I. A Friendly Competition (14th - 16th)
To those who spend their time with Aefenglom's Wilders, they'll notice them quite excited as the day of the Not-So-Annual Grand Scavenger Hunt approaches. It's set to be Wilders vs Mirrorbound, and even those who aren't participating are discussing it like a spectator sport and placing bets on one side or the other, based on whose wilderness skills they think will win out.
At noon on the 14th, participants meet at a small outpost just outside the city to check in, where those without partners are paired up, and each duo or trio is given a bundle of items: a list -- on a paper enchanted against moisture and tearing -- of the challenges to be completed, in no particular order; a map of this area of the Wilde marked with general locations for where each challenge can be found - not small area by any means!; three emergency flares, should they find trouble; a small med-kit with basic first aid supplies; and a bag to hold their retrieved items in, which can be turned in at the same outpost at any point during the 48 hours of the competition. You are responsible for your own camping gear if you stay out overnight. At least it's summer out there!
Once everyone has been given their kits, the event begins, setting participants scattering off into the woods to track down and complete any of the listed challenges. The Wilders are highly competitive, wanting to bring a win to their side in the first Scavenger Hunt in a few years, and some of them will do anything (short of murder or grievous injury - they don't mean anyone true harm) to nab more points or sabotage the other side. Watch out for your opponents trying to thieve your item bags, trick you into getting lost, or setting off natural obstacles that will slow you down! All's fair in love and scavenger hunts though - it's not against the rules for you to sabotage them back!
Mirrorbound Witches need to watch out as well - the competition takes place during the new moon, and this month, it's going to be difficult for even experienced Witches to control their super-charged magic. Backfires, fizzling out of spells, etc. are all expected - from you, but not from the native Witches on the other team, whose magic is only weaker on the new moons.
a. Challenge 1: Pearl of Wisdom A broad lake can be found some miles to the east, the water glittering and inviting, if dark enough that you can't see the bottom of it even on a clear day. The brief outlines a species of clam found at the bottom of this lake, numerous, big as dinner plates, and bearing massive, iridescent black pearls, prized for beauty and their properties in illusion spells when ground into dust. One of these pearls is your target. The clams are uninfected and generally safe to handle, protected by their hard shells. The brief does not warn, however, about the troupe of white-eyed Merrow Shades that live in the lake and jealously guard this treasure. They use their shrill singing voices to muddle minds and urge trespassers to drown themselves, and they're viciously adept at fighting both on land and in the water.
b. Challenge 2: Willow Bark The bark of a willow tree, infused with magic, has some fair pain relief properties. The maps are marked with the location of a willow grove, largely untouched by Cwyld, where participants in this challenge are required to collect at least a hand's length worth of bark. The main problem, not mentioned in the brief, is that the real willow trees are interspersed through a grove of numerous toxic Impostor Willows, which look exactly alike, but whose bark has opposing properties - it causes horrible pain when prepared and consumed, and causes ugly rashes when you peel it from the tree. Find the bark of the real willows using observations of the area - insects and small creatures tend to avoid the impostors - or, less recommended, by... testing them yourself...
c. Challenge 3: Track & Observe You have been given an enchanted tracking collar in your item bag for this one. Without harming the creature, place the collar on a Neeklur; these will be used for tracking purposes to study their movements and behaviors. The Neeklur is a breed of small, nocturnal marsupial. They have developed a unique relationship with a type of bush that grows into tall hedges, which spread across sparse, open areas where there are few trees and plenty of sunlight for these aggressively spreading plants. Neeklurs make their nests in the heart of such natural hedge mazes, where they can sleep safely during the day, when the hedges quite literally move around on their own, rearranging the paths between them in, it seems, no discernible pattern, making it quite difficult to find your way around if you aren't careful to mark your path. Without direct sunlight, the hedges are dormant, but be warned that the timid, sleepy Neeklurs transform into long-clawed, screeching little beasts at night. They are extremely territorial, and defend their home as a horde.
