starhuevalley | STARDROP CELEBRATION: FINAL DAY

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STARDROP CELEBRATION: FINAL DAY

LET'S PARTY!
premise | rules | taken | pick-up

A. Arrivals and Much More

You’re here because you were dropped somewhere that tried sending you home, or you're someone with a call to the heart to explore the vast universe. The buses run at odd schedules, so please pardon any interruptions! I hope you fellas make yourselves at home, here!

[ Marjorie’s whole speech rings through your ears as you begin to explore the area. It seems a few people who arrived on the TDM have already been here for a week, but you’re just a newcomer. So where are you when this all went down? Are you trying to get back on a bus that’ll take you home, or…?

B. Home Sweet Home

[ The dust has settled on the bus ride here, and you can’t help but notice that your farmland… well, it’s a mess. Rocks and grass everywhere, no matter which layout you were set with. You were given a set of tools, and the message that this land is yours to shape or change or build on no matter what you want, so long as it’s yours. The little crate by the edge of the house is what will hold your bounties from farming, collected nightly with money delivered to your mailbox the following day, like some kind of Produce Fairy visited.

The house is in alright shape. It’s not brilliant, but it has a kitchen, a bathroom, and a studio bedroom where all your belongings can be. It’s wide enough to accommodate several things until you upgrade it.

Sometimes you see a stray dog or cat at the edge of your property. Do you adopt it?

Anyway, it’s time to make what you will of your farm. ]

The Last Day Of
The Stardrop Celebration!
FESTIVAL PLAYLIST

[ Down a hill a little ways from Pelican Town is a remarkable festival set-up! Several attractions and vendors line the streets where everything is going down. Where will you go? ]

C. Food Stalls

[ Surrounding the entire property are dozens of food stalls, from all around the universe. Marjorie bussed in caterers from all around with a healthy sum of gold, and they’re happy to sell their wares in this strange place tonight. Where you might find octopus balls, you’ll also find kraken balls. Where you might find corndogs, you’ll find dogs selling corn.

It’s a veritable buffet! And the gold you’ve started with is more than enough to go shopping for food. Have fun! ]

D. Games

[ All manners of Carnival Games are set up! From throwing a baseball at bottles to catching goldfish with a paper net, everything you can dream of is here. There are even some unorthodox games, like dance-offs, karaoke, and a little bit of everything. Apparently, the NPC couldn’t choose who to go with what. It definitely makes for a big festival.

In addition to the above, there’s water gun races, squeaky duck ponds, skee-ball, target shooting, test your strength with a hammer, pitching speed, shooting hoops… and more! ]

E. Three-legged Race

[ You didn’t think this festival was going to go by without tomfoolery, did you? For the prize of 1,000 Gold, you can rally up a partner and get tied to them by the ankle, participating in a no-rules no-bars-held race. The winners will be randomized! But the real gift is going to be the fact that the ties around your ankles? Aren’t coming undone. You’re going to have to be tied together until 11 PM! ]

F. Fireworks

[ Errant magic and mishaps aside, you have to admit, the fireworks show at the end of it all is really something. Marjorie hired a pony for them, and the lights are as ethereal as they are non-traditional. It’s a good moment to snuggle up to someone or enjoy company with a new friend. ]

G. Wildcard

[ Exactly what it says! Make your own prompt. ]

[ OOC; Hello, everyone! This community is L I V E, from now on, you can make both network and action posts on this community, as well as use the notice board pinned to the top of the community! You're also welcome to make IC inboxes for one on one conversation and messaging! We hope you enjoy the community and if you need anything, please leave a note on the contact page! Thank you!

People who want to keep their CR from the test drive; you may! Your characters just arrived a little earlier than others! ]

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[ While Manfred's in the midst of making his tiny fireworks, a voice speaks up from just near the trees not too far away. Thankfully, the woman's walking closer into view so as not to give him any reason to jump out of his skin. ]

Monsters sometimes come out this way. You should be a little closer to the town lights.

[While mostly alone in his thoughts at this point, with Firestorm and Celia still closer to the carnival, he was rather surprised to hear someone else's voice. He pushed up to his arms.]

