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expiationlogs2023-02-17 07:53 am
{Mini Event} 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.
no subject
[ Without touching Peter directly he bends forward at the waist to reach out past the man's head to pull one of the more classic magic maneuvers: the one where it looks like something was pulled out from behind the ear.
The thing is The Overcoat isn't exactly silent. So Peter is bound to hear the eerie displacement of space by his head a second before Nikolai pulls the rose back into view. Now it's the spider lily that's missing-- or is it simply hidden behind his back where his second arm is folded out of view? ]
Do you like magic?
no subject
[ Cool sounds and cooler sights are enough to distract Peter from any suspicion. Peter marvels at the trick and grins. Okay, he knows fortune telling and magic is a load of scut, but that doesn't mean it's not cool. ]
How'd you do that? You using real magic, or are you just really fast?
[ Despite himself, he loves magic. It's the spectacle, he can't resist. ]
no subject
[ He lifts a index finger to wag as a reprimand before bringing it up to his own grinning mouth. ]
It's rude to ask for secrets before giving a proper introduction first. Do that and maybe then we'll see about hosting a commemorative rapid fire fun time introductory quiz!
no subject
[ Peter mutters, crossing his arms in a pout. It doesn't last long. ]
That sounds kinda fun, actually. You're on. My name's Peter Quill. But up there, [ He glances up at the sky, into space ] I go by Star-Lord.
no subject
That's no boring moniker, Mister Star-Lord! For that I won't make you guess mine. You may call me Gogol.
[ Unlike how he usually does during introductions-- where he absolutely makes people "guess" it. Because there would be no greater aim or advantage gained in harassing this man at this time he simply doesn't... Thus it's a rare civil Gogol introduction. ]
Now, fair is fair! For every secret you ask for I'll take one in return.
no subject
Gogol, then. Nice to meet you, man.
[ Peter feels #blessed. If he knew what hashtags were. ]
Got it, so I have to tell you a secret? Hm. [ He considers this. He actually has quite a few secrets. ] How 'bout this one? I'm actually a space prince from the planet Spartax.
[ Truth or fiction? ]
no subject
[ It's up to Peter to decide if he thinks Gogol believes him or not. The man in question begins to talk faster to apply some game show like pressure. ]
Quick, let's test that theory. All you have to do is give me information only a space prince from space would know! I'm giving you three seconds. Ready? [ BETTER BE BECAUSE HE'S NOT WAITING... ] One, Two, Threeee
no subject
Half alien. And, uh!
[ Crap, he needs more than three seconds. ]
My only proof is my guns? They only work for the Spartoi royal family. Like, I could hand 'em over to you and they'd be useless, but they do cool scut for me.
[ He even hands over one of his blasters. Maybe he took longer than three seconds, but does this count? You'd have to be pretty sure about things to hand over a gun to a stranger. ]
🚩
[ "They only work for the Spartoi royal family" Gogol has a look over the blaster. He takes a moment to hum appreciatively over the details. ]
OK! ...I believe you now.
[ Before he hands the apparatus back he gives a wink-- or is it a blink? Hard to tell with the mask-- and he aims that blaster at Peter's foot. Without further hesitation he squeezes what he assumes to be the trigger.
It goes to show he does believe him... or it's something else entirely. What a silly goofy guy! ]
no subject
See? Pretty much a paperweight for anybody else. Check this out.
[ Peter unholsters his other blaster, aiming it at the floor (gun safety!) Soon his hands glow white, and both the gun in his hand and Gogol's start reforming into white blocks. The blocky gun in Gogol's hand flies back to fuse with the one in Peter's hand, taking on a new shape entirely. ]
Ta-da! Alien tech. Cool, right?
no subject
Very cool indeed!
[ Polite applause. It's been so, so long since he's encountered anyone with enough trust to hand him even a defunct gun so he decides then and there it's way more interesting to see how long this can go on for. ]
Before we move on I want to know what it fires off. It's not something mundane like normal bullets is it?
no subject
Nope. They fire off plasma rounds -- the gun makes em, so it never runs out of ammo. Though when it's like this, it shoots off like, wind cyclones?
[ He shows off this particular effect -- aiming at a flower pot in the distance. The gun glows green, and a gust of air shoots out from it, towards the pot, surprisingly pulling it towards Peter, where it hovers in midair until the wind dies down and it falls. ]
Whoa, whoa, agh--
[ Annd Peter tries to catch it with his free hand, because he doesn't want to be known as the guy who breaks strangers' flower pots. ]
Phew. This is the weirdest mode for sure. The other ones just shoot lightning, ice, or lava.
[ Said so casually you might be justified to think he's lying. #JUSTSPACETHINGS ]
no subject
You could really kill a man with that! Several men, in fact.
[ A floating and detached hand takes hold of the pot Peter just caught so frantically. The very same hand pulls the piece of pottery from Peter's palm and into nothingness. It reappears a few feet away only to be placed upon the top of a table. ]
[ Such a benignly talkative man. He's making a note here. Perhaps he won't have to talk about himself very much at all if he keeps engaging Peter in questions about gadgets. Without taking even a moment to acknowledge the way he vanished the plant so obviously Gogol continues talking. ]
Are you a assassin? Fess up now, Mister Star-lord, do you kill people for a living?
no subject
Oh, sure. I mean, they're still guns.
