RP:May Day 2024
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Flyers with pressed flowers have been distributed throughout Lithrydel! Upon closer inspection there isn’t terribly much detail - A May Day Faire is evidently happening on Selene Island through the 10th to 12th Moonrise of Zayvann.
Rumors have it that the witches that have taken up occupation of the island are hosting a Beltane festival with a days long faire filled with food, ritual, May Pole dancing and ribbon wishing. Those who seem particularly in the know advise that finding the location of this mysterious festival is as simple as willing it, though that surely can’t be true. Others seem to say that journeying to Selene Island and following the trails to the summit will set you in the right direction.
How mysterious.
Attractions
Zayvann 10th Moonrise Theme - Thespian Night
The bard troupe known as The Curtain Callers, renowned across Lithrydel for their impressive plays, often accompanied by light magic and dramatic theatrical scores, will be performing the tragedy of Ramona and Juliett as written by Willimina Tossstake. There will also be several other guests and musical acts, as well as an open stage hour where faire goers are welcome to sing, dance, or perform any other skill they desire.
Featured Carnival Game
Crystal Ball Toss
In the carnival section of the faire, a stall dressed in crushed velvets of rich plum and glittering gold stars is nestled between booths offering spiced meats and another selling jars of hand crafted jellies. The stall itself is made of smooth, dark oak wood sloped at an angle with three rings, the largest on the outside and the smallest at the center, with holes at the bottom of each ring. There are several smooth crystal balls offered in a large woven basket. The witch running the stall is offering 5000g for a winning toss in the center ring’s circle.
How To Play
Roll a 1d10 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-3: Critical Fail - The ball rolls into the bottom hole of the stall. You score no points.
- 4-7: Miss - The ball rolls into the center ring of the stall before falling into the center hole. You score no points but win a chance to toss the ball again.
- 8-10: Win - The ball rolls into the center hole of the stall! You win and collect a small prize!
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize money of 5k.
Zayvann 11th Moonrise Theme - Zaytor’s Night
A select and highly skilled group of hydromancers from the Mage’s Guild will be set up on the north side of the faire grounds offering a magical waterfall ride down the mountain of Selene Island. Their bespelled magical waterfall offers breathtaking views no matter the hour of the day, their water serpent carved boats comfortable and roomy enough for groups of five. As well as the water rafting, the illusion and allure of heavy rainfall without the hassle of becoming wet will surround the faire grounds in honor of the god of the tempest himself, Zaytor.
Featured Carnival Game
Water Wand Race
A wide and flashy stall, decorated with spinning lights and mage contraptions, has been placed between the spinning tea cups and a stall selling candies and sweets from the Burrows. There are several seats covered in indigo silks placed in front of a long wooden bench where, several lengths away there is a magically spinning target. Players are encouraged to select from a vast array of wands bespelled with a water blasting charm. On the count of three, all players are to point as best as the can at the center. If they manage to aim true despite the spinning targets, the hippocampus carving behind the target will rear back and spray a light show marking them as the winner. The Mage tending the booth is offering 5000g to anyone who manages to win.
How To Play
Roll a 1d10 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-3: Critical Fail - You aim as best as you can but the targets spinning throws you off. Others seem to have better luck and soon enough, another player’s hippocampus is announcing their win. You place as one of the last.
- 4-7: Miss - Your aim is good, but the target manages to wiggle away a time or two. You place near the middle, but the mage advises that you may play again.
- 8-10: Win - You can feel it the moment the count down hits one and the water wand erupts in your hand. You’re going to win. Your aim is true, your hand steady, and soon enough the painted figure of the hippocampus is tossing it’s head back and spraying a dazzling show of water and light. You win and collect a small prize!
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize money of 5k.
Zayvann 12th Moonrise Theme - Selene’s Night
No matter the hour of the final day of the faire, upon entering the grounds there will be the magical cast of full night over the area. Vaalane, at her fullest and shining with the blue and green brilliance of the goddess amidst the blanket of a black night sky and glittering stars, will wash the festivities in her otherworldly glow. This dazzling feat of coven magic will culminate towards the end of the night. Once the moon reaches it’s highest point, witches of the White Ash and the hosts of the faire, will perform a ritual around a massive bonfire at the center of the grounds to ‘call down the power of Selene'. All are welcome to witness and even participate as they collectively gather the power of the full Flower Moon in order to bless the island and all who are present. Those who gather are encouraged to bring vessels of water, any sort safe for travel will do, in order to leave with moon water graced with the boons of the Goddess Selene herself.
Featured Carnival Game
Bone Casting
Amid the stalls offering hand crafted makeup and beauty potions, there is a small and unassuming table seemingly fashioned from clear crystal quartz. Upon the rounded table, there is a cauldron housing an ever burning flame of pure white. A witch stands behind it offering players to collect a handful of small broken bones, sourced ethically from chickens and the dying grounds of the elusive Valaanix native to the island. Once you’ve chosen your bones, you’re encouraged to toss them in the cauldron. Once they meet the ever burning flame, they spark and sputter. The witch is offering 5000g to the persons who are able to divine, or perhaps find by pure chance, the rare bone of a Valaanix.
How To Play
Roll a 1d10 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-5: Critical Fail - You choose your handful of bones and toss them into the ever burning flame. There is a single pitiful spark, then a plume of black smoke. The witch shakes her head with a small smile, fate has not smiled upon you.
- 6-9: Miss - You pushed your hand deep into the velvet bag of chipped bones and waited until the moment felt right. As you toss the bones into the ever burning flame, a spark of hope flashes in the blinding white but lasts for only a heartbeat before black smoke and defeat follows. The witch shakes her head with a small smile, fate has not smiled upon you.
- 10: Win - As if the goddess is guiding your hand, you reach down into the bag of bones and pluck forth your offering before casting it into the ever burning flame. There is a spark of light, the soft and bittersweet song of the Valaanix rises with the wind as the flame rises up. In the dance of the light, the flames seem to form into the lovely image of the bird rising up before dissolving into sparks. The witch smiles broadly, “You are favored by the Goddess,” She informs you sweetly. You win and collect a small prize!
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize money of 5k.
Zayvann 13th Moonrise Theme - Delight of Witches, as written by Lita!
Members of the coven has gone to great lengths to ensure that this entire event not oy bring honor to Zaytorr and Selene but also that it is welcoming and fun for all who have traveled to enjoy the festivities! They have spared no expense and gone to great lengths to ensure everything is well maintained throughout the days long event. That said, they deserve to enjoy it as well! And so volunteers from throughout the land have come together to offer a day of reprieve. They have brought a plethora of flowers from all across Lithrydel, native and wild, and spent many hours toiling in song to make an abundance of flower crowns. Offer a warm greeting and you may be welcomed to make your own flower crown, should you like.
Featured Carnival Game
Flower Crown Bottle Toss
A vendor stall has been borrowed and redressed for the evening, decorated in waves of climbing ivy, flowers in full bloom, and glass jars of fireflies in various colors that sway gently in the breeze (don't worry, they'll be set free at the end of the night). Most of the stall is a grid-work of glass jars with long necks. Scattered in no particular order in a few of the outermost rings are a few red bottles. Further inward you see scattered bottles of blue glass. Closer to the center are even less green ones. And right in the center is a single bottle made of golden glass. That appears to be the one that wins the most valuable prize. A young wood elf with freckles and blood hair will explain the rules if you like and offer you three flower crowns, for three chances to win!
How To Play
Each character will get 3 tosses!!
Roll a 1d20 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-3, 8-9, 14-16, 19: No Prize - The crown you've chosen has seen better tosses. The flowers are a bit squished and wilted from other hands and though you've made a valiant effort, it circles one of the clear glass bottles. You've won no prize, but rest assured the flower crown will be remade by the hands of loving volunteers and you're still welcomed to make one of your own!
- 4-7: Small Prize (100 gold) - The flower crown you've chosen has been tossed a few times already. It wobbles a bit through the air but bounces off one of the clear bottles to land as if by accident around a red one. You don't get to keep the crown, but you do win a small prize!
- 10-13: Medium Prize (500 gold) - You say a wish over this crown and send it through the air on a hope and a soft wind. It skips across the ring of red bottles and is caught by a blue one. Not too bad! You've won a prize!
- 17-18: Large Prize (1,000 gold) - Have you been practicing? Surely this isn't your first toss! Your flower crown must have been very well made because it has found its way over one of the green bottles! It was a close one, a near miss! But rejoice, for you have won a great prize!
- 20: Grand Prize (5,000 gold) - All the good fortune and wishes the Witches have been putting out into the world have found their way back to your hand. Your aim is true and sure and your flower crown soars with ease over the rest to flutter down over the coveted golden bottle at the center of the field. The young elf cheers for your victory and hands you the winning flower crown to keep. You also win an additional grand prize!
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize.
Zayvann 14th Moonrise Theme - Night of Shadows, as written by Sidd!
This evening serves as a tribute to the harrowing journey of witches throughout history, marked by persecution and fear of the unknown. Attendees are encouraged to immerse themselves in the experience by donning disguises, symbolizing the necessity for witches to conceal their true identities to avoid persecution. The centerpiece of the event is a haunting hedge maze, where participants must navigate their way to safety while evading the menacing figure of The Hunter. This immersive attraction serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by witches in their struggle for survival. As night falls, the atmosphere becomes even more electrifying, with attendees invited to join in a spirited costumed dance around burning effigies representing the King and Queen of Larket. This symbolic ritual honors the resilience of witches and commemorates their ongoing fight for acceptance and freedom from persecution.
Featured Carnival Game
Find the Red Witch
In this thrilling game, one player takes on the role of the Hunter, tasked with tracking down the elusive Red Witch, who hides among a group of ten cloaked figures. Each figure is adorned in a black cloak and a shimmering, faceless mask, creating an air of mystery and intrigue. Among them, two witches don blue dresses below the cloaks to signify their role as coven members, while one stands out in a scarlet dress as the Red Witch. As the game unfolds, the ten witches dance gracefully in a circle, surrounded by an array of magical lights and enchanting distractions designed to confound the Hunter. The Red Witch must use her cunning and stealth to evade detection, while the other witches provide a captivating spectacle to divert attention. When the dance concludes and the witches line up, the Hunter must carefully observe and make their choice, aiming to identify the Red Witch among the group. It's a test of skill and intuition, as the Red Witch strives to remain hidden while the Hunter seeks to uncover her true identity.
How To Play
Roll a 1d10 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-5: Critical Fail - You’ve chosen poorly, not discovering the Red Witch or her coven. You’ve lost.
- 6-8: Miss - You’ve discovered a member of the Red Witch’s coven, granting you another try at the game.
- 9-10: Win - You’ve discovered the Red Witch! The gathering of witches clap for you and bow, congratulating you on a job well done. They bestow you with a peaceful blessing and a small monetary prize.
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize money of 5k.
All Week's End Events
Ribbon Wishing
A blooming hawthorn tree stands at the north of the faire grounds, a rainbowed array of ribbons dancing in the salted ocean air filled with the wishes of faire goers. Witches offer quill and ribbon to any who approach, advising that they write their Beltane wishes before securing it to one of the branches for the hopes of the God Zaytor or the Goddess Selene granting a boon.
May Day Blessings
We’re giving away ONE +10, Tier 10 Blessed custom of your choice!
How to collect?
- Upload a clean log of any RP to this wiki page (be mindful of RP that might happen before or after your own groups please!) between your character and at least one other making a wish on the hawthorn tree
If you need wiki help, please reach out our lovely wiki guides via hmail - just be sure to save a log of your RP!
- Hmail customs with your order and note that you’ve completed an RP for the May Day Event
Please note, this custom does not have to be related to what your character wished for
The Story Stick as written by Quintessa!
Tales hold everyone together, from the smallest coven to the largest metropolis, stories are what links each person to one another, to their history, and their culture. This game is simple: When you have a big enough group one person takes the stick and begins an original story- it doesn't have to be long. They then pass it to the next person, who adds their part, and then the next person, until finally it ends with the one who started it. (Smaller groups can make the full rotation multiple times.) What kind of story can your group make this May Day?
If you participate in story telling and upload the RP to this page, you can collect 5k gold! Simply hmail the admin to collect if none are present!
Praise Zaytor Contest hosted by Mcracken!
Between midday on the 10th and midday on the 12th (now extended to the 14th) you are challenged to pen a hymn of praise and thanks to Zaytor comprised of no more than 8 lines, and which must rhyme. One entry per Faire attendee.
WINNERS!
Fantastic entries, everyone! Congratulations to Joan for winning first prize - while her hymn didn't rhyme, it did capture the tone of reverence and praise that a hymn ought to have, and is also just really beautiful.
For other entries and their prizes, see the winners list below:
Bee In A Cup as written by Calista!
In the carnival section of the faire, a stall dressed in a smooth eggshell-hued cloth and glistening silver leaves nestled between booths offering fortunes read and another selling glasswork crafted with by the most Zaytor-blessed craftsmen. The stall itself is made of resonant, dark mahogany, vibrating with the sonorous buzzing of the kind, gentle creatures underneath a plentitude of small blue cups. The witch running the stall asks who would try their luck, and see whether the gods have blessed them today.
How To Play
Roll a 1d10 in the Official Hollow Discord Server! To play and collect prizes, you must rp your action of trying and winning/failing!
- 1-5: Critical Fail - You lift the cup, and a small fly buzzes around your head before flitting off. The witch thanks you for participating, but you were not blessed this day.
- 6-9: Close - Upon lifting the cup, a small bee buzzes happily and lifts into the air to sing you a song, before buzzing back home. The witch smiles at you, and thanks you for participating, but the gods' blessing hadn't reached you today.
- 10: Win - The cup nearly vibrates with excitement as you touch it! Underneath is the most beautiful golden bee with rainbow wings. It flits onto your shoulder and you receive the blessing of the gods. The witch applauds you, and hands you your prize. In exchange for her special bee, of course.
In the event that no admin are present, simply hmail the admin team to collect your prize money of 5k.
The Parade Of Flowers as written by Joan!
Witches and faire goers may gather fresh flowers and herbs, they create flower crowns and make offers of these items to Zyator and Selene by each water way, The parade leads to the Moon Pool where the witches lay out a alter, following with a large sea shell filled with holy blessed water, this they pour over the alter and ask for Selene to bless them once again for the following year.
If you participate in the Parade of Flowers and upload the RP to this page, you can collect 5k gold! Simply hmail the admin to collect if none are present!
May Day Faire Grounds
Thick forest surrounds a wide and ample clearing of plush, verdant clover and jewel toned wildflowers. The air is fragrant and sweet, the hum of magic pressing in with the oncoming heat of summer. Through the trees to the south there is a picturesque view of the Island and the twinkling brilliance of the ocean far below. The May Pole stands tall and bright at the center of the circle of wildflowers, rising high above the crowd as people dance about with ribbons. There is an area filled with brightly colored and elaborate tents for lodging, camp fires adding smoke and warmth for the chilled nights. Bards and theater troupes cycle throughout the event on a raised dais of polished oak adorned with garland of honeysuckle and may bush. Sturdy oak tables are heavy with all manner of food and drink, savory and sweet items free for the taking and generously supplied by the Ginger Snapped Bakery and other local Cenrili favorites - restocked regularly by the coven members who can be seen weaving throughout the crowds in ceremonial white shifts and flower crowns. Rides propelled by magic and ancient physics dominate the east, with squeals of delight and laughter rising high into the air. A ferris wheel covering in shifting witch light offers breathtaking views. A blooming hawthorn tree stands to the north, a rainbowed array of ribbons dancing in the salted ocean air filled with the wishes of faire goers. Witches offer quill and ribbon to any who approach, advising that they write their Beltane wishes before securing it to one of the branches for the hopes of the God Zaytor or the Goddess Selene granting a boon.
Day 2
It’s mid-morning at the Faire and mist is still dissipating from the deepest parts of the forest floor, where the air still carries a slight hint of night’s damp chill. Nevertheless there’s families sampling the various food and drinkss on offer, lining up for a game or an exhilarating ride down the mountain. Mac is wandering among them, a ragged and unshod misfit among revellers garbed in their finest, who’s a head or more taller than most. Right now he’s blocking a stream of foot traffic headed for the water wand race, having stopped in his tracks as a fresh gust of potent rain begins to batter the Faire’s protective barrier, giving the illusion of the entire place being underwater. Unmindful of the mutters and scowls of people forced to divert their path around him, the kraken watches this wonder with a grin widening on his face, a deep chuckle of appreciation offered the water-mage’s skill and artistry.
Sidd wanders into the area with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, his haze lecherously dancing between the various witchy hosts that roamed about the May Day faire in all their gorgeous splendor. It'd been a while since Sidd had been to any sort of shindig, so he was a tad excited to see all of the festive games and foods spread out all over the place. Because he was so distracted by the lovely women, the blue haired male totally did not see Mcracken blocking the path and wound up bumping right into him. "Oh dang! Sorry, mate!" he called out, with a chuckle. Sidd seemed to be bumping into people a lot these days.
Daisy is so excited to visit the faire. We all know that if there are snacks, there will be a Daisy. No doubt about that. She tries this one and that one, making sure each stall's owner gets the proper praise they deserve. Oof! So busy all of the sudden. All the people make the walking around difficult to see. Too bad she isn't taller. Like that guy! He's taller than everyone! And... look closer, kitten. You know who that is! And the person bumping into them! We should probably say hi. And boy does she say hi. Darting through legs to get to her, heh *prey*, she does a skedoodle right up Mcracken's back, taking care not do dig in to his long coat too much with her claws. Finally at the top, both arms wrap around his neck and she grins. "Hi Mac and Sidd."
Mac only laughs when Sidd collides with him, long arms spreading wide in an encompassing gesture of joy, to the ongoing irritation of the passers-by who have to duck or swerve to avoid being clotheslined. “Master Sidd, thou art entirely forgiven, and most glad am I to find thee here, on this most festive day!” Mac hasn’t seen the brawler since the incident below the Underdark and is pleased to find Sidd hale. He points up to the barrier, “Hast thou seen this feat? It is… oh!” Oh, indeed, for the sudden prickle of little claws up his spine is quite the surprise, less so the tight furry scarf Daisy makes of herself. “Miss Daisy! Thy skill at the hunt is sharper than ever,” he jests. Not far from where they stand, a long table is set with an array of wands, with a spinning disc at the other end. Faire-goers are encouraged to count to three and shoot a water spell at the target, whereon a wooden hippocampus pops up to make a dazzling light display that indicates the winners. Of course, it’s the image of the water-horse that draws Mac’s eye, then, and he catches Sidd around the shoulder with his arm, “What say thee to a contest of aim, sirrah?” He tweaks one of Daisy’s whiskers so she knows she’s included in this challenge.
Sidd is completely taken by surprise once he realizes who in fact he had bumped in to, his eyes wide and his grin a mile long. "Oh dang! Mac?! Man, it's been so damn long! How are ya?!" There is a sense of wonder in Sidd's facial expression as he follow's Mac's finger, looking upon the barrier above. "No, actually. Wow. This is kinda cra-" As soon as Daisy pops over the taller man's shoulders, Sidd startles, throwing up his hands and flinching backward. "Oh what the sweet hell!" It doesn't take long to recognize that other familiar face though - another person he hadn't seen since the trek to the Underdark. "Holy crap! Daisy?! Dang, it's a friggin' reuinion today! How are you, as well?!" Mac's overly friendly gesture is not met with any resistance whatsoever as he looks over to the fun little game that caught the other's attention. "I am so down to play if you are! Could use a lil' fun, y'know?"
Daisy giggles at the ohsovery obvious fake fear Sidd displays. Who the heck is scared of her? Maybe you did do a frighten, kitten. "I'm good! Full of snacks." She catches sight of the mentioned game and crawls up on Mac's shoulders proper. Ooooh that does look like fun. She points to the booth. "To the games!" Of course she wants to play.
Mcracken takes up one of the wands, when its their turn to attempt a prize. First though, he lifts Daisy gently onto the table. The barker explains the rules and encourages the trio to count to three together and ….. shoot!
Sidd had never held a magic wand before, so, of course, the first thing he does is points it directly at his face while he examines it. Without warning a blast of water sprays in his eyes, blinding him temporarily as he struggles to aim the thing back in the direction of the game itself. It was safe to say that his aim was not quite so true.
Daisy picks up her wand, but only a little dribble comes out the end. She shakes it then points it at the target. Nothing. She waves it around a little more. Holding the wand no where near pointing at the target, she looks at the barker with a little pout. "Mine's broken." Just as those words leave her lips, a full blast of water gets sent right towards the bottom of one of the fanciest ladies wearing the fanciest of dresses. "Oh..." She slowly puts the wand down with a sheepish grin.
Mac might have actually hit the target were his right eye not collateral damage in Sidd’s attempt, his aim swinging a little to the left and hitting nothing but the kraken’s own pride. A high outraged yelp from the upper-class doyenne whose derriere Daisy has hosed , and Sidd’s slightly drooping, dripping mohawk has Mac also fail to hold back laughter. “Shall we try again?” The barker gives them all a slightly oily look and gestures to another set of wands.
Quintessa arrives somewhat sluggishly today, stifling a yawn as she returns to the fairgrounds dressed in a simple black sundress and no shoes. Mismatched eyes peer from under her witches hat as she spies at whoever is already here, a tiny smile tugging at her black lips as she approaches. Not sure if anyone has seen her yet, she tries to sneak up on the group, woefully unaware how sharp Mac's senses were... But maybe Dairy and Sidd wouldn't notice until she was already right behind them? She tries anyway, placing a hand on one of their shoulders as she leans in to coo, "Hello there~"
Sidd 's lips curled inward as he stifled his laughter, what with hosing himself, Mac, and seeing Daisy get the fancy lady - this was turning out to be a pretty hilarious affair. Not one to shy froma challenge, his brushing his sagging hair out if his face and nods, "Damn right we are!" Sidd was sure he had it this time. Number one rule, as he'd discovered, aim it forward and not into your own face. That was the key to winning - he was sure of it. However, this second attempt would not fair much better, because he hadn't counted on a second startling today. When Quintessa crept up and her words were right next to their ears, Sidd let loose another 'The hell?!' and turned his attention quickly to the sound of the disturbance. Sadly, his wand had followed the trajectory of his pivoting and he managed to spray Quintessa right in the face with a blast of water. "OH DANG. MY BAD!" he said, trying to hold back his laughter. Sidd dropped is wand onto the table, a little afraid to touch the thing given that his ability to concentrate his aim was pretty lacking.
Joan is here for the May Day Faire! And she brought along her new personal healer's assistant Rowan. The vampiric healer gives a nod of her head to left the youth know they could wander off and enjoy the faire. but before Joan let the youth go enjoy she passed the dark haired youth a little bit of pocket change.
Mac, determined to see that carven hippocampus appear, boosts his wand just a tiny bit with some of his own seaborn-magic. Which could have produced the desired result, but Sidd’s cry of “oh hell” causes a fumble, in which Mac’s magical weapon flips up and shoots its liquid ammo straight up—into the kraken’s nose. You’d think a somewhat overpowered gush of water wouldn’t affect an Old One of the Deep… right? But it’s a humanoid nose he’s got right now, and the wand is superbly bolstered by his cheating… er.. magical enhancement, so the result is a very powerful, very wet sneeze. At least he’s polite enough to turn his head… right in Joan’s direction. Hit or miss, he’s left gawping at her in dismay with a rope of mucus hanging from one nostril. Mac raises a hand in greeting to both women, trying to appear nonchalant… and failing at that, too.
Mcracken said to Sidd, “Mayhap these wands are cursed.”
It would be easy to expect the worst when Quintessa is doused with water, her hat dripping wet as her shoulders dropped and her make-up started to run down her face. But the glower quickly turns to a cheeky smile when she notices that she isn't the only one to suffer collateral damage from the hydro-wand. She stifles a laugh as Daisy picks up a new wand and aims for the target again, her stream of water barely missing the target as it squirts weakly from the tip. "See? This one is broken too!" Before anyone can take a look however, Daisy has passed the wand off to Tessa before turning back eastward. "I just remembered something! Be back later!" And with that Daisy rushes away, a trail of sparkles and glitter in her wake." "Bye Daisy!" Quintessa calls after her with a wave before turning back to the targets. "Okay... let's look at this thing." Quintessa examines the wand, and after a moment to analyze its magical properties she grins like a shark and points it in the direction of the spinning target. "Dwr." She utters, causing the wand to activate... and completely overshoot the target. "Alright so these might need a slight adjustment..." She says, tapping the wand against the palm of her hand.
Mcracken coughs, "Cursed.."
Joan had spotted those she knew by what looked to be a water game booth, the undead woman would lift her hand to offer a wave in greeting as she approached, only t Eeww, super gross, it was a good thing she had her hand still upward while Mcracken sneezed in her direction. That raised hand took much of the sneeze, totally grossed out Joan would walk right up to the offending snot kraken and wipe her snotty sneezed on glove palm against his front of his coat. "Uh, geezes, thanks Mac...I really needed that. NOT." She said, making a face she picks up one of the water wands. she sticks her messy glove palm outwards and towards the target, she lets loose the flow of water and her gloved palm gets sprayed as well as some of the target but not enough to win. She makes a face once more as she shakes her now cleaned gloved hand as the booth witch let her know she could try again.
A small girl skips by the water game players with a basket of rolled up hand towels. Each is given one before she skips off again.
Once Sidd realizes that yet another face from the Underdark excursion has turned up, he offers an apologetic grin and a brief greeting toward the warlock, before he notices Mcracken’s own little aiming mishap. The snot exiting his nostrils causes Sidd to fall to the ground, rolling back and forth as he holds his gut, laughing hard than he had in weeks. “BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” he belts out with his face turning red. “Cursed? Rigged? …Either that, or man, do we ever just suuuuck the big one! HAHAHAHAHA.” Wiping tears from his eyes, Sidd sits up, not bothering to rise fully from the dirt beneath him. His cobalt blues spy Joan next, who’d just got covered in a hefty dose of snot rocket. “Oh, sup Joan? Welcome to team suck! Well. That, or we’re gettin’ fleeced by the hosts of these games.” Sidd eyes the ‘carnie’ running the booth and teases, “I’m onto you!”
Mac daubs the lapels of his shabby coat with the towel, hurrumphing to himself his disappointment at not causing the hippocamp to rise up in glory and shine its watery lights. “My vast apologies, Mistress Joan.. Lady Blackwell..” he adds, trying not to look utterly mortified while Sidd rolls about in unfettered mirth. The brawler’s address to the booth-holder has him narrow his eyes slightly, and the kraken’s about to take it to the next level when that wand Tessa’s tapping goes off all by itself--- and its stream of water shoots the target, dead center! Mac says something in a language dead for five thousand years, its words unrecognizable but its tone -very- clear indeed, and throws in his towel. “If you’ll all excuse me, I must go forth and check that Miss Daisy is … dry.” With a weak smile to the ladies and a dip of bearded soggy chin to Sidd, the kraken stalks off into the crowd.
...
Calista finds herself wandering throughout the faire grounds once again. She eyes the booths and somehow ends up near the Wishing Tree. The ribbons and notes fluttering in the breeze bring joy and heartache and a strange urge to bat at them and play. With a single shake of her pink locks the last urge is dispelled. For now, the little goblin simply watches, hoping further study will make things clear.
Calista sees a game going on in the glittery purple stall and watches for a few moments, just to understand the game. The intrepid goblin gets in line to patiently wait her turn. Upon getting to the front of the line, much later than she would have liked, she asks for a footstool so's she can see where she's throwing. She prays to all the cats in the ocean and beyond, since that seems to be the appropriate area given the celebration. She exhales and throws, not opening her eyes, but trusting the feline powers that be to guide her aim. It hits the edge of the center hole and rolls along the rim before falling in. Selene's cats have smiled on her this day.
Calista approaches the next stall and eyes the spinning discs and flashing lights. This looks like trouble, but the fun kind. She seats herself on the most-padded stool and aims her wand most vociferously. "Swish and flick!" The arc sprays perfectly, but the disc jerks faster, running from the spray. It would seem that there's trickery afoot. The stall vendor offers her another try. "Perhaps, I will," she replies, but doesn't immediately pick her wand back up. Instead she watches the other contenders to see what pitfalls are being forced in front of them.
Quintessa thinks she has found the issue- These wands have been tampered with! More realistically when they were crafted, the mages probably put lesser spells within them to prevent injuries, which is smart to not use actual weapons for carnival games. Quintessa on the other hand thinks it a perfectly reasonable idea to use a full-powered hydromancy spell for a simple game. She adjusts her aim, focuses some of her actual mana through the wand and fires a powerful jet of water right on target– "We have a winner!" The painted figure of the hippocampus announces Quintessa as the winner, spraying a dazzling show of water and light as the Black Witch sets her wand down. "And that's how you do it. Anyone looking for magic lessons can find me at the Xalious Mage's College. My name is Magister Quintessa Blackwell, thank you, thank you."
