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Beneath A Honeyed Moon [Syre] [RE]
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Post by Cion on Apr 2, 2021 17:17:19 GMT
("Well... shall we?")... This question, in spite of Cion not even having contemplated it a lot, had lingered inside her restless mind ever since her darling Syre had voiced it. The circumstances back then had been different for sure, but the sentiment had remained all the same. But a few months ago, a new chapter of their lives had begun, written within a book that they now shared. It was amazing what kind of change simple yet crucial questions could bring, especially if the answers were greater than any daydream was capable of conceiving. Fortunately, 'yes' was the sole valid response to aforementioned question. And today, at last, they were pursuing a facet of their innermost relationship that was quite common for humans, but a rather novel and perhaps fascinating concept to digimons. Their honeymoon. As far as the silver fennec understood, it was a unique form of vacation for married couples meant for them alone to cherish each other and experience what life had to offer outside of the delightful daily grind that awaited them. It was a strange conception to her as it seemed to mimic escapism, but any excuse for spending time together with her sweetheart was perfectly fine in her books. That and she honestly did not know if the comely BlackGatomon was on patrol or not. She was not aware of the order's presence in this ancient yet emerging slice of civilization, and her dearly beloved's vigilance was omnipresent as always. However, feeling protected like that made the unassuming fox smile with glee. Admittedly, she probably melted in her embrace too often, but she felt no the slightest bit of shame for this. Why not savor every second? A moment that did not count was pointless! Which was why Cion was thinking. Were they supposed to have a marriage sermon and wedding reception with the family after all? It appeared too late, and was there actually anyone in this realm who was an expert in this niche market? While civilized digimons undoubtedly enjoyed a good festival, the whole city around her serving as proof to this claim, their social structures differed greatly from men and women. With a lack of gender, cultural traditions, religions, actual need for families et cetera, would their kin and friends even care? Was it maybe better that they did not? What a headache... Leaning backwards, the vulpine lady clad in a simple yet elegant black greatcoat took in a deep breather of the moist, cold air. Sitting on a bench at the edge of the canal's shore, her aureate eyes shifted to every direction to behold the metropolis' colorful radiance. Combined with the faint light of the northern lights in the starry night sky, it did no matter where she looked - the vista stayed stupendous. Together with modern conveniences and a healthy amount of cosmopolitanism, it resembled her own vision for the future. The exception was of course that hers had faded to ash before its inception. But that was alright. The people of this world managed without her, and she preferred the small joys anyway. She was proud that she had tried, and if something or someone truly required her helping hand then she would not deny it. No heroism or entrepreneurship... at least for some years to reinvigorate her immemorial spirits. As she awaited the return of the candid feline and whatever local street food delicacies that were popular in Not-Venice she would bring with her, Cion's head tilted downwards to observe the reflection in the icy waters beneath her. Yeah... this was her. A diminutive, silver-haired fox - a former sentinel of the realms who had mantled the roles of a homemaker and spouse for someone most special to her. And as she beheld the azure radiance of her steely tail ring that Syre had engraved with a touch of her essence, she experienced absolute certainty and clarity about one thing. She was happy... thoroughly, exuberantly, and perfectly happy. [Words: 661 / 661]
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Post by Syre the BlackGatomon on Apr 2, 2021 18:15:20 GMT
The "Ancient Capital of Ys". From name alone, this place sounded like an old ruin, a historical site, perhaps a battlefield, but one look at this place, from outside or within, proved to show an entirely different reality. From the flying cars to the energy barrier and its super-modern design, the city seemed more otherworldly - a place to visit, for sure, but otherwise impossibly out-of-reach, like an alien's paradise.
And with Cion's preference towards Rosewood, Syre was somewhat surprised that the fox picked this place for their honeymoon. Perhaps the charm of Terminus had rubbed off on Cion, or perhaps the Arniomon was trying to appeal to Syre's preferences? Perhaps it was best not to dwell on those thoughts, and simply enjoy both the moment and the fun that was to be had in the upcoming hours.
Though Syre had made her way to the streets to 'pick up a few snacks', the BlackGatomon had admittedly gotten a bit lost and sidetracked along the way. With the festival in full swing, the entire city had been adorned in soft, crystal light, the main streets lined with temporary shops and stands - which, though pretty and festive, did make it somewhat difficult for the BlackGatomon to find her way. Couple that with the diminutive champion-level's size, and it was somewhat easy to get shuffled right through the streets.
So, perhaps a good few minutes later than Cion was expecting, Syre would finally make her way back to their spot, right next to that icy river and across the street from the district proper. Kicking her feet free of the snow, Syre would give a smirk, and would stride right back towards the fox, offering Cion two skewers of freshly-fried sweet-honey dough, the feline holding onto one for herself.
"Well, this place is definitely busier than Snowflake, I'll say that much!" With a chuckle, the feline would climb onto that bench right next to Cion, adjusting her purple cloak to cover her back and arms as she sat back. Pretty as this place was, this was still quite a frigid place - making it perfect for hot, decadent snacks like this. Sneaking a quick peck onto Cion's cheek, the feline would take her first bite, and take a moment to settle in.
