The full seasonal event can be read here! Below are the main seasonal items for quick reference:
1. A thread reacting to the season's weather in some ways.
2. A thread in the part of the city your character doesn't live in!
3. A thread relating to your vocation.
Of The Season
Quote
"Tell Dr. Nate that Gale sent you, and he still owes me for the mushrooms. Except that it takes you a while to reach the clinic, and by the time you do your fever is spiking, and so instead of the requisite message you instead tell the poor soul who greets you that 'A gale'a m'shrooms sent me cus'a my hands.'" - Zephyr in Oh help me, please doctor, I'm damaged
It wasn't unusual for Adam to crash at Nate's for a night, even though he had a perfectly functional apartment of his own. Nate's place wasn't particularly nicer, but the company and the change of scenery proved good enough lures to make Adam spend the night there at least half the evenings of the week.
What was unusual was for Nate to be gone this long. Usually, he would only be waiting for an hour at most before his beleaguered host would appear in the doorway, with the fond groan he'd grown used to and the usual question of are you hurt or just being a leech? (Pretty much always the latter). This night, he'd come and flopped on the couch expecting to hear Nate enter any time, but time had continued to go by past the usual time. Adam, as much as he would never admit it, was worried; he watched the door with a slight frown, booze he'd stolen from a cupboard unpleasantly curdling in his stomach instead of comforting him like he'd hoped.
Finally, there was the sound of footsteps and then a familiar voice. He sighed with relief, not noticing if there was a second voice, and adjusted his position on the couch so it would look like he was casually looking anywhere but the door - it wouldn't do to have Nate see him looking like a distressed housewife. Whenever the door opened he would aim to look over with all the attention of a bored schoolchild, raise a hand in an oh-so-cool wave.
climbing the ladder, faster and faster impending disaster goes faster, and—
Nate has… maybe flown too close to the sun. It’s something he does every year when he goes out to harvest fresh product, though that usually happens without the complications of a first time noble lightweight. It’s not the worst that’s happened on these trips, and it certainly hasn’t slowed him down, a generous handful of his botanical bounty swallowed.
Sunjata slumps across his shoulders, sweat and humidity sealing a sticky bond between them as Nate drags them in the direction of home, the path burned in to his brain well enough that it pokes through his brain fog. Maybe if he were less burdened and more with it he’d notice his apartment door isn’t locked, but at the moment it’s simply a miracle.
For both him, and Sunjata.
Of course, the noble has to hit the ground at some point, and since it isn’t when Nate struggles to open the door the next opportunity is when the doctor notices the familiar silhouette on his couch. “Adam!” The word is loud even for him, echoing in the small space.
Without pausing to check on the noble Nate rushes across the room to grab Adam’s face in his hands and press a kiss to his lips. “Want some bubbles? Y’gonna catch up?” These are a poor whisper into Adam’s ear before Nate pulls back. “Or y’gonna play house?”
it's bad enough to see the sunlight through your seams the thread of you and hem of me it's bad enough in between
It’s a lot all at once, enough that Sunjata’s unsteady — not uncomfortable, though. That teetering point that he’d reached as he headed toward the border, as Nate had effectively distracted and uprooted him all at once with one item, a bottle of water.
So here he is, calmed down from that edge of rage, coated in a dusting of dirt that drown out his freckles from where he’d scuffled with Nate, sure the bruises would be visible either tonight or in the coming days. Regardless, he leans heavily against the other man, following a path he doesn’t know but fully placing his trust in the doctor to get them somewhere safe. He’s thankful for how Nate drags him along, holding him upright enough that he doesn’t have to think about trying to move in the right direction. So long as Nate moves, Sunjata’s in step.
And before he knows it, they’re at a somewhat familiar apartment, stepping inside, his lips parting to say something when Nate’s suddenly gone and Sunjata’s lost all the balance he had. It’s like a terrible stop motion the way Sunjata slips to the ground, catching himself only barely from smashing his face into the floor, muscle memory protecting it with his arm. The bag topples to the side, the now damp journals sprawling out of it, and Sunjata lays there for a few moments as he registers who’s captured Nate’s attention.
