I woke up in. But also yeah, the woods by myself.

[a reaction that has klaus politely withdrawing, both hands lifting so he can show off his tattooed palms, prove he isn't carrying anything harmful and he's not interested in whatever luke has. dude can take all the food he wants, honestly, he ain't judging.

the once-over seems decent enough, after he's sure luke won't try hucking anything at him, he lowers his arms.] Would you be against having some company? I'd hate for a snack like you to get eaten by a monster.

Promise, I'll be a total gentleman. Walk you to your door and then hit the bricks.

[ There's a quality to Klaus that is not unfamiliar to Luke's world, which isn't a given, in this crowd. The initial flattery gets a crooked smile, a twitched shake of Luke's head, more to fend off attention of even a joking kind, gaze dropping down to the ground between them.

But then Klaus insists a bit, and Luke thinks. Thinks of what Nell would say, on his behalf. Maybe if she were here, talking for him, the way she used to. Mostly, he speaks up because he starts to feel stupid, holding onto what appears to be a crumpled box of trail mix, canned tuna, evaporated milk.

And the woods are creepy as shit. ]

Isn't it your party?

[nice, he didn't get shot down and luke smiled; he'll call that a win, thanks very much! even though the man looks away afterward, which makes klaus's eyebrows lift with consideration, head giving the faintest tilt. surely he isn't shy of all things? because if so, he's going to get eaten alive. what isn't so nice, however, is what luke's holding in his hands.

his food is kinda pitiful if he's being honest, but offering him more or pointing out what he has might have the adverse effect and it seems like he's actually got a chance here. best not to ruin it, after all.]

Yeah, but don't worry, ain't nobody gonna miss me if I flitter off for a little while.

[ Luke's eyebrows crease cynically, like he's pretty sure someone's gonna notice a person like Klaus flittering anywhere. But he has long past gotten over being reticent at offers of assistance, and the walk won't be embarrassingly long.

So he kind of nods, a stiff motion, and starts to move with the body language of someone expecting to be kept up with. Keeping up is easy. He is rarely in any rush. ]

Haven't heard about any monsters, [ he says, ] but what's your plan if there's one?

[how terrific, that's an acceptance if he's ever seen one.

luke may be a little taller, but klaus's legs are pretty long, too. meaning he has no trouble keeping up and once he falls into step beside the man, he's tilting his head with consideration.]

Seriously, you haven't heard anything about monsters? [lucky for him, he didn't have those unfortunate experiences— they were awful!] For the best, really, but if we do happen across one... I'll just have to kill it.

( wei wuxian thought he would thrive at an occasion like this. he has never not thrived at a party, even as tensions started to rise amongst the sects and he found himself (or made himself) the obvious target of many a challenge or confrontation.

but he has lived apart from that world for too long, and though his keen people-person instincts have carried him this far, there's a point at which he finds himself drifting naturally away from the louder bits of the party to retreat (casually, but one used to retreating will certainly recognize a retreat when they see it) to one of the further chairs, sliding into it with a sort of sigh.

in truth, wei wuxian only made certain the adjacent chairs were empty when he selected his target, so it's belatedly that he notices (through a bit of movement in the corner of his eye) that he's actually not even the worst wallflower out here right now.

a glance is cast luke's way, assessing briefly. then, ) You're the guy that brought the pickles, right? ( a smalltalk-y question, sure, but at least it's in a distinctly muted voice. he definitely has not brought the party to luke, don't you worry. ) I'd never had one before. Is that-... How they're supposed to taste?

[ Luke observes the stranger's approach, determines that it's incidental to his own presence, and keeps his head down as if to give Wei Wuxian the opportunity to ignore him. He picks at the label on his bottle of soda with his thumbnail.

And then he is talked to, and looks up. Great news, about the absence of party being brought, and Luke's brow crinkles a little at the additional information that this guy never had a pickle before, but it softens into something more amused. ]

They're-- yeah. That's how they taste. It's vegetable in vinegar, so.

[ What can you do. ]

Try it with peanut butter next time.

( okay, but now wei wuxian's brow knits, a wary sort of grin spreading on his face - like he's not entirely sure if this man is pulling a prank and he's not even upset if he is. )

Try it with peanut butter? ( he echoes, head tilting a bit. ) That sounds awful. Are we thinking of the same peanut butter?

I'm thinking about the kind we get here.

[ He'd insist that they are, but he's had a crash course in accepting the fact that the universe exists in multitudes. Apparently. Maybe it applies to spreadables, he doesn't fuckin' know.

It gives him something to be curious about, in spite of himself. ]

Is this place like where you're from?

( ah, yes, so that's certainly the same peanut butter. ironically it's not the sort he's used to from home (a much cruder, less refined sort, more of a sauce really) but one that he has gotten acquainted with since arriving here.

he stands by his assessment. it sounds awful.

it seems to have earned a question from the elusive wallflower with awful taste in snacks: is this place like where he's from? wei wuxian lets out a little laugh-breath and, ) Ah, no, not really. Have you heard of China? That's my homeland - and from a somewhat different time, I think. ( unless elsewhere in the world they're making such things as these 'phones' while china is busy cultivating with their thumbs up their asses. he hasn't spoken to nearly enough travelers to know one way or the other. )

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lake party invite + mingle (open)

luke crain. ota.

leaving early;

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people-watching, because i can totally roll in ten days late right

and beyond

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