one night of magic rush

[blyat]

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.]

Comments

[adsero]

[Being yourself is what's important, it's what Abel's been working on for the better part of the past year. It's just been easier to take smaller steps in the military than it has been in public places as a civilian, though. Especially here where Abel is surrounded by all of Hideki's influencer friends who keep looking at him like he's lost or something. He's certainly dressed more like a waiter than a friend of Cain's.]

You will? [Abel's expression lifts, newly encouraged. It's not nearly as anxiety-inducing if someone is flailing around with him! He nods with renewed enthusiasm and gestures back into the crowd.] Okay, let's go!

[wiccant]

( abel is dressed in fancywear, billy's dressed down but comfortably. he doesn't quite fit in either, but he also doesn't really care so. like cain, he has his own social media following, but it's--he doesn't try and act a certain way for other people. like he said to abel, being yourself is what's important.

the smile widens, and instead of just holding onto abel, he offers out a hand. )

I'm not great either, so we'll just have to be terrible together.

[adsero]

Oh don't worry. Standing next to me? You'll look like Fosse.

[Abel doesn't think much of it and takes the offered hand. With how often he and Cain touch one another, sometimes for prolonged periods of time, the empathy link is a familiar thing. When it starts curling over his shoulders, Abel lets go in surprise-- just that, not out of fear or anxiety, he just wasn't expecting it.]

Oh, I'm-- Sorry I didn't know you, ah, we were both...

[wiccant]

( abel pulls his hand back, and billy pulls his hand back in the same vein before he's--laughing it off. he's comfortably buzzed, it helps with the anxiety lingering beneath it. )

It's fine! I didn't either. We'll just have to be careful. ( by pulling his sleeves back down over his hands, and shoving thumbs through two little holes inside the sleeves themselves. ) Or we can just dance where no one'll notice the glow.

[adsero]

[The reaction is better than Abel had anticipated. Because he and Cain are always hanging off each other, practically glowing 24/7, he's associated the link with intimacy and conveying feelings he can't put words to. But he can also easily see how it could be used to pull the truth out of someone unwilling to discuss how they really felt. It's a way to hop the privacy fence, so to speak.]

[But apparently this man's not bothered by it, and Abel smiles back awkwardly at the strange moment.] Yeah, of course! We just have to be careful. [He notices what the other is doing, and while he doesn't have thumb holes in his sweater he can just pull it down over his palms-- it's long enough, though it does look ridiculous. Abel shows Billy his ridiculous sweater-sleeve covered hands and laughs before holding out his hand this time.]

I think we're covered.

[wiccant]

( he's gotten used to the empathy bonds; with a twin brother who's attached at the hip, it makes it hard not to. but billy has never been one to hide how he's feeling, anyway; he's loud about his feelings, how he's dealing with things, what upsets him and what doesn't. being buzzed helps keep him loose, too; where the club might have had him a little more anxious than usual due to how noisy it is, the set up, the crowd--he's doing alright for now.

billy gives a soft laugh, reaches to take abel's covered hand with his own. takes a step ahead to lead him towards the center of the dance floor. )

We're definitely covered. Follow me?

[adsero]

Right behind you. [It does feel better to be with someone on the floor instead of by himself. He's been alone at this party for the majority of it, and it's definitely made him more self-conscious and awkward by the second. This is like a massive weight off his shoulders.]

[He's pretty good at following and anticipating the beat, but what he doesn't have is the ability to not think and just move. He thinks way too much and it shows in his stiff movements and how his eyes are constantly scanning how everyone else is dancing.]

[wiccant]

( if billy were any less tipsy, he'd probably be right there beside abel. as it is, he keeps an eye on him, watches how stiff he moves. he doesn't know this guy well, yet. but he gets it. the nervousness, the--not wanting eyes on him judging him. so billy changes tactics.

turns into abel and wraps arms loose around his shoulders, leans in close. )

Close your eyes. Don't focus on any of them, focus on yourself. Dancing isn't about being perfect, it's about letting go.