A beaming bright smile blooms on Sunjata’s face and the most pitiful wave toward the other man is all that’s offered before his own quiet and muffled “hi Adam! Didn’t know you’d be here!”
Thankfully Adam didn't have to keep up his 'too cool for this' casual facade for long; it seemed like Nate was hyper enough to not even notice. It was immediately obvious some kind of substance had been consumed that day, though he'd rarely seen Nate quite so jazzed from anything. Laughing into the kiss, a hand on Nate's wrist, he pulled back and spotted Sunjata before he spoke, looking between the two of them. "Bubbles? The fuck are bubbles, man?"
He certainly had no interest in 'playing house', having never been the responsible one ever in his 29 years of life.
Turning to look properly at Sunjata, a wolfish grin took over his features as he commented: "I heard you and Nate had some fun a while back. You little whore!" It was clear from his tone this was more of a compliment than anything else, but it was intended to embarrass Sunjata a little bit - he was cute when he was shy.
(This post was last modified: 03-31-2023, 09:49 PM by Adam.)
climbing the ladder, faster and faster impending disaster goes faster, and—
Nate scoffs dramatically, throwing his head back and nearly taking Adam with him, then rises up to stare the lanky man in the eyes, his focus shaky and intense. And as soon as he sees the other man still just as serious, he does it again, this time so aggressively they do actually wobble a bit. "You're gettin' old." One arm extricates itself from around Adam to fumble in the bag wrapped safely around the doctors hip, the familiar shape of a dried gumgi drawn out and pressed against Adam's lips before the DJ can look too closely at it, though it seems far darker in colour than usual.
His attention shifts in turn with the other mans, delighted surprise sending Nate stumbling back towards the door with insistent arms tugging Adam along. In a better state, the doctor might have had the decency to wince, his reputation built on discretion even if that doesn't extend to his personal life (or Adam really). Now though, all he can do is giggle. "I did have fun."
A single free hand reaches out towards Sunjata, an offer to help him up as if the man stumbling over every other step, the action more likely to drag them all down to the ground than it is to get the waylaid enforcer on his feet again.
it's bad enough to see the sunlight through your seams the thread of you and hem of me it's bad enough in between
He can’t find the strength within him to pull himself to his feet, content to simply stay there where he’d collapsed as he makes his greeting, precisely where Nate had dropped left him. What he doesn’t expect, though, is when Adam turns to him with that wolfish grin, and the Plater can’t help but to turn a dark, dark red of embarrassment – the tips of his ears under the buzzed sides of his head a stark contrast. Though the sunburn likely doesn’t help matters much.
His lips part to speak, but Sunjata can’t quite find the words, instead looking not unlike a fish out of water when Nate’s giggle is heard and he relaxes some to offer a soft little "hey." Besides, not like it mattered much. He’d been with both of them, after all. So when Nate drags Adam over and offers him a hand, he takes it and exhales a slow breath of a laugh. “I had fun with both of you.” He admits, far more brazenly than he ever would if he were sober.
But he isn’t, so they get the honest truth. “And spending the couple of days down here with you two was worth the beating.” A shoulder shrugs casually, not realizing it might bring the mood down – thinking nothing of it as he pulls a little too hard on Nate’s arm as he tries to hoist himself up, certainly off balance enough with Nate’s own issue trying to balance himself, it’s likely they would all come crashing to the floor alongside him.
"I am not-" Adam's protest was cut short by the press of something that smelt familar against his lips. Not expecting the sudden feeling he blinked for a moment before he processed and without pausing to consider, opened his mouth to chew then held it under his tongue. He knew what to do. Voice slightly unclear as he held the gumgi in his mouth, he raised his eyebrows and commented: "Damn, thish ish strong schtuff."
