[WORLD ONE | DING DONG THE FISH IS DEAD]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Coven members and the Palai
Where: Celebrating the Uvi going boom-boom
When: Day 67
Open/Closed: Open to All
OOC Note:

The initial setting information found here should be utilized for threads here.

There's no official OOC account for the Palai people. You're free to roleplay their actions and reactions on your own, as in depth as you want -- asking questions, hand-waved interactions, becoming best friends. The new world is your oyster!

For decades, the Palai have had to deal with the threat of the Uvi invading their homes, killing their families and returning 30 days later. After the coven found their way to Aimintas, the Palai found that the threat wasn't so...threatening. After the last attack, with many more Palai lost as compared to previous Uvi instances, some Palai had lost hope. Now, after seeing their nemesis blown to bits and falling out of the ocean, their faith in safety is restored. While the Uvi are still committed (by and large) to learning more about barriers and other forms of safety, the time for focusing on serious things has passed. It will return, but tonight? They celebrate. Unlike their last, shrimpy festival, this party has a lot more going for it. The Palai have had time to process the events and prepare themselves for a grand celebration. The Palai know how to party, but you ain't seen nothin' like this. A ▢ As a birthday tradition, the Palai give the birthday lizard a special concoction. It contains Elto energy and a combination of found herbs that can easily be located in Aimintas. When these herbs are combined with the Elto energy, they create a sort of...hallucinogenic experience. It's supposed to feel extremely relaxing and give the Palai pleasant visions, but in human bodies it's essentially just getting high. There are vials of these being passed around like candy, so don't worry about anyone running out. B ▢ Despite the adults getting lit, there are obviously a lot of baby Palai on the lose. Responsible coven members who have their own babies will have the ability to let them run wild and play with their lizardy cousins. If you want to spend time with your baby, the nursery caretakers have platters of crackers with mushy foods adorning them -- these are essentially candy to a tiny Palai. They may also be tempted by other foods present at the festivities, but you can avoid them getting a tummy ache if you have a watchful eye. C ▢ Speaking of food, there certainly is a lot of it. There are large grills being heated by the newly found bone structures. These hold shrimp and fish, grilled vegetable skewers and other foods. Instead of the Palai doing the serving, the coven members and other Palai are instead encouraged to utilize their own raw ingredients (which includes several large sharks, dolphins, etc.) in whatever fashion they choose. It's essentially a "build-your-own-kabob" station with no limits. D ▢ Because the party is lasting on into the night, some Elto have decided to light the marketplace with some of the bone structures they found by powering them and inserting them into small cloth bags that they then magically levitate around. While they provide a powerful light source that can increase the party's longevity, they're also floating live wires. Bump into one of these and you'll get a nasty shock! This is doubly concerning since Palai babies are fascinated by following these floating "toys." E ▢ The Palai, feeling more familial and supportive of their ideals than ever, haven't let go of the whole family/romance pushing on the coven. Their newest attempt is a bit of a prank (probably due to high Palais) who have taken magic bone structures and tied thick strings to the spines that poke out of them. At the end of these strings are loops that they're quickly slipping around the wrists of coven members they find. You may find that you're suddenly magically connected to someone -- or two other people if you're lucky enough -- by a magical thread that's VERY hard to slip out of or break. F ▢ Wildcard Part 1: Other previous party prompts can also be considered here, from the rolls that make magic go haywire to the aged liquor that causes a bit more than a headache. G ▢ Wildcard Part 2: Any prompt you like!

Comments

[talim]

They look just like 9S'.

[ an astute observation, doctor mathis. ]

Pretty.

[apatheia]

Thank you.

[It's still weird to get compliment on her appearance by a human, but she'll take it in stride for once. Although she's not sure what's pretty about them either when all YoRHa models have the same coloring. Not like humans, where everyone looks so different.]

Your eyes are pretty too. Like amber. [She's never seen anything like it.]

[talim]

Really?

[ jude flushes happily, a warm glow on his cheeks.]

Like amber... Nobody's ever said that to me before.

[apatheia]

They should, given that it's true. [Why wouldn't people tell Jude that he has pretty eyes? How strange.] Don't you think so?

[talim]

I-I...

[ he swallows. it's even warmer now. ]

I'd be flattering myself.

