=>[META] Lightseekers Settlement Victory Banquet

[Hivestuck]

This was a night of celebration to be remembered. Triumph and remembrance, hope and the light. With the completed Lightseekers settlement ready to be broken in, Panili and the remaining space crew members were ready and hungry for a victory – and a banquet – to christen the finished space. The hard work from the small organization had paid off. Structures mirrored Panili’s own hive and incorporated pre-Reginian space technology and contemporary mechanisms. The community hall was the jewel in the middle of it all. Sparkling like a gem, retractable glass planes set to convert Alternia’s harsh sunlight into energy cast luminous moonlight into the hall, reflecting like a slow-moving tide. However, the cool blue tint of nighttime was quickly melted away by the warmth coming from inside.

Candle flame poured orange light over the proceedings of the Lightseekers’ Banquet. Garlands and long chains of local flora hung across every doorway, ceiling and piece of furniture Panili could tack them onto. Across every wall, sconces were decorated with tapestries in golds and burgundies. There was no dearth of space in the room: huge, lengthy tables had been erected and filled head-and-horns high with delicacies. Steaming dishes of all kinds tempted the senses.

Panili sits at the end of the table, raising a small wicker basket of pressed, bright wildflowers high. “Everyone, thank you! Thank you all… For those of you who risked your lives for Alternia, and for us. There is no possible way to repay you for your time.”

She adjusted her robes and cleared her throat. “I’d like to give these pressed flowers to a few members who went above and beyond. I, ah…” She didn’t have enough for everyone, so… This would have to do. Her team didn’t need to know that, though. “Am pleased to say that… While these flowers may be small and insignificant, they’re a landmark of where we were and where we are going. They’re from the launch sites that you all helped build and protect. And… Look at what you built!”

The troll gestured all around to the space around her, referencing both the launch sites and the settlement. “So, let me see here. My notes…”

“First off on the ground - ever incredible in your tenacity and willingness to work hard, let’s give a big hand to Tsarzi. Not only did she put in the work, she was one of two trolls who put in the MOST work at the ground level. Amazing job. And on the outer space crew… A moment of silence please, for the traumas and hardships and service.”

She paused, then continued. “Eilidh, Chiara and Nictor. You three were positively outstanding with your contributions. I’m so, so honored to have you here with us. It may not seem like much now, but you’ve laid the groundwork for a very bright future. We’re all in awe of you.” Panili started a round of applause, beaming. “Here are your little gifts! Again, now is the time that we can finally progress. Maybe next time this sweep I’ll be able to give out something a little more impressive than some flowers,” she smiled to herself.

“In fact, here are the fruits of your efforts.” The crew revealed a large monitor (not as fancy as the science operations buildings’, but suitable). It flickered to life with a bounty of data, and Malory spoke.

“Thanks to y’all, we’ve got a mighty sea of numbers to sort through. Should take us a while to get things figured out, but stay tuned, kids. This could be game changin’.”

Panili nodded.

“You four did outstanding, but everyone else who contributed sacrificed so much and did so much for us. I’d love to see more of all of you!”

She cheered. “With that being said, as we grow it is becoming apparent to me that we keep more of an official… Membership list. Tonight is a very important night, and since most of you are present I hoped to make your membership official. Rouxez is standing with a big book over there that contains our tenets - no fine print, don’t worry! If you’d like to be fully involved in our case (and I’ll be calling upon you a bit more), please mark down your names. Hemera, Amonee, Nucleo, Tsarzi, Kolako and Sephos are already marked as, um… For lack of a better military-ish word, officers, of our group. Now is the time. Will you continue along this path with us!”

There was a whoop from the space crew.


RP in this thread can be used for a growth RP. The space crew and Panili are available to answer questions and interact with. Enjoy the celebration and eat up! If your troll is not present during this RP but would still like to officially sign up as a Lightseeker, please discord Sypon. smile This thread will be open until January 31st.  

[Taki-di]

It didn’t feel quite real. Being here again.

It was different now, more festive, more complete. Had he been doing space volunteer work for long enough for this place to tidy up construction? Apparently. It felt strange to be released from the work, trapped in the state it put him in but no longer exposed to what put him there in the first place. As it was, he could feel the hair on the back of his neck prickling, the unease of so many trolls around, but the noise didn’t feel like the worst thing. It filled the blank spaces in his head where worries he was too tired to conjure usually resided. He was still jumpy if someone spoke too loud, still cringed if a stranger brushed too close, but could do little more than blink at the social affair as he and Kolako arrived. For all that he was as flighty as ever, he was spacier than ever too.