"Anyway, what's our plan for today? I mean, this place has been 'right next to home' for me for a bit, but... its not really a place I ever got a chance to visit. Doesn't really seem like dad's pace..."
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Post by yuuki on Apr 3, 2021 0:10:27 GMT
RE INITIATED MAXIMUM POST TURN: 15 Current Posting turn: 1/15]
The duo might have picked the right timing to visit, as while it's a bit packed at the moment, they'll be even more packed in the future, as the festival going to peak in few days. However, it doesn't stop a certain dignitaries to be swamped already. One, in particular, would be a certain tailed Strabimon with short hair, a thick formal jacket on her shoulders, and a tablet on her hand. This is Jill, the secretary of the city state, which put her in something akin a vice presidential position. The Strabimon is daughter of Hikaru and Owen, the fourth eldest. "Are everything going fine? Have there been any reports of lack of foods and materials? Please try to multiplicate this number by about... let's seee... five times will do. How about the requests posted by the board of beautification and the problems with the crabs? The tourists might be slightly turned off by that, so if that's going nowhere, ask them to change their method. Possibly only posting that in KIZNA channels. Let's see... what else... you there, have there been any unruly guests who drinks too much? Please assign certain drink only area and make sure they don't stray too far to the main road. Some guests aren't quite well used to Ys if they didn't come from Terminus." "We might should ask them for to stay on their lower stage, ma'am?" "That would be nice, but some Digimons does not trust our security. They're the most confident with their own strength. Rather than making this festival a turn off, we'd like to make them feel at home. What else... Right, how's the train have been operating? We might have to add more to the armada as it goes. Hyakumaru and Zeroshiki, how are their occupancy rate?" "Business and Economic Class is at 80% and 60% respectively. The first class is fully packed since the start, ma'am." "Hm, perhaps some Digimons would feel a bit intimidated with Grand Locomon. How's the Trailmons?" "100%. The Locomons are the same, ma'am. However, it's seem there have been higher desire to ride Locomon compared to Trailmon." "Understandable. Alright, please commission about... five Trailmons and ten more Locomons. From here on it'll be really busy with some people coming and going. Do tell them if they perform very well, Ys will consider a permament employment. Also, how have been the Komondomon patrols lately? Have they found more people who tried to go to Ys by foot?" "Currently out of ten Komondomon deployed,they have found about twenty Digimons trying to reach Ys by foot. KIZNA operative assigned to them find that all of them are pure tourists. No indicated foul so far. There are also ten humans and Digimon who are lost, so we took them here." "That's slightly a lot more than I thought... Alright, keep them in operation. Add five more to the team, make them work in twelve hour shift each. For Komondomon who are resting, give them food and drinks, and make sure to clean them up. It would be good for their stamina. One more thing... How have the city expansion going? I'd like to see a report of that one on my desk by tomorrow morning stat!" "Yes, ma'am!" And so the assistant secretaries left her alone, each going to their own stations. Whew, that was a lot of orders all at once. However this is still... under acceptable level of work. Jill would visit a small stall to grab a hot crab soup in a small thermos before seeing... "...Aunt Cion, is that you?" ...Well that was unexpected... but she guess at the same time quite expected. She's not quite familiar with the one with her though. They seemed to be on a date, which means... She guess she can recommend them something to do if they want? But of course only if they want to. |
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Post by Cion on Apr 3, 2021 12:56:56 GMT
Perhaps her darling's return was a few moments later than anticipated, but beholding her own reflection in the icy waters was a strangely enthralling activity that made time fly by swiftly. But Cion was like this - always thinking and considering, whereas Syre preferred to tackle things head-on and right away. It was undoubtedly not only their colors that caused them to seem like a yin and yang pair. They were antitheses in innumerable ways, but this solely served to strengthen their bond. And in the rare occasion where their idiosyncrasies aligned, such as their mutual cuddliness, it was pure and wonderful magic.
Snapping out of her thoughtful trance, the silver fennec blinked a couple of times before tilting her head to face the comely felidae with a rapt smile. Admittedly, the skewers of freshly-fried sweet-honey dough looked and smelt rather odd, but maybe they would turn out to be a great snack in between proper meals. Speaking of which, she briefly wondered if she could finally convince her dearly beloved to savor a night of dinner by candlelight. Ys' aesthetics and festivities in particular seemed to be the ideal excuse to at last do so! Well... she'd see. As long as she was with her, everything was splendid regardless.
"Verily so. Yet it is also so... new and emerging. I'm impressed." She stated with sincere admiration in her dulcet voice as she took her pieces of candy. It was almost a shame that this exotic location was not closer to the center of the digital world. Instead, it was placed in a quite inhospitable environment. Even in Spring and in spite of the modern amenities present, it was freezing. Not in an insufferably unpleasant way, but she knew a handful of people who would refuse to live in a climate where their breath was perpetually visible.
But perfection was impossible, and it was by far better than nothing! Besides, any valid opportunity to get elegantly fancy clothing on her frame was gladly utilized by her. Huh... it appeared that many human traits were rubbing off on her. But she had to admit that, at least when it came to the social facets in life, men and women had a good idea of what was enchanting and what was not.
