EVENT ✨ Old St. Nic(nevin)

[avalonmods]

QUICK NAV: LOGS ⚔️️ NETWORK ⚔️️ MEMES ⚔️️ OOC ⚔️️ NAVIGATION This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask questions in response to this comment HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only.

 

 

Everyone is invited to Elphame to celebrate this year's Winter Solstice and take part in Elphame's portion of the Winter Solstice rituals. Everyone was provided a quick-travel totem to get to the Land of Maidens, which now has an open path into the fairy capitol of N

Thanks to the completion of the 9 Sorceresses' tasks, preparations for the Winter Solstice have gone smoothly and, temporarily, the waterfall gorge that leads to the Land of Maidens has frozen entirely. Where the entrance to the Land of Maidens had once been hidden behind the water, a new cavern is formed by the frozen ice. A small pathway of moss and tiny flowers formed by petal-thin crystals leads the way to a door. This one is wood and seemingly carved out of a the cliff at the base of the waterfall. The wood door is covered with vines and moss and red and white spotted toadstools and is quite, quite small. You'll certainly have to get on your hands and knees to pass through or if you refuse, the fae of the gorge will have little hesitation in spreading rumors of your cowardice across the land.
Harsh words like "I heard they only fuck chickens because that's what they truly are" and a good many other crass and sometimes ridiculous rumors (and caricatures we dare not share with you) will spread about the land, even going so far as to come back to Camelot. To have rumors spread about your character during the event, list them here for all to see!
	Enter, and you shall crawl through a small tunnel that seems to get wider and wider (or are you getting smaller and smaller? It's impossible to tell for sure.) until you reach a rather impressively sized moat surrounding what may be the largest tree you've ever seen. There are small boats that will carry two to three people at a time, manned by what look like nutcrackers. Ask their names, and you will find they are called Undante and Redd and they both will speak the same thing at the same time, which can get rather confusing when the other boat is speaking to their ferryman. If you continue to bother them at work, they will send you on a quest that's essentially impossible to complete and a complete waste of time. Don't bother them, they've got more passengers to ferry, don't you have a fairy capitol to explore?
Once you arrive at one of the roots of the tree, you'll be expected to climb up the side of it using vines and thick flat mushrooms that grow up the side of it and knobby growths, since most humans can't fly. There are homes and shops built all along the side of the tree, carved into it but not deep enough to disrupt its growth. Once you get up to the first main district about two hundred feet above the base, the fairies will laugh and show you a staircase through the trunk you could've taken and may use for future reference. You can travel across branches to reach other trees with more homes once you reach another three hundred feet above the shops level, and there is a single staircase that wraps around the tree that unfortunately is not a joke- you really do need to climb another six hundred feet of stairs up to reach the castle of Nicnevin... and even if you do, you'll run into more nutcrackers guarding the door and preventing anyone from entering the castle area. Thankfully, you don't need to climb the entire tree to find the gathering square back on the main district level, which is paved with skipping stones from a pond (or large flat stones? The scale is still quite unclear) and decorated with evergreen branches and winter flowers like poinsettias, winterberry, and black hellebore. Warm cups of soup are being distributed filled with Everwarm (though those who were paying attention may think better of it). Many of the fae from the Elphame Traders who have visited in the past can be found in their home shops here and may greet people who made purchases from them in the past. Speaking to them may be the only way to get food imported from Camelot if you forgot to bring some. The Traders will direct players to an inn tree known as the Everwelcome Inn. Rooms come in standard hotel sizes. 1 queen bed or 2 queen bed rooms will be offered for free to visitors from Camelot, but there are suits available to those who are willing to barter something valuable to them. They do not accept G in Elphame, but they may send characters on quests to fetch various items or defeat certain beasts, or accept personal items (low value) to upgrade to suites with a king bed, hot tub, kitchen, balcony, and an included couples package (learn to make fairy guacamole together, couples platza treatment, and a romantic in-room dinner that looks like it's made mostly of sweets fit for a French King.. if you think that's a good idea).   The people themselves don't seem keen on opening up to people yet, so it may be hard to learn about Nicnevin's culture, but it does seem to be home to a wide variety of strictly non-human faeries and creatures... so it may just be hard to get a grasp on as many have their own rules to live by, provided they all respect each other (pranks on humans don't count) and obey the Fae Queen's edicts. However, everyone comes out together on the night of the Winter Solstice to participate in a dance around the base of the tree. As Winter Solstice tradition, characters will be provided with either white robes or be told it's more polite to strip nude. (All of the fairies will be without attire, so as to feel closer to the island.) Once you're out around the base of the tree, you're told to hold someone else's hands in a circle around the giga tree, and step toward the water. So long as you don't let go of at least one other person's hand, you'll find you're able to walk on the surface of the water. All the fae begin to sing, and if you listen to your heart, you'll find somehow you know the tune deep down as well and are able to join in should you choose to. Dance in any way you find enjoyable, then run together with everyone clockwise around the tree. This will coincide with the Solstice Night Run taking place back in Camelot and work in conjunction with it. (Anyone staying in Camelot is welcome to use the Solstice Night Run prompts from last year if they see something that interests them, though everyone is encouraged to head to Elphame using Land of Maidens totems provided for free to them!)

