open | a merry meri mingle

[sterngaze]

Who: Meridians new & old!
What: Cookout mingle
Where: Alenroux
When: Mid-March, after Vander's rescue
Warnings: Potentially alcohol consumption and violence, for the rowdy

After the initiation of Springstar's invasion plans for Alenroux, tensions among the Meridian-aligned might be a bit strained. The move comes as a surprise even for many of the shard-bearers within the faction itself, to say nothing of those whose livelihoods depend on the farms here. It's not yet clear what Highstorm's response will be, but one will certainly be coming; when that happens, someone is going to come out on the bottom, and their blood will be at least partially on Meridian's hands.

At times like this, the importance of maintaining morale can't be understated. A call goes out to the newest generation of those harmonized with Meridian's light: it's time to have a party!

PREPARATION:

Those who can are invited to help with the set-up. There are drinks to procure, foodstuffs to acquire and prepare, canopies to erect for shade, entertainments to organize. It's not meant to be a grand affair — the gathering is private, intended to foster camaraderie among the shard-bearers after long days and nights of work — but it will be a comfortable one, with edibles and enjoyments to offer to those taking solace in the company of their fellows.

It takes one of Alenroux's long days to make all the necessary arrangements — and then, late the following morning, after the night's monsters have slunk back into the woods, things are made ready. All that's left is for the guests to arrive.

THE EVENT:

Spring is still in the midst of taking hold over Alenroux, so a tall bonfire at the centre of the gathering place offers a toasty place to linger and chat throughout the day. Hot drinks and a variety of fire-roasted foods are on offer, including an entire deer helpfully supplied and prepared by Liem. Logs and stumps provide simple seating, and nearby canopies provide shade around the tables of food and drink. A little further away, sturdy tents provide more private gathering places for those wishing for a break from the hubbub.

And there will be hubbub. To break the ice between unfamiliar faces, a variety of contests have been set up over the course of the gathering. These range from simple arm-wrestling competitions, to three-legged races, to friendly sparring matches for those so-inclined. Gathered Meris are encouraged to spectate and bet amongst themselves on contest outcomes — and better yet, to volunteer to participate themselves during the next round.

For those who have already had a chance to relax and let off some steam, the gathering is a perfect opportunity to get to know one's fellow sect-mates a little better, and to reaffirm why Meridian called to them in the first place. Those gathered are encouraged to take the chance to tell a few tales about the place they came from, and to share the visions inside their Sunbeam with those from other worlds. A favourite place, a cherished person, an unkept promise, even an old enemy: all could be worth revisiting for a moment with new comrades in arms.

Comments

[warmare]

[The first thing that comes to mind is Zenith.

It has to be them. The monsters of Alenroux not only did not show their faces in the day, they also did not use the weapons of man. They were beasts the same as the deer was, only more powerful. So if someone was shooting her with an arrow...

The arrow that her enemy rips from the tree and adds to his own quiver is noticably thicker and longer than his own, fletched with the brown feathers of a sea eagle. Arrows more fitting for a warrior whose bow is far larger, far more powerful at the draw.

But more importantly... Hayame doesn't like losing arrows. As she disappears into the brush, trained to do so despite her large size, she finds a place to hide herself, regain her sense of the location, get her breathing under control... and listen. She doesn't hear any other movements, with ears more advanced in sense than a human's, so this should be a scout at best, not a whole battalion... So after a moment, she raises her voice to call out into the wood.]

I'll be wanting that arrow back, Zenite!

[There's another one notched on her bowstring already, just waiting for signs of movement or a more noticeable shift in leaf and branch.]

[bakedapple]

[ It spoke. And not only did it speak, it said something... uh, very immediately worrying. The kind of thing that makes Link pause, squint his eyes, and do 90's modem noises in his brain, as he processes this unexpected new information.

Oh no. He's made a mistake. ]

Uh, er... wait! Hold! Hold your arrow!

[ After dropping to the ground with a heavy thud, he presses his back against the tree trunk, hoping it can provide him enough cover in this specific moment. He takes a deep, hopeful breath and calls out as loudly as he can. ]

I'm not a Zenite! I — I thought... you were a monster! I'm sorry! Hold your arrow!

[warmare]

[So it speaks.

But Hayame is not so quick to believe. Though she remains in position rather than attacking, she does not relax her stance or take her arrow off her bowstring. An enemy could lie just as easily as breathe, and so what she calls back is-]

Throw your weapons out and step clear to surrender, then!

[The anger over being mistaken for a monster can wait.]

[bakedapple]

[ Link huffs softly to himself. He can hear the anger in its... no, in her voice, and he can certainly understand why he's caused offense. But... demanding that he throw his weapons aside strikes him as too much. He isn't trying to surrender, he's trying to apologize. Maybe the problem is that she doesn't believe him?