However, they did not hold a candle to the BlackGatomon's affectionateness. Releasing a pleased murr as she received the peck on the check, the unassuming fox reciprocated twice and with a hearty chuckle. Though, and that was perfectly normal, their sweet-talk and loving playfulness had mostly faded for genuine appreciation and convivial togetherness, they occasionally relished a moment of... kittenish glee. It was the spice in their relationship that made it delightfully fun.
Pressing the honeyed delicacy against her soft lips, the vulpine lady was quick to contemplate the understandable questioned that was voiced. Truth be told, she did not have much of a plan, which was a rarity for her. This was her first time in this colorful metropolis, and her knowledge of the celebration at hand was limited, too. Lastly, they were attempting something that was novel in this realm. "Well... since this is meant to be our h..."
Cion stopped as her ears peaked and a hushed gasp escaped her maw. Removing the light meal from the vicinity of her canines, she turned around and got up from the bench in a single motion. Taking a closer look at the lupiform figure that emerged out of the booths' lights, the words with which she had been addressed suddenly became clear to her upon sensing the aspects of her aura. "I... yes." She uttered, initially unsure what to say, before regaining her poise.
"Apologies, but we have not met yet, May I ask for your name?" She inquired with a gentle bow as it was common courtesy to her. Eventually reaching out a paw to shake it as a sign of mutual trust and companionship, she motioned her sweetheart to draw near and introduce herself as well. "Syre. This is a lass of Owen - and Hikaru of course." She explained calmly and with a soft smile, knowing that her hon was fully aware of past events.
It was by chance a bit awkward and untimely, but the 'aunty' did not show any of this in her stance. This meeting was a rather pleasant surprise, so why not relish it? Besides, there was a chance to learn how her distantly related kin was doing! Certainly her dearest understood.
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Post by Syre the BlackGatomon on Apr 3, 2021 20:36:43 GMT
If there was one thing that Syre didn't expect - but, that was obvious in hindsight - it was just how crowded this place was! Of course, the organizers of the festival did its best to keep up, with well-salted walkways, clear and visible signage, and well-defined limitations for the vendors, but it was impossible to keep everything organized. Well, perhaps the furor of the festival would mellow out in its oncoming days...
... And, despite the crowd, Syre had to admit that it was quite a picturesque city. Despite the snow, the hardy trees around these parts were in their spring bloom, and it was just the right time of year for the city's crystals to give off their radiant glow. Even outside of the festival, Ys looked like it would be a lovely 'winter wonderland', whose only real drawback was the 'winter' part of that statement. For now, the BlackGatomon was content to simply enjoy the time with her darling, and go along with the general events of the festival. Perhaps the two would each send out a boat, encompassing their newfound wishes for each-other.
Such a sentiment! Before Syre could voice it, though, her ear gave a flick at the voice of a Strabimon. The feline gave a blink, and looked over to the canine, giving a slight tilt of her head. Finely-dressed, in-uniform, and walking around with a tablet tucked under his arm? Clearly, the Strabimon was either a very busy businessmon, or he was working at the event itself.
And he recognized Cion? Syre, following Cion's lead, would stand and give a small bow of her own. "Yes, nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to meet Owen or Hikaru, so forgive me if I'm a bit of a third wheel, here." Syre kept her smile and gave a nod. "I have to say, didn't expect this much of a crowd, today! We were just talking about what we should do here, so... any recommendations, anything coming up?"
May as well jump right into it!
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Post by yuuki on Apr 4, 2021 3:09:03 GMT
"Understandable, I wasn't present then," Jill answered to Cion, then proceeded to curtsy, just as a royal would. "My name is Jill, fourth eldest of Hikaru and Owen. In this humble city, I work as its secretary of state. I'm sorry to not be present back then, as I feel it would be bad for the King and the secretary to be absent at the same time from the city. But regardless, it's nice to meet you for the first time."
Admittedly, she's not going to linger for long. Rather the type that would suddenly make invitation out of random, especially at someone who she just met. Family or not, she's the type that prefers to leave other to their own device. Not to mention she's still very much busy.
"Ah, in a date then?" Jill mused. "Well, then..." she pointed down below. "This canal over here is actually for boating. If one of you wishes to go on a more private date, why don't you rent a boat, get some food and drinks, and just enjoy the ride as the water takes you? Oh also don't worry about it being cold... This canal have a warm current, thanks to it being equipped with heat generating crystals. So it's not as freezing, but I don't quite... recommend dipping yourself into it, or splashing yourself for that matter. The city might have been warmed up some to accomodate visitors from the south. The road is the same, see? The crystal blocks embedded on the sidewalks actually heats it up... but as it stands, it's still city on the north."
She then thinks again. "If you're not into date on the river, and thinks it as quite a hassle, there's a much more sceneric place in the Production District, that's where the farm are. Ys' biggest flower garden is there. The biggest decorated greenhouse, Lost Heaven is there. There might be more people inside, but I do think night sky backed with the moonlight and shining, multicolored flowers would be quite the experience. You can also order snacks and tea outside the garden."
...What else, hmmm...
"Ah, but I think regardless of what you do, I think it's a must for you to make a wish upon a boat and crystal." she took out a miniature boat and a piece of fine faceted crystal. "First, you carve your wishes on the top of the boat, then put the crystal on top of it. Afterward, you just ask the local where you can drift it, and let it drift. You'll be probably seeing thousands upon thousands of boats. As the festival have yet reached its peak, it'll be probably just going to be in thousands, though. I suspect there will be more later...."
