ph_logs | [Mini Player Event] Never Have I Ever

[Mini Player Event] Never Have I Ever

Who: EVERYONE
What: A rousing game of Never Have I Ever, and other entertainments
When: Saturday, May 4th, starting at around noon
Where: Oak & Iron
Warning(s): Intoxication and whatever you bring in with you; the prompts here are ideas for your own TLs

Shortly after the island comes back and rebuilding begins, the esteemed Mister Yorick of the newspaper gets the Erin Peters experience, where she flings his door open and yells, "YOU LIKE GETTING DRUNK MOTHERFUCKER?" Somehow this kills him, and Erin honestly is not sure how, but a much more sedate second visit leads to an announcement in the newspaper:

Never Have I Ever
Saturday the Fourth, Oak & Iron
First Round of Drinks Free
If You Drink, You Play
We're Never Going To Say This Again But Food From Home Encouraged, Our Chefs Aren't Immortal

If You Have Never Heard Of This Game, Start Talking About Large Boats And Ask The First Person Who Has A Flashback How It's Played

Attendance isn't mandatory, but it's about to be hard to miss at least seeing the damn thing...

The Party

Erin's come prepared for this one. It took some cajoling. It took pleading and browbeating to get extra chefs on deck so people could switch out to participate. It took opening extra kegs and casks, and, yes, it took stealing and fixing a whole lot of furniture that had been damaged by the flood, but right now Oak & Iron is not merely the building, but most of the Outside(tm) near the building. The event proper starts at noon but setup started at 8 PM the night before and Erin straight up just did not go to bed until it was done. The Pine Devil can come at her if it thinks it's hard enough.

The end result is a whole lot of mismatched outdoor seating with a variety of chairs, stools, tree stumps carved into "chairs", Frankensteined tables, and an outdoor bar. Staff from the inn collects money from that bar, where Erin Peters is working, every 25 minutes on the dot, and your hostess has a sharp and sly grin on her face whenever she's not actively engaged in a conversation. Food is available but bringing dishes of one's own is strongly permitted. Hell, come bring it and sell it, this may be the only time the inn doesn't care that you're technically competing with them.

She has, after all, been starving for Glamour under the sea. She expects to feed well.

A large sign next to the bar reads: I'm Blind As Fuck And This Game Goes Hard, Drink At Own Risk

Smaller letters immediately beneath say: Anyone Dying Of Alcohol Poisoning Will Be Mocked

The Game

Never Have I Ever is a simple game. Someone makes a truthful statement, such as "Never have I ever had a fist fight with a bear," and anyone who can't truthfully agree with that statement must take a drink. Though there's no actual formal obstacle against lying, people fudging the truth while Erin is walking past with drinks or to see friends might get a nudge with a wing and this blind bitch announcing 'liar' in a sharp tone that might be play or might be bullying and is probably both (feel free to NPC this happening if it's of interest to you!).

Feel free to simply tag in with your question as the header, as seen here. Even the prose is optional! Folks will come to you with whether or not their character drinks and you can thread or not thread from there.

The Long Walk Home

Did you survive your own poor choices? Do you have a plan to make it home safely before, or after, dark? Not like Oak and Iron can bear the entire town within its walls, so...

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The anxiety wafting off Ava hurts, but perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. Ava has been so sensitive, though perhaps she shouldn't be surprised by that either. Luckily the woman sets down the glass before Valdis needs to take it from her.

"Yes, outside works."

She reaches out as if to take Ava's hand, but hesitates and instead just moves slightly away, hoping Ava will follow.

She doesn't want to assume the worst of things, but her ingrained paranoia is always hard to shake. She watches as Valdis's offered hand is just as quickly rescinded, and winds her own two together. Ava follows along quietly, glancing back at her husband and making sure to exchange glances so he knows where she's disappeared off to and doesn't have to worry.

Once outside, Ava breathes in the fresh air, trying to relax. "Didn't see you, on that... awful ship. You've been okay?" She realized a few people managed to avoid the cursed vessel.

"I'm fine, I made a deal with Claunthe to get away. It was...too painful to be there."

From what she's heard, Ava would understand why, or the woman could at least guess. Valdis also takes a breath of the fresh air.

"Peter didn't tell me outright, but it sounded like he also made a deal to take your place somehow."

Though not with Claunthe.

"I don't like it, and I'm sure you don't either, but you need to let him take your place."

"Ah, I won't ask what sort of deal because I trust your judgment that it was the better offer..." Ava trails off. If she had known what she had going into it, maybe she would have been tempted too.

She frowns, nods guiltily. She knew there was no real hiding the arrangement from their friends. "He has this ring he can wear..." Ava whispers. "But we're taking turns," she states firmly. "This is my month." The pain has flooded back in her system, but it's still at manageable levels. She came out to have fun while she still can.

"No."

It comes out harsher than expected to cover the panic and Valdis grabs Ava's shoulders.

"You have to let Peter do it from now on. You cannot die under any circumstances."

Ava's surprised by the insistence. She figured friends would have varying opinions and judgments on their arrangement, but she hadn't expected this.

