fh_trips | Fhloston, Thursday Morning/Afternoon

Stop by the lobby of the Naya Shard Hotel to get a free autograph session with the Astrotorium's own Ajani Goldmane mascot!

[OOC: As always, please move NSFW threads out of the main comm. Room assignments are here. Please add your room number to the header as you thread.]

There had been a lot of jello consumed last night. A good portion of it by Stark, especially later in the evening when he'd noticed a rather conspicuous absence.

That he'd fallen asleep in a corner of the room after clearing away some of the party detritus was hardly a surprise. Having the bed moved back in had seemed like far too much trouble and he'd slept in much worse places.

But now it was morning and he was waking up and briefly confused about why he was lying on the floor.

Summer, meanwhile, did not remember drunkenly creating a little bit of a nest for herself out of clothes from her bag, but she was not at all surprised that she had. She was surprised, apparently, that she needed to.

"What happened to our bed?"

Ohgod, she was way too hungover to deal with a bed thief right now. Like who did that? Who stole a bed? Possibly while you were sleeping in it?

(Somewhere, in another room entirely, Amaya Blackstone may have twitched a little in her sleep).

"Amaya and Gladio moved it," Stark said, sitting up and scooting towards her a little. "So there would be room. For the party. And then we didn't move it back. Because...I don't know?"

"Because I was way too drunk to deal with it and you were already asleep, probably, I think," murmured Summer, remembering now, and also remembering a lot of other things about last night, too. Whether the groan that followed had more to do with that or the pounding in her head was anyone's guess, though.

She hugged her makeshift pillow of a bunch of tank tops shoved into a sweater closer as she made a face. "We really should have taken into account that these floors have probably not been cleaned since whatever big bang created this universe."

Really gonna mention bangs right now, Summer?

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. I don't think? I think I was waiting and I was drinking. You left."

It was just a statement. Not an accusation in any way.

"When did you come back? Are you all right?"

"You can't expect me to have known time frames when I was drunk, Stark," Summer informed him. "And, I mean, I'm hungover as shit, but no worse than usual, so I'll be fine."

There was a slight pause before she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I slept alone on a dirty floor," Stark said. "And had too much jello and not enough food. So... I'm fine."

He frowned. "Does your head hurt? I can help, you know. A little. Or try and find coffee? Something?"

"Why do I always forget that you can just do that?" Summer asked, mostly rhetorically, because the answer was that she always felt a little bad asking him to help in that way. "But, yes," she pushed herself up a little to sitting, blearily looking around, "please. A little. Then coffee. Then maybe a shower and seeing what we can eat around here that'll help and not just, you know, make things worse..."

"Because I don't do it very often?" Stark said quietly as he stood up only to crouch back down at her side.

"I'm sorry it hurts. Did you drink something odd last night or just too much?" Or maybe someone drank her? Maybe?

"Stark," Summer told him, planitively, looking at him as he came over, "you can't feel bad for me suffering the consequences of my own actions. Feeling bad for a hangover after a room party is like feeling bad for water being wet or jello being jiggly. If anyone expected anything different, that's on them. Besides..."

She gave him a wan smile.

"If I don't wake up feeling terrible after a room party, then I'm really starting to lose my touch."

"You weren't this sad looking in the fall," Stark pointed out.

Last February was another story entirely but he wasn't an idiot so he wasn't going to bring that up.

"You had a good time then? Good party? Good night?"

He was loosening his mask as he talked, then reaching out to rest his hand on her head.

"In the fall," Summer countered, "I woke up in an actual bed afterwards."

A pause, looking to Stark to confirm. "Right?"

Like she was supposed to remember where she woke up after every party! Come on!

"But I did," she answered, closing her eyes as she leaned forward a little into Stark's hand. "Obviously. I always do."

Even last February. She was determined to have a good time no matter what, dammit.

"Did you?" she asked,opening her eyes to look at him, because that was the real important part. Forget her having fun, did everyone else have a good time? Did she throw a good party? Did she do a good job?

"We did wake up in a bed in the fall," Stark confirmed. He was going to take this opportunity to verygently stroke her hair. "Which was much better than this morning."