Calista decides to follow the pattern of the rest of the contestants and turns the wand around, to the surprise and horror of everyone, especially the stall vendor. "Especto! Patro---" Before she can even finish, the wand fires, dead center into the crowd of onlookers behind her, forcing the wand to rocket across the space and throw the disc, forcing it to stop. Calista locks eyes with the stall vendor wit ha malicious grin. "I think that I've fixed the problem with your game, sir."
Lita is mumbling to herself about having to be social by herself at yet another event. Dressed to the nines in a dark blue hooded sundress, her arms and shoulders bare and the hood back off her hair, she's also wearing boots for once. Mostly because she'd gifted her fancy anklet and hadn't yet had a new one crafted. And she'd been spoiled with being able to travel barefoot without leaving mess everywhere. So the presence of shoes might also be adding to the sour mood. She catches Tessa's win at one of the game booths and meanders towards the tables stocked with sweets instead to see what she can steal that might have raspberries in it. And whiskey. That always makes things better.
Joan took the offered hand towl and pats at her wet glove, she grumbles something under her breath that sounded like "Fried calamari." Before she takes up the water wand one more time. She aims halfheartedly, this time her failed, giving a sigh of defeat she places her wand back down and moves over to the rolling laughing Sidd. "Did that amuse you my friend?!"
Sidd offers a two finger salute to Mcracken as he takes his leave, “Good t’see ya again, man! Take care, eh?!” Joan is met with a smirk as he finally rose from the dirt and dusted himself off, “Well, yeah! That is absolutely naaaaasty. Glad it wasn’t me!” Sidd’s gaze turns, looking over just in time to see Quintessa make the big win. “Da fuuuu…” he starts to spit out with an air of jealousy, before Calista completely goes and breaks the damn game with that fluke of a turn. “Yoooo! Bahaha, what?! Luuuuuuucky. Congrats you two!” There was no way in hell Sidd was touching that game again, so he steps back from the table, making room for anyone else that wanted to give it a shot. For now, he would meander on over to the snack tables, grabbing himself something to stuff his face with as a consolation prize.
Quintessa has spotted Lita, wearing shoes no less! The changeling furrows her brow, deeply uncomfortable seeing her like this. The changeling looks down at her own bare feet before slowly meandering her way over to the refreshment table to stand next to Lita, a slight bump of her hip against her to get her attention as she slides next to her. "You look nice," Quintessa admits to the vampire, for once feeling inadequate in her simple black sundress. "And you wore shoes? Unbelievable. I've seen you do that like, two times in all the years I've known you." She grins at her before reaching forward to grab something from the table. "Glad you could make it."
Lita thinks Sidd definitely needs some incentive to go for round two on that game. So she chucks a piece of cheese at him and nods towards the game booth. "Double or nothin' on another try?" She has no idea what the prizes are but, go big or go home.
Hanan wakes up with a massive headache. Must have been something she consumed last night. Or someone? It's hazy. All she knows is that it was nice, the bedroll is cozy, she's fully clothed, and the fabric roof over her head means she's in the tent she commandeered in the little lodging area. All in all, a positive. She does what has become habit, reach out bleary eyed for her wooden leg, only to find... Her crutch. Just the crutch. Right. Her godsdamn prosthetic is still broken from the duel and she doesn't have another yet. Several people amongst the tents turn their head when they hear the nautical profanities coming from her quarters, but shrug it off soon after.
Lita is distracted momentarily from taunting Sidd into a game by Tessa... being nice... it takes her brain a second to comprehend that and then she looks down at the empty shot glass she's holding. How many whiskeys was that exactly? Maybe they're just extra strong and magic-y though. "Thanks." She manages, scrambling mentally a bit to collect her thoughts. "Figured I'd class it up a bit to represent the island and all, since Leo and Mah were making me fly solo." Again. She leaves the bitterness out of the playful tone and instead offers Tessa a wink. She gives the changeling a once-over in her black sundress and bare feet and it looks as if they might have raided each other's wardrobes for the day. "I see you bribed the game warden." She teases. "But then, I'd expect a proper winning streak from our tournament champ." It's as close to a compliment of congratulations as she'd likely give.
Joan wanders over the crystal ball toss booth while keeping a eye out for Rowan to make sure the youth was having a decent enough time. Once she was done with the hand towel Joan would place it near the offered small crystal balls. She offers a nod to the booth person to show she would like to try. Once the crystal ball is handed to her Joan would eye the target and give it a light toss. She gives a defeated groan as the ball rolls into the bottom hole of the stall. She hardly ever had any luck with these games. With a rolling shrug of her vested shoulders Joan would then make her way over to the offered free food and drinks. She pick up a few small nibbles and eat with feeling. When in doubt eat your feelings away!
Sidd was in the middle of jamming a whole cakelog into his face when that piece of cheese bounced right off the side of his head and landed somewhere in the middle of the table. He looks up, eyeing Lita with a look of amused disbelief, and says with his mouth full, “Did.. did you just throw cheese at me?!” Sidd snorts with laugher, trying to choke down his piece of cakelog in one go as he weighs her challenge. “Oh you wanna go? I’ll have you know, I am the greatest ball of suck at that game. I not only hosed myself, but also my chum Mac, and that there amazing cheater- I mean winner, right next to ya,” he says, motioning to Quintessa. “If you wanna be the next to get wet, then let’s do this.” Sidd smirks, gesturing for Lita to take the lead over to the water wand game.
Quintessa snickers at Lita's joke about bribing the games master, a glance thrown back over her shoulder at the booth. "I had to! Those wands are cursed or something..." Tessa does seem to be in an unusually good mood. "Gotta keep up appearances, from one champion to another. Maybe one of these days the Titan of Winter can take on the Blood Bowl champion– Keep this streak of mine running." She winks back at Lita as she takes a sip of her drink before she shouts over at Sidd, catching his comment about getting her wet. "Oi! Just you wait Sidd! I'll repay you one of these days!" Her cheeky grin might suggest that she's only kidding but you never really know with Quintessa...
Lita makes a face like she's about to respond to Sidd, an index finger raised at him. So many opportunities. So many comments. Her brain is not as PG-13 as the world would like her to remain though, so she just grins to herself and decides to be an appropriate steward of Rynvale. For now. But Tessa gets a side-eye. She gets it. "Alright." She says, snagging another couple pieces of cheese to use as ammunition in case Sidd starts winning. "Maybe." She says about Tessa's match-up idea. She wouldn't mind going toe to toe with the changeling in a good brawl. But she'd be outpaced in a duel of magics any day. "It's certainly good to have dreams." She says about Tessa continuing her winning streak. She reaches for another whiskey and downs the shot before she turns to head towards the water game and nods at Sidd. "Alright let's do this." She'll wave a hand to make a motion for Sidd to choose his seat first. He might need the advantage, who knows.
Joan licks at her exposed icy fingertips after she finished off her nibble choices, she cast a glance towards the offered refreshments and makes her choice before she notices all the swears coming from one of the tents, one brow arches upwards as Joan takes up one of the blackberry flavored water. She takes a sip and nods her head in enjoyment at the taste. Seeing Lita with Quintessa and that small other woman wandering around Joan would go to try to last offered game.
Quintessa might have heard those familiar nautical profanities even from the other side of the fair grounds, enough at least that it has the changeling perking up to search for Hanan. Did she really come? Quintessa slowly slips away from the rest of the group, making her way towards the sleeping quarters, bourbon in hand, to investigate.
Sidd looks back at Quintessa as he strolls on over to the carnival game, an equally playful grin plastered upon his lips as he calls back, “I’ll be looking forward to it!” Lita’s inner turmoil was definitely felt, because he knew exactly what he said, so he just snickered to himself when she chose the more conservative option of remaining silent. Like a moth to flame, Sidd finds himself taking up the same wand he’d been using before, figuring that maybe if he stuck it out, he’d get lucky this time around. It was probably a slim chance, but still, a man can dream. “Alright, you ready?” he asks, looking over at her with a raised brow.
Joan now walks over to the Bone Casting booth. She offers the booth manger a small tight-lipped smile as they offer her a small amount of small broken chicken bones. Joan cups them in her gloved palm, gives them a rattle and shake before tossing them towards the cauldron. There is a single pitiful spark, then a plume of black smoke. The witch shakes her head with a small smile, fate has not smiled upon you. Joan throws her hands up as she just gives up for the day. She did her best.
Lita finds herself a seat and takes up a wand alongside Sidd. She inspects it for a moment, eyeing the game. "So just point and shoot?" She figures that's easy enough. "I feel like you've got way more experience than me." She smirks to herself but she probably just means because he'd already played the game before. Ahem.
Sidd snort-laughs at Lita’s comment, as innocent as it may have been, because his mind is gutter bound twenty-four-seven. “Just point and shoot,” he echoes, with a sly grin. Just as the buzzer sounds, Sidd decided to play it a little dirty, and instantly turned the wand on Lita to throw her off her game. “HAH. Not today, suckaaaaa!” he yelled, before turning the wand back toward the actual target across the counter. He was concentrating so hard, sure that he was gonna win it. However, without warning, his powerful stream of water began to droop and wane, becoming naught more than a little trickle. “WHAT?! NO! C’MOOOON!” Sidd taps the wand on the table a few times. “I swear, this has never happened before,” he says with a sheepish smirk. After a few more shakes with nothing happening, SIdd throws the wand down and crosses his arms, miffed, as he watches Lita most assuredly take the victory.
Lita is usually a sucker for competition. Glad to see she's not the only one. She doesn't realize she's picked up the same wand that Tessa may have used and won with previously. They all look the same, really. She's only half paying attention when the water cuts on and she does her best Tessa-Does-Magic impersonation, with her back stiff, arm stretched out towards the target and wand extended. She has no idea if this is how magic works but it feels right somehow. And the wand must agree because the hippocampus makes its jaunty show. Seems fitting. She didn't even have to throw cheese at Sidd. She opens her palm to offer him the only slightest melted snacks as a consolation prize. "It's okay," she offers, "Happens to everyone." She turns her face away a little to make a wide-eyed face in sarcasm. Maybe he won't see. She notices Tessa wandering around the tents and calls after her. "Tessa, come defend your title!!"
Sidd eyes Lita with a faux scowl, trying his best not to break. "Psh. You got LUCKY." Sidd takes the offered cheese without hesitation, tossing it into the air and catching it with hiis mouth with little effort. Had this been a food contest, he'd so be taking home the gold. "Either way, grats on the victory. I gotta head out, but maybe I'll catch ya later. Still wantin' to come see ya about a tatt! Adios, amigo." With that, Sidd offers Lita a two finger salute, waving then to those other faces that he knows. "You're all fabulous!" he calls out, making his exit into the bustling crowd.
Quintessa doesn't find what she's looking for around the tents. Such a pity. She returns to the water-wands, a hand on her hip as Lita suggests she defend her title. "Heh. Alright, you're on." She downs the rest of her bourbon before setting her empty glass down and picking up one of the wands, also unaware Lita still has the one she tinkered with already. Can she still manage it with this one? "You ready? On count of the three?"
Joan moves over towards the water wand booth once again, she had tried her luck at all three booths and each time failed, bust she had fun and that was the point to begin with right?! She watches Lita and Quintessa with mild interest.
Lita is pretty excited when they seem to be neck-and-neck in the race. Maybe she's a chance? But her luck runs out as she's distracted by Joan suddenly, turning to offer the girl a smile in greeting and she forgets she's supposed to be keeping up the Tessa-Does-Magic pose. Her arm dips and the wand misses the target, leaving room for Tessa to skate ahead. She murmurs a frustrated slew of class under her breath but by the time she corrects herself, it's too late. The vendor is announcing Tessa as the winner. Lita huffs and urgently returns her wand to the table, turning towards Tessa with dark eyes narrowed slightly and a hand on her hip. "You might have won this round. But this doesn't mean we're not still at war." She muses.
Quintessa || "One... two... three-" Quintessa aims her wand and fires! Like the last time, the black witch focuses her mana through the wand to empower the spell contained within, giving it enough power to blast into the target and cause the hippocampus to spray a dazzling show of water and light yet again. "Ha! Magister Blackwell strikes again." She says triumphantly, throwing a grin at Lita. "Aye, there will be many battles to come, dear Lita. This is just my first of many victories."
Khitti had meant to show up on the first day of the faire. Really, she did! But alas, things had not worked out that way. And then, when she finally did show up, she'd been positively entranced by the dancing at the tall stones nearby. It was witchcraft! No, really. It -was- witchcraft. The dancers were very beautiful and Khitti envied them, even now as she wandered away from the stones and on into where the faire was being held. She was in one of her usual black, sleeveless, knee-length dresses and her usual well-worn boots. This dress in particular had tiny embroidered tulips of varying colors on it. While tulips had their own meaning amongst the witches, to Khitti it stood for perserverance. Even after being cut, tulips still grew, ever reaching towards the sun. And so, despite the melancholy she'd been feeling since she'd been turned into a werecat (an subsequently lost her duel to Hanan), she perservered and made it to the faire anyway. And where was the first place she went to? The food tables that were full of goodies from her own bakery. She was... taste-testing them for quality control. Yeah. Sure. Especially the honey cakes.
Lita is gonna have to swallow her pride for once. "I hope so." She offers Khitti a brief smile before glancing away again. "Think this is as good a time as any to see if I can talk Mahri into heading up to the fair for a bit." She's not leaving 'cause of Khitti. Probably. "But I'll leave you in good company Miss Blackwell." She offers Tessa a playful wink and then she turns to head towards the exit.
...
Quintessa gives Lita a smirk, "Of course! I hope I see you and Mahri during the rest of the fair. I'm staying all weekend- Anyway, talk to you soon." It was at this point that Quintessa notices Khitti, and she dashes across the fairgrounds to meet her. "Mother! You made it!" She joins her at the refreshment tables, a perfect time to get a refill. "Isn't this island amazing? Did you see the Moonpool yet?" Now it was time for Khitti to witness Quintessa's unusually chipper mood.
Khitti caught sight of Lita's smile, and offered one in return, though it's short-lived as the vampire took her leave. There's a moment of consideration, particularly on whether or not the vampire left due to her, but she eventually just shrugged and returned to snacking on honey cakes. She'd even grab herself a drink, in the form of honey-lavender lemonade and whiskey.
Khitti smirked at Quintessa, "I did make it. Khitt told me he was going to try exorcise me from our body if I didn't get out of that frozen wasteland for a little while." She'd offer her daughter a hug if she wanted one. "And I wanted to congratulate you on your win! So... Congrats!" The redhead took a quick sip then continued. "We should probably have some sort of celebration party at some point, you know."
Quintessa said to Khitti, "Thank you!" She seems very proud of her victory, "I suppose we really should celebrate it. I can tag it onto my birthday party I forgot to celebrate last month... You know this means I'm renting out the Goth Garden though, right?"
Joan took another long sip to her glass of blackberry flavored water as Lita made her exit, Joan turns her gaze towards Rowan once more keeping track of the youth as it seemed they were enjoying themselves. Offering a small smile towards Rowan once the youth looked up to smile and wave towards Joan. Crossing her arms slightly Joan would stay close to the snack table and offer her guild mistress Khitti a gentle wave of 'hello'.
Khitti tapped her chin in thought, "Oh yeah we did forget that, didn't we? Hmmm." Visions of massive cakes and ice sculptures and various other party things were dancing about in her brain now. "We'll have to see who's able to show up. And of course you can use the garden. It's the perfect place for a Quintessa party!" The redheaded witch gave a brief wave to Joan, as well as a 'hi'. "We could just throw the party and whomever is able to show up, shows up. Even if it's just you and I."
Quintessa also has visions of towering cakes, though her dreams might also include human eyeballs decorating the tops. "Hmm..." She can't help but tap her chin similarly to how Khitti had. "Perhaps a smaller party will be better after all. Something more intimate. A get together... As much as I am tempted to find some ballroom and invite all of Lithyrdel." She notices her mother waving at Joan and also turns to wave at her. "Hey there! Enjoying the fair?" How could you not enjoy this place? "Oh!" She turns back to Khitti, "Did you tie a ribbon to the hawthorn yet? We all get a chance to make a wish."
Khitti shook her head at the changeling, "No, I haven't yet." She stopped a moment and looked around before spying the hawthorn tree. "Have you done yours?" Finishing off her drink, she plucked up another before turning back towards the tree. "I'm not even sure what I'd wish for." No, she did. She definitely did. And it was clear the gears were turning in her head despite this.
Joan offers a wave back to Quintessa, her hand going down to lightly tap at the belt the other woman made for her, she also wore the super snazzy barrette. Joan was showing off Quintessa's wears and acted like a walking billboard, if asked she would let those that asked she got them custom made at the younger woman's place out in Vhys.
Quintessa shakes her head at Khitti, "No, not yet. I've been too scared to do it alone... but now that you're here we can go together." She gives her a sheepish smile. "I think I know what I want to wish for..." She admits. It also did not go unnoticed that Joan was showcasing the custom designs from Blackpond Boutiques, something that brings a grin out of the changeling. It was nice to see a happy customer– especially one that served as such good advertisement.
Khitti smirked at Quintessa. "Ah, I see, once again, you are definitely like me," she said in regards to the changeling's unease. She too managed to catch Quintessa's creation around Joan's waist and while she did not immediately know that her daughter made it, the grin that Quintessa provided in response clued her in to it a bit. "You and I should talk soon, after this faire is over." The redhead held out her elbow for Quintessa to take so that they both could walk over there together. "There's been some... changes. And some other things I want to make changes to. I think the whole of Frostmaw is aware of the former at this point." When Quintessa was ready, she'd give Joan one of Khitt's half-assed salutes before leading the way to the hawthorn tree. "Hm," she said, peering over at the table where paper and a quill were provided, then nudged Quintessa. "Winners go first."
Quintessa takes Khitti's arm as they both walk over to the hawthorn tree, returning her mother's smirk. "You can talk to me anytime, you know that. And yes... I've taken note of those changes as well as the rest of Frostmaw." She can't help but chuckle. As they reach the tree she legs go of Khitti's arm to step forward, taking in a slow inhale as she reaches for a bright green ribbon to hang in the tree. "Well, here goes nothing..." She writes a few words on it– secret words meant only for her to see, believing that if others knew her wish it wouldn't come true. Finished with her message, Quintessa steps away from the table to approach the tree, finding the perfect branch for her ribbon as she utters a small prayer to Selene. "Mother of the Sister Moon Vaalane, Lady of the Waves, and Keeper of Snakes– Though I am a daughter of Arh'Nuk, please hear my prayer..." With that said Quintessa lets go of her ribbon and steps away from the tree to watch Khitti next.
Khitti ’s wish kept playing over and over in her mind as Quintessa wrote hers down, made her prayer, and tied it to the tree. So much so, in fact, that Khitt took notice, her thoughts spilling over into his. It was clear, concise, and simple. It wasn’t something grand like asking to solve world hunger or world peace. It perhaps was a little selfish, but not untowardly so. Khitti took her turn when Tessa was finished, writing down 3 small words that meant everything to her, and perhaps only meant something to some. The paper was then folded a little, just enough to keep prying eyes from it, before she walked over and tied the ribbon around a low branch. One that was beneath all others, the redhead subconsciously thinking that her wish was not as great as the rest. And then she too said a prayer, in her own way, to both Selene and Zaytor, though it had long since felt like the former had betrayed her. “Please… just hear me… for once.” There were no special titles. She didn’t even say their names--if they were actually listening, they knew. And then, she turned around towards Quintessa and gave her a smile. “Well that’s done then. What have you been doing during your time here?”
Joan finished off her drink, as she set her empty glass on the table with all the other now dirty dishes Joan would look for and call out for Rowan, "Come on Rowan, it seems to be time to go and pay our respects to Zytor and Selene." Rowan would finish off the rest of their funnel cake piece that they coated in powder sugar. Their mouth was frosted cover and Joan would chuckle as she fished out a hanky and offer it to the youth as she bent to whisper in the youth's ear as they approached the tree and table set up near to it, "You always need to have a napkin or hanky with you when you eat any treat like that." Rowan blushed as nod, Joan would let the youth go first at the table set up next to the tree. "It don't gotta be something grand, you can wish for a simple thing." Rowan's lower lip would be tapped at by their ink pen as they thought, their bright green eyes light up as they came upon a idea. Jotting down their wish Rowan would offer the ink pen they just finished using to Joan, as Rowan moved towards the tree the wish was folded and then tied around a slender branch as Joan wrote down her simple wish on a fresh piece of paper. She would join Rowan and tie her own wish on the same brance but a bit higher up so there would be more room for all the other faire goers.
Quintessa watches Khitti with a small smile as she places her ribbon in the tree and says her prayer, and then does the same with Joan and Rowen, stepping back to give them both more room. When she asks her what she's been doing while on the island her smile grows. She's been looking for a chance to gush about this place. "Mostly I've been staying at the Witch's Haven but I was up all last night exploring this whole island. It's like something from a dream– Never would I have ever imagined this place was out here before."
Khitti watched Joan and Rowan quietly for a moment, as the two put up their own ribboned wishes, offering a faint smile to both of them before turning her attention back to Quintessa. “I’ve been here only once before. Something for the Adventurer’s Guild. Triggered a trap in the pyramid and almost drowned, heh. You know, fun times.” After a moment’s thought, she continued. “Want to take a little break from the festivities and you show me around the island a bit? We can always come back later if we feel like it.”
Quintessa's eyes open wide at Khitti's story. "There's a pyramid??" Somehow Quintessa had missed it while hanging out with the Witches of the White Dove. "Yes! We can come back to the faire later– I've got all sorts of places to show you out here." She begins to head back west, throwing a glance back over her shoulder to see if Joan was watching. If she was she'd offer her a wave goodbye before continuing on her way.
Joan gives Rowan's shoulder a hearty pat as she makes her way over to Khitti and Quintessa, she should update her guild mistress on what progress she made in the Healer's guild with her cross training. "Miss Khitti excuse me, I would like to introduce Rowan here. Penelope felt I have been well enough that I should now be trying to pass along the knowledge I have been gaining onto a new trainee." Rowan would offer a hello to both other women before telling Khitti, "Yes, I am interested in the practical appliance of the skills you use to piece together bodies. Carnology is a very exciting field of study I wish to go into. Foster a greater understanding medically."
Joan also offers a wave of goodbye to Quintessa!
Khitti grinned somewhat at Quintessa as the other witch realized there was indeed a pyramid on the island. She nodded at her daughter then looked back at Joan and Rowan, just as the necromancer was beginning to explain her situation with the Healer’s Guild, as well as Rowan. “I see. It’s nice to meet you, Rowan. Now is not the best time for an update. We can meet at either one of the headquarters soon and you can explain everything there. Before you can dip into the study of carnology fully, we need to figure out what it is you still need to do to even get to that rank. But, my daughter is going to show me around the island, so I take my leave of the faire for now. Do take care, and hopefully your wishes come true!” She then offered the two a wave before she headed off after Quintessa.
Calista continues her rounds, checking out the stalls and games watching the odd ritual with the ribbons on the tree. She still hasn't figured that one out. A sorrowful nearby couple scribble something on their slip of paper, before tying it closed and attaching it to the tree. They touch foreheads and return to the festival. Most curious. The next gentleman performs a similar set of steps, but is greeted with cheers and slaps on the back. "I don't get it. None of that makes sense."
Joan would turn to Rowan, the young trainee smiles back but Joan happens to notice Calista, she would make a 'come here' motion of her hand to the other as she said, "Would you like me to explain what is going on with the writing on the ribbon and hanging it off the tree?" She asked in a nice polite tone.
Sidd returns to the fairgrounds sometime later into the evening, no longer in his favourite rags of black. No, he figured that tonight he might actually look like an adult, so he came in a clean pair of black slacks, and a black, silk dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. His mohawk, usually standing on end, has been laid flat and slicked back, making him somewhat more presentable. There was a pretty good chance that the reason Sidd had gussied himself up was to try and impress the ladies - most likely the dancing witches that would end up gathering around the May Pole - hoping to find himself a bit of companionship this evening.
Joan arches one brow as she spots Sidd all gussied up, she grins if a wolfish manner as she cat calls and wolf whistle towards Sidd, "Hey hot stud, does your momma let you out dressed like that knowing you might be accosted by questionable women of the night?!" She wiggles her brows in a suggestive manner as Rowan next to her giggles.
Sidd looks up from the refreshment table where he had grabbed himself a whiskey, a big grin aimed right back at the familiar voice he knew too well by now. “Eeeeeey, Joan! What’s shakin’?! Figured I’d try to look presentable for a bit. ‘Cause oh ma gaaaawd, some of these witchy types up in here… daaaamn,” he said, his gaze following a cute woman heading for the Hawthorn Tree. “Whatcha been up to?” Sidd noticed Rowan, offering them a nod, “Sup!”
Joan offers a rolling shrug of her vested shoulders as she moves over towards Sidd, Rowan following after. "Nothing much, just trying to unwind and enjoy this year's faire and let Rowan here be a teenager." She turns to the short dark haired young trainee, "This here is Sidd, we made friends awhile back after he 'fell down' aka got jumped and beat up. I healed him up." She glances back to Sidd as she ask, "How is that healing salve working out for you, hm? And eh, I wouldn't know, I don't find people attractive."
Sidd smiles politely to Rowan, offering an overly dramatic, graceful bow, "Pleasure to meet ya, Rowan. Hope you're havin' a good time!" Taking a sip of his drink, Sidd tilted his head back and forth as he answered Joan's first question, "Honestly, I ain't had a chance to use it yet! For the most part, I've been pretty well behaved. Although, I do keep it on hand wherever I go. Ya never know." A knowing grin is flashed at the vampire before he turns curious. "You don't? Like.. at all? That is sooo weird. I mean, don't get me wrong - no judgment or nothin', it's just such a foreign concept to me."
Joan shakes her head as she said, "I'm what one would call asexual. Meaning I don't find either males or females worth my attention romantically." She jerks her chin towards the Hawthorn Tree, "Do you wanna make a wish? I did it, just for the heck of it, like why not? It might work asking the gods and goddesses for a boone."
Sidd had heard that term before, but never really gave it any real thought. It was kind of cool to get an actual explanation, which helped him understand her situation a little better. "Oh yeah? Well, that's cool. Takes all kinds." Sidd smiles, his attention turned toward the Hawthorn tree now. "Oh yeah! I was wondering about that whole thing. So what do I gotta do, exactly?"
Joan points to the table set up next to the tree, "You write down your wish on one of those ribbons, say a quite pray to Zytor of Selene or both and then tie your ribbon to a branch. Real easy."
Sidd wasn't quite sure if he wanted to do that. He had always been a tried and true atheist, and despite the last decade opening up to more personal experiences with divinity than he liked, he really wasn't sure he could pray to Gods that he had no ties to. Still, what was the harm? Everyone seemed to be doing it, and it seemed like a bit of a fun tradition that he could at least make an effort to try so that he might fit in - besides, maybe a cute witch'll see him, and be all into it. "Yeah, sure, why not? Alright, gimmie a sec." Sidd parted ways with Joan and approached the table, greeting the witches with a pleasant smile, and a 'thank you' as they handed him a ribbon and quill. He seemed to think for a moment, looking for something silly and funny to write - some sort of odd wish that would set him apart from those around him. However, something deep down hit Sidd, and for a moment, there is a heavy sadness that takes over his joyful expression. Finally, he writes something down, taking it over to the tree to find an available spot on one of the lower branches and says a brief prayer. Once the ribbon is tied, Sidd takes a moment to contemplate his wish, before heading back toward Joan and her teenage companion, Rowan. "Well. That was.. fun?"
Joan gives a shrug again, "It don't hurt, this is a supposed to be a feel-good event. Noting bad should happen." She reaches out to lightly rap her half gloved knuckles against Sidd's spiffy fancy black silk shirt. "I mean, if you ever want to talk to someone that passed away just come see me, you know I can do it and I'm trustworthy and honest." She offers a small smile as she glances towards her teenage trainee and makes note of the time by looking towards the setting sun, "Eh, well I gotta get Rowan back to the healer's hall, it is about time for they to settle in for the night." She gives Rowan a nod to let the trainee they could go get a few sweets from the table to take back to share or just enjoy on their own. "We should be going, you be here tomorrow for the closing event?"
Calista was watching and listening, hoping for some knowledge and clarificationing. After seeing the raging cyclone of emotions cross Sidd's face, she takes a moment to consider the important ramifications and implications for future endeavors. "That looked like it hurt."
