stellafortunalogs | JANUARY MINGLE

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JANUARY MINGLE

January Mingle: A Ballad in Goblets
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
You open your eyes to an unfamiliar sight. A cool breeze flits through rustic buildings and sunny streets, carrying the smell of flowers and wine. The very air itself seems charged with mana, the warm pulse of the land palpable beneath your feet. This is a new world, a world where the elements compose all of reality. Before you is a bubbling fountain, and a key is entwined between your fingers. And that weight on your hip? A sparkling bauble that you've never seen before, yet it feels natural, as if it had always been there.

Asking around nets you the name of this world - Teyvat - and the name of this city - Mondstadt, blessed by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Your new home is accessible with the key placed in your hands, though this also brings to mind another question. How will you get money? Food isn't free, after all.

Luckily for you, there's plenty of jobs available for the enterprising Traveler. Be it taking requests from the Adventurers' Guild, or working part-time at one of Mondstadt's many food establishments, Mora is to be had when hard work is involved. The cuisine of Mondstadt is best paired with its wine, served at bars or enjoyed in private with a few friends.

And about that shining gem. locals will tell you that it is a Vision, a sign of favour from Teyvat's elemental gods. With the Vision on hand, you find yourself capable of commanding one of the seven elements. What will you do with this newfound blessing? Use it for good... or for evil?

Mondstadt's liveliness doesn't diminish when night falls. Bards sing through the wee hours of the night, and the lights of the city help keep most evildoers at bay. All seems peaceful, a pastoral idyll of a life that seems more at home in a storybook. Yet for those Travelers who venture out beyond the city's walls and into the ruins dotting the landscape, they may discover hints of a bloodier past now forgotten.

Glancing at any of the calendars in the city will tell you the current date. August 10th was the day you arrived. As soon as the last minute of August 16th slips away, the world around you changes. A blink, and time itself rewinds by seven days. Looking outside, the mown lawns have regrown, the windmill needs fixing again, and the well is once again full. Just what is happening here? It seems only you, Traveler, remembers the week that never was.

State of the World

For the first two weeks of the game, IC time will be looping from August 10th to August 16th. It's currently late summer in Mondstadt, and the trees are just beginning to turn out their autumn colours. The weather is cool and pleasant, with light showers on Tuesday (11th) and Friday (14th). It's also a good time to go out gathering berries and nature's bounty from Mondstadt's forests and valleys.

These two weeks will let us trial out our commissions and regains system and craft improvements for February onwards. There will be no activity requirements for January, so all threads started during this time period can be used for regains!

For all questions regarding January's mingle and events, please head over to our OOC post.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

a. (843): Can we throw a "death to my 20s" party when I turn 30?

[ pov: you're one of faerghus' top generals, you just won a war that spanned like five years, and you may or may not have killed some of your former classmates because of it and now you find yourself in a brand new world with no recollection of how you got there. like, sylvain vaguely recalls a dream? sort of. mostly he was just looking forward to getting a drink and sitting down to just chill for a while? maybe think about going back home to gautier? a bitch is tired, alright. but to say he expected to be whisked off to goddess knows where would be a lie.

so, here he is, still clad in his armor, kind of looking like he just walked off the battlefield, which... maybe. there's likely dried blood and other gross stuff on his armor but at least he doesn't look too badly injured? he takes a good moment just turning around in place, staring at his surroundings before he groans suddenly, shoulders slumping before he literally falls on one knee in the middle of the road. ]

Aw, man, you gotta be kidding me...

[ just a grown ass man being a big dramatic baby... nothing to see here, folks. ]

b. (403): The same idiot-bubble, now just bigger and louder.

[ anyway, for the rest of the week, sylvain can be seen all around town picking up odd jobs here and there. maybe you're down in angel's share for a drink, or getting lunch at the good hunter—either way, sylvain will be there to take your order, sans armor and looking fresh with a charming smile in place, completely different to how he was when he first got here. ]

Hey, there! What can I get you today?

[ or alternatively, catch him outside town messing around with his powers. he has the anemo vision, and he's mostly just trying to see if he can airbend, testing to see how big of a rock he can throw around. actually, on second thought, maybe don't get any closer. ]

Oh—[ shit ] Get down!

c. (409): I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying he’s denying what you’re saying.

[ so time loop stuff isn't something completely new to him? like, byleth used to do some wild shit back in the day that was equally as crazy, so the idea of a town stuck in a constant loop isn't so far fetched. sylvain is back at angel's share chatting up charles to ask for a job, just like he did the week before, except this time he's dragging someone else into it. maybe you're just there minding your own business, and suddenly there's this guy sidling up next to you. ]

Look, it's okay. I got you, Charles. [ sylvain is still talking to charles, but he's clearly pretending he knows you now, tossing a wink at you before he turns back to charles. ] You need a night off, no worries! My friend and I here, we'll give you a hand. Just leave it to us.

