event pt 1 | full moon & litha

[moustre]

Event Log: June, A Midsummer Night's Dream

I. IUNERIL 17TH - THE FULL MOONS The days leading up to the full moons are the same as last month: Monsters are a little itchier and a little easier to agitate, whether they mean to be or not, which becomes increasingly noticeable the day before the full moons. But of particular note is that this may be the second full moons that some arrivals have experienced, and with that comes greater risks, greater agitation, and further reminders to take care of themselves. Weather fair, despite the worries of the city, Monsters will find that the Sisters aren't blocked away by clouds this night. The moons cast their light down on the city, and the pull is strong for even the veteran natives that call the city home. The Coven is offering potions and charms, in an attempt to encourage those without a Bond to ensure that they will be able to keep their wits about them throughout the entire stretch of the Sisters' time in the sky at their fullest. They're always allowed to reject the offer, but it's with a warning: if they let their newfound instincts overtake them, then they might find themselves back in the Coven under worse conditions. But the Sisters rise framed in stark red skies, even as evening falls across Aefenglom, much to the discontent of the city. Streets that are rarely dim are lit up even moreso, now, in the face of this omen, lanterns and candles leading all the way to the Harbor District. Their colors flicker with shades of blue, green, violet - anything to offset the red. Boats that come and go along the river also carry a lantern or two with the same intent, and ships in the harbor are decorated with magical faerylights, strung across hulls, masts, the works. There's no place in the Harbor District untouched by light, with nary a sign of red in the midst of their goods. Tensions are already high, between the humans and Monsters of Aefenglom. It's especially noticeable on this night: full moons already cause everyone to be a little jumpy, but with the red tidings for Litha, they're more on edge than ever. Some blame the new arrivals, though never directly to their face, especially when they don't know who, or what, someone might be. It's always a there-and-gone whisper, it seems like. Gossip. Distrust. Unease. It doesn't lend well to the full moons, but there are still those that want to help. Many will notice that there's already activities and decorations up for Litha, some of them still under construction despite the fast approaching festival. The most notable of all are the hedge mazes that have been constructed, both by hand and with magic to encourage their growth. Behind the festival organizers' backs, a group of people - both man and beast - are offering Monsters a chance to burn off some of their energy by embracing their instincts in a more... constructive manner, with native Witches and Monsters alike prepared to intervene if things get a little too violent. In a sort of mockery of Litha's traditions, they're partnering Monsters up with a willing participant to run the mazes, with a variety of options that they will list. The partner - or partners, if there is a party looking to go in together - can be either Witch or Monster, and the people organizing this won't judge as they inform the interested individuals of their options: a. A-HUNTING WE WILL GO, allowing the Monster to either hunt a small livestock or game animal (a piglet, fowls, rabbits, the like) or to hunt down their partner through the maze they've chosen. This need not end violently, and can become more of a game of hide and seek meets tag. b. EVERYBODY WAS FIGHTING, where one maze in particular has been devoted to a makeshift fight ring at the very heart of it. The organizers hope, somewhat, that by making the Monster(s) in question run the maze first they'll be a little tired out already when reaching the ring. c. UNDER THE PALE MOONLIGHT, because instincts don't always call for violence, the organizers offer a more intimate experience here, whether it's sexual or nonsexual. Maybe you just want a good cuddle..? The organizers emphasize the idea of consent, and will not force anyone against their will into the hedge mazes, no matter which one it is. They also want to make sure that they will step in to help if called upon, in case someone gets a little too overeager. Witches looking to use magic this night will, peculiarly, find that their magic is a little less... cooperative. Many of the Coven Witches speak of how they specifically wait to cast powerful spells on the night of the full moons, to ensure that they have the greatest chances of success with the help of the Sisters. However, Witches of the new arrival persuasion are much weaker on full moons. Their magic is still there, and they can still draw upon it for spells, but they'll have to put greater effort if they want to cast a spell with any significant amount of power. Overexerting oneself while doing this is entirely possible, so it's best to try and find some sort of balance, lest you find yourself exhausted and without a means to defend yourself. We ask that any and all NSFW threads be marked accordingly, or otherwise moved to a locked post on the log community or an entry/inbox on a character journal. Remember to please be excellent to each other, and respect all limits that your threadmates might have, if you explore the more sexual or violent aspects of the offered prompts. If things get OOCly out of hand, please let us know; if things get ICly out of hand, please let Nessie and Mhairi know.

