EVENT ✨ The Summer Solstice

[avalonmods]

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This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask OOC questions/plot/view event notes HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only. A poll to collect results of the trials will be posted this weekend and stay open until the end of the month to give people a little time to see how their threads are going.

KEY POINTS

Celliwig responds-- y'all barely passed, so they kidnapped everyone and brought them to Celliwig for the summer solstice.

The summer solstice ritual is about renewing the sun and moon within a sacred fountain called Diamond Falls within Celliwig, which requires large-scale magics to essentially create a sun and moon cycle for the following year for Avalon, which exists outside of normal space and time.

Not everyone is happy about Celliwig opening back up, and some cursed spirits cross the river to attack the homecoming trip.

There have been some whispers about the summer solstice, but for some reason, Camelot doesn't seem to have put in as much effort for the summer solstice as they do for the other solstice and equinoxes. If anyone had asked around town, they'll say that the sun always seems to come out after they banish the water spirits, so there isn't much to do for it. A few of the more elderly fae around town seem to say there's a lot to do about it, but not to worry about it and just enjoy the time off. Even more silent has been the results of the trials. It seems as though it's bound to be a quiet June, relative to the last couple of months. At least until the morning of the 20th. The sun has yet to rise, though birds have started their morning rounds and chirping. Rather suddenly, the entire atmosphere goes completely white, as if everyone has been enveloped by the sun itself. It's too bright to keep your eyes open, though if you'll try to squint through it you'll notice the entire ground is enveloped in shadow despite the impossible blinding light all around before you're pulled down into the darkness within a matter of seconds. Regardless, when you open your eyes next, everyone has been teleported to a strange-looking park. The trees seem to be made of ceramic, blossoming strange, pure black leaves. Those with green magic will be able to tell the trees are alive and well, despite their odd appearance, and once out of the park, it may become more apparent where everyone is: A city beautiful and glistening, its buildings made of crystal and glass. Welcome to Celliwig, the Splendored Court. And this time? Their doors are open. Explore: Celliwig Celliwig is a city that's hidden with a large-scale glamour that causes it to look like a shanty-town from the outside. Those with permission to enter, however, will find that the city is actually a splendorous city made entirely of crystals and glass of all kinds. At its center is the Hall of Mirrors, which is typically closed to the public and guarded by a strange old man with huge, rippling muscles of at least 7 feet tall and a long, scraggly beard. Some may recognize him as the man from the #ChaliceChallenge trial, but he'll mostly ask you to call him Glewlwyd (the IV, but you can drop the number.) Everything in the city appears to be open now, in contrast to the city mostly hiding away during the first visit. It isn't too crowded, but there are people out and about, and they seem to be less wary. The popular fashion seems to be styles similar to gothic lolita/aristocrat and cyber lolita/aristocrat, largely in black, white, or gray with sparks of color for accent that make each outfit unique to its wearer, and each person seems to have an almost airy, ethereal nature to them. They seem humanoid, and yet distinctively not human, gliding around rather than walking. There aren't too many typical dogs and cats around as pets, but snow-white ferrets and owls seem to be the popular animal companion of choice, often being carried around with their owners. There are also wild hamsters with tiny, useless wings that seem to run around during the day, so please watch your step. (They are fairies who used to be able to fly, but their wings seem to have gone the way of the appendix.) Music seems to be largely string in nature, though it can range from calm and peaceful to sometimes more familiar music styles. It is played more openly in areas like the park or shopping centers by musicians who simply wish to share their sound, but outside of those designated areas it is mostly quiet in nature, save for the clamor of the newly transported guests from Camelot. Celliwig's restaurants typically serve molecular gastronomy versions of food, and alcoholic drinks seem to