She ought to be feeling at least somewhat better by now. Less pained, at the very least.

"It was a good party," he assured her. "But you missed some of it. Where did you go?"

He had an idea.

Oh, yeah, sure, Summer's head felt great now, but did Stark have anything in that glowy face of his to take care of awkwardness?

And, at least he could rest assured that if there had been any blood loss, she was left with more than enough for her cheeks to start going a little red.

"Oh," she said, "uh...what's-her-face," she'd remember her name eventually! She just woke up! She'd had a raging hangover until just a few seconds ago! Sure, it might bot be until she listened to radio later, but that still counted!, "wanted to show me something."

🎶🎵~Technically not a liiie!~🎵🎶

If Stark had anything to combat awkwardness didn't Summer think he might have tried to use it on himself at some point?

"I don't know who that is," he said in a very gently teasing tone. "Maybe we haven't met yet. You were gone...a while. I wondered where you were." His hand was still on her hair, still moving gently.

"What did she show you? Horrible foods? Horrible drinks?" Some conveniently uninhabited location in the hotel?

Maybe ironically the room where they'd moved the bed to!

But, yeah, no, if anything, Stark was just making the awkwardness worse with that hand brushing her hair like that. She sort of gave it a side-ways glance before looking back at Stark somewhat imploringly. Because, like, really? Did he really want to have this conversation right now?

"It...definitely wasn't horrible, I can tell you that much."

That would be ironic!

Stark dropped his hand at that look from Summer.

"I worried when you didn't come back," he said finally. "I'm...I'm glad it was nothing horrible keeping you away."

Summer nodded a little, some of that awkwardness managing to drift away along with his hand, and she shrugged, giving Stark a faint smile.

"I wouldn't just abandon my own party not even half-way though, Stark," she pointed out. "Especially not the school trip room party."

"But you did leave," Stark said softly. "Even if you didn't abandon anything. I just...didn't expect you to. That's all."

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," Summer countered, "you know? And even if it wasn't, why would that matter if I want to go do something with someone else for a while?"

"You can do what you like," Stark said, sitting back on his heels. "With who you like. Of course you can. I just...you don't usually leave your parties."

Especially not with other people who might not even have names.

"I wasn't expecting it. That's all."

She had a name! It was just that that name was slipping away from Summer's memory right now! There had been way more interesting things to remember about her than her nameespecially for a moment, to really let it get settled in before she nodded.

"Well," she said. "This time, I did. It's not a big deal."

But if he wanted to make it one, you better believe it would be.

Stark had promised nearly a full year ago that he would try his best not to be weird about any of this. He was doing his best to keep that promise.

"I didn't mean to make it one. I just didn't expect it and then I worried because I'm me. I'm sorry. I know..."

He drew back a little more, hunching his shoulders as he tightened his mask. "Does your head feel better?"

"You worry way too much, Stark," said Summer, words that weren't anything new, but they were words she felt she hadn't had to say in a while and words she she didn't have to say now and also words that made her worried about what exactly it was that Stark was worried about.

"But, yeah," she gave him a small smile. "My head feels a lot better, thank you."

"I know," Stark said. "I promise you I know that."

It had been a worrisome few days with their first night here interrupted by a giant space attraction crashing into their resort and then their hotel slowly collapsing around them while a very odd theme park made itself at home. He'd done better with that than anyone could have expected at least?

"I'm sorry. I try not to worry. I'm glad your head is better."

His own hurt more now. He wasn't going to bring that up. That was just how this worked.

"I'm..." he hesitated, unsure if he ought to continue the thought.

Well, Summer was just going to sit there and look at him expectantly while he tried to figure that one out, then.

Right. He ought to finish the thought then.

"I'm just glad you're here now," Stark said, looking down. "That you came back. I...that's all."

Yes, he knew it was her room too but he also knew that she probably knew that wasn't what he meant. At least he hoped she did.

He lifted his head enough to look at her briefly.

And when he did lift his head, he would see Summer still just looking steadily back at him, though there an air of considering in it, like she was trying to make a decision on something.

And she pretty much decided to give it the same fuck it she had to things last night, and that turned out fucking awesome, so...