II. LITHA - IUNERIL 21ST TO 23RD Despite what chaos there might have been on the night of the full moons, and the subsequent day after as things began to calm, Litha still arrives as scheduled on Iuneril 21st, as the sun begins to set. The summer solstice reaches its peak the following night, and the festivities wind down the third dusk. While certainly still lively, it isn't as completely festive as Boaltinn, most certainly because of the red skies, and the natives are obviously trying to make the best they can of what they perceive as a poor situation. To say that the natives are on edge would certainly be an understatement. Whatever happened in those hedge mazes is untraceable, now, and everything looks pristine. Faerylights decorate every awning, overhang, and eave, magical and twinkling with colors to offset the red skies. There are no bonfires, this go around, but much like the fires it seems that the lights all lead to the primary area of celebration: in contrast to Boaltinn, Litha is celebrated in the Entertainment, Shopping, and Harbor Districts. Doors to businesses are wide open (with many even having large signs indicating VAMPIRES WELCOME HERE - those that don't make a clear statement), and stalls offering wares and foods and activities alike are set up at nearly every corner alongside preestablished businesses in the market. The harbor is especially lively, with many sailors coming and going as they prepare for setting sail. While ships themselves are always coming and going in the port, Litha is an important time for the more longterm voyages and those meant to carry some significance, and each ship departing is bid farewell with equal fanfare. Fireworks and celebration that is, at least in some part, genuine, but does carry a certain level of enthusiasm that borders on force of will. a. ASKING FOR A LITTLE COMPANY Though all businesses in the Entertainment District open their doors for the festivals of Aefenglom, the brothels of the city in particular are offering a warm welcome this Litha to anyone who might be interested in spending some time with someone - or, multiple someones. They have open rooms for mingling, lounges with floor pillows and low tables where customers can partake in spiced and unspiced drinks alike, where the unspiced are lacking in the potions and near-aphrodisiacs of the spiced drinks. Private rooms are also available for those seeking a more... intimate experience, however one may take that to mean. The brothel workers are more than happy to attend to any interested parties, but also aren't against randomly pairing individuals up, based on their specifications. And, after a little misunderstanding regarding their classes, the Head Madame of the guild has decided that they will be offering chances for individuals to perform at their establishments. She was rather charmed by the mishap, bless your souls, as were the rest of the guild, so the new arrivals have endeared themselves to the brothel workers. Dances, conversation, assorted busking - whatever skills that their quest-takers learned, whether it be of the more sexual nature or not, they'll provide whatever they might need to put on a show and attract or entertain clientele. b. I'M WISHING FOR THE ONE I LOVE Anyone interested in making their way into the Shopping District will find just as many open doors, as well as numerous stalls interspersed where they weren't before. Vendors hawking their wares and goods like always call out with Litha specials, and businesses set up temporary stalls to draw attention to themselves, with promise of greater bargains and products to be found at their main establishment. There are many that sell spiced foods and drinks, with varying degrees of strength depending on how one wants to feel. Others are selling candles and lanterns, offering a magitech version of a lighter at a steal, depending on how much you purchase otherwise. The largest stalls, and the biggest displays at storefronts, are the flowers though. Every single flower shop in Aefenglom has come out full force, practically painting the district in a myriad of non-red colors as they put their stock on full display. They offer deals for those who wish to buy bouquets for a sweetheart or someone they admire, as well as anyone wanting to make flower crowns for those they care for. Each of the seven largest shops are also handing out a single flower for those partaking in festivities to place under their pillow to dream of future partners, the flower they're typically most well known for; this varies from shop to shop, but the up and coming Rose Bush certainly isn't going to let superstition stop them, and are handing out red roses. It's a bold move, but one that causes the tizzy that they were intending it to. And if one is feeling particularly whimsical, they can go to any well at night, looking into the depths in a bid to see their future spouse and true love within. Perhaps making an offering of a flower would bring good luck..? Just don't linger for too long, as there's a rumor that someone is pushing unfamiliar faces into the well, likely targeting those they think are new arrivals. c. GET LOST WITH ME Though the Harbor District has some bleedover from the Shopping District in terms of festivities, their streets and warehouses are where the most room is available for the hedge mazes. Some are sprawling as they fill the streets and alleys, spilling into the towering buildings that have been empty to load the contents onto waiting ships. They create their own environments, with flowers from the flower shops blooming in the rows and creating archways at entrances and exits. Some are enchanted to seem neverending, although there always is an exit, if one can only figure out the puzzle. Each maze has a different method to its madness, and arrangements that those running them have decided on. (Some faces may seem familiar, to those that encountered them on the full moons; they'll feign otherwise, focused only on the now and refusing to draw attention to any recognition.) Some mazes send in the partners together, randomly selected and tasked with figuring out how to reach the end of the maze together. Others will send the partners in from different ends, with the instructions to find one another, whether in the center of the maze or in its winding path. Another variety offers something reminiscent of the hide and seek meets tag game, tasking one as the hunter and the other as the hunted, a game of pursuit meant to replicate the "playing hard to get" variety of courtship. There's no restrictions on how many times one can enter the maze, as it allows one to forge many bonds - and possibly Bonds - and replicates the process of finding your true love. Or, loves; no one here is going to judge anyone. They certainly won't judge, either, if participants opt to take a swig of something for luck in love before they go in. However, some mazes have been tampered with: rather than opening out into somewhere safe on the street or in a building, they empty out unaware participants into the port itself. Hopefully you know how to swim. Once again, we ask that if any threads take on a NSFW nature that they be marked as such, or otherwise moved to a locked post in the log community or an entry/inbox in a character journal.

