songerein | ⨂ Eustace's Bach--er, Camping Party ⨂

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Diluc lets out a slight, almost-amused huff.]

Maybe we should have discussed watches before it got too late.

I won't be sleeping for a bit yet, either, if you don't mind company.

The area should be relatively safe...but we also have quite a few members who will likely stay up regardless.

[Aside from himself and Diluc (which already prove a point), 76 and Reaper are likely other candidates here.]

But no, I do not mind.

"Relatively" safe still has risk.

[He takes a seat. Paranoid? Him? Naaaaaaah.]

I didn't realize you had so many friendly contacts here.

[It's fine he can relate.]

To be honest... I was also surprised. I knew I had made acquaintances in my time here, however I didn't realize how many would...think of me in much friendlier terms.

I'm still not entirely sure what to make of you, if I have to be honest.

[The statement is matter-of-face, with no bite to it whatsoever.]

But you and Tifa mean a lot to Ori, and I'd like to support you in this. A marriage is a beautiful thing, when it's done for the right reasons.

[Given that Diluc is largely here because of Oriphi—no offense taken.]

Hm, I can agree to that.

[He's no stranger to the idea of what "wrong" reasons could be for marriage.]

Though no I'm curious. I know I don't have the best standing given what happened, nor have we met that often to really "get to know" what another. So what do you see me as?

A friend of Ori's. And, my complicated feelings aside, that's enough for me.

[He trusts Ori's judgement, all things considered. And he knows that his ability to judge of what happened a few months ago is limited by the fact that he's toeing a very similar line.]

[A fair response, so he only nods.]

Likewise.

[The very weird way they first met aside, as long as Oriphi trusts him then he will as well. And at least so far Diluc hasn't proven a problem...yet.]

...Have you managed to look into traveling to different worlds? Or staying?

[And if Diluc does turn into a problem, he trusts that Eustace is the type of person to exterminate that problem--and therefore him--swiftly.]

I've followed a potential lead, but it didn't get far.

[I.e., his god doesn't know anything about interdimensional travel. Thanks, Venti.]

Ori asked around during the carnival. There's some promising information there, but we're far from being ready to act on it. I need to take control of this nightmare energy I've built up, first.

From the tapirs, I take it? Tifa asked the same.

[And he looks...less impressed about it. However he then eyes Diluc with some concern.]

Has it been bothering you?

[Diluc shakes his head.]

Not unless I dig into it intentionally. But every time I try to use it, it nearly overwhelms me.

The last attempt was last month. It terrified poor Ori.

[And himself.]

I haven't tried anything with it since.

...What method were you using?

There are different methods?

[That's news to him.]

I've been tapping into the source of my nightmares. The worst moment of my life.

[A small pause as he mulls things over.]

I can't say anything is official as I suspect it will depend on the person... But we've been doing something similar. Tifa and I would create dreamscapes that force us to deal...with each other. She helps keep me in check in case it gets too much.

But in this way I have to not only face the cause of my nightmares, but also learn how to control it so at the very least it doesn't consume me.

[Diluc takes a moment to digest the information, particularly that about using dreamscapes for practice rather than the open world. That's a good idea, and one worth bringing to Ori for discussion.

It really is striking how alike he and Eustace are, push come to shove. Perhaps that's part of why his feelings toward the other man are so complicated.]

I'll see what Ori thinks about it. As... as much as I'm not used to working with someone else on something of this magnitude, I've been making the effort not to shut her out.

It can be difficult... I know how it feels to want to just work on it on your own and keep others at arm's length, whether it's for their protection or your own.

But this is not something you should do on your own. And if you need a different partner in case Oriphi can't handle it, or someone to assist her, I'm willing to offer a hand if you'd allow it.

That's exactly it.

[WAY too similar.

The offer takes him by surprise, and it takes a few moments for Diluc to respond as a result.]

I'm not in a position to refuse. There's too much at stake for my pride to get in the way.

...thank you.

[It's in part a genuine offer out of concern, another part because it involves Oriphi, and another part of practicality as it would be better to help than risk Diluc losing control. But at the end of it all, it is sincere, and Eustace just nods.]

I won't be able to help right away. [For obvious reasons.] But whenever you next feel up to it, let me know.

⨂ Eustace's Bach--er, Camping Party ⨂

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wow. that sure was a heck a lot of typos i'm crying

I was politely ignoring them!

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