[apatheia]

Hm, well... [She sort of just. Pats his head. Her hand might feel a little heavy though. Drugs are truly a wonder.] I'm telling you that they are. Your eyes. They're pretty, just like amber.

smooth

[talim]

[ 2b's hands are nice. heavy, perhaps, but still gentle. a nice feeling. ]

W_Well! Your eyes are prettier, just like... just like...

[ he grasps her free hand, searching for the right word to describe them. ]

... an android's?

practically swooning over here

[apatheia]

[There's something very startling about how Jude takes her hand. She's had physical contact with a human before, but it's strange all the same. She can't help but marvel at the warmth of his hand, the feel of bones under skin. True flesh and blood. Sure, androids felt similarly, warm to the touch and the frame under their skin built to mimic how humans were structured, but that wasn't the same. Not at all. The heat of the electricity running through her circuits, the pressing weight of all the metal that made her—none of that was real, genuine.

Even through the fabric of her glove, she can tell. Jude's warmth is as real as it gets.

And then he continues on, and that kind of marvelous image kind of falls apart. But in its own way, that's even more real. Even charming, almost.]

... Pfft. [It's the softest sound, just the slightest exhalation, but when 2B brings her hand away from Jude's head to cover her mouth, there's no mistaking it. She's giggling.] I can't say you're wrong when it comes to what they're like.

[Seriously what was in that vial???]

ignore that _ typo

[talim]

[ he doesn't think he's ever heard 2b laugh before, and if he has, he definitely hasn't heard her giggle like that. it's just about one of the most endearing things he's ever seen. ]

That was a little... objective, it's true. I meant to say something deeper, I swear.

[ jude laughs, too, a happy and light sound, something close to melodious. ]

Maybe even as deep as the color of your eyes.

[ another laugh because, look, that was even smoother. ]

2/2

[talim]

... Seriously, though. Is there an actual reason you guys keep your blindfold on all the time? Is it just force of habit?

pats!!

[apatheia]

[She giggles even harder for a moment, bright and carefree in a way she never usually is. There's something almost freeing in it, to be able to laugh and not worry what that might show. Even as she is now, it's almost enough to make her chest ache. If only she could be like this all the time.

For a second, she almost "argues" that her eyes are a pretty pale shade of blue and calling them deep doesn't work, but his question catches her off guard. She thinks of how to answer, what her own personal answer is, and the pleasant haze that was so present in her mind begins to fade away almost suddenly.]

Emotions are prohibited. [Which is true, but:] Although I'm not sure if they actually have any relation to that. Our goggles provide us with a lot of information like our current objective, map data, and what intel we have on hostile machines we encounter. To be out in the field and not make use of all that wouldn't make sense.

[Again, all of those things are true. Even here, the information provided by her blindfold is invaluable. But she doesn't mention that when your real mission is to lie, to deceive your partner, and you have no real talent for acting or deceit, the blindfold itself is what's invaluable. Putting up a cold front is easy when they can't see most of your face anyways, and there's less chance of accidentally giving yourself away with an expression.

That's not something Jude needs to know though. And maybe that in itself could be considered deceit, but she doesn't think it's worth mentioning. It's not something she expects to ever talk about, not with anyone.]

this 2b tag is depressing af good job

[talim]

[ jude nods, head lulling against her shoulder when he does. ]

Emotions are prohibited. 9S told me the same.

But it seems like you both feel plenty of emotions to me. And, personally, it seems like a silly rule. Emotions are emotions. Feelings are feelings. Nobody can pick and choose what to feel and not feel.

Not even androids.

Did I tell you... 9S scrambled together the resources to make me my own pair of goggles? All because I was curious.

LMFAO always glad to make people suffer with me...

[apatheia]

[She stiffens for a moment at the contact, willing herself to relax. Sobering up probably wouldn't be a fun process no matter what, but this is a topic she's already uncomfortable with. Talking about it with a friend, a human friend no less, only reminds her of that.]

Just because they're prohibited doesn't mean that we don't have them. Still, they're unnecessary for what we do.

[Or maybe just for what she does. Any Executioner model could attest to how emotions get in the way. Even so, for better or worse, they all have feelings. She's thought long and hard about how little sense it makes for it to be like that, but what could she do? If there's an answer for it, she has no way of finding it.

But she pushes that aside. It's easier to talk about Nines.]

I didn't know. That sounds just like him though. [She doesn't quite smile, but thinking about it softens her tone just a little, her voice warm and fond.] He's always been very demonstrative with his feelings.

