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

[warmare]

[He has a good grip, at least. Hayame can admit that, her expression shifting to one far more serious.]

A healer? Good to have.

[And something she will definitely be pursuing... later. For now, as the small little crowd gathered around the rock urges them to begin and the simian woman counts down from three...

Hayame suddenly throws about half of her weight into her grip.

She was serious about trying not to break his arm.]

[fishfearme]

[Byleth was briefly caught off guard, not having expected so much force so quickly - his arm swung back, but stopped several inches from hitting the stone, the muscles in his arm clenching so tight it locked it in place.

Despite how awkward and painful the angle of his arm was, or how exerting it was to hold it like that with Hayame's weight bearing down on it, his expression didn't twitch. It remained devoid of any and all emotion, his unblinking stare boring into Hayame's eyes.]

Ah, impressive. [He didn't even sound out of breath!] You caught me off guard.

[And with that, he began his counterattack. With a quiet, barely there grunt, he started pushing back against Hayame, millimetre by stubborn millimetre.]

[warmare]

[If Hayame knew what poker was, she might admire his poker face. As it was, she finds it impressive how stony his expression was... and, of course, he is stronger than a man of his stature ought to be. Impressive, also.

But she wasn't about to be beat by some human.]

Be careful of your joints.

[She speaks somewhat impassively, even as the small crowd around them ooh's and aah's, some throwing in little whoops or cheers, a total contrast to the still and silent mood of the actual wrestlers. He manages to regain a bit of ground... but Hayame isn't willing to let him take back much. Once she gets a better idea...

She digs in and stops him at their original starting position... then begins to press back with much more force.]

[fishfearme]

Mn. Thank you for your kind concern.

[His voice was slightly breathy with the strain he was otherwise expertly concealing. Hayame was far stronger than he had initially expected, and he was pleasantly surprised by it... even if it came at the expense of his protesting arm and shoulder muscles.

But he enjoyed being challenged - he even enjoyed losing, from time to time. Deaf to the crowd's goading or encouragement, he dug in and met Hayame's strength with his own, the only sign of his determination being how his brow furrowed fractionally.

For a moment it seemed like they were at a stalemate, each unmoving even as their arms quivered from the exertion, until...

Slightly, Byleth's hand was forced back.]

[warmare]

[Hayame does not think her concern was particularly kind, but she also doesn't bother to correct him. Not when he was far stronger than a human ought to be. There must be something magical or wrong with him- the force she was exerting should have slammed his arm at least halfway to the stone by then, but he held relatively firm.

Her own expression is likewise serious, only a slight furrow of brow in surprise and a grit of her jaw.

But when she has an opportunity... she exerts further strength she wouldn't normally unleash on a human, intent on driving him towards the stone.]

[fishfearme]

[When Hayame unleashed her strength, Byleth let out a harsh exhale that sounded just shy of a draconic growl as his arm was pushed back. His eyebrow ticked, his eyes narrowed, and he tried to clench his arm and shoulder muscles to lock them in place like before but-

Hayame's strength was considerable. Though he had managed to stop her from slamming his hand against the rock at the last second, it had forced his arm into an awkward position - he couldn't get the leverage to push back, as he lacked the raw strength, and continuing to resist was just going to result in a snapped ulna - with no win to show for it.

So, after a tense handful of seconds, where it looked as if he was going to dig in his heels until his arm was literally snapped in two... he gave in. He eased up just enough so that his hand roughly smacked the stone, rather than a full on crack from completely giving up.]

Hah. You win. You're the stronger warrior.

[Slightly winded, sore, but Byleth seemed pleased.]

[warmare]

[He does not make it easy, and that in and of itself is impressive. She had been serious about not breaking his arm, and she does try and put some effort into not bruising his knuckles too badly either, but... she is intent on winning. To do anything else in front of her subordinates would be an embarrassment, let alone to lose to a human.

She releases his hand and withdraws it, reaching for a handkerchief to wipe it down.]

Between us.

[She clarifies. There is no way to tell who was the strongest in Meridian, or Kenos...]

But you are far stronger than I expected from a human. It is commendable.

[fishfearme]

[Byleth flexed his hand, returning some blood flow to the fingers. They had been gripping each other pretty tightly near the end there, and Hayame's grip had been like a vice. He had no doubts she could've broken his hand if she had been determined enough.]

Thank you, though I'll admit my considerable strength is due to the fact that I'm half-human at most.

[He felt comfortable admitting this, if only because Hayame was clearly not human herself. In Fódlan was another matter entirely... (ah, xenophobia)]

In any case, I enjoyed this competition of strength. It was interesting.

[warmare]

[Half-human, he says. There is no doubt that it makes Hayame look him over differently, as if seeking signs for what sort of thing that other half might be... but he does not say it, and so she assumes it is something that he would not say in a public forum.]

I see.

[She therefore does not ask. (She also assumes she wouldn't know what he said, and then she'd have to ask, and then she'd have to listen--) Instead, after shooting an annoyed look at the monkey-like woman and six-armed man now collecting bet money from the crowd...]

Let us call it "interesting", then. I have done my part.

[She's never making a bet with her subordinates again.]

[fishfearme]

Yes. Thank you for indulging me.

[Byleth got up from his 'seat', and paused to give her a respectful half-bow, his hand over his unbeating heart. When he straightened up, however...]

Your name... it's 'Hayame', right?

[warmare]

[The half-bow earns a half-bow in return.]

That is correct.

[She has only the one name to give, and he has it. She looks at him expectantly in turn, not asking for it directly, but... he has earned giving his own name, if he so desired.]

[fishfearme]

I'm Byleth. I hope we can test our strength against each other again in the future.

[His version of a farewell, I guess, since with that, he nodded and turned away, ambling past the gathered crowd. He found the whole experience very interesting and novel! There were people here in Kenos physically stronger than him...]