[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.

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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

[denyamenti]

That is very possibly the most excited anyone has ever sounded to find him, the thief can't help but think. Still, Genis' excited greeting lures a grin from him, and he gestures for the boy to join him on the bench. "Good evening idjmey," he said. "I see you've been set free from the Hotel. Enjoying the show?"

[strokeofgenis]

Genis... unfortunately doesn't know any better to not be excited about Bakura. Hey, he looks up to him for the time being, and not much will convince him otherwise... well perhaps unless he learns about Bakura's past... and then only time might tell.

"Evening to you too," Genis says, tabling the name that he was called for just a second. "Yeah, I was told most of the kedan wouldn't be scornful to anyone today, and surprisingly that's been mostly true, though I still don't know entirely why. But otherwise, everything's amazing! All of the fire and the warm coats and food. I actually made something to contribute, and it's already been eaten all up, it seems. And the celebration and the dancing."

There's a veiled question inside of that, though there are two more that are much more prominent. "Is that lady your magic?" is the first question that Genis asks, and the second is of course the other obvious one: "And what does idjmey mean?"

[denyamenti]

"You made something," Bakura echoed with amusement. "I take it then, that you have a better grasp of food preparation than your sister. She made me coffee once," he added, and the wince was implied even though he didn't show one in his expression. Which in itself was interesting, both the restraint and the fact that Raine had actually made him coffee, rather than sharing it in a public setting like a cafe.

The thief glanced back at the woman dancing in the fire pits. "She is," he affirmed. "That is 'Fire Princess'. Not one of my usual types, but it suited the situation." That was the strength of having the Ring to help him summon, of course. It vastly expanded his repertoire of monsters and spell cards, many times beyond what he would normally have in his deck. In fact, after so many months of not carrying the cards themselves, he thought it would almost feel strange to need them.

"As for idjmey," he repeated it slower in case Genis needed the pronunciation. "It's the word for a twist of linen. It looks small, but it's able to conduct strength many times its own length. You could say that identifying people in my own way is a habit of mine."

I am curious to know what language that is! :o

[strokeofgenis]

Genis lets out an otherwise private chuckle before side-eyeing Bakura. "And yet you lived to tell the tale? I'd say you were lucky just to be alive, though I'm not exactly sure if actually living after that is the luckier option." Yeah, after having experienced Raine's cooking over and over again due to Raine's insistence to get better, Genis sometimes wonders.

"Whoa, I didn't know you could do magic too, though!" Of course, as far as Genis can tell, the only mana tie between the girl on fire is that ring, but still... even if Kratos could only use mana because of that one Aionis Ore, it still made him capable of it; the ring still meant something. "That's so cool. Even I can't make things that look like people or anything nearly that elaborate." Yeah, one extra tie to make Bakura exactly like Genis? This just cements the tie between the two of them.

For a moment though, Genis is going to take a little issue at being small. "I'm still growing you know; one of these days I'm totally going to be taller than Raine." It is a minor note of indignation, though, because Bakura realises Genis' potential so easily. "But the description as a whole is pretty apt. I can definitely pull my weight in a team."

[denyamenti]

"So it seems," Bakura humoured, though the remark about being alive still caused a twinge of pain on his expression, though it could have easily been interpreted as being in reference to the memory of Raine's cooking.

"A good many people here have it in some form or another," the thief replied. "Some are similar in methods, though this is fairly unique. As for making things, that's not quite correct. Monsters," he nodded at the dancing woman, although the way he said the term was not in any way derogatory, merely using the word as a factual label. "Have their own appearances and names, I do not control those. I call them into this world, and maintain them here. But they're separate, sentient things."

"Who said I was referring to your height?" Bakura raised an eyebrow. He was hardly one to judge someone based solely on that; even in his own body in the past, his stature was never notably tall especially in comparison to the Priests like Set and Mahaado. And in a form that had been derived from Ryou's younger physical age, he'd ended up being even shorter. "Besides, your sister isn't that tall."

Genis' last remark about pulling his weight on a team made Bakura reflect on the joint infiltration that he, Raine and Rex had done into the Palace, and he remembered how the Healer had commanded impressive Light magics.

"Something you do often?"

[strokeofgenis]

Genis won't pick up the twinge of pain that Bakura gives. Whether it's Genis simply being distracted at that moment, ignorant, or just simply being 12 years old and therefore not picking up every single nuance of expression is up in the air.

However, Genis will look back at the rather beautiful fire lady when Bakura motions back to her, and he still seems enchanted. But perhaps oddly enough, he won't take issue with the word monster whatsoever. He's encountered some otherwise pretty humanoids in his days that would easily fall under the monster designation, even if they weren't quite human as this one. "Oh so you're a lot like Sheena then. Well, at least without the ninja part. But you summon things here, and then you can have them fight for you or fulfil your wishes?"

