{Mini Event} Day of Devotion

[expiationmods]

DAY OF DEVOTION

This is an entirely opt-in very casual event that has nothing to do with overarching storyline and is just an additional introductory log, and a means for characters to meet. We hope you've all had a very happy Valentine's Day week however you've chosen to spend it!

SCARVES OF LOVE

     

The season of affection and love of all kinds falls upon Aldrip in the wake of their festivities for Those Who Were There. As part of the celebration, what's referred to as the 'Day of Devotion,' local merchants carry a variety of wares, but none so coveted as their multicoloured scarves available in a variety of prints, designs, and fabrics. Perhaps consider picking one up and giving it to someone who's important to you. No money? No problem! Whilst Aldrip doesn't exactly work on a layaway system or akin to, you'll find the mercantile business owners are quite open to trades and other means of bartering. Maybe they'll give out a scarf or two in agreement for running some errands...

Lucky recipients of these very fashionable scarves will find themselves suspiciously open to sharing positive, warm and fuzzy, or perhaps downright amorous feelings toward the person who gifted them the scarf to begin with, regardless of whether you've known them for years or even just a couple of weeks. But don't worry—the feelings are temporary! Once the Day of Devotion comes to a natural conclusion, your feelings will return to something like normalcy and you'll still wind up with a new fashion accessory. Of course, if you've always been amorous with that special someone, you likely won't notice any sort of change.

Take the opportunity to embrace the celebration, maybe embrace one another a little bit, too, and begin forming some potentially everlasting bonds with others.

BRING PROTECTION

     

Not everyone is choosing to celebrate the Day of Devotion in the same way. Due to the heightened popularity of the pretty scarves, some of Aldrip's jewellers have been bitten by the green bug of jealousy. In an attempt to compete with the sales of scarves, jewellers are advertising pendants, brooches, and other assorted charms that are meant to serve as warding and protective trinkets. What are they protecting one from? It's difficult to say and the merchants aren't inclined to give a straight answer. But whether you need protection from love, personal feelings, or perhaps something more physical, they've got you covered!

If you choose to give these amulets to others, recipients of them and their related will be compelled to share their true feelings with those around them in addition to the person who gave them the protective charms. This sounds like it could be a good thing, however, that means it covers the array of positive, negative, and every shade in between, without a filter in place. Consider these accessories a potential test of friendships, familial relationships, and more.

Like the scarves, this need and desire to be truthful with your feelings will be temporary, lasting until the Day of Devotion celebration is over. But at least you'll be protected. From something. Maybe. Probably. Or not!

FLOWERS FOR ALDRIP

     

By now, you may be well familiar with Aldrip's variety of fields that are filled with vegetables and fruits that grace the dinner tables of the town and local cuisine. During the Day of Devotion and weeks leading up to it, you'll find that they're clearing another field and preparing the soil. What for, you won't find out until the actual day of the celebration. Once it arrives, there's a collection of simple carts filled with flowering plants. Locals and newly-arrived alike are welcome to lend a hand in planting them along the neatly tilled rows.

You may find plants that resemble or are identical to plants from your home world. You may find plants that you've never seen in your life. They come in a variety of colours and are accompanied by a lightly pleasing scent that shouldn't be too overpowering, though may still disturb those with allergies.

All who help out with the planting, watering, and other tending, will be rewarded with a bouquet of flowers that can be passed onto others to show your appreciation and other forms of affection. You may even find yourself making a good and lasting impression on the locals by offering some assistance.

Comments

the doctor (12)

[twelfthsong]

( some open prompts + a closed prompt below! if you'd like something specific, hit me up via dm or timescars! )

scarves of love — open

[twelfthsong]

[ The Doctor's usual Resting Grump Face seems to have little to no effect on the merchants or people of Aldrip. Not that he uses it as a means of deterrence, nor is he actively trying to repel people from him — but this incarnation's face isn't particularly boyish like Bowtie or sad puppy dog eyes like Sandshoes. It just looks angry, owlish, or both depending how you squint thanks to his eyebrows.

And because he (sometimes) remembers that, he's completely bewildered as how he's found himself roped into running errands and delivering packages to people. He doesn't think he looks like the helpful sort, and he doesn't even want a scarf. None of them really went with his current aesthetic and for one reason or another he isn't about to go purchasing one for Clara — although if he's pressed for the reason, he'll admit that she suited none of them. All of that is to say he doesn't want to be an errand boy, but what else is going to do here?

