cuddlecity | EVENT: #HIGHENERGY

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EVENT: #HIGHENERGY

It's that time of year again — when the temperature starts to dip down, making way for thick cable-knit sweaters and coffee drinks flavored like bright orange gourds to pop up around every corner, and the long days of summer fade out in favor of early twilights and cool autumnal breezes. That's right, it's nearly fall in Cadelle, and you may have noticed the city's busy bees looking a little busier than usual around the city center.

The Energy Festival takes place in time with the changing of the seasons — a time when energy is high in the air, ripe for the harvesting; it's a time-honored tradition in the city of Cadelle where citizens gather together and work towards doing good deeds for our fine city and for cities near and far. In keeping with the city's emphasis on charity and compassion, citizens both new and old will find a variety of opportunities to give back, all while enjoying the very best that the season has to offer.

▸ Give thanks for good fortune, health, or friendship at the nightly lantern release. Decorate your own lantern at an arts & crafts booth sponsored by Colortopia, the local art supply store, or purchase a hand-crafted lantern from local merchants — all proceeds are donated to the city's volunteer organizations! At night, meet your fellow citizens on the beach to release your lanterns up into the milky night sky. At last, you might just see the light!

▸ Enjoy a sweet treat, like creamy white mooncakes filled with the season's harvest or a tart glass of freshly pressed apple cider. If sugar and spice isn't your bag, dive into something savory — the city's food venues have come out in full force to showcase their new fall menus, which feature such city favorites as creamy pumpkin soups, hearty meat pies, and other stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods.

▸ Make like a tree in autumn and shed your leaves at the clothing donation drive! Come drop off your gently-used garments in exchange for tokens, redeemable throughout the festival for souvenirs, treats, and more! You can even browse the sorted racks of your fellow citizens' donations and find some new digs of your very own! You never know what you might find — good or bad. (Please, no intimate apparel.)

▸ Share your talents at a variety of volunteer-hosted giving circles. From knitting and quilting blankets for the children's wing at the hospital to sorting donated canned goods for the food pantry and soup kitchen to simply offering a helping hand in carrying heavy boxes wherever they might need to go, your time and energy are always appreciated! There are plenty of volunteer citizens around to point you in the right direction... or, at least, what they think is the right direction. Fingers crossed!

Of course, good deeds aren't for everyone, and the city administration has certainly noticed a particular proclivity in its newest citizens for the newly discovered — er, alternative means of energy generation. (Ahem. You know what we're talking about. Don't make us say it.)

Not wanting to pass up such a perfectly-timed opportunity to maximize on this discovery, the administration has tasked sweet, innocent Flora & Cornelius (the poor dears) with determining an appropriate venue for encouraging this unique form of energy generation.

While they're not exactly sure where the idea came from, they're delighted to announce the city's very first Togetherness Tent! Hosted in the city's smaller Eastern Gardens, there's plenty to see and do for those that may prefer something a little less charitable...

▸ Feel free to explore the OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS — there are plenty of places to relax and get comfortable, with both single chairs and larger booths all around. With a cool breeze in the daytime and a roaring firepit in the chillier night hours, and a carefully selected catalogue of instrumental music to enjoy, your hosts hope you'll be plenty comfortable while you chat and get to know each other!

▸ Just beyond the outdoor area, you'll find an assortment of beautifully decorated BEDOUIN TENTS. Some are completely open to the public, with various couches and pillows and comfortable blankets in the main spaces, and others offer more private, curtained-off areas for the shyer (please read some air quotes around "shyer") sets.

▸ If you're not much for sitting pretty, or need a little liquid courage before you start exploring, there's always the OPEN BAR, where talented (and attractive) bartenders will mix up anything under the sun with a smile. Feel free to linger, or take your drink to go. Request a little extra something in your drink (and be extra nice to the bartenders), and they just might be able to add a drop of a golden substance to your beverage that makes you even more keen to meet new people — and maybe even a little braver, too.

