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saveourearth2018-09-02 08:34 pm
ourearth) wrote in saveourearth2018-09-02 08:34 pm
Let's proudly not melt, shall we? [Mingle]
Date: 31.8-9.9.2018
Characters: Open
With the end of the eternal summerheat in sight, the last gasp of summer festivities start in Mossgate. The first signs come when the flag above the town hall showing the town coat of arms is removed and replaced with the bright and beautiful pride flag. Anticipation is high in the LGBT+ areas of town, and the traditional pride pre-parties take place in the LGBT+ venues on Friday and Saturday nights. Bunting starts to go up along the main streets of town, and volunteers are gathered for meetings and rehearsals. Any latecomers who still wish to volunteer are invited to turn up and make themselves known at this point (especially anyone with a valid first aid certificate!)
Pride officially opens on Sunday, with special free walking tours of the notable LGBT+ venues and sights around town twice a day, as well as open lectures at the universities featuring such topics as “Defining ourselves: deconstructing LGBT+ labels” and “Not just Stonewall: a brief history of LGBT+ activism”. Interested parties can sign up online using the local theatre's website, where they will also be able to browse the special LGBT+ program for the week (which, unfortunately, is not free, but those volunteering at any point over the week will be provided with two free tickets as one of their perks – either to be used alone for two events, or with a companion for one). The twice monthly LGBT+ book club is holding a special taster event on Wednesday evening, and the comic store is also holding special events each evening, focusing on a different LGBT+ character or author each night. Some of the religious institutions in the town are holding special LGBT affirmative services, and some are also holding drop in sessions. The RSPCA holds a pride themed dog show. Certain beauty stores, hair salons and barbers are holding trans-friendly sessions and workshops, some outside of normal working hours (although some are only accessible by signing up in advance). During the evening, there will be LGBT+ pub quizzes and special LGBT+ events up and down the high street. And, of course, plenty of other stores will also be taking advantage of the pink pound and the locals will notice the sudden influx of rainbow products, especially in the touristy shops along the beach front.
The main event is the pride parade, held from 11AM on Saturday, starting at the town hall, progressing along the main beach front road and ending up at the Green from around 2PM. It's a massive event, equal to Brighton or Manchester, with plenty of floats and sponsors. All along the parade route, flags, bunting and ribbons float in the sea breeze and barriers have been placed to keep the audience from getting under the feet of the walkers, dancers, prancers and stompers that will make up a part of the parade's diverse make-up. The parade itself is made up of an interesting mix of local businesses and big name sponsors; the local walking society walking behind Absolut vodka, the WI walking ahead of Skittles, and the local scouts being proceeded by Stonewall and followed by the Conservative Party.
There is one unforeseen thing happening this year though that will be throwing everyone into a tizzy for a bit: In between the last security check and the head of the pride parade arriving at the spot outside the town museum, someone has managed to sneak a giant cake in the way of the parade. The parade will come to an abrupt stop for almost half an hour while rumours run wild about the reason for which the parade has stopped, ranging from a terrorist attack to a romantic proposal. Eventually, the cake turns out to be entirely harmless, is removed and the parade continues. But news of it spread soon, and it is moved to a square where people are allowed to take pictures with it. It is, of course, heavily advised against trying to eat from it. Just that it doesn't explode doesn't mean that it meets food safety standards...
The Green has once again been set up with stalls for sponsors and local businesses, including charities like the RSPCA and the Samaritans. Those out for freebies won't be disappointed, with stickers, badges and sweets being handed out left, right and centre, especially by the representations of political parties who are doing their best to build some trust back up with the population. The local reproductive health centre also has a stand, handing out condoms, dental dams, and advice.
A dance area and a DJ have been set up around the bandstand, and with several bars having build temporary extensions, the party will go on well into the night, although the parade officially ends at nightfall, when there is a fireworks display. After the fireworks, the Green is temporary cleared, and after it reopens, only those with ID proving themselves to be 18 are allowed back inside. There is, however, an alternative, alcohol free party held in the town hall for any ages.
