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crescentview2023-01-14 04:51 pm
crescentviewmods) wrote in crescentview2023-01-14 04:51 pm
jan mid-month event.
midsummer storms
The unrelenting summer heat has begun to let up as of late and those who make a habit of reading the news will know why: a hurricane is set to make landfall on Summer 16th. Spread the word to your neighbors and keep your loved ones and animals indoors. Expect that there may be some damage to your property, field and trees!
Fortunately, the hurricane brings with it only moderate wind and rain. Once the storm subsides and the whipping winds calm, you’ll be handed a letter by one of the Goddess’ many sprightly fairies who look quite a bit healthier and happier than they used to. Some of them look like they’ve been hitting the gym while others have a nice set of shiny new acrylic nails on their fingertips. Good for them.
Anyway, the letter details an upcoming event hosted by the Goddess: the first annual date auction. She has considerately included a form with her letter inviting islanders to volunteer as dates to be auctioned away while others have been voluntold. Oof. With the promise of a fabulous and extravagant vacation for those participating, the reward may very well be worth the price of entry.
With more news to announce, she requests that everyone meet up in the Town Plaza. The task board hasn’t seen any mid-season additions, but the upcoming date auction and the recently opened mines promise to keep islanders well occupied through the rest of the season.
This season’s crops are corn, onion, pumpkin, watermelon, and pineapple. Summer’s seasonal flowers are poppy, rose, sunflower, lily, and hydrangea. As for mushrooms, shimeji, trumpet, and common brown spores are available for the summer.
and... sold! first annual date auction
It’s time to d-d-d-date auction! Participation is highly encouraged by both the Goddess and her pushy little helpers. Every islander received a form delivered to them by said pushy fairies that contains the following application:
Describe yourself in three sentences or less:
List three of your best and worst qualities:
If you were a fruit, which fruit would you be and why?
Describe your ideal romantic partner:
Why should the auction attendees bid on you?
...You may have noticed that the form does not include a section for your name. That’s because this is a blind auction in which bidders must place their bids based only on the information provided in their application. Love is blind, as they say!
While some people may eagerly volunteer themselves to be auctioned away, those who are less bold may have been signed up to participate by a friend, neighbor, or the Goddess herself. In so many words, if you’d like to sign your character up but don’t believe they’d willingly volunteer to be auctioned, worry not! You may use the Goddess (or another character) as your convenient excuse so sign them up anyway.
As mentioned in the overview, all auctioned off parties and their winning bidders will win an all expenses paid trip... somewhere. The Goddess’ lips are sealed as to the destination, but you get the feeling this trip will be quite a bit more than you bargained for.
task board
The task board is located in Town Square and changes from season to season. In real time, a season is one month long. The following tasks are available from January 1st to February 1st and more tasks may be added mid-month.
Certain rewards are only available through event participation, so please keep this in mind when planning your threads. Multiple tasks may be completed within a single thread, but when turning in, please link to the individual tags in which each task was completed.
Finally, rewards are per character, not per farm, so those with housemates may want to coordinate with one another with regard to what animals you’re bringing home to your farm.
This month’s tasks are centered around getting to know your fellow neighbors on a deeper level. As such, the Goddess has put together a small human scavenger hunt to encourage people to learn more about the people they are living with — and hopefully falling in love with.
Find someone who...
1. Was born in the summer
2. Pours milk into their bowl before the cereal
3. Plays a musical instrument
4. Has more than 3 siblings
5. Works out 5 times a week or more
6. Doesn’t like animals
7. Would like to date the Harvest Goddess
8. Has traveled around the world
9. Speaks two or more languages
10. Is wearing socks that aren’t black or white
Each submission will earn you two random bags of summer seeds. Specify whether you want crop, flower, or mushroom spores in your submission. This task can be completed a total of 10 times.
Many ingredients used in wine production grow in the summer, but so do a variety of tea plants and grains. Grapes, tea shrubs and grains like wheat and barley can all be grown on your farm or in your greenhouse, if you have one.
Complete the following tasks to earn yourself some nice beverage-producing crops for the farm:
1. Take something from last month’s harvest and gift it to a neighbor. You can give it to them directly, cook it into a meal, etc. Alternatively, craft them a bouquet, flower crown, or another gift from the flowers you grew last season. Complete 3 times for a total of 6 grape starters.
