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

[gravings]

[ As Gray takes the card and looks over it, this is the closest she's come to being openly nosy. She eats the names with her eyes. Eustace and Mordred at the very beginning — my. There are plenty of names she recognizes; D pops right out, of course, on account of the font size. ]

Ahh—!

[ A short, muted exclamation passes her lips as she spots one name in particular. ]

I'm here...

[ Obviously. ]

[erbe]

—Ah. Yeah, you are. I figured you wouldn't want to.

[After like. The... you know, the Oracle. She doesn't want to continue to impose herself, and her desires, on Gray. Who may be struggling considering the fact that they're on opposite sides. And that Rin took advantage of her.]

[gravings]

I... I wouldn't mind it.

[ They've kissed plenty already, what's one more time? And this might help Gray figure something out for herself too. She can rationalize it that way in her head, even if her heart doesn't feel very rational about how it's hammering her chest.

Shy about even that much of an admission, she busies herself with tidying her hood on her head rather than looking at Rin. ]

I mean. If you won't mind.

[erbe]

I... suppose if you actually want it, sure. Am I on yours?

[Tohsaka almost replies, "if I'm not then you shouldn't bother." However she's not sure she actually wants Gray to retreat from this. It's true that Rin hasn't put much effort into her own card. Always the kind of person to see an insurmountable obstacle and decide it's just not worth it.]

[gravings]

[ Gray shakes her head, hood swaying gently. If she stopped to think about Rin's reaction, she might consider that Rin doesn't care all that much about her bingo card -- and if she did, she probably would have asked Gray for a contribution before this. So pushing for a kiss doesn't make the strictest sense...

Still.

Since she isn't looking at Rin, Gray takes the time to glance around them. Greenwood Yards is busier now with the hot springs opened up, and she has to consider what it would look like to the Highstorm public if she kissed Rin here. They've made it to the tabloids already; reporters don't need more fuel to cause misunderstandings. ]

Should we go somewhere quieter?

[erbe]

O-oh! Yes, of course. That would probably be best. Perhaps my place?

[—RECORD SCRATCH. Now she's internally screaming at the implications of taking Gray back to "her place". Her shop. Shutting the doors and pulling down the blinds, and...!]

[gravings]

[ Gray was thinking of like... some secluded corner or behind some dense bush, so the suggestion of Rin's shop earns a moment of surprised silence. But she does suppose that if privacy is the main concern, it does make sense to go to a completely controlled environment... ]

... Alright.

[ Said quietly, looking ahead and to the ground. She goes to Rin's shop all the time. It's normal? It won't take long to check on the plants, and then they can be off. ]

[erbe]

[She fucked up. She fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up, she fucked up.]

The patch of blooms is this way! Hahaha... if you want I could always just tend to them when I do mine. In the future...

[Good god Gray must hate her so much for all of this. It's fine. Gray needs to learn to speak up if she doesn't want things anyway, right? Right. And — and she'll treat her gently. Not pushy like she was during the Oracle. It's fine (she's falling apart inside).]

[gravings]

[ Somehow Gray is the normal one now, purely because she's too dense for this life. Ignorance is the greatest bliss. ]

If you don't mind... then please. It'll probably be better if I don't visit for a while.

[ In fact, Amos will end up making the same offer, so maybe he and Rin will run into each other on the same mission.

As they come up on their neighboring plots, Gray breathes a sigh of relief at having arrived without further incident. She was afraid that one of the more aggressive ghosts would capitalize on her obvious phobia along the way. ]

In return, you can pick anything you like. I think the tomatoes will be ready soon.

[ Gray grows a couple of nice flower varieties, but for the most part, her patch is practical. Herbs and easy vegetables, mostly familiar to Earth — but one or two mystery sprouts she was curious about, convincingly recommended by one of Kenos's seed merchants. ]

[erbe]

[At least if they did arrive Rin could tell them to piss off. For now she simply hovers around Gray while the other girl gets to business.]

Wonderful. I'll take some seeds from the fruit and see if I can grow them at my own place. If you're ever feeling worried you can reach me via communion and I'll send a few proofs of its state over to you.

[The sensation of a flower's aroma. A waxy leaf. The firm outer layer of a ripe pepper. Whatever may soothe her.]

[gravings]

I won't be worried. I know you're good with plants.

[ Knowing magecraft probably helps a bit there. But even without that, Rin seems more than responsible enough.

Gray scrounges for a watering can to fill at a nearby faucet. After that, she'll water what needs to be watered, tidy what needs tidying, and check for pests. It's all a bit of fussing, which is what she does best. ]

Were you here to check on your patch too? Or were you going to see the hot spring?

[erbe]

I was going to check on the hot spring, but there seems to be too many people about. I'll try again when it's less likely to be crowded.

[She'll have to watch it to see if there is a dead zone or perhaps keep tabs on when the novelty of the spring has faded.]

[gravings]

[ Gray hums in understanding. She wouldn't want to go during a crunch either... if she were inclined to go at all. ]

Britain had hot springs too, but I've never been to one. They sound nice.

[erbe]

Huh... Did you want to stay over and try them late at night?

[While Highstorm didn't have a "day," there were still hours that were less poular than others.]

1/2

[gravings]

[ Eh? ... Hm? Mm?? Stay over? Overnight?

