meadowlarklogs | one night of magic rush

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one night of magic rush

WHO: Cain, Prompto, Hideki Maeda, and you!
WHERE: The popular Asylum club.
WHEN: Night of October 26.
WHAT: Cain and Prompto's joint birthdays!
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Beyond drinking/smoking, general wild party behavior, and fake friendship, there shouldn't be much. Will update as needed.

[Set deep in the downtown of New Amsterdam's entertainment district is Asylum, arguably the most popular club in the city. The exterior is cool steel beams and tasteful futuristic architecture with a long line down the corridor, suited bouncers posed at the entrance all armed with a virtual guest list. Its interior is fashioned with bright, colorful lighting dynamic to the music of the infamous DJ Semicolon, high ceilings and acoustic sounds to lend that feeling of a constant full-body hum. Any partygoers on the guest list for this event will be funneled toward the VIP section. They will have received an invitation a few days prior via their Cooltalk profiles. Jason is specifically blacklisted, sorry buddy.

DANCE YOUR HEART OUT. Nearly impossible to book without deep pockets or wide-reaching connections, Semicolon is at the top of their game mixing popular contemporary hits with Whitney Houston's classics. From song to song, Semicolon provides a unique and talented contrast of the slow to the energetic, so no matter your dancing style, you'll find something to move you on the dance floor.

DROWN YOUR... LIVER. Courtesy of the party's host, Hideki Maeda, the VIP section's private bar will provide an ever-flowing river of your favorite expensive high-proof alcohol. Pick your poison.

CHILL OUT. Tired on your feet from too much dancing, or just need a break from the packed atmosphere? There are plenty of comfortable areas where you can relax and take it easy until you're ready to get back out there. The lights around this area cycle through different colors in reflection of Semicolon's performance set, so a slower song might lend toward romantic shades of red while a faster-paced song is brighter blue.

SMOKE, EAT & MINGLE. Asylum will be serving real, fresh meat at this party, so enjoy that luxury while it lasts. There is also an outdoor area with a beautiful view over the city itself if you want to take your vape pen out there for a smoke, just get some air, or see who's around for a chat.]

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[ Any anxiety surrounding this rowdy party is slowly melting away and Alex is smiling easy now. She might even be in the mood to mingle a bit. Friends of prompto’s and Cain’s have to be good. After all, it seems the two of them are now the people who she can rely and trust the most. She wants to get to know them a bit better. ]

Oh. Hopefully it was nothing too inconvenient? Um, things have been... good. Is it terrible that I’m just trying not to think about it all?

[ She smiles a little, chasing away the small twinge of memory of the after math. Maybe it is time for a drink. she has a lot of catching up to do to be on the same level as this party. ]

Maybe some of the pale drink with bubbles.

[ a pause. ]

May I ask how old your turning?

[jon's smile is slow-spreading and heartfelt.]

Some of the waffles are for Cain.

[he nods at sansa's gift in prompto's hands.]

But the rest of these presents are for you.

[hopefully sansa remembered to bring a present for cain....ideally something to wear over or instead of his jaime lannister-looking crop top.]

Me talking to you? [He laughs.] You can just ask if you want that.

[Okay, genuinely, that's more endearing than it should be. Prompto is such a dork. For all the proximity they've had together since this whole discrete endeavor began, it's felt as though Hideki's more commonly a buffer between them. It's true they haven't had much one-on-one time together.]

I'll think of something.

[He smacks Prompto on the back. It's friendly!! And then he glances out at the crowd, eyes caught on one individual in particular.]

So, that's your new roommate, huh? We had a brief chat over at the bar.

[Abel feels Cain's arms close around him tighter, and it reassures him for the moment that he hasn't been insensitive towards the injustice and blackmail Cain faced. His hands rest on Cain's arms and Abel leans on him.]

You're allowed to feel whatever you want about what happened to you. And I'll always support that, always.

[He turns to look at Cain, his forehead nuzzling into Cain's temple.]

If you're ready. This is your gift, I'll stay here as long as you want to.

[oh, a friendly smack to the back! much like gladio would do!! he manages to keep his balance (because the small amount of alcohol he's had already has him tipping about a bit), before turning his head towards where cain is looking.]

[he spots v pushing away at a drunkard to try and make it out to the balcony area, and generally not having a good time.]

V? Yeah! He arrived recently and is a pretty cool guy. [he turns back to cain and makes something of a face] Don't wanna think that I forced him to come, but I don't think this is his scene very much, yeah.

Yeah, sure, seems like a 'pretty cool guy' based on your Cooltalk posts.

[Tilting a sly look over to Prompto, he leans against the nearby bannister of the VIP section's barrier perimeter, idly playing with the sunglasses. He's set the box down on a nearby table's surface for now.]

Kinda hot if you like the whole doom and gloom look. Cool tattoos.

[Tattoos are always badass in Cain's book, though. Not common where he's from.]

He's tolerating a party for you, huh?

