I saw Mommy kissing Samba-Claus (KISS BINGO EDITION) 💋🌿

[beleos]

QIASU (HIGHSTORM)

On December 15th, the marker of the latter half of Takiltu, Kenos comes together to celebrate unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time. This celebration is an amalgamation of many worlds’ winter festivals, and as such, is known in the two cities as the Year’s End Festival, or Qiasu as Highstorm calls it.

This part of Takiltu is when Highstorm truly starts to hit winter. Snow is a frequent occurrence, but it’s one that the city welcomes, since with the snow comes a few of the most beloved traditions of the city. By far the most popular is heading to Greenwood Yards. The gardens themselves may be either dormant or showing their simpler winter gardens, but you may have noticed an area by the bathhouses left in surprising amount of disrepair… This is because during the winter months, this area fills up with a natural outdoor hot spring! Take a swim under the moonlight, and even explore some of those ruined old manors, now with their first floors warmly flooded. It’s a tradition to bring in your favorite drinks and spend an evening sipping it in a parlor with friends, and to make new ones by sharing your drinks. Of course, do watch out for the ghosts. They’re mischievous more than malicious, but this is their favorite time of the year too!

You can also head to the Great Tree, which is decorated for the season with glittering glass orbs and is the current roost for the pale Moonbugs of Highstorm. Write a wish on a slip of paper and hold out your hands, and one of the Moonbugs will come sit within them. Whisper the wish to the Moonbug and it’ll take the paper and fly away to find someone to fulfill it. Of course, this also means that a Moonbug is likely to come find you! Besides it being good karma to fulfill the wish, you’ll be given a brief vision of the person whose wish you fulfilled and be blessed by the tree for the duration of the month depending upon your Aspect:

• Advocate: People are more likely to buy you meals/rounds and every recipe you make turns out perfectly.
• Exalt: Animals seem to think more kindly of you, and you'll find them much easier to befriend.
• Harbinger: You're given a more silver tongue as your arguments seem to be better at persuading people.
• Iconoclast: You won't be effected by cold weather in any way.
• Savant: You heal much more rapidly from any injury and are generally the very picture of health.
• Stargazer: Your indulgences (whatever they may be) are both easier to find and are of higher quality.

And of course, there’s one more well-known practice in Highstorm, though it’s more of a tradition of Kowloon’s… The Gävle family is a well-known family who has lived in Highstorm for a long time, and they brought a tradition of building a festive Yule goat made straw in the square outside of their businesses. However, it also happens to be outside of Yura Szczepanski’s home. He’ll never do it himself, of course, but if you manage to burn it down? He’ll reward you, obviously. It doesn’t make it any more legal, so those that try generally spend some time in a Highstorm jail, but it’s an enshrined enough practice at this point that not only has it burned down more often than it’s survived, but there’s even a betting pool in Kowloon for whether it survives or not.

Of course, if these traditions aren’t quite your vibe, you’ll also find the city just generally set up for a metropolitan winter. The Antiques & Baubles Market is rearranged to make room for a large ice-skating rink, Tasseography (the coffeeshop by the Tomes) has a seasonal special for a hot chocolate that will fortify you from the cold for a few hours (and make you fire resistant? Weird,), and the city also hosts a full-size gingerbread house that you can indeed take a bite from, to name a few things. Generally speaking, if it’s something you could do in a snowy city at home, you’ll probably find an equivalent somewhere in the city of moonlight.

Be warned, however, if you are visiting from out of town. Highstorm's reception seems just a touch bit chiller than the weather!

YEAR'S END FESTIVAL (SPRINGSTAR)

Springstar will never turn down a chance to celebrate, but eternally Highstorm’s opposite, this is the warmest time of year. With the sun always shining, some days can get near sweltering, but that just means you have a different set of traditions to have fun with it!

The ivy-like vines that decorated the city in the beginning of the month (November) are now in full bloom, and you’re now likely to learn why the Meri consider them sacred. Wherever the flowers bloom, they encourage feelings of warmth and slightly higher inclination for physical contact within those that encounter their magical pollen*. Holding hands with someone by the flowers will give you feelings of liveliness and happiness, and for a few hours, the positive traits of the person you’re holding hands with become more prominent in you and vice versa. These effects do linger a bit longer, since for a month, you’ll also find that being around this person also gives you both a little boost in energy. It’s very sweet! This also comes with a bit of a further game, if you’re at all a frequenter of Psychagogía...

