Ash 10 4621¤
Two days prior Miki was in Alistain poking around the market for some new digs. She had received secretly a letter in her pocket she only found later that night, it was a hand written invitation to a party, insisting a mask be worn, held at a bar bordering the Badlands outside of Alistain. Miki would have to take a ferry across the river, and did, arriving just on time for the festivities. This bar was known to her, and many, as a free trade area and welcome respite once the Badlands were behind you. Not entirely lawless the the Badlands themselves, it was still rarely patrolled by the Halamire, this night, it would seem none were around. Miki had no mask, instead she wore a simple head wrap covering her entire face save for her horns, which would not be covered, and eyes so she could see. She wore this night what she always wore, her studded leather jacket, her white tank top, and her leather pants. She of course had her chariot, which she rode here from the ferry, and her gun, which was strapped discreetly on her back.
'Hope I don't have to use this tonight...'
She thought to herself watching the cloaked and masked people assemble what looked to be a large effigy of wood. It stood nearly ten feet tall and was shaped like a woman in a huge bouffant dress. They were almost done by now and were just adding the last of the straw and tinder to the bottom, Miki assuming they meant to light it on fire. She felt like she stood out among the other moreso than usual with the badland ilk. While a fair amount of people were dressed in their usual attire, all wearing masks as she, there was an overwhelming amount of people here wearing ornate masks and cloaks to cover themselves.
The sun began setting behind on the horizon, clouds giving off a red and pink glare in the sky. Torches were being lit and the party was gathering around the effigy. She followed suit, new masks were being passed out among those not wearing cloaks. Simple, paper things connected by a string. She was offered a goblet and instructed to drink, which she did, and it was then passed around those who gathered and all drank from the goblet.
"Put this on, become one with us!"
Said the woman in front, who seemed to be leading the occasion. Some obliged, Miki did as well, while others kept their respective masks on. The woman spoke again.
"I am Wishing Willow, you may call me Wish. Tonight, for those who have gathered, we have a spectacle of the ages. A burning of the MAN! An effigy of the horrendous Entente. And may they burn beneath our feet while they tremble!"
With that, Miki gasped, all those cloaked who bore the torches of blasphemy tossed them into the stick pile at the bottom, lighting the effigy ablaze from the bottom. It was silent from the cloaked people, only those who were invited as she had been dared speak in a few hushed whispers.
"Clearly blasphemy."
One said within earshot of Miki. She could not deny, they were speaking the truth. Should the Halamire come all would be slaughtered or worse, imprisoned. This put Miki on edge at first.
That was when the effect of the drug in the drink began to take hold of her, the edges of her vision became purple and she saw a flash of light spin across the sky. The previous edge became heightened, fear and paranoia swimming in her mind. What was happening? She had clearly been drugged, but somehow she wanted more. When the goblet was passed back to her again she drank again, this time the effects being immediate. The party was starting to come alive, those cloaked revealed their bodies and began dancing around the effigy which was catching fire more and more. Miki's attention span was waning and she was becoming overwhelmed.
"Dancing with a devil!"
Some of the others were beginning to leave, the sounds of chariots starting up, clearly scared off by what the declaration was for this effigy to be burnt.
Miki then noticed another, and while she still had the goblet, she drank again before handing it to them. The person was covered from head to toe, where she could see, in tattoos.
"Hey there, pardner. You fancy a drink? There's something funny in this."
Each swig was getting her more high, more drunk, more colors spinning into her vision. Where there was fear before there was now only dangerous ease, playing with fire indeed. She flashed a mischievous grin to the other.