Anyway, that's all she can say. "If none of those suits your taste, then I'll try giving other suggestion. What sort of activity that you like if none of those catches your fancy?"
2/15
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Post by Cion on Apr 4, 2021 10:58:43 GMT
Huh... though it was hardly a surprise anymore, it was self-evident that CIon had once again thought way too much and hard about things. The potential awkwardness of the situation was something that Syre either mastered or dismissed within the blink of an eye - perhaps both. In any case, her mind and spirits felt a wave of relief wash over them. As young as her dearly beloved was, comparatively at least, it never ceased to amaze her how mature and sophisticated she was behind that poise of charming cheekiness and well-nigh miasmic verve.
Gently nudging her darling's shoulder with a faint smirk, it was clear that the silver fennec did not want the onyx felidae to regard herself as a third wheel, or - perish the thought - unwelcome. Fortunately, the initiative was immediately seized by voicing a most appropriate and intriguing question. If anybody could be considered an apt tourist guide, then it was a local like Jill. Speaking of which, did Hikaru and a majority of the other lads and lasses not reside in Ys, too? She had practically forgotten this since there had been innumerable topics of conversation during the picnic almost two years ago. What a delightful coincidence - and opportunity that she might seize.
Softly folding her arms, the unassuming fox was quick to cast these ideas aside for the moment. Instead her large ears peaked to internalize everything that the well-dressed Strabimon explicated upon. "No reason to apologize, dear. There is always tomorrow." She calmly and confidently stated her point of view with a rapt smile. Responsibilities of state officials were - wait! Close to raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side to internally repeat and contemplate what she had just heard. Was she misinterpreting what was said, or was the king... ... no... yes?
Feeling as if there was a facet that nobody had told her as of yet, she decided to relax nonetheless. However, this was certainly an aspect that she would investigate in the future. As for the plenty of suggestions that were proposed. "Date? I suppose one could call it that." She commented under her breath. For a second, her gaze shifted to flash her sweetheart a teasingly big grin. They both knew it was quite a lot more than a mere rendezvous, but they also understood that the concepts and their sentiments they pursued were literally otherworldly. Thus they were... basically winging it to suit their preferences.
But the recommendations that were put forward were undoubtedly in the spirit of their holidays. Boating beneath the northern lights and stars, a waltz amidst fragrant flowers, eternizing a wish - beyond doubt romantic. With all of these activities suiting her taste, the vulpine lady turned to the comely feline and patiently awaited her response. Internally, she crossed her fingers, but since she was not imposing she gladly adapted to her partner's fondness for leisure.
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Post by Syre the BlackGatomon on Apr 4, 2021 18:43:03 GMT
Feeling that slight nudge to her arm, Syre gave a smirk and nudged right back. Third wheel or not, Syre barely knew Owen, Hikaru, or that family at all - of course she was going to feel a touch awkward! Then again, it wasn't as if this was a family visit, and Jill was very helpful in providing a few ideas.
"Mm... well, it explains why we're able to stay outside so long in the evening..." It was a stark contrast from Snowflake, which more-or-less became a ghost town a mere hour after the sun set past the mountains. As for the ideas themselves? Both a boat ride and a trip through the flower garden did sound like a relaxing trot, what really caught the feline's ear was the wish-boats.
"Carving boats... those are the lights we were seeing off the dock, then?" Putting two and two together, the feline considered all of the ideas that Jill presented. Considering both Cion's preferences and the spirit of the festival, the feline would face the fennec, wrapping her hand around the fox's own. "What do you think, hun? I'm sure we both have at least one or two wishes we'd like to make. We might be able to wrap our way around to the flower garden later, if nothing else catches our eye... but for now, I'd say we should go with the wish-boats!"
Of course, Cion and Syre would have a bit of a crowd to contend with - it was, after all, the main point of the festival - but it seemed that the longer that they waited, the more they'd have to stand around in line! "Can you point us in the right direction for that, Jill?"
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Post by yuuki on Apr 5, 2021 1:09:17 GMT
Oh, looking to make a wish first? That is interesting. Normally someone would leave the wishmaking after their big event or something, but she guess these two already know what they want to write. "Very well, please come with me. I will guide you to the other canal. It wouldn't be that long of a walk."
Jill's steps was quiet, and there's a certain posse to it. Some of the local greeted her, which she greeted back with a smile and wave. She seems to know quite of them by name. Soon, they found themselves in front of several stalls selling boats and crystals... Below, there are people drifting their boats on the edge of the canal. Hundreds of them drifting through the waterway, and none of them toppled. They steadily moved from this canal along with fallen, glowing petals to join the other from different district. Thanks to the glowing clusters of crystals on the boat, the canal looked mcuh brighter than the rest.
"They're quite cheap. We're only asking as much as their mate--hmn?"
One of the seller looks troubled. He's a Hyogamon, lifting between four kind of woods. Jill tilted her head further. "Pardon me, there's seem to be a little hitch. Let me talk to him. Old man Hyou! What bothers you?" she called out to the Hyogamon.
