open | party like you're 35;

[secondthoughts]

Who ☀ Hector & "everyone"
What ☀ It's Hector's birthday!
When ☀ August 5
Where ☀ Lumina Cloth. Surprise!
Content Warnings ☀ drunk people, will add as needed

[ Arrive at Mac Anu, where the welcome party was held, to find it...empty? A quick look on the forums shows a little edit to Hector's post:

We're popping Lumina Cloth's cherry! See you there :-)

So that's where he is.

In the center of the brightly illuminated nighttime city, Hector's set himself up for his little get together. But since he doesn't have any tables or plates or anything fancy like that, all the alcohol and food he bought from various vendors are just...strewn around the floor. The food is probably still good to eat, though. It's fine. Take what strikes your fancy!

Hector's wearing his outfit again. He lounges on the steps of that funky spinny thing in the center of town, and anyone who gets close enough to hear him will hear music coming from his mic. Give him a break. He's doing his best.

When enough people have gathered, he might actually get up and drag everyone into a drinking game.

So enjoy—eat, drink, mingle, and smack your friends! PvP is enabled here, after all :) ]

Comments

[gluttoning]

Eh?

...No, I meant it. But uh, I can tone it down if it's uncomfortable. Sorry about that.

[conjecturecycle]

No it's just... Not a reaction I've ever got before. Most people think I'm a freak or just don't really care.


You're for real not punking me? What's cool about it? Every time I go outside I gotta wear a hat or bring an umbrella, y'know. Plus my eyes don't work that good neither.

[trashtier]

[Levi's been dragged into the game so he'll back up his brother on this.]

He's not punking you. He's really, painfully honest about this stuff.

[gluttoning]

[Serious nodding before he does his own little speech.]

[trashtier]

[bro...........

He's not emotional, not at all.]

[gluttoning]

[Look is it a surprise that he has 10000000 affection points for Booker]

[trashtier]

[Not in the slightest. It makes him want to give Barrett a noogie over how sappy that was though, and he doesn't even do those.]

[conjecturecycle]

[HE SEES THAT NOW.]

[gluttoning]

[...]

I mean, that sounds like it's tough. But why would that make you lame?

Look... My little brother's a narcoleptic. He falls asleep all the time even when he knows he shouldn't. There's a lot of things he can't do. He's never gonna be able to get a car. He's not going to be able to hold a lot of jobs very easy. He gets really frustrated, and it's not something he can fix.

I still think he's pretty cool. He's smart. He wants to be an astronomer. I think he'll be a great one. He works hard on what he likes. He's cute when he takes naps, too. And I like hearing what he thinks about comfortable pillows and good sleep.

Things being harder doesn't make you harder to know or appreciate as a person.

[conjecturecycle]

[Pete stares at Beel for a long moment after he gives this little speech. This guy is like, for real for real. He'd decided a long time ago that people were never gonna stop treating him like some sort of oddity, so he'd decided to own it. To just decide not to care. Even people who were ostensibly his "friends" would knock him about it. That's just the way things were.

This whole time shit like this was an option?? What the hell is he supposed to say to this? After another moment, Pete's avatar blips out of existence.]


(User PinkPilgrim is Offline)

[gluttoning]

[Oh.

Whoops.

:(

He just kind of awkwardly looks down at his glass for a second and silently hopes someone just asks another question before this gets too weird.]

[trashtier]

[Oh wow.

Levi won't let Barrett sit there awkwardly though.]

For what it's worth, I don't think he's mad at you. Just a hunch.

[Because if anyone gave him a speech like that he'd probably log off too.]

[gluttoning]

[He lets out a sigh, running a hand against his neck.]

Maybe I overdid it a little.

[trashtier]

Hmmm. I don't think it's that. But I can't speak for him, so... I guess you'll have to ask when he comes back.

[Self-esteem problems are a bitch, though. You never know what to do when someone's actually genuine with you.]

[conjecturecycle]

[After a solid five minutes and change, Pete blips back into the game. He has an almost winded air about him.]

You know like, the vast majority of people don't think like that, yeah?
[AT LEAST KNOW THAT YOU'RE A FREAK FOR THINKING THIS WAY.]

[gluttoning]

[Oh yikes he's back-- oh, and he's talking. Barrett starts a bit at the sudden reappearance, far more sheepish than the first time.]

I... no. No, I didn't know.

Look, I'm really sorry if I made things awkward with all of this, Mister Pink.

[conjecturecycle]

[DRAGS HIS HANDS DOWN HIS FACE.]

Jeez, don't give me that sad puppy dog attitude. I've dealt with people doing and saying way worse than that. You don't get to be a freak who's my age without growing a real thick skin.

You're either real young or real sheltered, is my point.

[gluttoning]

[...]

I mean... sure, I'm not that old. I'll give you that.

Is that the only reason you can think that someone would want to treat you okay?

[You're sounding like a certain brother of his and he doesn't know quite what to do about that.]

[conjecturecycle]

Okay is one thing. Billy doesn't give two shits about how I look but that's partly because he's a freak too.

Not caring ain't the same as whatever that was. Acting like it's all cool or whatever.

[gluttoning]

So... you just wanted to be treated normally? Is that what you mean?

[That seems like a brutally obvious first step to him, but he isn't the one who's upset (?) here, so he can bite his tongue.]

[conjecturecycle]

[Does he??? What even constitutes being treated normally.]

I really don't care what you do. It's just that no one's ever said shit like that to me before, so you threw me off. S'all.
[He is very nonchalant and definitely recomposed now, don't question him.]

[gluttoning]

Maybe I can tone it back a little next time.

[Or... something. He still feels like he's done something wrong here. But pushing the matter could just lead to this getting even more awkward. So: let's not do that.]

Still... I really am glad you're here. I hope that's okay.

[conjecturecycle]

[Pete's issues are nothing to do with what you did or said, sweetie.]

I don't really get it, but I mean, you'd be the first. Seems like everyone else's on a mission to make moderating the game as hard for me as possible.

[gluttoning]

I think that's just jerks being jerks, though. Some people like pushing buttons when they get bored.

[He looks very thoughtfully over towards what remains of the food.]

If I try to buy a thousand chicken legs at once and it glitches the game, do you think I would get banned?

[conjecturecycle]

....

[He looks at Beel for a long moment.]

You're asking me if you'd get banned for literally doing your job?