[OPEN MINGLE] Movie Night, We Meet Again...!

[groupiedrifter]

CHARACTERS: Everyone! Post some top levels and mingle.
LOCATION: The Mess Hall / Kitchen / Sunlight Room
DATE: A few days after the mission conclusion!
CONTENT: Movie-watching, eating, drinking... napping...
WARNINGS: There is alcohol present! Other than that and the potential for underage drinking depending on our obnoxious teens, there shouldn't be anything too alarming in here. Please mark your threads for anything that needs warnings!

Already that time of the month, huh? Well, welcome to any newcomers who have yet to be visually assaulted by the sight of whatever is happening in the mess hall a few days after their return from the mission — that is, Newton at work to create a new scene for movie night. This of course means the usual: bugging poor Viveca for supplies, scavenging in the item drops for things people hadn't nabbed yet, and dragging some of you all to help in the endeavor of making foods, setting up ideas, and the like. This time, though, Newton has hung up very helpful signs written on colorful poster board:

Let's investigate each space, shall we?


Firstly, the food table (or THE GRUB ZONE, as the sign suggests), is fully replenished with goodies that had come specifically from everyone's last questionnaire list. There are honeycakes, baked and ready — and true to his word, Newton has supplied a large cache pile of American junk foods for Rand to try — and a sort of peach dessert for those who want something a little simpler and less chemically terrifying than whatever it is Newt has in that junk pile. But not just snacks, of course! For options of meal, there's an earthy stew for those who prefer something a little more timeless, as well as ochazuke and sukiyaki for those potential homesick Japanese fellows aboard the station. The drinks are typical of what's found around the kitchen — and as for booze? We'll get there eventually.

Just beyond the food table, the UPDATED BIRTHDAY POSTER hangs.



The space with different activities and the projector set up, lovingly titled THE CHILL ZONE, is where you'll find movies playing! This time around, we've got a few to show — first and foremost, the movie Clue! And then secondary on the roster — and Finn may be shocked to find it here — the film from his world titled Heat Signature; careful, it's a horror movie of some kind! Super intense. The night rounds out with James Bond, or more specifically, Thunderbolt; Newt isn't actually sure if this is a good Bond movie, but by god he has it.

But the movies aren't the only thing over here; we've also got a little stockpile of comics — mostly western, though there is absolutely manga sprinkled into the mix, including the comics Rosinante had left to Newton, all about a marine sailing the oceans of his world. It's particularly gripping! And of course, none of these western comics include any characters aboard the station... unless you want them to. There's a place to enjoy some boardgames as well, of course, if you're not in a movie-watching mood! The actual boardgame of Clue is available to play, as well as some good ol' shogi puzzles on a pretty nice board.



And there's also the XIMILIQUOR ZONE. It's a dreadful name, but it's there, and it's not going anywhere. This is where the booze comes into play for all you grown ups (and teens, if you manage to swipe any of it without someone ratting on you). There are a number of random liquor bottles, a lot of them half-full from the last movie night — and some canned, disgusting, delicious beer, too. What? Sometimes you just want the stuff that's so bad it's good. Wine is obviously the better, more classier option, and you look a lot more distinguished holding it.

There is also the resident pool table that had been from the last few get-togethers, ready for use, though the real activity seems to be the casual poker games that have formed around the area; there are chips involved, but what does it actually win you? Well. Uh. Nothin'! Nothing but some chips to shove into your pockets and pretend you're rich with while you're sipping on Bud Light.



The final area is saved best for last, for good reason. Whether you're plumb exhausted from the mission still, feel like you can sleep away your thinly blanketed, bubbling trauma, or you just drank way too much of that Bud Light (and god, what a choice that is), the REST FEST is essentially a place made specifically for what's on the tin: napping. Or deep sleeping if you're a dedicated sort. It's located in the Sunlight Room (that connects to the Mess Hall), and is a place to get away from the loudness of everything else. Calming ocean sounds fill the neighboring area, where mattresses have been dragged in and deposited in one concentrated space; pillow piles have been formed, and a handful of comfortable hammocks (built from scratch, it looks like) hang off trees or bases only a manic man in a lab with scrap metal could make.

Basically, relax. Enjoy the little sign with the pussycat on it that says CAT NAP ZONE. Newt's been probably saving it for a good cause.

