Event #09: THE FETE OF KNOWLEDGE

[vivalamods]

EVENT #09: THE FETE OF KNOWLEDGE

As the month wears on, the Imperial forces withdraw, tired of scouring the seas in attempts to pick off individual Corsair ships, have slunk back to their masters. During this time, the Corsairs were hard at work finishing the Crimson Portal in Asphodel, and for the first time ever the Corsairs now have four waypoints - an enormous gain as they welcome the refugees from Vindess.

The refugees themselves are settling about as well as can be expected. Tension is still high, while the people are grateful for being saved from certain doom, a lifetime of propaganda doesn’t fade away in an instant and they remain wary, upset at the loss of their homes and way of life. Struggle is natural, and thus, the Corsairs have prepared for the second phase of the resettlement operation - the Fete of Knowledge.

As Asphodel residents stream into the Vault, music - the kind never permitted under Imperial auspices - echoes through the halls. Although the hammering of munitions is ever-present, this music is meant to reverberate through the caverns, echoing upon itself to build into even greater harmonies. This is music of the Crimson Corsairs, made to suit their purposes and circumstances. A salve for aching hearts and a beauty to bring a tear to the eye, the Vault is ready to prove that as the last repository of forbidden knowledge in the world, the wonders they hold welcome all who have the minds to seek it.

With the spring thaw well underway there is still much to be done, but the Corsairs have worked to complete it as best they can. Thus, most everyone within the three, no, four cities should find some time to partake in the Fete. As the week-long festivities commence, Corsairs are welcomed to take a much-needed break and celebrate their triumphs.

Join the Performance

The music of the day is a beautiful choral arrangement, repeated on the hour to echo through the halls, the verses building upon each other. While not enough to drown out the bombing, it’s a gorgeous piece and one that somehow provides a measure of peace and comfort. Any and all are welcome to lend their voices, there are several parts for any vocal range with the more complex vocalizations being handled by experienced musicians. And, best of all, any who aid in the song are gifted a jug of honey wine, a salve for a sore throat and a delicious delicacy besides.

Debate Hall

The Debate Hall is often lively, and during the Fete it has been repurposed to serve as the center of introduction to rhetoric. Debates between people of roughly equivalent skill are held throughout the Fete, and the topic of debate can be anything the participants choose. Debates over best foods, fashion, or even the odd lyrical exchange of truly hair-raising insults, just about any kind of confrontational discourse is currently on display for the amusement of refugees and Corsairs alike. Corsairs are free to join the stage, so long as they honor the traditions of the hall - settle disputes with words, not blades. At least while you’re in the hall, anyway.

Banquet Hall

The Corsairs have tapped their stores to create a truly enormous feast of delicacies only found in the Eternal Ocean. Aquatic creatures of all sorts grace the tables, as well as some of the native flora and fauna of Elysium’s fields, prepared to absolute perfection. And then, of course, there is the grog, free-flowing and plentiful to help take the edge off the trauma of the resettlement. The mood is mostly festive, with sober bouncers on hand to eject any Corsairs who might get a bit too belligerent while soaking in libations.

Dueling Hall

Sometimes words are not enough, and the Corsairs have set up a dueling hall within the Vault for people to test their skills against each other in controlled environments. Ether is dampened in the Dueling Hall, so while one can cast spells as they might, the lethality is far reduced, a once-searing flame is now a gentle warmth and a block of ice a pleasant mist. This, along with padded weaponry, make for a fine way for Corsairs to both test their skill and show off for the masses, with any number of interesting rules in play to make the contests of strength more interesting and enjoyable to watch. With many a pair from the Debate Hall making their way to the Dueling Hall to continue their disputes, the hall is busy for the entirety of the Fete.

Story Hall

A Story Hall has been set up near the library for actors and orators to read and sometimes act out the books and stories found within the library. While the townsfolk of Vindess are not entirely illiterate, their lower class nature as mine workers means that many cannot read, or read well, and this hall gives them an opportunity to experience the wonder of the written word, of story and legend, and to hear the histories the Empire has long suppressed. The Story Hall is always looking for more orators and actors to read or act out books and plays, and it is one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the Fete, with the Vindess residents hungry for these once-forbidden tales.

Wildcard

The Fete of Knowledge is all about sharing, so there are any number of activities, and Corsairs are encouraged to come up with their own to keep the Fete moving. You may use this prompt to do whatever you wish. Enjoy the party!

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Comments

[purplexing]

Donnie is still wondering why he's even here. Aside from the obvious. Hardly would he admit to being just a slight bit just as clingy to his older not!brother, but that doesn't mean he appreciates being toted around like some purse dog.

He'd only been half-listening, but his takeaway pretty much focuses on a negative view of people, and he supposes at the very least, it probably wouldn't be great to say that people suck in front of a group of children.

He looks up at Raph, utterly baffled at the big blubbery tears welling up in the bigger turtle's eyes. What even.

[testygirl]

Donnie is going to find himself outnumbered in short order. Most of the kids are on Team Raph, and one of the older and braver boys offers him some support. "I-It's okay, Mr. Raph! Uh, even though it was hard, she's gonna be a great apothecary—" he's clearly proud to get that word right "—and help a bunch of sick people!"

"Yeah! She will!" another girl chimes in.

Here's a simple fact: across all universes, kids love ninja turtles. And ones from Vindess are likely to know that the two not!brothers both fought to protect them and their families while they evacuated.

Aira, for her part, is not going to miss out on an opportunity to put Donnie on the spot.

"Uh-huh. And what do you think, Mr. Donnie?" she asks sweetly, holding his eye.

