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.
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When he hears his Bonded's voice, he stops, looking up in time to see that hat get knocked down and hear cheers from the team of young gang of youths. He hurries to Jin Guangyao's side, suppressing a laugh of his own.]
Oh, dear. Are you all right? A-Yao, you shouldn't be out in the cold.
[He tries to shield his friend from the incoming snowballs, using his body to block the fresh ammunition.]
Now, children, be nicer. Naga are sensitive to the cold weather.
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I could hardly stay inside all day. Especially when there are the local festivities coming up.
[He replies with a faint smile, brushing snow off his hat first, then reaching up to brush it out of his Bonded's hair and off his shoulders. He is feeling a little sleepy as time passes outside, yes, but so far today he's been slipping from store to store to warm up a little between each slither across snowy streets.
But it's still far from ideal, and another unfortunate reminder of his current state.]
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Ah, children, you should be nice! Be careful not to throw them too hard.
[After a few more coordinated attempts to knock Jin Guangyao's hat off of his head again and out of reach, it becomes obvious that the harbor crew is aiming to bury that hat in as much snow as they can before the adults can hide it. Eventually, Lan Xichen decides this is all too much. Bringing his fingers to his lips, he gives a long whistle, letting the note swoop up at the end and make the air around them stir to life, dropping all the snowballs short. The children just laugh as they scatter, one faun giving Jin Guangyao a cheeky wink as they duck away.]
...Festivities or not, perhaps I should accompany you. If we don't stay close, you might end up getting sick from all this activity.
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It's certainly a lot of excitement, and yet despite that he really feels that he tires easily in the cold. Perhaps he really should be more careful. Looking after the departing children, it reminds him a little of Jin Ling's troubles back in their world; it's probably too much to hope the young man is faring better here.]
I believe I've already found Modranicht gifts for the most important people on my list, so there aren't so many things left to do.
[he responds with a rather more fond look at his Bonded.]
What brought you out this far, to the harbor?
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I wanted to experience the celebration. Everyone is decorating and sharing their customs. I thought it would be nice to see them all myself. Perhaps it will help me understand everyone a bit more.
[He takes Jin Guangyao's hands and hat between his palms, pushing warm energy out from his body and over the cold scales and damp cloth to dry them.]
The children often play here. Especially those that have no homes of their own... I wanted to make sure they were all right. But I didn't expect to meet you here.
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It is quite a coincidence, isn't it? Here I was, only passing through.
[He teases lightly -- not a coincidence at all, only in the sense that he knew Lan Xichen was not so far away through their Bond.]
I understand there is a Mirrorbound effort this year to bring some warmer clothing and small gifts for them. Perhaps we can find a few things to contribute as well.
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[Lan Xichen smiles, for a moment stepping back to observe his friend and make sure the frost isn't having too much of an effect on him. The hat at least seems to be dry, warmed by the spell, and Lan Xichen makes sure that he stays close to Jin Guangyao so that his magic can be passed through the Bond to keep the Naga comfortable.]
I would like that very much. Actually, I have been practicing new skills and I wanted to give you something as a token for this holiday.
[He's very excited for this chance! Even with the usual calm expression still in place, the feeling still makes its way through the Bond.]
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[The reply comes, curious and sweet. In some ways there certainly had been practice of new skills... but, truly, the amount of times Xichen had cast one heating spell or another for him has become considerable. But that doesn't seem like the sort of thing his friend is talking about.
Jin Guangyao gets his hat back into shape before settling it neatly back where it belongs on his head. As they walk/slither on past the site of the snowball ambush, he slides close enough to brush his fingers lightly against Xichen's, savoring that warmth passed through. The snowy cobbles are still cold underneath him, but it takes the edge off the lethargy he'd been feeling, almost normal despite the chill weather.]
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But he does smile, quickly catching the ends of Jin Guangyao's fingers in his hand and squeezing them, casting warmth up through the slender arm from the shared contact before letting him go again playfully.]
I have it with me. Let's go find a place to rest and I can show you properly. I don't want to risk being caught again and interrupted.