The music throughout the night is yours to choose between: a playlist of Newt's top music, opera music, or traditional guzheng music.


(Click for youtube playlist/videos.)

Comments

dante | ota

[shishkabob]

[It probably says something about how much this mission got to Dante that he heads straight for the Ximiliquor Zone, clearly hell-bent on getting drunk. He's still as friendly and cheerful as ever, but that glass in his hand is not staying empty for too long. The only thing keeping him from toppling forward onto his face when he moves at the end of the night is gonna be his half-demon constitution, at this rate.

At least he's still coherent enough through the night for any conversation, and hey, who knows, with enough booze he might let his guard down. A little bit, anyway.

At some point during the night, he wanders over during Clue, squints at the screen, and then says:] Wait. That's not how it ended when I saw this movie—wasn't Boddy alive the whole time? What the hell is this ending?

[farr]

[ rita's favorite part about these nights is very much always the movies, being exposed to some of the many thousands she's see back home (because when you're nearly a hundred years old and spent a majority of that time hiding in a big house, this starlet is bound to have seen anything at her disposal), along with a mix of new flavors with films from worlds that aren't her own.

clue, however, is a classic favorite, and she enjoys the film in its entirety as she sits upon a couch with a large plate of just about every snack available tonight (girls of her bendy stretchy body type have an appetite), when dante suddenly appears with his louder than necessary proclamation. ]

Shh! [ she hushes him with a bit of frustration in her tone, brows furrowed tight. ] You're ruining the entire experience of it. The point is, there's multiple endings and now you're messing it up for them. [ she gestures vaguely to whoever else might be around, watching it with fresh eyes. ] Did you even pay attention the first time?

[romancekiller]

[movie nights were usually a learning experience for clarke considering she was typically unfamiliar with the selection. she is sitting on the couch, snacking on some of the food while watching when she hears his comment] Is that a good or a bad thing compared to the ending you saw?

joric

[drawsblood]

{ the grub zone }

[ Joric peruses the food in the oddly named Grub Zone but before he's even picked up a snack food he spots the stew and that becomes his entire focus. Gray eyes light up at the familiar and without further ado he's grabbing a bowl and the serving ladle. This is what he'd enjoyed about their last mission: the familiar foods, sounds, smells. The low light of a fireplace and a drippy candle on each table in the tavern. Being entrenched in the technology of the station can feel overwhelming to a mind that had never seen a car or lightbulb before and though Joric's been learning, he'll always value the simple things over the complex. Like this stew.

He claims an empty chair at an occupied table and places the bowl in front of him before he thinks to ask: ]

You weren't saving this spot for anyone, were you?

{ the chill zone }

[ Movies are still a new phenomenon to Joric. He understands they're stories playing out in front of them, but it seems like magic to see these people as flat images instead of really there. He restrains himself from going up and poking the image projected on the wall because no one else seems as wowed as he feels about this. And pretty soon the absurdity of the first film has captured his attention. By the time the butler walks into the shower in the dark and confuses the shower knob with a doorknob, spraying himself with water, Joric has been invested for an hour as he snacks on popcorn (yes, he still had room after the stew). ]

Ha! He thought it was another door!

{ ximiliquor zone }

[ Joric stands with a glass of whiskey in one hand while looking with curiosity at the pool table. He's seen it before of course, but never with people actually using it. When he observes the final, game winning shot, his eyebrows raise.

Someone volunteer to teach this man pool. That's it; that's the prompt. ]

{ the rest fest }

[ Feeling almost full from the food (because when is Joric ever full?), sufficiently entertained, and a bit drained from all the interactions he's had, he retires to the sunlight room. Maybe he's lying back on a mattress, maybe he's in a hammock that's still gently swinging from his entering it, but here he is if anyone wants to chat. ]

[coordination]

Interested?

[ Hey what do you know, they're whisky-twins! Though as Joric will see through the night, he isn't exactly drinking fast or looking to get fucked up. ]

Sunlight room

[morethan084]

[Daisy wasn’t sure about being around so many people, but she came here in search of someone specific. She had initially knocked on Joric’s door, but there was no answer. She had been going back and forth about whether it was worth acknowledging/apologizing for sneaking out after he had fallen asleep, but maybe he didn’t care? It was just two people passing the time together, right?

