[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

[theideaguy]

"That's what I keep telling people who complain about it being cold!" says Sokka, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, granted, I'm still kind of used to it despite being in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation for about the last half year, but I'm just surprised that there's at least one person out there other than Katara isn't hating life."

When the dragon looks at Sokka, Sokka comes in close and looks at him face to face. "Oh is this your new little pet, Zuko?" Sokka says, all sorts of fascinated. "I didn't get a proper look at him as we were running through the streets there." Ah, danger danger! Change the topic. "Did you give him a name?"

[lordhotman]

"I didn't say I liked it, but I'm dealing with it," Zuko said matter-of-factly. It was cold, and while he rather it wasn't, there was not much that could be done about it. But he certainly was grateful to be a firebender right now. He and Wan certainly had no problems keeping each other warm at night either.

When the topic shifted to the baby dragon, Zuko smiled a little and reached up to pat him on the head. "His name is Druk." And that reminds him... "Do you have any raw meat, Sokka?"

[theideaguy]

Sokka is inwardly pleased. He managed to very narrow gap in his joke to not make Zuko upset with him but still to have tickled his nerves ever so slightly. Still, he backs off from that because it's not good to tease his friends... too much. "Right, right. I suppose that is a difference.

"But Druk, huh?" The name sounded rather unfamiliar to Sokka, but when in the Fire Nation. And besides, Sokka isn't going to hold a bad name against the cute little baby pet that Sokka's going to be all over. He's definitely going to try to pat him and feel his scales if he's able. "I guess it's a good name for him." He looks at the dragon with a small dose of enchantment. "Is little Drukky hungry?" he asks, just barely not descending into baby talk. "I do know some good places at picking it up that won't completely rip you off. You might say I know a girl."

[lordhotman]

Yes. Good job Sokka.

Zuko couldn't help but grimace and roll his eyes as Sokka started baby talking at his dragon. To which Druk replied with a very audible and fiery belch.

"Don't call him Drukky," Zuko replied grumpily. Though there was then a pause and a raising of eyebrows. "You know a girl?" Because that's not at all suspect.

[theideaguy]

Awwww, he's cute. Belch and all. Sokka would cling to it if he didn't think Zuko would kill him for doing so.

There's a pause as Zuko reiterates what Sokka says because at first he doesn't even understand what Zuko's objection is.

And then it dawns on him.

"Who sells meat!" Sokka says, possibly overloudly. "What, you thought I was just going to feed it random kedan off the street?"

[lordhotman]

"No, of course not," Zuko said with a sigh.

"But I have heard girls complain that men look at them like they're a piece of meat."

... Not exactly the same thing, Zuko.

[theideaguy]

Congratulations, Zuko. You just earned one Sokka slapping himself on the forehead. That comment, he's not even going to touch it with a ten-foot pole.

"I'm just going to say, for the record, that I don't look at girls and pieces of meat the same way. I mean, I only need one girl in my life; meat, well, one can never have too much!"

Yup, classic Sokka.

"Anyway, the best place for raw meat would be in the Earth Sector." Normally Sokka's answer to everything is Water, but not for something like this. "They sell better cuts of meat in Earth than they do in Water, just because it's a bit higher class. And still not, rip-you-off Fire Sector prices."

That's unfair, Sokka. They still have a few reasonably priced shops in Fire. Just not... many.

[lordhotman]

Zuko looks a bit skeptical, but makes no comment on how Sokka looks at girls, or meat. He'll leave it at that.

"That's good to know. Thanks."

Because, yeah, he didn't want to give Druk terrible meat, but he didn't exactly have a lot of money either. So this was definitely helpful.

[theideaguy]

Probably better left alone. Then again, it's not like Sokka is one to take offence to casual comments... and stay patently offended to them for long swaths of time.

"I can always show you to them tomorrow after the festival... and after work," he suggests. "There are still a lot of parts of the Earth Sector that aren't exactly... the cheapest of stores, if you get what I mean."