Tana-baa-ta

[survivaltricks]

WHO: everyone!
WHERE: the pasture
WHEN: day 22, all day

[the morning of day 22 begins with a light drizzle, as has been typical for the past few days. but despite the damp weather, a playlist of music also echoes across the pasture, luring you towards the center!]

[there, you will find that someone has planted a large bamboo tree, which is surrounded by wooden tables that are covered with colorful slips of paper and pens. a colorful sign, decorated with random doodles of stars, clouds, suns, and other fun shapes, contains a set of instructions:]

WELCOME TO TANABATA!

WRITE A WISH ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND TIE IT TO THE BAMBOO TREE.

HAVE FUN!

[the music and the bamboo wishing tree are a great start to the festival, but other people have been hard at work to make this a day to remember, right?]

[it's time to celebrate Tana-baa-ta!]

((FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOUR OWN TOP LEVELS IN THIS POST AS WELL! I made a few to get things going, but you should all run wild and free and thread to your heart's content ♥))

Comments

[wants_the_phd]

Yyyes...?

It's only because I have a red collar that my own flock tolerates me. If that changed tomorrow, I'd be outta there, and none of us would miss the other.

[featherduster]

[ FROWNS LOUDLY ]

That can't be true.

[wants_the_phd]

Do you want to ask them?

[featherduster]

Are any of you honest and straightforward about anything?

[wants_the_phd]

Wow! I haven't told you a single lie this whole time.

And why would they lie about something like this? It's not like you're a cop, remember?

[featherduster]

I'm not! I'll have you know I'm actually an outlaw!

[wants_the_phd]

How so?

[featherduster]

You can't just ask a man his crimes.

[wants_the_phd]

[watch me]

So did you do crimes at home that you're hiding from here, or have you done crimes here that you'll be busted for at home?

Or both?

[featherduster]

What, you a cop?

[wants_the_phd]

[her? LOL? LMAO, EVEN! Laughing internally at the thought (but not externally, unlike SOME people)]

And what could I do, even if I were? I have no magic powers, no weapons, no combat experience, no height or strength to speak of; I'm surrounded by monsters who can explode people with their minds or turn people to sand. And even if I did arrest someone, then what? What laws could I enforce? What authority could I appeal to? What facility could I contain them in? And how could I protect myself from retaliation after that, when I don't even have food security or a safe place to sleep?!

[did I say laughing, i meant despairing hysterically]

[featherduster]

[ holy SHIT dude ]

Oh, uh.

You're bottling up a lot right now, I see.

[ . . . ]

Y'want a drink?

[wants_the_phd]

[oh right they're still at tanabaata.]

Is there anything good?

[featherduster]

Blueberry wine?

[wants_the_phd]

Never tried it.

[featherduster]

First time for everything! Follow me.

[ TO BLUEBELL.

WE'RE GOING TO DRINK AND UNPACK SO MUCH OF THAT ]

[wants_the_phd]

[??]

[oh. okay. she follows, why not]

[featherduster]

[ The drawbridge lowers when they approach, letting them into Bluebell. There's a deeply disturbing couch but otherwise seems pretty normal.

He goes to bottle up some of the blueberry wine, handing her a glass. ]

Cheers.

[wants_the_phd]

Thanks.

[She takes the glass, sniffing the air to try to tell what's in it. She can smell the berries, and the fermentation thereof. ...She's not sure about this, though.]

[She holds the glass politely, but does not drink]

[featherduster]

[ Suit urself buddy. He's chugging HIS glass though. ]

[wants_the_phd]

...




[She has... a tiny sip]

[featherduster]

[ IT TASTES LIKE................. blueberry wine

He flops onto the cursed couch, casual ]

They're not monsters, y'know. The people here.

Most of 'em have been unfailingly kind, actually.

[wants_the_phd]

[Baby's first alcohol. Maybe just one sip is enough for now.]

...Yeah?

How so?

[featherduster]

Well, as an example . . .

Our first week here, my entire flock died. [*]

[ * Committed ritual suicide to bargain with Death ]

Lily rushed to come rescue us, entering death's domain to drag us out, even if it meant risking themselves. Aside from myself and a friend from home, none of us knew each other much at all. But . . . they still did it.

A lot of people here are like that. If they can help, they will.

[wants_the_phd]

Yeah, I've heard how helpful it can be to have friends from home here.

Apparently my entire flock died in a ritual specifically because nobody had any friends on our team, so they were expendable.