[OPEN LOG] Turkey Testicle Festival Open Mingle!

[marmoron]

Who: Everyone!
When: Post-Thanksgiving Weekend
Where: Bottoms Up Bar and Tavern
Summary: The annual Turkey Testicle Festival returns to a local Gloucester bar with special events including a turkey testicle eating competition, live music, karaoke … and some unexpected spooks and slaughter themed hallucinations
Warnings: Please put appropriate content warnings in your top levels! General warnings include:
For the festival: Alcohol
For the opt-in aftermath: Slaughterhouses, blood, implied animal cruelty, industrialized slaughter, tactile/auditory/visual hallucinations

Welcome to the Annual Turkey Testicle Festival!

It’s that beloved time of the year, folks! All across the United States, several towns host a much lauded festival called the Turkey Testicle Festival and lucky you, Gloucester just so happens to be one of those special towns that pay tribute to the full glory of the humble turkey. Fliers for the event hosted by the Bottoms Up Bar and Tavern can be seen all around town advertising the momentous occasion. See you there!

Dining & Drinking

Bottoms Up serves up classic American bar foods and offers a wide selection of local beers as well as hard liquors for anyone who wants to get their drink on. Just be sure to provide some kind of ID. Or get someone else to get you a drink -- it’s a party, the bartenders won’t ask so long as you don’t get them in direct trouble. But let’s be real, why are you here eating nachos and chicken wings when you could be eating….

The Balls

Ah yes, the crown jewels of the event, who could forget? Breaded and deep fried to golden brown, crispy perfection these balls are just bursting with flavor! Served with your choice of hot sauce for some spice or creamy white sauce, these delectables are said to taste just like chicken nuggets.

Dare to find out.

Or better yet, join the turkey testicle eating contest! Win glorious prizes such as a twenty dollar gift card to Walmart or a CD signed by Sense of Evan. Please, they have so many CDs nobody seems to want…

Live Music

Looks like a local band is playing for part of the festival. For better or for worse, “Sense of Evan” are a cover and playing all the best meme hits from the likes of Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback amongst others. Come jam out to the music, make merry with other festival attendees. Or maybe you’ll just be hanging out by the wall wondering how could this happen to me…..

Karaoke

But just because the live band’s done playing, doesn’t mean the music stops. Nope. Bottoms Up staff have dredged up a karaoke machine! Now it’s your turn to show off your singing chops and wow the crowd! Or conversely break a few eardrums. It’s all in good fun, right?

The Aftermath

…Or maybe it wasn’t all just in good fun after all?

For those who attended the festival , they may wake up the next day with some unwanted side effects. It might start out subtle — the odd sound of a conveyor belt moving along, the occasional electric shock by your neck. Weird bodily and auditory sensations that seem to flit in and out from an entirely different place. But as the day progresses, these strange occurrences seem to become stronger, clearer until the hallucinations really kick in.

Visions of yourself trapped in a steel pen, along with so many others all waiting to be pushed onto a conveyor belt. Perhaps you’re sharing the hallucination with others you recognize, perhaps you’re meant to work together to escape the seemingly endless line of slaughter and industrialized death. One way or another, these hallucinations will last a full day before they gradually taper off in intensity.

Notes:

• The after effects are purely opt-in. You do not have to play with any Slaughter themed elements if your character attends the festival.
• For the slaughterhouse hallucinations, feel free to go ham with the set up. Be as horrible to your characters as you like, please just warn with the appropriate content warnings.
• As per the mod’s notes, characters who choose to investigate Bottom’s Up following this incident, they'll find that the grocery store had a mix-up in their meat order and got something that came off of one of Sable's shipments. The grocery store's usual seller came up short and just bought up what they could find on short notice to cover the holiday rush.

Comments

[earthshine]

[ he anticipated blow back… just not of the thrusters kind. for the record, he does not squeal. though, he does make some sort of noise that is, perhaps, of a higher pitch than one would associate with someone of shiro’s stature. is it weird that he finds this impressive? carrying shiro’s weight with one, measured step after the other is one thing. running while holding two-hundred and twenty something pounds of dead weight on his back is another.

weight that is being jostled about in a rapidly concerning way. shiro’s given up keeping his head on top of keith’s – the first bump had his teeth clipping – but his arms are still looped around his neck, the fold tighter as he tries to control some of that bounce. it’s not an obnoxiously obvious bounce… but there’s friction in how his body is made to move against keith’s and… well, he does have his legs spread wide around those hips.

the high ring of his voice that’s given into laughter begins to trail off and all at once, something clicks in his brain. ]

Oh. [ a beat. another unintentional rub. ] Oh.

