introductory mingle: HARVEST FESTIVAL

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Harvest Festival celebration
when: The month of November.
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

harvest festival

In the days leading up to November 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: The Harvest Festival. This holiday is in celebration of the harvest season and autumn, as the moon transitions into its winter period, and is characterized by indulging in the plenty that comes with the harvest season with loved ones, cleaning house figuratively and literally, and making sure that those in need don't suffer during the winter. Celebrations tend to focus around food and charity, with citizens enjoying and sharing cultural meals and sharing stories, or participating in any of the wide range of charity projects and events going on during this season.

a celebration of sharing

The biggest traditions of the Harvest Festival are centered around giving and sharing. Charity is central, and the each year the city sets up a large open tent with warm places to rest for anyone who might be homeless and a table capable of sitting over 50 people at any given time, with a round-the-clock catered feast for anyone who wants to sit and have a meal with anyone else who's dropped by. Besides this, there are a wide variety of events benefiting charities in the city, including a karaoke concert, stray animal round up, and the annual "stuff swap" where residents clean their homes and donate anything they don't need to those who might be lacking. There is also a tradition of writing down repressed or bottled up thoughts, feelings, regrets, sins, and other troubles and tossing them into a bonfire to go into winter with a clean soul.

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

For the first few days of November, anyone dropping by the city center will notice a large tent structure being put into place - by November 3rd, as the last of October's ghosts fade into nonexistence, a veritable banquet hall will have been sent up. For a week following the setup, anyone who drops by the hall and steps inside will see a large table laden with food. Bread, stew, fruits and vegetables, soups, roasted meat, and almost anything else one can think of will be on the table, along with plates, silverware, and cups. Anyone is free to take a plate, settle down at the table, and help themselves to a meal.

The Feast is staffed entirely by volunteers, who do the cooking, cleaning, and tidy up the dishes and area afterwards, keeping the constant stream of food coming. Whether your character is heading in to sit beside a stranger and strike up a conversation, or volunteering their time, energy, or cooking skills to the hall, they're more than welcome.

One corner of the hall is entirely dedicated to the yearly "stuff swap." There's a long-standing tradition of fall cleaning in Riverview Quarantine, where residents will thoroughly clean their homes and rid themselves of excess in preparation for the winter. The extra things that aren't needed can be dropped off at the city center where the Feast is set up, and anyone who is in need of a particular item that has been donated can take it free of charge. This is an honor system, so please be kind to others! (Or don't.)

ii. charity karaoke

On the weekend of November 10th and 11th, while the Feast will be cleared away, the tent is being repurposed for a new event - a Karaoke Concert for the needy! Set up as a makeshift bar and lounge area, the space will be fronted by a large stage where singles or groups of people can choose a song and karaoke their hearts out to a crowd of spectators. There's a by-donation cover fee, and guests are encouraged to reward the best (or most hilariously bad) renditions of beloved songs from across the multiverse with digital "tips" that are transferred to the karaoke performer's charity of choice.

Whether you're a spectator tipping a performer, or a performer who's singing their heart out on the stage to benefit a variety of charities from the homeless to the animal shelter to children in need (and almost anything else you can think of), the Karaoke Concert is both hilarious and heartwarming.

iii. stray animal roundup

One of the main charity events that seems to happen every year is the stray roundup. As the seasons turn and it gets colder and colder at night, many residents who have a soft spot for animals band together to round up as many stray animals as possible and take them to shelters where they can be rehabilitated, given a warm bath, fed, and have a safe place to sleep. Volunteers take to the streets with crates and nets or restraining poles as well as generous bags of treats of food to entice the strays with, and capture them safely to be brought back to the various animal shelters around the Quarantine. Any animal who's caught is put up for adoption, and volunteers are encouraged to take home any strays that they bond particularly well with, or are invited to foster animals in their homes.

Whether your character is a die-hard animal lover, looking for a new pet, or just wants some wacky hijinks trying to chase a wily critter around the streets, they'll be suited up with supplies by other volunteers and released into the fray. The most common animals to be found are cats, dogs, and small domesticated foxes, but feel free to assume that your character is rounding up a reptile, rodent, bird, or a domesticated alien critter. Playing a thread with this prompt is a great opportunity to get a cute alien pet for your character without spending AP.

iv. letting go

On the evening of November 15th, a series of large bonfires will be set up all along the beaches of the river, and as the night falls, people begin migrating to the beaches from all over the city carrying slips of paper in a wide variety of colors with words written on them in a wide variety of languages, and throwing them into the fires. This is a way of psychologically and emotionally cleaning house for the residents of the Quarantine, because the papers they bring contain the stories of their pain, poems written about the feelings they bottle up, a venting of their anger and fear and resentment, all to be eaten up by the flames and washed away by the river with the next rain.

No matter where a person comes from, they carry pain and suffering and hurts that they must hide. This is a welcome opportunity for characters to write out their thoughts and feelings and release them. And if the symbolism of burning them isn't enough, there are always other people around the fires who are willing to listen, to hear all those things that people keep locked up inside. Share a story willingly, listen to someone's story, or just get caught holding your deepest darkest secrets on a really vulnerable piece of paper...it's up to you.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up the mod-posted prompt to create a Communal Housing floor mingle. Or, if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during the Harvest Festival, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i & iii: Bastien Grivet; image ii & iv: unknown (stock/hobbiton)

navigation

Comments

COMMUNAL HOUSING APARTMENT MINGLES

[riverviewmod]

Feel free to post up a top-level for residents of any floor in the apartment building to mingle and meet each other.

Osomatsu Matsuno | ota

[relieable]

I) like mother used to make

[well. Osomatsu loves food. even better, he loves food if it's free. he doesn't know how to cook. most of the money he makes goes to buying takeout. it's been a long time since he's had a home-cooked meal. fortunately, the food in the banquet hall is really good, tastes like it was made with love. so he stacks his plate up and finds a corner to eat in.

maybe you're catching him when he's eating, or maybe you catch him after he's done, when he's looking around the stuff swap corner. he doesn't have much in the way of his own things here in Riverview yet. but he has a few things, like coupons for free coffees, and his werewolf costume from Halloween. he's on the lookout for a scarf, actually, since it's starting to get cold.

there might be other things that catch his eye, too]

II) all proceeds go to Osomatsu

Jee-yust a small-town giiiirl...
Livin' in a LONELY woooorld!
She took the midnight train goin' eh-nee-where...

[oh, yes. Osomatsu is singing. he's not very good, but he has a lot of spirit, and he's a performer at heart. so he's making a big show, loving that the spotlight is on him. and what charity is he supporting, anyway? he isn't quite sure. he just picked one because he wanted to be on stage]

III) what is that?

[for some reason, Osomatsu's been roped into helping round up strays this week. whether it's because his brother works at the animal shelter, or because he was volunteered by his coworkers, he's on the hunt to catch something, anything. and there are a lot of strays running around, it seems like, and they'll starve or freeze in the colder months if they're not taken care of.

Osomatsu's not the most charitable person, but he does like animals. he doesn't mind helping them, except for the fact that he hasn't run into anything yet, and it's getting on his nerves. then, as his hour is running up, he comes across a strange looking critter, it looks like a cross between a deer and a slug? he doesn't know, but he scoops it up. it bleats, trying to get free, but Osomatsu keeps a good grip on it as he takes it back to the other volunteers]

This little guy was eatin' outta the garbage...

