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

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

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! ]

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[Tosh watches the ceremony solemnly. Though she doesn't have any offerings to give, though she's only been there a short time, something about all of this resonates deep within her. She thinks of all the death she's seen in her time at Torchwood - all the people who've been in the wrong place at the wrong time, every body she's had to carefully create a fiction for, everyone who's given up their life to save just one more person. Suzie, who'd done so much before she went mad. Tommy, who went back to face his fate because he loved her. Owen, shouting at the darkness in one last moment of defiance. Ianto, who'd only just managed to rebuild his life after Canary Wharf. And Tosh herself, alone and afraid, but fighting up till the end. She doesn't realise that she's weeping, tears streaming down her face.

Later, once she's composed herself, she joins in the festivities around the bonfire. Though she disdains the harder liquors, she can be found sipping at a cup of ale or a glass of wine, and she's even gone so far as to allow someone to braid a few flowers into her hair. She feels peaceful after her earlier grieving, and her smiles come easier than they have in awhile.]

It's all a little overwhelming, isn't it?

[Clara murmurs as she approaches Tosh, making sure to be calm and quiet. The day has her feeling a little solemn and thoughtful, and she still hasn't been cornered to have flowers put in her hair yet. That doesn't stop her from placing a blossom or two in Tosh's hair, and with a smile she moves to sit next to the other woman.]

The ceremony. Not the flowers. Though I suppose those are as well. Just on another level.

Looks like you've managed to escape adornment so far, though.

[She's a little surprised by Clara's lack of flowers, considering how free the natives are being - it seems like they're especially good at cornering those who would normally refuse.]

It's very...intense. Their mourning is rather more public than anything I'm used to.

I'm good at being evasive.

[She shrugs, glancing over at a frolicking pair of natives not too far off. She eyes them suspiciously before continuing to speak.]

Not too good with the public mourning, though. So I'm glad for something like this, even if the flowers are a bit excessive.

It's better to be able to celebrate the lives of the dead than to dwell on what we've lost. That's what this is - a celebration. It's nice, I think, and I'm not just saying that because there's free alcohol. That seems to be a rather common occurrence around here.

[She's not especially inclined to drink to excess, anyway. A glass or two of wine is normally enough for her. She's indulging slightly more tonight, but she's not noticeably drunk.]

( he's not unaffected by the solemnity of the occasion, but he doesn't expect to see someone openly crying, either. the natives are a different story-- they've lost their king. but mccoy had imagined that most of the travelers had shown up because of a sense of solidarity, or to remember the ones who'd left. the genuine sadness-- which reads to him like loss-- takes him aback.

before he can think better of it, he takes a step towards her and offers... an old-fashioned handkerchief. it's amazingly quaint, all things considered, a tiny LHM stitched into one corner. )

You alright, there?

[It takes Tosh a moment to realise someone's speaking to her; once she does, she blinks back the tears and offers him a watery smile, although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She takes the handkerchief from him and wipes the tears away, shaking her head in response to his question.]

Not especially. Just...it reminds me of everyone I know who's died in the line of duty. I suppose I've been bottling it up for awhile now.

( he considers that with a tilt of his head. )

Line of duty? ( he's seen a lot of death in his line of work, but he's pretty sure that's not what she means. )

Seems to be a lot of that, going around.

Coworkers. So many of them died back home - hardly anyone ever made it to forty, for whatever reason.

[She pauses for a moment, then adds:] I was only five years away. Should've known it wouldn't last.

[Not after she'd already outlasted Suzie and Owen, who'd both come to work for Torchwood after she had.]

That's no great age. ( his voice is quiet, but his mind's thinking of what sort of work would lead to that-- soldiering? exploration? )

Wait. Are you saying, back home you're...?

Dead? Yes. I was shot in the stomach and bled out slowly. I don't recommend it.

[Her tone of voice is flat. She would have rather had a quick death, but at least she'd got the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone. There's something - not very much - to be said for that.]

I'm sorry to hear that. ( there's not much else he can say, is there? he's had to deal with enough death in his life to feel it very keenly, but he's never known it, himself. he couldn't even theorize how you'd begin to deal with that. )

Maybe that's why the funeral hear isn't all sad. 'Cause some people are getting their second chance.

