[mission: hyrypia] give me my scallop shell of quiet, my staff of faith to walk upon

[onemind]

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: Hyrypia - The Graze
WHEN: DAY :013
SUMMARY: A day of competition begins, and Hosts put their newfound skills to the test.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!

THE GRAZE
DAY :013

A MOURNFUL SOUND passes across the Graze in the early hours of the morning: the mingling drone of the wind coming up across the flatlands and funneling into the depths of the Finger Maze. It saws, a tired, hollow constant noise. Carried with it up through the Great Flat are maybe forty visitors carried by a variety of carts and wagons, automated and incredibly austentatious live mounts. Apparently the events of the day are drawing a crowd from the surrounding farms and homesteads on top of the various diplomatic envoys already in attendance.

After a brisk, light breakfast the short blare of a horn cuts across the encampment. It seems it's time to saddle up.



I. THE SIDELINES
A CHEER SWELLS up from the assemblage of Rabadoceans as a team successfully completes their event. On a nearby platform, musicians takes turns striking up a series of fast paced, sparkling tunes and the tang of roasting meat is heavy in the air. There's a sense of festival in this that quickly becomes lively as the Hyrypians' official pleasantries cede encourage the Meradan's cheerful, competitive shouting and the Descendants'' entertained clapping and smiling. There might even be a few smiles to be seen among the typically grim faced Carpathan diplomatic envoy.

Get something to eat. Talk to a stranger. Make friends. Sabotage a competing team. Most importantly: keep your eyes and ears open. For every moment you might spend machinating, someone (or something) else might be doing the same.

II. THE SORTING
THE SUN HAS FULLY RISEN by the time the first event is ready to begin. There has been a constant bustle up until this point, people meeting up and splitting off again, members of Envoy’s checking in with each other, carefully discussing their strategies- or laughing the challenges off as a game. Now, all of the competitors are gathered together to be given their tools- the ropes and crooks of the Gryer wranglers- even as the spectators begin to gather at the edges of the large pen, some standing at the fences, other on long staggered benches along the edges. There are a flags strung up all along the fences and large banners fly from the outermost posts of the pen. When it is nearly time the teams are split- each of the members led to a different point on the outside of the pen, to the gates that will set them loose upon the false gryer within.

When it is time for the Hosts to begin, the gates are again reset, the Gryer are all released from their holding pens, and the spectators have become no less raucous. They’re so loud it’s almost hard to hear the horn that calls from the holding pen, but the gates that spring open in front of the hosts are signal enough for them to begin. They are afforded just enough time to make their way fully into the pen before the three Gryer are lit, scattered through the herd and still milling about. The clock- or whatever passes for a clock- is ticking, and the faster they manage the task- if they manage it- the better.

When it is over, the crowd cheers, either way- energized by the competition and the strong grassy flavored drink that seems to improve every Rabadocean’s mood.

III. THE MESSENGER RACE
A SERIES OF FLAGS marks the route of the relay race that runs along the edge of the outermost cliff faces - not that it's necessary. Spectators are strung along the sidelines that it might be possible to run the race using only them as a guide for where to go. The course itself is studded with obstacles - logs and ditches, stacks of brush and at least a few imposing walls made from coral harvested out of the Finger Maze. The riders of each team are dispersed along the length of the course toward the finish line, quiet and lonely (if you disregard the forty or so other riders from competing teams in your company) and waiting in the midday heat for--

The short burst of a horn. The first string of Elin and riders, each in possession of a ceremonial scroll, launch forward across the starting line. Hopefully. What would be even better? If they keep all their riders in the process.

