⨂ Eustace's Bach--er, Camping Party ⨂

[pactmarshal]

Who: Eustace & all his male CR
Which: Semi-closed log, forward-dated to the weekend before the wedding (November 26-27)
Where: Out in a cosy clearing of the Wildlands
What: Eustace can't make up his goddamn mind, so he invites all the men he knows to his bachelor party. He intends for it to be a relaxed hangout, but...well. We'll see.
Warnings: Alcohol, underage drinking, ghosts, more to be added if they come up

» invitation
At some point in early November, all those named by Eustace (aka, every man Eustace has had CR with) will receive a short message from Trahearne over the journals:

Hello. If you aren't aware yet, Eustace will be getting married this winter. He has invited you and several others to join him in a pre-celebration of the occasion called a "bachelor party." This will be held on Saturday, 11/26 at a location in the Wildlands (see attached map). Please bring food and drink and anything else you will need for camping.

No need to reply. If you are unable to attend for any reason, feel free to ignore this message. If you will be coming, we will see you there.

For those who are reluctant, or want to go but can't find a good excuse, some of Eustace's dogs will appear at those characters' houses without warning to dognap them. The flower dogs can make use of vines for those who really want their characters to suffer for this party.

While any of the dogs may come to grab people, only the male dogs will stay for the party, of course. There will be 5 dogs in attendance total--4 corgis and 1 flower dog.


» campgrounds

In the weeks beforehand, Trahearne and Beat went and scouted out a suitable little place for the shindig: A clearing in the woods flanked by a small cabin. The cabin sits nestled among the trees at the edge of the clearing. The clearing itself is sizeable--there's a place for chopping firewood, a ring of stones in the middle suggesting its use as a bonfire spot, and a grill built into the ground nearer the cabin.

The ground here is soft, but not muddy--perfectly suitable to sleep on. Beat and Trahearne made sure to clear away excess leaves from the ground to make things more comfortable.

The woods around the clearing are not thick, but they are still wilderness. There is abundant, if mundane flora to be found, and smaller critters that happily scamper around in the daylight. Who knows what lurks beyond in the nighttime... Better keep those fires going to keep the bad things away.

» cabin

The small cabin at the edge of the clearing is just that--small. It is comprised of only two rooms. The front room is a sitting room with a small kitchen, kept warm by a wood stove. Visitors to the cabin are free to make themselves comfortable in front of the fire on the couch big enough for three, or the large sitting chair by the window. The dining table only seats two, and it sits snug against the back of the couch.

The back room is home to the bedroom. Here, the visitors will find two bunk beds--enough sleeping room for four (or more if you wanna share i'm not judging). All the beds are made and equipped with soft, clean blankets and pillows. It seems whoever was here first was anticipating the party.

There is also another door in the bedroom, which leads to a closet. The particularly nosy will find all sorts of things useful for a cabin stay inside: extra pillows, blankets, tools for maintenance, an extra grill... You name it! Within reason!

On the outside, there is a stockpile of wood for the wood stove, and an outhouse. Just the one.

» nighttime

This is an overnight party, by the way. And when night falls, that's when the real fun begins.

As mentioned before, there is more than enough space in the clearing to create a big bonfire. But be careful--it's dry and windy. Take care not to unwittingly set any of the trees on fire. The ground is comfortable enough to sleep on (especially for those seasoned travelers), but for those who don't want to rough it completely, there are tents and sleeping bags.

The cabin is for those who don't like or can't sleep outside. It is comfortable and warm, yes, especially with all those others in the same room... But there's a catch. It's haunted. The ghost that inhabits the cabin isn't malicious, thankfully. It's friendly, in fact. Perhaps a little too friendly. Those sleeping in the cabin may find themselves poked and prodded into awakening at odd hours. Besides that, it's harmless. Promise.

Treat this as a mingle log! The setting description above is just the stage--feel free to come up with games, have your characters bring things to add to the mix, play around with the things mentioned above. It can be as chill...or not as chill as you want.