▸ Just like a mouse with a cookie, your hosts know that any good drink needs something savory (or sweet!) to go with it. Just beyond the bar, you'll find an expansive display of SNACK TABLES, each filled to the brim with city specialties sure to encourage a feeling of goodwill and togetherness in anyone who eats them!

▸ The center table, decorated with a simple cream cloth, features your standard party fare. Finger foods are the name of the game here, with everything from your grandmother's favorite spinach dip and vegetable crudites to upscale bites like fried ravioli filled with only the richest cheeses. Sprinkled around the table, you'll also find more classics like tea sandwiches, petit fours, and other party planner staples. Everything here is perfectly safe to eat, and shouldn't offer any side effects other than a potential stomach ache if you decide to overindulge.

▸ The table to the far left, however, is a little cooler. Decorated with a rich navy blue cloth, the table is full of small bites and chilled drinks all catering to a very specific, very cool theme. Whether you try Flora's favorite chocolate spearmint cupcake (please don't tell her the icing looks like toothpaste) or a frosty glass of blueberry apple cider, each bite is sure to leave you tingling from new sensations. Treats and sweets from this table will, depending on what's chosen, offer tantalizing side-effects ranging from a literal chill in the air to phantom touches that encourage the eater to seek out the source, or even the sensation of time slowing down around you — eat too much at once, and these side-effects might just overwhelm you! Be sure to read the menu carefully before you choose your bite.

▸ On the far right, draped in a deep red cloth, lies the last table. Like its blue-hued sister, this table is themed around heat, with a variety of items sure to tempt even the shyest into exploring their inner spice champion. Cornelius' favorite cinnamon sweet potato cupcake takes center stage here, but you'll also find other sweet and savory snacks, as well as both hot and cold beverages like the classic hot toddy or crimson-hued sangria to wet your whistle. Items sampled from this table will provide encouragements ranging from a pleasant flush to sudden desires creeping up from your subconscious, or perhaps the immediate urgency of a well-known battery bunny. Forget to pace yourself on these small plates, and you may wind up moving too fast for even a speedster to keep up. Be sure not to speed-read over the menu before loading your plate. (We're looking at you, Mr. Allen.)

As may be expected, Flora and Cornelius aren't exactly the most experienced at planning a tasteful, sensual affair in Cuddle City, so they've enlisted the help of caterers from a nearby city that specialize in aphrodisiac cuisine. However... they may have failed to overlook that those available at short notice aren't always the most qualified for the job. There's a reason, after all, that they're available when others aren't.

The caterers certainly meant well, and they did their best to provide the high quantities requested within the ridiculously short time frame allocated, but consistency isn't exactly their best attribute. Some batches may have come out a little more concentrated than others, while others may lack any oomph whatsoever. Eat a bite-sized chocolate spearmint mini cupcake and maybe your touch will have a pleasant, icy tingle to the recipient, or maybe you'll smooch them and it'll be like a scene out of A Christmas Story. Pop a spicy Red Hots bite-sized cupcake into your mouth and warm your companion right up, or maybe you'll just singe a handprint into their clothes.

It's like Russian roulette. With cupcakes. Normal, right?

It's like Forrest Gump would say. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. In this case, life's like a giant batch of cupcakes, and you never know which one's gonna make you want to tear your clothes off.

Howdy, cuddlers, and welcome to your first Energy Festival! This is the first of a quarterly event series, themed around the four seasons and timed to align with the solar calendar. While the city certainly emphasizes the charitable options available in the town square, and we are thrilled to see what sort of hijinks will ensue, we know there will be plenty of excitement (and plenty of questions) on the Togetherness Tent and the opportunities it provides.

