last chance for carefree Aimintas nightlife!

[rootandbranch]

Who: All
Where: The Palai marketplace and surrounding city
When: Day 53, evening
Open/Closed: OTA (Geir's toplevel is here if you want him specifically, otherwise use these prompts for your own purposes! I thought we could all use a place to play with ideas from the weekly announcements.)


[it's been a few days since the latest exciting attempts to take down the island barrier and the even more exciting SPEED DATING extravaganza. the Palai have been working hard to get their city back in good shape after the attack earlier in the month, and now that their mating season has kicked off with such a bang, they're doing as much as they can to maximize it-- no one in the coven has ever seen the marketplace look so bustling and full of wares. perhaps you have the leisure to shop or spend time with someone special this evening?]


A (smells like teen spirit)

[per the mods: "The Palai mating season is still in full swing. During the second week of this season, the Lyna begin creating a special pheromone potion that is traditional as the week winds to a close and Palai begin to make their partnership choices. While the intended targets are the Palai, of course, these hormones also affect humanoid coven members. The effects can range from flushed lightheadedness to unabashed affectionate behavior."

as you wander by a perfume stall, the strangest scent catches your nose, something sweet and dizzying. hopefully no one you'd be embarrassed to have catch you is around to see you stumble... or catch you as you fall. if nothing else, there's a good chance that if they're close enough to catch you, they'll smell it too.]


B (what a beautiful wedding)

[per the mods: "Based on the results of the speed dating log, the Palai will obviously be rooting for unity within the coven. Some "successful" attempts at matchmaking will be noticed by the Palai, who will try their best to convince others to help these pairings along. Post here with a thread you want to volunteer for tribute -- the characters within this thread will have goods devoted to them made by the Palai, and gossip will be started about them in an effort to ~strengthen their bond~. It's the Palai version of shipping, tbh."

in another part of the marketplace, one of the Palai shopkeepers tugs on your sleeve with a wide smile. they offer you a (bad) action figure of one of several incredibly attractive coven members and ask if you've heard the good news about their marriage engagement! it seems that the Palai have watched enough soaps to know how this sort of thing should go.

if you're the subject of one of these works of art, you'll get congratulated instead. do you know any of these characters? if you don't, do you like gossiping about strangers? either way, you're in luck.]


C (don't you want to see these clothes on me)

[maybe you don't like falling in love with or relentlessly teasing your fellow coven members. you still might be interested in impressing them, or in fashion in general. for this very special week only, the Palai who sell clothes in the market are making an unusual effort to include larger items without tail holes for their discerning coven patrons. wares range from sumptuous silks and velvets to perfectly normal clothes of all descriptions, though the latter are harder to find.

because the Palai are hoping to encourage fancy humanoid mating displays by producing these new kicks for their benefactors, everything is available at discounted barter prices. shop with a friend! or just quietly buy something to replace that shameful shirt you've been wearing holes in since you got kidnapped.]


D (all work no play)

[as well as being a place to shop, the marketplace is still one of the best locations in Aimintas to gather, both people and supplies. perhaps this is the time to get in a few conversations with the Palai and each other about character projects like the recent island trip, or setting up a barrier around Aimintas, or anything else that you might have had in mind. there's plenty of Palai around to help out, as well as several shops selling the best weapons and general technology that the locals have available to them. there's also a big pile of junk that coven members brought back from the island in the corner of the market square for the refurbisher merchants to pick through -- this may be a great last shot to put some pieces together.

or you can just pick through the junk pile yourself and find a free cell phone! make your dreams a reality.]


E (loose ends)

[MAKE SOMETHING UPPPP]

Comments

[rootandbranch]

D - OTA

[Geir could have made it all the way into the market stalls in a more fortunate timeline, but he hasn't even gotten to any of the wider alleys that he could fit into yet. he's been distracted by the big pile of junk, some of which he personally carried down from the surface with the intent of bartering-- but does he really want to let it go, when he could curl up on a huge heap of it? what if this piece of broken plastic is really a valuable treasure?

right now he's trying to stop from jealously coiling around a stack of shitty broken offbrand tablets. the screens are still shiny. he can't help himself.]

What are they for? No, they must be worth something!


C - LOCKED TO VERN

[after Vern pries Geir away from the junk pile, they head into the market for food. it's one of Geir's first real trips through a bustling marketplace when it's not being attacked, and before they've gone more than a row his eyes are very wide. he seems almost overstimulated by all the noise and stuff; how could he possibly hoard all of this?

he's distracted from his excitement when they pass their second clothes shop, though... and more specifically, the heavy purple velvet cloak displayed outside. he catches Vern's braid on a claw and tugs in his urgency.]

Vern! Veeerrnn, you need to try that onnn...

[rootbound]

What? What?

[tugged, turning his head accordingly to look; his eyes widen comically at the display]

Geir, that is way too fancy. I can't pull something like that off.

[rootandbranch]

Of course you can! All you have to do is take it down from the rack. If they made it hard to pull off, no one could try it on to buy it.

[this is OBVIOUS, Vern, keep up! he tugs again.

honestly, Geir loves the idea of seeing Vern in something fancy. Vern is always wearing his drab outfit, when Geir feels so powerfully that he should be dressed up and displayed like the treasure he is. Vern doesn't have to try to hide here, right?]

[rootbound]

I meeeean that sort of thing's too fancy for me to wear! It was an expression...

