A Well Earned Celebration

[bravenewmods]

[The battle was over and the god Reshiram defeated, driven away by the aid of Union and its allies. The city was safe, by and large, and as the news spread throughout the peoples of the tundra, they began streaming back into the settlement in droves. Dirty, ash-coated faces were filled with relief and gratitude when they saw that it wasn't just a rumor and that their home had indeed been spared. Not everyone was so lucky, but they'd weathered worse, of course. The people of Glacier endured, as they would always endure, and they were also a people that repaid their debts. And they most certainly all agreed that they owed their rescuers a debt.

So, as night fell after the battle, a great celebration was prepared in the center of Glacier. A wide square was cleared away in a matter of hours, and the people gathered what they could in a show of thanks. Tables of food, bonfires towering into the night sky to keep out the autumn chill, and throngs of cheering wellwishers lined the area. Warriors of glacier, men carrying swords and women all bearing axes offered enthusiastic handshakes and claps on the back. Music of all kinds was played, though tribal tunes full of horn and percussion, chanting and yodeling, and even some brass groups dominated the soundscape.

A platform for various elders was set up, and they offered speeches, of course...but those were somehow dwarfed by the presence of the divine beings that were waiting silently for the proceedings to end. Some of the gods that had come to the aid of the war parties had apparently decided to stay, though their reasons were as mysterious as they themselves. The humans would have their time, and the Servants would mingle freely throughout the evening.

Food, of course, is set out in piles. Meat, fish, arctic berries, and various pastries and the like line table after table. A smorgasbord of Glacier specialties, each with a new and unique flavor all their own, and some (such as the stew) possessing a smell that only a native could probably endure. Akutaq in particular seems to stand out among the worst offenders, but the Glacier natives seem rather fond of it, and offer it to their rescuers with great gusto.

And the rewards do not stop at simple meals. either. As the speeches begin to wind down, a woman some might find familiar walks up onto the stage carrying a singularly massive trunk and dropping it down onto the wood with a heavy thud.]

Southerners! You have done a great deed this day! We, the people of Glacier, would like to thank you and honor your sacrifice! Few would do as you have done, coming to the aide of strangers against the might of that dragon...and you have accomplished something we did not think possible. To that end, we would like to present you with the first of many gifts, a token of our gratitude and a promise that should you need it, we will come to your defense in a time of need!

[And then with a sharp kick, she cracks open the trunk and reveals a veritable treasure trove of three different stones to be distributed by her subordinates.]

Rest well, and enjoy the festivities! You are welcome here, for as long as you like! Eat, drink, and be merry within our halls!

Comments

Open at any point!

[niepokonany]

[Feliks shows up a little later than most for all the celebrating. Honestly, so recently reunited with his boyfriend and running with the adrenaline high of surviving a fight with a God, he considers it an accomplishment in the field of socializing like a normal person and stuff that he's not still in his tent.]

[As fond as he is of eating, drinking, dancing, and general merriment, he's a little quiet this time around, sticking more obviously close than usual to the people he's close to. Perhaps it's all the strangers around -- he's certainly more vivacious whenever he spots someone he knows nearby -- or simply how emotional the last week or two have been for him.]

[Just as likely, though, it's the presence of the gods. Feliks's family, much as they might clash with the other nobles on other matters of tradition, have always been rather religious; he's always been raised to respect Pokemon and exalt the gods as far-off, impossible idols. Seeing them so close, having seen their power first-hand, having heard them speak -- to say that he's awestruck would be an understatement. Whenever he sees one, he goes starry-eyed and shy, clinging to the arm of any friend nearby until he can gather his wits enough for bravado to kick in and get his mouth running again.]

[When he's not too overwhelmed by the presence of the gods, he behaves much more like everyone's used to him acting at parties: sparkling like a firework and dragging people into dancing with him, drinking like a Water-type, and after a few drinks to get him over any vestige of shyness, telling elaborately embellished stories about his various adventures to whoever will listen, to the tune of:]

--so I totally ramped my Rapidash friend right over it! Savior, it was way sick, you so should have been there!

[untalented]

[Where Feliks was giddy and high off of the adrenaline rush of the encounter, and his tongue was loosened to the point of spouting off tall tales because of the drink, Waver was still entirely uncertain about what to make of the encounter. It was different. It was strange.

It was scary.]

....I think its time to take a break, Feliks. [He muttered over his own cup of hot tea, reaching over to extract the beverage from Feliks' grip.] You're going to end up embarrassing yourself at this rate.

[niepokonany]

[Feliks pouts, swiveling to keep the rough wooden goblet in his hand out of Waver's grasp.]

Huh? Come on, I'm totally not done with this yet...

[untalented]

Yes, you are.

[Standing on the tips of his toes on his boots, Waver reached up to try to pull that blasted goblet from Feliks' hand.]

