[mission: hyrypia] then the holy paths we'll travel strew'd with rubies thick as gravel

[onemind]

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: Hyrypia - The Graze
WHEN: DAY :014 - 016
SUMMARY: Two days of horseback hunting training, followed by the second round of competition.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!

THE GRAZE
DAY :014 - :015
THE DAY FOLLOWING the festivities finds the majority of competitors and spectators still buzzing with the competition’s failures and successes, but there is little time to gloat or moan about the results. By the time the sun has risen over the graze there's a new announcement: there will be two days of additional training followed by another day of competition. Today and tomorrow will be dedicated to learning skills vital to the hunt.

0. TRAINING
THE TRAINING FIELD has become familiar, but the decor has changed- as have the the teachers. Unlike the previous riding and herding lessons which featured ropes and hooks, today's syllabus includes a series of more dangerous tools. The short spears that line the racks may be dulled but they still look painful, and the speed at which they're hurled from the intricately carved Sarvat - the traditional spear throwers - is intimidating.

At first glance, the slings of woven and stained Gryer leather are less impressive-- but the different ammo that can be loaded in them proves interesting: a bio-luminescent tagging liquid that stains the targets that it hits and leaves distinct trails, hard metal weights, and carefully handled poison globes.

Over the next day the envoys are are trained to use the weapons from Elinback in addition to being schooled in a number of simple traps and snares that leave little confusion as to the nature of the next challenge events...



THE GRAZE &
THE MINIATURE FINGER MAZE
DAY :016

I. THE CHASE
THE HERD of technomanced automaton Gryer sits idle in the knee-high silvery grass of the Graze. They're nothing like the Elin (who exhibit all the traits of live animals); these automatons seem to know only two basic concepts: don't run, and run. Right now they're practicing the former as the competing riders are divided into large, mixed hunting parties. Once the parties have been formed, they take turns taking their runs at the herd. Among the herd of thirty, four Gryer have been painted a brilliant sapphire. To strike one down requires either two metal weights to the head, a spear to the neck piece, or two spears to its midsection.

When the hunting parties take off so do the automaton Gryer. And they're fast, moving as of one mind - a school of mechanical fish through a sea of silver grass. It'll take cleverness, skill and a bit of daring riding to either cut the targets free of the herd or go crashing through among the running Gryer to strike a target down among its brainless brothers and sisters. Once struck enough times or in the right place, the sapphire Gryer will lose power and drive spectacularly into the earth.

The attentive audience (many of them armed with an array of binoculars from their personal belongings) might cheer when appropriate, but due to the distance at which much of the action takes place most of the observation is spent eating, drinking, and enjoying the shockingly pleasant weather.

II. THE 75th HUNGER GAMES PURSUIT
THE BREEZE GROANS through the shadowy pocket of the canyon system, whistling tiredly through the coral structures - along narrow bridges and between tight passages. Familiar to anyone who competed in the individual race on Day :013, this shadowy miniature canyon is crawling with automated creatures to 'kill.' The only problem? Beating everyone else to one of them. With the blare of that now-familiar horn, the hunters mounted on their Elin take off into the canyon and rapidly splinter into disparate groups or simply go off on their own into the tangle. It doesn't take long at all to lose sight of other riders, to begin to feel completely alone in the low light of early evening. Mist rises from the canyon floor and the breeze moans ominously through the pockmarked coral structures.

It'll take more cleverness and accuracy than high speed riding skill to claim a prize here. But best work quickly and quietly to avoid having your target poached out from under your nose…

III. THE AFTERMATH
THE SECOND CHALLENGE ENDS with a long, mournful cry of the now-familiar horn. All of the possible targets have been captured and to the victors go the spoils in the form of the accumulated scores, carefully kept by the judges. The losers are left empty handed-- at least until the spectators and competitors alike have made it back to the tent encampment. Then their hands are filled with the same liquor and a new spread of simple, filling, and delicious dishes expertly prepared by the servants of the manor.

There’s some ceremony to it - the meat they are eating is the same that they would have served if their hunt had been for something more than machines. However, mostly this seems to be a chance to relax sore muscles. That's aided by the addition of several leather-enclosed tents raised earlier in the day. Once the sun sets, these tents are filled with hot, relaxing steam and lined with benches: saunas! ...which might provide some comfort for anyone not stuck wearing a heavy robe. :(

---

((OOC Notes: This log covers the two days of mounted combat/hunting skills training and the competition which follows. 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 for the finale 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

[shiro2hero]

(And... I'm guessing it's not for what they're giving out here.)

[Because of the weird echo of what's going through her mind -- what he doesn't want to try and focus on. Thinking on blood is a surefire route back to other parts of his head. None of which will help.]