come in vapor form and flashes of light if ordered, but seem effective nonetheless. Stores in general are open now, though except for a singular general store, seem to be very specific in nature. If you're going to a magic store, there is one specific store for crystals, one specific store for hand-crafted woodcrafts (wands, staffs) to better direct magical energy, a store for vegetables that's peculiarly separate from the store for fruit and the store for fish and the store for cooking supplies (which again, are all oriented toward molecular gastronomy-- good luck finding a whisk, enjoy your nitro whip canister), and so on. Of note toward the entrance of town is a very large waterfall fountain that seems to be made of massive amounts of diamond, with inscriptions and a plaque toward the front. The plaque reads "Those who walk only in the light miss the truths hidden in the dark." This is of particular note given the invitation extended to all devices in the area: Welcome to Celliwig. Tonight we celebrate the summer solstice. Having Barely Passed your trials, we ask you to participate in this sacred ritual before we grant safe passage and open communication with Queen Elphame. To the north of the park you arrived in, a hotel is prepared for your stay free of charge for the night. At sundown, come to the Diamond Falls. Be warned, thieves: The Diamond Falls are sacred, and thus cursed. Those who try will experience a curse that causes food and drink to turn to ash in their mouth and an inability to experience pleasure, heal from injuries, or die. While they appear normal in the sun, the moonlight will reveal their true nature-- no matter how gruesome that gets, and will only be lifted when the sacred diamond is returned. Drinking water from the fountain is fine though, and if drunk can heal all wounds, regrow limbs, and get rid of scars so long as the drinker stays within the walls of Celliwig. The sacred water's effects wear off outside of the Splendored Court, unfortunately. Characters can ask around and Celliwigians will tell them this information freely, as they are quite proud of their splendor. Those who choose to participate in the summer solstice rituals and show up at the Diamond Falls on time will first be offered a drink from the fountain, though it is not necessary to take the sip. (You may choose whether or not your character was informed of the effects of drinking the water ahead of this decision, if you want them to do so but they would not on their own.) After the drinking, a number of Celliwig's citizens will engage in a dance that rapidly picks up pace until they go into a trance, glowing magical energy starting to flow out of their bodies and create an almost solar flare-esque glow before they collapse to the ground. Not a moment later, the earth shakes and the ground begins to open up beneath the fountain, the waters draining down over a staircase that opens up beneath the floor of Celliwig to a large crystal cavern. The crystals within are huge, some easily surpassing twenty feet in length, and burst out from both the floor and ceiling. At the bottom of the staircase, the ground itself is covered entirely in at least half a foot of water save for raised platforms that those performing the ritual will be expected to jump across instead of disrupting the waters. At the end of this long passageway, there is a door made of stained glass. On the other side, a room carved out in stone, lit in vibrant orange and heated by a scorching heat. The stone forms a circle that flows around a large pool of lava. One of the Celliwig leaders reads some sacred texts, then offers the following instructions: "Turn to the person next to you and offer them a piece of yourself. It can be tears, blood, hair, a whispered confession made tangible with magic-- anything that is yours. That person must then throw it into the lava and do the same in exchange. By giving part of ourselves to the fire and weaving that energy through those around us, we share the light with all around us. We fuel the sun of Avalon." Once this portion is done, water will rain down from the ceiling and the entire room will be filled with steam, and then darkness as the lava's flames are rapidly put out. It's blinding and almost unbearably hot, and you'll have to find your partner-- or maybe someone else, by wandering around carefully and blindly. It may help to use a little magic at this point to see or guide yourself or others, either by cognitive suggestion or something more physical like creating vines to catch someone from falling on the still-rather-hot solid substance created by the water hitting the lava. Regardless, there seem to be giggles and screams and all manner