expiationlogs | {Mini Event} Day of Devotion

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{Mini Event} Day of Devotion

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.

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...I hate to say it, but it's the same for me. I thought this might be an easy way to make some extra money, but I don't know the first thing about plants, either.

[Calaglia wasn't exactly known for being a realm of verdant green, after all. But Kazutora might just be onto something, there. He leans down to look at the plants again. The ones with flowers are obvious, but when he gets closer, there are some creeping green ones that don't seem to have any flowers at all. Maybe those are the weeds?

Still, he, uh -- he's glad he's not the only one who's just here for the job.]

Kazutora, huh? Nice to meet you. [He shakes the guy's hand.] I'm Alphen. Also fairly new around here.

[Shaking his hand back with a warm smile, the grip strong and his fingers calloused.]

Nice to meet you, too, Alphen! Eh, we just gotta make everyone think we know what we're doing. Like so--

[Kazutora glances over the batches of flowers and plucks out what are most certainly weeds, small green stalks with pinprick white buds that are peppered throughout a bed of otherwise bright red poppies. He feigns a look of shock.]

Oh, the flower of my people, the Nantokahana-! [His expression melts into one of nostalgia as he grips the stalks.] This plant is so special where I'm from; it symbolizes friendship and perseverance and is very rare, you should absolutely showcase it-!

[Kazutora grins and holds the weeds out to Alphen.] And thus you can get away with selling any of this stuff. 'Course, there isn't a Nantokahana in Tokyo, but I bet you wouldn't know that, right?

[Alphen watches the dramatics with an awed expression that is too sincere to be faked. It's one thing to be a little evasive about things you don't want to talk about --he knows all about that, after all-- but this is acting on a level he's never had to try on his own. It's-- well, honestly, maybe a little intimidating.]

That was a real master lesson. [He sure sounds impressed, holding the offered weed with a bit of a grin.] Is that a technique you've practiced a lot? It seemed really natural, coming from you.

[He leans back down to examine the ground again. The flowers are still a bit intimidating, but maybe if he starts with something he knows? Ah-- that'll do. He picks up a pebble.]

A Calaglian wishing stone. It's supposed to bring luck. [...uh wait he called it a wishing stone, didn't he--] --And, uh. Grant wishes. If you...rub it.

[Nailed it.]

[Kazutora grins and bows with a flourish, and then stops when asked the question, brow furrowing. He watches Alphen scan the grounds, find the small stone, and declare it's purpose. His eyes glaze over a little, lids drooping, as he bends down to examine the stone with him.]

Good luck and a wish, huh.. [He extends fingers out and over the stone, rubbing it slowly and thoughtfully into the palm of Alphen's hand. He glances over at him, voice softening.]

I like it.. do you get a special wish if two people rub it together..? [He smiles knowingly at him, before grinning and looking up, breaking eye contact.]

Well, to answer your question, I guess I'm good 'cause I learned to be somewhat of a chameleon at a young age, so I could fit in. And I like theatrics. [He grins softly.] I'll just be honest, I'm pretty fucked up. It's super easy for me to make stories up and absolutely believe them, and I guess that confidence makes it believable for everyone..

[He shrugs and folds his arms.] What about you tho, Genie? Is there a story behind your wish granting ways~?

[Kazutora's smile is quite knowing, and unfortunately, Alphen's responding grin is equally clueless.]

That's a good question. I guess if they were wishing for the same thing, they probably would.

[Help, he's so dumb.

But he pauses at the sudden honesty -- or what he perceives as honesty, at least. His expression softens a bit.] That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know. Confidence like that is hard to come by, and people naturally like to be around it. Being sure of yourself, your ideals...that's what makes a leader.

[He should know, especially from people like Zephyr. As for him--]

I won't lie -- making things up doesn't really come naturally to me. I guess I haven't really had a reason to hide things about myself.

Well... then, I wanna know about you. If that's okay?

[His smile softens and warms.]

What kind of place do you come from? What did you do back home, and do you have family or a girlfriend waiting for you?

I don't mind. I come from a world called Dahna. It's... [A thoughtful look crosses his face. How to describe it? The world itself is beautiful. The people have good hearts -- for the most part. But its history is characterized by death and cruelty. He loves his homeland, but he can't call it perfect. He exhales after a moment, his smile turning a bit wan.] ... It's a complicated place. Right now, I've been doing a lot of fighting, but I hope it leads to a better future for people.

[Honestly, his expression brightens with that last bit. Nothing like an impassioned shonen speech!]

I don't remember much of my past, so honestly, I don't know if I have any family waiting for me at home. But I have some friends that feel like family. Some of them are even here.

[He can't help thinking how lucky he is about that.]

What about you? Do you have anyone you're eager to get back to?

[Kazutora smiles back wistfully, imagining a fantastical place where fighting for what you believe in actually makes a difference..

He focuses as the conversation steers back to him, and he frowns.]

No. [The answer is abrupt and short, but after a moment he starts up again.]

I had one really important person to me, but I-- [He pauses and inhales sharply.]-- killed him! Heh..

[He pauses again, waiting to see Alphen's response. It wouldn't be good. It couldn't with the way this guy sounded: heroic, true, good. All the things Kazutora failed to be..]

[Alphen watches Kazutora's face as it takes on one expression and the next, feeling as though it's telling a story he can't quite understand. As if he's thinking about things he doesn't want to share...and he can't help wondering what's on the man's mind.

The sudden change in tone is surprising, to say the least, and it shows in Alphen's expression as he blinks, eyebrows raised.]

Killed? Can I ask why?

[Surprised as he is, he doesn't sound like he's making any judgments just yet. Rather, he sounds more like he really cares about hearing whatever reasoning Kazutora would like to offer. Any explanation.]

[He's taken by surprise. Was Alphen not worried? Disgusted? Shocked? It was refreshing, and it immediately calmed his elevating nerves.

He bites his inner lip, eyes narrowing as he'd think back.]

I thought he'd betrayed me.. We were best friends; he was the most important thing to me. .. a few years ago I got sent to jail for killing a different man after we broke into his bike shop. I did it to protect my friend's face, since the guy had seen him. .. buuuut it turned out the guy was our other friends brother.

[He pauses, expression getting foggy as he rethinks the moment.]

I can't remember the rest well. I sort of.. broke. When I realized what I'd done. I just lost my mind. Unable to take the blame myself, I threw it onto someone else and spent the next few years in jail convinced he was the reason I was now miserable. Why I now was alone.

It was Baji, that's the friend I killed who I protected by killing the brother of our other friend, Mikey, who wrote to me everyday and kept me as sane as possible. He was the only person in the world I trusted, and he promised me that we'd kill Mikey together.

But he was lying. When I got out of jail, he joined me in my new gang with the express purpose of protecting Mikey from me. Someone on my team found out and told me, while we were all engaged in this epic fight. And I... I lost it again. I stabbed Baji.

... Mikey then nearly beat me to death, but Baji stabbed himself again, ultimately ending his life, in order to keep us from fighting.

[He blinks slowly, pained by the memory but learning to cope with the retelling of it and the reality of it]

He saved my life, and I took his away. I wanted to die, but... after everything, Mikey forgave me. And now I'm trying to live a life worth something, trying to get over my psychosis..

[Glancing over at Alphen, he'd smile sheepishly, hugging himself lightly.]

I'm sorry, that was a long explanation, huh? I hope I didn't put you to sleep behind your eyes-! [He laughs softly.]

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{Mini Event} Day of Devotion

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