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
They got a file on me and it's a mile long And they say that they got all of the proof
"I mean, yeah, I didn't think you'd be mad she was going down there but-" Adam took another scan of the nobles in the room, looking specifically for young or lesser known partially-covered faces he may recognise from the Drench. A couple he thought he might, but with the masks and the alcohol, it was hard to tell. "-Surprised. Like, how many of you rich kids are coming down to hang out with us a day? Should we get you a fucking bus?" He snorted, clearly pleased with his own joke, before taking a hefty swig of the beer.
As for whether he wanted the lockdown lifted - maybe it was good Sunjata couldn't see Adam's face at the moment, because he almost spat out the drink he'd just taken. Taking time to swallow, he laughed as he said: "Uh. Yeah. Obviously? It's making it a pain in the ass to do my show, there's all the enforcers around - no offense - and there's so much fucking tension. It's miserable." A lazy hand gestured out at the expensive party before them, the games and drinks and masks, the pantomimed smiles of nobles shaking the hands of Drenchers. "That's what all this is for, isn't it? To try distract us? I dunno if it's really working, but I appreciate the free booze."
It was once again disappointing to learn Sunjata didn't have as much clout as expected, though Adam privately thought that might just be a lack of confidence speaking. If he really tried to bank on his dads name, it had to work at least once, right? Who would dare potentially piss off Shaju over a request from his Arbiterling?
His eyes finally fell away from the people onto the doors around the area, the little inlets and corners he was sure someone with his level of street knowledge but for the Plates would be familiar with. Tapping Sunjata's thigh, he asked: "So there anywhere cool and secret you can show me here? Backroom full of secret super soldiers or anything?"
That I'm just another case of arrested development I'm just another wasted youth
kill your demons, kill 'em dead; in your mirror, in your bed in your heart, in your head. don't you look good in red?
Adam’s joke does bring a soft laugh from Sunjata, the alcohol helping warm him up as he shakes his head. “She isn’t exactly rich. Just… An up and comer that’s had good fortune and hard work. Marrying me would make her rich.” He corrects softly with a sigh – not like it mattered, given what he knows about Savera and unsure which part of it was public knowledge, especially for those within the Drench to know. “Besides, there’s already a bus and a tourist trap for us rich kids. The Neon Alley.” He makes a little mock toast as he announces it before he remains slumped back with Adam’s head resting on his shoulder and he doesn’t dare move away from it as they continue the conversation.
“So if you want it to lift, I imagine telling my father to fuck off wouldn’t help matters much.” He murmurs around the rim of the glass as he takes another sip of the liquor, a noncommittal hum of I dunno offered to the Drencher at the mention of a distraction. In a way it both was and wasn’t – it was a way to try and alleviate tensions while simultaneously being able to figure out what caused the destruction of the sixth plate’s build site. And as far as he knew, that was pretty much that.
The tap to his thigh has Sunjata stilling again, swallowing roughly around the next swig of alcohol as he lowers the glass so he doesn’t choke, trying to look and see what Adam’s looking at. “Not really in the Core. Nowhere that’s accessible without anyone knowing. Back rooms are aplenty, though, if you don’t mind them not having anything remotely useful.” It was boring for espionage here, unless you were in the backrooms of the clubs up top – places that even he didn’t have the clearance to get to half the time. “But if you’re looking for just a quiet place to chill out for a bit, I know a spot.”
They got a file on me and it's a mile long And they say that they got all of the proof
"I bet she's pretty fucking rich compared to me." Adam said with a laugh, wondering if Sunjata would be horrified if he actually knew how few Lasti he had around. Savera lived on the Plates, had nice new clothes and was marrying the Arbiter's son; they were of an entirely different lifestyle. 'Not rich' for the Plates could mean the richest person in the Drench. The comment about the Neon Alley made him laugh further - he loved it, lived there, but it was often home to Plates kids looking for a taste of easy-to-digest rebellion.
Telling the Arbiter to fuck off would make Adam feel better, as he was about to point out, but he held his tongue, aware of the eyes still lingering on them. As much as he wanted to say he didn't care, that they could stuff their opinions, he was on Plates turf. If these ever so polite nobles turned against the Drench rat leaning all over their heir, it could get messy.
