Open rp post!

[restinglichface]

[Open rp post for Lup,
feel free to start a thread or leave a prompt for me!]

Comments

[eggplanting]

[It's supposed to be a quiet night in Gotham city, when something silver flashes through the sky; Oracle tries to track it, tries to figure out where it landed, but she loses any trace of it somewhere near the harbour, and sends Steph in to see if she can get a visual.

Three hours later with no results, and Steph is almost ready to call it a night, until she spots a brief flash of red out of the corner of her eye, and slips into the shadows to follow it. She keeps as silent as possible as she weaves past shipment crates and forkifts, until she manages to get ahead of the figure, who seems to be wearing some kind of red cloak.

Steph drops down to the ground, her own cape billowing out around her as she flashes a grin.]

'Sup.

[Great way to announce yourself, well done Steph.]

[restinglichface]

[This isn't the strangest plane that the IPRE crew have been dropped off in--that would be Jello Town, no contest--but it certainly is the most foreign, full of tall buildings stretching up into the sky and self-running vehicles of every shape, color, and size. And the noise. Even with the moon shining full in the sky, the city is still alive. Small figures run carelessly from here to there as if it was daytime, the sheer amount of light illuminating from below obscuring the sparkle of the stars above.

It's so intensely strange and foreign. Which means Lup doesn't waste even a second longer than she needs to onboard of the Starblaster. As they descend above the city, their speed slowing down, Lup turns to aim a pair of fingerguns at her brother before she's hopping off the side of the ship, landing effortlessly onto one of the many tall rooftop below. She hears a bit of panic from the ship as it continues sailing onwards, probably Barry, but it's easy to ignore with such a vast city now sprawled out in front of her.

Within no time at all, Lup is on the ground and just a little dazed with the sheer grandness of this place.

The noises are so loud, ringing in her already too-sensitive ears, so there's no chance of her catching Stephanie's approach before she drops in, the elf's surprise apparent in the arch of her brows. So far, Lup's been dodging any locals, just trying to get a feel for the extravagant city, but guess she's been caught now.]

Hey, nice suit. But if those aren't your real ears, I'm gonna have to call you a little racist.

[eggplanting]

[That's probably one of the weirder statements that's ever been directed towards it, and it catches her by surprise enough that she reaches a hand up to touch the bat ears, though she's doesn't take her focus off Lup.]

They're bat ears, I'm Batgirl, which you'd know if you were a local, so I'm gonna have to ask what the deal is. Did you come from that ship?

[She's already pretty sure of the answer, but it won't hurt to confirm her suspicions.]

/WAVES

[barold]

Rise and shine, sleepyhead.

[Old clichés die hard. Barry knows elves don't have to sleep, not really, not like humans or halfling or dwarves. It's a firm academic knowledge, rooted in anecdotes and documentation and research spanning several hundred years, scientific inquiry and double-blinded randomized testing confirming the age-old hypothesis. Something about elven neurological structures, the size and activity of their pineal gland and amygdala compared to their hypothalamus, a delicate arrangement unique to full-blooded elves. A few hours of meditation is as restorative to them as eight hours of sleep is to anyone else.

A handful of decades with the twins has made Barry question centuries of sound science. Because he's never known anyone as passionate about a solid nap or sleeping in as Taako and Lup. Not out of any inherent laziness (at least not on Lup's side), just out of an appreciation for the art of sleep.

He thinks so, anyway. Why his girlfriend naps isn't as important as how ridiculously cute she looks doing it. And how loud she can snore. He'd happily admire her sleeping form all day if he didn't have work to do.]

C'mon, Lup, get up. [He shakes her a little by the shoulder, gently at first.] Y'gotta get back to work, Captain still wants that briefing by tomorrow morning.

[restinglichface]

[Sleep might not have been a real necessity for the twin elves, but it was a new luxury in their lives that they'd been delighted to spend their extra free time overindulging in.

After a lifetime spent on the road, meditating in shifts, always with one eye open to the dangerous world around them, Lup was content to take advantage of the safety the Starblaster and it's crew were affording her and her brother. Which meant a lot of unnecessary naps and relaxed lounging between missions, the woman often sprawled out and snoring across her own bed or Barry's, blankets twisted around her bare legs, her hair a messy halo around her head. Considering she often moved with the expected poise of a full-blooded high elf, Lup always looked quite the opposite while she slept.

And she kicked in her sleep. Hard. And telling her as much always just left her laughing ecstatically, instead of offering apologies or brainstorming for a solution. (Taako definitely had zero interest in hearing about who was sharing a bed with his sister, but comparing bruises from Lup's brutal sleep-kicking had likely become a familiar point of commonality between them.)

