bravenewworld | A Well Earned Celebration

[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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hm?

[The great bird glances down at Tendou and his food before its eyes grow slightly wide.]

Ah. My... fellow servants consume enough for us all, I believe. I should not wish to empty your larders... not while this land remains in such disarray.

[It fluffs its feathers and tries to avoid looking at the akutaq.]

My grandma said this: "If you receive a little kindness, give them a large serving." After you've helped us, I won't see you stand on ceremony, god or not. Don't worry about Glacier, there are plenty of merchants who would happily send all the food they need now that we've cleared the path.

[ Never let it be said that Tendou isn't sharp. He notes Articuno's reaction to the akutaq, which could only mean two things: It's so tempted that it must avert its eyes, or it finds akutaq pretty gross. Well, either way... ]

I have some other food prepared, if you'd prefer.

[ He whistles, and his Honedge floats carrying a big pie on its sheath. ]

Oh... but the path is quite long and arduous...

[Articuno continues to demur politely until such time as Honedge appears.]

Yet I should not refuse an offering given in good faith. It has been many years since we have freely interacted with your kind...

[Good work, Tendou.]

People will makes surprisingly long treks if there's enough money involved. It's hardly something to worry about.

[ And even if the people of Glacier don't have money, anyone skilled enough to make the journey can surely find something worth bringing back to Union for trade. That's just the way things work. ]

Eat up, then. I would be deeply insulted if anything's left of my efforts.

[ Hopefully Articuno likes meat pie. ]

[Unlike its more conscientious friend, Articuno has few qualms about beginning to peck at this meal.]

I do not know if this town has much money to spare now... Though I fear I understand little of this sort of human interaction.

[A pause as it eats more pie.]

This is an offering of your own creation...?

Money is just a promise of value. A newly discovered land is value in itself. I'm sure arrangements have already been made.

[ The idea of currency must be incredibly foreign to a giant ice bird, but then again, even most humans who use it daily don't truly understand it. It's fine. ]

Indeed it is. Baked it right over my Taiyou's flame.

[ He jerks a thumb back at the outdoors kitchen that's been set up, where a Larvesta currently sits, a pool of melted snow gathering around it. It's actually trying to turn Glacier into a tropical paradise, but it's not working just yet. ]

Ah...

[The ice bird fluffs its wings in satisfaction.]

I am an admirer of the arts... and the presentation of cuisune - yes, this, too, can be a thing of beauty. Your offering is acceptable.

[Not that Tendou has known Articuno for longer than a few seconds, but for it to remark upon his artistry is a fairly generous compliment.]

I'm glad.

[ He really is, although he now has a new goal of being better than merely "acceptable" now. ]

There's no need for fancy cooking. Fresh ingredients and just a bit of love are far more valuable than any amount of complicated seasoning or decoration.

[ That's why a meat pie is just a really good meat pie. ]

[Articuno does not praise things very lightly - but perhaps it may be fonder of cooler offerings in the future.]

Ah... The concept of 'cooking' is not a natural inclination for us. Well. Perhaps my fiery brethren.

[Moltres probably auto-cooks anything it eats.]

But it is one of the valuable innovations of mankind...

Ah, but they're missing out on the deliciousness of a good tartare, don't you think? Not all cooking needs to be done over a fire.

[ Like akutaq, for example. But that one is an acquired taste. Tendou is now busy coming up with a recipe for Fire-type legendaries. ]

Cooking is a cornerstone of human culture. All should partake in its fruits, human or not.

[A good what.]

Indeed. Evidence that humanity and Pokémon were not meant to live alone on this earth. What your kind has to offer and what we have to offer... It is finding the balance and synergy between them that will result in the most glorious end.

Alas that it has slipped from our reach.

[ A tartare, Articuno. A type of raw meat dish. ]

Good. A 'glorious end' is boring. I like finding new ways of getting better, and the best way is different for everyone. That's what makes all of this fun, isn't it?

[Articuno politely demurs.]

I would say... momentarily slipped from our reach.

[It still wants a glorious end, ok.]

By what do you refer to with 'better'? Stronger? More peaceful? More satisfactory...?

I'm a greedy man. I'll take everything.

[ Is that a good enough answer? Probably not. ]

I'm a trainer. Fighting is what I do, so that's the most important thing to me, but that's so other people can seek their own paths, and I can't speak for what's best for them. I can only open up that path.

Mm.

[It seems that this is not a terribly suitable answer for the legendary Tendou is speaking to.]

The one who seeks everything may find that all will slip from his grasp. Take care... in the path you choose to tread.

Grandma said that you can only get two birds if you try to catch two birds. Maybe I'll crash and burn, but better that than not having the ambition to try, don't you think?

[ Tendou certainly thinks so, although he's more than confident in his ability to avoid any sort of crashing or burning. Except for lightly blackened food, that's sometimes tasty. ]

But I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

A Well Earned Celebration

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