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

[playitagain]

[Nana pauses for a second. Then, a little embarrassed:] ...It would be wrong to try to get the school to fund research into cold-resistant banana trees, wouldn't it?

[transfusionem]

[That...is a very good question.]

...I don't know, honestly. It's probably not the worst thing they could research?

[playitagain]

...it would make a lot of people happy...

[transfusionem]

If it'll make people happy, then it's worth pursuing, I think!

[Even if it is bananas.]

[playitagain]

Then we have to do it! The perfect banana tree, Adelaide!

[She... she should have made this part of her platform...]

[transfusionem]

Alright! Sounds like a plan!

[They'll make it happen!! Somehow, some way!!]

[playitagain]

...

[...]

Is step 2 an advanced degree in botany?

[transfusionem]

...

You know, that probably wouldn't hurt.

[playitagain]

...I really have my work cut out for me.

[transfusionem]

Maybe a little bit. [She laughs.] But it'll be worth it, I hope?

[playitagain]

Of course it will, Adelaide! It's bananas!

[she... she looks so delighted...]

[transfusionem]

[Nana is too good for her, possibly. She is way too bubbly and nice.]

And bananas are the best.

[She laughs again, shaking her head.]

[playitagain]

Yes, exactly! You understand!

[As if anyone couldn't see what exactly the right answer was.]

[transfusionem]

Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

[Painfully.]

But there's nothing better than them, so! Except maybe cats.

[playitagain]

I suppose it is! [She pauses, then... nods. Cats are great.

And yet... there's an addition...?]

...And frogs!

[transfusionem]

Frogs?

[She considers that for a moment, before nodding.]

Yeah, I'd say frogs are pretty great. Some of them are super cute!

[playitagain]

They're slimy and adorable! And they eat bugs. But they don't care, which I think is very admirable, when you think about it.

[transfusionem]

I wish I cared less about things...Things would probably be easier, huh?

[playitagain]

[Nana hesitates a moment, then pats Adelaide on the shoulder.]

It's hard to not care sometimes. But... being relaxed about things like that is a good lesson to take from frogs, maybe.

[transfusionem]

[Adelaide gives her a small smile, before nodding.]

Yeah. It's definitely not the worst lesson someone can learn!

[playitagain]

Mm-hm...

Things really have been busy lately, haven't they? It's been one thing after the other, it feels like.

[transfusionem]

Everything's been non-stop. [She sighs.] It's just something constantly happening, but it can't always be like this, right?

[playitagain]

[Nana scoots over a little closer.]

I think it has to slow down, eventually. It's... a lot, but it's not always like this.

[She pauses a moment, then:] Do you want a hug?

[transfusionem]

That's a relief.

[Adelaide blinks at the offer, before laughing softly.]

Hey, I'm not going to say no to a hug from a friend.

[playitagain]

[Nana smiles, a little embarrassed -- mostly because it felt a little silly to ask -- and then hugs Adelaide. She sighs a bit. But: she's an EXPERT HUGGER.]

You seemed like you could use it.