b u o n e ~ f e s t e

[sharktrash]

Who: Priders! (Basically if you (or your friend, or your dog) has had a positive interaction with anyone from MANTICORE, consider yourself invited, dragged along or sent in someone else's place. And even if you haven't been invited it's totally fine to notice something's going on and show up or  randomly come across this and stay!)
What: Genos and Squalo throw a Solstice dinner party. Italian food for everyone!
When: December 21?ish (forward-dated a bit so it doesn't fall right before irl holidays)
Where: MANTICORE penthouse
Warnings: MANTICORE Squalo, Carnies, language, minors getting drunk, substance abuse, someone might decide to bone, idk.


[ Fuck the creepy shit, MANTICORE are aggressively throwing a Solstice party! Because why not, and who has the patience to wait until New Years? ]

[ There are locations/prompts in toplevels, but feel free to start your own as well. Generic timeline of the night would be: cooking, dinner, socializing with games and booze and possibly other things, and  a movie marathon into the wee hours of the morning for the ones interested.  ]

Comments

[twoscompany]

[Garnet nods, bringing Tiger over towards her to help him keep his balance. When she gets to the balcony, she opens the door, letting the cool air in. Though her plan is to bring Steven to the chair closest to the door.]

I'll get you some ginger ale. How does that sound?

[It's...between this and the box, it has to be weird for the kid to see her so protective.]

[tigermillionaire]

[It is pretty weird, and now that he's waking up a bit, he's starting to wake up a bit, that's actually occurring to him. It makes him feel more nervous and shy, especially since this is an embarrassing thing to be doing. He cuddles up on the chair with his blanket, looking at his knees.]

Good, I think...

[He's got that typical uncertainty about keeping stuff in an upset stomach.]

[twoscompany]

All right. I'll be right back.

[Nodding, she turns to go get that ginger ale. A few moments later, she's back with a glass about half full, offering it to him]

Here you go.

[tigermillionaire]

Thanks.

[His voice is quiet. He doesn't know why, but she seems less scary lately. Less angry, maybe. Most of the times he'd encountered her before it was because he was making her mad for some reason or anything.

He guesses he did that with a lot of people. He doesn't really get why anymore.

He falls into silence, carefully sipping at his drink.]

[twoscompany]

[She sits next to him, looking at him momentarily before looking over on the horizon. She doesn't say anything, save for staring at the sky as it slowly began to lighten with morning twilight.

After awhile, she closes her eyes.]

How is it?

[tigermillionaire]

[Why is this awkwardness so painful? Garnet isn't even someone he knows very well, but yet it feels like he's struggling to talk to someone he trusts. It makes him feel awful.]

It's...okay?

[It's just ginger ale he doesn't know what to say about it. He leans forward over his knees, looking miserable.]

[twoscompany]

Good. It should help you with your queasiness.

...Next time, you should probably abstain from alcohol. At least until you're older and can handle it a little better.

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger keeps staring at his knees, looking ashamed. His voice is small when he speaks.]

I was just being dumb.

[twoscompany]

[She shrugs.]

You don't need to be upset. We all make mistakes. Consider it a life lesson to not accept drinks that smell funny.

[She doesn't need to lecture - the bleghness Tiger's having is doing it for her.]

[tigermillionaire]

I knew what it was.

[He keeps looking down.]

I just...though it would help.

[twoscompany]

Did it?

[Chances are, it probably didn't, if Tiger's current condition is anything to go by.]

[tigermillionaire]

[He shrugs his shoulders uneasily.]

I dunno. Maybe. But now I feel gross.

[twoscompany]

[At this, she brings a hand towards his head.]

You'll be all right, eventually. You believe that, right?

[tigermillionaire]

[That sort of depends on what she means by 'all right'. He feels like she means it differently than him just feeling hungover.]

I know I'll stop being sick...

[As for anything else...he absolutely doesn't believe that.]

[1/2]

[twoscompany]

...Yes, you'll stop being sick.

[She smiles at this. Ah, typical Tiger, trying to be an adult.

Without thinking, she ruffles his hair.]

[twoscompany]

[...Just as she has a thousand times before.

The fuzzy figure with the cat fingers.

The person watching when she became one person.

The writer of the song.

The one who she lived in Beach City with.

Her hand stops ruffling, freezing as the memory comes back to her.

She's promised. She promised Mr. Universe that...

No. More than that. Not to just deliver a package.

She promised to protect him. To help him because the best he can be.

To make sure Tiger fulfilled his destiny.