IV. THE ELINMASTER RUN
THE FINAL EVENT comes late - so late that the sun is already beginning to move towards the high horizon of the clifftops, leaving a cool purple cast across the landscape as the competitors and spectators alike are gathered at the yawning entrance of the isolated splinter of the Finger Maze. Unlike the other events, there is no seating, no rows, no stretches of banners or strings of flags. The environment doesn’t allow for it. Instead there are ropes separating the milling crowds from the riders. There are no gates and no strict starting point; rather, there is an area the width of the entrance and forty feet behind it that the racers may begin from. A large number are clustered near the very front - eager but clearly at extra risk, the metal and rubber flesh of the Elin automatons pressed close enough to crush. In the stillness of the near-evening air, the anticipation for this event is more subdued. More hushed. It's clear that the majority of the race will not be visible to spectators or judges. There will be only a small party waiting at the end of the course, ready in the clearing to mark places, and no witnesses before that.

The most senior members of House Basittia stand on either side of the entrance, protected by the ropes and flashy in their officiator-wear. When the horn is blown, sharp and with very little warning, it echoes down the length of the waiting canyon walls. It echoes strangely, broken only by the sound of metal hooves pounding forward into the maze and out of sight.

The first challenge is immediate - beyond the wide entrance the canyon begins to narrow dramatically. Those who have chosen the front of the pack will be forced to either get ahead or muscle their way through the others around them. Those that have chosen to stay further back will find that the distance between them and the next rider ahead of them narrows. Before there is much chance to adjust to the new positions, there is the first obstacle - a ditch, narrow but sudden, ready to take the legs out from under an Elin that fails to jump. From there the course begins in earnest. A number of paths split off from the main line, each with their own challenges. Coral branches fallen in the path, others arching just over rider’s heads. The course is full of switchbacks and sudden turns and in places the ground is made of pebbles that slide beneath the metallic hooves of the mechanical beasts. The course narrows in sections, barely wide enough to allow one rider to pass, and as the race stretches on fewer and fewer are able to continue. Some riders simply fall, others are knocked off, others foul their mounts and end up as new obstacles for those behind them.

By the time the end is in sight - a large open clearing, the far end of which has a simple stage where the judges wait - many racers have been unseated and countless others have simply fallen behind. But for those who make it to the end, there is a note in an ancient looking tome and a ribbon to be tied around their wrists to show that they have completed their trial. They will linger there in the winner’s circle until the last of the racers trickle in. Once that happens, they will be allowed at a much more sedate pace to make their way out of the canyon and into the awaiting cheering crowd - into the beginning of night and the lighting of the great braziers and flames, the scent of a well-earned meal that awaits them carried across the Graze by the mournful sigh of the wind.

V. BEFORE, AFTER, AND BETWEEN
THE COMPETITION stretches long, each individual challenge met by scores of Envoys eager to impress or simply eager for something to entertain themselves with. But the day is made far longer by the time between the competitions which is filled with talk, general chatter, and some good- and less good-natured betting - all lubricated by a constant stream of the cool grass drink that’s growing rapidly more popular as the sun’s heat increases. There's plenty to do- and plenty to enjoy between the events themselves. People will have little trouble finding things to keep busy with. And after the competition is said and done there is dinner (of course), the great dining tents pulled open and even more crowded than before with the additional local color. It’s those locals, and perhaps the camaraderie born of shared experience, which seems to help encourage some of the Envoys to intermingle more than they have before.

Of course, not everyone is in a good mood. Some of the participants didn't perform as well as others. Bruised egos are as abundant as bruised bodies among some envoys... a potentially volatile situation considering the close quarters they share with other Rabadoceans who clearly think very highly of their own performances.

---

((OOC Notes: This log covers the competition events of Day :013 and any related sideline activities. You can find a full breakdown of the events/a place for mini-event specific questions HERE. Sign-ups will remain open until the next event log goes live, however going forward please make sure to either join the individual event or have a full team selected for the team events. Please be aware that signing up late won't give you extra time to finish your thread to qualify for the finale event.

Have more generalized questions? Drop them on the MISSION: HYRYPIA OOC POST or get in touch with us on the Mod Contact page.))