Do they? Damn. Appreciate the warning, even if I'm not really easy prey.

[...Though something about that voice. It really did sound familiar, now that he stopped to think about it. He fully sat up and turned around, but the darkness interfered with seeing who the woman was in the distance, though she was drawing closer.

Then another burst of fireworks went off, lighting up the sky, and with it, giving her silhouette a more obvious shape. The colored explosions created just enough light for him to get a better look, but then a single, particularly bright white rocket gave just enough illumination for him to see her face.

His eyes widened for a moment, though he was unsure if they were playing tricks on him.]

...No way? Is that...?

[ Fatima's gait doesn't slow, but the fireworks in the air illuminate her face to show her confusion nearly matches his. Although, she doesn't get much of a chance to say anything further before a cat with a strange fish skeleton for a weapon comes flying out behind her. Definitely no ordinary cat, what with the bat wings and his wee cowl. ]

"What, never seen a cat before?"

[ Cats typically can't talk, either. So there's that. ]

Josie, don't be so crass...

Edited 2018-06-17 20:05 (UTC)

[Cat or no, Manfred beams a smile upon realization of who he's seeing. And hell, even the name "Josie" practically confirmed it, even if he'd never seen him before. He pushed himself to his feet briskly, his movements quick and largely disarmed.]

Fatima?! You're here too? It's great to see you again! What are the odds?

[It's earnest, and even fairly enthusiastic for him. Moreso than he thought he would be, but he'd been resigned that he'd never see her again after the dragons in the havens sent her back to her own world.]

[ Puzzled as her expression is, she's downright baffled to see him speaking to her so casually. Have they met somewhere before? That can't be. She certainly would remember him. ]

Have we met?

[Manfred hesitates, his body language immediately shifting from joy to utter confusion. Fireworks still popping off in the distance clearly illuminated his expression, one that, for lack of a better word, looked lost.]

...Manfred? Manfred Vaeris? Specter? Haven full of dragons? That... doesn't ring a bell?

[But the look on her face pretty much spelled out right away that it didn't. And so did the tone in her voice. While he wouldn't have put it past her to tease him by asking that, the inflection was all wrong. With how much they traded joking barbs with one another, he'd learned to pick them out. And that question? That wasn't one. If something could take all the wind right out from under his wings, that realization surely did.

And yeah, all of that enthusiasm pretty quickly evaporated, leaving visible and audible disappointment. This just got really, really awkward, and he was suddenly thankful he wasn't more friendly or personal with his greeting.]

I've... met you, anyway. Sorta? ...A you? I don't know. Sorry.

[ Nothing of what he says is making any sense to her. He's met her before, enough to know her name, but she can't remember a thing about him? Something about it doesn't add up, but...it's not like she can be outright suspicious of him. Not when he looks so earnest in his own dismay over her not recognizing him. ]

"That just sounds suspicious, meow!"

[ Fatima reaches up to rest a hand on Josie's head and gives it a pat, but that pat gives way to her pushing the feline down a little bit in the air. ]

Manfred Vaeris doesn't sound familiar. But if you know my name, clearly you must know something of me, somehow.

[Honestly, he couldn't even blame the cat for saying that, because... yeah, it kinda would sound suspicious. Some random guy knowing your name from out of nowhere and greeting you like an old friend? Okay, yeah, that's pretty damn weird and even he had to admit that. The pilot massaged his forehead with the heel of his hand, trying to figure out what to say next. Following a long pause, he sighed, and finally began speaking.]

No way around it. This is all going to sound weird, but... I met you in one of those alternate universes that exist out there. Or, rather, maybe an alternate version of you? Either way, that's splitting hairs. We were both in a series of havens that were run by dragons, and there were elements of many different worlds there. There's a lot more to that story, but... yeah.

I knew you. There's the obvious stuff: you're a Witch, and you used Shadow Frost magic. But you were a good friend to me. You helped me out a bunch, even without asking for anything in return. I did my best to have your back too, but... really, you rarely needed backup. But if you did, I'd be there.

Sorry for the mixup. Damn, this one's awkward.

