[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

[deem]

I...actually don't know what mine is supposed to be.

[Could they have even modified him in such a way?]

Somebody like me shouldn't be able to have magic. I wasn't built for it.

[sealeted]

...

[Hold on.]

Built?

[deem]

[He straightens a little, though there's not much one can do from his position]

That's right, I'm an android. [And no matter how dumbfounded some are by this, the words still come easily to him] YoRHa unit 9S, Ma'am.

[sealeted]

Oh.

[She tugs at her forelocks a bit, before coming to a decision.]

Hakuno Kishinami, an AI. Nice to meet you.

[deem]

An AI?

[He echoes the designation curiously, for all that it's not the first time he's heard it now. Certainly not the first person identifying themselves as one]

I've met a few around here. [...] You don't store things in your chest too, do you?

[Curiosity killed the cat, but the cat persists]

[sealeted]

[This face.]

...no, that's something specific to Passionlip.

[She also has a much more normally-sized bust.]

She, BB and I were originally created by a system called the Moon Cell, the SE.RA.PH, or the Serial Phantasm, depending on who you ask and under what circumstances.

[deem]

[The only thing to note about Passionlip's bust, to 9S, is that it must be cumbersome in battle. Android priorities]

That sounds pretty complicated.

[And still makes him think of highly evolved machine life-forms like N2, in point of fact]

I'm not sure I get what that makes you guys.

[sealeted]

If you really think about it... something incomprehensible, I suppose. The Moon Cell predates humanity, after all.

[deem]

[Another point on the Must be Machines tally, and yet—

And yet 9S doesn't want to think so]

If mankind didn't create it, who did?

[sealeted]

I'm not sure. I've only existed for under a year, and I never had access to those records.

[...well, she could have, in the Core, but she was kind of busy wishing, being deleted, and then being rescued.]

[deem]

I know how that is... I've been around for about four, but they didn't want me knowing certain information.

[9S limits this to the simplest of terms, if only because it's a dark subject]

Guess we've got that in common, huh?

[sealeted]

Artificial grunt solidarity?

[deem]

[There's no fending off the small, wry laugh that bubbles up in him at that suggestion.

It's not a good lot to have, but at least it means they understand each other]

Sure looks that way.

[He lifts a hand, holding up just his index finger within easy high-five range]

Usually people slap hands at this part, right? But since I'm so much larger right now...

[sealeted]

[She solemnly claps her tiny palm against that finger, nodding.]

We'll call this a down payment. I'll give you a proper high-five when I'm my normal size again.

[deem]

It's a plan then. Androids don't forget, you know.

[Not unless hard resets are involved, but he's purposefully ignoring the supreme irony of him making such an assertion, of all the units out there]

[sealeted]

...well, I can't say I haven't had some memory-corruption issues in the past, but I always keep my promises.

[deem]

Those things...seem to happen.

[Forthright about his own problems unless it's sand in his boots? Never]

But hey, if you end up needing to get around, I'll give you a hand.

[He punctuates this statement by wiggling his fingers]

[sealeted]

It might be fun to look around a little...

[She eyes the stacks of sweets around her, torn.]

Um, could you...bring one or two of these with us?

[deem]

[Looking around is a fine pass-time, a Scanner will always support it]

Sure can. [Said with a cheerful smile] Which ones do you want?

[sealeted]

The one I'm eating now, and the one under it, please.

[She isn't actually sure how much will fit in her stomach right now.]

[deem]

You've got it.

[9S takes a moment to collect the plate she's been working on and slides the other pastry into place beside it.

Once that's done, he's got a free hand to offer her, palm up so she can step on]

All aboard.

[sealeted]

Pardon me.

[She still hasn't found shoes, so he doesn't have to worry about that as she carefully steps on and sits in his palm. Her tail might tickle his palm a bit, though.]

Thanks, for this.

[deem]

[His gloves serve as something of a barrier between them, but his hand is warm even through the pebbled leather]

Happy to help. I'm used to being the little guy.

[Once he's sure that she's settled, he murmurs an "up we go" and raises his hand to about chest-level so she can have a good look at their surroundings]

Where to first?

[sealeted]

Little like short, or is this more grunt solidarity?

[Should she start a running tally for high-fives...?]

Let's see... I think I saw some Palai gathering materials for something, before I started shrinking. Want to go see what they're doing?

[deem]

Could be a bit of both, come to think of it.

[Get a high-five queue going here-

But he's certainly curious, glancing around after she makes that suggestion]

Wonder what they're up to... [Once he's spotted a group some distance away, he nods] Let's have a look then.

[He turns and starts in that direction, plate in one hand and Hakuno in the other]