"Oooh, your highness! I wish you great health!"
"Madam secretary would do, honestly..." Jill smiled wryly. "Anyway, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to make new boats?"
"Ah, right, that's the issue. Um... so, listen... I gone to Ys library, ye?"
"Yes?"
"And, the latest article published, about what each boat made from what material means while being adrift right?"
"Ah."
"So I have been thinking.... which one would be accurate for our Lux Harmony festival. I understand that each district have its own boat shape. For example, the Economic and Craft district decided to make an ornamented boat for the sake of tourism. Administrative District made one shaped like HMS Golden Dawn to show this kingdom's glory, while at the same time put flags of our allies on it, to honor them. The Educative and Self Improvement district decided on old style boat replicated from old text about Lux Harmony.... so far, I'm right, yes?"
"Yes, that's true. Each district manager asked if they could have a theme, and I told them they could decide one.."
"But... we, the craftsmen are at loss of what wood used back then in the old festival. Take a look at this. We currently have several woods. This one is Cedar. It signifies "integrity".It's a good wood for those who are hard worker who wanted their wish to come true, but at the same time will work for it. After that, this one is Pine. It's fragrant, and means "Sincere feeling". A wish drifted upon this boat would come strongly from the heart. And this, is bamboo."
"Wait a sec, why there's a bamboo here?"
"Bamboo actually does grow in Ys! In fact, it's found in higher altitude, along with the hot spring."
"So it wasn't planted there? Interesting..."
"Yes! Bamboo signifies 'against all odds'. Apparently they're for people who knows they wished the impossible but would still like to try doing it anyway... and finally... this, is one that grows outside of Ys. It's Maple. It grows closer to Snowflake... It's something that means 'Bond'. The fact that since immemorial time Ys imported this wood from surrounding settlement signs that it will not stop to wish for mutual, altruistic growth. It's usually drifted by two people rather than one."
"...So what's the problem here?"
"A lot seem to just pick the most obvious: They picked Pine. There are some debate in the boatmakers about what we should make, and well... most of them says that pine is the right answer. But there are unsatisfied ones who said that it should be Bamboo or Cedar."
"What about Maple then?"
"A lot said that maple is... a hassle to procure, so there haven't been much who voiced support to get more than few logs of maples... We do have maples, but they're not as used as the other three... it's really a huge shame. Your honorable father, King Hikaru... definitely is fond of the Maple Boat. That much I know. But... well, up until now the King refused to tell what boat that he will drift himself. He mischievously said "I'll leave that to your imagination."
"I can imagine that," Jill mused with a smile. "But basically, you wanted view of the guests of what it should be... don't you?"
"Ah, right, how to say... I personally would like to feel validated that... there are four options here. Majority feels a bit... how to say, there's a certain bitter taste in my mouth when my pick is lost, yes, but at the same time... I kind of want other people, rather than us craftsmen to tell us what kind of boat they want to pick... and why. Your father have refused to tell us because he argued that his voice will sway too many that it's unfair, so he'll drift his at the peak of the festival."
"....Hmn... Well, then, Aunt Cion and her.... Fiancee, I guess? Would you like to help this old man? Perhaps an outsider's perspective would help."
"Oh, that's a good idea! Pardon me, esteemed guest... But it you have heard our story so far, would you mind telling me what you feel would be the most suitable for drifting the boat? Ah, in return, I'll pay for your boatdrifting fee. I really just need to hear your opinion is all. Oh and if you want to carve your own boat, go on ahead! We boatmakers are for those who unable to carve their boats by themselves."
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Post by Cion on Apr 5, 2021 8:43:41 GMT
Then it appeared the choice was decided! It was true that the sequence of the events seemed a bit unorthodox, but if anything Cion and Syre were trailblazers in breaking and creating traditions. It was, indirectly so, the very reason why they were in Ys to savor its festivities in the first place. And thus, though not having anticipated a personalized and private tour from her niece, she gladly appreciated it and therefore followed her quietly and with open eyes and ears. There was a lot to take in, including innumerable people, so it was only becoming to pay close attention to everything and enrich her ken with the local culture.
Many faces greeted Jill on their journey, confirming that she was indeed in a high-ranking position and that she apparently performed it admirably. What was it with today's youth being so industrious and passionate? Was it human or digimon, there were plenty of examples that she was at least befriended with who pursued greater goals! Naturally, this was a delightful development and one she supported wholeheartedly, but it made her feel antediluvian. Her former cynicism and world-weariness were certainly proven wrong. But still, for a time, her ancient and battle-scarred spirit had to heal by relishing the peace of a simple life - that of a homemaker.
Snapping out of her thoughts and mentally scolding herself for not having paid attention, the silver fennec gently shook her head as they arrived at the booth who sold these wish-granting toy boats. The price was of course of no relevance since the duo was undoubtedly affluent. However, the hypothesis that she had contemplated was! Her distantly related kin was a royal family, and treated with genuine approval - not fearful reverence as it was common with monarchies. Perhaps it was constitutional or elective? Questions for later!
