[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

[alphonse]

b.)

[It's probably karmic retribution that Al's egg hatches into one of the most aggressive young Palai of the bunch. Beware if you're trying to eat or drink--a tiny lizard baby might dive bomb your ankles to try and steal your food. Sheepishly, Al clanks up behind him.]

Sorry! I can't get him to listen to anything I say.

[This is why no one lets you have cats, Al.]

e.)

[The kids are running wild and most of the adults are wasted. It's not, to put it lightly, Al's kind of scene. He's just about to duck out for the night, when a couple of Palai decide to help by literally anchoring him to someone else.]

Hang on. I can get out of this.

[Except the strings are magically powered too, making phasing trickier than he expected. He tugs at his hand to no avail.]

Just... give me a second!

g.)

[Raise your hand if you want to be a killjoy and skip out on the party to mess with Elto bones all night! That's what Al's going to do, once he's escaped and the baby's finally fallen asleep. He can be found not far from the coven house, turning one of said bones over in his hands and looking entirely too serious about everything.]

g

[splinten]

[YES. YES HE ABSOLUTELY WANTS TO BE A KILLJOY! Social events are hard enough, but Dirk hates any kind of intoxicant and doesn't like being around people who are drunk or high. Free Him.

It is why, when Dirk spots a fellow wet blanket possibly about to engage in stupid science, he actually relaxes.]

Any luck?

[alphonse]

Well, my hands haven't melted yet.

[Considering his usual ineptitude with magic, that's actually kind of a victory.]

But I haven't made much progress either.

[He could probably go on about stupid science all night, but first: gotta confirm membership to the Killjoy Club. Or you know, not derail Dirk too much if he's about to do something else.]

You're skipping the party?

[splinten]

Not really my scene.

[It's a flat monotone ironic comment but also very genuine, in the manner of Umberto Eco's postmodernism. As Umberto Eco would say Barbara Cartland says, "I love you." So too as Jake Davis would say. "I really fucking hate drugs and forced social interaction."]

What's the goal of your experimentation?

[alphonse]

I want to see if these can be used for alchemy.

[There's no reason not to be blunt about it.]

Applying the energy to skills we already have would be a lot more useful than just powering up magic.

[It's mostly a purely academic curiosity since Things That Could Save My Life Continue to Be Made of Dead People: The Alphonse Elric Story is still the Lifetime original movie currently in progress, but learning how to utilize the structures will benefit the Palai and give him a better working knowledge of magic for the future.]

G is for science!

[teratias]

[It has sure been an Evening. Satisfied with everything, especially the food, Waver heads back to the coven's house ready to be done for the evening. Except there's something that catches his eye and....


...Al!

And bones!

Okay, weird combination, but Waver walks over, intrigued. He's still intrigued by Al' alchemy, and Waver suspects that this is the start of research.]


Find anything interesting about them?

it is if you believe!

[alphonse]

Nothing I can be sure of yet, but they've got a lot of potential as an energy source.

[Something occurs to him then, and he looks up sharply. Waver's from a world where magic and alchemy coexist, so he's pretty much the perfect guy to run this kind of thing by.]

Did you ever work with anything similar back home? Something that could be used an amplifier for magic?

[teratias]

I can't say I have, but amplifiers? That's feasible.

[It'd be a little bullshitted, but that's normal enough. Waver rubs his chin, thoughtful.]

The thing is you don't want to amplify too much, or you'll cause an overload. First step would be to find the right balance.

[alphonse]

Like what happened to the Uvi?

[It's less extreme, but he also thinks of the physical effects he's observed in some people when they use their magic, how completely drained it leaves them.]

Maybe I'm still thinking of magic as too much like alchemy.

[What a shock.]

b.

[thatdamnknight]

[whatever those herbs were, they sure ended up making flynn hungry after so much deep thinking. as soon as he gets his plate full of veggies, however, something rams right into his legs. catching himself on the edge of a table saves him from falling but the same can't be said for his food.

all over the ground. all over his shoes. a little on his pants. just swell.

what the hell even was tha-- ah, al. flynn blinks at him and then finally catches sight of the loveable bundle of joy running around near them. ah, that explains things. he smiles.]

It's fine. Young children tend to be handfuls, after all.

[it wouldn't be a kid if they didn't get into mischief.]

[alphonse]

[Al sighs as he surveys the mess, scooping up the kid before he can reattach himself to Flynn and carefully holding him with all the awkwardness of someone who's never really had to deal with children for more than brief intervals at a time.

(Who the fuck gave him a baby.)]

You're okay? At least let me get you some napkins.

