nysalogs | ❪ event ❫ harvest valley

❪ event ❫ harvest valley

THE GREAT HARVEST

While change is inevitable and those on El Nysa have always been adaptable, it’s clear that some things do not change. Citizens in both cities have began finding ways to return to a sense of normalcy, and most have done this by partaking in seasonal traditions and celebrations.

With the heat of the previous months finally simmering down, the cooler air signifies the passing of the summer and the start of the great harvest. Though many crops were destroyed in the battle that preceded this event, those that have survived seem to have grown healthier in light of their hardships, and many believe this to be an unspoken blessing.

In Wyver, festivities begin earlier in the month. Copious amounts of food are prepared from the first, and refugees will find that the people of Wyver are always hungry. The daily contests of strength are easily turned into contests of appetite. Not partaking, like many things in Wyver, can be taken as a sign of weakness. Losers will find themselves expected to do the bidding of those who win one of these contests. But it's all in good fun, right?

Outside of contests, Wyver is keen on creating a festival-like atmosphere. Throughout the month there will be multiple food stalls open featuring food made from the harvest and game available to the city. Due to its popularity, many of the stalls will feature Shanrian’s favorite meat jellies. Refugees will be encouraged to assist in preparing delicacies for the stalls and will be rewarded for their efforts by being given specialty ingredients. When consumed, these foods can heighten one's senses for a period of time, so they're perfect to eat before heading on a quest or hunt.

I. With their emphasis on cooking enormous portions of food and gorging themselves for days, it should come to no surprise that a lot of the age-old Wyvern traditions revolve around the act of eating. Particularly, of dining beside their scalier brethren. It isn’t uncommon to see the people of Wyver feed from the claws of dragons, or to mimic the act of a dragon eating on all fours— often sharing the same game (not always cooked either!). The trick to this is knowing how hungry the dragon is and finding the appropriate timing to take a bite without offending the creature. Some dragons are known to be a little more disciplined in this regard, while others are loose cannons. It’s important to be able to gauge this, and the people of Wyver are more than delighted to teach the refugees the tricks of the trade! The bigger question is... does everyone have the stomach for this?

II. Maybe from all the eating they do and all the grooming, the dragons tend to avoid people during this time of the year, but some also start to look like they need a bit of help. During this time, native Wyvers use their free time after the steady and grueling days of harvest to maintain and care for the dragons. They help wash them up, take a look at their claws, and even pull some decayed teeth. However, precisely because this is such a tedious process, there's always a need for a helping hand or two to get the job done. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wyverns are extra keen to grab a refugee or two for the job. They say pulling teeth is easy, the trick is simple after all! Don’t get bitten and don’t let the smell get to you!

Seriously though, they advise that the work goes more smoothly in pairs. One person is typically in charge of making sure the dragon’s mouth remains open, while the other does the actual dirty work. While experts can mix this dynamic up a bit, or even work between those roles, it helps to have a starting point at least!

III. These months are crucial to the people of Wyver as many of their dragons lay eggs in the later half of winter. In preparation, they believe now to be the most essential time for establishing bonds and building on pre-existing relationships, either between one another, or with the dragons. As they are a people who are proud of strength, Wyverns often display this in every aspect of their lives, including their blood exchange ritual. During this process, they will physically show the closeness between themselves and their companions by using a ceremonial knife to cut into their flesh. The wound they make on one another is meant to act as a symbol of the impact they have in each other’s lives. They are then meant to smear the blood of the individual they cut and mark some part of their body with it. Due to utilizing the specially crafted ceremonial blade, this streak of blood will stick to their skins for the duration of the month— a constant reminder of the bond they’ve formed. There are some variations to this, and there are no rules to how deep the incision must be… some Wyverns are known to take this a little too far, and so this ritual is certainly not for the faint of heart.

In Olympia, the celebrations will begin a little later than they do in Wyver. The focus in Olympia seems to be their fruit liquor. Considering their newfound interest in “Thesaens,” it’s no surprise that refugees will find themselves target #1 for trying these various flavors. Additionally, as this act of liquor-making is often experimental, those brave enough to try it will find that the vintages' tastes and their effects will vary in extremes. As these fruits are produced from a vine with magical properties, it won’t be unusual to discover oneself overtaken by a series of strange inclinations that typically amplify whatever positive emotions the drinker is feeling. If they're feeling open and friendly, for example, they'll find themselves oddly handsy and affectionate. If they're feeling inquisitive, they may find themselves oddly invested or overly fixated on something— maybe it's that stray hair on that stranger's face or their unusual eyebrows?