[supersmashbrother]

It's nice when kids love turtles who happen to be ninjas. Because of this whole situation of being a turtle in the first place, being surrounded doesn't happen very often for him unless he's facing enemies. And the children, being smaller versions of adults, do not fear him or Donnie. So he's feeling very supported, sniffing again to clear up his nasal passages.

"You're right, kids," Raph smiles at the two who speak up. "She's gonna do great!" Talking about the girl like she's real or something.

Another sniff, and he also turns to look at the turtlekin still tucked away in his beefy arm. "Yeah, Mr. Donnie, don't be shy an' share with the class!"

you asked for this

[purplexing]

Donnie meets Aira's eye with a flat look, but Raph gets a glare for jumping in on it. He wrinkles his snout, huffing out the most put-upon sigh.

"Well, I think that it was irresponsible of her brothers to leave their own sister and mother like that. As dismal as their personal experiences turned out, it seems like fair consequence for their selfishness, but also exhibits how terrible other people can be in the world beyond. But at least they still had family to return to, but who knows, maybe they took that for granted too. I'm sure things would've turned out better if they stayed and worked things out between themselves, and while I'm not saying they should be chained to responsibilities of their family, they don't have to completely turn their back on them."

He snorts.

"They didn't even seem to appreciate all that their sister did and sacrificed of herself to help her mother. And who knows, maybe Clara had other dreams, but they've gone unrealized because of circumstances beyond her control, so would she really see it as her calling to go out and become an apothecary? It's knowledge she's acquired, so maybe she'll finally find some fulfillment in helping people that will see results, but would that be enough?"

[testygirl]

Too late for regrets! Aira also happens to agree with basically everything Donnie says. Some of the kids do look slightly baffled, but there's a reason she picked out this story instead of something fluffier. Even if the Corsairs manage to topple the Empire, the effort could take years. Things are going to be tough for everyone in the meantime, and it doesn't sit right with her to sugarcoat those coming hardships.

Even if or when they manage to win, some of these kids will still have family members who are selfish, ungrateful, or worse.

"It sounds like Mr. Donnie is rooting for Clara, too." She softens her voice, focusing on the kids again. "If you have brothers and sisters, sometimes they might act like big jerks. It was sad for Clara when her brothers all left, and it was hard for her to care for her mom and do all that work on her own. When things go wrong, we just have to try to do the best that we can. But it's okay to cry and feel upset, too."

As her turtle friends have conveniently demonstrated. Look, she's not totally winging this, shh.

[supersmashbrother]

Raph leans back a little at the glare, but he seems to be used to getting looks like that. A worry line eventually shows on his brow once Donnie gets into it, almost making him regret egging him on like that. But the more he listens to the reasons, the more it makes sense, to agree and see things from his perspective — even if it does sting a bit.

While Aira clears the air to talk to the kids again, Raph nods along. "Plus brothers don't always get it. Any sibling, even. Sometimes they think they're doing what's best for the family, takin' on a huge responsibility to try an' take care of them. An' sometimes they think you're the jerk for callin' them out for being a jerk, not seeing or hearing what you're trying to tell them."

His grip on Donnie loosens to let him sit on his own, resting both of his hands on his knees as he thinks about it some more. "...But if they care, then they'd eventually see the whole picture. Maybe those dumb brothers of Clara's could've compromised somehow. They needed to communicate with her an' let her know she wasn't alone in this."

[purplexing]

Was it too much? Donnie doesn't usually interact with kids so he's not sure how to gauge the response from them.

He shuts his mouth, suddenly uncertain, but not about his reasoning. But he does blink, surprised, perhaps, when Aira validates the things he'd mostly assumed, because these sorts of stories don't go into that much detail. Something in his chest aches a her words.

When he looks up as Raph speaks up, Donnie isn't sure what to make of the shift in his somewhat-brother's expression. Feeling Raph's arm loosen, Donnie shifts so he can get into a more comfortable position while he listens. He swallows the knot that suddenly seems to be in his throat then, glancing away as he rubs awkwardly at his arm.

[testygirl]

There we go. Aira nods along with Raph's thoughts, quite pleased with what he has to say. Not that she's unique in this experience, but she's been burned before at times when she didn't prioritize enough clear and healthy communication. It's a good lesson, and a few of the kids are looking positively thoughtful.

... Most of the ones who are still engaged, anyway. Since kids will be kids, more of them are just looking antsy at this point. It's probably time to start wrapping this up; in the meantime, she can consider whether to apologize to Donnie or not. Belatedly, Aira is realizing she might be giving him too much crap—just, like, in general.

She offers some closing thoughts, and then the kids head off. The more polite ones say thank you, and quite a few of them smile and wave goodbye to Aira and the turtles. Once the three of them are alone, Aira sighs and stretches a little.

"Whew! That was kind of tough. So thanks for sitting in, you guys, it was nice."

[supersmashbrother]

Oh, kids. They may be like that, but it also saves Raph from feeling a lot more awkward after sharing what's been on his heart and mind of late. So he also thanks them, teaching a few of the older ones how to fist bump and smiling at the quieter ones as he waves after them.

He rolls his shoulders, giving Aira a nod. "Anytime, Aira! You can always count on us."

In saying so, he also gently nudges Donnie—a small gesture, but one that checks in on his not!brother. An encouragement of sorts.

[purplexing]

It's just a story. He's not sure why it's left him unsettled once he'd got to thinking about it. Donnie turns it over in his head as Aira handles the children, missing his chance to wave once they're dismissed, caught up in his thoughts as he is.

He straightens, head jerking up at the nudge before he looks up at Raph, and then glances at Aira.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure..."