"What? You think I'm going to deal with a hangover and you worrying times a billion if I hadn't? Come on."

She pushed herself up to her feet and held out her hands to help Stark up, too.

"Let's go find some coffee and some food that is never going to taste even half as amazing to us as it will this morning or while being high."

"Thank you," Stark said. "For...dealing with me."

His smile was faint and hesitant but it was there as he grasped her hands and got to his feet. And maybe he was going to hold on to her left hand for now, if she'd let him.

"Coffee sounds wonderful. And food. I should have eaten more yesterday. I know better than to not eat before one of your parties. Do you think they have space coffee?"

Summer was actually going to do Stark one (hopefully) better, and keep pulling him in, into a hug. One that lingered for just the tiniest bit before she gave him a tight squeeze and pulled away.

"Don't call it that," she said, "that's offensive. Oh! Did you see when Atton threw a jello shot at Anakin? And then they started bickering like an old married couple?" She grinned at Stark, shaking her head. "Prime space boomer behavior, right there."

That hug might have been just what Stark needed and he squeezed back with a tiny relieved sigh.

"I did not see any flying jello. Did he hit him? I'm sorry I missed that..."

Always important to check out the rides. You never knew what was going to be new, newly-repaired, or newly broken!

[OOC: Use the header to let us know what rides you're enjoying]

Cyclonic Rift - Able to spin three hundred and sixty degrees in three different dimensions, it mimics a real cyclone in that once you're in it you have no idea which way is up! (There's no such thing as upside down in space. Put another way, there are infinite upside downs in space.)

Kiddie Coaster - Gentle dips and careful corners, this is the ride for future daredevils or current scaredy-cats. (There's something truly thrilling about moving so slowly.)

Saucer Spin - Have you ever spun around in circles until you were very, very dizzy? Yeah, it's like that but faster, longer, and you paid for the experience. ("Expect to be out of commission for about a week. It's awesome." --Salzon's Ride Review)

Storybook Ride - Automated space pods slowly move through depictions of locations around Eldraine, a plane rich in legends and fairy tales. The ride is known best for its iconic theme song, "It's A Storybook After All." The ride is known second best for breaking down, leaving people trapped in their pods, listening to the theme song repeat over and over. (You leave the ride entertained or an elk. Often the latter.)

Urza's Fun House - Six stories of fun! And frustration! Funstration! As dual-natured as Dominaria's favorite savior and near-destroyer! Wander through rooms and hallways devoted to important times in his life like: his war with his brother! His war with Phyrexia! The time he sank a continent! The other war with Phyrexia! Destroying time! And the other other war with Phyrexia! (The Mishra Annex closed due to make way for the upcoming attraction: Elesh Norn's Flawless Machine!)

Will and Rowan's Mild Ride - Hop into your vehicle and careen around the Astrotorium at a wild two miles an hour! Whip around corners carefully and safely! Crash into absolutely nothing because the carriage stalls out whenever you get too close to another vehicle or pedestrian! Enjoy this high-octane, low-excitement ride that smells vaguely like pumpkin!

If there's one thing performers love, it's a distracted audience and fighting with small children over who can be louder!

[OOC: Use the header to let us know what performances you're watching]

Wandering Street Magician - Hard to say which is the most impressive feat: the tricks, the ability to haul around all the supplies she needs to perform them, or continuing to look this good while wandering about the Astrotorium. (The audience always loves it, the volunteers are divided.)

Weatherlight Performance Hour - Meet and greet with the crew of the famous Weatherlight as they take a breather in between saving Dominaria from the Phyrexians. See Sisay's dazzling captain skills in action! Watch the tender romance between Gerard and Hannah unfold. Witness Karn just doing nothing helpful, a skill he'll retain for his entire existence! (Making children's smiles brighter and parents' wallets lighter.)

Tusk and Whiskers - The park's most mismatched performing duo is also its cutest! Watch them juggle and balance and prove that not all elephants are scared of mice! (Weighing in at a combined thirteen thousand pounds and two ounces...)

Hey, why doesn't anyone ever see the vampires eating at the concession stands? Or the zombies? And...hey, where's Charlie?