[A looooot of napkins. He doesn't wait for a yes before doing just that, though any effort to help clean up himself is impeded by the way he's being crawled on.]

[thatdamnknight]

[that... is that how you hold a child? probably? but... it doesn't seem right...

contemplating child holding methods means flynn has no time to react to al rushing off to get napkins. no wait! it's all okay! really! cleaning up by himself wouldn't be an issue! but, again, al beats him to the punch by running off and bringing flynn some. he won't say no when they're offered, however.]

Thank you. [time to clean up the mess that is his pants! at least it isn't fish. stinking like fish would suck.] Is this child one you're looking after or is it one of the Palai's?

e

[itemer]

[ Ember is still new, and she doesn't. Really get what all this celebration is for. But she still decided to check it out. And is regretting that decision immensely, since it's ended with her basically handcuffed to a stranger in a suit of armor. ]

Take as many seconds as you want. It's not like I can go anywhere. [ Said in the driest, most sarcastic voice imaginable. ]

[alphonse]

[Sarcasm isn't helping his concentration!

Okay, phasing the thread doesn't seem to work and using alchemy on something being magically powered is not the wisest idea... That leaves the option that's a bigger hassle.]

I think I might have to use my magic on us. Is that okay with you? It'll be kind of weird, but we'll be able to slip right out.

[itemer]

...Do you have to? Can't you just take, like, your glove off?

[ She does not Know. ]

g

[rootandbranch]

[Geir is keeping an eye on the festivities from the air tonight, not the ground. Alphonse can see the shadow of his wings pass overhead -- then, once Geir spots the sparks of light from Alphonse's activities, hear the soft shudder of air along Geir's wing membranes as he swoops in to alight behind him. the landing itself is oddly silent for such a large creature; Geir knows how to keep himself quieter than one would suspect. Geir's nose appearing over Alphonse's shoulder a moment later is much more predictable.]

What're you doooing?

[alphonse]

[When you're as unfamiliar with magic as Al is, it's all too easy to get lost in concentration. Tragically, that means he doesn't really register Geir's presence until it's too late.

The good news: the surprise activates the Elto structure more strongly than he's been able to pull off alone. The bad news: it puts them both in the line of fire for getting zapped.]

Geir! Are you okay?

[rootandbranch]

My nose--!!

[Geir has reared back and is clutching at it with a comical cross-eyed expression of dismay; his more-sensitive nose got zapped. a true tragedy! one which makes his voice sound weird and clogged for a second, as breathing through his nose becomes briefly difficult.]

I'b alb bright...

[with a sigh, he lowers himself back to the ground and stands on his front legs again; a vigorous headshake and a sneeze seems to take care of the lingering numbness.]

--what was that?!

G

[spaceforged]

Find anything out yet? [He's not a killjoy but he isn't keen on the kind of party taking place. Not when something dangerous is in their midst. Possibly dangerous. Shiro stares down at the bones with a serious look of his own.]

[alphonse]

It's a little hard to describe, but when you tap into them right, magic just feels easier. And it lasts longer than anything I've been able to do on my own. Actually getting them to work is pretty hit or miss, though.

[The bones spark in his hands, as if accentuating the point.]

If you want, you're welcome to give it a try too. They're not too dangerous if you stick to working with one at a time.

1/2

[spaceforged]

[Shiro kneels down and picks up one of the bones. He turns it over in his hands to see how it appears to look at all angles.]

I think I get what you mean. [He shuts his eyes and reaches out magically for the bone the way he used to reach for the connection between himself and his lion. Before he knows it-]

2/2

[spaceforged]

[He's in lion form again. He quickly grabs the bone with his jaws to keep it from falling. It sparks at the contact.]

You're right. That was a lot easier. ...I wonder if it lessens the drain the magic puts on us?

B

[mech_and_mutt]

[Well, having a tyke be a troublemaker was one thing-- after all, he spent a good chunk of his pint-sized youth exploring the rusty and precarious wreckages of airships- but this guy had to wear armor just to deal with the Palai kid??]

Looks like it! What the heck did he do to you??

[alphonse]

[Maybe it's because he's used to people around here having pretty mild reactions to the way he looks, but Al interprets that as more of a comment about the dinged up state of his armor as a result of the Uvi battle than a general one about the armor itself. Such is life when big bro isn't around to put you back together.]

Does it look that bad?

[He actually sounds kind of self-conscious. His aesthetic is important, apparently.]

[mech_and_mutt]

Yes!-- well, okay, the armor itself actually looks really cool. The spikes are a nice touch.

Just gotta wonder what the kid did to make you have to wear it. Lemme guess-- it's a biter?

[Then again, he wasn't so sure the Palai kids even had teeth...]