EVENT | ALL HALLOWED REDUX - RITUALISM

[cherrywood]

Characters: Any affected by the ghosting and Losses, their sponsors and nosy observers anyone else who feels like tagging along.
Date: January 11-12
Location: Keeliai
Situation: A moonlight ritual designed to restore lost balance and return Losses and unwanted gains back to a neutral state.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

The kedan messengers who had originally brought the information to the various Foreigners who'd been affected will return to those same suites on Friday evening. They will let them know to arrive with their sponsors at a quiet field area just to the south of Palace grounds on Saturday at sundown so that the "cleansing" can begin. They don't need to bring anything to aid in the ritual itself though it's advised that they might consider having a spare change of clothes on hand.

The next evening is bright and clear as though the weather itself wishes success upon this strange endeavor. The Foreigners making their way to the field as instructed by their kedan guides will find a large area cleared of snow, right down to the grass and dozens of round pools constructed of what appear to be interlocking stone blocks, so carefully and precisely arranged that they're able to hold water without leaking despite not using any standard mortar or sealant. Each pool stands about three feet tall and is filled three quarters of the way full of water which shimmers in the moonlight, bearing a very similar sheen that people will remember from the iridescent paint.

Does this bode well? Only time will tell.

---

OOC Information

See the OOC plotting post for event details and this post for assorted subheaders outlining various parts of the plot. If your character wants to learn more about the rituals or ask Milyn questions, she will be tagging in the Case Studies thread. Otherwise, feel free to use general affected kedan and their respective sponsors under normal rules for players writing NPC interactions. Feel free to start your own thread header if none suit, or make your own logs for various threadings... this is just for a central post for the event. Any questions can be directed HERE. Thank you!

RESETTING THE STAGE
Pre-Ritual Mingling | Strike the Balance | Case Studies | Greeting the New Day

Comments

[iguanasolution]

And just like that, Frank knows he choose right. He offers them both a hesitant smile, one that's mean to be reassuring for both of them- and he also fights the urge to reach for both of their arms, as a support. He's lost his mother, and he's also always tried to keep with his family's lineage so he understands them both. He wishes they could just- talk about it.

But then something else distracts him.

"Look, the water!" It's beginning to glow lightly, as if responding to their words. He gives his new friends an encouraging look- it's working. Whatever they are doing, it's working!

[spiderkid]

"Awesome!" Miles is already forgetting the shame of his shameful confession and feeling encouraged to go on. "What's next? One... wound and one balm?" Again, he doesn't want to force Cassie into doing the negative option, so he decides to take the wound. He's not quite sure what to do, but he looks over at Frank hesitantly, eying him up and down.

"Sorry in advance?" And he punches his arm. Not too hard, not using his Spider strength. But hard enough to hurt.

[werethatgood]

"Hey!" For a moment, Cassie is torn between laughing a little at facepalming, her eyes stapping back up from the water. She's not sure what they meant, but, well. It's what Miles thinks appropriate, she guesses.

But she does give the younger boy a look, as she tries to catch Frank. Half-hearted warning to keep on with the order, because it's only fair. One for Miles, one for her.

"In case this isn't enough," the making sure Frank doesn't plunge in the pool or anything, "um. I have a story, I think it's sort of a balm. A friend's mom was really upset, because she thought she'd lost both her sons, forever. She went a little mad, I guess. But they found her, even though people were still very angry with her, and she realized what had happened. And she began to get better."

If what happened to the Scarlet Witch doesn't count as a balm, Cassie doesn't know what would. And it is her story, too, no matter what.

[iguanasolution]

He's smiling at Miles by the time he's realized what's going on, but it's easy to note how he's clenching his fist. He might be the worst son of War, but he is still one and they don't just put the other cheek when they are hit.

Cassie's story does serve as a distraction, and he offers the girl a hesitant smile. "I'm glad she got better, and began healing."

[spiderkid]

Miles is smiling sheepishly at Frank, mouthing "Sorry!" over and over, that is, until the water does the glowy thing again.

"Alright! It worked!" Now what was next...? One truth and one lie. "Okay. Um... I am actually a robot from Mars," he lies, giving Frank and Cassie a huge wink. That should work, hopefully.

[werethatgood]

"Hey, don't hog all the bad ones." It's a mild, teasing reproach, paired up with a smile for Miles, and she nods at Frank. Then her eyes drop and her fingers trail along the glowing surface of the water for a moment. One truth, she thinks, and it somehow sounds like maybe not just any truth. "I mean, you don't have to take all of them," she adds, while she keeps on thinking.

Then. Deep breath.

"Back home, I wore a mask. Like... trying to save people. I mean, saving people, not just trying. Usually."

She hasn't actually put on a mask, here. Though, with some of her Christmas presents, she could, once again. But, anyway. Yes, this is her truth. Her own - she's pretty sure it can't hurt anyone else, not here, and... she trusts both of them. Enough to know they wouldn't try to hurt her on purpose, anyway. And that's good enough.

