festivals and mur--ahem, investigations 🎊🔍

[beleos]

COMMUNION WITH YIMA

After given some time for recovery and for Yima to hear reports of what transpired at the Tree of Life last month, a Communion message gently flows through the minds of each Shard-Bearer. They will have to choose to accept this message, and once they do, they will be greeted by Yima’s voice resonating pleasantly in their heads. She first apologizes for their harrowing experience with the Dryad, and that she hadn’t anticipated such a violent reaction from the Tree; she believes that their experiences point to an imbalance within the Tree itself, most likely brought about by the soon-to-come arrival of the Oracles.

She has spoken with Cyrus, and they have jointly decided that an investigation into the matter - and potentially the destruction of the Dryad - may be required to purge its influence from the Tree. Yima requests that any who would willingly seek out the Dryad volunteer to do so and will be outfitted with a ward against any tampering to prevent them from falling into the creature’s clutches a second time. It will take her a bit to fashion enough of these wards - but she anticipates being ready toward the end of the month.

She concludes her message with another heartfelt apology for your suffering, that she would not have sent any into such a situation she believed were truly dangerous. That being said, she takes responsibility for your ordeal and asks that if there is anything she can do in recompense, you have but to ask.

Yima will be available for Communion chatter here!

FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE - HIGHSTORM

Takiltu is a month cycle the natives of Kenos regard with some amount of reverence and a hearty helping of excitement: the first part of the month (November) is spent reflecting on and celebrating the differing cultures and worlds each Kenosian represents. The second part of the month (December) is spent celebrating unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time.

Each city celebrates differently, the flavor of their festivals a reflection of their people.

In Highstorm, the first thirty days of Takiltu are spent in Remembrance. The city is decorated with string lights, paper lanterns, candles, and torches to illuminate the streets in beautiful colors and shimmering magical illusory shapes. The focal point of the festival takes place in The Court, where the reflecting pool has been especially decorated with arrangements of flowers and lights. Festival stands erected around the Courtyard peddle paper lanterns as well as refreshments, fanciful decorative items, and enchanted jewelry that is said to make one’s recollections of the past temporarily clearer.

The pool itself is the main attraction, here; citizens who approach its waters and gaze into its depths will find its normal abilities to reflect memories enhanced. The images are surreal for their clarity, vivid - and normally, one is requested to look into the eyes of those most precious to them whose souls remain lost, to pay homage to their memory and sacrifices, and to wish them rebirth in the new world to come. A purchased lantern is then lit and sent skyward where it floats into the moonlight, joining the others hovering above.

But this year, there is an addition to the usual fanfare. Emet-Selch has been asked to assist with the festival; as long as he is given permission, he can recreate the memory displayed in the reflecting pool. Yima has granted him a temporary blessing which enhances his natural creation abilities - a gift for their people she is grateful for. Your character can choose what it is they see in the water - whether it’s a place, a person, or the feelings of a certain point and time, he will temporarily recreate it around you. Everyone will be able to see this conjuring and interact with it while it is functional. It will last between 15 to 30 minutes before dissolving into beads of light that slowly trickle skyward before disappearing. You’ll be told to light a lantern, send it adrift, and that this will give peace to the part of you and your Shard that surely aches. But does it…?

Elsewhere in Highstorm, the High Theater has been painstakingly decorated and aglow with magical floating motes of light; the interior has been transformed into something of an Art Gallery. The pieces within are dedications to parts of worlds long gone, as well as the people in them; some are beautifully painted landscapes of exquisite, far-away places beyond the imagination. Some are more mundane and familiar snapshots of life in a home world not too different from your own. There are portraits of families, loved ones, and those the Zenites long for most. This is their time to mourn, to grieve, and to appreciate their pasts - the pasts that will lead them to a brighter future, one day. They must move on into the future, but treasuring that which came before is equally important to them.

Should you touch any of the motes of light that are around the art pieces decorating the Gallery, you will find yourself able to feel, hear, see, and taste a piece of the world the piece represents. Some of these are warm gatherings over a dinner table with family; others are heart-wrenching expressions of loss and bitterness and pain. Be cautious which you choose. Oh, and do be careful not to stand too closely with someone else when you touch one, or one accidentally touches you - the experience is absolutely contagious through Communion.

CELEBRATION OF CHERISHMENT - SPRINGSTAR

While Highstorm’s Festival of Remembrance is a more demure and reflective time, Springstar takes a much different approach to the season. In true Meri nature, the Celebration of Cherishment encapsulates celebrating life in all forms - and that means parties! The Psychagogía is the main hub of excitement considering, but festivities can be found in almost every single district of Springstar. Wherever you go, something is happening and someone is trying to rope you into having a good time.