Whether you choose to participate or not, eventually everyone will need to find their way back to their rooms at the inn and will find slumber, even if they're not the type to usually sleep. Something about the way magic is channeled through the fairy kingdom differently tends to make people very sleepy.. which is just as well, as they'll be woken by a visitor in the morning. Mari Lwyd has come a'knocking. A skeletal horse covered in white cloth and decorated with ribbons with ornaments in its eye socks stands at the door upon opening, and begins to slap down some sick rhymes about why it should be allowed to come in. If you are able to get a verse back at it telling it not to come in with, it will return fire with another rap. Return it in what boils down to a rap battle with Mari Lwyd for three verses and it will leave-- from either you, a roommate, or a benevolent passerby, so tag in to save a rhyme! Stop before
reaching three verses, and Mari Lwyd will come in and take the entirety of your food and drink stock, leaving only water. Happy.. Solstice? Complain to any fairy and they will simply tell you oh yes, that's Mari Lwyd, it comes every year. However, you will find that at the end of the day the Mari Lwyd will find anyone who it spoke to and give a Fairy Blessing to them (whether they won the battle or not). Fairy Blessings DISCLAIMER: Fairy Blessing Magic Upgrades can only be obtained after your character visits Elphame. If your character does not go ICly, they don't get a boost. They can go to Elphame and obtain a blessing from the Fairy Queen at any point after Dec. 2021's Winter Solstice. It does not have to be during the event. The following upgrades are available to Primary Magic types: Healing: Area of Effect casting-- cast healing magic across a group. It will do less than a concentrated healing spell would, but you can cast on more people at once to reduce the amount of time needed to heal each member of the party and ability Locking (temporarily limit someone to only using the last spell that they cast. The spell will be boosted significantly in power/skill, but they cannot use anything else until the lock wears off- beginning practice 1 minute, up to 30 minutes max). Elemental: Control existing elements within the environment. (Ex: Calm fires, push back waves, spin tornados, etc.) Animal: Transform or partially transform into mythical animals (Non-fairy/humanoid). Dark Magic: Travel through connected (touching) shadows only to places the character has been before. (If there is too much light, the mage may be trapped and unable to travel.) Cannot stay stationary within the shadows, as there is no shadow realm to hang out in. Kinetic: Vibrate body at high frequency to be able to phase through objects. (Note: Will only work on self.) Cognitive: Telepathic conversation (two-way, by consent only- they can't read thoughts without permission). Alchemy: Fluid animation of elements according to the whim of the creator. (Ex: Toys that move on their own, a scaregrow with the whim to protect fields, enchant a spare key to run away from thieves, etc.) Light: Full-room, tactile illusions (combination of hard light and illusions). Details require significant practice, but could be used to create entire illusory scenarios. (Must be present to cast, you cannot create illusions and leave someone trapped.) Blessings are not currently available for secondary magic types. Camelot's officers will be setting up a halfway campsite at the Forest of the Felled for anyone who wishes to stay between the two lands for easy access to next month's events and Camelot. Characters are welcome to stay wherever they would like!

Comments

Toshirou Hijikata | Gintama

[mayoninofukucho]

Winter Solstice

A ⦿ Arrival

[Hijikata contributed little to the completion of the sorceresses' tasks, considering them unnecessarily difficult and dangerous, and he honestly felt like he'd be better off spending the winter solstice in Camelot, but ultimately his ghost subordinates convinced him to head to Nicnevin. After he braved ghost hunters and scammers for their sake they want him to take at least the very end of the year off from work!

So the samurai crawls through the little door that has appeared in the frozen gorge, and while he bitches under his breath about why the hell they couldn't make it big enough to walk through he doesn't hesitate.

On the other side he takes in the gargantuan tree with wonder, and during the ferry ride across the moat he's mostly quiet... though the nutcrackers' simultaneous talking quickly gets on his nerves. He's about to lose his temper and demand that they stop speaking in synchronisation and instead each focus on his own passengers, but in that moment they task someone in the other boat who kept asking questions with a quest that sounds beyond arduous, which makes him decide to lay low to avoid landing a similar job.

Before long they arrive at the massive tree... and have to climb up its trunk?! Again Hijikata gets to it under complaints, and once they reach the first main district level and the fae laugh and show them the stairs he groans, leans against the nearest wall and lights himself a cigarette.]

They really get a kick out of humiliating us, huh?

B ⦿ Dance on the Moat

[At night everybody gathers for the winter solstice celebration. Hijkata takes the offered robes; like hell is he going to do this naked! He's apprehensive as they all step onto the surface of the water in a big circle, but surprisingly they really don't sink in. As the fae begin to sing and dance he finally relaxes a little... he'll participate in the run later on, but for now he'll fall back to the side of the moat and watch. He isn't much of a dancer. As he observes the magical scene he ponders this past year and how much progress, but also how many setbacks they all experienced together.]


Don't Say Neigh

A ⦿ Mari Lwyd

[After a night of blissful, deep sleep Hijikata's morning was rather abrupt: before he knew what hit him he already lost a rap battle with a skeletal horse, which proceeded to enter his room, take all his provisions except his bottled water, and dodge his infuriated attacks with baffling speed and agility. His immediate complaint to the innkeeper results in nothing but "Yes, that's Mari Lwyd, it comes every year, that's normal". What the hell?!

Hijikata is fed up. He collects his belongings and leaves, visibly pissed off. As he stomps through the main district he glares daggers at the stalls giving out 'Everwarm'-infused soup.]

What kind of place only offers cursed food to visitors? I've never met more inhospitable people!

[Never mind that they let them all stay at the inn for free... at least he's only bitching under his breath, but his pissed-off expression leaves little doubt about how foul his mood is.]

B ⦿ Fairy Blessings

[Ultimately Hijikata's departure gets delayed a good bit - he decides to at least ensure that he's not overlooking any rare ingredients being sold in local shops while he's still here -, so the Mari Lwyd catches him just as he's about to wave over one of the nutcrackers on their boats. He glowers, but hears it out... and gradually his face brightens up.]

Really? I'll be able to control elements I haven't summoned? Fine, if you give me that upgrade you can keep the food!

[The skeletal horse blesses his primary magic, and he immediately starts testing his new ability out on the surrounding air, already looking much happier as it swirls around him. Perhaps this year can end on a good note after all.]

B.