Pride officially concludes on Sunday evening with the Kings and Queens ball, an extension by tradition that is held in the Hive. With the bar cleared out to make a second dance floor, there is a flamboyant tie dress code, (as long as it's smart and fabulous, you'll be welcomed), and while tickets generally sell out months in advance, Alexander keeps a few to one side for late comers, and volunteers are (again) provided with two as part of their package. When the bell finally tolls at 2AM, and the last partygoers are sent home, Mossgate will return to it's usual, quiet self (but the glitter will take some time to clean up completely).
[ooc: Eating from the cake will give characters a plot echo. It will also make them high and give them indigestion the next day.]
Characters: Open
With the end of the eternal summer
Pride officially opens on Sunday, with special free walking tours of the notable LGBT+ venues and sights around town twice a day, as well as open lectures at the universities featuring such topics as “Defining ourselves: deconstructing LGBT+ labels” and “Not just Stonewall: a brief history of LGBT+ activism”. Interested parties can sign up online using the local theatre's website, where they will also be able to browse the special LGBT+ program for the week (which, unfortunately, is not free, but those volunteering at any point over the week will be provided with two free tickets as one of their perks – either to be used alone for two events, or with a companion for one). The twice monthly LGBT+ book club is holding a special taster event on Wednesday evening, and the comic store is also holding special events each evening, focusing on a different LGBT+ character or author each night. Some of the religious institutions in the town are holding special LGBT affirmative services, and some are also holding drop in sessions. The RSPCA holds a pride themed dog show. Certain beauty stores, hair salons and barbers are holding trans-friendly sessions and workshops, some outside of normal working hours (although some are only accessible by signing up in advance). During the evening, there will be LGBT+ pub quizzes and special LGBT+ events up and down the high street. And, of course, plenty of other stores will also be taking advantage of the pink pound and the locals will notice the sudden influx of rainbow products, especially in the touristy shops along the beach front.
The main event is the pride parade, held from 11AM on Saturday, starting at the town hall, progressing along the main beach front road and ending up at the Green from around 2PM. It's a massive event, equal to Brighton or Manchester, with plenty of floats and sponsors. All along the parade route, flags, bunting and ribbons float in the sea breeze and barriers have been placed to keep the audience from getting under the feet of the walkers, dancers, prancers and stompers that will make up a part of the parade's diverse make-up. The parade itself is made up of an interesting mix of local businesses and big name sponsors; the local walking society walking behind Absolut vodka, the WI walking ahead of Skittles, and the local scouts being proceeded by Stonewall and followed by the Conservative Party.
There is one unforeseen thing happening this year though that will be throwing everyone into a tizzy for a bit: In between the last security check and the head of the pride parade arriving at the spot outside the town museum, someone has managed to sneak a giant cake in the way of the parade. The parade will come to an abrupt stop for almost half an hour while rumours run wild about the reason for which the parade has stopped, ranging from a terrorist attack to a romantic proposal. Eventually, the cake turns out to be entirely harmless, is removed and the parade continues. But news of it spread soon, and it is moved to a square where people are allowed to take pictures with it. It is, of course, heavily advised against trying to eat from it. Just that it doesn't explode doesn't mean that it meets food safety standards...
The Green has once again been set up with stalls for sponsors and local businesses, including charities like the RSPCA and the Samaritans. Those out for freebies won't be disappointed, with stickers, badges and sweets being handed out left, right and centre, especially by the representations of political parties who are doing their best to build some trust back up with the population. The local reproductive health centre also has a stand, handing out condoms, dental dams, and advice.
A dance area and a DJ have been set up around the bandstand, and with several bars having build temporary extensions, the party will go on well into the night, although the parade officially ends at nightfall, when there is a fireworks display. After the fireworks, the Green is temporary cleared, and after it reopens, only those with ID proving themselves to be 18 are allowed back inside. There is, however, an alternative, alcohol free party held in the town hall for any ages.
Pride officially concludes on Sunday evening with the Kings and Queens ball, an extension by tradition that is held in the Hive. With the bar cleared out to make a second dance floor, there is a flamboyant tie dress code, (as long as it's smart and fabulous, you'll be welcomed), and while tickets generally sell out months in advance, Alexander keeps a few to one side for late comers, and volunteers are (again) provided with two as part of their package. When the bell finally tolls at 2AM, and the last partygoers are sent home, Mossgate will return to it's usual, quiet self (but the glitter will take some time to clean up completely).