d. Challenge 4: Tree Elk Antlers Tree Elk, found in the lush woods, are sporting flourishing green-leaved antlers during the Wilde summer. Retrieve a branch from a Tree Elk's antlers with the leaves still lush and intact to win this challenge. Hurting the beast in any way, even emotionally (they're easily traumatized by a small fright) will cause the leaves to shrivel up, turn brown and/or fall right off. You'll have to figure out how to gain its trust and get close enough to it to take a small branch as a willing gift. Don't worry, breaking off a small branch of antler won't hurt it, and these intelligent, if timid, creatures are happy to bestow them as gifts upon those who have earned them.
e. Challenge 5: Singing Shrooms At the base of an old, sprawling oak, deep in the forest, is a symphony of mushrooms. Literally. These fungi come in all shapes, sizes, colors... and keys. They sing. In fact, they never shut up. You may find them easily enough by their eerie, discordant song, but finding the right one in that cacophony is a difficult task. Many different types of singing mushrooms cluster together, and may or may not be infected. Cwyld doesn't affect their outward appearance, but it does change their tune - we're only looking for the uninfected ones that sing a particular song in a particular key. Pick the right type of mushroom off the tree and bring it back. Though, watch out for the ones with teeth. And the ones that emit poison spores. Or hallucinogens. There are so many mushrooms on that tree.
All retrieved items must be stashed in the given bags and turned in to the small outpost where the event started by Deceuer 16th at noon. From there, Rilla Sparks and her organizers will count each team's contributions and tally up points. There will be back-slaps and congratulations for a job well done, and drinks to celebrate! Prizes will be mailed out to the winners within a couple of weeks.
The prize list will go up on January 1st and each participant who submits an in-progress or completed thread tackling at least one challenge will get to pick what they want for their character! |
II. Modranicht (21st - 23rd)
Modranicht proper begins on the 21st, and the days leading up to it are a frenzy of festivity. Homes are often decorated with sprigs of greenery and, less traditional, ribbons, and many shops begin holding sales on their giftable wares. This holiday is celebrated as a time spent with family and other loved ones; traditionally, all meals should be taken with others, and those who eat alone are said to find bad luck in the coming months. Those who can are delighted to pull strangers in to have lunch or dinner with them, should they seem like they're a little lonely around this time of year.
Especially in the neighborhood adjacent to the Haven, those people who came over from Dorchacht over a year ago, who are doing fairly well for themselves these days, are thrilled to have their Mirrorbound neighbors over for a hot drink or a meal and a spot of catching up. They heard what happened with Morgana a couple months back, nasty business, horrible woman, that, and for the most part, they seem quite comfortable with the idea that she's dead now. "I wouldn't move back," most say, "but it's good to know they're really free of her."
The ones most in need this season are those orphans in the Harbor District, though efforts by the Mirrorbound Council and others to better care for many of the parentless kids there have improved spirits, making kids playing and laughing a more common sight. Still, many of those rascals haven't lost their mischievous streaks: some little ones are quite likely to try and pickpocket you as you pass through, or pelt you with snowballs, but gifts or candy can perhaps soften their demeanor. They're just kids, after all.
a. Kiss-tletoe Redux While many of the decorations adorning shopfronts and houses are simple wreaths and garlands of pine, holly, and ivy, enchanted mistletoe is absolutely littered around the city, dangling in doorways, hung up on walls, hanging from the eaves of rooftops. Strings of it zigzag over the streets, hung from lampposts. This is a festive tradition that will be familiar to some. When two people pass under a sprig of mistletoe together, they're supposed to kiss, and the enchantments on many of those sprigs encourage it. Some will stick the pair's feet to the ground until they do so, some will just very lightly compel a smooch, whether it's on the mouth, the hand, the cheek, the forehead, or anywhere else. It's all in good fun, though - none of the enchantments are difficult to break, should one really not want to lock lips: you just have to destroy the mistletoe sprig you're under.
Careful about getting stuck in public, unless you enjoy being the center of attention in a crowd! Other passers-by will loudly cheer or jeer you and your mistletoe-mate on until a kiss is had! Be wary too, of pranksters who will actively push two people under a sprig, laughing all the while.
b. Craft Fair Gift-giving is an important tradition during Modranicht. It's considered only proper to present something to each of your loved ones, as a token of your care and affection for them. Handmade gifts are still widely regarded as the best, because it shows your effort in creating something just for them, so while shops may be having sales for purchased gifts, they're also trying to drum up more business again in the form of crafting lessons. Most businesses will set up tables in their shops, and for a small fee at the door (to cover materials), an instructor will show a group of people how to make something related to whatever the shop offers for sale. All materials are provided, and attendees get to take home what they make to give to friends or loved ones. Some of these even include small enchantments, such as carved wooden birds that actually fly, or timepieces that announce the time in funny voices. Witches are encouraged to learn the spell and help their Monster friends by enchanting their creation for them, but the instructors will do it as well if needed.