Madame Dee’s hosts a very popular competition simply called Kiss Bingo. Approach the booth set-up outside the brothel and touch your Shard to a special card, and names will appear upon it. From there, the rules are simple. Just give that person a kiss! It can be on their hand, their lips, their [redacted], all of it counts, and once you do, a little kiss mark will mark their name out. Get a bingo, and you can pick from a variety of prizes such as a ticket for a week’s worth of visits at a local buffet, a shopping spree at a nearby store, or a box seat for a day at the Coliseum. Of course, if you’re really an overachiever, fill out the whole card to get multiple prizes. Madame Dee might just give you a job!

With the promise of home that the Meri deeply believe in, they have their own gifting tradition. The Shard-Bearers know best that it’s possible to receive gifts from the Timestream, and for Year’s End, it’s tradition for the Tribune to pull out all the stops. For a week of the Festival, the Tribune works just outside of Heliopolis, and with the help of priests from the Church of Helios, reaches into the Timestream to produce a gift for anyone that comes to ask. This year, however, he's asked Quetzalcoatl and Samba's elves to deliver gifts, but you might not get anything you asked for (or maybe you did!) but they're all gifts the timestream spit out!

On rainy days (or simply the unbearably hot ones), you can also go to Starlight Park, which offers a reprieve from the weather. Inside the dome, you’ll find a idyllic, snowy valley where you can partake in all the natural joys of winter. There’s (highly) competitive snowball fights, sledding, and skiing to partake in, though you might be cautioned away from one slope. Head down that course and about halfway down, you’ll be chased by… a yeti? Luckily it doesn’t seem to be able to harm you, but it’s still shockingly fast and will catch you no matter how quickly you ski. You can also spend a bit of money to rent a yurt along the river for a relaxing and exceptionally cozy glamping experience. Some Yurts are even adorned with the sacred vines. You know, for no reason.

You’ll also find the Meri heading away from the city of Springstar a bit to head down to some of the beaches that surround Springstar. Being an island within an Island (capital ‘I’ meaning the Kenos kind of island), Takiltu is the traditional start of Springstar’s summer season and all the fun that comes with that. The beaches are bustling, but the cool and crystal-clear waters of the ocean surrounding the city make it worthwhile. Surfing, diving, and sailing are popular activities, but just make sure to stay within sight of the shore. It doesn’t take too long to hit the end of the Island and sailing outside the magical barrier that keeps Springstar floating in Kenos’s starscape generally isn’t survivable.

Just be mindful, if you're trying to escape Highstorm's chill for some summer fun, as attitudes are shifting toward bearers in general, and it might not be as easy as it once was.

NOTES

Weather summary for the second 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

• Highstorm is out of fall and into winter. While there are some milder days, snow (and heavy snow at that!) is getting more common.
• Springstar is hot and humid, and it's not uncommon for brief thunderstorms to roll through in the afternoon.

Notable city changes:

• Both cities have experienced changing attitudes toward shard-bearers. You will need to be mindful if you want to travel to a city that doesn't house your faction, as things might not be as easy when it comes to getting around.
• Springstar has had an increase in attacks toward it's citizens, and they are often fatal and destructive. Rumors travel among Springstar's seedier types that these are escaping from Ryad, and they aren't being reigned in. That always comes with a flicker of worry.

CODING

Comments

[bakedapple]

Yeah, I guess not. Doctors tend to tell me not to do stuff like this... but you're different.

[ Link concedes with a laugh as he reaches into the lamp and removes the reservoir of oil. The thick, rope-like wick slides out of the canister's spout as he removes it, and continues to burn. It's soaked in enough oil that it should be a while before it burns out completely.

...but now comes getting down without spilling it all over the street. Grasping the pole in his other hand, he carefully starts to loosen the grip of his thighs, which allows him to slide down. With the grace of someone who's done something like this dozens of times, he hops away from it when he nears the ground and lands solidly on his feet, oil in hand. ]

Got it. That was even easier than I thought.

[kinaesthesia]

I’ll take that as a compliment.

