[EVENT] THE SHANGPAR RACE

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: January 20th to January 24th
Location: Various.
Situation: It’s time for the Shangpar Race!
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The day is here, the day is here, the day is here! Though not every shop is closed and not every kedan is on the streets, it’s a near thing. The race is slated to begin early in the morning, and the city rises for the occasion. Shops open late and workplaces allow for a late start to the day to give everyone an opportunity to watch the starting festivities.

It begins with something almost like a parade. The riders -- there are fifty-five of them, thanks to negotiations during the forum -- are escorted from the shangpari holding pens to the starting line just outside the city, using the most circuitous route available in order to take the riders through every sector.

The starting-line is located just outside a set of the city’s gates, while the finishing-line is at the set on the opposite end. It leads off away from the city, traversing through several of the shell’s terrains, from burgeoning woodland, across a ‘river’, to an area of wasteland leading into mountains, and then down to the shores of the shell’s edge.

While the usual daily processes continue during the race, there are runners at supply checkpoints who, thanks to the efforts of Stark Industries and a handful of Foreigners, are able to report the race statistics via audio directly to the consoles. Groups of children hired as criers run from place to place without access to consoles to carry those reports to the rest of the city. In this time the kedan already begin preparations for the feast which follows it, regardless of who the actual winner might be.

The winners begin trickling in on day four to a crowd already prepared. Thanks to the runners, the residents of Keeliai already know who’s in the lead and when, roughly, they will arrive.

---

LINKS
Parade | Betting booths | Starting line | Finish line | Feast

OOC
In the related forum thread the family leaders were open to the idea of Foreigners participating in the race as long as they possessed no abilities that would provide an unfair advantage and were able to front the cost of 500 juulan. If your character has no such abilities and would have wanted to participate, and you feel you have reasoning for their being able to finance their entry, please PM the mod journal so we can work out the details.

No Foreigner who enters will be able to OOCly apply to win the race -- this event is about the cultural experience, not the winning or losing! More details regarding the race are available on the itinerary here.

Please also do remember that IC actions will have IC consequences. This is a huge, huge cultural event for the kedan; disrupting it in any way will cause a negative reaction. That's not to say don't do it -- but do be prepared for the consequences.

Comments

FEAST

[ironwood]

The feast is strung out all among the city, all open-aired; it clutters the boulevards and the courtyards like a giant picnic lit by paper lanterns. People sit on benches, bring their own rugs, pool their resources. The best cooks in the city have been working tirelessly for the last few days to feed their assigned quadrants.

The highlight of the feast takes place in the Courtyard of Public Opinion, where the winners are seated and the best portions of the shangpari roasts are located. Here the celebration is raucous, full of toasts and hugs and quite a few drinks. All of the riders are in high demand for stories and play-by-plays, and although there’s a handful of arguments -- aided somewhat by the freely flowing drinks -- none of them reach any further than the participants needing to be sat down somewhere quiet for a little while.

Even the Foreigners will find themselves welcomed, offered food at nearly every turn, invited to sit with families whom they might know. Though a great deal of the time this seems to be an excuse for the kedan to boast about the race and its tradition, a fair few of the kedan are curious about what analogous races the Foreigners might know from their own worlds.

Anyone Up for some Barbecue?

[backwordscompatible]

[Well, she did suggest the idea to Jack. And what better time than when the rest of the city was in cheerful enough spirits to actually go along with it?]

[Procuring the items had been...a challenge. Not an overwhelming one, given that she had the resources to, well, cheat a little. But once she'd explained what she was up to, even the locals were willing to sell her the necessary ingredients. One of them even offered her a discount!]

[Well...probably a discount by Foreign standards. Still.]

[A few more meaty products were sitting on the metal plate towards the back for any who wanted, but at the moment, her attention was more on the vegetable shish kabob charring to perfection in front. Using the makeshift tongs, she turned a half dozen of them over before picking one up. Blowing on it a few times, she took a cautious bite of the top vegetable.]

[It was hot, and she had to suck in some air to cool her mouth, but she grinned in victory.]

Mmm...

Re: Anyone Up for some Barbecue?

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

"Mmm, that smells good," Sonja said, wandering over. Her being-outside reserves were running low, but that food smelled delicious, and while Anton's frozen soups were a lifesaver there was something to be said for fresh grilled vegetables.

[wow, young justice Zatanna does not look 14 years old]

Sonja immediately noticed that the girl cooking was another young foreigner girl and that lifted her spirits immensely. "Hi!"

[backwordscompatible]

[No, no she doesn't.]

[Fortunately for Tu Shanshu(?), she's actually 17 now. Because yay in-game time]

Hey there.

Hungry? We've got plenty.

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

Very! Can I get one of those?

[She pointed to one of the kebob's Zatanna was tending]

The races were... interesting, I suppose. I admit, its a bit unconventional to me to eat an animal you've used as a mount. Generally our eating animals are kept separate from our companion animals. Perhaps the Kedan aren't given to sentimentality?

