deercountry | TANABATA ⟶ July Sanctuary Log

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TANABATA ⟶ July Sanctuary Log

Sanctuary - TANABATA

"SEE YOU AGAIN, MOM"

The "star festival", celebrating the one time of the year when star-crossed lovers could cross over a sea of stars to meet again. One based on hopes, wishes, and the fervent desire to see each other again. Following the departure of Amaterasu back to the sea, wolf momgod of all who is responsible for the Guardian Saplings including the one Sanctuary has been founded around, Sanctuary is hosting the best approximation to a Tanabata celebration as the Trench will allow. Why? Because hope keeps the trees alive and strong, and Tanabata is about people having hope -- and would have been happening around the same time.

And because people miss dogmom and she would have liked it.

The festival is taking place at Sanctuary, but all Guardian Saplings can be paid visits. Paper for wishes and decorations have been set up at each/given to the other caretakers.

A Sea of Stars
The main hall has been transformed into a living night sky, with jars of hope from the moonlit butterflies back in April hung with care high up, each repacked with a single orb of hope per small vial with care, creating a river of starlike glowing lights overhead. The windows have been covered to aid with the nighttime effect, in addition to helping to keep out the light of the Beast Moon after dark. The gentle glow, as they are literally the tactile hopes and dreams of people, provides a small purifying, uplifting effect to everyone underneath. The light ebbs and flows calmly. The hall is cool as well, thanks to the pale/cold bloodstone cooling system that glows like moonstone along the walls and keeps the indoor areas regulated.

In the evening, as the sun sets, the new choir bell will ring out as well, cleansing corruption entirely from all who hear it. The lights gently pulse in time with it.

Wishes and the Guardian Sapling
The sapling is no longer in bloom, but despite the sweltering heat in full glory. Paper wishes are hung in its branches, along with origami streamers in colorful paper of cranes and other shapes. A bustle of activity is in the cloisters around it in particular, with most tables set up there to keep the courtyard itself clear. Origami streamers are hung in all the doorways leading out to it as well, creating the effect of string curtains, and there are paper lanterns as well.

A life-size stone statue of a wolf bearing a striking resemblance to Amaterasu has been erected next to the sapling, with her most radiantly happy canine expression she could sometimes get. There is room to place offerings for her, and people are encouraged that she would like "all the foods."

Colorful strips of paper (tanzaku) have been cut and placed out on a table in the cloisters surrounding the courtyard, where one can write their wishes for the next year down on them and hang them on the guardian sapling. They come in the following colors with a helpful, but... somewhat hard to read note with arcane handwritten note:

Red will help with wishes relating to ancestors and family, and giving thanks.
Yellow is the color of friendship and is the best choice for wishes about relationships.
White is the color for determination and responsibility, and for making personal resolutions.
Blue represents tranquility and trust and will aid wishes aimed at self-improvement.
Purple is the color to choose if you want to improve your brainpower and skills.

Food and Activities
Following all of the best creative recreation methods available to them in Trench, the cooks in the kitchens have been trained by Megumi Fushiguro, among others, on how to best serve culturally appropriate dishes. These foods are served free at little vendor booths in the main hall (with people encouraged to help out and help serve!) and include pawprint mochi (the inside is either chocolate or strawberry), pickled sakura mochi, mitarashi and tricolor dango, chilled somen with a yuzu-soy dipping sauce, various types of filled onigiri, and cut watermelon in a variety of shapes including stars, sunbursts, and pawprints. Many have been made with small amounts of the Paleblood jam from June and have mild corruption cleansing effects as well. Various kinds of tea made from the dried or pickled cherry blossoms and/or leaves of the guardian sapling are being served as well, and they have a corruption-cleansing effect and have been noted as tasting "heavenly". Some of the jams have been cut with fruit juice/lemonade and frozen into popsicles as well... you're welcome, CorruptionPops are now a thing.

Various demonstration and activity tables have been set up including origami, with... questionably penned instructions from Palamedes in an arcane style for several shapes including cranes, sunbursts, stars, and wolves. Various Sleepers familiar with the practice have also been encouraged to set up there and help teach people how, and everyone is encouraged to hang their completed crafts in the guardian sapling. Most of the paper is red, white, pink, and gold. Paper lanterns have been made as well and light up various parts of the whole festivities.

