RP:Mystical Summer Solstice 2023

Part of the Wholehearted Wanderers Arc

Summary:

Mystical Stage

The pathways through the woodlands open up here to a picturesque meadow. Carpets of creeping thyme paint the clearing in hues of lavender and pink, growing no taller than a human’s ankle when left to grow freely. Taking care not to disturb the natural beauty of this place, a structure has been erected at the southern edge of the clearing, where the Mystical Stream thins and curls around the meadow before continuing southward to the castle moat. Four twisting trees, barely a meter high, prop up a wooden stage that has been carefully polished and enchanted to create a smooth walking surface. When the stage is not being used for rehearsals or events, younglings of all races can often be found playing underneath the stage to create a secret hideout. Even now, a canopy of old blankets in one corner of the stage can be found, with stuffed dolls and a chipped tea set placed in the middle of this apparent pretend castle. To the north are the vibrant banks of the Mystical Stream. To the west, just over a wooden bridge providing safe passage over the waterways, the gates to the city proper can be seen through the trees.

Kanna || OOC: Howdy howdy howdy! Thank you guys so much for turning up, I really hope I was able to set this up in a way that you'll all be able to get in your chaos posting and games and stuff! If I catch you being a wallflower, pixie NPCs absolutely WILL come out and harass you. After I get my scene-setting posts in, anyone who writes up an outfit will automatically be in the running for the outfit contest. An hour from now, I'll ask y'all to vote for your favorite outfit, give that like a half hour, and afterwards, I'll have NPCs come out for the other two minigames! The minigame you can see right now with the readable note is something you can roll for throughout the event. You must be active in the Hollow Discord Server to participate, as we will be using Dice Bot. Participation or winning in the outfit contest does not preclude you from participating in the mini games! Before I throw down the scene setting post, I'll give y'all five minutes to read this and ask me any follow up questions. Participation in either contest is completely optional, but there will be participation prizes aside from the event freebie. ❤️

Kanna || The summer rains have cleared away today, as if Arkhen himself commanded the clouds to allow the sunlight to fall on this celebration. Just south of the Mystical Stream, the dense weeds forming this clearing have finally been tamed, and a beautiful wooden stage now sits at the southern edge. Enchantment is alive with the sounds of celebration, after all, who celebrates anything harder than the pixies and fae? Cobblestones line the way leading up to the stage Giant enchanted toadstool caps sit at the western edge of the clearing, where children and adults alike are bouncing from one cap to another, from a higher cap to a lower cap and vice versa. On one of these caps, pixies are taking turns pretending to jump, then using their flight to make it look like they are performing the most spectacular backflips and somersaults as they land, much to the delight of the kids and those tourists who rarely get to see the fae in person. On the eastern end is a series of easels and paints made from crushed flowers and gems. Half the easels are overseen by Rynvale’s iconic SoulsKin and the other half is overseen by Larket’s hottest new shop, Anarchy Ink. Having gotten there early, there’s already a family of half-orc cousins set up towards the middle to see which ‘team’ can make the best color combination. The dryads of the surrounding forests of Sage, Enchantment, and the swampy lowlands of Gualon have all gathered in one corner to showcase their flower-weaving abilities in hair, bracelets, and other accessories. Really, though, this is just their excuse for interacting with the fleshier mortals they would otherwise be too shy to approach. In winding walkways everywhere between these highlighted points, there are food and drink stalls for visitors to sample the best of the Kingdom’s dining. Already there is a line wrapping around for the section selling Cenril’s finest pastries, and vampires with their gothic parasols are crowding around to get free samples of the finest blood selections from Vailkrin’s Blood Bank’s vault. Booths for games and fortune telling are also woven throughout these stalls, though, given that the games are mainly operated by pixies, the odds of winning may depend on how much the pixies like the person playing. Perhaps the loudest game of all is the heavily inebriated elf perched on the edge of a dunk tank, hurling pick up lines at anyone who crosses his path.

Kanna || With a folksy band having set up shop near the mushroom trampolines, Kanna is teaching a minotaur how to dance and keep a rhythm with all four hooves. Despite the towering minotaur looking as though he could step on her at any second, his face is a bright red as he keeps looking from Kanna to a centaurian woman playing the flute in the band that is turned away so that she can’t see his current four left hooves. The bardess is laughing with delight and encouraging the lovestruck minotaur to keep practicing the basic steps as they make their horribly uncoordinated movements. "No no no, you almost had it there! Now take a deep breath, and one, two, three-and-four! See, you're doing it!" Today, Kanna is dressed in a floor-length skirt and corset combination that are both embroidered with dandelions over a forget-me-not blue sky. To add a pop of color, Kanna’s accessories consist of pink sunstone carved beads, and her hair has been pinned up in a high ponytail. Music notes and dandelion seeds have been embroidered into the white puffy sleeves of the linen top she wears underneath the corset, overall making her a sight for sore eyes, if those eyes belong to anyone with a more conservative sense of fashion.

Meri :: Today Meri is present for today’s event before it even begins. As festival attendees begin to arrive, Meri will be found standing near the booth of easels meant to represent Anarchy Ink. As is fairly typical for Meri, the tattooed blonde is not dressed to participate in any fashion events (meaning no votes for Meri). No, instead her goal was to represent Anarchy Ink properly and using the lovely summer weather as an excuse to show off as much of her ink as possible. So today Meri is in a short black skirt, red high heels, and an off-the shoulder, sleeveless, black crop. Anyone who has caught a glimpse of Meri knows that she at least has very colorful full-sleeve tattoos. There are plenty more that she does not show of due to her preferred style of dress. Today is pretty apparent that if Meri keeps adding ink, she’ll soon run out of canvas to work with. Knees, neck, lower back, two one the stomach, and, depending on how Meir moves, there is a flash of something peeking out beneath her shirt. Don’t stare too long at that last one, her husband might be around somewhere. Since Meri does not have any intention in getting lost in the attractions, the blonde has had the sense to grab herself a nice, cold beer before guests even start arriving.

Iintahquohae ;; With her shops shuttered for the time being, Iintahquohae had another opportunity to make something seasonal and strictly for herself for an event rather than an ornate walking advertisement to tempt future clients, which meant a chance to play around a bit. Rather than a proper gown, the seamstress opted for something simpler in construction but hopefully fitting in terms of theme. In essence, it is a cerulean one-piece swimsuit with sheer split bishop sleeves and a matching sheer sarong tied to her waist, falling just above her ankles. Despite its relatively plain design and use of a common but favorite material of hers, a breathable and remarkably soft pima cotton, she used both articles of clothing as a means to experiment. The dye baths the fabric was dipped into prior to construction had its pigment enchanted to mimic sunny sky and the sea below it, the result of which transferred to the material in such a way that the blue color shifts in various shades, as if Kafzhash's radiance itself is illuminating along the warp and weft of both pieces. Wisps of white occasionally disrupt the subtle shifts in blue on the swimsuit's bodice and sleeves, particularly close to the sleeve cuffs, mirrored below along the sarong so it looks as if there are a pair of tiny suns and twice the amount of clouds lazily drifting by. The sarong itself appears to be the piece that Inks put the most attention on. After her encounter with the crystal dragon in days previous with Kanna and Lhyrin, she set to work with sorting her haul of crystalline dragon scales and selected several of the yellow-orange and green ones to work with. Those were then treated with the care she treated raw precious stones that required cutting and polishing, but she took it a step further, turning each cleaned scale into several tiny beads. Tambour embroidery was tedious work, but the result paired with strands of golden thread created a garment that mimicked sparkling sea waves as Kafzhash passed overhead. Her footwear, eyewear, and jewelry were kept simple, as well as her hair. Tan sandals to not so cleverly bring to mind a beach, a pair of gold earrings shaped like suns with stylized rays with a matching pendant borrowed from Ma, round, gold-framed spectacles to tie in with the sun and sea theme with lenses tinted blue, and silvery-grey curls brushed out loose. She considered a headband made from the cabbage left over from making the sarong, but kept it tied around her left wrist rather than securing her hair back with it. An oversized folded fan is clutched in one hand as well, which she flips open with a flourish to fan herself and produce a show of illusory magic to play with the senses of those nearby – the tiniest of sea breezes emanates from the fan, with the faint scent of the sea accompanying it. She's arrived alone, and at the sight of blank easels, she knows exactly where she'd like to go. No parading herself around for work today. She'd much rather paint and maybe socialize. But paint first.