[She gestured at the meat at the back]

Is any of that a former race contestant?

[backwordscompatible]

Absolutely not.

[There was no hesitation as she leaned back, nibbling on her vegetables. And only vegetables; not a single piece of meat to be seen.]

I can't interfere with local traditions anymore than they can force me to participate in them.

[wintershepherd]

Looks like you had some luck with the grocery shopping.

[ Jack comes up behind her and drapes his arms over her shoulders, though he's smart enough to wait until she's not handling the hot tongs. He's glad that the enchanted choker has been recovered, that he no longer has to be as reserved in close proximity. ]

[backwordscompatible]

[Very smart, indeed, because she absolutely would have teased him with them if he was going to interrupt her current snack.]

[Instead, she chose to lean her weight against him. His presence cool, but pleasantly so thanks to the charm around her neck. She might have had to do one or two things she wasn't entirely proud of to get it back...but it was worth it.]

Believe me, nobody was more surprised than I was. I think I caught the market vendors in a good mood.

[wintershepherd]

[ He's going to lean forward and take a cheeky bite right from her kebab! ]

Mm, tasty.

[backwordscompatible]

[Wow, the nerve!]

[He would get as much as a single bite before she whined in protest. Pulling the kebob away.]

Excuse you. There's an entire grill's worth of food for you to choose from.

[walkthedarkpath]

Nelo Angelo had been skirting along the walkways paying close mind to the many families around. The whole ordeal was new and strange with all the merriment. He was so curious too it all. Anything that was offered without a price he was willing to try since hes taken an interest in cooking.

Randomly he can be found chatting with some of the Kedan wanting to know the history of the race and mostly about the hows and whys. He was amused by it all. This was a good day. he could take a few more of these.

[wintershepherd]

"Did you catch the neck and neck for third and fourth?" Jack asks, popping up next to Nelo with a grin. He's been trying to make the rounds to all the new Foreigners, and that seemed like as good a lead-in as any.

[walkthedarkpath]

Nelo Angelo looked towards the sound of the voice as soon as he realized someone was next to him. He blinked a moment before nodding. "It was rather exciting to see, they all clearly tried hard to win." He had enjoyed watching the race, it was so different from what he was used too.

[wintershepherd]

"I can see why the kedan make such a big deal over this," Jack replied. "Though the crazy betting, that was a little weird. Someone wanted me to wager my staff. They get really into it..."

[walkthedarkpath]

"Oh yes, it is very exciting to say the least." Nelo Angelo agreed, taking a moment to look back to the street before back to Jack. "Yes, they do seem to be betting a lot. I know my brother put in a wager, as did I. I lost mine, however."

Enjolras: Open!

[solo_patria]

Enjolras has been having probably the best time ever since his return to the world of the waking. As it turns out, the kedan from the cafe found and waved him over, and his personal favorite members of the family, their young son and daughter, are pretty happy to fill him in on the race, and to share stories about it. He's glad to listen, and really, knowing that all is well here, even better than that, does go a long way to easing the discomfort he's felt with returning to SUCH a new world order.

Of course, Enjolras isn't only spending time with them, but wandering around a bit from time to time as well, taking in the scenery, enjoying the fact he's got some winnings from a bet that went his way, and looking for others he knows from time to time. He's even smiling, looking rather more relaxed than he has in weeks. Come say hi if you'd like!

[theideaguy]

And of course Sokka is going to be around for the feast. First and foremost because there's a lot of free meat to be had, and this will make up for his changepurse not exactly being as full as it once was. Second because the kedan are actually rather nice to the foreigners today, and so he'll take that opportunity.

He happens to catch up to Enjolras, and there's a wide array of meats and breads on his plate as he comes by, and Sokka does his best to swallow whatever food is in his mouth before putting an arm on his friend and sitting down next to him. "What a day, huh? I mean, the Races were good, I suppose, but will you look at this? It's like none of that stuff about us being the weird guys ever happened!"

[solo_patria]

Enjolras was surprised how nice they're being again, actually. He's pleased by all of this, of course, and it gives him some hope that maybe things aren't completely damaged for life, after all. Every chance they can get to make connections too, right?

"I know!" Enjolras agrees. "Whatever magic the races bring, I think I like them." As understated as that might seem as statements go, the corners of his lips are twitching upwards quite a bit throughout this, so, you know. It's clear that he's pretty happy all the same. "It's as though we are an us instead of an...us and them." He pauses, realizing how that sounds, and shaking his head. "That we are a united us."

[theideaguy]

Sokka can definitely agree with that notion, and he nods his own agreement to that. "That's pretty much it. There's not even—or at least as far as I can tell; I mean, I don't really know—a difference between the various gangs and those people who aren't really a part of them. It's just camaraderie at its finest." He stands back with his arms at his hips in admiration of it. "Shame it's not going to last until tomorrow..." Sigh.