[he takes a few steps in the direction of the store to ease the tug, but he is approaching Under Protest; he has literally never had the budget to dress himself up and really does not know where to start or what he would do with himself. honestly, left to his own devices, he would just buy the closest duplicates of his current tunic and trousers and be happy to have unpatched clothes.]

[rootandbranch]

Why is it too fancy? It looks nice. I bet it'd be soft.

[Geir knows zero about human clothes except when something looks rich and luxurious or not to him... and honestly, cheap flashy costume dress would fool him for quite a while. he has a vague idea that clothes are about showing off something, though, and that's what matters.]

You would look nice in it, too. Right?

[stubborn.]

[rootbound]

[shaking his head]

That's something a noble would wear, isn't it? I don't want to stand out that much. Besides, how can we afford something like that...?

[appealing to Geir's practicality isn't going to work, is it.]

[rootandbranch]

We brought the Palai so much junk, Vern. We can barter it for sure! Why shouldn't you dress like a noble? No one's going to mind here if you stand out... plus, if they tried to hurt you, I could protect you!

[maybe explaining that shyness isn't necessarily out of not wanting to die would at least partially work... or maybe not.]

[rootbound]

[...covers his face for a moment, flushing; Geir is so earnest about this]

It's not about -- about being a target? Not really. It's just, embarrassing to stand out...for me...?

[vern you already stand out you ride around on a giant-ass dragon 90% of the time. details.]

[rootandbranch]

I could try to stand out more, so they'd notice you less.

[Geir's mind went there too, apparently. oh dear.]

[rootbound]

[noooooooooo]

They'd notice me less if I wasn't wearing a purple velvet cape...

[rootandbranch]

At least try it on?

[maybe after he sees how handsome he looks Vern will be more persuadable.]

[rootbound]

Ffffine...

[Vern is pretty sure he will not want the purple velvet cape, which seems to get gaudier and more ostentatious the longer he looks at it, but if it makes Geir happy, he'll do it]

[rootandbranch]

[the cape doesn't look any better than Vern imagines, though Geir gazes at him in satisfaction. the heavy drape of the luxurious fabric might be surprisingly pleasant and comfortable, though.

Geir, for one, is thrilled. that's more like it! his summoner should definitely look like a king.]

You look beautiful.

[imsorey]

A.
[for a good portion of the morning Sorey managed to avoid inhaling any of the special pheromone potion as he made his way through the marketplace—until he hit the perfume stall, heavy with the smell of it and enough to knock him off his feet. he doesn't make it more than ten steps away from the stall before deciding that it would be a very good idea to sit down, which is why anyone passing by that particular area will find him slumped up against the nearest wall with a hand over his mouth and nose]

They should really put warning signs on some of the stuff here...

B.
[at the booth with the very enthusiastic Palai shopkeepers/shippers, several (bad) action figures are being shoved into Sorey's hands as he stammers, tries to clarify, and tries to edge away with as much dignity as he can muster. he has still somehow ended up with an armful of every single figure available, though several of them are people that he hasn't even met.]

While I'm impressed with your craftsmanship, I really don't need so many of them—yes, that one does look just like me, but—no, I'm not engaged, honest!

[please come save him. or make fun of him.]

b

[talim]

[ jude is in very much the same predicament, and when he spots sorey, he rushes to him for safety. unfortunately, that doesn't seem to help very much, seeing as they're the center of attention at the moment. more specifically, their friendship.

or relationship, according to the very enthusiastic palai. ]

Why is this happening to us? What did we do to deserve this?

[ jude is clutching an action figure in one hand, beet red. ]

[imsorey]

I think we just...got along? Maybe they took the flirting competition too seriously.

[as soon as he says it he realizes, far too late, what the source of the misunderstanding is]

That's my fault, then. Sorry for getting you dragged into this.

[talim]

What? No, it's not your... if there's blame to be placed then it should be placed on both of us.

... This goes without saying, but I forfeit the contest, by the way.

[imsorey]

Even if I won the contest, doesn't this situation kind of mean we both lost?

[he stares down at all of the little figures piled in his arms. it's debatable. free stuff maybe means they won? but he could do without the misunderstandings.]

[talim]

... That's true. There's no real winner here.

[ jude's only carrying one, but he joins sorey in staring at it. ]

What does Mikleo think about all this?

[oneandmikleonly]

[brightly, only audible to Sorey, before Sorey can mention that hey Mikleo's actually kind of right there--]

I think your willingness to compromise is very romantic.

[imsorey]

[a little too loudly, intentionally trying to drown out Mikleo's commentary]

Mikleo's jealous that he couldn't get a date.

oops i forgot to track this and didn't get a notif

[talim]

Really?

[ jude just sort of... blinks. ]

I didn't think he seemed like the type... Besides, it's not like it was a real date.

[ or was it?????? ]

[oneandmikleonly]

[snickering, just a little]

I wished you good luck getting one, didn't I? Jude's nice. You could have an actual friend date.

[he knows sorey is weak to friends]

[imsorey]

It was a friend date, which is different from the other kind of date, but still counts as a kind of date. I think. The point of speed dating is that it's a date, right?

[scratching at the back of his head and fessing up so that Jude doesn't get the wrong idea about Mikleo]

Mikleo didn't actually say he wanted a date, he's just trying to rub it in. He did say that you're nice, though.

[talim]

Well... I suppose I can't argue with that logic.

[ an amused glint flickers in his eyes, lips quirking upward. ]

I just didn't expect something as extreme as this to be the result— wait, what? He did?

[ jude flushes a light shade of pink. well. he's rather fond of mikleo, himself. ]