EVENT MINGLE: PUTTING THE "FUN" BACK IN "FUNERAL" / HOLES

[asgardmods]

Who: EVERYONE
What: The Putting the "Fun" Back Into Funeral/Thistle Do Nicely Holes Event Mingle Log
When: Days 415-416 (March 9-12)
Where: all across the city!
Rating: PG-13. Anything higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

Day 415 (Mar. 9/10)

Not long after the message from the gods on the bracelets, all NPC shops in town will begin shutting down. It is late evening when the city's Natives begin heading toward Gefion Park, some alone, some clustered in small groups, but it seems like citizens of Asgard of all ages are headed that way. It is just before sunset when all of the gods and several thousand natives will stand grouped around the shore of the park's lake. Thor, looking oddly somber, will move to stand on a small podium, voice tight but magically amplified. His posture is straight, head held high, and he will cut a striking image as he speaks with a firm and magically amplified voice:

"We may be the gods of this realm, but we would be nothing without both of you: our people, and our visitors. Even in times of darkness, we mustn't allow ourselves to forget how brightly our lights can shine. In times of weakness and exhaustion, we only need cling to the memory of how strong we truly are. We will fight for the lost, and we will fight for each other. Until my father returns, I will act in his stead. We will continue to move ahead, if only because there is too much to lose if we don't. Salvation is within our grasp, and I will do everything I can to make sure we attain it."

Here Thor will clear his throat, pausing just long enough to wonder how apparent it is that Freyr wrote most of this speech.

"But now I invite you to lay your offerings into the longboats, offerings to the Natives of this world that have lost their lives in this war. Their sacrifices were not in vain, nor shall they be forgotten. In their names, we shall fight for Asgard, and for every world represented here, and for the countless that aren't."

The moment that the newly crowned Prince Regent stops speaking, Natives will place clothes and food and other trinkets inside the boat. Any Traveller with offerings will be given the chance to lay them in the boat then, before Hel sends it off to the center of the lake. It will stall there before bursting into bright flame. Smaller, match-sized flames will light all across the lake, one for every native soul that has left Asgard for Niflheim in the last two years, and they will not extinguish even in the light rainfall that begins into the evening.

After the flames are lit, however, the natives will be opening several dozen casks of different wines, meads, and ales. There will be bottles of harder liquors passed around and glasses given freely to anyone within arm's reach of a native. Time for a bonfire in the park! Anything is free game for this: there will be dancing, eating, body painting, the weaving of flowers into people's hair or into crowns, pretty much anything that is loose and vaguely intimate. The only thing that remains undisturbed is the lake, where the fires burn ceaselessly above the water. This is their farewell; they will drink, tell stories, and laugh their way all through the night.

Day 416 ( Mar. 11/12 )

The next morning, most of the natives will still be in the park, making sure none of that pesky alcohol remains in those barrels. They will take this second day to relax and clean up the park while they continue to drink, singing hymns and generally lending a hand to one another. Where yesterday was a big party, this is more like communal R&R. About halfway through the day, flowers of all types imaginable will begin to sprout from the ground. Many of them will sing along with the Native's hymns of remembrance, though they will linger after.

This is actually our Holes event for the month of March! These flowers will not just sprout at Gefion Park, however! When they first appear on Day 416, they will actually spring up just about everywhere, dirt or not. They may appear on a table, off a wall, or rooted in someone's freshly prepared sandwich. The flowers not in dirt will wilt after about a day. Following their first appearance, these flowers will continue to grow in the city anywhere flowers can grow.

Back at the party, however, everyone is on equal footing and gathered to respect their loved ones. For the time being, nothing else really matters.

They'll go back to their regularly scheduled monotony by sundown, the boat of offerings finally removed from the lake, though the candlelight flames will remain throughout the night and disappear by sunrise. In thanks for their support and continued sacrifice, the Travellers will find one gift from home in their rooms at midnight.

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Putting the "Fun" Back in "Funeral" event AND for the Holes event. More information on this month's Holes event is located HERE. If you haven't had your character's GIFT FROM HOME approved yet, please make sure to do so here!

Please put [OPEN/CLOSED] in the title of your comment, along with the time and location. Let us know if you have any questions! ]

Comments

John Watson | OTA | Both days

[hadbadays]

Day 415

[ John hadn't brought anything to put in the boat, and so he simply watched. He has no intention of staying long, because he came for the dead, not really for this party afterwards.

Still, he takes a glass of ale. And tries not to get roped into something else. Someone make him not be a wallflower, though. Get some paint on him or something. ]

Day 416

[ The next day he's not at the celebration in the park. Life goes on, and he has work to do. The day goes on like normal and he's managed to avoid a hangover.

Then he's heading home from Heimdall to Baldr district, and a flower pipes up from the wall. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?"

He stops. And stares. ]

Sorry?

415

[tonsofpun]

[About an hour into the festivities, after Watson has time for a glass or two -- or more -- Ellie comes up behind him, goes onto her tiptoes, and drops a flower crown into place on his head.]

