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( open ) foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in
WHO: Elysium, Wriothesley, and YOU!
WHAT: BACHELOR PARTY
WHERE: Various locations in Las Vegas
WHEN: May 15th-16th
WARNINGS: Copious consumption of alcohol, unsafe and insane behaviour probably (it's a night out in Las Vegas, standard warnings apply), I'll add more as they come up
[ On the evening of May 15th, all characters will be receiving the following text. Unless you're you know who, who it's been purposefully filtered away from. ]
🎉 You're Invited to Wriothesley's Bombastic Bachelor's Bash!!! 🎉
Date: May 16th
Time: 11AM — ???
Locations:
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Dress Code: Casual, swimwear
Join us for a day of exciting adventures as we celebrate Wriothesley's last hurrah as a single man, jam packed with activities to make it a time to remember! From aerial rides to skydiving, to a poolside lunch and bar-hopping with party games, it's our time to let LOOSE!
Bar and general venue expenses will be covered by yours truly, but for everything else please plan your budget accordingly. For any questions, contact me here @ hottie.
Whether you know the man or not, the more the merrier! He'll be happy to have you.
Can't wait to see you there!
Your new or old best bud,
Elysium
( OOC: This is an open log, so feel free to thread jack and top level to your heart's content! Characters may join for every prompt or the select few they'd be interested in, assume the locations field contains a detailed timeline of where the crew will be and when. For the bar and clubbing prompt, characters ages 21+ only, please!
No one's actually getting married btw (probably), Elysium just wants an excuse to party. )
WHAT: BACHELOR PARTY
WHERE: Various locations in Las Vegas
WHEN: May 15th-16th
WARNINGS: Copious consumption of alcohol, unsafe and insane behaviour probably (it's a night out in Las Vegas, standard warnings apply), I'll add more as they come up
[ On the evening of May 15th, all characters will be receiving the following text. Unless you're you know who, who it's been purposefully filtered away from. ]
Date: May 16th
Time: 11AM — ???
Locations:
██████████████
██████████████
██████████████
██████████████
Dress Code: Casual, swimwear
Join us for a day of exciting adventures as we celebrate Wriothesley's last hurrah as a single man, jam packed with activities to make it a time to remember! From aerial rides to skydiving, to a poolside lunch and bar-hopping with party games, it's our time to let LOOSE!
Bar and general venue expenses will be covered by yours truly, but for everything else please plan your budget accordingly. For any questions, contact me here @ hottie.
Whether you know the man or not, the more the merrier! He'll be happy to have you.
Can't wait to see you there!
Your new or old best bud,
Elysium
( OOC: This is an open log, so feel free to thread jack and top level to your heart's content! Characters may join for every prompt or the select few they'd be interested in, assume the locations field contains a detailed timeline of where the crew will be and when. For the bar and clubbing prompt, characters ages 21+ only, please!
No one's actually getting married btw (probably), Elysium just wants an excuse to party. )
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But look, to show that they're all fine and dandy, Elysium will teasingly nuzzle into Sampo's hand while maintaining eye contact. ]
What, you don't think it's natural? [ Elysium stills to laugh; Sampo can probably feel it as much as he hears it. ] A hottie like me's bound to turn heads all the time.
[ Like it's a fact of life. Rather than it being something he wants—it's just something that is. Is he serious or is it a joke we just don't know, help, but there's the added levity. ]
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[The nuzzling is only for a monent, because Sampo has already retrieved his hand like a wayward dog. No more contact. He likes the laugh, though - despite the coils of darker things under the surface, he likes the noise. What a wonderful thing it is.]
...No. Your laugh is more attractive than anything. [And more softly:] I mean it.
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But his words elicit an instinctive reaction: how his mouth parts just the slightest bit and how he wants to laugh again to expel his surprise. There's no guising the former; the latter he swallows halfway through. ]
… That so. [ Well, well. That's new. Elysium stalls on the intonation of it more so the compliment itself; was it his good hearing influencing it, or did it just tickle his ear? ] Lucky for you that you get to hear it so often.
