[Open] I don't think you're ready for this jelly

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Alistair and Anders and YOU
WHAT: Alistair tightropes. In a dress. While singing.
WHEN: Kingsway 21st
WHERE: Camp Shady Fucker
NOTES: There will probably be some awful sap because this is Nate's birthday, you've been warned. Otherwise, no warnings anticipated.

It's not publicized, but word has a habit of getting out.

Zevran has publicized matters, and now it's time for some morale boosting. There's a low tightrope stretched between two trees with a great many chairs, stumps, and logs set up as seating options. Today is the day for someone to earn himself new boots, shirts, and a shield, and it promises to be a show.

Come on up, pull up a seat, and enjoy the entertainment.

Comments

Anders | Open

[justice_is_blond]

1. Setup

Moving a whole lot of chairs isn't the fastest process, which means he's doing this for some time. At least he's smiling, that has to be a good sign, right? Or perhaps it's a little worrisome.

Of course, anyone he sees watching he'll raise an eyebrow at and tilt his head toward a log or uprooted stump he could use a hand moving.

"Would you like to participate in a very important venture?"


2. Show

He's in the front row. Why wouldn't he be? This is his fault, in a large part, this is his gift to Nate, he's going to be up here, watching, enjoying... and ready to dart forward if Alistair falls off and sprains or twists something.

That doesn't mean he's not chatting with anyone who takes a seat near him, twisting to offer comments and the like.

3. Sap [closed to Nate]

There's no way he could have kept what's about to happen quiet. That doesn't mean he's not going to present Nate with a small box, a smile, and a tilt of his head toward the seating as if it's still a surprise.

"Happy birthday." He's never planned something for someone's birthday before. At least he's fairly confident this is a pretty good setup.

Setup

[conqueredhearts]

Iskandar had been on his way to give a treat to his horse when he heard the call of what was sure to be a handsome man. Sure enough it did indeed belong to one and he smiled as he came closer to him, looking around at what was being done. Considering what the setup was like he imagined that he'd been called upon for the magnificence of his muscles.

Basically he was needed to move heavy things.

"Well I could hardly refuse to help in a venture so very important. What shall I lift for you this day, my friend?"

[justice_is_blond]

The man had looked large at first glance. Now he's close, and Anders suddenly wonders if this is how Dwarves and elves feel. ...and if the next spectator event could be this guy wrestling Iron Bull.

He also wonders if maybe he should have used slightly more realistic language when speaking with a stranger, but it's too late now. Anders gives him a smile.

"I need help moving what we use to sit on from the campfires to the area around the tightrope, if you didn't mind. I can't manage some of these on my own." A beat, and the smile gets a little tight. Even though this is harmless, someone giving him a hand should probably know who they're helping. "I'm Anders."

[conqueredhearts]

"I see! I will gladly help you then!" He laughed and was already moving to help, looking over when he was given the name. A wide grin spread across his face as he lifted up a log onto his shoulder then clapped a hand to the man's shoulder.

"Good day to you, Anders! I am Iskandar. Now I'll have to have you move to the side so I can grab that log there as well, my friend."

It was nicer than just moving the man anyway.

[justice_is_blond]

He staggered slightly at the clap to his shoulder, looking surprised for just a moment. A rifter, then, probably, but Anders wasn't about to complain.

"Iskandar," he said with a nod. "Thank you. But..." He halted his objection to stepping out of the way when it sank in that Iskandar was already holding a whole log. Blinking, he moved. "That's certainly... If you don't charge too much we may be interested in getting you to help with improvements to the Kestral house."

[conqueredhearts]

Reaching down, he went to lift the other up onto his other shoulder and made sure both were balanced before he looked down at the young man. Hm? He was being offered money to help with improvements somewhere?

"Mmm. I don't really want money actually. Though I suppose if you wanted to charge me something then I'll take food and drink." He gave him a grin, not at all bothered to be offering services basically for free and went to carry the logs over to where the stage seemed to be.

[justice_is_blond]

A friendly giant who didn't want pay for possible future construction work. There was a catch somehow. Anders knew it. But there were a bunch of seats to move still and he didn't have the energy to poke around and find it right now. Later.

He grabbed one of the chairs himself, feeling ever-so-slightly inadequate, before following Iskandar.

"Is it a specific food or drink you're after?"

Sap

[pinprick]

He takes the box reflexively, and there is actual surprise on his face.

"This was for me?" Maker, he'd thought this was just a funny event happening to take place on his birthday. He certainly hadn't expected Anders to remember what today is.

[justice_is_blond]

"Of course it was." Yes, Alistair needed boots, and it had been funny to joke about, but he'd only decided to do the legwork when he realized what else this could be.

"I picked the date with you in mind, and figured it would be something you'd like, considering how you and Alistair... relate." He smiles, warm, happy, as he nods to the box. "I think that's something you might like as well."

[pinprick]

"The best present is going to be unwrapped later," Nathaniel purrs, and plucks a kiss from Anders' lips. But taking the hint, he opens the box--and looks deeply touched.

"Lady will love these!" he says, lifting the little blue collar out of the box to examine it. "Her self-esteem isn't much yet, but her vanity is unmatched even by you."

[justice_is_blond]

...He's going to need to find a bow. But that can come later. Right now there's a little color in his cheeks - he likes the thought of being a present - and a kiss to enjoy, followed by an expression that tells him he's done well.

"Are you calling me vain? I'm aghast." His eyes say he's nothing of the sort. "Shall I lead you to your seat for the main event, love? There's one right up front that's reserved just for us because of what today is."