[pissoffbook]

[There's another person sitting on the water's edge on the sidelines watching the dance. She's also dressed in a white robe, her legs crossed one over the other. Aside from the robe, she has a white flower with a sort of otherworldly quality woven into her hair. She has a pretty nice figure, her curves quite obvious in the lightweight robe.

Kainé glances up when the man moves near to watch as well. He looks lost in thought so she doesn't bother him; not that she's the most social person anyway. She has gotten better though.

Instead, she looks back to the dancers and wonders how the hell they're doing that and making it look so graceful. She's never danced before, having not been welcome in towns and villages from a young age, so therefore never really been to an occasion worth dancing. With the exception of the King of Fascade's wedding and those were his subjects dancing. But, in any case, she's pretty sure if she tried she'd look like an idiot. With the thought, she lets out an audible sigh as she continues to take in the beautiful display.]

Solstice - B

[corpsewarblade]

[Another person was lurking in the shadows in a white robe, her cold, clear eyes focused on the dancing crowd. Being 'on guard' was what she was used to at these sorts of events- she'd been an enforcer and bodyguard back home after all.

It didn't take her long to spot someone she knew, though. And it was with a slight hesitation (he hadn't seen her out of her disguise before, had he?) that she headed his way.

And so, Hijikata would find a possibly familiar teenager with short black hair and more noticeably freckled cheeks slipping quietly out the shadows- much like her familiar was wont to do.]

...Hijikata. Hey.

Harry Potter | Harry Potter series

[phoenixwiz]

Arrival at Nicnevin
(After managing to finish the tasks given by the sorceresses (albeit done off-screen), Harry is now allowed to take the next step of the trip: travel to Nicnevin, the city of the Fae. He has taken on the tunnel crawling without a complaint, had a mostly calm boat ride even with Undante and Redd’s chattiness filling up the air, and, after many failed attempts to fly with kinetic magic, he is able to endure climbing up the tree’s many vines and mushroom caps. Upon reaching the city on top, he barely had enough energy to stand up, though he doesn’t look like he was going to collapse within seconds.)

Phew! We finally made it. I can’t believe it that we managed to reach the city.

(Also feel free to run into him as soon as he reaches Everwelcome Inn and gets a room with your character.)

Winter Solstice Ritual
(When night comes, the ritual is about to begin. Just like with the Solstice Night Run, Harry didn’t feel confidant enough to get naked for the dance, so he is getting the robe instead. As the fae and people are starting to prepare for the ritual dance, he begins to reflect on his year long adventure in Avalon, the progress being made, and the many setbacks he and the otherworlders had to deal with through their time in the island.)

Mari Lwyd Rap
(It was a really good night’s sleep for Harry after going through the ritual itself, which thankfully did not as bad as the last year’s Solstice Run event. But after having a nice blissful sleep, he soon finds himself awaking up to the most awkward situation to date: a living skeletal horse, the Mari Lwyd, asking him to let it in. Harry, not knowing what to do next, politely asks the horse to leave in a rap.)

Excuse me, Mari Lwyd. You just woke me up in the worst timing possible. Can't you just wait until a little later? There are people still sleeping at this time.

I cannot wait for that long, young visitor. I have many places to go, but I need somewhere to rest at before I leave. But you are more stubborn than what you appear to be. Come try to rap with me if you dare.

(As he tries to get his bearings straight, he turns to the other person with him and whispers to them.)

Hey, um, do you have any tips for me to get through this rap battle without any problems? This is my first time doing such a thing..

(OOC: I really intend for Harry to accidentally win the rap battle (but with some effort), despite him thinking that his rapping is a complete mess. Blame Daniel Radcliffe, Jimmy Fallon and Blacklicious for making me wanting to do this prompt.)

Fairy Blessings
(After barely managing to survive the rap battle, Harry thankfully doesn’t lose a single piece of food, but he is left tired from the experience, not wanting to see the horse again. But just as he was about to leave, the Mari Lwyd shows up and reveals to him that it’ll bless him with an upgrade to his kinetic magic as a gift for participating in its rap battle.)

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You’re telling me that I can vibrate my own body to phase through objects? Please tell me that I haven’t gone mental just yet.

Wildcard
(Want something else different? You can comment down below or find me on mariscorner or on Discord at Mariposa21 #4257. I can match your style, brackets or prose, as needed.)

Arrival at Nicnevin

[pricklybloom]

Yeah, tell me about it.

[ Amy breathes out a sigh once reaching the main district level; the challenge of climbing without using the stairs had been fun at first, but it had taken more effort than she thought it would. Maybe she was out of practice.

Regardless, now that they didn't have anymore to climb she's already in better spirits, and she stretches a little to work out the slight ache in her legs before turning to Harry. ]

Anyway, I guess we better go find where we're staying, huh?

Della Duck | Ducktales 2017

[sos_pilot]

Nutty Nutcrackers

Awww, you little guys are adorable! How long have you been doing this? Are you actually made of wood, or is that a trick of the light? Say, do you even like nuts?

[ Curious as always, Della is peppering Undante and Redd with endless questions, and seems to be entirely oblivious to how much she's annoying them. Social cues aren't always her strong point especially when excitement overwhelms her.

Otherwise, once they're on dry land, you can find her doing endless/impossible quests with a cheerful smile on her face and trying her darndest anyway! She is one determined duck! ]

Okay, let's try that one more time... Walk backwards, with one eye closed, to the third tallest tree in the land to obtain the giant's toenail...

Climbing Crusade

[ Woo, climbing! Fun fun fun! No surprise she's enjoying the vine trek and hopping on mushrooms like life's a video game. In fact, she's enjoying herself so much that when the next set of stairs is made obvious... she ignores the stairs to climb! And if she sees anyone try to take them instead of climbing... well, she's not mocking, but - ]

C'mon, do you really wanna take the easy way up? I bet we'll have way more fun if we continue to climb! Maybe we can find secret passageways and little nooks and crannies no one else has seen! I'll even race you!