(I'm fine.) [Oh Elena don't ask that question, this is his default response forever.] (Do you need help? Or an escape route...?)

[otrazhenie]

[ She wishes it were. If only she could stuff herself full of all that food on the tables and satisfy her hunger for just a little while. But the only thing that will sate it is the one thing she can't have right now. So she has to focus on something else. Anything else.

He's fine. The same way she's always fine. So not fine at all then. Well, at least that's been established. ]

( No, I need to stay here. I need to be stronger than this. If I'm not, if I slip up and hurt someone later, we'll all die. )

[ It's the only motivation she has some days: the knowledge that if she gives up and fails, everyone in the Nest will suffer for it. ]

[shiro2hero]

[No, Rani had said, when he'd gone to her over this, when he'd told her how much he and Elena were alike. How much he'd understood her. No, you are nothing like Elena, she'd hissed, and been so sure of herself, he almost couldn't stand it.]

[I need to stay here, Elena is saying. I need to be stronger than this.]

[And the echoes of what she says fall along the lines of Allura's words. The admonishment never far from his thoughts here. Always in control. He needed to be better. Always.]

(There's nothing wrong with needing to step away. Pull back and focus yourself.) [No shame. He won't judge her. He can't.] (I'll walk with you, if you're worried. You won't hurt me.)

[otrazhenie]

[ He understands, and that surprises and comforts her now just as much as it did that day on the trail. Of all the things to happen here, finding someone who truly understands the struggle she's going through... isn't something she'd ever expected. Elena's quiet for a moment, thinking over the offer and the options laid out before her, and then she nods to herself. ]

( Thank you, Shiro. I'd appreciate that. )

[ Because no, she won't hurt him. She'd never let herself. ]

[shiro2hero]

[To be honest, it's the last thing he expected, too. There are people here he's resonated with. Like Bucky. And it occurs to him maybe Elena would benefit from meeting him too. Just... to know she's really not alone.]

[He pauses where he was walking, waiting for her to join him.]

(No problem. I'm not a fan of crowded parties, either.)

[Even if she does lose herself, he's confident nothing would go wrong. He may have one good arm, but -- it tends to pack a mean right hook.]

[otrazhenie]

[ She dodges a few celebrating dignitaries and is palpably relieved when she reaches Shiro's side, letting loose a heavy sigh. ]

( I was used to crowded parties at home. But now... It's just too much. )

[ It's so strange to think back to all the town functions she used to participate in. The Miss Mystic Falls pageant, the founding families parties, the dances at school. Just thinking about them now makes her weary, and she's glad that this is at least offering her a reprieve from those social engagements. ]

[shiro2hero]

[When she appears, he reaches out to try and steady her with his good hand. Slowly, though, so she can read the intent in the gesture. So she can move if she wants, or needs to.]

[There's a faint, sympathetic smile, under his disguise.]

(The last few parties I've been to haven't ended well. Kind of makes me gunshy anymore.)

[The one at the castle, and the one here, on Concordia. At least no one had died in the second one.]

[otrazhenie]

[ She doesn't move away, but rather leans into that helping touch, grateful for the assistance and showing up with an unspoken thank you. Though not usually the sort to accept help so easily, and never one to ask for it, Elena finds it so much easier to do with Shiro. It's something she doesn't question but instinctively embraces. ]

( The last party I went to was... a lot more elaborate than this. It was still a room full of enemies, though. )

[ At least then she'd known which of the guests to be wary of. Here they're flying blind. ]

[shiro2hero]

[And he doesn't move his hand away. If she accepts it, or needs it, then he'll keep it there. Sometimes all you need is a steadying hand. He's felt that way often enough, himself. Thinks nothing of offering. Supporting.]

[It's what he does.]

(I guess at least here, most of the people in your head are on your side.)

[More or less. Until they want to carpet bomb the place.]

[otrazhenie]

[ Supporting others is what she's always done, so to have someone return the favor so willingly... It's nice. And because it's Shiro, she doesn't shy away from it, going so far as to loop her arm through his. She's playing the part of a noble, after all; it fits. ]

( I don't know about that. If Lakshmi had her way, she'd have killed me by now. )

[shiro2hero]

[It does fit, and he thinks nothing of letting her arm thread through his. It's easy.]

(No.)

[He's so sure of it, too. Like he's sure there's ground under their feet. Or oxygen in this atmosphere. As much as he respects Rani-Lakshmi, as much as he really does like her... he and Elena are too much alike. He's got to at least reassure her.]

(She can't. Even if she wasn't stopped, this... thing in our heads won't let her kill anyone.)