[adsero]

[Oh dear. This man's hands are on him, and he's very close and telling Abel to close his eyes. It shouldn't make him warm and shouldn't make him blush, but in his defense he and Cain didn't get a chance to dance during Halloween. It's still on his bucket list. Though this isn't exactly what he'd expected, he'd thought his first dance would be with Cain.]

[Well, carpe diem. Why be precious about it? Abel does as he's told and closes his eyes, wraps one arm around the man's waist-- nice and respectful, but embracing the closeness. And Abel bounces a little, looser and perfectly with the beat.]

Like this?

[wiccant]

( they're close, in a club but billy definitely keeps it pg. sways to the beat in time with abel but doesn't breech those final few breaths between them. he's not--really interested in pushing it that far, but abel feels a little looser now. like he's letting himself go just a bit more. then he's asking and billy's lips quirk up at the corners. tilts his head in just a little closer, even if he keeps the rest of the distance between them. )

Don't ask me. Does it feel right to you? ( enjoy yourself a little, abel. gosh. don't stress over dancing right. )

[adsero]

[L o o k, it's his literal first time, don't shame him he's a good boy!!!!]

[Closing his eyes does make him feel better. In this case, ignorance is bliss-- if he can't see people looking at him and silently judging, it's just easier for him to move. He's not drunk enough, so shutting out what bothers him is the way to go.]

[His brow crinkles a little bit as he takes stock of how he's feeling. It takes a moment because he's also focused sharply on moving to the music, but in the end he's nodding.] It does. The... 'visual noise' just ruins it for me, I guess.

[But maybe if he were dancing with Cain, his focus wouldn't drift like this. But it's still fun, venturing into this thing he's always wanted to do but never given himself permission to do.] I'm Abel!

[wiccant]

( there's no shaming!! abel's fine. nervous, but fine. billy follows in line with him easily enough, too; mirrors his own movements. he's not the best dancer, either. but he can manage this just fine. it's easy, and helping abel not be so nervous also means he's not dancing by himself, so. )

Billy. Nice to meet you, Abel. ( soft, friendly. billy keeps his own eyes open, if only to make sure they're not getting close to running into anyone. but he's not bothered by any stares directed their way, sticks his tongue out at anyone who's looking a little too long before giving an extra sashay of his hips. )

You're newish, right? I remember seeing your name around on the network.

[adsero]

[Abel can't tell if Billy is good or not, given his eyes are closed. But it does feel right and it does feel fun. The longer Abel separates himself from the people watching him, the stronger those feelings become. But is it just awkward to dance with someone who isn't looking at you...?]

Ah, nice to meet you too! [Yeah, this is weird, he should open his eyes. So he does and just tries not to look around too much.]

I've been around for a few weeks, I was part of the group that arrived in New Tokyo. What about you? Have you been here for a while?

[wiccant]

Not that long, but long enough? I guess. It's been a few rounds of new arrivals since I dropped in.

( so he's familiar with the ins and outs of new amsterdam, but doesn't--have a ton of information to go off of like some of those who have been here a bit longer. it's fine. he's figuring it out, slowly. this isn't his first time being universally displaced, even if it is his first without a clear exit. )

I'm getting kind of used to it. How about you?

[adsero]

It's taking me a moment. [He hasn't been without direction ever, truth be told. He was always in school and then in the military. Now he's just... sitting on the couch in the apartment waiting for Cain to come home.]

So far my biggest responsibility has been watching the plants and recreating different dog breeds in VR. I haven't quite figured out the job market just yet.

[wiccant]

I got a job as a coffee shop barista. ( the song ends, so billy--lowers his arms back down, gives abel a little space. runs fingers through his hair to fix strands back to one side of his forehead before he continues, ) It pays a little better here than back home, considering how rare coffee is. And expensive.

( too much for billy to afford a lot on his own, but his own ability to run a coffee pot back home worked in his favor here. )

So it attracts a lot of New Amsterdam's finest.

[adsero]

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.

