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]

[ Link reaches the top of the stairs, and as soon as he's there and able to look out at the dining tables, he spots the devil in question. Not only does he remember him after all, but their link, strengthened with proximity and visual recognition, confirms it too.

With one hand still on the handrail, Link frowns at him from across the room. He... can't just walk over there. As kind as Highstorm locals are being to him, he isn't going to take it for granted. It can change just as quickly as Springstar's attitude changed — and probably will someday, knowing his luck. ]

...I can't be seen talking to you. Please... please, leave. If there's an incident...

[ Will he have no choice but to intervene? That's something he definitely doesn't want. Then, what. Then, there will be just another round of rumors spread about him, of people treating his circumstances like a source of amusement and gossip, of making it more and more unpleasant for him to live in either of the cities...

As all these anxieties flit through his mind, their shadows are cast into Raphael's; some of the details do not make it but the shapes are still clear. ]

...If you leave, I'll feed you for free. How about that?

[narsinssist]

[ Link's anxieties, filtering through their shared aspect and communion, are delightful. Raphael does not enjoy chaos, or the chaos mortals bring normally, but Link's is in reaction to him. It is because of him. Raphael cannot help but enjoy being the center of attention, particularly when this boy is so fretted and panicked about it.

Does he not understand? An incident? Raphael does not worry about such things. It's implied in communion, genuine confusion. ]

Feed me? What makes you think I come to Highstorm for nourishment?

[ He asks, even as there's something of an alien appreciation for flavor, but not a need. Raphael is not human, after all, for all that he looks it. Not even mortal, at that. ]

Boy, all they have done is asked me if my decision is wrong. Are you truly worried about me? Or are you fretting over what I might do, were someone to act out?

[bakedapple]

If you're not eating, then why...

[ Link begins to answer, but it occurs to him that Raphael's question was rhetorical. It's also starting to sink in that this man truly does not care whether he's causing a mild scene here in this café or even the risk of it turning into a bigger incident. Link peers at the man from the top of the stairs for another moment, and then slowly turns around to go back downstairs. But this conversation is not over. ]

Of course I'm worried. I don't want you or them to do something stupid.

[ But that sense of gleeful delight he's picking up from Raphael... it feels slimy, and black, and poisonous, in a way that suggests his initial concern was completely misplaced. savants stop being weirdos challenge impossible ]

The situation between the two cities is the worst it's been since I came to this world. Don't take anything for granted.

[narsinssist]

[ It was always for the Spectacle of it! Link had no way of knowing, of course, who Raphael was, or what he could do. Though the vague amusement, the delight, it oozes off the devil like water, a creature who looks at all of these mortals, and sees them as lesser, though he often hides it well by interacting with them, and playing games with them. Link can get the sense that he lifts a glass to drink, but merely holds it to his nose, as if he's scenting the palate. ]

You are so concerned about what others will do.

[ He points out. ] Do you find all meridian so incapable of restraint? Or perhaps so willing to attack if needed?

[ Raphael, however, is a dramatic bitch. Link may be trying to go down the stairs, and not be seen talking to him, but Raphael has little to fear here. He is, after all, a Tier 1 Meridian. Still someone they could "net" with a few kind words, or pity.

They have no way of knowing that what motivates Raphael is something they already offer. He will not give up his shot at taking more than one realm.

From his seat, he snapped his fingers, and unfortunately for Link, he steps out in front of the base of the stairs. His lips curl with something that signifies that he thinks Link is amusing. The scent of cherries, musk, and sulphur always swarms around the devil like perfume. ]

Though if you wish to receive accolades for escorting me out, you will have to pay a price.

[bakedapple]

No. Not all.

[ But enough of them to warrant caution? Yes. This is mostly where he'd be content to leave this conversation, if Raphael is that intent on arguing with him instead of heeding his warning. But he's shocked to see him appear in front of him at the bottom of the stairs, as if he were casually rounding the corner to go up to the balcony.

