EVENT #1: FAE FESTIVITIES

[diceofthegods]

INTO THE WOODS

Click Clock Wood (Spring) by Grant Kirkhope

2:05 / 4:59

▶︎

Click here to listen.

Grant Kirkhope is a Scottish composer and voice actor for video games and film. Some of his notable works include GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark, among many others.

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After making your way through the tiny farming town of Ich and out towards the rim of a massive raised crater, you will find yourself being led through a narrow split in the canyon wall. Inside, glow worms cling to the ceiling and create the illusion of a thousand twinkling stars above the moistened rocks.

When you finally emerge, it is into an impossibly lush landscape of massive, redwood-sized tangling trees and a soft moss carpet. Life abounds here. It feels like an oasis of birdsong and animal activity.

A short walk leads you to the prepared party-grounds. A large clearing with quaint huts all around decorated with strange flowers for partygoers to rest or otherwise entertain themselves.

There appear to be several games and stalls set up, the sweet and savory scents of delicious food fills the air, and so do the patrons of the forest. Seemingly hundreds of Fae folk zip around and greet the newcomers excitedly by placing garlands of vines and crowns of flowers atop their heads.

Glowing flowers and toadstools light your way here. It also seems that even the animals get in on the festivities! Really, just about everything talks here. Almost everything, anyways! Talking to a tree stump might not yield many results but you're welcome to try.

Each entrant is also provided upon arrival a copy of The Rules. A rolled parchment that resists water or any other damage. It also prevents you from writing on it so you can't just do what you want.

The rules read as follows:

DO:
⁂ Accept gifts from the Fae.
⁂ Sample the food provided at the party ONLY.
⁂ Play games with the Fae.
⁂ Feel at ease to rest in the provided huts.
⁂ Keep tabs on your shadow lest it wander.
DO NOT:
⁂ Make a TRADE with the Fae.
⁂ Provide any personal items as gifts or otherwise to the Fae.
⁂ Provide your true name to the Fae.
⁂ Wander away from the designated party area.
⁂ Ascend any staircases you find in the woods.
OTHER ITEMS TO NOTE:
⁂ If you see an old woman hiking through the area, feel free to stop her and lie to her. The more brazen and obvious the lie the better. She appreciates this!

GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT

Amongst the games and attractions are a variety of fun possibilities!

GAMES

⁂ Battleship! (Fae Style!) A number of Fae will be hiding on a large grid of flowers. You guess the locations and if you are correct then you will win a small prize! It is a cup of nectar that refills endlessly, and numbs any pains you may have. This works even outside of the forest and can be taken home.

Every time you miss though, you receive a small 'curse.' Nothing harmful! Maybe you’re just rotating in place for the next hour, your ears become daisies, or you grow a tree out of your head? (Feel free to come up with your own silly ideas!) All of the curses will dissipate after a time or upon leaving the forest and none will do any harm or cause pain. The Fae are all about fun tricks, not hurting anyone!

⁂ Dress Up Darlings! You enter a booth and allow the Fae to decide your outfit! Upon the agreement that you'll wear it the rest of the party, of course, no matter how silly or ridiculous it is.

⁂ Bobbing For Onions! Yes, you read that right. Bobbing for onions. There are onions floating around... in water. You have to catch them with your teeth. The prize for success is a Bag of Onions. This bag never runs out of onions. They are always fresh and always onions. Not always the same kind of onion, but always onions nonetheless. This bag works outside of the forest and can be taken home.

⁂ What's In The Box? There is a box. There is something in it. Maybe it's frogs. Maybe it's slugs. Possibly bugs? Maybe apples. We don’t know. Stick your hand in the box and take a guess at what you’re touching! If you’re right, you win the contents of the box!

We'll let players decide via coin flip, rolls, or however they want if their guess is correct! Any items won though will be common, every day items like mentioned and nothing especially exciting. Unless you're really into frogs. Then it's your lucky day, apparently!

ENTERTAINMENT

⁂ Slayd & The Possums! Slayd is here and he’s throwing down the banjo tunes with his possum pals. Feel free to join him if you are musically inclined! The Fae will provide any instrument your heart desires! They can't grant you the ability to play it though if you don't know how.