It’s been a long time since Daisy has slept with someone with no strings attached.

Spotting him walking towards the sunlight room she hesitates for a moment before tailing behind him. There wasn’t many people in here at the moment, so it made it easier to spot where he had gone.]

Hey.

[Daisy says softly, approaching where he was on the hammock. She looks a little better now, still sad but not at least appearing to be. She’s also sober this time around.]

chill zone

[karumic]

[There is at least one other person as wowed by movies as Joric: Kazuma Asogi. And unlike Joric, Kazuma is both bold and tipsy enough to have gone up and poked the images directly. This wasn't a popular decision for obvious reasons.

Eventually someone forces him to sit down--right next to Joric, as it happens--and, no longer able to disrupt the showing as he pleases, he turns to running commentary.]

Are all movies this... absurd? [says the ace attorney character] Not that I am criticizing, mind.

steve (ota)

[spikedbats]

[ Yep, it's the belated birthday boy who's been thoroughly shamed on the birthday poster. And after that doozy of a mission, what better way to unwind than with a movie night? He can be found hovering around The Grub Zone, indulging in all matter of junk food to make up for the measly portions he had been surviving on during all the dungeon crawling and adventuring.

Of course Steve is enjoying all the films, and is super excited to see the one that has Finn written all over it, although he isn't that big a fan of the horror genre after everything he's been through, so whoever he's sitting next to is probably having to deal with a jumpy Steve. A jumpy, clingy Steve, even. ]

Jesus Christ, this is...a lot. [ Hey, at least both Clue and Thunderball aren't that bad? He even semi-remembers the plots to both of them, but with his shit memory it's like watching them both for the same time all over again.

Technically he just turned 20, but let the poor guy indulge in The Ximiliquor Zone, he's earned it, okay. Besides, the drinking age was 18 up until 1984. At least he's not trying to demonstrate how he got the nickname keg king?

Which leads him, eventually, to the Rest Fest. Is he an old man in a twenty year old's body, did he drink too much, or did he put himself into a food coma? Nobody knows, but he's claiming a little burrowy nest for himself and nobody can stop him. Well, almost nobody.

Probably best to just let him sleep it off. ]

[coordination]

[ Let him sleep it off? Or wake him up by stepping on him? Because the latter is happening when Yzak finally decides to take his leave for the night - having had only just a couple of drinks himself.

Much like when he arrived, the pillows and blankets and mattresses are strewn all about, so he finds himself once again carefully trying to step over what he deems are too small or too oddly-shaped lumps to be someone else. But alas, Steve is buried too well, so when he takes one more step he feels something - someone under his foot. And he was absolutely not moving very lightfooted, either. ]

—Shit!

[locumstudentesquire]

[Ryunosuke is also not the biggest fan of the horror genre, but he has no real excuse beyond just being kind of a weenie. He is also extremely new to the concept of movies in general? So it's REALLY beyond him why anyone would want to scare the daylights out of themselves by watching this.

Actually, the only reason he's even sitting through this is because he's sleepy and, also, kind of too tipsy to want to get up and relocate? The upswing of this state of affairs is that being pretty buzzed means he's nowhere near as bothered by the jump scares as he might be otherwise... And he also barely reacts or notices even when Steve DOES get clingy.]

Finn suggested this? [The film's audio is full of screams at the moment, a new threat having just emerged to torment the protagonists. Ryunosuke squints harder at what he's watching, like he's trying to decipher a puzzle; he's too perplexed to even clock that the dude next to him is presently digging his hand into his shoulder.] ...Why?

Yzak Jule | ota baby

[coordination]

[ While he's not the party animal, Yzak isn't reclusive or anti-social. And by now, he expects this sort of event after the end of the every mission. (don't get too used to it, though, he tells himself, get too comfortable with anything and you know what happens) And he wouldn't want to insult Newton by not showing up. Not when last time he had put out snacks specifically for him.

He approaches from the sunlight room, so anybody partaking in [#1: the rest fest], particularly anybody buried in a pillow pile or rolled up somewhere and out of sight, is going to get stepped on as he tries to navigate and step over things, grumbling to himself because augh, why isn't there a better path through this!?