As a reminder, consent is extremely important both ICly with the city administration and OOCly with our player guidelines. Characters will have full opportunity to know the effects of anything they consume, as labels will be available as well as descriptive menus above each table. There are also NPC'd catering staff as well as party hosts available, should a character have further questions about a specific item's effects or ingredients. However, as players, it is always up to you how thoroughly you wish to have your character read the fine print before diving right in. Should you wish to have your character ignore the menu and all printed warnings, eat an entire plate of cinnamon candies and wind up feeling an irresistable urge to disrobe, you're certainly welcome to do so! We simply ask that you keep in mind our policies on consent-based actions, and should your character's urges involve another character, that you obtain the appropriate IC and OOC permissions before moving forward, and please remember to utilize any content warnings in your subject lines if applicable.

If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.

We hope you have tons of fun out there this month, cuddlers, and we'll see ya around!

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icy hot

[ Faraday did pop by the clothing drive earlier to drop off some stuff. He doesn't have too much to give, but he figured he could do something. His good Samaritan routine only extends so far though. It's a little difficult to lug boxes and pick things up with his hand cast in place. He's getting it off soon, but for now he opts to just have a good time. Enjoy himself and whatever this goddamn Togetherness Tent has to offer for him. He's very keen to figure it out.

He's a daring fellow so it's of no surprise he opts for something extra in his drink. He likes surprises. He likes wild. He likes snacks too. First jumping into the regular ones just to wet his whistle. He's hungry and doesn't want to overindulge in the crazy stuff just trying to fill his belly. But between the liquor and his adventurous streak he's visiting both the left and right tables. Why not?

First is the cold stuff. The tingling in his skin is different. But that turns into the phantom touches. The back of his neck. His forearm. His side. It's got Faraday twisting around and looking for the culprit. It's a crazy feeling. Wandering through the tents and almost feeling like your losing your mind.

But last comes the hot stuff. A red flush overtakes him and Faraday just drinks more. Why not? Why not enjoy the party and the good time? ]

[ All the carrying boxes has made him hungry, though it doesn't take much to get Vasquez hungry. He hasn't been here long enough to shake that belly-deep pang of hunger that's been following him, which means that he stops whenever he can for food. Free food is even better when he doesn't have to tap into limited funds to get it.

Narrowing his eyes when he gets into a tent with the food, he makes a face when he sees Faraday, mainly out of habit. Whatever ill will he felt (and feels) had been somewhat edged away when McCann had shot him and Vasquez realized that maybe, just maybe, he didn't hate the Irishman as much as he said out loud. Him dying, well, that hadn't been so good either, none of the deaths had been on his heart.

Right now, Faraday looks like he's jumping out of his skin after drinking something strange and cold, staring around him like someone has done something, but he just ends up looking mad.]

Guero, what are you doing? Someone spill a mouse down your pants?

[ When Faraday arrived in Eudio he ate just about everything he could get his hands on. Including the crap that Billy and Goody wanted him to try before they ever got near it. It didn't bother him none. He got to eat as many microwave burritos as he wanted to. The whole time making jokes about Vasquez in his head as well. He really is a petty little bitch sometimes.

But he doesn't hate the guy. That's too strong of a word. He hated Bogue. Hated those men and what they did to Rose Creek. But not Vasquez. He was just a dick sometimes. The both of them way too similar. They butted heads so much it was a damn miracle they didn't kill each other on accident. ]

What? What?

[ Trying to process a mouse being in his pants. But it occurs to him that he probably looks a little damn crazy right now. He wishes Gwen was here. She was always good about calming him down. Mostly at night after nightmares. ]

There's just something--[ Another touch on his neck and he swats at the base of his neck. ]

[He looks like someone possessed by the devil, as his grandmother would've said, jumpy and looking like he looks half-mad, which is only reassuring because at least right now, he's not the one who looks totally out of place, even though he's not escaping that wearing all his old clothes, still. His paranoia has been slow to shake off and wearing a hat to shield his face, it's a smart move, as far as he's concerned.]

No one is there, you know.

[Does Faraday think there is? Or is he just drunk? Making a face, Vasquez is mostly jealous because that means that there's something around here strong enough to do that and he hasn't found it yet.]

How much have you had to drink?

