[open] all through my city, all through my home

[twelfthspark]

WHO: Arlene and OPEN
WHERE: Somewhere in Tisse for prompt A, Peach Beach for prompt B
WHEN: Friday evening, 7/14 (prompt A); Saturday evening, 7/15 (prompt B)
WHAT: If you need to serenade a stranger, karaoke is really the only way to do it. Also, the bonfire Arlene promised.
WARNINGS: References to alcohol, otherwise ???


A: KARAOKE
Let's get together again, she'd suggested to a strategically chosen group (i.e. the handful of Retrospeccers who'd attended the last couple parties.) Bring your friends.

The place is going to be typical-Friday-night busy, so she aims for a somewhat early start to get the best chance at monopolizing the karaoke machine. If ever they do have to wait their turn, there's foosball, and a couple old arcade machines in the corner, and seating that's well broken-in and actually pretty comfortable.

B: BONFIRE
Arlene seriously considered burning Jim in effigy to start the fire, but the shirts were already more effort than she feels justified in putting into Retrospec's image. Fueled with regular old wood scraps, the fire burns merrily in its pit just above the high-tide line, throwing off a pleasant warmth as the heat of the day wanes.

On a folding table at a safe distance from the flames sits a short stack of T-shirts, white with "I ♥ Retrospec" in gray ironed on. She obviously didn't put much care into making them; the logos are crooked on a couple of them and didn't transfer completely onto one. There's a jar on the table and a note that says "$5 EACH (honor system! don't piss off the chick with lightning powers ♥)" in Arlene's spiky handwriting. She's also parked a small cooler there, stocked with a couple sodas and a six-pack of her favorite beer, but it's obviously not enough for everyone. Hopefully you B'd your own B.


[ooc note: anyone is welcome to the karaoke prompt even if she wouldn't have invited you- after all there's that "to a stranger" requirement- and assume that if she's on good terms with your character, she passed along a note via Retrospec with the time and place. also, brackets are fine even though I didn't use them here]

Comments

top levels for arlene!

[twelfthspark]

A- first come first serve
[There they are, the perfect victim... uh, duet partner. Arlene set this up for fun, but she also set it up to check off a bingo box or two, and here's somebody that counts as a stranger in her book. Arlene weaves through the crowd to join them with both mics in hand, one of which she shoves at her chosen stranger.]

Care to join me?

B- open

[Really, she can't be arsed to babysit the shirt table, hence the honor system. Arlene lounges near the fire, a beer bottle jammed into the sand beside her with a wedge of lime stuck on top. Do people even do that with beers other than Corona? She's doing it anyway to celebrate the return of faceless fruit, though she makes a face as she takes a sip. If someone she knows approaches, she'll wave them over.]

Hey, if a fish gets close enough to the edge, think I could zap it?

A

[frisyr]

[ Emil gets handed a mic and-- wh--whaa ]

Sure?

Wait, what are we doing?

Re: A

[twelfthspark]

I was thinking "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

[That's probably not the answer he was looking for. Arlene waves him towards the karaoke machine.]

Unless you're too chicken?

Re: A

[frisyr]

What? No!

[ Oh god he's sweating bullets just thinking about it ]

Let's do Total Eclipse of the Heart! I love that song!

[ If there was a wipeout equivalent of karaoke though... ]

Re: A

[twelfthspark]

[Wow, it's not especially well lit in here but is his face damp? Is he fear sweating right now? Damn, she hasn't had that effect on somebody in a while.

This observation amuses her, because she's a jerk.

But he hasn't backed out yet, and he gets props for that, Arlene decides as she sets up the song.]

We're on in three... two...

[TURN AROUND]

B

[destiny_key]

[Sora's walking over with a soda in one hand and a t-shirt in the other. Yes, he brought his own soda, and yes he paid for the shirt.

Walking up, he laughs at the remark.]

Maybe, if it's small enough. Just don't zap the whole ocean. The note said you have lightning powers, right?

Re: B

[twelfthspark]

[score that's one down, four to go to cross that off her card]

Sure do.