A few vendor booths are set up, including one "selling" white yukata, trimmed in red and gold and bearing a distinctive star pattern on the back of it and intricate embroidery. Most Sanctuary members would receive one for free if they expressed interest, and anyone else can receive one for volunteering their time and helping out. People are encouraged to wear them for the celebration if they didn't have their own; these are styled in honor of Amaterasu.

Koz Orphanage has been specially invited as well, and children from it can be found running around during much of the event and given various activities to do or items to play with.

Sparklers are available for individuals as well, also courtesy of Viktor. Perhaps there might even be glowsticks from someone... :)

Fireworks and Closing Celebrations
On the final night, all the wishes will be gathered from the trees and collected in a ceremonial firepit. The wishes are burnt in order to release them to the heavens to be heard—and perhaps by Amaterasu still at sea—and will be ignited by several Sleepers with fire abilities (Shouto Todoroki, Megumi Fushiguro).

As they're burnt a fireworks display will begin overhead, launched from the steeple up high, courtesy of Viktor and anyone else assisting him in the matter. Anyone outside watching them in the courtyard will have the effects of the Beast Moon diminished by the blessing in effect from Moon Presence. The choir bell will toll a final time at the end, to clear the effects of any lingering corruption, and signal an end to the festivities.

WHAT

Sanctuary is about humane beast purification efforts and corruption relief. Renovations began in May 2022 and room clearing and rebuilding is still in progress. Beast patrol efforts and purification started more in earnest in June-July.

All roles are volunteer on an as-you-can basis up to full time, with time reimbursed by food, shelter, care, and community support. And because it's run by people who BLEED SENTIMENTALITY EVERYWHERE in addition to being founded on discovery of a Guardian Sapling, it's hosting a Tanabata celebration in conjunction with honoring the memory of Amaterasu.

WHEN

Starting July 7, ending after a few days in a final celebration and ceremonial burning of the wishes.

THINGS OF NOTE

Tanabata
➢ Please feel free to presume your character could have helped out with setup if they have any ties to Sanctuary or characters here! If they would provide a food, service, or game they are free to have a table set up.

➢ This event is open to the whole of Trench and would have been freely advertised as such, including as a safe place to treat effects from the Beast Moon and corruption.

General / Member Update
➢ Sanctuary has been blessed by Moon Presence for the month of July, thanks to the efforts of Luna and Sansa. All negative effects of July and the Beast Moon are lessened within its walls, and anyone meaning Sanctuary or the people in it will be physically repelled. Lunar flowers have begun growing up the sides of the monastery in earnest like morning glories as a result.

➢ as of June, coordinated efforts to patrol Trench on their own and save Beasts and people both have begun. Members will be on a group chat in order to coordinate with each other and reach out to purification Sleepers when encountering Beasts. Everyone is encouraged to work in teams, especially to partner with someone who can purify Beasts or corruption.

➢ a training facility has opened up, with currently self-defense hand-to-hand combat classes being taught by Jason and others willing to train others encouraged to come forward. Fighters on patrol and wardens will be contacted to let them know about open sparring times so members can coordinate better in fights. There is an indoor room with training dummies (that fight back courtesy of Viktor) that opens up into an outdoor space between two of the long halls that can also be used.

➢ with the hidden archives now unlocked, scholarly members of Sanctuary are encouraged to help study them and uncover other artifacts—and especially the strange new locked door discovered within.

➢ there is a family of batcat kittens old enough to be crawling everywhere throughout the building now. They might still be learning manners and latch onto you in an overexcitement to taste your blood from time to time.

➢ the large communal baths have been cleared out and renovated, thank god. They run on being open to male-identifying characters for one set of hours, female-identifying for another, and the rest of the time operate on "nobody cares". Privacy screens are hung between the tubs though—one side is regularly cooled down with ice for the hot months.

➢ with more people needing safe harbor during the Beast Moon and rising violence from natives during July, more actual rooms have been cleared out and are free to use for anyone who will also help work to maintain the place (chores, grounds keeping, etc.). There are always spare beds in the infirmary wing as well.

➢ members who patrol or purify beasts/fight in some way now have access to various relic items that have been donated for use for when they are actively on patrol. These will eventually be tracked in the member spreadsheet... eventually. Just give them back when you're done.

➢ Viktor and K's efforts have resulted in the lunar generator coming online and bringing lunar lighting and cooling throughout the building via a cold-pale bloodstone network. Rejoice!

