food glorious food [open]

[drewthetower]

WHO: August, his aunts, and Literally Everyone
WHERE: August's very small house
WHEN: Early February
WHAT: His aunts are in town, that means food, which means his aunts told August to invite people over, which means he is inviting folks from the Zodiac app
WARNINGS: August swears? Like a lot?

aunts are here. if you can see this you're invited to food. feel free to bring your own dishes, Marianne'll love that


actually if you're veg or gluten-free you might wanna bring something, Marriane never met a meat she didn't like and this kitchen ain't GF-friendly by virtue of me loving bread

August's place looks about like you'd expect a college kid's rental to look: small, not the newest, and hilariously crowded. It does have two bedrooms, but only technically. The second bedroom is tiny, and is also where August technically sleeps.

What? Did you think he wasn't going to turn the master bedroom into his craft room? Please.

When you arrive, you'll be greeted by one of three things:

-Julian cawing happily and landing on your head (if he knows you personally)

-Marianne (small, a bit rowdy, always eager to embarrass August or Cat) calling out to August in French, August replying in French, and then Catherine (taller, calmer, and always ready to bemoan why both her wife and nephew-son are wimps) sighing and turning to you with a "hi, you must be friends of August!"

-the above, but with loud and colorful swearing from the kitchen instead of Marianne and August bickering. Listen long enough and you'll probably learn to swear in another three languages!

If you brought food, Cat'll take it and set it on August's tiny table or the card table they brought because they know their son. If you didn't, Cat will point out the stuff already laid out--and there is a lot. On top of the typical relish tray and other snack-y foods, there's already three types of salad, two kinds of soup, a pot of chili, a crockpot full of very fancy cheese dip, another crockpot full of hot cider, a third that seems to be full of some kind of bean dish, and whatever else Marianne is making.

If asked why they brought so much food for what was likely going to be just August, August will say "they're empty-nesters" before dodging whatever Cat is throwing at him for that pun while Marianne cackles in the background.

Comments

[drewthetower]

Does anyone where your from have stories about how the gods are infallible, because that's a thing here.

[thavnairian]

I mean, sort of. The Twelve are held in really high regard, and there's lots of faith in Halone's judgment if you're a particularly devout citizen of Ishgard... but I don't think there's a lot of fervent, blind worship outside that. If the Twelve ever really existed like the stories say, they basically created everything and then disappeared.

[drewthetower]

And people accept that? No insisting otherwise?

[thavnairian]

I think if you went into the city square and screamed that Rhalgr sucks you'd get some weird looks and that's about it. We don't have... churches everywhere in Eorzea, and definitely not outside of it. There's a couple altars and the occasional chapel out in the middle of nowhere, but I think in general people keep to themselves.

Except Ishgard, which likes to remind everyone that Halone loves them the most and no one else, but that's changing. Slowly.

[drewthetower]

Except for that last one, it sounds amazing. There are some parts of America where you can walk three feet and find five churches and they all hate each other. It's nuts.

[SMH]

But, hey, since you're not from here, mind letting me give you a quick reading? My deck is being fuckin' weird and if it's being the same kinda weird when I read for you then something is definitely up.

[thavnairian]

That is... so weird to think about. Aside from some rituals, people might have a particular god they like but they never shun the whole. The only friction you see is between the people and the local population of beast tribes, who have their own elemental gods they worship, and that's less about religion and more about territory and shared history.

[And it's getting better, at least.]

Oh, a reading? I can't pretend I'm not a little curious. Do you need me to do anything?

[drewthetower]

Nah, just take a seat and--no, Julian, those are not yours, I don't care if you think they should be.

[August just sort of gives his bird a Look as Julian is clearly about to take off.]

It's your earrings. They're shiny, and he's a raven. [Anyway.] Do the...astrologians have three card readings?

[thavnairian]

[Amal turns and looks at the raven with a little bit of alarm.]

Excuse me, I look way better with these on. See? They're a warm shade of gold so they flatter my skintone.

