fluxscape | End of the Long Winter.

Entry tags:

End of the Long Winter.

What: The entirety of Driftcrest and YOU! Even you new faces!
Where: The large park in the center of town.
When: From the 15th to the 18th
Warnings: Will warn as needed.

The people of Driftcrest have so much to celebrate. Their loved ones have been returned to them, and the Unseen are well and truly and genuinely gone. Not only that, but a Winter that had been going on for years is finally ended and it's well and truly Summer. Flowers are blooming, there's color in the town that wasn't there before. People are happy. They have their freedom back, and are taking full advantage of it.

Now that there's no longer a curfew, the party can go well into the night with music, dancing, food of all kinds all over the place both set on tables and in various food trucks.

With the hammocks hung up in the area, along with portable ones available to purchase, and twinkling string lights threaded through the trees, the setting is peaceful. A far cry from the stress of the last few weeks.

There's music, both live and recorded, and an outdoor dance floor has been set up under some beautiful hanging lanterns and twinkling string lights. Once the sun goes down, there'll be fires set up for people to sit by and make s'mores.

All in all, this promises to be a memorable experience.

Grab some food, buy a hammock, find somewhere to celebrate because this party will go on for a while.

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I. Food

At this particular party, there are so many sights and sounds and things to look at, but when Diana arrives, she decides to meander through the food trucks first. She isn't eating any of the offerings, just looking at all the different options, and smiling politely at the people running each one.

Each truck she passes by looks more tempting than the previous one, but she's only here to look, not to eat. She'll leave that for the people who've been through the ringer thanks to the Unseen, and for the ones who've been here longer. Still, it's enjoyable enough just walking around and looking.

II. Trees

The setting isn't too crowded, exactly, but Diana finds herself being drawn away from the hustle and bustle and goes over to where the hammocks are set up and the trees are lit with strings of lights that twinkle and shine in the gathering darkness. It's quiet here, and it's peaceful, and it's just what Diana needs right now.

She's been trying to keep her thoughts and her memories from running away from her, but something about this celebration and this night has old memories resurfacing and it's making her seek out a little solitude.

Eventually, she'll rejoin the festivities, but for now, she's just going to walk around in between the trees and think.

III. Dance

When the dancing starts, that's when Diana begins to really feel like old memories that she thought had been laid to rest start coming back to life. She remembers a village filled with kind people, all of whom are long gone now, their lives cut too short by the horrors of war, and she remembers dancing in the square with someone, also gone too soon.

She doesn't intend to join the couples on the dance floor, because she doesn't have a partner anyway, but she's content to watch them and remember happier times.

IV. Campfire

As the hour grows later and the fires are lit, Diana finds a place to sit and warm her hands by the fire. It's been a good night overall, and she's seen people enjoying themselves and relaxing. It's well earned, as far as she's concerned, and it makes her feel happy to see people like herself who have arrived here unexpectedly still managing to have a good time in a place that's not their home.

She still hasn't settled her thoughts on that score; this isn't home, and there are things going on at home that need to be addressed. For now, however, she's here, and she can't see a way to get herself (and everyone else, for that matter) back to where she belongs. So, for the moment, she's just going to take this moment of rest and relaxation and worry about tomorrow another day.

V. Wildcard

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"Not hungry?" Miles asks as he watches her passing by. He's noticed that she's passed several of the food trucks without getting anything, and while there are still a few more food trucks to go, he has a feeling that they would also be passed up.

She's still wandering around the various food trucks when she hears Miles addressing her, and she turns to look his way with a smile. "No, not hungry, but everything here looks delicious. Have you found anything you like?"

"I found a few things," he says with a grin. "If you do get hungry eventually, the pizza at Fire'd Up is pretty good. So is the juice at Pressed. And you can never go wrong with sundaes or funnel cake."

"That's very helpful, thank you. I can't remember the last time I had a really good pizza, or any of the other things that you mentioned." She's the daughter of an Amazon, even though she's been living on Earth for a long time now, but she hasn't really tried many of the things best classified as junk food. "I'll keep your recommendations in mind."

"Sure, no problem." He isn't entirely sure why, but his Spider-Senses tells him that there's something familiar about this woman, though he isn't sure what. Maybe he could figure it out if he sticks around her a while.

"I'm Miles."

"It's nice to meet you, Miles." Her smile widens, and she extends a hand for him to shake, if he wants to. "I'm Diana. Diana Prince." The name rolls off her tongue easily now, unlike how it used to when she was still getting used to it. At least, it's better received than Diana, Princess of Themyscira.

As he takes her hand, his smile brightens a bit when he realizes why her name sounds familiar. "Oh! You're a friend of Mr. Wayne's, right? He mentioned that people from his world have shown up here."

His not quite memories of Diana in terms of dancing are vague. He knows that the other Gansey and Diana had probably danced together, if only to help him learn the basic steps. Just like he'd probably danced with Evie at various functions the Wayne family had attended.

Even without that hint of something Gansey would have made his way toward her when he noticed something he couldn't quite identify in her expression. Ganseys were meant to mingle, to reassure those at parties that they were welcome and wanted. For once, Gansey didn't feel like he was slipping into a role as he moved toward a potential dance partner's side. Diana would expect nothing from him involving politics and favors. Nothing more than potential friendship.

Giving her a courtly bow that would have served his ancestors well, he glanced up, eyes full of amusement that was not part of the usual political veneer. "May I have this dance - " He left her name unsaid, waiting to see which one she wished to use in public.

Diana looks up when Gansey approaches, and in spite of her reflective and somewhat pensive mood, she manages a smile just for his benefit. "Good evening," she says, holding out her hand for him to take it, if he's so inclined.

