[WORLD ONE | POST-UVI CELEBRATION]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Coven members and Palai
Where: In and around the Aimintas marketplace
When: Day 39
Open/Closed: Open to All

After an appropriate amount of time for mourning, the Palai have shifted into a more positive mood -- they're a very resilient species, though there is a bit of a muted tone to their celebration. The whole event is a little hodge-podge, mostly because they aren't used to having to celebrate with the coven members added to the guest list. The Palai have gathered together all of their people and have invited the coven members to a small, intimate gathering -- the purpose of the event is to thank them for their service in fighting the Uvi, and the success of freezing the Uvi in their home. While no one knows how long the Uvi will stay gone, any amount of time without the Uvi being a concern is fine by them. The event takes place in the very center of the marketplace, with the Palai interacting on the fringes of the party throughout the rest of the large building. The coven members have time to spend by themselves, but there's room for moving around on their own and also spending time with the Palai if they so choose. A ▢ One of the more noticeable editions to the food the Palai have provided is a large pile of sweet, sugar dusted pastries. You may notice that something about them seems...odd, to say the least. It looks as if the pastries are vibrating slightly, but they smell divine. If you're so inclined to ask what the deal is, these pastries are magically infused by Eltos, which somehow gives them a sweeter flavor and enhances the sensation of tastebuds. The Palai sometimes eat these before meals in order to better the flavor of their entire spread -- though adding this energized magic to an already magical being means magic powers may be a little off kilter. Don't be surprised if suddenly your abilities go a little crazy. B ▢ The Palai aren't participating the party for two big reasons. One, the purpose is to celebrate the victory of coven members. The other reason, however, is one that may be more interesting to outsiders. While previously the Palai were peaceful people, happy to exist submitting to the Uvi, the coven's show of strength and valor has inspired them to be more aggressive in their approaches. Grown Palai can be seen working on makeshift weapons, but the idea of smaller tools like slingshots have already been constructed and almost perfected. The Palai youth have discovered these tools and are playing with them gleefully, though occasionally hitting each other -- and potentially you -- with energized, paralyzing rocks fueled with Elto energy. Watch out or you might get zapped! C ▢ Other Palai youth aren't as fortunate to be so distracted and happy. While fewer Palai died during this attack, the casualty number wasn't zero. Most Palai children still have at least one family member to care for them, but they're still a little disconnected from their people by means of grief. Some are milling about with the coven members, trying to eat or pester them for attention. If you're good with kids this may be more your speed, but those bad with children can find this irritating. Some Palai youth are more muted, however, content to just sit and listen to stories or eavesdrop on conversations. D ▢ For some people, rain isn't that big an issue -- but it certainly puts a damper (get it?) on a party. The Palai seem a bit confused by the sudden shower that comes in heavy as the evening dies down. The Palai have never experienced rain before, using irrigation systems and existing ground water as their means of hydration (both for themselves and for plants). Because the rain is coming from the ocean, the drops are large and salty, and the marketplace quickly begins to flood. The Palai move the party indoors for the most part, but that doesn't mean you or the food aren't already soaked. It's much warming underneath the roofs in the marketplace, but that doesn't provide much relief since the ocean rain is warm and humid. E ▢ Wildcard! How will your character handle this violent and volatile situation.

Comments

[splinten]

Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff is an absurdist thing. This is one man's extremely earnest effort to make what he thinks is a good movie.

[splinten]

IT's okay, dude. Circle of life.

['my half-brother is a horse with eight legs' —it takes him a second, and then he remembers that myth about Loki fucking a horse. Oh yeah.]

But thanks. I'd love to meet your, uh, half-brother.

[With the eight legs.]

Men made of metal, yeah. I build them with metal pieces so they can move. Then I build a program, which is basically a set of instructions stored in metal [kind of] so they know how to move. They can vary from having a rudimentary range of actions, like a toy, to basically being people as much as anyone is.

[rootandbranch]

But... why? To be servants?

I guess if the servants didn't have to serve, they could be warriors instead, maybe...

[splinten]

Yeah, some robots are built to that purpose. The Condesce's Drones, which are another type of robot, were built for combat.

[So those are some robots. But Dirk is rattling off like it doesn't matter much, like those aren't exactly his robots.]