It's nice to have an added excuse to spoil Nate.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel grins, tucking away the collar and leash and offering his arm for Anders' to take. "Lead on."

He has the best boyfriend.

[justice_is_blond]

This is more than he could have dreamed of having. Anders takes Nate's arm as his smile goes soft for the briefest moment. He doesn't believe in a happy ending for himself, can't see happiness lasting... but sometimes he can forget that, like when he takes Nate's arm and walks with him to the front row.

"Zevran's provided some opening entertainment, apparently. But the main event won't be too far from now. ...I'll likely take a break to check on him after, in case, but aside from that, I'm yours for the rest of the evening. Would you like me to get snacks for us?"

Setup

[kallian_endris]

Kalli is right there to help. She knows how important it is to her Vati that all of this goes well for Nate--and she hopes, in a small way, that her efforts can go toward expressing her gratitude to Nate for what he's done for her.

"What do you need me to do?" she asks.

[justice_is_blond]

He gives her a smile before reaching out to rest his hand on her shoulder for a moment. Then he's jerking his head in the direction of several stumps.

"Let's move these together, and perhaps talk a little too? There's something I've been meaning to ask you about." A few things, really, but one at a time.

[kallian_endris]

"All right."

Force magic still doesn't come as easily to her as other types, but she tries her best and helps move the stumps, using as much physical effort as magical.

"Um, if one of the things you're asking is what I want for my birthday, I promise, I don't need anything this fancy."

[justice_is_blond]

They take time, each of them, but he has plenty of time. Her statement gets a quiet laugh from him, though.

"I got lucky for once. I don't think the stars will align enough for me to do something this elaborate again, even for Nate. I'd like hints for that answer, certainly, but I wanted to talk about something a little more sensitive." A beat. "Jamie. You told your mother you'd no one you were interested in. I was fairly certain you had feelings for him, but then he mentioned what you'd said to him, and with this too... Do you not have feelings there?"

[kallian_endris]

"I don't usually give my birthday much thought. It's usually just another day for me," she admits.

At Jamie's name, she goes silent.
"...I think you've misunderstood," she says quietly. "My mother's questions had nothing to do with my interest. City elves' rite of passage into adulthood is our weddings, and they have nothing to do with feelings. Most brides and grooms don't even meet until the wedding day. That's why she expected I would be married by now. And as for you, well, most human men aren't interested in young elven women being their daughters. And no one is interested in me. Jamie changed his mind. I'm... not even sure he wants me around anymore."

[justice_is_blond]

"I've never really thought about them before either." Not like he... has a date to think about. And the other is far more important. Anders sighs.

"Kalli, if you cared for someone, deeply cared about them, and then they treated you like you would hurt them... would that feel good? Or would it hurt? Would you stand right there, or would you pull back and try to find out what's going on so you're not hurt more? Jamie cares for you and you treated him like he'd hurt you, like you expected it. You did him a disservice, and you're doing him another now. He didn't change his mind. He wants you around. And you're focusing on what you've been told rather than what you know. You know that he's sweet and kind and caring."

If she would stop and think... Jamie would be good for her. Becoming a pawn for Vivienne, or her mother, wouldn't.

"Trust him. Trust him, apologize to him, and give him a chance."

Show

[universal_charm]

When he heard about this particular spectacle, of course he had to come and see for himself. It had been pretty damn boring, which was actually a good thing when he thought about it, and this kind of excitement was, for once, a good kind. So he is definitely right up in there to watch, grinning at the outfit and the silliness of it all. It felt like a breath of fresh air, sweet and crisp and making his sides hurt from holding in laughs.

"If there was ever a time I wish this world had cameras - this is it," he chuckled, clapping in encouragement during one of the attempts to get back up on the wire.

[justice_is_blond]

They needed a morale boost. There's been a lot of loss lately, it feels like, and a lot of struggle, and there will be more to come for as long as the war lasts. While Anders can't claim that as his primary motivation, it's certainly far up the list.

Kirk's smile has his own growing, especially once the man was laughing hard enough that it had to hurt.

"Cameras?" With some Rifter things he can make a decent guess at what they are. This sounds entirely foreign.

[universal_charm]

"Ah, it's a device that captures a moment," he explained. "Like a sketch or a painting, but more accurate."

He motioned to Alistair, who was once again trying to make it across the tight rope.

"Did you put him up to this?"

[justice_is_blond]

That's pretty fascinating, actually. Anders wants more details, but to ask before answering would be a little rude.

"Mostly. We were talking about something, he mentioned he could do this, and I said I'd pay to see it. An offhand comment. Then he asked how much, I asked what he'd like, and here we are. The reason for the crowd is entirely Zevran. But... how does a device capture a moment?"

[universal_charm]

"Ah, a classic case of taking the joke a bit to far," he chuckled. It sounded precisely like something that would happen between himself and his friends back home - you know, if they weren't on the ship. Some decorum needed to be had there, he was the captain after all.

"Oh, it uses glass and light," he explained, somewhat distracted by the performance. "A lens takes in light and redirects it to form the image that you're seeing through the lens and imprint it on a surface - or the case of my world, turn it into data that can be read later."

[justice_is_blond]

Meanwhile, Anders is focused on what Kirk's saying. A lens, redirecting light, and... printing. How do you make light print? That takes ink. How something printed is different from data is another thing he doesn't know.

"How do you make light work like ink? Does it... heat it, when focused? Heat spots of it?" If it was like wax, and you used the heat of a light and... Maker, he doesn't know. He doesn't know how to start to know."