You might see him bustling around town looking a little like a mail carrier with two large messenger bags stuffed to the brim with various packages as well as a little notebook of places and names to deliver to. As you pass by him, a package tumbles from one of the bags and it goes unnoticed as he carries on trundling down the street. Or you might be the lucky recipient of a package! (But he's probably, definitely got it wrong). ]

You, are you — [ He squints down at his writing. ] Cirnis Dhanorath?

[ Or you might find him at the end of the day, completing his deliveries and being rewarded with a scarf that he still does not want or need. He'll turn to the first person he sees. ]

This would probably look better on you than it will on me. You aren't allergic to wool are you?

[snowslip]

[ A downcast Marianne with her eyes to the ground is quick to notice the fallen package dropped by her feet. What's not so quick is her attempt to alert the man as it takes her a moment to find her voice. ]

Um, you dropped your mail...

[ A voice that's so quiet, in fact, it's swallowed by the bustle of the streets and she trails off before she even completes her sentence. The courier is getting farther and farther away.

Try again, Marianne. ]

Please wait, sir—

[ It must be the first time anyone in Aldrip's heard her raise her voice. She sounds terribly troubled. ]

[twelfthsong]

[ Marianne is right to assume that the Doctor didn’t hear her the first time. Despite having better hearing than he’ll admit to, this time he’s so engrossed in trying to figure out half-baked directions to places in this town that he isn’t familiar with that he completely misses it. The second one though —

Maybe it’s simply that it’s that much louder than the surrounding chatter, or maybe it’s because his brain is attuned to the sound of distress that. Whatever the reason, poor Marianne might be on the receiving end of the glare of a man who looks a lot like an angry owl when his gaze settles on her.

He’s in front of her in several strides. ]

What’s the matter? What happened?

[snowslip]

[ Thank goodness the man heard her, but now he's coming over wearing a glare that makes her feel like she's disturbed him and perhaps given him the wrong impression. Marianne seizes up again. She lowers her gaze, half-wringing her hands, half-gesturing vaguely at the ground. ]

It's, um. Your parcel. You dropped your parcel.

[ She chances a brief moment of eye contact. Is he still glaring? ]

[twelfthsong]

[ It takes him a beat to register what’s being said. The young woman’s voice is a half mumble and she’s suddenly got this air about her that the dropped parcel is somehow her fault.

And then it dawns on him again. Right. His face. Bad cop face. There’s an attempt at rearranging it into something a little less furious and Marianne might catch that before he bends down to retrieve his lost but now found package. ]

Ah. Perfect. Thank you. I’m sure that [ He glances at the name, half scrawled on the brown packaging. ] Gustav will appreciate it. [ And then he pauses. ] You don’t happen to be them, right?

[snowslip]

[ She's not quite sure how to interpret the face he's making now, but at least the man doesn't appear to be upset with her. ]

Oh. No, I'm Marianne.

[ She dips her head, feeling a bit scrutinized. That name, though. It rang a bell. She hasn't been here long, and she's mostly kept to herself, but the nice innkeeper who's provided her a room is a real gossip and... ]

I think I might know who you're looking for. [ She says slowly. ] But, um, I could be wrong. [ There could be more than one Gustav. What if she wasted his time? ]

[twelfthsong]

[ There's a disappointed click of his tongue. There was something satisfying about able to check names off of a list which really stood as a testament to just how far he was reaching to fill his time.

He's about to draw a breath in, tell her that well it was nice of you to pick up my dropped package and leave when — ]

Do you? [ He seems to perk up considerably at that. ] Well, lead the way. Even if it's wrong it's more than I know. [ And before they start, he realizes after a minute he hadn't given his own name back in return.] I'm the Doctor, by the way.

flowers of aldrip — open

[twelfthsong]

[ The theme of being roped into menial chores seems to continue. He's got more of a technological thumb than a green one, but again, when in Aldrip. At least there are no wild geese out and about harassing everyone as they work.

You might be aimlessly wandering through the field or helping out yourself when you hear a rather loud sneeze that's followed by a cross Scottish voice muttering to himself. Further investigation will find the Doctor on his hands and knees weeding and planting various bulbs and flowers, partially obstructed from view by the flowers surrounding him. He's also wearing a very ridiculous, but somehow fitting, sun hat on his head. Ah, the perils of having pasty Scottish skin. Even Time Lords are not immune to sun burn. ]

They neglected to mention in their punishment notice that a perfectly strong immune system is going to be disintegrated after a couple of weeks here. I've never had an allergy in my life and it decides to show up now?

[ There's every possibility that he's being dramatic but who knows! He's a little miserable and not cut out for this! ]

[usarinpa]

[ Mizuki has also been no stranger to odd jobs as of late, though she might be faring better than the Doctor. She's feeling pretty girlish right about now: as the Doctor plucks the weeds and plants new bulbs, she can be seen with a basket, picking off flowers, apparently so that they can be made into bouquets.