But, while the city is full of life and action, this is also a period of time that Olympians celebrate some of their oldest myths. According to their ancestors, this season marks the time of reunion and connection with those who have passed on. It’s said to correlate with the appearance of the constellations that best fit their most notable heroes. For Olympia, this is a time of coming together as a community and displaying a sense of gratitude for the harvest and the people of the city who make it all possible.

I. One staple of the season is wine sharing. A form of showing closeness and intimacy with ones’ companions, people often will share a drink together, though, not exactly in an orthodox way. As an icebreaker for joining in a number of gatherings (especially those near temples), people are often seen transferring beverages mouth-to-mouth. The act of swallowing shared wine is meant to display acceptance and tolerance. Even rivals and old foes occasionally partake in this ritual to show mutual respect for one another. Declining can be seen as offensive, however with everyone swiftly becoming intoxicated, it may be easy for the more reserved individuals to bluff their way out of this.

II. Food isn’t the only thing harvested during the season. The special magical vines that thrive during this period of time can be utilized as a material for weaving protective accessories. These accessories are traded between friends and lovers all throughout the month. They have a small energizing effect and will permit the wearer to exhibit a little more strength than they normally exhibit. The only catch is that the accessories must be tied on by someone else and be kept for at least a week. When the wearer feels the effects fading, the vines must also be removed by the same person who tied them on. If anyone wears the accessories past this period of time, they will find that they often feel restless and be prone to experiencing sleep paralysis and night terrors. Some Olympians claim that during that state, you can sometimes hear the voices of loved ones from beyond the grave. But, that’s probably just an old wives' tale...

THE (IM)POSSIBLE MAZE

Midway between the cities, a vast maze of corn has been erected. Its purpose is twofold — to demonstrate a camaraderie between Olympia and Wyver and to be harvested by each side at the end of the celebrations. Both the Olympians and the Wyverns agree that the first maze of this kind was created in recognition of a treaty from long ago — decades ago, when the treaty was first signed, representatives from each city went into the maze together to demonstrate that they could work in tandem, but instead of emerging victorious, dead Wyverns were found on the Olympian side of the maze, and dead Olympians were found on the Wyvern side of the maze. Depending on who you ask, the specifics of this slaughter vary — some claim that those found dead were killed in self-defense, while others insist it was merely a misunderstanding, and others tout the theory that the truce was deliberately sabotaged.

What the people can agree upon now, however, is that with the Thesaens among them, perhaps they can try it again and bring in a bountiful harvest together. Locals are charged silver to enter the maze, but refugees are allowed in for free to experience the tradition for themselves.

I. The maze itself is long and winding, with overgrown stalks that block out most of the sky. It is, the promoters insist, not an easy trial to overcome. Those who enter the maze are given sparklers to signal their position for extraction should they become hopelessly lost — but if you manage to make it through the maze, the sparklers can be surrendered to those waiting on the other side for a modest sum of 30 silver each. Team up with someone to make it through… and don’t get lost!

II. While this is a time for celebration, there are always some hooligans who don’t quite get into the spirit of things — or who, perhaps, get too much into the spirit of things. Unofficially, some of the locals have taken it upon themselves to sneak into the maze in costume and chase the participants through it. The motivations behind this vary — some are in it for a laugh, some insist that they’re doing it to help strengthen the bonds between the people they chase, and some claim that they’re doing it to prove a point: that the Olympians and Wyverns will turn on each other at the first sign of adversity, and they will even draw blood to show it. Will you make it through the maze despite these unexpected setbacks? Or perhaps this sort of mischievous thing is right up your alley…?

III. Of course — and unfortunately — there are also those who get in over their heads. Midway through the festivities, on both sides, parents begin to notice that their children have gone missing… and that there are some decidedly child-like screams coming from the maze. It seems the kids have decided to sneak into the maze themselves and now require some rescuing — luckily, there are plenty of Thesaens around to lend a hand.

FINAL OOC NOTES

As a reminder, REP will now primarily be given for completed QUESTS that are available throughout the month, and will not be offered through this event log.