IV) put your behind in your past

[Osomatsu's had... a lot of painful things happen to him while he's been in Riverview. he's incredibly lonely, and it doesn't seem like his brothers are seriously acknowledging that. at least Karamatsu isn't. but then, Karamatsu's been off doing his own thing. he's been living, and Osomatsu is desperately trying to hold onto the past. as his brothers get further away from him, he's been distancing himself, too, working longer hours, avoiding them on purpose. but that is getting to him. he loves his brothers, and he hates this rift that is between them.

on his paper are messages to Karamatsu and Ichimatsu, letters he'll never actually send, telling them exactly how he feels. Osomatsu almost never takes things so seriously, and he's good at that. he can hide his feelings behind a smile and a joke, and that usually suits him just fine. it did back in his own world.

so, he's going to attempt this. he's going to let go of this anger he feels towards Karamatsu and Ichimatsu. he's going to let go of his jealousy, and his possessiveness. he's going to try and move on, and hopefully live his own life, while still keeping his brothers in it.

he clenches the paper, though, and seems a bit hesitant to let it go just yet...]

V) wildcard

[have another scenario you want to play out? reply here, or poke lovebakery to discuss/plot!]

IV because im terrible

[hellshot]

[Osomatsu isn't the only one who's been hanging around the fire. While Reaper hasn't exactly made any great efforts at throwing in some regrets or feelings of his own into the fire, it doesn't mean he's not keeping an eye on faces he might recogise as they approach to do it themselves.

While Osomatsu shares a face with two of Reaper's .... 'friends', he's gotten to know the other two well enough that he can recognise Osomatsu as the one he still doesn't know much about--and while part of him wants to just leave the third of the set of sextuplets to his own devices...

Well. Reaper hasn't always been the best about not poking his *helpful* two cents in where they didn't belong.]

Won't burn half as well if you hold onto it too long.
Sweat in your palm will make the paper wet.

[Helpful, see.]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Miraculous Ladybug | OTA

[de_evilise]

II

Normally Marinette wouldn't have rather gone to do karaoke with her friends - unfortunately, Alya and the others weren't here. BUT, this was for Charity! She was certainly game for participating for charity, and it should be fun also! Not that she isn't a bit...nervous.. singing in front of a bunch of strangers, but hey. Charity, right? So after paying her cover fee, she climbed her way up to the stage, thumbing through the songs until she finds one she actually recognizes, to her pleased surprise. Her first performance is a song called "Always Remember Me", though it isn't the only one she sings. She does take breaks in between songs to let other people hop up, but she does take the stage two more times - one to sing a song called "Bad Apple" and the final song, "Dance through the Danger" before deciding to call it quits, pink cheeked but happy. NOW, POINT her to the drinks because she is /parched/.

[ ooc had way too much fun looking up songs the va actually sang oddly enough XD She's a heckuva lot better than Chat's VA LOL ]

III

It was -so tempting- to adopt a cute kitty or puppy, or even a fox, but unfortunately, Marinette didn't think that the communal housing she lived in was appropriate for a cuddly fluff. On the other hand, it was a great way to give back to the community, and help the strays at the same time. And hey, if she found herself charmed by a cute animal, she wouldn't mind coming back to adopt if they were still there when she moved out to an apartment of her own.

Only she's having a little trouble rounding up a pair of nervous dogs just under a year old. THey were friendly enough, and even came close enough to accept the snacks she was luring them in with, but whenever she tried to capture them, they bolted a short distance away and then glanced back at her, as if this was a fantastic game.

"Arrugh, come onnn, wouldn't you like a nice hot bath?" Marinette coaxed a pooch who watched her with his tail wagging in anticipation, "Come on, just a little closer -- got-" NOPE, she lunged, the dog bounded away and ran in a circle around her as she went face first into a puddle of mud. God she hopes that's just mud. "..." She stared hard at the dog when it came trotting back over to her, snoofing at her hand, only to dash away again when she started to grab for it. She sat up a bit, laughing, "You couldn't make this easy for me..!?"

IV
[ Got something else in mind? Wildcard it up! If you want to RP with Ladybug instead of Marinette let me know here also :3 ]

iii because I love them so much i'm sorry

[scoutsniper]

He's been watching this dog rodeo from across the street, because it's coffee time in Frank's world. And coffee and a show is a new thing. "Looks like he's not the only one who could use a bath."

[ ((ooc:: would he recognize her? LMK how secret her secret identity is!)) ]

Tieria Erde | OTA

[vedaandme]

i. Feast & Stuff Swap

[Tieria didn't have all that much to offer in the way of swapping, yet, but he was curious as to what people might have out to offer up. He did have some things with him that he was willing to part with, though it was pretty standard fare. He didn't hold much importance on material things, after all, but he understood the idea of having a few comfort things around. In general, though, his area in the communal housing unit was fairly sparse.

He browsed for a while, and then also browsed the food being offered. He wasn't a connoisseur by any means, and tended to go for blander, lighter flavors, but he did indulge himself in attempting to cook now and then. This made him a little curious about the different meals available, so he could be found checking each thing as he went.]

=====

iv. Letting Go

[It was more curiosity than anything else that brought Tieria down to the bonfires that night. He had heard about the event, and wanted to see just what was going on. The last thing he expected was to be standing near one of the fires, a few slips of paper in hand, his neat writing clearly visible, hesitating to toss them in.]

I never thought I would miss you so much.

What if I fail again?

I am not ready for what I have to do.

=====

v. Wildcard

{OOC: Any other ideas? Toss 'em at me! If you'd like to chat about it before posting, I'm on plurk at duches77.}

IV

[ragnarsson]

You'll feel better once you actually toss them in.

[Ivar's been slowly feeding the ones he's got in his hands, all marked up in Old Norse runes, into the flames one by one. Some go in easy, while some he's been holding onto a while longer, but he's noticed a certain lifting of his mood as the flames eat away at the scraps of paper.]

Jason Todd - Open

[hititwithacrowbar]

ii. charity karaoke
Jason had sat awhile listening and laughing a bit before deciding he didn't care what people thought and signed himself up. When he finally got up on stage it was a little odd feeling the lights on him without cops screaming at him to drop his weapons. No, instead he took a breath stepping closer to the mic, giving an awkward introduction before the accustic music started and Jason started to sing a softer version of Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Two more songs came before the night ended, The Weight by the Band and of course, Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi.

It was embarrassing, exciting and fun all at the same time. He reasoned with himself it was just for the charity, not that he loved having some kind of positive attention on him.

iv. letting go
Sitting near one of the fires Jason was writing in a notebook. His shoulder's squared as he wrote trying to keep people from seeing the things he was writing. It seemed silly at first but the more he thought about it the more he saw no harm in it. Namely when the papers would be burned anyway. What started as a few lines was not on the seventh page of regrets. Names, actions and just mistakes all together. He had never bothered with writing things down, his mind always did enough of it for him but the more he wrote the more he wanted to write.

It was both nice and sad, his pen sliding over the page as he turned another and kept going.

iv

[citrinitas_668]

It was an odd thing to watch. Citrine briefly entertained the thought of joining the group writing and throwing papers into the fire, but rational thinking overtook it swiftly. It was a waste of time. Letting go happened in the conscious and subconscious; why use up materials and resources with this ritual?

Still, here she was, standing around and looking for a quiet place to settle. She'd seen the bonfires in the distance when walking back from work, contemplating whether to allow curiosity or avoid the commotion altogether. The former won, mostly due to her current desire to gather as much information about this place as possible.

"Mind if I sit here? I won't intrude."

She recognized the person with the largest available space next to him, vaguely remembering seeing him in the housing area when she moved in. This should be a safe spot to pass time for at least a while.

Keith | OTA

[tempredmental]

i. Feast

[Keith couldn't turn down the chance at trying new food. Though, the further away he got from a near constant diet of weird alien goo, the more he was settling into old eating habits from Earth. So, as exciting as the food was, he was definitely sticking to a few favorites. But, hey... it was free for the festival, so he wasn't going to hold back. He almost wished he had Hunk along to help him decide.

At some point, he had a decent amount on his plate and could be found at the tables enjoying what he picked.]

=====

iii. Roundup

[It had to be a cat, didn't it? Using Red to help in this would have been overkill, so he had kept the Lion out of it, but now he was attempting to track down an elusive stray cat that had escaped him several times already. Keith was not a happy camper.]