[wiccant]

I was a witch, back home. ( billy even raises both hands, moves his fingers. there's no blue spark, but there usually would be. it kind of--loses the effect here. ) A superhero, sometimes. We would put on our costumes and run around saving whoever from Dr. Doom, or another Skrull invasion, or whatever war's going on.

( a loose lift of his shoulders, ) So I don't really have any real job experience either, but I'm figuring it out.

[adsero]

[...Is the music too loud or did he actually just hear what he heard?]

[Abel pauses for a moment, staring openly now at Billy a he wiggles his fingers and talks about doctors and invasions and being a witch apparently. This shouldn't be surprising at this point, but it's still just so hard for him to wrap his brain around some of these things.]

...Oh!

[God what a dumb thing to say.]

I've. Never met a witch before.

[Is there a hole in the floor he can just fling himself into? That'd be great.]

[wiccant]

That's pretty normal around these parts. ( and back home, too. maybe not so much in billy's circles anymore, but for an average, every day person--it's not like witches are just hiding around corners waiting to be found. )

I'm, uh. I guess I should probably explain a little better? ( hand moving to shove through his hair and smooth back bangs from his forehead. ) So, back where I come from some human beings born with something called the X-gene? And it causes mutations. Not bad things, just different things. Some mutants can fly, or read minds, or telekinetically move things. My twin brother warps time--I just warp space. So, I'm a witch. A mutant witch.

[adsero]

[Yeah, a better explanation is definitely appreciated. Abel doesn't find the idea of people with powers strange and impossible-- he's absolutely charmed every time Cain makes the plants perk up now-- but it's still taking some getting used to if he's being entirely honest. For a while, teleporting technology seemed crazy and impossible, but the goalposts have certainly moved since.]

Ah. Okay, yeah, that makes sense. I mean we all have the uh. [He taps his chest. Theoretically they all have 'the uh', though Abel still isn't sure what his is.] That's incredible though, you must be able to do so much with an ability like that! Cross long distances with a step, things like that?

[wiccant]

Yeah, I used to. I used to be able to teleport, create portals, create clothes, fly, use illusions--but none of that works here. ( expression tight; on one hand, it's great not to have to worry about messing everything up just because he thinks something different. wants something. chaos magic is dangerous, powerful, and billy's is moreso than most. but on the other-- )

Now, when I touch someone. ( holding out his hand palm up. not to offer it, but just. to stare down at it. ) Er, when I'm trying, I just give people bad luck I guess. Trip them up, cause ladders to fall--that kind of thing. It's less cool, and a lot less useful.

[adsero]

Oh... [Abel winces a little because yes, that does sound less cool and less useful. It must have been difficult re-learning everything too, especially if Billy was creating clothes and flying. Hopefully he still remembered how to tie his shoes the old-fashioned way...]

I'm sorry. That sounds like a difficult transition to make when you were so used to being able to do so many things.

If it's any consolation, I could have an equally specific ability-- but I have no idea what it is, so you're ahead of me there.

[wiccant]

I didn't rely on it--the magic. It just made some things a little easier.

( he used it to help. or tried to. sometimes billy messed up more than anything else, but he tried. the outfit changes were handy when they needed to hide in plain sight, or when he needed a costume change. as were the illusions, but-- )

Abilities, even the ones here, tend to show themselves in response to stressful situations. Given how we're living here, you'll probably figure yours out eventually.

( the next time they get stuck inside dreams fighting monsters or something similar. )

There are people who offered to help figure them out, too.

[adsero]

It sounds like it. I didn't rely on being a Navigator in the Alliance, but it made some things a little easier.

[And now he doesn't have that. And now he's spending every day in an apartment Cain pays for, trying not to eat too much and working commission-to-commission. He's drifting now that he could go in any direction at all.]

Ha... yes, I read about that. The stressful situations part. I think it's just a better idea if I wait and see, what if my ability is something like-- [He looks around helplessly.] Producing tiny umbrellas out of thin air? That's hardly going to help if I'm in physical danger.