[Said with the flash of a grin. Gavial is the sort of doctor to prescribe frontline combat to those she deems too pampered, so perhaps she’s not the best one to consult for keeping out of trouble… but when a little trouble is there for the sake of fun, who can say she’s really wrong? It’s got Link looking a lot cheerier than she’s seen from him ever since learning he’d skedaddled on over here to Zenith.

Another quick glance around is given before she watches his easy descent from the lamppost. Once he’s solidly back on the ground, she gives him a firm pat on the shoulder—less intense than the ones she typically gives, to account for the pilfered oil he’s got in hand. Last thing they need is for that to go getting dropped.]

It’s like you’re a natural at this sort of thing.

[Another smile, then she’s hooking her thumb over her shoulder back in the direction they’d come from.]

Guess that means it’s time to keep the lookouts over there busy and find a good place to strike Mr. Goat, huh?

[bakedapple]

[ When he sees her hand come up, there's a mild look of panic on his face — but the shoulder pat ends up being much gentler than her usual Goron-strength blows, so he releases a held breath and smiles weakly in response. It would've been very troublesome to spill lamp oil all over his already dirty clothes... ]

I've had a lot of practice.

[ Another humble understatement, but he can tell the full story later, if she wants to hear it. Link closes his hand over the spot of the oil reservoir to keep it from spilling and looks off in the direction of her jabbed thumb. ]

You're gonna distract them? Hmm...

[ It's probably safe, right...? They're lookouts, but they won't hurt a Zenite Shard-Bearer, right? ]

Okay. I'm gonna get on top of a building... maybe that cafe across from the goat, if you know the one I mean. I'll fire from up there. How does that sound?

[kinaesthesia]

[Definitely a story she’ll be keen to hear when they have some time. Right now, though, they’ve got a little story of their own to pen involving a big ol’ goat and some flaming arrows.

Distraction’s an easy enough task for someone as boisterous as Gavial, so she doesn’t look fazed in the least at the idea of it. It would take a hell of a lot to hurt her, so it’s not even a factor in her mind. But she nods at his suggestion, glancing back over her shoulder in the vague direction of the cafe he alludes to.]

Sounds like a good idea to me! [She glances back his way with another smile, then motions for them to start heading that way. Same direction for a bit, before he’s gotta split off for some cafe climbing.]

I’ll start poking around near the goat to get their eyes on me while you climb, and try to cause a ruckus once you’ve got some time to get into place.

[Heh. This cannot possibly go wrong.]

[bakedapple]

Okay. Be careful!

[ He calls out after her as they start to split up, Gavial heading to the left back into the square, and Link branching off to the right to go into the alley bordering the back of the cafe.

The alley is narrow, fill with the usual restaurant odors — garbage, grease, spoiled food, ash from the ovens. Link squints up towards the roof, scanning the dumpsters and windowsills for a path to the top. After a moment, he starts to climb, and less than a minute later he's stepping onto the black stone roof tiles of the cafe.

It's not like he's hidden up here. He's pretty easy to see already. But he can try to be stealthy, right? Staying low, he sneaks to the peak of the roof and peers out over the edge, looking for whatever distraction Gavial may be in the process of causing. ]

[kinaesthesia]

[And she gets right to it the moment she’s back in that plaza. At first just a leisurely—if very blatant—stroll closer and closer to the thing. She’s got both arms up with fingers causally laced behind her head, a bright and easy smile on her face to match the slow and easy pace as she steps out into the plaza proper.

She can already feel a few eyes on her, so far a good start to the plan. How many of them might be keeping watch, she couldn’t say, but the obvious ones are at least watching her like a hawk, which means less eyes on Link while he gets to work.

Gavial lets herself come to a halt closer to the goat, but still far enough where the guards haven’t bother to make a move yet. She lets her hands drop back to her sides, head tilting just slightly to the side as she considers the enormous straw construct.]

That’s one hell of a goat, huh? [Voice projecting loudly (and obviously).] Sure would be a shame if something happened to it.

[Which gets a pair of the guards to move in closer to her, slowly at first—at least until she breaks out into a run and they go chasing after her with a shout.]

[bakedapple]

[ .............well, that is one way to create a distraction. He's even done something similar in the past, when facing down a group of monsters he knew he couldn't all take at once. But Link is already making a mental note that Gavial might be the kind of person he'd need to keep an eye on in a real fight....... just to be safe.

