middaeg | VALENTINES CHARITY

VALENTINES CHARITY - Feoveuer 14th

♥ THE FESTIVAL OF LOVE ♥

"At the Festival of Love: Shine like thunder
At the Festival of Love: Cry like rain
At the Festival of Love: Hear my calling
At the Festival of Love: Hear my name"

...wait, who prepared this poster? The vibe it gives off is totally wrong... ah, well, it will do! ♥

I. Welcome! ♥

On Feoveuer 14th regulars of DiplomaTea will immediately notice that the place looks different. Fresh flowers, garlands and paper decorations are everywhere, all in lovely shades of pink and red. Heart-shaped confetti is falling from the ceiling, magicked to disappear shortly after touching the floor so it would not make a mess. Quiet music is filling the whole cafe, one of the many masterpieces of Amadeus Mozart and a particual favorite of Marie who picked this particular song to play. Even those who have missed Marie's flyers and announcements about the upcoming event would definitely notice that something joyous is going on inside, why not check it out and join everyone?

If you haven't heard before, the posters will explain everything. Today's event, The Festival of Love celebrates the holiday known as Valentine's Day some Mirrorbound might be familiar with. This is the day to celebrate love in all shapes and forms. Spend a wonderful, romantic evening with your partner... or your friends and family, because these kinds of love are important too! Or get some sweets and eat them all by yourself, because self love is also important! All money collected during today's event will go to aid the refugees and help those who have been affected during last month - celebration of love for your fellow woman, man and everyone else.

a. Preparations ♥

Of course an event this big cannot happen without the help of many. Making and putting up the decorations, enchanting the confetti and music, building the booths, preparing the tables, all of this and much more took almost the whole previous day. Everett will also defintely need part-timers to help tending to the increased number of custoers during the event. If you visited DiplomaTea during that time, you probably couldn't enjoy your drink in peace... or maybe you were roped into helping? Marie gives you a pleading look. Every pair of hands is useful, you know!

II. The Festival of Love ♥

Kissing Booths ♥

Two hastily made but lovingly decorated wooden booths have been placed on DiplomaTea porch. For supporting the cause with a small fee of 100 cunes the person inside will gladly give you a lovely kiss... though you are, of course, welcome to throw an even bigger amount into the donation box! The Mirrorbound staff the booths in shifts so nobody will be forced to sit out the whole event and more volunteers are always welcome... come on, don't you want to support the charitable cause? Marie is quite persuasive, she might find a way to convince you even if it's not something you would have usually agreed to ♥ Or maybe your crush is currently in the booth and this is your big chance? Either way, thank you for your support, good people!

Bake Sale ♥

Are you skilled with the cooking appliances? Would you like these skills to serve a good cause? The tables just next to the main entrance of DiplomaTea have been filled with cakes, pastries and other kinds of sweets donated by Mirrorbound - help yourself to some! You have to pay for it, of course, but all the money collected helps the charitable cause! For those who are not fond of sweet things, savory and spicy snacks are also found on the table.

Did you bring a dish? Would you like to buy something? Or maybe you are just staffing the tables and helping with the bake sale itself? All kinds of help are appreciated! Are you culinarily challenged but refuse to admit it? Thank you for your donation anyway, it is going on sale! Did anyone see the Fae who donated these cupcakes? These appear to be enchanted and eating one will cause you to say the opposite what you mean for fifteen minutes. What do you mean, Marie, we are putting these on sale as well? Could it be... that Fae was... No, impossible!

Auction ♥

Want to support the cause with a bigger sum? As a part of the main event, a couple of items will be auctioned. To show their support, the Coven donated several valuables that could definitely be of use for both Witches and Monsters:
an ornate golden ring Fae-blessed to provide the wearer 12 hours of invisibility (which does not have to be used consecutively, it's 'turned on and off' by rubbing the stone set into it, and does not conceal the wearer from other Fae)
a suit set and a dress that will both transform magically to fit whatever Monster form the wearer has (and will also take on the wearer's color and design preferences)
a book on imbuing baked goods with minor luck spells - good and bad both.
Place your bids now! But that's not everything that will be put on sale today - donations from Mirrorbound are also accepted and will be auctioned! Do you have any items you no longer need and could contribute? Maybe it's something you have crafted yourself? Or a voucher for any kind of services you can provide? Whatever it is, thank you for your donation! Yes, even if it's enchanted. Especially if it is enchanted!

Not donating or buying anything? You could certainly help with the organization part! That pile of items over there... Mind checking out what we even have there and assign starting bids?

