tushanshu_logs | [EVENT] Bonfire Night

[EVENT] Bonfire Night

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Though the ‘business’ district, Central also has a large population of well-wishers--though a transient one, as most of those attending the bonfires here are taking the opportunity to visit friends and family by moving through the sectors.

The Courtyard of Public Opinion, as well as the second-largest bonfire, has the most ‘official’ exchange area for those seeking to trade their unwanted but useful items. Though something of an impromptu event, it has apparently occurred often enough that the Merchant’s Guild has established some loose guidelines and are on hand to render a professional opinion on heirlooms and family treasures left to collect dust in the attic.

Some combination of barter and bluster at once, many of those who bring objects to the Courtyard are simply looking for an opportunity to tell stories about their family and their past, and show off their treasures in equal pleasure as they listen to others.

The Midnight Hotel, though Foreigner-run, has also taken to the event with a bonfire outside its main entrance. Though its rules are still enforced, its doors and kitchen are open to the general public, and there is a great cauldron of a sweet drink readily distributed to anyone who passes. The main topic of debate in this area is what the drink is; tea, hot-chocolate, some kind of honeyed tincture? It’s difficult to tell, and the proprietor remains close-lipped. Those who were particularly adventurous in Khatronma will note that it tastes quite a bit like one of the ‘chocolate’ drinks common in the empire, but with a unique--but pleasant--flavour.

The various gang-members who had been in and out of the Hotel all day had been talking of almost nothing else but the bonfires that night. More than one--over a dozen, in fact--had asked 'Mr Shudder' if he intended to build one in front of the Hotel's main entrance. So he had.

Though the bonfire had been lit by the procession, as with all the rest, Anton had asked Skulduggery's help in making the fire was warm and striking with as little risk as possible, with the result that it's among the largest in the sector and warms the whole of the courtyard onto which the Hotel's main entrance opens.

Anton himself sits by the Hotel's open doors, though relatively few are inside this evening; he's wearing the black turtleneck Dante had given him for Christmas and a long, rather tattered rainbow scarf that looks like it's over a century old. (It is.) His cauldron of 'hot-chocolate' is near enough to the fire to be warmed by it without risking Anton's fingers, and on his other side is a table of the Hotel's cups and mugs. At his feet is a basin of warmed water, with which he washed the cups as needed to ensure they were always enough on hand for any passersby.

And he's knitting. Yep. There's a basket full of rolled socks of various sizes and colours nearby with a sign saying 'free to good home'. In spite of that, one of the kedan has put a bowl in front of the basket for juulan donations, and from the looks of things, the socks have been popular; some kedan have even commissioned specific colours or styles outright.

Skulduggery agreed to help Anton start and maintain one of the largest bonfires in Central Keeliai because it had sounded, at the time, like an interesting thing to do. No one had told him he'd be spending the time catching wafting embers out of the air while Anton sat next to him and knitted.

Knitted socks.

"Anton," said Skulduggery without moving his eyeless gaze away from the flames. "Do you remember when you told me this afternoon you had an exciting job you needed help with? Were you referring to the fire, or to the knitting?"

"Perhaps I was referring to both," said Anton tranquilly. Snicksnicksnick went his knitting-needles. "Do you not consider either to be exciting, Skulduggery? Whatever happened to your sense of adventure?"

For his part, Anton was finding the whole evening to be quite relaxing, not to mention satisfying. Anton enjoyed nice, warm socks. He was glad to see he wasn't the only one.

"My sense of adventure," Skulduggery muttered, "is right where it's supposed to be. I think yours is the one that's escaped."

There was something relaxing about watching the crackle of the tall bonfire, even Skulduggery had to admit. But while Skulduggery was now perfectly capable of relaxing, and had been for a while, centuries of habit were difficult to sweep under the rug. He was getting bored, and in some ways, boredom could be just as dangerous as anger.

"What would it take," Skulduggery asked on a whim, "to convince you to build a garage in the Hotel?"

"That depends upon the resources," Anton said musingly. "It certainly isn't impossible, though I would have to take up some room within the Hotel's boundaries; the secondary dining room, perhaps, though it will take some time for patrons to become accustomed to the lessened space."

The main issue would be connecting the doorway to the outside in such a fashion as to allow entrance, given the Hotel was currently seated between all sectors. "And, of course, I would need reason to build one at all." Anton narrowed his eyes at Skulduggery. "What are you plotting?"

CENTRAL KEELIAI

GETCHA WOOLLEN SOCKS HERE

WHY WOULD I WANT YO WOOLEN SOCKS

no class. no class at all.

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OMG SOCKS

SOCK FOR ALL THE PEOPLE

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Re: GETCHA WOOLLEN SOCKS HERE

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NINJA VANISH

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socks, you say

socks so say i.

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ota

Welcome Center / Around~

WC

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