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But those expectations are confirmed in some ways at the reply. There are some vague thoughts in the back of Jin Guangyao's mind about a certain few problems that still remain in Aefenglom. But it's not hard to leave that completely aside when he can still have these much more private moments with Xichen.]
I know of several cafes not so far from here. Or we could return home for a little while instead, if that would be more suitable?
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[When did they last spend time together out like this? A public space without work or responsibilities to pull them away and no other company to attend to them or watch their movements? It's a change to be able to make these trips and not feel watched in some way, and Lan Xichen wants to opportunity to indulge in that.]
Would you like some soup? You must be hungry after shopping today.
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That sounds quite good. I know of just the place.
[He agrees, turning at the next corner away from the docks and the more rowdy tavern-like sorts of establishments he knows are in this area of the city, happy to exchange light chitchat about the latest visit to the Underground and ask about his Bonded's latest spellwork for the few minutes until they get there -- interspersed with an occasional touch hand-to-hand.]
Ah, here we are. It's very fortunate there are so many vegetarian options about. It's something to thank the puca and fauns for, I suppose.
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They haven't really done something like that before. Not in any intentional way, at least. He smiles more brightly, his step picking up as they walk to the chosen spot. ]
I'm very grateful to them for it. I am sure I wouldn't starve, but it does make living here easier. And of course I have you to thank as well.
[ Their lives have not always been easy, but for the most part they seem to have come much further now. Xichen is hopeful. After all, didn't Jin Guangyao say he wanted a new life? They can give him that and it will all be fine. ]
I'm happy to have you here. I thought- Well, I know it is not easy, but I'm relieved.
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He lowers his gaze with a small smile. He might still have some of his own worries now and then, still. Relieved wouldn't be his feeling, but that they had, more recently, settled into a more comfortable place was very pleasant. It was only that somehow echoes of the past kept disrupting them. Well, it wouldn't do to dwell too long on it here and now, and sour the faint feelings that echo distantly between them.]
I'm glad you're here as well. I'm not certain what I would have done without your help.
[He demurs. Inside, the cafe isn't too busy, with a calm atmosphere. Normally decorated in wood and green potted plants, echoing a peaceful forest, there are garlands and bright decorations overlaid on the greenery, signalling the festive time of year.
Ordering a couple bowls of hearty vegetable soup from the faun at the counter, he slides over to a small table, curling himself up into much of an unobtrusive coiled pile as he can under his half of the table. Eyes bright, Jin Guangyao gives Lan Xichen a curious look alongside his faint smile.]
I've yet to hear what these new skills you mentioned are, Xichen.
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You would be quite successful, I'm sure, without me. But I am happy to have been able to provide some assistance. And I hope to offer more in the future.
[As a friend or as more. He isn't sure how comfortable Jin Guangyao really is with that idea, but it's one he's growing more fond of anyway. Lan Xichen reaches inside his robes and pulls out a neatly wrapped package. Setting it on the table, he slides the soft item over to Jin Guangyao. On top of the gift lies a familiar jade token, resting like a treasure on a pillow.]
They are not so great yet, but I hope this will suffice in the meantime.
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Surely you didn't have a copy made here?
[Because it's too perfectly matching his memory of the token, a permission to enter Cloud Recesses... that had been revoked. Where things had been exactly at that point, he couldn't say, but with that rejection, and the knowledge that things had begun to fall apart in ways that were being hidden from him, he'd returned it.
To see that small symbol in the painting was one thing, but to have it here, being given once again, was another. It was a trinket that had no power here, obviously, but there had always been a deeper feeling behind granting him that token of passage.]
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It's not a copy. Some things have followed us through the mirrors, it seems. This came to me, but I want it to go to the person it belongs to.
This is the only piece of Cloud Recesses I have to offer you, but I would like you to keep it.
[This time it's going to be different. Maybe because the token doesn't really grant entrance to the sect anymore, but also because Lan Xichen is going to pay more attention to how his gifts are received. Before, he offered the token as a sign of his friendship, which might have been part of the mistake.]
You have a home with me.