of unnerving sounds as people try to find each other in the dark and look for the exit, which... doesn't seem to be where it started. Eventually, the steam seems to get hot enough and shatters the stained glass door, which reveals a different room than before. The temperature drops rapidly, the air fresh and much easier to breathe as the steam spills out over the surface of the cool water. Light spills out from the ceiling, dim from the moon, and it becomes apparent that everyone has been let out into a massive cenote. It seems as if it's now time to relax and swim for a little while and just enjoy the cool release of no longer being trapped in the hot Diamond Fall's underground. Eventually, everyone will find that regardless of how they felt when they got in, anyone in the cenote will feel their mood lift, until eventually they find a song in their heart that cannot be contained. People start bursting into songs that express part of who they are. For some, it will be songs they know. For others, it may be a song they've never heard but matches who they are to a tee or shares something they hadn't intended to about themselves with whoever is there. It's also possible two people could end up in a duet and end up swim-dancing together through a musical number. With each song that finds its way into the cenote, crystals seem to light up in the walls, as if they're reacting to the music itself. Once the entire cenote is lit up, the water begins to rise within the cenote much as the tide might, finally raising high enough to bring the people within back to the surface, the small pond within the park that everyone started in. "The tides can feel your hearts and souls and raise with your spirits, and the Moon of Avalon in turn finds its will to dance with the Sun, providing light for the dark as the sun rests." the same leader speaks, before finishing, "Thank you for your assistance. With so much more energy than normal, even with the world as strained as it is now, Avalon's day and night cycle will remain as it should be. Rest now, and stay as long as you like. We will speak to Elphame and arrange a meeting. This shall not be forgotten, and you are welcome in Celliwig so long as you remember that light and darkness exist in tandem." With the stay in Celliwig over, a special squad designed to help use a large-scale dark magic spell to pull everyone back to Camelot has come to greet everyone at the entrance to the city. However, the sudden increase in noise and flow of magic has attracted spirits from the Forest of the Felled to start crossing the nearby stream. The Forest of the Felled is a haunted forest, filled with spectral creatures alike of all manner that are often trapped in a labyrinth of spells and wards that were once put up by Camelot's finest. This haunted forest is part of the reason that Celliwig had cut ties with Camelot to begin with, after a group of people from particularly morally strict times had decided that the dead and cursed should not wander among the human witches and wizards that, at the time, had largely populated Camelot and sealed them off in the Forest of the Felled. Enraged by Celliwig's reacceptance of Camelot citizens into its borders, a wave of specters has rushed across the white waters without concern for the Pure of Heart bridge to attempt to possess and attack the citizens of Camelot and prevent them from easily getting home. Ultimately, those with death magic are going to be most effective in this case, particularly at stopping possessions. However, green mages, alchemists, and elementalists are going to be important for staving off the death-like state of freezing that specters passing through your physical body can cause by creating means to rewarm people before they succumb to freezing temperatures and die. It seems as though light magic is very good at hiding people from the specters as well as temporarily warding them off with large blasts, and they seem particularly fearful of dark mages who are willing to curse the dead, given they've already lead a miserable existence. There are plenty of ways for each type of magic to find themselves useful in this battle, whether it's to help others escape or to fight on the frontlines. Be particularly cautious as some of the will-o-wisps joining in the battle can transform into the visages of the deceased that they sense are close to your heart and draw you into the white rapids of the river. In the end, it will be a fierce battle.. or a fierce retreat, for those who don't have fight in them. Regardless of your solution for getting home, this time, you're going to have to walk home after escaping instead of relying on Celliwig's shadow transportation ritual.