Well, in any event, now is his chance. He pulls his bow off his back and draws an arrow from the quiver sitting against the small of his back. After dipping the end of it into the well of oil, he brings his other hand to its tip and does his best to focus his rudimentary understanding of magic onto its tip. After a couple unsuccessful attempts, the arrow ignites, and the oil-soaked portion bursts into flames.

With no time to waste, Link stands straight up on the roof, one foot planted on either side of its peak, draws his bow, and fires the arrow directly at the goat. It buries into its side with a decisive, solid thunk. The fire burns and begins to catch on the surrounding hay... but not as quickly as Link expected hay to burn. Huh?

He quickly grabs another arrow and kneels to dip it in the oil, but a second shot is going to be more difficult. A second group of guards emerges from somewhere else around the square, alarmed by the sudden attack. They haven't seen Link yet, but it's only a matter of seconds until they do, and he's not any better at this magic stuff than he was ten seconds ago. ]

[kinaesthesia]

[Is Gavial cackling by the time the guards take off into a run after her? She sure is! She manages to get right up to one of the goat’s enormous legs just as Link’s first arrow sinks into its side with with a quiet thunk of impact. The fire catches—but only just barely, so she’s certain she’ll need to buy her parter in crime some more time.

She slips between two of the straw legs, whirling around between them to maneuver back toward the center of the plaza. One of the guards that had been on her tail had stopped to scour the surroundings for the source of the aerial assault, and she manages to catch up with him before he can take off in the direction of the cafe Link had chosen as his vantage point. She crouches low, swings her tail to the side, then trips the guard with a bright peal of triumphant laughter.

One down, but there are others joining the fray. The second group manages to catch sight of Link poised tall up on that roof, and Gavial takes note of it just as the other guard chasing after her makes a lunge for her. It’s a sloppy side-step and shove that keeps her out of their grasp, but she’s less concerned about getting into a scuffle here than she is calling a warning up to Link.]

Incoming!

[Shouted loud in an attempt to get Link’s attention, which… probably defeats the purpose of trying to keep less eyes on him. But with trouble already heading his way, seems like the cloudbeast’s out of the bag already anyway, right?]

[bakedapple]

[ Her warning reaches him as he's still trying to light the second arrow. The call forces him to look up and his focus stalls as he watches her trying to evade the guards... right underneath the straw goat they're trying to set on fire.

This seems like a bad idea. Link doesn't want to hurt anybody, but if they're screwing around right next to the goat itself, isn't that kinda dangerous?

There isn't much time to ponder it beyond that. The second pair of guards is yelling and pointing at him. Having been to this cafe a few times, he knows that it will be easy for them to get up here onto the roof from the second floor balcony. He's got maybe thirty seconds tops before they're climbing up and commanding him to stop — ]

Leave! Get out of there!

[ No time, he tells himself, so he does something he was hoping to not have to do. Instead of lighting the second arrow, he notches it in his bowstring and pulls it back. At the same time, his black-skinned hand, bound by mysterious rings and bangles, starts to glow from beneath the skin with a vibrant green. With a sharp noise like cymbals ringing and a burst of green energy, the well of oil attaches to the end of the arrow by some unseen force, and Link fires it — both arrow and oil, merged as one — at the small fire already starting to smoke as it burns out.

The reservoir shatters, splattering oil all over the goat. The fire doesn't catch immediately, but the guards have a much bigger problem now! ]

[kinaesthesia]

[Look, nobody said this was an entirely good plan, and Gavial might not have thought through the logistics of lingering around there near the goat if Link managed to get those fiery shots off. And frankly, its rare she ever really takes danger into consideration, so… not really a surprising outcome.

She’s practically taunting the two closest guards at this point, keeping herself just out of reach and playfully sticking out her tongue each time they try to make a grab for her. But the moment Link calls out to her, she abandons the need for stalling and takes off toward another nearby street connecting to the plaza. She does take one last glance over her shoulder as a dismayed shout from one of the guards rings out, just in time to see the remainder of that oil splatter against the straw beast and prolong the low smolder of flame.

It causes one of her own pursuers to double back to focus instead on trying not to let the fire stir up any worse, which just leaves her to hurry onward to shake the remaining guard. Hopefully, Link can get out of there easily himself—and in fact, when she reaches out to him via communion as she makes her escape, she sounds pretty confident that he will.]

Haha! Meet you at Benny’s after we make our triumphant getaway?