[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

[solo_patria]

"Employment...something useful to contribute too." Enjolras agrees. "I asked, actually, about the possibility of that, back during the big meeting. If we might be granted space to produce...something. We do have so many geniuses here, after all, Milyn thought it best we try to integrate ourselves instead."

And she had had a point, Enjolras remembers, only now, it's hard to think of how to go about both things.

"Apparently some of the kedan are opening up in terms of hiring. That's a way to get SOME juuulan to at least contribute to the hotel, though something....a housing block? Might be ideal. I do hate the idea of sitting idly by, myself.

The Palace?" Enjolras has to laugh, recalling something. "I was part of a group that raided it, a few years ago, now. We found one of the lanterns...it...

I do think if we could manage to secure that, it certainly would help. An embassy!" He's lighting onto this idea, with a huge grin. "That would be...yes I can certainly imagine it helping a great deal! But first to the real work, I suppose. Necessary evils, if we can figure them out of course."

[theideaguy]

"Well if we leave the hotel and move somewhere else, we don't need money for the hotel. But if we're going to be hiring kedan for our work, then we'll need the juulan for that," Sokka says, mulling over it. "I think I might have to try for a job outside the hotel, just to try to get something. The room might be free, but everything else isn't." Sokka just crosses his arms, beginning to understand the true nature of things.

"But in the end, we're going to have to do something for them in the long run. And I think this can certainly help." He just nods a bit, grinning at it. "But yeah, those necessary evils? Getting ourselves set up first and having the money to support it all."

[solo_patria]

"That IS true." Enjolras nods. "But no, I was thinking in the way of paying rents or...anything else that becomes necessary. Who knows what they'll try to do with taxes in the months ahead."

Taxes, ordinances...chances to speak out...they do seem to appear everywhere. Or France has just gotten protest into his blood. That hardly matters SO much, does it?

"But yes. That IS another reason. I WAS wondering the same. I am not certain what I might market about myself, but it IS a good idea. And back out into society...you stand the chance to influence some of them as far as we're concerned."

Enjolras can't help but grin at that. "You strike me as a good ambassador, Sokka. The fact you think to that already proves it more. I suppose beginning those evils...how DOES one begin such a discussion?

[theideaguy]

"If we get our own place," Sokka starts out, "by and large we won't need to spend our income on such things. We can keep more of it inside the foreigner collective so that we can actually maybe afford to be a little more generous with the kedan. Besides, if we ever have to worry about taxes from the kedanese gangs... or are you suddenly talking about the insane markup they're still selling things at?"

Yeah, Enjolras is definitely getting back into his French side. Sokka's losing a little track of all the minutiae that he's bringing up.

But that was the second time so far that someone had suddenly looked at Sokka with an intense surprise at Sokka's diplomatic skills. And it was interesting; he had in many ways considered himself something of the organiser and, dare he say it, potential leader of Team Avatar, but Aang had always been the titular and more important member. But to be someone who was one of the forerunners for them? Has he always been selling himself short, just like he had been doing before finding Master Piandao?

"You... really think so?" Sokka's voice practically cracks at that, and he's just so surprised. "You're... not the only one to have told that to me..."

[solo_patria]

"The mark-ups." Enjolras explains, wincing. "I can well imagine those going up further somehow. Even just for us. But instead of rents you are proposing...something of our own free and clear? I do like the sound of it. I wonder how practical it might be." He added, a little, thoughtful frown crossing his face.

"The gangs exacting taxes..." There's a long pause, and then, Enjolras is shuddering. "God forbid THAT...I can't see it working well for very long, somehow."

Perhaps he has, at that. Sokka does't strike Enjolras, particularly, as a diplomatic tour de force by any means, but then, he supposes, that is exactly how it should be. If people don't KNOW, after all, who they are dealing with...there's opportunity for a lot of stealth that Sokka's certainly sold himself short on here.

"I do think so." He agrees, serious. "You have a way of getting people to pay attention, and of knowing what is most important. It...is very useful, actually."

