[EVENT] Bonfire Night

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: February 21st
Location: Various.
Situation: It’s cold. Time to cuddle up and make bonfires for the warmth.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

As night falls the city’s lights take something of a unique turn. Instead of being lit by millions of paper lanterns, Keeliai is tonight lit by the flames and warmth of dozens if not hundreds of fires. Some of them are small, not much more than warming hearths in a barrel on a street, but others encompass squares and boulevards.

The fire lighting procession winds through the city’s streets, beginning at the first bonfire in Fire Sector. By the time full night has arrived, that procession is a snake illuminated by dozens of torches, parting from the main parade to light smaller fires in smaller streets. It ends, finally, in Central, in the Courtyard of Public Opinion, whose bonfire is second only to the initiating one in Fire Sector.

In some areas an exchange of goods arises, mostly in terms of woollens and other warm clothes and blankets. Though food is considered a public resource on this occasion, bartering small knickknacks, songs, stories and even other woollen items is not uncommon an exchange.

Meals are shared among kedan and Foreigners, commoners and emissaries--primarily stews, soups and other foods easily baked in the coals of the fires. Everyone brings food, and what isn’t contributed to the pot is nevertheless shared around after preparation. Although some bonfires are markedly wealthier than others, food and shelter is spread around to make sure everyone is safe and warm. No one goes cold and alone on this night.

---

LINKS
Fire Sector (main bonfire) | Water Sector | Metal Sector | Earth Sector | Wood Sector | Central Keeliai

OOC Notes
The five Bresilykian emissary NPC can be found moving from Sector to Sector and partaking in the various traditions of each, and so can be engaged anywhere, while the Keeliai NPCs generally are staying in their respective areas as detailed below. Please put the name of the NPC you're requesting in the subject line of your tag if you want to interact with them. Thank you!

Comments

EARTH SECTOR

[ironwood]

Earth Sector’s fires are understated, like much of the sector itself. Though they burn exceptionally hot, the residents here are more interested in the coals and the ash than the flames. Like in Metal Sector, this makes baked goods especially common, but unlike Metal Sector many artisans have brought their tools to give impromptu crafting lessons.

Clay-work, kiln-firing, ash-paintings--this is the only sector where an exchange of juulan for product occurs this evening, as sidewalk artisans sell their wares to those around the bonfires. There is only one, if ‘unofficial’ rule: only wares created that very night may be sold for juulan. Anything else is traded, as in the rest of Keeliai, for woollens and the like.

As the darkest sector, due to the dimness of their fires, many kedan here have the paper lanterns as a secondary light-source--though they are all, inevitably, lit from one of the fires. The coals of dying fires are carefully collected and taken home, as both a symbol and a resource, and the ashes are collected and sold, by the individual families as ‘businesses’, to various gardeners, artisans and the Woodsmen who may use them.

Azehaiss

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

Sonja walked down the street with two pieces of pottery in hand. One was a well-crafted bowl with a pleasant orange/red glaze that Sonja had purchased for three Juulan. The other was a misshapen, would-ask-to-be-put-out-of-its-misery-if-it-was-alive cup that Sonja had tried to make with instruction from one of the local artisans. With one last pitiful look, Sonja dropped it into one of the fire pits. It's ashes would be more valuable than it's continued existence.

She spotted Azehaiss a moment later, and immediately recognized the demeanor of a career military man. She'd spent most of her life surrounded by them. She recalled that several Bresilykian were on the shell, and considering the lack of any real Kedanese military force, she felt safe assuming he was one of them.

"Hello, Azehaiss, if I recall correctly?" She was confident that she was since she had just looked it up in the notes on her phone. "I'm Sonja. Are you enjoying the... Bonfire Night, I think its called?"

[cherrywood]

Azehaiss inclined his head toward Sonja respectfully, acknowledging both her identification of him and her greeting. His voice was surprisingly deep and resonant, even given his tall stature. "Hello, Mme Sonja. Yes, it's quite an impressive display, and the kedan people heartily enjoying it. And yourself?"

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

"It's different, certainly. I admit I tended to find such events frivolous back home, when my father would make me attend - although usually from a stage or a parade car surrounded by soldiers, where he could keep me safe. Here, it's a bit of a welcome break from the monotony."

[cherrywood]

"You find your life on the Great Turtle monotonous?" Azehaiss asked with a touch of amusement. "I wonder how many of your fellow Foreigners would share that perception. Your father must have held a position of considerable importance in your homeland, yes?"