Additionally, as stated in the monthly outline, Nadril will still need the assistance of the refugees and there will be an IC call to action for that later in the month.

Then as a final note, our Test Drive Meme will be up on October 24th! Thank you!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, but-

[Ren’s whole innocent act is making this so much worse, because if she’s the only one here putting a romantic twist on it, does that mean she’s the one whose perverse? Twisting meaning where there is none?

Her weight shifts from one leg to the other, and she brings a hand up cover her heated cheeks. For all of her nonplussed businesslike attitude when they met in the tunnels, smooching in public is what gets her all flustered and out of sorts. How embarrassing. Especially considering she’s not as innocent as all of this, it’s just the public and with near strangers is a huge case of culture shock,]

I suppose if you don’t think of it as a kiss.

[Just…. Exchanging of fluids? That sounds even worse. But he’s not wrong, there’s plenty of people partaking in the ritual, extremely casually in some instances. Then again, having visited the red light district, just because something is casual doesn’t mean it’s not weird. Ah, she’s overthinking this.

Veering topics a bit- (and maybe dodging a little)] You consider me a friend?

Well, it's not really the point of it, is it? [Ren says that rather innocently, like the idea that someone couldn't distance it from a kiss is the weird one here. To him, while he can certainly see it getting turned into that if you do it with someone you're interested in, the main point seems to be the tradition. It can be a little bit perverse, probably, but with someone like Allura it would just be a show of solidarity as intended.

He blinks slightly confusedly at her change of topic before his smile slips right back on again.] Well, you were pretty cool fighting those demons before, and you seem nice, so I definitely think you're someone I'd want to be friends with. So I might as well just call it that from the start, right?

[He's not one to hesitate to call someone a friend if he decides they seem good enough for the term. Perks of being overall quite good at reading people.]

[There's a small smile at that. It's a quick friendship, but what friendships of hers have been anything but that?]

You were pretty handy in that fight as well.

[And his defense of the tradition makes sense, and there are far stranger traditions she's participated on other planets. And thematically it makes sense, a show of solidarity and acceptance through a sharing of resources and personal space. It's just hard to get over certain hangups.

Well. The best way is to just force through it, right? If for no other reason than to prove to herself that she's not going to be the weird one here.

After what seems like too much contemplation (complete with crossing her arms, shifting her weight back and forth a few times),] Very well. I want to try.

[Ren gives a bright smile at that.] Aww, I'm glad you think so.

[It's a very "aw, shucks" kind of tone, as if he's trying not to accept the compliment too hard for risk of seeming impolite. It is nice to think he actually seems useful in a physical fight, considering that was never something he'd managed to pull off in his own world. Not that he would've been half as interested there.

Ren curls his fingers over his mouth slightly as Allura shifts her weight and shuffles awkwardly, trying not to make any kind of remark that might put her off considering the idea. As soon as she says she'll try, though, he perks up visibly, holding his glass up and making an enthusiastic gesture with the other hand.]

Oh, good, good, I'm sure it'll be fun~ [He takes a sip of the wine and holds it in his mouth, gesturing for her to come closer. Since she's been so uncertain about it, he doesn't want to be overly forward, so he'll let her choose how close she wants to get and work with it from there.]

[Fun wouldn't be the first word that Allura would go for in this situation, and she's approaching it with the seriousness of someone on a mission. There's a moment of hesitation when the moment is at hand, when he beckons her closer, but she's always been bad at stepping back from something once she's stubbornly set her mind to it.

It takes a few steps to approach him. Not too close, as this isn't an intimate thing, after all, but it's close enough that she has to tip her head up a little to make eye contact.

She'd ask him if this was okay, but, well, he can't talk right now, and she trusts that he'd pull away if she was being too weird about this. And, well, she doesn't really like to do things by halves. Impulsively, she reaches up a hand to curve around the back of his neck, pulling him down, haphazardly dragging his lips against hers in a kiss that is a lot more bold than everything up until now would suggest. Jumping in with both feet, so to speak.]

[Ren tilts his head slightly when she looks up at him, as if silently asking if she's planning to go through with it. It's an innocent thing, or looks like it, but he figures it might serve as a good push to continue if she's hesitating at the last moment.