A Word from our Sponsor ♥

DiplomaTea is offering a couple of special offers on this special day, all proceeds will be donated! Extra large mug of cinnamon cocoa you can share with a special person to warm up your bodies and hearts. You can also drink it yourself if you want to, nobody will judge you and certainly not Everett. However, even if you came here by yourself... Are you sure you can finish it by yourself? How about splitting the cocoa with someone who also came alone? That's the spirit of the day!

For those interested in a drink that can provide more thrill than simple cocoa, Everett is offering a tea blend called Ardric's Warmth. In his own words, it tastes like a live firecracker and has enough caffeine to raise the dead. And yet, this blend seems to have its dedicated fans in Aefenglom, especially among Dragons. Dare to try it? Or maybe someone tricked you into drinking some?

Inkchanted Corner ♥

Caster Cú Chulainn is doing a promotion on behalf of his and Waver's tattoo shop, Inkchanted. Still undecided if you would like to visit their place? Unsure about a permanent tattoo? You can try it out here and help the cause! For a low fee you can have Caster draw a small, enchanted painting on your skin. It can make you give off a charming aura, perfect if you are still looking for someone to spend the evening with or trying to grab the attention of that particular person. Or maybe you are celebrating self love and just want a spell that will allow you to eat a lot of sweets without consequences tonight? Perfect! Another idea? Be sure to communicate it well, you would not want to end up with an enchanted painting that gives a different effect you originally wanted... though even if you do, the magic will only work for a few hours. You can wait that long, can you?

Magic Show ♥

Trucy Wright, one of the recent arrivals to Aefenglom is on stage and about to perform her splendid magic show! Huh, that's nothing special in Aefenglom, you might think. Magic is an everyday thing for every Witch after all. However, this young lady here is not a Witch, so how does she do it? With totally real magic, of course! Get your seats and pay close attention to everything she does, but you are not very likely to notice anything - this girl is a professional, after all. In using real magic, of course! Or maybe you have similar skills? You are welcome to join her on stage and perform your own well-practiced trick. If it's not as well-practiced as you thought... well, at least you made the audience laugh? In need of a charming assistant? Just pick someone more or less willing from the audience!

III. Cleanup ♥

Tired after a busy day? Congratulate yourself on a job well done, we managed to collect a nice sum that will certainly help a lot! But before you can rest in your bed, there's more to be done. Taking off decorations, removing the confetti enchantments, washing the dishes, collecting the trash and cleaning the whole place. We cannot leave Everett alone with this mess after he was so nice to allow the usage of DiplomaTea for today's event, can we? You can stay and help, can you? Maybe there are some leftowers from the bake sale to sweeten the deal?

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[ ah, the pout. he knows he knows, he was a master at these! unfortunately, he’s going to have to take this with a giant stride— smoothly, with a soft grunt as if to say oh, I see, but. apologies don’t come, especially since they’ve already came and eren will do what an eren will always do. his thing. ]

I’m a sharp guy. [ “don’t worry about me”, all that, but he means it both figuratively and literally, as he rolls his talons onto the bench until they all constantly click like crystal chimes. ] Running out of handouts?

[ he leans sideways as if to peek at the bags she’s carrying around. ]

[ "if you're such a sharp guy, you could have said something in time before leaving." that's what her face clearly says. she would even have said it out loud if he hadn't also asked a question, which takes priority in her brain.]

[ she lifts the lid of the basket of flowers to take a peek, shutting the lid right after to protect them a little more against the chill of the Feoveuer day. ]

Ah, when it comes to the flowers, it looks like I am. I won't be able to be advertising much longer.

[ but she reaches into her bag on the other side and produces a double-chocolate muffin, which she holds up towards krüger. even when he's sitting down, she's definitely shorter than him at maybe 4'3". ]

I have enough of these still, though. I asked Bernadetta to help me make a lot. This one's for you.

[ see? sharp guy. he’s also feeling sharp after making the call to give bernadetta his alternate alias, too. things just align.

the food is new— he’s seen plenty at this point, but he’s still pleasantly surprised. his tongue flicks a few times enough to sense the chocolate embrued in it, and wedging the bottom between his talons and careful not to let the points sink in: ]

—For me? [ ah, he knows what they are, and promptly says: ] Cupcake?

[ even though the question marks mild uncertainty. ]

[ leslie's hand lowers a little as she looks at the muffin in her hand. she does know what cupcakes look like, but she doesn't know what they taste like. ]

I...don't think so? I think muffins are supposed to be different from cupcakes, but they do look a lot alike. Maybe they're two names for the same thing?

