[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]

...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?

[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.

[soulcomet]

[there's no discernible judgment on her face when she looks up at him, listening. maybe someone else would be more bothered by the idea of souls and hearts and destruction in the hands of one person, but at this point, there's pretty much nothing Dirk could do that would change how she cares about him.]

[the thoughtful look is more her trying to suss out Pages, and what exactly makes Prince an appropriate title here.]

[and then she frowns.]

I would have thought that a game that affects people so deeply would at least come with some instructions. That doesn't sound fair at all.

[splinten]

[Dammit, Madoka. Just accept he's a bad person who doesn't deserve love or kindness!!

She makes a good point about Sburb, one he appreciates. Unfortunately, she is just right.] Some players make guides for other players to reference. Unfortunately, that requires transmitting information across universes, which can be tricky. From the evidence I have, the majority of Sburb games end in failure.

[Including theirs. Unless John fixes it? Please fix it, John.]

[soulcomet]

[no, never. Dirk is a good person who never deserved the lonely sort of life he's led. she's absolutely certain of it.]

[she's quiet for a moment, watching him, as if she'd be able to glean any sort of information on their playthrough from his face. sadly, she can't.]

But then ... What is the point of the game, exactly?

[splinten]

[Even if it were someone as expressive as Jake, one can never truly understand a Sburb playthrough.]

Purportedly, to make a new universe. It's like genetic mutation in nature, basically: a lot of mutations suck and lead to the death of their hosts and the termination of that genetic line. Some mutations will succeed and lead to later successes.

[soulcomet]

[it sounds so awful - like they're all just pawns in this messed up game they barely even have a chance of winning. it may be nature or fate or any combination of factors that are ultimately good for everyone else, but it just. it isn't fair. what about the happy lives they're supposed to be living?]

[it feels familiar, achingly so, and Madoka doesn't want to burden him with anymore questions. she gives his hand a gentle squeeze, but it's hard to tell whether it's reassurance or concern.]

... I'm really glad you're here now, though. [and not wherever he was before.] And that we were able to meet.

Um ... I wouldn't mind seeing your fish filleting skills, either. [they can try to make this as normal a life as possible, for as long as they have.]

[splinten]

[it's that relentless kindness again. He can't refuse it.]

Fish fillet is on the menu. Time for dinner, Madoka.