Welcome to the event log, part I! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. As ever, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know, and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[runningscams]

He didn’t need to turn around to know whose voice that was. It was a voice that belong to a person he had practically grown up with, so he knew it very well.

“Hey Qi’ra. I didn’t know I’d ...”

When he turns enough to see her approach behind him, the thing that immediately catches his eye is what’s different about her. The faint shimmering that trail that outlines her neck. It’s enough to make him stop mid-sentence and he doesn’t try at all to hide the fact that he’s staring at her scales.

[syndicators]

She wasn't at all shocked by Han's reaction to her, the way his eyes looked over the scales on her neck. At least the fins and webbing aren't over her hands any more. It seems to just be a full moon thing. She hadn't even gone near the water, too afraid of what it's going to do her. She wasn't going to tell him that though.

"It seems that everything they've told us is true," she said as she gestured outward, like here she was. Her smile was tight, but so far it simply just added to her features.

[runningscams]

It was extra shocking for him. He knew every line and curve of her so well that he couldn’t help feeling shocked when he noticed something had changed. And scales were not a small change. He’d be lying if tried to say that there wasn’t a part of him that was averse to it. Yet, there was a kind of beauty in those scales too. Or, perhaps, glamor was the better word.

He was certainly transfixed and it takes a lot of mental effort to make himself look into her eyes instead.

Han looks ... more or less the same as usual. Though his already scruffy hair seemed a little bit scruffier, his eyes had some bloodshot in them and it looked as if he had missed a shave this morning.

“Yeah.” He pursed his lips like he was debating something and in the next moment he blurts out, “are you okay? After the moon, I mean.”

[syndicators]

She shifted, feeling more vulnerable as his eyes moved over her. She was used to the way men looked at her, but watching him do it just made her stand a little straighter. It wasn't going to bother her.

"It didn't really hurt. It felt more like an itch. I hear it's supposed to get worse," she told him, not as light as she wanted it to sound. "It will depend if I'm in the water or not."

A beat as she sees just how worn he looks. "Are you okay?"

[runningscams]

It does not make him feel good to hear her mentioning it gets worse. Throughout their teenage years, Han had been very protective of Qi’ra, even as he would be the first to tell everyone she didn’t need protecting. It’s hard to taper down that instinct to look after her.

“I haven’t been sleeping well.”

It’s about all he feels comfortable supplying. He’d hate to make her worry and his problems seemed so much less important that hers, because they were so much more visible.

“I’m glad I ran into you, though. It will be nice to walk around with somebody.”

