Open In Celebration

[Neologism]

17th of Fall 514AV

A place for contemplation, discussion and celebration, the Clade is the official gathering hall of Kalinor and a seat of various records, most of which are embroidered into the vivid tapestries that cover long stretches of the walls.

The Clade was once a smaller tunnel diverging from the primary cavern. Its opening is high above the ground, marked by a short ledge. With patience and precision, the tunnel became a large hall meant for city-wide meetings and events. Rugs cover the ground in the jewel tones emblematic of Kalinor, annually donated by the Warp and Weft. Chains of cut opalgloams form a twinkling web across the ceiling, the stones faceted like diamonds but bright with inner light. Altering with the seasons, swaths of colored ombre silk loop overhead, washing the space in a perpetual twilight of hues. For fall, the deep reds and oranges blend comfortably with the light pinks and yellows, to give the Clade a warm feeling even as Mizahar enters into the cold seasons.

For the Notok festival, long tables have been lined down the center of the room, many luxurious foods and various treats decoratively lining the long stone surfaces. Surely the feast is fit for only the finest of Symenestra, and yet it is not. The Clade opens its doors to the public as the host of the famed Notok. Almost the entire population of cave-dwellers come to celebrate the happiest festival in all of Kalinor. Women are adorned in elegant silks of various colors, jewels adorn their ears and necks while their hair has been let loose to allow the long pale strand to show off. Men also wear silk but with a heavy influence of delicate leather. No one hads sparred an expense for the greatest festival of the year.

Nessora didn't worry as she wove between the crowds of her people. It was unlike any other city, Kalinor's peace. There was never a threat on her life or any disputes with the government. It was a blessing. And so the sight of the female half of the ruling couple was not uncommon. As she congratulated the youth that had earned their status as adults, and gave excited wishes to the newlyweds who hoped to gain a surrogate that year, Nessora was content. She loved her people and she loved her city and tonight was the first night of the grandest festival of all. The festival that marked another year of Symenestra survival. Another year that their elegant culture may move forward.

It is a time when the city can come together, where they reunite with their loved ones who have been gone for so long. The Notok is not a celebration of the inevitable death that the new surrogates are doomed to meet. The Notok is the celebration of life. It is the event that promises the fragile race that they will continue another generation, that their offspring will grow up in a safe and comfortable home where the danger that the race had fled all those years ago is nowhere to be found. The Notok festival is a celebration of life and culture and even though there is a strand of guilt that weaves its way into the elated emotions of the Symenestra people, they haven't got a choice.

oocEverything is free in celebration. Please feel free to mingle and socialize, but I'll hop in and stir things up if they get slow.

[Cassidee Junipher]

NPC|Symenos|Common|Thoughts|

Cassidee hesitated at the doors of the Clad. I don’t belong here. The thought was magnified as each couple that passed her. Her plain white silk clothing seemed like rags compared to the beautiful dresses worn by other females that flowed passed her. It was more than that though. This was a celebration for the completion of a harvest. Here those who had spent years away for home, searching for surrogates, either for themselves or their families, were returning. This was their celebration. Cassidee’s own denial of the harvest burned clearly in her mind, coloring her cheeks. It was this that caused her feet hesitated at the entrance.

Despite this she could not bring herself to turn away. The smell and food and the promise of companionship pulled her feet forward. At first all seemed well. Even a foot within the entrance of the cavern, she was lost in the beautiful twilight glow of reds and browns. Warm feeling of comfort brought a small smile to her face and she allowed the crowd to pull her forward. Any concern over her own appearance had been lost, and she was perfectly content to be disappear into the crowd.

The pleasantness turned into a bitter bile that rose in her mouth as she saw the back of her father in the crowd in front of her. Her eyes dart to either side of her seeking a place to hide, but she found herself in the center of the room. All thoughts of food turned sour as her father began to turn around. As if fate was pushing this confrontation, the crowd seemed to separate from the two giving them a bubble all to themselves at least for the second.

With nowhere to hide or run to, Cassidee steeled herself to face her father. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she stared up at the man’s turning head and put on her most determined face. Her insides were anything but firm or determined. The pounding of her heart sounded like a drum as if demanding her to run and run fast. From her perspective her father seemed to be moving in slow motion to purposely draw out her suffering.