Dancing Damsel

[ Those who know her well, or at least have seen her around, might be surprised to see her without the trademark scarf and goggles she usually wears with every single outfit. Indeed, while she's wearing the white robes assigned, she keeps tugging around the neckline, as if incredibly uncomfortable without the scarf. It must be very important to her.

... That, and while in her world a lot of people are already usually pants-less, what they've got is still covered up by fur and feathers. As such, she turns away from the naked folks, muttering under her breath - ]

Geez, how do you guys handle everything... dangling? That has to be super uncomfortable... Or at least really cold all the time.

[ That said, once it's time to dance and make merry, she's more than willing to put aside the weirdness for the celebration! Especially when it's time to bust a move, especially the hits from her childhood - the macarena, hammertime, cha cha slide... Say, didn't they do something similar like this last year? Well then, time to spice it up with something new - by her favorite artist, Powerline! ]

Oh man, this takes me back! This may be... the fourth... eh, maybe sixth most unusual Christmastime I've ever had!

Rapping Report

[ This bumps it right back up to fourth! Maybe even third! Still, when a horse skeleton knocks up on your door and delivers some sick beats... even adventure-savvy Della is thrown for a loop. She needs a few seconds to comprehend what's going on... but just a few.

She holds up a hand, pretending to adjust sunglasses that ain't there. Time to invoke the freestyle rap she knows of the 90s, and all its glorious cringe! ]

Whoa whoa whoa, hold up, soon! You think you can drop some lyrics on my doorstop and not expect me to lay down some funky beats? Oooh, here we go!

[ While pretending her fist is a microphone, she makes the stereotypical "DJ Noises", such as scratching records or 'un un sshh!' ... This is probably the only time her children may be glad she's not there. ]

Oooh, so here's this fella
Don't know he's with Della
You think cause I got kids I don't know to diss?
Son, you ain't gettin' in, so says this sis!
I've been dealin' with rhymes ever since the dawn of time,
Been there and back, and you don't know Jack,
so what do you have to say, cause I hope it's only NEIGH!

[ Totally forgiven if you see this and just choose to move on.

On the flipside, if she's spotting you while you're sweating for style? She'll help you out... uh, you know, in her own way. ]

You got this, bro! I'll lay down the beat!

[ More DJ noises. Endless DJ noises. Vanilla Ice would be proud. ]

Wilcard
[ Make your own prompt! Feel free to hit me up on plurk (melcat33) or discord (melcat33#1997) ]

Dancing Damsel

[pricklybloom]

[ Amy is similarly trying to avoid looking at those who opted out of the robes, as she tugs a bit on her own to make sure she's decently covered. The dancing is a nice distraction, though, and she watches Della for a moment before a laugh bubbles out of her. ]

Nice moves.

Din Djarin | The Mandalorian

[friendsallover]

[Having made it to the gathering square and the inn, Din is happy to help out with filling some of the requests made by the Proprietor. It's a fair enough exchange after all.]

[Seven Swans A-Swimming]

[This quest has been a particularly long one.

He'd managed to find the partridge, pear tree, turtle doves, french hens, calling birds, gold rings, and geese a-laying, but the swans are starting to prove elusive. And he's concerned he might be cursed by the rings (having found them in a cave). He's about done with birds really and would just like to wrap this up so he can go on to figuring out the maids, ladies, lords, pipers and drummers.

He reaches out, hoping to freeze one of the swans with his kinetic magic, but a fluttering of wings distracts him and the spell doesn't completely take hold. The targeted swan honks in panic, drawing the attention of the other swans. And as Din meets the eyes of the remaining six, he has the distinct feeling that he is in trouble.]

[With a Corncob Pipe and a Carrot Nose]

[Din can be found outside of the Inn, rolling large balls of snow to create various snowmen decorations. However, he seems to be doing this at the behest of several children who are, quite judgemental about how these snowboys are meant to be.

Not that Din's snow creations are much better. Most look a bit lopsided, to say the least. A head too small, a body too big, the faces maybe a little too angry? It's hard to say but it's obviously starting to wear on the Mandalorian.

He sighs.]

What about this one?

[WildCard]

[Got another fun quest for Din? Want to plot? Feel free to hit me up for plotting.]

Corncob pipe and carrot nose!

[markedfordeath]

[She had seen the gathering of children and had been all set to ignoring them until a familiar voice cut through their complaints.

Mando?

Now this was proving to be interesting.

Elza made her way over to stand silently behind the group of children while they gave directions. He undoubtedly had a good heart given he was actually taking their requests instead of just eliminating the snowman and being done with it all.

When the question comes, the gunner couldn't help herself.]

The head's about to roll off.

[It wasn't, but if it made him question his work then it had been worth it.]

Belgium | Hetalia

[resistetmords]

I – The Climb!?

Eh… we have to climb up that?

[To her credit, Belgium actually looks kind of suspicious about this claim. There’s no way anyone, or anything, could be expected to climb all the way up that! In fact, she even shoots the fairies in question a suspicious look.]

I-- isn’t there an easier way to get up there?

[You know, like an elevator. If she still had her strength as a nation she could totes do it. But here… well that’s going to be more than a little workout!]

II – Cozy Inn Time

[Following the advice given, plus tales she learned about in the past, had been a pretty simple matter, avoid the food and drink that fairies offer you. Don’t accept gifts and be generous with your own. It really helped that the Traders were present here. Meaning that she was able to get her own food and drinks to add onto whatever she’d brought along with herself.

Things had still been awfully difficult up to this point! She knew that fairies are supposed to be hard to get along with creatures, but this was all kind of ridiculous! At least now they had a place to relax for a spell and kick back.

Hopefully.

But which room should she take? Hm…]

So will you two be taking the couples package?

[Eh…? She blinks in confusion at the little hotel clerk and then glances to the person next to her. Ah--!]