The rather sudden, bold kiss is definitely a pleasant surprise, though, and Ren smiles a little against her mouth as he wraps a hand around her shoulders in a firm, but somehow still delicate motion and parts his lips to let the wine flow. He's not doing it too wide, since he doesn't want to be so abrupt that it might spill out or surprise her, but it's enough that he can tilt his head a little to fit his lips to hers a bit better, adjusting the pressure and moving them a little to minimise the risk that they're going to end up losing wine between them.

His other hand, after a moment or two, goes up to her cheek, the touch very light. If he knew her a bit better, he might be inclined to surprise her despite her reservations, but as it is, he's still maintaining his aura of innocence for the most part.]

[For the first few seconds, she's just stubbornly focused on the task at hand, almost to the point that her kiss borders on the passionless. Distant. She's kissed before (a few times, by now) but it's hard to get out of her own head, to relax, even in the best of times. It's just going through the motions, following his lead when he parts his lips with the opening of her own.

Then- there's the slightest of changes — a hand tightening on the back of his neck, a sudden intake of a breath — at the first taste of wine on her tongue. Warmed by Ren's body temperature, there's not the normal sensation of cooled (or hot) liquid entering her mouth, which makes the sudden sweet flavor seem that much more unexpected. But the way he's slanting his mouth against hers keeps the wine from spilling, and the whole thing is, momentarily, enough to draw a small crest of passion out of her. Or perhaps it's just instinct, the way she angles her head to his, mouth working against his when she swallows the sweet wine, meanwhile her other hand comes up to anchor on his shoulder.

When it seems like there is no more wine to be had, she pulls away somewhat abruptly, and it's readily apparent that her face is burning, cheeks flushed red under his hand.]

[The almost mechanical lack of response initially only makes Ren more determined to get some kind of reaction, and it comes as soon as the wine starts flowing. His lips curl slightly, as if he's smiling a bit despite their mouths being pressed together, and the gentle hand on her cheek shifts very slightly so it's more like a cup of the face than just the tips of his fingers touching.

In the end, though, he isn't too surprised by how abruptly she ends up backing away, and he straightens up with a small smile, seeming a tiny bit amused by the reaction.]

Oh, you're all warm now... [He says it vaguely, as if it's a little surprising, though he can feel it quite well under his hand. Which he has...not moved yet, though if she chooses to move away from it or just move it away, he won't mind.] Did you like it?

[It's an innocent enough question - he could be teasing, but it might give the wrong idea in this situation.]

Ah. Perhaps Alteans just run a higher body temperature.

[That's a terrible bluff. Acknowledgment only makes her face burn hotter, and she can feel the tips of her ears turning read. Her eyes slide over to where his hand is still cupping her cheek, before becoming readily aware that she's still holding onto him, one hand around his neck and the other on his shoulder. Even without the wine the casual physical contact is nice and Ren isn't being a weirdo about it, and the wine in her system is enough to tip it on the edge of being pleasant, but it's only a moment of hesitation before she clears her throat and eases a step back, dropping her hands back down to her sides.]

It was- [She absentmindedly runs a tongue over her bottom lip, thinking of what to say, and inadvertently tasting the wine that lingered there,] The wine was very sweet, don't you think?

[Ha ha. Because that's what this was all about, right? He was definitely asking about the wine and not the kiss.]

[Ren's mouth quirks up into a more visibly amused expression, though he's still trying to restrain it enough to be at least somewhat polite.] Hmm, I don't think you were that warm earlier, though...

[He says it somewhat vaguely, as if to still give her a chance to avoid the subject a little. He'd be going right for the figurative jugular most of the time.

As she steps back, he withdraws his hands, and one settles under the elbow of the other as it curls against his mouth to disguise that amused look a tiny bit more. It's a very delicate motion, fitting of the attempt to be maybe a little polite about finding it funny.]

Well, it's fruit wine, so I'd be very surprised if it wasn't sweet...though I'm pretty sure that wasn't the part you were worrying about at the start, right?

[At least he's putting on his innocent face about it rather than sounding too teasing, which is...probably the better option here?]

Well, it would be an easy mistake to make, since you weren't touching my face earlier.

[She's aware that she's pretty obviously bluffing, but as if she's going to talk about blushing because she was kissing him. Absentmindedly, she rubs a hand over her cheek to feel the heat burning there. She can't see her own face, but she suspects the darkened red of her face reaches all the way up to her light pink markings, obviously blushing despite her protests otherwise. How embarrassing.]