For the [#2: chill zone] he does not seem interested in the horror movie at all, but ends up half paying attention to Clue! And of no surprise to anyone probably, Yzak can be found around the shogi board.

And finally the [#3: ximiliquor zone]], he's holding a glass of some sort of fancier drink (NOT the cans, gross) and takes a look at the sign.]

What the hell kind of name is that?

[groupiedrifter]

[From across the room:]

It's a great name! Don't be a jerk!

[HE'LL FIGHT YOU ON IT, SIR.]

chuuta | ota

[asymbiotic]

[The chill zone is exactly where Chuuta needs to be right now. He's just hanging out, quietly and expertly crocheting something that's going to be a scarf pretty soon. He's not fully focused on it, since he's very into watching Heat Signature and getting visibly jumpscared every single time something startling happens.

Somehow, he falls asleep about halfway though the James Bond movie. He probably just didn't get the memo about the existence of the nap zone, or maybe he's the kind of guy who falls asleep with the TV on at home.]

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt practically jumpscares Chuuta when he leans overhead to observe his crocheting, of course! Sorry about it, bud, he's just like that.]

Heeey, Chuuta! What's up!?

Do you usually knit during a horror movie? Seems like a good way to miss a loop.

kazuma asogi | ota

[karumic]

[ 01 | the grub zone ]

[Originally, Kazuma was not going to bother attending this "movie night." For one thing, he has never seen a movie in his life and barely understands what one is. For another, he's been in a pretty awful mood ever since returning from the mission and he doesn't really feel up to socializing.

However, there is sukiyaki. More to the point, there is free sukiyaki. So Kazuma is obligated to go.

Those a bit more acquainted with him might be impressed--or maybe startled?--by the amount of beef he's able to pack away, but one does not half-ass sukiyaki consumption. It's been over a year since he's last had any and he is here to make up for lost time. Frankly, if someone doesn't intervene he's liable to clear the place out. Are you brave enough to get in between a man on a mission and his hot pot?]

[ 02 | the chill zone ]

[So. This is a "movie."

Kazuma, by now, is a couple of drinks in, and that's enough to give him a strong buzz. He doesn't love getting drunk, to be honest--and it has nothing to do with him being a lightweight, which he isn't--but this seems as good a time to do it as any, and he's even starting to relax and enjoy himself a little bit. It is at this juncture that the first of the movies starts playing, and Kazuma, in his decently tipsy state, is immediately enraptured by the novelty of Moving Pictures And Sound On A Flat Screen.

It's like portable theater! Technology is amazing. He isn't even paying attention to the movie, he's so fascinated by the mechanics involved. Unfortunately, his curious poking around the TV screen means he's, like, right in the way of anybody who might actually want to be watching the movie.

He doesn't seem to notice the problem, as he is a bit drunk and having a great time running his hands over the screen like a weirdo and playing with the volume buttons.]

Can you believe this? Look! [He presses another button and the TV goes mute. Fucking amazing.]

[ 03 | the ximiliquor zone ]

[The next stop on Kazuma's inebriated tour of modern-day party activities is the pool table.

He has no idea how to play this! All he sees is a bunch of (strangely heavy) numbered balls, and a bunch of sticks. The only western sport he's really familiar with is baseball, so perhaps it works similarly to that? In lieu of a better idea, he sets about stacking up the balls into a pyramid shape, and takes one of the sticks...

...And winds up like he's going to try and hit the topmost ball off of the pyramid with the pool stick. Someone please stop him before a disaster happens.]

[ 04 | the rest fest, OR: sad drunk hours ]

[Kazuma isn't actually asleep, but he's drunk enough by now that even he knows he needs to take a break. Unfortunately for him, the next stage after loud boisterous drunk is maudlin drunk.

And, well... he does have quite a bit to be maudlin about. All the revelations about his father and beyond that he hadn't even fully processed before being brought to Ximilia. His many fuck-ups, previous and continuing. His relationships with Ryunosuke and Yujin and Susato and how he's probably ruined them with said fuck-ups. His own ever-present insecurities, magnified several times over by the amount of alcohol he's put away. Will he ever get his shit together and actually figure out how to be happy? Signs point to no.

