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Entry tags:
- *event,
- ace attorney: miles edgeworth,
- ace attorney: phoenix wright,
- aldnoah.zero: asseylum vers allusia,
- blood+: diva,
- covert affairs: annie walker,
- critical role: caleb widogast,
- dceu: diana prince,
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- gundam: setsuna f. seiei,
- kingdom hearts: roxas,
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- mcu: wanda maximoff,
- outlander: brianna randall,
- outlander: claire fraser,
- outlander: fergus fraser,
- penumbra podcast: juno steel,
- penumbra podcast: peter nureyev,
- rwby: lie ren,
- saiyuki: genjo sanzo,
- star trek: kathryn janeway,
- stargate: rodney mckay,
- stargate: tamara johansen,
- torchwood: ianto jones
❪ 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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no subject
[Knowing the person well is key to giving a good punishment, as far as Ren's concerned. Politeness level may vary, especially if someone has made enough of an impression on him to make him want to step on them.
Speaking of impressions, Ren's keeping an eye on Molly's behaviour as the drug kicks in. It might be useful to know exactly how out of it he's likely to be.]
Mmm, I certainly think they'd all agree with that... [As they get further into the district, a bit of a crowd becomes visible surrounding a small and lavishly decorated stage. The clothing of the people dancing on it, seemingly doing an extremely sexually charged interpretation of some sort of harvest story or myth, is equally small (bordering nonexistent) and lavishly decorated, to the surprise of nobody involved.
Ren's gaze passes over the dancers evenly, following some of the movements they make. For all his willingness to come here, there's a strong impression he's not really paying any attention at all to the near-nudity, or even much to the highly sexual nature of the dance.]
Oh, that's a cute idea. Though I wonder how many people in the audience actually care about the story part... [There's definitely some amusement in his tone, considering the attentions of most of the audience are visibly on...well, not the intricacies of the dance, that's for sure.]
no subject
Now that's a performance you don't invite the sick or the elderly to. [His grin is wide, and he looks like he'd be all for joining it, but he stays put, and while he's clearly following the lines of everyone's bodies and observing how they twist and grind on one another in their sensual ballet, he is paying attention to the story and if one asked, he could probably tell you how each gyration of the hips or fingernail-raking embrace represents which parts of what he's gleaned from the harvest story.
Circus people. It's just a nearly naked and more intense and sexual version of the contortionist acts the twins did back home. It would definitely have lost them some copper (or gain it, depending on your kinks) if Mona and Yuli did some of those moves together.
His eyes glaze over at some point in observation, the impromptu in-place dance he was performing fading into whistling along with the tune, quietly, and then the tune changes suddenly.
-the stage is a temple. bodies coil together like snakes, sharp fingernails rake, drawing blood.
- smells of blood. the whole place.
- whistling-
- a figure approaching, stepping down as the bodies come apart, laughing happily, spent and relaxed
-red eyes mark their flesh in various places; hips and shoulders, and necks
- red eyes like the red eyes in a dark face and for a brief moment he meets those eyes and they're his, they're his-
Molly snaps to with many pairs of eyes on him. On the stage the dancers recoil and stand together, shielding each other. He isn't sure what the hell they're looking at until he notices his hands are on two of the scimitars on his hip. One of them he apparently grabbed by the blade, not the hilt and it's frosted over entirely, blood dripping from the snake tattoo on his palm and mixing with the ice. Slowly, he releases both blades and holds his hands up cautiously. His palm is cut open, but slowly healing on its own.
For once in his life, Molly doesn't know what to say, because he simply can't process what happened.]
no subject
When Molly snaps to, hands on one sword, Ren's nails are digging in akin to a warning. His eyes are on the ice on Molly's blade and the quickly-healing cut on his hand, but as interesting as it is, those are questions to be asked later, and Ren offers a slight, apologetic bow to the dancers as his grip on Molly's shoulder becomes something more of a command, pulling him back towards the quieter streets they came from. Ren may not be particularly strong-looking in build, but he apparently has enough strength to him to make that kind of insistent guiding difficult to resist.]
My apologies, I think we'll head back the way we came... [His tone is gentle and soft as it ever is, and his smile easy but apologetic, and it seems to put some of the group slightly more at ease now that Molly's hands are off his weapons as well.
As soon as they're out of earshot, Ren keeping an eye out behind them to ensure they weren't followed, his eyes turn rather more sharply to Molly.]
So, I think the question now is where you want to burn the effects off: your house, mine, or we find a room somewhere to stay until you're not going to do that again. Though I live in Wyver, so that depends on how long you think it's going to last.
[Ren's tone is soft and somewhat sympathetic, but firm and unquestionable in a way he hasn't really expressed in front of Molly before, that speaks to how someone with his level of airheadedness commanded the necessary respect to run a large organisation back home. Molly endangering himself or even Ren with this idea is one thing, but once it starts endangering others, a line's being drawn regardless of whether Molly does it himself or Ren has to do it for him.]
no subject
Ren's words are a sort of white noise as he paces listlessly, and then points back at the way they came.] That has never happened before. I- I've taken very bad drugs before, but I've always had it under control. I always know what I'm seeing is just- it's not real.