⁂ The Crowning of the King of Misrule! Randomly chosen by the Fae, enter a lottery to be chosen as the King of Misrule for the evening. You will be dressed in a stupid outfit and granted Fae wings for the night! You also have the insatiable urge to play harmless pranks on people. The Fae will also give you a "Special Gift" at the end of the party...

FOR THE FOOLISH

Ahh, but there are rule breakers amongst us aren't there? If you choose to sneak away from the party, chances are nobody will stop you; however, you are now on your own in the Talahee Forest.

FIRST LAYER

Rak'tika Greatwood Theme ( Civilizations ) by Masayoshi Soken

4:34 / 5:15

▶︎

Click here to listen.

"Civilizations" prominently features a female vocalist. The lyrics are in the Ronkan language, and has not been officially translated.

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The first layer of the forest is very much similar to what you have already seen. Everything is coated in a thick mat of moss and trees wind away like a massive birds nest to form the canopy above. The faint sounds of animals can still be heard. Up here, you may encounter Fae who did not attend the party. They'll ask you your name and other personal details.

Best that you lie.

SECOND LAYER

Click Clock Wood (Autumn) by Grant Kirkhope

1:12 / 4:11

▶︎

Click here to listen.

Grant Kirkhope is a Scottish composer and voice actor for video games and film. Some of his notable works include GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark, among many others.

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The further in that you head, the darker the forest gets. It seems you are following a downward slope. The trees get bigger here, as do the insects and toadstools. Bioluminescence rules down here it seems. You may encounter stranger creatures here. Ones that will try to make very tempting trades for your personal belongings. Things that will seem like an amazing deal to you. They offer magical items of great power, or even personal effects from home.

Don't be fooled though. These objects are cursed, and are not at all what they seem. You have the distinct feeling of being watched at all times here.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Owlbear, Displacer Beast, Giant Badger

THIRD LAYER

Saint Mocianne's Arboretum (Hard) by Masayoshi Soken

2:50 / 5:10

▶︎

Click here to listen.

...hordes of aggressive plant life exposed to the strange substance stand between you and the information you seek.

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Are you getting smaller or is everything else getting bigger? Were Slayd here, he would have told you about the concept of Deep Forest Gigantism. The deeper you go - just like the ocean - the larger that the flora and fauna get.

You are dwarfed by the mushrooms here in the pitch darkness and only guided by the latent glow of the creatures and fungi that dwell here. Bugs the size of house-cats skitter in your wake. Are you sure you want to be here? Should you encounter anything larger, you’d best stay silent. Or run!

⁂ Possible Encounters: Giant predatory Elk (RUN), Rodents of Unusual Size, Extra Large Bugs

FOURTH LAYER

Poison Tree by Grouper

0:30 / 3:16

▶︎

Click here to listen.

'Poison Tree' is a meditation on the complexities of anger and the internal conflict it causes. It draws inspiration from William Blake's poem of the same name.

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The trees seem to clear out here as you reach the bottom of the forest. There is no light here so hope you brought a match. The landscape down here is a blanket of moss dotted with countless shallow pools. Looking into one of these pools, you will see your reflection... though it may look different in some way.

You will feel extremely compelled to reach down and touch the reflection in the water. Should you give in, you feel as though your world is turning upside down. You could receive memories not quite your own. Memories of a different version of you, even! (CRAU, Canon Update, or Canon AU!)

Yet, you will be experiencing them as your own. A long time could pass in your mind while only seconds have only elapsed in reality. Upon waking, you will find that you have been ejected from the party and the forest entirely. You find yourself at the entrance to the crater. Disoriented, and compelled not to re-enter, you have only yourself to blame as you must shamble your way home with this burdensome knowledge.

Notes

⁂ For the game prizes, we're using the honor system here! So long as you clear the roll then you can receive a prize with no mod permission needed.

- Battleship: If you roll a d20 above a 13, you can receive one of the nectar cups.
- Bobbing For Onions: If you roll a d20 above a 10, you can receive one of the bag of onions. En...joy...?

⁂ To sign up for The Crowning of the King of Misrule, comment here! We'll RNG the winner likely within a few days to a week to give folks time to participate if they want!

⁂ The plotting post for this event/November is up!

⁂ Additionally, we have a state of the game post available to people read about updates, clarifications, and a poll to participate in!