C'mon... I'm not going to hurt you. Just- will you come out here?!

[He reached in, and then flinched as he got spiked by the cat's claws, banging his head against the stuff the cat was hiding in. He had a few choice words for that one.

People with short tempers were probably not the best suited for crawling around in alleyways attempting to capture cats that were hiding behind wooden pallets...]

=====

iv. Letting Go

[Okay, so it sounded like a good idea in practice, but, now that Keith was standing near one of the fires with some papers in hand, it was apparently a lot deeper than he expected. He tried a lot to be casual with his feelings about things, but he really wasn't as casual as he wanted people to think he was.

So, here he was, watching the flames, the papers balled up in his fist, trying to find the nerve to toss them in. It was just words on paper. Why was it hard?]

=====

v. Wildcard

{OOC: Have a different idea? I'm open! Feel free to reach me on plurk at duches77 if you want to chat before posting!}

IV

[de_evilise]

[ Letting go wasn't easy, she knew that. There were things Marinette held tight to that she.. did not want to let go of, but fortunately it wasn't as ..severe, or serious, as what Keith might be struggling with. She hadn't gone to the feast for... her own reasons. She had intended to give this a pass as well, but when she had been out looking around when the fires were lit, she caught sight of Keith. Who didn't really... part of her said she should give him space and let him be. Only she was already approaching him when that thought had processed, and she came to a stop a step or two away. What was that he was holding? ]

... Keith?

loki laufeyson, marvel-616 (ota)

[ikols]

i. FEAST & STUFF

[ Loki makes himself an amiable figure at the tables heaving with food. They remind him of actual Feast Days in Asgardia when the entire realm would party hard for weeks solid, although the moon version involves far fewer naked gods and far more vegetables. There always seems to be an empty seat at his side, which can be taken as an invitation at such a social gathering.

At the Stuff Swap, more than a handful of trinkets have been laid down with attached tags sporting descriptions: 'Old set of marbles from disused southern castle, great for games! NB, believed to be made from actual stone-spelled eyeballs', 'Excellent pair of gloves! Very warm! Bewitched to automatically grab anything GOLD', 'Sunglasses that let you see the colours of auras! CAUTION: Can also see through polyester'. And so on, a tidy little pile to one side labelled with LAUFEYSON TRINKETS just so it can't be said people weren't warned. ]


ii. ROUNDUP

[ Foxes and cats trail behind Loki at a trot when he starts doing right by the city and gathering up its rogue strays. Dogs seem to avoid him but wherever he goes there is a steady stream of russet tails and when he has lunch the surrounding street seems to be littered with plenty of furry friends; snakes slither around the drainpipes and overhangs of cafes, sorry about that. If you are a friend the animals will squeak and purr, otherwise, if on bad or unknown terms with the godling, you may be greeted with hisses and snarls.

With a fox petted on his lap, cats at his feet, and a green viper curled around his shoulders as it reads his book, Loki sips his coffee and ignores the mild chaos filling his corner of the street. None of them are in a hurry to go anywhere. ]


iii. BONFIRES

[ Loki stands by a bonfire, closer than he should for many reasons, staring up at the flames as if remembering a face. His pensive stance is broken only when he reaches into his coat to draw out a notepad littered with amendments to his life's story (and that of others, giving Verity more than her due) as well as a second; this is a drawing of himself and his Unworthy brother.

The book is slung straight in the crackling wood where it bursts with green flames that simmer to a natural orange, whereas the drawing ... is a little harder to let go of, and it flutters on the breeze before heading toward the cleansing fire.

Hands stuffed once more inside his coat pockets, he murmurs to himself, ]

Everything burns.

iii

[hevenly]

[ Angela has chosen not to throw what she has written into the bonfire just yet. She is still wicking her options, and so the hastily drawn family tree of the royal family of Asgard remains stowed in her pocket for now as she approaches her sometimes-brother ]

You will too, if you continue to stand so near the flames.

[angelic_archer]

Stuff Swap

[Alec hasn't been in this reality enough to really collect anything to swap with others, but he does manage to have a small collection of items. A few books that he'd read carefully so that they look brand new that he hopes someone will enjoy. They ended up with the other donations while Alec sorts through thing that the other residents had left. Mostly, he's hoping to find other books or some music to add to his collection, preferably things that aren't from his world. Pausing in is search, Alec holds up a strange object, turning it one way and then the other, trying to figure out what the thing might be used for. Looking up at a being nearby, he hopes that maybe that person will have better luck identifying it.]

Do you know what this is?

Letting Go

[It isn't easy for Alec to put the words on paper. Not the ones related to Max. The other pages were simple. He'd written out his anger and fears related to his father, the Clave, the years of being afraid of being tortured and exiled for what he is, filling pages with feelings that he never could truly articulate. So many years of frustration had easily found an outlet.

His feelings about his little brother were harder, but he'd sat down late one night, carefully crafting each page. His guilt over the choices he'd made that had resulted in Max and Izzy being left alone with a madman. The years of trying to be the responsible one, which had caused him to be someone his siblings avoided and, at times, disliked. He'd had a second chance, but now... He hopes that Magnus is right about alternate realities and Max didn't return to a world where he'd died.

The hope allows Alec to move toward the fire and toss the pages into the flames. It should be freeing, but the grief is still to fresh for it to completely disappear while his words turn to ash. Letting out a shaky breath that's almost a sob, he scrubs a hand across his eyes.]

It doesn't really make it easier.

Wildcard

((ooc: Contact me at starfleetgirlfriday if you have something in mind that you'd like to discuss.))

Letting Go

[wayfaring_stranger]

[ Jace watches from a distance. He doesn't need to be standing right next to Alec to feel his grief and he's sure Alec needed his space. He wouldn't have left to get away if he didn't. Nothing they could say or do would erase the pain and guilt, something Jace couldn't fully understand because he didn't remember losing Max.

It isn't until Alec tosses the papers into the fire that he finally makes his way closer. He has words sitting on the tip of his tongue, things he could say to try and ease into a conversation or some form of comfort. But nothing he could say feels right or useful when Alec just tossed an entire chapters worth of words into a fire.]

If you need more time I can go.

Rey || OTA

[talentedscavenger]

Stray animal roundup

[Rey didn't think about becoming part of a charity or any event. She wanted to keep herself busy, and distract herself from the feelings that were pent up and brewing inside of her. Because, who needed to deal with feelings? Who needed time to process the feeling of loss from having Poe leave? Of course that feeling was attached to another one that Rey hadn't dealt with yet: Obi Wan's leaving.

She saw people at night, gathering up some of the animals that were out in the cold weather and trying to take them and provide homes for them. It was something Rey could appreciate, but she didn't want to get involved...initially. She got involved when she heard a strong, persistent mewing coming outside in the middle of the night.

Well, she couldn't very well ignore that tiny cry and had to go outside and start looking for it, starting around the Communal Home grounds and expanding her search further if need be.]

Letting Go

[Rey sits on the sand, watching the others along the beach as they gather together around a bonfire. She can see them, tossing their papers into the fire, letting their feelings or secrets be eaten away by the flames. The same paper she had in her hands, folded up into a small piece that fit into her palm. There were a few things, feelings written on it.

The feeling of loss from not having Poe around. The notion that maybe it was better for her to be alone. Feelings of failure from not being able to complete her task of finding Luke, to not aiding the Resistance and stopping the First Order.

And a bit of anger...with the Force itself. It guided her up to only what? Have the person who could help her, leave? Or have her friend from her home world just vanish? Would the fire simply just cleanse her of the feelings? Or was an act to make her feel better?

For now, she was fine to watch the others. Maybe wait until later in the evening to throw her paper into the fire.]