If you have a crafty talent of your own, it's easy to make some good money this season by setting up your own lessons on how to make whatever you're good at. Space is available, though it's up to you to source your materials and decide your fee. All the rage in the Western Residential District, where Mirrorbound are generally regarded as friends and neighbors, is objects and styles that come from other worlds. They absolutely want to learn from you and be able to give their loved ones something new and exciting.
c. Eat, Drink & Be Merry All meals during Modranicht should be eaten with another person, according to tradition. Many families and groups of friends have their own feasts during the holiday, but all are invited to a city-wide feast as well, on the 23rd. Located in a park enchanted to be more spacious than normal, long tables piled with food rest beneath festively-decorated, open tents, and every resident of Aefenglom is welcome to come and have a plate, from the richest to the poorest - all except those often-infected residents of the Outer City. It begins at noon and goes well into the evening, and people come and go as they please, enjoying the food and the holiday cheer.
It isn't required, but many citizens bring a dish to add to the tables, meant to be shared - usually a special family recipe. Mirrorbound are encouraged to share traditional food from their own homes (or close approximations of it), if they want to - many are highly interested in customs from other worlds, and some challenge each other (or you!) to try every single dish on the massive tables.
The festivities don't extend past the Bright Wall, unfortunately, but the people of the Outer City, who don't have much to begin with, can be found having their own feast on hunted game and pilfered vegetables, trying to scrape up some cheer for themselves. Most groups won't turn Mirrorbound away as long as you've brought a big enough dish to share, welcoming you into the fold to bad-mouth those hoity-toity inner city folks, but some rare clusters of residents can be hateful at this time of year, made somewhat bitter by your privilege and their lack.
|
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
yuri hyuga | mostly open!
[While this isn't what he can call Christmas, this holiday gives off a very Christmas vibe -- to him, at least. He's usually one to not really pay attention to things like holidays, and giving gifts. His life has been lived on the go, traveling around, bouncing from one town to the next. Never growing roots.
Now, however, he finds himself...rooting. It wasn't his choice to be here, but here he is, with people to actually give gifts to. And this is where he runs into trouble.
What does he give someone?
This very question has him out and about, hands shoved in his pockets as he stalks through the streets, his expression pissed off but that's just the result of him having to ponder. God, he hates pondering.
Karin and Alice are truly the only people there he thinks would want something from him, and there is a small part that's nervous -- okay, that's actually quite a large part. He can throw himself into any fight he comes across, but when he's faced with decisions like this...well, let's just say he's annoyed and also self conscious.
He stops on occasion to glower at shop windows, sometimes even venturing inside before he's right back out again, shaking his head.
Can't he just buy something? His pride demands that he makes an effort, at least, since Karin and Alice have the patience to put up with him as much as they do. They both deserve the effort.
Yuri just can't promise it'll be a well done effort.]
Craft Fair - Basket Weaving - Closed to Aerith
[Soon, he finds himself in some kind of basket weaving class. Yuri didn't have much of a choice in the matter -- when he went inside the store, he was basically swooped further inside by a very cheerful older lady and plopped down at a table despite his efforts to protest.
He received a pat on the head, and an outstretched hand for the money needed. He gave it up -- unwillingly -- and he finds himself with materials set out in front of him, all nice and organized.
Yuri leans down, squinting at the items on the table. As if this will help him identify what everything is -- wood? Sticks? Wheat? He glances around, zeroing in on a woman sitting at the table next to him. She has a confident air about her, and he leans in her direction, voice lowered.]
Hey...uh. Do you know how to do all this? [He gestures wide -- does he mean the basket thing? Who knows. He doesn't even know.] Can I hire you to teach me?
[Or just do it for him so he isn't left with a hot mess of a basket.]