2. Share a piece of hot gossip with a neighbor or exchange secrets with them. It doesn’t have to be your secret! Complete 3 times for a total of 6 tea starters.
3. Exercise with someone. Go on a run, swim in the ocean, help them stretch out! Complete 3 times for a total of 6 grain crops. You may choose from wheat, barley, rye, or rice.
Summer is the perfect time to hang out on the beach and splash around in the ocean. Participate in some summer fun at the beach and earn more animals for your barn and coop.
1. Swim in the ocean, build a sandcastle, or bury someone in the sand. Do any of the following for one of the following animals: cow, sheep, alpaca, or goat. This task can be completed once.
2. Participate in Hot or Not. It’s an annual tradition! Submit yourself or comment on someone else for a single chicken or rabbit. This task can be completed once.
to the mines!
The once abandoned mines have been reopened and are now accessible to any brave islanders who wish to explore their depths! But be warned: doing so may come at a cost. Will you take the risk and come out on top with rare and otherworldly treasures, or will you trip and sprain your ankle after stumbling over a small rock? Only one way to find out!
OOCly, the mines can be explored once per week and exploration is undertaken in a cyoa-style thread. The mines are a permanent feature and can be accessed now until the end of the game. Have fun!
mod notes
⬥ Welcome to our mid-season event for month 2! We hope you have all been having fun and enjoying yourselves. As always, if you have any feedback or concerns, feel free to reach out to us on the mod contact page.
⬥ The next event (and the season of fall!) will go live on February 1st.
⬥ Please plot over at the Event 2.5 Plotting Post.
⬥ As a reminder, please keep all plotting on the OOC post as not everyone uses Discord or Plurk.
⬥ Please submit your completed tasks at the top-level below.
⬥ Have fun!
no subject
He exhales, more like a sigh to calm his buzz of nerves, and gently places a hand on Syrlya's shoulder to guide him to the poster for contestant #11.
He scans his own writing again--little embarrassed that "He's beautiful" is now out there for all to see. That's definitely his personal (but still very factual) opinion. ]
...It was difficult to find the words to describe just how incredible you are.
[ He still doesn't know if he did Syrlya justice. But. He tears his eyes from the board and looks between the two of them, at once nervous and apologetic. ]
I'm sorry. I did not realise this would earn your ire. If...if it offers you any peace of mind, I'm willing to place all my coins on you to remove you from contention. [ It's the same offer, other way around. Not like he had any plans to use his coins anyway. ]
no subject
His hands find their way to his hips as he looks sidelong at Trahearne, lips pressed into a thin crown. Trahearne is contrite, which is dulling the edges of his ire--but doesn't blunt it completely.]
No, it's fine--you've done enough meddling in my inexperienced dating life as is.
no subject
A tired and almost pitied glance is tossed towards Trahearne, before Otegine braces a palm against one of Syrlya's arms, voice lowering. ]
Syr, hey, easy... let's not make this another Mishka situation again, okay...
[But his hand doesn't leave as he turns back to the other Sylvari, his expression cautious and tired in comparison to the blunted anger next to him.]
Trahearne... I know you're trying to say sorry, but... you do understand why what you've written is kind of putting Syrlya in a difficult spot right now... don't you?
no subject
Like a lot of things. Time is running out.
Otegine's voice draws him out of his thoughts. ]
...I do.
[ He turns back to Syrlya, and he dips his head in an apologetic bow. ]
I'm deeply sorry, Syrlya. It was wrong of me to have done this without your permission or notifying you ahead of time. It was only meant to be a good-natured surprise, but I see now I was naive to think it would come across that way.
[ He owes him about a dozen apologies now. ]
Forgive me. I...hope to make it up to you.
no subject
Yes, well. [He squares his shoulders.] I need to catch up with Adelis. I'll see you later, Otegine. ... Trahearne.
[He coldly brushes past, marching out of the area. First, he needs to go pick up some alcohol.]
no subject
[Aaaand there he goes. Well.
Otegine doesn't dare follow suit more than a couple steps out of concern, drifting back to a halt with a labored sigh. Okay, it might have been a Mishka and Adelis level of confrontation, but he still hasn't seen Syrlya that angry before.
Running a hand back through his hair, the yari presses his lips thin with an awkward glance back towards Trahearne, then towards the ground.
The silence sits thick.]
...