Wildcard

[ooc: Want to do something else? Or have a different idea? I'm always up for plotting. Feel free to PM this journal. ]

Letting Go

[angelic_archer]

[Sometime during the evening, Alec slipped away from his family, unable to handle their worried looks or their attempts at trying to make him feel better. He appreciates their efforts, but right now he needs to hurt and grieve and feel guilty. He can't - won't - do that in front of them when his family is trying to heal. The need to be the big brother, the strength for his husband, is too ingrained to let to the way he needs.

Sometime during his wandering, tears had started to trail down his cheeks. Absentmindedly, he wipes them away, not caring who sees the emotion that's on display. Alec barely even notices it until he scrubs his palm against his jeans, eyes finally focusing enough to notice Rey sitting alone. She might want privacy but it won't hurt to ask if she wants company.]

Mind if I sit with you for awhile?

Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist ('03) | OTA | Will Match Format

[alchemyfreak]

(ooc: Ed was canon updated in October, so he'll look younger to CR that hasn't seen him yet since that happened!)

i. harvest feast: eating & clean up

In these sorts of situations Ed was quick to help out, cleaning up what he could by gathering dishes or transmuting messes here and there. Although he doesn't venture near the swap, not being materialistic meant there was little reason for him to want anything there and he had nothing to really offer in trade. Although, as a member of the Guard if something got out of hand in that direction while he happened to be nearby he might step in to help control the situation.

Should someone catch him while cleaning up without initiating a greeting they might get a quick smile with the question, "Did you get a chance to grab some food, too?" If a break is needed, he'll cover the cleaning for now.

Eating might be another story, as Ed can be found sitting at the table with any number of the foods available spread out before him. One reason he'd participated in any of the holidays on the moon was the array of food available, which he was more prone to sample when given a reason. As much as he could easily grab anything from the grocery store around here - a concept he was still learning to adjust to - curiosity about the atmosphere and these holidays were a valid enough reason to branch out, even if he'd grouch about the festivities for being excessive and unnecessary. Anyone is welcome to join him, and if they don't start up a conversation he just might, himself.



iii. stray animal roundup

It wouldn't take much to convince Ed to help out catching stray animals. Although he didn't bother with many of the tools others had grabbed to secure the creatures, dismissing offered supplies as he knew he'd be better off sticking what he was good at, he did spare some time to grab bait. Much like the chocobo situation previously in the quarantine, a distracted target was a much easier target to deal with. One might catch him transmuting a cage around an animal several feet away, or bringing the ground up around one that was attempting to flee. Anything that tried to hide within bushes or under buildings only got their sanctuary turned against them as branches or whatever nearby was transmuted in a manner of restraint until he could get it loose. He might also be caught offering a treat to some of the less timid animals, if they were safe enough to approach and get close to without startling or running away. He can be found doing just about any of those things, or even transporting an animal - once trapped - to the nearest shelter for adoption. He sure isn't interested in picking up any more for his own living situation.



iv. letting go

If anything brings Ed to the beaches by the river on the 15th it was curiosity. Whether he wasn't aware of what was going on and just noticed the crowds heading that way, or he had picked up on the reason - Ed wouldn't have any interest in participating. There was little Edward did better than bottling up his own feelings, and no amount of setting them on fire seemed like a logical step in helping deal with them. He wasn't one to talk it out, either. Not that he was going to judge others for their own interest or beliefs in this regard, it just wasn't for him.

He can be found roaming the beaches or sitting nearby, minding his own business considering the whole ordeal seemed pretty personal. He'll just use it as an excuse to sit and watch the river, or a fire depending. If someone were to join him they'd get a glance up in greeting, although any verbal acknowledgement would vary depending on who it might be.



v. floor six or wildcard

hit me up, if you'd like! I can be reached or added on plurk at TransmutedSelf, or by PM to Ed's journal, if you'd prefer. I'm also on Discord at TransmutedSelf#4388, but it's not the most reliable contact method.

iii.

[citrinitas_668]

[Citrine's method of choice is shooing animals into corners with heel smacks against the ground and shock waves tiny enough to scare but not hurt them. Yes, she's not friendly to these stray animals, but it's the most efficient way of trapping and picking them up to bring to the nearest shelter. It's for their own good. She's about to look for another one of those difficult felines she's been following when she notices Ed across a nearby street with something that looks like feed.]

Have you had any luck with that?

[She calls to him as she crosses the street, adjusting the straps on her jacket that came undone in an earlier skirmish with a hissing cat. Ungrateful little devil. She never thought she'd be running around capturing little creatures in her spare time, but anything to keep her busy when work is slow is good in her books. Plus, she feels a little bad for those abandoned animals even if she's less than gentle with them.]

Raven | Gravity Rush | ota

[crowgirl]

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

[ It had been a while since Raven had a proper home-cooked meal; Kat's house wasn't the best equipped for cooking and patrolling Hekseville took up a lot of her time during the day, so more often than not she turned to the city's many varied street vendors for her food. Naturally, what started out as a nice treat grew boring as the days passed, so she was glad for the change of pace the feast afforded her.

Anyone nearby can probably forgive her the first plate, piled high with one of everything she can carry. The second one, identical in composition, seems like overkill -- there's no way she can finish all that, is there? As for the third... well, it's just getting ridiculous at this point. On the plus side, she's always happy to work for a meal and so assigns herself to cleanup duty once she's finished trying all the cuisine the feast has to offer (a few times over). If she cleans with the ferocity she was eating with, this place'll be sparkling in no time!

Later she can be seen perusing the Stuff Swap, in the market for a jacket or something to help keep her warm in the winter months. It's not her fault she's inappropriately dressed for the colder weather, okay? It's usually pretty consistent in her world! ]

iii. stray animal roundup

[ Initially Raven had started coaxing strays to her the Right Way. Soft spoken and generous with treats, she'd proven quite popular at first, but the flightier ones had bolted as soon as she attempted to secure them and eventually her patience wore paper thin. It goes without saying that she'd resorted to catching them in a stasis field instead, based on the floating array of formerly stray creatures that now trail behind her as she goes about her business. Bewildered, they tumble and twirl in mid-air trying to right themselves ahead of what they likely think will be an imminent landing.

... Worst-case scenario they might be a little dizzy when the shifter sets them down, but it's better than being left out in the cold all winter, right? ]

v. wildcard

[ If there's any other scenarios you have in mind just hit me with a starter, or get in touch via PMs or on plurk at hermitesque and we can figure something out. ]

iii!

[scholiast]

(It's very hard to ignore Raven's little procession; Lucretia, who has been helping to search for strays at the insistence of a friend, stops dead in place when she realises who and what is coming directly toward her.)

Uh, (she says eloquently, her brow furrowing,) excuse me– is that safe?

(The animals don't look hurt at all or even distressed. Just confused. The feeling is mutual: Lucretia watches a cat slowly make a full 360 degree turn in the air with her mouth slightly open.)

Hiccup Haddock III | OTA

[thisisamazing]

[I.A Stuff Swap]
[Hiccup doesn't have much to offer to the swap. He's brought in a fishing net he's hand-knotted from rope, his spare, to donate to the swap just so he doesn't feel bad about browsing the tables. He's in need of tools, mostly, and those are what obviously draw him. Hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, and the like, but he also browses some of the second-hand clothes. Anybody who knows him has probably seen that he's been wearing the same clothing he showed up in since his arrival to Riverview.

A lot of what he looks at is winter gear, including a brown bomber jacket with a fur collar and some well-worn jeans. Nothing fancy and nothing impractical. He seems a little out of his depth here, so some fashion advice would probably not go amiss.]

[I.B Harvest Feast]
[This communal sense of sharing and making sure everyone is fed reminds him a lot of Berk. They take care of their people back home, and a lot of meals are taken together as a tribe in the great hall. Hiccup brings in a load of river fish to donate to the volunteers, very much in the mindset of not wanting to be a burden or a leech.

