[EVENT] Moon and Mirrors (Welcome Mingle Log)

[khuimods]

Characters: ALL
Date: January 15
Location: At the Dreaming Bridge and all over Aifaran!
Situation: A large influx of Dreamfolk arrive in time for one of the Lunar Festivals, and they're all invited!
Warnings/Rating: N/A


A surprising amount of Dreamfolk have arrived within a short time frame - a peculiarity remarked upon by a number of Aifaran's residents. It is unusual in that it coincides with a lunar festival, one which only happens every fifty or so years.

Newcomers will find the streets packed with all sorts of people, stalls of fried and sugared foods, carnivalesque games and rides, and all other manner of things to do. Merchants are very keen to get their wares out there, and the stipend given may just burn a hole in your pocket when you see what's for sale.

Comments

II

[priforprince]

Is nothing to your liking?

[ Hibiki was in the same boat a moment ago. But now she has tea.

She has tea that tastes like chocolate.

So this festival is perfectly permissible. ]

[corundrum]

[Padparadscha hums a little at the interruption, as if surprised, before waving a hand a little carelessly.]

It's pretty to look at, but I can't tell what it is like this. None of these things or words are familiar.

[It's been a long time since they even learnt their basics about how animal species lived, so anything about sugar doesn't ring any bells as a food item.]

You're one of the soft ones, right? So maybe you know.

[priforprince]

The soft ones?

[ Ah. She sees, now that she's closer. This person.....

Well. Of all the unusual species of palien she's encountered since arriving (and pri-viously), this is intriguing.

Time to be a charming guide to everything this person does not know, for as long as it amuses her! Hibiki is treating this trip basically like another Puniverse tour. ]

They're foodstuffs. In theory; I won't vouch for quality.

[corundrum]

Well, softer than rock, at least. [It's not as if Padparadscha can really tell how soft without touching them, but they're not making the sounds of a Gem as they move, so they must be a little softer than that, at least.

The answer from Hibiki makes Padparadscha stand back a bit, looking briefly confused.] "Food"...? Oh, you mean that stuff animals need to survive, right?

[That realisation seems to bring them immense amusement, judging by the look on their face.] But why do all this to it? It doesn't remain a part of you or anything.

she thinks she's stuck in space movie, where they were all on a PR trip

[priforprince]

The beauty of transience.

[ Hibiki selects something that looks like it was made with chocolate (a personal preference). She breaks off a piece and offers it to her companion. ] Place this on your tongue.

[ She shall introduce this person to chocolate and use that as a segue to the wisdom and sagacity of Shikyoin Hibiki. This self-producing tour is going very well. ]

[corundrum]

[Padparadscha hums with faint interest at the fact that the material breaks so easily, but doesn't hesitate to take it when offered. Rather than do as instructed immediately, though, they rub it between their fingers for a few moments, testing its feeling and durability.

When they see faint brown markings from it on their fingers once they're done, they give a soft, amused sound.] Soft and hard. Almost like ice...

[Though actually eating it wouldn't do anything pleasant to their insides, it should be fine if it doesn't get that far, and so they raise it high enough to rest the tip of their tongue against it for a few moments before removing it again.]

Very sweet. And complex. This is a compound, isn't it? [It certainly doesn't seem like something that would occur naturally.]

[priforprince]

One of many. [ Hibiki gestures to the food. ]

In pursuit of the ultimate paradise for the palate, mankind [ whoops, they didn't make this one ] - nay, palienkind - [ nailed it ] has experimented with various combinations. What you see before you is the fruit of that pursuit.

Try as many as you like. [ She'll pay. For she is so generous.

And has forgotten about her limited budget. ]

[corundrum]

[Mankind doesn't really mean much to Padparadscha, though neither does "palienkind", whatever that's meant to be. This seems like a lot of fluff to them outside of the meaning that can be stripped out of it, though, so that's what they take most consideration of.

At the offer, though, they shake their head.] It doesn't seem right to waste a food I can't consume anyway. But your introduction was colourful, so I'll keep it in mind.

[It seems like this is supposed to be some kind of superior human food, and they can see why.]

[priforprince]

[ Paliens live in the puniverse. You may very well be a palien, yourself. But no matter. ]

You'll miss out. I'm at your service should your decision change.

[ Anyone who does not take her advice is, by definition, missing out. ]

[corundrum]

I think more people will miss out if I change my mind, right? [Since they can't actually eat it, all they're going to get out of it is taste. And they should probably learn a little more about it first, anyway, to make sure it's not damaging. The residue on their fingers seems safe, at least.]

