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

[bakedapple]

[ The unknown man isn't uninviting, not specifically. It's just a bit odd to have someone reach out and grab your shoulder, and then... gaze and not say anything. And then not say anything again. The nod is an answer, at least, and in the pregnant pause that follows, Link comes to the conclusion that maybe he's just a dude of few words. Which, you know, he totally gets.

So he nods back, and his frown softens into a more neutral, open expression. Sure, let's play, then. He turns and walks towards the organizer, assuming the stranger is following behind him. ]

Excuse me. We'd like to join the next race, please.

[ The woman cheerfully nods and asks them for their names. ]

My name is Link. And this is... [ he glances at the stranger. ]

[passio]

[ dextera can speak with his fellow shardbearers through communion, but he’s still at a loss when it comes to communicating with the average kenosian resident. even the troops he was asked to help direct had to adapt to his silent leadership, which really just made him self-conscious. ]

…

[ he looks at link and waves his hand as if to say that’s not necessary, and repeats the same gesture to the woman, tapping his throat. ]

[bakedapple]

[ Seeing this gesture from the man, the organizer's attitude shifts. She apologizes for not recognizing him sooner, and as she gathers a coil of rope to hand over to them, refers to him by name — Dextera.

The rope is dumped into Link's arms, and she directs them towards the starting line before moving on to the next pair behind them. Link, for his part, realizes he might already know of this man too. He'd sat in on a few drills with Meridian soldiers, and one round was directed by a senior Shard-Bearer who never spoke. The soldiers present for that one seemed to be familiar with the man's style of communication, but Link had quickly become lost in what was going on.

He glances to Dextera as they walk towards the starting line. ]

May I call you Dextera? [ If he's a sergeant or lieutenant or something, then he ought to refer to him with the proper title instead, but Link doesn't know what title that might be. ]

[passio]

[ dextera has an innate discomfort with titles anyway. the hierarchy of their forces means that most of the people in his little company at least called him sir, but since he holds no formal military title, he doesn’t want to go by anything but the name he was given in the company of fellow shardbearers.

so he nods.

with their introductions made, dextera plucks part of the rope in link’s arms and looks the both of them over; the practical side of tying themselves together might be complicated by their respective heights. ]

Hmm…

[bakedapple]

[ Dextera is nearly a foot taller than Link, but to whatever extent that might complicate their decision to partner up for this game, he either doesn't realize or doesn't care. He's already crouching down, boot placed beside Dextera's larger foot, to begin looping the rope around their ankles. ]

Is this how it works? [ Holding one end of the rope in his hand, he pauses, not tying anything just yet. ] Or are we supposed to tie it higher...?

[passio]

[ dextera has never played, only watched; the watching was enough to get him itching to try, and honestly, in a way he can’t entirely explain, he craves the feeling of someone so close to him they might as well be one person. it’s an innocent desire, if a little heavy for just a game. ]

…

[ experimentally lifting the foot link has tied himself too, he tries to test how difficult it is to move. it… feels like he’s got a person-sized weight attached to him, appropriately enough.

assuming that’s good enough, he nods. ]

[bakedapple]

[ This is good enough, then, as far as Link can tell, and Dexter's approval affirms it. The long-eared young man flashes Dextera a muted smile once he's standing again, excited for this game even if it's frivolous. He's had to look for simple pleasures wherever he could find them, and... well, it's kinda nice that the Meridian veterans have taken the time to include stuff like this at the cookout.

The other racers are stepping up to the starting line. Link glances at them before looking back to Dextera. ]

Step with our tied feet first?

[passio]

[ the other racers don’t look particularly more sure of themselves than dextera feels, which is a pretty good sign for their odds. of course, it utterly doesn’t matter how they do here except for the sake of their reputation, but dextera is competitive. he wants to win. ]

…

[ a more enthusiastic nod.

with the countdown to start, dextera reaches for link’s hand to make sure they stay stuck to each other even if one of them starts to falter, and on the signal to go—he goes, taking a clumsy step forward. ]

[bakedapple]

[ Link is thinking the same thing. He clutches back at Dextera's hand, the calloused pads of his fingertips finding easy purchase against his skin. Their first step together is awkward but fairly well-synced, a good sign for the remainder of the fight. As long as he can keep up with the taller man's longer stride, this shouldn't be so hard...!

As long as he can. Second step, third step, and it's starting to become a little more clear how tricky this actually is. A few pairs are already pulling slightly ahead of them. ]

— and, step! [ he calls out, just before the next pace of their tied ankles. And then again, after they step forward with their untied feet. What they need is rhythm. Building a predictable rhythm together. ] And, step! And, step!

[ Between paces, he flashes Dextera a wide grin before looking back down at their path. ]