Valrae arrives by way of white and gold painted carriage. Drawn by four sturdy white horses, the heraldry of Cenril waved gently in the warm summer breeze atop the four mermaid posts of the carriage roof. As the Mayor steps out, she is flanked by several officially garbed Cenril Guardsmen in light armor carrying gleaming swords at their hips. Her hair is braided intricately at her temples and pulled back from her face, the windswept mass of it a waving waterfall of gold down her back adorned with citrine that glimmers like suncaught dewdrops in her hair. Her face has been painted with shimmering golden eyeshadow and lined sharply with khol, her lips glossy pink and her cheeks rosy. Her glamor enchanted sundress was long and flowing, the heart shaped top crossing down toward the skirt to leave a peak of tanned bare skin along her ribs.The silk fabric shimmering in the deeply indigo blues and vibrant oranges of a fading sunset. As the skirt flared out, the blues darkened to black and were dotted with the blinking glow of golden light. The glimmer of light surrounded the witch, jumping off of the skirt to wink in and out around the entirety of her figure as if she were wreathed in an entourage of fireflies. The hope was to appear as if she’d wrapped a warm summer sunset around herself for the solstice festival.

Magikrios can be found close to Meri, setting up one last Anarchy Ink easel. He's usually not much for attention, but the Guardian of Sage is rocking a Sound of Sirens t-shirt to help advertise some of his own ink along with simple black leather pants with matching boots..More importantly is the black outline of a phoenix on his rarely exposed left forearm. If you have a sharp eye, you might even catch the tattoo on his left hand that doesn't seem to call just one finger home. Magikrios finishes up the last easel and is quick to join Meri with a drink. Kelay Ale. The best around. Brewed in an undisclosed location by undisclosed people.

Quintessa || A mesmerizing vision emerges as Quintessa arrives for the Solstice Festival wearing a dark summer dress, destined to bewitch all who beheld it at the grand soiree. Woven with delicate strands of midnight, the ethereal fabric seems to whisper illicit secrets as it cascades like a silken river flowing down her body. Her bodice embraces Quintessa’s curves with a provocative fit, a sweetheart neckline tempting her forbidden desire gently unveils the decolletage, while a labyrinth of black velvet ribbons laced their way to form a corset-like pattern. Like shadowy serpents they slither, weaving intricate patterns back and forth, leading the gaze to an oversized bow adorning her back. Layers of black tulle, peeking through the intricate lacework, conjure a mirage of darkness and depth, swaying in ethereal harmony as Quintessa slowly walks through the venue, a pair of plainly dressed handmaidens flanking her on either side. The absence of sleeves enhances her allure, pale flesh in contrast to her dark fabric, revealing her shoulders and arms and offering admirers a bit more than glimpses of her tantalizing skin. No gothic ensemble would be complete without the crowning touch, however, and today Quintessa would adorn herself with a wide-brimmed hat for this purpose, an ebony sentinel perched upon the wearer's raven tresses. The hat, adorned with black ribbons and floral embellishments that flow in the light summer breeze, lend an air of aristocratic grandeur, bestowing an undeniable aura of stygian glamor upon the ensemble. Last but not least, is the black lace parasol, held aloft by one of her handmaidens over her head to shield her pale skin and delicate eyes from the harsh summer sun.

Arlyeon has neither stolen threads, nor absurdist fashion to lean on today. Rather, the foxkin's appearance is relatively simple- being a peach sundress, with intermittent blue lilac patterns. Well, that, and the large mushroom themed cap she was wearing, as though it might make her blend in with the locals. Garbed as such, she pads along the venues cobblestones, vivid green eyes peering through the crowd in search of someone in particular.

Syrri was not a feminine creature by anyone's definition — it was no secret that the halfling warrior preferred armor to dresses, and so it would perhaps come as no surprise that she came in the former. Or was it the latter after all? Indeed! Flanked between a pair of Skjoldet-liveried soldiers in their quilted black-and-silver gambesons, Syrri arrived in a unique ensemble that could easily be mistaken for one or the other. Shimmering silver silk carefully draped her petite figure, each layer designed with exquisite craftsmanship to skillfully imitate plates of shiny mithril armor. Her shoulder-length hair was twisted into a silver-filigree floral wreath, and she had even commissioned a temporary stain of mercurial ink at either temple to represent minute stars and sun-shaped glitter, turning her pale scars into comet trails. The upper part of her gown was fashioned into a form-fitting bodice with a sweetheart neckline, the shoulders delicately-gathered drapes of darker burnished-steel hue that exposed her pale freckled shoulders. The skirts were meticulously arranged in a high-low style, shorter in the front and longer in the back, revealing darker layers of silk woven into a swirling damascus pattern. Sparkling white-gold boots laced up to her knees peeked out from under the shorter layers, and platinum, bejeweled gloves covered each hand partly up her forearms, cleverly concealing the burn scar that rounded her left wrist. (P1)

Syrri ;; As she guided her entourage through the festival, her dress emitted a gentle clinking sound, as though it were truly sewn out of metal. After reaching a favorable position between more prominent booths, Syrri left her Skjoldet clansfolk to politely distribute elaborately-printed flyers advertising the highly anticipated match of the summer, "Rumble in the Jungle." Each flyer showcased the teams' impressive skills and provided space at the bottom to acknowledge sponsors. In the presence of any questions, they would also delightfully inform festival-goers that the clan was actively recruiting, waxing on about the features and amenities clanship offered. Meanwhile, Syrri Darkfoot would take it upon herself to do something she didn't think she was particularly great at — mingling. At barely more than a few inches over three feet, she was a tiny but radiant beacon of goodwill, rushing through the festive crowd to greet familiar faces and enthusiastically discussing Skjoldet's upcoming events with newfound acquaintances, all while sporting a charmingly lopsided grin fueled by the buzzing excitement of this event. (End)

Lita | "Rynvale looks good on you." Leo murmurs from behind his mask and Lita doesn't argue, just smiles at him as she takes his arm when offered. It's not often she gets the pirate to herself anymore, especially not looking so dashing. But they'd dressed for the occasion, some attempt made at being proper ambassadors of their island and all. The asymmetrical cut of her dark navy sundress is trimmed in dual layers of dark purple and silver frill, thin straps leaving her arms and shoulders bare. The bodice of the dress is embellished in a decorative bronze colored filigree, the color of which compliments the pirate's fancy coat. Coincidence? Perhaps. She'd even worn her crown for the occasion, the thin silver circlet resting comfortably beneath raven curls, the onyx tear-shaped gem resting high on her forehead at its front. Still perpetually barefoot, save for a familiar bone charm anklet, and what appears to be a more recent feather tattoo design beneath it now. Though anyone who'd witnessed the events of her brief stint in the recent Titans of Winter tournament would know it isn't a tattoo at all. She'd even decided against wearing the crow-wing leather bracer, and the lack of it leaves her feeling like something vital was missing. Something other than Mahri, who she already knew would be unfortunately absent from the occasion. "Thanks." She squeezes Leo's arm gently. "You always do clean up nice, yourself." There were always too many people at these things. And not a Mahri or Loravelle in sight. "Guess you'll have to keep me entertained." She says to Leo as they walk.