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[Now that gets him to laugh, in turn - and this one is sincere, glad to catch the brief twitch of the other's mouth.]
[Whatever this is, whatever it turns to be, if they leave each other at the crossroads, meet intimately in the darkness, struggle for their lives, put knives to each other's throats, or so on, and so forth, it'll just be nice to hear him laugh throughout it all.]
...What's happiness to you, Mister Elysium?
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Well. That isn't entirely accurate. He acknowledges the vague anticipation over what the future might hold, but he can't say he's particularly consumed about it, or so he tells himself when he's clearly stoking and fanning its flame. There's a timeline out there where he peers into "Sampo Koski" and finds himself unable to look or draw away. ]
That would depend on what manner of answer you're looking for. Are we back to debating philosophy, Koski?
[ Given he's mentioned happiness twice in relatively short succession, it feels as if they're standing on some sort of precipice. At the core of every individual as it is, it is a choice to raise the topic after an apparent display of vulnerability. ]
As a favour, [ 'as a way for us to truly make bygones be bygones,' ] why don't you answer that one for me first? Give me a stellar example so I don't let you down with mine.
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[But sure. He expected the ball to be back in his court, anyways. It's something he can readily answer, too, as he nods and fires back like he's been ready for this question every single minute of every single day. In a way, he's putting down a card to reveal. Just for Elysium, as almost a peace offering. The man deserves that for all the strange vague torment he's been shuffling under the table that may or may not still be there by the end of this conversation.]
"True happiness always entails the manifestation of the dignity of mankind."
[He says, in a different voice, like he's quoting another. A click of his tongue, and he continues.]
Now that's a quote I live by. I'm not the type to engage in...y'know, antics of vanity just to get a little joy. The twists and turns of fate, like on a stage with a real large crew working together as one...there's nothing like it.
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[ So, an olive branch. Because the bird has yet to fly away, it'll continue dropping cards down from its beak. ]
Let's see. I don't have anything quite as thought-provoking to share, so… I'll just piggyback off of everything we've already gone over. It's in greeting the sunrise every morning. Seeing the smiles and laughter of others. My happiness should never take away from others, and I want to do what I can, when I can. So that would be——… the manifestation of my dignity, I guess? [ A cheeky, lop-sided smile. ] Cheesy, no? Except, that's how it is. I'm really not a complicated guy.
[ Elysium might not be complicated, but he can't claim he's been living in perfect accordance to his own words, either. Still, he could say he was trying. Was it enough? Well. The pause tells half the story. Moving on. ]
… Especially not when compared to you! Stages are entire productions by definition. That does beg the question of what roles you find yourself fancying. The main lead? That of a supporting man? Or, perhaps… The playwright?
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[And he means that. People like Sparkle rub him the wrong way. All they care about is their own selfish impulses and little else. He might not be some shining paragon of virtue, but he's not a Fool that would muddle the pot too much. Here and there, yes, but in the end, its about the overall success of the many versus dancing in the destructive aftermath of what is left.]
[The pause makes him blink, but the question makes him settle back where he's sitting, smile playing on his lips.]
Oh, I could answer that...but! I want you to guess. Go on! See if you can figure it out.
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[ A smile plays back. And yet, with no hesitation:
( Sampo Koski voice ) ] "The end, where everything falls into place [...] is a moment like no other."
[ He might've exchanged one analogy for another, but if he had to fathom a guess—the underlying themes are the same, aren't they? ]
The one person that'd be the most significant to——it can only be the person who'd brought the production together.
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[Maybe literally, to a Fool.]
[Hearing his own words parroted back to him makes him grin, now, but there's a mischievousness in his eyes that feel like someone holding a valuable thing above one's head, tempting to grab it.]
