EVENT: The Very Hungry Nightblossom FINALE

[joybound]

Who: everybody
When: Day 10, sunrise
Where: mainly outside

[Sometime early in the morning, there's a deep rumble, as the ground shakes. The vines previously grabbing at the Aurora and its heroes multiply rapidly, completely coating the train and shutting out starlight. For a moment everything creaks, as if the metal itself is about to cave in.

But then it stops. Somewhere far away something roars, and suddenly the vines retreat, leaving only a few remaining cracks in the ground. Below, the caves have only the harmless glowing mushrooms which, should you choose to attempt eating them, prove to quickly fill one's stomach and leave them with a burst of energy. You can follow the tunnels still, though -- now that they're free of monster plant, you'll find it's one big connected network. There are various small caves in which iridescent white crystals grow, letting off a faint light reminiscent of the moon. From them drips a translucent liquid which feels soft and cool on the skin, until it seeps in. Once it's in your bloodstream you'll find yourself caught in a euphoria that encourages acting on your every impulse. If you want to steal something, you will. If you want to kiss someone, you will. If you want to kill someone...

...Well. It's possible to overcome the compulsions, at least. You need only picture someone you care more about than yourself, and concentrate. Unfortunately the high that comes with it can be addictive, so one must take care when exploring the caves.

It's unlikely anyone will get much exploring done before sunrise, but if you're not in the deep dark where signal is poor, you'll be woken at dawn by a loud and cheerful jingle on your Chain. Even if you were previously dead, you're sure up now! Accompanying it is the slight shift in the train that usually comes with a trial, and a message that just says:

come outside

If you follow the summons, you'll see that rather than a scary tower or spooky house, there's what appears to be a really flashy convertible, painted a shimmering deep rose. Leaning against the hood is a man who appears just over twenty, with long hair and bright eyes, both quite literally twinkling with stars.

His voice might be familiar, if you were one of the first arrivals. But the tone, rather than sad and soft, is... frankly annoyingly full of energy. As is his smile as he waves at everyone coming out.]

"Good morning, my lovely heroes!"

[[OOC NOTES: Anyone who died will be revived at the time of the prince's arrival, even if it's earlier than the 1 day revival timeline. Injuries can still be there depending on your character's timeline, but there are a couple of hours between the plants leaving and the prince appearing, so everyone should have had time to catch their breath and take a shower at least.]]

Comments

[crimeson]

--Oh? That's a surprisingly open compliment, from you!

[saddleclub]

I see no reason not to express myself.

[And he's starting to feel pretty good, honestly. It's... Compared to how freaked out and off-balance he felt minutes ago he's feeling so.... Pleasant. No, more euphoric almost.]

[crimeson]

Sure, you're usually pretty opinionated, but...

[not usually so openly sweet? he is starting to worry about slime, suddenly.]

[saddleclub]

Am I that cold as a person?

[crimeson]

You aren't cold. It's true you might seem that way to some people? But not people that know you very well at all.

Even so, most of the sweet things you say are sort of a read between the lines experience.

[saddleclub]

Do you know me well?

[He's stepping forward into Randy's space maybe you better like, consider. He might be a blob.]

[crimeson]

[hhhhhe's stepping back.]

Not... very well? But I'd like to. Just, um.

Why are you walking closer?

[saddleclub]

[Still walking towards him? He just... He wants to kiss Randy so he's going to. He's not putting thought into it, it's just what he wants so why shouldn't he. Part of him knows this is off, but he feels so weird and disjointed after literally dying that... It's not like it doesn't feel nice to just want something and go for it.]

You could get to know me better.

[crimeson]

I mean. I could. I'm not against it, but--

[still backing up, carefully not cornering himself this time though.]

Let's go back? S'creepy down here. I can take you to Jasmine and we can talk about it there.

[saddleclub]

[Hm what if he just tries to take two strides forward and attempts to kiss Randy like by trying to pull him into it that surely isn't fucking alarming.]

[crimeson]

[he may! in fact! be panicking and bodily slamming Jusis into a wall the second he grabs him!

which is still not actually how to deal with slimes but is like, progress, i guess.]

[saddleclub]

[Jusis is buff but not like, no one is Randy buff. So he's now against a wall of the cave I guess!

Is Randy pinning him or are his arms free?]

