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

[fishfearme]

[Byleth blinked, actually taken aback at how serendipitous this whole thing was. Yet another breakthrough lead, just throwing itself into his path?!]

Is that so...

[Yet, as pleased as Byleth was about this development, he had noticed Vander's darkened mood. It meant Byleth's suspicions were all but confirmed: whoever now 'owned' Draumahol was likely the culprit of Birdie's disappearance. While he could give this information to Cetina and consider that particular case closed, he still needed to find out if the other two were linked to Draumahol, or if Birdie was just an outlier, falling to the mundane machinations of the criminal underworld.]

...then, may I ask you to aid me in the next step of my investigation? As I said, I was planning on visiting Draumahol to interrogate the new front owner myself, but I'm aware of the dangers. It wouldn't do to become 'disappeared' myself.

[Not that he'd make it easy for them. He was called 'Ashen Demon' for a reason.]

[exhound]

If it is who I think it is, then you’re right to be cautious. The man’s an underhanded rat who wouldn’t think twice about making moves against someone poking around his business.

[There’s a clear undercurrent of anger there, an anger that Vander isn’t usually keen on making so apparent in front of others. It’s harder than usual to mask it though, and so he doesn’t.]

So I’d be glad to lend a you a hand there.

[He moves to return the wanted poster to Byleth, his other hand reaching out to give the younger man a firm pat on the shoulder. His head dips in a resolute nod.]

Just name the day and I’ll be ready.

[fishfearme]

[Byleth accepted the wanted poster, but paused at the shoulder pat, unused to people casually touching him. It wasn't a bad thing, just unfamiliar.]

Ah, thank you...

[He stared at Vander for a moment longer before shaking off whatever odd feeling had come over him, and stowed his wanted poster back into his satchel where it belonged. With his hands now free, he crossed his arms and planted his feet shoulder width apart, his head tilted downwards in a thoughtful posture.]

For now, the situation here is stablising. Meridian's position is fairly entrenched and enough Shard-bearers are here to assist the soldiers in fighting the monsters at night. At the very least, Dimitri counts as an army unto himself.

[Byleth recalled how his strength had made even him stagger when he had fought him back in his world. Dimitri could probably grab these monsters by their tails and simply swing them off the island.]

In which case, I'll resume my investigation by the end of the month. It's best to get to the bottom of this, to find out if Birdie's disappearance is an outlier, or if it's linked to the other two. If so, we can try to put a halt to it before more 'disappearances' occur.

[Which is the most important thing in Byleth's mind: normal criminal manoeuvring? Nothing to be concerned about. Something darker at work in the background? Definitely something to be concerned about, especially with this 'Aetos' skulking about...]

[exhound]

[Thankfully, they did have the support of Springstar’s well-prepared army to keep things stable out here. The Shard-bearers certainly have their work cut out for them, but it should be safe to leave things in their hands until Zenith starts making some obvious moves.]

Yeah, it’s best we get to the bottom of all of this before it gets out of hand.

[There’s enough danger lurking out around these parts as it is. Vander knows that all too well now. And sure, digging around into the whereabouts of a dangerous person is probably what got him into the mess he’d escaped only days ago, but that’s not going to stop him. This is important.

He tucks his hands into his coat pockets, turning all this information over in his mind for a moment.]

I spend a fair amount of time down in Kowloon myself. I’ll keep an eye and an ear out next time I head out there for any signs of the other two. It’s… been a while since I’ve heard form either of them, so I’m not sure I’ll have much luck. But it’s worth a shot.

[fishfearme]

Yes, I've wandered Kowloon myself, but my investigation turned up little.

[Because Byleth's method of investigation was literally walking up to someone, wanted poster in hand, and demand if they had seen these missing persons. Needless to say, he got nowhere fast.]

However, I'm inexperienced when it comes to investigations like these. I'm capable of hunting high priority targets on battlefields, or if they flee during a rout, but attempting to pick up cold trails is... beyond my capability.

[Not to say he's never done bounty hunting, but such people were pretty easy to find, especially if they were a certain someone well known for ripping his shirt off in public and loudly declaring himself the "King of Grappling" before beating up all the guards. Balthus's trail of destruction could be tracked by a blind man.]

I'll accept whatever help or advice you can give.

[exhound]

Sniffing around for clues in a town like Kowloon is definitely a lot different than storming a battlefield, that’s for sure.

[There’s faint amusement there just barely tinting the edge of his words, but he admires the young man’s initiative. Got his heart in the right place, at least.]

People tend to be cagey when it comes to things like these, so you’ve got to choose your words and your approach carefully. I’ll ask around some of the friendlier faces I know down there, see if there’s anything they might know.

[A long shot, like he said. Trying to hunt down any information on Manon and Aetós had already taken a lot of time to turn up anything promising. But there’s no way to know until he tries.]

[fishfearme]

I see. So, it requires a more delicate and charismatic touch.

[In which case, he may have to leave that part of the investigation in Vander's hands, or reach out to Claude which - he was hesitant to do so, as he had leaned so much on him recently. Byleth didn't want to become too heavy of a burden. He needed to be able to stand on his own two feet here.]

...

[It was subtle, but Byleth's blank expression gained a slightly downcast hint to it.]

I feel that Cetina chose poorly when nominating me for this investigation. I struggle to interact with others in general, but attempting to subtly interrogate people on matters they may not wish to speak of is almost impossible for me. If only it was as simple as raiding a bandit camp and rescuing hostages...

[exhound]

Well, there’s nothing wrong with preferring a more straightforward approach.

[It would certainly make life a lot easier. The kid might be harder to read than most, but if his words are any indication, Vander can tell there’s some disappointment there. He gives him an encouraging nudge and a tired smile to go along with it.]

Just think of it as a learning experience. We all have to start somewhere with these things. And in the meantime, you’ve got help if you need it.