lake party invite + mingle (open)

[channellings]

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.)]

Comments

wei wuxian, ota

[mannerless]

( you bet this motherfucker is in and out of the water for most of the party. he's stripped down to his bottom-most layers (a plain red undershirt with long sleeves rolled up, a pair of thin deep-grey trousers rolled up similarly) and can be found:

( a ) surveying the early party-attendees for a moment as if weighing something in his head. then, cupping hands around his mouth, he calls, ) A quick question! Who here is the cock-licker? ( little does he realize how immensely nonspecific this might actually be.

( b ) in the water, quite possibly participating in some sort of balloon or beach ball nonsense. if he happens to see someone heading into range, he'll most certainly call out a - ) Hey! ( and bat it in their general direction. guess they're playing now, huh?

( c ) dripping wet and raiding the alcohol. maybe he bumps into you by mistake! maybe he knows you - if he does, expect a horrible wet arm draped over your shoulder like the shithead he is. alternatively, maybe this is his third or fourth trip (he's fine, this much booze is an average weekday) and he's scoping out the options he hasn't tried, turning to whoever stands next to him to ask, ) What am I drinking next? ( but before they open their mouth, he holds up a finger to add, ) And don't tell me if it's delicious or awful. I like a surprise.

( or ( d ) on a branch of the dock, lying on his back, a different bottle of fruity alcohol in each hand. a foot hangs over the edge, kicking idly at the water. his eyes watch the sky, not particularly seeing it. if he hears someone coming, he lifts his chin to peer at them upside-down, then flashes a greeting grin regardless of whether or not he knows them. one of the drinks is offered up, because - ) Have you tried these? They're like candy.

( c )

[soups]

❰ this whole party is...certainly different from what she's used to, and yanli was feeling trepidation about attending after seeing who exactly sent the invite -- she's somewhat figured out the basic mechanics of this 'network' people are mentioning. but these things are about par for the course as of late, and it's definitely wise to stick to those she knows. she'd rather be somewhat attached to wei wuxian and jiang cheng right now when everything seems so murky, and that's exactly what she's doing, albeit splitting time between them. for whatever reason, getting them together without tension is impossible at the moment.

she's been told that the two strange containers she's holding contain liquid, and she can hear it slosh as she moves...but opening them is something of a puzzle, so she'd like to confirm how to unlock the alcohol from wei wuxian. he'll probably have figured it out by now for a variety of reasons. ❱

Then here's one for you, A-Xian. ❰ a can is offered to him, one kept in her other hand...if everyone is imbibing, a few sips wouldn't hurt. ❱ Or have you already bested this kind?

[mannerless]

( truuuuuth be told, he himself struggled with that very mystery for a bit before opting to stick with bottled drinks, but now his shijie is offering him one of the metal jugs so he can't back down now. he lifts it to eye level to peer at the label. four loko, hmm? ) Four drinks in one, my wonderful Shijie is as efficient as she is pretty.

( and it's time to size up the lid again. a stealthy glance at hers says she hasn't figured it out either, soooo it's time to just... give it a shot. he presses at the outlined part with his thumb in case it just pushes right in, but nope, no luck, so he opts to wedge a fingernail under the tab in case it will pull away.

this, through sheer dumb luck, lifts the tab enough to push the outlined bit open a crack - and aha now he's figured it out. with utmost confidence, he leverages the tab to push it open the rest of the way. ) Do you want me to get yours? ( it was a bit of a pain, after all. )

[soups]

❰ exactly what she expects from wei wuxian -- if there's some kind of mechanical or logical problem to solve, he's the guy to go to. she's taken aback by the sound that the tab and can make, as well as the hiss of carbonation that comes with it, but it doesn't stop her from also handing her can over so that he can perform the trick again. ❱

Do you think it will be so strong? ❰ yanli didn't correlate the name to any sort of alcoholic potency -- the can just caught her attention. ❱ I'm not that used to drinking...but then a few sips shouldn't hurt, I think.

[mannerless]

( and so he'll set his own down on the table to take her can now as well, popping it open with far more confidence this time. it's offered back in one hand as he reclaims his in the other with a thoughtful hum. ) Let's see, ( he says, and takes a swig from the hole in the top.

wei wuxian barely has time to swallow before he's laughing, eyeing the label again. ) Oh, it's something. Very, very something. ( a little chin-flick nod toward the can in yanli's hand, still grinning of course. ) Try it. ( shijie is perhaps the only person on this planet able to trust wei ying not to trick her, so at least there's that. )

[soups]

❰ her can is taken back with a playful bow, and she waits for his reaction to the sip. if it's 'something' to someone as experienced as wei wuxian, then it has to be...well, she'll see.

she puts her mouth to the lip, automatically grimacing by the taste of the metal. with trepidation, she tilts the drink back and sputters almost immediately at the taste. the alcohol is present -- very present. but so is a very sickly sweet consistency and flavor. ❱

