hadriel_logs | [OPEN, MINGLE] 'cause not all who wander are lookin' for the exit

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[OPEN, MINGLE] 'cause not all who wander are lookin' for the exit

Who: Taako, Lup, perhaps you-- invited or not?
What: Taako's been trying to think of a good way to have a party now that ice hell is over, and the disappearance of his sister's husband and his brother in law sounds like as good a time as any to start denying bad feelings and cheering up his goddamn twin.
Where: Around Horny House, aka Imported House 5-1
When: April 11th
Warnings: Alcohol, food, some stupidity most likely.

The night of the 10th, anyone who's friends Taako or Lup-- especially if you're friends with Lup-- will get a text from Taako. It reads:

hey
come over tomorrow at noon
i took down a totally massive animal and im having a barbecue
also bring a gift for lup
dont tell her dont ask questions dont care what it is just do it
your prize is a significant amount of roasted whateverthefuck that i have tested to be sure it will not kill you
also if you dont show up im going to come get you so see ya then

And sure enough, the next day, behind horny house is a large pit filled with rocks and... something or other spit roasted over it. Whatever it is happens to be very, very big, but you can probably see the smoke before you see the animal. Most of the tables in the house have been dragged out onto the lawn around it, covered in mismatched cups, containers of water and plates of fruit, and something lovingly labelled 'SPACE JUICE (CONTAINS ALCOHOL)' that is being served in a large punch bowl. It's bright blue and smells like lighter fluid, so it's pretty unlikely you needed to be warned that there's alcohol in it. One table simply has a sign that says 'PUT GIFTS HERE', which is pretty self explanatory. There also seems to be music coming from discernibly Somewhere, though it's completely unclear as to where-- seeing as the guy running it is magic, it might actually just be coming from the sun. None of that is especially important right now. What is important is this:

Everyone here is legally required to go care about Lup, or Taako's going to punch you in the head. And not even with magic- just with his little fists. So do it, punk.

OOC: This is a MINGLE LOG- please put up toplevels and tag around! While Taako had people he invited, it's pretty damn easy to see this going down, and if you play by the rules and say nice things to his very sad sister he won't kick you out. Have fun!!!

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[Lup appreciates it, even if those exact words are so difficult for her to reach for at the moment.]

Fuck, that feels forever ago.

[To be fair, it kind of was. A hundred years to an elf isn't just the blink of an eye either, it was the length of her whole childhood. Funny how that time in their lives felt like it was standing still for so long and now all Lup feels is so far away from it all.

The elf slows down after filling up for her next shot, just letting her fingers tap against the glass while she hums thoughtfully, lips pursed.]

Do you miss it?

[ Lucretia pauses too, a much-needed break before she downs the next shot, and stares at Lup in blank surprise. ]

Living on the ship? [ It had been a hundred years of trying to outrun the Hunger, of meeting people only to see them die, of watching the entire multiverse be slowly consumed, one plane at a time. It had been difficult and harrowing and dangerous and terrifying. Uncertain and monotonous, time passing too quickly and not passing at all, all at once.

She doesn't hesitate for a second. ]

It was the happiest time of my life.

Mine too.

[That's not to say there isn't a new happiness around having a real home and a real future and living on a world that isn't threatened by some unseen entity, but those decades together on the Starblaster, spent constantly running and fighting for surviving and testing the strength of their determination are some of her happiest.]

'Ko and I never really had a home till then. [a beat, her gaze dropped down to the shot in front of her, but her eyes are so unfocused it's unclear what she's really seeing. It's nothing Lucretia doesn't know, but it feels important enough to repeat.] Or had anyone else really. It was the two of us for so long, that getting to go through all of that shit together meant a lot.

[Forging those bonds, growing as individuals instead of just that single unit, learning to trust and love and care for others outside of the two of them. It had meant everything. It still does.]

The future's good too. Not having to run is pretty fuckin' dope, but - [Her thumb presses into the glass, hard enough to leave the barest touch of an indent in her skin.] Y'know. Origin story. It was where everything started.

[ Of course she knows it all already, but she listens anyway, nodding in understanding. Taako and Lup had had something special, right from the very beginning. It would have been easy, probably, to just keep clinging on to each other, decide they didn't ever need anyone else, but they hadn't. They'd let the rest of them in. They'd let her in. ]

I wouldn't be who I am, without it.