At last the man turn completely around. At first his gaze seemed to focus right above Cassidee’s head. Then slowly their eyes met. A shiver that defied the warmth of this place, made its way down Cassidee’s spine. Her legs shook with muscle tension as if trying to rush forward or back. Slowly the man’s mouth opened and closed again turning to a slight smile. Pain blossomed in her chest, and her mouth ran dry. Her determined scowled turned into broken frown and her eyes blinked back a quickly forming tear. Then with his blow having struck hard and true, he turned his back to his daughter and walked off as if nothing had happened.

Cassidee stood there for a moment as the crowd encaspsulated her. Quickly she sought to gain control of her emotions, regardless her mood had soured. Countless people with flowed past her before gain gull control again. This was a mistake. A simple thought bought her legs back into motion. Having neither filled the hunger for food or companionship, Cassidee turned back to the entrance of the Clade.

[Silana Hibiscus]

In the light her dress shimmered when she swayed. Silana looked down and could see her sandals peeking out from the dress. It was long enough to hid them if she stood still but didn’t touch the ground. Her hair she left to hang down. Her face was the usual kohl and red pomade. It was simple, just like Nesellna liked. If Nesellna was there.

Unlike some Nesellna never went far and Silana hoped to see her sister this year and tell her the good news. She told herself this over and over and still faltered at the door to the Clade. A small part of her wished her sister wouldn’t come, it would make things easier in the long run if she had more time to sort herself out. The Symenestra girl smoothed out her dress and plucked up her courage.

In a few short steps she was at the door, she stumbled and moved faster. Her body couldn’t understand her brain faster enough. Silana entered the Clade at a light run. Her face bright red she pulled herself to a stop. A select few by the entrance stared or giggled, otherwise no one noticed her faux pas. Once more she smoothed her dress then speedily made her way to the drink table.

There was an assortment of drinks, something for everyone. Wine, water, sweet water, juices, milks and more that Silana couldn’t name. Her hand wavered over one then the other. Did she want pumpkin juice or apple juice? Or would water be better? Here decision was taken from her when a sweet smelling wine was pushed to her face.

“Ah.”

“Here Enda, it’s delicious.”

“I…don’t drink.” Silana said while ducking her head. Unfortunately the wind didn’t move. Silana shuffled back and looked up with a little shake of her head. “I think—“

“Just try it, Enda. You’ll like it, promise!”

The exuberant youth grabbed her hand and pushed the cup into it, gave a wink, and waited for her to sip. Silanas smile turned awkward and she made no move to drink it. She searched for an excuse. “Why don’t we walk this way?”

Silana turned and walked quickly away, hoping she might lose the youth and avoid the drink. In a few minutes her wish came true. But rather than the youth disappearing, Silana bumped into another young woman. She let a little cry of surprise at both the bump and the sudden chill on her chest. The sweet scent was stronger now that it was spilled down the front of her dress.

Eyes wide Silana stepped back with apologies on her tongue. “Oh Viratas…I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking! I didn’t mean to--did I get any one you?”

Silana looked up and down the other woman but her eyes were wet with embarrassment. From what she could see the woman didn't look angry but it was hard to tell with the height difference and the scraggly cut bangs and hair that hid a little of the face from view.

“Let me get a napkin.” It wouldn’t help, Silanas dress was ruined at worst. Even the other woman’s…clothes? They weren’t the cleanest but who was Silana to spill wine over them. The only good thing to come out of it was there were no more youths shoving wine at her.

Quickly Silana turned to the table and took a cup of water and a handful of napkins. She wet one and offered it to the silvery haired woman. “Here, I don’t know if I got any on you…I can help pay for cleaning.”

[Sasheizarre]

Elisanim strode into the beautiful Clade, dressed in an emerald green, silk wrap dress. Even the atmosphere of the room felt warm, and she found herself surrounded by ombre oranges and reds into pinks and yellows, reminiscent of the changes in leaves above Kalinor. She felt the silk rugs beneath her bare feet, prismatically coloring the floor. She could smell food and the slight hint of perfume, masking the usual, slightly musty, smell of the underground.

Her eldest sister had not gone on a Harvest this year - there was no need. Neither Rovan nor Elisanim were married, and neither of them required a surrogate. Instead, she had stayed and hunted above-ground for meat, serving Kalinor in a different way. While Elisanim hoped to marry eventually, she hadn't found anyone suitable - more than a tad disappointing. Regardless, she decided to enjoy herself during Notok.