[ When you're sleeping with a girl that ain't from your time you learn a thing or two. She does tend to buy him things. Things that ain't from their time. He's not even going to bring up the awkward tight suit he wore back in Eudio to Vasquez. It was bad enough Goody and Billy saw him in it. All Billy could point out was that his pants were too tight. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that girl in the shop when she said fitted was something that was so in. So in what?]

I know no one's there.

[ He snaps. Though it's not really that harsh. More just frustration than anything really approaching malice. It's true though. Faraday does have the liver and tolerance of a man not human. But really he's just Irish. They sort of just come born that way. ]

Barely had nothing.

[ Which is surprising even for him. ]

Definitely not enough to put me at the seeing shit level. Or feeling shit.

[Vasquez raises a brow, not exactly moved or frightened by Faraday's snapping or anger. He's taken a lot more from the man and managed not to shoot him in the face despite his deeper urges telling him to put the white man out of his misery, so a little irritation? Not going to do so much]

What sort of shit is there to be feeling?

[And should he be suspicious? He's looser and relaxed himself, but he's been drinking down the way for a little while now after his box-toting, though it takes a lot to get him truly intoxicated. He's not there yet, but he'd still like to be. Maybe the things in this tent aren't so safe.]

Seeing shit, too? Are you sure you didn't smoke something funny?

[ That's the one thing Faraday has never had to really worry about with the normal alcohol here. He's Irish and he's partially a drunk. Getting truly drunk took a lot of work. Unless you drank a drink from Pandemonium in Eudio. In which case you could easily get trashed on one drink. But all the liquor he's been around so far seems about as normal as they come. ]

Like someone's right behind me or something. Right there. Or they reach out and touch me. It's--there's nothing there.

[ He doesn't think that Gwen's taken to messing with him with her webs or anything. There'd be residue. He'd know. This is something else. ]

I ate some damn cupcakes.

[ Absently, Vasquez moves to behind him to stand a foot away, reaching out and deliberately poking hard enough that he might sway a little, mainly to see if that's what he thinks he's feeling. ]

What, like that?

[ This only gets weirder when he talks about cupcakes, because even though Vasquez had felt some strange things with the drinks, but not too odd. Eating cupcakes and now feeling like someone is behind you. He pokes again, mainly because he knows it will annoy and piss off Faraday and, well, sometimes he's an immature child. ]

[ Instinctively his hand goes to his hip, but there's no holster. No gun. Just nothing and he whirls around. He looks more grumpy than actually angry. But it's Vasquez so he's not entirely sure what he expected here. At least he isn't doing it again. Or rather he hopes not. ]

Kinda? I dunno.

[ Luckily he gets what he was trying to do. Sorta. But still he's rattled and his brain is going so damn fast. ]

Lighter. No one's poking me.

[ But before he can keep going he pokes again and he smacks his hand away. ]

Stop it. Ya made your point. Don't poke me again.

[He's going to get punched if he pokes again. It's terrible that he very nearly debates doing it again, just because he is that sort of annoying and it's so tempting to push all of Faraday's buttons, even if it's not a smart idea. Maybe he's just belatedly glad that he's alive.]

Fine, okay. No one is poking you, but you think you have a ghost. Most ghosts that you and I would know would not be so gentle as poking, unless you've made new friends?

[This whole place is strange to him, in ways he doesn't understand. He's also too stubborn to ask for help in navigating it, even though Faraday might be the best person to ask.]

So then what do you think is happening?

( Sansa has gotten one of the cool drinks. The one thing about Cadelle that makes her miss home more than anything else is that it is far too warm for a world blanketed in winter and it is difficult to remember Winterfell and the problems there when it feels like late summer or autumn on a daily basis. She misses the snow. No matter what has happened to her, nobody can take away how snow makes her feel and when she sees Faraday with one of the cold drinks, she lifts her own and drinks it. It's tingling, yes, but strange. )

Does it feel like someone is touching you all over? It feels like someone is dragging their fingertips over my skin.