[syndicators]

Her own concern for him is writ on her face, brows knitting together as she looks over him. She wonders if he's been up to something or if it's simply this place effecting them in their own ways. When he says that though, she managed a natural smile up at him. Already talking to him now feels less heavier than last time. Even if it now seemed so much more real.

"Of course. I was just coming from the docks. They've been talking about Litha here a lot," she told him. She didn't know how she felt about it with Han here. Things still felt a little broken, and it was entirely her doing.

[runningscams]

Han has been ignoring magic, which, hasn’t been going well for him.

He’s not expelling any of that energy by practicing. He’s not grounding it by holding a bond with somebody, so he’s on the cusp of it beginning to wear him down physically. They talk about monsters being feral, but the mages have their own version of being consumed to have to deal with too.

“Of all the things we did together, we never did get out to a festival.”

There is a bit of the roguish charm that she would remember in the words and the smile. Maybe that would help put her at ease.

“There’s no shortage of opportunities to spend your hard earned money, but I think there are plenty of people doing magic and uh ... swallowing swords or whatever.”

[syndicators]

"We should make the most of it then," she said as she offered a genuine smile. Both of them have obviously gone through a lot the last few days and could use it. So she started to walk along the road with him.

There was already enough going on around them, girls with flowers and flower crowns. She bypassed them herself until they got closer to where more and more things were happening.

"Have you gotten a job here?" She asked when he talked about money here. She knew there were quests that could get someone money. Qi'ra was trying to work on something else.

[runningscams]

“Not ... really.”

He had done a combination of relying on the generosity of strangers, the occasional incidental odd job opportunity, plus learning a few games of chance to try and parlay his modest funds in to something a little greater. And that was about it. He’d not been very motivated since he got here, nor had be been in particularly good spirits.

“Have you lined up something good?” Because if she’s got a good opportunity, he’s listening. Sure, it might be a little awkward to team up after Savareen, but they had a history of working well together.

Whether subconsciously or not, Han has begun guiding them a little closer to the food and drink area.

[syndicators]

"Trying to work on something near the docks," she told him which was why she was heading back from there. She didn't realize why she was drawn to the water until the full moon, but it also just seemed like a good area to try and set something up. "A marketplace or something similar, to trade."

Although Qi'ra would like to turn it into a more profitable place, something to keep her busy while she was here. There did not seem to be a rush to bring that back home.

Following along, they start to pass a few vendors before a small crowd was around one of the buildings. A few people seemed to holding mugs. Stopping beside one of the people, the girl a little older than Qi'ra told them both that they were giving out these drinks for the festival, free to any.

The skeptical part of Qi'ra wanted to refuse. No one gave anything away. Her eyes shifted to look at Han, knowing he had to be thinking the same thing. "Do we try it?" She asked him, wondering if he would outright refuse it.

[runningscams]

“Well, I know I guy that’s only lightly employed if you need anything.” He says with a faint smile, “He’s dependable and easy on the eyes, too.”

Han had also noted people sipping on drinks from scarlet mugs. He expected, for anyone old enough to partake, that the liquid in it was wine or perhaps mead. He hadn’t really singled out anyone’s behavior as ‘off’ around here, because he hadn’t been to a festival to compare to.

People seemed generally happy, though. There was a lot more flirting going on than he would have expected in an every day crowd, but then, it was a romantic holiday. Han’s suspicions aren’t especially raised over the drinks. So if that’s what Qi’ra was expecting out of him, she’d be wrong.

“I’m not in the habit of turning down a free drink.” He says with a shrug. “I’m gonna get one.”

[syndicators]

"I don't know how likely it is to start something on my own, but I'll find a way around it," she told him, confident that she could do something. The fact he did offer didn't get lost on her. It was a lot harder to push him away here when it was just the two of them, out of their element completely. He might not still think the same thing of her, but keeping him at arm's length just wouldn't work here.

When Han seemed fine with the mugs, she gave a nod and headed into the small building where one of the owners was passing out free drinks, giving well wishes for Litha to all. She took hers and looked back at Han before taking a small sip. "Things seem a lot more-- quaint here," she commented. It was different than the lifestyle they were both used to, a much harder, seedier life.