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

"Only the emperor of the greatest empire in the world," Sonja said, not even trying to be humble.

"Its been a bit of an adjustment, since I got here. You call it the 'great turtle.' Does Tu Vishnu have a reputation overseas?"

[cherrywood]

"Is that so?" Azehaiss answered blandly, unimpressed by the claim. "I hope he rules with more humility than he passed to his offspring. The Great Turtle's name is Tu Vishan, should you wish to make note of that for future conversations. And yes, of course he does. The last living Great Turtle in all of Konryu... how could any remain ignorant of that?"

Re: EARTH SECTOR

[fearlessherosheart]

Tazendra had first learned how to paint with the ashes from a fire and an improvised brush, thanks to spending some time in prison in her youth. She'd always done it, but found the exercise especially compelling here in Keelai where it was one of her talents that was understood and welcome. So, she'd brought up what supplies she'd purchased and had set up near the lanterns. The night made colors chancy, but working in monochrome was fine for low light.

She'd painted some of the creatures and places from her homeworld and landmarks of the city, but was pleased to stop and practice portraits. She'd also brought out a coffeepot and her klava press so that she'd have warm drinks and places to warm her hands and keep her water from freezing.

ota

[merb]

Stork has arrived in the midst of the bonfire night with no clue what's going on, beyond the basic gist of dimensions and Foreigners and told to find the Welcome Center or the Midnight Hotel. He doesn't know where either of those things are, and the kedan are celebrating a little too hard to take the time to show him, which the pilot wouldn't have minded if it wasn't so frigidly cold here!

Thankfully he's able to get himself a large, large blanket that he's got pulled over his head like a giant hood, and wrapped around himself while he sits on a bench as close as he can get to a bonfire without basically sitting in it.

He's happy for the blanket, but above muttering under his breath something about unfamiliar textiles and rashes and Helafa Doublefanged Ticks.

[peacefullywreathed]

The whole of the evening is rather akin to a fair, so much so that even Solomon can't remain too aloof. Just somewhat aloof. The fact that he can't use the shadows to add to the festivities leaves an unexpected knot of bitter regret under his ribs, but he ignores it by watching the artisans at work here.

Some of these works are truly beautiful. Maybe Raine would appreciate some of that pottery ...

Hearing a blanketed man muttering to himself as he passes, however--well, that's just too easy to pass up.

"Yes, you'd think they would be a touch more careful giving out fabrics at random after last month's blight," Solomon said sympathetically.

[merb]

"Blight?!" Stork yelped, in an octave very few males of any species should have been able to hit.

He leapt up quickly, shedding the blanket as if it had grown teeth to bite him, and hurled it into the nearest fire pit. Only when the balled up material caught fire and gave the flames a shooting boost of sparks at the new fuel did he seem to realize what he'd just done, and hunkered down onto the bench again, his ears flattening sideways against the cold.

[peacefullywreathed]

The man, or whatever he was, had struck Solomon as paranoid, but that reaction was still far and away beyond what Solomon had expected, and for a moment his startle showed on his face. By the time the--oh, what the hell; he was obviously male, call him a man--by the time the man had settled, Solomon's face was back to amused sympathy.

"There was no need for that," he chided. "Now they won't be able to test it for contagions, if you were so worried."

He turned and caught the eye of one of the staring kedan, stepping away long enough for a low-voiced conversation the newcomer wouldn't be able to hear, and when he came back it was with a replacement blanket. "Here," he said briskly, showing the man the weaver's mark on the corner. "These weavers are highly conscientious. They'll be safe."

They all were, but why not? These particular weavers did fine, beautiful work, made some of the softest garments Solomon had worn, and were less inclined to be a nuisance to the Foreigners than many others. They could probably use a bit of advertising.

[merb]

"If there was a blight, there should be all kinds of microbial evidence crawling over everything," Stork huffed, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. This was as bad as being stuck on Terra Blizzaris, and he was already feeling pins and needles in his extremities.

When Solomon returned with another blanket, Stork gave it a long suspicious stare, certainly envisioning what it could possibly be tainted with despite the necromancer's assurances. Practicality won out reluctantly over paranoia this time, and he gingerly accepted the replacement.

"Oh... thanks," he said, before wrapping himself up in it like a cocoon, where he considered to shiver, though slightly less than before. "I'm going to go out on a thermal and guess that our hosts of this place don't experience thermal paralysis."