[And he's never seen anything that would scare him enough anyway. Nothing really scares him that he can't just rationalize and tell himself is just the trip. But that... That is the only thing that could make him truly frightened and truly angry enough to want to end it.
He rubs at his bloodied palm. None of that answers Ren's question, but he feels a little defensive that his first attempt at trying a new drug went this badly when it never happens.] I'm fine. I wasn't expecting what I saw.
[That wasn't a hallucination. That could have been a memory. And that's terrifying.]
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And what is it you saw that had you about to pull out a weapon in a crowd of people? [There's no playing, no toying around the words like Ren usually does - it's soft and silky and blunt, somewhat like having one's face slammed into a hardwood floor with only a single layer of fancy carpet to cushion it.
His fingers trace gently under Molly's chin to try and direct his head up to meet Ren's eyes, an obvious furrow of genuine worry in his brow badly disguised by an equally genuine, uncharacteristic seriousness in the narrowness and lines around his eyes.]
The only way to know for sure whether you won't do the same again is until it happens or doesn't. I don't think you're the kind of person who would want to endanger anyone but yourself with that risk, and selfish as it might be, I certainly don't want the guilt of letting you reach that potential result on my head if I take you at your word. So I'll make myself clearer: I'm telling you we're leaving. I'm asking which of those three options you prefer.
[There's a softness to his tone, somewhere, that says he doth protest a little too much, that his primary motivation here is concern that Molly's going to end up doing something he regrets if Ren allows them to keep on despite the uncertainty of what the drug's drawing on here. But there's a delicacy and clarity to it that instead speaks of glass...and the risk that it's breaking will produce something rather more dangerous.]
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If he doesn't want that examined, he should really answer the question, which isn't even a difficult one. He just doesn't like being viewed as a liability or a danger. When that happens, he ends up being forced into honesty, and that's supposed to be a non-issue here. This is a place where Lucien can't touch him.] There's an inn Caleb, Nott, and I stay in sometimes. It's not far. I can sleep it off there.
[He drags a hand down his face, gritting his teeth, and still repeating himself, like a mantra.] That shouldn't have fucking happened.
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Well, there's no sense forcing it out again if it does that to you, is there? So I'll leave it. [As it is, he gestures forward to indicate Molly should lead the way to the inn in question, because Ren definitely isn't planning to leave him alone like this.
Molly's continued insistence it shouldn't have gone this way only gets a rueful smile, though, his tone soft and somewhat familiar.] You could be the luckiest person in the world, Molly, but if you choose to roll the dice, sometimes you'll roll badly. I'd consider it a victory that it took you this long to get on the wrong end of an experimental formula.
[Considering how much attention Molly had drawn earlier to the fact that it's far from his first jaunt with an experimental drug.
Nonetheless, he offers a hand, if Molly wants to take it. He backed away earlier, but Ren still wonders if he couldn't use the additional grounding.] "Shouldn't have happened" or not, it has. Do you want to stand here and linger and let it consume you? Because I want to do my best to keep you here and now instead.
[It's typically Ren in its vagueness to any genuine emotions, but the one obvious hidden meaning is there: for now, at least, the past doesn't matter. Ren's intending to help as much as he can regardless.]
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It's awhile down the street before he freely speaks again:] Thank you for not leaving me holding the bag or letting it escalate. That could've gotten bad.
[He falls into a sulk at how badly it could have gone had Ren not been there, and the humming continues through gritted teeth, persistent and impossible to resist, even though he'd rather like to stop. Oh, the southern ocean is a lonely place, the words go in his head, choking out thoughts of Lucien.]
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He's a little bit distracted by the time Molly speaks up again, but the thanks actually seems to surprise him a little, and he blinks for a moment before smiling, soft and something hard to read in it. His hands slip into the pockets of his pants, and he tilts his head up slightly in a manner that makes it kind of obvious he knows Molly is sulking, but is being polite about it. He's still walking closely by him, though, in as much of an attempt to keep him grounded as he can when Molly keeps removing himself from touch.]
Well, I've spent a lot of time teaching myself the difference between what's just uncomfortable and what's actually dangerous or painful...and I don't let those last two happen to my friends if I can help it. I wouldn't betray you like that.
[There's a slight pause after that last "you" - he'd been about to say "your trust", but Ren is the sort of person who never has the luxury of assuming he's trusted. In his world, the only people who trusted him, even among his friends, were those who never saw him at his worst or refused the reality of it when they did.]
no subject
[Molly puffs out his cheeks and exhales, and the ongoing sulk lets up just a bit. His firm belief is in unconditional love without reverence, but that comes from being part of a group. It's not something you get from random people you aren't depending on. He wouldn't be bold enough to assume that's even close to what he and Ren have right now, but it's close enough to make Molly feel as safe as he can be. He has no buffer against the world. He has two people he adores, a bunch more in stasis, and a handful of people who aren't part of something but seem to appreciate his company anyway. He's having to adjust his worldview around that. Everything is stranger now.]