He stops on the fifth step from the bottom, dumbfounded and gawking. An strange smell, both overly pleasant and subtly rank, reaches his nose. He clamps his blackened hand over his face and squints. ]

P-Price? What are you...

[ ...the people standing in line at the cafe counter are beginning to stare at them. And Link can feel it — he thinks it's funny. He's pursuing him on purpose. ]

Stand aside!

[narsinssist]

[ The problem with being shown such devoted interest like this, for a devil like Raphael, is that he does find it funny. Mortals are amusing little creatures, after all, and for all that he hates chaos, the fact that the boy was so... stunned by Raphael's sudden appearance. Like they had not been simply having a conversation, just in a different form than before. As if this was any different, now that they were not using their minds, but instead their mouths.

Raphael spread his hands, as if there was nothing he could do. ]

Alas, you are between myself and my meal.

[ He said. As if he needed to eat. ]

You must understand, that I do nothing for free. You may ask me to leave, but to have me actually leave incurs a cost. Were you, say, willing to pay it, of course, I would leave peacefully, and go where I am welcome.

[ Whether that is Springstar, or maybe Sebastian's place, he does not share. ]

[bakedapple]

[ At this, Link's stunned expression hardens into an annoyed frown. He really is just doing this to amuse himself, isn't he? The fact that Link can feel how delighted he is by causing a scene is enough to make him actually feel offended. He had said something out of genuine concern, and now this...! ]

Yes. Okay, fine. Come on.

[ Glaring, he descends the rest of the stairs and pointedly walks around Raphael's body to head toward the door. As he walks among the other patrons of the café, he mutters to none of them in particular that everything is fine, and not to worry, because he's making the Meri leave. This seems to, thankfully, cause most of them to look away, whether because they're reassured or there's nothing left to gawk over.

Link even holds the door for Raphael to exit. He's so helpful! Although the look on his face says he is not pleased. ]

[narsinssist]

[ Raphael takes his time, of course. He had not even discussed terms, and the boy agreed? Mind, he was not so overtly a devil, but he had mentioned a price, and Link simply accepted? It's fun! How is he supposed to do anything but play along at this point? It's fun to get to see how the boy reacts.

Raphael, to his credit, only lingers long enough to charm a fine lady in a rather bespoke dress, offering to see her in the last dance later; and a gentleman with an instrument case next to him, a similar investment. Come see me, he implies, If you wish to enhance your glory further. ]

You are too kind!

[ he said, as he stepped through the door, clearly pleased with himself! After all, this was more entertaining than waiting for the goat to (maybe) burn. ]

[bakedapple]

[ Letting go of the door, Link turns away and takes a few paces out onto the sidewalk before spinning around to level an unamused gaze at Raphael. ]

You think this is funny. I can tell.

[ And for once, he's doing his best to intentionally project how much he doesn't appreciate that. Yes, it's true that Raphael really wasn't causing a significant ruckus before Link intervened... but instead of said intervention helping out in any way, it was starting to turn into a scene. And then Raphael wouldn't leave him alone... ]

Why are you here? In Highstorm?

If you just wanted to annoy others, you can do that in Springstar.

[narsinssist]

Why yes! I think anyone who shows such concern over what I will do rather amusing.

[ This is because Raphael is a devil. Would he pick a fight with mortals? Not likely, since after all, he isn't likely to just act out for no reason. Then again, he has kept his nature relatively well hidden, since he and Sebastian had established that deal. Though... It doesn't seem to have done much, given that their great secret seems to have been published wildly in the papers. Sensationalized, in fact! The fight between the demon and the devil had been...

Well. Raphael did not wish for his losses to be publicized, but Raphael also did not mind the striking figure the Springstar papers had depicted him with. Sebastian had been more monstrous, and the reverse had been true in Highstorm's. The truth was somewhere in between, but that was the nature of publishing. ]

I'm making connections, of course! They may know me as meridian, but understand that my loyalty may be purchased, should I find the acceptable price.

