[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

milyn + ota

[akito]

[ open ]

For all that Akito likes any opportunity that arises where he can be loud without the fear of retaliation for it buzzing in the back of his mind, he stays silent while exploring the Water Sector. His sensitive sense of hearing makes every song that much more lively to his ears, though every mistake in pitch causes him to cringe just a bit - moreso if the note is sharp. It's loud and crowded and he's by himself (Bird had decided to take refuge in their apartment not long after arriving in the sector, leaving Akito without his feathered company) and usually he would be uncomfortable; worried that he might get knocked over and trampled if he wasn't careful, or overwhelmed byy being around so many people.

And he is uncomfortable, but not unbearably so. The crowds are manageable, and Akito can block out the noise when it gets to be too much for him. He finds himself lingering by any music with strong percussion or any resemblance to bird song, humming along under his breath with near perfect pitch. When he was younger he used to like singing. But then things changed and he was scared to make too much noise growing up, and ever since then Akito has stuck to humming quiet notes to himself whenever he felt the need for music or sound.

The music is worth any amount of discomfort Akito feels, not realizing how much he missed being surrounded by it. iPods and mp3 players were something he took for granted before, but if he ever has the chance to use one again in the future he'll remember just how much duller life was without it.


[ milyn! ]

One of the main reasons Akito ventured to the Water Sector had been to greet Milyn. He hadn't really spoken to her before, and since he awoke from the year long slumber Akito can't recall seeing her at all apart from the occasional random passing. It isn't that he begrudges her - quite the opposite, in fact - but something about her makes him... Not sad, but something similar? And he can never pinpoint why. Perhaps because she's so kindhearted and caring, and so giving even when the other kedan are not? And all she gets in return for it seems to be the undercurrent of betrayal by her people. Though he thinks (hopes?) that as things are improving between the kedan and the foreigners that things have improved tenfold for Milyn as well.

When Akito finally spots the Cherrywood Healer he walks up to her with only the slightest hesitation, not wanting to take up her time if she's busy yet also desiring to thank her for tending to him and the others during their slumber.

"Miss Milyn?"

[cherrywood]

Milyn beams at Akito, both pleased to see him and at the polite address. "Hello Akito," she answered, because she knew all the Foreigners thoroughly, regardless of how often they spoke to her. "Are you enjoying the night? It's quite a sight, isn't it?"

[akito]

Still unfamiliar with the woman, and therefore unsure of how to interact with her, Akito defaults to being chipper and polite. "I would say it's quite a sound, ne?" He jokes, moving closer now that he's aware she isn't too busy. Akito still keeps a distance between then, though it is respectful rather than hesitant.

"Um, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while, but never found the time for it..." It's more or less true - it wasn't so much that he never found the time as much as simply forgetting he meant to seek Milyn out. "Is now a good time?"

[cherrywood]

"Oh, you did?" Milyn usually had her ear to the Foreigners' pulse, so this was a surprise. "This is as good a time as any, what did you need, dear?"

[akito]

"Un! Yes, um..." He bows politely - deep and straight-backed like a proper Japanese person would, rather than the more casual bows he's more accustomed to. There aren't many people back home Akito can think of who bow, but it seems like the right thing to do here.

"Thank-you for making sure I didn't die for the year I was asleep."

[cherrywood]

Milyn laughs at that, reaching out to pat Akito on the cheek gently. "Oh you silly dear," she said. "You don't have to thank me for that, not at all. Of course I wouldn't have let any of you die. Even if I weren't a Healer, that's just not something I'd do."

[akito]

Cheeks flushing from the kind gesture, Akito offers a small, tentative smile in return before looking down at his feet. Now for the more difficult thing he had wanted to ask of her.

"Um... As for the question I had, I was wondering if you knew..." He takes a breath to steady his nerves. "I was wondering if you knew why I wasn't able to go home. It's... It's not that it doesn't want me back, is it?"

Akito doesn't quite know what he'll do if the answer is that his world doesn't want him back, but knows that he still wants an answer, if there even is one to give.

[cherrywood]

The Healer's expression fell slightly at the question, but only because she knew that no answer she could give would be likely to make Akito feel better.

"I'm afraid I don't know why," she said softly, settling her hands on Akito's shoulders, even though they were nearly the same height. "You see, that was Evastelei's talent, that type of magic that could move people between worlds. There isn't anyone I know left in this world that can do that any more, not with Ironwood gone and now Eva too. I can't say why you weren't able to go back to your home, sweetling. But I would like to think that it isn't for anything like what you're believing, and that you are for the moment, where you need to be. Any world would be lucky to have you."

forgot to press post comment +3+;;

[akito]

"There's nobody left who can?" While Akito has come to accept that his lot in life is likely to remain in Keeliai until his death, but that doesn't mean he believes it's the same for everyone else. There are people, he knows, who need to go back. "Is there any information left in books?"

Milyn's words are kind, but he doesn't think they're more than just that - kind words meant to placate him. They're still nice to hear though, even if he can't quite believe them.

"It's not fair that everyone who's needed at home is still stuck here."

I do that all the time

[cherrywood]

"Most of the books on magic were in the Palace, and I'm to understand they were destroyed by the cultists that were there," Milyn said dubiously. "But I can hardly speak for the whole world, and what magic might still be out there."