The sound of Barry's voice leaves Lup mumbling soft noises into her pillow, but it's the touch at her shoulder that has her lashes fluttering. Lup peers up at her boyfriend, nose scrunching while her sleepiness recedes enough for his words to finally click. The briefing. Right.]

Hey, [her voice is low and rough, sleep not quite shaken off of her yet, but her mouth quirks to the right in a soft grin.] Wouldn't hurt Cap'n t' wait for once.

[As if they all hadn't been waiting and waiting and waiting for years already. She wiggles enough to free her arm, reaching for Barry's hand. She gives him a light tug, grin curling that much more as she flops her head back to her pillow. This is a protest!] Room for two here, y'know.

[barold]

[Barry still isn't sure what he's done to deserve this. To deserve her. What insane cosmic coincidence lead him to the Institute at the same time as the twins, what stroke of luck made him qualify for the mission along with two already accomplished and decorated arcanists, what force has kept them together for decades past what should be natural. If it hadn't been for the Light, the Bond Engine, whatever's keeping them recorded in this state, Barry would surely have succumbed to old age by now. Lup would still be young, comparatively, in the prime of her life, effortlessly beautiful.

He's spent years asking himself how the two of them ended up here. Trying to reason, trying to arrive at a logical conclusion, but it continues to elude him. It doesn't make sense to him, why such a beautiful, powerful, devastatingly smart woman would want to spend her time with him, let alone her life, however unthinkably long it might continue to be.

And yet, he's here. They're here, together, sharing a sleepy, lazy afternoon while the tropical rains common to this world patter against the hull of the Starblaster, a blanket of sound and warmth. Lup tries to tug him closer, convince him to join her, and he meets her grin with one of his own, warm and impossibly fond. God, he loves her. Even when she's all tousled and rough with sleep. Especially then.]

You just want an excuse to stay in bed, huh. [It is tempting... Barry leans in, kisses her forehead, squeezes her hand.] Nice try. C'mon, these notes won't compile themselves.

[hullosirs]

Guess who's on BABYSITTING DUTY????

...honestly it's technically probably Angus. Because everyone's favorite boy detective honestly hasn't needed babysitting since he was a literal infant. Meanwhile, Lup could probably use some supervision. Either way, it was someone's bright idea to leave the two of them chilling on the Starblaster while everyone else does Important Mission Things.

Angus is sitting quietly on the deck, alternating between reading Lucretia's mission notes and doing sudoku because he's secretly a 90-year-old man.

[restinglichface]

Oh, it was absolutely Angus on duty, especially given the pair's current positions onboard the ship.

While the boy sorts through log notes and is functioning like any other reasonable adult on duty, Lup is instead sprawled out on a nearby couch, one slender leg hanging off of the side, one arm under her head to prop it up. Her free hand is manipulating a fireball, playing a makeshift, one-person game of catch. She tosses it clear up to the ceiling of the ship, grinning each time the flames return to her having left scorch marks behind.

Still, without Davenport around to scold her for it, the game was losing interest fast, the elf groaning from the sheer boredom of being left on the ship with nothing to do. "Ugh, we should sneak out and find something more fun to do."

that 👏 gay 👏 shit 👏 👏 👏

[fliplizard]

[Phandalin, after dark. A thief stops thieving for the night. Phandalin is pretty empty, anyway, except for this tavern. It's a good enough place to relax for a minute, maybe grab a drink.

The thief makes her way to the bar and takes a stool two down from a figure shrouded in a red robe. She drops some coin on the counter and studies the figure to her side as she waits for a pint. She couldn't tell from behind, but under this robe is an elf that looks like she doesn't belong in a place like this. And oh boy she's pretty.

There's a voice in the back of Carey's head that sounds mysteriously like Travis McElroy that says, Let's be baaad, that convinces her to strike up a conversation with the stranger.]

You come here often?

thank you for my 👏 gay life

[restinglichface]

[Who she is and why she's there is all a mystery to the tavern's regular patrons, though it's the elf's third night in a row there at the counter, her red hood pulled up over her head, asking for the drink and not saying a word more. Plenty of men have tried approaching her, but after lighting the first one to get handsy with her on fire, they've learned to back off and just let her be. Whoever she is, she's not there for company.

But then there's a dragonborn woman sliding up to the bar, throwing down her coin, and attempting to make conversation with her. The line is awful, terrible, but the woman grins anyway. It's enough for the elf to pull down the hood of her robe, just so that Carey can absolutely catch the way her eyes trail up and down the other woman's shorter frame, obviously checking her out.]