The city has been decorated with bright and colorful multi-purpose magical ivy-like vines that sprouts buds that bloom over the course of the month into gorgeous flowers. These flowers are considered sacred, and their blooming is a momentous time of joy and good fortune. Each flower is left intact; disturbing one is tantamount to a war crime by the natives, so don’t get observed if you try to pluck one!

The Psychagogía is incredibly lively, teeming with people and events; almost every venue is peddling some kind of ‘Cherishment’ celebratory sale or discount. The first portion of the month includes what the locals call “the meri-ment” (and seem quite chuffed about that pun), in which Kenosians are encouraged to go bar hopping and taste the wide variety of specialty ales and liquor unkegged only around this time of year. Participants are highly encouraged to share stories of their worlds and cultures, to tell those they mingle with tales of the worlds they will one day return to and why they’re special, unique - to celebrate their one-day return.

Alongside this comes a great deal of outdoor grilling, fresh meats and vegetables sending tantalizing scents everywhere you go once the evening hours arrive. Some of these food and drinks can cause… interesting… effects if you consume them in excess, especially at the Emotional Damage - so try to show restraint. It would be a bit embarrassing to find yourself strangely infatuated with the first person you lay eyes on after your fifth night out on the town, or feeling compelled to express warm feelings aloud you wouldn’t normally commit to another. Luckily, it only lasts a short period of time - but beware the wicked hangover afterward. Strangely enough, if you’re suffering, you feel oddly compelled to seek out a little TLC from someone else - someone with whom you might have some unresolved feelings toward, positive or negative. Is it longing? Anger? Jealousy? Unspoken affections? Love? Whatever it is, you're more likely to seek them out for some care.

At the Coliseum, nightly brawls between Meris take place and the usual assortment of monsters are temporarily taken out of offer. This part of the festivities is one where each Kenosian is encouraged to settle any differences or misgivings with others and to get it out of their system, cleansing them of bad mojo - “leave it in the ring,” as it were. Despite beating each other bloody at times, most combatants willingly stop before it gets too serious and fighting to the death is not permitted. You must embrace your adversary before you leave, and your ‘bad blood’ will be considered purged and settled so you can start anew.

The Empório district is celebrating consumerism, because of course it is! All the usual goods are on a considerable discount, and for a brief time, gardening tools and supplies are free! The reason for this is that Springstar’s citizens are encouraged to plant one seedling in the gardens in Katoikitikós once the flowers lining the city have gone into full bloom. It is said this honors gods across cultures and time as well as invites good fortune. You are encouraged to plant a seedling in a group or pairing, as space is limited - and there are superstitions regarding this togetherness resulting in more favorable results. Should you plant a seedling with someone else, you might indeed find that something is beginning to blossom between you… Based on your Aspects, you might find yourselves feeling closer and more connected - or repulsed depending on your compatibility. This effect will last through the month after planting. Should you check on the seedling later, its health will be reflected in the state of your relationship. Friends will find the little plant thriving; enemies will find it is sickly and dying.

For those Shard-Bearers who have already harmonized with the Meridian or who have quarters in Heliopolis, you will find the communal meals much more lavish and indulgent than usual. There may even be a taste of home waiting for you among the spreads on offer, or some comfort food you haven’t had in a while. It is encouraged to share anything to your taste - or even to share why it is meaningful to you via Communion. Or you can just eat. You do you, man.

Once the flowers have bloomed and the festivities reach their peak, one might find the city loud and boisterous and sleep a little more difficult to come by. Springstar is absolutely thriving and alive - and you, too, feel more invigorated and energetic despite any lack of zzz’s. Should you leave the city, however, this effect will vanish and you might find yourself unnaturally fatigued and in need of more rest than is customary. Returning to Springstar will slowly build up your stamina again. This effect lasts until the end of the month.

THE MYSTERY OF ALENROUX

Once celebrations are in full-swing in the cities, some characters (i.e., any characters that choose to participate in this prompt) will be contacted by Cyrus or Yima, depending on their faction or whichever they feel a stronger inclination towards if they are currently Unharmonized. Both will explain that there’s something that they’d like you to investigate, but also to prepare and be careful, since this request doesn’t come without danger… A Shard has been lost in Alenroux, and they both hope you’ll be able to retrieve it.