[ abort, abort. get those long, great legs to stop running. also, don’t think about them in that way. hastily now: ]

You win. Okay, you win. You’re the head.

[marmoron]

[ that squeal is something keith will immortalize forever in his memory, thank you very much, but the downside to the sudden rush of laughter it brings about is that he can't laugh and breathe and run all at the same time. no potentially half alien cheats on this one very important function, apparently.

momentum makes it impossible to stop immediately, but a few more shuffling jog steps and a stitch in his side later, and keith ends up panting heavily for breath between laughs. ]

Heh. [ sounding both far too pleased with himself and entirely out of breath, it takes a couple of seconds before keith manages to get his breathing back under control to even attempt talking again. ] ... Okay, okay. So now that I'm leader, that means you gotta call me sir from here on out.

[ grinning wide, he gives shiro's knee a pinch between this thumb and index. ]

And rub my back when we get back to the apartment.

[earthshine]

[ shiro feels winded too and he isn’t the one who packed in the cardio workout. he doesn’t know which is worse, that high, giddy feeling that’s bled into toe-curling warmth pooling low in his belly or how his stomach is now rebelling after having its contents thoroughly sloshed and blended. don’t be sick, don’t be sick. the queasiness, thankfully, doesn’t endure any longer than it takes for keith to regain the steady rhythm of his breathing and as it ebs, it takes with it all of shiro’s inappropriate attention centered around his crotch pressed into the small of keith’s back.

he’s in the clear. he’s fine. – up until, of course, keith decides to start talking.

the sir is in and out of his consciousness without problem. the potential of it doesn’t grab at him; surprising, maybe, considering he has all the makings of a man made for authority kink. the second part is trickier. rub his back makes shiro think massage. massage has him thinking bare skin and a relaxed, laid out body. laid out makes him think bed. and – yeah, it unravels from there. ]

Like a massage?

[ mercifully, what keith calls him out on has nothing to do with the breathiness of that question. instead, there’s a quip about a missing sir. somehow, that works to right everything. they’re back to their playful arguing, shiro withholding sir for no other reason than because keith wants to hear it. not so agreeable anymore, is he? the subject wanes toward the end of the next block and with the next, shiro begins to quiet more. the excitement of the evening seems to be catching up with him – or more so the alcohol – and being rocked with the sway of keith’s body has him feeling too comfortable.

he’s dozing by the time their apartment complex comes into view. they make curfew by a few minutes and then it’s to a3. from there, it quickly becomes all about getting shiro ready for bed. it’s how shiro finds himself sitting on the edge of his bed, coat hung up and boots pulled off, watching keith straighten back up to stand before him. oh – the massage. it comes to shiro abruptly but even as he offers, it’s waved off. another time. hm, maybe, shiro is pretty useless right now; he’ll be able to do a better job when he isn’t full of drink and balls. he must have said as much aloud because keith laughs and then there’s a long moment where they stare at each other, neither willing to break eye contact.

but – goodnight, shiro. ah. right. he’s supposed to go to sleep.

there’s a feeling inside him though, a stubborn sort of guilt. that keith carried him all this way and shiro’s given nothing in return. well, if keith doesn’t want his back rubbed right now, then shiro can at least give him a: ] Goodnight, sir. [ he smiles lopsided on the title. there’s nothing mocking about it, but there is a levity to it that almost becomes a laugh. ]

[marmoron]

[ by the time keith has safely deposited shiro onto his bed, he feels just about ready to go drop onto his own mattress, curl onto his side and go to sleep. or so he thought until he lingered just a little too long and gets a little lost in studying his best friend's sleepy face. it's nice -- keith thinks -- just looking and knowing that the exhaustion is from a mostly normal night out, rather than the lead-limbed weariness after a battle. maybe that's a weird sentiment to be having, but he can't help feeling a little protective here. although normalcy is just about the last thing shiro ever wanted for himself back home, keith can't help cherishing the small pockets of it they have from time to time.

of course, that's not a valid reason to linger on the edge of shiro's bed. the fort-mattress on the floor of his room is less appealig by the second, but it's time to say goodnight. y'knw, before anything else can happen. what that anything else might even be at this point is hard to fathom, but the testicle festival was certainly eventful enough to make anything else seem possible.

turns out that this "anything else" is actually a bit of a pleasant surprise. after all the ribbing and teasing about who has seniority and who calls who sir, shiro finally concedes. of course it's nothing more than a joke, but there's a curious swoop and rush in his chest and an all too happy sile blooms on keith's face.

at the end of the day, of course titles and ranks don't matter between them, but it sounds .... nice hearing it said in shiro's voice while they're smiling at each other. is that weird? keith inches in just a little closer, gently covering shiro's galra hand with his own as he leans close. ]

Oh. You're finally acknowledging me. [ he grins, giving shiro's prosthetic fingers a gentle squeeze. then with a laugh, he adds: ] Guess that means I should acknowledge you, huh?