Lanlan :: Above the mystical stage, wispy and tendrilous silver clouds mingle with sunlight. It’s beautiful, artful, and then intelligent. The phenomena meld and form a glittering road of silver and gold and blue from the summer sky that bends toward the ground. A moment later a peacock the size of a lion emerges from over Enchantment’s boughs. Although its wings are far too brilliant and magical and strong to ever use a road, even one as light and airy as this, the rolling, flying carriage that follows has wheels of molded light that make use of it. The carriage, though seeming to move quite quickly down the shimmerwind road, is able to stop by the stream with a movement like a caress. In its wake, the stratus and rays dissipate into rainbow colored sparks, then vanish.

Meri observes everyone begin to trickle into the scene. Of course Inks came stylish, and of course she would want to visit the booth of paints. The woman is greeted with a wink, “You should be able to find everything you need at your disposal. But just let me know if you have questions yeah?” To her husband, Meri leans in and gives a whisper, “Should we get a carriage? Like for when we are travelling to other regions too? Too look all important?” Meri considers. “I’ve hitched Kadence to a wagon once, but she did not seem very keen on it.” Needless to say, this line of conversation was inspired by Valrae’s entrance. Quintessa, Ina, Lita, Leo and Syrri appear and all three are greeted with a casual wave of her free hand. Her other is holding her beer. So many colors today. Meri did have an appreciation for colors, even if she was found wearing black most often. Today included. Please note Meri did not greet Lanlan. Like at all.

Lhyrin ’s outfit wasn’t anything spectacular that would win best dressed, but they hoped they had done well enough with it that Kanna wouldn’t be embarrassed by it. While they still leaned towards their darker colored clothes, there were still hints of summer here and there--from the orange hibiscus flowers woven into their half-braided blue-black hair to the muscle-shirt style tunic they wore in a bright red that rivaled Arh’Nuk’s glow, and the light fabric the outfit was made of. And while it wasn’t really needed, due to their undead nature, they paired their attire with black parasol that had Vakmatharas’ symbol embroidered into it, while the skull’s eyes were garnets attached to the fabric itself, the look mimicking the rest of the vampires that strolled around the area. They attempted to not be too much of a wallflower, as they were rather unacquainted with many, but the forsaken elf took the time to take in Kanna’s work. They were going to have to be on their best behavior, despite all the delectable creatures that filled the area, and it was going to be incredibly difficult, what with that intoxicating scent of fae dust everywhere.

Penelope appears out of the woodlands into the open meadow. She keeps near the stream, as that was her guideline of navigation, but the sound of trickling water was also adding a calming melody to the background of her walk. It is no surprise that the woman goes with a simple garb for the event that is taking place today. Burnt orange is the theme that she is sticking to as she wanted a color closest to what reminded her of warmer weather, so fashion came into play when Penelope asked for the simplistic design thanks to an alder tree that turned this gown orange. A velvet orange gown hugs her frame to create a sleek look. The orange gown also has a pattern of light orange, almost peach-colored, large imprinted peonies, tangled vines, butterflies, and fairy foxgloves cover the gown. The gown is one that has deep-vee lines to beat the heat, as the dress cuts deep in the back to reveal tan, freckled skin and floral, scarred tattoos of the Ardelian human, as well as deep in the neckline. Loose orange ruffles line the short sleeves on the piece and the short sleeves come a little off the shoulders. Tangled in brown waves are simple brown twigs to make a simple crown. Sunstone earrings tangle from her ears which are also outlined in a gold sun-shape. Simple leather sandals are worn to top off the easy look. Once she reaches the gathering, she looks around and stares at the flower weaving, as she did bring a simple “crown” this time to do a little playful flower weaving.

Leoxander only chuffed a breath of a chuckle at her reply and skimmed over her thanks as he wiped his eye with the back of his cuffed and laced wrist, left hand wrapped in black, as usual. Damn dust. Despite his face covering and a dose of medicine, his eyes were already a bit red and dark around the edges. What he was wearing was about as fancy as he would get, but he’d accompanied his deputy well aware that they had to put on a decent front to keep the island in business, not to mention it was a chance to scope the scene. Black wasn’t exactly the color of summer but most of his simple admiral’s coat (no frills) with the folded-down collar was at least a step up from a sweat and blood-stained shirt, opting for a relatively clean black one underneath. The Rynvale crest patched on his right biceps was the only flair to his attire, standing out in blue, bronze and silver-white depicting a new flag of an anchor. A harness of blades against ribs, one latched in a buckle above his knee, and probably one concealed in his boot all worn beneath the ‘formal wear’, but the guardians of Enchantment might just wisely decide not to request the pirate give up his weapons. At least his sun-bleached hair represented the season, half tied back in a messy and careless knot with strands still falling over his face, overgrown and uneven. He let Ace lead the way, scoping the scene to play the game of who’s who in his mind.

Leoxander murmured back to Lita on the way in. "Nice crown, Queenie."

Lanlan emerges from a door opened by a pair of pixie valets, and steps out of his carriage with a pair of plum colored shoes that tend to make most others suspect that they are boring. He delicately swipes his hand across his not-quite-earthen-brown, not-quite-mahogany colored pants to smooth out a perceived crease. It wasn’t a long ride that he took. Still, he must ensure that the rest of his ensemble is just as arranged as it should be. The pixies help. Darting from his sash made from yesterday’s sunset and knotted at one hip, to his cropped and nearly jade jacket that seemed to be the color the wind makes as it passes through the trees, they ensure he’s all over elegance with no embarrassing hitchhikers or faults. He looks up for a moment, peering through his plum-then-cherry-then-plum again colored sunglasses toward the boughs. He reaches, lifts up an arm tentatively, slowly, as if all he’s going to do is push some silver twists of hair from his face. Then he snatches! With the silver filigree claw around his finger he captures the sunlight filtering between the shy shy crowns of the trees (t would regenerate itself before anybody noticed it was missing). He uses it to adorn the lapels on his green jacket and its cuffs too, and now they have a summery paisley pattern that matches his sash. Confident again, he nearly struts into the gathering, eager to be seen by as many people as possible.

Iintahquohae winks back at Meri and immediately picks up a flat brush to get some gestural underpainting started on her canvas. “Sure thing! Thanks.” Now for a subject, and one of the dryads nearby seems perfect. “You,” she points at one, who freezes on the spot when addressed. “Why don't you strike a pose and let's see what I can do...” She typically worked with ink, like her namesake might suggest, but larger, gestural brush strokes seemed more her speed today. Whether or not the dryad actually stuck around, Inks could work with what little she initially managed to capture. It isn't like she'd finish a painting in a single sitting anyway.

Leoxander raised his jaw in return to Meri and Magik with a smirk that reached his eyes for no particular reason.

