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

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

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

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[ If Gray was level 1 confused before, she's at level 3 now. She really expected him to pull back by now...

She's very sure that he would never view her in a romantic or lascivious manner, so what's happening here? It seems like he's expecting something. Maybe he thinks her active participation is necessary for credit on the card -- and maybe it is?

After a moment's hesitation, she decides to oblige Atsumu's insistence. She's Gen's complete opposite, soft and yielding; she tilts her head to complement Gen's angle, her mouth opening slightly to caress his, just once.

Just as Atsumu's experience comes from Gen, Gray's primary experience comes from Rin, making this some sort of horrible teen circle. In any case, Rin was gentle and patient with her, and it reflects in the way Gray kisses Atsumu, present but demanding nothing out of turn. ]

[ This is probably the most confusing kiss either of them have ever had. Admittedly neither of them have an expansive list when it comes to this particular activity, but even if they manage a few more kisses here and there, this will probably stay the most confusing kiss they've ever had.

That Gray just wants to half-ass the kiss and check it off her list doesn't even begin to occur to Atsumu, who doesn't think to half-ass anything other than polite behavior.

The kiss that Gray does finally give him seems to satisfy whatever it was that he was looking for from this. He'd be extremely begrudging to rate Gen's prowess higher than anyone, but the more demanding style did suit him better than this very gentle and still passive kiss that Gray offered him, but at least it was a kiss.

His lips curl up into something undeservedly smug looking as he finally pulls back, dropping his hand away from her face. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the kiss he just gave her, even if there wasn't anything particularly terrible about it either, but he seems to think he pulled off something impressive here. ]

[ When Atsumu finally pulls away and relinquishes his hostage hold on her sight, Gray is level 4 confused about the highly smug look that greets her. She stares at him as she absently tugs her goggles back over her eyes, her hood back in place. ]

Um. Is something funny?

[ Is he gonna say she kisses like shit, because she wouldn't be surprised if she did... ]

[ Well, that does make the smile drop off of Atsumu's face pretty fast. Here he was ready to be smug when Gray was awed by his kissing prowess...

Only to have Gray clearly not feel any awe at all over his kissing prowess.

What the hell? ]

Nothing.

[ He looks so disgruntled as he half turns away from her, starting to fuss with removing the remaining bits of snow from his clothing, really phoning it in as he keeps glancing to the side at her, waiting, just waiting for her to belatedly tell him he's good at this. ]

[ Hello?? Gray watches him with ever mounting confusion, eventually tromping lightly around to keep looking at his face as he turns away. Normally she might let him keep his secrets, but the flip-flop in his expression is just too strange. If she's upset him, she'd really like to know why so that she can avoid doing it again. ]

Did I do something wrong? I haven't kissed many people, so...

[ They're going full on comedy here as Atsumu keeps trying to turn away for a moment, before he finally snaps back his piece. ]

Yeah, well neither have I! Just to be clear!

[ So if she's disappointed because he apparently sucks more than he realized, it's because of a lack of practice! He can get better!

... He could get better if he had anyone to practice with. It's a thought that flits through his head briefly, unaware of the fact that events of the future will soon put that thought to bed for good. ]

[ She isn't completely sure why Atsumu is professing his own lack of experience with so much grump, truly, and it makes her lean back a bit in surprise. ]

Is... Is that so... You were so confident, I thought you might have.

[ What is this about then...? ]

[ Because Add is actually not a dumb teen, and in fact is pretty good at reading a situation, he pipes up with a rough grin, peeking out of his cage from the shadows of Gray's cloak like a troll in a cave. ]

Don't take it too personally, kid. Gray here just has a type.

[ That she thought he had enough confidence to be an experience kisser, and still apparently thought he was bad enough to--

Wait. What's her weird weapon friend saying now?

Atsumu's attention snaps away from Gray and onto Add in seconds, happy to grasp at any signs that this isn't his fault. ]

Whaddya mean?

[ He's so used to be attractive to people that are into guys that he just assumes, but then again... there's a key phrase in that assumption he isn't properly considering right now. ]

Heh heh! You'll just have to ask her!

[ Gray is so tired. Instead of immediately responding, she crouches down, grabs a clump of snow, opens the door to Add's cage, and dunks the snow directly onto his flat head.

Ignoring his startled shout and rattle, she claps his cage shut and pulls her cloak over him like a stage curtain. ]

Add... He says too much sometimes.

[ Maybe even all the time? Either way, he's put her on the spot. She hesitates, unsure of how to explain something she hardly understands herself. ]

He thinks that, um... I might have an unusual preference when it comes to people.

[ Incredibly vague of her, but she is also incredibly embarrassed. Sometimes you come from a hardcore traditionalist village and feel ashamed about being different? Never mind that her background has been anything but normal from the start. ]

[ This is probably the single most "I'm done with your shit" thing that Atsumu has ever seen Gray do, and he looks genuinely surprised by her deciding to silence her weapon friend there. Surprised, and mildly impressed, but not yet soothed from the offense he feels at this rejection from someone he wasn't actually romantically interested in to begin with.

Though her comment does give him pause, and he frowns as he considers what that could even mean. ]

What kinda unusual preference?

[ Is she like the people who are kind of delusional and only want to date cartoon people? Some kind of furry? What's up here?