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This was certainly a much nicer thing to receive than what he'd gotten.
Jin Guangyao runs his thumb across the jade's surface, looking back down at the token. He is hardly oblivious to the sentiment or Lan Xichen's feelings, especially with the way things have gone as far as they have here. Despite his trespasses... well, he had said that he wanted a new life here. had he not?
If only it was really that simple.
Softly smiling, he looks up again.]
Thank you. I wouldn't have expected it to be returned to me, some time ago. But I think it's a very fortunate sign that it arrived here with us.
[After that, he really can't imagine what is in the soft package comprising the rest of the gift, and after a lightly questioning look at his friend, neatly begins opening the wrapping.]
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Saying things could be different and making things different were two different things. Offering the jade token back again this time had to be deliberate and as important as Lan Xichen felt it was.]
It might have come by fortunate chance, but even if it had not, it would still be yours. I want you to have it, A-Yao. What I can offer here is different from what I could offer in the past, but I hope you'll still accept it.
[If that meaning is taken or discarded, that is up to Jin Guangyao to decide. Lan Xichen at least feels better that he was able to say it. He watched his Bonded unwrap the parcel, revealing the handmade sweater. Or what might be a sweater, if a sweater were a tube. It is also embroidered with very careful, delicate figures that at least show a great deal of care and effort.]
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These differences are not so bad, I think. [Some differences in their circumstances, perhaps. But not in what is being offered here, that he understands all the better for having lashed out once -- and being reunited after that fateful night.] And it would be very cruel of me to reject such a gift when offered so sincerely once more.
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If you did not want it, I would not think the rejection cruel. I only want you to be happy and have what you asked for. At least as much of that as I can grant.
[ Through friendship or love. ]
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How am I possibly going to be able to match such a present now, though? I'm already outmatched on so many many fronts, and now Zewu-jun is surpassing me in selecting the perfect gift. Not to mention a second present on top of the first.
[He teases in mock woe. As he finishes unwrapping, he begins to unfold the, er, puzzling garment (though as he goes the idea begins to dawn quickly), examining the figures more closely.]
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[The teasing is sweet. This is a side of Jin Guangyao that others sometimes missed, tucked away behind wary courtesy and fragile smiles. Lan Xichen wondered once if that kind smile and soft playfulness was a lie, but sitting with him now, he can't imagine it as false.
The sweater (it seems to be something like that, at least) bears thin threads stitched into subtle swirling clouds and blooming flowers. Climbing the stems and current lines is a winding, serpentine dragon with full mane and golden scales. It flies between the clouds, surrounded by small birds and stray leaves. Further down, below the area where air rules, mountains and forests are sewn in. A few deer and horses stand against the background, gathering together or racing across the field of pale fabric.]
And this gift is not so grand. I just thought it might help keep you warm.
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No, I had not forgotten.
[Nor had he forgotten why he'd returned it -- in that clear revocation of trust as the life he'd carefully built began to fall apart-- but that thought wanders off course as he takes in the detail and care that's been put into the other present as well.
'Just thought it might keep you warm', as if the effort that's clearly gone into it is not such a big deal.]
This must have taken you a very long time to complete. Yet you've transferred your skill with a brush so well into cloth.
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He had been frustrated by that thought. The question of how much Jin Guangyao had really planned and played out before his tragic end. Had he only been a convenience? He had always assumed, before things really came to light, that there was a deeper connection between them. But that had probably been too much of an assumption. Xichen is learning now how to really assess his friend. And yet that doesn't dampen his feelings at all.]
It is not the same as it was.
[A key with no lock. Or a key to one that he isn't always sure Jin Guangyao needs. Nevertheless, he offers it, because those feelings are still true.]
Ah, it's not as nice as you deserve. Surely not as well crafted as what you are used to wearing.
[It did take him a long time to make, but unlike painting, his inexperience is there. At least the designs aren't completely unrecognizable or sloppy. That is a small blessing. He also might have enchanted the embroidery to create warmth when the garment is warm.]
I would create something nicer, but I'm afraid this is the extent of my practice so far.
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