[runningscams]

Han accepted a mug for himself. When Qi’ra glances back at him, he raises his vessel in a silent toast. The last time they had shared a drink together had been their reunion on the First Light and he remembered the way his heart started to race at the sight of her ...

Everything had become so complicated since then. Of course, he had romantic feeling for Qi’ra. He still did, to be honest, but she had also been his confidant and his friend when they were going up. It was hard to lose all of that, too. The strangeness of this place made him want to seek her out all the more — something familiar to steady him.

“I’d have went with primitive.”

He wouldn’t ordinarily have gone with something that has such a negative connotation, but come on. They didn’t even have electricity.

“This drink is sweeter than I expected.”

[syndicators]

"Sometimes we have to be a little diplomatic to get somewhere," she said with a leveled look as if to say 'play nice'. It was hard here. It was absolutely nothing like they were used to, even living on the streets. But having that background at least made them equipped with handling what they needed to to get by.

She held the mug herself and took another drink. "It isn't bad," Qi'ra replied back, not displeased with the drink itself. She could feel her cheeks flush quickly, the ease in which she leans into him as they walk along.

"It could be worse." And she didn't just mean the drink. She wanted to get back home, but she could still do a lot here in the meantime. If she could figure out how to work through being half fish.

"Does it really look bad? The scales?"

[runningscams]

He could swear that his heart went from beating normally to pounding furiously in his chest in the moment she leaned against him. It wasn’t all that much contact, really, but it was the first contact that he had with her since their kiss on the First Light — and until that moment, he hadn’t realized how empty he’d been feeling since he got here.

He didn’t have Chewbacca. He didn’t have his ship. He didn’t even have a place that he could get food that reminded him of home. All he had was Qi’ra and to have her so close and completely unavailable to him was bothering him a lot more than he let on.

He swallows at a lump threatening to stifle his throat and he murmurs his agreement. “Yeah, I suppose it could be worse.”

Qi’ra will find Han trying to lace his free fingers in hers. He’s craving the feeling of their hands being intertwined, badly.

“The scales? No they make you skin look like it’s glowing. It’s just a surprise to see something thats a part of you that I didn’t recognize.”

[syndicators]

Qi'ra felt a little more at ease than Han probably did. She already had to pick herself back up in a situation where she had nothing familiar. This wasn't all that difficult, and at least the people of this planet wanted to help them out-- though many seemed afraid of them. She didn't mind that either.

But it was good to have something familiar in a place that was so far removed from the familiar for them. So when his fingers found his, this time she didn't pull away or try and object to this. Eyes flicked up to look up at him, smiling just gently enough to almost encourage more.

"I hear it's pretty tame in comparison to others," she commented. Qi'ra could still pass for human which ostracized her among the monsters, but she didn't care about that either. "Are you feeling any better?"

Because she was sure it got hotter, electricity starting where their fingers touched and moving through their bodies. It was natural for the two of them to wander away from the crowd, neither exactly feeling like they fit in anyway.

[runningscams]

It’s a beautiful smile. The smile that he fell in love with, matter of fact. He can’t help but focus on her lips to admire it and then he gets to thinking that maybe he ought to give her a kiss.

A thought that he shook that thought out of his head when he hears her start talking again.

“So they’re not gonna fade as the moon becomes less visible?” He says, forcing himself not to stare at her scales again by taking another sip of his drink.

“I’m less thirsty, anyway.” He says with his lopsided smile. “The company is making me feel better.”

[syndicators]

"I don't think so. It seems more changes will happen, but I think it will be dependent if I'm actually in the water. I guess I'm more human looking still," she said flatly. It wouldn't have bothered her coming from where they both have. There were people with different color skin, tentacles, all sorts of physical characteristics. But overall she's glad the changes were subtle so far.

Keeping her fingers tangled in his, she walked along almost naturally heading back to the apartment she was keeping. "I know things are-- tough between us, but I am glad you are here," she said, a little less guarded than she had been with him, fingers gently rubbing against his as she looked up at him. The spark was certainly there, and under normal circumstances she would probably fight it, but the last few days had been exhausting and vigorous. It was nice to just lean into this whatever seemed to be happening between the two.