[crimeson]

[Randy is pinning him by the shoulders, wide-eyed and decidedly spooked but feeling how... solid he is, flesh and bone and real cloth.]

Shit... It's really you?

[But yeah his arms are free.]

[saddleclub]

[He's startled by those words most of all, whatever he was going to do his arms just go limp at his side as he looks at Randy.]

Did you think me...

[crimeson]

Sorry.

[he's smiling like it hurts, like he's really grateful but feels very ashamed.]

I... Guess I don't know you even as well as I thought. But down here, and... they got more convincing, didn't they? Bit by bit. So someone I like, acting a little strange, getting in close even while I was backing up...

[kind of. curls up against Jusis, pressing him into the wall but hunching up in such a way that he can shove his head against Jusis' shoulder. he's letting go of Jusis' shoulders to do so, of course, instead pressing his hands to the wall on either side of him, ignoring the wetness there.]

Sorry. It's not your fault. I'm just... easily spooked. Right now.

[saddleclub]

[He still wants to kiss Randy but there's enough reason not to--Randy's distressed and Jusis is good at concentrating on others, for all his prickly exterior.

That and it, it feels too good, maybe, right now, being pressed under Randy's weight in a way he wants to be far more than platonic and he knows why he shouldn't.

He's not overcome the pale drug coursing through his veins enough not to make a distressed noise though. Upset. Close to tears. He's had a bad time and he'd like to cry so why shouldn't he? (Because a model Erebonian man is stoic and self-sufficient and a noble must embody not just those qualities but a bearing of dignity and pride that cannot be shaken. For the foundations of the empire rest upon the shoulders of its leaders, and they must be examples that all can look up to in times of crisis and need--)]

....

[crimeson]

[The distressed noise has him backing the fuck up, eyes wide again]

--I'm sorry. It's just me, it's not your fault, I--

[saddleclub]

Shut up.

[He's going to start crying, putting a hand over is face. He feels so wildly. It's not that it's things he doesn't feel, but it's as if... He can't contain them like he normally can. Like his desire to kiss Randy--he would never just go grab someone like that, and then there's the tears. He wouldn't show so much weakness to someone he's barely, albeit pleasantly, acquainted with.

He shouldn't feel so... Devastatingly rejected either. Maybe when he's himself it won't wrench through him so badly. That he's seen as too cold to want anyone, or....

He's probably still messed up from dying that's all. He's not acting himself at all. Mistaking him for a monster is reasonable enough.]

I'm going back. You should forget this, there's clearly something amiss with me still.

[crimeson]

I'm not leaving you alone like this. I--

[shuts up before he apologizes again]

Let me walk you back, at least.

[saddleclub]

...Do as you like.

[He's going to try to walk away regardless.]

[crimeson]

[Randy's really not himself, he's just a hotbed of guilt and shame and regret and past that, want that he feels more guilt about. He wishes he'd just let Jusis kiss him, and absolutely blames himself for not letting it happen, not realizing that of course it was really Jusis.

so it's not really a conscious choice. mostly he just wants... to free Jusis of him as best he can while also working with his own desperate need to keep him safe, to not fail him again. But he's going incredibly quiet, his normally huge and loud presence just... melting away as Randy shadows Jusis like he's stalking a mark.]

[saddleclub]

[He's wiping at his eyes to erase the evidence of his own shameful display. Feeling off-balance and upset about it. Of course something's wrong with him he'd never resort to just grabbing someone to kiss them who does that.

Still, he's mired enough in his own distress and confusion that it takes him a bit to realize he doesn't hear or notice Randy anymore, and he stops and turns to look for him.]

Randy?

[crimeson]

[Randy's... fallen back a bit, but he's still right there, a little surprised.]

M'right here, Jusis.

[but even though he's right there his whole... everything is muted, voice soft and presence just barely there.]

[saddleclub]

[.....


Randy's usually so loud, it's alarming to witness this subdued side.

And for what? Pull yourself together Jusis, aren't you even capable of repenting your own mistakes? Who are you, Machias?

"Just one thing. For you to stop being a disappointment."

He grimaces and turns to face Randy, drawing himself up.]

This is ridiculous. I should apologize properly before you get the wrong idea like some soft-headed idiot.

[crimeson]

Well, I can't deny being a soft-headed idiot. What would the wrong idea be?