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

[untalented]

It's strong enough to put a child in their twelfth year to sleep for the night after one mug of it on a cold evening.

[Pooooooouuuuuut. Don't diss hot toddies until you've had them, Yosuke.]

[punchesyu]

I can't drink something like that here! I don't want to pass out somewhere in the middle of nowhere!

[He needs a bed. He's not sure if he likes this. Can't he just go home now...]

[untalented]

You look nothing like a child, Yosuke.

[Waver huffed, still looking around for any possible sign of that drink.]

Besides, are you saying that a self-trained magus from Sanctuary is stronger than a Windblessed from Citadel? Because that's what it sounds like to me.

[punchesyu]

Woah, woah, what are you trying to say here? [Even if Waver made it very clear already.]

Of course a Windblessed is going to be stronger! I mean, look at you!

[untalented]

You say that-- but apparently I can handle drinks better.

[Shots fired?

Why yes, yes they were.

Anything to keep Yosuke from complaining about the fish, puking, and disrespecting their hosts was a good enough to try.]

[punchesyu]

Uh, yeah, no. [His pride is at stake now.]

You were just as wasted as I was when we were in Caldera.

[untalented]

Then why are you afraid of a little hot toddy?

[Baiting him? Yes, he was.]

[punchesyu]

That's it, bring it! I can handle your stupid kiddie drink!

[Baited.]

[untalented]

I don't know.....you did say that you were worried about passing out from it....

[That said, he finally manages to find someone with something that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a hot toddy. It wasn't warm, but the color was right, and there was something about the scent of it that was refreshingly familiar....]

This should work, [Waver muttered, holding the glass under his nose so he could appraise it further.] We won't die, anyway. Probably. There are others drinking it.

[punchesyu]

Uh, what do you mean we probably won't die. [Was there something about this he should know about? If Waver drank it, that means it's a Sanctuary drink, and he doesn't trust anything from Sanctuary...]

There better not be anything weird in it! [Body parts? Brains? Who knew with that place.]

[untalented]

It smells like honey, doesn't it?

[Waver scowled. This was a Glacier drink-- and drinks in Sanctuary do not have body parts in it!]

Just drink it, or let tales of your cowardice ring forever throughout the tundra.

[punchesyu]

[Here goes nothing.

He takes the cup, and drinks it as fast as he can. He has to stop for a second, the taste in his mouth causing his face to scrunch up on itself before he gets another glance at Waver before he resolves to finish. He drinks the whole thing, but he's pretty unhappy about it.]

That was gross! You used to drink this crap?!

[Only because he's not really accustomed to the taste of alcohol.]

[untalented]

Not this specifically...

[It was strong-- but, he could see how drinks like this would be beneficial in the north. Refined spirits didn't freeze like other liquids did, and a few glasses of this would be enough to make anyone forget about the dreariness of being trapped indoors for a few hours.]

Mmph. It's better than stunlutefisk.

[He took another sip. It was oddly sweet, for how strong it was-- and not terrible either.]

[punchesyu]

[There's the somewhat familiar sensation of heat rising into his cheeks after drinking the concoction. He is still a little worried about how he's going to act in front of others while intoxicated at some level, but at least now he knows more about what he's getting into.]

I just chugged that whole thing and you're just gunna sip on it...?

[He wasn't sure what was going to happen, anyway.]

[untalented]

And who was the idiot who told you to chug it? Because I certainly didn't hear anyone.

[He takes yet another sip-- a longer one this time, as it to silently prove.....some point that really didn't matter. The heat rising to hic cheeks from even what he had just partaken of was indication enough that the drink would serve it's purpose.]

[punchesyu]

Uh, duuuuuude, you were the one who insulted my fragile pride here!

[He was very sure that's what that meant. He peers at Waver, eyeing his drink as well. Like come on. Just gunna sip on it like a wimp?]

[untalented]

That's only because someone is a scared of a little fried Magikarp.

[S T F U

He's drinking, he's drinking...]

[punchesyu]

I'm not scared!

[He protests. He doesn't want anyone to think he's scared of fish!]

Fish is just totally gross, okay? They're all slimy and their eyes bug out...

[He shudders.]

[untalented]

[Aaaaaand Waver finishes his drink!]

Come to Sanctuary some day, and I'll give you a reason to complain about your dinner staring at you.

[Stargazy Pie was a delicious and terrifying thing.]

[punchesyu]

Uh, yeah, no. I'll pass. It was seriously already creepy enough at the fair. Half of the food is alive.

[He seems pretty set on it. After all, he did see a dish from there move all on its own.]

[untalented]

It's only alive because it's not cooked right.

[A shrug. He had nothing against fish heads poking out of his food, so long as they were raw...]

I'm going to guess that you can't stand it fried either. How disappointing.

[punchesyu]

Yeah, I don't even want to talk about it.

[Just the thought was grossing him out even more.]

I'm pretty sure I just lost my appetite.

[untalented]

Another round, then-- we're going to desensitize you to other cultures.

[And, with that, Waver gets them more drinks. While he didn't mind Yosuke's opinions, he wasn't in the mood to deal with someone complaining about food that actually tasted better than it looked.]

[punchesyu]

What the hell do you mean by "desensitize to other cultures?"

[He complains at Waver, taking another glass. His face scrunches up again, not very willing to drink another cup.]

[untalented]

Just enough so that you don't complain when our hosts are kind enough to share with us what's important to their culture. No matter what excuses you come up with, it's rude.

[He took down half his drink in one go with those words, firmly believing in what he was saying. Even if he had some complaints about the local food, there were concepts such as 'self control' and 'decorum' that still needed to be followed....and it was unbelievably rude to turn down a dish without trying at least a bite of it, to give it a chance.]