war table: the riftwatch cultural exposition.

[propulsion]

WHO: Innovators
WHAT: Riftwatch hosts a world's first Cultural Exposition
WHEN: Now
WHERE: University of Orlais
NOTES: OOC post

Music filters through the expansive hall of the University of Orlais. The knot of musicians here to underscore any awkward silences with gentle lute plucking and flute piping are stationed under the glow of tall stained glass windows, and seem to be playing a tune that a few people among Riftwatch may recognise resembles the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams". It echoes off the rounded stone walls, where small stages and displays await the curious for closer inspection.

Welcome to the Riftwatch Cultural Exposition.

The Exposition takes place over two long days. A printed program has neatly allotted everyone windows of time for presentation, in which those in attendance filter towards the designated banner, corner, or antechamber (as desired) to listen with reserved or perhaps enthusiastic interest to the otherworldly.marvels on display.

In between these presentations, a mix of academics, artists, merchants, and miscellaneous others wander the hall, chatting together, engaging members of Riftwatch in conversation. Anticipate some curiosity into not only the items or ideas you have on display, but also the world you come from, and how it differs from Thedas. And remember to keep certain innovative information under lock and key for now.

A small taskforce of undergraduates have been recruited to assist in running platters of pizza and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies around the hall, in helping to set up display stages or assist in interactive demonstrations, or to shepherd the nearby crowd closer when it comes time for your presentation, so make use of them.

NOTE: Consult the Points Distribution Chart to see what kinds of threads can earn us points and therefore results from the overall event! Honour system in place, so please only mark a Bank item complete if you progress a thread relevant to that item.

Once we have some points banked, we'll figure out how to distribute their spending, so don't spend 'em yet!

Drop any questions you have here.

Comments

[foolsmakeitcolder]

"Hello, Madame de Foncé," Jude says pleasantly back, though he gives her a quick glance and then turns his smiling face away, looking out on the rest of the Exposition. Fugitive? What fugitive?

"It is. Thought it would be, but I'm running out ahead of schedule." Nevertheless, Jude wordlessly slips her a cookie and a small cup of the iced milk some genius had decided to insist that he include.

If she looks, she'll see a small box stored under the table labeled Riftwatch, where Jude pulled Wysteria's cookie from. Apparently these are being held in reserve.

"They look..." he trails of, pausing while he finds the right word. "Very enthusiastic about yours."

[heirring]

Cookie and milk having been accepted with an automatic, 'Why thank you,' with the cookie balanced on her knees while Wysteria helped herself to a few sips of iced milk—(Someone, is in absent thought, should make a cup that keeps things cold. She ought to have used the modified Venatori enchantments for that instead of an airship engine)—, she now scoffs. It's a not entirely kind, much aggrieved little sound of frustration and deprecation both.

"They do, don't they? It's only a few wheels strapped to a shoes." All that enthusiasm, when her beautiful engine is right there! And Valentine claims the University is home to Thedas' greatest scholars! Pish posh. "I tell you, no one at the college in Markham would be half so impressed."

(Presumably this comment travels magically through space and time to instantly inspire a case of infuriated heartburn in her husband.)

But here, Wysteria sets the cup of milk aside in favor of the cookie, saying "Oh, this is rather good," after her first bite.

[foolsmakeitcolder]

"Not so surprising. A chance to be competitive. A good excuse to act a fool in public. Early-twenties frat bros- scholars," he corrects himself with a laugh.

"Perfect recipe here."

Jude watches her reaction to the cookie, softening. It's made him homesick as hell all day, but it's nice to see people here enjoying something so simple.

"Try dunking it in the milk, if you want to get adventurous," he advises.

[heirring]

This suggestion is accepted more or less in stride, the cookie introduced to milk as Wysteria says, "You and Viktor," in a vaguely faux chiding tenor. "I would appreciate it if you both were marginally less perceptive, or at least less consistently correct. It makes the rest of us look very foolish."

('People generally like to look at turning wheels,' Viktor had said. Ugh! How irritating, to find herself prone to needless dramatics.)

"Have you found any time to look at what everyone brought?"

[foolsmakeitcolder]

Jude only responds by smiling wider, both innocent and possibly designed to be just a little infuriating, given that he's a man that knows he's right.

(He doesn't say so. That would be rude as hell.)

Instead he shakes his head.

"Not yet. Any recommendations so far?"

[heirring]

Stop smiling, sir. It's highly irritating and not charming whatsoever, says her highly exaggerated eye roll. Wysteria takes another bite from the cookie.

"I quite like Doctor Strange's casts, and of course the microscope is quite interesting if you've never had a chance to look through it before. Only don't let either he or Miss Smythe catch you up in their discussion of tiny creatures living in your blood and skin."

[foolsmakeitcolder]

Jude only smiles brighter, somehow proving it's possible. His eyes actually twinkle. Terrible.

"Oh, the bacteria and microbes?" Jude snarls one side of his mouth, lifting his eyebrows. "Yeah, that one always makes me itch. The odd flea's no problem, but look into your gut flora sometime. Fuckin' wild."

[heirring]

Ugh, he is so intolerably good looking and fine humored. How can anyone stand to be in his company for long?

"I suppose suffering from gut flora is the danger one undergoes when consuming any plant," is a very prim, no-nonsense sort of statement. Eating vegetables and risking growing them inside your belly—obviously, these two concepts have clear connecting sinew. Wysteria says this while gamely dunking the cookie back into her milk, the effort to do so considerably easier now that she's chewed the thing into to a cup friendly half moon shape.