Oh, A-Xian. This is...it's... ❰ it's very hard to describe, so much so that she goes for another sip just to see if she can put words to the sensation. ❱

[mannerless]

( it's an extremely rare occurrence that his shijie drinks informally, on an occasion which doesn't necessitate proper composure and drinking to someone or something. which means that he is most certainly watching her reactions now, lips pressed together so he doesn't grin (especially once she sputters).

and wei wuxian is more than ready to let her form her own words about it, but she seems to be at a loss, so... ) It's something, ( he repeats, because that's clearly the word that she was looking for too. ) Strong, very strong. ( and he takes another drink now too, because it may be something (and not even necessarily his favorite something) but it also isn't awful and there's certainly alcohol in it that he refuses to let go to waste. )

[soups]

❰ she nods at both assertions, taking a few sips in between that she can't help but grimace at. ❱

You really have an iron stomach if you can drink things like this all the time, A-Xian. ❰ it does feel easier to get through as she takes another drink, if only because her mouth feels numb at this point. perhaps not numb, but it is tingly. a little unfeeling. is her tongue in there anymore? ❱ I don't know how much more I can handle...but it'll be nice to have fun with everyone.

Just make sure your shijie doesn't go too wild, okay? ❰ it's certainly a joke -- she doesn't think a few sips of alcohol will turn her mind inside out. ❱

[mannerless]

( ope, now he's grinning again, lifting two fingers up to eye level in promise. ) Nothing you'll be embarrassed for tomorrow, I promise! ( another drink from his can, and then, ) You may not know, but you picked just the right guy for the job. If I can keep a drunken Lan Zhan from doing anything ridiculous, I can absolutely keep an eye out for my Shijie.

( he goes to take yet another drink, but a glance at the can reminds him - ) Oh, but I don't drink things like this. Not all the time. Our wines are much smoother, richer. Less metal-taste, much much less. ( he's not sure if that's the can or the drink itself, but the point stands. )

[soups]

❰ nodding, she takes another sip. there's something about it that invites her to want to keep drinking. maybe it's the strangeness of it, or how she keeps trying to place the semi-fruity taste it leaves in her mouth.

the talk of wine is nice, but she hones in on the most interesting part of this conversation. ❱

What is Lan-gongzi like when he's drunk, A-Xian?

(a)

[channellings]

[huh, he almost thought none of the people he's met who are wearing those fancy robes would've ever stripped down the way wei wuxian has. sure, he's still more covered than klaus, who's sporting some swimming shorts with a wild pattern on them and no shirt whatsoever, but he has to imagine the other guy almost feels half-naked without all those layers.

one arm tucked underneath his chest, hand holding the opposite elbow, he arches an eyebrow as wei wuxian lifts his hands, cups them around his face and— oh. well, alrighty then, that wasn't at all expected and he ends up laughing into his drink, sputtering momentarily, though after he regains his composure enough:] Are you looking for the cock-licker or a cock-licker? Because there might be more than one in that last case.

[and also the first one, but klaus has a pretty good idea what wei wuxian is asking about; it's likely the username that was sent alongside the ridiculous invitation to this party.]

[mannerless]

( it's true, wei ying does feel significantly more naked like this - but then again, he's by far the most shameless among them, and it doesn't bother him nearly as much as it perhaps should.

the sputter nearby draws his gaze, a brow raising as none other than the net-shirt drifter speaks up. he seems to have lost his shirt since. perhaps he's cast it out to catch a few fish as they speak. to his question, wei wuxian shakes his head the slightest bit, exhaling an amused little grin. ) Let's start with 'the'. ( but wait. ) Don't tell me it's you? There are things I never needed to picture and that's absolutely one of them.

[channellings]

[seriously, wei wuxian, if you accuse him of using his shirt to catch fish, he's going to give you the weirdest look.

taking a long pull from the solo cup he's holding— wait, it's... longer than expected, klaus's even raising a hand to gesture, though once he finally swallows and lowers it again,] Yeah, it's me, I have the most uncreative name on the network. Like I was saying on there: they didn't even try. [a beat as the remainder of the sentence clicks] Well, hey, it's not my fault you imagined it! Don't think about me licking cocks and you won't be traumatized.

[mannerless]

( don't think about-...

wei ying crosses his arms now, nodding a bit sarcastically. ) Mhm, yes, because it works so well to tell someone not to think of something.

( but in truth he's more amused than anything, the faux-irritation falling away to a sort of grin as he glances off across the party. ) Well, now that I've got you, I've nothing important to say. I just wanted to know who got stuck with a name like that. And to commend the good idea, maybe. Huaisang certainly needed to think about something besides death for a few minutes.

[channellings]

[klaus's expression brightens further at the response, eyes rolling shortly thereafter.] That's the point, silly!