[ooc: Eating from the cake will give characters a plot echo. It will also make them high and give them indigestion the next day.]
OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
Because there are always some sites that crash last minute, or tourists with reservations who swear they've handled things legitimately but can't get a word in with those in charge of the parade, or any number of things that mean this man is needed on hand, right quick.
Sometimes even in person.
Saturday Evening (Closed to Jim; PM me if you have ideas, though!)
In terms of 'sudden, inexplicable phenomena', the cake very much wasn't the same thing as the Northern lights, but something about it just kept nagging at him...
Hopefully, he thought, making his way to the plaza that evening after the festivities had retreated, I can take a better look at it alone-
"HEY, YOU!"
"Dammit," he muttered. He'd been seen - by a motley bunch of teens, but he very much couldn't run away without raising more of a fuss out of them.
"Come help us test this thing! We wanna see how it tastes!" One of them - a girl, dark blonde hair - shouted. All four teens looked like the humidity had gotten to them.
"Didn't you lot already hear the warnings?" But then, some people just didn't have these things sink it; it wasn't too abnormal.
One of the two guys - tall, dark hair, wearing shades over his eyes - wasn't looking all that patient.
"Aw, you just don't have the balls-"
Walter opened his mouth, already deciding that clearly a more blunt approach was needed-
And then that hollow feeling hit, and he wasn't listening to any of them at all. He wasn't here, watching these strangers urge him to make a stupid decision-
He wasn't anywhere, but he was watching-
There was a girl, lying on her keyboard in front of her webcam, covered in blood.
'Dont feel bad, mum' she'd said.
Walter took off running; not towards the teens, not towards the cake, not towards anything; just away.
All four teens stared after him, jaws dropped.
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
When a blur head off at such a speed though, he sees. Walter isn't one to act so rashly, something must've happened to him. He doesn't bother asking the teens what happened, as they don't seem to have any clue whatsoever.
Jim takes off after his friend, managing to catch him as he runs into the public bathroom stalls.
"Walter? Hey, Walt?"
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
On the other hand, it's looping over and over because who is
was iswas she why did I let her die who were those bastards WHY DIDN'T I SAY ANYTHING-All that, at computer-levels processing speeds.
Yeah, he's not okay.
He's not even making any sounds, by the time Jim catches up to him; he's just curled up into as much of a ball-like shape as possible, in the stall furthest from the door.
Walter can't say whether or not he's crying; all he can see is that one girl who livestreamed her own death.
Still, Jim's calling manages to get through, and something in him won't let Walter ignore his friend.
"I- Jim, I-" His throat is raw - had he been screaming, or is it just dry all of a sudden? - and his voice is more of a squeak.
He lapses back into silence.
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
fleetAirforce, he knows this, needs to give walter something to focus on in the here and now.He remebers one time, very specifically when another cadet panicked when his best friend was in the midst of one and just went stright in for a kiss. Jim looks at Walter now and can’t deny he’s tempted, but damn if he’s not more romantic than having his first kiss with someone in a dingy bathroom stall like this.
So instead, Jim moves to sit up next to the wall as close as he can get to Walter. He says nothing, but he does sling his arm around his friend, his warm palm an anchor to whatever’s happening now, a suggestion of movement to get him to try and get in close. He’ll wait for now, wait until Walter makes any movement until he starts speaking.
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
The contact is a surprise, but apart from the initial flinch-and-gasp he doesn't make any motion to shoo Jim away.
There's a high-pitched whine going on, and for a second he thinks it's the lights before he realizes that's him and stops.
Hands are curled into fists, those fists pressed against his forehead, the sense of blood continues to overwhelm him, the taunting words of everyone in that chatroom (except for GreenAngel - and really, wasn't that person only making a token effort? 'nooooooo dont-') both swirling around him and somehow perfectly visible and straight.
He leans into Jim after a moment, just breathing. He hiccups.
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
"You can feel it. That's fine, we've all been feeling them, it might be bad, but it's not you in the here and now, bud." Jim really wants to get them out of this bathroom stall to somewhere actually comfortable, more private. He'll broach the subject when Walter is more stable.
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
His voice is loud, all of a sudden.