[ That is...alot to take in. And that's just putting it mildly. Truth be told, Fatima has no idea how to reply to that, and evne Josie seems stunned into silence. She studies Manfred's face as he talks, and, to his credit, he definitely seems to believe what he's saying. The only issue is that what he's saying sounds completely and utterly nonsensical to her.

Alternate universes? Havens? Dragons are the least strange part of all that! Yet watching him, she knows he isn't lying. But if he isn't lying, why is what he says so unbelievable?

Well, the existence of Ahrtania itself is proof enough that other dimensions exist. She never gave it much thought, but if another dimension can exist, surely multiple other dimensions must exist. And he must have met a version of her from just such a dimension. That must be what he means.

No matter how she goes about tackling such a concept, she comes away with her brain feeling swollen. ]

If it helps, I don't believe you're lying.

[He musters a tired sounding chuckle to that, knowing full well it was all absolutely crazy sounding.]

That helps, yeah.

[It's something, at least. But he knew very well there was no way she'd fully get or believe the whole thing without actually seeing action or what kind of person he was with her own eyes. That she didn't think he was lying? That was good. But everything else was going to require time.]

Anyway. If you're curious about anything, don't hesitate to ask. If you want to, at any rate. And I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable.

[ Fatima folds her arms as she ponders what to do. Josie, thankfully, keeps mum for the time being as he tries to think of what to say too that won't end with Fatima getting cross with him. Finally, Fatima seems to ease up some, and a wry half smile comes upon her lips. ]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume introductions are unnecessary.

[Her stance relaxing even a bit was something of a relief, and her change in expression brings something similar to his lips.]

Unless you want to do it for dramatic flair, for some reason.

Though I admit, this is the first time I've ever seen Josie.

[ Having recovered from the awkward silence fallen over him, Josie shakes one little paw in Manfred's direction. ]

"Of course this is the first time you've seen meow! I'd remember a face like that, meow!"

[ Yeah, Fatima's gonna take a backseat on this one. Not that there's anything wrong with Manfred's face, but Josie's little outburst has her trying not to chortle over there. ]

[That pulls a laugh from the pilot, in surprisingly good humor. Josie's jab seemingly bounced right off him.]

Good to know you recognize a handsome face when you see it.

[There's just enough self awareness in the comeback that it's easy to tell he's not completely serious about it.]

Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you as well.

[ Josie wasn't expecting that, so he's speechless as he tries to think up a rebuttal. He comes up with a whole lot of nothing, though, so he sticks to just growling as an angry cat would. ]

"You're annoying, meow!"

You walked right into it. [ Fatima's quip has the cat pouting the best he can with a feline face. ]

"Nooo!"

[His smile doesn't fade in the least, seeing that he knocked the poor cat off balance. Still, for his part, he held no ill-will to Josie. Yet, anyway. He just figured that like most cats, it'd take awhile to get to know him. Besides, it's not like he hadn't handled worse tempers as a mercenary, anyway.]

Yeah, I get that a lot. Also the whole "I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling mercenaries" thing too.

[ Fatima offers a flippant shrug as she turns her gaze upward to the fireworks. ]

It's a mercenary's job to meddle.

[ Josie's taken to full on pouting, and he floats away as Fatima drops her arms from her chest. As baffling as their talk has been, she can tell when Josie's getting ready to go home, if their little house can be called such. ]

Well, Manfred Vaeris... [ She casts her gaze over to Manfred again. ] Remember to stay away from the trees at night. It's safe near town, but I've had to fight more than a few monsters here and there.

[In plenty of ways, she was right. And the easy way she accepted what he did for a living was a relief as well.]

Thanks again for the warning, I appreciate it. I'll keep my distance from the woods. Give me a call if you ever need a hand with something. I'll be there.

[ IF anything, her being a vigilante means she can't throw stones at all. ]

That's very kind of you, thank you.

Any time. I'll be at the Shepard's Landing farm. Take care of yourself. Be seeing you around?

Perhaps so. It's certainly a small enough town.

[ Awkward as their first meeting has been, she can't say it's been bad enough that she would hate seeing him again. ]

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STARDROP CELEBRATION: FINAL DAY

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