MERIDIAN

“I’ve gotten word that a Zenith Shard-Bearer was sent to Alenroux a little bit before you arrived, and they haven’t come back yet. Normally, none of our business, but based on what some of the farmers have been saying, I think they’ve gotten hit by Discord. If it gets high enough, well… You don’t really have your mind anymore. We can help them through Purification. Even if it’s just for long enough to calm them down, it’s better than them being trapped in madness. It might be easier to dissipate them first, though, then Purify their Shard. They were last seen heading to the Northern forests. Let me know what I can give you to help, and make sure to help each other. Good luck.”

ZENITH

"Please heed my request, though I do not ask this of you lightly... One of the Zenith's children has been lost among the fields of Alenroux come nightfall and I fear the worst has befallen them. There are dangerous elements attracted to the presence of a soul, and the likelihood our brethren has been lost... it is great. Seek out the Shard - and if you are able to retrieve it, please do so. If it has suffered corruption too great to be saved or would place you in too great a danger to take back, then... I trust you to make the merciful choice. I place this in your hands and will give you whatever you require to see it through. Look out for your fellow Zenith and work together, as I do not want to lose more of you. Be well."

Both factions will offer their recruits access to standard weaponry and armor/protective clothing. If a character asks for more, they’ll be given a weapon or a piece of armor with minor magical properties which would normally cost 1 AC token to purchase. Magical weapons are on loan however. If your character takes these and/or chooses to keep it, please note this in your Committed Actions! If they choose to keep standard weaponry, Cyrus/Yima will just be disappointed in your dishonesty. :(

When you arrive during the day cycle, you’ll also find horses and magic hoverboards to use (they go the same speed tbh), because heading North to the forests is a bit of a trek, and you might not make it there in time on foot! As the sun starts to set, you’ll see the people in Alenroux start to leave, going clearly your opposite direction. Once night falls (Nov. 9th OOC), it doesn’t take long for things to change.

There’s just a sliver of a crescent moon in the sky, which makes the rolling hills and forests much more ominous than they were during the day. And as the stories say, it only takes an hour or two before you start to run into strange creatures. Closer to the Cornerstone, there are indeed strange creatures, and while they may not all look scary, they might present different kinds of dangers such as…

• A light in the dark looks like a fairy, but stare at it too long and you’ll find yourself hypnotized by a ghastly fish will lead you to a body of water to drown you.
• An innocuous puddle may form up into a mass of corrosive goo, complete with the bones and items of the last person it came across. When you slice it, it simply creates a copy of itself, so hopefully you realize this before you’re surrounded.
• A strange straw poppet (sans pins, of course) that possesses you once you touch it and will use your body to try and fight anyone else while your consciousness is trapped inside the doll. To be freed, you only have to destroy the doll, but you’ll feel the pain of how its destroyed even if you don’t bear any injuries from it.

However, as you get closer to the Northern forests, they become significantly more fearsome…

• With a roar, a massive, multiheaded beast descends, and each of its mouths is perfectly capable of taking a bite out of you. Watch out for the snake’s head in particular, since its venom will cause you to hallucinate your worst fears.
• As you come face to face with an odd creature, bioluminescence lights up on its skin, and the spins on its back quiver with a sound like a rattlesnake’s. As the spines quiver, you find it exceptionally difficult to take your eyes off them and move as it stalks closer slowly. You can fight blind, right?
• Diving in and out of larger shadows like its water is a slimy beast that’s incredibly fast. Its teeth may be small, but its tail is a razor-sharp whip that could remove a limb if you’re not careful.

These are just examples, however. There are many creatures lurking the wilds of Alenroux, so feel free to create your own monsters with unique effects.

It's a difficult trek North, and you may be tired from hours of running, fighting, or both… But eventually, a few people do find what they were looking for. They might have even missed it, if not for how their Shards suddenly felt like they were burning. From the shadows, a twisted creature of roots and lights which what looks like many crystals in a glowing mass appears and one of its eyes locks on you. It looks like now is your chance.

NOTES

Weather summary for the first 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

Highstorm is in late fall, early winter season. Some flurries may occasionally fall and it is getting considerably cold out there! Bundle up!

Springstar is in the throes of early summer; the weather is climate and pleasantly warm for outdoor celebrations (but not sweltering). There are occasional afternoon showers, but they don’t last very long.

Notable city changes:

If you wander the Markets in Highstorm, you might notice some of the peddlers seem a bit wary of you. Hm, guess something happened around here! Probably totally unrelated, but Silco and Vander (or anyone with them) will be treated with nervous suspicion.