Nonetheless, it was odd that she had not known this seemingly essential aspect. Yet, given how the kids and adults had behaved during the picnic, they probably did hardly care about their social status. Shrugging softly, she figured that there was no point in pondering it further. Nevertheless, a moment of nostalgia touched her soul as she remembered an old and wise king from a world long lost to history. Hopefully, his reincarnation had gained what he had sought all along. But she was digressing again.
Which was a shame, because the topic of conversation at hand was oddly fascinating. The types of woods and their meaning, the pride the artisans took in their craft, the discussions and instances of sovereign goofiness. It caused Cion to briefly wonder if Syre might prefer to reside here instead of Terminus. Dropping that thought, an important question was thrown the correctly guessed fiancées way. Or rather, an opinion of theirs was wanted, which left the unassuming fox gasping faintly. Speaking for thousands of customers as if it was nothing? Was that not presumptuous?
Turning to the amusingly named Hyogamon, she folded her arms in consideration of any possible angle. "Well... as an erstwhile businessmon and member of the dissolved PROFIT association, I'd always advocate diversification to achieve market saturation. Hmm... does anything speak against... for example... a service for ornamentation with other materials? Affixed reliefs or similar details? With pine having the most basic of meanings, it already makes the best core material. Besides, Ys to me seems like a hodgepodge of cultures, figuratively speaking, so it'd suit the colorfulness and theme."
Coming to a stop, she sincerely wondered if her explications sufficed, or if she was just babbling nonsense in their eyes. Well... that was upon them to decide.
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Post by Syre the BlackGatomon on Apr 5, 2021 14:46:29 GMT
And with that, the plans were set! Not only that, but Jill was going to lead the two on the right path herself. With a nod, and right alongside Cion, Syre would follow Jill down the city streets. It seemed that there were a few in the crowd that knew Jill...
... A lot more than Syre expected, actually. Wasn't this Strabimon just one of the helpers of the festival? How was she known by name by those of the town? It wasn't until they reached their destination alongside the canal, as the boats became more and more dense in the water, that the reason would make itself known.
'Your highness'?
Syre gave a small blink - Jill was royalty? The feline felt a bit more out of place, but the feeling soon passed as the ice-type Ogremon spoke about the materials used to put together the boats. Each district had its own shape and its own decorations - simple enough - but there was some sort of disagreement about which wood to use. Interestingly, each material had its own meaning and sentiment. And the Hyogamon wanted to get a better idea of what the guests would end up picking, and why.
Simple enough! Cion had her own idea, speaking about 'diversification' - and Syre had her own, after mulling it over for a moment.
"Mm... I think part of the issue is, once a crowd reaches a certain size, advocating for a certain type of material can be a limiting factor. I mean sure, maple and bamboo are imaginative materials, but its clear that pine is by far the most abundant. I'd hazard a guess that 'pine' might be the only material that certain vendors are selling?"
The feline flicked her tail at the thought. "And... honestly, I hate to be the pragmatist here, but there might be good reason for it. The festival aside, what we're doing is effectively loading the river full of debris and heading it downstream. Effectively harmless, as wood would largely break down into soil, but we do have to consider the effect of doing things in such a large degree. Its possible, for example, that if enough 'Maple' boats are sent off, one errant boat carrying a seed may plant itself and throw off the ecology downstream."
Thinking it over, Syre would give a nod. "Pine or Cedar would probably be the best choices for materials, though I have to say I understand your sentiment. Such an explosive growth for the festival adds more vendors, which puts more strain on acquiring supply? Its natural that most would say 'Pine', simply for the fact that its the only wood they are able to source in such quantity. If you want to better preserve the meaning of the festival, perhaps less weight should be put on the material, and more weight should be put on the meaning of the shape, or even the color of the crystal."
After saying all of that, Syre blinked, giving a chuckle. "Sorry if that seemed a bit off-track! I, um, work to help preserve the forests in the Eastern Timberlands, which was dealing with a foreign mushroom problem for quite a while... so I'm naturally going to look at these sorts of things in a long-term sense."
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Post by yuuki on Apr 5, 2021 20:02:46 GMT
That's interesting! Looks like both of the guests have different views!
"It's as you said, Ys is indeed a melding pot of different cultures. There are numbers of Digimons who came from all around the world. This resulted in many of Ys' culture to be quite diverse. Granted, the current iteration of the city is still young, so the culture has yet melded in its best... It was like... more than fourteen years ago that it was rebuilt? Probably sixteen if I were to hazard guess. I wasn't here yet," the Hyogamon nodded in agreement. "Madam Secretary, how long have it been?"
"Sixteen since it's rediscovered, it takes about two years for this place to become a town because the infrastructure is there already... after that... about four years for it to finally attain its kingdom status. If I recalled it correctly..."
"Right, the member of the city board was looking for a leader. Your father overheard them debating and..."
Jill rolled her eyes and continued "...'wouldn't it be funny if I were to nominate myself as the king'? Turned out they wanted to ask him anyway, and..."
"I still remembered his funny, bewildered face when one of them ran out of the bar, saying 'we found a king!'."
"That was still the silliest thing."
Syre's conjencture wasn't wrong at all.
