khuimods: (Default)
Khu Ioduan Mods ([personal profile] khuimods) wrote in [community profile] ioduanlogs2018-02-14 10:21 am

[EVENT] THE TIES THAT BIND US

Characters: Everyone!
Date: February 14-28
Location: All around Aifaran
Situation: The last two weeks of February celebrate Tine's Commemoration, a celebration of renewing friendships and signaling forgiveness.
Warnings/Rating: Shouldn't need any, but add to subject lines as needed!


During the last week of February, the mood shifts around the city. The tension over the missing Kin'nal girl eases some, and there's a lot of talk of renewal and remembrance. In the days leading up to the 14th, some shopkeepers begin reorganizing to make space to feature knotworks and related crafts, and photos on Xa Xa feature knots in process, some made by special artisans. If asked, they will say that all of this is in preparation for Tine's Commemoration, two weeks that are dedicated to renewing and recognizing friendships, forgiving past grievances, and recognizing our most important ties through an exchange of intricately tied knots.

There are specific knots and knot colors meant to signify different kinds of relationships. Friendship knots come in white and blue. White is for the bond of new friends, blue to recognize the joy of old friends. The blue knots typically are added together in a series, one made for each year of the friendship and tied to each other sequentially. More complicated knots are made when forgiving a grudge or past grievance, or to tell someone that they are considered family. While not a major focus of the exchange, there are also multi-colored knots for romantic relationships.

In recognition of this tradition's roots, there is also an ornate tassel knot made for those who have been lost. The color signifies if they have been lost to death (black, often laced with another color like blue for the sea) or the Dreaming (gray). Most have the person's name woven into them, either on a metal disc or a piece of fabric. Rather than being worn, these knots are hung by the door as a waysign: come home; your spirit may rest here.

Shops around the city sell these knots, but there are also ample opportunities to tie your own! The Tifaut in particular take this tradition to heart and have areas set up at several of the city's parks and civic centers, including one at the Dreaming Bridge. They teach knot-making and provide materials (with a suggested donation for those who can afford it), or you can bring your own cord! Making knots of recycled material, like old clothing or retired fishing rope, can add special meaning to the creation - some believe that doing so means sharing a part of yourself with the intended recipient.

Knots can be worn as jewelry or braided into hair (or sometimes hair itself gets tied, with one friend attending to the other's hairdo), and it's customary to keep them on your person throughout the month. While they can be given or exchanged all on their own, it isn't uncommon for knots to come with small gifts or trinkets as well. After February comes to a close, it's important to store the knots somewhere safe, often in a special box or bag with numerous pockets.

---

OOC Notes: This is an open, game-wide event for your characters to participate in (or try and avoid, if they're that type) as much or little as they want to. New Dreamfolk are always popular integrations of these kinds of festivals in the city, so you can write yours attracting lots of positive attention if you'd like.

Provided below are some starters, but you can make your own too if none of these work for you!
priforprince: (astounding)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-14 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There may be an abundance of supplies, but something else appears to be dwindling: chairs. The longer the event goes, the fewer chairs shall be found at the tables. How mysterious.

Unless, of course, one happens to see Shikyoin Hibiki glance about, pick up a chair when she thinks no one is watching, and walk off with it. Then there's really no mystery at all, except where she's going with said chair. ]
priforprince: (butterspy)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-14 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ A tiny pair of imps are trapped at one of these tables.

"Investigate", they had been ordered. So they went! And they looked around! And they saw that everybody was playing with string. This, they figured, meant they should also play with string.

But they are very, very small, and not terribly dextrous (or intelligent). And thus it is that stuck in the middle of a messy snarl that's supposedly, to judge from the pattern sitting next to it, the knot for "forgiveness", the little critters have tied themselves...somehow...into the craft.

Frantic squeaking ensues. Their master should be around, at least! ....Somewhere! ]
powertotearer: (Confused)

[personal profile] powertotearer 2018-02-14 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Eiji is really interested in working on the knots, but whenever he stops by the table, there never seem to be enough chairs.