[OOC: Use the header to let us know where you're eating]

Concession Stand - Eating here is always a concession. (Today's Special: Basri Kettle Corn)

The Pie Hole - Pies of all kind! Meat pies! Sweet pies! Includes croustades, crostatas, galettes, tarte tatins and turnovers, but not pizza, due to a non-competition clause with Saheeli's. (Today's Special: Surprise Pies!)

Ye Olden Timey Tavern - A playfully raucous establishment, serving up flagons of ale and heaps of good time. Come in for the tasty, family-style fare, stay for the gregarious conversation and the occasional brawl! (The menu doubles as a drinking song)

Well, Atton had finally left the hotel, at least. And immediately found himself a seat here, and a flagon of something that at least looked like ale from a long distance.

Ah, Nar Shaddaa vibes.

... was it weird he felt slightly homesick? He wasn't used to feeling homesick.

There's more to do at a theme park than just wander around and play games and ride rides! There's all-important activity of spending money on stuff you'll never really use! (You did remember your wallet, right?)

[OOC: Use the header to let us know what you're up to]

Costume Shop - Why stop at idolizing your favorite Magic: The Gathering character when you could dress like them, too? Duck into the closest costume shop and stroll out looking like a new man! Or woman! Or minotaur! Or mermaid. Or... (Dress up like all your favorite Planeswalkers! Or Oko, we guess.)

Parhelion II A gondola ride around the park, the Parhelion II is everything its predecessor was, but somehow longer and less fun. (There's a special kind of person whose favorite way of getting around the park involves looking down on people.)

Pietra's Mirthing Pod - Brainchild (not literally) of our very own Pietra, Crafter of Clowns, the Mirthing Pod will extrude you a clown of your very own, a friend who will follow you all around the park! (CONGRATULATIONS. IT IS A CLOWN.)

[Treat this as a moddable NPC that follows you around for whatever amount of time is funniest for you]">Pietra, Crafter of Clowns, the Mirthing Pod will extrude you a clown of your very own, a friend who will follow you all around the park! (CONGRATULATIONS. IT IS A CLOWN.)

[Treat this as a moddable NPC that follows you around for whatever amount of time is funniest for you]

Edited 2024-02-29 15:15 (UTC)

Gladio had developed all these grand schemes to give Liliana a hard time about some of the things he'd been experiencing and learning here in the park, but all it took was one look at her at the party last night to know that was not the best idea. Say what you will about his sense of self-preservation, he had more than enough of it determine that much!

And today, he figured maybe he and Nell could just go out together, wander the park, and see if anything caught her interest. Maybe a ride or a shop? A game they could challenge each other with? Maybe get a pizza or some noodles? He wasn't really sure, but he knew that both of them would be pretty content if all they did was just walk around spending time together, too.

Nell looked down at her small hand clasped in Gladio's and couldn't help but smile. No matter how ridiculous this place was they were together and that was good enough for her.

"So, you spent some time here yesterday," she said. "Anything interesting? Is there any food that's safe to eat or rides that aren't equally likely to kill us?"

"The food's actually not that bad," said Gladio, who snorted a laugh as he added, "but consider the source there."

This was a man who genuinely loved cheap, trashy food to the point where he was karmically paid to promote it.

"The rides feel a lot iffier, but I'm always pretty suspicious of structural integrity in general...Carousel looks pretty nice, though."

If they wanted to lose an entire day in five short minutes, anyway...

Nell swung their hands between them. "This is fun, actually, wandering around looking at things together."

She smiled up at him. "Of course you could always win me a stuffed creature."

"Just one?" Gladio asked, grinning down at Nell. "No way. I'm winning you so many of 'em, you won't even be able to carry 'em al--"

But he stopped, somewhat abruptly, the grin shifting into an expression of confusion as something caught his attention. At first, it had been buried in the noise of the crowd of patrons around them, so that he barely noticed it, but his training eventually kicked in and it snagged a certain part of his brain that knew when to pick up a certain energy directed his way. A voice, coming closer, as it called out, "Gideon! Gideon! Hey, Gids!! Gideooooon!!"