"Indeed," Jill answered this time around. "Admittedly it was me who suggested that among the four kind of woods, there should be at least one which prepared as the 'main' material. If we were to use simply just one kind, we're practically going to overharvest. Shining Sea is a strange place. The ground is too saline, snow and salt mix with the sand. It creates crystal. Only in Ys that somehow trees and plants grow, while usually out there there are only crystals with different properties. Which means: Crystals wasn't an issue, but trees is.
Overharvesting is indeed an issue, hence the diversity. However, if we were to grab all sort of different wood, it wouldn't look nice. Budgetting them will be probably a nightmare too. By limiting it to four, we can make an estimate how much we harvested veruss the demand. And this is true. Because pine is the easiest to procure, especially considering we have heaps of it available from the city's building material, some stalls only have pine, but even so..."
"Yes, it's as you said. Granted, there are only several craftsmon around in here," old man Hyou agreed, nodding. "Only those who are approved by the city may sell materials for the boat and make them... So the probelm wasn't about the vendor, but about the tourists themselves. As you know this is the beginning of the festival. The festival is still tong. Not to mention... even if we were to put a limit of "only one wish per person"... I suspect there will be many people who will drift many boats by visiting different vendors. So we can only track the material, not people. Hence why we put priority on looking at the trend of which one the tourist purchased the most. If it's Pine because it's widely available, then we only can guess that Tourists only picked whatever available, and in this case next time we could just take whatever available and only import enough from Snowflake to give them signal that we care about them as fellow settlement of the North, and that we're not going to impose on them. But if it's other wood, then we might need to analyze the sentiments and why these woods are chosen."
Color of the crystal huh.
"Interesting perspective, miss. But..." Old man Hyou extended his hand to give Syre a crystal. "How about you... think about a wish and hold this crystal here? After that, think of another wish with this one, you'll see what I mean."
Perhaps, if Syre's wish ended up to be two of different spectrum such as 'yearning' and 'sincere wish", the colors will end differently. The more different the colors are, the farther the nature of her wishes are. Afterward Old man Hyou would smile.
"So you see, this crystal... we named it Spiria. People of old called it Pearl Digicite or something, but for people of Ys,w e call this Spiria. It reacts to bond and emotions. Apparently spectrum of color is affected by the wish entrusted upon it. So let's say we ignore the boat material itself, I don't think we can quite uniformize Spiria color.. however, the shape... That's indeed quite interesting take."
"I agree, maybe we can use whatever wood is available, and instead carve the crystals to different shapes instead to symbolizes wishes. However, that's probably not for the meantime. Considering that would be extra work when we're already in middle of festival like this," Jill commented wryly. "I can't imagine how much work would it be if we were to immediately say to change the shape of the crystals instead on top of carving the boat based on each district's likedness. But it's definitely a plan if we ever host this festival again."
"Yes, yes, I agree! Ah, right, let's not hold the rest anymore. Would you like to carve the wood yourself or would you like me to carve it? As promised it would be free! And if you can't write your wish by your own... do whisper it to me so I can carve that on the top of the boat too. Now, which wood are you planning to use this time around?"
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Post by Cion on Apr 6, 2021 20:51:23 GMT
Huh... for a second, Cion had forgotten what a smart cookie Syre was. As a former businesswoman sought out for advice, she had not even considered the ecological effects of these festivities. And why would she? As long as everyone had a good time and the cash was flowing, what did conservation matter? This was of course not a sentiment she shared, but it was one that she was not unfamiliar with. Thus she nodded with an approving smile after her dearly beloved finished her explication that was essentially a digression. Hopefully, their answers sufficed for Jill and Hyou to be of help.
Oddly enough, it well-nigh seemed as if they were dismissed. Not in an unfriendly way, but many points were brought forth that invalidated their suggestions rather quickly and directly. Not that the silver fennec did not appreciate honesty and candor, but... to her, their effort felt somewhat pointless. There was a single exception however, which was the color and shape of the crystal. The first was an aspect that her darling was meant to attempt for herself, leaving the unassuming fox with nothing but a pair of softly crossed arms.
That and a set of opened ears for the rundown of Ys' lore. Was this place already buzzing with life for approximately fifteen years? The restrained Arniomon's current incarnation was merely half a decade old, and she had not known the existence of this location for more than two. In fact, she was confident that most she was acquainted with did not. Speaking of which, was the archipelago near Whitewater not the same? Briefly scratching her head, she hypothesized that she had simply not paid attention and cast possible speculations pertaining to temporal anomalies and similar fiddle-faddle aside. They were of no importance anyway, especially since every soul present was happy and content.
"What qualifies Hikaru for this leadership position?" She inquired, not with a tone of spite but general interest in her voice. Neither him nor Owen, the latter she used to know probably better than anyone else, struck her as individuals to govern others. Leading people into battle was one thing, but administrative work was on an entirely different level. There were undoubtedly aspirants among their offspring, but they were chummy lads and lasses. Above all, she wondered why exactly it was so hard for her to believe this. Everybody had multiple sides to them, and if they performed their role admirably then who was she to question that?
Nonetheless, she was curious about the answer she would receive. Still, a dialogue was not a one-way road. They were made an offer and hence had to make a choice as instructed. Fortunately, at least in a sense, the decision at hand was quite easy for Cion to make. "A bamboo boat for me, please. The wish I'd like to carve myself." She requested kindly, hoping that the unusual material was not a problem for any participant.
