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open | a merry meri mingle
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
PREPARATION:
THE EVENT:
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.
wildcard/huntress-ish
Link himself had slinked away from the party, for similar reasons and motivations as Hayame. He isn't very good with... that. Social gatherings. He doesn't know what to say. It's so much easier when he's speaking to others, meeting them, with a purpose in mind. But just... mingling? It's odd. Did he do that before? Was he ever good at it? He didn't forget other skills during his time in stasis. No, he's... probably never been good at that sort of thing.
But hunting, providing, he can do that. In a way, it would be his method of greeting everyone, and showing his worth as an ally, and maybe getting across his well-wishes to his new companions in a way he can't with words. Perched in a tree, he has an arrow notched and aimed at a full-grown doe in the clearing below him. And then... it falls to the ground, victim to an arrow that isn't his. Struck by confusion, he does not move or say anything. And then, something even farther beyond the realm of expectation happens right before his eyes. A creature, half-man and half-horse, clops across the clearing with bow in hand. He watches silently, in awe, as it bows down with outstretched arms and heaves the felled animal up from the grass.
They say this place that Highstorm and Springstar are fighting over is infested with monsters. While this one obviously isn't a Lynel, the resemblance is unmistakable.
He waits for the creature to turn its back to him. As it starts to walk away, he pulls back on the bowstring, aims carefully, and fires an arrow at its right hind leg. ]
no subject
It isn't skill that prevents her from being shot. It is pure luck that the deer on her back shifts and she has to move to the side to prevent it slipping, intending to secure it more firmly over her withers...
And then an arrow slams into the dirt near her fetlock.
In an instant, she is transformed. The six foot long bow in her hand comes up to bear, an arrow of her own is ripped from the quiver, and in the space of seconds it is fitted to the bowstring, aimed in the direction the offending arrow had come from, and shot. While it's still in the air, her prey is dumped back to the ground with a thump... and Hayame springs into flight, dodging into the protection of the brush and trees to gain time to find her attacker.]
no subject
He does not fire back. The woods are silent. Squinting, Link finally spots the fletching of his fired arrow, peeking upright through the grass. It was a miss, then... Damn. It knows someone is here now. A wasted advantage.
For a second, he wonders whether he should fall back. He could probably slink away, especially if it decides to flee or focus on hiding, and then wait it out like he would with any other prey until it decides the coast is clear and lets its guard down again. It's unlikely to abandon that deer, he thinks to himself.
One thing he has to do is leave the spot he's in now. It knows where he is. After yanking the creature's arrow from the tree and tucking it into his own quiver, he starts to climb around the other side of its branches, away from the direction it ran in, so he can more safely climb down in the veil of its thick leaves. His movement is quiet, but not silent, as he does not want to give the creature too much time to evaluate the situation. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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!
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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...]
no subject
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!
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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!
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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.]