[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

[soulcomet]

[... all right then, Mami Strider. also it might take a little while before Madoka is ever not surprised at his sense of humor — she does seem amused, though.]

You have a really weird set of superpowers. At least the fish won't know what hit them?

[splinten]

I got them from a really weird game. [Sburb really is a weird game.] On top of that, I used to live in the ocean, so this is old hat.

[soulcomet]

The ocean ... So you mean you lived on a boat?

[splinten]

[Explaining this. Ah.]

I lived in the last apartment standing in the flooded city of Houston. Everything around was under the sea except my place. My Bro had reinforced it centuries back to ensure I'd have a place to live when I arrived.

[on a meteor, but he leaves that out because clearly this is stupid enough as it is]

[soulcomet]

[oh.]

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

[splinten]

[He sees that face, and knows he is about to make things more stupid.]

An alien tyrant melted all of the glaciers to make our planet more like her watery homeworld.

[soulcomet]

[so, alien-induced global warming. close enough.]

[it is pretty stupid, but it seems to bother Madoka more than it weirds her out.]

That's so awful ... What about all the people living there?

[splinten]

[....This isn't going to get better.]

Most humans were dead by then. The flooding took care of the rest.

[soulcomet]

[that stops her dead in her tracks, and she looks up at him, horror written all over her face.]

You mean ... you were the only one there? [the idea is utterly unfathomable to her.]

[splinten]

[He doesn't know how to comfort her. There isn't any way to make it sound better than it was. He tries to soften it by mentioning his friends]

In that apartment. I could visit Roxy sleepwalking in our shared dream planet, so I wasn't totally bereft of human contact, and eventually I was able to get in touch with her, Jane, and Jake through the Internet. But I was the only one left in Houston, yeah.

[soulcomet]

[it makes her want to just hug him again. it makes her want to cook a thousand meals to at least try to make up for the countless ones he must have spent alone.]

[Madoka doesn't really know what to say. she's silent for a few minutes, just hanging on tightly to his hand, hating how unfair it is.]

I'm sorry. I can't ... even begin to imagine what that must have been like.

[splinten]

It's cool. Now at least you know why I've got such a remedial ability in basic social interaction.

[The dry joke is meant to help her feel not so bad about it. But he doesn't seem to pull away from the way she holds his hand. He has spent too long without human contact, too long trying to imagine what it would be like to hug something and feel them hug back. He can't push this away.]

Plus, I spent a lot of time educating myself or doing ruin diving. Which brings me back to my original point about being pure badass in the fine art of fish fillet.

[soulcomet]

[she is so, so bad at hiding her feelings. it's probably obvious in the sorry attempt she makes to steel herself, but she does manage a smile.]

[Madoka has no idea if Dirk is actually okay with telling her this — okay with looking back on where he once was — or if he's just ... being Dirk. but she takes his jokes as a cue. she'll follow his lead and try to think positively about it.]

Well ... you're definitely not alone now. Um ... You know if you're ever feeling lonely, you can come talk to me, right? It doesn't matter if it's the middle of the night or anything.

[she gets the sense that he might not do that, even if he wanted to. but she wanted to put the offer out there regardless.]

[splinten]

...Thanks, Madoka. [Her suspicions aren't wrong, and he adds,] Honestly, it's hard for me to reach out to people. As you can imagine, it isn't a habit I ever really got into. So I mean it when I say thanks.

[Because it's hard for him, strange and unfamiliar. But he still appreciates that she wants to try.]

[soulcomet]

It's no trouble at all. You're a precious friend to me ... I just hope that I can be someone you can rely on, no matter what.

[she hesitates, but only briefly. she doesn't mind admitting this.]

I don't know if this'll make you feel better, but ... I'm not so good at asking for help either. I've always kind of felt like I'd just go through life being a burden and having to rely on everyone else for help — I never felt like I had anything I could do to help in return.

[honestly, if the threat of a battle hadn't been looming over them earlier, there's a nonzero chance that Madoka may have waited to ask for help with her Soul Gem. she hadn't asked in the context of saving herself, she had asked because they had a mission, and she was no good to them dead.]

So, um ... you aren't alone in that.

[splinten]

[It rings with painful familiarity. He has heard senses of it from his friends; he knows what fragments of it he knows in himself.]

It feels like if you ask, you're basically useless. There's one damn thing you're for and you can't even do that right.

[soulcomet]

That's exactly it. And you just get so tired of standing to the side and feeling useless, you're almost willing to do anything to change it, right?

[not that she regrets the choices she's made. but from what she remembers, she did trade her life to save a dead cat. it was a reckless move, and not a fair deal.]

It's so frustrating.

[splinten]

[His friends had always said he was the capable one and it was the image he played up, a hard sword for a hard dude, the badass who raised his own damn self. Dirk Strider can dive, fish, and cook a fillet, he can fight off drones, he can do anything.

Except he couldn't. He was alone in an apartment, unable to reach anyone except indirectly. Constantly trying to find ways to send presents to the people he cared about, helpless to do anything other than that.]

Yeah. So that's the difficulty in asking for any assistance, regardless of how you might, rationally, know that it isn't an issue. Sometimes knowing makes it even more difficult to ask.

[soulcomet]

Well, when you put it that way, it sort of makes me think ... I mean, you and I are from who knows how many worlds apart. You've lived through things I could never, ever imagine.

[they seem like polar opposites, don't they? she has enough hope to rip apart and rewrite the universe. he's told her he has none, though, the more they get to know one another, the less convinced she is of that.]

But, maybe we aren't so different. Not really. [she lifts her head to smile at him. swings their arms a bit as she's talking.]

And maybe this is just something we could work on together.

[splinten]

[She smiles, she swings their arms. It's that brightness of hope, the thought that it is something you can work on. That the things that make you fucked up aren't things you just accept.

That not only someone like her, someone great and kind and open, can improve, but that there's a chance for someone as worthless and unpalatable as him.

Something twists in his chest and his eyes blink rapidly behind his shades. He looks away.]

You'd... want to do that? Together.

[Gotta clarify this.]

[soulcomet]

Absolutely. [it's said without any hint of uncertainty.]

We're friends after all, right? And together, we have a good shot at getting through this — or, any other problems we might run into.

[splinten]

You are like a walking hope battery, Madoka. [This is the only way he can handle the level of friendship and optimism being thrown at him: commenting on it.] You'd definitely be some variety of Hope player in my world.

[Witch of Hope just sounds mean though.]

[soulcomet]

[change Hope to Salvation and that is exactly the sort of witch Madoka will turn into one day. also it would end in total and utter annihilation.]

Really? What does a Hope player do?

[splinten]

It's one of the more nebulous aspects, like Heart. My friend Jake was our Hope player. A Page, which apparently is a slow-burning class, so he's had trouble with his full potential. From the little information we have on it, Hope players can make things real through their faith and steadfast belief.

[Honestly, Hope is a REALLY confusing aspect.]

[soulcomet]

[perhaps appropriately, Madoka looks confused.]

Sort of like wishes, then ... What do you mean by Page, though?