Well... there's not much to do for it now, I suppose. [A glance off towards where Syrlya has left, shaking his head.] Give him some time.
no subject
With Adelis, hm.
His gaze drops to his own hands, fingers awkwardly interlacing with one another as he lets his own guilt and Syrlya's irritation wash over him. Part of him wants to reach out and tear the poster down, angry at himself for even thinking it was a good idea, but that's just it--he didn't think.
Otegine's voice draws his attention back up; when he looks at him, his brows are drawn up in his upset. ]
Will time be enough? [ They don't have a lot of time left. ] He...is very angry with me. I did not anticipate that sort of reaction.
no subject
It strikes Otegine as odd, for someone that seems to be close to Syr. The Sylvari had told him pretty much upfront that he had no desire to participate, even weeks prior. Maybe Trahearne had thought differently about it?
...]
I'm guessing you weren't here to see what happened earlier, then, huh...
[With a careful clap of his hand to Trahearne's shoulder, he nods back down the line of applications.]
Come take a look at number six for a minute.
no subject
He eyes Otegine curiously and gives a silent nod. At the other's side he makes his way to number six, and takes several moments to read it over.
There are thorns in the writing, in contrast to what seems like a poor attempt at being genuine. But he doesn't quite get it--he's not as close to Adelis and Mishka as Syrlya is.
He glances over at Otegine, desperately trying to figure out how these things are related. ]
What happened with this one?
no subject
Despite how, uh... meanspirited it reads... I think they did do it somewhat genuinely. The writer wanted other people to understand this person, even those traits they had that might be undesirable or require patience. That's... what I caught on, anyway.
But the applicant felt differently. They were pretty hurt. Incredibly angry. It didn't matter what intention the writer had - the applicant had themselves exposed to the town in a way they had no say or control over. They had no way to protect themselves or how people saw them. The writer chose all that, not them.
...
...Suffice to say, there was a pretty big public fight about it.
no subject
It didn't matter what his intentions ever were, were they? It is always about hard work and results. It didn't matter that his intentions were to cleanse Orr and rid Tyria of Risen--it still took him twenty-three years to get it done, twenty-three years in which thousands of more people died because he did not work hard enough, or give results; it didn't matter that his intentions were to save what he could of the budding Pact when Fort Trinity was assaulted--the looks of those caught on the wrong side of the doors as they rolled closed, abandoned and left to die haunt him in his dreams to this day; it didn't matter that his intentions were to raze Maguuma and get the advantage over Mordremoth--it still did not erase the fact that they were hasty and underprepared, and more people lost their lives than they should have that day.
It didn't matter that his intentions were to surprise Syrlya with a fun blind date--he still hurt and offended him, perhaps portrayed him in a way he didn't like. His proverbial heart sinks to his stomach and for a moment, his eyes drop to the floor. ]
...I had no idea.
[ He looks up again, amber eyes searching Otegine's for an answer as to how to make this all better. ]
Is that why he was so angry?
no subject
I can't speak for that, Trahearne. I'm not him.
What I do know is that Syrlya took the time to talk to both of these people, when all that was going on. And... well, you know Syrlya. He's pretty patient in how he shows care for people, even if he disagrees with them. And I think... maybe having shouldered all of that earlier today just made some already difficult things a little harder to swallow.
...
Did you ever ask him about it? The date auction, I mean.
no subject
It makes it a little hard to breathe. ]
No. It never came up. I'd...stupidly assumed he'd think the same way about it as I did--which is little at all.
[ For all the overthinking he does, he never seems to think about the correct things. ]
I see now that I should have.
no subject
Just that... when it turns to assuming, I think maybe it gets a little out of control. We... hesitate, I guess, in what we expect and know, instead of letting the people we care about just answer for themselves.
[...
With a gentle tap to Trahearne's arm, Otegine will try to lead him away from the applications and find them a place to sit. Keeping all of that directly in Trahearne's face feels a little mean.]
You hold him in really high regards, right?
no subject
Again, he's glad that Syrlya has such a good roommate.
With a small dip of the head he obliges, letting the both of them remove themselves from the crowd. He sits at the edge of a suitably large rock.
The entire time, turbulent feelings he'd done so well to keep under wraps for years tears at its bindings, rips at the healing tissue on his chest, knots in his throat. He leans forward, bringing a balled fist to his mouth, as though it might calm him so he can give Otegine the placid, platonic answer. But he's far past that point, he seems.