Sure. I could see that. But! There's a lotta parts behind the stage. The director! The choreographer. The set designer. The guy who makes the costumes! You might have to be more specific.
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Convenient that what I'm thinking of is one of the ones we've both left out. Intentional on my end and yours, I presume.
[ They could grab it, sure, but they could also continue to leave it up there in the air along with everything else they have. How much weight can a ceiling hold before it caves in, or are they dealing with something as boundless as the open sky? ]
We'll just have to be left hanging! Unless, you want to guess what's in my mind, but I think I know the answer to that, too.
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[Maybe it isn't. He's no Memokeeper. He can't look into minds, rifle with memories. His guess as to what's going on in this man's head is as good as anything.]
[Which makes it funnier when he just says that.]
But....aw. Oh well. Oh well, oh well, oh well. I don't think you're an easy guy to predict, though. I think you like it that way.
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I'll tell you what I really think. [ A poke to Sampo's forehead, weighty enough to send his head back. ] It's that you think too much, aaaaaand that I'm too unbothered to try and keep up with you. If I'm wrong? I'm wrong. No water off my back. Just how much do you want me to know you, Mister Koski?
[ Or, how much does he not want him to know him? Which would he find more amusing? Elysium thinks he'd find elation in both right and wrong, and so he delivers. In half-measure. It's hard not to taunt Sampo when he willingly matches every step of his dance beat for beat. As fun as it is to pull others in and force them to match his rhythm, or leave them stumbling along in his wake—theirs is dance unlike one he's experienced before, that leaves him wondering how much longer they'll be able to keep it up. ]
But, I'll give you that. I'd rather not be predictable. Still, I'd maintain I'm a simple guy. Because on the flipside? If I had to pick a role for myself… I'd probably be one of the actors. How does that sound?
[ There's no right or wrong here, either, his curiosity in how he chooses to answer by itself. ]
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[Can anyone even know themselves, or is it just cobbled masks from different people's perspective? Ah, there he goes again, being philosophical, but it's far from the stuffiness of some bookworms in some dark little library. If it is philosophy, it's a dance through knowledge and the understanding of self.]
The actor...hm! Yes! [And he's pulling up his hands to make a little camera over his eye, making clicking noises on his tongue.] You would be a face for the paparazzi to love! Your name all over billboards, banners, posters....heh. Main role? Or side guy?
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[ A willingness to share. A willingness to listen. In the same vein as, it's not that deep bro… ignoring that he hasn't been forthcoming, either. If one does not acknowledge one's own grocery list of issues, one does not have to acknowledge the telephone book of another's; at least, he doesn't put the onus on Sampo and instead splits it neatly in the centre. ]
With the two of us together, how can we not have a guaranteed hit on our hands? [ In accordance to Sampo's camera, Elysium gives him a heart by crossing his thumb and index finger, practiced smile reaching all the way to his eyes. Of course there has to be a wink—they're talking fan service.
Once the picture snaps, he's back to his usual self. ]
But the world isn't ready for that yet, [ "Elysium" isn't main character potential, ] so it's the supporting role for me. Seeing something shine with help from your direct hand… there's no feeling like it.
Why don't you join me on the stage? [ Fold first. ] There are an awful lot of empty positions at the moment.
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[The supporting role thing is a mild surprise, but he rolls with it as he always does.]
[If he puts a card down, its a Joker, here. When was that card ever in play?]
You say that like I'm not already there. I even told an old friend right before I woke up here...this old timer is going to take the stage and make a fool out of himself. How about....your roguishly handsome shady comic relief at your side? How does that sound?
[He practically sparkles.]
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[ Sampo sparkles, and Elysium wonders if the hint of madness isn't just a trick of the light. It probably isn't; he trusts his gut more than anything. What does he do about it? Nothing. Or really, he does worse——Elysium wants to go down the rabbit hole and see where it leads. ]
Clearly you've thought about this more than I have. But that's a different stage, isn't it? We'll have to set up our own.