Sidd smiles at Joan, "Eh, thanks, I appreciate that. I definitely trust you, Joan." With a chuckle, Sidd touches the vampire's shoulder in a friendly manner, "Yeah, okay, I suppose it'll be gettin' late. It was nice to see ya again. I should be around, yeah. I can never resist a good shindig! Good chance if I get a few more of these drinks into me, I'll be waking up sometime tomorrow near that May Pole." Sidd snickers. "You have a good night, yeah? I'll see ya tomorrow." To her teenage companion, he adds, "Nice to meetcha, Rowan! All the best!"
Sidd 's gaze finds the newer voice, a light shrug preceding his explanation to Calista, "It's not so bad. I guess when ya think of things ya want, sometimes you realize there are things more important than you realized. I guess I was surprised by my own desires, y'know? It's really not so bad. You should giv'r a go. it's a neat tradition."
Joan offers a nod towards Calista, seemly okay with what Sidd said to help explain about the ribbon wishing and tying event. She gives Sidd a friendly wave as Rowan follows close behind with a few choice nibbles to take back, and off they go!
Day 3
What Happens On The Ferris Wheel Stays On The Ferris Wheel
Daisy has found herself at the faire a second day. The last day? Maybe you should get some of those games in to win some prizes, hm? Eh. Full bellies are the best prize anyway. Is? Is the best prize? Bellies is... Nevermind! The point is, our sweet druid here is happily nomming on one of those turkey legs. Not just a regular turkey leg, but a giant one! It is the size of her head it is! The guy selling them wasn't sure she could eat it all, but he doesn't care what she does with it after paying. So she wanders and noms and watches all the people doing their funtime things.
Sidd is kind of just waking up, not far from the May pole. He partied hard with the witches last night and drank himself on the deep side of stupid - pretty much to the point that he can’t remember a thing. His nice dress shirt was gone, leaving him shirtless and in a dirt covered pair of slacks. His blue strip of hair, which had been neatly styled, was now doing its own thing, with messy clumps and strands going off in every direction. Slowly rising with a groan, he struggled to open his eyes, hand coming to clutch the side of his head. He looked like absolute hell.
Mcracken returned to the faire today with more of a mission in mind, and having succeeded in that task is presently sitting on a bench holding a large box of assorted cakes. He’s made sure to gather as many varieties as possible, for he is far from a cake connoisseur and isn’t certain of which the intended recipient of this gift might enjoy. Now he’s awaiting the boat-ride to the mainland, enjoying the colourful, noisy crowd and wandering entertainers when through a gap in the throng he hears a faint groan and spies a familiar blue crest of hair, though at the moment it hardly deserves to be called that. “Master Sidd!” he calls, concerned at the brawler’s prone state, and stands to make his way over. That box of cakes, though, blocks the view of his own feet, which is how they almost end up treading on a certain kitten.
Lita is here. Half asleep still and complaining about mornings but present all the same. How early was too early for day drinking to be socially acceptable?
Daisy notices Sidd over there. Wooooah. Rough night? Fun night? How is it that a fight and a party always makes someone look the same way the morning after? Hn. Probably the man needs some food. Water? Definitely water. She turns to head towards him when she hears his name and is almost victim of a trampling! Good thing she's good at the darts and avoidings! Seems like Mac is here too! And heading in the same direction. She lifts her turkey let up like a torch so it waves just beyond that box of snacks. "Take me with you?"
Daisy has drinks for Lita \~/
Sidd finally gets his arse up and stands on his feet, still a little on the woozy side, but he manages to find balance with the shifting of his stance. He quickly spots someone walking by with a tray of drinks, including a very lovely pitcher of water that he wastes no time in grabbing, taking the vessel to his mouth and downing in very large gulps - obviously not caring that he's spilling a large portion all over himself as he does so. With a resounding burp, Sidd looks down and finally notices that he's missing his shirt. "What the hell...?" he murmurs, before his attention is stolen by the approaching Mac, and the adorable Daisy. "Uh... morn...ing..?"
Mcracken shifts the box aside and peers down at Daisy, and at her request bundles the box under one arm so he might scoop her up around the waist with the other and keep striding toward Sidd, who Mac presumes has been the victim of a violent robbery. So this is what the tall man would look like to Lita as he passes, certainly a different vibe than at their last meeting. “Miss….uh.” Having spotted his erstwhile diving companion, he searches his vast memory for a name but comes up bupkis. “Miss!” he calls again, head turning to keep sight of her, “Miss Jumps-Off-Cliffs!” he finishes, but finally having reached Sidd, must divert his attention back to this apparently maltreated comrade. He’s still lugging Daisy, probably too distracted to remember to put her down. “Master Sidd. Art thou hale?” he peers over the damp, bedraggled man, no sign of serious injury. “Thou dost not look at all well!”
Lita is distracted from the table of food and drinks by the tall stranger's yelling. She turns to squint at him a little, the way you do when it's still way too early to deal with things. But okay. She's barefoot today at least, since everyone seemed to lose their dang minds when she wore shoes. Gotta give the people what they want and what not. She picks a strawberry off the top of one of the desserts, much to the horror of one of the attendants, and pops it into her mouth before lifting a hand to wave at Mac. Still doesn't know his name. Ocean witch? Fish man? Flipper! She snorts a laugh to herself at that one, coughs a little on the raspberry and reaches for a glass of something dark purple and fizzy for a drink. It's probably not poisoned. It takes her another second to realize he's carrying a Daisy kitten. "Hey you." The greeting is meant for both of them simultaneously. She'll wake up eventually.
Daisy giggles as she is hoisted into the air in what could only be described as a sack of potatoes fashion. She waves the turkey leg at her sometimes employer with a grin. "Hi Lita! Me and Mac are making sure Sidd is alive. Come with us?" She does a little girl food dance there in Mac's arm. Not enough to make him drop her or anything. But enough to be freaking cute while she noms some more.
Lita lifts her glass in acceptance of Daisy's offer to join them. Apparently this was a thing now. "What happened to Sidd?"
Daisy said to Lita, "Party or fight, we don't know yet."
Sidd lowers the empty water pitcher to his side, and scratches at that mess of blue atop his head as he tries to recall the events of the previous night. “I feel worse than I look, I assure you,” he states, with a light chuckle. “Gawddamn, those witches know how to party. Last thing I recall is…uh.. Putting one of them ribbon thingies on the tree… and… these two cute chicks pulling me over to the May Pole for dancin’. I must’ve imbibed a lil’ too much.” Sidd looks up at Mac and grins, “I’ve been through worse, though, so I’ll survive. How’re you this.. Morning? Afternoon? How late into the day are we?” To Daisy, Sidd waves, “Sup cool cat.” Finally spotting Lita, he offers her a two finger salute in greeting, answering for Daisy when he overheard her question - ."Sidd had a wee bit too much to drink and danced his ass off, that's what happened. HAH."
Lita said to Sidd, "Oh so you finally figured out the wand game?" She grins conspiratorially, playing off their banter from the day before. "Well, good for you. Provin' 'em wrong and all." She glances at Daisy again. "See, can't believe everything you hear."
Mcracken hears Daisy call the cliff-diver ‘Lita’ and glances the woman’s way, filing the appellation away in his memory before bending at knees to plonk Daisy onto her own two little feet. Still with that box under the other arm, he listens intently to Sidd’s adventures, “Late morning, sirrah,” he replies to the man, eyeing Sidd’s lower half in case 'dancing one’s ass off' could be a literal thing for land-walkers. “And I am pleased indeed to know you are quite…” As though something in head has flipped a switch, Mac snaps his attention toward another area of the faire, “I hear children… screaming.” His gaze rakes his companions in turn, as if to say, ‘ let’s hastily go and see why?’
Daisy tosses her now clean turkey bone into the nearest trash can as soon as she's been plopped down. Little hands are wiped on a napkin from her pocket and is disposed of as well. Screaming? Children? Probably they're just playing. Maybe? They should definitely take a peek. She takes Lita by the hand and tugs her along to follow Mac. Sidd is offered a smile. "Glad you had fun!"
Sidd narrow his gaze at Lita and smirks, not quite sure how to respond to that. It wasn't often that someone left him speechless. "Oh ho, yer a funny one, huh? Look, I had a momentary lapse, okay? I was tired. And had some drinks. And… and…” It seems was completely off his game this morning. Making a face at Lita, Sidd flagged down a passing witch carrying a new batch of cloaks meant for thos entering their Faire. Upon recieving one, he wrapped it around his shoulders, still pondering what the heck happened to his shirt. Mac is regarded with a lifted brow as he mentions the sound of screaming children, his gaze looking around to find the source. He was so hung over that it was hard to discern anything through the various noises of the fairegoers. "Hah, fun is one way to describe it.." he says to Daisy, ready to follow along with the group.
Lita sticks her tongue out at Sidd, and probably has more to say. Nothing like a good verbal spar to get the blood flowing in the morning! (That's funnier when you're a vampire.) He's lucky though 'cause Daisy has her hand and she's being whiskey away towards screaming littlies. She mouths 'help me' over her shoulder at Mac and Sidd but it's no use! Whatever deathly creatures these witches have drummed up for the kiddos, apparently Daisy is leading them headlong towards it. Teeth, rotting fur, acid saliva, claws the size of Sidd's... new cloak... anything could await them. Or, you know, a ferris wheel. Lita looks a little disappointed for a split second before she squeezes Daisy's hand. "Okay, guess we'll have to rescue all the kidlets by heading to the top!" She offers the kitten a playful wink and glances back at the boys- men?- other two. "Up for a rescue mission?" She asks in her best Serious Superhero voice.
Mcracken ’s eyes, perhaps especially fired up by the abundance of divine magics in the air, are spitting literal lightning as he observes what he can only presume is a public display of torture. Why else trap these offspring in cages and hoist them so far from the ground? Some of those cakes in his box get a little misshapen as he clutches it in ire and storms toward the carny operating the machine. “Blaggard!” booms the kraken, causing nearby stalls to shiver, a glasswork display tinkling violently. “Cease thy abuse of these spawn, lest I strike thee down!”
The carnie stares, mouth open. Was it just him, or were the drunks at these things getting worse every year? He wasn’t paid enough to deal with this crap.
Daisy is oblivious to Lita's cry for help, mostly on purpose, of course. She continues to skip along, but does a little stumble when Mac trembles the area with his outrage. Good thing she has a Lita to keep her upright! Our hero! There is swooning up at the woman and then giggles. "We might have to save Mac first." Letting Lita go, she goes to get four tickets for the ride. It'll be fun. There's a cage. She just. You know. Won't look down. Cause. Heights. And. Up-ness. Yeah. She'll go. They'll keep her safe. Yes. Holding up the three tickets, she offers them to the others. "We're next."
Sidd lazily meandered along, dropping off his empty pitcher at a nearby table as they followed the sounds of children’s screams. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect, exactly. It was supposed to be a fun filled faire full of wonder and celebration - there’s no way there could be something dangerous here, could there? What if this was the plan, though? Lure people out here and then kidnap the kids for nefarious purposes? No, no. C’mon Sidd, those sorts of fairy tales were drummed up to slander witches, ya dope. Don’t fall for the propaganda. Upon discovering where exactly the screaming had come from, Sidd let loose a sigh of relief. He really didn’t wanna have to throw down today, given that he was barely functional to begin with. Mac’s misunderstanding of what was happening caused the man to burst out laughing, and he slapped the kraken on the back as he explained, “Oi! Ya funny bugger, it’s a thrill ride! You ain’t ever seen a ferris wheel before?!” Despite his fear of heights, Sidd put on best brave face and played along with Lita by throwing his hands on his hips, striking his best superhero pose seeing as he did have a ‘kind-of’ cape going on, “Quickly! We must ascend and save the innocent children!” When Daisy handed out the tickets, Sidd grinned wide, eagerly taking his as he says, “Rad! Thanks, Daisy!”
Lita | Good then Daisy heads for tickets 'cause Lita makes quick work of stepping behind Mac and grasping both his forearms, squeezing gently. "So sorry," She's saying to the rides operator as she peers around him. Poor kid is probably still in school, trying to make a bit of extra coin, tired of dealing with kids all day and now this. She tugs the ocean witch a few steps away from the carny before he gets turned into a barnacle or something, and leaves Sidd to a bit of reassuring as she leans in towards the carny, slipping him a generous tip as an apology for the trouble. Something about there being more where that came from if he stops the ride at the top for them to get a nice view of the island. He seems suspicious but also bribe-able and Lita manages a cute smile and playful wink for him before turning back towards their little group. "Good show, Robin." Lita says to Sidd in her Superhero voice again. Little ones are disembarking the ride so they can finally get on and she heads towards a vacant sightseeing capsule. Are they all going in one or separately? She'll let everyone else decide for themselves.
Mcracken can only stare at Daisy when she interrupts his confrontation by… volunteering all of them for the torture? He's about to ask a question when Sidd’s slap lands, the man’s explanation and subsequent capers shedding very little light on the situation. The kraken has no idea what a ‘bugger’ is, let alone a ‘ferris wheel’, but he surmises from Sidd’s tone and Daisy’s proffered token that he might’ve misread the situation, somewhat. Mouth open, he stares up at the sky-high gondolas swaying in the wind and shivers…Belonging to a species utterly bereft of flight, it still makes no sense to him that this may not be some horrible form of punishment. But again, any questions he may have voiced are headed off at the pass when Lita ushers him like a dotty uncle away from the ride’s long-suffering operator and heads him toward the ride’s waiting seats. Clutching his cake-box close for safety, Mac gingerly steps into the gondola, large enough for all, though he has to duck hard to avoid its upper beams. “Perhaps we ought stay together?” he suggests to his companions, somewhat meekly.
Lita is eyeing Mac's cake box. Easier to snatch snacks if you're stuck in close quarters. "Sure!" She says, taking a window seat (they're all window seats). "What's in the box?" She asks in a whisper, in case it's a secret.
Daisy is just about to scramble into the cart behind Mac when she is stopped by the ride operator. He slaps a sign saying you must be this tall to ride this ride. Daisy blinks and stands on the absolute tips of her toes, but alas. She is not tall enough. Ears droop as big eyes blink up at the others. "I'll wait down here." She backs away and goes to sit by herself on a bench over there.
Sidd :: There was no way in hell Sidd was getting into a capsule by himself. While he was generally a loose, go-with-the-flow type of guy, he really did have a bit of a problem with heights. “After you. Batman!” he calls to Lita, as she takes the lead. Sidd grabbed the edges of his cloak and flourishes, making it fabric flutter as he skips along like an immature child - because really, despite being in the body of a grown-ass man, Sidd really was a kid at heart. When Daisy is denied a chance to ride, Sidd stops momentarily to look at the carny, “Aw, dude. Really? C’moooon!” However, the kid is adamant and refuses to budge. “Awww, sorry Daisy…” he says, flashing her a sympathetic look. Climbing into the car, Sidd seats himself on the outside, closest to the door. He smiles at mac, “You’ll love this, man. It’s real fun. Mostly.”
Mcracken gives Sidd a disbelieving side-eye the colour of bog water, but nods and even smiles until it dawns on him that Daisy won’t be joining them, whereon his gaze is redolent with something akin to ‘nuuuuu’. He waves at the kitten forlornly, turning aside to Lita to reply,, “Some sweet victuals, for a friend in Cenril. She…” Ooop! Their cabin lurches as the wheel begins to turn, just enough so others can board the gondolas behind them.
Quintessa stumbles out of the jungle, her tangled hair full of leaves and sticks as she meanders, still slightly intoxicated, back to the fairground. "Elazul's Bite, what time is it?" She asks as she shields her eyes from the sun, trying to determine how long she had overslept. She's still wearing the same black sundress from yesterday, but she seems to have misplaced her hat somewhere. With a light sigh, Quintessa continues walking until she finds a bench to sit on, still trying to gain her bearings as she casually watches everyone from her perch.
Daisy happens to be sitting on the bench Tessa finds herself on. She holds out a ticket to her friend and points to the ferris wheel where the others are. "You can still get on if you want."
Sidd :: Once the ferris wheel began to move, Sidd’s hand grabbed the edge of the door with a strong enough grip that his knuckles turned white. He’d been through so much in the last few months, been through absolute hell and back, so it was hard for him to process the fact that he still had a fear of heights. He chuckles, noting Mac’s own apprehension, which made him feel a little better. “Oooh, sweets for a friend… or a friiiiiend?” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows to highlight the amorous intent behind his question. Looks outside the car they’d been sitting in, Sidd notices another familiar face, one whom seemed to share a simlar state of mind he himself had awoken in. “Oh, hey, is that Quintessa over there? She looks roooough,” he says, pointing her out to Mac and Lita.
Quintessa reaches over to slowly take Daisy's ticket without hesitation, mismatched eyes flickering over to the ferris wheel, back to her, then to the ferris wheel again before she grants the feline a tiny smile. "Thanks, Kitten," She says before she raises her free hand to cast a spell, her form beginning to be enveloped by darkness. "Cam cysgod." Where Quintessa once was, she's gone, carried by the shadows all the way to a ferris wheel cart. It just so happens that this places her right next to Sidd. "Hey there~" She says, greeting him with the exact same creepy coo like she did yesterday.
As the wheel starts cranking around, some kid from one capsule over shouts “Hey boomer!” and hucks a hot dog at Mcracken.
The heavily ketchupped bun sticks to the kraken, while the dog sails on in direct trajectory with Sidd who has, with the wheel’s motion, suddenly turned a kind of sickly green.
Lita growls and reaches for the cakebox.
Quintessa is assaulted from above with flying sauerkraut.
[THE REMAINDER OF THIS INCIDENT REPORT HAS BEEN REDACTED BY THE CENRIL DEPT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC MENTAL WELL-BEING AND PENDING POSSIBLE LITIGATION]
Calista is here for another try at understanding the rituals of the people here. She approaches the clear quartz table nestled between the beauty and fragrance carts, and eyes the selection of bones. As per her usual, she watches a few people try before she puts her hands to work. It seems straightforward. Choose materials, give them to the gods, see if the gods like what it makes. The goblin carefully selects her first bone, the most important one. She's not sure what type it is, but the shape is perfect for a base. She selects a few more that seem like they would fit nicely and once she's got them in hand, she throws them into the fire. For a scant few seconds, it appears she'd succeeded in pleasing the gods, but alas the smoke turns black and the witch relays Calista's results. No matter. These things happen. Perhaps the design was too advanced for Zaytor. Not everyone has the talent to be a tinker.
Day 3, Evening
Valrae || On the third day of the May Day Faire, the grounds were cast in magical darkness so that the light of the full Witch’s Moon could cast her heavenly glow over the festivities in honor of the Island’s namesake and most revered Goddess, Selene. Zayvann was warm and humid on the island and today was no exception, though the slowly creeping heat of late spring was damped by the false darkness that the coven has cast. Twinkling witch light illuminated the pathways and high traffic areas, willow-the-wisps danced and hummed hauntingly in the shadows that crowded the thick forest that pressed around them, and camp fires cast long, warm shadows. Valrae arrived with a smaller group of her coven members, who were quickly off to relieve others who had been tending the faire grounds the day before, and took a moment to marvel at the magic they’d created together. She’d dressed much the same as her sister witches, though the triple moon diadem that marked her as High Priestess sat proudly atop her golden brow. Her hair was long and free as a girls, small braids adorned with Sunlight’s Kiss blooms glowed like drops of sunlight among waves of honey and gold. Her feet were bare, her ceremonial shift of white silk cut clean to the tops of both thighs for ease of dancing. Her owl armlet of celestial bronze adorned her left bicep, a sheath of the same make around her right thigh holding the Weaver’s Athame and the ashwood wand. She slipped through the crowd and headed first toward a table heavy with refreshments. Someone slipped something pink and bubbly into her hands and she sipped it gladly, standing hipshot as her dark eyes surveyed the many attractions. Where to first?
Joan offers a little wave of her fingers towards Valrae in greeting, Joan had another wonderful slice of cheese in her other hand, taking time here and there to nibble away at it.
Valrae returns Joan’s wave with one of her own and a sunny smile.
Daisy runs through the grounds waving twin sparklers. "Somebody gave me fiiirrrreee!" And then she is gone. Probably to cook snacks.
Joan wonders who gave Daisy sparklers! Kittens and sparklers, what is next she wonders, with a shake of her head Joan would look around to see if she knew anyone else here at the May Day event.
Quintessa was three days into the May Day Faire and it showed. Her raven hair was loose and tangled, only held together by a crown of wildflowers the witches of the island had braided for her. Her bare feet were filthy by this point, and so were her knees and elbows. She was even still wearing the black sundress she had shown up in, which now had tiny tears in it from roaming around the jungle at night, but Quintessa doesn't seem to mind. Even if she wasn't extremely intoxicated at the moment, she would still be entranced by the magic of the island. She had fallen in love with it. At the moment Quintessa was dancing around the maypole with some of the other witches, unsure how long she'd been following the smooth rhythm of the hand drums they played, her body following steps that only her instinct could lead her in. When the Black Witch spots Valrae across the fairgrounds, she bows to her dance partners before breaking away from them to approach her. "You made it!" Quintessa is grinning from ear to ear, "How did you keep this island hidden from me for so long?" She jokes, "I love it here!"
Lanlan arrives heralded by a near-silent fluttering of a thousand brilliant wings. They seem to move chaotically, hovering over a blorple sliver of light that seems to descend as if on a starfall. A celestial tear that whimsies like a leaf until it nearly touches a blade of grass near the festival. Then the butterflies and the glint seem to become an archmage. He’s wearing a modern (and personal) take on a traditional wood elven outfit. A silk tunic as light as flower petals, indigo with a touch of green underneath to add mystery to the color. His shoulders flare with epaulets fashioned to look like (or even made from) some supple tree bark of a poison-promising purple, held tight to his bones by leather cords and silver anchors. A silver starburst on one shoulder and a crescent moon on the other. Under his tunic, a long sleeved shirt with the colors of a maple leaf forming a gradient, smoothly blending from crisp green under his shoulders, to bright orange, to dull burgundy. His rich brown pants were rolled just above his ankles to reveal silver inlining above his matte black shoes. Peacock blue face paint covered an eye, and stretched to his temple where three bouncing feathers from the bird itself were held fast through some means only an archmage could manage, probably. All the other wanna-be witch-boys were immediately put to shame.
Valrae spotted the Black Witch herself dancing around the May Pole only a heartbeat before she took her bow and made an exit. Her berry bright lips quirk up into a wide smile as she approaches. “Merry meet,” She laughs, reaching up to right a wildflower that seemed to be attempting to loose itself from her raven hair. “I’m glad you’ve found it,” Val jokes, “The island air seems to agree with you.” The warm spring night air stirs, lifting the golden curls of her hair and carrying a sense of awareness with it that calls to the thin silver light that wound invisibly from her center. “Oh, Lanlan’s just arrived!” She says excitedly to Tessa, snatching up another drink. The witch somehow manages to carry her own and the new one in one hand, freeing her other to loop her arm around Quintessa’s arm. “Let’s go annoy him.” She whispers conspiratorially before heading in the archmage’s direction. He looked stunning, he always seemed to make a point, but she wouldn’t tell him so. Instead, when they’ve woven through the crowd to stand in front of him she says. “Oh look who grace’s the island!” And frees Tessa again to make a flourishing bow. It’s impressive because she doesn’t spill either drink. When she rights herself she’s offering him the fresh one.
Lanlan :: “I do don’t I? Grace it I mean,” half-ironically basking in the presumed compliment for his outfit. He -was- making a point, he just didn’t know which one. Art is subjective anyway. “For me! Oh, thank you Valrae! Quintessa, I see you’ve been drinking up the islands atmosphere!” He shares a private look with Valrae that implies she needs to take better care of the young’uns. An eyebrow dangles delicately over the glass Valrae gave to him, all green with danger. But it’s not the same as the absinthe back home, so he bravely takes a sip. “So I heard there were…games?”
Quintessa gives Valrae a mischievous smirk when she suggests annoying Lanlan, her hand also moving to the table instinctively to grab something else to drink– not that she needs it. Now arm-in-arm with Val, Tessa moves over to greet Lanlan, also offering a bow of significantly less elegance. "How lovely for the esteemed Archmage to join us- And fashionable as always!" She grins sheepishly at him, "Forgive me for being so underdressed."
Lanlan said to Quintessa, "No! I think I'm the one who stands out aren't I," he says, proud of his mistake. "And I dressed down as much as I could stand it."
Hanan is a vampire, and vampires are nocturnal, right? It's totally cool that she'd woken up, gotten upset that she didn't have her prosthetic, drank a whole bunch in her tent and then passed out. It's normal! But eventually one has to see the party outside the sleepover tents. She's hobbling with a crutch under her arm that someone at some point had wound colorful ribbons around like a little maypole. She didn't remember that happening. She did remember slipping on the linen trousers (pinned up where her left leg ended below the knee) and the loud shirt buttoned just a bit too low, covered in loud tropical flowers, because eff it, it's a party. Shoe she just stopped worrying about at some point. The island is the absolute opposite of Frostmaw, and she's here for that. She's also apparently here for drinks, judging by the immediate bee line she makes for the bar. She's interrupted only by some absolute ponce dressed like some kind of fancy forest boy, who she knocks into accidentally with her shoulder. She glances at him sidelong.
Hanan said to Lanlan, "Watch where you're walkin', sparkles"
Valrae laughs as the changeling joins her in her game, returning the archmage’s look with a flippant one of her own. She’s here to have fun! She isn’t in charge, not tonight. Did he pick that all up from one look of her dark eyes? Maybe not but she thought if anyone could, he might. “Yes!” She says excitedly when games are mentioned. “I want to cast the bones,” Her eyes darted from Tessa to Lanlan in invitation. “Either of you care to test your luck?” The witch hardly waits for either to answer before she’s looping them both with that arm trick. Faire prisoners in tow, she leads them toward the quartz table and the ever burning flame. “As the archmage, I think you should go first.” She announces with an unnecessary seriousness.
Valrae blinks at Hanan, who jostled all three of them by bumping into Lanlan, since they're all linked by the arms due to her forceful gesture. "Tisk," She says to the woman. "We're on a mission to cast bones into the fire." Was it an invitation or a rebuke? Who could tell with the way she winged her golden brows.
Quintessa was about to respond to Lanlan when Hanan bumps into him, and she is distracted for a moment as her gaze follows after the vampire. It isn't until Valrae pulls her attention back did Quintessa turn away. "Huh?" Mismatched eyes cast over the bones and an uneasy frown tugs down at her lips. "The bone casting? I dunno... When I play with the powers of Fate it usually turns out bad for me but... What could it hurt? I'll join you."
Lanlan has almost no inertia, and he bounces off Hanan right into Quintessa and Valrae, before recovering in what might be called a pirouette. “-I- wasn’t…” moving, he wanted to say. Then he sees his hobbled nemesis, recalls his present company. “...paying attention. Sorry about that!” And then he sprinkles some sparkles to shower over Hanan in what seems like a generous offering, a good humored response, but which actually wants to cause her crutch to suddenly become as brittle as a burnt twig.
Joan moves about the booths and tables once again, she pauses near the May pole to admire the work the dancing witches have made. She offers a few happy cheerful clap to the rhythm of the beating drums and even whistles out towards the dancing witches. With a smile upon her icy pink pale lips Joan would take to moving around the grounds once more till she hears demanding cute littyle meows by the table with the seafood food offerings. Bending at the waist Joan would lift up the drapped table cloth and spotted and little itty bitty ragdoll kitten meowing for the fish and crab, it sits on it's hunches and lifts one paw up to try to bat at the lifted table cloth Joan held, with a chuckle Joan would reach up to snatch a small piece of salmon for the kitten, she offers it to the hungery kitten. The kitten sniffs at the offered piece with it's cute little nose before taking a quick bite of the fish, taking it from Joan's light grasp. "Huh, what are the odds, hm? She ask aloud to herself as she snatches a few more pieces and place them before the ragdoll kitten, which ate all that was offered with gusto. Once it ate its full Joan would scoop up the ragdoll kitten before turning to look for someone in position of authority, spotting the blonde of Valrae's head Joan would move towards the growing grop of Val, Tessa, Lanlan and Hanan. "Excuse me Miss Valrae, I found this little one here and I would like to give it to you. I'm sure you could find a good home for it!" She presents the lovely furred ragdoll kitten to the witch. Joan figures every witch coven head needed a kitten.
Hanan rolls her eyes at Val's comment. She has absolutely no idea who the woman is, except someone who'd just tsked in her general direction. "Don't tsk at me, I don't see the point of burnin' a bunch of bones when there's plenty of good food here--" Quintessa? She'd gotten here later and hadn't known, somehow. She looks up at the taller women, who'd beaten her in that duel--all a mess--and her dark brown eyes are suddenly a little softer. Blink. She snaps out of it when the sparkles hit her face, and she realizes what Lanlan is doing. She fusses and waves at it, then smirks. "Alright, alright. I get it. You're partyin'." To Tessa: "Didn't know you were here, Titan. Must've mistook you for the May Pole."