"She was from- no, living in, Perth, Australia. I- she-"
He doesn't know why he's saying this, why he's talking, but what he's thinking is that could have been me. I could have been her, in this life, and I did nothing. She shouldn't be forgotten, she shouldn't be forgotten...
"I saw her die. I don't know why I was watching her, or how I found her, or the people who were egging her on, but-"
Gasping, blinking through tears, moving his hands away from his face only to stare at the opposite wall, he makes himself keep talking.
"I was watching, I saw her die, and I did nothing I didn't stop it..."
Jim's words are present, but they're not sinking in. They don't - yet - feel as real as the memory he's living through can't let himself let go of...
Re: OTA for Walter! CW for suicide.
Jim takes Walter's hands slowly, so slowly, and tucks his face into the crook of his neck, cradling him.
"Shhh. Hey, come back to us Walt. Come back to me, c'mon buddy."
Approaching maximum ;~;
shouldn't
His breathing slows, breath hitching once, still blinking back tears, but for now he just rests.
He can't think anymore, for the moment, but the nothingness in his ears - heartbeat? There hadn't been anything to hear like that in the memory - slows down.
WEE WOO WEE WOO
Jim continues to hold him close, shifting slightly to get the arm that was wrapped around to rub gently on the base of his neck, threading the fingers of the other and through Walters and squeezing to ground him.
Re: WEE WOO WEE WOO
The neck rub feels nice, more than he can express- and, more than anything else, he just wants to get out of here.
"Thanks," he breathes. And then, some more immediate sensory memories come in.
"Did I really make you run into a bathroom?" He pulls away a little, attempting to meet Jim's face, though he's also clearly embarrassed.
Re: WEE WOO WEE WOO
He breaks out into a full-on grin when Walter looks up, and even though his eyes are red from crying and he's evidently embarrassed, Jim can't help but think they're beautiful.
"Yeah, you absolutely made me run into a bathroom, dude." He says through a grin, his body shaking with a silent laugh.
"C'mon, lets go find somewhere to clean up a bit. Maybe we can actually go and get some of that cake, yeah?"
Me: aaaaaaaa. ;a; Also: eye color is a sort of hazel brown?
"I- I guess there are worse reasons."
There's a spark of adrenaline at the thought of going back, because what if those kids are still there? - and that thought he has enough logic back in him to shut back down, because they are just kids, and shouldn't realistically have any idea as to what's going on with him.
"... If you're sure."
Because he does still feel bad about making Jim follow him all this way (wait, how far did he even run? Walter feels like he's not going to like the answer), and if getting some of that cake for the both of them sounds like it'll even the scales or something, or just make Jim worry less, then that's just what they're gonna do.
AAaaaand cut!
Lemme know if this needs revisions: 'Saturday', post-midnight, back at the flat
Jacket and shoes and various things are strewn across the furniture, trailing from entryway to living room couch, and Russell is at the end of the trail.
"...I think I like red," he says as the door opens.
What Walter can't see from the doorway, but can see as he enters the flat, is a whole collage of stencils taped to the same wall as the front door. And a suspicious pile of spray paint sitting on the floor in front of Russell's crossed legs, and an intent expression on Russell's face as he studies it all.
I can work with this! ... Make him eat the cake. 8'D
But one look at what Russell's doing puts that thought away in a hurry. He glances, one eye twitching, at the stencils, then slams and locks the door securely (managing not to let go of the cake plate) before heading over to his flatmate.
"Russell. Are you all right? You... really shouldn't be playing with that," he says, in a way that somehow sounds lame coming out past his lips.
"Or breathing it," he adds, which is more to the point. It doesn't look like that's what Russell's doing, but that's the main health risk on Walter's mind.
no subject
Yet.
To Russell, the comment more sounds teacherly, like there's a sudden feeling in the room that only one of them is an adult right now. Russell sniffs at the hint of it, and rises to his feet to reassert his height and maturity. Because, somehow, height equals maturity.
"I'm fine, I'm not tasting the red," he protests, indignant at the accusation in Walter's concern, and holds his disdainful nose in the air for all of three seconds... before his eyes wander down to the cake.
"Oh, that's colorful. We should put colors like that on the wall." Explaining what he's got in mind with all those stencils. Nevermind the terms of their lease probably don't include that level of interior decoration.
