Sylican morning

[Anastasia]

The grove is beautiful. New apple trees are everywhere, a nearby building with cider presses seen, barrels of the stuff stacked up outside. Here perhaps a hundred people are about, working at the harvest, talking amid one another and more than a few are flirting. Syala merely raises a hand at this, her divine presence flaring to life. All eyes turn to her with gasps, apples dropped from suddenly nerveless hands.

"Come, all you faithful," Syala intones with a smile. She takes a seat amid the grove, "Come sit around me. Don't worry, the apples will keep. They're strong, like all of you will be."

[Ebiris]

Alicia's presence is somewhat muted as she sits down next to Syala. She doesn't want to detract from her wife's presence, but she doesn't tone it down all the way - the point is that Syala has her support, and the members of Syala's faith can count on support from Alicia's.

[Anastasia]

Everyone gathers around Syala, "Let me tell you about the apples, how Alicia and I met and the strength of family," she begins, "All of them mean something important - many things that are important, in fact."

Go ahead and react, settle in for story time.

[Ebiris]

If there's going to be some sort of warning about not eating apples off the ground Alicia will check out. Everyone knows the rule is they're fair game at that point!

Then again she did throw the mace at the tree to make the apples fall, so that could be abused... but it's not like she had any intention, or even knew they weren't just particularly tasty ysgardian produce!

[Anastasia]

Everyone gathers - men and women, young and old. All staring in rapture and listening, "Alicia and I met when she came to the Tree of Idun, which I guarded back then. Thus did we battle over an apple, and in the end Alicia claimed an apple. She was strong and I was strong. Yet we were not as you see us now." Syala picks up an apple from the ground, holding it in hand. It breaks with a wet SNAPCRACK of apple, running down her hands.

"We were not strong enough alone. But Alicia came back, again and again." Syala takes a second apple and squeezes it, this apple bulging inward but not breaking all the way. "Each visit we grew closer and closer." Slowly the apple presses Syala's hand back, becoming more and more whole. Then she drops the apple, completely intact and undamaged. "Then we became one. Then we were strong enough help save Lifasa and see to all of you. All of you, who will find loves and families, who will enjoy long, happy days on this world and eternity with us thereafter. Like apples on the branch, red and untouched by any worm of bug."

[Ebiris]

Bit of artistic license, but Alicia accepts Syala's retelling of events. "Ours wasn't a simple courtship, yet in testing each other we grew in both strength and affection," she speaks up to support Syala's point. "Our struggles together defined and brought meaning to our lives. Just as you all struggled in your own ways to see the dream of a free Lifasa, and the meaning you've gained from those struggles."

[Anastasia]

One man - perhaps thirty and with black hair peppered with a bit of white - speaks up, "Is that why we have pain and suffering, to grow stronger from them?"

[Ebiris]

"Struggle and suffering aren't the same," Alicia answers. "How many were brutally crushed and exploited by devils when they ruled Lifasa? There was no meaning to that, no grand purpose to your suffering no matter what propaganda Hell may spout. It's an unwanted external force. But the struggle to free Lifasa was internal, it was in all of your souls as you fought for every day dreaming that it would be better than the last, that one day you'd be free, and able to protect others from ever having to suffer again."

[Anastasia]

"Yes, think of the apple," Syala says. "Suffering crushes in. Struggling makes it strong, so that suffering won't crush it." She smiles at him, "Gregory, that was a good question. You and Melly have my blessing. You two will have many children together."

You feel Syala's will, to a brown haired woman sitting next to Gregory, perhaps 25. You sense it - barrenness, mended and reversed.

Melly gasps and blushes as eyes turn to her, "W-we haven't told anyone yet! How did...?"

Syala merely smiles at that.

[Ebiris]

Alicia smiles as well, but stays quiet now to let Syala take proper charge over the gathering.

[Anastasia]

Syala rises, "Well, they know now," she laughs, "Stand everyone, it seems we're having a wedding today." A pulse of will, a table laden with food and drink appearing, long enough to sit hundreds easily, far longer than the grove, and yet fitting smoothly into it.

"Gregory, Melly, go get dressed. You have the outfits you've always wanted for your weddings at your homes. Everyone! Eat, drink and celebrate. Let every wedding with my faithful be a celebration towards happy days ahead. For there will be days of struggle beyond them as well, so fortify well now."

[Ebiris]

Alicia stands as well. 'Going to stay and marry them?' she asks Syala privately.

[Anastasia]

'It would be bad manners if I didn't,' Syala agrees.

[Ebiris]

Alicia then gets comfortable to join in the celebrations.

Chances are word will spread and her own adherents will flock around even before she has a chance to visit her church, but that'll just make it a bigger party and let people mingle and make friends more.

[Anastasia]

Plan here in detail? Just mingle and spread the word amid the festivities?