Post by The Gourmand on Dec 24, 2018 4:14:15 GMT
April 19th, Evening
It had initially been the Gourmand himself to propose the basic idea of an “informal bonding exercise” to the Council. He seemed uncharacteristically stilted when he explained himself -- which may be somewhat understandable; he did have a terrifying reputation to upkeep so things deemed soft were often off limits for him. Soon enough the idea trickled down throughout the Dawnseekers and volunteers were abound to help make the vision a reality. A date was set and in-between the usual goings on which kept the camp running, the Dawnseekers chipped away at preparations for the few days before the gathering. During this time, the Gourmand wanted to keep it secret that he was the one to suggest it in the first place.
The largest longhouse had been cleared out and rearranged as best it could to accommodate a large open floor, several tables for a buffet, and a seating area full of benches pulled from the mess hall. In addition, a hide awning was set up over the back door to offer a place to sit outside while being sheltered by the slight April misting. All inside and outside there was strung lines of incandescent bulbs for lighting. A small band of musically inclined Dawnseekers played a jaunty tune over the roar of the fire that heated the longhouse. The dinner spread included bountiful steamed veggies courtesy the army’s local trading partners, various baked sweets and breads, roasted game animals, as well as unique specialties made by the culinary-savvy members of the community. It was a change from the norm at least.
The oceanic commanding officer, given the ample space provided in the longhouse, was seated within his pod in the dining area off to one side of the back door. Strangely enough, in the past few days it was he that had provided a decent chunk of the game meat. It seemed the Gourmand was more invested in the preparation of the event that most might expect of him. For the moment, the beastly merman sat by himself and only appeared to be observing, although it was with that sharp eagle eye he was well known for.
~*~
Meanwhile, out a small distance before the front door, a slightly damp red-grey furry creature marched. Anga, edgy teenager that they were, thought parties were stupid. There were much better things to do than, ugh… socialize? No, Anga would be useful and patrol, whilst near everyone else was distracted. The young hyena would walk about thirty feet in one direction, turn on their heel, then walk the other way. The Dawnseekers would thank them for their diligence later.