With that done, he makes himself a plate, and sits down at the end of the table - less to avoid company and more so that Toothless can lay down alongside and happily slurp up the fish Hiccup feeds him, having kept a few aside for his dragon (he can't expect anybody else to bear the cost of feeding a 1700 pound beast). He's in a pretty good mood, enjoying the sounds of the people around him, enjoying the meal. If you sit down next to him, he remarks,] It almost feels like home.

[III. Stray Animal Roundup]
[While Hiccup is definitely not looking for a new pet, he does have a soft spot for animals big and small, and a city-wide effort to round up strays and find them homes sounds like an excellent cause. He signs up immediately, and he and Toothless set out together. Hiccup has strapped four crates to the dragon's saddle to hold the animals they find, but Toothless mostly just ambles along behind his rider, soaking up attention from passers-by instead of really helping.]

C'mon, little guy, I'm not gonna hurt you. [Hiccup coos at... something, which is hiding in the very small space beneath a dumpster in an alley. He reaches a hand out slowly, crouched down and peering into the dark space.] Don't you want something to eat? I've got treats.

[V. Wildcard]
[Throw something at me or hit me up at nekky for a custom prompt.]

iii

[hellshot]

[He's been out on this Alien planet for long enough to not even bat a sideways eye to the sort of lumbering black lizard that's following (vaguely) behind Hiccup, but honestly, watching the kid try to coerce some sort of unknown beast out from under a dumpster?

Either he was doing his best here, or he really has no idea what he's doing. Not that someone like Reaper even thinks for a second that he's going to do anything like HELP the kid--he's not the biggest fan of animals, and he's even less interested in alien animals that might be venomous to the touch or something.

Either way, he'll offer his (unhelpful) opinion, leaning against the wall against one side of the alleyway, arms crossed over his chest as he stands there--looking every bit like a halloween terror who has overstayed his welcome, what with the skull mask and smoke rising from him.]

Might have less difficulty trying to catch the things without a beast following you around.
For all they know, you're rounding up the thing's dinner.

Odo | OTA (I can match format)

[namednothing]

i.

[ Large gatherings invited chaos and opportunity for minor crimes. Pickpocketing, disorderly conduct, and damage to public property were some of the more common offences for events like these. Experience had taught Odo where to look, who to watch, and how to deal with any offenders efficiently.

However, the constable had found that prevention was his preferred method for keeping order.
Odo walks through the crowd, making sure he was visible. If the police uniform didn’t keep hooligans on their toes, the cool and measuring look he gave each passerby could make even the innocent feel guilty. ]


iii.

[ Sure Odo didn’t need to be doing any covert surveillance at the moment, but it never hurt to keep in practice. You never know what you might find if you watch closely, and besides, shapeshifting was enjoyable in its own right.

Right now he has taken the form of a large orange cat, and is making rounds throughout the inhabited area.]


iv.

[ A month had gone by quicker than he expected. As much as he tried to discover both the cause and the solution to his sudden displacement, he had so far come up empty. He was disappointed in himself both for not finding any answers, and for all the times he had let his mind wander from his investigation.

He had agreed to be part of the police department here, originally hoping that the job would allow him access to more information. Over time, he had begun to take more interest in the actual duties of keeping order. Law enforcement came naturally to him and was gratifying work. The satisfaction of solved crimes or apprehension of a criminal was almost distracting.

Something else had also attracted his attention this evening. The bonfires, and slips of paper being burned was all too like the Gratitude Festival that the Bajorans celebrated each year. Odo was not a spiritual man, but some voice inside urged him to participate. Perhaps it was her voice. As he tosses his scroll into the fire, he says softly; ]

Peldor Joi, Nerys.

i

[umbrastaff]

[Oh look, an elf! Dressed in a crop top with flames printed on it and a rather short skirt.]

Y'know, my dude... that look is kinda messing with the party vibe. There's a zone of nope all around you.

Ava Anatalya Orlova | Marvel

[krasnaya_vdova]

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

[Ava never passes up free food. That said, she's actually not really there for the feast. She steals a few bites to eat, here and there, fills a plate up, and probably eats more than someone would expect of a woman her size. But the thing that she keeps going back for is the stuff swap. She doesn't really have a lot of stuff (it's a fact that became abundantly clear when she moved into Tony's old room), so she admittedly didn't donate much, but she's looking for something, and she hopes that the effort she tries to put in for the city helps balance the scales a little.

She doesn't know what she's looking for, exactly, but she figures she'll know it when she sees it. She wants to get something for James. Not that she thinks he's someone who can be swayed by gifts, but just as a small gesture. An attempt at finding something she thinks he'd like, something that's not a weapon.

There are also other people she keeps a look out for, in case something catches her eye- Natasha, Steve, the other James- but mainly she's looking for something for him.

Things being as they are, she might reach for something at the same time as someone else, or find herself toying with a particularly strange-looking trinket.]


iv. letting go

[Ava doesn't really have letters, or slips of paper, or words. She could try, but it just feels like too much and not enough. All she has is an old half of a five-Euro bill with a hasty hour glass in a circle drawn in fountain pen, with the words BLACK WIDOW written beneath. She stands there, holding it in her hand for a long time. It had once been a symbol of someone she thought cared, someone that on a night of fire and ashes had said we're the same, and then it had become a symbol of someone that had abandoned her. A reminder that she was alone in the world.

It's crumpled and creased, worn and battered. But she holds it in her fingers and can't quite let it go. It's a silly gesture, the whole ceremony of it, but she'd thought about it. Considered trying to let go of all the weight of that history. There are two women here who wear the name, one with her face, and that history doesn't belong to either of them. She's not sure if that history was ever any good for her. Of course, Alexei weighs heavier, but that's a harder subject for her to touch, even if in the aftermath of all those memories being torn open, it feels suffocating, like the hurt surrounds her and presses in from all sides.]

Still sentimental, I guess.

[Her voice murmurs low, almost a hint of humor to it, but no pleasure.]


v. wildcard

[If you want something else, throw something at me, I'm pretty easy, or if you want to plot something PM me here or hit me up at natalia_vdova. I love autumn/harvest shenanigans; someone please throw her into a leaf pile.]

[worldsaway]

[Thor has donated a considerable amount of stuff. He has a lot of useless trinkets collecting dust in his room, and now that he's thinking of moving out of the dorms it seems like a good time to rid himself of some of it.

As such, there's a quite a bit of gold, brass and aged looking stuff on the tables. Thor is still quite fond of it, so he lingers in the general area to see if anyone has the good taste it takes to pick something that he used to own.

He watches the girl pore over the objects in front of her for a good, long moment before he interjects.]

Are you looking for yourself or someone else?

Toshinori Yagi / All Might | Boku No Hero Academia

[almightiness]

I. Toshinori Yagi | harvest feast & stuff swap

[Toshinori had a difficult time wrapping his head around it - the way their arrival here works, and the fact that there's nothing he can do, as a hero, to fix it. For now, he must just roll with it until they can find a proper way back for him... and that means putting a general plan together and finding proper jobs or places to visit routinely. He ends up t the harvest feast with some level of uncertainty. He's fantastic with civilians as All Might, the fearless smiling hero, muscular and healthy and handsome!! Never worried about a thing! The real him? That's an entirely different beast.

But letting it hold him back is nonsense! He may be on the downlow, but he's a pro hero, no?!

One foot in front of the other! He wanders to where the volunteers are -- a new sight, being the 7'2" man with the skeletal face. And then he holds up a long and firmly held hand, ushering attention.]

Excuse me!!

Just a small plate, please.

[He has a diet plan to uphold.

Or of course, if anyone would like to join him for his dinner, he's more than happy to scooch over and make room! It's a bit chaotic in here, after all.]