Despite the strange distance he felt, the atmosphere was pleasant and Nictor felt a degree of tension drain from him at the pleasant floral aroma mixing in with the delectable food smell. Just as his lusu, Nictor was drawn inexorably to flowers and plants, pausing by the doorway to gently rub the petals, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. It was nice. It was soothing to see nature decorating every nook and cranny of the room, a far cry from the cold dead ship hulls.

Nictor stuck close to Kolako’s side as they settled into the event, fiddling with the ends of the sleeves on his new jacket. It was an okay jacket, comfortable enough, warm, though the plastic of the sleeves caught on itself when he bent his arms. It was different. It got the job done, even if it was unfamiliar. It was not the soft and thin fabric of a loose stitched together hoodie, well worn and loved. Instead Kolako had wrapped herself in that fabric and Nictor had offered it willingly. It had afforded him comfort, in what ways that he could be “comforted,” while in the temporary volunteer barracks. He normally wouldn’t go out without his jacket, but Kolako being there made it okay, made it so he didn’t feel exposed so much as just weird without the cover and lo and behold he still had cover too. Even if that cover was a jacket caused some conflict in Nictor’s head that he could barely grasp hold of and just left him feeling fuzzy.

It was hard to sort his feeling right now, hard to parse it all, but having Kolako nearby helped him feel more steady. She was okay, she was alive and whole and didn’t go into space and risk life and limb and he could be secure and grateful for that fact. At least the horrors in space didn’t get to here, there were enough on the ground that had already done that.

At least she was here.

Half present wandering thoughts fizzled out when Panili began her speech, feeling a mild churn at each mention of the space program, the sensation already far more muted than it had been a few days ago, something concerning of note, but even that was muted. The churn grew worse as the mention of injuries, hardly of note, expected even.

Nictor’s breath caught at the mention of his name, the distant fuzzy feeling halting in its progress to overtake him. Something pressed in, his frazzled and burnt out nerves trying to fire off and ending up with barely a fizzle. His shoulders creeping up as his hands pulled uncomfortably at the ends of the holographic space crew jacket and he blinked a few times, trying to realign the words being spoken in a way that made sense. He drew into himself at the attention, never one that went seeking the spotlight and normally when it cast on him it was not a good light. The fizzle was trying to pick up, making slow progress, but progress nonetheless. It took a few seconds of dawdling and shrinking and looking around like a cornered squeakbeast for Nictor to look back to Panili and slowly register that she had something for him. With stilted clumsy motions, Nictor went to retrieve his gift.

Tentatively, Nictor took the pressed wildflower, idling for a second too long, feeling a small pool of warmth that might be good or bad. He loved flowers, why wouldn’t it be good? But still he wasn’t sure, could feel a pressure wrapping around the base of his throat and resting threateningly, even as he wondered at the gift. A gift for a job well done, trying to do what he was asked when trapped in the haunting corpses of the former space fleet. Nictor withdrew awkwardly, uttering a quiet thank you as he withdrew and Panili forged on with her announcements.

When he was seated once more, he hunkered down in his coat, sitting close to Kolako in hopes it might ease the messy feeling sin his head. Was it better to just be subject to the feelings, to know they were there and have them swirl around him like smoke, impossible to pinpoint or define? Should he miss the clarity of his anxiety and worries? He scootched closer to Kolako, oh so carefully holding the flower on his lap.

He looked to see the alleged results of the labor of himself and others, but the slew of information on display meant nothing to him. Wondered briefly if he really helped to collect that, if something he apparently helped with so important. Nictor had just done what he was asked to, barely remembering when he’d fiddled with the consoles as instructed. Did it really make a difference? He blinked hard, averting his eyes down to the flower, taking deep breaths.

Things settled a bit after Panili was through and Nictor rode out the anxiety that had managed to take hold. For all it seemed that he was too tired, too blank, too, too something to get worked up, it managed to still find its way back to him.

Later, when the feeling abated, he would shakily sign his name on the member’s list, after worrying and waffling. For now though, he half reached with one hand, falteringly going for Kolako’s own but stuttering and half withdrawing.

quite uneventful

support ur boy pls

sypon

just letting you know nic was here and got his prize ; v;b