[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

[mapsio]

[The warmth of his smile helps, she... was sort of down about hurting this guy and now she feels a lot better than before.]

Thank you. I do appreciate it. I still feel incredibly bad for hitting you with my barrier. Are you sure there isn't anything that I can do to make up for this?

[mapsio]

I'm kind of curious.... what do they say?

[At least she feels distracted with this conversation.]

[rootandbranch]

Oh! Sorry! That's right, I'm supposed to...

[bashful.]

Eheh... I'm Geir.

[splinten]

It's his class. [He realizes he never gave the classpect rundown. With a sigh, he runs a hand through his hair.] I said I'm the Heart player. That's my aspect, the fundamental force of the universe that I'm a God of. Hope is another aspect. But that's only half of our mythological role. Our class defines how we interact with the aspect. As it was explained to me, the aspect is what you use, and the class is how you use it.

In my case, it's the Prince of Heart. A prince is one who destroys, or one who destroys by means of, his aspect. [Destroyer class. He has grown to truly hate its accuracy.] Jake is a Page of Hope. Pages, from what I know, are the class of as of yet untapped potential. I'm not exactly sure how you'd parse his role, but if I guessed, a Page of Hope would be one who fully realizes the potential of Hope.

It feels like it'd suit Jake, anyway. The game never gave us a guidebook.

[mapsio]

[The Palai are asking for those who can to help them move the food inside, and keep the children on high ground. Some of the Palai hand Madoka bags of food. HAru is handed a child for each hip.]

Well, it looks like we have something to do now... and two new friends!

[splinten]

[Dirk listens, and he thinks he understands.]

It kind of sounds like something you're struggling with here is developing your own personhood outside of your function relative to the general world-cycle. Who you are, who you want to be, learning your likes and dislikes. Sort of a self-forming experience.

[rootandbranch]

Yeah! Yeah, that's it!

[HE'S RELIEVED THAT SOMEONE GETS IT]

Could you write that down or something so I can show it to people if they ask? That sounded really smart and I'm not going to remember what you said exactly.

[splinten]

[He. Did not expect that reaction. Geir has a magic power to throw Dirk so easily.]

Uh, sure, if you wanted. No problem.

[rootandbranch]

Thanks. It's a pain. I can never think of how to say things!

[Geir huffs, distracted for a moment, then returns to the topic.]

Yeah, though. Also, being-- personhood--? well, it's... kind of hard? I guess everyone else is used to it. Or maybe I'm just not good at it! But I wasn't ever trying before, so how do I answer questions like that? And now I am, but no one tells you how.

So that's why I don't know if I mind getting thrown in the ocean or not.

[splinten]

Some people are really good at personhood. Others find it difficult. I count myself among the second group.

[Peopleing is hard, and Dirk doesn't judge Geir for having trouble with it. He judges himself! But not Geir.]

Most people tend to learn how to exist through experience, and that generally is reliant on socialization. Your case is different, in that it doesn't sound to me as if socialization was ever really much of a thing for you.

[rootandbranch]

Not except with the other gods. And I think we must do things differently. Vern makes a lot of faces when I talk about them, anyway.

[much as Dirk just reacted to Odin throwing him in the ocean. it is probably not hard for others to see Vern's point of view, here]

Is that why you're bad at it, too? You said you only talked to three other people.

[splinten]

From the stories we have about Gods, you probably do.

[GODDAMMIT GEIR. Why are you doing this to him. He needs a half-second to regroup.]

That's probably one reason. It's one I've definitely considered. In my opinion, it doesn't fully account for how completely incapable I am. There's something just fundamentally broken with my essence of being, as far as I can tell.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir snorts.]

Oh, come on. If all I was ever born for was to kill everything else and everyone keeps telling me I can try anyway, what's your damage supposed to be?

[splinten]

[DON'T YOU MOCK HIS TEENAGED EXISTENTIAL ANGST

Dirk nudges him! Revenge.]

There are different kinds of damage, dude. You're clearly capable of being more than what you were designed for. Some people are just incapable, like literally physically incapable, of being certain ways. Some people can't feel empathy for others, or experience any emotions at all. Or they can get the idea of morality abstractly but they can't genuinely conceptualize it. Others feel things but they do it in the wrong way.

That's a flaw in their souls, or their brain chemistry or whatever. Your main flaw is being born to a shitty job description.

[rootandbranch]

Hmph! I don't know if you're right about that.

[Geir nudges him back!!!!!! RETURN OF THE REVENGE? this is an extremely serious existential conversation.]

Either way, why would having something broken make you less of a person? As far as I can tell, you can either be a person or an-- um, thing? Um... a weapon. Or a tool. Breaking only makes you useless if you're that.

People don't have to do, they just have to be. And figure out what they're being. Right? So what does feeling wrong even have to do with it?

[Odin's balls, he hopes he's understanding this correctly. if he has to deal with the pressure of not only having feelings but figuring out if they're the right ones, he's going to fall over.]

[splinten]

[Dirk makes a disgruntled noise because Geir is better at nudging. He has the dragon advantage.]

It matters because you hurt people. You fuck up. And since you're fucked up in your very goddamned essence of being, you'll never be able to stop fucking up except by completely opting out.

But you aren't like that, dude. You're capable of learning, changing, and growing. You have potential.

[rootandbranch]

[is that the first non-deadpan reaction Dirk has given today? truly this has become intense.]

You don't know that either. Maybe I'll try and find out I shouldn't have tried. Or it's too hard for me. You don't know that. I don't know that.

[splinten]

[This is Very intense as they sit curled up in a dragon in the rain.]

Of course I do. I've met you. You've been learning and growing in the span of our few conversations.

[rootandbranch]

[a dragon fort is the superior way to hide out from the elements. waterproof, warm, questions the philosophical basis of your own self-loathing.]

Yeah, well, if I end up hurting Vern, I'm gonna regret it really quick, won't I!

[splinten]

Regret doesn't make you not a person. It doesn't even make you bad at being a person.

[rootandbranch]

What.

Freyja's jewels, you just said the opposite of that.

[bulletbiter]

[ These are difficult things to think about. He can't answer with complete honesty, even if the truth had been staring at him in the face since... well, since he came here. ]

We knew that they were connected, but we couldn't find out if they were the same type of organism.

[ It's not a lie. But it's... not the complete truth, either. There are some things he has to keep to himself. ]

[bulletbiter]

[ That day is also the day he'll make sure to give as much approval as he can. ]

I'm not that good with crowds. I can stay here with you until you're done.

[decipheringeye]

[She stands up and bows, only losing her balance a little. With a dragon, you probably have to be a little respectful.]

I'm Kosuzu Motoori, just an ordinary bookseller.

[secrowtary]

Oh? So you are feeling different. This means that these pastries... [ A pause. ] ... Are indeed connected to the magic going awry. But you haven't found out what your power is yet, have you?