And like a torrent, it spills out. ]
I...love him, Otegine. I'm in love with him. I have never met anyone as brilliant as him in my entire life.
[ What does it say about him that Otegine is the third person he's admitted this to, but he's yet to say anything to Syrlya about it? That, too, torments him. ]
That I hold him in high regard would be... [ His mouth twists wryly. ] ...an understatement.
no subject
oh no
HOW DOES... HE HANDLE THIS... Love is such a strong word, an emotion he isn't sure he understands in the slightest...or, at least, not in the way he feels Trahearne must be talking about.]
Could I ask why, sir?
no subject
How does he describe this? How does he put into words an affection so deep, one he only started to acknowledge in his more recent years? ]
He...changed my life. For so long I spent wander what felt like a lonely, aimless existence, my purpose forever out of reach.
But the day I met him...everything began to fall into place. [ He huffs a very light laugh at the memory. ] I thought he was presumptuous at first--he held no reverent respect for me as firstborn, as most saplings do. It was only later that I realised he regarded me as a friend--he saw right through me, and understood we would need a stronger bond if we were to face our destinies together.
[ Despite the melancholy tugging at his heart, a smile crosses his face. It's distant, longing. ]
He's the light of my life. He is an inspiration to every Tyrian who seeks a better life and peace from the dragons. So many have rallied behind him because of it. He pushes forward despite reasonable doubt, he has unwavering conviction in his purpose and what is right. Perhaps one may call it recklessness, yes--but it's because of that, that he's accomplished all he has. He has always been there for me, for others when hope was down, to encourage us all to keep going. He cares so deeply, I worry sometimes that he burdens himself too much with other's troubles, that he has no room to deal with his own.
[ He sighs. ] He's a powerful fighter--he's my second-in-command for good reason. Yet he maintains an elegance about him that rivals the nobles of Divinity's Reach. He's... He's beautiful. His leaves have such a rich sheen, and they frame his face perfectly. His glow reminds me of rivers, the veins and lifeblood of the world; of stars, beacons in the dark of night. He has such a delightful laugh...
[ The smile drops. He doubts he's listed every reason--he could honestly go on forever, but the nagging doubts in the back of his mind only grow louder. ]
For a...very long time I've struggled to justify any reason as to why I might deserve someone like him.
[ He looks at his hands, like Syrlya has slipped through the gaps between his fingers. The outlines of his hands blur as tears fill his eyes, resignation filling his voice. ]
It seems I don't.
no subject
--and then inwardly panicking when he hears the tightness in Trahearne's voice that betray someone about to burst into tears.]
O-oi, oi, no no no... [He drops to a kneel in front of where Trahearne sits, a glancing touch to one of his wrists.] Where did that come from???
Trahearne, he's just angry. Making someone angry doesn't mean you suddenly forget all the other things you've done with them or that they weren't important, or that you aren't important.
[Damn it damn it damn it.... what else can he even say here?
...
His lips thin as the touch at Trahearne's wrist shifts to settle overtop, a gentle grip as he carefully tries to chooses his next words.]
...Why are you putting him on this pedestal to justify your feelings for him, anyway?
I'm... sorry, if this is out of turn, sir. Something like love... it isn't my forte. [Not by a LONG shot. Help.] But... it seems to me you're just making things a lot harder for yourself by thinking he's just some... unreachable, perfect person.
If he would give you more kindness than that, why can't you offer at least that much to yourself?
no subject
Something in him melts a little. Syrlya has always said much the same, hasn't he? That he should stop putting himself down. That he deserves so much more than he lets himself have. But a lifetime of being othered, of being looked down on for his Wyld Hunt, for his ideals, for being whispered about behind his back has hammered in him that he is just the weird, ugly sylvari necromancer chasing a pipe dream, surrounding himself with rot and brine. A few years of Syrlya's encouragement has changed some of that, but not all of it. It flows through his sap, like it belongs there.
But he is perfect, he thinks to himself. Syrlya is just a person. But all of him--all of his flaws, his strengths, his quirks, his oddities--they create who he is. And he loves every single part of him unconditionally, even the parts of which he is yet to learn. Trahearne doubts there's anything about him he'd ever come to resent. Because it's still Syrlya. ]
You're right. [ His voice is shaky, as is his breath. ] He's just angry. He just needs time. [ How much time? is the voice that nags him in the back of his mind. He waited for years before; he can't afford the same patience. He breathes deep, trying to calm himself in the face of an hourglass that runs dangerously low.