"I've died plenty of times, Valdis," she says as calmly as she can manage beneath the rising anxiety. "Why would it be any different now? We come back just the same..." but maybe Valdis knows something she doesn't.

"Ava."

Valdis releases her, trying to figure out how to explain what she is sensing. It's very complicated, so complicated she has no idea where to even begin, so maybe she just needs to simplify it.

"You have two souls."

Ava suddenly looks frightened, not understanding what Valdis means. "I'm... possessed?" Did a parasite latch onto her on the infested ship, or hitchhike onto her soul last time she was a ghost?

This is so dumb, why didn't she just use the actual word. The stress is clearly making her stupid.

"You're pregnant."

"I..." Ava stutters, it's a lot to process at once, her emotions spinning. "What, how?" Apparently surprise has made her stupid. Obviously she knows how. They've been wanting this, but she hadn't expected... not before they had a more permanent solution.

She swallows roughly. Because yes, Valdis is right. Once Peter knows, there is no other choice, no more taking turns. She sways slightly in place as it all catches up to her, the excitement mixing with nerves over everything that will come next.

"Oh my god..." she'd ask if Valdis is sure, but... of course she'd know.

"Maybe you should sit down."

The confusion and mix of feelings make her feel the need to sit down and she's only getting them second hand.

Valdis takes Ava's hand and leads her a few feet to a bench outside the bar.

"You understand though, you can't switch with Peter."

Ava feels in a complete daze that a moment later she's sitting and she barely registers that Valdis led her there.

She steadies her breathing. "Yes, I know... I..." she blinks back overwhelmed tears. Because she's not ready for him to have to continue suffering in her place when he's just finally gotten a break. "It was so hard on him last month..." she closes her eyes. "But he'll be so happy..." she's happy too, beneath all the worry.

"Oh Valdis, what do I do?"

She recoils ever so slightly.

"I don't know."

She's never been pregnant, never truly wanted children for fear of losing them, it's bad enough she fell in love with Max and...whatever she has with Fever. And Erin and Daisy and all her friends.

"But you need to tell Peter."

A nod, but she has to wait for her nerves to settle before she rushes off to find Peter with the news. Because she has to find the right words in the chaos of her thoughts, has to be able to hold him steady when he's hit by the weight of the excitement and all its implications. They wanted this, she reminds herself. He's going to be happy, absolutely thrilled. Even if this was sooner than expected. They're both so inexperienced and-

"Thank you for telling me... I... I don't know. How long it would have taken me to realize..." and by then it might have been too late. She hates that thought. "I- oh, and I was about to do all that drinking!" She doesn't know much about pregnancy, but she does know that.

Valdis really is at a loss, she's never had to care before.

"I would have stopped you from drinking."

"Ah, guess I have to miss out on the game all over again," though she doesn't sound all that upset by it. She places a tentative palm over her stomach, uncertain if she'd be able to tell any difference quite yet when she can't be that far along. Then looks slightly bashful.

"I was afraid you didn't want to see me, anymore."

Valdis doesn't say anything for several moments, trying to decide if she should reassure Ava or tell Ava how she felt. Ultimately, she chooses to express her own emotions.

"I felt you didn't care about my feelings, and I had no desire to be around you while you suffered."

Because it hurt too much to not be able to help.

"I did care about your feelings, that's why it hurt so much. I was suffering, and that made it... difficult. To process much else." Her head wasn't clear, all thoughts blurred with intense pain.

"All I heard was that you didn't want to be around me anymore. And that felt much worse than the pain."

"It was easier when the world was monotone. All of us were suffering and I could...block it out. But here," Valdis takes a breath. "I can breathe here, and in some ways that makes my powers easier, and in some ways...much harder."

The bloodlust, the desire for darkness, the ease with which she can now push aside the feelings of others...And yet, she still feels Ava's pain, Fever's chaos, Peter's sorrow. The joy, the happiness, the friendship, make all that easier, and it will have to be enough.

"I'm sorry I made you feel as if I abandoned you. That was not my intent."

"And it wasn't my intent to make you feel as if I didn't care about how it affected you. I know it's... a terrible, unfair situation," not just for herself but those that care about her having to watching helplessly as she suffers. And now Peter in her place.

"And your powers must make it that much worse to experience, I can't imagine I'm easy to be around. I'd become so used to the pain it's hard to imagine it another way, but I promise I do want to find a better solution."

"You can find another way, both of you." She says firmly. "And I'll do what I can to help."

That little spark of a soul isn't complete yet, but she's sure Ava will choose to nurture the spark so it can become a flame.

"You should tell him. It's still early, but Peter should know so he can prepare."

"I'd appreciate any help," Ava reaches for Valdis's hands, wanting her to know she doesn't plan on turning her away again. Because she knows there's so many challenges ahead, and she can't do any of it alone.

"Mn," she agrees, increasingly giddy about sharing the news. "I don't want to interrupt the game, but... well, I think he'll need the drinks."

Valdis lets Ava take her hands, glad they've spoken, but sad for reason she doesn't entirely understand.

"You should hurry then, he'll be missing you."

"Can you... come by again sometime soon?" Ava asks hopefully, squeezing her hands.

Valdis squeezes back.

"Of course."

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