Eat, Drink & Be Merry! Open
[ At first, he finds himself the victim. Yes, the little scamps running through the crowd, giggling, have managed to lift some of his money. With a yell, he charges after them, barreling through groups of people and throwing the errant apology over his shoulder as he races to get ahold of the little thieves and show them he isn't someone to mess with.
Except, once he reaches them, they manage to charm him a little, and he leaves the interaction with a little bit less than he started the day with. In a sour mood, as well, since his frown is mighty as he stomps back through the crowd.
It doesn't help that, once he puts his money in his pocket, his fingers come back with two stud cards. The images of the men have him looking horrified before he shoves them back in his pockets, determined to toss them somewhere.
So now, instead of looking pissed, he looks embarrassed and suspicious -- ducking into corners, looking for a trash to toss them in, finally just tossing them into some random bushes. He coughs, looks around, and strolls away a little too casually.
Later on, he's helping himself to food, piling his plate a little too high. It's not possible for someone to eat this much, but he's still a Growing Boy (he likes to tell himself) and he needs nutrients. Now, to find a place to settle in and chow down.]
Wildcard!
[Hit me with anything else, make up whatever! You can contact me on
Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
Oooooh, lucky! You managed to snag some of the roast beef. They only had goose on the side I started on.
[Not that Rikku is suffering in any way--her own plate is piled as ridiculously as his, large leg of goose and all. She's a Growing Girl, after all!]
Holidays that are about food are the best, huh?
no subject
Which is why Rikku finds herself on the end of a suspicious glance. Is she going to kick him in the shin?]
Goose? [That has him glancing down the table, wondering if it still looks like a goose. Who wants to cut into that?] I try to keep it simple, I've eaten too much weird crap. This is the first time I've had a holiday like this.
[He sounds a little confused about it, but honestly he's pleased - food is good no matter the occasion. As long as he knows what it is.
He turns to look at her plate, eyes widening in surprise. Where the hell is she gonna put all that? She's way too tiny.]
Shit, you really gonna eat all that?
[Feeling slightly competitive, he starts casually adding more to his plate.]
no subject
Rikku promises that she won't kick you if you're nice to her, Yuri.]"Weird crap"? Like what?
[She's honestly curious. Hopefully he doesn't mean the fruitcake. Rikku still has a bone to pick with that dessert, and she certainly wouldn't wish it on a perfect stranger who hasn't done anything wrong.]
And of course I'm going to eat it all! That's what food is for.
[As Yuri starts adding more to his own plate, Rikku attempts to slip a bit of his beef onto her plate.]
no subject
I remember someone serving me up a rabbit's head before. Didn't eat it, it was staring at me. [Rural villages in China, what can you do? He shrugs a little bit before piling a little bit more on his plate.
Can't let a skinny thing like her outdo him. ]
Eat, Drink & Be Merry! Stud card edition
He's absently been patrolling the park, looking out for interesting people or interesting gossip. This certainly counts.
Especially when the guy comes back, having retrieved whatever the local urchins stole, then begins slinking about suspiciously. Crowley watches him discard something... much smaller and lighter than he'd expected. Were those bits of paper? Or --
Oh. This is good. He studies the cards curiously, then trails after Yuri -- pausing finally near him once he stops to look at some food. ]
'Performs Swan Lake alone?' I've not heard that one before.
[ Sounds like a euphemism to him. ]
bless u
He freezes, hand gripping a spoon full of food that promptly plops right back into its bowl.]
....I don't even know what that is. [He sounds almost prim about it and shakes his head, as if to knock himself out of the embarrassment that's threatening to engulf him completely.] I think there are some swans somewhere, if you're hungry.
[No, it makes no sense to say that. He turns on his heel, his intent to disappear into the crowd so he can run away from this guy. Who he refuses to look at.]
Here to 'help'
Oh, it's written on this card you dropped.
[ With all the blithe cheer of someone well aware they are pressing into someone's zone of discomfort and not caring at all. ]
Here, look --
[ Don't you want to look, Yuri? He's going to show you! Going to wave it right into your field of vision. ]
no subject
The hell?! [He would love nothing more than to snatch it out of the stranger's hands, but he has a plate of food, and he can feel his ears burning from embarrassment. Instead, he swipes with his free hand, glancing around to make sure nobody's looking. ] Don't whip that out wavin' it around and shit! It's not mine, I was holding it for someone but they ain't here so I tossed it.
no subject
[ Said with more idle curiosity than a chide, Crowley can't really object to littering. Good little bit of tarnish on the soul, that. ]
Belonged to a friend, did it?
