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

ii-b

[muchalucha]

[ Indeed, Quetzalcoatl doesn’t quite notice when Link settles down to listen to her story. She’s already partially through it, and enthusiastically, at that. But, this is a good place to settle all the same. For one, she’s a good storyteller, even if her tale is definitely on the fantastic side. And two, well. She has a plate similarly piled up to comical proportions. Servants need to eat a lot! ]

So, I told him! “Oh, no! That's not what I meant. We won't keep the bones, we just want to borrow them. The humans would be mortal, and would eventually return to you, just like how everything else is born and eventually dies, even the Sun itself. Only we Teteo live forever. You wouldn’t really lose anything, prometo, and in the meantime, your fame would grow.” That's—

[ It’s at this point that she realizes someone else has joined in to listen to her story, so she does pause to give Link a little wave. ]

Ah, another! My story is getting popular… [ She laughs, taking the moment to take a bite of her food before she nods towards him to give the background for what he’s missed. ] Mm, I’m telling the story of when I went to Mictlán with my twin Xolotl! We had to go rescue the bones of humanity from there, you know?

[ you know, normal story??? ]

[bakedapple]

[ Link blinks a little sheepishly when the storyteller comments on his presence. He vaguely feels like he's interrupted something, even though her boisterous welcome keeps him from feeling genuinely embarrassed. ]

The... bones?

[ What is she talking about. He's... having a hard time even thinking of what the beginning of this story could have been. With his gaze lingering on the woman, Link picks up the knife he'd taken along with his slice of pie and cuts a small piece. Glaringly, he has no other silverware with him... just a blunt table knife. ]

...I don't know, actually. What does that mean?

[muchalucha]

The bones, right!

[ She laughs as she props her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees. She’s at least getting used to the reaction of people not knowing what the fuck she’s talking about, since it seems the legends of her divinity weren’t so well known here in Kenos. It doesn’t bother her in the slightest, though! In fact, it makes the stories a little more fun to tell. ]

It’s hard to make people, you know? So it took a few tries to get it right, at least in my domain. This is the era of the Fifth Sun, but there were four that came before where we tried to make people but it didn’t quite work out. So, their bones were left behind. And with a little bit of divine power, bones are like seeds: everything that dies goes into the Earth, and from them, new life can be born. It’s a cycle, and the cycle of everything, right?

[ And, to the side, one of the people mouths a “thank you” to Link because they were wondering the same thing… ]

[bakedapple]

[ That was one of the most bewildering things he's ever heard. Link tried his best to listen politely, but by the end of it, there's an unmistakable pouty frown on his face. ]

The Elder Goddess Farore created people, along with all other life. And then she and the other two Goddesses, Din and Nayru, gave birth together to the Goddess Hylia, to act as their liaison.

[ Link doesn't say as much with words, but his slightly argumentative tone says it for him: what she's saying isn't right at all. Everybody knows the Three Golden Goddesses created the world. ]

[muchalucha]

Sure! In their domain, right?

[ The lightly argumentative tone doesn’t bother her in the slightest, since her world already includes this kind of conflict. The way that her people were created differs from that of, say, Babylon and its gods, yet they’re not in conflict at all. How, you ask, well you see (static noises bc canon never actually explains) ]

There’s lots of stories of creation, sí! It’s hard work to create people, after all! So even my going to Mictlan, that only made the, ah, what was it— Mesoamerica, I think it’s called later? Just one part of the whole world!

[bakedapple]

[ Well. The previous record of "most bewildering thing he's ever heard" has already been smashed. Great job, Quetzacoatl??? ]

Meso... america?

[ He has no idea what that is. But, the argumentative pout is gone now, as Link is more earnestly trying to figure out what she's on about. She isn't saying she's a... goddess or something, is she? It's hard for him to believe that. ]

No, they... there are only four Goddesses. If they created everything, then that must mean...

[ that Kenos and all the other worlds fall under that. Everything means everything. The longer he thinks about it, the more he's hunching his shoulders and looking very lost. ]