[ Winter's alright. It ain't that fun when he's between beds and he has to sleep out in the wilderness. Snow makes just about everything wet when you lay in it long enough. Including blankets and bed rolls. Harsh winters can make a break a family back home. It certainly never did his own family any favors when he was a little boy. But those days were behind him.

Sansa catches him off guard. The drink has his fully attention. Faraday moving about and looking more flustered as he waits for the ghost touch. ]

Yeah. Yeah it does. [ He clears his throat and tries to focus up. ] How long you suppose these damn things are supposed to laugh?

( That is something Sansa doesn't know the answer to and she shivers a bit when one of the tingles goes straight down her spine; that delays her answer somewhat. )

I'm not certain how long the effect is supposed to last.

[ He's just happy he decided to opt out of dragging his guns out of his apartment. He doesn't have a reason to wear them, but sometimes he worries. Worries they'll have something big happen and he won't have nothing. But they seemed bad to have at a festival. He'd be jumping out of his skin and ready to just about shoot his own shadow. ]

They had those little warnings and I read 'em, but I just thought they were ya know--embellishing.

( Sansa laughs and shakes her head. Of course he hadn't heeded the warnings. )

I read them, too, but I wanted a bit of winter again. It seems I got a bit too much of it.

[ He didn't see why he needed to heed them. He didn't think it'd be like eating a ghost cupcake. He thought that it'd just be a little bit of weirdness. ]

Ya probably could just put extra ice in your drink or something for that?

[ But he does find himself shrugging out of his jacket. Even as he's looking around. He holds it out. ]

[ by the time Gwen finds Faraday, her eyes are dilated. that's probably the most noticeable thing going on, because the rest of it is probably just in her head. maybe in the color of her cheeks, too, blushed a little pinker than they might normally be from just wandering around a party. things feel so mellow, for once. usually her senses are on high alert, but right now it's like all that is on pause, so she's just chill. no rushing, no dodging people. she feels squishier than usual. not so many hard edges or whatever. like she can just blend in and not worry about being noticed like she does sometimes. social anxiety is weird like that. but not right now!

she's been in and out of the tents for a while now, but it's the first time she's spotted him. and it's been easy to just give her friends and acquaintances a nod and a grin when passing them, but there's something like a pull on her belt loop when she sees the cowboy, pulls her along until they're toe to toe ]

Hi. [ he's taking a big drink of something and Gwen reaches up to bring it down to her level once he's done. like maybe she wants to try a sip, but she only ends up keeping her fingers around his and moving in closer so she can press her face against his chest and grin. man, it's hard to think ] Need you.

[ He was really hoping that he'd run into Gwen today. He should have called her. Seen that she was coming, but he figured that maybe he'd just get lucky. That she'd be there. Looking as beautiful as ever. She likes being social. Sometimes. But it's good to see her. That flash of blonde and the way she looks right now just about does him in. It's not sure what it is. She's got something happening. She ate something or drank something. Faraday gets it. He's been going through the same thing. Phantom touches. All over him. It ain't normal. But he's simmered a bit since it started.

She ain't subtle, but Gwen has never been. She takes his hand and pulls it down. Her body moving into his and he grins. Now is not the time to bring up that he actually got a big boy job. He'll wait for later. He owes it to Kara really. She's the one who got him the job. He's gonna have to buy her a pack of those stupid magic markers now. He wanted to get a job to impress Gwen. Be a real functioning adult. Not just a drifter who free loads in apartments.

That's all she needs to really say. Because he puts his drink on the closest flat surface and winds that arm around her to grab her ass. He gives it a firm squeeze and smiles. ] Do you, baby girl? Why don't you tell me what you need from me? I'll be happy to oblige you.