[ Lup knows that too, of course. She'd been part of it, encouraging Lucretia to come out of her shell, helping her learn and grow. ]

Or - you know. Without all of you.

Gay.

[Because that's what Lup always says when things get sappy, it's her go-to answer. And even if everything in this whole situation feels so wildly out of her control and about as far away from normalcy as possible, she has to try.

She throws back her shot finally, draining the glass and slamming it into the table before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.]

Like, same. But gay.

Super gay.

[ She agrees easily, knowing that Lup isn't dispmissing or disparaging her at all. Lup gets it. They both do, and Lucretia's just as happy not to dwell on the sappiness longer than that.

She slams her own shot instead, blinking watery eyes with a little "whoo" afterwards. ]

Wow, we're, uh, we're well on our way to that - that blacking out, huh?

[ Lucretia is, anyway. She can't speak for Lup. ]

Maybe you are, chickadee, but chagirl doesn't just have an empty leg now. I got a whole empty body, thanks.

[Thanks, Mama Bird, for the sweet skeleton.]

You gonna quit on me, Luce? [She pushes her glass closer, for the other woman to refill, a hint of a teasing grin curling at her lips.] Gonna back out already?

[ She giggles, too loudly. Lup may be the new queen of holding her liquor, but it seems Lucretia's tolerance hasn't increased all that much. At least where Taako's lighter-fluid homebrew is concerned.

Still, there's no way she's giving up now. ]

Oh hell no. Give it here. [ She reaches unsteadily for the glass to drag it closer, weaving dangerously, and then swings back the other way. She furrows her brow, the tip of her tongue pointing out of her mouth in deep concentration as she ever so carefully fills Lup's glass back up to the top. ]

There.

[Lucretia's giggling, so soft and sweet and completely genuine, manages to tug at the elf's heart, fondness for the other woman curling at her lips. After all that they've been through, even with the hurt still swirling and tightening within Lup, it still feels so nice to see Lucretia in their home, laughing, feeling comfortable and welcome. When's the last time she's let herself just laugh? When's the last time she could let her guard down and be herself?

Lup imagines it's been a very long time.]

Crushin' it, babe. Shame you don't stand a chance against me, but look at you giving me a real run of it.

[Lup waits for Lucretia to refill her own glass before she's tipping hers forward towards the other woman, before slinging it back again.]

[ It's been a very long time. Even this, even being allowed here in Taako's home, drinking his shitty booze, is a special treat, and not one that Lucretia takes for granted. She's glad to be here, among her friends, among her family.

But even so, she hasn't forgotten the reason why they're all here. Whatever Lup wants today, Lup gets. She shakes her head a bit but obediently refills her own glass, and brings it up to gently knock against Lup's before taking what, if she's got any sense left at all, should be her final drink of the evening. ]

I don't know what you're talking about, [ she says loftily, and grabs onto the edge of the table to keep from tipping sideways. ] I could do this all night.

[Normally. the phrase 'whatever Lup wants, Lup gets' would make for a pretty damn good day to the elf, but as Lucretia well knows, the one thing she really wants is just too much out of reach today.

But having this whole party is probably the closest to a second she could get, to spend time with Taako, Lucretia, Angus, and the rest of the friends she's made in Hadriel. And now that she's had a few shots in her, some of that miserable tension seems to drain from her skinny frame, leaving Lup a little more loose, a little less sad.]

All night? [Like an inside joke, the elf's mouth curls into a wicked grin, all sharp and curved.] Babe, we both know you've got like three shots more before you gotta sit down the rest of the party. Max.

[ She scoffs, waving a hand in dismissal, and stubbornly reaches for the punch again. Lup is absolutely 100% right, but she's also smiling again, her tense, hunched shoulders starting to relax. There's no way Lucretia's stopping now. ]

I mean, if you wanna give up...

[ She raises an eyebrow, looking challengingly at Lup with a wicked grin of her own. ]

[That's true dedication to the bit, Lucretia. A real friend taking a hit just to make her bestie smile. It's difficult for Lup to appreciate the full nuance of the gesture in this very moment, but in a week or so, she'll be touched to see how far Lucretia and Taako went just to drag the woman out of her grief.