Kanna laughs and pushes the awkward minotaur towards his crush, and moves away to walk around the meadow grounds. There is an air of magic around her today, though ones with senses towards such things cannot pinpoint what exactly is different today. Making her way back to the artsy side of the festival, she takes a look at the easel she had painted earlier, now that people are gathering around it. "It's... definitely different." A pixie says to another. A gnome pipes up. "Bold move for someone to let their young'un get all up in the paints." Kanna's face freezes into a smile and she moves past the painted easel that is absolutely not hers, nope.

Leoxander tried to muffle a sneeze under his mask.

Penelope said to Leoxander, "Bless you."

Kanna || OOC: The dunk tank minigame is available to play throughout the event, while the other two will come after we do gowns voting! Read "minigame note" to see how to play.

Kanna sees the carriages arrive with several guests of honor, and she looks towards Meri and Magikrios. "How come you two don't have a carriage?"

Meri playfully heckles Nel from afar, out of love. Mostly. It’s Meri, people should only expect so much, “Nel! I want to see you show off that throwing arm of yours! Cooome on! Try and dunk the drunk!”

Meri said to Kanna, "You know, I was just asking Magik if we should think about a carriage. We do have the horses..."

Magikrios does one of those eye point things to Leo a couple times while his writer gets dinner ready. lulz

Meri makes a mental note to snag Leo at some point to try and properly introduce him to her husband. Right now...Meri already has a couple of conversations going on.

Kanna said to Meri, "If you used chalk instead of paint, you could have the same carriage but with a different tattoo design for each outing too!"

Magikrios said to Kanna, "A carriage is very, Valrae-like..No offense to her. I'd rather be seen walking through the forest.."

Lanlan finds the apparently abstract painting that the gnomes and pixies are critiquing, and posits his own interpretation. "I believe that by abandoning the more modern approaches and returning to the primitive way of using one's finger to paint with, this artist has tapped into a realm of pure emotion and unleashed a powerful and evocative image."

Meri said to Kanna, "I think the hubby just said no carriage. I mean it's fine. Next time we need to travel more than twenty feet for an event I will just ride in on Kadence like a total bad ass."

Valrae grabs a drink and pretends to almost spill it on Magikrios.

Meri eyes Val a bit. Does she want a cat fight with Meri?

Valrae will cat fight with Meri but only if there is mud… Wait… That’s been done.

Kanna nods understandingly. "Nature does provide it's own dramatic entrance." Her ears burn as she hears Lanlan praising her art, and she turns her head away to hide an embarrassed smile.

Arlyeon might have briefly gotten sidetracked from her initial mission, because a rather simple thought occurred to her. Mostly, the fact that the current festivities meant noone would think twice when she proceeded to spill green paint over her feet- and began to trek out haphazard footprints over the cobblestones. Sure, it was going to mess up the dress- but that's what minions/students were for. "Right, where's Tessa though?" Because her noodle brain was done noodling now. Honest.

Quintessa moves to approach the abstract painting, standing next to Lanlan with her handmaidens following quickly behind, struggling to keep the parasol over the much taller woman’s head. The shadow of the lace parasol darkness over Lanlan as the changeling stops next to him, giving a wave to anyone she recognizes as she wades through the sea of guests to reach the archmage. “Indeed,” Quintessa agrees with the illusionist, “Very avant-garde and yet the primitive naturalism in contrast with it creates an almost elegant struggle between the new and the old. The eternal struggle of change.”

Penelope grins at Meri's nudge. She looks at little bashful at first at the thought, but then she nods. "Normally I wouldn't promote drowning, buuuut," she turns to the booth and digs in her coin purse to slam the coins on whatever surface there is. "Hit me!" She definitely wants to dunk the drunk.

Meri thinks twice about it Ina. Oh Meri thinks twice. Meri watches and stares quite openly with a lifted brow. Green paint, everywhere, all over the newly install stage. Freshly renovated. Wooooow.

Valrae lines up after Penelope for the dunk tank and slides her gold on the table as well.

Lanlan laughs with some pixies about how poor Sage and Kelay must be that they can't even afford a carriage for their leaders, his back to the ones he laughs at of course. Then he turns around to Valrae, "Surely the Mayor of Cenril will be able to arrange some kind of charity event for them won't she?" His face, though just a second ago marked by mischief, seems almost sorrowful for the destitute situation of the Sage elves.

Iintahquohae flips her canvas upside down and takes a few steps back to get a better look and check proportions. Sketching exaggerated limbs and dramatic, elongated torsos came naturally to her when coming up with clothing designs, so realism wasn't really her forte. Hopefully the dryad doesn't take a peek yet, because this isn't a particularly flattering painting so far. Thankfully Inks has the excuse of this thing clearly being in its very early stages, as her subject looks a bit gangly. Much like herself. But maybe it might be fun to leave the painting as is. In fact, after flipping it right-side-up, Inks swaps her larger flat brush for a thinner round brush, and quickly scrawls “Make this a masterpiece~” in the upper right corner of the canvas before leaving it to mill about, and leaving the painting up to chance for how it might be completed. She'll have to swing by later on to see if anybody else touches it.

Kanna || From the drinks stall, a pair of dryad sisters approach Penelope, whispering amongst each other very conspicuously. It's clear to see that they have had a bit too much rose mead today. "You mortals are like..." "...so adorable!" Oh Sven, Hind, and Lore, they finish each other's sentences. "Can we like..." "Play with your hair?" "Poppy braids would so match your dress."

Valrae nods toward Lanlan, even if she hasn’t been following the conversation. “Yeah, Cenril can do that…” She doesn’t know what she agreed to.

Lanlan said to Valrae, "So benevolent of you. No leader, not even the ones of Sage, should be forced to travel so long by foot."

Valrae said to Lanlan, "Oh. Yeah, I think they like it though."

Lanlan decides to try his chances at this dunk tank game, though it won't be much of a game, since he could hit that target three times with his eyes closed. With nary a look or gesture of effort, he pulls three spheres from the offering bowl into his web of magic, and they begin to chase each other around in a tight circle. Then they fly off toward the target, straight as an arrow, one after the other. Ding, ding, fwapth. "What." This is exclaimed with the utmost contempt. One of his cast spheres was blown wildly off course by a sudden wind.

Meri will cheer on Valrae and Penelope from a far. Politely. After they throw. Lanlan though? It probably does not help that she just heard him talking about Kelay. Meri is going to heckle him during every throw to try and make him miss. "Boo!" "Miss!" As much as Meri would like to get overly insulting with her heckling, she keeps it tame.

Penelope :: Once Penelope receives the throwing balls, she steps up to the plate. The pressure is on, and for that, she feels her face flood a crimson hue. What if she misses? What if she embarrasses herself? For that, the first throw gets in her head and yeah, she is way off course with that baby throw. The nerves, however, shake themselves off with competitiveness. “Well, alright then.” This time, she closes one eye, her tongue sticks out just a little before she whirls back that arm with a wham. She hits the dunk tank and the person goes sinking within the pool below. She whirls an arm and looks back at Valrae and Meri with a grin before she turns around to pick up her last ball. Same attitude. Same fire. Wham. Person goes sailing in the dunk tank. “Two outta three. Not bad.” She then turns to see two giddy, buzzed druids. Should she let them…? “Uh…” Then again, they said poppies. Penelope’s favorite flower. “Oh my gosh, yes!” The yes seems very enthusiastic and Penelope wanders off with the druidic strangers.