[ whatever that means. qualifying it even to himself just seems like a bad idea though. it's really just the outline of a familiair routine tha keeps his tone relatively normal as he asks: ]

Close your eyes?

[ it's the brief lull that comes afterwards where shiro complies that makes keith jittery from the inside out. slowly, carefully he brings both his hands up to cup his best firend's face, touch gentle and light, like he's holding something rare aand precious. thumb brushing along shiro's cheek, he pauses at the corner of his lips. voice whispersoft and heart pounding hard in his chest, hhe leans in close enough that their noses touch. ]

Does this feel natural to you?

[earthshine]

[ he did just call keith sir, he supposes that means he’s outranked and devoted to following the orders of his commanding officer. wordless, he plays along and closes his eyes, face tilting up just so in a show of attention, as though awaiting his next order. one never comes. instead, hands touch his cheeks and smooth closer. an ingrained sense of duty to follow authority, even the fabricated kind, keeps him from snapping his eyes open, however, the rest of his face doesn’t harbor that same kind of restraint. his smile slips in favor of his lips going lax, mouth parting open around a silent oh and it feels – what?

natural? ]

Yeah.

[ he breathes it out and finds a fresh smile, one that widens quickly, just so he can feel it stretch under the thumbs caught at the corners of it. there’s a boundary here that they’re crossing. or is it recrossing? they’ve been toeing the line of their friendship for some weeks now by adding kisses and proximity that never quite pass the test of being purely platonic despite how much shiro’s deluded himself into believing so. if a completely sober shiro can hold keith to his chest and press a firm kiss to his temple without batting an eye though, a drunk shiro has no hope of preventing whatever this is.

all he knows is that he likes having keith close to him: at his side, in a hug, nose to nose. being together, that’s the part that feels natural and when it’s that simplistic in his head, the rest follows suit far too easily. in fact, he wants him even closer.

they said goodnight. they’re supposed to hug, aren’t they? that’s been the routine for ages now. so still with his eyes closed and face obediently tilted up into the nudge of keith’s nose, shiro blindly reaches with both hands, finding keith’s hips. palms settle there and he holds gently, giving the smallest of tugs to encourage him to… what? bend closer for a hug? crawl into his lap for a hug? either or, he just wants – needs keith that much closer. ]

[marmoron]

[ to say that boundaries are being crossed here is a bit of an understatement. even keith must recognize this much on some unconscious level considering the way his heart pounds, but does he back off? no. it's not something he's ever been particularly good at, and even if that weren't the case why should e back away from something that's natural between them? it'd be like trying to fight gravity or get dive up a waterfall. nonsensical.

and whatever this is, shiro must clearly be feeling it too. the hands on his hips draw him in closer and keith doesn't bother putting up resistance. crowding into shiro's space, he bends one kneee and rests it on the be as he closes what's left of the gap between their lips. hands still cupping shiro''s face, keith closes his eyes and kisses his smile.

acknowledgement? is the word that briefly crosses his mind before it's banished. he still doesn't want to qualify this with anything other than the word natural even as he keeps the pressure on shiro's lips for two beats longer than a simple, chaste peck would require. ]

[earthshine]

[ shiro’s body dips, barely, with the weight of that knee pressed close; it has him smiling still and drawing out a hum, only for the sound to cut off almost as soon as it’s started. hindsight argues that he should have anticipated this. once, a month or so ago, keith stood before him at his bedroom door and tentatively asked him to close his eyes. the aim had been offset and higher last time, but ultimately, led to a kiss that had shiro’s breath stuttering and heartbeat fluttering. shiro’s so often hopeless and blind when it comes to what is so plainly right before his eyes; he can’t fully blame the alcohol in his system, he likely would have waltzed right into this with a clear mind too. the only difference? here, his mind is quiet. keith presses close to take what is so foolishly offered and the reasons to pull away don’t stack.

natural. that’s what keith asked. that’s what shiro agreed to. that’s his one, centering thought and buoyed on it, shiro finds himself enjoying the moment for what it is, rather than obligating himself to a denial.