⁂ If you have any further questions or feedback about this event specifically, please comment here!

⁂ Full Navigation ⁂

Comments

[avanture_time]

Oh, don't get him wrong, if he saw this in a store it would be an instant purchase, but also he would buy it specifically to get reactions out of people. Look at it, it's hideous. Comedy gold.

Sure enough, he grins at Popp's defensive reaction.

"What does it do?"

[perfectteatime]

"Oh yes, that's right. Fish head stew." Being around Elidibus makes him feel oddly at ease. The man is like a warm blanket.

"Quite the ambitions you have here. First a piano and this as well? I suppose it's ideal to keep busy though isn't it? Dwelling on our situation wouldn't be much help."

It's always better to be constructive when one feels powerless to do much else.

[abyssalflames]

I would likewise hesitate, with that last.

[He's tall enough that most people are shorter than he is, and he's loath to dismiss someone simply for the sake of their height. Even when it's clear that most of the fae are very much not anywhere near the height of even a fairly average person.]

As to the first, I cannot claim to know them well enough to judge. Though neither would I wish to give offense to our hosts.

[Especially when he has no real idea of their capabilities.]

Lahabrea, the Creator. One of a small handful of titles that have come to be used in place of an individual's name, as a show of respect.

[zodiheart]

"One might see it as altruism, yes," which is true. Some may see it as that. Elidibus is rather protective of what he considers his, and he is rapidly coming to find many of the people here 'his' in some manner or another.

"Hard learning is necessary at times, that is true. Unfortunately, a misstep in this place may lead to consequences far more severe than what a lack of knowledge generally would 'deserve,' as it were. Particularly for those whose worlds do not possess fae creatures."

What Ardyn does or does not decide to do with his name or self in these woods concerns him and him alone. He clearly understands the gravity of the thing, and Elidibus knows that attempting to dissuade him is folly. "I admit that I am curious, what would you be aiming to trade for?"

[zodiheart]

"There is both flora and fauna one could never dream of in the more secluded places of the world," it's said with the sort of confidence of one who knows exactly how true it really is.

With a last lingering look at his new slime mold, Elidibus turns towards Popp once more.

"I do believe it is your turn to partake in the game. Perhaps you shall find something that is decidedly not slime." He sounds amused as he speaks.

[zodiheart]

"I felt it," he keeps his voice soft in their sanctuary of space. "All things are composed of matter, of energy, and I have since adapted my aethersense to be able to see and feel the energy found on other worlds. I simply cast it out, and felt both the shape and that it was empty."

Sephiroth's expressions are easy for him to read. He smiles.

"A small bit of sanctuary to relax within. Though it does occur to me - I had promised sparring for you much earlier, did I not? Perhaps not tonight, but soon, I will make good on those promises."

[zodiheart]

Ignis is correct in his observations. Even though one has to always be on guard with regards to the fae, the festival itself does afford them some manner of protection. But it was Elidibus's own skills and experience that allow him to be so at ease.

"I have had enough experience in choosing words that it comes second nature when it is required. There is a part of myself on alert at all times, yes, particularly when checking to ensure my shadow remains in place, but I am able to multitask quite efficiently."

His looks around the party once more, taking everything in. "Particularly if it is only the single night."

[zodiheart]

Oh, Byleth doesn't know the half of it. In The Simulation Elidibus had filled his days with project after project, always keeping busy and volunteering his time the very instant it may have been needed or wanted. It will hold true in this new world. There would be time to relax as well, and time to spend with those he loves.

But he had been so very active for many, many years. He would not stop now.

"I have been informed that I 'do not know when to stop' and 'am chronically, intensely active' by others in the past. It is, perhaps, a fault of mine. The bakery, for instance, I have already devoted myself to as well."

Much to his and Angeal's delight.

[miniroth]

"I certainly remember how. While before arriving here I could have picked you up and thrown you across these party grounds and through the trees beyond with minimal effort, or reduced this forest to ash, currently such is beyond me." Is he exaggerating? Most places don't allow a lot of physical power AND magical power, specializing is usually required.

It doesn't seem to bother him much, at least not visibly. Everyone he knew was similarly limited, maybe there was something to the process of SOLDIER making that didn't work nicely with this planet, and Popp simply didn't have that problem. One example of no inhibitions versus a half dozen of people sharply reduced in ability did not make a reliable data set. He'd have to ask further with others.