Kanna || From the shadows between two booths, a suspicious-looking pixie emerges, making clicking noises with their tongue until they catch Lhyrin's attention. "Hey. Kid. Wanna buy some weapons?"

Lanlan said to Quintessa, "Exactly what I was thinking," which is exactly what he would've said to anyone who was disagreeing with the majority of onlookers as he was. "It's a reflection of the artist's inner turmoil and indeed, the storm that churns inside each one of us."

Magikrios 's back. Yeah. Beer. Where's his wife? Leo's over there. Val looks drunk since she almost spilled her drink. At least she's having a good time!

Lhyrin really couldn’t deal with the hunger anymore and quickly headed over to where the other vampires were offering samples of blood. Lhyrin reached into the pocket of their tunic, grabbed a handful of gold out of it, and slammed it down onto their table. “Mage blood, with extra pixie dust. The biggest size you have.” The look on their face was a hungry one and the vampires could only side-eye each other as they tried to formulate a plan. One in particular looked around for a vessel for them to start unloading blood into. Eventually, they found a fishbowl with a goldfish in it--something from one of the many stalls selling things--and they quickly tossed both water and fish into a nearby bush when no one was looking. After their return to the table, the clever vampire started emptying bags of mage blood into the bowl, unloaded a small pouch of pixie dust into it after the bowl was full enough, and then topped it off with a large straw and paper umbrella. Satisfied with this, Lhyrin pulled out a bit more gold as a tip, took their fishbowl of magically-altered, definitely hallucinogenic blood, and started to wander around again, sipping the aforementioned blood like it was no big deal.

Valrae returns Nel’s grin and then steps up to the plate. The first ball flies wild and almost smacks the poor drunk volunteer in the face. She frowns, focuses up, and sends the second one sailing right into the target. It hits, but not hard enough to hear the satisfying click and woosh of dunking the poor stranger. Her final try, she puts a little more power behind it and bam! Click, woosh, and splash. She didn’t even mind that the water made it all the way to the enchanted glow of her dress as she threw her arms up and let out a loud, “WOOO!” Of victory. “Beat that,” She challenges Lanlan as she steps back again.

Iintahquohae has to get in line for the dunk tank next, and in doing so she finally crosses paths with Lan and Val. “Hey you,” she cheerily waves, then collects a trio of balls to try her hand at it, and she winds up a pitch with ball number one. “...Wouldn't it be fun if one of us got in there instead?” She's absolutely suggesting herself because Inks that desperate to get in some water with Vailkrin basically lacking in it apart from the Black Pond. “Dunk a vampire?”

Meri is right next to Magikrios, causing trouble and ‘supervising’ the easels that were set up to rep both SoulsKin and Anarchy Ink. It’s okay, Meri and Lita are friends. Also, Meri is not doing a very good job of watching. What did she do about Ina and her spilled paint? She gave her weird looks but did not say anything. Enchantment can foot the cleanup bill, surely. Anyway, now that Magikrios is slightly more attentive Meri is going to continue with her mission. Her beer is set on the table just behind Magikrios and the tattooed blonde slinks off in the general direction of Leoxander. “Mind if I borrow you a moment?”

Magikrios whispered something to Meri.

Valrae greets Inks loudly and pulls her into a hug.

Lhyrin blinked and stopped as they were approached, that straw completely still in their mouth. They just stared at the pixies, then shrugged a bit. “Sure. What do you have? And be warned, if you disappoint me, I will literally roast you and eat you with a nice wine and some fava beans.”

Lanlan realizes he's on the wrong side of this game. His strengths were not in throwing balls and winning by skill, but in making others lose. Silly Lanlan. "You throw like a human!" he says to Penelope.

Meri whispered something to Magikrios.

Leoxander didn’t usually find much of interest in these soirees, besides seeing how other residents of their world faired and maybe catching a nip of a rumor, but he couldn’t help as his eyes were drawn to the collection of art and various paintings pinned and in progress. Then he saw those white ears, considering they were still there and not hidden or glamoured, just before Inks stood from the painting and he kept very still for that moment his gaze followed her across the room. Risking taking his eyes from the vampire with a bad attitude toward him, he looked in Lanlan and Valrae’s direction, usually not one to miss the Mayor in her radiant gowns, at least until the loud sound hit his ears and he turned his attention in time to see Penelope sink a victim. The sight made him imagine Loravelle up there, terrified and embarrassed, unless she was a few coconuts in then she’d probably be dancing and cannonballing before the player could throw. Trying to shake off the distraction and not show evidence of his thoughts in his blue eyes or solemn features. And as for Arlyeon, he either hadn't spotted or recognized her in that dress, yet or he did and drew no notice to whatever she was up to.

Kanna || The drunk elf is thoroughly soaked, but is as smug as a bug in a rug. "I've met snakes with better aim than youse!" He cackles as person after person takes their first shots.

Magikrios whispered something to Meri.

Lanlan grimaces at the mention of fava beans.

Penelope hollers from behind her at the drow. "You're just jealous because I'm on -fire-," she even licks her finger and makes the 'sss' sound while pointing to her tush.

Kanna || The sister dryads, who Penelope at some point would surmise are Myrtle and Magnolia, take Penelope to the other dryads who are weaving beautiful flowers grown in their hands into the hairs of the festival goers. Within just a few minutes, Penelope has gorgeous poppies that match her dress woven into an elegant braid!

Quintessa was about to respond to Lanlan again, but a tap on her shoulder by the handmaiden not holding the parasol catches her attention, the changeling turning back to look at her and leaning down so the servant could whisper something to her. She points in the direction of Ina and Quintessa’s mismatched eyes flicker over to meet her with a smile. “Thank you, Ophelia. Perhaps you should… catch her attention for me?” The handmaiden, Ophelia apparently, timidly nods her head and makes her way through the crowd to deliver a message to the foxkin. “The Lady Blackwell would like to speak with you.”

Lanlan said to Valrae, "I did beat you -both-, did you not see the wind that came out of nowhere and knocked my throw off course? There's hijinks afoot!"

Syrri had made her rounds, waving or verballing greeting her way through the gathering until she came upon the dunk-tank. Everyone else seemed to be having quite a -ball- with it, but she was a little afraid her aim wasn't quite what it used to be. Or perhaps her hesitation was spawned from the fact that she was far more accustomed to perfectly-balanced handaxes, neither of which were visibly present on her person (perhaps they were the source of her clinking, hidden under layers of shimmering silver skirts). In the end, she opted to stand back a couple of paces, until one of her clanmates stepped forward to hoist her up onto one of his broad shoulders, and from her new vantage point, she could cheer on the would-be dunkers with her peals of laughter.

Kanna || The shady pixie looks a little unnerved, but opens his trenchcoat to reveal a black scythe. "Totally legit, definitely not possessed. What do you say, kid, you'll be doing me a favor here. Only 999,999 gold pieces, ey?"

Iintahquohae frowns. Two hits and a miss. ...She'll have to try again, but she throws her arms around Valrae first. “You look -amazing-, Val.” She has to do the thing she did last time they saw each other and try to persuade the mayor to do a twirl so she can get a good look at her gown. “How've you been?” There's a hint of unease in her expression when she re-remembers their last encounter, but if Val's hugging her first, that must mean it's okay. And Inks has fed, so... It's fine, right? Won't happen again. “I'm trying one more time.” She's better at swinging at things with a bat than she is at throwing things, but a second attempt wouldn't hurt. With another trio of balls collected, she throws again.

