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

[hauntedking]

[ There is discord brewing between them because of what they are; who they are. But he tries to ignore it in favor of speaking. In favor of watching the way that Set acts and moves and listens to the words he says. It's an interesting story. ]

...that is not a terrible reason to wish to restore it.

[ Dimitri glances down at him thoughtfully. ]

...my own uncle tried to have me killed. I think he feared me.

[redsoil]

It was a terrible thing to do. Yet, I do not always feel as remorseful as I should. Most of the time, I simply want the world to be over with. To wipe it clean, as it would have been one day. Why not today? Why should I not allow it to return to the primordial sea?

[ He murmurs it, as he rolls onto his side to gaze up at Dimitri. Just a little, below the curtain of red hair and equally red lashes. Their Discord will simmer between them, on a delicate loop of innate incompatibility, despite that they — are similar in some ways. How strange, the structure of these Aspects are; his own marking is bold upon the hand of his skin, as the bracelet of black miasma is around his opposite wrist. ]

I think you would have liked Horus. His fate would have been similar to yours, if I had known he existed.

[ He says it, with the ghost of a terse smile. It is the first time he's really thought about his nephew, opposed to how often he considers his son, his sister. Horus, he tries to keep from his mind; stalwart, strange of heart, enigmatic in his supposed compassion... ]

What did he fear you for, Dimitri? Or, what did he fear from you? Was it your right?

[hauntedking]

I think, because you told me once, you are bound by your nature.

[ He remembers that conversation and he tilts his head to meet Set's gaze. ]

You feel you have to try, at the very least. You cannot just let it slip because... to do so would go against what you are. What you are intended to be. But... [ He offers a shrug. ]

...I cannot say for certain.

[ The change of subject - the one he brought up - makes him sigh softly and there's a distant sort of look in his eyes. ]

...I think he feared that I would become little more than a beast. I think he feared my being king. I think he thought I would kill him, if I had the chance.

[redsoil]

[ That Dimitri had listened and remembered is something that warms some part of Set's being. Whether he truly understands what it means to be bound to his nature, to the boundaries of divine parameters he was carved from, remains to be seen. ]

You are not wrong. I do, know that I must fight. Always, forever. I fight the world, and even my own self. The failure to do so would be my own unmaking.

[ And he sits up a little, curling his legs under his hips in order to lean towards his fellow man. To observe the way his visible eye goes far away, into a memory. ]

You said you did. Become no more than a beast, I mean. And king, as well. That is two true things, in his favor. Did you kill him, too? If so, it must be hard - to know he was right.

[ god set you are the MEANEST???? but most honest..... ]

[hauntedking]

Maybe he was right.

[ Dimitri allows this wearily. ]

He was killed by someone else. And I think his suspicion and attempts to undermine me helped set his own fate in motion. But I cannot die my own hand in it. Or that I lost control of myself. I do not know what that says about me, except that I have the capacity for great violence and that... there is a darkness in me. Even now.

[redsoil]

Even so — you do realize, that all men are capable of such darkness. Women, too.

[ +1 to feminism, go Set. ]

To be unique in one's darkness is a rarity. To find oneself among like souls, a surety. Whether your uncle's foretellings were fated or simply self-fulfilling prophecy, you will not know until the end of your mortal life. I know you hold yourself to higher standards now, though. I do, too.

[ He, who slaughtered his own brother. ]

Why do you want to return to your home, Dimitri?

[hauntedking]

Perhaps I am not unique. The war that gripped Fodlan changed many people and many of us killed without needing a reason. The continent burned and we still demanded more blood...

[ He shakes his head. It's not a good memory. But it is something he participated in. He takes a long slow breath. ]

...because it is my duty to them. [ He responds to that, voice firm. ]

I am their king. I am meant to help my people. To protect them. Uplift them. If I give up on trying to revive them, then... what is the point of bearing the title at all? If I run from that duty now, what good will it have done me to claw my way out of that darkness?