[ hah. to hell with what it is, anyway. ]

. . . It doesn't matter. [ he smiles— it's an awkward looking thing, toothy and sharp with his brows knit up. seriously, augh. his hand rests on the girl's shoulder and him palm squeezes, just his palm. he keeps his talons away from curving or being felt. ] Thanks for the thought, and your work.

[ it's sweet to remember him, even if he doesn't think he deserves it. the worst thing would be declining it, though. ]

I've never had one, before.

[ leslie doesn't think about how hard it must be to squeeze a shoulder safely when you have talons, but it must be. at least her shoulder is really small. she smiles widely at the thanks. ]

You're welcome. Happy Valentine's Day!

[ she only vaguely knows what it means, but apparently that's what you say when you give chocolate to your friends in the world that has this celebration. ]

I hadn't had one before I made these, either. I've only had chocolate as a liquid before, but there seems to be a lot of it as a solid, too.

[ it’s hard, especially when u have super strength :( but man, does this holiday bring him back. perhaps they had something similar back in paradis (if tactics is anything to go by).

he breaks the muffin in half, and offers the chunk back to her. all this walking around probably eats at energy, doesn’t it? he’d share, if it didn’t just flat out remind him of sasha.. ]

Chocolate’s expensive, where I’m from. [ the statement comes paired with slightly questioning eyes, if it had been the same with her, as he bites into the treat— oh, it’s good. he doesn’t mmm, but his throat does begin to make a sound akin to a purr between his breaths and swallows. ] Never really had much of it at all until showing up here.

[ but it’s good. really good. he gestures, and even if she received help and adult supervision— ]

You’re off to a good start.

[ leslie was not expecting to be given a part of the muffin back. it is obvious from her expression that she wants to protest. she made this one for him and she has more! but she falls to the same trap as eren: it would be worse to refuse, wouldn’t it? so she awkwardly accepts it.

in response to his question, she looks caught off-guard again. ] I...I never thought to ask. When Madel offered to bring me hot chocolate, I only asked what it was, not how much it cost. It might have been very expensive and I didn’t even think about it.

[ the people who introduced her to chocolate are ultra-mega-rich, so it wouldn’t actually matter if it was, but leslie hates the idea of asking for more than she needs. ]

[ she is at least distracted from her worries by his praise, looking pleased and a little flustered. ]

Thank you.

You don’t need to worry about things like that at your age.

[ enjoy your life while you can before you have to do your taxes— not eren, though. in a modern world, he’s probably a tax evading criminal. fondly, he rubs at the hair on top of her head for a brief head pat. ]

You like cooking?

[ cooking, baking, same thing. ]

[ leslie looks a little doubtful at that. she still thinks that she shouldn’t take the kindness and support of lady edelgard for granted in the same way someone her age might in a proper family, and that is unlikely to change even when edelgard manages to get through her head that edelgard considers her a friend. she thinks much the same of the situation at home. she has to be able to look after herself where she can.

but even with such thoughts, she has a small smile when he pats her head. ]

It’s difficult to say. I’ve only done so...it might be more accurate to say twice, but the results of the first time was not worth giving to anyone. And the second time, I think Bernadetta did more of the work than I did. Yet...I think I might. When it went well, it was relaxing, and it’s nice to be able to give the good results to people and be thanked for it.

[ is wanting to be thanked a little too selfish? ah, but she’s already said it. ]

[ why are some kids just completely honest that it’s cute. he wasn’t cute this way at this age? eren was either really mean or kind of terrifying. thus, the dragon huffs a half laugh mid-chew through finishing the muffin. with his lips smacking and his forked tongue rolling across them: ]

You might like the praise more than the food, looks like.

[ but hey, that’s fine too. who doesn’t want to feel validated at some point? before his hand drops from the head pat, he ruffles just a little more messily. god damn kids. ]

[ she brings her hands up to try in vain to cover blushing cheeks. ]

The food is pretty good, too....

[ which is to say YES ABSOLUTELY PRAISE IS THE BEST without having to actually say it. her hands come off her cheeks as she raises them in what doesn't even quite count as a half-hearted attempt to ward off the attack on her hair because there's still a couple of inches between his arm and the highest point of her hand. as soon as he's dropped his hand from her head, she drops her own hands. ]

...Is that bad?

[ food is good, too. ]

We always want to feel validated— All of us.