[otrazhenie]

[ She gives his arm a little squeeze, leaning in the tiny bit needed to bump her shoulder against him. It's sweet that he's trying to reassure her, and she does appreciate it, but she feels like he's missing one very important point. ]

( Just because she can't doesn't change her wanting to. She hates me for what I am. )

[ That she can say that in such an easy conversational way is real progress from where she was two weeks ago. But it still hurts, and that hatred still bleeds into every moment of her day. ]

[shiro2hero]

[She's got his metal arm in hers. So the squeeze doesn't grate on broken bone, thankfully. He's still doing his best to keep that injury under wraps.]

(She ...)

[He doesn't know where he was even trying to go with that statement. Something frustrated. Something saying she should know better. But -- Sam tried to explain it. Rani-Lakshmi tried to explain it, angrier, but still. He can't say that, can he?]

[Not when the moment he'd thought there was a Galra among them, he'd panicked, and lashed out even harder.]

(Then she should hate what this place has made a lot of people.)

[otrazhenie]

[ Don't think she's forgotten that you're hurt, Shiro. That is a physical impossibility for Elena Gilbert, and she will mother all over you if she gets the chance. ]

( It's not that easy, Shiro. Her hatred is instinctual, there's no reasoning with it. She'll either learn to see past it or she won't. )

[ And it's not personal - that's what Elena keeps telling herself. Lakshmi is a product of her environment. If Elena had grown up fighting vampires, she'd probably hate herself too. ]

[shiro2hero]

[When will he master the art of hiding his nonsense, the world may never know.]

(I know it is. But we're a team here. You're not from her world.)

[It's frustrating beyond measure. Shouldn't it count for anything if Elena is trying to be better? If anyone is trying?]

[otrazhenie]

( I'm glad you think that way. It's really nice to have someone around who does. )

[ It means the absolute world to her that he thinks the way she does when it comes to this, reinforcing the idea in her mind that she's not a monster to be hated. Each drop in that bucket is slowly helping to fill a pool in which her mind might one day reside, a safe haven from the deadly ocean she drowns in every day. ]

( Enough about me for now. Are you going to tell me how you got hurt? )

[shiro2hero]

(I've got people who think that way about me. You deserve the same thing.)

[He wonders sometimes, if it would be easier here, if the thing in his brain did something different. If he had a useful skill like Pidge, like Sam. Or almost anyone else.]

(Oh... that.) [The sense of a shrug, a sheepish expression.] (It's not that bad. I uh. Am not as good at riding as I thought.)

[After a moment, he adds, in what feels like a mental undertone:] (Someone on that course had it out for me.)

[otrazhenie]

[ There's definitely a reason why Shiro has become one of her favorite people here so quickly. This might only be the second time they've talked with each other, but that hasn't changed how strongly they've connected.

She's about to rebuke him for trying to play off his injury as something 'not that bad' when it clearly is, but that addition at the end... It bothers her, unsettles the slight sense of peace she's found in his presence, and her worry for him deepens. ]

( Do you know who? Was it just because of the competition, or...? )

[shiro2hero]

[He really does feel that connection with her. With anyone who's been put in a bad place by something out of their control, and trying to come out the better after it. She is -- he can tell.]

[A shake of his head.]

(No clue. I didn't see who it was. It wasn't one of us. That's about all I can tell you.)

[otrazhenie]

[ Her worry stays firmly where it is regarding that, but since he doesn't have any information about his attacker -- it's best to focus on something else for now. ]

( You know, I could heal that injury for you. )

[shiro2hero]

[Of all things, he doesn't expect to hear that from her. Under his disguise, his eyebrows raise.]

(What do you mean?)

[otrazhenie]

[ She has to remind herself that not everyone here has been through Vampires 101. It's hard to even imagine, with how integral it was to her life even before she turned. ]

( It's something vampires can do - well, ones like me and Damon, anyway. If you had a little of my blood, it would heal you in seconds. )

[shiro2hero]

[There's. Something like a mental three car pileup. Like what Pidge had experienced. A record scratch.]

[He stops, and just kind of looks at her, incredulous.]

(Your... blood?)

[otrazhenie]

[ It's okay, Shiro, she understands completely. It sounds like something out of a weird 1980's horror movie, the kind she and Jer had watched late at night on the weekends when their parents thought were out at some function. The ones that were more funny than scary, looking back. ]

( I know, it sounds weird and gross, but it's perfectly safe. When I was human, I had vampire blood dozens of times when I was hurt. )

[shiro2hero]

[He shakes his head slightly. It's bizarre, yes. It's like something out of fantasy. Sort of like most of their lives anymore. But -- wouldn't that hurt her? Wouldn't she have to hurt herself for this?]

(I... don't know. It's not life-threatening.)