Oh good; I thought it *was* the spray, not just the cans. |D
If he were less stressed, maybe he'd have found the height maneuver amusing; as it is, he's still just tired.
"I think these colors would leave a terrible smell if we put them on - and those cans would leave a stink too, for that matter," Walter points out, slowly moving across the room towards the spray cans.
The stencils can wait.
oh no i didn't specify did i......... he is NOT snorting spray paint, i promise
But this argument against his artistic endeavor is simple and sensory, rather than a scolding of what he shouldn't do, and it sinks in enough that Russell's nose wrinkles as he considers the cans again.
"Ohhh. No, I don't want that. We need stinkless colors." His shoulders sag as he realizes something even more disappointing. "And the hardware store isn't open for hours..."
thank Goodness!
"I- we should have markers, actually. Now, may I put this away...?" he asks again, holding up the cake.
Probably not the smartest move, all told.
no subject
"Markers stink too..." Russell continues to whine and mope, until Walter reminds him of the existence of that cake. Then he leans in, further into personal space than usual, to peer at it.
"That looks delicious. Is that from the parade cake? You're saving it? Leftover cake always get stale. That's such a waste."
He doesn't leave room for answers to the questions, rambling answers and (mild) judgement as he cocks his head to consider the cake from another angle, the better to see if it's already looking stale.
no subject
"Might be crayons around, too."
Aaand then the topic shifts, and Walter very quickly moves with the cake for the flat's kitchen- and the sharp turn proves too much for the abused slice of cake, as it flies into Walter's face.
In retrospect he could have planned that better. In practice, he just freezes where he stands, mid-motion.
happy to say that the spray in the icon is cake
For now he slowly follows after, in the right place and time to see the cake go flying.
"What, why... Walter!" Russell sputters, throwing his hands up in the air. "That's an even worse waste! Can you even taste it? You could have shared it. I happily would have taken a slice... Are you hearing me...?"
His flatmate's stillness finally registers, and Russell glances around for signs that other things are still moving.
"Did... Did I stop time?"
=D
Walter's not thinking of the future right now, though, to put it lightly.
In fact, as he swallows the cake on reflex, he's not focusing on the present at all. The past is simply far too overwhelming...
Russell's first sign that time has not indeed stopped is that most of the rest of the cake drops back, sadly yet miraculously, to the plate.
Apart from a small strangled noise from Walter, there is no sound. His pupils are pinpricks.
no subject
"Did I stop you?"
Something about Walter's face is wrong. Russell takes an unnerved step back before looking back and forth all across Walter's face, taking in things like the smear of frosting and his eyes. Those are not how human pupils are supposed to look, he's pretty sure. That's more like, angry cat stare-sized pupils.
"Are... you okay? Um, blink twice, if you can't hear me."
TL;DR attack! Also, trans-character-identity-pronouns warning?
Being five years old, asking why they have to leave Mossgate, she was just fine here! "But we have to, Molly. It's... destiny," her mother states, eyes looking somehow distant despite her matter of fact tone.
He'd thought he'd gone over this... Been done with it.
Being eight years old, now, and perfectly capable of handling herself in the woods, even able to take care of those in the convent younger than her if she needs to. Never having to worry about the outside world, even that one time she fell in a river and a cut got infected. "Oh, she'll heal just fine," their leader had said, and she had, but it always felt weird walking on that leg afterwards...
Why was it all coming back now? He'd steered clear of even controlled substances, only taken certain meds when it'd been Absolutely Clear that was the right avenue and he'd gotten second, no, fifth opinions... He'd gone through with therapy to address these things, even!
Being seventeen, staring at the dress in the mirror in her family's new small apartment in London and thinking, "Oh, this just isn't my style..."
People were only supposed to experience their life like this once - and even then-
Twenty-one. October 6th, 2012. Looking up just what on earth 'being trans' meant, and suddenly being accosted by a memory of a different time, a different being, two halves becoming whole...
WHAT WAS THAT.
Walter blinks twice, without even realizing Russell had asked him to do that exactly that.
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CW: Mention of suicide. Also throwing up.
not sure if cw, but russell is out of it enough to be less helpful than ideal
That's fair. o/
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cw worries about death? i don't know what to tag this
/pats/ s'okay
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