[ about something, at some point in their life. anyone who says they do something out of the kindness of their heart is a liar. even generosity holds a point that desires to be soothed, whether to fill a void or receive something in turn. you don’t have to expect gifts when you give one, but at the very least— you want a smile, you want a thank you. you want to see yourself brighten someone’s day to feel like you’ve done good. there’s always something, material or not.

even eren. when he was young, sure— he wanted praise for his feats and recognition that he was his own person with admirable strengths, someone who didn’t rely on a body guard. he wanted to fill the shoes of a role deemed “special” and was always scared as heck he wouldn’t be able to fill them. now, well. he just wants his friends to be “well”. that’s all he needs in exchange for his own doings. ]

You’re just being upfront about it.

Even adults want to be praised?

[ she sounds hopeful. she thought this desperate desire to be validated like that was a case of her being childish: something to be kept secret and controlled. but if even adults can feel this way, maybe it’s okay for her to feel like this. but then she returns to looking concerned. ]

But isn’t it a part of good manners to hide your selfish intentions from others?

[ not that anyone ever told her such, but she’s had occasion some times to watch nobles interact, when no one caught her watching from the top of the stairs when guests arrived. she’s seen people speak kindly to each other despite the disdain in their eyes. ]

[ “good manners”. children!!! children are, wow. children are great. children are sharp in some places and dull in others, but only because they’re immature. not stupid. ]

It’s not about being polite, [ he says, with a bit of an ironic huff, ] it’s about preservation.

[ and, perhaps, security. ]

So instead of manners, it's more like subterfuge. Trying to hide information from others with hostile intentions.

[It does track for her. She has learned a little about subterfuge from Hubert and she doesn't think he has ever been straightforward about an intention in his life based on what she's seen of him in these first couple of weeks.

But more specifically to this interaction.]

So it's okay for me to admit that I was hoping people would tell me I'd done a good job? Not that it was the only reason I made these! I really do want to give something to give back a little to the people who have been so kind to me. But...it's been really nice to hear people being grateful for something I've done.

[ eren gives a grunt, something that should probably signify “yes”. when you skim over it, that’s pretty much the gist, as long as you don’t read the fine print. at this point, he’s not entirely sure if she picks these things up herself, or if someone has fed it to her. well— no one ever fed him the difference between a motherfucker and a good person. he chose that himself. ]

Keep doing what you’re doing. [ he gestures at what remains of the snack. pretty much just the paper cup. ] You’ll be rewarded the same way, by the right people.

[ it’s kind of hard not to when you’re a sweetie like leslie. any person with a soul would jump on the chance, and more than half the mirrorbound would probably protect her, or try to, with teeth and nails. that does leave eren to give her shoulder a squeeze, and a lean over to tell her: ]

How much of yourself you show to someone is only up to you.

[ it felt . . . unfair, to tell her not to show herself. to be careful and guard her feelings from others when that could mean the end to her social life in the future. being responsible for her closing herself off out of fear, he’s not sure he’ll take that burden as quickly as he would murder.

she should be able to make her calls and her own story— not have some untreated young adult giving her any sort of life advice. at her age, he’s already, willingly, had blood on his hands. ]

[ leslie's mouth opens and shuts a few times as she thinks of something to say but decides against saying it. the first part is something she can mostly understand. she definitely has experience with how vast the gulf is between the right people and the wrong people when it comes to responses to what she does.

the second part is more of a struggle. she's decided to never listen to the people who abused her ever again, but their influence is still buried deep into her subconscious. all of the right people who meet her find the idea ridiculous, but she has the deep-seated belief -- more like a fear, really -- that some of the things inside her are bad and would make people lose respect for her, or even hate her.

after several failed attempts at a response, she manages to pull one together. ]

Thank you, Mr. Krüeger. I will keep that in mind. It's...a lot to think about.

[ she does have time to figure this sort of thing out, and she might ask others for their opinions. maybe. if she feels brave enough. ]

[ oh, hey. same fucking hat, hello? there’s a lot of thought, already, that he could see spin cycling in that little head of her’s, and eren could only feel something close to sympathy. he can spot something off like something off in him, but feels against saying anything or pressing further.

he’s really in no comforting position to give her advice, and hopes that the torch will be passed to someone with more structure. hard to find that when humans . . . were human. but there’re good people. he knows there are— eren simply isn’t one of them. ]

You’ll have the time to. [ gently, he pats her head this time. less of a messy, playful noogie and more an exchange of . . . whatever good was still left in him. ] I’ve kept you from your job long enough, though.

[ he points, with a smile attempting to divert her own deepening thoughts. ]

Focus on that.

Edited 2020-04-12 13:38 (UTC)

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VALENTINES CHARITY - Feoveuer 14th

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