It's a little embarrassing, honestly, but Kazuma lacks the self-awareness to realize it as he sprawls over one of the mattresses, listlessly staring at the ceiling and feeling sorry for himself. Anybody who wanders too close, he tilts his head and glares at them as if they've personally offended him.]

What.

grub zone

[locumstudentesquire]

[Ryunosuke is well enough to leave the infirmary and attend, for which he's quite glad... Because damn if this isn't a comforting and familiar sight. If not a little bit exasperating...]

Um, Kazuma... Maybe you should slow down a bit? You know how you get when you've had too much hot pot...

04 c:

[coordination]

Yzak's keen eyesight can spot that sulking from a mile away. (n-not that he can tell from his own experience or anything) As it stands, or rather how he stands, doesn't seen to imply he's had much to drink. Still straight and coordinated in his steps, Yzak's finally decided that he's has enough of these festivities for the night, so slips out the door.

It's not terribly late, but perhaps the couple of drinks he did have is enough to let him turn in early. He seems indecisive, though, about where he wants to go next. He doesn't like staying in his room unless it's to sleep and if he isn't that tired he'd rather do something else. And spotting Kazuma draws him in that direction. ]

What?

[ He returns the query when the other's head tips back, staring down at him. ]

You get tired of muting the movies in there? Or did someone finally kick you out for it?

03

[softshoes]

[Good news: Yujin knows how to play billiards! Bad news: it's been a long mission and post-mission, so Yujin is also very slightly buzzed.]

A-Asogi-kun, wait--

[Obviously, the best way to stop Kazuma from whacking the cueball off the ball pyramid is to run up and hold up his own stick in front of Kazuma's, like they're having a particularly stupid fencing match. The sticks even come together with a silly little clack.

Of all things, it's the noise that gets Yujin to crack. Go figure.]

Pfft. [No, wait, this is BILLIARDS, he has to take this seriously. For Kazuma! He bites back his smile, then straightens up and brings the stick back to his side, as if he hadn't just tried to duel Kazuma over the pool table.] Sorry, sorry... it's just, you probably haven't learned to play billiards yet, have you? We don't have a table, and I haven't played in years myself, so... [He trails off, expression sheepish.]

OTA

[fungicidal]

Rest Fest

[ Joel fell asleep in the sunlight room before it became the designated nap area. When he startles awake some time later, the daytime illusion has been replaced with a starry night sky and he is no longer alone. He pushes himself up on his elbows and takes in the arrangement of pillows, mattresses, and hammocks that weren't there before.

As he starts to get to his feet, Joel has enough sense to hope he didn't wake anyone by talking— or worse, shouting— in his sleep. He can't remember what he was dreaming about but he can still feel his pulse in his ears. ]

Ximiliquor Zone

[ If someone had told Joel Miller, twenty years and some change ago, that the day would come when he would be grateful to crack open a can of Bud Light, he would have laughed that someone out of town. But here he is, taking his first sip and closing his eyes so he can better enjoy the taste. It's a watered-down version of an already subpar beverage, simultaneously the worst and best beer that Joel has ever had.

It gets him in a good enough mood that when someone happens by where he is leaning against the pool table, Joel points at the rack of cues and asks: ]

Up for a round?

[ OOC: Wildcard option is open for anything else. ]

XIMILIQUOR ZONE

[deaddrop]

Oh, usually. Especially if it's not teaching kids how to play.

[She helps herself to a healthy pour of vodka as she answers in honor of the Bond film, the reason she was in the vicinity in the first place.]

I assume you know how to play?

[shadysided]

You're on, old man.

[Okay, so you're just 'old man' until she can remember what your name is, new guy. Sue her, the last few months have been hectic.

She has been itching to try her pool skills, though, especially after people like Dean and Natasha and the like have been showing her how it's done. Maybe someday she'll actually beat one of these bar-savvy adults that have played as long as she's been alive — hey, one could hope, right? As she picks up a pool stick, she points it at the beer can as if it's an accessory to murder.]

Don't think I won't be judging you for bad choices in beverage, though.

That crap tastes like sewer water.

Finn | OTA

[heroooic]

the grub zone;
[It was an awesome spread, full of all sorts of cool tastes Finn had never tried before. Sukiyaki was pretty dang tasty, the peach desserts were disappearing fast, and the junk food? Rand wasn't the only one getting turnt on those. If Rand was even here. Finn wasn't going to hold his breath on that one.

