EVENT ▸ HANABIRA FINALE

[futurologists]

HANABIRA FINALE A week passes after the summit at Doro's castle, during which some members of Guild Ophelia presented arguments in favor of Youmi and Nama joining together in marriage. They are now left to their own devices as the empresses and their aides presumably negotiate behind closed doors; there's not much to do around Doro's property beyond relaxation, so if you're looking for a little more action, you might want to continue patrolling the Flowerlands for clan conflicts while you wait. The Sea Clan capital is open to visitors, while the Mountain Clan capital remains under lockdown as the guards search for the remaining rebels. Finally, news circulates that the empresses have an announcement to share, and ask for their citizens' attendance the following night. The empresses emerge together on the balcony of Doro's castle, a large crowd in the garden below hanging on their every word. There is, of course, heavy security keeping the rowdy at bay, which turns out to be necessary after the announcement is made. Nama speaks first. Those standing close may notice her hands shaking ever so slightly. ❝We have caused you all to be summoned here today so that we may acquaint you with our resolution in the matter of imperial claim over the lands of the Crashing Wave and Celestial Mountains, which have caused the people much distress over the months. We have determined that, due to forces unknown and out of our control, neither side shall be faulted for laying claim to land they truly believed belonged to their clan. We find that the clans will remain at an impasse as long as the public believes an empress is deprived of land that is rightfully hers. Therefore, in the interest of public welfare, it is my intention to ally myself with Her Imperial Majesty Youmi in the bond of marriage. The crowd murmurs among themselves in shock. A couple people shout, angry, before guards from both clans roughly escort them out. Nama seems a bit dismayed even by the small outburst, so Youmi steps up to speak next. ❝I am deeply affected by the gravity of this engagement. Neither I nor my future wife have come to this decision without strong contemplation and assurance that the other will care for all people, not just her clan, as her own. A marriage between us shall mean a marriage between the empires. The benefits to the people will be great. Unfettered access to natural resources across our unified empire will improve trade, and will the end of skirmishes in Lord Doro's lands. And I assure you, the bloodshed ends today. Guards from both empires will be stationed in the Flowerlands and will be aided by a foreign mercenary group who have proven themselves formidable allies. Those who do not heed this warning will pay dearly, as to threaten members of any clan is to threaten both of us. Those who wish to live in harmony need not worry, as our soldiers are even more powerful together than they are apart. None need worry about the change that is to come. We shall maintain both capitals, and we do not ask that either clan change their traditions. Above all, our union is one born of love for you, the people. Youmi squeezes Nama's shaking hand for a moment, urging her on. Nama speaks once more, finishing up the announcement. ❝We have thought fit to make our intentions known to you at the earliest time, so that you may be informed of a matter so important to the empires. The wedding shall take place in two days' time, but I promise you, Empress Youmi and her subjects are under my protection as of this moment. A move against them is a move against me, and shall be treated as what it is -- treason. I trust this will be most acceptable to all. ...And if it is not, I suggest you persuade yourself otherwise. Nama and Youmi leave the balcony. Most of the crowd talks among themselves, more bewildered than angry, although a small number of people do begin to swing insults -- "I'll never be one with Sea Clan scum!" "Scum? Better than Mountain Clan filth!" -- and are forcibly removed. ▸ THE WEDDING The wedding of Empress Youmi and Empress Nama takes place at Doro's castle, the neutral ground between each empire chosen so as not to show favoritism to either clan. The ceremony is held at night, as is Hanabiran tradition; the cherry and plum trees are strung up with electric lights that softly illuminate the castle grounds, lending a certain romance to the atmosphere. Hanabirans from all walks of life are invited to the wedding and the banquet after, from farmers to merchants to soldiers, in celebration of the promising future for the merged empires. Only the nobility is allowed inside Doro's castle, however -- the exception being the honored guests of Guild Ophelia, of course -- to view the elaborately laid out gifts from one empress to the other: lacquer boxes, mirrors, decorative combs, tea chests, and more are laid out on beautiful silk cloth, heirlooms from each empress's family and the empresses before them. The ceremony itself is short and takes place on the balcony for all to see. Youmi and Nama, both dressed in black furisodes with motifs representing their clans, share sips of sake from elaborate lacquer cups to symbolize the joining of their families -- and thus, their empires. The banquet afterwards is opulent, with traditional food from both clans prepared. The Sea Clan has brought various fish dishes, most notably all kinds of sushi! They've also prepared tuna and cuttlefish sashimi. For those who don't care for fish, the Mountain Clan has prepared sukiyaki, a thinly-sliced beef dish simmering in a pot with vegetables, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. There's also skewered chicken and pork cutlets. For the crowd who doesn't like meat -- or just wants some variety! -- there's soba, udon, and plenty of fresh vegetables. Beyond food, there are entertainers who have been hired to perform music and to socialize with guests, and contests of skill for the guests to partake in themselves: hanetsuki, tea-guessing, and Go. Owing to the romantic theme of the gathering, prizes for winning any of these contests will be a plum or sweet rice cake intended to be shared with a loved one. But the wedding isn't all fun and games -- before the ceremony, Doro asks any interested members of Ophelia to volunteer to play guard and ensure nothing is interrupted by displeased citizens of either clan. Volunteers are recommended to guard in shifts so as to keep fresh eyes on the situation at all times. Throughout the festivities, there are a number of attempts at disruption: the Mountain Clan inventor who scales the walls with a grappling hook, worrying that the new competition from the Sea Clan will put her out of business; a group of Sea Clan teenagers who start a riot at the gates simply because they want to riot; a Flowerlands farmer who becomes a bit too inebriated for his own good; and finally, a dangerous plot about which one of Doro's guards alerts the volunteers: Mountain Clan rebels have escaped the lockdown of their city and have slipped into the wedding party with the intent to poison Nama due to her betrayal of siding with the "enemy." It'll take the best investigators of Ophelia to figure out who the rebels are and to stop them before they kill Nama and destroy the burgeoning peace everyone has worked so hard to secure. All they know is that it's likely the rebels will be slipping the poison into her drink via a poison ring or will have a moment alone with her food to slip the poison into it. (Mod note: Players are welcome to NPC their Mountain Clan rebels and can make them however they wish as long as it doesn't contradict game canon! Their motivations, personalities, and backgrounds can vary, and they can work alone or in groups. Whether they can be persuaded out of it or will have to be taken down is also up to player discretion. This is your chance to get as creative as you want. Keep in mind that if your character accosts the wrong person or gets too rowdy themselves, they'll be kicked out! Please let us know if your character destroys anything in Doro's castle during a fight... he'd like to know himself, as he'll be expecting reimbursement.) ▸ THE AFTERMATH As the festivities wind down, the guests are invited to stay the night at Doro's castle (or camp outside, depending on their social standing) instead of heading out in the middle of the night. When the morning comes, most guests sleep in, worn out by the revelry the night before, so Ophelia will have some privacy to talk amongst each other freely. In the later morning, while guests begin to depart Doro's land, the empresses send word that they wish to speak with the foreigners; Ophelia is invited to meet them in the garden, where they are seated and holding hands. Youmi says that the future of their people is bright now that they are together, and that they couldn't have done it without Ophelia's assistance. Nama thanks them for their strength in military matters -- and immediately blushes when she realizes how blunt she sounds when compared to her wife, though Youmi only smiles and doesn't seem to mind. Several hours later, Ophelia's magitek suddenly projects words in front of their eyes that only they can see: Guild Ophelia: Hathaway mission analysts have observed you to have successfully completed your mission. You'll be pleased to know that on your success, timeline analysts have also found continued peace in the Hanabiran region to be a 99.8% certainty for the foreseeable future. Please prepare for return to Headquarters. You will be rifted in exactly 36 hours, so do make sure you're not visible to any natives at that time. - Guild Master Imogen With that, Ophelia has their orders. Finish up your business, buy whatever souvenirs you want, and get ready to return to Hathaway Headquarters. ▸ OOC NOTES If you have questions about this log or the overall mission, please ask them on the dossier. Questions about Futurology in general should be directed to the FAQ. ▸ Up now: Activity Check is due 5 March 23:59 UTC. Please note: we do not accept late activity and we do not post warning lists. Voting for Guild Ophelia's uniform is now open! Voting will close on 10 March, after which finalist voting will be held. ▸ Coming next: Post-mission assessment goes up on 11 March. Finalist uniform voting will also go up. Mandatory How's My Driving meme goes up on 25 March. Participation is required to pass March AC. ▸ Bounty Board ▸ Items Page ▸ March Calendar