Similarly, if you're traveling with Set (or you're Set) in Springstar, you might occasionally find yourself getting strange looks. Ask Set why.

Faction updates:

There are no explicit changes in faction behavior at this time. This will be a staple in all future event write-ups to catalogue the fluidity of the conflict as it progresses, though, so we're including it here for posterity!

Event Notes:

The Reflecting Pool in the Courts of Highstorm can be observed normally with no addtional effects or can bring your memory to vivid life thanks to the help of Emet-Selch (and Yima). If you grant him permission (which can be handwaved), he will breathe life into whichever memory you have chosen to view! If this includes any NPC’s or interactive elements, you will be responsible for playing them out in any tags until they disappear. Please see Emet’s toplevel for any interactions you’d like to thread out with him as a part of this.

For the Gallery in Highstorm, the art depicted in and scenes experienced through the pieces are up to you to create! Feel free to go wild with any associated NPC's in the scene and worldbuild as you see fit. Highstorm holds a variety of citizens from across the multiverse, so you could feasibly go fantastical places, or experience something distinctly profound and beyond your imagination...

The drinks and refreshments in Springstar can be enchanted in just about any way you’d like, including bringing upon minor physical changes of the cute, fun, and flirty variety! Feel free to get creative (as long as you get permission from your thread partner), the Meris would also merrily insist growing extra fluffy, scaly, etc bits during the celebration will only help you party harder! 🥳

As reminders for Alenroux, once night falls, a character is not able to leave until sunrise, which is 24 hours later. If your character is dissipated, you can have a PC retrieve their Shard or the respective Faction they're allied with will send out a search party to find it. Remember to report character deaths!

CODING

Comments

Gray | Advocate | unharmonized

[gravings]

SPRINGSTAR

A. the crowds

[ Even if Gray has become used to populous city life, the merry crush of festival revelers at full blast is still a bit much for her. But holing up and hiding would be entirely too miserable for her, and she should take this chance to get to know more of this world, so she dons her most comforting hood and ventures out into the teeming excitement of the city.

When the crowds seem to get especially thick and rowdy and it feels especially hard to breathe, she attempts to screw her head back on with a few coping techniques. Beneath the shroud of her cloak, she presses her hand firmly to her heart, counting the beats; and when that isn't enough and she starts to feel lightheaded, she begins to chant to herself until the familar words crowd out the bees between her ears, and she no longer notices if there's anyone else around to hear her strange mantra. ]

Gray... rave... crave... deprave...

B. the drink

[ Eventually, an overly jovial and underly responsible vendor notices that Gray seems a little stressed. He offers her a remedy: a sweet ale with calming properties. Perfectly safe and also delicious, he insists. At this point Gray is grateful for any crutch to lean on, and she doesn't want to be rude either, so she thanks him and accepts a mug of the stuff. As advertised, it's sweet and refreshing even to her inexperienced tongue, and the whole of it goes down easy.

Not half an hour later she's got a stumble to her step. On the upside, she is nicely warm and relaxed. Maybe too relaxed, because she doesn't feel bothered at all when she walks into someone, gently loses her balance like she's playing at 0.75x speed, and continues toward the floor where she may or may not be content to sit there for a while... unless the someone she bumped into feels like propping her up before she gets there. ]

C. the seedlings

[ Give her a bit of time for the effects of the ale to wear off, then she's trucking on to plant some seedlings, a much safer and more wholesome enterprise. A little pot is deposited in her hands without her asking, so now all she needs is someone to plant its contents with. She scans the loose crowd for a likely partner. If someone else approaches her, then all the better, but she really ought to stretch her flabby social muscles and take the initiative.

If it's a stranger or acquaintance, she'll approach them with increasing nervousness, tightening her seedling pot to her chest. But she will get there eventually, struggling to look whoever she's talking to directly in the eyes. ]

Um, I have this... so if you want to... or if you don't mind......

[ She trails off, trusting that her meaning will be self-evident(??).

On the other hand, if she spots someone she knows reasonably well, she'll make a beeline for them with a peep of pep to her step, just grateful that she won't have to approach a stranger. If it's someone she was comfortable with on Horos, they'll also get a relieved smile. ]

Hello. Do you want to plant a seedling together?

D. wildcard

(( Even though these prompts are all Springstar, Gray will also be available in Highstorm and Alenroux if you'd like to do things with her there! Her plotting comment is here, or you can hmu on Discord. ))

for kaeya

[gravings]

[ Gray wonders what it is about the church experience that persists throughout worlds. Maybe the Mystery generated by old, unwavering faith is what gives religious buildings their weighty air. She never found the feeling comforting in her home world, but now that she's in her third world, she can find some comfort in the vaguely familiar if nothing else.