Sidd finally makes it back out to the island after having gone home to clean up due to his little mishap on the Ferris Wheel earlier in the day (TBD). He wore, once again, a nice, button-down silken dress shirt, in navy blue this time, and a clean pair of black slacks. Before he departed Cenril, he made sure to grab his backpack with a spare change of clothes, because he sure as hell didn't want to wake up missing his shirt again. He still had no idea where that thing ever went. Immediately helping himself to the free booze, Sidd makes his way through the crowd while he sips his drink, eyeing the various participants of the local festivities with a mild curiosity.
Valrae finds her eyes being pulled away from Hanan when Joan approaches her. The look of cool appraisal melts from her face like mist in the morning sun as a kitten is presented to her. “Oh!” She gasps softly, holding her hands out to the small, mewling creature. “Hello, lovely. How did you get here?” She wonders if someone has lost a familiar. “Thank you, Joan.” She says kindly, hoping she got the other woman’s name correct. They’ve have few interaction but she thought she might remember her striking hair well enough. The kitten is batting playfully at the ends of one of her braids when she turns back to Hanan, a frown bowing her lips again. “The casting of bones isn’t for food.” She says, a little haughtily as she adds emphasis to that last word. “It’s for blessings and luck and interpreting omens.” She watches this stranger greet Quintessa like a friend but this doesn’t soften the straightness of her bare shoulders but she does attempt a friendlier tone. “Really, you should try it. Perhaps Selene blesses you tonight.”
Quintessa said to Hanan, "Been here all weekend, but I forgive you for not noticing... The May Pole is a lot more dressed up than myself it seems but I can still see the resemblance."
Valrae said to Joan, "I'll make sure this little one finds a proper home."
Lanlan said to Valrae, "Don't say that! Look at the state of her, do you think really think Selene blesses her? Do better, I mean really."
Valrae gives Lanlan a disapproving frown and says nothing. The kitten reaches out from his place in her arms and snags his shirt with tiny, needle sharp claws.
Hanan is momentarily distracted by Joan's fluffy cat. She has a real soft spot for them. That's why she's still just a bit annoyed with Khitti, but anyway. But then the stranger holding it is saying words at her again. Right. "Oh, you mean it's that witchy dice thing, right? Like craps but serious." She's playing it up, her grin lopsided, but she really isn't THAT familiar with the ins and outs of magic. She just knows where to needle. "Selene's blessed me plenty, considerin' what she lets me get away with, but it's worth a try. No matter what this lubber says." She jerks her right thumb in Lanlan's direction.
Joan said to Valrae, "Oh good, thank you! I think it likes you, maybe it is the goddess Selene's May Day gift to you! *a large smile is given to the witch as the vampiric healer stands off a bit watching Hanan with a quirked brow.* "Hmm..."
Hanan said to Quintessa, "I haven't been. Would've probably said somethin' if I saw you but it looks like you've been in the bushes a bit. Hell of a party."
Lita is giving Sidd ALL the side-eye as she makes her way back to the island festival. They've probably not to talk about the Ferris Wheel Incident. Mac's cakes are probably fine. But like Robin, she's changed into a new dress, a dark purple ombre that fades to black at the bottom. The little calico kitten she's been seen with on occasion as of late has also decided to accompany her, lounging comfortable in the hood of the dress with its front paws on her left shoulder, peering at passerby with bright green eyes, its tail flicking through Lita's raven hair with a sense lazy excitement. "I want a rematch." She says to Tessa with a grin as she makes her way towards the snacks table for a drink before wandering barefoot back towards the little group.
Lanlan said to Hanan, "I know a curse when I smell it!"
Lita said to Lanlan, "She always smells like that."
Lita has no idea what the conversation is about. She just butts in.
Valrae finds herself once again appraising Hanan. “I…” The word falls from her lips but nothing follows. The kitten in her arm mews loudly. “This is the archmage of Xalous,” She finally adds, “Lanlan. I’m Valrae, the High Priestess of the White Ash and this island. I take it you’ve already met Quintessa, so there seems to be no need for an introduction there.” The witch schools her face into a perfectly polite smile. “It’s lovely to meet you…?” It’s then that Lita decides to make an appearance. The kitten in her arms begins to struggle, mewing loudly again for the attention of the kitten Lita seems to have in tow. “Lita.” The other woman’s name falls like a stone. There is an awkward pause, then the witch turns on her heel and walks away from the slowly growing crowd. The kitten complains loudly. “I need another drink,” She tells the small creature in a whisper.
Quintessa said to Hanan, "I have! And in the trees and on the rocks and everywhere else on this island. I would quite like to come back on my own time- perhaps in that ship of yours? A good excuse to get me out on the water, wouldn't you say?"
Lita isn't sure why Princess Val is still so upset with her. She sent her cupcakes, after all! And a Daisy! She looks at Val and blinks pointedly, waiting. Dark eyes flicker to the kitten Val is holding and then the woman is turning to walk away. Was that an invitation for a more private conversation? Lita might be in a mood to make it one anyway. She shrugs at the rest of the group and looks down at her glass as she empties it. "Oh look," she says making a face at the frozen concoction she'd just mainline, "I need another drink too." She stifles a cough and turns to follow after Val.
Mcracken straggles up from the beach , looking a good deal tidier than he had after the ferris wheel debacle (TBI) of the day before. Fresh from a dip in the sea, he has tasked himself with collecting a new box of cakes but has not yet begun collecting them. Meandering through the crowd, he catches sight of Valrae among a throng of faces both familiar and strange and pauses to brush errant bits of seaweed off his coat before casually strolling into plain view.
Sidd ‘s attention had been stolen by a passing witch with whom he couldn’t help but catcall - despite the fact that he was trying to not be such a complete sleaze tonight. Trying being the key word. “Dang, guuuurl, you can put a spell on me any day.” While he got an eye-roll in reply, he couldn’t help but grin to himself, going on with his business of wandering about, just enjoying the the festivities taking place all around him. Sidd did spot Lita, flashing her two fingers in a gesture that meant ‘peace’, although his face showcased a bit of embarrassment, so he opted to continue his wandering rather than make conversation - for now.
Lanlan snatches his arm away from the kitten trying to ruin his artisanal outfit. "Bad Kitties get the cauldron you know little boy," he says to the tiny thing. It dared him to try.
Hanan straightens herself up with all the dignity she can muster--which is a lot, considering she's on a crutch and wearing an incredibly loud tropical shirt. "Captain Hanan, of Rynvale," she says. "And well met, suppose I have heard of you. You sure he's the archmage? Sure he's arch, but..." Her voice trails off, and she gives him a snarky look. "Explains why you're noseblind to curses but nevermind. The island's great. Wish I'd gotten here sooner." To Tessa: "...yeah, I mean, besides the obvious bit of you NEEDING to get on the water. I haven't forgotten we need to parlay about that. But no, I wouldn't mind gettin' you out on the wat--" Lita! Hanan for all her smoothness is suddenly a bit less again. She reaches up and rubs the back of her neck, under the blue ribbon holding her dark pponytail. "Get in line. I get that you're titans but it ain't winter anymore. More my season."
Lita whispered something to Valrae.
Joan reaches out to snag at Sidd as he about passes her by, the vampiric healer gave her blue moehawked friend a wide grin. "What trouble did you get into while I was gone, hm?" She asked Sidd.
Valrae traded her empty wine glass for a newly filled one, snagging something from the tables heavy with food for the kitten. Plopping the little ragdoll down at her feet, she kneels to feed it a slice of roasted chicken and runs her hand through his long fur. “I wouldn’t let him put you in a pot,” She promises, sticking her tongue out at Lanlan over her shoulder. The witch rights herself at Lita’s approach and her lips bow again into a pouting frown. “Merry meet, Lita.” She doesn’t seem to mean it. Vaalane’s light casts her Sunlight’s Kiss adorned hair in the blue greens of the ocean, her face shadowed as she surveys the other woman as if waiting for some form of violence. “Are you enjoying the faire?” She attempts polite conversation as a habit of her current office. As if looking for an out, the witch catches sight of Mac over the vampire’s shoulder and offers him a genuine smile. “Can I get you anything?” She takes a step to the side, as if she might leave again if given the chance. “Have you tried the wine?” Her glass was empty… “You should try the wine.” She’d just started past her when she whispered. Her face darkens and she drops her own voice low. “I don’t tend to forgive those who have aligned with Larket, least of all when they never offered an apology.”
Lanlan uses some illusion magic to cause an eruption of fart noises to come out of Hanan's pants.
Hanan 's shoulders immediately hunch, vampiric ears catching Val's words without her being that close anymore. Val was on the other side of that war from Lita? She reaches down for a rapier that isn't--damn the sailor, it's been amateur hour lately--and makes as if she were adjusting her linen trousers to cover for it. This is really unfortunate as it coincides with Lanlan's... spell. Her nostrils flare, but she keeps her face even otherwise. "Must be some kind of event over in Cenril, what with all that trumpetin' they're doing."
Sidd almost missed Joan, so it was a good thing she grabs ahold of him. Instincts kicked in at first as he lifted his free hand and moved it into the shape of a fist, but quickly caught himself when he saw that familiar violet gaze. "Ooooh heeey! Me? Trouble? Madam, I think you are sorely mistaken." A sly grin creeps its way onto his lips as he rolls a shoulder, "Last night, i honestly couldn't tell ya. Last thing I remember was lots of dancin' with them witchy folks. Woke up this morning near the May Pole, missing my shirt, so, y'know, good times, obviously. Ran into some cool kids... and kinda embarassed myself in front of them on the ferris wheel. Those poor... poor kids below.." Sidd takes a deep draw of his drink, something green and glowy, before sterring the conversation away from that little horror story, "Otherwise, I just got back for another night of fun. Made sure to bring supplies, because this place gets wiiiiild. What've you been up to?"
Lanlan arrives at the caldron on the quartz table and places his hand on the latter. Quartz was an excellent conduit for magic, he knew. “Which ones should I pick…” he wonders aloud while looking over the bones. Unbeknownst to the others, he assumes, he’s spreading some tiny blorple wisps through the table and into the bones. A small thing, a trifle to him to find out which ones were the Valannix remains. “I think I’ll take these,” he says, snatching up a few, including one in particular that stood out to him. He tosses them into the cauldron, fully expecting a brilliant lightshow, and awe at his natural affinity for witchcraft. Nothing happens. He scans the area to see who cheated him.
Quintessa can't help find the exchange before her absolutely hilarious, enough that she has to stifle her laughter before she can carry on her conversation with Hanan, but before she can part her lips to speak she sees Hanan reach for a weapon that isn't there. A frown tugs at Tessa's lips again as she furrows a brow, pulling away from Valrae to lean closer to the captain. "Everything... okay?" Quintessa asks Hanan in a hushed tone, her eyes flickering down to where her rapier would normally be. "Probably for the best you left it behind..."
Mcracken has smoothly shouldered his way through the crowd .. well, as smoothly a six-foot-six damp hobo can possibly do so- and finds something to lean on, in the vicinity of the High Priestess, who’s offered a grin, “Nought for me, Lady Valrae,” he replies, and falls silent as the witch and cliff-jumper exchange terse words. Was there to be trouble here? He’s prepared to step between them.
Valrae || Lanlan’s throw has finished in a plume of black smoke. The witch attending shakes her silver head. “Though you haven’t managed to find the Valaanix, there are omens here that suggest luck.” Her old voice is kindly as she points to the blackened bones within the ever burning flame. “Do you see the clean breaks here? This suggests a time of great abundance and this here…” She points again. “You’ll be blessed with great magical knowledge before the end of summer.”
Lanlan scrutinizes the old human for traces of a grin. If there were any they were weighed down by that thing humans do called 'aging'. "Okay," he says, without concluding anything. "But I already have great magical knowledge. Just so you know." The salty air of Cenril seemed to reach a precipice.
Hanan 's shoulders hunch just a little bit more when she notices that Tessa had noticed that she was... well anyway. And now the necromancer's looming over her--Hanan really is half a head shorter--with concern. Oh great. The sailor glances back past Tessa at Lita. Really she has no right to be protective at all. Hanan's just the sire and the ex who buggered off, right? And Lita's formidable as hell, which she knows well. It's still hard not to try. She glances up at Tessa, and keeps her voice low. "Come on now. You don't think I'm fool enough to try to do somethin' if nothin' needs to be done." Her lips twitch. "Good to see you're alright, after that beatin' you took. I mean it."
Quintessa 's expression is very serious for a moment as she studies Hanan, her eyes flickering over to Lita and then back again before her posture straightens up and her gaze turns soft once more. "You're right; Nothing needs doing." She leaves it at that, a smirk tugging at her lips as she turns away to rejoin Valrae's side. "Good to see that you've recovered as well. Don't let me forget that I owe you a leg."
Hanan said to Quintessa, "Oh I didn't intend on it. Hard to ask girls to dance with no left feet."
Joan said to Sidd, "Oh ho! Nice to know, hehe."
Quintessa said to Hanan, "Don't be discouraged. I know there has to be a girl here tonight who will still dance with you."
Hanan said to Quintessa, "I'm sure. Thing is..." Smooth shrug. "One I was thinkin' of is probably good at it. Ah well."
Lita isn't exactly surprised by Valrae's reined hostility. It's amusing, actually, to see even the briefest of cracks in that seemingly perfect facade she'd come to expect from the witch. "If you'd bothered to ask, or listen, you'd know I don't give two snacks about Larket. Or the war, really." She casually plucks another frozen drink from the table and then decides to reach for a whiskey instead with her free hand, downing that before returning the empty glass to the edge of the table. "You aligned Cenril with Xalious against the vampires. Leo sided with Cenril. Without bothering to discussing it with me. Without thinking I might care. I hashed my anger out with him as well. You chose not to afford me the same opportunity. So the only way I could work it out was in your so-called war. If I'm honest, Cenril and Larket could have done each other in for all I cared at the time. My issue was entirely personal and had nothing to do with the war." She sipped at her second-third- drink. "And no, I won't apologize for a war I didn't start and didn't fight for. I used it for my advantage in limited capacity and after, reached out in a gesture of good will." She shrugs and is actually impressed with her ability to keep a straight face, even if internally she'd love to screaming and shoving cheesecake into Val's face. Maybe she'd learned something from the Mayor after all.
Hanan 's hand tightens on her crutch, and she leans up a little bit on the ball of her foot. If this were sports she'd be waving a big pennant that said "LITA" on it, the way her ears are perking up. Right on. She turns a little, mostly to grab a drink but also to get a better earful.
Mcracken 's shoulders press back onto the thing he's leaning on when it becomes more probable this will stay merely a battle of words. He too listens intently to the exchange.
Quintessa finds her attention divided between the conversation between Valrae and Lita, and her own conversation with Hanan. They had positioned themselves on opposite sides of this feud, it seemed. "She might be good at dancing," Quintessa finally responds to Hanan with a teasing tone, "Good enough to compensate for you, anyway."
Valrae , from her spot in the crowd of the faire, missed both Lanlan’s unlucky cast and Hanan’s subtle shift for a weapon. Her dark eyes were solely for Lita for several long and tense heartbeats, her own hand twitching near the ashwood wand strapped to the top of her thigh. The last time she’d been face to face with Lita, the other woman had stolen a lock of her hair and tossed her into the Vibrance. Later, Valrae would learn a blade meant for her had instead found its home in Khitti instead. If the vampire thought a box of cupcakes, which were probably poisoned, were any kind of apology… Well, Val clearly thought otherwise. She relaxes when Mcracken appears, her face melting again into a soft and welcoming smile. “It’s good to see you again,” She says, her voice all kindness for the man. “I’ve never aligned with anyone against Vampires.” She corrects curtly. “Perhaps you should have read the papers more carefully before siding with the kingdom that enacted a very real persecution against my kind. And sent me a letter before cutting my hair.” It was clear from the tonal shift that this crime was somehow the more damnable one in her mind now as her chin lifts a fraction before she turns back to Mcracken. “We’re done here. I was going to join Lanlan to try my hand at the casting of bones. Would you like to join? I could introduce you to the Archmage if you haven’t already had the pleasure of his acquaintance.” The ragdoll kitten batted at the silk hem of her dress playfully, seemingly intent to follow her around for the night. When she approaches the table, the crone there greets her warmly and familiarly. “Do you mind if I go first?” She asks Mcracken, before reaching into the soft velvet bag containing delicate yellowed bones. Her hand shifts until it feels right, and emerging with a small handful of bones she casts them into the ever burning flame. There is a heartbeat of cracking, then the light erupts from the small cauldron. There is a bittersweet cry of bird song before the light and white smoke curl up into the delicate shape of the Valaanix. It’s wings unfurl and the ghostly fire rises into the night before fading away. Her face upturned and enraptured, a laugh of delight escapes Valrae’s lips. The crone seemed pleased but unsurprised. “Congratulations, High Priestess. The goddess smiles down on you tonight.” Valrae lowers her head in a small gesture of thanks before making room for Mcracken, bumping into Lanlan’s shoulder intentionally to grin at him. “I’m Selene’s favorite.” She whispers, not really believing it but saying to get a rise out of him.
Joan offers a merry wave toward Mac as she spots the kraken, to Sidd she offers a bright full fang flashing smile as she leans back on the lip of the buffet table. A she goes to speak to the man once again she hears another hungry little line of demanding pleading meows. She lifts up the table skirt once again, only this time there was a little female tortoiseshell kitten there, once it spot Joan the kitten would run towards Joan's feet and paw at her while giving her those hungry pleading eyes. With a heavy sigh Joan picks this one up and feeds it a bit as she looks around to see if there were more abandoned kitties about. With a shake of her head she eyes Hanan, she did recate pretty well to Khitti cat and then ragdoll kitten Joan off loaded onto to Valrae. With a huge smile on her pale icy lips the vampiric healer wou;d make her way over to Hanan and Quintessa, "Hm, excuse me could you take this pretty little girl here for abit? Thanks!" With that Joan would place the tortoiseshell kitten right into Hanan's hands and take off back towards Sidd giggling in a girly manner. Sly was Joan this evening!
Sidd looks past Joan toward the sound of a commotion, his cobalt blues eagerly seeking out what may be a bit of a fight. He spies Lita, and another, unfamiliar woman, who appear to have some sort of tension between them. Sidd didn’t know what was going on, or who the other woman was, but he loved a good confrontation now and again. However, it seemed as though things were not going to go the way he had hoped, so he went back to his lovely little glowly drink that was already starting to kick in a little.
Hanan :: ...hair? Hanan quirks a brow, confused. That happens a lot lately, as Hanan had clearly missed a great deal. Why the hell did Lita go after Val's hair? Did she give the witch bangs? She's still Team Lita but it's a very weird detail.
Hanan said to Quintessa, "Yeah, but that would mean lettin' her lead, I assume." Hanan straightens her collar, just a bit. "And that'd go right to her head. I'm not one to feed a big ego."
Lanlan decides this old lady is too tough to crack in just one experience, so he decides to continue their secret duel another time. Valrae is also here, which has nothing to do with his decision. "Oh? Well I'm Xalious' favorite, and Xalious could magic circles around Selene day and night." Truthfully Xalious probably only begrudgingly accepted him, like the rest of the Mage's Guild.
Lita is at least willing to listen but believes Val as she believes Lita apparently. Val didn't align herself against vampires and Lita didn't stab anyone. Wasn't her fault Trix had imbued the danged blade with a protective soul. It seems a moot point to bring up the fact that Val had also aimed to drown her. Though we're apparently glossing over that fact. So Lita doesn't say anything. Instead as Val takes her leave to the games booth, she eyes the desserts table. Wouldn't do her much good to reach for a weapon, not in this crowd. She knew better. But she can feel the cold dredge of anger clambering its way along her spine. She barely manages to get her drink on the table before she smashes the glass. Instead she picks up one of those cherry cheesecakes. An entire one. She stalks over to the games booth with swift, determined steps and when Val bows her head in thanks, she aims to smash it into her pretty little face!
Hanan has a cat on her. What? "Listen lady I'm not a cat sitter, why don't you--" She's gone. The weird purple woman is gone. Hanan glances down. The kitten turns itself in around in a little circle, yawns, and curls up in the crook of Hanan's right elbow, where she'd been awkwardly trying to hold her. "I'm... busy..."
Quintessa said to Hanan, "Oh, is that so?" She places a hand on her hip before continuing, "We wouldn't want that, would we? Can't have anyone's ego getting bigger than your own."
Sidd's eyes light up and his face turns to one of pure joy as Lita kicks things off with that little surprise attack. He sips upon his drink in anticipation.
Mcracken murmurs agreement to all of Valrae’s requests, pushing off the post to trail after her, only pausing to offer Lita a nod and half-grin before joining the witch by the cauldron. H watches the ritual with appropriate respect, eyes reflecting the Valaanix’s glow as it brightens and fades. “I’ve no doubt,” he replies to Val’s comment about being the favourite— it surely wasn’t himself, after all, and hasn’t been for millenia, but his expression betrays none of that history when he steps up for his own turn. “The Mother and I… it’s complicated,” he mutters, when the black smoke billows like dark sails in the mountain air, briefly taking the form of some monstrous creature and then dissipating,. He thanks the elder witch for her trouble, and glances to the priestess, “As you can see. You mentioned a mage?”
Mcracken is interupted by a cake with Lita on the end of it.
Joan whispered to you, "Ooh hot damn, the fur is literally gonna fly between Lita and Valrae!"
Valrae scoffs at Lanlan, “I wouldn’t say that too loudly here.” In a field of witches. Celebrating Selene. He must have a death wish. “But I guess if it makes you feel better.” She bumps him with her shoulder again. She watches as Mcracken’s bone casting ends in a plume of smoke, much like Lanlan’s that she’d missed. The crone shakes her head, again offering kindness. “The bones here do not have clean breaks,” She informs him regretfully. “There is a heavy sense of responsibility upon your shoulders and if you look here,” She points to a smaller one that is particularly jagged. “There will be a time where you seek others in your efforts toward prosperity. This is not hopeless, though the journey you’re on will be hard won.” Valrae had just tilted her head, thoughtfully listening to the omen’s interpretation, when the kitten winding around her ankles chose the exact moment Lita strikes with her cheesecake to bite down on her toe. “Ow!” She chirps, leaning down to swat at the little rag doll. Unfortunately for Lita, this means her face is no longer where it was before. It puts the cheesecake on a path to crash into Lanlan’s shoulder. This chaos will delay the introduction of Mac and Lan, unfortunately, because when Valrae stands again she’s whirling around to face Lita with her ashwood wand in her hand. She stops just short of unfurling a curse that would spread boils across the other woman’s skin. “You missed the mark, as usual,” She chooses verbal jabbing first. There was a smattering of cheesecake on her shoulder, Valrae sheaths her wand and flicks it toward Lita.
Hanan said to Quintessa, "You're one to talk." She's finishing her second whisky--awkwardly, with her left hand while leaning on a crutch-- as she says this. But then she turns to face Tessa fully, tilting her head back and her chest out--which doesn't look quite so tough as she wants, given the kitten, but still. "All 'a moon chose me I swear and 'my sword is autonomous which is great because I whack it around like a godsdamn oar otherwise.'" She's grinning the entire time, mind. "You have no idea how lucky you are you look good when you win. No idea."
Sidd whispered to Joan, "Okay, that one's Valrae? Who is Valrae? And why they fightin'?!"
Hanan freezes, head snapping toward Lita and the cheesecake and that wand, eyes wide. She looks about to spring forward--armed with a crutch and a cat, but anyway--when Valrae sheaths the wand. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Too much going on. "I'm too sober."
Sidd lets out a very verbal "Oh snap!"
Joan whispered to Sidd.
Lita has half a mind to reach for that wand and try to snap it in half. Her anger suddenly far outweighs her fear of magics just now. She doesn't even notice where the cheesecake has landed. Sorry, Lan. "As usual?" She asks Val with a sly smile. She lifts a hand to brush raven curls past her shoulder, revealing a thin braid with a streak of sun-kissed gold woven therein just behind her right ear. "And yet." She's not against poking a bear for her own amusements. When Val flicks that bit of cheesecake towards her, she actually leans towards it to catch it from mid-air in her mouth. Tasty. "Careful, Princess." She warns, straightening again. "Your true colors are showing. Finally."
Sidd whispered to Joan.
Lita is not ignoring everyone else, she just has tunnel vision at the moment.
Joan whispered to Sidd.
Quintessa is somewhat flustered at Hanan's compliment, saying she looked good winning, which has the changeling's cheeks burning red, though she tries to ignore it. Before she has a chance to respond, however, there is a small tussle involving a cheesecake between Lita, Valvae, and Lanlan. This distraction at least gave Quintessa enough time to think of a response. "Darling, I look good even when I'm losing too, but I thought you were trying *not* to inflate my ego." She takes a long drink of her bourbon to finish it off. "And luck's got nothing to do with it... You need another drink?" She asks, shaking her empty one next to her head to show she was heading back for another.
Joan whispers back and froth with Sidd, her icy pale half gloved hand held up to cover her mouth as she whispered to him, anyone hear by with supernatural hears could hear Joan explaining who was between the blonde and dark haired brunette ladies.
Valrae ’s dark eyes narrow dangerously as Lita tosses back her hair and reveals the golden braid of her own. Something dangerous and wild sparks in her chest. She wouldn’t need her wand for this spell, an insidious thought whispers in her mind. Magic dances on the air, the strands of her own hair lifting with it as her eyes begin to glow faintly with Valaane’s light. “I’m no princess,” She warns, before the spell tumbles from her lips. “Lúfaih.” The magic rushes from her with a sound akin to thunder. Nothing seems to happen for a moment, and Valrae is already turning away. But she’s no more than three steps with Lita at her back before the vampire might smell smoke. While it’s true that it’s dangerous for anyone to give a witch possession of their hair, a skilled woman of the craft would know that ownership of something so personal could be turned to your own gain. It was Valrae’s hair, and now the holy fire of Selene will return it to ash. If Lita isn’t careful, she’ll be burned trying to keep it.
Sidd whispered to Joan.
Joan whispered to Sidd.
Hanan is full of large and confusing feelings right now, watching this argument between Lita and Val. With the hair flip. And the cake catching. And when she looks back to Quintessa the necromancer is blushing a delightful shade of red. She looks down. There's a kitten on her arm. The kitten is adorable. No, too much going on. Hanan absolutely can't punch Val hug Lita and drag Quintessa somewhere while simultaneously brainstorming cat names. She's not that clever. Not with these kinds of distractions, anyway. Even she knows that. She glances over at one of the booths right next to the drinks--the flower crown one--and after a couple polite words manages to get the kitten a spot to sleep, with promises that she'd be back. And she would be back for the cat, gods help her. She turns back to Quintessa, after far too much time for it to be a quick quip: "I'm sure you look better losing. I need several more drinks, anyway. Is it always like this at the festival?
Mcracken clears his throat loudly, “Ahem! Ah! I see you two have met!” He smiles like the women are sipping tea together, rather than things potentially turning even uglier. “A small world, as they say.” He’s sidling up to get between them, diffuse the tension with social niceties, “I had hoped to invite both of you to my own island home, at some point. It’s just recently become more… uh, accessible, to those walk the land.” He sneezes, as the acrid scent of singed hair assaults his nostrils.
Sidd whispered to Joan.
Lanlan flicks a wand from his sleeve to his finger and twists it up in a little circle, evaporating the cheesecake into particles. But it was still there. In his memory. So the only thing to do. With a whisk and a sprinkle from his glass wand, a hundred tiny little spirits burst from his wand. The swarm of them flies over to the snack table and each one dives into a slice of cheesecake. He causes all the cheesecakes to awaken, and with malicious hunger they take flight from their plates and begin swarming Lita with blood lust, desperate to drain her of blood as she has so many countless innocents before, maybe. Of course they can’t because cheesecake is fairly mushy. But their valor is commendable, and their sharp, saggy toothed grins can possibly strike fear into someone. Some of them also go after Hanan too.
Quintessa || "No she's not-" Quintessa is cut off by a sudden surge of magic that has Quintessa's posture curl as she follows it back to the lock of hair braided into Lita's own. "She didn't..." But she had, and now Quintessa has to prepare herself to hold Hanan back to keep this from escalating further, if such a thing was even in Quintessa's control at this point.
Sidd was gonna take the total opposite approach than Mcracken, because he was a bit of an instigating douche-canoe who had been drinking. When Valrae spoke her spell and Lita's hair began to smoke, Sidd placed a hand beside his open mouth as if to amplify his voice while he called out, "Oh dang! RUUUUUDE! Kick'er right in the clam!" Sidd then ducks behind Joan like a coward.
