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

[wise_maiden]

[Raine's just... sensitive when it comes to cooking. For now she just sighs and shakes her head a little.]

Honestly, you're going overboard with your reaction. I was only making a suggestion, after all.

[punchesyu]

Speaking of suggestions-! [He still feels the need to save himself.]

If you really like doing that kind of thing, maybe I can get you a cookbook! So you can try out stuff from different cultures and exactly how they make it!

[Suggesting lemons and Calderan spices scared him.]

[wise_maiden]

Oh, that would be wonderful! Having insight on the actual recipes would make forging new ones so much easier...

[punchesyu]

Yeaaaaahhhhhh maybe sticking to the cookbook is a better idea...!

[Her enthusiasm is great but still. But still.]

[wise_maiden]

New discoveries are only made when we question conventional wisdom.

[punchesyu]

Yeah, but see, sometimes new discoveries aren't always what we expect them to be-!

[Has he dug himself into a hole maybe he has maybe he has]

[wise_maiden]

So we keep trying! [He's just not going to win this one. Not when he's gotten her started...] Where's your sense of adventure?

[punchesyu]

Back in a kitchen with someone who knows how to follow a recipe!

[No he's scared now, it's going to be bad, he knows it...]

[wise_maiden]

That's no reason to be rude, you know. [Huff.] It's not every day a new cuisine possibility just falls into your hands.

[punchesyu]

Just no lemons, okay? Promise me you won't put lemons in it.

[That's all he's asking of Raine.]

[wise_maiden]

What? I can't promise something like that!

[After all, lemons are her signature ingredient.] Do you have any idea how restricting that is?!

[Unless he was just talking about this one dish. She's not honestly sure anymore.]

[punchesyu]

Why does something like that have to be restricting? Can't you find something else to put in the food???

[He doesn't get it! He can find other things to cook into food!]

[wise_maiden]

Of course I could! But why put a limit on it at all?!

[punchesyu]

Because it'll taste totally nasty! What are you trying to do, put people in the hospital???

[It's not that bad. Lemons aren't that bad. He's being a baby.]

[wise_maiden]

You haven't even tried it! You're just afraid of trying new meals, aren't you?!

[punchesyu]

I'm afraid of losing my lunch! Every time I try some new concoction that one of you girls make, I always end up on the floor wrenching in awful pain!

[This is his sad reality.]

[wise_maiden]

That's not even being fair! So you've had a few mishaps in the past. You can't just assume that all of your experiences are going to be the same.

[punchesyu]

No offense, but I dunno if I wanna take that chance.

[He looks genuinely worried.]

[wise_maiden]

Why not? You took a chance coming out here after all.

[punchesyu]

Don't turn this around and use logic like that on me here!

[He can't even ARGUE THAT]

[wise_maiden]

See? You're just being stubborn. And very, very rude.

1/2

[punchesyu]

How did things end this way? How did I end up volunteering myself for another experiment...?

[He absolutely whines. He's not hiding it, not at all.]

2/2

[punchesyu]

If I get sick and die, I am blaming all of this on you! Do you hear me???? All of it!

[wise_maiden]

Honestly, stop overreacting!! You can give someone a complex if you keep going on like that!

[punchesyu]

[He doesn't think he's overreacting at all. In fact, he places his arms akimbo.]

There are just some things that a guy can't budge on! The only way to keep history from repeating is to learn from it!

[Which isn't happening for him right now. He may think he's changing what the past has taught him but he's horribly wrong.]