She doesn't even seem to be breaking a sweat, though the sneezing and distant complaining do catch her attention. Poor guy. ]

Hey, you wanna switch places? [ She raises her voice to be heard. ] Maybe you're less allergic to the ones over here. [ Or something. ]

[twelfthsong]

[ His head pops up amongst the flowers like a grumpy looking daisy. It’s a nice offer that he appreciates despite how wry his voice sounds. ]

I don’t think that’s how allergies work. This should pass. Hopefully. Probably.

[ He’s trying to work as fast as he possibly can and the small little wagon that’s carting around his bulbs and flowers is dwindling but it’s anyone’s guess how fast he can work when he’s sneezing the way he is. ]

[usarinpa]

[ Probably.

The way he trails off doesn't inspire confidence, though he's probably not wrong. But they're on a whole different world with different rules, so who knows? Mizuki stares at him for a moment longer, but then sighs and decides to walk on over.

She'll close the distance between herself and the wagon (and him by extention), and once she's close enough, she'll reach for the wagon's handle. ]

Here, I'll take over. You take these back to the shop.

[ And she offers him her basket of flowers. ]

[twelfthsong]

[ A normal person would take the offer on hand and just leave — but the Doctor isn’t normal, and he isn’t technically a person — so it should come as no surprise when he does neither of those things.

…He definitely does consider it though. ]

If you’re going to be that insistent, this will go faster with the two of us.

[ And he’s right back at it, weeding at a much faster pace than before. Whether or not Mizuki joins him is up to her. ]

Let me guess. Another fellow sinner?

[usarinpa]

[ Wow??? Mizuki is left staring and blinking as the man doubles his efforts. She looks at her basket of flowers, then at him, and finally lets out a sigh as she sets the basket down for now to free up her hands.

Guess she's doing this, and really—he's not wrong. She starts plucking at the weeds to help, chucking them into the wagon with impressive speed and strength, and only speeds up, groaning slightly as he mentions that. ]

Don't remind me. I buried that thing to get rid of it and that still didn't work.

[starguy]

[ Peter is likewise struggling with the menial work. He's managed to talk his way out of actually planting, and is instead cataloguing flowers when he hears some very loud sneezes and complaints. Peter turns to find the Doctor clearly struggling, and that's just a universal experience that he can relate to.

That said, he looks a little ridiculous with his visor on, wearing his padded leather jacket and jeans when it's so sunny out. But a guy has to stick to his aesthetic, you know, and his aesthetic is '80s groupie with a flair of future tech.' ]

Need any help, dude? [ Peter's voice comes as clear as a whistle through his visor. Space medicine means you never get allergies, so he can't relate. ] I mean, I don't have like, an allergy shot on me, but I can probably plant a few if you need a break.

[ How hard can it be, right? ]

[twelfthsong]

Dude?

[ There’s a hint of amusement in his voice for the first time since he started planting. He’d always loved that word always harmless and could be used in so many different contexts; maybe he could start introducing it to societies that didn’t have it yet during their times that might be fun. That wouldn’t mess with any timelines, surely.

But then something else distracts his hyperactive mind when he notices what Peter is wearing on his face. It’s nothing that he’s seen before, but it’s probably one of the more advanced pieces of technology he’s seen since getting here which is what really draws his attention. He straightens up, sniffling passively and apparently taking Peter up on his offer even if it’s in a bit of a roundabout way. ]

Where did you get that visor? I’m assuming not here.

[starguy]

Yeah, dude! It's like "guy" or "man," you know?

[ It's just hist style to 'dude' even the un-dudely types. But also he's used to running into people who don't recognize his lingo, so he's fine with explaining. The note on his tech makes him perk up, though. Maybe he's finally met someone who's at least decently aware of better tech than here? ]

Yep, this is from back home! I got it from... [ It was definitely stolen. ] Uh, well I got it on a job, and it was broken, and a friend of mine fixed it! But I can't get a decent 'net connection on this planet, it sucks.

[twelfthsong]

I know what “dude” is. I just forgot about it — thank you for reminding me, dude.

[ There’s a relish to the word along with something that looks like a kid who’s discovered his new favourite thing. ]

There’s practically nothing. Just a database of the world along with myths and folklore. [ The flowers, and apparently his “allergies” have been forgotten as he brushes himself off before closing the distance between them. Sorry Peter, have the Doctor peering at your face mask in a way that might cut into your personal space. ]

They have technology akin to the 90’s. Shame really. We could really upgrade them if we had the right tools. What else can it do?

