And in to the third day... [Day 145]

[bastionmods]

Who: Everyone
Open: Open
When: Day 145
Where: All over the Bastion
What: Day 3 of the festival
Format: Any
Warnings: None


Day 3 - Day of Pleasure and Purpose

The next lamp appears in the Bastion, this time with mirrors on one side. And of course a certain Ura gets to light it.

Oddly enough, there seem to be roses everywhere in the Bastion, almost completely obscuring any of the previous decorations. They're still there, just... buried. Behind bushes, next to vases, under mounds of rose petals. You can't escape it! They won't do anything bad to you, of course, but you might start finding rose petals in your hair, in your pockets, or lingering on your clothes as the day goes by. Mirrors also join the decorations, but besides that, all reflective surfaces (windows and mirrors) will suddenly have clearer reflections, and be decorated in rose borders. Unfortunately this means looking through actual windows will be a mite difficult as you'll see reflections more than you'll see the other side of them.

Today will also be a day of blindfold games! Guess the object! Guess how many are in this box! Place this thing in that thing! All without looking! Prizes will be given out to those who get through these blindfold games - another charm for your bracelet, and maybe two or three shards per win.

Along with these games, there's one big challenge in the center of the Bastion - a giant thorny maze. Should you brave this mess, you'll find twists, turns, awkward corners and areas just barely big enough to walk through. However if you make it to the center, you'll be rewarded with a rose ring. And not just any rose ring. This thing is special! It will allow a user to call upon rose thorn vines that will attack an enemy at will. It is restricted to three times a day on the Skyway, but it will come in very handy, especially for those with no real defensive or offensive capabilities. (That said, if your character manages to get this item and doesn't need it for whatever reason, please be kind and give it to some one who can.)

As day winds in to night, another torch appears, this time with roses. Roses going wild on this lamp. It makes it a little difficult to light, though. And oddly enough, near the gear symbol on this lamp... the roses seem to be withered. Huh.

Dinner gives way in to a sort of "desert" for the evening, a huge selection of cookies in various flavors on tables all over the place, along with tubs of rose petal ice cream that don't seem to melt no matter how long they stay out.

But those cookies are not just any cookies - they are hollow ones. They're backed with a thin indented line down the center of them, and snapping them at this point will reveal that there is paper tucked inside. It will give advice to your character that is shockingly accurate to this person, some how. Regardless of who gets it, the advice will be pertinent to them and really only them. From there you'll be encouraged to take a second piece of paper, write your fears, weaknesses or secrets that you don't wish to tell anyone yet wish to get off your chest and then drop them in a strange mirror-decorated box sitting near the monument. If you do so, you'll find yourself oddly sleeping easier tonight...

This night closes out the same as the previous ones, with stories for the children as the adults relax in to the wee hours of the morning.

Comments

[blackblooded]

"I-it's just scratches." Crona is cautious, awkward, steping carefully forward like the stranger might attack at any moment.

This is just how Crona is.

"Um... the plants... Do you like them?"

[earthandpine]

Rosethorn grins, biting back a laugh. "I like almost all plants. What about you? I assume you aren't too fond of these particular ones, but most don't grab at anyone who walks by."

[blackblooded]

"I..." how to explain this. "I like roses."

Crona likes thorns.

[earthandpine]

Most people like roses well enough when they're not in a maze of them that's already drawn blood, but Crona's pretty scratched up. "Do you? Even when they're sharp with you?"

[blackblooded]

"That... That's just how they are, you know? They're, um, sharp with people. They can't help it."

Congratulations, Crona, you've gotten the plant mage to like you.

[earthandpine]

She can't quite contain a chuckle at that, since it sounds more like a description of her than of the roses around them. "That's how I feel too. I can't really help liking plants, though, since I have magic that helps them grow."

"What's your name?"

ah yes good

[blackblooded]

The mention of magic gets a half step back, like Crona's worried about an attack. But then (once again), Crona steps forward.

"Um... Like Tris? She has weather magic. It doesn't hurt things."

Magic that doesn't hurt things has been an adjustment for Crona. But there was a question, wasn't there.

"I'm Crona."

[earthandpine]

"Just like Tris, except with plants rather than weather. She's my foster daughter and was one of my students. Magic can hurt people, but only if the person using it makes the decision to use their magic cruelly or irresponsibly." Or if it's necessary because someone else has made that decision. Rosethorn has ripped people apart with thorns, but she isn't about to mention that to an obviously skittish person. It's a tactic reserved for attacking armies and pirate fleets, for defending her home and any innocent people.

She grins broadly before introducing herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Crona. I'm Rosethorn. I'm sometimes a little sharp with people too, but I hope you'll forgive me for it like you did the hedges."

[blackblooded]

It could, Crona is entirely aware that if Tris wanted, she could hurt people badly. But it doesn't hurt people just by existing, isn't by nature destructive, and so it is far more acceptable than the magic Crona is accustomed to back home.

"I... I will. Um... I can be sharp too, sometimes."

[earthandpine]

"Most people can. Sometimes we need to be." Rosethorn turns from Crona to face the hedges, hands on her hips. A thorned branch reaches out for her, seeming more as if it wants to touch her than to tangle her up. Rosethorn glares at it, her voice as sharp as any weapons the vines boast. "None of that. You keep your thorns to yourself." Usually she talks to plants silently, but Rosethorn thinks that Crona might appreciate transparency.

It withdraws with obvious reluctance, much more slowly than its initial approach, and Rosethorn carefully rests a hand on it in between the thorns. Her voice is soothing, as if talking to a small child or a pet. "That's much better. I don't want you tearing up anyone else walking your paths. Thorns to yourself applies to everyone, not just me." Who knows if the roses will listen to her. They are tied to a god's power, and Rosethorn would hardly claim that her own gift is on the same level. She can impose discipline on an ordinary garden easily enough. This is something different.

[blackblooded]

It's absolutely fascinating. Crona reaches out very carefully, very slowly, not sure if touching is allowed. A quiet comment, not to Rosethorn, but to someone not seen.

"We could do that, you know?" Pause, listen to Ragnarok's response that no one else can hear. "Not real vines, Ragnarok."

[earthandpine]

"They won't hurt you while I'm standing right here. I have at least that much control. It's no wonder the roses lack discipline, they grew up so fast." Go ahead and touch the vines or flowers if you want to, Crona.

Rosethorn knows better than to treat a child as if she's crazy for hearing voices no one else does. Tris heard voices as a child, half-believing she was mad due to wind magic carrying words. Here, there are more types of magic than those Rosethorn is familiar with, and she'd rather trust than harm someone through skepticism. "Ragnarok?" It's a question, but one without any of her usual sharpness.

[blackblooded]

Crona knows all about growing up too fast. Crona knows all about discipline too. They're the same things, sometimes.

One careful hand brushes over the vine, gentle on flowers and thorns alike.

"My blood is black." That should be enough, in Crona's mind it is enough. But sometimes (always) the people here don't know what that means.

"Ragnarok is my partner. He's a sword. His name means 'the end of the world'."

[earthandpine]

Some people refer to their weapons with a name and gender, but something tells Rosethorn it's more than that. Crona refers to Ragnarok as a full partner and talked to someone Rosethorn couldn't see just a minute ago.

"His name can mean whatever he likes, just as long as he doesn't go causing the end of any." Everyone here has had quite enough of that. The phrase is still an upsetting one. "Is he a good partner?"

[blackblooded]

"No. He's an asshole." Simple enough. "... but he's a good weapon."