NAVIGATION • GAME CALENDAR • MISSION: HYRYPIA • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Comments

[otrazhenie]

[ Young, naive, she'd likely been both of those things, the Elena who was there before. It's still strange to think about, that there was another her on the Station, asleep with memories she didn't have. ]

( I don't remember being here before. But I'm from... around a year after she was, I think. )

[ It's easier to think of them as two different people. She certainly feels like an entirely different person than she had been at that time. Since then, so many people in her life have died, herself included. It's hard to even remember what it was like to be the Elena from back then. ]

[adamance]

[Unlike most, Lexa is in the unique situation to understand what it means for there to be more than one. It had settled in with the help of Carata, but Lexa knows that she is not the Lexa of Clarke or Bellamy or Murphy's worlds. That Lexa died, while she lived on, escaping from the peril of her death mere minutes before.

She registers the words with an understanding, curious about whether this has come up before now. With other Hosts. But it's hard to say, and they aren't in a place to explore it. As Hosts, they are meant to serve out their lives or die trying. That's how the elder Hosts have presented it, and Lexa has seen no reason to believe anything to the contrary.

That doesn't mean she likes it—but she believes it just the same.]

( I see. Overlapping and similar worlds but not the same. It may be better that you're more ready for this experience than she had been. What lies ahead will be no less difficult than what we just faced. )

[otrazhenie]

[ All of this is still difficult for Elena to wrap her head around, though she is trying. Unfortunately, figuring out the Host side of her new life has taken a bit of a back seat to figuring out how the Vampire side. Screwing up either could get people killed, so she's trying, but it's so much harder than she tends to let on. She's gotten good at lying to others about how she's coping with things; sometimes she can even convince herself to believe it. ]

( Why do you think we're doing all of this? What's the purpose of it? )

[ The competitions, not the mission as a whole. ]

[adamance]

( To foster enmity between us. They made a show of saying that we could all be welcomed as part of the family at the beginning. Now, we find ourselves fighting in unseen areas. Did they truly believe that we would ride without attacking one another? )

[That last bit is nothing but rhetorical. The clear answer, as far as Lexa is concerned, is "no." A lot of her viewpoints here are decided by instinct and experience. If she had set this up, what would be her reasoning?

But then, it's not as if she's inexperienced in matters of war.]

sorry for disappearing, lost the notif!

[otrazhenie]

( And here I was thinking I'd left the mind games behind when I came here. )

[ What a silly thought that had been, she realizes now. Just because their minds are connected are they're more open to each other than anything she's experienced before, that doesn't mean anything they deal with outside the Nest will be any different. They're dealing with other species, other worlds with cultures and customs and political systems they're unfamiliar with. Yes, they've been briefed as much as possible, but there are still so many factors that could ruin everything in an instant if they're not careful.

It's both terrifying and frustrating to think of. But isn't that the story of her life? ]

[adamance]

( I could be wrong, ) [she says, offering the words as if they're meant to come with a shrug. Lexa herself isn't the type to shrug, but the sentiment, the feeling, is there just the same.]

( But everything here has the makings of being complicated. Having experience with that will help you. ) [It's a callback to her earlier remarks about Elena. Going into this blind (again) could be costly. Blind and naive (or perceived to be, as Lexa is Lexa, after all) would be devastating.]

[otrazhenie]

( Well, I've got it in spades, unfortunately. )

[ It's experience she'd really rather not have, to be honest. Her entire life has been one complication after another over the last two years, and she'd much rather have things be not complicated. ]

( What was your life like before this? )

[ The question occurs to her suddenly and she asks it without really thinking or stopping wonder if she should. Lexa is one of the Nest, so if nothing else, Elena feels like she should at least be able to ask questions, even if she doesn't get answers. ]

[adamance]

( Not unlike this. ) [Though the words don't come, the impression of them is clear: she means the mission itself, complete with the political mind games that she believes she's identified. All of it is second nature for her, as her naturally cynical mind has a great deal of ... experience with it.]

