Tired of this human duet...

[smokedout]

who: Jamie Dodger and YOU! (run.)
what: General catch-all with an open prompt that can be used for mingling.
when: June 25th through the end of July.
where: All over the place.
warnings: Dodger. Lots of swearing, drug use, sex and violence.

--

Lampyr is Here for You.

If anyone missed his commercial, or simply didn't want to respond to it, they may instead find his second marketing scheme. Around the city, usually hidden in alleyways, you may find a small display similar to sample trays in grocery stores. Each has a sign that says "DRINK ME" in a bright neon color, which matches the covered trays of drinks below it. Sketchy? Absolutely, but curiosity may take the better of you... or maybe you read the inscription on the table siting the tempting results of the liquid.

RED - ENRAGED LAMPYR: Feel as strong as an ox! Filled with bravery and fighting spirit! Defeat your foes without giving them a chance!
ORANGE - HONEST LAMPYR: Open up your inner emotions! Come to terms with startling truths! Share with others to learn their deepest secrets!
YELLOW - FEARFUL LAMPYR: Enhance your adrenaline! Give yourself goosebumps or share with enemies for a frightful surprise! Raise the stakes of night-time hide-and-seek!
GREEN - ENVIOUS LAMPYR: Test your social safety! Learn the intentions of others! Share with friends and lovers to learn their honest opinion of you!
BLUE - GRIEVING LAMPYR: Strengthen your bonds! Open the depths of your feelings! Instigate attachment with others!
PURPLE - AFFECTIONATE LAMPYR: Let go of your reservations! Accustom yourself with touch and social comfort! Become cuddly!

Each display also features a very crude drawing of a firefly showing the appropriate emotion, although it looks like a kindergartener drew it. One of these days Dodger will have to hire an artist. While your character will not see Dodger initially, he is watching from a nearby hiding place and will come to observe and mess with them if they take a sample, to see the effects of the drink.

The drink tastes spicy, savory, sour, bitter, sweet and minty respectively, although not particularly good regardless. They all have an aftertaste like cough syrup. Obviously the effects don't exactly match up with the claims; they simply give you a very strong form of that emotion, which may lead to side effects. Bloodlust, impulsive truths, paranoid hallucinations, a compulsive need to check your importance to others, uncontrollable crying, or a lovedrunk, affectionate stupor are respectively the most common side effects. Though the effects are strong, they are significantly lessened within an hour (when they stop entirely is up to the player) and the character will never do anything they are morally against.

While Dodger will generally try to speak to anyone who has inadvertently become a test subject, feel free to make open top-levels for others to come across your character in an affected state. Please assume that Dodger is watching them during their exchange, though, and any information passed between them is now known by him.

Comments

[feelybug]

[She's not really sure what's funny, but Mantis smiles anyway when Dodger chuckles at her.]

I have never heard that before. Time always seems to move so slowly. [At least, to her, it always does. Maybe she has just never been having enough fun?

She looks around now too at the room again, to see if anything jumps out at her, but nothing does.]

What can we do that is fun?

[smokedout]

[Dodger takes stock the room again... there's really nothing in here, but y'know, that does make it a pretty good space for dancing. With anyone else, he might be embarrassed to suggest it, but... it's been well established by now that Mantis seems to be too outside of the loop to know what's cool or not.]

You know how to swing?

[He could probably set up a song on his phone, use the echoes of the house to fill the room... yeah, this could work.]

[feelybug]

Swing where? [It takes Mantis a moment of serious consideration before she realizes she is out of her depth, and should probably say so.]

I do not know what that is or how to do it. Is it dangerous?

[smokedout]

[That makes him laugh, and he shakes his head.]

It's a dance. Here, lemme show ya.

[He places his phone on the windowsill nearby after setting its volume as high as it goes and picking an appropriate song... technology being as nice as it is in his universe, the music at least isn't tinny or anything. And Mantis gets a front row seat to the majestic swing dance, which she's welcome to join in on whenever she gets a grasp of it. Don't leave him hanging.]

[feelybug]

[Mantis really likes this music. She is already kind of swaying back and forth though... not at all in the right time.

If possible, her eyes get much bigger watching Dodger, and his feet, doing all that- the back and forth and side to side things that they are doing. Mantis beams, but it falters a bit when she hesitates. She cannot do that.

...But she could do something. The old wood beneath their feet creaks with their movement and they kick up some dust but Mantis finds it just adds to the fun of the activity as she starts doing a sort of... bouncing up and down to the beat- or as close to the beat as she could manage, which to be fair, was a little off.

But she might yet get the hang of this.] How do your feet move like that?? It is amazing.

[smokedout]

[He stops dancing, and laughs at her.. vague attempt at keeping up the rhythm, at least. He doesn't mean to tease her, but he can't help a hint of condescension.]

It's not too hard - it just looks hard if you don't know where to start. Here... try this.

