[OPEN, Mingle] Yamsgiving

[lasthumanvoice]

Who: Cecil and EVERYONE
What: Another Harvest Celebration
When: Beginning of Pumpkinfest
Where: Center of town
Warning(s): Discussion of the Gala and its attendant CWs may come up

1. Yes, we're happy as fish [Food Prep, Oak and Iron kitchen]
Cecil's made a point of seeking out the best known chefs in town to help him put everything together for this meal. While sweet potato dishes are the star, at least one available with every course, he's hoping to hit a broad variety so everyone can find something they like. He, of course, is peeling and chopping his eternal sweet potato to make sure there's enough to go around.

(Of course you don't need to worry about him with a knife! He's fine! Don't you know he was once a boy scout?)

If someone needs an extra hand for their dishes, though, he's happy to lend one. There's an attitude of camaraderie and cheer in the room, with Cecil even breaking out singing at one or two points in the evening.


2. And gorgeous as geese [The Meal; Festival Green]
Everyone's invited to the feast. That is, in fact, the whole point. Cecil's always been pointedly neutral in the town's tensions, working as the most unbiased media monkey he can. He's the Voice of Pumpkin Hollow, and that means not taking sides between Dahlia and Neil and the Temple and whoever else. But after the gala, he's made a choice to act, to try to foster goodwill and warm feelings. This isn't the stone stew he offered during January's famine, this is a Redwall-style feast.

So, between glasses of mead from Kasprak Farm and dandelion wine, everyone is invited to fill their plate with candied yams and zucchini bread, roast chicken and venison donated by one of the Enforcers. There's a homemade cranberry sauce with citrus wedges and dandelion-leaf salad with an apple cider vinaigrette and toasted acorns for garnish. There's pasta with a homemade pesto sauce and cheese. Desserts, too, are plentiful, some even flavored with...chocolate. But many are not, and feature sweet potatoes. Muffins, pies, etc.

Find a table with a friend or a stranger, and indulge. This is a warm-fuzzy type thing--feel free to use it as a mingle.


3. And wonderfully clean in the morning [Cleanup; Also Festival Green]
Cecil is, quite honestly, expecting to be the only person to stay and clean up. He's been up since about five in the morning and he's dragging a bit at this point. Oh, he did take the time to eat, so he's not starving, but like. He could use help putting the Green back to rights.


4. We've got everything, we're growing everything [Cecil Wildcards]
[You know how to find me to plot.]

Comments

[maximumcake]

Hm. Okay, he might make a note to circle back on that to just make sure it's not literal. (He hopes not.)

"Oh! In that case, you shouldn't have too much trouble fitting in here. Not that I... know what a Shabnak-adyr is, but supernatural beings are roaming around all over the place here. It's a lot less up for debate, you know, when the Pine Devil might actually eat you in the woods."

As for that last point... the idea of such easy acceptance leading to bad consequences hadn't formally occurred to him until now. He isn't sure how to feel about that, but it worryingly reminds him of what he was told about that Village some people were trapped in not long ago. Then he thinks about how people reacted to that place and his worry is much less.

"Trust me, there's a difference between blind acceptance and keeping an open mind. We still have lots of questions and people looking to answer them here."

[medekh]

"Hearing that puts me at ease. I have never tolerated belief leading to causalities, and I would not start now. But it sounds like I will not have to worry about such things." He clears his throat to explain further, not wanting to be intentionally cryptic, "A Shabnak-adyr is an evil spirit wearing a disguise of a woman, often blamed for wrongdoings in the town where I was born and raised. However, when a murder was committed, the townsfolk blamed the Shabnak-adyr and began to hold random women in town responsible for the murders. Logic and folklore both have it's place, we cannot favor one over the other."

[maximumcake]

Now Max understands what his worry truly was. He's aghast. Superstition really can be taken too far.

"You're right. We can't let innocent people get hurt like that. I'm so sorry that happened. I think this town is a little more, uh, grounded. My girlfriend, Valdis, works as an enforcer. She's smart enough to investigate things thoroughly before jumping to conclusions. So are the rest of her team."

[medekh]

"Ah- It can't be helped. The past is the past." It was also the tip of the iceberg, a very small bad thing that happened in comparison to the rest of those nine horrible days. Honestly he's a bit taken aback by his empathy. To Artemy, it was something that he didn't want to see repeated, but in the grand scheme of his life, not that terrible.

"All we can do is keep doing. I am glad that I was worried for nothing, by the sounds of it." Artemy says, thinking it over, "I am assuming enforcers are the town's law enforcement, hence the name?"

