driftfleet | Fleetsgiving Mingle [ Open to All ]

Who: Everyone Who Wants to Come!
Broadcast: Nope
Action: Yes, Planetside
When: Sunday

An invitation was sent out via the network to all of the Fleet, inviting them to come together for a night of feasting, dancing, and games.

Kirk has managed to procure an event space for what he has dubbed Fleetsgiving. It sports a warm, interior space, decorated with tables, including two longer ones for food and drink. Along the far wall is a fireplace, crackling away for warmth, chairs set around and a table for fireplace games. The entire room glows with lights set in draped garlands, candles, and dim lights, warm and inviting and offering intimacy for those who wish to find it. Kirk would take credit for the decor, but no, it was the product of the owners of the event space. Probably just as well, to be honest.

An open space at the center is open for dancing at one's leisure, music drifting through the air - loud enough for dancers to sway to a beat, but not loud enough to make conversation impossible. But, who knows, maybe towards the latter half of the evening when everyone has drunk enough, there will be a dance contest. There might also be a karaoke contest, but, really, that's up to the people.

There is some prepared food - something that looks like a kind of poultry and something like meatballs in a bright orange sauce. Kirk can't vouch for what sort of animals they came from, but he can vouch for them being delicious. Bread, jam spreads, butter, local nuts and crackers. For desert there are what look like tiny tarts, and cookies dusted in a sweet pink powder. But while there is food provided, there is plenty of room for others to bring their favorites from home, or even their favorites from being here in the Fleet.

Nothing was spared for drinks either. Local wines are set out in their bottles, ready to pour, fizzy drinks in cans and punch bowls, harder options for those who wished them further down, and water and juice for those less inclined to imbibe. While there isn't much room for additions, they are welcome.

By the fire are a number of games laid out for choice - cards, some board games, and even a chess set, though it is a touch odd. Three boards, at varying heights, on a curved stand. The way the seats are arranged make it comfortable for many to play at once, or for only a few to play and many to gather by the fire and watch or idly chatter.

Come one, come all, and have a good time!

_{[ ooc: this is an open mingle post! Go ahead and make your own starters, tag around, and have a good time! Characters would be encouraged to bring their own food to add, or drinks if they so like, favorite games, etc. ]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Belthazar looks concerned.]

Why would anyone want to hurt you? You're so... gentle.

[He realizes what slipped out after he said it, and holds up his free hand.]

Ah, sorry. I don't need the details, it just-- it's none of my business. I can see why you'd want to avoid sleeping after that, though. A lot can change in a year when you're surrounded by humans.

They live so fast.

They do, though I've never lived among them for very long. The only human I truly knew was my mother.

[ and now that she's gone, the idea of a hibernation doesn't sound unappealing. ]

Well, that's about to change. I think altogether I've lived three, maybe four years with humans? It's not... terrible, being here with them.

[ alucard smiles. ]

No. I imagine it won't be. They're certainly an improvement over the few I've known.

[He nods.]

We're so far away from territory disputes and decade long wars, it's almost surreal.

Is that what you're used to?

[He hesitates, but then he nods again.]

It's a feud that's gone on for more than thirty years, since the orcs first crossed over into Azeroth. The fighting is so pointless. How is it that people can cooperate to destroy a common threat, and then turn on each other so soon afterward?

Greed and ignorance can be powerful motivators, I find.

And pride. So much stupid pride. You would think with ninety percent of our people dead, we'd try to do things a little differently.

[He shoves the cookie in his mouth in a huff, and washes it down with some fizzy whatever the hell this is. Soda?]

[ wallachia was warned. did that stop them? no.

but still. ]

They still might. People can change.

[He swallows.]

That's true, but elves age slowly. It might be a while.

I think what we need is to get nobility out of the government. A lot of the old guard there is obsessed with money and polite society, and completely out of touch with the majority of citizens.

I believe that is the same problem with the human church.

[ his tone is overly mild here. ]

The human church?

[He tries to think of the Church of the Light being bad, but it's the Argent Dawn that pops up in his head. They've only ever tried to fight back the plague. But-- the Scarlet Crusade was known for their intolerance toward heretics and gleefully mowing down anyone wandering into their territory. With cannons.]

You have zealots, too?

[ there's only the slightest of frowns on his face. ]

That and the church itself is corrupt. Using holy purity to manipulate the masses.

That's...

[His brows furrow.]

I can't even imagine the scope of something like that. But people will do anything for power, and religion can be wielded like any other excuse for war.

[ the scope of it. something in alucard's stomach still turns. ]

They ended up inviting their own destruction.

[His tone is a little cold.] Well... if they were truly pious and good, then whatever they worship would take care of them in the afterlife.

[A pause.]

I should probably let you eat. Your food will get cold.

[ and yet. alucard could not let them die. ]

Goodness does not always protect people, I find.

[ and he takes another small bite. ]

[That makes Belthazar hesitate.]

No... it does not. Those who are maybe a little less good should protect them just in case.

[ his lips twitch. ]

Do you believe that?

[Belthazar's fingertips still on the edge of his empty plate. And then he grips it a little tighter than necessary, enough that his already pale knuckles turn white.]

... I lost someone like that. She was a priestess who dedicated her life to the service of the Light, always helping and healing where she could. Her last act was to hide me away so I wouldn't be killed.

I'll never let that happen again. I'll never be that helpless again. And besides, I... I've already had to take a life once. It's too late for me to pretend I'm pure and good.

I cannot begrudge you that.

[ alucard pauses. ]

The church burned my mother at the stake. For witchcraft. She was a doctor. It drove my father to madness and he will wipe them all out for it. Men, women, children. It no longer matters.

[Well, that's a horrible thing to find out. Belth looks perfectly horrified.]

I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to pry. And to be caught in the middle of that--

[Witchcraft though? Considering how common magic is on his world, that's kind of hard to imagine. On the other hand, it's the horrible murder of Alucard's mother that's the important takeaway here. And the genocide. Holy shit.]

That isn't right. Not for you, and not for all those people!

No, it is not.

[ his voice is still soft, but firm. ]

My father must be stopped.

[He can't imagine fighting his family. Not... for real. His long lost brother wouldn't turn on him, not like that. Never like that.]

You mustn't let that come to pass. [His voice is quiet and intense, too.] I can't tell you how living through something like that changes you, but it does. It changes everything. It makes you wish you hadn't lived through it at all.

[But Alucard is so gentle. Throughout this whole conversation, he's barely shown a hint of anger. Just a deep, lingering sadness that even a dumbass like Belthazar can read.]

Do you have help?

(no subject)

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