Kanna stumbles upon the scene with Lhyrin and the shady pixie, and raises an eyebrow. She makes a show of slowly turning around to walk back the way she came, a wordless signal that whatever Lhyrin does, she won't snitch.

Lanlan puts up an illusion of 5 other targets for the dunk tank for throwers to throw at. "It was too easy before," he says in explanation.

Iintahquohae said to Lanlan, "Beat that, bud~"

Lita has gotten herself distracted with all the color and bustle of everyone's dress. Though these gathering did tend to cater to the fashion forward, there was never a disappointment in the feast the attendees provided for the eyes. It takes her a moment longer to notice the faces wrapped up in all that glamor but she'll offer smiles and waves and nods to those present, leaning away a bit as the pirate sneezes. Lita wrinkles her nose at him. Maybe she could get one of those fancy parasol things someplace before the next one. No way did she want him sneezing all over her hair, even by accident. She'll opt for giving Meri a hug, both a greeting and thanks for the blonde watching over the art easels that had been setup. "I can be scarce if you need him a minute." She offers, eyeing the dunk tank and not wanting to encroach on whatever dealings Meri and Leo might need to discuss.

Arlyeon is pretty sure she's spotted the changeling at this point- but being a figurative goblin has left her literally hungry- which is why she makes yet another detour, this one aimed at one of the food and drink stalls. Not that she's there for just samples. Oh no, Ina needs all of a few minutes to convince a party goer to indulge in an excess of drink, and engage in some impromptu karaoke with the stand as their stage. A suitably fitting distraction, so she can briefly remove her cap hat- whose hollowed interior serves as a more than ideal holding place for an entire bowl of hors d'ouevres. Hence stocked up, she finally makes her way to Quintessa properly. She's definitely not going to get distracted. Or at least, she won't now that there's a handmaiden literally ensuring that she stays on track. Which means, within a few short moments, she's offering up a chipper wave, and smearing a green handprint on her dress, as she falls into a haphazard curtsy, "Hey. Ja lookin' mighty fancy."

Kanna || The drunk puts his arm around one of the fake targets Lanlan has made. "Hey buddy, look, I know it's hard to see because ya so ugly, but this is the one ya supposed to be aiming for."

Iintahquohae said that sarcastically, because she's ridiculous right now.

Lanlan said to Iintahquohae, "It looks like you missed all three there pal."

Penelope puts her trust in the bubbly dryads. She makes small talk with the two sisters for a while while they weave those flowers in her hair and between the twigs of the plain crown she wore. Now everything was entwined. She stands up and looks in a nearby mirror at the station before she twirls in contentment. "Thank you! I love it!" She then offers some coin up to the two sisters before moving back over the bustling group.

Valrae doesn’t show a single sign of fear or upset at Inks. Her face is sunny and open and the witch is very clearly happy to see her. “I’m great! How have you been?” She cheers for the others throwing at the dunk tank, even Lanlan as he appears to make the game more difficult for himself.

Lanlan sarcastically pretended to not understand Inky's sarcasm of course!

Iintahquohae said to Lanlan, "Well let's see you try missing all three. Go again!"

Lhyrin somehow managed to finish their massive fishbowl of blood already, their straw making the telltale sounds of an empty drink container as Lhyrin unblinkingly stared at the pixie as he gave his spiel. “Hm.” The forsaken elf thought about it for a moment. They -were- in the market for a scythe, possessed or otherwise. “How about this? I give you half of the money you want and I let you live.” Tossing the fishbowl behind a nearby stall, Lhyrin slipped their hand into their tunic pocket again, this time withdrawing a banknote with the seal of the Vasili house in Vhys. It was clearly made out of high quality parchment, the outside decorated in gold filigree. They’d fill out the necessary spots of course and signed their name at the bottom.

Lanlan said to Iintahquohae, "No I'm playing for the bad guys now, they have way more fun."

Kanna || The dunking drunkin' sputters and coughs as he's sent to the watery depths three times in a row. "That's horsefeathers! No one was supposed to win this, not nobody, not no how!" He gets out of the tank and throws something at Penelope. "Wait until I tell my cousin about this, ya hear me?!" The drunk has caught the eye of the security staff and is dragged off the premises, all the while swiping at peoples' half-drank beers.

Leoxander double took at Lita when she seemed to know something he’d missed, and near or far, his eyes follow the barefoot woman’s look toward Meri with a slight arch of a brow. The look more curious than suspicious, evident by the wolf-like tilt of his head to the other lycanthrope.

Kanna gave 1 Spell-Woven Sunstone Bangles to Penelope.

Leoxander was sorely tempted to find something (likely not one of the balls provided) to pitch at the loud, drunk tank explorer.

Iintahquohae has to resist trying just one more time. “I've been fantastic, actually.” Husband is alive and well, though she isn't entirely sure if that's something she's supposed to keep secret or not, and she's got her hands on some new materials to experiment with when she isn't helping make Vailkrin less of a mess again. “How have you been? Getting a lot of sun? Swimming at all?” Inks needed to get out to Cenril. She missed her home too much. She turns to look at Lanlan and makes a face. “Spoilsport.” But she's grinning all the same, especially when she refocuses on the witch. “We have to go...somewhere...sometime.” Is it obvious Inks is bad at arranging casual time with people? She's too work-focused.

Kanna || The pixie trembles before Lhyrin's authority. They clearly picked on the wrong goth for this transaction. "D-d-d-deal!" He stutters out, graciously laying the scythe at their feet.

Meri flashes Lita a smile and returns the hug, “You don’t need to be. I was just going to force the guy to be social and actually say hell to my husband.” Yes, Meri is clearly under the impression that Leoxander and Magikrios have not properly met. “But if you want to try your hand at that drunk dunk tank too…” Honestly whatever made Lita happy. That little head tilt of Leo’s doesn’t answer her question properly and Meri is not about to take no for an answer. She’d link her arm with his and shamelessly lead the way. The pirate might intimidate plenty but the tattooed blonde is not one of them. Lita was offered Meri’s other arm, if the vampiric artist opted to take it over a visit to the dunk tank. One way or another, Meri would return to Magikrios, with at least one person but possibly two. Introductions would be made, “This here is the guy who made the mistake of marrying me. Magikrios. Not sure if we have ever all been properly introduced, but I thought it might be nice to…I don’t know. Actually use words during one of these little events rather than just nodding in passing like mysterious strangers.”

Kanna gave 1 possessed scythe to Lhyrin.

Kanna said, "ooc: Alright, kids! It's Gowns Voting time! Send me a tell with the player name whose outfit you think was best!"

Penelope walks back over to the dunk booth. She patiently waits her turn, of course, but she was still fixated on the dunk machine. It was too fun. She collects the three balls again and glances at Lanlan, who she has only seen a handful of times. Their interactions were always pretty similar with the quick-heated banter. She gives him a little wink before she throws her elbow back and launches the ball forward. Wham. One. “Ooo,” she was getting too full of herself. And another throw. Then, the final throw. “Hind be with me,” she kisses the ball before she throws it one last time hitting the drunk in. Her mouth gapes. “Aha! Yes!” The drunk, however, comes out of the tank and is hollering about his cousin? Then, something goes flying in the air at her. She fumbles to catch it, but… she does. “I didn’t know throwing like a human would get me this far…” She then takes her time fiddling with the bangles before smiling and sliding them on her wrist.

