⨂ 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

[flamekthunder]

...What method were you using?

[disdelusioned]

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.

[flamekthunder]

[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.

[disdelusioned]

[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.

[flamekthunder]

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.

[disdelusioned]

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.

[flamekthunder]

[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.