daybreakacademy | MIDSUMMER'S MINGLE

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MIDSUMMER'S MINGLE

MIDSUMMER CELEBRATIONS

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As both finals and the first Herald approach, darkness and uncertainty loom on the horizon. The celebrations held on the evening of the 21st serves as a way of cleansing fears and uncertainty - a time for reconciliation, peace, and reflection, purifying the old to make way for the new.

The midsummer celebrations take place in Soleil’s town square and the surrounding woods. Students can join the large bonfires set up by the staff, or have more private bonfires of their own if they so choose. Specially treated fuel and firestarters have been employed for the evening, to prevent accidental (or deliberate) arson; the bonfires that come from this equipment and fuel will never catch alight anything not deliberately thrown into the flames.

A. TOWN SQUARE
While the town square is usually bustling with all manner of people, today it has been cleared in order to build a number of large bonfires. Robed attendants stand quietly by each one with selections of herbs and flowers, as well as paper and wooden charms that can be folded or marked; these can be thrown into the flames in order to burn away symbolic representations of bad luck.

Attendees can freely take these offerings and feed them to the flames, or bring their own offerings - whatever they see fit - to burn.

A small selection of food is also on offer - small cakes and simple buns in both sweet and savory flavours. These, too, can be fed to the fire if you so choose, though they were made to be eaten.

B. THE WOODS
For the solstice, the woods around Soleil have come alive with light and sound. The various unused structures that litter Soleil’s woods are seeing some cleaning, too; you may come across robed attendants, older students and various staff attending to old graves and abandoned ruins, or building bonfires of their own. Many of them hold lamps on poles and sing songs - simple, traditional hymns about the rising of the sun.

If festival attendees desire peace and quiet, or privacy to build their own fires and reflect, the woods are well-suited for that purpose. Those who choose to take fuel and go into the woods will be cautioned that as darkness falls, supernatural visitors may come out to share your fire. Though they are entirely harmless and silent, seeking only to make their own offerings and lost in their own thoughts, their sudden (and strange) appearance may be alarming.

C. REMNANTS OF FIRE

After the bonfires have burned to embers, attendees will be offered the chance to jump or run over the glowing coals, as is traditional practice, for good luck. Whether as a test of nerves or a possible chance for a little extra luck - whatever your beliefs, it probably can’t hurt.

Unless you spend too long dancing around on the coals, of course, but that’s up to you.

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[... Ah. This again. A faint tinge of red dusts his cheeks as he tries to brush this off by clearing his throat. The missed beat is unmistakable though.]

.. You don't seriously expect me to believe you haven't wanted to shake me a bunch of times in the last few months.

[ Keith still looks good blushing. It really can't be denied. ]

Shake? Yes. Bruise? No.

[ Not like this anyway, but that's a thought so thirsty, he kind of scares himself and he's definitely not saying it out loud. ]

[That's getting a sideways glance. He stares for a second, but then finds he doesn't really have anything he wants to say. Or rather, he just doesn't know what to say. It's hard to keep things facetious when James gave him some bare honesty.]

Well now you have.

[Excellent commentary.]

I have. Sorry again.

[ Though it is kind of expected for a sparing match, really.

Through the awkwardness of their conversation, James has at least regained some breath and energy, so he finally gets to his feet and holds his hand out to Keith to help him up. ]

No, it's...

[The awkwardness is something he wishes he could dig himself out of, but evidently just flat out can't. He grabs the hand, getting to his feet rather than bothering with that line of conversation. Once he's up, he lets go, holds eye contact for a moment, then looks away again quickly.]

Are we... [Tensing up.] ... still going to the prom thing? You probably want to use that night to work on your armor and stuff, right?

I still want to go.

[ The answer is immediate without any shred for hesitation. James wants no doubt in Keith's mind about this resolve. ]

I'll definitely regret it if we don't.

And you wouldn't regret it if you didn't get your armor as perfect as it could be before the Herald shows up?

[ James rolls his eyes at that. ]

I'll get it finished. I know I can. One night I'm looking forward to isn't going to make a difference.