Last I checked, Fairy-types weren't immune to poison. This-- this is to keep you out of trouble.

[niepokonany]

I'm so not, it's still got like half the wine in it!

[This is probably a bad thing to play tug-of-war with, but Feliks can't just let him take it away, can he?]

[untalented]

And how many have you had?

[Waver wasn't going to just let go-- even if the wine spilled all over his furry hood, dragon-singed ear-flap cap, and the tiny pathetic little ponyta-tail he had his hair tied into underneath everything.

So stubborn, for one so small...]

[niepokonany]

...A couple?

[Feliks uses Baby Doll Eyes!]

Like I've been counting...

[untalented]

A-a couple?

[Waver stared, the Baby Doll Eyes settling on him wth full effect while he was caught up in the arguing. He stared at Feliks, as if confused....]

Just...a couple? But, that doesn't....

[He trailed, brows furrowing as he tried to recall exactly what it was he had been trying to do here.]

[niepokonany]

[Savior, he loves that move. Being Fairy-type is the best.]

[Feliks quickly chugs the rest of his drink, then grins at Waver as he presses the cup back into his hands.]

Ok, you can have it now!

[untalented]

Huh--huh???

[He fumbled the now-empty cup and fires a glare at Feliks. Gods-dammed Fairies...]

That's not an invitation to go get more!

[niepokonany]

Oh, come on, Waver, you've seriously gotta relax more!

[He laughed, sparkling brightly.]

[untalented]

There's 'relaxing', and there's 'making a fool of yourself'. The last thing we need here is more people thinking you're an idiot!

[Pooooooouuuuuuuut.

Awkward as the attempts are, he really is only trying to help.]

[niepokonany]

How come? It keeps them off their guard!

[Feliks isn't insulted, at least -- just amused by Waver's attempt, which strikes him as somewhat pointless. He slings an arm around the other boy's shoulder affectionately.]

Since when have I cared what people think of me, anyway?

[rainsrespite]

[Feliks? Down? Say it isn't so. Yuuna's been oddly quiet this whole time as well, instead of her usual party-animal self taking on more the cheeky observer's role. She approaches at just the right moment though, as he's lifting a drink to his lips. It's hard, but she does resist the urge to bap the bottom of the cup and make a mess.

She's restraining herself, seriously!]

You know, Feliks, this reminds me of the time we first met.

[niepokonany]

[Feliks swallows the sip in his mouth and lowers the cup, smiling over at her.]

Yeah? Like, how come?

[rainsrespite]

Oh, you know. Rampaging gods, refugees, certain death? Heck, it was even a Fire god last time.

[niepokonany]

Savior, that was the first time we really met, wasn't it? I think we're like, falling into a habit, Yuuna.

[A rampaging-God-fighting habit. Feliks could think of worse ones, but only because he was a little bit eccentric at the best of times.]

[rainsrespite]

It was, yeah. And you know...[She reaches out and squeezes his sparkly shoulder.]

I'm glad it's never boring with you. Heck, that's what? How many gods now? The big fire thing, the death god, then the other two fire gods? Maybe one day we'll get lucky and find ourselves a nice Ice god or something.

[niepokonany]

Darkrai probably counts, too? At least halfway. I guess you weren't with me when that went down, though?

[He laughs, giving her a playful nudge.]

What's the fun if we're not totally outgunned, though? Doesn't really sound like our style.

[rainsrespite]

No, I was with some of the Rangers. We ran into Cresselia, that time.

[She nudges back.]

And no, maybe it doesn't...but since we pretty much roll straight sixes, we've kinda lucked out.

[niepokonany]

[Feliks's eyes flicker towards the last place he saw a god, and his fingers fidget around his cup.]

...More than "kinda" this time, I think.

[rainsrespite]

[Yuuna's hand tightens on his shoulder and she gulps down her own drink before replying.]

No. No we didn't. We've been doing the right thing all along. Our dividends paid off. Luck had nothing to do with it, because they didn't have to intervene. They did because of our actions.

[niepokonany]

[He sips his own drink, glimmering faintly.]

Well, we'd better keep it up, huh?

[He thinks they should feel proud, but it's distinctly humbling to think that the gods hold them in such favor, like he's receiving something he doesn't deserve and all too aware of it.]

[rainsrespite]

[Yuuna nods, finishing her own drink in a final swig.]

We should. I mean, what other city has eight gods just...showing up out of the blue to help. I didn't expect it, but then, I guess it kinda confirms what I've been saying all along.

[niepokonany]

[Feliks brightens a little at that, and flops down onto a nearby log to sit, patting the spot beside him invitingly.]

Right? They showed up right on time, too -- super dramatic!

Next time somebody acts like we're dumb for wanting to treat Pokemon like our partners and respect the gods, I'm so gonna laugh in their faces.