But. Anyway.

When Finn gets to the meatloaf, he can't help but pick at it with a little less gusto. It was good, really good actually, but something about it seems to make Finn more homesick instead of less. He helped himself to a pretty substantial portion at the start of this, and the regret on his face is obvious now.]

Hey, how do you feel about half eaten meatloaf? [He asks the first person he strikes up a conversation with, frowning down at it.] Feels lame to just throw it away.

the chill zone;
[A squadron of handsome submariners, the atmospheric foley work, the colored 80s lighting, one unexplainable heat signature -- all of it came together into the masterwork of horror cinema that was Heat Signature. Finn had watched the movie more times than he could count. He'd watch it to be scared, he'd watch it to feel comforted, he'd watch it to fall asleep. There wasn't an inch of its celluloid that Finn didn't have completely memorized.

Which, uh... kinda made him the worst person to watch it with, actually.]

Ohhh, oh man. This part. You gotta watch this part. [Finn whispers, loudly, as the goofball logistics specialist started descending into the sub's belly.] Are you watching?

[And later, when the strings start to build to a tense crescendo as the fearless captain puts on his pressurized undersea suit:] Dude, this scene is so cool. This is the first time you see the monster. It's about to come out, see, look, you can kinda see its tentacle riiiiight... there, did you see it?

[And later still, as the devastated first mate kicks at a burst valve in grief, before falling to his knees in agony:] Did you know he actually broke his foot for real in that scene?

Closed to Ziggy

[heroooic]

[Ever since Finn's first conversation with Newt in his first few days on the Ximilia crew, he'd been looking forward to this. So much had changed since that first week, but the excitement remained. He could really use a party, and he's sure he's not the only one.]

You must've gone to a bunch of these, right? [Finn asks upon walking in to the considerable din of activity, canting his head toward Ziggy. They'd come together, which Finn was determined to not be weird about. Not unless she got weird first.] Are they always this wild?

Newton Geiszler | Pacific Rim

[groupiedrifter]

I. BEAN BOOZLED

After some background tweaks and adjustments to the party, Newt's finally here!

And loudly so, as usual, so it's hard to miss him.

Poor Viveca's just constantly having to order him things for these events; maybe she likes the change from nailbiting at missions, though. Regardless, Mr. Kaiju Grrroupie finally permits himself to just relax and actually enjoy the night as a casual crewmember as well, which means a beeline straight for the food table and stacking a plate until it's a structurally unsound health risk. Any poor soul unaware of what each bad American junk food item is will have the full explanation — ]

OREOs are, like, the apple that tempted Eve. You just dip that in milk, or you can twist'n'pop and scrape off the insides with your teeth. And Pringles are just, y'know, good. Smartest thing they ever did was figure out a way to stack chips in a tube; it's super satisfying. You ever have the pizza flavor? Here's the pizza flavor; I'm gonna beg for every kind of flavor there is one of these nights, so help me. Oh! And these aren't technically American. I mean, they are, but they're Japanese, too. You ever have green tea Kit-Kats? Delicious, pal, just. [chef's kiss]

Oh, shit! And don't forget these — Bean Boozled.

You basically play Russian roulette with jelly beans, some taste delicious, and some taste like garbage.

[Americans are freaks like that.

If he's not watching the flick or eating his weight in terrible snacks, he's flipping through some comic books and beaming at the discovery of one of his total faves; does it have a bunch of monster warriors on the front cover, Animorphs-style? You fuckin' betcha. He is nothing if not extremely predictable. He in fact lounges in the nap room to read up on the last few issues of Wild Warrior West while the rest of the station goes about it's business. For now.]

II. A MINOR HICCUP | (cw: temporary blindness / deafness)

[But it's not without the usual hiccups.

Some of the crew is well-aware at this point, that Newton had exchanged his regret for a new one — with the cost being a particular kind of instability. Some don't know yet, and really, he hasn't tried to make it a point to blurt it out there past the network entry he'd posted what felt like forever ago — but it rears its ugly head again, just as he tries to navigate around the kitchen.]

Shit! Oh, man, you gotta be freaking kidding me...!