Comments

Ferran

[noblegarnet]

[The young man with weird dark cracks along his jaw seems to be... not entirely pleased, when seen from afar.]

Honestly, why's it always camping...

[He has, however, brought snacks! Chocolate-dipped pretzels and spanakopita bites, to be exact. ... he may not have brought enough for everyone, but he can fix that, as it turns out. He'll have to hover over them in order to make everyone gets however much they want, so he'll probably not be moving around much until it seems like everyone's gotten a taste. And, unlike his distant look, when approached he'll do his best to put on a friendly face.

He stays away from the cabin and the grill, and he'll be leaving before the sun sets; even aside from being a city boy who much prefers his creature comforts, being anywhere near a campfire surrounded by alcohol sounds like the least appealing prospect he could imagine. But until then, he'll at least mingle somewhat and enjoy the dogs' company, throwing sticks and giving pets. Maybe he'll even glance in the direction of cards now and again.]

Re: Ferran

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc knows Ferran very distantly, in that they've both been in this place for awhile and therefore have seen each other around town. He didn't realize that Ferran was part of Eustace's social circle--although, in fairness, Diluc himself hardly is.

He's not fond of small talk, but in the spirit of the evening he's willing to at least make an attempt.]

Not a fan of camping?

[noblegarnet]

[Similarly, Ferran's seen the redhead around, though they haven't had much of a chance to talk. It's interesting to see who knows who, but he's sure he's only a few degrees away from any one person in Reverein. They're a pretty small group compared to what he's used to, even now.]

Oh, definitely not. [He won't shy away from that, even if there's a mild smile on his face as he says it.] Even less now than I used to be. I'm too used to living in the city, among other things.

[He likes his creature comforts...]

What about you?

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc gives a noncommittal shrug, although one given with good humor.]

I've grown used to it over the years. I think it's nice to be able to get away from people for awhile.

[Camping for him is usually one part foraging, two parts vigilante work. You know how it is, right Ferran?]

It's not for everyone. Better to have a clear idea of what you do and don't like.

[noblegarnet]

The quiet can be nice, but I'm too much of a social animal.

[Read: if he isolates himself he starts to spiral! He's trying to be better at that... because he definitely does know that unhealthy "take care of everything by myself" life...

Ferran nods his agreement with Diluc's statement, though.]

For sure. You get more out of life that way, right? [Though he likes to keep an open mind, most of the time. With an offer of his hand, he continues:] I'm Ferran, by the way.

[disdelusioned]

[The trick is to redirect that spiral into being a vigilante! That's what's worked for Diluc, at least. It's a very healthy trauma response.]

Whereas I am not.

[Not anymore. Even though part of him deeply misses being one.]

Diluc. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've seen you around town basically since I arrived, but never made the opportunity to introduce myself.

[noblegarnet]

[Yeah well, that stopped working for him a while back in a pretty significant way...]

Well, I've been here for as long as anybody has as far as I know, so I guess that's not surprising. Time really flies...

[It's been more than a year at this point, hasn't it? It's kind of a relief to think about. He only allows himself a brief pensive look before returning to the conversation properly.]

It's good to meet you, Diluc. [He then offers a spanakopita triangle. Snacks are better than formalities, sometimes.] Are you a fan of spinach?

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc's one bad day from it also blowing up into his face. Good times, good times.]

I see. Longer than I have, then--I'm only just coming up on my first year.

[Which is still a really long time, when you think about it. It's difficult to wrap his head around, if he has to be honest.

With a polite smile, he accepts the offered snack.]

I certainly have no objections to spinach. Thank you.

[He takes a bite. Mmm!]

This reminds me of a savory version of a dessert I had once while traveling.

[noblegarnet]

[May your blowups be less catastrophic than Ferran's, friend. He nods in response to the explanation; even though he's been here as long as anyone else, it's hard to think of himself as being any more experienced.

There's a gentle sparkle around him as he watches Diluc enjoy the snack—it's always satisfying to see your hard work be appreciated.]

Does it have the same kind of dough? I love how flaky this stuff gets.

[It's messy because of that, but it's definitely worth it.]