[ did he just get both of you employed? maybe so. you're welcome. ]

d. (530): can I CTRL ALT DELETE this universe

[ wildcard, u know what to do. if none of these work catch me on wooloos and i'll get something else up or just leave me whatever and i'll roll with it, i'm easy. ]

Edited 2021-01-19 08:08 (UTC)

[ we're skipping the reunion bc there's no tears here, only stupidity. or: sylvain has already made a reputation for himself in mondstadt even though he just got here, with both the townsfolk and the chickens... one more favorable than the other. sort of. so people recognize him, right, as that guy who went around catching adeline's chickens, or that guy who went off with that rude swordsman and tried to mine ore with one (1) pickaxe between the two of them. anyway, the point is, he stands out; people remember him, just like the saleswomen working at this particular boutique that sells women's stockings.

half of them look unimpressed, and the other half look very pleased. hmm! ]

Ah... haha, hey, why don't we go grab lunch, Hilda? [ he smiles at the young salesgirl coming up to him (much to the displeasure of the owner of the store), eagerly asking if he or his lovely friend needs assistance, and gently but firmly tries to steer hilda back towards the door. ] My treat, okay?

Edited 2021-01-19 08:57 (UTC)

[ MONDSTADT IS THE CITY OF FREEDOM!! NO ANGST ALLOWED ONLY TOMFOOLERY!! It's also impressive how quickly Sylvain's managed to build a reputation, though far from surprising. Hilda, well aware of the notorious Gautier Charm, is quite entertained observing all this. (Some things don't change, do they...?)

And while she would have expected him to go all in on the flirting, it seems he's looking for an out, what with the way he's ushering her towards the exit. (Hello! She hasn't even finished browsing here?)

She levels him with a practiced pout—she doesn't mind leaving at all, actually, she just wants to see him sweat a little... 😏 ]

Already? Didn't we just get here?

[ that Gautier Charm(tm) always getting him into trouble. it’s been like five years and you’d think it wouldn’t be a thing anymore, but that shit’s going to follow him wherever he goes—even to another world altogether. but yes, he’s actually looking for an out, and it’s actually kind of funny how the owner is still giving him the same Look despite how this young salesgirl is batting her lashes at him and hilda. is this salesgirl just happy to see him, or happy about the prospect of him dropping mora on hilda and making her week’s commission? both?? who knows. ]

Hey, food waits for no one! Besides, we can always come back, right? [ please let them come back when the owner is not around and he won’t be reminded of the time him and hwi went barrelling through the store to kick some abyss mage ass and had to work to pay off the damages. closes his eyes. ] You haven’t seen the rest of the city yet.

[ Hilda's played this game long enough to know when a girl is looking, and when a girl is looking. And Sylvain is ever the heartthrob, handsome and tall, fiery hair stylishly coiffed... Mora may always be an excellent incentive, but let's not fool ourselves here. The salesgirl is likely pondering the nature of their relationship.

...That's just her intuition, anyway. She smiles coyly at Sylvain, nodding with approval. (Clever. He really does know how to talk his way out of any situation.) ]

Oh, fine. I am getting hungry...

[ Once safely off the premise of the shop, she does pull him aside to pepper him with questions. ]

So, what exactly have you been up to? [ She's grinning, and while she doesn't actually nudge him with an elbow, the sentiment is 100% there. ] She was totally making eyes at you!

[i cry whenever i read this

This will be Seonho's first attempt at this chicken commission, so it truly is fortunate that he's managed to run into Sylvain who seems to be an old hand at this shindig.......... He was certainly friendly enough when Seonho asked him if he'd like to participate in this quest with him, so! This should be easy enough, yes? Never mind that it's been years since Seonho's had to deal with live chickens in any capacity, maybe he can roll with it as he goes -- and not embarrass himself that much in front of Sylvain.

Smashcut to Seonho standing, arms crossed, as he looks up at the tree (1) fluffy white chicken has somehow ensconced herself in. she's on the branch that's 6 feet and 2 inches from the ground, as if she math memed the perfect height to escape from Sylvain, hm.]

...Should we throw something at her?

[why is this chicken scared of sylvain, when seonho is out here suggesting violence as a solution.... look, he doesn't want to HIT this chicken... he just wants to scare it so it comes flapping back into Sylvain's waiting arms???]

[ he’s done this chicken commission all of once and has not learned from his mistakes, apparently, so perhaps it’s less fortunate that seonho decided to pair up with him rather than anyone else. but here they are anyway, standing beneath this tree that one of adeline’s chickens has decided to hide in, just out of sylvain’s reach. which, you know, fair. at least someone has a brain cell out of the three of them.

sylvain is currently considering the merits of climbing this tree, even though it’s been like a good number of years since he’s done so? more importantly, actually getting the chicken down from the tree after he’s climbed up to reach her is a little tricky, but it seems like seonho has a better idea.

wait. ]

No, we can’t throw anything at her, what if she gets hurt? [ seonho?? he looks aghast. the chicken may not appreciate him but he is not keen on aggressing her. ] Here, how about this. I’ll climb up the tree and when I get her, I’ll try and hand her down to you. Sound good?