[Raphael, much like Sebastian, could be bought.]

[bakedapple]

You think it's amusing for someone to be concerned for you?

[ Does he really mean that, or is it a form of bragging? He's starting to feel like he's starting to get a sense for this guy's shtick. Unfortunately for him, and maybe to Raphael's advantage, Link had missed the papers' coverage of what happened between the devil and the demon — and the exposure of his "great secret" itself.

So when Raphael says purchased and price, Link squints up at him. ]

Is that what you meant earlier?

[narsinssist]

No, that I find merely ludicrous.

[ He response automatically. Nobody looked out for devils like that. He was a force to be avoided, perhaps something to be feared, or defeated, but protected? Concerned for? Never. That wasn't something that they accepted, it wasn't something that they understood, and though Raphael walked amongst mortals enough that he could understand some, it is not enough that he thinks that the prospect isn't... a waste of time. ]

What I meant earlier is that I work on an...equal exchange system. [ It's explained as if it was not... well.

Faustian bargains. ]

If you wish for something from me, it costs a price. I do only what I please, unless I am given something of equal value that I desire.

[ Who determines the value? Why! Him, of course. ]

[bakedapple]

Hm.

[ That was the sort of non-committal, nonplussed response of someone who isn't taking Raphael seriously. Why does this remind him a little bit of... Sebastian? Sebastian is so much different from this guy, though. In a good way. A better way?

(Not sharing a mind-meld with Sebastian goes a long way to make him more agreeable to someone like Link.) ]

Well. You left, like I asked. So what do you want?

[ He'll keep his word, at least. This first time. ]

[narsinssist]

[ It also doesn't help that Raphael's manner of integrating with mortals was simply different than Sebastian's. After all, the demon was happy to cook, and play mortal games, where the forgotten realms was so different, compared to a place like this. There were always mortals so desperate for higher flights of power, of varying levels. Here, there were bearers who were self-actualizing on their own, and the locals who depended upon them.

He'd made inroads, of course. There were always some who were power-hungry, but a deal with a devil was much different than the...personalized interaction with Sebastian. ]

Let us see...

[ His hands behind his back, he started to walk around Link, in a small circle. ]

What is it you could provide, I wonder. You are a Zenite, yes? Well, I should likely ask for something regarding the war effort, but... [ Frankly? He wasn't that sold to it. Sure, there was the sunk cost of finally defeating his father and the rest of the archdevils, but. He could just as easily found a new world and leave them to the dust. He didn't really care, honestly. He was Meridian because it allowed him to keep up the facade. ]

Let us do this! For my leaving, I would ask you to let me know when you meet an individual that has a need that none can fulfill. That is all. You do not even need to arrange the meeting, but merely tell me their name.

[bakedapple]

[ As Raphael circles around him lazily, Link's eyes follow. He's still trying to size him up, put a finger on what it is about him that makes such a plain-looking man feel so off, when the war is mentioned. Link tenses up, immediately relieved that Raphael dismissed the idea in the same breath he brought it up, as he definitely would not have agreed to such a thing whether he'd already agreed to a "price" or not. Still, with how noxious his mind had felt earlier, he's not looking forward to what he's about to say —

which makes what he does say all the more strange. The tension in Link's expression drops and he blinks. ]

Someone with a need they can't fulfill? Doesn't... everyone probably have something like that?

[ and especially Shard-Bearers? ]

[narsinssist]

Ah, but do they all have something that nobody can fulfill?

[ he asked, his arms gestured with his words. ] Everyone wants something, but it's the truly... intriguing that I am interested in. The things that one man alone cannot achieve, that I can provide.

[ His lips curl into a smile. ]

I have lived many years making dreams become reality. It is what I excel at, in fact!

[ Not for free, though. ]

Do not worry, if they choose to not use my services, I will not hold you accountable. They will not be forced into anything.

[bakedapple]

...

[ This... feels familiar.