[with a casual flick of her fingers, she sends a little clump of sparks skyward]

[destiny_key]

That's pretty cool.

[Sora plops down in the sand beside her, sticking the soda into the sand where it won't fall over, and starts idly digging through the sand with his fingers.]

Did it take long to get them? How long have you been on the network?

[twelfthspark]

Not too long. I got the app in February, and--you remember the blackout in March, right? I think it started there.

A

[prometheanflame]

[Mohammed eyes the mike with a bit of suspicion. Yes, the karaoke machine is a cheap and easy way to sing a ballad, but he has never done this before. Because he's a nerd that doesn't go out enough.]

Sure. [He'll gain nothing if he refuses to take it.] Are we going now?

Re: A

[twelfthspark]

No, we're going to wait and let somebody else take over the machine. Come on, I'll even let you pick.

[Because she's already, uh, "rocking" Bonnie Tyler in the above thread.]

[prometheanflame]

[Great, now his musical tastes are going to be put on spot. He flips through the selection of modern hits, pausing over Beyoncé.]

How about something old? It's more fun when it's a song everyone has heard of.

[twelfthspark]

[for everybody's sake, they probably shouldn't let Arlene try Beyoncé...]

Are we talking like, eighties old here or grandpa old?

[potentially making a few people feel old if they're in earshot]

b

[insantafe]

I know better than to underestimate you by now. If you wanted to, you could do it.

[ Why even ask. That’s pretty obvious to Jack. ]

Never pegged you for a fisherman, though - I wouldn’t think you’d have the patience.

Re: b

[twelfthspark]

You're right, I wouldn't.

[she flicks a few lazy sparks in the direction of the water anyway]

And cleaning it after? Ugh, not my scene.

[insantafe]

No, you'd just throw the dead fish in someone else's face and let them take care of it.

When'd you get this fancy new power of yours, anyway?

Karaoke

[digthefuzz]

[Local celebrity and college student Kurt Wagner has decided to attend the hell out of this karaoke party!

When it's his turn at the karaoke machine, he'll be ready to sing any number of cheesy songs, either by himself or with a partner! And if he sees any strangers around? Then it may be time for him to sing a power ballad at them!

Or, chill with him playing a game of foosball or at the ancient arcade machines!]

[darkinferno]

[Oh, hey, Kurt. Dante knows him vaguely between his fame and that one game of truth or dare a few months ago, but beyond that he knows basically little about the other guy. That counts as a stranger, right?

(And let's be honest, that's the only reason he'd ever agree to touch a karaoke machine--he's not completely tone-deaf, but Dante does not like to sing.)]

Hey, Kurt. What do you say to letting me take care of a bingo square while we're here?

[digthefuzz]

[He does remember seeing him at that party but he is virtually a stranger... but Kurt's not sure if he's connecting that dot as well. He responds with a shrug.]

Sure man, knock yourself out! Who knows, I might do some bingo-ing of my own.

[darkinferno]

Do you have the ballad square too?

[He saw Emil and Arlene's, ah... emotionally-charged duet a little while earlier. Maybe the two of them can do the same thing?]

[digthefuzz]

You got it, dude!

Dante get in here

[twelfthspark]

[Shortly after the conclusion of his duet with Kurt, Arlene goes looking for Dante. It's not a huge place; she doesn't have to go far.]

Hey, lover boy. I was hoping I'd see you here.

[She offers no warning before reaching out, aiming a slap right for his face.]

[darkinferno]

Oh, really? Wh--

[It's all he manages to get out before the slap connects. Dante rears back in surprise, but it's definitely too little, too late.]

Whoa!

What was that for?

[twelfthspark]

You know what.

[she can't help it--her composure breaks down, dissolving into giggles. Yes! She got him!]

You should see your face.

[darkinferno]

[Dante frowns.]

Most people have been polite enough to ask before they did it.

[Even Juzo had--well, okay, if he hadn't asked, he'd at least prefaced it with discussion and waited for Dante to be ready for it! The only people who hadn't are Pen and Prompto, ad both of them had gone for the surprise ass-slap instead.]