The Festival Continues [Day 144]

[bastionmods]

Who: Everyone
Open: Open
When: Day 144
Where: all over the Bastion
What: Day 2 of the festival because that other post filled up fast
Format: any
Warnings: none

Day 2 - Day of Hope and Bravery

Once again, at midnight, another torch arrives - this time with a horse along with the gear and bullshead. As before, they are list by Zulf. Some of the other decorations fade out, to be replaced by Yudrig or Lemaign-specific decorations like horseshoes, saddles, hammers and plants made of colored metal. This will continue to happen throughout the festival, with new decorations overshadowing old ones, but the old ones still remaining here and there.

During the previous day, conversations with a any of the NPCs (or the recently arrived Uras) will bring up the topic of the second day of the festival. Should you care to listen, you'll learn that they use the very early morning of this day to make wishes, wishes that you must think in to a horseshoe that will be left on the side of your home that faces where the "sun" would be rising (the closest approximation to "east").

Speaking of horses! There seems to be a pen with stallions! Unlike Pyth, one must ride one of these stallions and try to stay on it as long as they can while it bucks and jumps about wildly. Good luck to whoever can manage this, it is not an easy task at all! Only one person can win Yudrig's favor, because at the end of the day the stallions will all take off back to... wherever they came from. The person that manages to stay the longest, though, will win a lovely pair of Yudrig boots, and will gain a single very fast horse for the Bastion to keep.

Along with the horses, there will also be races! Three legged races, races while balancing odd objects on spoons, so many races! Most of these are for the kids to make up for the lack of kid-focused things from the day before, but adults are encouraged to help and participate.

Incidentally, respect is also given to those considered soldiers. Be it by their own mental thinking ("I am a soldier for justice/I am a protector, etc") or by their actual title (this includes exorcists, exorcists in training, rebel leaders, etc) but they will be honored on this day for their bravery, comittment and efforts. The same goes for masons. There will be a table set up with charms for the bracelets, specifically hammer shaped ones - everyone is welcome to take one, but anyone who isn't of this persausion may find them too heavy to wear. The charm can be removed, though, but remember to keep the bracelet!

With that in mind, about midday the center of the Bastion will be cleared and people will be asked if they would like to participate in a game of "Defend Lemaign". It's basically Capture the Flag, but with a singular goal in mind - only one team has a "flag" (actually a small hammer statue) and that team must defend it from the other team. Teams can be any size, but once that statue is grabbed and brought to the other side, OR the timer runs out with Lemaign still within his "temple" the game is over. This will continue throughout the afternoon.

When evening falls again, the second torch for the day will appear to be lit, this one decorated with hammers as well as the standard gear and bull. The day begins to wind down, though there are once again other things to do - this time an entire area dedicated to various sizes of building blocks ranging from small to huge. Go nuts, build what you want, show off your creations! And keep them, they will come in handy later! This is not just for kids, even if it seems like it.

There's also jousting taking place. Nothing as dangerous as true jousting - just wooden horses on tracks that have to be manually pushed along (so be sure to take a willing friend with yout) and padded poles that strike padded armor. Winners will find more charms for those bracelets that were given out as their prize, and five shards per win.

Also, something to keep in mind: Since the day is focused around bravery quite a bit, anyone who shows off a particularly awesome show of bravery (be it personal like asking someone out that you like, facing a mild fear and not running away from it, or something even more spectacular) you will inexplicably find your entire room decorated with horseshoes. Horseshoes everywhere. Why? Yudrig, that's why.

And anyone who visits Lemagin's shrine, for whatever reason, will find themselves inexplicably hit with a wave of optimism. Just for the day, though.

This night winds down much the same as before, and again the children are encouraged to sleep outside while lulled to sleep by tales of Yudrig and Lemagin's adventures.

Comments

[gianthobo]

[There's at least one person interested in what's going on. AZ carefully peeks inside, making sure not to jostle anything.]