[ Party busses apparently have dividers… why they haven't set one up before, dwbi, Elysium is doing that now. For what purpose that he needs to do it in the first place? dwbi!! ]
After earnest and not so earnest attempts on both our parts, our dogged protagonist is off on their adventure, accomplishing grand achievements all on their own. That leaves our roguishly handsome shady comic relief and charmingly cryptic friend who seems to hold every answer behind. Perhaps emboldened by the protagonist's genuine nature and efforts, the friend decides to take matters in their own hands.
[ It's too bad they're on a vehicle and in motion; Elysium is briefly reminded of Sampo's reaction to being closed in on. Instead, in a marked difference from earlier, his arm snakes around Sampo's shoulders to pull in him close. In a lower octave than his usual: ]
"… Aren't you a little too handsome to just be comic relief? What exactly are you planning?"
[ it's a shitty script because he isn't a playwright ]
no subject
[Not quite that at all. There's more motivation than just a good time, which he thinks surprised even Sparkle when he told her.]
[But even as he dwells back on that final meeting, the man's arm moves to close them in with the divider - and then with his words, he spins a tale. And finally, the pièce de résistance, that arm that shifts around him, pulls him in across this metaphorical poker table, as if daring him to drop that smiling poker face and reveal a little more under the surface.]
[Initial surprise comes and goes, and even though he's well and enough caught, something flares, a little excited, in the turquoise wells of his eyes. Of course, something like this won't really nab him. Many a Silvermane Guard would agree with it. But here, he plays along. His own hand moves up between them, fingertips tracing his side before putting a playful poke into his chest.]
"Oh, my good sir!". [He says. He is not playwright either, but he's good at playing parts.] "Should the pot be calling the kettle black, here? Aren't you a little too cryptic and mysterious for anyone's liking?"
no subject
Was that possibly Elysium's only issue at the time? Yeah. Help. ]
"For anyone's liking? Are you sure about that?" [ His smile is smug. Reactionary. He schools it back into something more serious when his free hand catches Sampo's to hold it in place, fingers deliberately grazing over his knuckles. ] "Even now, as I have you under me… you're refusing to tell the truth? Why else would you be shady?"
[ what is the genre again. anyway. out with the final boss confession with you. ]
no subject
[Also yes. This feels like they've made a step back from the abyss compared to last time. Which is fine, by Sampo's reckoning. It may not be as dangerous as he first expected, but there's a certain thrill to it, too. It's not the threat of death, but the threat of a hunter and a prized animal he wants to keep in a cage. Perhaps. maybe. Even his metaphors are escaping him, here.]
[The man's hand is on his, and Sampo leans in with a little huff of a sigh, forehead against forehead. His fingers curl over the other's, his free hand trailing, naughtily, at the curve of the man's hip. As I have you under me, he says. He would like that position.]
"Can't a guy be shady about normal things? Like deals, and bargains. Nothing more. Besides, I'll give you this, darling. I tell the truth when it gets the biggest laugh."
[And he laughs at that, as if to punctuate it.]
"From you, especially."
no subject
But Sampo's hand causes his breath to hitch and his eyebrows to furrow in discomfort. Once again, he finds where Elysium is most vulnerable however unintentionally; along his hip lays a neat row of crystals, solid to touch through the thin fabric of desert-appropriate attire. Although he doesn't say anything, his expression does grow increasingly severe in the quiet way a supposedly tamed wild animal would behave up until it loses its patience—that is, until he takes a sudden, measured breath for a brief reset—but he imagines that the damage has already been done.
It's true. Just because there's no threat of death, it didn't necessarily mean there's no danger. He'll salvage it. In a way that doesn't make sense, but he'll salvage it. Leaning closer to Sampo's ear, his breath is likely warm against its shell. ]
"If that was all you were shady about, then we wouldn't be having this problem. And if you won't come clean… don't you know? I have my ways of getting the information I need from people."
