Quest Disinclined to Acquiesce (Open)

[Phoenix]

Timestamp: 45th of Fall, 512 AV
Where: The Courtyard of the Sky, Wind Reach
Who: All Castes are Welcome.

It was all bright colors and laughter throughout the Courtyard of the Sky. The Mid-Autumn festival was in full swing and the upper castes had flooded the open space dressed in their finest clothes. With the celebration this season focused on Rejuvination, the Inartans in attendance were swathed in light, bright and happy colors, some going so far as to adorn themselves with the different plants that had begun to change color with the progression of fall. The whole thing clashed terribly with the sea of red hair, but hardly a soul seemed to care.

There were games, competitions and flirtations galore; anyone who was found standing off by themselves was instantly grabbed and forced to join in the festivities. Like any celebration in Wind Reach, everyone was just happy to have an excuse to party and socialize. A large table of food was laid out in the middle of it all, consisting mostly of dried meats and greens but with a smattering of precious sweets and the fruits throughout; the food would be scarce come Winter, this festival being the last opportunity for the people to indulge, even if the fare was poor by anyone else’s standards.

Orignally the Festival was for the upper castes only, but once the preparations go underway, the Endal and Avora realized that it was much too much work to do by themselves. And so the Dek were employed, hovering on the edge of the crowd or skulking in the shadows, waiting to be needed but forbidden to partake. Those Dek that were more capable or presentable weaved throughout the revelers, offering drinks of water or alcohol, handing out little tidbits of meat and fish to those most famished.

Overall, it was a jolly good time.

Moderator NoteFeel free to join and get your PC situated in the party!

[Farlen]

Farlen was truly lucky that, after such a short time in Wind Reach, he managed to find him self a job. Even if it was only for one evening. For he was one of the Dek who weaved in and out of the crowd, serving all sorts of beverages. Unluckily for him, most of the time he was serving alcohol, a substance which he craved, but which somehow managed to escape his lips every time he came in contact with it. Non the less, he performed his job well.

However a blond man will always stick out like a sore thumb, in a sea of red. The guests had a habit of staring at him with surprised or intrigued expressions. "Just ignore them and do your job Farlen." he told him self, as he gracefully dodged the wealthy and beautifully dressed Inarta.

[Elna]

Yet another festival in Wind Reach. They are always so load and busy. Elna's beloved pet blue jay never came to these things, the crowd always sacred her off. In a way, these festivals were often more lonely than a normal day without the presence of her best friend. Still, Elna went to all of them. There is a societal obligation to these things, and mingling with the adults helped to have them take notice of her. Besides, being allowed in this particular Festival was new to her, she needed to see what this celebration was like for herself. To her disappointment it seemed pretty standard aside form all the pretty colors. She figured that these couldn't have been the high class affair she was expecting if they just let everyone join. Besides, all the fancy clothes the the upper casts got to wear only severed to make jealous, there wouldn't be much fun in a fancy party if she her self couldn't be fancy as well.

She made her way straight to the concession table, wanting to make sure to get one of her precious sweet rolls before they were all gone, it just wouldn't be a proper festival if she couldn't get her hands on one. She had arrived early enough that there was still a sizable pile of them so she scampered up to the table and grabbed one with a delighted smile on her face. She instantly felt the sticky glaze clinging to her hand, that messy little feeling she always loved. She sunk her teeth into the soft sugary morsel, letting out happy mmmmms and giggling like one does with their mouth full of food. Eyes closed as she was lost in the simple world of happiness that first bite tends to bring.

She opened her eyes again to notice a busy Dek diligently working the table, a sight that unfortunately snapped her back into reality. Even during celebrations, Dek were not allowed to enjoy themselves. She could very well be stuck in there position the next time this celebration rolls around, serving the whims of some self important Endal, thinking he's to good to get something for himself. Just like that, Elna was snapped back into reality, she needed to get back to work getting her self noticed and making a name for herself. She could just relax next year, right now she had to get back on task and make sure she moved up in castes come her birthday and not down. With a downing sigh, she silenced her sorrows with another bite of her sweet roll and went off looking for some action.

[Kinat]

Here he was, with the sweet roll in one hand and an uncommitting smile. His green eyes betrayed his apparently pleasant pose, dashing from side to side. The party, originally conceived for the higher caste had ended up accepting anyone, including avoras like him, which meant that criminals were invited, too.

Alert as he was, as though there were a visible mark to recognize murderers just by sight, he observed his neighbours from the distance with suspicion yet effusively in the short distances. The paranoia from the recent terrible events had to be balanced with the need to keep himself in society, for personal and business reasons, wich turned it into something more similar to healthy prudence.

In that state of awareness, it was impossible for him not to notice Farlen around there. The outlander, a Dek among the Inarta, was serving drinks to the higher castes. For a moment, he stayed looking at him, hesitant, but in the end the social rule imposed and Kinat looked around.