( I was the leader of my people. Our competitions typically had a more explicit purpose, however. )

[The lack of one is suspicious all on its own.]

[otrazhenie]

[ Elena wishes she could see Lexa now, without all the veils and the rest of the costume. The leader of her people. It's something that she can't even begin to imagine, and yet she says it so simply. ]

( That sounds like it must have been difficult. )

[adamance]

( Leading is hard. ) [Lexa means it more as a statement of fact than anything that reflects upon her individually.] ( It's just that it's easy to find peace in doing what you feel that you were born to do. )

[otrazhenie]

( I envy you that. I've done what I thought I should do, and sometimes what I wanted, but I've never had that kind of certainty. )

[ A small, dark part of her wonders if perhaps it's because she'd been born to die, her entire purpose for existing to be a magical sacrifice for a vampire. Maybe this situation is her penance for not having died when she should have. ]

[adamance]

( You now have an opportunity to choose, though perhaps not within the context that you would have preferred. We're not meant to live life idle, without direction. I believe that, especially since we all chose to live upon coming here. )

[Her words are said without any knowledge of Elena's internal thoughts. For her part, she's believed this for the entirety of her time as a host.

They wouldn't have taken the hand offered to them unless they had reason to in the first place.]

[otrazhenie]

( Nothing's ever going to be how I would have liked now that I'm a vampire. I'm trying to get used to that and make the best of it. )

[ Well, she hasn't actually gotten that far yet, but she hopes to. Soon. Because if she doesn't-- She's not sure how much longer she can continue on as she is. Having a goal, something to work toward like a dream, is what she needs to keep her focus, but everything still seems just out of reach. ]

[adamance]

( The meaning of that is lost on me. ) [To some degree, at least. She's curious, and it shows, albeit only through her mind.] ( Can you explain? )

[otrazhenie]

[ Oh. She hadn't expected that. ]

( I'm not... human anymore. I died, right before I came here, and I changed. I won't grow old now, I can't have children, and I can't go out in sunlight without being covered like this. )

[adamance]

( Much of that is no different from how we are now. As hosts, we live a long time. I doubt that many of us want to deal with the potential of childrearing, not when we could be so easily lost to a coma. And right now, we can't go out in sunlight regardless: we have to hide ourselves.

You still made the choice to live, Elena. It doesn't matter what you are while you do it, but how you see yourself accomplishing that act. )

[Perhaps humanity is a bigger thing, but she's accepted that her long life was going to be lived as an AI if she had died before she came here. Now she lives, as herself, knowing that she can at least enact change.]

[otrazhenie]

[ After listening to Lexa's words, Elena has to wonder if she's perhaps putting too much of herself into the hope of getting back hope. It wouldn't be good to let go of entirely, but... Who knows how long that will be? It might be months, even years before they have that chance, and the other woman isn't wrong in that her life would have been much the same here whether she was a vampire or not. She wouldn't have a broodmate who wanted her dead, of course, but people wanting to kill her really isn't anything new at this point. ]

( Thank you, Lexa. I think... I think I needed to hear that. )

[ It won't change her outlook right away, there's too much weighing her down yet for that, but it's chipped away a piece of her grief over the life she's lost, and that's a start. ]

[adamance]

( I only say what you seem to know, even if you haven't realized it yet. You acted today on instinct, and you did well. Perhaps you performed because of what you are, but you succeeded. Take your victories. Consider how you can keep achieving them. )

[Not everything is a matter of victory or loss, but life itself can be difficult without seeing yourself getting somewhere. As her people's symbol, a lot was placed upon Lexa's shoulders, and she was meant to live and die as that symbol.

Learning to both live a different way while doing what feels best has been a challenge. It's just one that she manages to keep to herself for the most part, while helping others see their way to where they need to be.

As the Commander, she had been a teacher and a guide, after all. She had to be a great deal to nearly everyone, and she sees no reason to change that.]