Comments

I

[kirijo]

[ The girl seated next to her looked a bit perplexed as well ...

[ Mitsuru had chosen this spot on a whime. She'd seen the menu posted outside, thought a few of the items listed seemed like something that she'd enjoy, and decided that this seemed as good a place for lunch as any.

[ But looking around her now, she didn't see any of the menu items at the surrounding tables - at least not in a form that she recognized. ]

A bit, yes.

[ She concedes with a small nod, opening her mouth to continue ... but pausing when a waiter walked by considering something that appeared to be a flower with thick petals that glistened like some sort of uncooked meat.

[ ... whatever it was, it was decidedly unappetizing.

[ Mitsuru doesn't let her gaze linger long enough to be rude, though. Instead, she turns her attention fully towards the woman occupying the seat next to her. ]

It seems like either the usual clientele eats things that we don't, or this establishment focuses on some form of molecular gastronomy.

[starshower]

[Tifa's eyes widen. She's pretty well-read, or she likes to think so, but the term goes right over her head. At the table across from her, the customer seems excited to dig into their flowery lunch, and Tifa's lips twist into a frown.]

Sounds like a freaky science experiment.

[Looks like it, too. She doesn't want to stare, but the local at the table takes a massive bite into the flower petals and chews like it's his first meal in days. Flowers are not for eating...!]

What is molecular... gastronomy anyway?

[kirijo]

Calling it a scientific experiment wouldn't be completely inaccurate. It's a style of cooking that focuses on exploring the chemical and physical properties of different ingredients, and using that understanding to transform them through new preparations.

[ And, while Mitsuru isn't certain what the meaty-looking flower is, she's fairly certain it's been transformed dramatically from whatever it originally was. ]

[starshower]

[Tifa opens her mouth to respond, but the words are taken right out of it when her "drink" is brought to her. It's not a beer at all. Nothing close. It looks more like a cloud of cotton candy drizzled in syrup, and it's slid across the bar with a spoon and fork.

... ]

But what if I just wanted a beer...?

[She raises the fork and pokes at the fluffy cloud, and then at the syrup in the bottom of the bowl.]

[kirijo]

[ Mitsuru takes another look around the bar's densely populated interior, eyes searching the tables for drinks ... and apart from the occasional glass of what appears to be water, she finds next to nothing. ]

That ... may require a change of venue.

[starshower]

["That is a beer," the bartender points out before wandering away, not giving her so much as a second thought. She may have caught him rolling her eyes—ugh, another tourist who doesn't understand—but she ignores it, not wanting any conflict.

She sighs.]

Unless all the food here's like this... [Which she suspects it very well could be at this rate.] Well, bottoms up, I guess...?

[Tifa offers Mitsuru a sheepish smile and... well, she isn't really sure how to eat this?? She picks up her fork, pokes at the cloud again, and then scoops some of it up to take a bite. She's silent while she chews, and her expression twists further with doubt.]

It's sweet... [And she isn't sure how she feels about it. It's very jarring when you are expecting one thing and get a mouthful of the complete opposite.] You know, this looks and tastes like the stuff they give out to kids...

[kirijo]

Cotton candy?

[ It certainly resembles the confection far more than it resembles anything that comes to Mitsuru's mind when she hears the word 'beer'. ]

Perhaps it is ...? Maybe the cloud is spun sugar and the syrup applied to it is beer-based?

[starshower]

It's sweeter than I thought...

[And yet, she's taking another small bite, but while she chews, she looks between the other woman and the "drink", before she picks up the cup and slides it across the bar, moving over a stool to sit herself at the one next to Mitsuru.]

Don't know if I can finish it alone, so... here. Try some. Tell me what you think.

[please take some]

[kirijo]

[ Mitsuru hesitates for a moment. She's under the age of 20, and thus below the legal drinking age in Japan ... but she's seen people who appear to be her age drink here. And beyond that ...?

[ She's curious.

[ Not because of any particular desire to try beer for the first time, but simply because the concoction in front of her was so bizarre.

[ She picks up the fork and uses it to tear off a small tuft of the cotton candy-like "beverage", just big enough to let her actually taste it while still being far to small to result in even the slightest bit of intoxication. She takes her bite, lets it sit on her tongue ... and purses her lips thoughtfully as it dissolves. ]

It is sweet, but there's a lingering taste of yeast ...

[ Faint, but it's there. ]

[starshower]

[Tifa takes another bite.]

Mm. Yeah, a bit! Hard to tell under all that sugar.

[At that, she slides the cup away from her. She's all for sweet things every now and then, but this is a bit much for her. The way that the sugar melts on her tongue and how it makes her pucker her lips and wrinkle her nose... If someone had told her that this was cotton candy and not alcohol, she might have believed them.]