➢ There is now a small, hidden stash of coffee bartered from Dabi. Someone might have to pry it from Viktor's jittery fingers.

This log is WIDE OPEN for Tanabata festivities and serves as the general log for Sanctuary for the month. Go wild and do whatever you want, have fun with your top levels, etc. :)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Thirteen, so very young for this place. He looks around and nods. Books, so clearly a man of culture - or at least reason.]

No, it's... it's fine.

[He holds his tongue about his doubts about the tree - he doesn't know enough about this place, as people keep constantly. He just sighs and sets his wishes down, taking the chance to wipe his face and clean his glasses.]

[far too young in viktor's humble opinion. but alas. he focuses on the kettle, pulling it off when it lets out a low whistle. a scoop of the tea and filling the tea pot finishes matters.

he brings the teapot over, then two cups, a small trip for each since the cane makes it difficult to carry more than that. the chair from his desk gets brought over and he sits down, setting his cane to the side and pouring a cup on the coffee table in front of the couch.]

Would you like to discuss it? [asked simply, as he holds out the cup for jun to take. there's pink petals twirling in it.] In truth I find eh... what is the phrase people use? 'Spilling my guts' about troubles is rarely all that helpful, but having someone to discuss them with properly is another matter.

[He takes the cup and thinks about it. He doesn't really want to explain, but he also sort of... doesn't? It's hard to explain the full story, especially without giving away that he was the one behind that anonymous post, but... he can explain a little bit.]

I don't know. They're... mm. They're all dead. And so was I, before I got here.

[He takes a sip of the tea. It doesn't really soothe him that much, but it's at least something to do with his hands.]

It's not... been all that long, either. For most of them. Under a year for all of us.

[he picks up a cup himself, a small frown at that.]

That's hardly enough time to cope with so much death, I imagine. Especially when you've been thrown here next.

[so young and already dead. he doesn't ask, knows better than to. he can ask,] Were you writing your wishes to them?

There were fifteen of us. I was the last of us. And more than that died.

[He still doesn't know what Koyemushi is going to do for the last pilot... but that's not his concern anymore. Even if he is concerned.]

I was. To my old friends... and to my adopted sister. She... was one of us.

[One of the ones who died. One of the ones who didn't make it.]

What happened? [he can't help but ask it, though he does say,] You're welcome to tell me to drop that question.

I've seen a few people doing as much. Many believe if we are here and woken up then others we know may still be asleep in the ocean as squids. That somehow this will reach them. [a pause and he admits,] I do not believe the letters will, but that hardly makes it a worthless effort. Their memory is still important, even reflected on.

I...

[He sets his tea down, lacing his fingers together.]

The short answer is that we were drafted into a 'game'. A 'game' that pits parallel versions of Earth against each other in giant robots. Kill the enemy pilot and your version is saved until the next battle puts it in danger. Lose, and your version of Earth is destroyed. And once you pilot, you die.

[He leaves the matter of the letters aside for the moment.]

[viktor needs a moment to process that, more aghast than he's ever been hearing about another world. or many worlds it seems, his hands curling into a tight grip before he eases them.]

Why? What's the point of such a cruel game? [god, jun is so young too. was he a pilot? did he lose?]

To see which Earth is worthy of surviving? That's the only reason I can think of. And we don't know who set it up, or if it's just some natural phenomenon to our universe.

But... regardless of how it started, you can't break the contract. Most of the others signed without knowing what would happen. I stepped up later, to fill one of our empty pilot slots. I knew what would happen.

[He knew he was going to his death. But what else could he have done?]

I had to protect the world that my adopted sister died for. She was younger than us - only ten.

[viktor runs a hand over his face, just a moment of needing to process all that. when it drops he asks,] What is your name? I really should introduce myself earlier. I am Viktor.

[ok good, that out of the way, unknowingly mimicking jun's thoughts.] What else could you have done? There is barely a choice to be made there, certainly not a right one or a kind one.

Even if a choice needed to be made between these worlds survival this is... cruel. Pointlessly so.

Jun. My name's Jun.

[He shakes his head. No, there was no choice at all.]

When it's a case of 'me versus them', you always pick yourself, what you know. If the stakes are equally bad... there's no shame in protecting yourself.

[That's what he told himself, at least. All during that long battle...]

It's natural. The ones who put that decision up like a game and drag children into it are the ones who would need to answer for it.