[Right... so. He sits.]

Past, present, and future?

[drewthetower]

[Julian just caws, disappointed.]

Yep. Don't blame me if the cards call you out, by the way, they do that.

[Shuffle shuffle...

Ace of Pentacles, upright.]

At some point, you got a job offer or the chance to do something and you took it, and whatever else was happening, it was probably the best thing for you. Either it made you stinkin' rich or there was some serious spiritual enrichment, but whatever it was it was fucking good.

[thavnairian]

I'm guessing you aren't trying to scam me for money, so I won't hold it against you. This time. [He winks slyly.

The first reading earns an eyebrow, and then he glances away.]

Hahah... well, that isn't wrong. Best decision I've made in my life. Probably the only good decision I've ever made, honestly...

Of course, if you're a... consistent mistake from the moment you're born, and someone dangles a chance to make a difference in front of you, who can say no?

[drewthetower]

Eh, people aren't mistakes. We can be fuck-ups, but there's a difference.

[Anyway. August isn't going to dwell on it or let Amal dwell on it so, next card!

High Priestess, reversed.]

So, aside from the whole fucking...isekai bullshit going on, something's going down that might have you being pulled in different directions or being forced to chose between two sides in some drama or just being messy as fuck and it's making you doubt everything. Trust whatever your gut is telling you, and if you think someone is keeping important secrets: yeah they probably are.

[thavnairian]

I suppose.

[He won't pursue it. The High Priestess is a very interesting card, and almost, almost familiar to him, besides. He wonders what it could mean.]

That word again. [A soft, mirthless chuckle.] But that does make sense.

I watched some big noble guy disown his kids in front of me— the same kids I've traveled with the past few years. I think the real mess is going to be exactly what's left of the guy when I see him again.

[His tone is light and even, but there is a very real threat behind those words, even if it isn't directed at August.]

[drewthetower]

[Oh, August can tell.]

If you can find a way to livestream that back here, I'll have popcorn.

[He's only half-joking. August has Opinions about people ditching their kids for no good reason, okay.]

Anyway, last card.

[Ten of Cups, reversed. August swears.]

Okay, shit's fucked. I dunno what shit, but shit's fucked. Everyone is getting this card!

[thavnairian]

I'd better tell the secretary that I'm starting an international accident on purpose.

[As an orphan it is absolutely personal. He waits for the last card patiently, only to straighten up a bit when August yells.]

That's... peculiar. But I don't think your cards are broken. If anything, they're probably picking up on the magical energy you can't see.

What does that card mean?

[drewthetower]

Disharmony and confusion in relationships, usually. Familial, romantic, platonic, all that jazz, anything from a shit work-life balance to complete inability to meet your partner in the middle. And I have no idea why every single person not my aunts have gotten it.

[thavnairian]

Disharmony, confusion... everything happening at once...

[He thinks for a moment.]

We're all part of the network except your aunts, right? Maybe another gate is about to open.

[drewthetower]

God I hope not.

[The card is specifically about relationships, but August is too busy being horrified to mention that because fuck no.]

The last one was bad enough! Who knows what would happen if another one popped up?

[thavnairian]

[He shrugs.]

Angry birds and cold thorns is nothing. I mean, if you ignore the hallucinations. It was nothing I haven't dealt with, I can tell you that much.

It does feel like things are accelerating, though.

[drewthetower]

Again, you people not from here are worrying me.

[What is your world like, jesus.]

It does. I spent most of my life with only occasional weird shit happening, and then twenty-twenty-two hits and it's like it's releasing all the pent up weird shit.

[thavnairian]

The thing that worries me is that people here don't know how to defend themselves.

[Better in some respects and mostly horrible in others.]

No one unearthed any cursed ancient relics, right? No cults gathering to chant curses?

[drewthetower]

[A beat.]

Lemme do some poking around but as far as I know...no?

[thavnairian]

[Amal shrugs.]

Well, good luck with that! I'll help out where I can, but any existential crisis is yours to handle.