With regards to Ciel, Gray isn't turning into a nun any time soon. She puts no stock in the goodwill of faceless, faraway entities. No, she's loitering around the Church of Helios out of curiosity. There have been Shard-related whisperings lately, and as a person whose soul has become tied to her Shard, it seems worthwhile and important to find out more. She spends time simply people-watching and asking the parishioners innocuous questions. No one shoos her away despite her fears that she's being a nuisance.

And then out of the blue, she sees blue — hair, that is, followed by an eyepatch, and to her that means one person. ]

Kaeya!

[ The surprise is evident in her rarely raised voice. Without much thought, she's already running over with her cloak aflutter. With even less thought — not for the possibility that he may have forgotten her, nor for the chance that he might resent her for leaving Achamoth — when she reaches him, she tosses herself at him for a hug that is warm and grateful. ]

[subsist]

[ There have been Shard-related whisperings lately, and that's exactly why Kaeya is loitering around the Church of Helios too. Right now he is curiously observing everyone who happens to pass along, greeting anyone who gives him the time of day, asking innocuous questions about their ways and whatever else they're willing to tell him. He hasn't found much just yet, but he's sure it's only a matter of time.

Or so he thinks— until a flutter of fabric and a surprised call of his name stop him abruptly from leaving the area. The warm hug that Gray engulfs him in catches him off-guard too, but the shock only lasts for a split-second before he's laughing and returning the embrace.

That's one way to find out that she's doing well. ]

Hello, Gray. It's been a while, hasn't it?

[ As far as he's concerned, the events related to Achamoth are well behind him now. He couldn't care less about her actions then, and he certainly won't start caring about them now. ]

How have you been? I didn't think I would run into you in a place like this.

[gravings]

[ She isn't often in the habit of greeting people with a hug, but in this case her relief outweights her self-consciousness. She still can't be sure yet that coming to this world will have been a blessing for them; it's pure selfishness that fuels her enthusiasm.

She lets go of Kaeya and steps back, properly looking at him with a smile. She herself is dressed modestly, bereft the exorbitant budget of the Regent's Aions, but she's comfortable in her simple dress and probably looks more her age for it. ]

I didn't know you were here either. I'm glad...

[ As if her feelings weren't clear... ]

I'm doing okay. I work at a bakery sometimes. Oh, and I'm staying with Mr. Eustace and Gen.

[ just don't ask where they're staying ]

b.

[cryomance]

[ ...This is why there are drinking ages in place. Not that she knows what the local one is nor cares. She's hardly the Voice of Reason when it comes to what constitutes the proper age for wine or beer, but she is a little irritated when her path is blocked by a coiled body that she should, by all means, be stepping over.

Yet can't bring herself to, if only because she's worried some degenerate is going to take advantage of the passed out young woman.

Heaving out the world's tiredest sigh, she crouches down to take the stranger's pulse, making sure she's even still alive. It's slow but still going, a promising revelation. ]

Can you stand, or am I going to have to lug you around on my shoulder?

[ At least she looks light enough that Rosaria shouldn't struggle too much to carry her if need be. ]

[gravings]

[ Gray is dead.

... To the world. She still has a pulse, though. She is even conscious, though she stirs about as quickly as honey on a hill. She looks up heavily at the person talking to her, and a second goes by before she registers that being on the street floor is undesirable. She manages to raise herself on her hands, but the wide sway of the world makes her think better about trying to go any further. She speaks drowsily, her words a mumble. ]

I think... this is as far as I go.

[ Leave her behind. Save yourself... ]

How long can I stay here?

[cryomance]

You've already overstayed your welcome.

[ And Rosaria can't promise there won't be any less than savory individuals nearby who would capitalize on a young woman laying unconscious in the streets. She's seen too much shit and doesn't want to leave the stranger at their behest. ]

Just be glad it's me waking you up and not anyone else.

[ One of her hands sticks out, offering a grip to help the stranger up. There are still crowds weaving around them, so the faster Rosaria can get the young woman home, the better.

