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

[heromedal]

"He's very difficult. He's stubborn, not very bright, impulsive, destructive and gluttonous." Rex only stops because he has to take a breath and half turns to Kokoro to say more.

This is the time that Indrik decides he's having so much fun his master should join in and clambers over to Rex, intending to nudge his hand to get his attention.

Unfortunately, Indrik is very hot and Rex is not fireproof, so the result is Rex literally going 'yipe' like a dog and leaping into the air clutching his hand.

[stavros]

Kokoro immediately pulls out a bottle of water and douses him. Well... with a container with a cross on it and HOLY WATER inscribed on the bottle. Be thankful you're not a daemon, Rex.

"Medic? Nurse? Somebody with bandages?"

[heromedal]

No, he just looks, acts and talks like a daemon. Rex spends a moment staring at his hand, with a hot snout shaped mark before shaking himself to send droplets of holy water everywhere. Indrik, aware he is probably in trouble, dives beneath a table- with his thick, snake-like tail hanging out.

"Thank you," he says before answering her question. "I happen to be two out of three."

Which he proves by reaching into his coat and pulling out a small first aid kit, and proves to be bizarrely dextrous with one hand by popping it open and retrieving what he needs. When you grow up with a one-armed mom, you learn these things. Still...

"Would you mind pinning that end to my palm?"

So he can wrap it up tight.

[stavros]

"Oh! Sure." She startles but grabs the end of the bandage and holds it there. "You seem to be prepared for anything."

[heromedal]

"If I was prepared for anything, I'd have avoided the burn in the first place," he replies, absolutely always ready to put himself down at a moment's notice. It takes him a few seconds to get the first few loops done and from there, there's no need for her assistance.

[stavros]

Kokoro tries to protest that, but she just sighs and shakes her head, not finding the words to do so.

"Are you certain you won't need any medical attention?"

[heromedal]

"It's fine. First degree, it'll be gone in a few days." He says this with the authority of someone who knows exactly how long it takes for all sorts of injuries to heal. His hands are rough, well worn things anyway. "Unfortunately, it's him I'm stuck with."

Rex points with his good hand at the table, where Indrik thinks he's sneakily peeking a glance but is actually just shoving his head out, then ducking it back in when he's seen.

[stavros]

She stifles a giggle, coughs, and does her best to look serious.

"He seems to be having a good time, at least."

[heromedal]

"At my expense." Rex huffs, but he just can't stay mad at Indrik. He wuvs his fat baby monster. "As usual."

Rex claps the fingers of one hand against his palm, the signal he uses to call Indrik out. The beasty gingerly steps out, swishing his tail in such a way he knocks everything off the table and leaps into the air in surprise at the clattering behind him, where he ends up in Rex's arms. It's all very Scooby-Doo.

Except Shaggy didn't go 'houf!' at the effort and wobbly at the knees. "...I-idiot."

He's really tsundere for Indrik.

[stavros]

Kokoro dashes to try and pick everything up, or she would if she hadn't just tripped and landed on her face. She grumbled and picked herself up.

"No one saw that." Okay, time to turn attention back to Rex. "You and your companion do look like a good match."

[heromedal]

Rex absolutely saw that and so did anyone else paying attention to the clattering of objects knocked aside by a tail. Rex and Indrik however prove her right as they simultaneously look away conspicuously when Kokoro picks herself up, to make it very clear they saw nothing.

“Ahem.” A moment to confirm they were distracted and then Rex puts the fat lump down. “I know you mean well, but I still feel somewhat insulted.”

I mean, Indrik is a big calamitous colourful lump and Rex is clearly not any of those things.

[stavros]

"I mean, he seems to like you! He listens to you. Isn't that supposed to be important?"

[heromedal]

Indrik looks at Rex and Rex looks at Indrik. After a short while of that, Indrik sticks his tongue out and makes a 'bleh' noise and starts eating coal again. "Please don't."

He says it half-heartedly and Indrik just chows down.

"Well. Sometimes he listens to me."

[stavros]

Kokoro is trying very hard to look serious. You can tell by the fact that her face is starting to crack and the strangled beginning of what might become roaring laughter is slowly escaping.

"It's... impressive regardless?"

[heromedal]

"The only thing impressive about Indrik is that he hasn't accidentally killed me yet," Rex says as Indrik comes back, a coal in his mouth and places it Rex's feet. A peace offering of a tasty treat, to say sorry for burning him. Rex casually kicks it back into the other coals, which prompts the fat thing to go back and get the same one and give it back. "Which is a matter of luck more than anything."

A cycle begins. Indrik gives him the coal. Rex kicks the coal. Indrik brings him the coal. Rex kicks the coal. Repeat ad nauseam