For now, she just wants to drink until she can't feel a thing. Until she can think of Barry without crying.]

Ha! I'm gonna make you eat those words, Lucy. Just you wait.

[She points a perfectly pink nail towards the other's drink.] Your turn. Bottom's up.

[ She'll have the hangover from hell tomorrow, and she knows it, but that doesn't make her hesitate even for a second. Lup is worth everything. ]

Isn't it your turn?

[ Honestly, she doesn't know at this point. She's just pretty sure that Lup can afford to get a drink ahead much more than Lucretia herself can.

But she's pouring another shot for herself even if she objects, slamming it back like a pro. ]

Okay...okay.

Now it's definitely your turn.

[Lucretia AdventureZone, an absolute legend.]

That one went down like nothin'. Look at you crush it, babe.

[Lup follows suit, not even a second's worth of hesitation before she's throwing back her what, fourth drink? Her fifth? She's not even sure anymore. But Lucretia's here and she's wonderful and the booze is flowing as long as they want it and what the fuck else matters?

She pushes her glass back over the table to Lucretia, to get another refill, before the elf's just slumping forward slightly, elbow on the table, her chin perched in her palm, shoulders and ears dipped way down.]

Whatcha gonna do when we get back, Luce? I mean, after everything.

[ Lucretia just scoffs, shaking her head, and takes Lup's glass to pour her another drink. The question catches her off guard, though, and (thankfully) she pauses before she can even consider the question of whether to keep going herself.

She glances up at Lup, surprised, empty glass still clutched in one hand. ]

After?

[ She'd spent so much time and energy just trying to get there, just trying to finish it, and when she'd been brought to Hadriel it still hadn't been done. Being here - the times in between all the shitty parts, at least - had been a nice respite, but even knowing that their hard-fought victory is coming, she still hadn't stopped to think about what she'll do after it's all over.

She looks down at the table, shaking her head. ]

I don't -

I don't know.

This has been my life for so long, Lup. Not just - not just the past ten years, but before that, the Starblaster...

[ She'd been so young at their journey's beginning, barely even a young woman rather than a child. She's not like Lup and Taako, who'd had decades to figure out who they were and what they wanted to do before they boarded the ship and everything changed forever. ]

Fighting the Hunger...

It - it is my life.

[Lup's hand finds Lucretia's almost immediately, palm sliding over the other woman's knuckles, trapping her gently against the table.]

Doesn't have to be. Not anymore.

[Lucretia will find out soon enough. Even with her almost maniac efforts at restoration, even with the weight of rebuilding weighing so heavily on her shoulders, Lup has been able to see moments of genuine relief peek and joy out in her friend. It isn't as often as Lup would like it, sure, but after ten years alone, it's a process that the two of them both have to be patient with while navigating.

And once they've fixed the wrongs they caused, Lucretia won't have nearly as many excuses to get out of fun days with her bestie.]

Think about it, honey. What do you wanna do when everything is over and done? - Besides go on a weekend bender with me, natch.

[There's just no escape from that one.]

You still wanna write?

[ Lucretia blinks in surprise as Lup takes her hand, staring down at it for a second, then smiles.

Choosing what to do with her own life. Doing something, whatever she wants, focusing her energies on her own interests and desires instead of on eliminating the looming, ever-present threat of the Hunger. It sounds...nice. And a little scary. ]

I don't know what I want.

[ Of course she wants to write - doesn't she? She's been writing for a long time. What happens when the story she's lived so long is finally over? ]

What do you do, Lup? After.

[It's a lot to come to terms with, but Lup isn't worried. If anyone can make it work, if anyone can push through the worst of it to find what's right, it's Lucretia.

She's feeling the effects of the alcohol, cheeks all flushed while she leans over, just enough to drop her chin on top of her folded arms, looking up at Lucretia from where she's planted on the table.]

Not gonna lie, somedays I still don't know.

[She still has her bad days, days where the elf can't break out of her own head and just feels trapped in the umbrella and frozen in time all over again. Days where she can't get out of bed. Days where she just sits out on the porch to sob while the sun rises. It's all so fucking much after nearly twelve years of isolation and nothingness.

But the good days make it all worth it. And Lup would like to think that recently she has had way more good days than bad.]