III. All Might | stray animal roundup



[During the round-up, a deep and hearty laugh rolls down alleyways and streets; now this feels more along his day-to-day life!! Saving pets isn't his usual call, but he's done plenty of them. If there's one thing All Might would be fine with, it'd be a distraction from the current feeling of helplessness! And so with that, the large muscular fellow walks out from the dark, cradling puppies in arm. They seem chill about being warmed by shounen hero muscles.]

AHAHHAHA

THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, YOUNG DOGS!

Why?! Because we'll find your mother in no time!

You there! Have you seen a similar breed around?!

[The tall dude flashes a pearly white smile. Lord, that's bright...!!]

(Wildcard for III, stray rescue - if you got rescuing or aid you need, feel free to dream up a new stray rescue prompt! He'll come help out.)

omg I love All Might - iii

[hevenly]

[ Angela hears him before she sees him, and has to pull harder on the leashes of the three large dogs she is wrangling as they begin to bark and howl in response to his call. She scowls, straining to keep them in line. ]

Must you below for the whole moon to hear? I only just got them to calm down, now they're all worked up again.

Ciel Phantomhive | OTA

[sweetlies]

[iv. letting go]

[Even with the bonfires, Undertaker and his father had not let Ciel leave the house unless he was wearing a heavy sweater but eventually he made his way to the beach and the bonfire. He'd even gotten his hands on some of the colored paper.

He has never regretted his actions as the Queen's Watchdog, he could never afford to. So he simply never allowed himself to. Here though... he's gotten a lot more kind since his arrival. Very few people have judged him for his past, some even encouraged him. He has friends.

That, perhaps, is what surprises him most. There's Prince Soma, back home, but he'd reminded Agni shortly before his murder that he'd never thought of Soma as a friend. What a poor lie. And now Soma hated him. Not for all the times he denied his friendship, no. The irony was in the fact that he hated him for something another did but that other had his face...

He doesn't know what to write but he knows all his sins. So that's what Ciel starts writing on the paper:

I let my brother die.
I sold my soul.
I had my demon kill an entire cult.
This demon will kill me when I attain my revenge.
Or if I break my side of our contract.
I stole my brothers identity.
I let my aunt die.
I let an innocent prostitute die.
I killed Baron Kelvin.
I had my demon kill Joker.
I had my demon kill Doll.
I had my demon kill their doctor.
I burned all the children they'd kidnapped and lobotomized rather than bring them home.
I told Snake they were still alive.
I let my butler "die" to regain the Queen's trust.
I framed another man for the murders.
I 'cheated' to create a second Miracle of Sapphires.
I had my demon throw a grenade into a German Panzer to kill the soldiers.
I forced the Sphere Music Hall to draw enough blood to kill more victims to shut them down.
I still call Abberline "Underline" just to irritate him.
I destroyed all the evidence that my brother existed.

I am not a spare.
I am not a lamb.

If anyone should look over his shoulder, his handwriting remains steady and neat the entire time. And when he's done, he folds the paper up into a square and remains sitting for awhile.

And then, finally, he stands and throws it in the fire.]

[v. wildcard]

[He's not likely to do much else because he's gone to these celebrations every month but CR can convince him. And if you have anything in mind that you want, you can hit me up on lenneths_wings]

[somakemelaugh]

[He's watching not too far off when he spots this familiar little figure silhouetted against the fire walk right up to it and toss what he can only imagine are paper scraps into the flames, as he has seen so many others do. He hasn't had papers to toss in himself, but the fire is still nice.]

[While he's there, he'll walk up beside the boy without a word.]

Quite a lot you had to toss in there just now, wasn't it?

Lola Pacini | OTA

[threatenwithcuteness]

Lola's wearing a much more gold and brown colorscheme for the month. Her hair she went all out with a mix of colors like changing leaves. Although the way she's done it makes the bright red she's added to it very noticeable. It takes a bit of thought to keep her hair like this, which helps keep her from accidentally using her powers. The more noticeable red is, well, that could be anything.

A. Harvest Feast

Lola's spending her time, most of it anyway, behind the scenes. She's alternating between cooking and serving, moving around the kitchen with an energy you'd expect with her youth. Occasionally she pauses to snap a photo of a meal and quickly add a few notes of ingredients and how it was made.

Look! Just because she's volunteering doesn't mean she can't learn and take notes.

Her hair is pinned in place elegantly and still in her autumn leaf colors. A few bronze charms in her hair like leaves to add to it. She's very stylish, trying to start a trend. She does take her food out to eat with the others, if you want to catch her taking a break. Which she needs, as she's working really hard for everyone to enjoy.

B. Stray Animals

Lola's sitting by an alleyway, she's got a small plate of food she's set at the edge. She's not quite sure if it's the right batch for what's going on. However she figures a peace offering will be better for getting her new friend to come out and play.

"I won't hurt you, promise, it's just getting cold and you might want some warm food and maybe a bath." Whatever she's talking to is still in the shadows and not out yet.

C. Letting Go

Letting Go is this weird thing for Lola, she has to let go of the pain. The hurt, the old wounds to let them heal. She knows that. But she also knows every misstep, every awkward makeout, every betrayal from a friend who meant well... is a step toward who she is. That her pain, her joy, all of her is made up of all of this. She wouldn't trade the bad with Miles because it trades away the good too. She believes that, she's made up of a series of things she's done, she's been. And it feels good.

So her paper is blank right now, she's not sure what to write, she's not sure what she wants to symbolically give up. Maybe she just needs someone to talk it out with. Or to help someone with their own crap? So she waits by the firelight for someone to sit by her and chat.

She's real cute so that should totally work.

C hope this works?

[scoutsniper]

Frank is not a guy who lets go of anything, obviously. If he lets go of his family, what does he have left? Nothing. If he lets go of his anger, why does he continue doing anything?

So he's sitting next to her, his paper as blank as hers is. He stares at the paper, then the fire, then the paper, then over at her. "Tell me you think this is bullshit, too." Help a guy out.

Angela ¤ Marvel 616 ¤ ota

[hevenly]

karaoke;

[ Angela's only doing this because her sometimes-brother dared her too. He will owe her for this, she will make sure of that. But regardless of the reason, she takes to the stage dressed in modern clothes with ever-present magical ribbons floating about her neck. She has a very muted stage presence, clearing her throat lightly before she gestures for the song to begin.

In come some strains of acoustic guitar, simple and elegant, and then, she sings. ]

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
She once was a true love of mine...

[ Her voice is light, perhaps deceptively so for someone so tall and imposing. It's clear she's had no vocal training, but her voice is full of truth and emotion as she completes the song. Once it's over, she replaces the mic into the stand and leaves the stage quickly. ]

letting go;

[ Angela stands before the bonfire with a scrap of lined paper in hand, torn out of a notebook. Written, or rather drawn, on it is as detailed a family tree as she could muster, knowing as little as she does about her Asgardian heritage. She regards it carefully, before crumpling it in her fist and throwing it into the fire. She walks away then, set free from the bindings of familial obligation. ]

wildcard;

[ Contact me on plurk at objectpermanence or discord @ gazzafizza#9103 to chat out other options! ]

karaokeee

[ikols]

[ You know Asgardians by two things; the fact they can fight like Hel, no matter who they may be, and are the biggest hippies in all the realms. Angela is no exception, as her choice of song attests. It speaks a great deal about her emotions, revealing more than Loki wonders if she wished to put on display.

He applauds her as she rejoins the table. ]

That was a pretty ditty.

[ Eyeing her with a curious squint. ]

Ronan Lynch | OTA

[somnioergosum]

ii, part one - karaoke

Ronan Lynch was, to many people’s surprise, an excellent singer. He had mastered rhythm, enunciation, intonation, and he had a beautiful voice. Knowing this, he was full of confidence as he stepped up to perform for karaoke.