... Eventually. The slowly cooling bun, caught easily, is not yet eaten as it cycles though scents, some more tempting than others. "How wide of a river do you require then? It's going to take a long time to dig a deep enough pond to be worthwhile. ..Which means diverting one of the rivers anyway, so flooding an area may be possible."

[snapp_crackle]

"Never runs empty."

He shrugs and hands over the cup so Avan can fiddle with it. He tried some and liked it just fine, but a fairy collision doesn't really leave you with any scrapes to speak of.

[snapp_crackle]

"All right, here goes."

He shoves his hand in a box, bracing himself for any weird textures. Frogs? Mud? A hedgehog? Do your worst - huh. It's...

"Square and flat... there are a lot of them, and they're not alive."

[lucere]

The Emissary is welcome to try. Regis has been hoping to make friends here, regardless of the venue. This is evident from his presence among the Fae. Although he still distrusts them, he is willing to give the Good Neighbors another chance to impress him. He just hopes that this time they won't steal anything but that's neither here or there.

"An emissary for your people?" Regis can't help but appear perplexed at first, but his confusion gives way to understanding as he mulls over the Emissary's words. "I see," he says with a solemn nod. "You carry a heavy burden, much like myself. I've always thought the Crown would better serve its people if we thought of ourselves as representatives rather than royals." He sighed.

Despite his best efforts, Regis fell short as a sovereign. He was unable to protect his people during their time of need, and as a result, the kingdom of Lucis was destroyed. While Regis bears responsibility for his actions, the deities did not assist him. The Astrals betrayed Lucis during his time of need in order to fulfill the Prophecy. Regis finds it difficult to accept this heartbreaking reality.

"In my opinion, that was a wonderful summary." Regis smiles. "I assume that the Convocation of the Fourteen functions similarly to a senate, correct? If that's the case, I'm pretty familiar with it, at least in that context." However, the Senate of his world was more of a hindrance than a help. Their arrogance, combined with the accursed Prophecy, heralded the end of Lucis.

[avanture_time]

If you use the nectar as a sweetener in baking, etc, will the result still numb pain?

[parer]

Is Ignis smiling just a little bit as he and Prompto settle comfortably in the flowers? Maybe. Maybe. But it... really is so nice to hear someone praise his cooking like that. He's heard it secondhand from Noct, in some of their lighter conversations when he came home from school, but it's better, always, to hear it in person.

"Well, I am glad that all the vegetable dishes that I made didn't go to waste, at the very least, although it would have been nice if Noctis had eaten them," he says mildly. Of course, they were never for Noct, but the point remains.

"But you deserved to eat good food, Prompto. I hardly think that counts as being spoiled. Just a right that every person should have... and which I suppose I will have to ensure, until you have soundly learned your lesson." In the meanwhile... He reaches over to pinch some wet blond strands inbetween his fingers, inspecting it. "I don't imagine you will learn your lesson from this in contrast."

Anything for the bit. Or his boyfriends. Ignis does appreciate it, he really does.

Which is why he starts to speak up just a little louder than normal, even as he lifts the hair a bit more. "It truly is a shame that we do not have some simple clean water and a plain cloth to dry off wet hair, or new flowers that could be used for another flower crown. I think it would be a rather nice time to take care of your hair and weave another crown, all while we enjoyed some snacks I brought with me to the party. Oh well."

Some of the pixies which he knows have been hanging about in the branches overhead seem to react to that, and he can hear their little voices. "Snacks? Like the ones you made when you first arrived, Shu?"

Perfect. Ignis keeps his expression schooled. "Oh, something like that. I made them from fried potatoes this time... but I likely won't be able to have a chance to enjoy them anyone, since I will have to go looking for the things I mentioned."

There's whispering, and then a chorus of voices. "Hold on, Shu!"

And then the fluttering of wings.

Ignis straights up a bit, flapping his hand to get off the bits of onion water which cling to it. Doesn't do too much, but that's fine. "We'll want to wait for a moment, and be on guard," he says mildly. "I have no doubt they'll help, but it may be in a way we won't expect."