it’s more than he’s ever expected and yet, he’s immediately greedy for it. he wants so much and feels so much: those hands upon his face cradle him in such a way that have him feeling, no, believing that he’s someone precious. adored, even. he keeps his hands steady at keith’s hips, desperate to pull him closer but hesitance finds him despite the murkiness of his awareness, stoking a fear toward upsetting the fragility of this moment. so he merely holds on and similarly, hangs onto the press of keith’s lips.

one, two – it’s such a short kiss. just like that, the pressure gives and as shiro draws a breath through his parted, regretfully released lips, he keeps his eyes closed. it takes a beat for him to find his voice, but when he does, it comes out quiet on hope that is both uncertain and raw. ]

Last time – I opened my eyes and you were gone. [ remember? he taps the fingers of his left hand against keith’s hip, just once, in one cascading flow from pinky to index and then ends with a quirk of his lips. ]

Will you stay this time?

[marmoron]

[ the kiss ends and even though keith is the one to end it, it's over too soon and the aftershock of crossed lines hits like a truck in the time he pulls away just far enough to look at his best friend. it shouldn't make that much of a difference. between kissing shiro's cheek and his mouth, that is. socially sure, a kiss on the lips carries extra weight and meaning, but ultimately it's the same gesture, same set of motions -- natural. not that telling himself this actually does anything to settle the heady rush of his heart, but it's enough to keep him standing in place rather than fighting the hold shiro has on his hips to scurry back into his room.

maybe by tomorrow in the light of day, the giddiness will settle into something different, but right now, he feels impossibly, irrationally happy, looking at his best friend still there, still dutifully keeping his eyes closed and asking him to stay. ]

You said I belong here. [ the words come out just as quiet, but there's conviction to his voice that makes it clear this is fact, not a question or a gentle reminder. thumbs brush skin, tracing the outline of shiro's lower lip. ] With you. [ a deep breath, then reluctantly keith takes his hands away from shiro's cheeks, dragging hands slowly, carefully down to his friends's houlders where he pushes, encouraging shiro to lie down on his bed. ] So you should hold me until I fall asleep tonight.

[earthshine]

[ yes, how will this look in the morning? they’ve been through this once before, with a very tipsy keith using shiro as a mattress and drooling all over his chest. so perhaps this will be a been there, done that kind of scenario and come morning, they’ll be able to laugh off any awkwardness, just as they had at the bonfire. unlikely, but it’s good to hope. not that shiro is doing that bare minimum here.

he’s very much in the here and now, with little to no perception of what will happen in the next hour, the next two, three onto eight when he opens his eyes to a splitting headache, only made worse by the realization that he drunkenly crossed a line and took something that can’t be given back. consequence is a foreign concept at present and instead, shiro is sweet and docile, so ensnared by keith’s quiet reaffirmations that he has no resistance left in him.

keith pushes and shiro goes down easily. he lets go of keith’s hips as he leans back and it’s only then, when his back hits the mattress, that he cracks open his eyes to half-mast. his smile is lazy, yet so welcoming; the spread of his arms only adds to that wordless come here. together, it takes some time and some shifting about, but eventually, keith’s boots are off, coat tossed aside and the two of them lying on the bed properly, heads nestled on one shared pillow.

the comforter – which still harbors the faded stains of pizza sauce despite shiro’s numerous efforts to scrub them out – is underneath them. they’re still mostly clothed ( and will surely look rumbled and horrible come morning ) and it’s warm enough in the apartment for them to forgo the sheets. besides, with shiro turned on his side toward keith and raising an arm for keith to scoot under… they’ll be toasty the whole night through.

settling in, shiro’s eyelids grow heavy almost instantaneously to the feeling of keith nestling in close to his chest. they fit together pretty well, don’t they? half-aware of his own inner musings, shiro quirks a smile and then gives into a yawn, tightening his arm to secure keith in close, from the tuck of his face down to the tangling of their feet. ]

Goodnight, Keith. [ his eyes haven’t quite slipped closed and they won’t either, because there’s a huff and a cheeky retort. something about shiro trying to extort another kiss and that he really shouldn’t receive one since he forgot the sir. but before shiro can even try to reason his way into why keith is just as good as sir, keith makes the executive decision to make an exception.

it’s just as good as the first. better even, because this time, he has keith tucked into all the empty spots of his body. feels a little like being complete. as before though, it’s little more than a dragged out peck and once the connection breaks, shiro sighs and smiles. one last goodnight on keith’s part and then it’s a short while before they drop off for sleep. come morning, preconceived expectations may come into play and muddle up what should be so easy to see, understand and accept… but for now, being together is natural and does feel right. hopefully they’ll be able to remember at least that much. ]