Valrae || As the hour grows later, the magic that has been cast over the faire deeps. Vaalane’s fullness dominates the sky, appearing close enough that one might reach out from atop Selene’s Island and brush the tips of their fingers against the celestial body. The heavy beating of the drums comes to a crashing peak, dimming out to a dramatic and bittersweet tune of reedy flutes as the witches of the White Ash come forward around the large fire at the center of the faire grounds. Others slip through the crowds offering vials of clear water wrapped in celestial bronze to faire goers. Valrae slips away to take her place around the circle, silhouettes of the witches graceful dancing casting long shadows. The drums return, building with the magic that saturates the air thickly as the flames shine with bright, long tongues reaching up to the night sky. Valrae takes her place, spinning with the magic of the moment, at the center near the fire. With all thoughts of Lita seemingly from her mind as quickly as they’d entered, her hands rise above her head as she dances with the beat of the drums, her hair a trail of sunlight in the dark, as her voice rises up. It echoes across the island, hers and somehow more as she chants in a lilting and almost lyrical tongue. Roughly translated to common, the spell goes, “To the mother of the tides and light, we call you down to bless this night. Lady of the moon and sea, come forth and cast your spell.” Vaalane seems to tip ever lower, swallowing the inky darkness of the sky and the faraway twinkling stars. The High Priestess is awash in the blue green light for a moment as it seems to drip from the heavens and down into her open and waiting hands. She chants again and again as the light moves around them, like the running of water it moves from the witches of the circle and out. Collecting in the pendants, the waiting jars and pools of water from the previous night that mages had called the rain. Selene’s blessing spreads across the island, filling the air with the sweetness of the salted ocean air and the mysteries of the night. The magic of the moment even manages to quell the hungry cheesecake Lanlan has summoned for a moment. When Valrae drops her hands the music ends with the moment and the light dims. The sky returns to normalcy, the heady magic lessens. The circle breaks. After a heartbeat of quiet, the music kicks back into a lively tune and faire continues.
Lanlan said, "Sorry to take such extreme measures," he lies, cold vengeance swarms the villainous vampires, "but I worked hard on this outfit."
Lita 's eyes widen at the sudden churn of magic through the air from Valrae. Not that she hadn't expected as much, or probably deserved it. With the smell of smoke and sudden rise of heat, the kitten in the hood of her cloak mewing in distraught complaint. She wastes no time unsheathing the dagger from the leather bracer on her left forearm and reaching up with her right hand to cut the brain out entirely. She drops the bit of smoldering hair- blonde and black alike- to the ground, the smoke rising as her eyes widen at Valrae's back. Lita drops the blade instinctively after, her fingers curling into fists before she rushes headlong after Val, fuming with frustration and aiming to pull her hair and tackle her to the ground. Pity the woman isn't on a bridge. She doesn't even care- or possibly notice- that her back is suddenly covered in hungry cheesecake?? What even the actual fluff?? She's more concerned about the kitten in the hood of her cloak! How is she the villain here and yet twice magic users have now been careless with the life of an innocent animal!? She leans a bit sideways so hopefully the kitten can roll sideways out of her hood and scamper away to safety, licking dessert from its fur.
Lanlan :: some cheesecake might try to eat the kitten too, regrettably.
Hanan might need to be held back. She doesn't sense magic, but she hears what she's pretty sure is a spell, smells smoke, and immediately locates it near Lita. No. ON Lita. Her hand tightens on her crutch. "That... ruttin'... bitch!" The last word is snarled, her fangs glinting in the firelight. The drums only seem to make her angrier. She doesn't even notice the cheesecake after Lita springs forward. From the other side of the party she takes a step away from Quintessa and toward Val, swings her crutch forward. Another one. "I'll take 'er to the bottom and let Selene fill 'er lungs with bilge!"
Mcracken , whether his intervention had worked or Valrae was simply called to her higher duty, finds himself drawn like a moon-bat to Valaane’s silver light and the sombre beauty of the ritual itself. After, he is no mood for the faire’s hijinx and seeks the quietude of the shore. He offers various familiar persons scant farewell or greeting as he passes, headed for the mangroves and sands beyond.
Sidd is temporarily distracted by the amazing cosmic lightshow, not quite sure whether he was hallucinating all of this or if it was actually happening. He looked on with childish wonder, his lips forming a perfect 'O' and he "Ooooooohs". This place sure was magical!
Quintessa desperately tries to keep Hanan from getting directly involved in Lita and Valrae's little conflict the best she can, "That won't even work- She's got a spell for that, I found out personally- Come on, just relax-"
Joan cast a questionable glance over she vested shoulder as the much taller Sidd hides behind her, she clears her throat as she side-steps a bit to expose Sidd. Yeah, Joan so didn't do body shields for anyone besides Daisy!
Valrae , fresh from completing her ritual and far enough away from Hanan’s dreaded crutch, doesn’t seem to be very bothered by her or Lita, who seems to be stuck dealing with Lanlan’s living cheesecake revenge. She decides this madness is beneath her now and skirts around the crowd that was quickly gathering around them to witness the commotion. Feeling a little smug for having ruined Lita’s prize of stolen hair and drained from the ritual, she decides that her night is complete and slips away into the shadows.
Joan looked at Sidd.
Sidd grins innocently at Joan. "Whaaaat?"
Lanlan has vanquished enough foes for one day, and he decides to make his exit. On his way out, he passes by the tall hawthorn tree, full now of tacky ribbons that made it look pretty interesting in this moonlight. “You think I don’t have my own ribbon,” he scoffs to the helpful witch as he apparently ties something to the tree. An invisible ribbon! Wow! Nobody deserves to know what he would wish for except the gods. Then he explodes in a swarm of moths that all diffuse into the trees.
Hanan watches Val slip away. Of course she can't catch her. Of course. She can't run without her prosthetic, and she can't even do that as well as she used to under ideal conditions. "Relax!" Val gone, Lita no longer on fire, she reels around on Quintessa. "Relax?! Do you have any idea what fire can do to..." She's practically rippling. "You wouldn't in my place! You don't get to tell me to relax just because I'm a ruttin' cripple!" She rakes her right hand through her hair. Her ponytail's now a mess. "I almost beat you! You had to go and break my leg and now... you've got some ruttin' nerve! Wantin' me runnin' your fleet but also backin' down."
Sidd turns his gaze to the new bit of drama taking place not far off. Although, this time, he kinda felt bad given what he'd overheard and would not be making any attempt to egg things on. Instead, he takes another sip from his glowy green drink and ponders what sort of trouble he might get up to next.
Quintessa doesn't seem the least bit phased at Hanan's words. "I've got more nerve than anyone you've ever met- Bet on it. Of course I know what fire can do. Why else would I have used it against you? Lita made her own bed when she stole a lock of hair from a witch- A high priestess, no less. So no, this isn't backing down. This isn't our fight. It's got nothing to do with you." She can't help but smirk when Hanan's defense involves pointing out how she *almost* beat Quintessa. "But you didn't. You lost to me and now you have a debt you owe me. Don't forget it."
Lita is too busy smacking miniature cheesecake monsters away from the kitten to really enjoy whatever magical light show everyone else is oohing at. Probably for the best. Val has seized the opportunity to make her exit and Lita is covered in bits of dessert. Classy. She scoops up the little kitten again, cradling it against the few remaining confectionary assaults. Rude. There's cheesecake in her hair. "Don't take it out on her." She says flatly at Hanan in defense of Tessa- shocker!- as she moves to gather her dagger from where she'd dropped it previously. "She's loyal to the Princess. Wouldn't be right if she didn't try to stop you from gettin' in the middle of a fight where she might have to choose sides against you. Or worse, ask you to choose." Does she sound bitter? Maybe a touch. She hadn't missed their conversation, it seems. Though she has to replay it in her head to catch up. She catches sight of Joan finally to ask, "If Leo makes his way up here anytime soon, tell him he can play nice from now on." And with that she'd turn to take her leave.
Joan huffs out her cheeks as she listens in on Hanan. She gives Lita a glance to make sure she didn't need any healing medically before she lightly bumps her shoulder against Sidd. "Well, that was entertaining...this will be a Faire to remember, huh?!"
Joan said to Lita, "Alrighty,,,please have a decent enough night for the rest of the evening."
Sidd turns to Joan and laughs out loud, "This has been the best time. I swear to... uh.. Selene and Zaytor...?... Ain't been so entertained in ages. Damn, I miss this kind of stuff!"
Joan gives Sidd a bright wide eye stare as she laughs, with a shake of her head she searches for that mixed braid of hair. Once she sees it, Joan would pull out a fancy lace handkerchief from her vest front pocket, she scoops up the mixed hair braid and wisely secrets it away on her person. There was a Faire to still enjoy and that was what she was gonna do.
Hanan looks back over her shoulder at Lita. Her hands are balled up into fists. "I get to choose. Damn it. I do." She has no leg, Tessa's talking down to her, Lita doesn't want anything from her and Leo's back so why would she anyway. No, this has nothing to do with her, and she has hardly anything to do with anybody at the end of the day. She's nobody. Hanan reaches her fingers up to knead the bridge of her nose. "I lost a bet, Spooky. That's not a debt. I'm honorin' it but that's what it is. You don't own me and you don't get to talk to me like that." She drops her hand and turns back toward the bar. "I'm goin' to have a drink and cool off, alright. I'll bother you after if you don't mind bein' bothered. If not, well, find me later. We still need to talk" A little deflated but with a scrap of pride left, she heads toward the drinks.
Quintessa manages to throw Lita a look when she claims Tessa is loyal to Valrae. "Hmph. The same loyalty I'd show you if someone had wronged *you*." Hanan's words snap Quintessa's attention back, and she shakes her head at the captain. "Of course I don't own you, but you tried to take the amulet from me. I have an obligation to hold you to your end of the bet." She allows Hanan to walk away, a tiny bit disappointed this is the way things had ended up but that couldn't be helped now. She turns back to Lita with another shake of her head. "You truly are a wild card, you know that?"
Sidd :: With the drama having died down and the festivities quieting a little, Sidd decided to try his hand at the Bone Casting game to see if he can manage to win a lil' something. However, much like his attempts at the water wand game, his throw of the bones fizzles out spectacularly and he eyes the witches running the stall carefully. "Riiiigged."
Lita said to Quintessa, "I doubt you meant it as one but I'll take that as a compliment."
Joan wanders off, that was enough drama for her for one evening, she waves to Sidd and Quintessa before departing back to the main land.
Sidd also wanders off. Time to paaaaaarty!
Day 4
Hanan took all night, and well into the morning, but she figured it out. About six whiskies in, moping and feeling sorry for herself in the middle of a festival, she realized that she was being an idiot. Sure it was awful that she didn't have a leg, but that could happen at sea too. Any time. What did she have plenty of on her boat? Carpentry tools. You can't call a tug boat when you spring a leak in the middle of a storm after all. She'd hobbled far enough from the festival to find some decent mangrove wood, sent a runner back to her ship to grab some tools (and back again, when they grabbed the wrong ones), sat down in her tent next to a slumbering kitten who was suddenly her responsibility and set to carving. The work is rough and whittled, and she'd surely woken several folks up with cursing near dawn while she tried to fit the cup to her stump, but eventually she emerged with warm wood-colored peg where her left leg stopped, tied on with some repurposed rigging rope and decorated with maypole ribbon, sized about right for her stance barefoot. She steps out of the lodging area as if absolutely nothing had happened the day before, roughly as mobile as she'd been in the duel, and immediately goes to the drink table. She has not slept or sobered a bit.
Daisy prances about through the faire, on her way to find something to eat. She pauses by the drink table and plucks a flower from her hair. This flower is placed in Hanan's hand. "I hope you have a good day." She grins widely and prances off again, still very much on the mission of filling her belly.
Daisy gave 1 daisy to Hanan.
Hanan is surprised by the daisy and Daisy to say the least. "Thanks for the flower, Miss... ?" Who the heck is this cat person? But just as suddenly Daisy's gone for snacks. She looks down at it, smirks, then sticks it behind her left ear. The daisy is now sticking out of Hanan's messy ponytail.
Quintessa passed out under the refreshment table sometime last night, few can recall when. When the Black Witch came to this island she promised to show these witches the joys taught to her by Delisha, and she had not disappointed. Quintessa was still mortal, however, and after four days she was beginning to feel the adverse effects of her substance abuse. Still, the changeling stirs when she hears someone approaching, slowly sitting up to pop her head out from under the table, still brushing the dirt and leaves from her cheek. "Hey, it's you," She says through a yawn, still trying to find the energy to crawl out from under her "den" and get to her feet. "You don't happen to have any taccabo do you?" Quintessa asks Hanan with hope in her eyes.
Sidd is kinda just loungin' about in a chair this mornin', sipping on some lovely lemon tea, and watching folks come and go with a contented smile on his face. It was another late night last night, but at least he's not hungover today!
Hanan steps back when Quintessa pokes her head out, then blinks down bleary-eyed into her absinthe. Surely the green fairy hadn't grabbed her that hard and fast. "...hey." She spies the dirt and leaves stuck to the woman's face and can't help a grin. "Rough night, eh? 'Course I have." Hanan has not changed her rumpled clothes, smells a bit like a boozy carpentry shop, but definitely has certain priorities. She pats at her trouser pocket and produces a box. "Just cigs though, left my pipe back at the tent. That alright?"
Quintessa grips the edge of the table to swing herself upwards and out from under the table, popping up to stand next to the vampire. "Yeah, that's perfect actually." Mismatched eyes flicker over to spot Daisy first, who she offers a "Hey, Daisy," before she spots Sidd and offers him a friendly wave. Turning back to Hanan, she looks over her, specifically at the new peg leg she had fashioned for herself. "You had a busy night yourself," She notes, "Better than nothing, I suppose. The ribbons are an improvement– Have you ever thought of getting a more advanced prosthetic? I've been working on a few schematics in my free time if you ever wanna take a look."
Hanan offers Quintessa a cigarette, then takes one herself, eyes flicking over to Daisy as she does so. So that's the cat's name. The daisy in her hair suddenly makes a little more sense. Sidd gets a nod as well as she turns her back to the drinks table and leans back against it, fishing matches out of her pocket. "Yeah, I did." And frustrating. And long. She flicks her gaze over to the Black Witch's outfit, smirks around the cigarette dangling from her lips, and strikes the match to light it. "I think I would've preferred what you were up to. Witches go a bit harder than I gave 'em credit for. Figured you'd all be burnin' herbs and crystal gazin'." She inhales, then offers Tessa the match. "And yeah, I am. After the duel. Legs like this work but there's no damn spring to 'em. Hard to be light on your feet when, well..." She narrows her eyes. "Unless the new prosthetic's cursed, or falls apart when someone decides she's ticked off at you."
Daisy waves at Hanan and Sidd from her spot beneath the tent selling cheesy garlic toasts. Someone should get to enjoy them today!
Sidd flashes a smile and a two finger salute back in Quintessa's direction when he notices the wave. He takes another sip of his tea and settles back in his chair, soon closing his eyes to just sort of bask in the atmosphere.
Sidd waves to Daisy as well, before the whole basking thing!
Daisy will probably end up basking with Sidd. And cheesy garlic toast.
Sidd also adds Hanan to the wave. 'Cause he's slow and can;'t read today. BASKING.
Daisy basks. <3
Calista is still wandering the faire grounds trying to understand the various specificities of the culture. This is the wandering and ponderifying that she is engaged in when she hears the voices from the other day along with one she recognizes. "Rude Girl is right. This is hard to figure. So many things going on, and none of it makes any sense. Though I suppose if they usually burn the crystals and graze on herbs, then these results aren't typical."
Quintessa leans forward to accept the fire from Hanan's match, her eyes flickering to look up at her as she takes that first drag to light it. Pulling back with a smirk, she can't help but chuckle at the vampire's prior opinion of witches. "You realize Beltane is a fertility ritual don't you?" She asks with some humor in her tone. "We are welcoming in those springtime energies of love, and passion, and joy, and abundance. To let yourself be freed by the will of the natural world. We do the burning herbs and crystals but we also know how to party." Quintessa is already reaching for a drink so soon after waking up. A bit of the hair of the dog, some might say. She takes a sip before offering a cheeky grin to Hanan in regards to cursing her potential prosthetic. "I guess that'll be motivation for you not to piss me off– but no, in all seriousness I take my academic studies seriously. I wouldn't corrupt my own work in the field just to place a curse on you. You can at least count on that."
Calista looks over at today's game, before continuing. "See, there's a weird example. Their flower chakram weren't constructed or maintained properly. They'll never slice those bottles with that craftsmanship. I should help them." And!! Off she goes to weave weapons-grade flower crowns, for the witches. Certainly not just to prove her own superiority in tinkering. That would be most uncouth.
Daisy follows the Calista to try her hand at throwing the flower crowns. She is good with flowers!
Hanan looks up at Calista and laughs. Rude Girl. "Nothin' on this godsdamn continent makes sense, friend. Ever. Sooner you get used to it the less it scratches." Speaking of things not making sense. She takes another drag, letting the smoke out slow, considering her words. "I know that, Tess. I know this is a fertility thing. I know they're ALL fertility things. But I also went to a party at the Delisha temple in Vhys that may as well have had old lady bingo goin' on so I figured that sort of fun didn't happen around here anymore. Folks are a lot less stuffy here. Must be the heat." She finishes her absinthe--absinthe! At a festival!--and sets it down behind her with the other empties. "It's good to be a subject of academic interest, I guess. Business, though. That's more concernin'." She glances back over her shoulder, as if someone would be listening at a scene like this, then lowers her voice. "I'm not signing a magical contract like your peons. I don't do that sort of thing, and you won't need it anyhow. Non-negotiable."
Calista finishes crafting her crown and, guided by her ancestors and Selene's cats throws it with uncanny strength and accuracy. The bottles rattle as her first throw zeros in on the gold bottle, slicing through so cleanly that it isn't until the flower crown settles on the grand prize that all the bottle tops fall to the left, with a cacophanous clinking. "See, proper craftsmanship." The witches quickly replace all the bottles and return Calista's flower crown to her. The little goblin winds up for her second throw, not even checking her flower crown for damage. No matter, it's still good enough to slice through the first couple bottles and crack the green one it bounces off of to land around a blue one. The cuts are less clean, and the shattering and cracking is far less musical, but it's still a success. Once more, the witches calmly replace the bottles and return her flower crown. With all her effort, she throws one last time!! Clink. . . It bounces off the outer bottles and falls to the ground. "Huh, guess I wasn't completely right. Flower chakrams require a lot of maintenance." She nods to the girl at the stall. "It's a spectacular idea, tho. Congrats on being a brilliant tinker." Calista shakes the confused elf's hand and steps aside for the next contender.
Daisy takes her three flower crowns and nuzzles into them with a smile. They're so pretty! She doesn't just want to throw them like a barbarian! No. She gives the first two a kiss for luck and those land beautifully on blue bottles! Blue! Blue are prizes! The first prizes she has won this whole time! Well. She got to play with Mac and Sidd and Tessa those other days. That itself is a gift. Okay. One more. One more to go! She kisses the last crown and adds her own little daisy to it before tossing. There it goes! In slow motion! Soaring! Soaring! Soaring! Why are you taking so long! Like you're some sort of annoying pun girl calling out duel winners. Get to it! *cough* The last crown falls right onto the golden bottle! Daisy bounces and giggles with happy as she wins the big prize! Collecting her winnings, she turns to look for a snack stall she hasn't visited yet.
Quintessa allows her mismatched eyes to also flitter over to look at Calista, a curious raise of her eyebrow as she commits this goblin's appearance to memory. This creature had been showing up a lot recently and there may come a time Quintessa would need to get to the bottom of it, but that could all come later. Her attention is snapped back to Hanan when she mentions a magical contract, and Quintessa has to keep herself from laughing at the fact that she'd even bring it up. "Gods, Hanan, that was a lie. I don't make people sign magical contracts, that would be ridiculous." She pauses to exhale a cloud of smoke above her head, "Besides, I don't want you to be some kind of subordinate. I need you to join my enterprise as an equal. That's the only way it can work the way I envision it. You have to have a real stake in what I've got planned... but is this really the place to be talking about this? I'm sorta on vacation..."
Hanan leans back to give Quintessa a bemused look, up and down. "You lied, huh?" She doesn't quite believe that. "You sat in that weird cavernous office talkin' all big about all your underlings and how scared they are of you on account of contracts and how you could just put skeletons on your boats and that was a lie? Alright. I'lll let you say that. Figured I'd have to argue for equality with you, all that "employee" talk after..." She looks down at the glowing end of her cigarette. "I was actually hopin' to have this conversation after the duel, but you went and had your pet sword cut me to ribbons in a cloud of dragon's blood and I ended up gettin' dragged back to Rynvale by your auntie rather than the nice room at the Frostmaw tavern I still had booked. Damn shame. But it's good. I plan on havin' a stake." She lifts the cigarette up for another drag, glancing away from Tessa and in the general direction of the flower-crown game as she lowers her voice again. "Some vacation, these witches leavin' you alone under a table when there's all these tents around. Maybe I was right about 'em after all. So you're on vacation. What do you do for fun,then, on a vacation? Go diggin' in the graveyard? Write notes?"
Quintessa sets her glass down to scratch her head, pulling a small twig out of her hair and casually discarding it. "Of course I deceived you," she says as a matter of fact, "Before the duel I could not afford to show you the face behind the mask, not after you talked me into putting that amulet on the line. After that point I simply could not lose. I *had* to win... so I am truly sorry for siccing the Jubaku no Kijo on you. It was unnecessary." When the subject comes back to the witches and their methods of vacationing, Quintessa can only shrug at being left under the table. "I was in a mood last night... I told them to leave me alone, so don't judge them too harshly... but what do I do for fun?" Something about Hanan asking her this question makes hesitate, perhaps because she very rarely allows herself the time to relax and have fun. "Lots of things bring me joy, Hanan. Some more appropriate than others, but yes, I do enjoy long moonlit walks through the cemetery as I document the constellations. But I am also a creature of sensation. I need to experience things. I need to see and explore. I need adventure. That's the kind of thing I do for fun, and my recent journey to this island has reminded me of that."
Hanan reaches behind and grabs another whiskey. When she turns back around she elbows Quintessa lightly in the ribs. "Sensations and experiences and documentin' constellations, eh professor?" Her eyes are bright while she says it, though, and her voice sly. "I'm messin' with you. A bit. I mean, still a shame, but it was a duel for stakes. Of course you used your magic sword that fights better'n you.. And I tried to use it on you back." She drops the cigarette and scuffs it out under her wooden leg, then faces her and backs up. "I told you not to hold off on account of my leg, and you didn't. I respect it. What I don't respect is that damn mood. That's no way to spend a vacation. See, I like to explore too. That was the one good thing about..." she gestures vaguely at her left shoulder. The black spot. "I got all over. Islands, continents, far south and east,, even more than when I was a kid. No holdin' still like I had to back in Rynvale. I've never even been on this damn island and I have no idea why. Thought it was some borin' jungle bits between homeport and Cenril. You been on the ferris wheel yet? Bet there's a hell of a view from the top with us so high already." She points her chin at it. An invitation. "Unless you'd prefer I beat you at one of these games. Or we clear out of here and see some of the island but I get enough grumpy lycans on Rynvale lately."
Quintessa flenches a bit when Hanan jabs her ribs, but it only draws out a grin from the changeling. "I don't really know how to hold back– that was an issue when I was a young soldier, as you can imagine. I used to nearly kill people in training bouts, but I digress." That sour mood from last night was already fading away. "Let's ride the ferris wheel then. We can exchange stories of our adventures as we rise to the top."
Day 4, Evening
Khitti had decided to stick around the witch sanctuary in the middle of the island, instead of coming back to the faire yesterday. Being around her own kind for once had felt… invigorating? Her magic was still different from many of them, as Valrae’s coven was dedicated to Selene, but there had been other solitary practitioners as well, and that was certainly nice. There’d been some that had followed the full pantheon, like her. Others that wielded more dark magic than light. It was refreshing. And so, when she showed up today, she was not wearing black for once. Instead, she wore a midnight blue dress in the same style as always and a ribbon of the same color in her hair, the piece of fabric holding up most of her wavy wine red hair in a big ponytail. The parts that were not contained acted as longer side bangs, in the form of two long wavy strips on either side of her face. She, of course, grabbed a snack and a drink, but instead of hovering at the food table, she actually went to look at the game of the day, as well as the weekly.
Hanan said to Quintessa, "Good. That you don't hold back, I mean." She grabs a second whiskey and starts heading in the direction of the wheel. "Because there's goin' to be a round two, which I'll win, and I'm hard to kill. If that's how you act in a fight around judges and all your adoptive relatives I'm curious what happens elsewhere." She shoves one of the glasses under her arm when they get to the wheel, pulls two tickets out of her back pocket. Whatever happened earlier on the wheel definitely did stay there, she's got absolutely no idea. "After..." Wait, Blue dress across the way. Khitti? "Your mother's here. She's not a cat today."
Sidd :: At some point in his relaxing basking of the faire around him, Sidd had fallen asleep in his chair. The only reason he'd even woken up is because some kids were running by, and one of those little munchkins had accidentally bumped into the back of his seat. Once having wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, Sidd sits up and stretches, yawning in a loud and obnoxious way while he attempts to figure out how much time has passed since he'd fallen asleep.
Quintessa shall not speak of what took place on this ferris wheel, for what happens upon thine wheel stays upon thine wheel. She gives a look that can only be described as noncommittal as she parts her lips to say, "If you are that assured of your victory then I shall be duly prepared." She offers a smirk next, "I tend to really let go without judges around though..." The conversation pauses as Hanan points out Khitti, to which Quintessa offers a cheerful wave. "Hi Mother~" She calls across the fairgrounds. "Yeah, she's back to normal." The changeling continues speaking with Hanan, her gaze returning to her own, "Solar flares or something? I don't know. Tis a subject that warrants much more research."
Hanan 's lips quick up a little at the way Quintessa says hi Mother~. She'll never be totally used to people who talk like that. "Solar flares turn her into a cat. Okay. I figured it was on purpose." Puts a bit of a different spin on her showing up to the duel all whiskers. Hanan holds open the gate to the gondola--a moment of actual etiquette out of the pirate--and pauses. "Listen, if you'd rather go over with her, I understand. Gotta catch her when she's not furry, I'm guessin'. I'm not leavin' for a day or two."
Khitti || Oh, Khitti could hear Hanan, thanks to those werecat senses of hers, even with the fairegoers about. She’d caught the vampire’s scent even before that. And Quintessa’s too, of course. But for the moment, she’d leave the two alone. She didn’t seem upset, about anything really. She could be hiding it, but really, if she was mad about the duel, Hanan would’ve heard about it by now. Khitti was not subtle with her anger. Tessa herself knew that. She passed by where Sidd had fallen asleep and subsequently woken up, offering him a side glance, a smile, and a nod. But then she stopped for a moment. “You’ve still got some drool on your face. And a lot of crusties in the corner of your eyes. Allergies maybe?” she said with a smirk before continuing on, borrowing Khitt’s half-assed salute and serving it to Sidd on a metaphorical silver platter. She was just making it to the Bee In A Cup game when Quintessa greeted her from afar. The redhead gave the changeling a wave in return, with a smile, “Hello Tessa!” And then Hanan would get a nod. But again, there was no anger there. She turned her attention back to the game, eyeing its rules carefully.
Quintessa lacks the hesitation Hanan did as she slides into the gondola the moment it had been offered to her. "Not necessary, she and I spent the second day of the faire together. We made wishes on the hawthorn and explored the island together, it was lovely." She flashes Hanan a smile that is a tad more devious, "But I've been trying to get a moment alone with you all weekend. I'm not walking away now." She pats the empty seat, beckoning Hanan. "So join me. I want to get to know you better."
Sidd smiled right back at the woman in the midnight blue dress and the wine-colored hair, taking a moment to check her out from head to toe - because of course he did. His brow knit with confusion as he took in her features, because there was something oddly familiar about her, but he could not exactly say why. That'd been happening to him a lot, lately. Brushing away the unsettling feeling of familiarity, Sidd offered a two finger salute in return as he took her observations into consideration. "Ah for real? Thank yoooou!" he called out as she moseyed on her way toward the Bee In A Cup game. Not wanting to be seen with any sort of crusties on his face whatsoever, Sidd reaches down for the pitcher of water that had been settled beside him since this morning and dipped his scarlet bandana into it. He was totally going to use the fashionable accent piece as a makeshift washcloth to make himself a little more presentable.
