Event | Sinbrilee | Bacchanal

[ironwood]

Characters: Any and all!
Date: August 24 - 30th
Location: Sinbrilee
Situation: An ancient festival of an ancient city, all are welcome at the Bacchanal!
Warnings/Rating: Please label threads as appropriate.

Death and destruction cannot curtail the single most important festival celebrated by the denizens of Sinbrilee: The Bacchanal! The ghosts in and about the city have begun to gossip about high fashion and festivities, sending any that inquire to the Amphitheatre -- a grand, circular structure nestled in the west side of the city.

This structure bore the fall of Sinbrilee and the wear of time with dignity, having lost handfuls of archways and one long stretch of wall to crumbling decay. Despite this, it is obvious that the amphitheatre once hosted many a display and every more festivities than the mind can grasp. This was their solace and safety; here is where the people of Sinbrilee came to find the mind's escape from all that threatened them and their great turtle.

Ghosts have been busy throughout the week, clearing paths through debris and hanging great cloth banners of soft blues and greens to disguise the more blatant signs of its decline. Many hundreds of them shimmer and slid through the area, providing for tables upon tables of food, offering drink, and overseeing competition of sport and skill (some even denying death's non-corporeal curse to enter).

Here, well... Here is where the party begins!

Food & Drink | Music, Discussions, & Dancing | Wrestling & Competitions

Comments

[tomemyoutliers]

I would at least have access to the things I need if we were.

( things shockwave really wants to see: whatever technology allowed them to clone organic and synthetic beings, or at least have the possibility of doing the latter. the details don't bother shockwave as much - it's a common practice on cybertron to shove one's spark into another body. and if that was the case here, the integration was flawless. shockwave really just wants to see how they managed it. )

Dancing, I think. ( an easy smile. ) I've been watching the others - it seems simple enough. Just a repetitive pattern in time to certain beats of the music.

[definingfuture]

What are you planning on doing, by the way? When you get the technology you need. You and Orion said you were working with an energy problem back in your world, but what happened?

[He's curious. After all, energy is Tony's thing. He can't help but want to know what everyone else is up to. If there's a good idea, maybe he can learn something from that. Or improve it.]

Sorry. I shouldn't be making this all about work. Would you like to dance? We can repeat patterns to specific beats until we're both satisfied.

[tomemyoutliers]

Briefly? The demand outstripped the supply - there is only one form of naturally occurring energy on our planet, and we use it for everything imaginable. And, unfortunately for us, it is only found on our planet.

( shockwave was attempting to find a substitute, or a way to artificially create it on different planets. the regenesis core had been a failure, much to shockwave's disappointment - a self regenerating supply of energon would have been perfect. but that dream had ended two million years ago, and shockwave was content to work with other options.

not that shockwave minds talking about work and science, giving him a smile. )

You did ask for me to save one for you, did you not?

[definingfuture]

[The amusement in his expression softens when Shockwave relates that story. He was mostly joking, but stories of a struggling society have and always will hit him emotionally. He hopes it never stops being important, but for the moment he feels bad for bringing it up. They're supposed to be at a party, not dragging Shockwave through bad memories. Tony smiles, and he's sincere when he says the next two words.]

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that.

[He gets carried away. And once again his curiosity leads before the rest of him remembers he's being rude and insensitive. He's trying to get better about that, but he still slips up. He offers her a hand. Maybe somehow this can make up for it.]

I think I remember something about that. May I?

[tomemyoutliers]

I don't mind, truly. ( who is shockwave to stop people from learning more? ) For as long as my species lives ( nigh-immortal, really), we have a knack for being incredibly short-sighted. It's one thing to hold up unprecedented levels of growth as a sign of our greatness, but it's all a facade.

( said with a certain amount of vitriol, although not too much. it infurates shockwave, but controlling one's own dangerous temper is something shockwave has no small amount practice with. )

It would be a pleasure.

( taking it, and the holoform once again does a wonderful job in providing an accurate representation of human flesh. although perhaps it's just a bit too perfect. still, minor details. )

[definingfuture]

Well, sometimes longevity doesn't mean advanced perspective. I think that mortality makes all the difference for us. We've made our progress, even if we are short-lived.

[He speaks softly. Fondly, really, because Tony has always been a little bit of a bleeding heart. He loves people in general, even if he's not so great at dealing with them personally.

When he takes Shockwave's hand and leads her to a clear place on the floor, he might notice that the feeling is strange, but he doesn't dwell on it. It's been awhile since Tony got to enjoy something like this. As much as he loves science--and he does--there are times when he really just wants to have fun too. So she'll have to forgive him for indulging in this.]

[tomemyoutliers]

You certainly have - I must admit to being surprised with what little I've seen here. Pleased, of course, but surprised all the same.

( humanity hadn't even evolved for shockwave - no one had spared their planet much more beyond a passing glance. to think that in the time shockwave had missed the bipedal organics not worth their time had evolved to something worth noticing? absolutely fascinating.

shockwave wastes no time in placing a hand on his shoulder, settling into the stance that seemed to be the one most routinely used. )

[definingfuture]

And you haven't even seen what we can really do yet.