Nope. But I just might if the regular patrons are all as cute as you. [she can shoot terrible lines out too.]

@barold & @pocketspa

[restinglichface]

[It's Year One and absolutely none of this is at all like what the twins had envisioned it would be.

Taako and Lup are holding hands while they stride forward in perfect rhythm, their long legs carrying them over the grassy plains far faster than the chubby human struggling to keep up with them. Even if this isn't the first time the three of them have set out together to gain the trust of the mongoose family that was slowly accepting them into their ranks, the twins continue to purposely ignore the human in favor of speaking conspiratorially with each other.

This was their mission, after all, until the denim nerd decided to invite himself along during their research.]

Maybe we'll gain their trust faster if we feed them Barold.

awww yeeeah

[pocketspa]

[Frankly, Taako couldn't give a shit about the rest of the chucklefucks here. This mission was supposed to be him and Lup, checkin' out space for two months and then coming back absolute legends. Instead, everyone around to worship them is on four legs and none of them can even speak to him yet, which is the worst.

Well, maybe not the worst. The worst is the dude who he doesn't know who continues to tag along and can't string more than a single coherent sentence together around his sister. It's nothing against Barry- well, nothing specifically- it could've been anyone and Taako would've been miffed. This is their mission. It's their glory.

He keeps his hand in Lup's and laughs almost too loudly at her comment, just to make sure he can hear that and nothing else.]

Mm, but think of all the prep work. Wouldn't want to make them sick, so there'd be so much slow roasting involved. Lotsa effort for a peace offering we don't care about in the first place.

HELL! BABIES!! NOW!!!

[barold]

Lup? Honey? D'ya know where the snuggle plush went? Th-Th'blue one?

[Honestly, Barry should know where the blue snuggle plush went, he just saw it, he almost picked it up, and now it's nowhere to be found. You'd think any old plush toy would do - at this point, given their employers and extensive family, they must have a bajillion of the things - but the shrieking one-year-old on his arm certainly disagrees.

Tilla likes the blue snuggle plush. Not the various other plushies, not the green snuggle plush or the red snuggle plush. Not the pink satin trim blankie, not the spotted bouncy ball that squeaks, the push cart only sometimes, and the train set only when her sister plays with it.

He feels like he's tried everything. Rocking her, singing for her, blowing raspberries on her little belly, Prestidigitation, all of it. Tilla's not having it. It's blue snuggle plush or dad's going deaf.

Is it possible to sue whoever makes toys for making them so easy to misplace? Barry is nearing his wits end.]

Honey? P-Please..?

[restinglichface]

Sorry, babe. You're on your own.

[Lup steps into the room with Tilla's sister in her arms, Lena gurgling in delight with one chubby hand wrapped tightly around the very blue snuggle plush Barry had been calling for. Even if it's never been her favorite toy before, the girl has suddenly taken a real shine to her sister's favorite plush and has only now gone quiet after at least twenty minutes of constant screaming beforehand.

Barry's just out of luck.]

Sacrifices have to be made as a parent sometimes, Bar. Maybe magic yourself some ear plugs to wait the screamfest out.

For ALEX

[restinglichface]

[Waking up in Ryslig can go one of two ways. For some, it's absolute hell. When Lup arrived, she'd been trapped within a living wall, stuck between thick layers of fat and muscle and flesh, screaming for help, helplessly trying to cut herself free. Even if she'd been let out eventually, even if six months have passed, the woman still sees darkness in her dreams, feelings living, breathing walls clenching in tight around her, feels the drip of digestive fluid burning down her arms...

But for Taako, like so many others, it comes so much easier. When he awakes, he's face down on an unfamiliar beach, with a grey sky above him, sand in his mouth and completely drenched from head to toe. Totally unharmed, except for the deep, red scratches he'd find all along his body. The salt water from his dip in the ocean still sting at his cuts, sand irritating at each wound. Wherever he is, however he's ended up here, the obvious solution to his immediate discomfort is to magic away the salt and sand with an easy cantrip.

Almost immediately though, just like Lup, Taako would feel the loss of his magic before even attempting a spell. For the elven twins, magic has always come as easy as breathing, always been so ingrained in their lives, always been what they've been good at. So the sudden loss of that arcane tug at their very beings is undeniable. Unmistakable.

Unthinkable.

There are no signs along the coast, no helpful directions to lead him to where he needs to go next. But there's a farmhouse not too far off, peaceful and quiet besides the squawking of chickens, where he might be able to at least find a warm shower.]

:3c <3

[pocketspa]

[Everything fucking hurts.