[ A whisper: ]
"Even if it's you." [ With that final warning——he bites. ]
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[He is an observant man. Has to be in his line of work. He wasn't blind when he saw the crystals earlier when he kissed the man's hand. He wasn't numb now when he feels the edges of the crystals as he touches them. The way Elysium's expression changes, something serious settling in before abating, draws his attention like a moth to a flame.]
[What does it mean? If it were a regular part of his species, or something normal to him in general, he wouldn't expect such a reaction. No. This is something else. A little string of vulnerability.]
[He has to decide how much he wants to tug. When to tug. If he even wants to tug at all.]
[The man's breath is enough to tug his own thoughts away, and he stills, muscles tensing. Maybe his body anticipates it more than his brain does, because it helps with the surprise when those teeth dig into to sensitive cartilage.]
Ah-
[It really is shameless, the sudden flush of blood that stains his cheeks as he gasps into the man's shoulder. How naughty. Really, this cryptic friend is so cruel to a guy who's only here to be funny, really!]
[He's following that up with a press of his teeth against the other's jawline - he won't bite, but it's almost a threat to do so. That hand at his hip grips further up over his waist.]
"You scoundrel. Doing such a thing to a pure soul like me-! Who will put you in your place, huh?"
no subject
Before he knows it, Sampo's mouth is against his jawline. He could easily pull the man in his lap. His eyes see, from their periphery, the pretty red that colours Sampo's cheeks. Under, he'd said, but he's kind of imagining it the other way around, now, with how much easier it'd be to do as he wills and keep Sampo's hands from straying where they shouldn't. It'd be simple. One motion. They technically achieve the same thing, in this case, in restraining this insufferable man who's been dancing too well to the beat. His pulse flutters, and his breaths would be staccato if he hadn't gotten that under control moments ago.
Which is its own reminder, on top of Sampo's words, that things were quickly getting out of hand. Does that really matter, though? … Yes. It does. They're on a goddamn bus with however many of their teammates on the other side, and—it's much too soon to give in.
At least he hadn't gone further than a bite, is the cope. ]
… Me.
[ Who will put Elysium in his place, he'd asked? Elysium himself, apparently. In the single second he achieves clarity, he unwinds his arm from Sampo's shoulders, extracts and drops the hand against his chest to shove Sampo's other hand away from his waist. He even has the audacity to sit back, close his eyes, and cross his arms and legs. Calling him a charming cryptid might be a bit on the nose, but that's exactly the behaviour he's exemplifying. Sampo isn't getting much more explanation than that. ]
That's a place to end, if any. [ enjoy the cliffhanger. ] Not bad for a first rehearsal, right?
[ first rehearsal, he says, like they're going to do it again???????
no subject
[Moments are fretful, temporary things. Either you take them by the horns or let them flit away. But even if Elysium doesn't push it further - well, Sampo thinks he would've done the exact same thing in his position. There's no heartbreak here as he's pushed back, only a sheen in his eyes of someone who had the taste of an exquisite delicacy but is exceedingly patient for the next try.]
[It's fun. Ah, it's so fun! It's so, so fun.]
[He's shoved back, and he slumps onto the seat...before he reaches up his hand to rub over the side of his head with a whine.]
Owie....you really took a number out on my ear...
[He's rubbing it and pouting like a little kid. This was the man who was so dangerously close to toeing the line with this dance, before. In a brief second, though, he's back to a smile, even giving the other man a little clap.]
Not bad, not bad! Though we really need to get a better set for the next go-around, hm?
no subject
[ Meanwhile, he's still just sitting and regulating his breathing, focusing on the steady beat of music in their backdrop. If nothing else, it merits a cheekier grin even if his eyes remain closed. ]
Now, what do you have in mind when you say "better"? Wasn't this exercise rather exciting as it was?
[ Who's the coward… him or Sampo… the risk of discoverability makes all the difference in snapping someone back to reality, but at the same time? Hm. That doesn't sound right, either? ]
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