He finally sees one, but then he notices some girl walking off with a chair.]

Huh?

[That's...annoying, really. Weird, but definitely annoying. He should at least follow and see what she needs the chair for, since there are so few chairs left.]
priforprince: (out)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-15 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hibiki, either heedless or blase about her new entourage, carries this chair through the Dreaming Bridge. She's heading towards one of the residential wings.

Her objective becomes obvious once they reach that particular hallway, as the rest of the missing chairs are....piled up in front of one of the doors.

She has constructed a barricade. ]
afoolsgold: (prophet)

[personal profile] afoolsgold 2018-02-15 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
Well now, [a kindly voice from nearby says, approaching the knot and reaching out to still the squirming strands. The Fool settles himself into a nearby seat and takes to investigating the tangle of string around the two little creatures.]

If you would be still but a moment, [he encourages them gently,] I could work to free you.
priforprince: (dollbiki)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-15 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ A person! A person! Yes, the person is speaking to them, but the imps are so excited that someone noticed that they don't properly listen to what that person is saying.

So there is even more frantic flailing, and extremely excited squeaking. Hello! Hello! Thank you! Hello! Thanks! This one on the left can't feel its foot!

The one on the right, meanwhile, ends up accidentally squirming its way even deeper into the knot. ]
afoolsgold: (ivory)

[personal profile] afoolsgold 2018-02-15 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[The Fool sighs. Bother.]

Careful, careful--! [he starts to exclaim, but the little imps seem so excited by the prospect of a visitor, nevermind a rescuer, that their flailing only intensifies their circumstances. Furrowing his eyebrows, the Fool does what he can to focus on freeing the left one's foot from the rather tight knot it has bound itself into.]

Surely you both cannot be out here on your own, [he says to them, and already his inquisitive amber eyes are searching his surroundings, looking for anyone who might be missing a pair of... well, imps.]
priforprince: (furries)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-15 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ A unified squeak. Sure they can be! They're on an important Mission! They have to -

A pause. They look at each other. Oh, no. What were they supposed to do again?

Make the knot?

Maybe that was it. They had to make the knot. Among other things. But mostly the knot. For sure.

Their bodies will stop moving all over the place as they assert this information (unhelpfully in cheeps and squeaks), but they both nod vigorously to signal their unified agreement that this was their job.

And no one around, at least immediately, seems put out or looking for anything.... ]
afoolsgold: (beloved)

[personal profile] afoolsgold 2018-02-15 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Make the knot, [the Fool repeats out loud, but takes advantage of their relative stillness to work his quick, dextrous fingers around their tiny bodies, freeing them from the string that entraps them. Wryly, he says,] It appears to me you are succeeding in making a knot, though perhaps not the desired one.

Look, [he adds, and withdraws one of the elegant-looking knots from a pocket in his scarlet cloak, and presents it to them to be admired.] I've made one of my own already. Can you replicate that? I can aid you, if you like.
priforprince: (only me)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-15 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oooh. The imps make grabby hands for the knot. That is so fancy. That is so neat. That is so -

Oh. Hey! They can sit up more now!

CUE EXTREMELY EXCITED WIGGLING. You saved them, you saved them! Incredible! ]
powertotearer: (Wait what?)

[personal profile] powertotearer 2018-02-15 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay, that is...what.

There's absolutely no reason to be barricading the doors there. Why?]

What are you doing?
priforprince: (consider)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-15 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Preventative measures. [ Hibiki puts the chair aside long enough to move some of the chairs out of the way so she can enter the barricade. Then, backing up, she begins replacing them to wall herself away from the hall.

And the new one...Where should this new one go? ]
afoolsgold: (shhh)

[personal profile] afoolsgold 2018-02-15 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Nimble as a card shark, the Fool plucks the fanciful knot just out of reach of their grabby fingers, lest they undo all of his hard work.] Ah, ah! [he chides them, wagging a finger.] Not for you. This is a gift for a friend.