[and he thought the bullshit that happened around here was bad. his eyes go to the wishes again, and he asks,] Is one for your sister?

It didn't have to be children. Other worlds didn't have that. Someone from the previous world to use our robot decided that we would be best.

[Garaku... and Machi, to some degree. But he doesn't blame them. They did well, all things considered.]

[He nods at the question, glancing over at them.]

Yes. I thought... that she deserved an apology. I treated her... terribly.

[he wants to say it should have never been children at all, but of course such a cruel sort of game would be dreadful regardless.] This robot, how did it work?

[normally he'd be fascinated but? hard to be given the situation. either way he nods.]

A good use, then. Some like to believe these can reach the sleepers still in the ocean, still in their squid form. In truth I doubt it, but I think it is helpful to get your thoughts down like this.

I don't... really know. I know it used our life energy to move, but other than that... I have no idea.

[It's still fascinating to Jun, but he's had a lot of time to wonder about it. He takes another sip of tea.]

... I don't know if they're out there. I think they're just... dead. I suppose it's possible, but...

[It'd be foolish to have hope.]

I see, so it was not traditional controls for such things. [well. he's not sure fighting robots have traditional controls but this did explain how kids piloted them.] Who made them? The robots.

[he considers the sleeper squid question a moment, hoping his approach didn't come off as unkind or cold. he didn't mind hope, believed in possibility but more so believed in what he could see and quantify. that did not always lead to kind answers.]

I cannot say myself. There have been many who woke and went back, and many still who come here after what must have been some time in the sea.

I can say this, statistically it's more likely they are since you are here. From what I have seen whatever worlds get sleepers plucked from them tend to have several from that world, and often people who are within the same time period and groups. I am not sure why yet, but it is an observable fact about the variety of sleepers.

No, you just... thought to move and you did. Same thing for the weapons. I don't know who made it, either.

[He sighs and shakes his head. Even if they were here...]

I don't think they'd want to see me. Kana wouldn't. Machi... might. Kanji and Waku might. But none of the others.

I wonder if the ones forcing this game are the ones who made them. [and using such fascinating technology too. irritating- well, more than that. horrifying, really.

he considers this before he says,] Would you want to see them though?

Probably.

[He goes quiet. Does he want to see them? He fiddles with his teacup for a few moments, uncomfortable and unsure.]

I... don't know. I don't think most of them liked me - which is fine, I don't really care about being liked. But at least they'd understand what happened...

[viktor considers him for a few moments, quiet, then offers,] I've had people here from my world who did not care for me much at first. They blamed me for certain matters and I did not begrudge them that.

Yet this place has a way of recontextualizing many things. It is... easier, perhaps, to understand we are moving forward in a new life than shackled to the events of a former.

... I guess. It's hard, though. This all happened... so recently. But I guess this is the only life I have available to me at this point.

[He looks at the wishes again, holding back the urge to rip them up. It all feels so stupid... and his emotions just keep feeling like they're going to burst - and then they recede like the tide, leaving him feeling washed-up and empty.]

Understandably. I can't say it'd be simple too, because you may have months to settle your feelings before someone comes fresh from the incident.

But you do have time now, here. In many ways I try to consider this an entirely new life. A 'second chance,' I suppose some would say. [a pause and he says, a little awkward because sentiment is difficult] And you are part of this community now. It took me some time to accept, but sleepers are typically generous if not a bit... dramatic.

[Dramatic, he's seen already. Generous, he's... also seen.]

... I know. Like it or not, I'm... stuck here. I... tried to leave, but I got dragged out.

[It's the first time he's said anything about it since that day, but...]

I guess I just want the pain to stop so I can move forward with... whatever life I have left.

I find it helps to have a goal. A project. [it takes him a while to say anything, a quiet moment before that comes out.] Pain is tricky, it unfortunately often needs more time than we can handle, not without a reason to keep moving forward.

In fact Sanctuary came about because Allen and I tried to figure out how to have a new legacy here, a new goal. I suppose it's a touch sentimental but we wanted to be able to say we left this place better than it was when we came. [a beat] You could try to do the same, if it appeals.

I... don't have any goals anymore. There's no university to get a degree from, not in the same way. That's what my goal was initially. I've just been... existing here, trying to get by on just working at a bar cleaning tables. I don't... know what to even aim towards.

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cw: suicide mention

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