He turned his head to see the Liliana cosplayer from yesterday rushing up to him...as well as she could in her towering thigh-high boots and long skirts.

"Hi!" she said, beaming breathlessly up at him as she caught up. "Wow, this is amazing! I didn't think I'd actually run into you again! But you sure do stand out in a crowd, huh?"

She breathed out and grinned at him, and then seemed to notice where his hand was, and then she noticed Nell, and her eyebrows lifted.

Grinning faintly, Gladio figured he could help with some of the confusion probably building between both parties. "Nell," he said, "this is a friend I met yesterday at the pie place. Err. I don't think I got your actual name,now that I think about it...."

The cosplayer sighed, pulling a very impressive,nearly-Liliana-level sneer. "Sara," she said, "but it's A-R-A,not E-R-R-A, like some dumb angel."

That costume kept looking more and more accurate, huh?

"Well, Sara, I'm actually Gladio, and this is my girlfriend, Nell."

With a helpful gesture, in case the hand-holding wasn't enough to go by.

"Girl-" Sara started, with the crestfallen expression of a woman seeing all her beautiful Gideana dreams crumbling before her, but then she blinked at Nell as she looked at her a little closer. Her eyes went wide. "Oh, wow, okay, don't take this the wrong way, but you could pull off an amazing Nissa! Okay, I know no one likes her because she's a total elf supremacist, but you would be such a pretty her!"

Edited 2024-02-29 20:52 (UTC)

Nell was laughing at Gladio's silliness when his attention was drawn away to...

To a woman who was dressed up like Liliana. Really dressed up like Liliana. Really really.

And she was really interested in Gladio. Really really interested.

Nell had discovered that she was ever so slightly the jealous type, but Gladio so clearly was unbothered but the woman and so casually clear about their relationship that she could just sort of sit back and go along with all of this.

And then... "Nissa?" she said. "You think so?" Who in the world - or Liliana's world - was Nissa? Other than an elf supremacist?

"Oh, absolutely," Sara-not-Serra gushed. "The more I look at you, the more I'm sure. I don't know exactly why, there's just a vibe there. Not an elf supremicist vibe," she added quickly, with a nervous chuckle and glance toward Gladio, "just....something else." Her head tilted, eyes narrowed in speculative thought. "I just can't put my finger on it...

"But then you," she said eagerly toward Gladio, "would have to do a Chandra, of course. That would be so hot."

Yes, thank you, Sara knew she was hilarious, don't hold back you applause just for her, now.

"Sara was telling me yesterday," Gladio continued to try and explain for Nell, "all about how Liliana is her favorite character," yes, there was a slightly nudging emphasis and pause there, too, "weren't you, Sara?"

"Oh, of course!" she said. "I mean, there really is no contest, is there? Although I would accept Vraska as a pretty close second."

"Her favorite..." Nell was a little lost for a moment, then, "her favorite... Oh. Oh! I...
see...?"

She looked up at him. And her eyes went wide. "Oh! Liliana!"

She didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified, though she knew which side Gladio was coming down on.

"So... Nissa and Chandra, you think?" she said carefully. "Please, tell me more."

"Well, there isn't that much to say about them," Sara admitted, with a roll of her eyes, "I think they're mostly boring, but who doesn't love a couple's costume, right? I mean, unless it's Lili and Jace," she smiles up at Gladio again, since she knew she had an ally there, "right?"

"Exactly," Gladio nodded with his firm agreement, even though he still knew nothing about who this guy was except what Sara had ~~ranted~~ told him yesterday. "Jace is the worst."

"Definitely the worst," Nell agreed bemusedly. "I mean, everyone knows that, right?"

She squeezed Gladio's hand and smiled up at him. "I can see you two had quite the conversation. I'm sorry I missed it."

I have a migraine, so have Nuance's sunshine instead:

Okay, I think my other favorite thing is how many of the adults have ended up in Thalia's No-Fun Zone.

Fhloston, Thursday Morning/Afternoon

Hotel

Room 312

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Rides

Wandering Performers

Food

Ye Olden Timey Tavern

Amenities

General Wandering - 02/29.

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OOC