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Post by Syre the BlackGatomon on Apr 7, 2021 12:48:38 GMT
Ultimately, Syre and Cion's opinion didn't have much of a sway on the goings-on of the festival, but on brief reflection, that was fine. After all, the vendor had only asked for Syre and Cion's perspective on the matter, which was always going to be given with imperfect information and personal bias. Neither, for example, knew the ecological traits of the area - apparently, one with silt-filled soil and a more 'ocean-based' environment - nor the actual treatment of vendors.
Rather than belabor the point, the feline would largely nod along with Hyou's explanation of it all. "So this early festival is going to be used to track the information..." In that sense, the BlackGatomon could think of it as more of a 'survey' than anything else. Her ear flicked at the comment of the crystal, and Syre would take the offered one in hand. Curiously, she turned it once over, nodding at Hyou's instructions.
One wish, followed by another. Syre didn't have anything particular in mind for the moment, so rather than look deep for a meaningful wish, the feline thought of two admittedly vain things. First, 'chocolate', which caused the crystal to take on a faint green hue, and then 'jewels', which made it take a dark goldenrod color.
"... And yet neither's the color I thought it would take." The feline gave a small smirk, nodding in understanding as she set the crystal back down - maintaining the last color imbued into it. "But yes, there's several things to consider about this. I don't know if this 'Spiria' would even take well to carving, or if it would end up shearing down the middle..."
A thought for another time! "I'd also like to carve out my own boat... um, Cedar?" Syre decided to go with a more traditional one, blinking a bit in surprise as Cion decided to go with bamboo! "Adventurous, aren't you?"
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Post by yuuki on Apr 7, 2021 14:25:13 GMT
"Quite the choice for you two, madams. Here, knives and the material you picked. As for the crystal, don't worry. They take to carving very well. We might suggest this if it happened sometimes in the future. Though, I think, it will take about a year real world time for us to do this again if it were ever come to that. But thank you two for your opinion. It's definitely a fresh perspective," Hyou commented.
Cion's question was... quite sudden admittedly. Jill tilted her head. She did not feel any malice to it, so she guess it's just pure curiosity? In that case... "...I believe you already know this, Aunt Cion considering how well learned you are, but... according to human, a country is made out of three things. First is the people... second is the territory, and finally, the third is a governing body, or a sovereign. In our case... This city was built by incetive of KIZNA. Which means... KIZNA is acting as its pioneer. We, KIZNA, have clear goal of what we want to make:
A city where human and Digimon lives in harmony. For that we recruited likeminded people from all over the Digital World, and also humans who wanted to live together with Digimon more than they do in real world for whatever reason. And so, after a few years, our city grew, our sphere of influence grew. With that, more and more people came to this place, and eventually it morphed from a pioneer town into a city. But then... a problem arise.
...What sort of governing body that this place should be ruled by?"
"There have been several points raised, such as having boards of ministers... some have voiced their desire for candidancy and all that..." Hyou reminisced as his hand moved to carve new boats "but in the end, they still feel some key part is missing."
"....Mainly: KIZNA might not be a military group. It's something like an adventure guild of organization. But with the town being built by KIZNA, then KIZNA is technically the city's military. Not to mention, the city was built by KIZNA. So... whoever secured my father's -- the leader's partner -- support, would be the ruler. KIZNA leader, Itou Yuuki, have voiced his full confidence that my father's decision would be the most correct."
"That's what they thought at first, but... Turned out securing the then-just-a-commoner King is very hard. He refused to give his support unless both side settled it themselves first. Digimon have very Digimon-like view, while the human have different point of view from Digimons and what they want from the City. And thus there have been quite the turmoil in where there's a cultural clash. It doens't go until there's a cold war or anything, but it's clear that both side have things they want to say, but unable to communicate it properly. Then it happened."
Jill sighed in amusement
"My father...voiced his interest to become a king. I guess from there everyone just jumped in. His qualification:
1: He's part of the pioneering group, and he's the co-leader of KIZNA.
2: He's partnered, thus basically have better understanding toward human, while also understand Digimon side of view
3: Kind of questionable, but he have the charisma to rally people, I guess."
There... was a bit of a pause before the lupine continued. "However, if you ask me personally... what is his qualification... I would say "his spirit for altruistic growth". My father have always taught me that only by growing together as a society by caring about each other that we could spread hope for a better future. It's not enough just starting from yourself. You have to grow along with your people. My father's vision... is what built Ys in this way I guess.
I wouldn't call this place a heaven. That's... way too idealistic. I also can't say that we have 100% happiness rate of a city... that's way too impossible for mere mortals like me or my father. However... I will always be proud to call this city home and haven, a flourishing one at that. As long as the people of this place allow us to serve for them, and they return it by growing together with us... Then we will answer. That is my vow, and that is my pride: To be part of this magnificent city, and to be together with its people. "
She admitted that was a bit too cheesy, so she coughed to shake away her embarrassment. "When you're done, please take a stairs down there, to the canal's edge. If you want to dip yourself to the water, that's fine too, but honestly we don't suggest it unless you can handle the frigid wind that will follow up once you get out of the water. The water might be warm, but the air won't be."
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