So, you're a human. Do they have these other species this place has in the world you came from?

[priforprince]

Mm. [ Hibiki thinks this over. ] Not these specifically, but mascots are plentiful in PriPara.

[ No context for that.

Also no context for how she has to blink as the next thought occurs to her. Why must she think about....that song, now? ] Well, there's also no shortage of animal-sans.

[ nobody tell her ]

[corundrum]

[It's hard to tell whether "mascot" is actually another species or some other human idea, so Padparadscha notes that away for the moment to look up on their odd device later. They're getting the impression this person isn't entirely with it, which isn't helped by the mention of "animal-sans".]

So animals, you mean? [It's barely even a gentle correction, just Padparadscha confirming the information.] Well, we had some of those, but they were very different to the ones here. But that's to be expected from such different lands, right?

[priforprince]

"More things in Heaven and Earth than dreamt of in your philosophy."

[ Hibiki does enjoy Pamlet. She's sure one day she'll star in it.

Plus she just realized she said "animal-san" so she has to be Extra Elegant now. ]

You could be a scholar of Shakespriere.

[ Okay, she feels better now. ]

[corundrum]

Ah, well, I've never thought of myself as a scholar, but I'll take the compliment. [They laugh a little at the idea, but it's at least a somewhat polite amusement. It doesn't help that they have no context for what's being talked about here, anyway.]

But that sort of thing is important to humans, right? Passing on knowledge. [Species with limited lifespans seem to focus on that, learning different habits as the generations go on.]

[priforprince]

Human life is fleeting. [ But strong. So, if that heart of yours is now stirred by revolution....

Hibiki is fond of this topic because 1) it's Dramatic 2) she sings about it, okay. ] I take it your species lives longer?

[ Part inquiry, part showing off. She can read between the lines. Genius. ]

[corundrum]

My species is immortal. [As far as they know, at least. Even if they're broken into pieces, they can be put back together and come just as alive as before. Padparadscha just laughs a little, though, as if it's only a funny little disparity to them.] I actually had to ask someone to explain "death" to me earlier, since they brought it up. But things with a fleeting life...there's a value to that as well, I think.

[priforprince]

The beauty of the ephemeral.

[ Hibiki nods. Immortality....No wonder this individual catches the eye! They have achieved a changeless Perfection. ] Another Romantic ideal.

[corundrum]

You seem to be fond of these ideals of yours. [Padparadscha is a little...perhaps not jaded, but aged for that simplicity. An ideal often runs the risk of a focus too narrow to see the results of what you do for the sake of it.]

But it's interesting to hear ideas like that from another world, huh?

[priforprince]

I'm simply explaining the most refined human method of viewing the puniverse.

[ Namely,

hers. ]

[corundrum]

Is it that tiny of a thing? ["Puniverse" sounds too much like "puny verse" to go unremarked on, though Padparadscha still largely seems amused by it all.] But sticking to one opinion seems much to narrow for a world where worlds meet.

[priforprince]

Then the world shall expand.

[ She's fine with that. Going out and exploring new ground, striking into uncharted territory, is another kind of revolution. ]

This is an adventure.

[corundrum]

Is it? That's a funny thing to call it. [Not the one Padparadscha would use, but then, they generally think of an adventure as something undertaken willingly. Perhaps they could decide to make it an adventure after the fact.]

But there certainly is a lot more to learn here.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki is helping herself to more chocolate pastries. This puniverse also featuring such confections is a fortunate sign.

It also sounds like this person is ready to continue investigating....everything. Which, she can understand, even if she wouldn't. Perhaps discretion can only come once one is aware how lesser other things are. ] Should you later desire to specialize in the finest aspects, you may follow my example.

[ The stall keeper is approaching for their money. ] ....Yes, how much?

[ So very unconcerned with cost. ]

[corundrum]

I think I'm done following other people's examples for now. [Padparadscha says that somewhat idly, but there's a lot more thought lurking under the words. There's no leader for them here...no leader who most of the older gems had inklings of misgivings about anyway, even if Padparadscha worries for all the ones they left back on their world. And nobody like Phos trying to lead them somewhere they'd never even considered before.

It's an odd feeling to not be obliged to anyone after 3700 years.

Padparadscha spares the shopkeeper a glance, though mostly out of curiosity.] This is that trading system of yours, right? Exchanging those weird tokens for things.

[priforprince]

Indeed.

[ Hibiki counts out the money, not seeming to notice she is handing over almost all of what she has left. She had a lot of tea earlier.

Here, vendor. Your funds. ] It's a useful falsehood.