[theideaguy]

"Oh good," Sokka says with a little bit of relief. "At least the mark-ups are already something of a known quantity. I mean, we're already expecting that, and hopefully they won't get raised too much. But at least we know we have that to deal with. I think the only real concern is that else is out there that we're not currently expecting at the moment. "But yes, I agree on the gangs exacting taxes. Unless all three of them do it at once, and that means them... cooperating, and somehow I don't really think they're all into that exactly, likely not going to happen, thank goodness!"

But still, the compliment means something. It's a surprising one, and he's kind of shocked to hear it. But then again, maybe... just maybe. "Well, I guess there's only one thing to do about it," he says, shrugging his shoulders. "Looks like I need to get out there and do my part. You're already doing yours, after all, so it's only fair."

[solo_patria]

"Right." Enjolras nods. "At least, if they do much further, well, there IS a point of no return on some of these things, I would guess. The high enough a markup tax could go...well, a la lanterne, to the lamp-post at home.

I am fairly sure that if such a thing harmed enough natural born citizens, and it might, if they seek enough money and get greedy, that we may have something like a riot on our hands. And no, the gangs...I do not quite see it myself.

"You?" Enjolras raises a brow at that. "It seems you are doing a bit more than your part, and I need to do MORE of mine. Gathering the stories is something, and there is the welcome center but it...I ought to do more, somehow."

[theideaguy]

Whatever Enjolras was saying about lampposts has to some local colloquialism that Sokka doesn't get. That's the way it always is listening to him, but this one he doesn't quite get, though... he still thinks he mostly gets it. "Well, that's certainly true. Though I do wonder how many of the actual shopkeepers are happy about the price hikes and how many are just doing it because that's what they're told to do. I mean, I've found cheaper places in certain parts, specifically the poorer districts; they're just struggling to feed their families. So if the imbalance gets too big, well, sure. Though I'm still not exactly sure how many kedan would be taking to the streets with us just yet."

Enjolras seems a little down on himself with his own tasks, and so with that Sokka just puts his hand on his shoulder and offers a comforting and reassuring squeeze. "We always feel like there's more to be done. I mean, I felt that way in the Fire Nation as we were invading it by land. And I was the guy keeping our schedules straight and plotting our course with maps. That's never not going to be a feeling you have."

He takes his arm away and nods. "Though I think soon there will be a fair bit of work ahead of us. Give it time, and you'll see. People among us are going to start wanting our belongings back. They're going to want fair treatment. And they're going to be less patient about it. But for now, it's all planning. And diplomacy and trying not to singe the city with fire in the process. I imagine we'll need help exploring the Palace when we finally do go in. I am hoping we can count on you to help."

[solo_patria]

Ah yes, it is. Enjolras flushes a little, as that occurs. "Ah sorry, that is...my people strung up royalists and others there." And then did other things he will not elaborate on here.

"Wrongs that do not make things right, always, but wrongs that DID require being revenged. A long time ago, of course, before I was born." But he would likely have been in the thick of things then and he at least knows it.

"Cheaper places means that if word gets out, more will shop there and the others are ruined." He agreed. "The system is a bit mad that way." He would, himself, have wished for a government of the people that cared for the people and did not leave them to flail and drown amongst economic chance. It sounded disgusting, personally, and true, they were all people struggling.

"I can think of a few..." he muses. "At least, a few who should do it without so much trouble."

He is, a little. Enjolras has had time to THINK these days, in the downtime, and the quiet of reflection and the empty spaces in his brain that are now allowing darker memories to pour back in. It's not the best of situations, right now. He does smile at Sokka's gesture though.

"That WAS always the way of things with l'ABC. There always seemed more to do, as if everything were planned, they would go perfectly. Being in charge...it is a burden. A reward, too, and I would change nearly nothing of what I did when it was myself, but still it can have those moments. I suppose just now, I scramble...and I remember threats that are no longer threats."