Hanan can't help her grin as Tessa goes into the gondola anyway. Alright. She raises one of her glasses in Khitti's direction and yells out, incredibly loud: "Does this make you the Dowager Titan?" She's tipsy and has no idea what senses a werecat would have. She only just learned they exist. She downs the drink, hands it to the attendant--who gives her a look, but she's already moving--and closes the gate behind her, the second full glass in hand. "You're harder to get alone than I am, y'know. Fine. I'll answer your question but then you'd better answer mine. Agreed? We'll trade off." She drops into the seat, then rubs her left leg between her knee and the prosthetic. It doesn't look as bad as it feels, but she's getting used to it.
Quintessa seems excited at the prospect of trading questions with Hanan like some kind of game. "Oh yes, I quite like the sound of that." They rise higher into the air, Quintessa;s gaze slowly pulled away from the vampire to view outside of their cart. "Hmm, so I get the first question... I know." Her eyes flicker back to Hanan, "I've told you about some of my teachers, so now you tell me- How did you learn how to wield a blade? Few possess the expertise that you do."
Khitti || People check Khitti out? Weird. Khitti probably wouldn’t know the difference between someone checking her out or even flirting with her and a hole in the ground. She’d give Sidd a brief grin at his thanks before she turned back to the game stall in front of her, tapping her chin a few times in thought as she stared at the rules sign. “This better not be a trick and I get stung if I lose. I don’t need to turn into a werebee too.” She narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the sign. Then the witch running it. Then the sign again. Then the witch again. “Oh all right,” she said with a smirk. “I will play your game.” And then, Hanan yelled something to her. And her face just got… Immediately scrunched up with rage. “I AM NOT EVEN FORTY YET, WOMAN. DO NOT CALL ME A DOWAGER ANYTHING,” she shouted, making sure Hanan heard her as she went about her business with Quintessa on the ferris wheel. Khitti then cleared her throat, downed her drink, stuffed the baked good she’d picked up a bit ago into her mouth finally, and then nodded at the game witch. “Alright then. Let’s do this.” Khitti stared at the blue cups. Like, really stared at them. The noise a fly made and the noise a bee made were somewhat similar, but she was still not entirely used to her new senses yet. After what seemed like forever to the game witch, Khitti put her hand over the plethora of cups, then put her index finger on one a little to the right in the group. “That one.” The game witch would nod at her and made the gesture for Khitti to lift the cup.
Hanan snickers a bit, then leans back. The pitch forward and back of the gondola feels nice. Not unlike a ship. "Nobody asks that. 'Least of all folks who name their swords. Alright." Her left hand drops reflexively to her hip--nope, still no rapier--and her fingers flex as if to feel it anyway. "When I was a kid, I started playin' with sticks, pretending. Got into some scraps with other kids--I liked to argue--and my mom and uncle's boss noticed me winnin'. Got me into classes with a fencing master, as they didn't think boxing would suit. The idea was I'd end up a bouncer, plus some other work on the side." Her eyes are lidded and distant for a moment, then: "After I left and started traveling, I was good enough to get into other guilds. Learned destreza, a little federfechter..." Her voice trails off. "More from duels after hours, to be honest." She looks back at Tessa. "Your turn. How the hell did you get into magic? I have no idea how people do that. There's got to be somethin' before you enroll in a school.."
Hanan absolutely heard Khitti. How could she not. "I don't think your mom is used to bein' respected."
Once Sidd was sure he was crusty and drool free, he pulled his lazy ass out of the chair and decided it was time he got up and took part in some of the more festive aspects of the faire - which appeared to have something to do with the abundance of flower crowns that were being handed out. he rolled up the sleeves on his navy-blue dress shirt and popped on one of those fancy crowns, beginning tot ake a tour of the games on display. He only paused briefly when the redheaded woman shouted at the hobbily pirate lady currently riding the ferris wheel with Quintessa. He makes one of those 'oh damn, someone's in trouble' faces, snickering to himself before he resumes weaving through the crowd.
Quintessa has to hide her face as she laughs at Khitti's response to Hanan's inquiries of being Dowager Titan. "No, no, my mother hates titles. Won't even let me call her Thanatos Domina, her proper rank, but anyway, where were we..." Hanan's story about being a kid playing with sticks resonates directly with Quintessa, something that cuts right through whatever defenses she might have put up. She smiles, soft and genuine, a rare smile to see from the changeling. "Huh. That sounds really familiar... But now it's time to answer your question." She rolls her head over her shoulders as she thinks of the right way to answer it, "Well, you could say I was born able to wield magic. I'm half fae, the offspring of a night-hag..." Her gaze trails off to spy at Khitti again, the woman she truly viewed as her mother despite having no blood relation. "My powers didn't manifest for a very long time but I always heard this voice, y'know? It would whisper things, tell me to try things. When I became a teenager this voice became more powerful until it told me to dig deep within myself and... Place a curse. I cursed someone, that was the first time I was able to wield magic. Someone hurt me and I got so angry that a curse was formed from that emotion. That was how it first happened." Now it was Quintessa's turn and she wanted to ask something as equally uncomfortable, "Okay... So how did you become a vampire anyway?" Her gaze flickers back, searching Hanan for an answer through her eyes.
Khitti picked up the blue cup and scowled as she critically failed in her choice, just as she critically failed in most of her life. The fly was finally released! And then it flew about Khitti’s head, and Khitti just kinda scowled even more (if that was possible) at it. “At least I didn’t get stung, I guess,” she muttered before turning around and trying to find another game to play that she might have more of a chance at.
You finally stops in front of the flower crown bottle toss game, asking the wood elf running the booth how its played. The explanation seemed pretty straight forward, although Sidd couldn't help but to give her a sly look as he comments, "I swear.. this better not be rigged like those last few games." He was obviously still a bit miffed about his luck over the previous days. Taking three flower crowns in hand, Sidd lines himself up and takes a few practice swings, soon letting loose one of the flower crowns over the bottles with high hopes of scoring big.
Hanan :: "'Thanatos Domina?' Can't imagine why that wouldn't have a ring to it." Her eyebrows shoot up when Quintessa says night-hag, is one allowed to call one's own mother that? Until she remembers that night-hags are real things. She leans a little closer while she listens, fascinated. "You heard... voices. And that wasn't terrifyin'?" There were voices, down with the mindflayers. She shoves that memory down and stacks some boxes on top of it. "And you could do it, just like that? I mean... I picked up blades quick but I had to see someone messin' around with them, I mean..." She's just as confused as she started. That's okay. That's magic. She isn't prepared for that question, though. She laughs abruptly, planting a hand on the rail of the gondola as she doubles over. "You don't just ASK someone that! You'll get yourself bit if you go around askin' vampires..." The wheel keeps turning, their little cage getting higher. She leans back, defeated but not minding much. "Alright, okay. There was a man. All the stories start like that. I got into Kelay and... gods I was a young idiot. I'd get drunk as hell and I'd challenge folks to fights outside the tavern. Every day. Won some lost a lot, as I kept goin' up against paladins and mages and folks clearly a thousand times better than I was then. It's how I made money, but it's also how I had fun. There was this guy. Big beefy monster of a bastard with a blond ponytail, acted like some kind of stalkin' lion all the time. DIdn't use magic, just muscled and sliced through. He took me up on fights. Started trainin' me even. One thing led to another, I..." She shrugs. "It was just about all physical in retrospect, but I liked it. And I wanted to be that strong. He didn't force me." She rubs her chin, awkward, then looks back. "Alright. Turnabout's fair play. How the hell did you end up Kas's student? He never struck me as the teachy type at all. He'd talk at you plenty, sure, but not professionally."
Khitti saw Sidd wandering over to the flower crown toss and let out a ‘hm’. The redhead got a bit closer but ultimately stopped a couple feet nearby, still giving the blue-haired dude some space. It was Khitt, after all, that he’d met. Not Khitti. She watched him throw all three and from her vantage point it looked as if he’d failed too, and she became immediately irritated -for- him. “Has -anyone- won these games yet?!” Well, of course, statistically there had to be some winners. It just wasn’t Khitti. Or Sidd, in this case. “Okay fine. Let’s see if I can do it.” The witch stepped forward and took up three crowns of her own, lined herself up just as Sidd had, and threw the crowns one after the other. She had to do okay with this, right? She literally wields chakrams from time to time.
Khitti blinked as she actually managed to win sort of? 1200 gold wasn’t bad. “Well then. I guess that chakram training did come in handy,” she said, taking her prize. She dusted herself off as if it was an actual large amount of work and she somehow got dusty from it all and smoothed out her dress a bit. “Right yes. Uhhh.” Khitti turned to Sidd. “You want half? Those games are tricky sometimes to be honest. I couldn’t even pick the damn cup with the bee in it a bit ago.” The redhead threw up her hands and sighed. “Luck has never been on my side though--like, ever.”
Quintessa shrugs, "I was a lonely child. I was too happy someone wanted to talk to me to consider being scared of the voices..." She leaves that subject behind, her eyes narrowing at Hanan's answer. "So, just some guy? Yeah I heard people liked to fight on Kelay Road a lot, somehow I'm not surprised you were one of them." Quintessa grips the side of the gondola as it rocks again, a frown tugging at her lips when she brings up Kasyr. "Oh right, I told you about that already... Well, I too used to play with sticks. Like I said, I couldn't wield magic at first so I dreamed of being a knight. I wanted to kill dragons and save princesses and all that but when my magical powers bloomed I knew I was meant for so much more. I was recruited by the Mage's Guild, who were able to pull the strings needed to have a famous kensai come out of retirement to train the top two students. One was me, the other was Karasu Tsuji." She blows a piece of hair out of her eyes that just falls right back in place. "Guess it's my turn again... The amulet Lita gave me. What does it do? I still don't know anything about it but you seemed very keen on getting a hold of it. Why is that?"
Hanan shakes her head, too proud not to yap. "Not 'just some guy.' Best fighter I've ever seen, before or since. Ruttin' glorious. But now he's 'just some guy' because he went and got himself killed in a stupid death duel and now I'm likely the only one here who remembers his name. Bloodline's tiny, I was the only other one until..." her voice trails off, and she listens. "...I can see that. The knight thing. You carry yourself like that, sometimes." She smirks a little. "Like some of those annoying paladins I used to know. Who used to beat me. Sometimes. All put together--" The smirk deepens when Tessa blows the hair away. "--and professional." But then it's her turn. She looks out of the gondola again. They're near the top, now. She can see the sun getting lower and glinting off the blue water. She shoreline. "...I don't know exactly how it works, so I'm not hidin' anything. It's... it lets you talk to the dead. Call someone specific." Her voice drops to a whisper, as if she could be heard by an eavesdropper all the way up here, and she leans close, arm on the back of the bench.
Hanan whispered something to Quintessa.
Sidd shakes a finger at the witch running the stall as two of his throws were deemed to be null and void. That third throw, howeverm did net him a small bit of loot to which he remarked, "That was a pity win, wasn't it? Y'all feel bad for my losses and had to give me a lil' boost, huh? That's fine, I'll take it." He grins, turning now to the sound of the voice that started to speak with him. It was the lovely redhead he'd seen earlier! "Psh. Naw. They're all rigged! Rigged, I tell ya! I mean, I probably just suck or whatever, but if I tell myself otherwise, then I feel just a wee bit better about my losses." When Khitti managed to score a decent win, Sidd cheered loudly, clapping his hands together in celebration, "Well lookit that! I guess luck hasn't totally abandoned you!" He waved off her off of half her winnings- he wouldn't feel right taking any sort of pity gold. "Hah, nah, you earned that. That was an impressive throw. Glad to see someone give these witches a bit of guff." The man winks at the woof elf running the booth, making certain that she understood that he was just teasing. He wasn't really upset about his luck or anything, because he'd been having such a great time over the last few days. "Yeah, I saw that," he said with a smile, "I'm gonna stay away from that one, I think. I'm not exactly super keen on little flying critters myself, let alone bees." In an attempt to offer reassurance, Sidd adds, "Eh, I wouldn't say that. Yopu just net yourself a good little purse of coin. Maybe that was the start some sort of change for the better. Ya never know!"
Quintessa 's bottom lip drops a bit when she learns the true secrets of Sirhana's Amulet, mostly in disbelief that Lita would part with such a thing. "Then it's a good thing I don't plan on using it..." She grips Hanan's shirt, keeping her from pulling away as Quintessa cranes her neck to whisper something back to her.
Quintessa whispered something to Hanan.
Quintessa said to Hanan, "You mentioned your ship has a shower, right? Would you allow me to use it? I'm beginning to smell like the lycan camp south of here..."
Khitti smirked at Sidd, “Yeah, maybe. Fate’s been occasionally nice to me, but often decides to take things back later on. Someone needs to tell Fate about the no-take-backs rule, honestly.” She shrugged and shoved the small coinpurse into a dress pocket after he turned it down. “It’s definitely worse at the Arh’Nuk Faire. I blame the Archmage,” she said jokingly. “He likes his money for fancy clothes. But don’t tell him I said that or he’ll either whine at me or kick me out of the guild and ban me from Xalious Village or something.” Lanlan could certainly be as petty as Khitti was. That’s why they had a sort of love-hate friendship. “You been here the whole weekend?”
Hanan is clearly surprised to have her shirt grabbed, but she tilts her head to hear better, and whatever she hears spreads a chagrined smile slow across her lips. It isn't even lopsided. She stays close. Doesn't whisper quite so much at first. "That's a terrible n' insensitive thing to say. Your aunt's a member of the lycan community, y'know. And are you sure they don't have a shower here? I know they're witches, but..." Her voice trails off into a whisper again.
Hanan whispered something to Quintessa.
Hanan said to Quintessa, "Okay, question: What happened to your shoes?"
Sidd looks up at the sky and shakes his fist, "Hear that, Fate, ya jerk! Leave this poor woman alone! No takesies backsies, or else!" The man grins like a goof, "I doubt it'll do much, but I tried." There was a sense of confusion that washed over the human as she spoke of a different faire. "The.. Arh-wut? Never heard of it!" Sidd says, laughing. "And ya don't gotta worry about that! Ain't met no archmage either, although I did go to meet some of those magii sorts in Xalious, but all the important people weren't there. So, like, you're part of the Mage's Guild? Oh, lucky day! Who do i gotta get a meetin' with when it comes to enchantments and gems and such?" With a nod of his head and a smile, Sidd confirmed Khitti's question. "Most of it. Showed up the mornin' of the second day, I think? These witches know how to throw a friggin' party. I think I only went back to the main land once to change my clothes after.. a... mishap on the ferris wheel. Long story, don't ask." Curious, he asks in turn, "What about you? I swear I've seen you here... in passing, maybe? Ya look a lil' familiar, but I don't think we've actually met."
Quintessa doesn't realize she's biting her bottom lip as Hanan whispers to her, a light laugh building up as she parts her lips to speak. "I'm afraid my goals aren't nearly as nefarious as you might've thought... But I'm not going to talk about that here." Her grip falls away from Hanan's shirt as she takes a moment to catch the breath she didn't realize she had lost. She looks down at her bare feet, still dirty from an entire weekend of partying around the island. "Oh that... I don't know. I kinda hate wearing shoes– and I know, that sounds weird coming from me but I ran around the Dark Forest barefooted most of my life. Shoes still feel a little... unnatural. I just decided not to wear them this weekend. It's my hat that I can't find... Oh well," She fixes the crown of wildflowers that has replaced it, "Guess it's my turn... Oh! Here's one that always gets me excited. When was the first time you killed someone?"
Khitti couldn’t help but laugh out loud a bit when Sidd shook his fist at the sky. “Yeah, that’ll teach them! Leave me alone, you jerks!” She chuckled a bit more, the laughter tapering off so she could speak again. “Arh’Nuk’s the big red moon up there,” she said, jerking a thumb in the sky’s direction. “You know, the one with all the weird writing on it. Some mages tend to like that one, so they named a faire after it in Xalious. It’s usually in the third quarter of the year, if the Archmage decides to hold it. Missed a year when there was a whole evil demi-god we were dealing with.” She shrugged. “Anyway. Depends on what sorts of enchantments and gems and whatnot you need. I’m good with enchantments that are done by runes. So when I need something, I etch or sew a rune into whatever material it is. I’ve got a decent knowledge of gems and such, from all the research I’ve done, but there might be someone better at it, depending on what you need. My daughter, Quintessa, the tall one that went on the ferris wheel a bit ago, might be better at that sort of thing. She’s also in the guild and tinkers with stuff way more than I do.” The redhead stretched a bit as she spoke, pale arms reaching high towards the sky for a moment. “And I’ve technically been on the island since two days ago. I just ended up staying in the witch sanctuary yesterday. I’m a solitary witch, so it was a nice change.” But then there’s that last question and she’s unsure how to go about it. “That’s because you met Khitt. It’s uh… complicated.” It was. Sort of. Talking about it might make Sidd’s head spin a bit like it had Meri’s. “I own the bakery in Cenril. Our apartment’s up above it.”
Hanan notices. She's a little fixated right now, okay? "What does everyone have against shoes around here?" Everyone is exactly two people, both tournament winners. Hanan is also not wearing shoes. She's a hypocrite. She also isn't very sneaky. Her arm spreading behind Tessa on the back of the bench is very obvious. It doesn't move when she's sputtering at a question again. "THAT gets you excited?! Gods, I..." She has to think about it. She pushes her lips to the side. "I was a duelist before I was a pirate. There was this thug... goin' after boss's property. I had a rapier and he didn't have a scrap of armor, came at me like he'd grab me, I ran him right through. And I was still really a kid, most of the force was just him fallin'. Hell of a thing." The blood had covered her hands. He didn't die right away. She remembered the guys coming up and clapping her on the back, saying they'd buy her drinks at the taverna. She threw up and cried herself to sleep. She let them buy her drinks the next day, though. Lots of drinks. She shakes the image off. She is here. Tessa. Ferris wheel. Hanan drums her fingers on the back of the bench. "What's the first fight you lost? Those are always more interesting than the wins."
Quintessa , as much as she tried to fight against her twisted nature, would always be a little bit different, and as she imagines Hanan's first kill with star-struck eyes it becomes clear there is something deeply wrong with her. "Oh my, there is quite nothing like the feeling of cutting through an unarmored opponent. As easy as cutting butter, mmm." When the subject of her loses comes up, she tilts her head to think. When was her first loss? "You mean my first tourney loss or the first fight I lost on the streets? Eh, I'll tell you about both. So there was this grave digger who used to hang around named Rinn, right? And I guess she didn't like me talking to her husband– even though I wasn't even interested in him. She beat my ass outside of a tavern one night and then everything was fine after that... The first time I lost in a tournament was against my own teacher, Kasyr. Not really a fair fight, if you ask me, but he knocked me out in the semi-finals." Now Quintessa was going to ask something invasive again, just to keep Hanan on her toes. "So how'd you get that anyway?" She motions to her Black Spot. "I want to help you with it but I admit I don't quite understand its origin."
Sidd looked up into the sky once again as he exclaims, "Oh! So, they both have names! Well that's pretty cool. And for real? You guys fought a demi-god?! Certified badasses, or what? Hopefully nothin' stops that faire this year, because honestly, these kinda shindigs have been a blast." As Khitti explained her role regarding enchantments and gems, he took a genuine interest, his gaze never leaving hers until she pointed over to Quintessa - someone he'd come to know over recent months. "Whoa. You're her mother?! You don't look old enough to be here mother, " he said, all flattering-like. "Okay, rad. I'll have to definitely talk business with one of ya soon, because I got some needs regarding a gift a mate gave me." Sidd flagged down someone passing along with a fresh round of drinks, pointing to one of those really good glowy green drinks he'd become familiar with the prior evening. With a big smile and a thank you to the refreshment lady, he turned his attention back to khitti, "So, you're a witch too, then? That's cool. I didn't even know there was a sanctuary for witches on the island! Then again, I really haven't left the faire grounds either, so..." Khitti's revelation of Khitt and the bakery seemed to already make his head spin, so he asked, "Wait. What? How did you know about Khitt." Sidd got a closer look at Khitti and something lit up in his gaze - although, his assumption was pretty off the mark. "Whoa! Are you two related? he said his friend owned the bakery, but you look like you could pass for his sister! By the way, big fan of your bakery, because holy craaaap, the food is so good. Khitt took me there the other day!"
Hanan looked at Quintessa.
Hanan snickers. "I can't imagine why she'd worry about her husband around you." Which isn't fair in the least. "Sometimes folks just need to punch it out. And yeah, I don't see Kas as a man who fights fair." That probably also isn't fair, but Hanan is a woman of Opinions and Not Shutting Up About Them. "Then again, who does? You have a pet sword. You ever have to walk it? That's not my question." She hasn't even answered Tessa's yet. Her face darkens at the mention of the spot, and she looks down at it reflexively. "It's an old pirate thing. They give you a black spot on a piece of paper. It's a warning. Sometimes it means leave town or we'll kill you, sometimes it means we're killing you so get your affairs in order. It's usually not... physical. I'm still not sure how..." She glances over her shoulder--they're still too high up to have an evesdropper, too many screaming kids and the like, but she drops to a whisper anyway.
Hanan whispered something to Quintessa.
Khitti || “It does! The green and white moon is called Valaane,” Khitti said, happy to be able to show off her knowledge a bit. “And well it wasn’t just the Mage’s Guild, but several of them. The Necromancer’s Guild--which is me and Khitt’s--and the Devout’s and Warrior’s Guilds as well. It was a joint effort. You should see the tree it was turned into. Can’t miss it in Vailkrin’s cemetery.” The redhead shifted her attention towards the ferris wheel, though she’s long since lost track of which dangling cabin her daughter and the vampirate had taken for themselves. “Quintessa’s my adopted daughter. I am definitely not old enough to have a twenty-something for a child,” she said with a chuckle. “The three of us could meet up at some point? Wherever you’d like. That way we can figure out who can do what for you. Up to you though.” The redhead returned her olive-green line of sight on Sidd. “I am a witch. And I knew abou the sanctuary, but had never been there. I wasn’t really sure if they’d want solitary witches there or not. I’m sure Valrae would’ve made an exception, but still.” She shrugged, but then paused a little, as the conversation circled back again to the topic of Khitt. “Like I said, it’s… really complicated. It’s the sort of thing you’d probably need several drinks in order for me to explain it. Or an elixir to cure headaches. Or both. But, he and I are close. We’re not directly related, but there is definitely a reason for our similarities.” She was clearly pleased that he enjoyed the food at her bakery, and it showed when he mentioned it.
Quintessa 's expression turns grim for a moment in reaction to Hanan's words. She finally understands the purpose of the tattoo, but her dire outlook quickly evaporates as her mind seeks solutions to this problem. "That should be a good enough clue..." She responds, her tone hushed but not quite a whisper. "If only I could get my hands on one of the maps..." She shakes her head. An issue for another time. Now one of her scars was being pointed out as Hanan's finger traces over the one just under her hazel eye. She seems happy, she loves talking about her scars. "This one I got serving the Warrior's Guild. I commanded the Battle for Vigilanti Semper as multitudes of plant-like thralls clawed at our gates. From the battlements I shouted orders, using my magic to support the frontlines when I felt the trickle of teleportation magic near me. I turned to dodge just in time as one of Xicotl's lieutenants snuck up on me, wielding a jade katana that nearly took out my eye." Quintessa traces the scar all the way back to her left ear. "The same woman left me with this scar." She next points out her left arm, a scar starting at the hand cutting all the way down to her elbow. "Completely sliced my arm in twain... So you can say I've lost many fights, but I always win when it counts the most." Quintessa's mismatched eyes now scan Hanan, "What about you? You have any scars to show me?"
Sidd smiles as he makes a mental note of the names for both of the moons; The lattermost name something he'd heard on several occasions while he'd been staying here at the faire grounds. "Oh wow," he said, both brow lifted in surprise, "That serious, huh? Man, it looks like I kinda lucked out by taking an adventure a few years back. My stupid ass probably would've shown up and gotten killed. So, um, thanks to you and those that banished the thing into... a tree? Why a tree, exactly?" Vailkrin. Oh the memories he's made in Vailkrin. Given that he's become a bit braver in visiting the land of the dead, he might actually take a little trek out there some time and check this thing out. "Well that's coolI I almost adopted a kid once, but.. things kinda fell out with the mom and all, so..." He shrugs, quickly moving on so as to not make things quite so awkward. "But, yeah, I'd love to set up a meeting with you two, then. Like if you guys got offices or whatever, just gotta let me know when and where and I am so there!" Sipping on his glowy green drink, Sidd's recognized another name he'd recently come to know. Valrae. The blonde witch. The one who had a bit of a tiff with Lita last night. "I dunno, you'd think regardless of whether you are solitary or not, there'd be some klind of sisterly bond thing going on, yeah? Or at least, that's the sort of thing I'd always heard. Witches stick together or whatever. My knowledge of that whole thing is pretty lacking and relegated to, like, mostly fairy tales, so maybe I'm wrong." Sidd grins, reaching up to move an errant lock of blue that had falled out of place - he totally hasn't had time to really style it over the last couple of days. "Oh? Well, that's an idea sometime, if ya wanna. Drinks, or food or whatever, and ya can explain. or not, whatever." He offers, trying to play it cool. "Either way, Khitt's a cool cat. Real friendly sort. And I mean, he took me to a great place with food, so like, eternally in his debt." Extending a hand out of politeness, Sidd finally makes an attempt to introduce himself, "I'm Sidd, by the way. It's really nice to meet ya!"
Hanan follows the scars as Quintessa points them out. The one on her arm makes her wrinkle her nose. Ouch. "Hope she stopped breathin' soon after. That's worse than most. Must've been hell to put back together. Is it okay if I...?" If it is, she lightly traces the arm scar with her finger, letting out a low whistle. "I have a few. Pretty nasty one right under my left knee. Gave me a limp I still can't shake. And then there's the new scar where some bitch sliced my back open and got dragon's blood in the wound. That's gonna be a deep one. Most of the others I can't show off unless that ferris wheel attendant gets real lenient real fast." She glances back up at the taller woman and winks. "Right. This one." She points to a slash over her eye, thin and long healed. "One of my first duels. I got too flashy. Used to have a swishy red cape and everything. I was sayin' something clever, got too fancy with my guard, and he just clicked his sabre up and--" She makes a wooshing motion over her forehead. "No hard feelings, made me look like the real thing, and I know I'd look good with a patch if it came to that." Pause. "Don't get any ideas. My eyes are off the menu. Why the hell do you eat eyes, anyway?" Said the blood drinker.
Khitti shrugged. “Yeah it wasn’t too pleasant around here for a while. Lotsa zombies. I’m used to it, but not everyone is. And the tree just… sorta happened. A druid friend, Kailani, used her nature magic to hold it in place with these big roots. So I guess it just sorta mutated into that. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of that happening, to be honest. But the other instance wasn’t in Vailkrin.” Khitti pointed towards the food and drink tables. “You hungry? Or thirsty? Been a bit since I had a snack.” Khitti would lead him over there, where he’d obviously have the option to eat or not. She needed it though. Those honey cakes were gonna be the death of her. Along the way, she still kept the conversation going. “I’ll definitely let Tessa know then when she’s not batting her lashes at her friend anymore and we’ll set something up!” Once they got to the table, she scooped up a honey cake and devoured it pretty fast. Probably too fast for polite company. “Sure, we can definitely do that,” she said, with regards to the getting drinks elsewhere. “It’s just one of those things where it’s a lot to take in, if you weren’t there for it. And yeah, Khitt’s like that. A lot more sociable than I usually am. He likes being out and about with people and I’m usually shut up in a library somewhere with my nose in a book.” Making sure to wipe the stickiness of the cakes off--she just used her dress as a napkin like a heathen--she took up Sidd’s offered hand and shook it. “I’m Khitti. It’s nice to meet you too! And yes, me and Khitt’s names are similar too. More explanations for that story later.”
Quintessa nods her head, "Oh yes, she did. Remember I said my anger manifested into a curse when I was 15? Well similarly my pain transformed into a powerful, necrotic scream that stunned her long enough to turn the tides, even with one hand- don't be shy, you can touch it." She shifts closer so Hanan can trace it at her leisure. When she mentions the dragon-blood infected wound, Quintessa can only grin sheepishly in her defense. "Well... I suppose I'm glad I left my mark on you," she teases, similarly reaching out to touch the scar over Hanan's eye. "Oh, not even a little taste?" She grins that shark-like grin when the vampire brings up eating eyeballs. "I dunno, why does anyone eat their favorite food?" She leans her head back, not quite satisfied with the answer she had given. "That's not entirely true... I think it has to do with when I was a kid. You see, my father wouldn't feed me much... and if I stole food from him he'd beat me, but I quickly found out that if I ate the eyes of the animals he hunted, he never noticed. I started to look forward to eating those squishy little things and I guess I never grew out of it." Quintessa frowns as the ferris wheel begins to bring them back to the earth. "I uh... think I want to pause our little game of questions for now, if that's okay with you." Something about answering that last one stirred up bad memories, like finally realizing something that should have been obvious all along. She forces a smirk, "I'm probably going to go find that shower."