"And yes, you may, thank you, ah- I'm sorry, what do you like to be called?" If he wants to call her by her first name, she won't protest, but she wants to be certain she addresses him by his preferred name as well.

"Good evening." His smile didn't falter as he took her hand, but he did notice that hers reminded him of the ones used at his mother's events. Polite, socially acceptable, but not exactly showing enjoyment. If they hadn't spoken of friendship and getting coffee together, he might have read it as a sign that he was unwelcome. Instead, he decided that she might be another person who wasn't exactly enjoying the festivities.

"My full name is Richard Campbell Gansey III, but I prefer Gansey." He paused, making a face that Ronan and Adam knew well. "I'm not fond of the nicknames used for Richard, especially after spending a few years in an all-boys boarding school." Or with Kavinsky trying to poke at him to see if he would lose his temper. "What name would you prefer to use?"

"It is a good evening, isn't it? Is it treating you well?" She knows how her smile must appear, but it isn't directed at him specifically. He's more than welcome; it's just this event that isn't her cup of tea. However, she's more than used to having to make appearances when she'd rather not, so she can play the part well enough. Only the most observant and perceptive would be able to pick up on anything other than an outward veneer of enjoyment, as Gansey has done.

"Gansey it is, then. And you may feel free to call me Diana." She stopped standing on formality a long time ago, although she recognizes that in certain settings, formality is expected. Right now, though, she sees no need for that.

Edited 2021-05-10 19:50 (UTC)

Among all the happy and content feelings that fill the air, it's not hard for Jean to sense a bit of sadness mixed in. She instinctively glances around to see if she can figure out the origins of that brief melancholy. While this is a happy occasion, even Jean can admit that it feels bittersweet since she's separated from her fiancé, Scott.

The moment her eyes land on Diana, she gets the feeling that she's also missing someone, though she chooses not to pry on the other woman's private thoughts.

"You okay? You're looking a little lost in thought." Jean asks as she stands near Diana watching the happy couples dance around as well.

Diana's just watching the couples dance around when she realizes someone else is standing there watching them too. "Oh, yes, I'm all right. Thank you." She turns slightly so she can look at Jean, and she smiles.

"I was just remembering a night like this a long time ago, when I- Well, I danced with someone special."

She doesn't often talk about Steve, but now seems as good a time to remember him as any. "What about you? Do you have someone to dance with?"

"Miss Prince," a gentle tone announces the presence of here fellow future-League member.

Bruce steps up behind her, hands in his pockets, eyes out on the dance floor. He feels it might be better to keep things more formal in the gaze of the public. Just for now. The more keen members of their rag tag bunch of reality hopping people would be able to pick up how familiar the two were with one another. That doesn't mean everyone else needs to know.

"I bet most men would consider it a shame that you haven't joined them on the dance floor."

Edited (edited the song ssssh have feels) 2021-04-26 22:10 (UTC)

Diana's slow to pull her gaze away from the dancing couples that she's watching, but she knows that voice without even turning to look. "Mr. Wayne." It seems that both of them are determined to carry out a certain act when in public; one would even go as far as to say they have multiple acts: concealing their more heroic identities, or at least distancing their civilian ones from them so no one suspects. But also, there seems to be an unspoken agreement to keep things formal when others are looking on.

For Diana, it isn't too difficult. The man called Bruce Wayne is still a mystery to her in some ways, but not in every way. It's a curious conundrum. Still, she can't say there isn't merit behind the idea of keeping up appearances when in the public eye and being a little more forthcoming with each other when in private.

"I'm sure you would be correct in that. But I think it's for the best that I merely watch," she demurs with a slight smile. "An accomplished dancer, I am not." And that has quite a grain of truth in it, even if her reasons for refraining from setting foot on the dance floor are slightly more complicated than just that.

There is quite a bit about the two of them that seems to work on unspoken agreements. Maybe it's the fact they think rather similar when it comes the public life and the private life. Celebrities, accomplished people in their own fields, even without being a hero. He glances over her before looking back out over the dancing couples.

"You'd be surprised how many women that dress to catch your attention can't dance." Bruce slides his hands back into his pockets. The pair of them seem content to just watch and observe quite a lot together. Outsiders pretending to be insiders.

Although the temptation to ask her to dance is there.

"Most of it is just for show."

It's how Diana's worked for a long time, namely by herself for the most part. There's no need for speaking when operating alone, and while things are different now and she's not alone, she finds that she still relies on things that are left unsaid just as much as she does on actual spoken words. And there is the fact that both of them know a thing or two about keeping one's private and public lives separate.

"I'm willing to bet it's quite a bit more than just a few," she replies with a slight smirk. "But I didn't always know how to dance either, and one might argue that I still don't. I find, though, that for some, their idea of dancing is to just hold onto each other and sway. Not that there is anything wrong with that." She's thinking back to that time in Veld and the couples dancing with each other in celebration.

"And what about you? I am sure there is at least one person here who would like to dance with you." And yes, she knows how that might sound, but all she's doing is asking a question.

"Dancing wasn't a skill they taught you back home?"

Bruce is well aware of how little he knows about the Amazonian culture. He doesn't even know where they are. How could you hide someone like Diana for so long? Then again, Clark remained hidden until he stepped out of the shadows as Superman. He'll take what little bit of information he can glean when he can. Diana isn't as willing to trust him as he is to trust her.

"No one has asked yet, so I haven't offered. I've been trying to keep to myself." He shrugs gently.

There's no point in being as flashy as he is back home. Maybe to a degree, but not to the point where he's going to make himself the center of attention. He likes playing the part of the in-between for the people like them and the realities they flux into. It helps him keep an eye on information.

"Unless you're offering to dance with me."

Smooth, Bruce.

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End of the Long Winter.

Diana Prince | OTA

I

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Dance

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III

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iii. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOTTHVUyI1A

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