[starguy]

Anytime, dude.

[ Peter grins. OK old man, you got him. Anybody who says "dude" is getting points in his book. ]

Yeah? Guess I'll have to see if I can get it hooked up. So far it's just "No Data" but then I haven't tried to put it on a network this weak before. Is this what 90s tech was like?

[ Ah, but the Doctor is approaching him as he speaks, and while Peter is pretty chill with rolling with the punches, he does lean back as the Doctor gets up in his face. Unhelpfully, his UI reads "Subject: Unknown. Data unavailable" as it highlights his face in bright pink. Peter takes a step back, tapping the side of the glass.

He does love talking up his tech. Rocket would be so proud. ]

I can use it to scan around me, 360 degrees. It highlights stuff that might be useful, structurally damaged, or stuff that it might have info on. Also calls out dangerous temperatures, gasses, things like that. I didn't make it, though. I can fix tech, but working from scratch is more my friend Rocket's thing.

clara — closed

[twelfthsong]

[ When Clara returns to their shared room at the inn she'll find it completely dark and the Doctor nowhere to be found. But is that really case?

The minute she gets a little further into the room or tries to turn on a light, another light from the corner will illuminate, revealing that the Doctor has been there all along...apparently just waiting in the dark sitting in the arm chair. ]

Ah good, you're back! That was a whole 48 hours, Clara I thought I'd have to go looking for you.

[ Whether or not it's actually been 48 hours stands to be seen but she'll know how awful he is with time despite being some great and mighty Time Lord. ]

[makemeasong]

[ When the room is dark, she indeed does not turn on a light because she thinks she's alone. Once the door is closed behind her, she's turning to walk further into the room when there's a sudden light. She shouts and throws the large bouquet of flowers she'd been holding right at him, so now, he has a face full of petals. ]

What is wrong with you!

[ He scared the living shit out of her, as he'll hear her heart slamming in her chest like she's been shot with adrenaline. ]

Don't sit in the dark like that! You have—[ Here, she pauses to gesture at her own face in the general area of her eyes. ]—Time Lord vision! I have regular human eyes, remember?

[ With that, she finally flips on the overhead light and squints, blinking. There's a lengthy pause as she takes in the carnage of petals in front of her. Then, she bursts into laughter, covering her mouth with both hands at the sight of him standing in a pile of flowers. ]

Sorry. Those were supposed to make the room feel homier.

[twelfthsong]

[ In all of the many scenarios he can cook up in his brain, he didn't think that Clara screaming would be one of them. His eyes widen as he stutters backwards at her shout and the suddenly influx of petals in his face. Thankfully, reflexes kick in and he manages to catch some of the bouquet before it drops to the ground. ]

What do you mean what is wrong with me? [ Here he brandished the flowers towards her
] I fell into a meditation waiting for you! I thought we'd agree to meet back at — what time is it?

[ The sudden influx of light makes him blink owlishly at her, and confusion soon turns into what is undeniably a quirk of his lips when the sound of her laughter fills the room. ]

Well, I suppose they still do the job. Are these from the field?

[makemeasong]

You started me, that's all. But it definitely hasn't been 48 hours, it's been about eight since you last saw me.

[ Secretly, she's pleased he missed her. ]

I'm perfectly on time, thank you very much. And yes, they are. Pretty, aren't they? What've you been up to since breakfast? No more harassing the animals I hope.

[twelfthsong]

Has it been eight? Felt a bit like an eternity.

[ It’s hard to tell if he’s exaggerating or being serious with how lightly he says it. But in true Doctor fashion he doesn’t linger, moving on as if he hasn’t said anything at all.

His eyebrows furrow again at the implication that he had somehow been the source of the geese’s ire but he moves towards the little side table and the empty vase to put her flowers in them. They’ll have to get water later. ]

I got roped into delivering packages and did some gardening. [ If Clara glances towards his bed, the sun hat from earlier has been tossed onto the sheet. ] I’m bored Clara, there’s nothing here to do.

[makemeasong]

I was afraid of this. Not the gardening, the boredom.

[ Clara is honestly shocked he made it this long. She's been waiting for this, and yet has no good answers. ]

I'm sorry, I know it's a little...quaint. Does it make you feel any better if I say even I might go bonkers after a while?

[ As she's talking, she moves to sit on the edge of his bed, taking his hat and putting it on top of her own head. ]

Here, I got you something. This should keep you occupied for the next five seconds.

[ Clara grins, peeking up at him from under the brim of the hat—which is way too big for her—and handing him a bag with a scarf inside. ]