[talim]

Emotions could be considered unnecessary for plenty of things humans do. What about me? Are emotions necessary to be a doctor? A scientist?

[ the truth is, he doesn't know. would he care about healing other people without them? would he have the same drive to protect the sick, the disabled, the weak? maybe not. it's a complicated issue he's too high to think much about. ]

He is. I...

[ jude clears his throat. i really like him almost slips out, but it seems like a strange thing to say. too personal. ]

I'm really glad he's such a good friend.

[ both of them. 2b, too. ]

He's kind, isn't he? You both are. I don't think you realize how much, and I wish you did.

[apatheia]

But emotions are natural for you.

[She can't answer his questions, but to her, that difference is huge. Sure they were all modeled after their human creators, and that probably included being programmed with emotions, but was this really necessary for them to protect humanity? Was it necessary to feel the pain of losing someone you cared about, of hurting them, of feeling utterly hopeless?

Someone out there made this choice for them. Whether it was their creators or God or someone else, they decided to do this to them. And that's what she really doesn't understand about them having emotions.]

... You two are really so alike. [Her tone is still fond, but it's a little tired, too. 9S has said again and again that she's kind, whether he remembers it or not. When she knows what she knows though, has done what she's done, she doesn't think she could call herself kind.] I'm glad you two are good friends, too.

[talim]

Maybe, but isn't there a difference between prohibited and unnatural?

[ he can't help his blatant disdain; it's a stupid rule, and he doesn't like it. ]

We are, aren't we?

[ a short laugh. ]

I'm glad. That makes me happy. You both make me happy.

[ jude sways side to side a little. there's the high again, but he means every word. ]

[apatheia]

There is, but... [She exhales softly, just short of a laugh.] I think we may have to agree to disagree again.

[It's difficult to think about this when she's still somewhat buzzed, and she doesn't like the topic of feelings anyways. Besides, she can tell that Jude's adamant about this.

Maybe the high fading is for the best though. Seeing Jude sway like that, she reaches out a hand to grab him gently by the shoulder and help steady him. He trusted her to look out for him, after all. It's easier to do that as she is now.]

I don't think I understand how, but I'm glad to hear that. I like spending time with you two.

[talim]

Mmph... Fine. Agree to disagree.

[ jude crosses his arms — giving in feels like he's losing, somehow, but he's trying his best to learn not to push so hard.

and at least she seems relaxed. it's miles better than the almost-argument he had with 9s. he likes to think he's learning, too. ]

You don't have to understand. Understanding isn't always necessary to accept something. You must know that.

And I don't think I need to clarify that I like it, too.

[apatheia]

[This time she really does laugh, short and soft.]

You're right. I do.

[Her earlier tension slowly starts to leak out of her, and she almost wishes she could lean against Jude like he's been leaning against her. She still doesn't think she could manage that without crushing him with her weight though, so she settles for patting his head again, gentle and light. Her buzz isn't entirely gone just yet.]

Between the two of us, I think the kind one here is you.

[talim]

[ a quiet hum, and jude tilts his head into her touch, dipping his head back to encourage more head pats. he feels like he's never been more relaxed and content. ]

Between the two of us, I think we can both be kind, can't we? There's no need to limit it to just one.

[apatheia]

Hm... I guess that's fair. [She might sound just the tiniest bit reluctant though, and then:] Has anyone ever told you that you're stubborn?

[Just once, can she say comment on a quality she likes about Jude without it being turned back on her!!]

[talim]

[ there's a brief pause, and then: ]

So I've heard. A stubborn, meddlesome do-gooder honors student, to be specific.

[ he should probably sound more annoyed than he does, but he isn't, not really. he loves his friends, as much as they tease him. ]

[apatheia]

I don't know what an "honors student" is, but that sounds like something you'd be.

[She doesn't have much concept of what school is, but with his kind of curiosity, Jude is definitely the studious type. Honors just seems obvious at that point.

But it's also no secret that she thinks highly of him, so maybe she's just biased.]

[talim]

It's someone who excels in their studies at school. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is...

[ it's clear that jude is embarrassed. teasing or not, it's still praise, and he's never been all that good with praise himself. ]

[apatheia]

Excels in their studies...

[She nods, her mind made up on this. He really is so similar to 9S, she can't help but find it amusing.]

Curiosity like that is admirable. It shows that you're willing to learn rather than accept things as they are.