[snapp_crackle]

It's not unheard of for someone to have tons of raw magical and physical power where Popp is from. It's very heard of, because everyone knows what a Demon Lord is, and Popp in particular knows a lot about the other kind of being with that kind of destructive power. It's a little scary that he's so used to being able to do that and is quick with those particular examples. But he can't do it right now and Popp's been hurled violently across the landscape by more physically intimidating people, he just flinches a little and goes right back into normal conversation.

"So the reason the dragons picked out me instead of one of the actual Dragon Knights - strength of a dragon, magic power of a darkling, heart of a human - might be because this place isn't equipped to handle all of that all at once and gives you a backlash...?"

He is casually mentioning what a Dragon Knight is to let Sephiroth know that he is cool about whatever non-human hybrid stuff that he probably has going on. It is a touchy subject for a lot of people.

"I don't need a lake as big as this whole clearing, but one maybe a quarter of the size would work if I don't go wild on dualcasting."

The slowly heating and slowly cooling buns don't have different scents, which Popp does not pick up on because he's right up against his limits of how many things he can keep track of lately. He's not going to go wild on dualcasting.

[miniroth]

Coincidentally an epithet Sephiroth will pick up during the course of the Wutai War. But he isn't actually a demon, he's just a bioengineered weapon of mass destruction. The somewhat cooler bun is tested, and found to taste like a somewhat heavier poultry. He's never had duck before but birds taste fairly similar overall.

"I don't know what a darkling is. Are you not human? You appear to be." Aside from any potential dragony bits going on, he himself has plenty even if he keeps them utterly under wraps.

More noteworthy, Popp has dragons on his world and they do selecting.

There are benefits to being unusually small for his age, Sephiroth can't at all pull off the raw physical intimidation his older 'brother' can. He's just some kid, really. "I was .. not selected by dragons or any other remarkable patrons. My parents were merely unethical." It would be a touchier subject if he knew Popp actually did have the right idea and weird hybrid stuff in fact is going on, but Sephiroth still thinks he's human, just enhanced.

He's silent for a minute, considering his half eaten bun or the tray of the remaining couple or both. "Are you capable of water control as well as fire, or are you elementally specialized?" There's a spot or two he found while roaming that might do, but only if any potential brushfires could be extinguished afterward. Probably he should stop changing subjects or asking so many different questions.

[miniroth]

After a moment, Sephiroth's concession to the point is the barest inclinations of his head. It's true enough, it's bad enough they're changing as it is, worse would be the only one doing it. There was a measure of comfort to be had in knowing there was a good dozen others similarly afflicted.

Based on description alone, the dragon in his dreams is not the same as Ignis', which.. was a relief in one way, for he spoke of things to that creature he'd rather not have people know about, but on the other ... "She is .. proportioned closer to a creature I know of as behemoths, but much longer in the neck and tail, with a more upright posture. A quadruped, with no feathering and instead a long crest from brow to tailtip. Mottled green, some could be called spotting, with heavy scales more like plates in some places."

[miniroth]

..Fair enough. I'm sure they'll still be there if you change your mind later.

[It's perfectly normal to demolish a ton of food, wait a few hours, and return to demolish even more food. At least, he's pretty sure it is, that's why there's so much of it!

He's frequently relearning the lesson of not eating too much or regretting it later but the endless adolescent boy ravenous hunger kept it happening anyway. The open invitation to just... try things turns a suspicious eye to the tables of food in offering.]

I .. can, if you'd like? But I am not the most adventurous of eaters. Some things do not agree with my digestion that others find delightful, I've learned to be cautious.

[And some things that he both found delightful and couldn't handle too much of, like cheese. Delicious heavenly cheese. It did not share his affection.]

[miniroth]

With the matter of Avan set aside, there's other concerns. Like dragon colors. "I know of.. red, blue, green, brown and black," he says with the slowness of raking through his memory to be sure it's accurate. "If I had to .. guess .. as terrible a method as that is, you'd be closest to black?"

Gray was a shade of black, maybe young ones had different colors. Maybe the dragons here had no such color coding at all and it was sheer coincidence his matched!

.. Nah, can't be.

The bucket earns a look. "..I don't think it's going anywhere." He wiggles it a little, and the fogginess inside ripples a little but doesn't seem like it's going to dislodge itself any time soon. "I'll likely have to find somewhere safe to disperse it eventually."

