[Open, Major Event] 12 June 2066

[geistnet]

Over the course of the last week, you'll have likely noticed the buzz and excitement that's been building all around Metro Manila -- if you've been around awhile, you know what time of the year it is. If you're new: well, this is an experience you're sure to enjoy.

The festive mood surrounding Philippine Independence Day is hard to miss. Wander around the metropolis and you'll note that the streets are filled with tourists and locals; turn one corner and you'll see parades, turn another and you may be treated to performances set up on strategically placed stages.

As for Falner, the colors of the Philippine flag seem to be everywhere you look: the kids who live or study at the estate are mostly running around with their faces painted. If you wander down towards the Fair Grounds in the South District, there are a couple of booths set up offering anything from body paint and temporary tattoos to local delicacies. West District establishments The King's Rest and Liquidated also have special treats aligned with the theme of the day. There's also talk about the annual street party which will be held over at the Baywalk later this evening, and the younger initiates are abuzz over the yearly light show held over Manila Bay that showcase reenactments of all the major battles all the way up to the Darkest Vigil.

Independence Day is also not all that's being celebrated, because for Keepers of the Vigil and supernatural communities all over the world, today marks the second anniversary of Arcis Fortress City.

OOC NOTES FOR PLAYERS

Don't forget to mention in the subject heading if your threads are OTA (Open to All) or Closed, and the time in which the exchange takes place. Feel free to make a top-level comment of your own if none of the placeholders fit. For details on each of the locations found at the Falner Estate, here is a handy link!

Comments

[scatterblade]

There's a chance for it to change every year.

[ A bit of an emphasis on 'a chance'. ]

Most of us tend to keep our positions until we decide to step down for ourselves.

[bloodsinger]

[ She's silent for a moment. ]

I guess it would be like trying to beat an elite at their own game, yeah.

[scatterblade]

Pretty much.

[ Smiling, swirling the contents of her glass about with an idle twist of her wrist. ]

I've only recently come back. I kind of died during the Darkest Vigil, so.

[ #nobigdeal ]

[bloodsinger]

Uh.

[ Is that a thing. ]

You certainly seem to be taking it well, so...cool?

[scatterblade]

[ Chuckles. ]

I prefer to look at the brighter side to things, especially since coming back has given me second chances in a lot of directions.

[bloodsinger]

Well, coming back from the dead...it basically embodies the meaning of getting a second chance, right?

[ She wants to ask why, but it somehow feels rude. ]

[scatterblade]

Pretty much.

[ And flagging down a waiter for a bottle of Jack this time. It'll save her the trouble of always asking for seconds anyway. ]

Well, enough about that topic for now. Did you want to know anything else?

[bloodsinger]

Yulia Bostova.

[ She's not even going to hide the fact she had been meaning to ask. ]

I think she's going to be my mentor. Help? Advice? Gossip?

[scatterblade]

[ Oho. ]

Did she say, explicitly, that she was going to mentor you?

[ Please excuse her. She is finding this a little hard to believe. ]

[bloodsinger]

I might have suggested it to her after annoying her with conversation she was not looking for...and then used the fact we're not particularly friendly to convince her.

[ FLAWLESS LOGIC. ]

[scatterblade]

[ Welp. ]

Well, she's my sister in the Hunt, so I'd honestly prefer not to say anything.

[ Yep: Zangyaku down to the bone. ]

[bloodsinger]

[ That's not encouraging at all. (!!!) ]

Not even good things? She does look...strong, or else I wouldn't have asked her.

Ah, whatever. I'll find out what I've gotten myself into eventually.

[ This is how Sophie deals with 99.9% of things. She's also finishing the first bottle now. ]

[scatterblade]

[ Yes, you most certainly will, love. ]

Mm. She did not get her mask from Hikaru himself for nothing.

[bloodsinger]

[ All things Hikaru Shinta are a big deal, she knows that. ]

I'm screwed, aren't I?

[ She shouldn't look so happy while she says that, but she does. It's weird. ]

[scatterblade]

And yet you look pleased.

[ Most curious. ]

[bloodsinger]

If you're going through Hell...might as well get your kicks out of it.

[ That's not the quote. At all. ]

[scatterblade]

[ Chuckling. ]

That's one way of putting it, although there's always the option of NOT going through Hell at all.

[bloodsinger]

Heaven is a place where nothing happens.

[ She's been there, in a way. ]

So I guess I'd rather live a chaotic yet fulfilling life in Hell, if given the choice.

[scatterblade]

Or you could try living just fine on Earth. Right?

[ Smiling, as always. ]

[bloodsinger]

I'm a little too cursed for that.

[ Y E P ]

[scatterblade]

[ Tilting her head. ]

Are you sure about that?

[ Saying that in a softer voice. ]

[bloodsinger]

[ She pokes the necklace. ]

Besides, I don't have the luxury of a long, fruitful life. Might as well go all out and have fun while I can.

I'm probably selling old good Earth a bit too low, I know.

You can roll Wits + Empathy, if you like, to be able to get an accurate read on Liana's mood!

[scatterblade]

Live fast and burn out beautifully, huh?

[ Glancing down now, still with that smile, as she's tracing the rim of her glass with one finger. She gets it. Although... ]

Even Bladians need to learn the value of slowing down when it counts, though.

[ She's remembering, now, what it was like to die in her sleep. She's remembering, as well, what it was like to wake up and realize that the years had marched on without her, that only too many of the people she had cared about had had to soldier on - and later prepare for the possibility of killing her all over again. ]

Wits (3) + Empathy (1): 7 4 10 4 --> 1 Success

[bloodsinger]

[ Sophie kicks herself internally when she realizes she's talking about dying soon to a Bladian that died way too soon.

Way to go, Sophie. ]

Y-yeah, maybe you're right. I'm just talking without filter over here, sorry.

[scatterblade]

It's okay.

[ Looking back up at her companion of the moment with a smile that suits her face a little better again. ]

Can I give you some advice, though? One Bladian to another.