Unfocused eyes eventually settle on Otegine's, but the distress doesn't leave his expression. ] I... I don't know. [ That's the answer to both questions. ] I don't know. So long have I watched him from afar, that I suppose I don't know where to find the courage to tell him any of this. Or...to ask him on a date.
[ Does he deserve a date? Is the question that chides him in the back of his mind, but he quickly pushes it away. It hadn't been an hour ago that he was confident in his resolve, but...it seems his emotional state is putty in Syrlya's hands. ]
no subject
...
He breathes out through his nose, letting his other hand join to cup Trahearne's just as Syrlya had done for him.]
You had courage to try to tell everyone else in town, though, didn't you?
There's a reason I looked over Syrlya's application, you know. It didn't read like... him. It felt like someone who was exactly, entirely sure of what they wanted, without any room for error. It's kind of daunting to read, let alone bid on. But...
I think... really, it's a better look at how you feel about him, than how we should feel about him. And you had enough resolve to show that to all of us, right?
[The weight of his hand squeezes a bit.]
Maybe right this second isn't the best time. He's hurt, and you're hurt, and... I do think you probably should talk to him and ask how he's feeling.
But maybe after that... well,, all you have to do is use your voice instead of a pen, and trust him to make that choice himself, right? Besides... a date's just time that could be romance -- or, well, something like that. [Something he learned 2 hours ago, wow.]
You can still ask for a little of his time, and it can still be precious no matter how it turns out. [His smile stays gentle.] Right?
no subject
... ]
You're right, Otegine.
[ In his limited space, his stilted feelings, he couldn't express everything that he wanted to in Syrlya's form. Not like he should have done that to begin with. And to think it did not come across in the way he wanted? That hurts. Everything about this is wrong, and he made a mistake. ]
I feel...awful. I shouldn't have done that.
[ He'll keep away. He'll let Syrlya have his space. He won't contact him. Part of him thinks he should keep away until Syrlya decides to come back to him, but another part of him knows that won't make it any better. That he should be the one to extend a hand first and apologize. That, and the last, very big part of him that knows he will only regret it terribly if he doesn't do anything about it this time. That if he watches Syrlya go, he may simply return to the earth due to the intensity of that sorrow alone.
A week. He'll leave it for a week. ]
Do you... [ His confidence falters in the face of not seeing him for a week. ] Do you think he'll forgive me?
no subject
I can't say. That's gonna be up to him.
I don't think that changes whether he's owed an apology or not. But I... I understand hesitation when we get scared, sir. We can't always make amends right away on a battlefield, either, and hesitation can be a trait that hurts a lot of people, just as much as recklessness or impatience. Maybe it's similar here, too.
...
[Still, if he had to choose anything...]
Listen to him, if he chooses to talk about it. Like... truly listen.
Don't blame yourself, don't blame him, don't blame that argument or the auction or anything. Don't fill out that survey in your head again trying to find answers to his problems, nothing like that.
Just try to hear what he has to say. I think that'll do a lot of good for both of you.
no subject
He only watches as Otegine speaks, reverently taking in every word. Like there is a hidden secret in what he says to making this all better. But it isn't that easy--it will never be that easy. ]
...Thank you, Otegine. You've given me a lot to think about. And...I believe you may be right.
[ It will be hard not to blame himself, to shoulder the responsibility for all of Syrlya's negative feelings, towards Trahearne or otherwise, but he will try.
At least, he thinks, if there's one thing he's good at, it's listening.
Slowly, he shifts from the rock, wiping his eyes as he does. The weight on his chest feels no better, but he understands its edges now. Perhaps he'll figure out how to handle it. ]
I'm...going for a walk. To sort myself out. Please...watch over Syrlya for me, where I cannot.
[ A week feels like an agonizingly long time.
In the meanwhile, he'll find his confidence again. He'll try to bury his doubts, tear them from him person and scatter them to the earth, use them as fertilizer for his plants as he tends to the earth. And hopefully, too, for a relationship that he has long been dreaming of.
And so, with a slight nod in parting, he turns towards the beach. If there's anything that will help reassure him, it's the sound of the waves. ]