[Leaf]

It was as any other party, in Leaf's mind. There he was, one black splotch among the tide of red, a flute of some type of berry wine in one hand and a hearty bit of fish in the other, dark bryda decorated with coils of green vine tinged something darker, and wearing a vinati brighter than was his custom, fitting in with the social norm of this party. If his hair was but a few shades lighter, and redder, he might be another Avora attending the celebrations to honour his city. There was no question he was a foreigner, however. He downed the wine, swallowed the fish down with a few chews to make it smaller, and looked around quickly for one of those Dek to take his garbage and maybe give him a refill. He saw a man, blonde and tray-laden, and took a step forward. Suddenly, he scowled to himself. Kelvic. The man was a Kelvic, he could almost taste it. He could feel it in his talons... hands, and in the tingling under his skin that accompanied the realising of another of his kind. Were there more of them then, even here so far away from the kennels in his old home? Leaf might have had nothing against the seeming enslavery of the Dek caste. He didn't care about the people so worthless they were put to work grinding meal, mucking stalls, and clearing slow. Even being able to stand among the higher castes should have been considered a privilege to the Dek. However, he did have a problem with seeing enslaved Kelvic. The sight of it irked him, severely. Human on human violence was acceptable to him, even amusing, but the thought of a human turning blows and verbal violence on a Kelvic seemed so demeaning and offensive. He made a promise to himself to keep an eye on this particular Dek. He made a full turn and nearly met a facefull of platter and fish. A Dek girl carried it and he glared at her before shoving the empty glass at her and taking some more fish and then leaving her, weaving his way deeper into the heart of the crowd. The other Kelvic was still visible even though sometimes Leaf was too preoccupied to even remember his former thoughts about that particular blonde Dek. There were women here, fiery and passionate, and he very much appreciated their company more than he did the thought of a man. He was truly enjoying this party.

[Farlen]

And within this sea of red, a familiar scent caught his nostrils. It was Kinat, the familiar face. Now, Farlen wasn't accustomed to the complex sociology of Inarta, so his stance as a Dek did not bother him in the least. With a jolly smile on his face he bowed his head to Kinat in acknowledgement. A silent "Hello" escaped his lips, though the Inarta would not have heard it, as they were separated substantially by the crowd.

He went on, serving alcohol to other, finely dressed individuals, proud of him self for retaining his polite social etiquette. Suddenly another splotch on the canvass of red caught his attention. However this one was black. And the scent was distinct... not only the scent, everything about him was distinct. Kelvic! Ah how he did not expect to find a Kelvic in a place like Wind Reach. From the corner of his eye he watched him; aware that he too was being watched by this Kelvic. So desperate suddenly to ask his name. But Farlen had a job to do!

[Ardal]

Ardal has always been shy had a hard time with small talk. He’d not speak unless spoken to and moved his way around the crowd if only not to be a wallflower and be made a spectial of. Despite this, however, he still quite enjoyed these festivals. He loved the music and happiness around him, it made him feel less lonely.

He made his way to the tables and grabbed an apple and tossed it a couple of times before taking a bite. He’d try not to make eye contact with any of the Deks since he recognized a good number of the younger ones being Yasi together not too long ago. He finished his fruit and went for one of the treats that were set around.

He moved his way to where they were setting up for the archery tournament, admireing the colorful flags and targets on display. He would wander around the party but would always wind up hovering around the completion area again and again.

[Kanri]

Kanri felt a little out of place among all the dancing and bright colors. She had no other clothes besides the black-gray ones she was wearing. However, she did not mind. People were being nice to her. Inarta she had never spoken to before asking her to dance, to which she politely replied she was not a good dancer. However, she appreciated the offers and felt as though she was a part of a it. It made her happy.

She had never been big on parties. She had trouble remembering people's names and faces. So many people who she would meet, she would forget their face moments laters. Of course, she felt bad about it. But no one stuck out to her so she didn't remember them. However, she had a nice time and eventually decided to camp out.

She noticed someone who looked about her age keep coming back around the archery field, where they were setting up for a tournament. It would be spectacular and tense and full of drama. There might even be fights afterwards! Kanri had taken a few pieces of meat, having less of a sweet tooth, and sat down near the field but not too near where it would be rowdy. But this boy who kept coming back to watch, like he wanted to join but didn't want to risk a reputation, stuck out to her. Even if she did not go up and say "hello", she would remember his face and his apparent indecision.

[Ardal]

Ardal decided to get some new winter apparel from one of the stalls. He lost the old set during the moved to the new apartment after his recent change of caste. He wanted to get some before it was too late and while it was still relatively warm.

He went back to his familiar spot near the targets and put his bags down. He then noticed a young woman dressed even plainer than he was, sitting alone near the field, almost as if she was watching him he would look back at her but turn away quickly anytime that eye contact was made. “Does she know me? Do I know her?” he would say this to himself a few times. A lot of thoughts were a jumping around his head at this point. “Did I do something wrong? Maybe she likes me?” However unlikely the second option, this made him smile a bit. Alas, as soon as he did think that pessimism and doubt quickly filled in that notion. “She’s probably looking at something else. I don’t even know who she is. Besides, No one likes guys that are less than five feet tall anyway.” He wanted to find somewhere quiet to clear his head for a bit. While still in deep thought he left his bags behind by mistake.

[Kanri]

The Indecisive Boy, as Kanri had dubbed him, kept glancing in her direction so she would always pretend to look at something else. She didn't think he would appreciate it if he knew someone was watching him. Kanri never liked it when other people watched her. Especially if they did not tell her why. Especially when they seemed like they were analyzing her every move, trying to predict what she would do next. Trying to see if she was worth their time... to help or harm.

Indecisive Boy wandered off again but left apparently brand new bags behind. Was he trying to save a spot there? No, it did not have a good view. That was pointless. Plus, they looked brand new. You definitely did not leave new bags unattended. Someone would take them. Kanri got up from her spot, picked up the bags, and followed after the Indecisive Boy through the crowd as best she could. Perhaps it was an excuse to say hello. Perhaps it was a trap on his side. Maybe he was trying to lure her off somewhere to kill her. There were too many people around for him to be that subtle. As long as they were still in the crowd, it would be safe.

Kanri eventually caught up with him and tapped him on the shoulder, being unable to whistle as her mother once could to call her back. As he turned around and saw her, Kanri couldn't manage to say anything all of a sudden. What was wrong with her? She dumbly just held out the bags and smiled a little, hoping he wouldn't acuse her of stealing his stuff.