He was pulled up to his feet and towards Sunjata, lanky legs just about managing to make it without tripping over themselves. While he could see the red on the Plater's cheeks and ears, Adam was surprised to hear Sunjata so brazen about their sexual escapades; he snorted and clapped him on the back. "Hell yesh." As the familiar tingling in his tongue began, much faster and stronger than usual, he swallowed the dried substance and cleared his throat before continuing: "One day, I'm gonna look at the Arbiter and say man, I fucked your son. With my Drencher dick."
Speaking of the Arbiter...mention of beatings certainly could bring the mood down and for a moment Adam felt a little sinking in his chest at the word, but then they were beginning to topple; still sober enough to stay upright (for the time being) he tried to grab onto the other two and drag them back to the couch, long legs almost horizontal as he pulled backwards. "Whoa, come sit down before y'fuckin' kill yourself."
(This post was last modified: 04-04-2023, 08:31 AM by Adam.)
climbing the ladder, faster and faster impending disaster goes faster, and—
“S’a ‘periment.” Nate giggles, just barely resisting the urge to follow the gumgi with his fingers. If he were sober he’d go over the process, the way he’d cultivated this specific patch of algae, the process, but right now he can’t even bring to mind any step before Profit!
The pitch towards the floor is offset by the tug from Adam, something something physics, and Nate simply goes with the flow, gravity pushing him back towards the couch, Sunjata drug along with them. Collapsing onto the couch and caring less than he should about where Sunjata ends up, the doctor throws a leg across Adam's lap and leans in to nibble at his earlobe.
Even if he doesn’t feel it himself, the shift in mood wraps around Nate like a wet blanket, and his teeth sink into Adam’s ear. “You’re back with us now puppy.” It’s rough and dismissive, trying to rush past the blip without it tainting the high. “We’ll take care’s him, right?”
it's bad enough to see the sunlight through your seams the thread of you and hem of me it's bad enough in between
The blip is easily bypassed and it’s a good thing Sunjata isn’t sober or he’d be absolutely mortified about what’s come out of his mouth. But luckily for him, he doesn’t think or dwell too much on it, the way that Adam tugs on Nate’s arm that draws Sunjata back up to his feet, dragging him over along with them toward the couch.
The doctor finds a comfortable spot, nestled up beside Adam with a leg thrown across his lap which gives Sunjata a moment of pause, as if working through his wobbly mind and his wobbly legs, to end up on the opposite side of Adam, sinking into the cushions, not nearly as clingy or touchy as Nate is, as if reverting back into keeping his hands to himself. “Y’should.” He says belatedly to Adam’s proclamation, wondering if he’d get the chance to see the look on his father’s face with the realization that he certainly stuck with the riff raff.
Ah well. As Nate asks Adam if they'd take care of him, he clings to the unaired answer as secretly as he can, trying not to hang too much on the question as he does. He ends up half sinking into the couch further, pressing his cheek against the arm of the couch. “Gonna need a haircut.” He mumbles, reaching up to rub at the shaved insignia in the side of his head, shivering under the thought that he’d have to shave his entire head when Drenak was upon them.
Somehow, they all ended up sat on the couch without major injury; Adam leaned his head back and relaxed, letting the already-potent effect of the drug take him now that no one was upright. Nate had given him plenty of substances before, but this really was especially strong. Already he could feel his feet flying above the table they rested on, the desire to giggle at nothing at all growing stronger.
Nate's touch was familar and he loosely put a hand on the other man's jaw, though his lax posture did tense a little as Nate's words made sense in his head. "...What like, forever? Aren't uh-" Both the drug and the sense that this would ruin the vibes stopped him from being quite as forceful with the question, but he had asked: "Aren't we gonna get hunted down by daddy fuckin' dearest?" Sunjata's little excursions down to the Drench were fine enough, most of the consequences at his own feet. But if the Arbiter's son had been found harboured in the clinic?
He could hardly imagine the consequences.
"I mean - I like you, Jata, but -" Keenly aware this was not the fun chat they had started with, Adam felt a sinking in his chest, the feeling that he was pulling down the atmosphere, but even through the fog in his mind fear wouldn't let him just let this go.