[sylvain don't make him feel guilty for thinking about braining this chicken?? he just wants to help maybe??

He nods though. it feels like a reasonable plan. is sylvain wearing his armor still in this thread though,,,]

I shall do my best to hold it... her still. [he amends quickly, then he like rolls up the sleeves of his fancy robes as if to do just that.

he'll do it. it'll be great.

sylvain please don't fall off a tree while wearing heavy armor because seonho WILL try and catch you]

[ what did the chicken do to u seonho… please.

sylvain is, in fact, still wearing his armor, but he at least has the sense to take it off before going to climb this tree. it’s mainly just his chestplate and greaves because there’s no reason for him to go walking around in full armor when no one else is, and mondstadt seems peaceful enough where he doesn’t have to. he’s probably going to regret thinking that in a week, but whatever. anyway. ]

Alright. [ look how serious he is, clapping a broad hand on seonho’s shoulder. jk he’s actually not serious at all, but shh. ] Me and this chicken are counting on you.

[ anyway, here he goes to climb this tree. it’s been a good number of years since he last climbed one, but he manages to make it to the branch the chicken is on, who clucks wearily at him and sounds suspiciously like stay back, slut. sylvain is, however, determined to bring her back to safety, even though he’s sure this branch may not be able to hold him if he lingers for too long. ]

Look, I’m sorry, sweetheart, I don’t want to bother you either but I have to get you down, okay?

[the chicken's just in the way of absolute success y'know...

after they successfully complete this comm, Seonho will absolutely ask him about the armor, but for now he keeps a careful eye on both Sylvain and the tsundere chicken. at least now that Sylvain's in the tree, there's even less of a reason to throw anything.

the chicken looks even more offended at the sweet term of endearment, and starts shuffling down the branch as far away as possible from Sylvain, which just means she hops onto the thinner, and far more fragile, parts of this tree limb she's perched herself on. Whatever Sylvain's doing, it looks like it's working??]

Try calling her that again.

[call her babe so that she gets right to the tippy tip and just TOPPLES OFF!!! This is a great plan after all? Sylvain is so smart?]

[ it figures that this chicken is smart and knows better than to be charmed by him, but also makes his job harder than it should be. oh well, this is par for the course, and there's really something totally ironic about this? like, sylvain is a pro at making girls lose interest in him entirely, he just never thought it would also apply to chickens. wild.

so okay, the chicken does not appreciate the pet name, despite how sincere he's being, but pro: she's moving further down this branch, and should it fail to hold her, she will fall into seonho's waiting arms. con: she's moving further down this branch, and should it fail to hold her, she will fall. at least it won't be too bad, though? it's not particularly windy and seonho seems to have good reflexes? sylvain's sword guy senses are tingling. ]

That's it, baby, keep going. Just like that. [ the chicken clucks disapprovingly, feathers ruffled as she makes more of an effort to put distance between herself and sylvain. the branch starts dipping precariously and sylvain glances down at seonho, ] I'm gonna shake the branch a little, okay? Get ready.

[Seonho holds his arms out further in silent preparation, then he gives Sylvain a swift nod. He's ready as he'll ever be. He's gonna grab this damsel chicken and save it with his himbo arms,

the chicken turns her accusing eyes at Sylvain as the branch beneath her bobs and sways, she wants to see it... she wants to see him hit the betrayal button with her own eyes -- DO IT SYLVAIN!! JUST DO IT!!!

but maybe Sylvain won't have to commit this sin all by himself -- because there's a sudden gust of helpful wind that slides on by, just weak enough to cool Sylvain down a little, but strong enough to -- bap the hen off her steady perch and into Seonho's waiting arms who immediately and firmly wraps said arms around this hen, effectively trapping her.]

[ . . .

this feels familiar, somehow, and yet... ookurikara raises his eyebrows slightly at sylvain, eyes flicking between him and "charles" and back again before offering a curt reply. ]

I have no intention of getting friendly with you.

[ why drag him into this, anyway? ]

[ It wasn't quite unusual for him to show up around Angel's Share from time to time. He did spend most of his time at Dawn Winery, but today he had come to discuss something with Charles regarding a particular shipment he'd made an order for.

Diluc had taken barely a step inside when he heard the newcomer speaking to Charles, listening to it for just a second before exhaling a soft sigh. ]

If it's a job you're looking for, he's not the one you should be talking to about that.

[ Hiring people was kind of not entirely up to Charles to be doing without his explicit permission anyway so yeah. That was a thing. ]

[ So.