[How can someone be this gentle, and good? Sometimes it shocks him. He doesn't fully know how to handle it, but they're taking it one day at a time. No wonder Abel had wormed underneath all of those barriers with such effortless grace -- on top of being gorgeous and perfect in bed, but that is secondary at the end of the day now.

He's so used to the empathy bond at this point, the endless warm tether of affection that bridges between them, sometimes he feels cold and neglected when it isn't there.]

We should get some real sleep. We can come back whenever we want, right?

[It comes out a drowsy murmur, eyes blinking slowly before they close.]

I don't blame you.

[He says it a little low, a little quiet, leaning near her ear in an easy gesture of familiarity so she can hear him over the constant drum of bass. Alex isn't the only one who's avoided those memories. It was like dipping into his past self, into a place he thought he'd discarded a long time ago.]

And I'm turning twenty-three, I guess? Dunno if it's been a whole year since my, uh... last birthday. [Cain squints, then gestures for her to follow him to the bar.] Time's so fucked up here. First time I'm doing anything really big for it.

[Another glance out toward the crowd, spying Hideki surrounded by a gaggle of Cooltalk followers.]

This wasn't my idea, though. Not my style.

Tattoos are cool in general. A friend of mine had a whole eagle inked to his back, arms, and legs.

[he's totally missing the point, giving cain a bit of a 'wtf' look--completely suspect of his intentions but not sure why--as he leans away and seems to mean some form of intent with his sly look.]

Not sure if 'tolerating.' I think he might just be wanting to know what NA is like. Did you like my posts on Cooltalk, or did you just swipe past them?

[he knows what he's about!!]

I know all nine of them. [The planets, he means. He straightens a little, almost shrugging again.] Or is it supposed to be eight now? Poor Pluto, neglected for being small.

[But he listens to Cain's explanation, the far-flung idea of space colonies existing in different worlds. (He thinks he might've heard, in passing, the mention of a Mars colony in this one, too.) One statement sticks more than the rest: Doesn't look like I'll be headed back any time soon, and I'm fine with that.]

You've been here for a long time. Comparatively speaking, at least. But is that long enough for you to not care about returning?

Of course, I'll send you the program so you can visit whenever you want. [Abel checks to make sure Cain's eyes are closed before he ends the program-- so he won't experience orientation dump shock from sitting up to laying down. Abel's used to it by now.]

[When he opens his eyes, they're entwined together. Slightly concerning, maybe he needs to turn up the motion inhibitors just so Cain couldn't roll off the bed or hit a wall accidentally, but he can't stay worried for long. There's something beautiful about Cain reaching for him on every plane. Abel pulls him closer to tuck Cain's head under his chin.] Comfortable?

I guess I have to work on looking a little less haute. And it was the worst.

[Abel smiles faintly and pats Prompto gently, consolingly. His story is pretty horrifying, but it's in the past and only meant to give Prompto an even worse-case scenario.]

I love plebs. [He loves a certain pleb.] I can't wait to be one after Cain and I get back home. There's a trade-off for all of this, you know, and it's not just awkward parties. It's family image, it's expectations, it's keeping your opinions and your self in the lines they draw. It's easier for some people than it is for others but... I'm ready to give it up.

Ah, sure! If you're really interested in that...

[It's definitely something he's a lot more comfortable talking about, and now that his mind is a little calmer who knows? Maybe the sky won't be such a mystery to him anymore.]

[He fires up the overlay and shares the feed over.]

Ah, and I hope they tip well. [Abel has plenty of experience with both military-grade instant coffee and the stuff in the safehouse, he's pretty satisfied with that for the time being. He was a little appalled when he realized how expensive some seemingly basic foods could be, the chicken being served with tiny napkins and fancy garnish and run around on platters here is just surreal.]

Before I was here I was more of an engineer and a military man, but not much tends to fit that description it seems. But I'll figure it out eventually.

[ bolting upright, onto his toes, he moves in a fluid motion from kneeling at abel's side to standing above him, expression alight now that the other man has noticed what devilry he's been up to. he crows, delighted and wildly playful as he claps his hands together, voice prideful: ]

Of course it was me! I couldn't let them pick on you, strangers would only upset you.

[ he remembers. abel, the sheltered son of a family, had explained by his own words that he was not used to being teased. ]

I was going to put them on your nipples, but a cold belly button is way worse! I wish I'd done it now though, it'd look like a silly little face on your shirt, like this!

[ and he pushes his cheeks together with his palm, mouth open and eyebrows raised. it's emulates edvard munch's "the scream", if the screaming gentleman was shaking with barely-contained giggles. ]

[Abel's response is to, of course, wrap his arms around his chest to protect his nipples. And turn very red.]

I would have been upset either way! Don't...! ['Don't touch my nipples, Xuanyu.' Yeah no, he may be not completely sober and he's exhausted, but even he knows not to say that.]

Don't put ice on me anywhere, alright?