[iguanasolution]

Frank had let out a silent laugh at Miles' lie, but Cassie's truth completely takes his attention. So she was a hero?

"Heroes are super cool!" He writes, even adding a written '!' so the machine knows it has to say it with emphasis. If he knew he had casually picked two of his admired heroes his brain would break.

[spiderkid]

Miles shrugs when Cassie tells him not to "hog all the bad ones." Guess he'll have to be less obvious about it.

Then he's so floored by Cassie's truth that he completely misses the water glowing again. He knew it! She is a Giant Woman, just like the version of her in his universe! He wants to ask her all sorts of questions now, but that's not what they're here for. They're here to help Frank.

So what's next? One possession and one debt. That one's not as obvious as one truth and one lie, so Miles has to stop and think about how he's going to respond.

"I possess..." He's not sure what he's going to say, when he has an idea. A risky idea, but then... he can trust Frank, right? He knows he can trust Cassie. She already trusted them both so much. And the whole reason behind keeping your identity a secret is to protect your friends and family, but none of Miles' friends and family were here, so they're safe, right? And besides, Frank isn't going to tell.

He takes a deep breath, and decides to go for it.

"I possess a mask of my own. Just like you."

[werethatgood]

"Seriously?"

Cassie straightens so quickly that she almost splashes some water from the pool, then makes herself stop and breathe and. Then she grins over.

"Nice pickings, Frank!"

Her smirk only lasts another moment, though, when she realizes it's her turn. With a debt. Oh, man, oh, man!

"I... owe my dad just about everything about the person I am? It was just him and me, for many years. And then my mom showed up and sued for custody and she got me, and I couldn't be there for him? So, yeah. That's a debt I'm never going to be able to repay."

She'll never have the chance.

Cassie clears her thought, tucking that thought away. "So, yeah. A debt."

[iguanasolution]

"It's not like I had any way of knowing! For either of you, really. won't tell anyone though, and I still think you guys are the coolest." But the water is getting brighter and brighter, shining like it's gathering some sort of energy so he guesses they are doing this right. He wants to ask so many things- what mask does Miles possess? Who is he when he's being a superhero? There are limited identities he could be having as his brain is already rushing through he possibilities.

And then Cassie mentions her father and his brain kind of- deflates. Because he whatever his feelings towards Mars he... he owed a lot to the man, even if he never liked to admit it. Even when he was yelling to kill everyone in one side and kill everyone in the other at the same time in his head, he gave him advice.

And then there was his mother.

"We can never really pay our debts to our parents, I think."

[spiderkid]

"Yeah," Miles agrees, thinking about his mother's last words to him as she lay dying in his arms, and about how he can never repay her for everything she did for him.

But he shakes that off. They're more than halfway done with the ritual now, so Miles wants to keep forging ahead and get it done! Next, one joy and one sorrow. And, even though Cassie said not to hog all the bad ones, he has to say, "I'm sad that my family and friends from home aren't here." On the other hand, he's glad they're not trapped, but he misses them terribly. He can't help but think how Ganke and Frank would get along-- and not just because they're both Asian or their names rhyme.

[werethatgood]

"Thanks, Frank," she smiles at him, and then gives Miles a softer look at his shared sorrow. It's... she winces, slightly, because she's not that fond of the idea of her Mom or Blake showing up. Her other family, though, she misses them, so much. Kate and Eli and Tommy and Jonas. Even Nate. She can very well understand the sadness.

But that thought leads to a very easy one on her end, for this part of the ritual.

"I think one of the best joys out there is, well. Friends. Realizing that you have them, realizing how awesome they are, just. Having them. Long-lasting joy, as well as shorter, more obvious joys, too." She gives Frank and Miles both a grin. "New friends totally count, too."

[iguanasolution]

Frank gives her a shy grin, at having just been called a 'friend'. It's not that he doesn't consider them both such- he wouldn't have asked someone he didn't trust and they have both been nice. But considering someone a friend isn't the same as being considered a friend.

He doesn't really have anything else to add, so he glances at Miles to see what he says.

[spiderkid]

Miles smiles back at Cassie and Frank, glad to have these new friends. "You're totally right. And hey, I think we're almost done!" The water is so bright by now that it's hard to look at. So Miles consider's what's next. "All that's left is 'one damage and one repair.' So I'll break something, and you fix it?"

He rummages around in his pockets for something to break, and comes up with nothing. Then, getting an idea, he tugs at the drawstring on his sweatshirt using his enhanced spider strength, and rips it off. "Here," he says, offering it to Cassie. "Hopefully this counts."

[werethatgood]

"Next time I'm coming to one of these things," Cassie grins, "besides a change of clothes, I'm bringing in needle and thread."

She takes the sweatshirt without actual complaint, though, and tucks most of it under her arm to keep it from getting soaked as she works to re-thread the drawstring. After realizing she's... ah, taking her time, she gives them a bit of a smile, but focuses on the task at hand, instead, until the end of the string comes out the other hole, and she breathes out a sigh of relief. Carefully, she makes sure both ends of the string are even, and holds it up.

"Ta daaa!"