Besides workin' full time for Mama Bird, just been kinda... kinda trying to find my place again. Lots of time with Taako, Bar, you. But with Car an' Killian an' Angus too. Barry's been teaching me how to garden. We've been talking about kids. Or pets. Or just more dumb hobbies together. It's just - It's so fuckin' wild. We have a house. Like, one that doesn't move! Something that's all mine. It's -

[She's never not been a talker, but it comes so much easier after too many shots of awful booze.]

Somedays I just don't get out of bed. Not cuz I can't, just cuz I can. I can sleep all day or walk around naked or just read out in the yard. Picked up the violin again, haven't lost my touch at all, natch. Before I popped back in here, 'Ko and I just spent a whole day shoppin'. That was it. We didn't - didn't even have to steal anything. Folks were just throwing shit at us, but even if they didn't, we're just loaded now. Still doesn't feel real. All of it. Everyone's just so damn happy. Feels like a dream.

Edited 2019-07-03 05:36 (UTC)

[ Oh. Lucretia listens, smiling gently. Lup could have said anything. Just the enthusiasm, the happiness in her tone says it all. Lucretia could listen to that all day. ]

It sounds wonderful, Lup.

[ And it does. All of them together, everyone with their memories. The Hunger defeated. Nothing left but to enjoy the world they'd saved, enjoy spending time with each other.

And the twins...She knows how much it means to them, not to have to worry about money. It's not greed. After their childhood, after not knowing where their next meal was coming from, or where they'd be sleeping in a week or a month or even a day, just the idea of them shopping for the hell of it makes her heart swell. Just because of what it represents. ]

I'm so glad, Lup.

[ Maybe it's the booze, but she's grinning hard enough to hurt, tears at the corners of her eyes. ]

I'm so happy for you.

Happy for all of us, you dork. You're in this life too, promise. And like, I don't wanna hardcore spoil you, but you're way happy too.

[The happiest that she's seen Lucretia in a long time. Not that Lup's going to plant ideas of what's in store for her, but once she decides to take control of her life, it's going to be absolutely incredible. And this is only year one. They have so many beautiful years to come.]

So c'mon, lay it on me. [The shots are forgotten, Lup's fingernails tapping out a beat on the table.]

What sounds fun to you? Doesn't matter how big or small.

[ Oh, Lup. Lucretia's still smiling, gooey and sappy and she doesn't even care. Of course Lup would make sure she wasn't left behind. Of course she'd go out of her way to reassure Lucretia that she gets a happy ending, too.

And it is a really, really nice thought. That her life gets to be about more than fighting the Hunger. That after so long, they all finally get a chance to relax and just be. ]

Hmm. [ She taps her fingers against her empty glass, thinking. ] I guess...I guess no one will need the Bureau anymore.

[ She frowns. ]

I guess I could just...retire? Spend my, uh, golden years taking midday naps and learning to crochet?

[ That doesn't seem quite right, though. It doesn't seem like her. ]

[Is it any surprise the elf pulls a face at that?]

Retire?! At your age? Sweetie, no.

[Lucretia has so many years ahead of her, no matter how much had already been robbed, and Lup wasn't about to let the other woman play the old lady when they both know she's so much more than that.]

What about travel? We could really get out an' see the place.

[ Lucretia just gives her a look, and doesn't remind her that her age is nearing twice what would be considered a good long run for any human.

But she knows what Lup means. And she's right. Lucretia hums, brushing her thumb idly against her glass as she considers it. ]

Travel just for the hell of it? Without needing to record the history of any doomed worlds or scramble to find the Light before the Hunger comes or try to stave off the end of the universe?

[ She taps her fingers on the table thoughtfully. ]

I could fuck with that.

[Lup's grin comes in an instant.]

Fuck yeah you could. We should. Just you an' me. A real proper girls' trip. Wouldn't that be somethin'?

[After everything they've been through? The decade of impossible loneliness? They deserve it.]

The rest can come after. We'll start with easy, work our way up from there. To be fair, if I wasn't working for Bird Mom, I'd wouldn't have shit figured out either. But reaping's a full time gig, so we keep pretty busy.

[OPEN, MINGLE] 'cause not all who wander are lookin' for the exit

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