Hanan , unlike most, really has gone nose to snout with a shark before. She looks back up when she feels Tessa's finger on her forehead and gets an eyeful of teeth and hears those words about getting taste. She gulps, visibly. Clearly isn't a dealbreaker though. It's... Interesting. "That's... Why are fathers such bastards?" She doesn't elaborate. She's actually rather surprised when she sees how near the gondola is to the ground. "You're welcome to it. Don't leave any listenin' devices, please." She scratched the back of her neck. "...and let me know if you want a ride back to Vhys after all this. It's slower than hoverin' I'm sure, but..." Her voice trails off. "I'm goin' to go around again. Maybe might actually see the view this time. Say Meow to your mom for me?"
Sidd did not hesitate to follow along when Khitti highlighted the food and drink tables, a bright, chipper grin leading the charge. "Huh, that's actually pretty neat. The fact that there's another insance of this happening kinda makes me nervous about settling down, permanently. Like, can these things just not keep happenings, please," he says in regard to the whole tree incident. Sidd seems to get a little giddy at the prospect of moving forward with the plan to meet with the two members of the Mage Guild, but almost instantly forgets about it as soon as they reach the snack table. He was no stanger to the delectible treats on display, having been sampling things throughout the days he's been spending here. When Khitti practically inhaled that honey cake, Sidd's eyes widened and he let loose a bit of laughter as he said, "Oh my. You really were hungry, huh? That cake didn't even stand a chance!" He didn't want to make her feel like he was picking on her his comment, so he instantly reached for a cakelog and damn near jammed the whole thing into his face with a stupid grin. He could do it too! "Ah, a bookworm, eh? That's cool! Funny story, before I became, like, the eccentric pain-in-the-ass that I am, I used to be the quiet type. Loved to read and learn, and whatnot. Then adolescence hit and I kinda broke my brain with rot." Thankfully Khitti had wasted no time in putting the kibosh on the name thing, saving him some time from having to prod further into their story. instead, for now, he would focus on her, "So Khitti, when you're not running a fantastic little bakery, or stickin' your nose into books, what sort of things do you get up to? What is it that ya like to do around... well, wherever ya hang out most?"
Quintessa sighs as the gondola reaches the bottom and the attendant slowly opens the door for her, a shrug offered at the question about bastard fathers. "I don't know what he bargained for from the night hag that birthed me but... I must have been such a disappointment when she left me at his doorstep." She smiles with bitter resentment on the tip of her tongue. "But he's dead now." She steps out of the ferris wheel and stretches as she turns back to give Hanan a few last words before she leaves. "I'd love a ride home. I won't mess with anything on your ship, I promise." She waves goodbye with a wiggle of her fingers over her shoulder as she walks away, "Catch you later." Before she heads out, however, she stops to say goodbye to Khitti, trying not to interrupt her and Sidd's conversation as she places her head on her mother's shoulder, waiting for a moment to speak. "Hey I- I'm gonna turn in early tonight, okay? Staying up drinking for three days straight is making my brain all shriveled." She flashes a smirk at Sidd next, "You should think about doing the same. I'm surprised you've been keeping up with us witches. Anyway- I'll see both of you later." And with that, if there was nothing more to be said, Quintessa would head west to search for Hanan's ship.
Quintessa said to Khitti, "Oh... And Hanan says 'meow'. She wanted me to tell you."
Khitti smirked at Sidd as she picked up a glass of her new favorite honey lavender lemonade with whiskey. “The other instance happened several years ago, for what it’s worth. It wasn’t a full scale thing like with the demi-god. I think it’s still safe to settle down though. Every region’s got its issues and there’s always someone that’ll be there to deal with them.” Of course, she was in the middle of taking a drink when the blue-haired dude decided to point out how quickly she inhaled the cake, and almost choked on said drink. Swallowing the whiskey-lemonade like a normal person, with a bit of difficulty, she just grinned innocently at him. “I’d say that I wolfed it down, but I’m no lycan.” And then she finger-gunned at him with her free hand because she’s an idiot. “Used to be worse when I was a vampire. I’d eat sweets left and right. It was great because I didn’t gain an ounce. But now? I gotta actually work to get rid of it. Perks of knowing Khitt, I guess, he’s a pro at the whole working out and training thing.” She took another sip as he asked more questions. “Well, I like long walks through the cemetery. I go to the actual Plane of Shadows like it’s my second home. I like to set things on fire now and then, whether it’s someone’s house or big bad evil guys that get in the way. And I’m also the lead singer and leader of the band The Sound of Sirens,” she said, her voice a little more perky sounding than usual. “I go pretty much anywhere, both on the mainland and Rynvale Island. What about you?”
Khitti looked towards Tessa as she approached to bid her farewell for now. The changeling’s hesitation in her words elicited a faint frown from Khitti. Something seemed off. More than just maybe her being hungover and exhausted. It only seemed obvious though because Khitti was often in that same state. “Alright, you be good,” she said to her daughter with a faint smile. “And we gotta talk here pretty soon. Sidd here wants some things taken care of. Enchantments and whatnot.” She nodded in the blue-haired human’s direction. “And be careful. The island’s still kinda dangerous.” Khitti definitely has her mom voice on for that.
Khitti said to Quintessa, "Hanan's gonna wake up with cat scratches all over her face one day."
Hanan shakes her head. "Good. F--" It's an island, so there's seagull noise. "--'im." She fights the urge to get off the bench and smirks back instead. "See you." Soon after Tessa steps off, the wheel starts turning again. Hanan bends down, grabs the glass of whiskey she'd put on the floor, and takes a sip. Tessa, her mom, the weird blue haired guy and the rest get smaller, and the sky gets bigger. She's a damn fool for not following the necromancer to that ship. She's a damn fool for getting on this ferris wheel. She's a damn fool for knocking on that office door in Vhys a couple weeks ago. She takes a sip. "I'm in danger. Heh."
Joan wanders back in the the evening time of the faire's fourth day. Seeing a couple new games set up Joan would head to them. Maybe this time she will actually win at one of them. The bee cup game is the first she comes upon. Tapping her icy index finger against her puckered lip she would watch the blue cups go around before pointing towards one. The one she pointed to the young witch would lift up the blue cup, Upon lifting the cup, a small bee buzzes happily and lifts into the air to sing you a song, before buzzing back home. The witch smiles at you, and thanks you for participating, "I'm sorry but the gods' blessing hadn't reached you today." Joan sighs as she nods she at least got something as the young witch handed over the five hundred gold coins to the vampiric healer. "Thank you, it was entertaining" Joan said to the witch before moving on to the flower crown ring toss.
Sidd feigns a sigh of relief when the relative safety of the land is mentioned, but gets caught up in her near choking and winds up laughing instead of making a comment as she cracks her little pun. The finger-gun was a total bonus, to which he would retort by pointing at her and saying, "Eeeeeh!" Equal idiocy! "Whoa whoa whooooooa. Wait up. Used to be a vampire? USED to be?! How does that work? I always thought that once you're bitten, that's it, game over man. You can actually come back from that?!" Looking down at himself, Sidd remarks, "Honestly, I'm surprised I ain't puttin' on the pounds. I looooove to eat. Thank gawd for manual labour." A cheeky grin as he takes a sip of his own drink, listening with great interest to her hobbies. "Oooh. One of them spooky types, huh? Can't say i've taken too many walks through any cemeteries, but I definitely hike my ass between Cenriil and Xalious a lot. Um. What's the Plane of Shadows? That sounds ominous. And Whoa! A musician?!" Sidd seemed to mirror her more perky side, perhaps even delving into the realm of excitement, "Way too cool. Actually, I do a bit of guitar playin' and singing, myself. Although, not like, in a band or nothin'. Mostly for myself. Otherwise my days are spent workin' contruction in Cenril, explorin' the lands surrounding, and annoying you fine folk across Lithrydel. Been debating on gettin' me a house out in Rynvale, though. Kinda fell in love with the Island during my last stay." Sidd smiles and gives Tessa a little wave before she heads out. "I'll sleep when i'm deeead! Take care, you!"
Joan offers a smile to the blonde wood elf in charge of the flower crown ring toss, as the elf hands over three flower crowns Joan would look each over with mild interest. The first one looked in good enough shape, with that Joan would say a wish over this crown and send it through the air on a hope and a soft wind. It skips across the ring of red bottles and is caught by a blue one. Not too bad! Joan won a prize! The second one was not in the best shape and Joan would frown as she toos it in hand, with a loud exhale of breath she sends it towards the bottles. This one circles one of the clear glass bottles. Joan won no prize, but rest assured the flower crown will be remade by the hands of loving volunteers and she was still welcomed to make one of her own! Taking the third and last one in hand it looked in the same sad shape as the one before. again she sends it with a flick of her wrist towards the bottle targets. it circles one of the clear glass bottles. Once again Joan won no prize, she gave it her best shot at the very least. With a nod of thanks to the young blonde wood elf Joan would move towards the snack table to eat her disappointment away!
Joan picked up 1 Chocolate Bundt Cake.
Joan drank 1 Blackberry Flavored Water.
Joan ate 1 Chocolate Bundt Cake.
Joan ate 1 Cherry Cheese Danish.
Khitti couldn’t help but laugh as Sidd mirrored her faux stupidity. “I, uh, went on this big long quest for a few ingredients. Eventually died. And the spell brought me back. Wound up in the Cenril harbor with amnesia and the vague memory that a mermaid saved me. That was years ago though,” the witch said, taking another sip. “Yeah, I’m the same way. If you go back to the bakery, you can tell them I said you can have whatever for free! I do that with a lot of people, so it’s no big deal. Somehow we still manage to make money despite it, heh. You should try the carrot cake. It’s my trademark baked good. I make it from a recipe passed down through my family.” The redhead finished off her lemo-whiskey and set the glass aside in the area for discarded dishes and drinkware. “Spooky is a good word for it. Morbid too. You should try it sometime! It’s nice and relaxing. People sometimes do picnics too.” She tapped her chin. “If you’re going back and forth that much, you should get a mount of some sort. That’s definitely a lot of walking you’re doing! And, the Plane of Shadows is another plane of existence. There’s different ones for different elements, but that one’s specifically for shadows and dark magic.” He went on to talk about his hobbies and whatnot and she listened to it all carefully. “Always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I know how to play the violin but I mostly just do it during shows now. And you should get a house there if that place makes you happy! It’s not too bad there. I like the Fog Forest. You just gotta be careful about all those seaborn though.” Khitti peered up at the sky, noting the time of day. “I should probably head back to the witch sanctuary soon…”
Sidd seemed quite surprised when she spoke of being resurrected, his jaw partially agape as he uttered the word, "Wow..." He had so many questions! However, she had to go and become, like, the greatest person ever when she offered to allow him to partake from her restaurant for free. "What? No way. I can't! You know, we're gonna have to totally be friends now, 'cause I mean, that is just such a fabulous gesture. You seem really nice! Honestly, I can see how ya stay in business despite the freebies given out. My visit with Khitt was amazing. Yeah, I'll definitely pop in and give the carrot cake a try. Thank you!" Sidd wasn't long downing the rest of his glowy green delight, quickly grabbing another to replace it with. After all, he was here to party hard and keep up with his hosts! "I can only imagine having a picnic in a cemetery! You're wild- but I dig it." A chuckle escaped, "Actually, you know what? That's a damn good idea. Somehow it never even crossed my mind. Would so save on travel time." Regarding the Plane of Shadows, he lifts a brow, "Huh. yeah, I'm gonna probably avoid stepping foot in there. last time I went to some part realm place, I almost died, so, I think i'll stay where there's a bit of sunlight." Sidd smiles thoughtfully as he say, "Violin? That's pretty cool! We should totally play together sometime! We could probably jam for fun, or whatever. Especially if I get my place, 'cause I'll definitely be having a room specifically for playin' music." As Khitti looked up at the sky and spoke of her coming departure, Sidd actually frowned a little, because he was having a pretty nice time. Still, he understood that not everyone could be out until all hours of the night like he was, so he turned that frown upside down and nodded. "Ah, that's a shame. But, still, it was nice to meet ya. I really appreciate the convo. We'll definitely have to get together sometime - both for the meeting with Tessa, and just to hang out. I'm so dying to find out about that connection between you and Khitt!"
Khitti grinned at Sidd. “Yes we can be friends, and yes we can probably have a jam session!” It was not often Khitti actually made a friend lately. When he frowned though, so did she. “I will try to be back tomorrow. No promise though. And we’ll definitely have to hang out soon!” Khitti took up a last drink and honey cake for the road, and gave him a wave as she headed in the direction of the sanctuary. “See you soon!”
Khitti exited to the west.
Joan waits for Khitti to finish speaking with Sidd as she eats a few more tasty nibbles, she would look towards the Farris wheel and watch it go around with what looked like the pirate lass in one of the seats. She would offer a wave towards Hanan if the other vampire managed to catch her wave of greeting.
Sidd watches Khitti heads off before taking a moment to gaze around the faire for something else to do. He would finally spy Joan, offering a friendly wave.
Joan moves over to Sidd as he notices her the vampiric healer offering him a smile, "Been having a good time?" She asked.
You nods enthusiastically, his eyes wandering about as he sips his drink, "Yeah, for the most part! Lots of interesting folk that pass though here. Gonna be kinda bummed when the festivities end, honestly." His cobalt gaze shifts to settle on Joan, "How about you? How've you been making out?"
Joan shrugs as she idly scratches at the side of her temple. "Decent enough, I mean I seem to suck at all the offered games. but there is no helping that."
You laughs out loud and gently taps Joan's shoulder with his fist. "I hear that! I haven't had much luck at any of the games, myself. Although, it's been pretty fun trying to win. I'm mostly here for the drinkin' and dancin' anyway. Been a good while since I was able to party it up!"
Joan would offer a kind chuckle to her friend as she gives him a knowing look, "Had any luck with any of the witches yet, hm?" She gave him a sly wink.
You , with pursed lips and the shake of his head, chuckles softly, "No idea about the first night, 'cause I got black out wasted, but for the most part - nada. Outside of the occasional flirting, these ladies are waaaay too smart to fall for my charms. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having fun trying!" The end of his glowy green drink is downed and he sets the empty cup upon a nearby table. "I hear tomorrow's got a wicked custume party and big dance or something, so maybe if I stash my mug behind a mask, I'll have better luck!"
Joan now giggles to her friend as she thought about that image of Sidd hiding his face behind a mask. Changing his personality to fit in. "Nah son, it is better to stand out and be yourself. I like you that way honestly." She admits while taking another of those blackberry flavored water drinks up and sips at it as she looks about the faire to see if anyone else she and Sidd knew would show up.
Sidd grabs the collar of his shirt and stands all proud-like, his own grin shining a spotlight on the playfulness of his words, "Well yeah! Never gonna apologize for being my fabulous self! I was just thinking, ya know, seeing as it's a costume event anyway - do as the witches do." His grin softens into a smile as he adds, "But I appreciate the sentiment. You're fab, Joan." Sidd waves down another of the passing refreshment fillers, snagging himself yet another green glowy drink. Tomorrow might be a rough one.
Joan tilts her neck slightly as she eyes Sidd now, "What is this I am hearing about you and the Faire wheel? " She grins now in good humor she had to know what happened with her small group of friends while she had to go do adulting stuff.
Sidd's hand immediately smacked himself in the face, index and thumb massaging his closed eyes. The unspeakable incident! "Oh man..." he groaned, as the horrible flashes of that morning played out in his head. "I wanna say that it wasn't my fault, but, I was the dumbass that decided to drink whisky the night before. Long story short is that my fear of heights, mixed with a massive hangover, and an errant wiener that did not smell appetizing whatsoever, may have resulted in someone getting a little sick." Sidd winces as he mutters, "Oh man.. mac.. lita.. Tessa.. I'm soo sorry.." He cringes entirely as he has a flashback to the sounds of screaming, "Oh my gawd.. those poor.. poor children below..." Once more reliving the embarrassment, Sidd takes a deep drink of his beverage and finishes with, "Needless to say, I'm officially banned from the Ferris wheel and am lucky to even be allowed back at the fairgrounds."
Joan puffs out her cheeks as she muffles her laughing shriek, she even slaps at her knee as she gasp out, "Oh no you didn't, did you?! Oh mu gods Sidd...ahahaha!" She laughs fully now.
Sidd 's brows lift, making his eyes a little wide and full of shame as he chuckles, "Yep. I so did. So, I've banned myself off of whiskey from now on. Well. When in the presence of fun faires and such." He smirks, winking at her.
Joan makes a effort to sober up as she points out to the green absinthes Sidd has been throwing back and enjoying. "You do know those make you hallucinate, yes?" She offers a light pat to Sidd's shoulder.
Sidd grins, his relaxed gaze revealing that he was starting to feel a bit of a buzz, "Oooh yeah. Why do you think I switched to these, rather than the whiskey. Waaaay more fun." Given that it was supposed a day of reprieve, there wasn't quite as much going on in the way of festivities tonight. Sure, there were still people out and about, being merry and enjoying their time, but it was a much more laid-back experience than the days before. Since he'd been going non-stop for three days, Sidd found himself suddenly filled with a heavy exhaustion, his energy levels plummeting as his body began to show the signs of wear and tear, as well as a severe lack of sleep. 'Huh, maybe Quintessa was right', he thought to himself. He hated to be a quitter, but seeing as tomorrow would be a final sendoff, Sidd thought that he might do better with a little rest so that he can giv'r hell when things kicked off the next day. "oh man, I don't mean to cut and run, but I think I'm gonna crash, Joan. I didn't realize how hard it would be trying to keep up with the witchy folk." Sidd removes the flower crown he'd been wearing, and slings one arm around the woman's shoulder to give her a friendly squeeze. "I'll see ya tomorrow for the big party, yeah? Get some rest when ya can. I'll catch ya soon." Sidd smiles and offers a last little wave, before setting down his drink and heading off to one of the lodging tents before his body had a chance to collapse right there in the dirt.
Joan watches as her blue mohawked friend take his leave for the evening, she offered a bob and wave to anyone else she might have known and most likely passed as she left to go do adulting stuff again.
Day 5
Sidd had been up since the wee hours of the morning. He’d gone to bed much earlier than any other night during his stay at the faire, allowing him to get the rest his body craved. All that alcohol and partying had really taken its toll - although, today was a new day, which meant that, now refreshed, he was ready to push himself to his limits all over again. Sidd managed to get himself cleaned up, throwing on a pair of shorts, as well as a tank top and vest that allowed his colorful tattoo sleeves to be on display in all their glory. His hair, laying flay and slicked backward, was hidden by a featureless mask that he’d manage to snag from one of the nearby witches in preparation for the festivities this evening. Many people seemed to already be out and about in costumes, making the whole affair feel like a spooky masquerade party. Sidd was wandering along the main path, checking out the games on display for the afternoon, as well as occasionally eyeing the additional hedge maze that had popped up this morning - he made a mental note that he was so wanting to check that out later.
Daisy yawns widely as she makes her way through the crowds. Her food consumption greatly outweighs her alcohol intake, so there really isn't ever chance of a hangover for her. Good thing she likes to dance, or them calories would really add up! What to do today... What to do. What to do. What to- Sidd! Three days in a row! What a treat for the little kitten. She grins and runs right up to take his hand. "Do you want to play?"
Sidd has become a lot less jumpy during his stay here - what with having been grabbed and whisked off for fun and adventure a few times already, so when Daisy grabbed his hand, his gaze merely dropped and he smiled brightly. "Oh! Sup, Daisy?! How're ya today? Um, yeah, sure! Whatcha wanna play?" Seeing as they weren't far from a refreshment table, Sidd casually leaned over and grabbed himself a drink - surprisingly it was only water - and waited for Daisy to lead the way to whatever it is that she wanted to do.
Daisy is thrilled Sidd wants to go with her! Games are so much fun with friends. "The witches are dancing." She pulls him along to the open area and just watches a moment. They are so beautiful, dancing in their glitter masks in the sun. The little druid releases Sidd's hand to go spin with them in their circle, making the women break character a moment. The two blue witches and one red witch conceal their colors and turn to blend with the others, gliding through the lights. Daisy backs away, trying to remember which one was the red witch. Ooooh, but the masks are so shiney. "We have to pick one, Sidd!"
Sidd laughs out loud when Daisy joins the fray, cheering on her spinning and dancing like the instigator that he is. "That's right Daisy, show'em how it's done!" Sidd tried his best to keep his eye on the red witch, or at least who he thought the red witch happened to be, because all of the spectacular lights and distractions, as well as the fluid movements of their dancing was a tad hard to follow. In fact, it was actually a bit dizzying! Once the witches had lined up, Sidd looked at each very carefully, totally forgetting which witch he'd even been tracking. So, he points one out at random - "That one." Sadly, when the witch revealed what lie beneath her cloak, he'd find neither a red, nor blue dress. "Aw maaaan." You lets Sidd pick first to narrow her selection down, but they start dancing again! They're all mixed up and posed so prettily there in a row like ladies who sing about Greek gods. "Ummm. You?" A blue is revealed and the crowd claps while she steps aside to let Daisy pick again. Of course she didn't pay enough attention. She tries again and completely fails this time. Sad day! The witches spin in their dance again, but not before handing Daisy a pair of flowers as a consolation prize. The kitten beams the ray she is and offers one to Sidd. "Another game?" You gave 1 daisy to Sidd.
Khitti appeared from the west.
Sidd laughs, "Ah man, so close!" Once he made a gesture of 'heart hands' at the masked witches to show no love lost, Sidd happily takes the flower from Daisy. He tucks the delicate little thing behind his ear, secured in place by the strap of the mask that was still situated on the top of his head. "Danke, lovely! Yeah, sure, whatcha wanna play next?!" he asked, excitedly.
Daisy looks around the stalls and taps a claw to her chin. There's a rumbling over there that catches her eye. Er. Ear. "Maybe that one?" She points and drags him by the hand along to the bumblecups. Cup. There seems to be only one bee. If Daisy wins this, she's naming it Yoncé. "You pick first!"
The stroll from the witch sanctuary today was a leisurely one for Khitti as she headed back up towards the faire. Dressed in yet another one of her favorite sleeveless, knee-length dresses (this one a navy blue with large sunflowers on it) and accompanied by a large dark blue parasol, she’d stand there and watch the may pole dancers for some time, once she finally arrived on the fairegrounds.. It really was entrancing. She was tempted to join, but as she’s never done it before, she didn’t want to mess up the flow of their dancing. So, she was content to watch until she wasn’t, which is when she made a beeline to the food and drink tables again. Look, she obviously knows it’s from her own bakery, but she’s failed to eat breakfast with the other witches all three days that she’s attended! So, this time, instead of honey cakes, she opted for a plate of a few different kinds of muffins, and some peppermint tea, and found a seat in the grass to people-watch while she ate her extremely late breakfast. Khitti also made sure her back was to the sun, and the parasol propped up in such a way that it would block her from the sun’s rays. Calista appeared from the west.
Sidd eeps ass he's dragged on over tot he Bee in a Cup game - something he wasn't too keen on trying, exactly. Playfully, he would put on a bit of a mock protest, raising his hands as he exclaimed, "No! Not the bees! Not the beeeees!" With a smirk, Sid resigns himself to giving the game a shot at Daisy's behest. "Alright.. let's see..." Picking a cup, he lets the booth attendant lift it, producing a tiny little cute bee. However, Sidd wouldn't quite think so, slightly recoiling as it flew up - he was not one for flying insects. "Close!" he says with a chuckle. Looking about, he blue-haired man catches sight of a familiar face, a new friend, and he promptly waves at her with a smile.
Calista pops out from behind a shadowy stall. She's pretty sure she's figured out how most of this works, but more data never hurts. Except if that data is a wrench, cuz getting hit with one of those often hurts. She spies a cleared off area where people seem to be playing an inverted version of Blind Orc's Bog. The goblin sits on the sidelines to watch the game and cheer for the contestants.
Daisy passes the pretty Khitti in her pretty dress and waves with a smile on her way to the beecup game. "You can play too!" Because it seems Daisy thinks folks need her permission to have fun at a faire. Well. They don't, kitten! They can do what they want at any time! So you just buzz on with your vain self. Sidd picks and gets close, but no cigar. Okay. You got this one. Druid powers combine! Com... with what? Yourself? Just pick, hm? An ear bends this way and that, trying to decide which cup to pick. The booth witch lets the kitten take her time. "That one, please." The cup is lifted and the glorious harmony of 'aaaahhh'-ing fills the air with cheers of congratulations. She got the golden bee!
Khitti carefully peeled apart the double chocolate chip muffin on her plate, going after the parts with least amount of chocolate chips first, so that she could save the best ones (ie: the ones with all the chocolate chips) for last. She’s very meticulous about this and almost didn’t see Sidd’s wave in her direction. Thankfully, he’s got that bright blue hair that she managed to catch out of the corner of her eye as she was stuffing that muffin into her facehole. Ah, going for two days now of Khitti embarrassing herself while eating. Good. Yes. The redhead stopped mid-swallow, almost choking on the baked good, her face getting super red--almost as red as her hair--though anyone passing by is rather unsure if she’s -actually- choking or if she’s just flustered at being caught. After a moment’s fight with the muffin, Khitti managed to swallow it finally and wave back to Sidd, then quickly took a drink of her peppermint tea. She was half tempted to turn away from that part of the faire, and eventually did, now facing the parasol so that people might not spy her eating anymore.
Calista hears glorious harmony where there used to could be not-harmony, and turns her head to look. "Bees," she says. "That's nice. Bees deserve recognition once in a moon, or more often to be fair. Bee faire. Is that what this is? Perhaps. . ." She returns to her important thoughts of deep consideration. Bees and games of tag. There's some deep connection, for sure.
Khitti also managed to give Daisy a wave as well and a thumbs up, as she was once again eating and couldn't say anything at the moment. There's also a forced, but not unkind smile to go along with it all.
Sidd eyes Khitti carefully, noting the redness in her face as he'd caught her off guard. His worry of her well being was most assuredly eased as she seemed to swallow and take a drink of her tea, laughing then to himself when she whipped that parasol around to obscure her need to unabashedly devour that tasty-looking muffin. When Daisy made the big win, Sidd's attention turned over just in time to see the golden bee whizz by his face, and he stumbled backward, landing on his ass (not as, this time ;) ) with a big, "WHOA!" Laughing at his own misfortune, Sidd grins like a dope at Daisy, "Winner winner, chicken dinner! You cheated, didn't ya? All that superior hearing and whatnot." Of course, he wasn't actually accusing the poor girl of anything nefarious - it was just him ribbing her for his own amusement. Calista is regarded with smile as he comments, "Yeah, well, I'd like to recognize that they keep to themselves and not get all up in my personal space with all that flitterin' and buzzin'!"
Khitti finished off her plate of baked goods and set the plate aside for now. Instead of getting up, she laid down on the grass, the parasol still fixed over her to keep the sun out of her eyes. And there, she’d take a bit of a cat nap, at least for a little bit.
Daisy can't believe her luck! She hardly wins anything at all! That luck seems to bee changing for the better! She giggles and pounces Sidd. "You'll get a prize." She kisses his nose and moves so she can hold both hands out to help him up. "Maybe we can make a wish?"
Calista gives Sidd an absent nod. "That which buzzes tends to flit, and with those wings it shall not sit upon unwilling shoulders where it fins itself unwelcome there." There's so much energy and noise and jovial shouts, that much of Calista's thoughts are clouds. She watches the witches play and dance, then hunt for bees. One cup, one chance. And then, the flower kitty won!!! A stream of merriment, chaos, and fun. But there's a secret here worth knowing, and is the grisly reaper mowing? Wait, we need to focus. Mental fog dismisses. There's also a tree covered in wishes.
Sidd let's out an "Oh gawd!" as he's pounced, his grin wide and full of joy with the kiss to his nose. "Yeah, sure, if that's what ya wanna do! I mean, I already got one on there, but maybe I can sneak another one in and see if them 'Gods' will hook me up with a lil' something-something extra." Taking both of Daisy's hands, Sidd is quickly up and back on his feet, dusting the rear end of his shorts from the bit of dirt and grass he'd gathered in his fall. "You ever done one of these before?" he asked with a smile. Sidd flashes Calista an odd look, not quite knowing how to respond to those cryptic words, exactly. So, he just kind of smiles and says, "yes, exactly!" As he and daisy passed by Khitti on the way to the wishing tree, Sid chuckled to himself as he admires her ability to just drop and have a nap with little care, saying only, "Brilliant idea. Gonna need that rest for the festivities tonight!"
Daisy is very excited to make her wish! She tugs Sidd along, right towards Tessa. "We're going to make a wish! Do you want to come?"