[ The tone suggests he does not believe this. At all. ]
craft fair
For all of this world's dangers, he can't help but be grateful to be here, knowing what the alternative would be. And to be surrounded by people he cares about from home, along with friends he's made since he first came through that mirror, he feels the need to express his gratitude. That he's here at all, and that he's with them.
The fact that the gifts have to be handmade (or at least that's what's encouraged) makes it a little more difficult of a task. He's not the craftiest guy.
He's going to give it a shot, though, especially since he sees all sorts of shops setting up classes to give people a quick introduction into a variety of crafting skills. It's as he's wandering through the shopping district that he spots someone else stomping out of one of the stores, looking displeased to say the least. ]
Something the matter?
[ Zack probably should know better than to strike up conversations with strangers when it's becoming more and more obvious that he's a chimera (gold eyes, feathers in his hair and around his neck, and hands looking increasingly like talons), but some habits are hard to break. ]
no subject
He does a little bit of a double take at the man's appearance, but quickly recovers. Because there's a far more pressing issue -- what the lady in the shop was suggesting he make.]
Nah, just a crazy old battle axe tryin' to get me to do shit -- [ Obviously, he's talking loud enough to be heard, since said battle axe pokes her head out the door. She's a squat 5 foot, a face like a frog and a frown that could give the hardest man out there nightmares. He jumps back, hands up. ] Lady I ain't interested.
[She cackles at him, clearly amused with his ridiculous behavior, and tells him to come back anytime. He visibly shudders, then points toward the shop as she ducks back inside. This is a warning.]
Trust me, she'll make you do something you don't wanna do.
[Acupuncture and massage or some shit, he doesn't know, why do these old golems want to touch him it's weird. Isn't he supposed to be learning to do something for someone else?]
no subject
There is something undeniably witch-like about her, which makes Zack wonder at what the guy is hinting at. Maybe he should just leave it at that, but he can't help but be curious. ]
I'll take your word for it, but you've gotta tell me what it is, at least.
[ He does start to lead them away so they'll no longer have to worry about being in earshot. Even as they stroll along the cobbled street, though, Zack's on the lookout for a place that's maybe a little more... reputable. ]
i'm finally here!!! craft fair
Which is why she's been standing at the window of a kitchen store for a while, pondering whether something in the display would be a good pick for Karin, but the longer she stands there, the harder the decision becomes. So when a man strolls up beside her, she cocks a brow and peers sideways at him, wondering if he's found himself in the same predicament too.
...
....]
You see anything good in the window?
[Maybe he can pick something out for her.]
no subject
Yeah, yeah. [He leans forward, squinting at what he can see. Trouble is, he has no idea what to call any of this fancy stuff, but he won't admit it (for now). ] Who couldn't use a spinny...thing.
[It's an overly complicated looking egg beater, but he would call it a spinny thing. Why not? ]
Or how about the spoon everyone's mom smacks them with?
[Not that he has experience with his own mother doing it, but he's been smacked by a few spoons by a few old ladies in his life. ]
no subject
Your mom beat you with a spoon?
[What in the—when she was bad, she was just sent to her room.]
What'd you do to deserve that?
[Not!!! that she feels bad for him or anything... he must have been a pretty naughty kid to get smacked by kitchen tools.]
no subject
her fingers move without much thought to them; after all, basket weaving is so methodical that she only has to think about it at the beginning before she can let her mind wander, her lips pressed together, and she hardly even notices that anyone else has joined her at the table until there's the sound of a hushed voice. something like a whisper. oh, a stranger? that doesn't trouble her much, but she does let her eyes study him, wary for just a moment, before she relents easily.
well, he doesn't look too confident, now does he? she grins at him despite herself, feeling a bit of pity for someone roped into something like this with little idea how to do any of it. )
I don't know, I'm pretty expensive. ( she turns her gaze back to her basket, but it's obvious from the rise in her voice that she's definitely teasing him. ) What do you have to offer me, the greatest basket weaver extraordinaire?