GRAND RELAUNCH BARBECUE

[heloise]

Who: EVERYONE
What: Awesomeness Committee BBQ party
When: Saturday, July 6
Where: Castle lawn and pool


So many days into summer and not a single pool party yet! Today castle residents may hear some noise wafting from the lawn and pool along with that distinct smell of the barbecue roaring. Oh yeaaah, Barney Stinson's got you covered, Paradisa!

The lawn area has been decked out all in colors, with the grills to one side and the chocolate fountain to another. For those more inclined to chill out and soak up the sun, there are picnic rugs rolled out on the green grass among any kind of game you could wish for. The pool itself has a few floating beds thrown in and all sorts of toys, with a changing tent set up just nearby for anyone who decides they want to get wet and wild after all!

All the fun is for forgetting recent horrors the residents have been through. So once the sun goes down, there will be a time to write down all unpleasantness, and set it to fire. But be careful not to stay out too late; the Castle may have a different idea of Cinderella once midnight strikes.


THE BARBECUE | LAWN AREA | THE POOL | PAPER LANTERNS

Comments

[lord_wizard]

Felix takes the glass with no outward sign of gratitude beyond the shadow of a smile, but he's too occupied for much more than that.

"I've read about this before - the symbolism doesn't escape me. I still have to wonder, if it's something important enough to you to need to let it go, is it really something that you should? It's like one of your riddles."

[onlyanapple]

"Hey now, no need to put down the riddles."

The demon's tone is amused, however, he picks one up, turning it this and that.

"Isn't that what you humans always say? If you love something, let it go?"

[lord_wizard]

"That assumes you are a unselfish enough to do so," he said, pausing to take a rather substantial drink of the wine, more or less to cover up the sudden tightness in his throat.

"Do you believe in that sentiment yourself?"

[onlyanapple]

Crowley watches him, before giving a shrug, fingers turning the stem of the wine glass.

"Not especially, but I suppose I am selfish," he makes a soft snorting sound. "Just another one of those little human habits I picked up."

[lord_wizard]

Felix swirled his own wine slightly, gazing down at the lights of the lanterns reflected in the deep red liquid.

"Is selfishness only a human trait?"

[onlyanapple]

"Generally, we're supposed to be beyond those kinds of emotions."

He takes a sip, frowning a little.

"But I've never exactly followed the crowd."

Not even when he was an angel. That's what made him Fall, ultimately, after all.

[lord_wizard]

"That's exactly what tends to get us in trouble," Felix said mildly, with a trace of ruefulness. But it wasn't a thing he could much help, even if the alternative was so much safer.

[onlyanapple]

Crowley makes a soft, amused sound.

"Anything that doesn't cause you a little bit of trouble getting to probably isn't worth it in the long run."

[lord_wizard]

"I think I'm headed for trouble no matter where I go at this point."

Every eventuality he pictured was difficult, and the image of either Ashura or Gideon twisted his stomach into knots now. He took another drink.

"I know you've spoken to Gideon," he said, coming at his problem in a sideways fashion.

[onlyanapple]

"Trouble might sometime be exactly what you need, to see what you really want in life. The boat need to be rocked to see how stable it is."

He'll arch a brow, taking his time before replying.

"I have."

[lord_wizard]

Crowley was perhaps not the best choice as a neutral party, but Felix figured he at least had the perspective of thousands of years of human experience.

"What do you think of him?" he asked, looking carefully away.

[onlyanapple]

He does indeed have the perspective, but he's fond of Felix, and that tends to work against him. Going soft on people, really.

"I think he's been through a lot, much like you have, and has come to a world that's confusing and strange to him. He's found you, but obviously, you'll have changed since he last saw you, it's inevitable, we all change by living here. He's likely struggling to adjust to this, add Ashura into the picture and, well, a lot of confusion there," the demon considers. "But he's okay, can't say I've seen anything of him that I greatly dislike."

[lord_wizard]

A ghost of a smile appears on his lips, faintly amused at the relief he feels at Crowley's tacit approval of his former lover. He has no idea why it matters.

"He deserves a better afterlife than this, but I can't deny that I missed him. Quite a bit."

[onlyanapple]

Because Crowley's opinion is the greatest of all approvals.

"I can imagine you did, and really, as afterlives go it's not all that bad," he shrugs. "Better than the options you get back in my world anyway."

[lord_wizard]

Felix made a sound of assent at that. "So I've heard. Though I think he had other expectations." He wasn't sure what those were. Faith of any stripe perplexed him somewhat, but once he'd learned of Gideon's devotion to the White-Eyed Lady, it had never bothered him. He had also never really bothered to ask. Some things were far too private to know.

[onlyanapple]

"Really? Well, I doubt anyone would really foresee being trapped in a magical castle for their days in the afterlife, you know?"

[lord_wizard]

"It could happen, though I admit the chances are rather remote..."

That was one thing Paradisa had taught him; anything was possible. Including resurrecting dead lovers to torment you.

"He hates Ashura, you know. Well, 'hate' is a strong word, but we're moving steadily towards a very strong dislike rather than in the opposite direction."

[onlyanapple]

Crowley gives a small nod, folding his arms.

"Well, yeah, I could understand that. I mean, you have every right to move on, bollocks to that pining forever and never loving another shit. But he probably wouldn't see that. Not right away. Likely, as far as he's concerned, Ashura is the sneaky lothario who stole you in the night. He'll either get over it, or hold a grudge for the rest of his time here, hard to say which way it'll go, people are complicated"

[lord_wizard]

He glanced away and then back, though his gaze was indirect - unsure and fraught with guilt.

"What if I am not sure I want him to?"

[onlyanapple]

He catches that, and most of the turbulent emotions with it.

"Then that's natural. You've been with him for a long time, haven't you? It's....difficult to let them go."

[lord_wizard]

"That's exactly the problem! I can't," he blurted out, trying not to crush the lantern as he reigned himself back from the slight outburst.

"In another life it wouldn't have been a problem. But they're different. And I...want to be. No choice I can make is a good one."

[onlyanapple]

"Ah."

Crowley's quiet for a moment, before exhaling. Felix should be greatful, not many are privy to he information he's about to share.

"Did you know, when I was first here, I had two lovers in my life? Neither of them from home, of course, but still."

[lord_wizard]

"Oh?" Felix asked after a beat, warily curious as he always was when it came to Crowley's love life. More so now that it was pertinent to his situation. And likely yet another situation where he was unaware the information was privileged.

"What did they think of that arrangement? Or did they know at all?"

[onlyanapple]

"They knew," the demon exhaled. "But it made things strained. Even ended up having a sing-off about me during April Fools, it was a fucking mess. I ended up letting one go, then a couple of days later the other one went home."

He frowns, looking at the floor. Good floor.

"Anyway. It doesn't work, wanting it all. It just fucks everything up and destroys the people you give a shit about. However much you hate it, you have to choose between them, or choose none of them at all, unless you want it all to disintegrate between your fingertips."

[lord_wizard]

He regards the sky instead, leaving Crowley to sort his thoughts without interruption. He knew the demon was right. He loved them both, whether or not he would say exactly that out loud.

"It would be easier, maybe, if this were back home. But either of them could go home at any moment, and any choice I make can be make moot," he said unhappily.