She has also already overstayed her own welcome at the festival and wants to sleep off everything she's eaten and drank in the past few hours. Unfortunately, she won't get to rest for a long while, as she's now stuck babysitting a drunk, one she is worried will thank her for her rare bout of kindness by throwing up on her if Rosaria accidentally jostles her too hard. ]

C

[sterngaze]

[After enough time spent in Highstorm, the funerary atmosphere was enough to get to even Liem. Seeking a change from the unbroken nights spent in solemn remembrance for a world he can't forget, he looks for refuge in Springstar's thronging streets, cloaked in robin's-egg blue, wearing a matching hat and dark sunglasses to protect him from the sun. He only plans to stay for a short while, but a few hours is long enough to try some festival foods and take in the local customs.

It's crowded enough, and the sun's glare is sufficiently disorienting, that Liem doesn't recognize Gray until she's almost right next to him. He spies the young woman edging towards him with a small pot in her hands, radiating nervousness even as she finally works up the nerve to speak, and turns to regard her more fully from beneath the wide brim of his hat.]

Oh—Miss Gray.

[He'd scarcely spoken to her during his time in Horos, but she'd seemed an honest young woman from his recollection.]

You'd like an extra pair of hands? I confess I don't know anything about planting, but it's the ritual that's important in this instance, I think.

[It probably doesn't mean anything if their plant ends up wilting later, right? (No.)]

[gravings]

Oh! Mr. Liem!

[ Gray startles, not at all expecting his voice to come from that frankly suspicious get-up. Some of the loose soil in her pot goes sprinkling, but she doesn't notice. Her surprise quickly turns to a genuine smile; even if they didn't speak at length in Horos, it's a wonderful thing to see him again when so little else is familiar. ]

I didn't know you were here too. Your look is, um, very fetching.

[ It's a cute shade of blue? Now that she knows it's him, her nervousness has evaporated, and her hood bobs as she nods to his question. ]

Planting this shouldn't be too difficult. We just need to find a nice spot for it.

[sterngaze]

[Liem smiles when Gray recovers from her surprise and offers a compliment to his outfit. He hasn't acquired too many lightweight outfits just yet, given the preference he has for Highstorm's unending night, but wool isn't an appropriate material for Springstar's summery weather, so he's made sure to find at least a couple more breathable options to keep the sun off. And of course he made sure they looked good.]

Thank you; you're too kind.

[Beneath his hat he looks as pale and washed out as many of this garden's sun-bleached plants, but at least he's wearing a nice colour.]

That at least I can assist with.

[He glances further into the gardens, where freshly planted seedlings already poke up from piles of dug earth. Even in oppressive sun like this, he's still got a pretty good eye for spotting things.]

What kind of spot might it like best? Do you know?

A but let's steer it to C...

[baltimores]

[ Gray isn't the only one out here wearing a hood.

Discord has done its number on Amos — black sclera, a discomfort that comes when he's away from Highstorm for too long, a sensitivity to sunlight. The first one is negligible; the other two make being in Springstar a problem — and yet he'd rather be in Springstar, anyway.

So here he is.

He'd actually be heading elsewhere had he not, by fortuitous chance, been following the crowds in the exact right spot, right by a small girl who seems to have shrunken into herself — and one he knows, and likes, and hasn't seen in some time now.

So he stops in front of her — maybe he can use his body to shield her, if she needs it — and places a solid, friendly hand on her shoulder, if that's needed to get her attention.

And looking down on her, voice soft and happy, everything normal about him except for his eyes, ] Gray? You alright?

[ It really is good to see her. ]

1/2

[gravings]

[ Gray might be jumping out of her skin were it not for her mantra, but she still looks up with evident surprise, which quickly turns to blooming delight as she recognizes Amos's voice and face— ]

[gravings]

[ — but that morphs yet again when she notices that there's something very wrong with his eyes, and her happiness turns to restless distress. ]

Mr. Amos! Are you alright?

[ Which is pretty much what he just said to her, so she quickly shakes her head, her hood swishing with the motion. ]

I-I'm okay. I'm just not used to this many people at once.

[ The Discord hasn't been as harsh on her, probably due to her unharmonized nature; just a slight tiredness around her eyes, though she's fully awake and aware with concern now. ]

a!

[sanguinary]

[Honestly, what a mood. The crowds really are a little too much sometimes... With "sometimes" being "quite often", actually. Matsui's not having a panic about it, but he's definitely skirting around the thickest throngs of people in the hopes of finding a little gap or side street that isn't so bustling.

Still, the familiar voice catches his attention, and he glances around - before spotting a hooded figure, just a little up ahead. Curiously, he abandons his hunt for a quiet space at least for the time being so he can trail after her instead. What is it that she's muttering to herself...?]