Still, Bakura's half-retort about Genis' assumption that he was referring to his height will do well to boost Genis' own confidence. Genis can't help but small. "Well, it is true that people can underestimate me because of my height... and really also my age. But... I do like the nickname... even if it does sound vaguely similar to the word 'midget' in some ways.

"And of course I'm useful in a fight. I'm probably the best spellcaster in the group from my world... except for maybe my sister, but even she can only use Light magic. I've got all sorts of types of spells. I've figured out every type of mana there is except for Darkness."

[denyamenti]

Bakura nodded; Genis' explanation of summoning was accurate in most aspects, making him wonder why Raine had never commented on the similarity if they indeed knew someone with alike abilities. "Yes to both," he answered. "And their actions cause a draw, which you may be able to feel."

The thief indulged Genis' brag about being the best of spellcasters, and raised an eyebrow at the remark about Darkness. "It's an element no different than the others," he said. "Despite people wishing to make a larger deal of it than needs be."

[strokeofgenis]

"Well of course," Genis says in reply to Bakura. "That's how I traced the lady back to you." In fact, he'll actually point into the sky and trace the line of magical influence that he can sense. "Right there. It's actually really interesting magic. Not the lines, but that you can do something like that. Sheena may not have been able to use magic, but I always wished I could summon too."

However, if Bakura needed to have taught Genis about Darkness magic, it really was a wasted thing. "Oh yeah, I know. For us, it's just one of the eight different forms of mana, just like the others. Just one side of one of the opposing types: Wind and Earth, Ice and Fire, Water and Lightning, Light and Darkness.

"In truth, I'm pretty terrible at Light magic as well. I only really know one Light spell. My sister is the one who's gifted at that."

[denyamenti]

Genis' matter of fact statement that he could sense the magic earned an amused snort. "Interesting is not usually the term people use," he replied. If Genis could trace it that accurately, then surely he'd also have sensed the dark influence it held-- different than the Dark element they had just been speaking about. Shadow magic wasn't inherently evil, but it certainly had aspects of less than wholesome energy.

"There are Spellcaster-types which deal in both," he said after a moment. "Would you like to meet one?"

[strokeofgenis]

While Genis is able to trace the mana's ley lines from the summoner to the summoned, the full intent of that shadow is perhaps a little lost. For Genis, mana is life, and the manipulation of that source is merely the essence of magic. The energy flow from Bakura might be different than what Genis is used to feeling with his own spells and the spells of his enemies, but that doesn't trigger any immediate alarms; after all, it's Bakura. Even if it's not entirely wholesome, Genis seems oblivious to the point. After all, he hasn't directly tapped into it; he's merely latched onto it with intuition.

Suffice to say, if indeed Genis was aware of the darker purpose of the magic—and he certainly wasn't—he's not showing any concern for it.

"I'd love to meet one!" Genis says, jumping up in the air once with a little too much excitement. "So is this another one of your summons then? I'd love to see how you do it!"

[denyamenti]

"Sit back down and enjoy the bonfires idgmey," Bakura shook his head, giving a laughing scoff. "I'm not about to summon them here. Besides, it's in poor taste to show up ones' hosts by providing better entertainment than they are. And here I thought you were enjoying yourself?"

[strokeofgenis]

For a moment, there's a rather pouting look on Genis face. Yeah, proper manners never really appealed to Genis anyway. "First you ask if I want to meet someone, and then you tell me it's rude to actually want to meet that someone," Genis remarks rather dryly. "I'm trying to figure out if teasing a kid is poorer taste than showing up ones' hosts." He doesn't say it out of anger or even disappointment; really, he's actually enjoying being teased just a little bit, though it's not like Genis is one to just come out and say it like that. Yes, this is how Genis expresses love.

"I mean, I could ask why she's here," he says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to refer to the fire lady, "but I suppose no one else knows she's yours, huh?"

[denyamenti]

"Perhaps I thought you'd pick up on the hint," Bakura returned, equally wry in amusement. "But by all means, if I have make things easier for you, I'll spell it out next time."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, and on it wrote the address for the dojo in the Wood Sector before handing it to Genis. "Whenever you feel like dropping by," he said. "I'm there most of the time."

He looked back at the Fire Princess, who was starting a new dance as the bonfires were stoked around her. "They don't," he agreed. "But some of them might remember the last few monsters I summoned, so I'm not in a hurry to help them remake the connection."

[strokeofgenis]

Well at least Bakura isn't angry about it. That's always a plus. "Well, if not reminding the kedan of your spellcraft is the real reason you'd rather not show it here, then you could have just said so in the first place." Genis shrugs and shakes his head, though it's partially in jest. He's at least seeing through the cover story about "showing up the hosts" and getting down to the meat of it. "At least you picked one tonight that actually blends pretty well with the party tonight. I mean, I know someone from my world would be practically be fawning all over her." Seriously, if it hadn't have been for his ability to follow the strings of mana between Bakura and the Fire Princess, he wouldn't have known.

But Genis looks at the address scribbled on the piece of paper. And it doesn't take long before him to get a solid smile. "I'll be there; just count on it!"