[He assumes, anyway, because Orion and Shockwave haven't seen his work yet. That's really what matters. Whatever they have seen people do before, it couldn't be as good as what they had on his Earth.

Tony can do a few things well. One is dancing, which he does now, leading with a smile of confidence that doesn't always make it to his face at other times.]

Maybe we can surprise you again.

[tomemyoutliers]

I'd like that. Although something tells me it will take quite a bit more to impress Orion. ( there's a smile there, because shockwave is rather fond of him despite his stormy disposition. ) I made a hobby out of it before. It's not an impossible feat, so there's hope for you yet.

( showing off while planning how to overthrow the government, but that's a thing shockwave hardly feels ashamed about either. it had been the right thing to do - even if it had ended with shadowplay and empurata. and vainly, if orion's limited descriptions of what the future had in store were true.

shockwave's steps were mechanical at first - strictly following the patterns that had been observed. but a minute or so the stiffness falls away into something more natural. )

[definingfuture]

Well, Orion needs to loosen up. I hear that clenching up too much is bad for your health.

[Tony likes Orion. As much as he teases, he thinks that both halves of the couple are fascinating on a technical level, which is more than a lot of people have going for them. He guides her steps, subtly shifting his weight so that they move together more fluidly. It's one of the things he's well-versed in that doesn't involve tools or electricity. He hasn't had the chance to utilize that skill lately, but it's easy to fall back into step.]

I need a new hobby. Impressing the two of you sounds like a promising start. If you think I have a chance.

[There's just a hint of flirtation in that, but it's really his way of teasing.]

[tomemyoutliers]

Oh, I'm sure they've all made certain he's in prime condition.

( One day Shockwave will be sorry for making jokes that Tony won't get, but today is not that day. Even if generally defeats the point of making them in the first place, Shockwave can't help it - old habits die hard, after all. Orion wouldn't have appreciated it, either, but as he wasn't nearby Shockwave felt no guilt over it. )

Everything's worth trying - I won't discourage you. And if nothing else then I may be able to help.

( Someone should tell Shockwave that giving humans access to Cybertronian technology is breaking several important sounding laws. )

[definingfuture]

[Tony once again misses the joke, but he doesn't mind. Or doesn't react, at least, and that could always be because he doesn't know what he's been missing. More likely he's just too caught up in the promise of a strange tech-based language and the new technology along with it, and he can't spare any time to feel insulted.]

I'll make that my next goal, then. Orion could probably use the surprise. I can make it a birthday present for him. For you, we can call it a bonus.

[Tony is a little more chipper than necessary, but no one's going to stop him at the moment. Maybe someone should, because getting comfortable always leads to the wrong questions.]

How long have you two been together?

[tomemyoutliers]

Give him some warning, or else he might not take it well. ( Just don't try and get him to jump in surprise - Shockwave may not know all the details about the war, but Shockwave considers it likely that anyone's first response would be to shoot it.

There's a quiet hum at that, as Shockwave tries to pick a number that sounds reasonable for organics at fits with the charade that Orion wanted to have. )

Ten years? ( That sounds reasonable. ) Ten years.

[definingfuture]

You make it sound like I'm going to sneak up on him. Does he have something against surprises?

[That's actually a very practical warning to give, especially when involving Tony in anything, but he's going to act like he's the most innocent person imaginable. Why would Shockwave possibly suspect him of trying to get Orion to jump?]

You've been together a long time, huh? How did you meet? I'm just curious. You two seem like you'd run in different circles.

[tomemyoutliers]

It's his reflexes you should watch out for, not a dislike of surprises.

( Warning you now, Tony, that surprising Orion Pax is probably a very bad idea. )

Oh, we did, although he was a distinguished police captain in his own right. ( A grin, because it's one of Shockwave's fondest memories. ) He made an impression from the moment I saw him, although I suppose the rest of the senators in the closed session he interrupted took it less well than I did. ( A pause. ) The fact he had just taken out all of Sentinel's security officers most likely didn't help.

( It's obvious that Shockwave thought, and thinks, otherwise. )

[definingfuture]

[The smile he gives Shockwave when she warns him about Orion's reflexes probably isn't a good sign. It's reminiscent of a man half his age who just got a new car and suddenly found himself next to a high-intensity ignition engine and just has to test his mettle against it. He doesn't say anything, but that smirk should get the idea across without words.]

Really. So what you're saying is busting down doors is the best way to impress someone. I'll have to keep that in mind. It seems to have worked out for the two of you.

[tomemyoutliers]

( Shockwave knows, and can only give him an amused smile and a shake of the head in response. Oh Tony. )

Ah, but you have to be sure to do it with one of the Senate's enforcers slung over one shoulder as well as being physically dragged from the premises. ( A grin. ) I was lucky in that he agreed to meet me afterwards, and we found we had a number of things in common. ( Like morals and a belief that their society was inherently flawed thanks to the Functionists. )