Work ahead of them was good. It meant somewhere to lose himself, or throw himself into. "So they are. Dante and I went, a few times, to look at what they had. There was a fair bit scattered about the place. And I would quite like to join you in the palace, myself.

[theideaguy]

"Well, I don't think we're going to be getting revenge on the kedan any day soon for their wrongs," Sokka says a little jokingly. "There's kind of a lot more of them than there are of us. Not to mention that they're the ones mostly in charge of things. Not that we can't change that, but it'll take a little bit of doing, really."

Though he certainly shakes his head, heading off Enjolras at the pass. "But before you get too idealistic on me, just remember, nothing on this turtle has ever gone quite according to plan. The last time anything has gone perfectly... well, my girlfriend Suki kind of happened better that perfectly, but if ever anything happens perfectly ever again, it will be just dumb luck. Karma's got it in for all of us." He doesn't know what that l'ABC thing was even about, but really, he's been alive too long to know weird stuff happens. "But still, there's no need to worry about all that stuff about the Creep Lord and everything that happened before... that." He's obviously referring to both what happened before he got on Tu Vishan and what happened in this mythical France place. "We've got plenty enough on our plates right now to be worrying about past battles."

But, Sokka is pleased as punch to be able to have Enj on his side at the palace. "Well then, we might as well get to it. Besides, if you're looking for something to do, there's nothing better to do than storm the palace!"

[solo_patria]

"I should hope not entirely." Enjolras agrees. "The power of the mob does speak against us doing anything, but most of them do not deserve it. Those in charge, well...."

It is another story, and a longer one to solve, and anything done the way he's thinking would take months and is likely best avoided.

"Mm." He nods as Sokka speaks. "No, they do not need another mess to clean up, do they? And WE could do without the publicity of beginning something ourselves. Besides, it never DID work so smoothly with the lot of us either. A few things had an improved STRUCTURE but that does very little when someone throws rocks at a policeman and instigates a riot, doesn't it? Karma...is that the concept of having built up bad energy that becomes reflected? I wonder what this island has done to get that. No, I pray nothing along his scale will ever come again. And as for Before..."

One can almost hear the capital letter as he speaks. "It is the frame of reference I know best, but I can't allow it to keep me from living here. My friends would not have wanted that. Taraja would not have wanted that, and everyone here...I owe the rest of you more than living in the past while I attempt to link it to the future.

Storming the palace." His eyes GLEAM at that possibility. "Please. Lead onward!"

[theideaguy]

"I wouldn't put it past the kedan to create a mess if given the opportunity," Sokka says tentatively, "but I think the gangs would entirely prefer to avoid an all-out war with things. It's just a matter of positioning ourselves comfortably between the three of them without offending anyone too much, and then we can just go from there. We just have to be better than they are." Easier said than done, right?

"Karma, yeah, that's pretty much what it is. Don't know how I wound up with so much bad karma, but... can't do anything about it. All you can do is work it off, I suppose." He gives a shrug to that, as if it's largely non-important. Of course, it is, and Sokka will still complain loudly about that. "But you're right, Taraja wants better for us. So let's get going."

Sokka gives him a brief smile before turning off away from the celebration. The time for planning is nigh!

[solo_patria]

"Better than they are." Enjolras laughs at that, because, really, what else IS there to do but laugh at a statement like that. It's so idealistic and determined and probably bound to fail. That said, though. "I've never been one to turn down an idealistic goal when the outcome is right. So becoming better than they are, and situating ourselves somewhere in between. I suppose, given that we take the chances we are given, and make some of our own, we could have something there."

"I have a friend with terrible luck, or karma as it were. Had, I suppose. Bossuet was here, a little while. He said much the same. That he learned to look at it with good humor and not to let it bother him so much. There is a lesson to be learned in that." He shrugs too, because it's hardly the issue at hand. "I suppose some things are laughed off easier than others are, though. And good timing. They will never suspect a thing, now, will they?"

His grin brightens as he turns to follow Sokka. Celebrations can wait a bit, until they are in position to take care of their own. For now, there is working toward it, instead. To planning then!