III – Dancing in Your Birthday Suit

[No… wait, hang on. Get naked and dance around?]

That’s… I haven’t seen something like this for a good long while! Well, that’s not entirely true, we still have something similar back home. But not quite like this.

[She was wearing her white robe right now. Just because people, and herself probably, did that a long time ago doesn’t mean that she herself would tag along with it! Though seeing so many bodies dancing around is quite amazing. And in her opinion, the flowing, white robes mixing in with the nude bodies holds a certain appeal to it all. Belgium finds herself drawn into it, both from that appeal and the few memories she still retains from days long since gone and forgotten.

Smiling, she grabs hold of a partner to join here in the dance without a word. At the very least they can have a bit of fun?]

IV – The Queen’s Gift

Hm… an upgrade huh?

[She decided to go ahead and wear her Grenadiers uniform for the occasion. Complete with a whole host of honors and the scabbard for her officer’s saber missing… well the saber itself. She felt it proper to wear in the presence of a queen and here officials.

Especially one that had welcomed them so… magnanimously. Anyway! She smiles brightly.]

I think this calls for one more celebration here!

[WILDCARD]

[ooc: You guys know what this is. Don't see something you wanna try? Wish to do something more specific with your own pup? Let me know or simply start up a thread with whatever and I'll follow along~!]

II.

[pissoffbook]

What the fuck...?

[Kainé's whispers under her breath. Her eyes widen, her mouth drops open slightly, and her pale cheeks briefly dust pink at the implication. What the hell was this fairy trying to say? Sure she dresses in lingerie but it's not because she's a whore or anything.

She looks to the other woman, wondering what she'd said to imply that, as Kainé had been lost in her own head and trying to figure out if she actually wanted to stay in the city or camp out as usual.]

Zidane Tribal | Final Fantasy IX

[tantailizing]

I. Gorge-ous Rumors - Arrival

[Hey, he helped the maidens out so of course he was heading to the celebration. Didn't even mind that getting to Nicnevin would involve a little bit of crawling because, honestly, as long as it wasn't cutting through another cave with a blizzard blustering through it. Not like it's a long crawl either, but apparently, some people didn't do it?]

[Either way, once on the other side - and aside from seeing they had to climb next - he's already hearing some very off rumors. And all over some hesitation to crawl through a hole...]

[Oh dear, the last he hears isn't pleasant at all. And it's about you. But hey, he might not know that if he doesn't know who you are, right? Maybe stay calm or don't draw attention to it at all... focus on the climb ahead while he looks contemplative.]

II. Winter Solstice - Exploring Nicnevin

[Well, climbing was pointless, but Zidane's all smiles and laughs away the fairies mocking. Nothing wrong with a little climb after a crawl; and it's totally worth taking in the sights once they get to the top... maybe makes him feel a little melancholy.]

[Of course, all that's put aside when he sees some of the Traders that come around Camelot, and he's got a bone to pick with one.]

Y'know, it would've been nice to be told that shirt turns you into a snake when wet... I mean, I'm keeping it, but c'mon...!

[But aside from that conversation, he's considering their wares, avoiding the food, and thinking about decor. Going to the Inn could come later; why not join him in a walkabout?]

III. Winter Solstice - Local Customs

[Dancing for Solstice makes sense to him. But he looks at the white robes when offered, but notices the locals were doing something different...]

[... standing a moment later without the robe on or under his arm, he looks at the group of dancers with him, his tail waving back and forth. He's wondering when the actual dancing is going to start, ignoring a few looks his way. He's not perturbed by nudity and he knows how he looks with his fairly large scars, a few that look like they're entry and exit wounds - and it spares people from looking elsewhere.]

IV. Wildcard

[OOC: Wanna do something specific or outside of the prompts, hit me up at demidemonLove or PM me to plot!]

kate galloway × original × closed

[morns]

( threads below! if you want something, feel free to check out my plotting post. )

ichiro /

[morns]

( it's hard to miss the giant tree that sits in the middle of the moat, and trying to take in the whole scope of the damn thing just leaves Kate with a sore neck as the boat sails over the water and drops another group of newcomers off.

so this is the way up, huh? sure looks that way, as she circles the base and sees nothing but natural hand and footholds jutting out and providing a path. hands on hips, Kate doesn't jump straight into the business of climbing the damn thing, instead mentally drawing lines and routes between knots and vines, debating where magic would be useful to save time and physical energy.

she turns the corner, one hand reaching up to grab at the ledge a mushroom creates to test the durability of the spongy fungus, in a move that may, to passing strangers, look like she's hesitating to take the first step up onto the tree.

after all, it's a long trip up, and it would be easy for well-meaning passers by to assume trepidation in taking the first step, right? )

izumi tachibana × a3! × closed

[currysseur]

( threads below! if you want something, feel free to talk to me on my plotting post. )

kazunari /

[currysseur]

( a dance for the solstice doesn't sound too bad, all things considered. Izumi doesn't consider herself a dancer by any stretch of the imagination, but experiencing more of Avalon's culture can only be a positive, right?

right. so, by that logic, experiencing a solstice ritual is an important part of becoming a better director while she's here. you can't put on a play that entices the local population if you know nothing about the local population!

which is how Izumi comes to be staring at a whole bunch of people stripping off while others haggle for robes, her cheeks deepening to a bright red as she tries to avoid getting eyefuls of people's private bits, wrapping her arms tight around herself. maybe she could just... get reports from someone else later.

though— )

Kazunari-kun?

( she'd recognise that haircut anywhere, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that any of her actors would want to check this out as well. but is it a comfort or another level of cringe to be alongside them when the fairies are asking them all to strip down to their birthday suits?

(it's too late to debate that now, Izumi. you've already called out to him.) )

Beowulf | fgo

[beewulf]

I – A New Challenge!

Climb?