Quintessa maintains her smile when Ina finally makes her way over, silently escorted by her shy maid. “Oh, I *always* look good, you should know this.” The changeling says with a joking tone, her gaze trailing down to the green handprint on the foxkin’s outfit. “And you’re… here. And in the latest Kregus fashion, no less.” Quintessa gives a knowing look to Ophelia again, indicating to her that she may be about to give her another order. “I brought that… gift with me, by the way. Not here, to the party, but it is in the Sage Forest.” Mismatched eyes scan the party again, slowly. “The person it's meant for is at the party, I believe as well, curiously enough. So close yet so very far away.” Quintessa was intentionally speaking cryptically, hoping that Ina had enough context already to follow along.

Lanlan said to Penelope, "I can't believe you would cheat in a game that's meant to be fun."

Magikrios starts panicking, but only on the inside. Meri is bringing people. On the outside, he just casually sips on the best beer around, Kelay Ale. Dark. Full flavored. All natural. Kelay Ale.

Meri said to Lanlan, "You leave Penelope alone right now or else."

Penelope said to Lanlan, "Oof, you must be so sore from that story you're creating in your head." She grins teasingly. "You'll just have to admit that I have a better throwing arm than you."

Lita far prefers Meri's company to carnival games, at least when throwing knives and the possibility of blood is not involved. So she lets the blonde(s) lead the way. Though she might be eyeing one of the vendor stalls toting fancy drinks and snag one in passing. The contents of the glass is bright purple and some kind of shimmering glitter stuff, one of those little umbrellas in it and a slice of lime garnishing the rim. She lifts the glass to smell the drink but all it smells like is the citrus fruit and with a brief shrug, she takes a sip. Doesn't hate it. "Sushi." She says, lifting a hand to point at Meri's introduced man-who-married-her. And she offers Magik a playful wink as she takes another sip of that drink. Because really anyone who can put up with Meri, love her, and live to tell the tale, alright in her book.

Kanna || OOC: ...Ayo, more of you better vote, I'm not making multiple of these for a tie.

Shishi probably got lost on the way here. The exiled Vailkrinese Spear adjusts his neck tie and puffs out his cheeks as he steps onto the scene after following the sound of the crowd to complete the last leg of his trip. His sole open blue eye pans across the stage as he picks out several attendees he’s at least familiar with, though it is Quintessa, his fellow City of The Dead pariah, that he makes his way towards first. On his way through the gathered throng he has to sign at least one autograph and decline to explain his absence from this year’s ToW at least twice for Blue Demon fans. If he manages to sneak up on Quintessa successfully, he’ll give her a nudge with his shoulder (or elbow depending on how high her heels are.)

Magikrios blinks at Lita then points to himself, "Magikrios." He spins around and suddenly has a small plate of sushi in his hand with Kelay Ale in the other. Where was he keeping that sushi? No one knows..The beer's not being offered though. He laughs at Lita then offers the small plate to her, "Sushi."

Arlyeon s' face scrunches up, though more from a repressed laugh than anything, "Puh-leeze. I'm missin' tha' rad bones." That said, when Quintessa mentions the current status of the package, the foxkin can no longer contain herself, "Hah! Great. Imma get right on dat- only, uh-" The rogue leans in, a small canape dropping out of her hat and into a waiting hand during the motion, "I had an extra favor ta' ask. Ja seem ta' be in less trouble than before- so, Uh, I was wonderin' if that trinket I made is on ya'. Since, I can't-" She looks almost physically pained to admit this. "I can't do tha' whole, change-y bits. N' that might help fer special deliveries." There's a pause, and she can't help but blurt out, "Also, I miss settin' peeps on fire."

Valrae waves to anyone near her and slips off into her carriage to head back toward Cenril.

Lita makes a face at the offer of the name. Magikrios? Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But then, names for her rarely did. More often than not they reminded her tongue of an accent she'd worked very hard to eradicate over the years. So, she makes a face, shrugging a little, as if mulling it over. "Hmm..." and then when he produces the plate of actual sushi, she brightens into a smile again. "I like sushi better." Without asking she reaches to pluck a piece from the offered plate. She wasn't often a fan of food but there were occasional exceptions made. "As a food, too." She pops the whole piece into her mouth to chew. She's classy that way.

Syrri very nearly slipped off her clanmate's shoulders when the Blue Demon himself was recognized moving through the crowd, her shimmering gown bouncing scintillating stars around as she corrected her impromptu throne, and she muffled a giggle behind a bejeweled hand.

Quintessa indeed was not expecting Shishi to be here, that and in combination with her attention being focused on Ina, she doesn’t notice him sneaking up on her until he nudges her. “What is it, Ophe-” Her sapphire and golden eyes sparkle with pleasant surprise when she sees who it is, none other than her ‘partner in crime’ regarding current Vailkrin politics. “Shishi!” She calls out, being so bold to throw her arms around him in a tight hug, “I have missed you! Since that nasty business in Vailkrin I haven’t known how to reach you- we should catch up sometime. I have much to tell you about.”

Lanlan actually smiled wickedly, knowing that he of course was the one who was cheating. "I'm not sure I can ever trust the outcome of a game run by such finicky things as pixies. I think they took a liking to you for some reason, maybe it was that nice orange color you're wearing." Then he turns to Meri and looks aghast. "Leave a human so young an kind as Penelope alone with such wicked things as pixies! Don't you -know- the risks of doing such a thing?" Then he turns back to Penelope. "Pixies love to turn silly humans into things like trees and logs and replace them with a malicious double. You should be very careful around them." Good guy Lanlan, looking out for the humans.

Leoxander seemed to have a strange glaze in his eyes. The particles of dust on his eyelashes was starting to become bright blurs in his vision. Still, he blinked it away and might have gone searching for a sealed body rather than anything poured in that magical setting, but the three approached him like they were on the black-brick road. The unsuspecting play-innocent girl in the dress. Her canine companion. And the sinman. Who he looked toward when Meri mentioned them actually having a conversation and he scoffed a short laugh under his breath again. “I thought women preferred that dark tall and mysterious type.” Clearly referring to her husband as he reached out his right hand, not bandaged but sporting ink if his first Lady. Luck. He’d grasp with a slap of contact and a brief squeeze with his nod and tried to appease Meri, if it was returned. “Y’wanna help me fin’a dr-...” He paused, maybe preparing for another sneeze, his eyes closing a moment. Was he lacking his usual dose of liquor by that afternoon? Seemed unlikely but his brain drifted toward a cloud as he tried to remember. “Drink. Not whatever that is.” He managed to finish a monotone request, not willing to risk an open glass.

Lita glances over her shoulder when she hears murmurs about the Blue Demon. Would have liked to meet him in the arena almost as much as she did Leo most days. Almost. Maybe a close second. Alas, she'd have to wait for that opportunity it would seem. For now, it's on the bucket list.

Kanna || From behind the enchanted stage, a royal looking pixie emerges with a small black box. To the surprise of those unaccustomed to a royal guardsman outside of the castle, which would be everyone, they walk up to… Quintessa! “Excuse me, but I am here on behalf of Queen Lunalesca, who cannot grace us with her presence in person due to her health. She is watching over the festivities, and noted that you have the most breathtaking outfit out of all the visitors here. Please accept this token of appreciation from Her Majesty.”

Kanna gave Quintessa 1 Spell-Warding Sunstone Earring.