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin is busily working at one of the workstations, sparks flying from a pair of gauntlets on the table in front of him. He looks up after a moment, and he looks back at AZ.]

Good day, there!

[gianthobo]

... What are you working on?

[Relevant to his interests, okay.]

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin beams, and grabs one of the gauntlets off of the table. He holds it up for AZ to see.]

This is a project I promised I'd work on for Ippo couple weeks ago. They're a set of gauntlets with micro-lasers in them. He wants to be able to contribute to any serious fights, but he's a boxer by trade. He needed a bit more punch to his punch.

You're N and Hilda's friend, right? AZ was it?

[gianthobo]

[He inspects it carefully, and nods.]

The construction seems solid... though powering anything here might be a challenge.

[... Wait what. 'Friend'?]

I... I know them, yes. They mentioned me?

[His voice is a little wary. He's still uneasy with social interaction on the whole.]

[freedom_engineer]

Not really. We've got water, and I've got a couple of particle accelerators. Fuel cells are relatively easy.

[A momentary pause.]

For me, anyway. My tech's about five centuries ahead of everyone else here, I think. It's no anti-matter reactor, but it will do the trick on the small scale. Anyway!

Hilda and N! The kids definitely like you, and N and Hilda seem to want to get to know you better.

[gianthobo]

[He nods. He has a vague idea of what Colin is talking about, anyway. He had to push the limits of science himself, and he's quietly kept up with things as best he could.]

... I'm more used to traveling alone - just with my Pokemon.

[It's not really an excuse, just an explanation. But Floette has been at least trying to get him to bond with others more.]

They're... kind.

[freedom_engineer]

They're good people. N's had a rough time of things, but Hilda seems to have him on the right track. Their friends also definitely seem like they've got caring hearts.

[He's talking about the pokèmon, who definitely seem to have more to them than just mere animals.]

I imagine winding up here must be quite the shock for you?

[He knows plenty of lone wolves in his universe, he's not about to judge AZ poorly for that.]

[gianthobo]

They do. A lot of Pokemon seem to be like that... they really care about their trainers, most of the time.

... It was. I'm not... totally unfamiliar with waking up amid destruction, though.

[freedom_engineer]

Sounds like you've got a story to tell.

If you want to talk, I'm happy to listen. If not, I won't pry.

[Colin gives AZ a smile, and he settles back against the workbench.]

doop de doop spoilers

[gianthobo]

[He crouches to step more fully inside, careful not to bump anything. You're presumably a grown up, Colin, so you get the grown up version.]

... A long time ago, instead of how the regions are governed now, they were kingdoms under ruling families. The region of Kalos was my kingdom. I assumed the throne during a very politically intense time. Soon enough, a war broke out.

I... couldn't let my people fight and not fight myself. We sent our Pokemon to the battlefield, trusting that they would do their best to fight for us.

... She came home in a coffin. She... she was so small, and so young... I couldn't let it end like that. So I threw myself into work, building a machine to revive her. I found a Pokemon that revived itself by absorbing the life around it, and captured it.

The machine worked, amazingly enough. I revived her... but she knew what had to be done to bring her back. She left, fearing the creature of hatred and pain I had become. I didn't understand. I had done so much to try to bring her back, and she left? More than that... I was still angry at the world and the war that had taken her life.

... So I reversed the machine. Instead of using it to make life, I destroyed. I ended the war, though Kalos has never fully recovered. It wasn't just Pokemon who died - people did, too. I... left the castle after that. I couldn't... I couldn't explain to people why everything they knew had been devastated. My brother buried the machine, but even now, thousands of years later, you can see the damage.

Re: doop de doop spoilers

[freedom_engineer]

[400+ years old, and roughly the equivalent of a 29 year old human, yes.]

[Colin listens to Az as he talks, letting the man tell his tale. He nods in understanding as he tells about how his partner passed away, and the lengths he went to in order to revive her. He imagines that he would do the same, should anything happen to someone so close to him as that.]