--Oh. Are you creating a poem? I wonder if a place like this is conducive to composing things, though...

[gravings]

[ Maybe it's a testament to the efficacy of her mantra that she doesn't immediately notice Matsui talking to her. It takes a moment for his voice to catch up to her. At least when it does, she properly whips around with a pink, mortified look on her face. ]

Mr. Matsui!

[ She grapples with how to respond to him in a way that won't deepen the pit of embarrassment she's in, but ultimately settles for the lame truth. ]

It wasn't a poem... or at least, not exactly. It's something that helps me focus. Rhyming makes it easier to remember.

[ More or less. She wonders if she should've just gone along with the poem idea after all. ]

I'm not always sure how to handle this many people in one place...

b... gray...

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian is out enjoying the sights of Springstar now that he has his Discord… Well, not totally under control, admittedly. But it’s absolutely enough that Springstar isn’t essentially inhospitable. Besides, the hustle and bustle of this city is more to his tastes than the dour, moody tone of Highstorm’s.

It’s not the first time that he’s been bumped into today, and his expression is a light surprise (and recognition, of course, though that’s kept to himself). Sebastian is quick to reach out as she starts to fall— ]

Ah, miss? [ …Very slowly? His hand hesitates, and he ends up just kind of… watching… as she sinks down, since he’s not sure what to do about this one. ]

…Do you need help?

[gravings]

Yes, I think so.

[ She gently mumbles into the dirt because SOMEONE didn't feel like catching her. Not that she's bothered because it's pretty comfortable down here. She settles her head on her arm like she's prepared to wait things out. Though now that she's got a mouse's eye view of the situation, ]

Sir... your shoes need some polish.

[ Do they really? Is he even wearing shoes that can be polished? Who knows, she's baby drunk. ]

a for adorable advocate (gray)

[expiera]

[The festival sure is A Lot, but it's also prime time for picking up odd jobs and cashing in quick favors/bucks from businesses doing their best to keep up with demand, so Ciel is NOT taking it easy. Becoming what's essentially a contract worker has been an experience, but it's put a roof over her head and kept her large appetite fed, so she has no complaints.

She is careful about the quality of her 'services' though, well aware that speed isn't everything, so navigating through the large crowds and making sure that the parcel of her delivery today is undamaged are reasons why she's going at a moderate pace. Which makes spotting a small hooded figure getting carried away by the crowd more easily done, and she gradually begins making her way towards the uncertainly wobbling figure in growing concern.

(....Deprave?)

There's no mistaking it once Ciel is close enough to make out the words and recognize the voice, not to mention the prick of anxiety she can feel through their shared Aspect.]

Gray? Can you hear me? Over here.

[She calls out to the other girl first, in a bid to not startle her. They're only separated by a few steps, but there are also People between those few steps. If this doesn't work, then she'll try communion next.]

[gravings]

[ Ciel's voice is familiar enough that it cuts through Gray's predicament like a float in open waters, and she turns immediately to her friend with a smile. ]

Miss Ciel!

[ She wiggles her way around the people separating them. In the meantime, Ciel may be able to feel the immediate lift of Gray's anxiety to a relieved warmth. By the time Gray successfully enters Ciel's orbit, her vibe has done a complete 180 into a comfortable sunniness. ]

I didn't know you were in Springstar. Are you here for the festival?

b

[pyojeol]

[Sooyoung startles at the contact. She's been bumping around the crowd for a good hour, but she's been doing all the bumping? Just a collision here and there, hands swiping casually where pockets seem the heaviest. So it really feels like karma to be bumped into this time? She immediately turns to snap at this would-be THIEF, and instead...

Spots Gray? She remembers this girl, proooobabllyy not a thief? Maybe? She snaps an arm around the other girl, propping her up with more strength her peanut-sized frame should be able to manage.]

Hey, snap out of it. You wanna get robbed?

[Because Sooyoung will do that.]

[gravings]

[ Thanks for the assist. Gray will happily use the human crutch that's presented itself to her at full capacity. She only kind of remembers the woman that is her new vertical aspiration buddy; it's more of a distant impression of a memory that guides her. ]

I don't have anything... sorry.

[ Gone are the moneybag days... All she has to her cloak pockets now is chump change and the occasional snack. She regrets wasting the time of this thief she vaguely remembers.