Her command is met with silence. After a long moment, Link's gloved hand emerges from around the trunk of the tree. Clutched in his fist is a leather cord, and dangling from it is the unmistakable golden bead given to every Meridian as proof of Cyrus' promise. ]

[warmare]

[The problem is she doesn't believe him... and the problem continues to be that she doesn't believe him.]

That proves nothing!

[Anyone could kill a Meridian and take the iliachtida off their corpse. Any mage could use some sort of illusion to make it seem awash with Meridian power, even.]

Surrender or be shot, I said!

[The fact that they haven't identified themselves already...]

[bakedapple]

[ Withdrawing his sunbeam, Link sighs. This is getting nowhere. He doesn't know what she wants him to say — the option of saying who he is not even coming to his mind, as he never had to do such a thing fighting Moblins and crazed ancient robots back home — and throwing aside his weapons is not something he is willing to do. But he does want to give the arrow back, and he does want to say he's sorry in a more formal, respectful way than yelling it from behind a tree yards away.

So when his hand sticks out again, it's clutching her lost arrow. It feels much sturdier and heavier in his hand, the kind of arrow meant for a large bow... and which pierces its target much deeper than the lighter, faster arrows he uses.

Once he's given her enough time to recognize what he's holding out, he steps out from behind the tree. His other arm is carrying his shield in front of him defensively. Assuming she does not immediately fire at him, he yells out: ]

I'm going to retrieve my arrow, and I will put yours in its place. Please allow me to exchange it in peace!

[warmare]

[Thankfully for her sudden enemy, Hayame does not shoot immediately- even though she is confident she could take fire and hit one of his legs. She waits... and lets out a low, frustrated whistle of air. She should not-

But there are so many arrows in her quiver that were made by the hands of a brother she may never see again. And for one of them...]

Go, and be quick about it!

[She still doesn't believe that he isn't planning to do something. He could still be planning to launch an attack. So she will not be putting her guard down or moving from her defensible position while he does it, glaring at her target through the leaves.]

[bakedapple]

[ No other arrows come flying his way. Alright... it's a start.

Link takes a deep breath and walks slowly through the grass, back into the center of the clearing. He keeps his shield raised, but he knows it can provide only limited protection if she decided she wants to attack him after all. It's his hope in an amicable resolution here that he's relying on the most to protect him right now, not any of his equipment.

Reaching his own arrow, he stops, thinks for a moment, and puts his shield away. Then he kneels, picks up his arrow, and places her arrow back in the grass. ]

...Alright. I've exchanged them.

[ He takes several paces backwards, keeping his eyes on the brush she disappeared into. His hands are empty. He wants her to come out. ]

[warmare]

[He moves, and Hayame's eyes follow, narrowed and sharp.

She has a chance when he lowers his shield and then puts it away. He is unguarded, it would be easy to put an arrow through his heart... but she hasn't identified him for sure as an enemy. He could be a Zenite... but he could also be an exceptionally stupid Meridian, or a clueless unharmonized. She doesn't need more blood on her hands. Or, more accurately, she didn't want to deal with the fallout or the complaints if he got it wrong.

But he lingers, and she does not come out.]

Then go!

[Her next arrowhead glints near the haft of her bow, martial spirit unwavering.]

[bakedapple]

[ Link does not move. He continues to stare into the thick brush. The glint of the arrowhead catches his attention — he focuses on it and makes out her silhouette against the branches and shadows.

She looks like a Lynel, and at the same time, she doesn't. It's only looking at her from the front that he can clearly see her very humanlike face and upper body, so different from the pastiche of man and beast that makes up a Lynel's colossal form. That's different, too... she's not as big as a Lynel, not as tall nor as inhumanly bulky. It's not much different from gazing upon a very tall Hylian woman, if he ignored her bottom half. And her rounded ears.

He feels even more determined now to let his regrets be known, even if he has to leave without a proper apology. So he starts to step awake, backwards, keeping his eyes on her as he goes. ]

I mistook you for a cruel creature from my world. I was thinking too heavily about the rumors of monsters in this place.

[ He's trying his best to project his voice without yelling, but the thick woods seem to sap the volume of his words. With a sigh, he calls out even louder: ]

I meant no offense, and I'm sorry!

[warmare]

[An apology was enough for forgiving people. An explanation was enough for gullible people. But Hayame was not either of those things. Even though the man offers her something, he still doesn't offer her what she'd actually asked for- hard proof of his allegiance, a reason not to put an arrow through his chest.

Not doing it is her form of mercy.

There is no response in words. She stands just as still and firm as she had been, watching him retreat. And only once he has gone far enough does she break...

In order to retrieve her arrow before disappearing back into the forest.]