[As in… climb that big ass tree? He gets a feral grin on his lips and a roll of his massive shoulders. Ah yes son! Finally, another way to push his body to new heights! Or so he hopes. Hm… he still needs to find a way to make this more challenging. More of a fight for him to struggle through. The insurmountable Beowulf takes a look around himself for a moment.

There.]

You. Need a bit of help getting up there?

[Congrats person! He has chose you! Yes, you! To be his added challenge to this ordeal! And no, he won’t stop at the stairs.]

II – Gathering Square

[When all was ultimately said and done Beowulf was left fairly bored. Satisfied to an extent, sure, but not all that thrilled and more than a little on edge. There be tons of fairies about here! All offering different things to people passing by. Everywhere he stepped there was one of those tricksters waiting to swoop in and buzz around him. He kept his calm though, or at least as best he could, given circumstances.

It really is a good thing that his madness enhancement doesn’t affect his decision making all that much.]

No, I don’t think they’d want any.

[He grunted, looking to intervene between someone else and one of the fairies trying to hark something on them. May as well do his best to make his rounds here before heading to the inn.]

III – Letting It All Go Free

[Beowulf didn’t have much problems with nudity, or dancing in the nude. Neither did his familiar, who was nearby, for once without her dress. Her once concealed tail sashaying behind her and dark hollow, resembling that of a dried tree, trailing from between her shoulders to the small of her back on display. The Berserker himself stepped off to the side and away from the other dancers. Taking survey of the scene. It was all familiar to him, the only thing missing were the sacrifices.

Well that was all well and good, so long as everyone was enjoying themselves.

He moves to the side, avoiding another nude body without thinking. His own was on full display, muscles, scars, dark skin and large package for all the world to see. It wasn’t as if it was anything new for those who knew him or have been around him. He’d never completely clothed himself except on occasion. If anything, with the festivities in the air, it felt natural to him.

That said he needed to get out of the crowds for a moment and soon began to look for a space off to the side and away from the other bodies closing in around him.]

IV – Don’t Say Neigh

[Of course, out of all the things he should have expected this should have been at the top of his list. Of course, they couldn’t let things go without one last hurrah in the morning. Beowulf glowered at the skeletal being that had come to bug him.]

A rap battle, you mean flyting? For what purpose?

[The being shrugged, and he ended up wishing he’d had something to drink. Even if it was barely time for breakfast.]

Oi, think you can take care of this one?

[WILDCARD]

[ooc: You guys know what this is. Don't see something you wanna try? Wish to do something more specific with your own pup? Let me know or simply start up a thread with whatever and I'll follow along~!]

||

[beefaroni]

[Help out your fellow Berserker! There's actually a handful of fairies buzzing around Asterios, trying to use his lack of knowledge about... well, almost anything to try and trick him.

He just blinks slowly at all they keep trying to offer him, really more confused than anything else. ]

I do not... understand...?

Asterios/Berserker | Fate Grand Order

[beefaroni]

Climbing Companions
[ For someone as big and muscular as Asterios, doing a big climb like this is really no sweat off his back. But he's fully aware of his advantages, especially among you smaller folks.

So he approaches anyone who is reluctant to climb, looooooming over them with his big shadow... before pointing to his shoulder. ]

I can carry you. I can climb. You can ride on my shoulder.

Fairy Fuss

[ Hurray, we've made it to Fairy Town! But Asterios isn't really here to shop or explore. He just wants to be left alone... but the fairies know a good target when they see one. Wherever he walks, a handful try to trick him into giving his name or buying their wares, guessing that a big fella like him isn't terribly knowledgeable about a lot of things, including the laws of the fae.

Asterios keeps trying to walk around them, but they insist on trying to trick him. He might just tell them what they want to hear to make them go away, but he could use some help. ]

... Leave me be. I do not want to talk.

Mari & Me
[ Asterios is already... not familiar with a lot of music, given his backstory. So when this skeleton horse begins rap-rap-rapping at his door... he really has no idea what's going on, or that his food is at stake. But this is an animal, right?

So after the first couple of verses, Asterios moves to Pet Mari. ]

Good horse. Good horse. It's okay.

Wildcard
[ Make your own prompt! Feel free to plot with me at melcat33 (plurk) or melcat33#1997 (discord) ]

Mari, Mash, and the Minotaur!

[unfalteringwall]

[Mash had learned about Asterios' presence in Avalon when Ritsuka announced he was coming to live with the two of them (as opposed to just chillin out in the snow and muck and all that.) With that in mind, she had been keeping a bit of an eye on him since they arrived in Elphame, making sure he'd gotten a proper room and not gone back to his habit of sleeping outside. When she goes to check on him in that morning, though, she's surprised to hear him...talking to someone? She raps (heh) gently on the door with a knuckle.]

Asterios, are you alright in there?

[The door creaks ajar just slightly...]

Elsa | Frozen

[readytolearn]

Climbing up

[Unfortunately, Elsa is a very new kinetic mage so no flying for her just yet. Instead she is doing this the old fashioned way. Of course her first instict was to try and make the climb easier with ice magic, but of course most she can really make right now is just some frost. Which was going to take a while to get used to.

Though the climbing is rough, Elsa doesn't mind it at all. It's actually a pretty fun challenge.]

Not exactly what I expected to do today, but this is still pretty fun.

Solstice

[Elsa definitely opts to use the white robe. Going completely naked in front of all these people is definitely not what she wants to do. As long as it was fine with the fae that you had a white robe, she felt comfortable in knowing she wasn't disrespecting the ritual.

She offers a hand to someone nearby who would also wear a robe instead of the "birthday" suit, to make things less awkward.]

Would you join me in this dance?


Rap...?

[Getting greeted by a rappig skeleton horse is not the way you'd expect your morning to go, but here she is, face to face with one. Anna is still asleep in their room, but Elsa does hope that their "battle" would wake her up and she would help her sister out... or someone else would.]