Right. [An awkward silence hangs in the air for a beat before, diplomatically,] The ceremony itself was... agreeable. I believe it suited it's purpose.

[She still prefers to take her drink from a glass.]

No, but I could see your face earlier, and you definitely weren't that red...

[Just going to point that one out in that same gentle and airy tone. It's easier to disguise poking for a reaction when he makes it seem like innocent observations.

He nods in agreement with her summation of the ceremony, though, because as awkward as the admission is, she's not wrong.] It does fit, doesn't it? And it's a nice way to bond with someone. Earth was always so reserved about that sort of thing, but really, things like shaking hands get boring after a while...

[As a businessperson in his own world, he has way too much experience with having to look polite and diplomatic, including the classic Honest Handshake that is not, in fact, very honest at all.]

Do you think you'll do it with others~?

Is that so? [She drops her hand to her side, not making eye contact with him as he unravels her tiny lies one at a time.] Then, perhaps it was the wine?

[Which isn't totally a lie- even the small drink she had was making her feel a little bit warm, pleasantly so, but it was a negligible contributor to the rosiness in her cheeks.]

Kissing members of the coalition and our allies would certainly make the meetings more eventful.

[Said with a grimace. She would have to rethink her role as a diplomat if she was expected to smooch every dignitary or queen or emperor she came in contact with. At his question, she waves a hand dismissively, shaking her head,]

Oh, I think this has been plenty of celebration for me.

[At that, Ren considers, taps his own cheek thoughtfully, then picks up his glass and squints at his own reflection in it. He's not even remotely red - not from embarrassment nor inebriation. He's apparently kept his intake under control enough to avoid that.] I don't know, wouldn't I be red as well if that was it...?

[At this point, he's really just making it sound like he wants to unravel the mystery, and not necessarily just embarrass her more. The idea of having to do that as a princess is a little bit of a funny one, though, and a little smile of amusement pulls at his mouth before she makes that dismissive gesture and he falls into a bit of a pout again.]

Oh, that's a shame. [The pout lingers for a moment or two before he brightens again.] But at least I got you to do it once, right~?

Well! [Ha. Ha. She is just going to, laugh awkwardly and reach out to ease the glass away from him, either away from his face or out of his hand completely.] You’re right. It’s strange isn’t it? How mysterious.

[Listen, Ren, she is a terrible liar, not that he hasn’t figured that out by now.]

It’s true, and I thank you for… broadening my horizons. [Ahem.] Do you intend to stay much longer?

[Ren is fairly clearly trying not to laugh as she eases the glass away - he allows it to happen, but his free hand curls slightly against his mouth to politely conceal the reaction.] Mysterious indeed~

[He never gets tired of teasing people who try really hard to maintain their composure, honestly.

Giving a bright smile at the thanks, Ren ultimately answers the question with a slight shrug.] Oh, it depends a bit, I think. It's a fun tradition, but even fun stuff can get a little dull after you keep doing it for long enough, right? I don't want to ruin it for myself.

[Then Ren has really hit the jackpot there because even if Allura's pretty well aware by now that she's being pretty transparently embarrassed —and teased for being embarrassed — but that's not going to stop her from doubling down on maintaining her composure. Her adviser, Coran really should have included don't let anyone get under your skin in his careful calculations on what goes into being a good diplomat.

Allura waves a hand dismissively, about to nod in agreement that the best traditions are ones that are left in moderation, but she stops, and quirks a look at him,]

“Long enough”? Just how many times have you participated in this... [She gestures to the empty glass in her hand, and then to both of them. This. She's certainly had enough after just one, but it's not because it's dull or repetitive.]

Oh? Let me think... [Ren's eyes go round in a rather innocent manner, and he tilts his head up as if he's having to think quite hard about how long he's been doing it for. Allura certainly isn't the first he's encountered, though he's been limiting who he actually participates with to people he finds interesting. As usual.

Eventually, he gives a slightly disappointed hum.] I don't think I remember how many times, actually, I just remember I've been here for a few hours now...it's kind of fun watching other people do it too, you know? You learn more about how the tradition is done that way.

[He doesn't seem drunk, at least, so it's probably obvious enough he hasn't been actively participating that entire time unless he's some sort of secret heavyweight.]

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❪ event ❫ harvest valley

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Sorry for this super lateness!

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