I'm no expert at brewing, but... if I ever open up a bar around here... don't know I'd ever follow in their footsteps.

[The bartender shoots her a look through the corner of his eye.]

[kirijo]

It might be wise to save such commentary for someplace else ...

[ Something that Mitsuru mutters quietly, because that venom-tipped glance from the bartender didn't escape her notice.

[ She doesn't necessarily disagree with Tifa's assessment, but it was still impolite and might earn the bartender's ire. ]

[starshower]

Yeah...

[She's already grown tired of the constant looks from the bartender. Even the best ones get displeased customers from time to time, and she was no exception, so voicing her opinion on the matter shouldn't come as such a surprise to him. Maybe they do things different in Celliwig, or Avalon as a whole, but that should never make them immune to criticism.

Tifa sighs, returning the look to the bartender, before she reaches into the pockets of her skirt for some coin to slide across the bar to cover for her drink, and whatever Mitsuru might have ordered, too.]

I'm gonna get out of here. [Find herself an actual drink!] Care to join me?

[kirijo]

[ An offer that catches Mitsuru by surprise ... but after a second or so, she nods. ]

I would, if you don't mind the company.

[ She hasn't ordered anything yet. She has no particular reason to linger, and enjoying a meal with someone who might end up being a kindred spirit sounds like a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. ]

[starshower]

Why would I?

[She's already rising from her seat and although she didn't get what she wanted from this place, she still makes sure to thank the bartender for his time. He nods back to her.]

I was thinking of doing some shopping anyway. Need some decorations to spruce up my room, and I could use a second opinion. I'm not much of a decorator.

[kirijo]

Nor am I.

[ Mitsuru responds as she climbs off of her stool as well. ]

But I'd be happy to offer whatever input that I can. And pick up a few things for my own room, perhaps.

[starshower]

[Tifa hasn't had a lot of female friends to influence her life, so there's something especially warm about her smile when Mitsuru agrees. If the two of them aren't really into decorating, then maybe it's something they can figure out together, and that...

Her heart is soaring.

She takes Mitsuru by the arm and leads her out of the bar, and the sunlight is blinding for a moment before its warmth settles on the two of them. The streets are a little busier now, with people coming in and out of shops, both locals and tourists alike.]

I saw this cute little shop just down the road. They had all kinds of neat looking things in the window, but I didn't go inside.

[Another gentle tug on Mitsuru and she's taking her down to the end of the block, to a little house and home store on the corner, where she stops at the window to admire the display of paintings, kitchen supplies, and pillows.]

It's all so fancy...

[kirijo]

[ Mitsuru hasn't had many either, but each of those friendships has proven to be deeply meaningful without exception.

[ All of those relationships had built up slowly, though. Ever since she was a child, Mitsuru's life revolved around the twin responsibilities of bringing about the end of the Dark Hour, and preparing to assume control of the Kirijo Group. Those goals were paramount - above and beyond all other things in her life - and as such, it took time from her to grow close enough to someone to go out of her way to spend time with them simply for the pleasure of their company.

[ And yet, here she was, being dragged along through an unfamiliar city by someone who was barely more than a stranger.

[ Despite herself ... there was something exciting about that. She was looking forward to exploring a bit with her newfound companion, selecting things to decorate their respective rooms, and seeing where the rest of the day would take them.

[ Mitsuru falls into step alongside Tifa as they close in on the house and home store, and when they arrive she leans in a bit, examining the furniture displayed on the other side of the glass. ]

It honestly reminds me a little bit of home.

[starshower]

Yeah?

[Tifa looks aside to Mitsuru, her smile warm.

For Tifa, it's the opposite. The slums never provided her with such luxury items. The kinds of things on display in the window remind her of what one might find topside in the shopping districts. Places only the wealthiest would go. That isn't to say she hasn't thought about it, but money was always too tight for her to ever go through with making the trip, so all she could do was dream, and settle for what she could find at home.