[That voice, louder than even usual, ends with a very loud clatter of a tray, a plate and glass that shatters with the impact to the floor, and ends with a punctuated curse word unbefitting for a child's ears. Anyone who decides to investigate will find the following scene: Newton with his hands out precariously in front of him as he steps himself across the broken glass on the floor, a single red gash on his palm that is oozing blood as he stares round-eyed at nothing in particular.]

It's fine, you got this, you got this...! Just like you practiced, dude...!

[He says it with the volume of someone who can't hear how loud they're being. Because he can't.

The fun of consequences, you know? Don't change your regrets unless you absolutely have to, kids.]

III. GOTTA KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM | (cw: alcohol use)

Oh, c'mon!

That was my last chip; are you cheating? There's no way you're that good at poker.

[Or maybe Newt is just really bad at poker, because he loses at it pretty much any time he makes a concentrated effort. If you want the easy answer, it's because he can't keep a pokerface to save his goddamn life. With his prior condition resolved, leaving nothing but a bandage around his hand, he proceeds to wave said hand at the absolutely monumentous pile of (his old) chips that sit now in the other person's pile.]

What's your secret? Are you a mind-reader and you didn't tell me? Fess up!

[He's smiling as he says it, though. It's hard to be actually mad when you're having a good time and you've got enough drinks in you to turn your cheeks a shade redder. But, like, not in a sad as shit way like he'd been days before; sometimes all you need is a good distraction and a reminder that there are tons of good people around, you know?]

[OOC: Feel free to use this top level to do a separate starter if you have something in mind! Or reach me at simpledog!]

II

[drawsblood]

[ Hearing the crash, Joric enters to see Newt fumbling around with less finesse than that day in the lab so he sighs and rips off a few sheets of paper towels before grabbing Newt's hand to wrap up the wound. Unfortunately he's unaware that Newt can't hear him, so he's probably going to scare the hell out of him doing this. ]

Careful; there's broken glass.

[ Or at least this is what Joric attempts to say. How much he gets out is dependent on Newt's reaction. ]

yujin mikotoba | ota

[softshoes]

RUINING CLUE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE;

[Yujin is overwhelmed.

Yujin has just woken up from a 12-hour death nap to this when all he wanted was a sandwich, and he is. Overwhelmed.

But hey, there's food, and he doesn't have to make it! So, after hastily stuffing a honeycake into his face-- it has been a LONG double-triple-who knows what-shift in the infirmary-- he grabs himself some sukiyaki and hovers over to the projector area. Just in time for Clue, too.

It's a marvel; films like these-- sound! color!-- are far beyond what he knows from the dawn of the 20th century. It's so much of a marvel, in fact, that he's watching... while standing... at the back of the room, his gaze fixed firmly on the movie even as he works on the piping-hot bowl of beef that he's slowly eating. The man is completely engrossed.

After a moment of chewing, he furrows his brow. Without looking away, he speaks aloud to the first person to pass him:]

There's multiple killers. It cannot all be one culprit: it simply doesn't add up.

[Yujin nods to himself, satisfied, and pops a cube of tofu in his mouth.]

They're all suspicious.

wildcard;

[DO YOUR WORST!!! im open to anything on this log, but hmu at smithsyndicate if you wanna plot!]

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt plops down beside Yujin as the movie continues, a big stupid grin pulling at his face as he balances his bowl of ochazuke on one knee with a hand; he aaaalmost points his chopsticks at Yujin as he talks, but his brain catches up and he puts them across the top of his bowl. Judging by the fact that he's sitting on a bench like a gargoyle, the effort is really there, okay.]

Pretty wild, huh? There's all kinds of movies like this, from all over the world. Some of my favorite films are from Japan, too. I got a copy of Seven Samurai from one of the older movie nights that you should totally see. Super gorgeous, and I bet your pals from home would love it, too.

[What with the swordsmanship business.]

Or — I mean, Godzilla is one of the biggest monster movies of all time, straight outta Japan. But there are also cartoons that are world-famous. And your horror movies are some of the scariest I've ever seen. Remind me to find One Missed Call. Or torment poor Viv with more movie requests...

[Sorry, he's getting all excitable about introducing feature-length movies to you, bud.]