[ Except in other contexts he probably would say that one night is a definite difference, this is just... something he really doesn't want to miss. ]

Yeah, but.. it's just a school dance. Preparations for war should come first.

It's a school dance I really want to go to... with you. If you want to leave early, that's fine. But I do want to go.

[ With you. ]

[That's getting a moment of quiet. He should really just go get his fucking knife instead of just standing there awkwardly with too many scattered feelings and no words for any of them. He opens his mouth, then closes it.

Then after another moment, he clenches his fists.]

Does it matter to you that I'd regret it, if all you needed was just... one more night to come back unharmed.

[ James goes quiet for a moment, staring down at the floor beneath their feet. That matters. Of course it matters. Keith is scared for him and he should be happy, but mostly he's scared too. It's all very overwhelming. ]
It matters.

....if I finish my suit before prom and promise you that I am not going to wing it in any way, will you go with me?

[ Studying for finals is really falling off the wagon here, but luckily, James studies fairly consistently anyway. ]

That'd leave me more time for training, too.

[Keith mulls this one over for a moment, frowning.]

... that and one more promise

[ That's... ominous. ]

What promise?

[Keith takes a deep breath, then looks up to make eye contact.]

That you're not going to try and be a hero while you're on the front lines.

[ James pauses, not losing eye contact with Keith but needing a moment to think about this. Don't try to be a hero? What does that even mean when to James, it is inherently heroic to simply go? Probably to be a hero like Keith's father, charging in for the sake of others even when the odds are slim. James can easily see himself as that kind of person, he wants to see himself as that kind of person, but.... It'd mean leaving Keith behind. Again. Like he's always been left behind. It would be cheesy and wrong to call it a thought that's worth than dying, but it is a thought that carries weight. ]

I can promise you that I won't be reckless and do anything that has the odds against me. Is that... enough?

[Is it enough...?

The anxious knot in his stomach is practically screaming "no." The years he's lived knowing he meant nothing or worse, a monster, to everyone in the world feels heavier than they used to now that he's had the last couple of months to compare it to.

The part of him that still wants to ask James to switch to control room missions burns, but Keith knows he can't. And in a way, he feels even less powerless now than he did when he was a child and never once thought his dad could walk out of the door in the morning and lie stiff and cold in a hospital gurney that night.

It all feels like a mistake. He swallows, fists clenching tighter to keep his hands from shaking.]

I... [He forces a weak smile.] ... guess it has to be.

I'll do everything in my power to come back to you.

[ He can't fight a war without fighting. He can't fight a war without risk. But he can fight it knowing that there is somebody who is waiting for him and him specifically. Not because Keith loves him, but because Keith is his friend and James has more or less forcibly pried his way into his trust. It still matters, because Keith deserves better than to have all this betrayed in the end. ]

I don't want to die. I don't want prom to be the last thing we go to together. So... let's take it as a reminder of what to live for and not something I'd regret not doing. That alright?

[...that's a little more reassuring, and though the words don't soothe away every doubt, his smile is much less forced.]

Okay.

[He breathes out, slowly unclenching his fists.]

[ James smiles back, relieved in his own way. ]

I'm glad. I've been excited for prom for too long to cancel it now.

[ 'Too long' is less than a month, but kind of an eternity considering it's a date (??) with Keith. Maybe a date. Actually... ]

You never did say if we're going as friends or not, come to think of it.

[Oh fucking hell, it's this question again.]

Is that a problem?

Guess not? You do know you can just say no to the date though, right? I won't be offended.

[Immediately:]

What? I'm not worried about offending you.

[Because apparently this is worth correcting???]

Just -- [...Aaaaand immediately cutting himself off cuz fuck everything he's going pink again.] --I've never been on a date before so...so... you know.

[ At least Keith's reasoning for being so infuriating about the matter is absolutely adorable, for Keith standards that means James basically can't complain.]

I'll show you this too. Though really it's not so different from just hanging out with someone, so not much to teach.

[There's a beat, then he looks up expression annoyed though the blush is still faintly there.]

Does everything have to be a lesson with you?

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