Not that she minded, of course. She adapted quickly to a modest lifestyle... but seeing all of this makes her dream all the more.]

Come on.

[And inside they go, the bell on the door announcing their entrance with a pleasant chime. They're immediately hit with the smell of something sweet, a mixture of cookies and cinnamon, to match the warm light that filters in through the windows. It's exactly how she imagined a small shop would be, and her excitement bubbles up in a laugh as she lets her arm slide out from Mitsuru's, freeing the both of them to take a look around.

Tifa is immediately drawn to the kitchenware, searching for any and all kinds of utensils, but is mildly confused when she comes across some gadgets she's never seen before.

She picks up a cannister and shows it off to Mitsuru.]

Nitro whip...?

[kirijo]

They're used to instantly whip cream with pressurized gas. You insert a cannister containing nitrogen here ...

[ She leans in, reaching past Tifa to point at the receiver. ]

Fill the reservoir with heavy cream, press that button, and it'll dispense whipped cream from this spout.

[ There's a fair few gadgets here that Mitsuru doesn't recognize - her culinary experience is decidedly limited - but she's whipping siphons of various designs in a number of high-end coffee shops.

[ ... just as she's seen tea diffusers like the ones sitting on a shelf by Tifa's shoulder.

[ She wonders how much those cost ... ]

[starshower]

[Tifa turns it over in her hands, eyes lighting up as if this is the coolest thing she's ever seen. It's come pretty damn close, that's for sure.]

I can't tell you how helpful this would've been back at the bar...

[The hours she spent whipping sweet cream with nothing but a bowl, whisk, and her own two hands just so that Marlene could have some cupcakes for dessert. Not to mention the ones she served at the bar... It's too bad that it's so far out of her price range that she has to slide it back onto its place on the shelf.

Her disappointment is clear for all of two seconds before she's moving on to the next item that's caught her eye—a simple set of black coasters adorned with gold trim around its edges. Tifa picks them out but follows Mitsuru's line of sight to the tea diffusers.]

Those are for tea leaves, aren't they?

[kirijo]

They are.

[ Mitsuru confirms with a nod, stepping around Tifa to inspect the tea infusers a little more closely. They're long-handled and intricitaley decorated with fine designs that looked to be hand-chiseled into their burnished silver bodies. ]

My mother has a few sets similar to these.

[starshower]

[She tucks the bundle of coasters beneath her arm and picks up a diffuser to examine between her fingers for a moment, but there's a glint in the crimson of her eyes, and in her smile.]

You want one?

[Hardly giving Mitsuru a second to answer, she places it the palm of her hand.]

My treat.

[kirijo]

[ Mitsuru wasn't expecting that, judging by the look on her face.

[ She opens her mouth to assure Tifa that such gestures are unnecessary and that funds aren't any sort of issue for her ...

[ But that isn't exactly the case anymore, is it?

[ She isn't certain exactly how much money she has, but money is an object for her now ... ]

I couldn't ask that of you.

[ ... it still feels strange to have someone buy something for her when she's wanted very little in her life. Ordinarily she's the one extending that offer. ]

[starshower]

[If there's one thing Tifa is, it's insistent, and she reaches out to close Mitsuru's hand around the diffuser. It's something so simple, but... something that could be a small reminder of home, and she's always thought it was important to never forget where you came from.

It's silly that a tea diffuser might do it for someone the way a drink might do it for her, but...!]

You're not asking.

[More like Tifa is the one telling her.]

Think of it as a thanks... For spending the afternoon with me. A souvenir.

[kirijo]

[ It's ... difficult not to be touched by such a gesture. ]

Y-you don't need to thank me for that ...

[ Truly, she doesn't. Mitsuru has enjoyed their little jaunt through the city immensely, and it's gone a long way towards abating the frustration and anger that she felt upon being brought here against her will.

[ A souvenir of such an afternoon doesn't seem objectionable. ]

I accept. [ A beat. ] On the condition that you allow me to return the favor should we have another outing.