I have to say- and this is true- I have never been so grateful for someone to decide not to join me in partaking.
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He wonders, briefly, if Molly's "bad memories" amount to anything similar, what with his reluctance to specify. But it's certainly only a fleeting thought, and he finally turns his head towards Molly again when he speaks up once more, smile turning to something more amused.]
It's honestly a little strange being the one closer to earth...people always thought I was pretty out there all the time anyway. But sometimes you can tell when it's good to just be there, right? Even if you don't want to stop someone from doing their own thing.
[Curse of intuition, so to speak. Ren's watched his friends do a lot of stupid things without intervening, but rarely is he ever not a half-dozen steps away, watching and waiting for that "just in case" moment.]
no subject
Too many unknowns, and luck put him with Ren. The Moonweaver must truly still look out for him, even here.
The inn comes into view and with it Molly has stopped his idle humming to break up the silence. He hasn't actually spoken since Ren's last comment, choosing to let the quiet say everything. Unusual for him, but trying to quantify how he views gestures like this and what they mean gets into religion, ethics, and group dynamics and far too many complicated feelings. So silence, barring the gentle baritone hum and the occasional rhythmic tapping on the cobblestones.
With the inn in front of them, the effects of the drug seem to be spent, leaving him exhausted and a little bit wracked. Liger was getting an earful about this later, once he'd settled down. He stifles a yawn with the back of his hand.] You really don't have to stay and watch me pass out on the floor and maybe throw up later, if you've got other things going on. I think the worst has passed.
Hopefully. He can't really say what his dreams will do, but that isn't necessarily Ren's problem.
no subject
Once they come to the inn, Ren blinks and pauses in his motions, as if he hadn't realised they were already here until Molly spoke up. He's definitely side-eying that yawn a bit, though...partially because it's cute, but also partially because he's wondering how hard of a crash a drug like that might come with.]
Hmm, I don't have to, do I...? But I want to, so it's fine. [Ren accompanies that with a bright, innocent-looking smile.] Besides, I don't think I'd stay awake the whole time anyway...I've never been very good at that...
[Watching over Molly may turn into falling asleep on top of him very quickly, but hey, that still counts, right.]
no subject
[He's teasing, and his eyes are glazed over slightly with exhaustion and lingering high. He feels like if he falls asleep, he will see something he doesn't want to see, but he can also barely keep his eyes open.
He stumbles into the inn, manages to get through the necessary arrangements with the innkeeper and fumbles his way to the aquired room. He's barely in the door when he just falls face first onto the (one) bed and begins to slowly inchworm the rest of his body onto it, curling protectively around a pillow without even bothering to do anything about his clothing.]
no subject
[He might be able to react in time if he was awake, but he's very difficult to rouse when he's asleep. As it is, beyond that, he's happy to step to the side for the moment and let Molly make his own arrangements with the innkeeper.
As Molly gets through the door, Ren eyes him a little closely, and then follows him inside (leaving his boots just inside the door out of force of habit) with a faintly amused expression on his face and makes a remark so quiet it's almost to himself.] Oh, it didn't work...
[That's something to do while Molly sleeps, at least. For right now, though, he's watching that curling up onto the bed with a look halfway between cheerful and trying not to laugh.] You look cute like that, you know.
[He chooses that moment to slide his phone out of his pocket - it's mostly to text-complain to Nott when the opportunity presents itself, but it might look like he's going to take a photo.
...Though honestly, he might take one anyway if Molly doesn't complain.]
no subject
It's still a memory he has to view and while he has enough sense to not try and lash out at it this time, it's still clearly painful. He just forces his way through it.
Whatever his rest is tonight, it's not going to be peaceful or helpful, but at least he was super adorable for like an hour.]
no subject
For a while, Ren watches, sitting on the end of the bed and playing around with his phone, eventually pulling his cards out of his inner pocket to sort through them slowly once more when it seems like Molly isn't going to wake up on him - but he keeps an eye on his reactions for the first little while. It doesn't seem like he's having the same response again, thankfully, but it still looks like it hurts.
As Ren had said earlier, though, he doesn't stay up very well, and once he tucks his deck away again, he...really doesn't have anything else to distract him from sleeping. Thankfully, he's thin enough that he can fit on the bed alongside Molly without having to press up against him too close, but he's still watching the back of Molly's head for a few moments when he lays down.
With a light sigh, he carefully drapes an arm over Molly's side and closes his eyes. Hopefully it doesn't make things worse, even if he's not sure the feeling of contact will make things better either. It just feels like the only thing he can really do to help right now.]