Gray really hadn't considered the possibility that the hot spring might have late night hours, and the prospect of going when there's very few people is much more attractive. So she can't say she isn't tempted to experience it just once. But. ]

2/2

[gravings]

[ But?? Is that okay?? On one hand she isn't even sure why the thought of it makes her so nervous, as if Rin would ambush her in a sudden fit of Zenite rage or something. It's true that tensions have been high between the two cities, but Rin probably isn't the type to spring an underhanded trap on her, she has entirely too much magely pride for that. So it should be fine, really, they've spent plenty of time together as (unspoken) friends, just like they're doing now, chatting pleasantly and being comfortable in each other's company. They get along well, Rin has proven herself to be a gracious host, and Gray is a polite guest. There would be absolutely no issue between them and Gray knows it, they may in fact be a perfect pair as far as hosts and guests go, there would be no friction or drama. There is actually no valid reason for Gray to refuse the invitation, except that Eustace and the household might wonder what she's up to, but it'll be easy to shoot them a Communion message and it will be completely fine. Yes, everything will be fine. It would in fact be weird and rude for her to answer in the negative.

Her hands have frozen and the watering can is now drowning some poor plant. She hurriedly lifts it back up as she answers, her hood low on her head. ]

If.... If it isn't too much of an imposition. Are you sure?

[erbe]

Why not?

[With her hands on her hips Rin looks at Gray in unwavering confidence.]

It's possible you won't get another chance to indulge, so I say take advantage of it! They say it's an annual thing, but maybe next year you'll have too much Discord to visit. Or maybe one of the sides will have won. Take an opportunity when it's presented to you!

[Words from the mouth of an absolute hypocrite.]

[gravings]

[ A very persuasive argument. Why not indeed?? And at this rate, it really may be the last opportunity she gets to experience a hot spring in relative privacy...

As Gray looks up at Rin, she doesn't detect a single speck of hesitation or bother. Rin would never make this type of offer if she didn't mean it, anyway. All that beaming confidence... is exactly Gray's weakness, and she doesn't have it in her to say no. ]

... Okay. I can't argue with that.

[ It's set in stone then. No going back... Not that there's anything she should feel so nervous about. She turns her mind willingly to cold, hard logistics. ]

Should I fetch my things first?

[erbe]

[—Ah, yeah. That's right. It would probably be best for Gray to return to Springstar for a bit. If only because Rin needs to panic-search for a place for them to rest up afterward. It's not like her shop has its housing added above it just yet.]

That would probably be best. I suppose if you have a swimsuit from that beach place you should be welcome to wear it if you're afraid of the public nature of the springs.

[Rin would care more about her own body, but since they're planning on going during a "down time" anyway she's less concerned.]

[gravings]

I have a wetsuit from back then, but that would probably draw even more attention.

[ Especially given the Retro Sylings of the event. The neon. The wacky geometrical patterning. ]

... I'll be okay. I don't want things like that to hold me back anymore.

[ Even if she feels discomfort, she's at least reached a point where she can rebel against her old tendencies a little bit at a time. ]

[erbe]

[...Ah. Rin's expression softens. She's happy to hear that. Really, she is! Proud that Gray is finding a way to live. To break out of her comfort zone.]

Would you like me to escort you back to the cornerstone?

[gravings]

[ Gray looks on at Rin's expression, but doesn't comment. ]

... That's probably a good idea.

[ Gray did intend to be on her best of best behaviors on her way out, but she can't be too careful anymore in this tense climate. So she finishes up with her patch, returns the watering can to its rightful place, and away they go.

Luckily, the trek to the cornerstone is without incident. Gray returns to her house, makes sure the chickens are set for the rest of the day, packs a bag for herself, and informs her housemates that she'll be away for the night. It isn't too unusual for her; she's spent many working nights in Alenroux. It just so happens that this time it'll be for fun rather than business.

As the evening settles in (going by the clock), Gray will ping Rin via Communion and meet her once again at the cornerstone, this time with a travel bag in tow. ]

[erbe]

[In the time while Gray was away, Rin frantically ran about Highstorm finding somewhere for them to stay. Eventually she found a cozy little inn that has an owner that seems incredibly starstruck by her. The mention of bringing over a friend with her excited them, and Rin got a discount! Unfortunately she still hated coughing up for the left over charge, but it could have been worse.

As they enter the small gothic inn, the owner seems to watch them as they pass the main lobby and head up to the rooms. A bit of gossip starts. Oh! Will Rin convert her? Is this a cross-faction Discord dispelling ritual? Whatever it is, the staff seem intrigued. Which is why Rin refuses to stay long. They'll drop their items off, lock the door, and head out to the springs.]

So I'm not going to have one of your housemates hunting me down, am I?

[gravings]

[ When Rin takes Gray to not a house or flat, but instead a very public inn, Gray is initially puzzled. But when she stops to think about it — ah. Of course. Rin's actual residence probably doubles as her mage workshop, so she naturally wouldn't want to take the "enemy" there...

Having thoroughly and unwittingly bailed Rin out, Gray asks no questions as she drops her overnight things off and they make their way to the hot springs. ]

Hm? No, I explained that I would be away for the whole night.

[ The boys of the house are generally hands-off and supportive about Gray doing whatever she wants. Only maybe Dokja would have had questions if she'd said she was staying over with a boy... ]

... To be honest, I've never done anything like this before. A sleepover, I mean.

[erbe]

Ah, neither have I. I could have probably gone right to studying at Clock Tower as soon as I was old enough, but on a whim I decided to continue my primary education as a normal student until the end of high school.

[Tohsaka will lead them about Highstorm. She walks confidently knowing that the worst they'll have to deal with is some stares and whispers as long as her resolve doesn't waver.]