My sister is still asleep.
So you leaving would be sweet.
You're not welcome,
I'm sorry if you feel unwelcome...

[She's sort of struggling to find the words. This is so bizarre.]


Wildcard

Something else? Plot with me on PM's or sasageyo.

Climbing Up

[kiss_it_better]

[Of his two magics, one was unsuitable for climbing and the other was too risky to use for such things. So Li Min also needed to climb the old-fashioned, non-magical way.

He doesn't quite mind it either so he smiles back at her politely.]

This place is often full of unexpected challenges.

Stephanie Brown | DC Comics

[ichoosefight]

Solstice

[ Steph has her arms folded inside the sleeves of her robe, rubbing warmth into them. She isn't as cold as she might be- she's kept her boots on (listen, fae, there's this thing called frostbite) and her robe is wrapped as tightly as humanly possible and held tight in place with her yellow utility belt. She also has the presence of mind to continuously shift her weight so she isn't still for too long. ]

Anyone else notice that these fun nature celebrations tend to be... potentially deadly? No?

[ She doesn't seem actually concerned, but she's starting to question how much the other sentient species of Avalon really know about humans. ]

[morganknight]

[Enter one boyfriend -- one obnoxiously-immune-to-the-cold boyfriend, sauntering on up like the robe he's wearing might as well be a sauna. Growing up in the mountains meant a lot of cold-weather adaptation even before one accounted for other facts, like strenuous all-year physical training. Robe loose and one arm waving, he wastes no time in doing his duty: moving around to tug Steph in close and share his abundant, radiating warmth.]

Once we start the run, it'll be fine.

Jean Kirstein | Attack on Titan

[rustyhonesty]

Going up

[Jean has no problems with climbing up the tree. Of course he could make things easier and just turn into a bird and fly... but this was more fun and he could help out people who might be struggling with the climb.

There is also a small german shepherd puppy, gently tied to his back with cloth - much like a baby would be. He seems to be excited, looking around at the new place and sniffing everything.

He stops on the way to look around every once in a while.]

You doing alright?


... and up?

[Oh great, so the fae are laughing at them for climbing the tree. Jean would yell at them since he very much hates being laughed at, but he knows causing problems with the fae would be a bad idea. Instead he sighs as he takes Hazel the puppy down from his back and into his arms.]

Jokes on them, I actually preferred climbing the tree over stairs.

["It was fun!" says Hazel, to anyone who has animal magic. Otherwise it's just a happy bark.]


Testing magic upgrades

[After a good while Fairy Blessing, Jean decides to give the new upgrade a try. The first "mythical" being that comes to his mind is a dragon which is... very ironic, but since he is familiar with the image he gives it a try. After focusing for a good while, crimson dragon-like wings appear on his back. They exist as the first proof of his power upgrade.

After letting the dragon wings go away he manages to make himself nine fox tails... which kind of get stuck because of how much magic he already used with the dragon wings. Great. Now he's stuck with nine fox tails.]

Guess I could be stuck with something more embarrassing...

Testing magic upgrades aka troll lol lol

[colchismagecraft]

[Guess who else was testing her new abilities? Caster had been moving in and out of the shadows for a little while- but controlling exactly where she went would take a little more work. And in this case, she ended up emerging near a young man who...well.]

That's certainly an interesting look. Haha...

[Sorry Jean, this mean witchy stranger is having a chuckle at your expense.]

Jinguji Ren | Uta no Prince-sama

[saxsongs]

closed threads.

Solstice w/ Kitsuno

[saxsongs]

[While Ren could be completely naked, he decided to wear a white robe because his partner was doing so as well. Besides, now that he was taken, he liked reserving the sight of his naked body to his significant others.

After they're both dressed, Ren offers his hand to Kitsuno with a charming smile.]

Shall we go, my lady?

Li Min/Chang Geng | Sha Po Lang

[kiss_it_better]

i: Climb that tree
[He was a quiet traveller on the boat, leaving with a quick word of gratitude to the boatmen before he goes to tackle the next task.

He looks up the tree and considers things. He could use blood magic to help him with the climb but is that wise?

He decides it probably wasn't necessary but he pulls out a small knife anyway. If he falls he may need something to help catch himself.]

ii: Don't Eat the Food

[If you're about to eat the soup you'll find a gentle hand on your shoulder.]

It's best not to eat that.

[But he can also be found off to the side, plucking pieces of nuts and dried fruit out of a small pouch and eating those. Anyone watching long enough may notice that he seems to be eating a lot more food than what it appears the pouch could hold...some kind of magic, perhaps?]

iii: Dance, Dance, Dance

[He had taken the robe. He wasn't particularly against being naked but he had his reason to not take the robe off yet. He'd let his hair down from the usual high ponytail and it's draped over his back.

He watches the way people step onto the water and he wonders how this sort of magic works. He took a step forward, touching the water with his toes. Naturally, since he wasn't holding anyone's hand, it went below the surface.

He lets out a thoughtful hum.]

Fascinating.

[flapsin]

A. Almost Elphameous [Drake]

[The time has come to enter Nicnevin! Once the door is revealed, Drake wipes his hands together with satisfaction and prepares to get moving.]

Great! Kinda - kind of a small door, but it shouldn't be a problem! Heroes have to go through smaller openings all the time!

[He's ready to crawl on through that door! But what about whoever he's with?

Or later, find him while he's scaling the tree and leaping from one vine to a giant mushroom!]

Woo! This, this is quite the workout!

[Normally he only exercises this much as Darkwing Duck! But he may as well show off as Drake Mallard for now.]

B. Quantum of Solstice [Darkwing]

[Now this ritual's a bit unusual, but it seems fairly innocent in nature. So he decides to take part - as Darkwing Duck!