[ she all but melts against him, syrupy and comfortable, back arched a bit once he's grabbing her ass. even just the sound of his voice pulls a reaction from her, something physical and tangible, makes her hum against his shirt before she tips her chin up to look at him properly ] Need you to fuck me. I wanna sit on your lap and ride you. [ there was probably a subtle way of saying this stuff, but Gwen's never been one to go that route. she's taking steps backwards with him, pulling him towards one of the little curtained-off areas of the tent, with pillows and blankets thrown on the floor, a perfect nest for something kind of filthy. she doesn't close the curtain behind them.

instead she's just reaching down to unbuckle his belt, push his fly down fast. impatient. ]

Remember when I climbed on your lap during that movie? Like that. [ people watched, that's what she's getting at ] Only I don't want to you to hold back. Fuck me filthy. I need- [ need, again. whatever she drank is making her feel so damn needy. it makes her pause for a second, but she's not mad about it ] I need you to make me beg for it. Nnh. [ wait, not that ] It's so hard to focus, daddy. I just need you.

[ Kinda reminds him of how she was when she got drunk in Pandemonium. Different though. She definitely was relaxed back then and all over him, but it was a different sort of feeling. This is more. This feels a little like carnal urges that not even he can deny her. Then again there ain't been much in the world that Faraday has been willing to deny Gwen. She always seems to get him to do just about whatever she wants. Though it don't take much convincing to get Faraday to do dirty things in public. He's a handsy guy.

He ain't gonna say no to that request. She ain't subtle, but he's never known her to be. She grabs him by his shirt and pulls him with her. He knows they're hitting one of the closed off areas. She doesn't reach for the curtain and neither does he really. Her hands are moving faster than he can process. One moment pulling him and the next they're going for his fly after making quick work of his belt. ]

Yeah. [ He grins at her. She looks like she's losing whatever grip on sanity and decency she had. Faraday stumbles backwards and lands in the pillows and blankets. His legs stretched out and his pants undone. He gestures for her. ] Come on then, baby girl. Come sit on daddy's lap. I got the cure for what ails ya.

[ Faraday's on his butt and Gwen's reaching for the hem of her shirt as she watches him get settled, pulling it up over her head and dropping it close by because she doesn't have any mind for anything but getting her clothes off. her jeans come next, bunched up at her ankles until she steps out of them, towards him. her bra gets ditched, undies last, just before she's crawling onto the pillows to get on his lap. she doesn't settle there though, just plants her knees on either side of his hips and wraps her arms over his shoulders so she can kiss him. and kiss him.

and kiss him.

it's possible she's never kissed him like this before, this passionately or this unrushed. there's a level of needy she doesn't usually let herself get to that's written all over her now, in the way she's moving to hold his face in both of her hands, the little sounds she's making against his lips. the wild part though, which she'll realize later, is that the stuff she ate or drank isn't really making her feel anything differently than she normally does. it's just more, and unrestricted. it's honesty at a level she hasn't really let herself admit to. basically, it all just translates to a really, really great kiss. making out at its best. and Gwen does love making out. ]

[ He's treated to a show almost. Her ditching her clothing almost immediately. Her shirt first and then her jeans. She's quick. Precise. Bra next. Then her underwear and she's very naked. He should have taken something off during her little strip show, but he was busy watching her. He did undo his pants and that's good enough. Whatever she wants off she has super strength. Getting his shirt off him won't be a real issue for her. Definitely not in this state.

She climbs onto him and kisses him. Kisses him and all the air feels like it's left his lungs. She's kissed the life out of him. They've kissed like this before. It's not uncommon, but there's an edginess to this. Something sharp. Maybe it's the lack of fluff. The lack of filler. They've always had quips and comments. Witty things to say to one another. This is driven by something else. Something that makes him a little wild. Her as well.

But if she loves making out he doesn't let it just stay like that. Faraday's hand slides down her back and grips her bottom that's bare now. Squeezing it and letting his fingers drift along her crack. Her weight on him will likely find the growing bulge eventually. His body always quick to react to hers. He groans and uses his hold on her ass to grind her down against him. ]

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EVENT: #HIGHENERGY

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