[for a brief moment, the drink in his hand levitates out of his palm so he can lift his arms, gather up all his hair and quickly tie it in a messy, mostly secured half-ponytail. then he grabs the cup again, blows some stray bangs aside and tilts his head.] That's cool, and hey, at least now you know the unlucky bastard with the name. [but hang on here—] Huaisang... the little cutie with the fan? What's got him up in arms about that of all things?

[mannerless]

( wei wuxian's expression goes puzzled (and, admittedly, intrigued) when the drink hovers in midair, his grin broadening a little. he has certainly heard that there are other forms of cultivation here - forms that don't even call themselves cultivation at all, forms that don't require years of building one's inner core to the proper strength and/or calling dark energy to one's aid, but he hasn't quite seen it before now.

it seems like the drifter has met huaisang, he describes him pretty well, and wei wuxian opens his mouth to confirm but then that question follows. ) ...Haven't you read the papers? The little folded ones, they're in all the houses.

[channellings]

[a half-smirk lifts his lips at the corners in return, though he doesn't make any mention of it or even think about addressing the levitating, just focuses on draining what's left in the cup. he'll go for more afterward, but for now, he's curious: how many people here actually think they're going to die? (too many is more than likely the answer and he'd rather not consider that or the fact he'll probably be one of them.)]

What, the ones telling us all about pain and suffering and dying? [s h r u g] Of course, I thought everyone got them. They did say we'd come back, didn't they?

[mannerless]

( is... this a trick question? )

Well, yes, ( wei wuxian answers, a bit slowly - as if the fact that this isn't obvious to klaus means he might be walking into some sort of joke without realizing. ) But that doesn't seem particularly pleasant before the coming-back part, does it?

( a dry laugh-breath and, ) Especially for Nie Huaisang. I can't be certain that man has so much as bled in over a decade. ( and wei ying plans to keep it that way, not that he'll say as much aloud. )

[channellings]

[sort of, but wei wuxian answers it pretty well.]

Not really, no, but if we're going to die anyway... Okay, this might sound weird? I've died a few times before and came back, though. [none of the times were comfortable either, though he'd assume there wouldn't be a need to explain that, it should simply be a given.

unless he's really interested? hopefully not, klaus would rather focus on something else.] For whatever it's worth, I've got healing abilities if you ever need them.

b.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning, having shed his outer layers and wearing instead just his inner robes with a t-shirt he found at the gas station over them, is just kind of wandering aimlessly. He doesn't want to drink any alcohol, and he isn't all that hungry, so he doesn't really know what to do with himself.

He hears a familiar voice call out to him from the water, and turns to look just as a brightly colored round thing is flying towards his face. He tries to catch it, fumbling the first few attempts as it keeps slipping away up into the air, but finally he gets a good grip on it.

...Too good a grip. The balloon pops. Hope you weren't super attached to it. ]

Oops.

[mannerless]

( on the contrary, wei wuxian had precisely no attachment to the balloon and is now glancing between wen ning and what remains of the balloon on the ground in puzzled fascination.

in fact, he's even wading up out of the water to claim the little rubber scrap off the ground, stretching it between his hands experimentally. )

Have you ever seen a thing like this? ( a glance up to wen ning, then back down at the stretchy material. )

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning bends to pick up another shredded piece of the former balloon, one with the knotted end still attached. He tugs at it, shaking his head in wonder. ]

Never... It's so stretchy. But not very strong.

[ He hadn't squeezed it all that hard, had he? Sure, he's stronger than the average human, but he hadn't been using the bulk of his strength when he was trying to catch it. ]

[mannerless]

No, not strong at all. ( he discards it back on the ground, because what is the concept of littering to an ancient chinese dumbass? ) Shame there aren't more of them. You don't find things that float like that - lanterns, sure, but they don't come back down. ( plus it's much harder to play with something filled with fire, as a general rule.

but oh, he'll offer wen ning a grin now and, ) Wen Ning at a party. It warms my cold dead heart. Are you enjoying yourself?

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning gives a soft, shy smile. Yes, he's at a party. His very first. It's going... Well, it could be going better. ]

I, ah. Yes? I think so.

[ There's only one problem. Wen Ning steals a wary glance around him, looking for a familiar purple clad figure. ]

I ran into Jiang Wanyin at the drinks table. He told me to stay away from his family, lest I should cause more trouble for you all.

[ He has no intention of staying away from Wei Wuxian, of course. He's the person who Wen Ning trusts most out of anyone, the person he owes everything to. Nothing could keep him away from him. ]

[mannerless]

( the grin falls to something more like a commiserative smile, and he closes the rest of the distance between them to pat his friend comfortingly on the shoulder. )

Lucky for us that he's disowned me, then, isn't it? ( he's no member of jiang cheng's family anymore, and as much as that destroys him a bit each time he recalls it, it does mean that the warnings jiang cheng issued to wen ning don't apply here. ) We just won't take you to visit Shijie, and Jiang Cheng can stay the hell away from our house as he pleases. You see? It'll all be fine.