[He moves slower this time, showing her step-by-step where to place her feet and slowly picking up the rhythm until it matches the music, slowing down when she seems to have trouble with it. But for now, it's just repeating the footwork without doing anything particularly special.]

[feelybug]

[It is a little slow going, and Mantis has moments of frowning frustration but...but she is getting the hang of it. At least, the repeating foot part. The heels of her boots might have made this difficult, but Mantis is nothing if not steady on her feet, so once she begins to pick up the pattern, her balance comes to her naturally.

...Even if she is still a little off the beat, at least she looks like she is picking it up.]

How is this Dodger?? Is it ok?

[smokedout]

You're looking good.

[It's a process, learning how to dance, so he isn't going to knock her for not being good quite yet. She'll get the sense of it sooner or later and honestly, he's having fun just getting to goof around like this in the first place.

He pulls her closer as she seems to be getting the hang of it, moving one of her hands to his shoulder and sliding his own hand around her waist. And with their other hands touching, if she wants to use her empathy, she'll notice... a strong mixture of happiness and sadness. Music is one of his favorite things in the world, but... there are so many bad memories. He learned to dance from a man who broke and abused him, and it reminds him of a brother who he'd fallen out with completely and friends who would kill him without a thought if they saw him now. He's so very uncomfortable with what the dance means to him, and yet... it's the only thing he knows that really makes him feel alive without destroying himself in the process like the drugs and alcohol do.]

[feelybug]

[Mantis wants to laugh, and so she does, because this dancing thing is fun and the movement and the music combine to create a great adrenaline rush. If this is what dancing is like, she would love to do more of it.

She's more focused on the dancing, until Dodger moves in to lead, and she lets him guide her into position with a look of intent interest. What are they doing now? This is all a very new feeling. She is keeping up, but her distraction allows her to forget to be careful. Their hands are touching, and here her dancing undeniably falters in step, and there is a quiet but audible intake of breath as everything comes flooding in. It is not clear and delineated, and it comes in waves of joy and sorrow until all that is left is a lingering feeling of discomfort and need and the strength of the bittersweet nature of this dance.

It all happens very quickly, and Mantis gets more than a little overwhelmed while her head spins trying to decide if she should even say anything to Dodger, unaware that the change is likely written all over her face. It is not possible to hide the sheer emotion that reflects in the black pools of her eyes.

She opens her mouth but all that come out is a quiet 'oh' noise.]

[smokedout]

[These feelings are so normal to Dodger, he barely notices the shift... but he still pauses for a moment, thinking maybe he'd betrayed something in his expression without noticing. That would cause the reaction the girl had, right?

Wait. Empath.

He only has to glance up to confirm, seeing the tips of her antennae glowing softly. Whatever she knows now, he doesn't really want to know - it's more important to push her away, taking a few steps back to ensure that she knows without a doubt not to approach him. His expression has turned from gentle and passive to cold and sullen, as he lights a cigarette with the snap of his fingers.]

[feelybug]

[Mantis may be socially inept, but the body language on Dodger is clear as glass, especially with the lingering effects of his feelings still buzzing in her chest, and she gets the message. She is already frowning, but her head dips apologetically as his fingers flame up and cast a brief flicker of light on them in the dim room.]

Dodger... I am sorry. I could not control it.

[She feels guilty. She should have known, noticed what was happening and stopped it, but she was having so much fun, and she was still not used to having to be so careful. Her powers are more and more proving to be a liability when it comes to making friends.

She wants to say something to him, ask why he feels so conflicted, where his pain comes from, and why he feels so much loss... but she does not wish to make him angry, and she worries he is already.]

[smokedout]

[Angry isn't quite the right word... he feels ashamed, more than anything. It's been so long since he had to deal with the Sun Riders, he'd figure he could crush those feelings by now. Or at least the feelings lingering from how he used to dance with his old girlfriend. Things would be so much simpler if he could just- be as heartless and cruel as he makes himself out to be.]

You didn't know. Just don't do it again.

[That second part comes out forceful and harsh, as he fills the room slowly with the smell of smoke. After a few moments of sulking, he just walks past her to shut the music off and sit on the floor with his back against the wall. After another moment of hesitation, he pats the spot beside him.]

C'mere. Just don't touch me. Alright?

[feelybug]

[Mantis is used to anger. Anger was an emotion that Ego was not afraid to use, on her even, when she made the mistake of not being insignifcant enough. This quiet simmer of emotion she see but not access from Dodger is still new.]

Okay...

[She doesn't flinch back at his harsh tone, that she is used to (though it is new from Dodger), but she does flinch a little when a stream of smoke dances in her nose's direction. She is not used to that, and it is different, but she does not hate it. Mostly, it tickles.

She hesitates to join him when the music stops, but Mantis eventually walks slowly to the chosen wall and slides down to perch beside him.]

I will not touch you again. [Her promise is as sincere as she can manage as her head dips, and her guilt lingers.] Your emotions are very complicated.