MIDSUMMER'S MINGLE

[thewatchers]

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.

Comments

A

[foolishjustice]

[He walks up next to her, holding his own snake and koi fish.]

Thinking we have much bigger worries than we originally thought?

[buddinghopes]

Yeah, something like that. We sure are going to need all the luck we can get, huh?

[She sighs.]

[foolishjustice]

It sounds like it. I...never imagined Nightfall had the potential to happen so soon.

[buddinghopes]

Neither did I... Especially since I just got here. It didn't feel all that real until now, you know?

[foolishjustice]

I feel the same way. I'd been thinking of it as some future thing, that we still had time to prepare for. With it so close, I'm not entirely sure I'm ready.

[If he dies at the start of next month...if he dies and the world doesn't end, there won't be anyone left to...]

[buddinghopes]

Tell me about it... Part of me can't help but think 'so much for coming here to be safe,' honestly.

[She exhales.]

What are you going to do?

[foolishjustice]

I'm going to fight. My power has come a long way since I met someone who knew more about it than I did, so...if I put a bit more effort into preparing, I'm sure I can make a difference on the battlefield.

[buddinghopes]

[She frowns and closes her eyes, then nods.]

Try to come back in one piece, okay? [She huffs a bit, then turns towards him with a weak smile.]

I'd go, but... I'm not sure I'm ready to take on that kind of a threat yet, you know?

[foolishjustice]

There's no judgment if you can't, you did just get here. It's better to stay somewhere safe to help later than to die trying to do something you aren't ready for.

[Just like he'd chosen to bide his time with Shido, knowing he wasn't powerful enough to kill his Shadow when he'd first learned about mental shutdowns.]

[buddinghopes]

[She nods again.]

Yeah... I've had my powers for four years now, but back home, I just fought against like... street-level stuff, basically. I'm pretty sure of my skills, but... not sure enough to go charging into something trying to bring Nightfall.

[She pauses, thinking.]

I'm going to focus on getting stronger... when you get back, can you help me with that? You know, train with me and stuff. It's easier to have a friend with me to do it.

[foolishjustice]

Most of my magic is based on the way my Flame manifested, but...I should be able to help. If nothing else, I'm fairly good with a sword and very skilled at marksmanship and archery.

[A little impossibly skilled at those last two, but shhh.]

[buddinghopes]

My Flame's... a little weird, admittedly. I have to transform before I can access the rest. I'm definitely interested in the weapons-related stuff, though. The more stuff I can use, the more useful I am in different situations.

[foolishjustice]

Maybe not as weird as you think.

[He laughs.]

My Flame involves an outfit change to use any of my real powers.

[buddinghopes]

... Ah! You too?

[foolishjustice]

Do you want to see?

[buddinghopes]

Yes, absolutely!

[foolishjustice]

[Blue flame bursts from his clothes, briefly obscuring his entire body and leaving him standing in his princely outfit. He even does a twirl to show it off, letting the cape trail dramatically behind him.]

[buddinghopes]

Whoa... amazing!

[She claps delightedly, a grin stretching across her face.]

That's--that's so cool!

[Listen, it's not the first time she's seen a transformation of this nature, but that doesn't make it any less impressive...]

[foolishjustice]

[He takes a deep bow, deliberately flaring the tips of his cape up.]

It's useful, too.

[buddinghopes]

I bet!

[She's practically starry-eyed...]

So, how do things go from here? What abilities does this let you access?

... Ah... if you don't mind my asking, of course.

[foolishjustice]

It depends. I have an array of familiars I can summon, and each of them has different abilities. I can also change my roster of available familiars by recruiting new ones or combining two existing ones, so it can even vary from one mission to the next.

[buddinghopes]

How impressive...! It sounds remarkably versatile.