[Devin may not realize he is that friend yet, but he'll have a surprise waiting for him shortly.]

Yes, yes, you're quite welcome-- [Their gratitude is tiring! And a bit annoying. He sets to knot back down again, but just out of reach of their enthusiastic wiggling and grabby hands.] You must make the knot. Remember? Make it like this.
annihilist: (Frown)

[personal profile] annihilist 2018-02-15 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
A - Open
This whole affair is making Devin a little uncomfortable. Not that he wasn't already uncomfortable, but he's made a point to avoid friendship (although Konryu keeps dashing that effort). Leaving markers of friendship is even less appealing, though the vampire isn't immune to being sentimental from time to time. Devin still isn't sure he knows how to define friendship now, or what it's supposed to feel like. He remembers, sort of, but it's been a long time since he'd really let anyone in. Then Keeliai and Aifaran happened.

Generally speaking, he tries to avoid the booths and tables where people were making knots and goes about his business in the hopes of making it through the month unaccosted.

B - Valdis
It came to his attention that one particular style of knot was for forgiving people, not just for signifying friendships. After the rocky reunion with Valdis, Devin had mulled over what they had said and what the Void had done. His anger with her hadn't been entirely misplaced, but the bulk of it wasn't her fault. The five months at home had left him more shaken than he realized, especially in combination with the memories he had from this world. He considered buying a knot, and changed his mind at the last second. Devin was adept enough to make one or two himself.

At the Dreaming Bridge, Devin went to Valdis' room and hoped that her roommates weren't around. If she wasn't in, he might just leave the corded gesture there.
afoolsgold: (beloved)

A

[personal profile] afoolsgold 2018-02-15 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
In his efforts at remaining unaccosted, Devin is most assuredly unsuccessful.

When the Fool falls into step beside him, it's clear that he himself has made the most of this Tine's Commemoration... or at the very least, has enjoyed the opportunity to add additional new crafts to his repertoire. A few elegant-looking knots have been braided into his amber hair; they pair nicely with the wooden jewelry he seems partial to.

"You look as though you are doing everything in your power to avoid even the mildest brush with these festivities," he teases; there's a kindly barb in his voice, a bit of wit in his gaze.
powertotearer: (Can't stand down)

[personal profile] powertotearer 2018-02-15 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Preventative? For what? Why are you trying to block this off? Nobody can get through.

[He's really trying to be patient, but as far as he can tell, this is ridiculous.]
annihilist: (Thanks no thanks)

[personal profile] annihilist 2018-02-15 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Great. Devin is beginning to think he's a magnet for the Fool, somehow. The man looks even more whimsical now with the knots braided into his hair. The remark pulls an eye-roll from Devin.

"That would be because I am avoiding them," he replies tersely, continuing to walk without increasing or decreasing his speed. "Your powers of observation are astounding."
priforprince: (chinhand)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-16 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ohhh. Right. Make the knot. The imps calm down to study this knot, one of them tilting its head until it nearly falls over. Okay. Make the knot.

Fetching some string, one of them holds it down while the other one begins carefully trying to loop it around in the proper order. This bit...here, maybe? And then pulled tight. Then, over....here.

Waddle, waddle. They are focusing now, but this still could take some time. ]
priforprince: (bored)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-16 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
This festival is distasteful to me.

[ Here is a good place for this chair. Hibiki adds it, satisfied with her handiwork. ]

I'll wait it out here.
powertotearer: (Wait what?)

[personal profile] powertotearer 2018-02-16 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
So you just take the chairs away from people who are having fun?

[He's seen selfishness, but this hurts on a whole different level. Nobody was doing any harm to her. She's just ruining things because she's not happy?]

Why don't you like it?
priforprince: (nonsense)

[personal profile] priforprince 2018-02-16 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing is hindering anyone from standing.

[ She ignores that last question, though. It's....personal.

And involves a word she is pretty sure she will not be able to say successfully. ]

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