I think it's meant to be a celebration of life; rather different from the funerals you'd find back home. Well, in my world, anyway.

[Although that still doesn't explain why she was crying.]

Even when the people you care for get a second chance, it's still difficult to come to terms with their death sometimes. I've been mourning for too long, I think. It's time to let go.

That might be what the fire's for. ( he says, helpfully. )

I always did think burials and wakes were a bit... heavy. Been to more than my share, and though you can't complain about going for the deceased you might do better to remember what you liked about them.

Sadness only gets you so far.

[Being told he couldn't do something always backfired. Always. He really wouldn't of bothered bugging these dull little Torchwood kids had Jack not made such a big deal. But since he had and now the forbidden fruit was there, he just couldn't help himself. He was standing beside Tosh before he'd even had chance to think of a plan, grinning in a mostly harmless fashion. It wouldn't shock anyone to know he had little mourn here and little to care for. This was just like any other party.]

Well, hello again. [He slips his hands into his pockets and turns to her, curious to see what reaction he'd get. Anger? Fear? Who knew with this one.] Remember me?

Hard to forget someone who was nearly ubiquitous for several months.

[Her tone is dry, and she's not displaying any particular emotion towards him at the moment. She's mostly wary; while she doesn't think he'd be foolish enough to try anything in the middle of a crowd, she doesn't know that for certain, and so she's choosing to err on the side of caution and not provoke him.]

What do you want?

I couldn't help that, the public loved me. Not a day went by without a camera shoved in my face.

[Mostly at his request but that's hardly what matters. He does miss it, however, the spotlight. Perhaps it's getting closer to the time where he should start reclaiming it. In any way possible.]

What do I want? Hmm, money, happiness, another drink... maybe my own statue. I want a lot of things actually. [He smirks playfully.] Or do you mean what do I want from you? In which case, the answer is very little.

[Tosh appears to be rather unimpressed by all of this; she simply rolls her eyes at him.]

Then why speak to me in the first place? Obviously you must want something of me.

Because you're a neat little stepping stone to what I actually want?

Though it doesn't have to be that way, you know? I read your files back in our universe, I know quite a bit about Torchwood and it's operatives. [He doesn't know loads, he only really skimmed the files, but at one point he was basically in charge of their finances so he had to pretend to be interested a least.] You're admittedly rather advanced. For a human.

Oh, well, I'm honoured.

[Judging by the sarcasm in her voice, she isn't. At all.]

But what you want is Jack, so I'm afraid we're always going to be on opposing sides.

[Tosh's loyalty to Jack is one of the few constants in her life. He saved her, he believed in her, and so she'll do whatever she can for him.]

I don't want Jack, don't be silly. The freak is of little interest to me. No, no, no, I have bigger and better ambitions than one Captain.

[Jack was also a stepping stone, just a bigger one that was more amusing to jump all over.]

But whatever happens, you can't say I didn't offer better. And at least I can sleep at night knowing that.

[And, smiling playfully, he shakes his head and looks back at the bonfire in front of them.] Tell me, Tosh, was I ever lucky enough to earn myself a vote from your heroic gang of misfits? Or are you apolitical on a whole?

As you might recall, we were all on our way to Tibet during the elections, so voting for you would have been rather difficult.

[Jack's told them that their wild goose chase was all the Master's fault - as was the avalanche they'd ended up buried under.

Of course, what she's not mentioning is that she would have voted for him if she'd been in the country at the time. But she's just going to blame that on the brainwashing.]

[It took him a few moments to connect the dots before he couldn't help his laughter seeping out. Oh yes, that stupid little mission he'd insisted they do, now that was inspired. Should of let them stick around to at least vote.]

I forgot that! Oh that was wonderful, wasn't it? Did you ever find -- whatever the hell it was I sent you there for?

[It was a busy year, he'd forgotten the trivial things. Like Torchwood.]

Oh, yes, it was wonderful nearly dying under several tonnes of snow.

[Note her lineface right now. Yeah, she's still kind of put out about the whole thing.]

There wasn't anything, as I'm sure you know perfectly well.

[Except for the jack in the box which had triggered the avalanche. Which, of course, looked like Jack. Thanks, Master.]

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

Toshiko Sato | Day 415 | OTA

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