This feels pointedly, unmistakeably, importantly familiar.

Is it a coincidence? Is he imagining things? Or... does this sound just like what Sebastian told him the other day when they had dinner together?

Link isn't an intellectual type. He can't hold a debate with a silver-tongued scholar. But that doesn't mean he's stupid. He recognizes patterns when he sees them — and although this is only the second time meeting someone like this, isn't it weird that it's happened twice now? ]

Are you a demon?

[ Asked completely flatly. Almost casually, if it weren't for the way Link is peering at him. ]

[narsinssist]

[ Raphael's insulted scoff escaped his lips with less control than normal. ]

Hells! Of course not!

[ He shook his head. ]

I see you have been talking to our dear friend Sebastian. He is a demon unlike those that I am familiar with, but to me, Demons are chaotic, vile creatures. Why, my people have been at war with them since before I existed.

[ Existed. Not born. ]

That is an insult, to call me so. I'm a devil, and thus: we're quite different.

[ He shook his head, as if Link's insulted him gravely. ] Really! A demon.

[bakedapple]

[ Link has no idea what a devil is. He's never heard the word before. But the way Raphael describes a demon — that is most definitely familiar to him. ]

Oh, I'm... I'm sorry if I offended you.

[ Blinking, he takes a step back and straightens up a little, feeling sorry for the faux pas. ]

But you're right, I know Sebastian. And... yeah, I was surprised when he called himself a demon too, because demons where I'm from are a lot like what you just said. We've been at war with them for thousands of years. Sebastian is nothing like them, but... I mean, what you just described sounds a lot like the sort of thing he does, too. But you're saying you aren't a demon like him?

[narsinssist]

Sebastian is not a chaotic creature, I think.

[ He said, with his hand to his chin. ]

No, I think not. You see, that is the difference between they, and creatures such as he, or I. Chaos is the antithesis to whom we are. No, perhaps it is more accurate to say that we are creatures of the same kind, with different names, hm? We are similar enough.

[ Sebastian even had a name similar to one of the devils in his own world, but he would not share that with anyone. He understood the need to keep such things secret. ]

But perhaps it is appropriate to think of us as differently named beings regardless, hm?

[bakedapple]

Oh. Well... alright.

[ That would make sense. The difference in terminology is something Link has struggled with regarding Sebastian until only recently... And this sounds like just another simple semantic problem.

Link crosses his arms and looks Raphael up and down with new interest. The deal-making thing, that part is familiar, but he wonders if the two of them do it in the same way, or for the same reasons. ]

You eat people's souls too, then? [ casually asked. ] I'm not gonna send just anyone to you if I know you're going to eat them after. Even if they fit what you're asking for...

[narsinssist]

[ He scoffed ] Eat? Of course not.

[ Well. For the most part. Not a physical eating. Sure, many ended up as fodder for his power, but they were not something he ate for food, but instead he would burn them up for power. He does not, however, elaborate on that point for Link. ]

The terms of a contract are laid out clearly for a mortal, and they have full rights to review them prior to signing.

[ He said, as if it were obvious. ] I do not know many mortals that are so desperate to agree to being eaten.

[ SILCO........ ]

[bakedapple]

[ Link huffs, almost as if he's scoffing back. Not eating souls... well, that could be a good thing? But now he has half a dozen new questions, and no increase in willingness to actually send anyone Raphael's way until they're answered. ]

If you don't eat them, then what do you get out of it?

[ At least when Sebastian eats souls, they're the souls of bad people... ]

[narsinssist]

Who says I have to do anything with them?

[ Sure, he collected them for power, but it wasn't always the soul that he purchased. Sometimes it was something else. A favor, an item. His father collected wizards and sages to conscript into forced labor in his burning palace in the chill of Cania, but while Raphael kept his debtors (and his soul pillars) there were even more within the world.

They would make their way to him eventually, upon death. ]

They live out their lives. I ask for an equivalent favor, in exchange for what they want.

[ All true. ]