[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

[rootandbranch]

Like?

[it's not that Geir isn't starting to evolve his own opinions on that, but it never hurts to get more...]

[rebells]

[He is so not equipped to answer this question.]

Kindness. Intelligence. Skills in areas that don't have to do with fighting. Anything you like.

[rootandbranch]

I met someone who said he thinks about everyone like they're someone who could be his friend, or have their own friends like his, so he wants to help them. I don't think the Uvi feel that way.

I wonder how much we'll have time to do before we go.

[rebells]

That I don't know. We're operating at the whims of Qri, except she doesn't seem to have all that many whims. Not ones she's telling us about, at any rate.

[rootandbranch]

[DEEP SIGH. Geir does not seem super impressed with Qri.]

Uh-huh. The thing about needing this power no one's heard of to keep everything going is pretty suspicious, but I guess it's fine for now. We had stuff we needed to get away from at home, anyway.

[rebells]

[Jay is in agreement on that point! If not the other one--he has things on his world he can admit he's probably better off away from, but he wouldn't call it 'fine' that Qri's essentially kidnapped them.

Not that he particularly wants to talk about that.]

What sort of things?

[rootandbranch]

[Geir isn't exactly sure how to describe what's going on back home. the end of the world? family trouble? some combination of both?

he settles on a medium-evasive compromise:]

My family wants me to do something I don't want to do right now. So I'm hiding out.

[rebells]

. . . is being here easier than telling them you don't want to do it?

[Kind of a leading question. He's very aware that whoever Geir's family are, they might not just take 'no' for an answer.]

[rootandbranch]

Much easier.

[Geir isn't even sure what exactly they would do to try to compel him to live out his destiny. would they even try? maybe they would just stand back expectantly and wait for him to scrounge up the strength and knowledge to carve a new destiny alone. he doesn't have that power yet, and without it...]

Have you ever had something to do, where if you don't do it, nothing else in your life makes sense?

[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.

[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.

[rebells]

[Jay takes a moment to answer; there is a barely perceptible flinch at Geir's last words.]

Even if you were made for a purpose, you can choose to do something else.

[Can you, though? Can he? Was he kidding himself thinking he could be something other than Solon's tool? Was all of it, the laughing and the spying and the long evenings spent dozing with the Oresoren on the rug, nothing in his mind except contentment--was all that just a six-year-long delusion?

No. He can't accept that. Whatever he was when he was Solon's creature, whatever he is now that that's happened again, for the years in between, he was something else.]

[rootandbranch]

. . . I mean, I hope so. It'd probably be nice. . .

[even the "it'd be nice" lacks conviction. Geir doesn't really have the experience of determining his own fate to compare with anything, yet; he made the decision not to end the world yet, but that was still partly for Vern. everything is still always partly for Vern. are you really choosing not to be a tool if you just decide to live for someone else rather than for your original purpose? is the choice to change enough? how does he decide what "Geir" wants to do when he doesn't even know who "Geir" is, really?]

Even if I can't do something like that, at least I can do what Vern wants instead, though.

[the whole thing gives him a headache. at least he has Vern; can think about what Vern would want and substitute that for his own desires. for the first time, he wonders if shoving the responsibility of making decisions about who they are onto Vern is being irresponsible, if Vern has headaches about these choices, too; his headache instantly gets worse at the thought. but he does believe Vern is a person, even if he's not. surely that's enough?]

. . . anyway. . .

[oh god, maybe Jay will change the topic]

[rebells]

[Jay opens his mouth, probably to argue--you can definitely choose to do something else unless you have someone, say, threatening the people you love if you don't do what you're supposed to, and also living for someone else is terrible! A terrible idea that leads to you bleeding out on a battlefield until some kindly otters come and pick you up and nurse you back to health! but also, he doesn't actually want to be having this conversation either. He is pretty sure, actually, that he has already revealed more of himself than he wanted to.

Also there is a small child here who is probably going to go home with some interesting philosophical questions.]

Right. Anyway.

[He pinches the bridge of his nose. You're still wrong, though!!!]

In the absence of any direction from Qri, we should try and learn more about her intentions, and the world we're in right now.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir will almost certainly think about this conversation and try to nail Jay on the points he's revealed later, so Jay's suspicion that he's revealed too much is correct. a dragon never forgets. for now, though, he relaxes visibly with the relief of pressure in Jay's change of topic, grateful that he picked up the hint.

it's probably noteworthy that even as Geir tensed up, Jay didn't note any physical threat about it. wherever this huge creature was directing his feelings, it wasn't outwards into violence against his surroundings. fortunate, given the massive teeth and claws.]

Did you hear anything else about the energy we're supposed to be getting her? That letter that Vern read me said something about "tangible and intangible resources," but it didn't give any examples.

[rebells]

No, Genette's been disappointingly vague about that. I'm not sure how one harvests intangible resources, anyway.

[rootandbranch]

Maybe they're just not something we can touch where we are, like it would be much harder to bite a root while I'm using this name... but none of this seems to be about getting closer to the Tree, either, so I don't know what we'd do to change that. Maybe she knows and she's just not mentioning it?

[rebells]

. . . it's possible. I don't know why she wouldn't tell us, though, unless she doesn't want us to know how we're gathering power for her.

[rootandbranch]

You've been here longer than me, right? Would you be surprised if she didn't?

[rebells]

[A pause.]

No. But very little about Qri would surprise me at this point.

[rootandbranch]

Being here longer doesn't make you trust any of them any more than I do, huh.

[Geir sighs a huffy little sigh, narrowing his eyes as he thinks about the implications of that.]

[rebells]

I'm a naturally distrustful person. But it's difficult to trust someone who won't explain themselves.

[rootandbranch]

"Naturally distrustful person"? Ehehehehehe...

[no Geir, you focused on the wrong part of that]

[rebells]

[He looks gently baffled . . . what is happening . . . . ]

It's worked out better for me than simply trusting whoever comes along, I've found.

[rootandbranch]

That's smart. There's a lot of tricksters out there.

[Geir doesn't seem to be saying that as a warning or a threat, nor does he seem unhappy about it. it's just an amused, pragmatic statement of fact...? maybe a little rueful, or wistful. it's kind of a weird reaction.

he doesn't seem to notice its oddity, getting distracted with leaning forward to touch noses with the Palai baby again. to the child:]

Hey, do any of your elders know any stories about Qri? I wonder.