[He's about to ask Prompto what an eagle is, but the conversation carries away from it. That said, it wouldn't be the first time someone's dodged his attempts at a more personal-slash-intentional jab, so he's not surprised when Prompto seems to deftly sidestep the insinuation. Or maybe Prompto's that oblivious.

That just means he has to be blunter.]

A lot more places to NA than this, but I guess if you wanna throw him into the fire. [Cain gives an idle shrug.] 'Course I liked them. Isn't that kinda required of us now? Feels like a second fuckin' job sometimes.

[Keeping up with the Cooltalk popularity, at least. Prompto's far more active than him.]

Looked like people really liked him in the comments. Is he gonna be your regular model now?

Comparatively. Really hasn't been that long. What, two months here? Still feels like half a lifetime.

[He wasn't in the military too long before he was assigned to Abel, either, and that still felt like a lengthy chapter in his life. Maybe it all had to do with the course of events. High stress, ever-changing routines, never a second to settle down. Always something that would lurk around the corner, even in this place. Maybe it was naive to think he could settle here.]

I don't have anything back there. Not without trouble. [A lazy shrug.] City's not that bad. Free health care, jobs that pay enough to put food on the table and keep the lights on, people leave you alone most of the time. Yeah, there's weird shit going on, but that's everywhere.

[The Alliance would be after them, no matter Abel's assurances they could handle it and outmaneuver them. He only saw a lifetime of hiding on the colonies as best he could. It's what he knows.]

[The disorientation spins in his mind at first, dumped from a tree into bed in one seamless thread of an instant where it doesn't truly feel like he's moved at all. He's pulled into the embrace and feels Abel tucked around him, humming as the exhaustion of the day makes itself known once more.]

Mmhm.

[He noses his way into Abel's collar and lets out a warm breath.]

Glad you're here with me, y'know. [If it wasn't obvious.] Best birthday I've ever had.

[Abel doesn't want to believe that a little VR excursion quantifies as the best birthday Cain has ever had, but if that's what he says Abel should take his word for it. It hurts just a little though. He'd thought that maybe Cain had never experienced something akin to painful political events disguised as parties for him, the lack of friends who offered to take him out, always being a guest but never really the center-- but maybe it was still tough and just in a different way.]

[Or maybe those two statements weren't unrelated.]

[He blushes lightly at the thought and curls down to put a kiss on Cain's forehead.] I'm glad you're here with me. I'll be right here when you wake up, sleep as long as you want.

[ too cute, too cute! ]

I only wanted to be a little mean to you, mister Abel! You looked so vulnerable while you were asleep!

[ and he pushes his palms against abel's cheeks, squishing them softly ( jovial, delighted, innocent in intention their connection informs ) before he's on his toes again and holding hands out for abel again. he's tired, he's drunk and the idea of the party has clearly upset him. it must be between his fighter and the gentleman at the bar, the one they'd written off as "friendly but spoiled". ]

If you want, we can go somewhere else and get you something filling to eat. It should help with all the alcohol.

[ in the moment where cain's eyes slide off of him, towards the door, he shifts his weight in the other man's direction - into his space, under his peripheral vision and hovers there. smug, satisfied by the answer he's given. it confirms a few things: cain isn't entirely happy, he's playing a role. whatever he and prompto are up to, in hideki maeda's circle, they have it handled. ]

Well, if you ever need an out -- I could offer my services.

[ but he doesn't intend to weasel in on the work that the pair are doing.

he's already mentioned his ability to cain, a little gift laid at his feet for his use - however he might like it. ]

Are you kidding me? You two are the perfect party companions. Fashionable, handsome, popular. Toto is a sweetheart and a charmer and you're a wild child, who in their right mind wouldn't gravitate to you? I have no idea who he is. Just that he's not one of us, and we're all playing somesort of game in this world. Some more dangerous than others.

[It's only that brief link that saves Xuanyu from Abel totally icing him out (anxious, injured, he wants to go somewhere safe) but he still looks fairly sullen with his face squished like this. Regardless of the prank though, he does wish he could accept the invitation.]

That sounds like a good idea but... I'm waiting for Cain. [Because they're going to go home together after this. He starts trying to clock his partner, not really having much luck.] And I... don't have many credits to my name right now. Have you seen him lately?

I spoke with him earlier, actually.

[ which might account for why he smells vaguely of cain's electronic cigarette, having spent some time out on the balcony with him. it had been quite a conversation, long enough to take him away from the party as a whole. he hadn't been able to make any connections, the way he'd wanted - instead beelining for cain's navigator the moment he'd seen a cup of ice come into play. ]

If there comes a time when you change your mind, I've got enough to me to buy for you at a little noodle place I was able to find. It's cozy, and warm, and filling.

Oh? Well I'm glad he's actually talking to people who he knows instead of all of these... followers.

[He still doesn't see him. Abel drags himself out of the booth, maybe he can get a better look if he's standing.]

Yeah, it sounds really good, I just don't want to abandon him on his birthday. But another time? [The case of the missing Cain has apparently knocked the prank to the back of Abel's mind.]

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one night of magic rush

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