Anyway. Gray puts a listless arm around the thief lady's shoulders, her inhibitions well and truly gone. She possesses the slur of the sloshed (baby version), but she still manages to sound a little chiding. ]

Are you stealing things again?

for eustace and gen

[gravings]

[ Unattuned life in Horos had its challenges. Gray remembers roaming in the wild with Eustace and Gen with only the packs on their backs to their names. Even though they were often dirty, a little hungry, and on the lookout for pursuers, she remembers that time fondly for the freedom it presented, the peace in solitude — though she never felt truly alone as long as she had Add's foul mouth, Eustace's reassuring presence, and (sometimes) Gen's rough brand of thoughtfulness.

In a way, she feels the same way now. But there's a certain je ne sais quoi... Something about their current situation that feels thoroughly less whimsical and free.

On the outskirts of Highstorm, they've made their camp. It's a modest outfit, only one degree more respectable than the camps they would pitch when they were on the run. Maybe it's the fact that Highstorm's sophisticated skyline is so close by that eats up the tiny camp's allotted grace.

In any case, Gray wouldn't trade her company for a cushy room. There's no sign of disgruntlement on her face as she approaches their camp with a bag of leftover bread bundled in her arms. Though she's generously cloaked as usual, she wears a pink apron as well; she's freshly away from her new job at a bakery, which she now considers essential to survival. ]

I'm back!

[ She calls out so that anyone at the camp won't be surprised. She can't imagine many other people are wandering around out here when they could easily be in beautiful Highstorm about twenty meters to her left, but the gloominess of the forest does stir the imagination. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Gray might answer in a heartbeat that this modest camp of theirs is preferable to the rooms of Yima's manor -- but Gen wouldn't necessarily agree. Or he might in the end, but he'd sure need a moment or two to think about it. He's always led a fairly cushy life, after all; his family had been well off enough, especially by the standards of what it was like being stuck out in the sticks, and it's not like he's ever wanted to live the life of a wandering stray. The weather's starting to grow cold out, the woods can be noisy, and trying to procure enough to eat every day is kind of a pain in the ass. A life of being cared for by the servants back in that manor sure would have been convenient, and Gen's not about to pretend he'd be willing to throw all that away on principle or whatever.

... though, well. At least having Gray and Eustace around does beat trying to survive alone.

Not really capable of helping Eustace with any hunting or cooking duties, Gen had (with a few complaints) accepted the duty of procuring firewood for them, and when Gray comes pattering back to their makeshift campsite, he's just dumped a big armful of branches gathered from the surrounding woods next to the modest fire they have going. (Thanks Eustace for probably setting it up in a way that won't burn down their surroundings.) ]

You smell like bread.

[ No 'hi,' no 'welcome back,' not even a 'good work out there.' Gen just makes that observation before wandering over as he wipes his hand clean on his pants leg; those dog ears of his perk up and his tail gives a slow wag, betraying his anticipation when he sniffs again at the delicious scent of freshly-baked bread that clings to Gray's apron. ]

You bring back anything good?

c for caren is about to be a menace

[consolation]

[It feels vaguely sickening to be here, having traveled before she could fully resolve the Discord muting her shard into a steady, irritable chill above her ribs. Something about that twisting knife of growing unease, however, that discomfort even in the middle of revelry and celebration... feels satisfactory. In a way, it suits her, to come and watch these festivities while they are almost painful to witness, as if a wall of cellophane is wrapped around them.

She's seen her share of those stumbling from drink or addled by the effects of a meal, and at first she takes Gray's stammering for another lost person a little too deep in their cups. Caren waits with reserved patience for the mousy little girl (the descriptor jumps to mind immediately, and it shouldn't feel so natural to pick it up without question) to hesitate her way through her approach, then tilts slightly to one side.]

My apologies, [she says with all the contrition of someone who's willingly going to tease out a more direct request.] What is it you're asking for? This is part of the Celebration?

[gravings]

[ Gray can feel something from the white-haired woman that's starting to become familiar: an emanation of foreign emotion which even when calm makes itself known to Gray in the same way light or temperature does. That marks the woman as a probable Shard-Bearer, which makes sense out of her innocent question. Gray had assumed, anyway, that anyone who'd lived here for longer would have known about the ritual.

This now means that Gray has to explain things, which has never been her strong suit; she's usually the one being explained to. With a tiny spike of panic, she nods quickly, sending her hood bobbing. ]

Yes, I believe so! I was told it pays tribute to this world's gods... and that we have to plant them in pairs.

[ It all sounds fairly serious when she says it out loud, and it might take more than a few minutes... Gray is suddenly beset by doubt about whether she should've dragged a complete stranger into this. ]

But if you'd rather not, that's alright too.