The more mundane conclusion doesn't even occur to him, because that seems too normal to even classify as unusual. ]

Like only into huge bald guys unusual? Or one of those people who is real weird about feet?

N-No! Nothing like that.

[ She thinks? Is it weirder to like bald people and specifically feet...? Or are those as normal as liking someone's eyes? She actually isn't sure. Bald people deserve admiration too. (She will say nothing about feet.)

Her gloved fingertips join nervously. She literally hasn't discussed this with anyone other than Add, so she has no idea how it will go with Atsumu of all people. Her voice becomes quiet(er) as her head dips meekly, hood lowering. ]

It's more like... not guys. In general.

[ King Arthur did marry a woman, so it isn't an outlandish idea, but Gray would have expected that to be for appearances only. Then again, Mordred did like to talk about taming women a bit too much.

She clears her throat. ]

Is that strange?

[ Atsumu's face has always been expressive, and as Gray tells him her apparent big secret it really goes on a journey. There's mild agitation as he waits for her to work up the nerve to say anything at all. When the confession finally comes, there's something puzzled in his expression. The idea of not liking guys isn't unusual. Plenty of other guys don't find men attractive, and he's well aware of the concept of lesbians, but while not widely embraced by everyone, it's never been something that Atsumu has concerned himself with.

Then again, Atsumu has always been someone who refuses to let other people's judgment scrape past the surface. If they've got a problem with him, his personality, his preferences, anything really, then that's their problem to suffer. He isn't interested in helping them work through their personal failings, though he's a bit unusual in how easy he finds it to brush off the disapproval of other people.

Finally though, his expression relaxes into relief. Gray's lack of interest in him isn't his fault. If she's only into girls, then it's not a problem with him. As long as she's not finding other guys hot while being repulsed by him, then he really has nothing at all to worry about.

Though it goes back to confusion as he considers her question. ]

Huh? What's strange about that? Lesbians ain't exactly a new concept.

[ Oh. An underwhelming reaction... which is actually the best reaction she could've asked for. Gray finds herself relaxing as it becomes clear that Atsumu doesn't find the idea odd at all. Who knew apathy could be so reassuring? Especially because he isn't the type to dole out empty reassurances. If he says it isn't weird for her to maybe, perhaps, like girls in that way, she can probably believe him.

So she isn't sure why she still feels hesitation about accepting this newfound idea about herself. The idea of liking anyone, regardless of gender, feels like a privilege beyond her — as if she belonged in that world of romance, as if she could rightfully burden someone else with her attention. A meaningless kissing game is one thing. Anything beyond that...

She sighs lightly, looking back up at Atsumu. ]

It wasn't common in my village. But I suppose that doesn't matter now.

[ Maybe she should look at it like this: the less she's like those villagers, the better. ]

So... part of the reason why I wanted to participate in this game was for that. To see if I ended up preferring one side to the other.

[ There are a lot of downsides to having the particular personality that Atsumu happens to be burdened with, but it is true that because he's so ready to dish out insults he perceives as being honest, someone can trust that when he shows no interest in attacking a trait, he doesn't perceive it as a flaw either. That's... some kind of positive? Whether or not Gray trusts Atsumu as a good source for gauging these kind of things is another matter, but Atsumu will stand firmly by his opinion that her big secret is not much of a secret at all.

Her comment about it not being common in her village earns a shrug. Sure, it's gonna be less common the smaller the group you've got, and people are going to be shitty about it. Just because Atsumu's ability to care what people think about him doesn't exist doesn't mean he's unaware how shitty people can be about these things either. His first and only kiss before this moment was with a guy, after all, and while he hadn't initiated it, he also hadn't made any moves to stop it. ]

And it's seriously just that you ain't into guys at all, right?

[ He's not even trying to phrase that like he's trying to help her figure her sexuality out. This is very much about him wanting to reassure his own ego.

But look, if she needs a gay guru then... he's still not ideal for that, but he'll help her figure her shit out the best he can. Gray's been friend-like to him since the beginning, and he's not so shitty he'll turn his back on her if this is something she's struggling with. ]

[ Not into guys at all...? Gray's gaze drifts upward, thinking about how true that might be. She certainly felt nothing when she was kissing Atsumu. She's only kissed one other boy, and admittedly she'd been a bit more flustered that time, though that may have been plain old embarrassment. But she won't do Atsumu the damage of commenting on that out loud and potentially casting aspersions. ]

... I think I can safely say that I prefer girls.

[ Though it's strange for her to admit. And to Atsumu of all people. Atsumu, who's being very insistent with that pointed question of his. She looks at him again, a bit more closely. ]

I'm sorry if I caused any misunderstandings.

[ He seemed disappointed before! Maybe it was her poor kiss technique or maybe he was expecting her to be amazed by his great technique. Either way, she figures she's the problem. ]

[ Considering how Atsumu has consistently been somewhat shitty in every interaction he's ever had with Gray, she's doing him more kindness than he deserves by sparing his feelings. The comment still has him frowning a little, because it leaves the possibility she could like guys, but just not him.

... But he'll brush it off for now, and choose to live in the delusion that Gray just hasn't figured out her full and complete preference for girls, given how hard it was for her to spit out this much. That definitely bruises his ego less to assume that. ]

Huh? What kinda misunderstandin'? We were just doin' this for the sake of a game anyway.

[ She's definitely not the problem here, but he's at least assuaged enough for now to stop being the problem himself. ]

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

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