Comments

[kisha]

That is not a fight, that is a farce...

[Hayame is... almost straight up ignoring the woman, that's how weak she seems, glaring at her for giving her the impression that there might be something happening, an actual reason for her to draw blood and vent the frustrations that have dogged her steps of late.

Deaf ears to I will bring friends! More will surely come, who will not stand for this union and all it brings!.

Well, Hayame isn't going to argue with that. But her allegiences lay with Hathaway no matter what she thought about that, and so... she handily undoes any progress the woman has made at untangling herself (that will do for bindings), and holds her out for Zarya to take, her feet kicking a foot or so off the ground.]

The honor can be yours.

[She'd normally try and keep it for herself... but there as little to be gained for turning in one such as this, surely.]

[flexing]

[ Zarya is happy to accept the bundle that is their captive and holds her at about the same level, blind and deaf to any protests it earns. ]

A good idea. You watch, make sure she does not inspire anyone.

[ And on that note she turns to match her off cheerfully, confident that the safety of the ramparts is in good hooves and hands. She won't be gone long, though. The woman doesn't take much time to introduce to and drop off with the guards, slightly longer is the time it takes for her to put together another tray of food. There's enough for two on it this time, though — or almost enough, considering who the two in question are. With that in hand, Zarya heads back to where she'd last seen Hayame. Even if she's not there anymore, she figures a horse-lady can't be too elusive. ]

[kisha]

Very well.

[Hayame is somewhat impressed with Zarya's hold on the captive, she must admit. Most humans couldn't lift another off the ground for long... but she keeps it to herself (for now) in favor of simply accepting the task with a nod, turning away to examine the ramparts again, trotting off to patrol along them.

But despite almost wishing someone would... no one seems to be planning to scale the walls again this night.

When Zarya returns, Hayame is still there, staring out over the walls with her arms crossed, long sleeves and the white tassels decorating the harness on her equine chest fluttering slightly in the breeze.

One carrying the scent of... approaching food?]

[flexing]

[ It's definitely the scent of approaching food, which arrives alongside Zarya's wide, welcoming smile as she steps onto Hayame's rampart. She's glad her location guess was right, it would really ruin the presentation to go tromping all over the castle with this food in search of Hayame. ]

Hello again! [ She strides toward her, gesturing with a nod toward the plate. ] I dropped my first tray. But it was food only enough for one, so maybe that was a good thing. Here is food to share.

[kisha]

[... so she came back with food. Definitely better than just coming back, when the person you're meeting has two stomachs.

She tries to at least look at Zarya's face before what food she brought, though.]

Since it seems we have the time...

[Seeing as they were severely lacking in pleasant wedding distractions in the form of rampart attacks... Hayame reaches for the plate]