[peacefullywreathed]

"There are all kinds of microbes crawling over everything anyway," Solomon pointed out, taking a seat on an edge nearby, near the fire himself. His coat was one of the warmest he owned, but it wasn't exactly enchanted. "Most of them just aren't harmful. Our 'hosts', as you call them, are fairly affected by most things flesh-and-blood beings are, though. What's might I call you?"

OTA

[ruinsprofessor]

For part of the night, Raine chose to return to the Earth sector. Even if she spent more time in the Hotel and in Water these days, as her responsibilities were there, she still had a certain fondness for the place she'd spent something like nine months living, and the understated nature of the celebrations there suited her.

She had a paper lantern in hand rather than her staff, and when she located an artisan who was willing to teach on the spot she leapt at the opportunity to learn more, quickly becoming absolutely fascinated, and while Raine was in Earth she barely left the fires for that fascination. Anyone stumbling across her would find her fire-warmed and smiling, eyes alight with interest.

[strokeofgenis]

Genis hasn't been out of the Hotel all that much since he's gotten here, but he's been assured that for the most part that today of all days isn't going to be the stereotypical everyone's upset with the foreigners day. And surely to his surprise, it's not that. The kedan seem practically and strangely friendly as they light all the bonfires. Granted, the Earth Sector is darker than the others, he was totally okay getting away from the crowds elsewhere for a slightly more laid back aspect.

He's walking along with Raine, and while he's still not quite over the culture shock of finding his sister dating one new boyfriend that he's yet to accept, he's... not entirely indisposed to travelling along with his sister, if only because it grants him a little bit of the attention he seeks.

"I don't see why the people of Earth can't light their bonfires a bit larger," he says as he shivers beneath his coat. "It's p-p-practically freezing out here! Though at least everyone's seemed to forget that we're outsiders for the day. I guess I can't complain about that."

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine eyes the way Genis is shivering, and purposefully directs them closer to one of the larger fires, though she doesn't actually say anything about her intent. The weather lately has been colder than Flanoir, honestly, and here even without the excuse of Celsius' presence affecting the climate.

She's just glad things with her brother are evening out a little.

"There are other sectors we may visit," Raine points out. "Earth is mostly craftspeople, so naturally their interests will be more in the use of the fire than the spectacle." And her tone gentles as she addresses the other part of his statement. "But it is nice, to see everyone coming together like this. Even most of the faction disputes seem to have been forgotten."

[strokeofgenis]

Evening out, yes. It's not as if things are back to normal, though at least so long as there's the pretence of things being the way they were back in Aselia, well, he's okay with that. Besides, staying in that Hotel was a bit stuffy, and he's more than willing at this point to get out, especially given that the kedan's attitude was less than stifling.

"Granted, that is nice, but why go out of their way to pretend for one day that everyone's the same when they're just going to go back to the old way tomorrow?" Genis asks, rather weirded out by the whole notion. "I mean, it's not like they can be genuinely earnest about treating everyone equal today, right?"

[ruinsprofessor]

Things may not return to normal for a while-- or it may be that accepting things now as normal will take a while. Either way, for now Raine will take what she can get.

"I wonder," Raine says, softly, and for a moment that's all the answer she has, and she stares at the fire. "It may be that the spirit of the holiday, such as it is, has lowered everyone's guards in the first place, and it isn't such a stretch from ignoring the problems between them to ignoring what grudge they bear us, as well. Special occasions often do make people more charitable than they would be otherwise."

She wishes she had a better answer than that for him, but anything more falls into the baffling category of 'the nature of people,' which is nowhere near explicable. "I'd like to say it's slowly been getting better in general," Raine adds, reflective, "but I may not be in the best position to tell."

[strokeofgenis]

Even if Genis is marginally happy to be able to wander the streets of Keeliai with some amount of reasonable freedom and without too much drama, and even if Genis isn't going to argue with the kedan about their sudden generosity, it still doesn't mean he's not baffled by it. Which is of course rather ironic since Genis is already exemplary of this phenomenon without him even able to see it given his willingness to walk along with Raine. "Maybe, but you'd think that they could just learn their lesson that everyone's not that bad, and then tomorrow it won't just go back to normal, right? Maybe they just feel pressured to be nice to everyone because that's what everyone else seems to be doing."

[R.I.P. Genis' optimism, 2015-2015.]

Genis just sighs widely and looks at the ground. "At least things are getting better. I'd hate to see this place getting worse."