It was probably those same eyes on him that him nodding at the suggestion to find somewhere quieter. "Okay. I'm not quite drunk enough to suck your dick, but hey, nights young." He mumbled casually as he got up and stretched, downed the last of his beer and set it down on the closest surface with a loud clink. "Lets go."
That I'm just another case of arrested development I'm just another wasted youth
kill your demons, kill 'em dead; in your mirror, in your bed in your heart, in your head. don't you look good in red?
“I mean… In that case, yes, probably so.” He shrugs a shoulder, the one that Adam isn’t leaning against as to not jostle him too much. She probably did have more lasti than Adam had, and it was a fact that was easily forgotten to the young Bratena as he lets the alcohol and the closeness Adam has with him burn away everything else – the fact he was supposed to be this big figurehead one day, strict and solemn, iron willed and strong.
When realistically he was just a touch starved, out of touch noble kid trying his best to understand not just his world, but everyone else’s too.
Adam stands and the comment he makes has Sunjata’s neck flushing a bright red, a surprised little huff of a laugh leaving him. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but.” He trails off, standing as well and readjusting the gilded shoulder plates for his costume, eyeing down some of the nobles that peer at them as they move. He guides him toward the edge of the little alley in the Core, to a door that’s hidden from view from the rest of the carnival, and he punches in a code to open the door.
Inside, it’s like a lounge from a library space, the only entrance and exit being that one door with a code to enter. It’s fitted with velvet couches, a few books and magazines scattered around, a little corner where there was a drip coffee station, and a few throw pillows and blankets for the long night. And for Sunjata? It’s similar to home in a sense, as he steps in and removes his mask, setting it on a small side table by the entrance, moving immediately into the soft couch to sink into, lounging back on it. “Like I said, nothing remotely useful, but it’s quiet and comfortable.”
They got a file on me and it's a mile long And they say that they got all of the proof
Adam let out a purposefully dirty chuckle at Sunjata's reaction that gave way to a more genuine laugh after. Without bothering to correct his slightly slipping mask he followed through the alley and away from the party; it did come to mind that if Sunjata were playing him, this would be the perfect opportunity to kill, or threaten, or whatever it was he planned to do. He didn't let that thought show in his body language, walking with a purposefully relaxed gait and with his hands in his pockets.
Out of habit, he watched the door code closely. From the dark location, he was not expecting the cosy space that Sunjata revealed within. Whistling lowly, he took a few steps in. Once he was satisfied there were no corners holding a shooting squad, he turned his back to look around himself. "So...is this, like, yours...? Or did you just break into someone's house?"
Either way, he flopped down onto the nearest cushioned surface, the mask swiftly being yanked off and tossed away, revealing how it had smudged his eye makeup around to give him a panda-like appearance. Unaware of this, Adam yawned and stretched, long limbs reaching out around him. "Your Plates party got me real fucking sleepy, for some reason."
That I'm just another case of arrested development I'm just another wasted youth
kill your demons, kill 'em dead; in your mirror, in your bed in your heart, in your head. don't you look good in red?
He sinks into the couch as Adam steps in and explores, the door shutting and locking behind them. Idly, he watches the Drencher peer around as if this were some terrible trap – a fact that would be absolutely horrible for the plans he has running in his head, the fingers stretched out for those within the Drench to help him out, but it seems that Adam’s satisfied enough as he, too, sinks into a cushioned spot. “I rent it on occasion. Just happens to be the month I do.” He murmurs, shrugging lightly. “Come here when my father hasn’t trapped me at POINT.” It’s close enough to the library in the Core to get some work done, but the issue was that there were often too many eyes on this place.
Not right now, of course, given the party that moves outside. “So it’s open for me this week and the next.” Before he swaps with the others that share the space. He doesn’t tend to keep anything of use here, hence the boring part, but it is a nice place to come to catch some sleep or late nights.
But Spider starts to stretch out, yawning, and Sunjata raises a brow at him as he notices the smudged makeup, a soft snort leaving him as he looks away. “Couldn’t tell you why.” He shrugs a shoulder, sinking into the couch a bit more, head tilting back to look at the ceiling as he tries to relax. “Though I’d bet it has to do with the drinks.” They always made him sleepy after a certain point.
“There’s blankets if you need a power nap.” He nods toward the ottoman by Adam's chair, the edge of a fuzzy blanket sticking out.