[snapp_crackle]

"I'm all human, totally ordinary," we're not counting dragon stuff, "but I have friends who aren't."

Strictly speaking, there's only one dragon on Popp's world that does this kind of selecting, but he wouldn't be surprised if she was involved in all of this dragon selection also. Maybe she's pen pals with one of the dragon gods over here, it is a mystery and he's not a theologian.

Unethical is such a dispassionate but damning way to describe your parents, though! Even Popp wouldn't say that about his dad... He has no idea how to respond to that aside from a reflexive "Yikes, that's bad," that hangs in the silence for a bit. How do you support someone who has evil parents and doesn't like it? Both parents! They just met would it be weird to offer to fight his dad? It would be super weird and he's not saying it. To displace his feelings, he aggressively eats his toasted bun, which is banana, subtly different from the earlier plantain, and just a little too hot to eat with dignity.

The pond and pond alternatives are a much safer topic.

"I can do ice, but, my best fire is a step above my best ice."

[heliographic]

"Oh whoa, you really ticked her off, man!" Prompto says, eyes going wide. "Lucky she's just throwing a fit and not doing something crazy. You heard about what some of these fae are capable of? I don't wanna find out how real the stories are."

He tries not to chuckle as the acorn bonks into Popp, lest he also incur the lady's tiny wrath. He instead turns his attention to the itty-bitty flower crown the poor fellow is trying to work on. "Oh, are flower crowns a way you pass the time? Nah, I grew up in Lucis. Big city. I took lots of pictures of flowers, but can't say I ever wove a crown out of them."

With that said...

"Cameras and video games aside, one of my hobbies is tinkering and engineering tech, with teeeeeny tiny circuits." That is to say, Prompto is pretty good with his hands, even on tiny, delicate scales. Usually. Shockingly. His demeanor and loose movements make him seem clumsy on the surface, but he is actually deceptively coordinated and skillful, making such movements somehow work in combat situations. Or, he is just scary when he actually locks in instead of putting on a show.

"I could try to make one too? You got more supplies? Or wanna let me see this one? Long as the lady is cool with it."

[miniroth]

"I see." Possibly like the occasional beastmen here, then. It was still taking some getting used to but a good rule of thumb so far is if it wears clothes it's probably a person. A slight shrug and perfect willingness to let the subject of being chosen, parentage and species drop suggests it's probably actually reasonably sensitive.

Or not worth bothering with. Either way.

Fire and ice. No water. At least, not directly. "Find a large open field of your desired size, and practice ice first. The thicker the better. Then practice fire on top of it. As the ice melts, it will provide the water needed to keep fire from catching." Instant pond! "There are some fields, now harvested, that may be suitable and will benefit from any ash that results in spring."

[amaratha]

You're big. Oooh. I see.

[Being big seems to tie things together for her, though it should be noted that as someone who didn't spend very long in school, her understanding of biology is entirely vibes-based. But to her credit, fourteen feet is a measurement she seems very comfortable with compared to the number twelve thousand.]

Since you've lived so long, is being in this new place interesting to you, or have you seen things like these already?

[snapp_crackle]

"I hate giving up, but we're not short on supplies; they're growing all over the place. As long as it's got long stems, it's good, the flower part's just decoration."

The pixie starts yelling at him again, which doesn't do much for his concentration. He puts his makeshift tools down to lean in and snap back at her. Neither of them look impressed with the other one.

"Fine, it's important, meaningful decoration that expresses your personality!" He turns to look back at Prompto. Look at what he has to work with here! "She's crazy bossy. She put a needle in my shadow and tossed out the first one I made because it had too many violets." The stories might be real and it's fair to let Prompto know what he's in for.

[firsteditionbfs]

"You can call me Geal. I run the bakery, back in Town." And as for another handkerchief, well... He can't say he's not prepared. Digging a bit in his pockets, he pulls out another one to hand over to her. It's a bit wrinkled, maybe has some crumb or another at a corner, but it's hardly the worst thing in the world. It's clean enough. Can get the job done.

Beggars can't be choosers, right?

"You can find me there just about every day. People need bread, right? Although I'll like it if I can have some time to do a few more interesting things. We've actually brought some of that along with us to the party, if you want to give it a try and get the taste of onion out of your mouth."