[ He doesn't seem too pressed about the idea of killing someone -- that's just part of the job when you're a space pirate. He'd probably add something about how he usually only shoots in self-defense, but a detached hand is stealing the pot he grabbed and that's more than a little weird. Which is saying a lot, because Peter has seen weird. ]
Whoa! Is that how you did the thing with the flower?
[ Floating hands? You can't just do that without explaining, guy! Oh, but Peter is very easily distracted. He'll respond before (not) getting an answer. ]
Nah, I'm not! I mean, I've been a bounty hunter before, and that's kiinda up there, but I'm not stealthy enough to be an assassin. I'm just a Hero for Hire, thank you very much.
[ That doesn't preclude assassination, ngl. ]
no subject
[ The disembodied hand jolts and freezes on the spot like it's been caught red handed. Gogol in the mean time continues to act like it's not happening. He's really coming for the Cheshire Cat's gig here today. Noted, though, that Peter falls more into the 'morally grey with a good leaning' camp. ]
Are you seeing things?
no subject
[ Peter puts his hands on his hips, very clearly staring at the floating hands. This has some strong space trickster vibes, he has been scammed many a time by men like Gogol. He squints. ]
Nah, I'm pretty sure those are yours. Are they your superpower or something?
[ Ha! He knew it! Humans do have superpowers, and his Earth isn't just the weird outlier after all. ]
no subject
[ Which is: very gullible. No matter, it's no fun to act all horrified by his own detached hand now—so he pivots focus to showboating instead. ]
Like that fire arm of yours this is a special ability that is exclusive to me. Can you guess what it does?
[ The disembodied hand shakes with each finger spread wide and with the palm facing forward. Considering the hand still attached to Gogol does the very same thing it's most definitely intended to be a freaky little jazz hands. ]
no subject
[ That's. That wasn't a compliment. See, Peter's gullible alright, just over the dumbest things. Superpowers though, that he's seen enough of to know he's seeing the real deal. ]
That's so cool! [ Much more useful than guns from your deadbeat dad. ] Uhhh, hm.
[ Did you mean the coolest jazz hands? Because they're great. Peter takes the question seriously -- he's a fan of games and puzzles, even if he's terrible at them. ]
Is it like... extra hands you can use for magic tricks?
[ See? Gullible. ]
no subject
Ahem, ...yes! That's one way I can use it! But wait— there's more?!
[ Gogol flutters his cape out with a dramatic flair. He then reaches into it to grab something. That something ends up being his own lower half which is now completely detached. Mysteriously he is cut off from the waist down. A portal-like glimmering gold accents the cut off.
Those tacky striped clown legs, pointed upwards now, start to do a mock synchronized swimming routine midair 🦵 ]
It's also really great for murder.
[ Just going to chuck that curve ball in there for funsies. ]
no subject
Whoaaaa!
[ Peter marvels at the move with his mid-section, essentially performing that famous magic trick that so wows audiences far and wide...
Well, and if you can cut a man in half, there's little doubt you can also cut a man in half. Peter's eyes go wide for both reasons, actually. ]
No kidding! You could stab a guy and he wouldn't even see you coming. Yikes!
[ But he says that 'yikes' almost jokingly. Almost. A little part of him is also thinking 'but you wouldn't do that right this second, right?' He's no stranger to people who can kill him with no trouble at all.
Ah, but he's learned that the best way to make friends with dangerous types is to roll with it. That, and appeal to their desire to cause mischief and make money, which is something most of them (himself included) seem to share. ]
Must be real useful for stealing, too, huh?
no subject
"Will Gogol kill me without warning?" is a great instinct to have considering the man's track record. Luckily, in this instance, there's simply no reason to get violent really. ]
Biiiiingo, shoplifting! That's actually my favorite minor misdemeanor. Oh. Oh! Don't tell me... Are you a half-alien, hero-for-hire, stealing-enthusiast?
no subject
It would be a cool injury, is what I mean. Plus, yeah, Peter likes stealing. He may not have Rocket's sticky fingers, but there's something sweet about stealing from bad guys' (or girls', fr) noses. He smiles and brings his arms up for an over-dramatic shrug. ]
I've been known to steal on several occasions. Some people just have way too much stuff, you know? And when the stuff doesn't even belong to them, then it's not really stealing, is it?
[ He taps his temple like he's a genius. If you steal stolen goods, that's not stealing. If you steal from rich space barons who make their money off cheap labor, that's not stealing! ]
no subject
[ Sounds likes bullshit but he'll believe it. Do you think Gogol thinks about someone's moral compass before he does something to them like steal? Well, yes. Does it stop him? No. ]
I'll take your word for it, boss. The next time you decide to steal I'll help you out! Free of charge.
[ Here's an eyebrow wiggle. Does it entice? ]