[runningscams]

The scales didn’t bother him in and of themselves — he’d met plenty of non-humans that he liked. It’s just that it didn’t seem fair that Qi’ra had no say in how she was changing and that aspect of it struck him as unfair. But, there didn’t seem to be anything that either of them could do about it ...

“I’ve been trying to be respectful.”

Her actions on Savareen made it pretty clear that she had grown out of all the things that they had planned to do when they escaped Corellia, even if he hadn’t.

“But I’d be lying if I said anything other than I’ve missed you.”

[ He squeeze her hand gently with the admission. ]

[syndicators]

"I know. You've never been afraid to let your eyes wander before," she said with a light tone in her voice and a smile just poking out. Qi'ra teased him lightly for the kind of man he was, but she liked that about him. He always knew how to make her feel wanted, like she was the only woman in the room long before she was ever entering rooms.

The evening had started to settle and the lampposts with the eternal lights in them started to brighten. For a moment she looked up at them before he drew his attention back to him, stepping in a little closer. She shouldn't give into this. It was dangerous to go back there with him when she still held so much guilt. She wasn't the same girl he knew or at least she had become so much more, and she knew he wouldn't like it. She still had aspirations here, but everything was still new and fresh here. She felt like she could run around these streets like they once used to.

So she didn't stop herself when his eyes pierced into hers. There wasn't an ounce in her that didn't want him. So under the fairy lights, she leaned in to kiss him-- for once not holding herself back.

[runningscams]

“It’s not like they ever wandered all that far from you.”

There was a type of behavior that was often attributed to attractive young men — the need to get around and ‘play the field’. That was never the kind of person that Han was. As soon as he had gotten hormonal, all his energy had been focused almost entirely on Qi’ra. To the point where, even during his military days, he was trying to figure out how many parsecs apart he thought they were.

He was completely devoted to her and it was clear by the way that he still looked at her, their abrupt break up hadn’t erased all the feelings that he felt. He doesn’t hesitate to kiss her back when she leans in. It’s not a shy kiss in the slightest, he knows exactly the way his cheek and jaw press against her when they press into each other and he’s eager to feel it again.

[syndicators]

She let herself sink into this feeling, remembering what it was like to be in his arms again. She didn't let herself think, just to let the warmth of their embrace wash over him as their lips met. One hand reaches up to touch his cheek, holding him in this moment like it was all that mattered.

They were just a few houses away from where she was staying, right near where they first met a few weeks again. She stopped only to look back at the houses. "Did you want to come up?" Qi'ra asked knowing full well where this would lead.

[runningscams]

He’s lucky that he doesn’t drop his drink, but while he’s got his mind focused on making sure their first kiss in a while is a good one, some of deep red liquid sloshes out of the side of the cup. It hadn’t occurred to him that their drinks could have been spiked with a love potion, but it’s funny how little of it he needed to drink to lower his inhibitions ...

“Sure.” It takes a concentrated effort on his part not to sound too eager. “That sounds nice.”

[syndicators]

She wasn't thinking now either, something she'll be cursing herself later. Her guard was down right now, thinking that this whole festival was contrite and almost juvenile. But of course in a land with magic, monsters, and fairytale stories come to life, something would be up.

But right now her body was warm, and he was warmer, and she just wanted to remember what it was like to be held again, so she lead him to the door, unlocking the one that was hers and getting them into the doorway. Her plan really stopped there. Taking a deep breath as she turned to face him in the hallway. Really, she should have taken this farther in, but right now she was just looking up at him like she once did years ago, like he was her whole world again, the only thing that mattered on this planet.

[runningscams]

He had spent a lot of time hoping to see that look in her eyes again.

Since they had gotten here, yes, but before in the brief time they had spent on a Kessel Run that been far faster than Han had ever heard of. Before that? In three years spent painfully apart from her, waiting desperately to find the right moment to get himself out of military and back to where he thought he might find her.

Did he ask himself for even a moment if he thought this was too good to be true? Or if this was just some kind of vivid dream? No. He didn’t care what was drawing them together in this moment. All that mattered was the way that heartache he’d been learning how to carry on with for years was suddenly gone — even though his body felt both tense and tired at the same time his spirit was definitely soaring.

Getting over his self doubt, he leaned toward her and gave her an almost aggressively passionate kiss.