"But I guess that does mean that we should make the most of the day, huh?"

[solo_patria]

"I certainly think we should." Enjolras agrees, glancing around at the bright colors, the kedan children running around chasing each other, and has to laugh, nodding towards them. "It's sad they do not like us anymore, do you know?" He asks. "So many things are still so universal between us, when it comes to it. Perhaps, once they have adjusted, some of the good feeling of today, or other events like this, might spill over towards everyone."

And, as Sokka says, it's absolutely true. "I suppose special events must still remind them what they have in common. It is good to see a reminder, isn't it, of what we fought for? The idea that they can still unite, that their instincts are the same deep down...I can be proud that they were able to keep that much of it, anyway."

for that one old man arsonist

[akito]

It's hard to look at food when he knows very well that his friend is spread across multiple plates, being consumed by hungry mouths. He's good at pretending though - always has been, even growing up. Plaster on a happy face and people will focus on that instead of what's behind it. It's been a while since he felt it worth putting his energy into, but today he's made a good step forward in forging a place for himself in Keeliai.

He nibbles on fruits and vegetables and anything that isn't meat, though he doesn't have much of an appetite. Eating nothing when people had worked so hard to cook it would be impolite, so he compromises with his stomach. Akito ignores any alcohol apart from the scent, because it reminds him of home; the smell of beer clinging to the cheap cushions in their trailer and Kaito's hair. Even if 'home' had been a bad place, it had still been his home.

It's hard to stay awake, even amongst all the chatter. Having long since moved to a quieter section of the courtyard, the attention from having been a participant exhausting him more thoroughly than the race itself had, he finds it harder and harder to stay awake. He hadn't slept properly in... How long was it now? At least five days. And even before the race he kept having nightmares.

There's a heavy pressure behind his eyes and throbbing against his temples. Too many thoughts and memories going through his head. He misses home. He misses Agito. He misses having friends who understood him, who were his age, who had the kind of fun he liked. He misses Sand Tiger, who he had only known for scarcely a week but had been affectionate in a way that Akito has only ever received from animals. He tells himself he's more than lucky to still have Bird, but his brightly coloured ball of feathers isn't the same as having a person by his side.

Still, having Bird tucked away on his shoulder, snoring quietly against his neck is a comfort. The sound drowns out the loud chatter and laughter of the crowds around them, turning it into a more agreeable buzz of white noise. He sniffs once, holding back tears while his body slowly relaxes. Nobody will notice if he dozes off for a little while, right? Or at least nobody will get mad at him for it. After all, he's barely sixteen and it was a tiring race.

rude

[pushtheboundaries]

Robert finds it difficult to stay around people for long, too. He's done well enough, but there's still the warring reminder that he had tried to throw everything like this behind him, and as much as he's accumulating to being himself and not some sort of masked terror...

It can be hard. And occasionally drive him to just be alone. Not that it's much better, but it at least doesn't require him to wear another sort of mask.

So he walks. He deliberately distances himself from it all, walking through the courtyard, letting his mind wander a bit over the new situation and how he'll have to find a way to be comfortable in it, one way or another. He hasn't a choice, but he's made progress, hasn't he?

He thinks.

So caught up in thinking, he almost misses the sight and sound of a figure huddled off in the corner, and when it does process he almost walks right by. Not his problem, not his business, but is that...?

"...Akito?"

so is starting fires

[akito]

Okay, so maybe 'dozing' was a bit of an understatement, given that his head is tilted uncomfortably to the side and Bird is stuck with a bit of drool dripping down onto its feathers. Bird, however, is used to this when Akito is exceptionally tired and falls asleep sitting up, and so merely sidesteps out of the drool path and fluffs up its feathers.

When it hears someone say his Person's name, it peeks its head out from the curtain of Akito's hair to chirp at the intruder curiously.

what about pulling the fire alarm is that rude too

[pushtheboundaries]

Normally, a bird's chirp would only register so much, but he hasn't heard one since- well, other than with Akito. Birds are rare here, and the fact that there's one here inadvertently confirms it.

So he feels comfortable stepping closer, taking a look over the two of them before his eyes fall upon Bird, a furrowed brow above them.

And as stupid as he feels talking to an animal, it's not as though stranger things haven't happened as of late. "Is he all right...?"

if there is no fire then yes

[akito]

Bird peeps once. Twice. Then lets out a series of curious twitters, as though it's trying to answer. But it really doesn't understand, because Akito only speaks to it in Japanese and it is only really familiar with Akito's name, and its own.

When it nibbles fondly at Akito's ear, the boy scrunches his nose and shifts his head, but doesn't wake. Given how tired the adult riders are it's no surprise that a small kid is worn right out.

Peep. Chirp. Cheep.