Some of mine were built for training. Those had rudimentary AIs, in that it'd be super fucked up to create what is essentially a new life just to program it to fight and die. Squarewave and Sawtooth were built for defensive purposes, rap battles, and conversations. They have a higher level of AI, closer to human sentience. Minihoof was built with Roxy's help so I'd have a small flying horse in my apartment.

[rootandbranch]

[all of that kind of goes over Geir's head, honestly. the ethical considerations and fine points of robot constructions are something that may have to wait forever for him to catch up with the concept, but there's at least one element he wants to know about right now, at least.]

Why do you like building them?

[splinten]

[It is more loaded a question than Geir might think; Dirk could answer in varying levels of detail, but given that Geir isn't exactly seeming to totally understand robots yet, Dirk figures they can work towards it.]

It's sort of like a puzzle you design in your head while you make it. There's an intellectual and creative challenge in working out the form and build of the robot, on top of the physical satisfaction of putting it all together. It's cool.

[potentite]

Hmm, well, if it's the pastries, I suppose that would make it a bit unpredictable.

[potentite]

Art is subjective. [That's just something he heard once.]

[teratias]

[Waver laughs, a high, thin thing, like he's trying to remember how, at both statements.]

Yeah, incomprehensible works way better. And I mean, I'm kind of surprised the kids didn't stab themselves by accident.

[decipheringeye]

No thanks, I've already had plenty to drink.

[Indicates her glass of whatever the local booze is. Please drink responsibly, kids.]

[rootandbranch]

That's not water...

[HUGE SIGH]

You're mead-happy and you've hardly had a drop. Humans are so delicate.

[rootandbranch]

Because of the making something, or because it's complicated? Or both?

[creation... it's not what he'd expected for Dirk's answer, but it makes sense. creation is a compelling answer for many, it seems.]

[alphonse]

[An old hermit or a wizard... Sometimes it's lucky for Al's social life that he doesn't have facial expressions.

To the rest, he simply nods.]

I've been studying alchemy for as long as I can remember, so it's really important to me. But most people have something like that, right?

[General, because he can't begin to guess what the equivalent might be for Geir.]

[alphonse]

Lucky for all of us, the new trend is long range weapons. But maybe once they get sick of shocking each other they'll move on to hand-to-hand.

[soulcomet]

[oh.]

... How did it flood? [she's assuming it was global warming. it wasn't global warming, was it?]

[rootandbranch]

Something... they study?

[Geir certainly doesn't have something like that, but he wonders suddenly if he WOULD, if he hadn't been asleep waiting for the end of the world. what would he be passionate about? he can't imagine any more than Alphonse can. there's something scary about that.]

...I don't know. Maybe everyone does.

[alphonse]

Not necessarily study, but something they're passionate about or just really enjoy doing.

[The look he's giving Geir could be read as expectant, but sensing the confusion his tone turns more thoughtful.]

I don't think everyone figures it out as early as I did, though. Sometimes it takes a lot of searching.

[secrowtary]

I suppose so.

[ With emphasis put on suppose, of course. Hibiki please don't troll. ]

[talim]

You suppose so.

[ jude just. blinks. ]

... Alright, well. I trust that you're not out to murder me, so...

[decipheringeye]

Well, excuse me for being delicate. It must be pretty nice being a dragon.

[And so, we have derailed.]

[rebells]

No.

[Read: 'yes, continuously for the first ten years of my life, but like hell am I saying that.' He shifts from his perch on Geir's tail, looking uncomfortable.]

No one needs some kind of guiding purpose for their life to have meaning. They only think they do.

[rebells]

[He pauses for a moment, visibly considering what to say.]

. . . I don't think of this as an unqualified success. But it's good that we managed to help some.

[rebells]

Don't tell me you just started eating them without thinking about it.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir doesn't categorically disagree with the sentiment, but something inside him automatically resists just accepting it flat out when Jay says it. it's completely the opposite of everything he lived up till he met Vern.]

Maybe that's how it is for humans.

[he doesn't think there are humans who have a role to be used as a tool like he was - they're not important enough to the Tree for that. just in case, he conscientiously qualifies the statement:]

Or people who aren't... well. Just around to do one thing.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir hears his confusion and thoughtfulness and feels the need to speak to it in some way... his tone is almost apologetic. clearly this is one of those things that you typically know already.]

Sorry. I didn't wake up that long ago, so... I don't really know what I like yet. I'll figure it out.