It turns out that no matter where you go, there will always be a Nice Guy™ lurking just around the corner, who takes even the smallest gesture of kindness as a full-blown declaration of love and, no matter how much yelling or protest is given, refuses to give up. That's the situation Zeta's found herself in, with a truly pathetic excuse of a person clinging desperately to her ankle and a deep scowl plastered over her face as she tries (and fails) to shake him off. She'd just beat him up in the middle of the town square if she could, but somehow she gets the feeling that might be frowned upon.

Time for Plan B.

It's not very well-thought out - in fact, there was no thought whatsoever put into it - and if it backfires it'll just land her in an even bigger mess, but nothing to be gained if you don't try, right? ]

Hey! [ This is yelled in the direction of the closest guy, some overly tall redhead with the unfortunate luck to be passing by right now. ] Hey honey [ gag ], you didn't forget that we were supposed to meet up here, did you?

[ Please, please just play along with her for now, that strained smile really should say it all. ]

[ sylvain has annoyed and offended enough girls in his life to recognize that strained smile? not to mention the guy who seems adamant on attaching himself to her ankle...yikes. so, yeah, the whole scene is unfortunately familiar in a lot of ways, though sylvain honestly can’t remember the last time any woman came to him for help like this. usually it’s the other way around? but good to know his reputation has yet to proceed him here.

so anyway, zeta calls out to him and sylvain looks over at her while laden down with another dozen eggs he just got from adeline, and after taking in what’s happening, he’s got a charming smile ready as he makes his way over. ]

Hey, sweetheart, I was just looking for you. [ he shifts the eggs to tuck under his arm, taking her hand in his and carefully guiding her closer towards him away from the other guy. ] I'm sorry I made you wait, I was helping Adeline at the coop and she gave me some eggs in return. I remember you said you wanted omelettes, right? Why don’t we head back home and I’ll make you some.

[ Oh, thank the Astrals, this rando guy is playing along. Her shoulders practically sag in disbelief as he strolls over, even if her brows knit together at the sight of all the eggs. Did she interrupt him in the middle of a shopping trip? Whoops, oh well. She'll pay him back later or something.

They start sidling away, Nice Guy™ loosening his grasp once another man enters the fray. Zeta rolls her eyes, more than a little disgusted. Figures. Won't listen to a girl but will absolutely back off as soon as there's enough additional testosterone around. But she tries her best to keep the worst of her annoyance off her face as she smiles back at Sylvain. (Ugh, her face is starting to hurt from all this fake smiling.) ]

I love omelettes! [ Not technically false, most food is good food. ] You always know how to make a girl smile, uh [ hm, she doesn't actually know his name, time to grab the first one that comes to mind ] Cassius.

[ Awful. Anyway, let's bust this joint, she may or not be speeding up her pace so they can get out of here quicker. ]

[Uh, hello there, random redhead that's winking at him? Rean's definitely looking on in wide-eyed confusion for a second, his mouth opening to try to form a name—]

Ran—?

[...Wait, no, his fellow instructor isn't here. But with the easygoing nature and the vivid red hair, it was almost easy to forget where he was for a second.

Shaking that off, Rean just tries to figure out what on earth is being said and why he's being dragged into it. ...Oh. Work? He was hoping to enjoy dinner, but...]

...Y'know, most people prefer being asked first, but yeah. I can help you out.

[Rean, you doormat.]

[ perfect, just the kind of person sylvain was looking for. sorry for ruining your dinner rean, but hey—more mora, less problems?? or something. ]

Aw, thanks, buddy! [ look at this bright smile as he claps rean’s shoulder. ] Knew I could count on you.

[ anyway, charles looks convinced by their comraderie and tells them they can help out for the rest of the night until closing. to his credit, sylvain at least pays attention to the finer details even if he’s heard it before. it seems like charles’ script is much the same as what he’d told sylvain a week prior. when he walks off to help a regular customer, sylvain slides into the seat next to rean and tries to snag a piece of whatever he’s having. thanks, bro. ]

I figured I’d try and shake things up a bit, you know? Besides, it’s easier to spot any changes with two people.

[It's fine. Rean's honestly used to getting roped into things by now. And yeah, he could always use more mora. He's got himself, a friend, and a cat to feed, after all.

And when Sylvain comes over to snag a piece of his food, Rean's even kind enough to kind of push some towards him.]

Yeah, I get it. It's fine, I can always use a heavier wallet, anyway.

You make a habit of helping out here?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JANUARY MINGLE

sylvain jose gautier, fire emblem: three houses. anemo; ota!

for hilda

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d. wildcard, it's time to ctrl alt delete some hens

god bless.... im gomen for the wait yaywon

HOLDS UR HAND AME im also gomen for the wait

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c

c

d. i'm sorry

never be sorry

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sorry for the wait!!

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