Sidd offers a friendly wave to Tessa as they continue on their way to the Hawthorn Tree, chuckling with Daisy's invite to bring her along. Not that he cared, of course. He was always down with more people to hang with. Despite having already made his wish a couple nights back, Sidd was already thinking of something new to ask for - because he was pretty damn sure that his initial wish was one that was not going to be granted in this lifetime.
Hanan is in a hammock strung between two trees along the edge of the festival--one of several, apparently some folks preferred the open air to tents--and sound asleep in complete disarray. One wouldn't know she were there if not for her snoring, a single bare tan arm sticking out of the fabric and her belongings on the ground beneath: one bottle of whiskey and a wooden pegleg, partially obscured by what appears to be her tropical flower shirt. She's still decent, at least physically. At one point she must have put on her white bikini top, the one with little blue anchors on it, and she does, at least, have her pants on. She's thoroughly PG-13, and utterly unconscious.
Daisy is so very glad she has someone fun to spend the day with. While she is perfectly fine wandering about on her own, festivals like these just seem to be so much more exciting when there's friends. Staying close to Sidd so he doesn't lose her in the crowd, they make their way to the blooming hawthorn tree. So many ribbons already! She hopes all their wishes come true. But what to wish for? She takes the quill and ribbon offered and taps the quill on her cheek. What do you want, kitten? She spots the sleeping Hanan over there and smiles softly. Anchors. Who doesn't love a pirate? She looks back at her ribbon and scribbles a wish for the sleeping lady to have a good leg she is happy with to fix the one she is missing. Her quill is handed back to the witch and her ribbon is held out to Sidd. "Will you help, please? I can't reach."
Quintessa has been spending the majority of the morning and afternoon preparing for the Night of Shadows, donning a disguise to honor the Red Witch. A rich, crimson cloak flows behind her as she returns to the festival, lightweight in the tropic air but enough to cover her bare shoulders. Underneath this cloak she wears a black and red floral corset with a matching skirt, with knee-length boots as black as her raven hair- Which has tied back tightly in a Vailkrinese Updo. To conceal her heterochromia, one of her most recognizable features, Quintessa has placed an eyepatch over her left eye, hiding the sickly yellow of her reptilian optic. Technically a disguise, but purposely poor enough of one that people would still recognize her. As she walks by, Quintessa cannot help but stop to look up at the hawthorn tree, scanning all the colorful ribbons before her gaze lingers on her own, pale green ribbon dancing in the wind.
Sidd :: As they passed those sleeping in hammocks, the loud snoring most assuredly caught Sidd’s attention. He glances over, trying not to laugh out loud at the woman with the peg leg - of whom he’d recognized as soon as he spotted the shirt and bit of wood poking out. “Rough night.” he commented to Daisy as they passed, bobbing his head in Hanan’s direction. When they finally made it to the table that preceded the Hawthorn Tree, Sidd greeted the waiting witches with pleasantries, taking up a quill and ribbon to write his wish upon it. While his first wish was a more sentimental affair, this time he was just going to ham it up for fun, writing in all capitals, “MORE MONEY PLEASE.” Setting aside the quill and thanking the witches, Sidd makes his way over to the tree and ties his ribbon, smiling down at Daisy when she asked for help. ”Huh? Oh yeah. I guess it’s kinda hard when you’re vertically challenged, eh?” he teased, playfully. Taking Daisy’s ribbon, Sidd ties it around a lower branch in a pretty little bow. Suddenly an urge hit Sidd, because he’d been drinking water all morning like a fish. “Uh oh, gotta drain the lizard,” he said. It suddenly dawned on him that Daisy might not exactly know what that meant, because she seemed like the pure innocent type, so he explained, “Sorry, I mean, i gotta use the facilities. Back in a jiffy!” He hated to ditch Daisy like that, but he reeeeeeeally had to go.
Daisy watches her ribbon get tied with a smile. She doesn't know anything about removing liquids from reptiles, but facilities she understands. Sometimes folks have to be a place. "Thank you." She waves happily at him while spotting Tessa right away. Maybe she didn't stay up so late last night because she looks stunning! Only a few skips away, the kitten finds herself right there by her friend. "Do you have a wish?"
~~
Quintessa might have spotted Hanan creeping up on Sidd, and decided to keep him busy by continuing their conversation. "Oh my, Sidd, murder? Picking on innocents? What kind of person do you take me for?" She feigns offense at his words. Her question is rhetorical. It doesn't really matter though, because before he can answer Hanan scares him enough to find him sprawled out on his bum. Unfortunately there is nothing Quintessa can do to contain her laughter.
Sidd's outburst rocks Calista out of her dangerously circular thoughts. "Oh, what happened? Sweet hell? That's a new one." She eyes the sky and realizes that she'd been logicking well into the day and perhaps the night. Figuring is a neverending endeavor and it is hungry work. It'll devour you if you don't take care of yourself. The little pink-haired goblin drops down from her perch. The witchy tag-game seemed to be winding down and she had no stake in the outcome anyway, so she might as well move on. For the thousandth time this week, she looked over at the wishing tree. "Hmm, is the pain worth the reward? Would gods help in such a menial task?" So may questions, and the only reply is her own grumbling stomach. Yes, we need nourishments and beveraging.
Joan goes to the area the kind witch directed her too, she would ask if she could barrow a cloak and mask with is given with a flourish and kind smile, giving a 'thanks' Joan would slip the cloak on over her shoulders and tie it closed before taking up the cute designed mask and slip it on over her head, she would fiddle with the string tying behind her head trying to make sure her new barrette did not get tangled with the mask before making her way back over to the little group, she is in time to watch Hanan scare Sidd and Sidd falling back onto his bum. She just shakes her head as she stifles a giggle threating to bubble out and out from her lips. "You okay there Sidd?!" She asked in a merry tone of voice.
"Sidd! I've been looking for you!" Hanan grins fangily from over him, and she'd surely look a bit upsidedown from his perspective. "I've come to think you're avoidin' me. You know me, I'm Death. I've come to drag you to hell, and sweet I'll be." She flourishes her black cloak a little while moving to rest her left hand on the shiny hilt of her rapier. Just a little too proud, but who can blame her after the hammock incident. "I saw you come here with that nurse who keeps foilin' me and, oh." She looks up deliberately and points at Quintessa. "And the girl who knows too much. All the problems are here tonight."
Hanan glances up at Calista and her grin deepens. "Not her. She's got years yet, don't worry."
Quintessa flashes her notorious grin at 'Death,' as she calls her the "Girl Who Knows Too Much" and the changeling accepts this title gleefully. "Ah, if I know too much, I suppose I should show my All-Seeing-Eye." Quintessa reaches up to swap which eye her eyepatch covered, hiding her pretty blue eye in exchange for her creepy, golden snake's eye. "To show the price one pays to be your agent."
Hanan said to Quintessa, "You offend me." She makes a flamboyant gesture at Quintessa's face. "That was a gift, and it looks so becoming on you."
Quintessa said to Hanan, "My apologies," She bows with a flourish of her cloak, "I shall wear it with pride henceforth."
Hanan said to Quintessa, "You'd better." She wags her finger. "'Lest I.. unleash my wrath? My deathly wrath. As I did visit upon Sidd the Fallen."
Sidd could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked up, his gaze taking in the sight of those pearly fangs from an odd angle as he sat there trying to process what was taking place. He scrambled forward onto all fours, crawling away with a panicked quickness, before he rose to his feet and spun around to face the mysterious intruder with raised fists. He didn't know too many vampires, so he wasn't sure what was going on. "Ooooh noooo. No way, not happenin'! Been avoidin' you for way too long to let ya get me now. Yer gonna have to fight for it." A liittle slow on the upkeep, Sidd finally takes in the stranger's full appearance with caution, until he happens to look down and notice the peg. It finally dawns on him. "OH YOU MOTHER((SEAGULL))..." Sidd doubles over, placing his hands on his knees as he attempts to catch his breath. "What the... damn near... made me crap my pants..."
Calista nods to Hanan with face quite grim. Her scattered thoughts begin to swim. She needs that book, that cat, but wish? And from the gods of lakes and fish? The patterns set, though mad it seems. The little goblin obeys her dreams. Calista's feet take her to the table, where she finds ribbons of finest sable. Instead of writing she moves to fold, in patterns lost with Nod Hazar of old. A knot right here, a twist right there, creating designs meant not for hair. Lavender eyes scan for a brush, and steals the one that's meant for blush. She paints the ancient formulae, since she never learned the common way to write the thing she most desires. That long lost to ancient fires. Soon enough, her pinwheel's crafted. To test, one breath is wafted. The wish-wheel spins, and pictures dance. "Yes, I think this stands a chance." Now to find a helpful witch, to show Calista the branch to stitch her moving picture wish-wheel devised today, the ensure the proper display. For as it spins, a pink cat races toward a book of cryptic pages. "Excuse me, ma'am?" the goblin mumbles. Now that she's done, her muttering stumbles. What was the force guiding her here? Perhaps the gods are VERY near.
Hanan reaches up and strokes her chin. "I do tend to have that effect on people sometimes Sidd. First they fall over, then... indignities. You should be thankin' your local undertaker more often." She's grinning like a cat who just caught a robin, the way she's looking around herself now. Until her eyes light on Calista. Now, that's curious. The little pinwheel. She watches quietly for a moment, not wanting to interrupt, a process she doesn't understand before looking back to the group. "I'm sure your nurse has a potion to solidify your insides, if necessary."
Joan just blinks...once again she scratches at her earlobe as she watches, she was kinda at a lost of what to do here. "Hey..."Is all she gets out before she notices the little female goblin, Joan would move over towards Calista and admire the work she did, "That looks very neat. I'm sure the wish you made will be granted."
Calista said to Joan, "I thank you, ma'am, but where to attach it? If it blows away, no hand can catch it. I need guidance from mortal hands, but who can I trust within these lands? I feel the geas to complete the ritual, and find what makes these urges habitual. Can you help me find the branch that will give my wish the greatest chance?"
Sidd when he was sure he was no longer going to croak from a heart attack, Sidd stood up straight and looked around at everyone, feeling a bit embarrassed by his little episode. He wasn't TOO upset, of course, because in Hanan's shoe(!), he would have most likely did the same thing. Sidd could admire a good prank, even if it had been at his expense. "I might need more than one potion at this rate," he says, shaking his head. Curious now, he pointed at the pirate's mouth and asked, "So uh, are those like.. part of the get-up, or are you one of them vamp-types, too?"
Quintessa said to Hanan, "Oh my, yes," she's trying to keep herself from laughing, "Are you one of those 'vamp-types'?"
Hanan is perhaps feeling herself a bit too much tonight. It's the mask. She was also a bit much at Passionbloom. She grins up at Sidd, and those fangs are suddenly a bit longer. "One way to find out. Either way I haven't bit anyone in a few days, and there are some very lovely necks hereabouts. I've been tempted."
Hanan 's dark brows shoot up in the eyesockets of her mask. She manages to keep an otherwise straight face, but does respond, in a near whisper. "An amorphous concept could get used to that."
Joan looks for the possible lowest sturdy looking branch before she points it out to the goblin female. "That one looks good, here look it in right against the tree itself so it will have a very low chance to blow away and I believe the witches might have enchanted the tree so all the pretty ribbon wishes won't fly away if a strong breeze or wind comes up it." She offers a small smile to Calista.
Sidd 's hands fly up and wrap around his neck, as if it were gonna act as some sort of protection, "Nooooo thannnk yoooou. I'm good really." He looks over to Quintessa as if to ask for help, but he can see that she's having a bit too much fun with this, so he was totally outnumbered. Joan seemed to be off helping Calista with the tre thing, so no dice there with askin' for help, either. "I don't like you guys no more. All scary-ass and spooky-like. And ya made me spill my drink!" Obviously Sidd was playing around when he said that, but there was definitely just the tiniest bit of uncertainty in his voice. Moving carefully into Hanan's vicinity, he retrieves the cup that he'd dropped and wasted no time in attempting to fill it again, all the while keeping her in his line of sight. Trust issues much?
Joan said to Sidd, "What kind?! Hehe. I'm more then positive Tessa has her own sorts of potion to offer up to you."
Sidd said to Joan, "Whatever keeps ya from soilin' yer pants! HAH"
Calista follows Joan up to the bough, and attaches her wish, right here, right now. She turns to thank the errant healer for helping with the whole ordeal. "Many thanks, and now I feel like the energy will soon disperse. I wonder if I broke a curse?" Calista shrugs and heads to the masquerade, trails of magenta mist left in her wake. The task completed, the urges sated, one last hurrah, and the energy's abated.
Khitti had long since awoken from her cat nap hours ago, but she just decided to chill in one of the lodging tents, just taking in the atmosphere for a while. And now that the sun had set, and the moons had come out to play, Khitti finally left the tent to wander a bit. And wander she did until she happened to spy that Bee in a Cup game again. The witch scowled at it, but ultimately approached it, wanting to get in one last try before the end of the faire. “Alright, let’s do this,” she said to the game witch, who merely smirked at her and gestured towards the cups.
Hanan doesn't chase Sidd, but... boy she looks like she very well just might. It is tempting, but no, she doesn't want to murder the guy. Hanan shrugs her shoulders in her cloak, then tugs down the cuffs of her frock coat, just so. "Pity. I don't think I've ever had one that pickled before."
Khitti made her choice of cup and got a rather severe eye twitch for several moments when it revealed a fly, just like last time. The redhead sighed, resisted the anger that bubbled to the surface and turned away, just in time to see Hanan looking like she wanted to chase after Sidd. Khitti smirked. “You know, if you’re hungry, you can literally just ask.” She knew that look well, of course--she’d had it herself years ago when she was a member of the undead as well.
Sidd couldn't help but laugh before he took a much needed draw of his drink, cobalt blues shifting from Hanan to Quintessa. "Told ya. Fire. You better keep an eye on this one." Sidd grins, before he spies Khitti, who seems to be coming to his aid! "Oh heck yeah! My heeeeero!" he proclaims.
Hanan is all sly and slick right up until Khitti abruptly asks if she's hungry, at which point she just about jumps out of her boot, head snapping in the woman's direction, brown eyes blinking behind her skull mask. Oh shyte. Can she read minds? Can the necromancer read her mind? Has she BEEN reading her mind? Does she know where it's been lately? Probably not! Probably not. "Oh... don't worry. I'm not that hungry. I'm behavin'." Probably not.
Hanan said to you, "Wh--what? Fire? What are you talkin' about?"
Khitti would never tell Hanan if she can read minds or not. Just because. But her writer does point out that this is why she does not always enjoy coming in after an RP has been going on for a while because something was always missed.. Alas, it has been, and here Khitti was, still smirking at the masked vampire. “Sure, Jan.” Who’s Jan? No one knows. Her line of sight shifted towards her daughter. “Behaving. Yes.” But then that smirk was gone and she waved at Sidd with a faint smile. “Hiya. How are you not dead yet?”
Quintessa hides her face behind her own drink as Sidd brings up their prior conversation by saying 'Fire.' But she's not going to reiterate for Hanan. Instead she looks over at Khitti, nearly choking on her drink as she asks if she's behaving. "Y-yes, of course I am. I haven't been contributing to Sidd's torment whatsoever." She's not telling the truth.
Valrae || The darkness of spring night spread over the island like velvet, the hum of the jungle pressing around the faire ground alive with nocturnal birdsong and the chirping of cicadas. Even at the height of the island, where misty clouds dipped low to caress the contours of the summit, the salt of the ocean below clung to the damp grass and curling ferns. Valrae had considered skipping the final night. The theme called more attention to her past, more checkered with mistakes and less noble deeds than her coven sisters might know, than the High Priestess would have liked. There was also the issue of Lita, who she had intentionally goaded back into hatred rather than seeming indifference. Mostly to satisfy her own lingering resentment. Still, she braided soft glowing Lunar Lanium in her golden hair and donned her diadem. The shift she chose tonight was the crushed velvet of midnight, clinging to her sweat damp skin as she wove through hip high sweet grass and tents filled with laughter or heavy sighs. The athame glowed like a chip of Vaalane itself on her thigh, next to the ashwand that no longer left her. There were glittering crystals on many long golden chains about her neck, the sparkle of gold bands on her wrists. Her bare feet led her first to the bar, second to where she’d managed to spot Khitti and Quintessa. She ignored Hanan completely in her quiet approach but spared a warm smile for the other strangers nearby. “Merry meet, friends.”
Sidd smiles in a more genuine manner when he answers Hanan, "Ah haaah, nothin', really. I was just commentin' earlier about how ya seem to have a bit of a flame in ya. Fiesty and all. Nothin' bad or whatever; maybe a bit presumptuous on my part, since I hardly know ya, - feel free to tell me to shut the hell up by the way- just an impression that I got." Sidd flashes Hanan a two finger salute out of respect, "You seem alright - outside of scaring the absolute bajeebus outta me." Sidd turns to khitti then and smiles right back. "Well. I'm not sure. Surprised the ol' ticker is even kickin' right now.." he says, eyeing Hanan and Quintessa momentarily. "I think crashing a little earlier last night gave me a boost that i needed. So, I'm rarin' to go, seeing as the festivities will be comin' to a close. How are ya this evenin'?"
Sidd notices Valrae, a familiar face from a prior night, but he didn't really know her, exactly. Still, he was a polite guy, so he bobbed his head with a nod and said, "Sup," when she greeted those gathered.
Quintessa offers a friendly smile to Valrae as she draws closer, "Merry meet!" She replies, "It's good to see you made it– It's a very special night, isn't it?" If she took note of Valrae ignoring Hanan she doesn't show it.
Hanan looks from Tessa to Khitti to Tessa to Khitti to... oh, this just won't do. She's been knocked totally out of character and she'd really enjoyed being Death. Death was cool! Sidd gave her something else to focus on, and she's grateful. "I... huh. Yeah, I've been called that. I'm..." She glances back to Tessa, as if to ask a question, then thinks better of it when Valrae shows up. She notices that she's ignored, but... well, being ignored is probably a good thing, considering the other day. It isn't personal. Well, it is. Anyone harms Lita, it's on sight. But Lita had scolded her for trying. Or at least, she'd felt scolded at the time, it's doubtful Lita had the same interpretation. It's all a mess. She reaches up under her nice swishy borrowed cloak to rub at the back of her neck.
Khitti doesn’t seem entirely pleased with Quintessa’s answer, but she says nothing, so as not to provoke more drama for the moment. Sidd’s response received a smirk though, and a “Well, that’s good. And I’m alright. I have vague concerns, but they are not important right now. I do want to burn down that bee in a cup game.” But she does not, much to her own dismay, and seemed a little happier about things once Valrae showed up. “Hey, you.”
Quintessa said to Khitti, "Oh yes, we can throw the bee cups onto the effigy later for good measure."
Valrae ’s lips twitch with the phantom curl of a smile. It does not reach her dark eyes. “The whole event has been remarkable.” She answers the changeling diplomatically, while offering Sidd a polite nod to his own greeting. “Have you been enjoying the island?” She asks Khitti, suddenly keenly interested in the answer. Quintessa had seemed to fit herself right in, she’d seen that well enough the night before, and now she hoped her other fellow witch might feel the same sense of belonging among the home she’d nurtured out of the island with the help of her people. She waits a beat for the answer before attempting to make more polite conversation with the group as a whole, adding, “I was hoping to make a wish on the tree tonight.” Her eyes slide over Hanan for a moment before moving on. “Have you all already made a wish?”
Hanan , looking away, notices the tree. Right. She hasn't done the pin-a-wish-on-the-tree thing yet. Then again, maybe it's a bad idea. Maybe it's the kind of thing where if she pins one on, the head witch turns around figures out it's her and makes it a curse instead. "Ruttin' hell." No, to hell with it, she's doing it. She turns away from the little group and walks over to the table with the wishes, grabs a pen and a bright sea-blue ribbon, and scribbles on it, her handwriting rushed and jagged. She folds it in half, finds a high bare place, and pins it down.
Khitti said to Quintessa, "I'm really going to have to study the difference between a bee buzzing and a fly buzzing before the faire next year."
Hanan was, in fact, so busy writing a wish that she didn't notice Val mentioning wishes.
Hanan whispered something to Hanan.
Hanan turns, seeks out Tessa with her eyes, gives her a little nod, then skirts around the group and heads back for the tents. Her black cloak is, for the record, still swishing majestically..
Quintessa said to Khitti, "Well, you see a bee buzzes a little lower, almost a bumble while a fly sounds more like... Actually I'll wait to explain it when I can show you a book I've collected on the matter."
Khitti went temporarily red again as Valrae picked her out of the bunch for her questioning. She let out a ‘heh’ and lifted a hand to the back of her head in a clearly awkward position. “Honestly… I didn’t expect to see so many solitary witches here. And not all of them are all ‘love and light’ all the time either. It was… refreshing, I think is a good way to put it. I do still feel kiiiiinda like a freak with my magic being so different from everyone else’s but… It is nice here.” The redheaded witch shrugged. “Maybe I’ll try to make more of an effort to come out here.” She had been having thoughts of either asking to join Valrae’s coven or perhaps bringing back the Shadow Lily Coven her ancestors had ages ago. Maybe it would help her decide. “I did put my wish on the tree a few days ago, but if you’d like someone to accompany you, I certainly can.”
Sidd couldn't help himself when Khitti mentioned her desire to engage in a little pyromantic retiribution regarding the bee finding game. "Tellin' ya, they're all rigged." He cups his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice as he calls out across the grounds to the witch currently running the game, "RIIIIIGGED". He'd been giving them all guff like this over the weekend, so it was safe to say that they probably knew that he was joking. Sidd looked to Hanan as she fumbled her words and got real quiet like, before he kind of picked up on what he assumed was leftover tension from the other night. Awkward. He felt kinda bad as she wandered off, but he felt that she'd probably be alright. With Valrae's question posed, Sidd took a drink of his absinthe and chimed in, "Heck yeah! I might've made two. is that cheating?"
Khitti said to Quintessa, "Oh good. Yes you can definitely help me with that. For. Uh. Research purposes and not to clearly cheat the system. Nope."
Quintessa catches Hanan's glance as she slips from the group to circle around to the tents. Everyone is distracted– It was a good moment to do so. Quintessa looks down at the remainder of her drink, contemplating if she should follow after her. She bites her bottom lip but so far only her gaze seemed to follow. "Elazul's Bite," she mutters to herself before downing the rest of her glass.
Daisy is sleeping in Hanan's tent. Zzzz.
Valrae || If she noticed Khitti’s blushing, Valrae politely does not point it out. Instead, she hides a small smile behind her glass of white wine. “It takes all kinds,” She says happily, nearly glowing that she seemed to find at least a few others of the craft that spoke to her. “The island would be lucky to see more of you.” She turns her face to Quintessa then to offer her the same sentiment, “Both of you.” A frown bows the corners of her lips as Hanan slips off toward the very tree she’d just mentioned. It seems she’d made a horrible first impression. It hadn’t concerned her in the face of antagonizing Lita, but without the vampire around she seemed to remember herself and her compulsive desire to be… Well, liked. “I’ll be right back,” She tells Khitt and Quintessa, before hurrying off after the woman. “Wait,” She calls softly, just as she pins her ribbon onto the hawthorn tree. The shadows were deep here, the grass pressed down by many feet and dappled with the light of Vaalane, and the ribbons that adorned the great tree danced like specters through the wide boughs. Hanan either ignores her or does not hear and slips off toward the tents without so much as a glance back. Cape blowing mysteriously behind her. Feeling more than a little crestfallen, she rejoins Khitti, Quintessa and Sidd after a moment. “Company would be nice,” She tells her, a little sullen.
Khitti || Quintessa’s muttered curse brought Khitti’s attention back to her again. She does her best to resist a frown. The urge to say something was there, but she did not do it. Instead, when Val returned, with disappointment clearly written all over her, the redheaded witch held out her elbow to the Red Witch for her to take when she was ready. She’d give Sidd one of Khitt’s signature half-ass salutes before returning her attention to the task at hand. Along the way to the hawthorn tree, Khitti would grab her chosen faire drink, the whiskey-lemonade, and then keep going so that Val could take care of her wish.
Quintessa doesn't seem to want to pull her eyes away from Hanan's tent, but it doesn't matter; She'll remember where it is. "Huh?" Valrae's words pull her back to reality, and her single golden eye flickers from the Red Witch to the Hawthorn Tree. "Yes... Company *would* be nice." She moves to join them, mostly so Valrae didn't have to make her wish alone.
Sidd offers a salute in return and finds himself a seat as the others wander off toward the hawthorn tree, content to veg out and consume his drink while he waited for the party to start up.
Valrae accepted Khitti’s arm with a gentle smile. All the better when Quintessa joins them, and feeling more merry she offers her free arm out to the Black Witch. She leaned into the other Khitti as they walked, not minding that it would take a few more steps to refresh her drink. It was more time to spend together, of which the busy trio of them were hardly afforded as of late. “You know,” She starts tentatively, “You both always have a home in my coven.” But there was something else there, a sense that this answer might not be exactly right. “But I think the fates might have placed other paths before you as well. There are witches on this island that might be better led by another kind of High Priestess.” She was being gentle in suggesting all of the ways in which she thought their own journeys of growth might take them. They paralleled Khitti’s own thoughts in ways she could only guess. “Whichever you choose, I hope you know I will be there however you need me. Whatever ways I can be, as you have been for me.” They were back under the dappled light of the Hawthorn. Valrae leaves the warmth of them behind to take up a quill and a ribbon the color of fresh cream. She takes a moment to consider what she might request of her gods, and then another to appreciate all that she’d already been given, and then presses the ink of her wish onto the cloth before approaching the wide trunk of the tree. She holds the ribbon close to her chest for a heartbeat, instilling her desire with a final whisper of power before releasing it. With the hum of her magic, it takes flight as if she’d released a dove. It floats gently on the spring night, rising until it reaches the center of the dark branches before fastening itself among the rest. When she returns, she’s smiling broadly again. “What would you say to getting drunk and sharing stories until we fall asleep under the stars?” Her tone is hopeful.
Khitti looked to Valrae when she started speaking, a sip taken every now and then, and smiling when she mentioned that she’d always have a place in her coven. But then, she managed to say those words that were very close to what she was thinking only moments ago. The look on her face changed somewhat. A ‘how did you know what I was thinking’ sort of look. Maybe it was karma for Khitti doing that to Hanan not too long ago. Whatever it was, the gears started to turn again, and Khitti shifted her attention to Quintessa as Valrae went to take care of her ribbon. She didn’t know what to say at the moment. Khitti eventually just stared at the ground and drank her whiskey-ade until the ever-enchanting, ever-wise blonde returned to their side. “I would love to do exactly that,” she said at last, offering the Red Witch a smile as she downed the rest of her drink, and immediately wanted another.
Quintessa takes Valrae's arm as it's offered, allowing herself to be led around by the other two witches. The Black Witch definitely seems distracted, but Valrae manages to grip more of her attention as she mentions always being welcome in her coven. "I-" She's not sure what to say. She never felt like she was part of a coven before. "Thank you, my friend, though I hesitate to wonder what kind of witches would be drawn to the magic that I practice... Though, if I lead them the proper way I suppose I can help them avoid the pitfalls that I stepped into..." By the time Valrae has returned from making her wish, Quintessa seems more hopeful, a grin parting her pale lips as Khitti accepts Val's suggestion for how to end the night. "Yeah, count me in too."
Hanan jolts from a deep rest, becoming more aware of their surroundings.
Valrae could guess the kinds of witches that would be drawn to the different kinds of light each of the powerful witches that waited for her now carried. Even if all paths were not meant for her, and surely those that they might choose would not be, that did not mean they were never worth taking. It did seem to be exactly the point, didn’t it? There would be some magic Valrae was never willing to make, that did not mean it would never be made. Still, they both seemed happy enough to spend time with her. So she followed them back to the fire and would indulge herself on more wine than she typically might allow herself. And enjoy the easy company that came only from old friends, while perhaps attempting to make a few new ones, until her head was swimming with drink and just as she’d suggested slipped into a blissfully dreamless sleep underneath the blanket of stars that haloed the full light of her most favored moon. If her face was damp from morning dew and her body ached from the chill of the ground the next morning, it will have been more than worth it. || OOC: I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! Thank you for writing with me. I’m sorry I didn’t get more time/came so late and SIDD I need more RPs with you stat!! I feel like our characters didn’t get enough time to meet!! <3 <3 Good night now tho bc I’m old and work is early/never ending. I am cursed, a modern sisyphus.
In the morning, just as he was heading off, Sidd had to run back and grab some absinthe for the road. He bids all the sleeping folk a quiet farewell before heading back out to the waiting world. Ooc: You're all fabulous <3333