He stared at the audience, smiled, and sang…

“Squash one, squash two…”

Murder Squash. It was, without a doubt, one of the worst songs known to man and thus one of Ronan’s favorite. No matter how well he sung, it was a painful experience. Unfortunately, Ronan was not trying to sing well. As soon as he stepped away, he cackled.


ii, part two, still the karaoke

Someone’s boyfriend did not appreciate being subjected to the Murder Squash song. This would ordinarily not be a problem if the aforementioned someone was not Ronan Lynch. So after a time, and a promise or two to spare everyone from further horrors, he marched back to the microphone.

“Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.”

A classic, he knew the song well enough times to perform it beautifully. The fact that the last time he’d sung it had been at his father’s funeral, gave his tone just the right melancholy the song needed.

“And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.”

Ronan didn’t finish with a bow, but he did nod before leaving the stage.


iii, save the strays

Usually, Ronan was content to let strays get by with some food. If an animal ever came to the Barns, they usually had plenty of warm places to spend the night. But the people here were taking this seriously, so Ronan went to work.

Ronan knew, from his days at the Barns, that trying to capture a cat was usually a lost cause. All he did was set up the traps for those. He’d check back later. The dogs were another story. He went for the smaller, less hardy ones first. His raven served as excellent bait, whether that was her intent or not.

“Good job,” he said to Chainsaw. Now carrying two small, fluffy dogs with heavily matted fur, he headed down to the shelter.

Later, he’d switch to walking a large dog on a leash. The dog was not thrilled with this development, but periodic treats did the trick nicely.

Whenever he ran into someone, he’d yell “Hey! You gonna get off your ass and help?”

Laura (Howlett) | OTA

[shoplifter]

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

[I wish I could say I have something deep and detailed for this, but --

Laura is basically just sitting at a table shoveling food at her mouth like she's a hungry dog, childishly piling on vegetables or stuffing or whatever other thanksgiving-like food they have on hand. She loved the food the Munson's made; she loves this. Do find her with chipmunk cheeks and an intensity unrivaled over food.]

iv. letting go



[Laura hasn't been writing anything down -- she isn't sure it matters in the end, because even if she threw a note into the fire, she can't possibly imagine it being a catalyst for her to 'let go'. It would just be the same old same old, but with a burning paper, no? So with that in mind, she sits nearby to enjoy the heat from the bonfire, watching with some admitted fascination as people's carefully written words flutter up now as bright ember.

... Any that accidentally blow away intact, she might just pick up, though. Or half-burned ones of a similar fate. Are one of these yours? Perhaps she'll have a quick read...

Or maybe you're uncertain about throwing your own into the fire; perhaps you want some company? She'll be more than happy to be a silent, looming presence. Ha.]

IV

[ragnarsson]

[One of Ivar's papers blows away on a high breeze as it burns, leaving half of the charred page intact. But Laura probably won't be able to read it unless she understands Old Norse runes. Written on the paper is ᛚᛁᛏᚼᚮ ᛚᛁᚠᛏ ᚢᛋ. In English, that would be Letha left us. Ivar was attempting to get some catharsis from the sting of his girlfriend up and abandoning him and their daughter.

When Laura picks it up, a frown crosses his face. He goes over to her, holding out a hand.]

That would be mine.

Ivar "The Boneless" Ragnarsson | Vikings | OTA

[ragnarsson]

i. harvest feast & stuff swap

[Ivar spends the first part of the feast simply noshing on different bits of food. As the weather has begun to cool, he finds himself turning more towards things like soups and stews, warm, hearty fare that's good for someone who tends to get into fights and train with weapons as often as Ivar does. He forgoes the silverware most of the time, instead drinking directly from the bowl, or using bread to sop up broth. He'll make conversation with anyone who sits down in between bites of whatever he's eating.

After he's been satiated, he wanders over to the swap meet area. Ivar doesn't have a whole lot to trade, but the one thing he does have in abundance is weapons. So he plunks down a few axes and enough knives to make a Navy SEAL blink twice. Anyone who feels they need one is more than welcome to them. While he's pretty content with what he has right now, he's on the look for some new things for Winter. Spoiling his little girl is always the right course of action.]

iii. stray animal roundup

[Some might not think a psychotic Viking who enjoys killing as much as he enjoys hot dinners wouldn't have any desire to help out the animals. But Ivar actually rather enjoys the company of animals, much more so than the company of people. Animals never judge him.

While he can't take any animals in, already having three Pokemon and a horse in addition to his infant daughter to take care of, he can help round them up. Ivar's got a natural knack with even the most skittish critters, possessing a lot of patience and a soothing tone. He's currently getting a domesticated fox to come near him.]

Come on. That's a good fellow...

[He's holding out a scrap of meat as the big-eared fennec slowly approaches, creeping low to the ground. Her little nose quivers as Ivar waits, not moving from his position.]

iv. letting go

[The scraps of paper he has are all written in runes, so at least he doesn't have to worry about anyone reading them over his shoulder. They're all pretty personal. While some deal with home, the negative emotions he's carried around with him a long, long time, some are more recent. He's had his fair share of pain since he came to the Quarantine.

What he's mainly been dealing with is the loss of Letha. It still hurts him to think of how she just up and abandoned him. At least Winter is too little to even remember her. There's a lot of anger and resentment he's been holding against her. But she's been gone two months now. Clearly, she's not coming back anytime soon. So it's time to move on.

With a decisive movement, Ivar tosses the scrap of paper into the flames. He mutters quietly to himself as he does so.]

Good riddance.

v. roommates

[It's been nice to get out of the communal housing, especially now that he has a kid to take care of. No one wants to listen to him get up at three in the morning when Winter is being fussy. Having been invited to stay in the mansion that Marco owned came at the perfect time. Sure, he was still sharing space with three other people, but now it was a lot easier when they all had their own rooms and bathrooms.

Tonight, with Winter securely upstairs sleeping in her crib, Ivar found all four of them had congregated in the main part of the living room. The sweet part about living in a mansion was having a state-of-the-art TV to watch movies on. Right now, the great debate was going on.]

What are we going to watch?

[Ivar was still in the process of being caught up on a thousand years of pop culture, so he was easy to please.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Lola was setting out four different bowls of popcorn. And when I say four different bowls, not only are there four bowls. Which seems obvious. But each one had a different popcorn concoction in it. Three Cheese, Bacon-Chive, Cajun, and Tropical. The Tropical stayed close to her for some reason. That, along with her general upbeat temperament, kinda suggested she was in a really good mood.*

Nothing too gory. We just finished with a city full of ghosts and all of... his, stuff.

*She's not judging you Nico. Okay she is. She crawls into a big comfy easy chair and curled up with her eyes on her phone, tapping away something on it.*

Varus | OTA

[enblightened]

i. stray animal roundup

[Varus sees reason in this tradition. It is one of empathy, kindness, reaching out to the local life and caring for it. That's something he can remember having done similarly once, though perhaps more in tune with nature than this, precisely.

As it stands, he is participating. Under his arm is distinctly a canine, though it's difficult to say if it's a dog or a wolf or something else -- what is true is that the gray furball has two tails, and that it is certainly a pup.

Varus spots you, and scowls. He holds out the creature, and its two tails wag.]

Take this.

[He says the words sternly.]


ii. letting go

[A fine tradition.

On the outskirts of the gathering, Varus watches with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed. While he can see the point of it all, what is on his shoulders is not something so easily passed away with a burning note.

If only it could be.

Varus frowns, closing his eyes a moment, grasping the necklace around his neck. That is, before he notices he has company.

Hesitantly, he says:] If you wish to speak, then speak it now.

[Perhaps his way of offering a shoulder to you. He doesn't sound overly friendly, though.]


iii. wildcard

[Choose your own adventure, or let me know if you'd like a custom starter!]

I

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar suddenly finds himself having a fuzzy puppy plunked into his arms. He lets it sit on his lap, grinning as he looks up at Varus. He scratches the pup behind the ears, causing the two tails to windmill around in opposite directions. Aw, it's so cute!]