So once things kick off, there's a duck there who is wearing one of the robes (he's a modest bird!), while also wearing his standard Darkwing Duck bandana mask around his eyes. He poses, treating the rope almost like a cape.]

I am the terror that flaps through the night!
I am the new Christmas lights that won't turn on for evil...
I am Darkwing Duck!

[Now that he's introduced himself, it's time to celebrate!]

C. Some Lwyd Rhymes [Drake or Darkwing]

{That night at the inn, Drake's beauty sleep is disturbed when someone comes a-knocking! The duck groans as he gets himself out of bed.]

Who is it at this hour...

[It could always be someone in need of help, so Drake's not about to blow off whoever it may be. So he opens the door and... finds s skeletal horse standing there.]

H-hello?! Can... I help you?

[And the horse launches into some rhymes detailing why he should be let in! Drake regrets asking anything.

OR sometime afterwards, Darkwing Duck skulks the hallways and follows Mari Lwyd's movements! Once he knocks on someone else's door, Darkwing will be ready to swoop in to assist with some rhymes of his own!]

D. Wildcard

[Feel free to come up with an alternate prompt or hit me up for plotting!]

B

[sos_pilot]

[ Listen, Della already hates the fact she had to take off her Very Special Scarf, though she is wearing the white robes as well.

Darkwing jumping in with his spiel is not helping. It's probably rude to start a fistfight on a holiday... ]

Don't you only need to do that mini-speech when there are enemies to intimidate?! We're all naked in a land of fairies! Who do you need to threaten here?!

Archer | Fate/Stay Night: UBW | cw: nudity

[unknowntodeath]

Solstice

[Archer had had no intention of participating in the Solstice dance, but after a certain conversation he felt like he had something to proof and he was annoyed. Annoyed he would fall for Lancer's taunt and actually go through with this whole thing.

He wasn't even wearing the white robe provided. He was completely naked. At least his body was in an amazing shape. There was nothing to be ashamed of. He does have multiple scars over his back for getting stabbed there multiple times and some other battle scars. He wasn't ashamed of those either.

... it's the dancing he dreads and the whole reason he actually wanted to avoid this whole thing. With or without a robe.]

I wish this was already over and done with.

More nudity

[colchismagecraft]

[In order to do a magical ritual properly...it was only right that she do this the correct way, surely? Caster herself had few scars to speak of- the only obvious one being a jagged mark down her breastbone. A result of using her Familiar Fusion during her breakdown in summer.

Well. It wasn't that she was too self-conscious of that, she just hated the thought of being exposed like this in front of strangers! The thought was awful.

...However, there was one thing worse than a bunch of strangers seeing her naked. And that was something she realised as soon as she spotted Archer just a little way from her.]

You!

Klaudia | OC

[sulit]

A; Food Faux Pas

[When the message went out about how to behave in the fae lands, Klaudia took a good amount of time trying to commit the warnings to memory. Even in her own world, dealings with fae were often the subjects of stories, both good and bad. She didn't want to avoid Nicnevin--but neither did she want to get stuck there.]

[So imagine her alarm when she sees someone accepting some of the Everwarm soup. Were they new? Did they just not read the warnings? Did they forget? There's no real telling, but--]

Hey! [She sounds more like she's scolding a misbehaving pet than trying to warn a person, at first. She approaches quickly, hoping to head off any fae-related accidents.] What are you doing?? You're not supposed to eat that--don't you know the rules?

B; Wildcard

Only one starter this time, since I'm playing catch-up; but feel free to PM this journal or PP me at yumesukidesho if there's anything you want to play!

[I'll match either brackets or prose]

A

[pissoffbook]

Hmm?

[Kainé looks from the bowl to the person who seems to be scolding her.]

Like hell I'm gonna pass on soup. Don't you know how fucking rude, not to mention stupid, it is to not eat when the food's there? You never know when's the next time you'll get a damn thing to eat!

[Kainé still has the mindset of sometime who grew up with nothing. It's still been hard here in Avalon as well, but not nearly as horrible.]

Noelle Holiday | Deltarune (implied Ch2 Spoilers)

[icedream]

Gorge-ous Rumours

T-there's no way I can fit through something like that!

[Even with her improving confidence, Noelle was still a bit hesitant about crawling her way into the the tiny doorway- it definitely didn't look safe! And as it was, a little ice was pricking its way into her fingers from nerves.

The Fae, naturally, came to their own conclusions about this.]

"Clearly the reason you like frozen chicken so much is that you are one!"

I- I don't know what you're talking about...! Fine, I'll go in!

Winter Solstice

[There was no way Noelle was going to go around for the celebrations naked in front of so many people! Absolutely not!

So in her white robe was Noelle - it did feel strange, almost like the robes she wore in that dream - looking around for someone to offer her hand to.]

I...think we just have to run around the tree, right? Want to go together?

[And, well, there's definitely a quiet 'eep' of embarrassment if she gets a look at one of the people who'd declined the robe altogether.]

Fairy Blessings

Oh, it's you again...

[She'd just about managed to hold her own in the battle of words against Mari Lwyd- a rush of excitement filling her that she'd managed to avoid freezing up at the last moment, despite the fellow monster's (?) best efforts.

But she hadn't expected to see it again.

Noelle had a feeling though. That it was here to help make her stronger.

So she accepted, readily, and when it vanished once again she held out her hands- drawing the lightly falling snow to weave around her. Faster and faster and faster- Until her concentration was broken by someone nearby.]

...?

Oh! ...I'm sorry, did you say something?

[ooc: Feel free to ping me on Discord @ ArchangelAmy#4540 if you'd like to do anything in particular!]

Fairy Blessings

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean had gotten his blessing earlier and now he was looking for a place to practice... But he was mesmerized by the girl's snow magic so he had stopped to stare.

When she stopped he looked alarmed.]

Sorry, did I disturb you? I didn't mean to... But I also didn't say anything, I just... watched.