They got a file on me and it's a mile long And they say that they got all of the proof
"Oh do you like, bring girls back here? Or guys, whatever." Asked Adam, perhaps revealing what he'd do with such a space. With the comfy horizontal surfaces and secluded location though, it wasn't such a wild idea. Laying back on the pillows, he could fancy taking that nap, but some semblance of politeness in Adam told him that wasn't the right thing to do. Besides, only a couple of months ago he would have slapped himself over missing an opportunity to speak alone with the Arbiter's son.
He stood up, stretched, and wobbily made his way over until he sat down next to Sunjata, putting his arms along the back of the couch. "Nah, let's uh, chat. So.." Adam stretched his legs out, studied the wall opposite and realised he had not thought of anything to say. After a too-long moment of quiet, something came to mind: "Hey, did I...ever tell you my name? Cos you called me fucking Spider a while ago, whatever that means."
That I'm just another case of arrested development I'm just another wasted youth
kill your demons, kill 'em dead; in your mirror, in your bed in your heart, in your head. don't you look good in red?
A soft snort leaves him at Adam’s question, a shake of his head as he gets more comfortable in the couch. “No, no one up here’s interested enough and I can’t just go about it with the fact I’m engaged.” Really the biggest cockblock of the century, given that neither of them care but they have to pretend to the world it would be make or break. And they had to make it, or else.
The mention of chatting, though, has a dark brown eyebrow rising to the other man, watching him stand and come over and sit beside him, arms outstretched on the back of the couch. “Ah, alright.” He says with some amount of confusion, turning in the couch slightly to face the taller man. As for his name? Sunjata huffs a laugh, a crooked smile growing on his face. “No, you didn’t. I had to come up with one.” A hand rises, gesturing absently along his words. “Hence, spider. You’re sort of spidery.”
They got a file on me and it's a mile long And they say that they got all of the proof
"No one interested in trying to schmooze up to you? Man, you're really ruining my fantasy of bein' the Arbiter's kid, Sunjata. No power, no influence, no ass, what do you get? You think the ol' man would try and make the deal kinda sweet so you'll wanna take over." Adam shook his head with a sigh, as if reflecting how he would better manipulate his heirs in Shaju's position.
Hearing that he was sort of spidery was something that caught Adam between amusement and offence; he snorted and lifted one of his hands to rub at his face, deciding to let it go with one final amused huff. "Okay. Sure. Whatever. For what it's worth, m'actual name is Adam. You get to unlock the last name if we're talking a few months from now." A joke, but one with a bit of truth: until he was absolutely certain he could trust Jata, he wouldn't reveal his family connections.
Having decided to not care about the nickname, he laid back into the couch again and stared up at the ceiling, which was swaying ever so slightly from the booze he'd drunk; the feeling in his stomach was teetering on unpleasant. "You uh...you ever think about...you know..." Drawing up one long finger and slashing it across his throat, Adam met Sunjata's eyes. "...I mean, you're the one closest to him most of the time, probably. Or at least sometimes. You gotta at least know where he sleeps."
That I'm just another case of arrested development I'm just another wasted youth
kill your demons, kill 'em dead; in your mirror, in your bed in your heart, in your head. don't you look good in red?
A soft huff of a laugh leaves him as he ruins the dream for Adam, a shoulder rising and falling in a shrug. “I told you it’s pretty shit. It got better for a little bit after my swim test but when I wasn’t following along like my father wanted, that’s when things got hard. He thinks I’m too soft.” There’s a roll of his eyes with that, but he sinks into the couch regardless, head tilting toward Adam to begin explaining the nickname.
As his true name is announced, Sunjata’s smile shifts slightly apologetic. “Adam, got it.” He rumbles, repeating the words for his memory so he doesn’t forget. At least he has Spider as a backup just in case.
He watches the Drencher lay back more comfortably, the question aired immediately rises his brow. “I mean… Yes, I have. It would be easy, but that’s not all of it.” His father was his father, sure, but he was mostly a face. He had a crowd of others, a council, the ones that mostly did everything else before he announced it. His father was shitty otherwise, but it wasn’t just him. “His whole council doesn’t think I’m worth it either. I couldn’t just… Step in.” No matter how easy it sounded.
