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

[eyeforaneye]

[ For a moment, Sasuke considers what he was taught were the three vices of all shinobi: sex, gambling, and alcohol. He's never engaged with any of the three, and given what he's seeing now he judges this to be wise. Are these the decisions that alcohol inspires? Is Byleth actually drunk? Stay tuned. ]

I'm not interested in killing you.

Be a man and take your turn, since it's clear you're shirking your punishment.

[fishfearme]

Why would you need to kill me to defeat me?

[Byleth's tone isn't goading, he's like, genuinely asking, blinking those big ol' innocent (dead fish) eyes at him. After all, shouldn't Sasuke be able to take him down 'non-lethally'? He quickly lost interest though, because Sasuke dropped his outrageous penalty and that was all Byleth wanted.]

Never mind. The moment has passed. Never have I ever betrayed someone.

[eyeforaneye]

Because that's your point. You want to test how lethal my force may or may not be, and as I have no desire to prove you right it would be impossible for you to win. There's no purpose in fighting you.

[ None outside of sating his own personal curiosity, perhaps, and that's something he can easily suppress. Still, what little emotion was in his expression is sapped as he takes a long, careful sip. ]

Never have I ever been drunk.

[fishfearme]

[So, they were at an impasse. Fair enough. A draw was a victory all on its own, in Byleth's opinion. At Sasuke's turn, he seemed to debate whether or not to take sip, and decides 'tipsy' is enough, so just downs half of his drink.]

Very well. Never have I ever...

[Hmm...]

...known my birthday.

[eyeforaneye]

[ A brow quirks, faint, at the strange choice in prompt. An orphan, perhaps? Either way, Uchiha Sasuke, renowned knower of his own birthday, is forced to drink. ]

Never have I ever been displaced by war. [ Time to dig for the info. ]

[fishfearme]

[Byleth had to think about that, because did it count as being 'displaced', when you followed the path of war for coin?]

I lived a nomadic life in the wilderness, but... coin was found where there was war and conflict. I suppose that counts.

[Sip.]

Never have I ever... [This was hard. Byleth had never done a lot of things, but now that he was forced to think of them, it was as if his mind couldn't conjure a single thing.] ...been successfully poisoned.

[eyeforaneye]

[ ... ]

What do you believe is the successful result of a poisoning? [ Stop everything, you mercenary. ]

[fishfearme]

Experiencing the symptoms of whatever poison you ingested or absorbed into your blood.

[Technically speaking, Byleth's been poisoned a hundred times over, but his Crest Stone was an industrious sort, functioning not only as his heart, but as his liver and kidneys too (but on steroids). As such, almost all poisons were broken down and neutralised, and thus he never really experienced any symptoms.

...strangely, hallucinogenic mushrooms still affected him, but did that count as 'being poisoned' when you willingly ate those and was mostly fine? (He mistook them as edible mushrooms, okay, but he supposed the experience had been mildly interesting)]

[eyeforaneye]

Wrong.

[ Was this up for debate? Apparently. ]

The correct answer is that for it to be successful you should experience the symptoms the poison intends to inflict. If a poison is meant to kill you and it only paralyzes you, can you call that a success?