And yet, when AZ comes to the end of his tale, Colin frowns, and stands up. He steps over to AZ, and gives the taller man a gentle smile.]

That is one hell of a story... And I suspect you could use this.

[Without warning, Colin steps closer to AZ and puts his arms around him in a hug.]

[gianthobo]

[He freezes up a bit, unused to the contact, but doesn't pull away.]

... It was not an easy time for anyone. I picked up skills over the years - things we were never taught in the castle. I know enough to be useful, at least. And enough to follow most scientific discussions.

[freedom_engineer]

No, I wouldn't expect it to be easy. War is hell, and the mental trauma alone is enough to drive weaker souls to dangerous things.

[Colin gives him a little grin, then. Also worth noting? He has yet to pull away.]

So, is that interest in my work I hear?

[gianthobo]

[He shifts a little uncomfortably in Colin's grip. How does he shot contact with people.]

... Yes. Depending on what, exactly, it is.

[freedom_engineer]

[I DUNNO, lol

Colin catches the shift, and he lets go.]

Sorry about that, you sounded like you needed one.

As for my work... Everything.

I'm in charge of my ship's primary interphasic hyperdrive, so my specialty is engines. But... there's not much call for a hyperdrive engineer here.

Fortunately, I dabble in a little bit of everything. I can't build the most advanced stuff on my own, but anything that's old and easy to me is probably still advanced tech to most of the people here.

You got any specific interests? Maybe I can cater to you.

[gianthobo]

Not really... though if we could figure out some way to heal Pokemon here without a Pokemon Center it would be useful. I don't have healing items with me and I don't think the others have much either.

... Aside from that, some kind of shelter might be helpful. I don't fit into most of the buildings without... a lot of difficulty.

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin tilts his head in confusion at that first statement, and he nods.]

I'm not sure what I can do for healing Pokèmon, but if there's some way I can assist, I'd be happy to.

But shelter? That's something I can take care of easily. What would you like?

[Colin settles back, passively scanning AZ and getting to work on setting up his blueprint program.]

[gianthobo]

As long as it can keep rain off of my head, it doesn't matter.

[Not that he's seen rain here, but you never know.]

I don't need much.

[freedom_engineer]

Even if you don't need much, it's a shame to not have a home over your head.

Have you been venturing out to the Skyway for shards? Do you know that the monument can be used to create buildings?

[gianthobo]

I don't... fight. My Pokemon can fend off the monsters, but I don't want to push them. I've seen some of the buildings created by it, but...

[... He's hesitant to put his team in danger when he doesn't know how to heal them well. Rest and medicines, but the latter isn't really much of an option here.]

[freedom_engineer]

Hmmm... why don't you come out with me and Paarth on a few runs? He's got the muscle, and I've got precision. We can keep you outta trouble.

Honestly, we've all gotta contribute if we hope to survive for any length of time. You don't gotta go looking for trouble, just go looking for stuff we can use. A few shards here and there, and you'll be able to get a nice big roof over your head in no time.

'Course, I can help out with building something if that's gonna be difficult.

[gianthobo]

I would like to help, yes.

[Just. Fighting, no. He's had enough of that.]

I can build it if I can find materials...

How did I miss this one? ARGH. Sorry about that!

[freedom_engineer]

Then come out with me and Paarth.

[Colin grins, and reaches out to clap AZ on the arm.]

We don't even need to fight. I try to avoid it, personally. Everything out there is probably having a worse time of things than we are. We don't have to go and make things worse for 'em.

Of course, if they attack me, I defend myself, but I don't see any reason to go looking for trouble. Just those materials we so desperately need.

Stuff for a home should be pretty easy, between the scrap yard, the wharf, and the residential district. We can hit all of those up in the coming days.

[gianthobo]

[He nods at the suggestion.]

A scrap yard would be useful... I can likely find most of what I need there. Golurk can probably carry anything I can't.