Toph, OTA

[theideaguy]

A. Toph

Sokka had seen her sneak away. He had to be honest with himself that he was really glad to see her here, even if this world wasn't exactly something that he would wish on most people. Their world, in many respects, was better. Well, at least he knew it was going to be better once they defeated the Fire Lord. After all, how could it possibly get worse? But that was neither here nor there. With the exception of one member, Team Avatar was complete. And really, if he had to be honest with himself, the newest addition to Keeliai's Team Avatar was his best friend.

And it is because of that, perhaps, why he follows her away from the crowds into the Earth Sector. He's not exactly surprised that she's going this way: Earthbender, Earth Sector, it was a match made in Shangri-la, really. He follows behind her at a reasonable distance, being as quiet as he can. After all, if she had wanted to talk, she would have invited him with her, right? Of course he's forgotten he can see her through the earth... but he keeps behind her because, well, the city is dangerous, and while Toph is more than apt at taking care of herself of course, even if she can take care of herself. He can't help but have a sentimental spot for his friend, fresh after her "rearrival" here.

B. OTA

Well, the food is certainly worth it, and there's bound to be a fair bit of meat in the stew tonight. He can't complain about that! And so he's walking away from the bonfire with a rather nice mixed meat stew in a clay pot he managed to acquire rather cheaply (since, after all, the prices tonight were so very low, at least for foreigners!).

"Ah, I could get used to having holidays here all the time," Sokka says with a rather happy grin. "If only we didn't have to have all the non-holidays in between..."

A!

[seismometrics]

But for whatever reason, Toph doesn't seem to be paying attention as he trails after her into the Earth Sector -- or at least doesn't call him on it. She doesn't turn to confront him, nor give any indication she's aware of him as she slips between bodies, weaving her way through the crowds.

She doesn't seem to have any set path. Instead, she drifts, a small, quiet shadow amongst the revelers, lingering at the fringes of the fires and the crowds. She stands, waits, listens . . . slips away again without a word.

After a time she buys a bun still warm from the ovens. She doesn't eat it right away. Cupping it between her hands, she sits in the half-shadows of a set of stairs, small among the buildings and the laughter.

[theideaguy]

Well, if nothing else, Toph was certainly not the easiest girl to track down. Her short stature made it occasionally easy for her to slip out of sight as she weaved her way amongst kedan, only to appear a few minutes later as she enters an open space once again. And if she is up to something specific tonight, he can't figure out what it is. She seems to be making up her itinerary on a moment-to-moment basis, making it all the more worrisome when she does disappear from sight.

But still, he manages to trail her most of the way through the Earth Sector until she finds her way to one of the darkest spots. How she could manage to find the places where it was even hard for him to spot her was nothing shy of uncanny this night, but still Sokka sees her finally pause for a goodly moment, fresh bread in her hands.

Does he go to her? Or should he leave her be?

Nah, he's going to go. He's come this far. Besides, as long as Toph's been part of Team Avatar, she's never been the silent and lonesome type. She's always piped up. So of course it bears checking out.

He heads over to her, sweeping his feet across the ground to give the auditory clue as well that he's coming. "For a night full of bonfires, you're certainly keeping your distance from them."

[seismometrics]

As he gets closer, he might realize one reason she hasn't been too attentive; she's scrounged up some shoes from somewhere. While seismic sense still works, technically, as long as there isn't much snow, it's definitely dulled, limiting her range.

Not to mention the fact that her expression is far away, absent, as though she's listening to something inaudible to the world around her.

So it's only when he's closer does she suddenly notice that he's there, straightening abruptly as he comes more in range. Immediately she shifts, sliding into a more casual stance, filling the stairs with her presence.

"Too loud," she proffers with a shrug, biting into the bun in her hands. "Needed a break."

Not an honest answer, and he'll know it, having followed her. But she doesn't know that. Yet.

[theideaguy]

Sokka is dressed up quite warmly as he wanders over before leaning up against the wall next to the set of stairs heading up to the other part of the Sector. He doesn't sit down yet, though he still has half a mind to shortly.

"Nice try," Sokka says, "but you can't fool me on that one. Besides, I thought you rather liked being the centre of attention." His thoughts are going all the way back to Earth Rumble VI, where Toph literally was there in the heart of it all, showing off her stuff in front of who knew how many people.

"I see you got tired of getting carried around," he says, giving a nod towards Toph's shoes. Of course, he clues visually instead of verbally, so odds are even that she'll get the joke.