What's the matter? Not an animal person?

Jace Wayland | Shadowhunters

[wayfaring_stranger]

i. harvest feast

[ Volunteering to cook seemed like the only logical thing to do when he was already spending hours in the kitchen at home. His family could only eat so much and had recently lost their appetites. The food had to go somewhere and Jace had needed to stay busy. White apron, white t-shirt, but he wasn't mourning a death, just the loss of someone, so he was wearing black pants and boots. ]

iv. letting go

[ Alec will forgive him breaking his promise. He knows it makes him a terrible person for using that advantage as an excuse to drink. But he doesn't have a piece a paper, there are no words to burn, just a glass bottle with clear liquid and far away look in his eyes. ]

[angelic_archer]

[After their talk after Alec had burned the pages he'd written, they both need alcohol. For once, he doesn't complain about his parabatai's interest in liquor. Instead he takes the bottle, giving him a look that silently asks permission, knowing Jace will say yes, before he swallows whatever was in the bottle.

Making a face, he hands it back to his parabatai.]

I'm going to risk sounding like Maryse. You have no taste in alcohol.

Valeria Myles | OTA | Will Match Format

[whenturksfly]

I. Harvest Feasting

[ No amount of information gleaned in days gone by could have properly prepared Valeria for the sight of such a generous spread of varied dishes and it shows plainly on her face when she sets foot inside the tent. That the Quarantine is a settlement with evidently abundant resources remains an experience she often isn't sure how to approach for how novel it feels in the wake of her tenure in Purgatorium. She's used to basics, scarcity, and all too often exorbitant prices for the simplest pleasure. She's used to harsher and less still given the deteriorating conditions with which she'd been faced in that world's dying days, but the Quarantine isn't Purgatorium. Ed's reminded her of that often enough, that she can have and afford things she wouldn't have dreamed of, that the community can afford it, that it's okay. What she's learned of the Quarantine supports that, but it's difficult to shake concerns that have been regular and critical to survival for so long.

It's why she steps to one side and hesitates a moment, head canting as she battles with questions and reason. Reason with a side of healthy appetite wins out and sees her grab a plate. Any hesitation that might have been detectable a moment earlier melts as fast and finely as butter on a hot roll as she sets about picking new and unfamiliar things to try with enthusiasm. When at last she claims a seat, her plate is stacked a decent height and the smile tugging at her face is a wide one. If you happen to claim a seat by her after she's started on her plate, she'll perk up and ask -- ]

Anything look particularly promising to you? I've been eyeing that stew over there myself.

III. Stray Animal Round-up

[ It isn't a cat, a dog, a fox, or anything so innocent that Valeria has set her sights upon at the moment. No, she's come across something decidedly stranger hiding within one of the Quarantine's various fountains. It's been half an hour since her discovery and she's leaned over the edge with one gloveless hand under the surface and outstretched toward what appears to be a peculiar, star-shaped creature just short of the size of one's palm. Spreading her fingers, she relaxes her hand as it comes to life once again with a tentative flash of its lights that first grabbed her attention. It starts white -- ]

Come on. I'm not going to hurt you.

[ -- and slowly begins to warm into a sort of orange as it slowly extends a tentacle to touch her fingers. One, then two and that light begins to brighten as it climbs into palm and grips her hand gently. That orange color warms into a gentle, but passionate red as she brushes one of the creature's 'fingers' with her own. Turning her head, she pauses to call to the other volunteers. ]

Hey, guys! Did anyone bring a ta -- [ and she pauses because she feels that peculiar bit of suction traveling up her wrist, looking back to see the strange alien star casually making its way up her arm ] -- tank.

[ And where does it settle with its lights pulsing gently, warmly? Right above her right ear as surely as though it were a barrette. Righting herself, she blinks, a little uncertain albeit tickled for some strange sense for her new addition. ]

I guess I'm not going to need one? [ Probably not given that it appears to be... nuzzling her, and just fine. ]

V. Wild Card

[ Looking for something else? Drop me a starter or hit me up at c_anon to plot something up! ]

III

[bunnyblock]

[under one arm, Noiz appears to have caught what could be best described as a Jackalope. It's a puppy-sized rabbit, but on its head, it appears to have... yeah, yeah those are definitely deer horns. And its glowing red eyes aren't doing much to make it look any less dangerous.

However, it seems to be perfectly content with its current captor, so much so that Noiz doesn't see much a reason to stuff it into the case he's carrying around for stray animals, so when Valeria asks for a tank, he'll look in her direction.

Watching that... strange creature crawl up her arm, glowing and clinging to her...
Maybe anyone else--Valeria included--would be endeared by this.

Noiz? Well...]

You might need the hospital if that thing turns out to be venomous.

[Ever the optimist.]

Chase Collins | OTA

[bastardofipswich]

iii. every witch needs a familiar

[ Chase has a secret. It's a pretty lame one, which means he definitely doesn't want his enemies knowing it (even though, at the moment, he's only got one enemy in this entire quarantine), but here goes:

He likes animals. A lot. And he's never even had a pet before! His adoptive parents weren't exactly animal people, and the possibility of getting a dog or a cat or even a freaking hamster became even more remote once he reached boarding school age. Their reasoning was: what was the point in getting a pet for him if he wasn't even going to be home for months on end?

Whatever. They're six feet under now, and he's on some alien moon, getting a second chance at life after thoroughly fucking up his first go at it. So when the time comes that help is needed for some stray critter round-up, Chase does his part and volunteers. It works on two levels: one, he gets to play up the 'I'm just a helpful, upstanding teenager' act (which always worked well enough at school), and two, he might finally get a pet out of this.

Plus, it's easy to catch some critters when you've got magic on your side. A little bit of telekinesis goes a long way. So what if it's cheating? It's all for the sake of helping homeless animals! And maybe he's keeping an eye out for a dog or cat (or kickass raven or something) that'll make a good familiar. One that's equal parts badass and smart... ]

iv. better than tv

[ This whole sappy ritual is a complete joke to Chase. But that doesn't mean he won't show up at the bonfires-- not to let go of any deep, dark tragedy he's nursing (please), but for the sheer potential for entertainment.

Of course, he's got a 'nice' act he's trying to maintain (to varying degrees of success), so he can't openly laugh or anything. But he does like to listen to the sob stories of anyone willing to chat, and he'll even pretend to share some vulnerable crap of his own. For the sake of appearance. His own paper just has some junk about being sad that he was adopted (he's not, really-- at least, not in the way people might assume), and if he's feeling particularly inspired, he'll out and out make up a story to share with others. ]

v. wildcard

[ For now, Chase is on his best behavior, because he'd reaaaaally rather not make a bunch of enemies right out the gate. So go ahead and find him at home-- the second floor of the communal housing building-- or at work at the magical research facility, or elsewhere around the Quarantine, getting to know the place. As a witch, he may show off his magic here and there, but he... sort of attempts to be subtle about it. Sort of. ]

III

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar is currently coaxing a...well, he's not entirely sure what this little creature is. But it's small, timid, and cute with its big ear fins, so he's trying to get it to come to him. The little alien creature has currently hidden itself underneath a dumpster and won't come out, looking up at Ivar with big, fearful yellow eyes.

Ivar would try to feed it, but he's not even sure what sort of food it eats, so he's just hoping it'll come out so he can get a loop leash on it. He scans the area, calling out to the first person he sees.]

Hey, can you give me a hand with this?

[There's something about Chase that makes Ivar take in a second glance. Hmmm, he looks just a touch familiar, as if Ivar's seen him before but he chalks it up to a feeling of deja vu. It doesn't matter to him as long as he helps him get this little beast out. It has no fur besides the tuft on its tail and Ivar would feel awful if it ended up frozen on a cold winter's night.]