Definitely the best funeral I've ever been to. A lot less gunshots.

[hadbadays]

[ He's in the middle of taking a sip when he feels the weight on his head and almost chokes because he's 90% sure he knows what that is. He takes a moment to make sure he swallows properly, and then turns to Ellie with a snort as his hand comes up to touch the ...

Yep. Flower crown. ]

Never thought about it, but people do tend to celebrate funerals. This, though? Definitely something else.

[tonsofpun]

A lot more drunk people and fire.

[Ellie grins at him. She doesn't have a whiff of booze on her, good girl. She reaches up to adjust his crown so it doesn't fall.]

Y'know, this could end really badly.

[hadbadays]

I have no intention of getting drunk, for the record.

[ Tipsy, though. Yes. ]

[tonsofpun]

Good, because I don't think I can carry you home.

[hadbadays]

Wouldn't dream of making you do that. I'd call Sherlock.

[ Probably not because Sherlock would probably be more annoying than he. But whatever. ]

[tonsofpun]

Wouldn't that be even worse?

[Ellie gives him an elbow in the side, cocks her head.]

C'mon, I want you to meet somebody.

[everysecond]

[Riley pops up before they can come find her though. Right next to the guy too. It's like fucking magic.

She has a flower crown and an alcoholic something in her hand.]

Hey, Ellie. Who's the guy?

[hadbadays]

[ He snorts, but before he manages to say anything to the other bit, they suddenly have company. Is it just him or are people really good at just popping up in this city?

He would like to pretend he didn't jump. ]

This wouldn't happen to be that somebody?

[tonsofpun]

Yep, this'd be that somebody. John, this is Riley Abel. My best friend from home. Riley, Dr. John Watson.

[Ellie waves at them both, grinning, and reaches out take Riley's hand, lifting the booze so she can smell it.]

Whew, are you drinking gasoline?

[everysecond]

What's up, Doc?

[She grins at him then looks over at Ellie to stick her tongue out at her like the mature sixteen year old she is.]

No idea what it is but this shit is great.

416

[emulation]

[Katie found that she had no business being in that funeral. Too much stuff that didn't interest her - and she didn't feel like she quite belonged enough to have her presence be mandatory. Instead she hangs around the Baldr district on the next day, kicking little pebbles with her hands in her pockets. It's mildly clear that the girl is bored until she hears the beginning of a conversation a little too close to her.]

What?

[hadbadays]

[ He turns around to her. Blinks. Ah. Woops.

He scratches at his brow. Sheepishly. This is going to sound insane ... ]

Uh. Nothing. I just ... could swear that flower just talked.

[emulation]

Oh. [Her expression changes in a snap. She looks like she knows what she's talking about now.] Yeah, they're talking today. Weird, right?

[hadbadays]

...

Right. Okay. So they really are talking.

[ "Of course! What else are we supposed to do?" says the flower, brightly. All smiles. Because it's raining and rain is the best. ]

[emulation]

You'd think flowers would be a little less annoying. [Pfft. What Katie's saying is that they're managing to out-sass her. And nobody out-sasses Katie in her book.]

['I say, you're the annoying one! How rude.']

Ssh! I'll step on you!

[hadbadays]

Flowers who care a great deal about manners, apparently.

[ "Doesn't everyone?" ]

Nope.

[emulation]

What're you gonna do, right? Not like they have anything better to do. They're flowers.

['And quite beautiful ones! Unlike you weeds.']

Who're you callin' a weed!

[hadbadays]

... So much for the manners.

[ "Our manners are fine!" ]

[emulation]

[Excuse Katie, she's just going to argue with a flower now.]

I could put a caterpillar on you! See how you like it when you're being eaten alive, you - useless thing!

[Yeah, that'll show those flowers.]

[hadbadays]

[ That's fine, John will just watch for a while. In wonderment. This is the most ridiculous thing he has ever seen.

"Caterpillars stand no change against us!"

"Not a chance, not a chance!" a few more flowers pipe in from a small distance away. ]

[emulation]

Oh, so now you're all turning against me, are you? [hands on her hips, she leans down to flick a flower away with her finger.] Bet you can't do anything about that.

[John, just. Look at her life. Look at her choices.

Katie turns to him now.]

Am I right?

415

[felttheburn]

[ Kieran is also playing wallflower. Or treeflower, rather, leaning against one at the very edge of the gathering. His intention was just to watch, but then he starts spotting people he knew the last time... unfortunately, it's not like he's social enough to check in like a normal person.

John might feel someone watching him. ]

[hadbadays]

[ Of course he feels it. When someone's doing it so insistently.

When he finally chooses to acknowledge it and turns to look, his eyebrows shoot up in recognition. It's a habit to regularly check the contact list so he'd noticed Kieran was back. Hasn't really thought to check on him, though.

But, hey. While they're both here, he might as well. So he raises his glass in greeting, and wanders over. ]

Hullo.