No. Not Tiger. Tiger isn't his real name. Its not the name of that kid she grabbed out of subspace. That she would put her life down for.

Wrestling. He wrestled with Amethyst.......and...

Tears begin to form in her eyes.

Yes, she knows. This small child, this wonderful, good child. She tried to save him before...and he her. He'd run to her, he'd cried to her. She's cried to him.

"Your voice inspires us, binds us, reminds us why we promised to protect the planet."

That was right. It had been right all along, hadn't it?]

Steven.

[She doesn't realize she's staring at him, her eyes wide with shock, horror, and awe.

How.

How could she forget him?]

[tigermillionaire]

[Normally Tiger would be more immediately defensive about someone touching his hair that he wasn't that close with. He's more comfortable with Garnet now than he was a few months ago, but she's still not really on his list of favourite people. She's intimidating, and he doesn't get her...but he's been feeling more relaxed than usual, tonight, and so maybe he'd let it pass without getting angry just for the sake of it.

So while he doesn't exactly look super happy that she's touching him, he doesn't snap back immediately. It's only when he sees the way that she looks at him, the way she freezes...and then the way she says his name.

The name that no one around here is supposed to know. At first all he can feel is deep sense of betrayal - Greg must have told her, he's the only one that could have. He'd told Greg that in confidence, he'd told him he doesn't like being called that, but then-

But no. Greg had yelled it at him at the party - when he got pulled away. Had she heard? Had everyone heard? The idea fills him with anxiety, and while he still doesn't understand why she's looking at him like that and calling him that, he reflexively pulls away before he can consider it much further.]

W-What? How...How did you...

[He can already feel himself tearing up with the stress of it.]

Don't...I didn't say you could call me that...

[twoscompany]

...I remember.

[Her hand falls almost uselessly onto her lap when Steven pulls away. Her own tears were starting to fall.]

Garnet, Amethyst.......

[.....who else....No, right now, it doesn't matter.]

...And Steven.

We are the Crystal Gems.

who the fuck is pearl??

[tigermillionaire]

[He stares at her, completely at a loss. He doesn't remember what she's talking about. He doesn't understand. He's had no indication that she was involved in whatever this mess was, that she was connected to him like Greg is. It coming out of nowhere frightens him so much that it's hard to see through to where it could be a good thing - a comfort.]

I don't remember.

[It comes out like a plea - like he's begging to understand. Now everyone is crying.]

I don't know what that means...I...I'm not...

Who the hell cares!!!

[twoscompany]

....If.

[She slowly stands up. And suddenly starts to softly sing. She also claps in tune as she does so.]

♫ If you're evil and you're on the rise,
You can count on the four of us taking you down
'Cause we're good and evil never beats us,
We'll win the fight and then go out for pizzas! ♫

♫ We are the Crystal Gems
We'll always save the day
And if you think we can't
We'll always find a way ♫

♫ That's why the people of this world
Believe in
Garnet
Amethyst
....hmm hmmm.....

And Steven! ♫

[tigermillionaire]

[His hand clutches at the gem beneath his shirt, his entire body shivering with the strange familiarity of that song. Is that why he has this now? What does it mean? What does this song mean? It gives a feeling of purpose, of hope - things he's been missing terribly for most of his life.

He watches her helplessly, and he listens. He could tell her to stop, but he doesn't. He feels an unbearable sense of loss inside of him, even as part of what he's missing could be standing right in front of him.

His gaze falls, when she finishes, his grip on his gem tightening conspicuously. He feels really, really sick. He can't seem to speak, beyond shaking, clipped phrases.]

I...I don't...I'm sorry...

[twoscompany]

...Its all right.

[She can feel it, too. Of course he doesn't remember her. Why would he? She called him a brat, so many other things...when this whole time, should she have been protecting him?

She quietly moves in to give him a hug.]

You don't...you don't have to be sorry. Just know.

Just know I'm here for you, now.

[tigermillionaire]

[He lets that embrace enclose him, taking some small comfort in its warmth, even if he still feels so far away. He doesn't understand how this can be happening. Where do these memories come from? Which is real, his life now or the life he remembers in clips and phrases?

For a while he just shivers, trying not to do anything for fear of ruining whatever positive thoughts she has about him. Eventually, though, he speaks uncertainly, leaned against her chest.]

You...just...remembered me? Just like that?

[twoscompany]

[She quietly nods as she holds him.]

I did. Just like that.

[tigermillionaire]

[He freezes for a moment, overwhelmed with the idea, his breath hitching. Then, slowly and tentatively, he asks:]

What am I like?