[maximumcake]

"Yes, they are," Max answers. "Most of the time they just patrol for monsters and try to save anyone from getting attacked. No one stays dead here for more than a day so they don't really have a lot of big crimes to solve, you know?"

[medekh]

"I suppose a murder is not a murder if the dead man gets up and walks it off the next day." Artemy seems vexed by the idea, something he'd never thought he'd really be thinking about. The morality of murder when death simply does not stick.

[maximumcake]

"Well, it doesn't stop people from being mad at each other about it, depending on what happened. Like, it's not just that they'll get back up, it's that they might be really really mad at you forever after that. And all of their friends might be, too. It's a pretty small town."

[medekh]

"This is true. I suppose such things should only be done in dire situations, and only for good reason." Artemy frowns thinking about it. He is glad that people do have a second lease on life and all, but it does leave moral implications, "Hopefully this is not a problem that comes up very often."

[maximumcake]

Max's smile falters. "Well..." Not an encouraging sign.

"Sometimes things happen that, um. They make it complicated. Recently there was a plague that was making people get confused and start to attack each other before they died. And I... my friend was infected and she... it was better that she not hurt anyone else, so I had to kill her. But then I got it and my girlfriend had to kill me too. No one's mad about it this time, but it still feels terrible..."

[medekh]

Artemy just nods. He doesn't seem horribly shocked by this. In fact he seems... pretty understanding, all things considered?

"Please, say no more. I have lived through a plague. You must make hard decisions to survive, to save as many as you can." He pats Max reassuringly on the arm, "I am certain you did the best you could with the tools that you had. I am sorry you had to deal with that."

Lived through is a very generous phrase. More like died during. But you know, seems like a bad time to mention that.

"I only regret that I could not arrive sooner. Perhaps I could have cured you all of that plague that swept through the town."

[maximumcake]

"I'm sorry you did, too," Max answers.

Maybe Artemy really could have helped, or maybe not. Part of Max is a little glad for the man that he didn't have to go through that twice. Max wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"We did cure it, eventually. I hope it never happens again so you never have to try and do that."

He shakes himself, like he's trying to shake off the bad memories, and puts some effort into widening his smile. "I know I'm not really making this town sound the best right now, but it really is. It's one of the best places I've ever lived." (Sadly, that is not a high bar to clear when the last place he lived was on a ship designed to use their suffering as fuel.)

"And if anyone gives you a hard time, tell them Max is going to be really disappointed in them when he hears about it."

[medekh]

"Ah, do not worry about me." He gives a soft smile himself. "I am certainly capable of looking after myself, as I have for a long time, and this place, despite the occasional plague, has already been very hospitable and welcoming. You have nothing to worry about."

Honestly, even his own hometown wasn't as friendly and welcoming to him. He genuinely is not used to it. And also he is 100% serious about being able to cure the plague without question. If it happens again? Artemy Burakh is on it.

[maximumcake]

"I'm not really that worried. No offense, but you look like you've had to take care of yourself for a long time. That's why I thought..." he shuffles his feet sheepishly, "maybe you'd like it if someone else wanted to look out for you for a change."

[medekh]

Max's words linger in Artemy's ears for a beat too long. He's thinking on it. He's never had anyone say anything quite like that to him. It's entirely unnecessary of the other man, but it feels-

It feels kind of nice, truth be told.

Even though he's confused by it, and trying to figure out the implications of such words from a man he's just met.

"-Well, I suppose relying on community is never a bad thing when your community around you is strong." Artemy finally pushes out the words, "It does take a village, this I do know."

He doesn't entirely believe what he's saying of course. He's a menkhu. A spiritual leader. He's had to do everything. Always. He's going to have to be put in a position where he can't do everything before he can believe he can accept help like that.

[maximumcake]

Max waits in polite silence while Artemy processes it. He knew he was right. People who aren't used to random acts of kindness almost never know what to do with it at first. But Max's smile remains as sincere as ever. He doesn't expect anything at all in return. Real kindness doesn't have a cost.

"This community is strong," Max answers. "We have been through a lot together. There are a lot of good people here, so you'll fit right in."

[medekh]

Artemy gives a polite nod in return. He understands the kindness he's being given here.

"Thank you." He says, voice full with appreciation, "I have much to offer and I am glad to be here."

Better to be here than a lot of other places, Artemy thinks to himself.

wrap!

[maximumcake]

"Welcome to Pumpkin Hollow," Max says with a still-bright smile. "I'm glad you're here too."