Her silent reverie had suddenly been interrupted by the appearance of a foreign object running into her - another Symenestra, one she couldn't place - until she glanced at her face. The run-in was not so hard that Elisanim fell over, but it was a bit jarring. Still, the other girl, Cassidee, looked like she were about to burst into tears. It couldn't possibly have been from the bump, and she seemed to be leaving the Clade, which was odd.

"Cassidee? Are you alright?"

[Cassidee Junipher]

NPC|Symenos|Common|Thoughts|

It started as a small tremor in her hands. Cassidee clenched her fist closed trying to strangle it there. Then it began to spread up her arms. Crossing her arms across her chest, she tried to force the shaking to stop. It was as pointless as pushing against a wall to stop an earthquake. At the same time a deep hole opened up deep inside of her. Ancient anger bottled up since the beginning of Mene Madras began to rise up.

A warm wet trickled worked its way down the left side of her cheek without her noticing. Despite the warm colors and pleasant temperature of the Clade, a cold splinter in her chest began to grow making her entire chest ache. Fires of rage shook her limbs but icy feelings of self-loathing and fear began to eat her core. Unlike real fire and ice, these two fed on another as they sought to overcome Cassidee.

An old wall stood between them and that goal. A wall craved from an obligation to an unrepayable debt. Gilded with duty and honor, it was once a magnificent wall meant to rebel any emotion that threatened Cassidee’s goal. Now the wall was rusted and scarred. Hopelessness had eaten away at duty, making her question the point of even trying. Fear of death, of pain and of failure had long since struck strong blows against the foundation of the obligation. Yet the wall still stood ready to fight a battle it did not hope to win.

Something, cold and wet spilled down Cassidee’s torso breaking her out of her emotional war. A red stain spread down her white silk shirt. The trembling grew worse as fear took root as well. Her mind turned back to the pregnancy she had watched. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of the blood and gore of the event. Then the sweet scent of wine reached her nose. Her mind had leapt to a horrific but impossible conclusion, though it was slow to crawl back to the actual situation. Her frown began to curl upwards

“Here, I don’t know if I got any on you…I can help pay for cleaning.” A simple statement dragged her vision down to the speaker. One hand reached for the offered napkin, while the other tried to wipe away any sign of her tears. Before her was a young woman in a very beautiful dress was offering to clean her rags. A small giggle almost escaped her mouth. This young woman was clearly more worried about the stains on Cassidee’s cloths than the ones on her own. That’s just silly. The thought turned her mind to what she was wearing again. Simple used cloths she had purchased for everyday wear, nothing special at all. Not only that but cloths that Cassidee had worn for seasons.

Cassidee opened her mouth to thank the girl and reassure her but before she could, she felt herself stumbling to the side. One foot caught on another as she stumbled sideways. Just as she thought she had caught her balance, Cassidee saw a figure on the edge of her vision. Wincing in preparation for hitting them, she managed to turn herself just enough to keep from knocking into someone else. Cassidee did not get a good look at the person she almost hit.

First relief passed through her body, then pain bosomed in her hip. The ground rose up to meet her as she felt her legs give way. Still her mind did not truly register what happened. Thump. Pain erupted on the top of her head, followed by a cold wetness that spread over her upper body. The clatter of metal on stone followed shortly after. Her eyes turned to the now mostly empty pitcher spilling what remained of the wine onto the floor.

A fire burned in Cassidee’s ears as laughter surrounded her. Rage began to shake in her arms and she tried to open her mouth in protest. It was then that she realizes her mouth was already open and it was her doing the laughing. Warm tears flowed freely down her face, even as she tried to stop laughing. Holding her breath, she the laughter stopped for a brief tick before bursting forth again as she grasp for breath. Slowly she felt it coming under control.

"Cassidee? Are you alright?" A more than fair question reached her ears. Nodding at first, she opened her mouth to answer, but the laughter started a new. Cassidee kept her mouth tightly closed as she tried to hold in the laughter. Her cheeks swelled and looked as if they were going to explode and explode they did. The uncontrollable laughter rippled through her banishing everything else back to the dark pit in which it came. This was perfect. The thought burned with annoyance and anger but could not hope to compete with the laughter.

“Yes, Yes, I am fine save for my idiocy, and hysteria.” Cassidee finally managed to say as she fought against the smile on her face.