He pulls himself up, panting and choking on granules, body stinging and muscles aching. This isn't the worst entry to a cycle he's ever had- the ship crashing in sixty-something comes to mind- but this sucks pretty hard. He shoots backwards, hissing in pain as he goes into a sitting position, looking around fervently as he tries to take stock.

One, he doesn't see the Starblaster anywhere. That's a problem. There isn't even wreckage, or something he can see in the distance. That's a bigger problem. Two, he can feelthe disconnection to magic, and it makes his heart beat faster and his head swim. He digs his fingers into the sand, pressing grains into his fingernails as he digs them into his palms, pushing in dirt to a slice near the bottom of his palm. He's learning not to care. He's forcing himself not to care.

Three, and maybe the worst of it all, he can't find Lup. There's no one here, there isn't noise or people or the Light somewhere nearby. The sky is clear of the Hunger, and if he's lucky, this is the beginning- provided she's out there.

If it's just him, he hopes it's near the end.

It takes him the better part of a half hour to haul himself to his feet, shake the sand out of his jacket, and take it off to drape over his shoulder. The emblazoned patch of the IPRE usually draws more questions of the wrong variety than he needs- he wants to blend in. So his wand is tucked still within arm's reach, a refusal to accept the feeling in his gut, and he drags his feet along the beach to the closest sign of civilization.

He doesn't go directly to the door, instead heading around the back, looking for where there's something lit. He just needs to recoup, and if he can't fight, he better figure out if these people are friendly before he shows his face. So he stalks closer, trying to rely on stealth, tying his jacket around his waist and creeping around the perimeter as he searches for signs of life.]

[barold]

[It's easy. Just walk past her. She's just standing there, after all, in the hallway, leaning against the lockers like they need help staying upright. She's not even paying attention to him. Lup doesn't even know he exists.

It's easy. Just leave the choir room and go. Easy.

Barry holds on to his book bag like it's his lifeline, shuffling through the door and down the hallway like he wants to be anywhere else. His eyes are on the floor, his body language tight and awkward, his attention anywhere than on the pretty girl with the perfect face and the cruel words.]

[restinglichface]

[Too bad for Barry that he isn’t quite as invisible as he thought.

The girl’s gaze is purposely directed elsewhere when the boy slips from the classroom, a huffing laugh falling from her mouth as another student gets shoved back against his locker by another bully, but Barry barely makes it two feet before he’s drawn Lup’s full attention. Her sharp smile turns towards him, pinning him beneath her intense gaze, a hand already falling to rest casually at her hip.]

Nerd alert! I didn’t take you for a choir boy, Bluejeans.

Ding! You have [1] new message

[barold]

Hello ms Lup
This is Barry from 5th period chem
You weren’t in today, but mrs Kawahara made us lab partners for the bio project
Just wanted to check if you got the email with the project details yet

xXxFlAmInGdEm0n69xXx

[restinglichface]

lol sounds gay

[barold]

[Still no sign of the Light. Barry's been on look-out for what feels like all day, scouting the little village of strange, hooded people going about their business. They know the Light landed somewhere around here, and someone had carried it away. This is the only settlement for miles. It has to be in there.

As per "protocol", they have to assess the situation before making contact with the locals regarding the Light and getting it back. It's just habit at this point, something the majority of them agreed to over a meeting thirty-some years ago and they just haven't stopped doing it yet. It's mostly to stop Magnus from running in and getting himself killed. Again.

So, boring stake-outs it is. Boring solo stake-outs. Nothing to keep him company but his own thoughts. Taako is supposed to come soon and relieve Barry of duty though, so he has that to look forward to. Taako is always cranky about look-out duty. Barry fiddles with his binoculars and wonders if the elf will even show.]

[restinglichface]

[Stake-outs are absolutely, without a doubt, the worst part of every new cycle. It just wouldn't be a new plane if the whole crew wasn't trying to push their shifts off onto one another, trying to do whatever they can to wiggle free.

Which is exactly why it isn't Taako that shows up to relieve Barry this fine afternoon

Barry fiddles with the binoculars while he waits, carefully lifts them up to his face, and just as the image starts to focus on the city they've been watching, an elf pops up in the man's immediate view, face in 100% magnification.]

Boo!

[Try to not shit yourself, Barold.]

[threedimensional]

[Kicking down the door]

HOLY SHIT, LUP, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE IT. I FOUND THIS POST.

[amurderofcrow]

GO HOME LUPS DEAD NOW

[restinglichface]

JUST KIDDING SHOVE THAT TWINK OUT OF THE WAY