Kanna || Appearing in a puff of pixie dust in view of most of today’s partygoers is the most smug pixie anyone here has probably ever seen. He has the air of a being born into an easy life and was able to rely on his parents’ influence to get away with behavior that would otherwise get one’s wings torn off in a seedy tavern. “Well! I heard from my cousin that you folks caused quite a rabble here today. I am here to set you commoners straight! I challenge all common folk here to a traditional arm wrestling match.” He chortles. “Not against me, of course, but against my brother.”

Kanna || OOC: Players who want to be in this next minigame, roll me a d20 in the channel to determine who goes in what order.

Meri :: If Meri was introducing Lita and Leoxander to anyone but Magikrios, she would probably let them get away with not actually their names. It was a fun game to play at times, Meri knew first hand. Red lips twitch up into a smirk at the exchange between Lita and Magikrios. “Sushi is probably not the worst nickname he has been given,” she teases Lita. Blue eyes shift toward Magik now, “Her name is Lita. I’ve known her for…Gosh, probably close to eight years? Back in my Rynvale days.” Leo’s request for a drink is met with a lift of a brow and he is given a sassy, “Only if you say hi nicely and introduce yourself like a proper gentleman.” But, she’d show Leoxander a little mercy, he was clearly struggling with like….allergies or something. So the least that she could do is get the guy a beer. He did not specify of what variety so he would end up drinking Kelay Ale, just like Meri and Magikrios. That meant that Sushi would be left to deal with Lita and Leo on his own for just a moment while Meri fetched a drink and then returned.

Lanlan said to Kanna, "Oh sure, my brother also accepts your challenge to arm wrestle your brother. He's adopted, by the way."

Lanlan an almost twin of Lanlan who is extremely buff to the max arrives. This Lanlan is by all appearances, even stronger than the strongest person to ever walk the land who's name is Mathollak.

Penelope loses that grin at the mention of mischievous pixies, however, she had wandered around these parts plenty in her time through the Sage area. Perhaps she was on good terms with the lot around this area. “Perhaps blessings are on my side today,” she smiles cooly. “How -kind- of you to look out for me.” She then turns at the pixie who puffs up in appearance. “I think that’s all you. Redemption, I would say for an arm wrestling match.” She elbows Lanlan, but does not make exact contact. She then looks towards Meri. “Or you! I bet you can win a gnarly match, eh?” She giggles at her friend. She would not doubt Meri’s strength. "That one I'm sure I would lose." Good aim? Yes. Good strength? Eh...

Meri gasps dramatically at Penelope. That was some good payback though.

Lita lifts a hand of apology at Meri as the woman introduces her properly. Sometimes she forgets the little things. More so in social settings where she's not exactly working. Though it could also be the drink. She finishes the glass, washing down a mouthful of sushi that probably should have been more than one bite, and nods at Magikrios. "Sorry, yes, Lita. And yeah, Meri helped get the shop going second time around as Soulskin. She nailed a violin to the wall." She grins at Meri here. She's forever grateful for it.

Shishi ’s left eye widens at Quintessa’s unexpected greeting. He straightens his spine in her quick embrace for a second, stunned in that moment, before he folds one arm around her back, reciprocating the embrace. “Aye. I’m camped out around Milous lately…” He says this fairly deadpan in a way that it isn’t clear whether or not it is a joke or not. It’s not the luxurious locale one would expect to find the rich and famous in, for sure. “We’ll have to set up a date. Maybe in Sage or something.” He’s not sure whether she’s allowed in Vailkrin, or if there is some magic keeping her out as it is him. Then the pixie comes and informs the changeling of her victory, causing Blue to back up a step or two, admire the winning gown and begin a short round of applause, slightly teasing as he puts on a small smirk for “Vailkrin’s Shield”.

Magikrios nods at Lita and sets the plate down nearby just in time to grasp Leo's hand for a firm handshake. As Leo starts to ask for a drink, Magik blinks for a moment at the hesitation. Is Leo good or..? Oh. He wants a drink. A drink is what Magik has too. Mag kind of side-eyes Leo for a quick moment then reaches under the closest easel to grab a dark bottle of that special dark ale that Magik has been drinking. Kelay Ale. Feeling like crap? Have a Kelay Ale. Magik pops the top off and hands it to Leoaxander, "Here. Brewed locally." Sort of. Just, towards the north a little bit, but not in Larket. Larket doesn't make good beer. Kelay Ale. Because it's not from Larket. Kelay Ale.

Lanlan said, "Oh me? No my throwing arm is even less of a wrestling arm. Your wrestling arm, though? Probably even better than your throwing arm."

Kanna said, "ooc: Everyone up to speed on the next minigame? Is it just Lanlan and Meri squaring up?"

Quintessa releases Shishi to turn back to Ina, nodding her head slowly as she asks about her special trinket. “Yes, I do happen to have it on me bu-” Before Quintessa can speak much more about it she is suddenly approached by a royal attendant whose grandeur despite their small statue quickly captures Quintessa’s attention. “Queen Lunalesca?” Her eyes trail up to Enchatment’s Castle in the south. Was the Queen still watching them now? “As a humble representative of the unseelie fae, I graciously accept this token of Her Majesty. Please tell Her Grace that I would love to thank her personally if I might be so bold to request an audience with her.”

Macon shouted at Magikrios, "We're a whiskey kingdom!"

Magikrios shouted at Macon, "I don't even know who you are!"

Kanna || The pixie disappears in a puff of pixie dust again, but only a few seconds later, thundering footfall echoes from the west, and then another, and another. Emerging from the treeline is a towering orc. On the orc’s shoulder is the smug pixie. “Here is my brother. Oh, I did mention that he’s adopted, right? Thaddeus, be a dear and play with the commoners.” The orc, apparently named Thaddeus, gives a deep grunt of acknowledgement before crossing his legs and taking a seat at the table. Theowin stands behind his ‘brother’ and smirks. Thaddeus looks out at the partygoers and grunts again, flexing his hand in a way that makes each joint audibly pop. “Who. First.”

Arlyeon does not want to be directly in the line of sight of people as prizes are being accepted, and thus steps neatly behind Shishi, "Thanks buddy."

Kanna || OOC: You can’t explain it, but even if you’re physically strong or applying magical force, you have the gut feeling that Theowin and Thaddeus are cheating somehow. This game is a high-low game, best out of three, with each of us rolling a d20 for each round. If you or your buddies can quickly write something to bolster your character or knock these two down a peg, you can roll with advantage (roll twice, take the better roll) or have me roll with disadvantage (roll twice, take the worst roll). For this first round, Thaddeus will be rolling with advantage.

Kanna bites her lower lip as the first contender takes a seat in front of Thaddeus. In this case, Quintessa just narrowly steals the seat before Shishi and Lanlan's twin can take the spot.

Iintahquohae 's window for free time was drawing to a close, but before she'd make the trek back to Vailkrin, she had walk past her unfinished painting and see if anybody else did add to it. Finding not an additional brushstroke, the seamstress clicked her tongue with some disappointment but left it behind all the same. Maybe next time.

Meri meant to come back to Magikrios, Leo, and Lita....except somewhere along the way to get beer, Meri got lost and then roped into the arm wrestling contest. Whoops. It's a good thing that Magikrios had beer for Leo.

Penelope definitely needed to find a beer nearby for the entertainment of the match.

Lita watches Meri trip into an arm wrestling match and renews her understanding of why they're friends.

Kanna || Thaddeus effortlessly smashes his opponent’s hand into the table. Theowin barks out an obnoxious high-society laugh. “Looks like that’s one for us, dear brother!”

Lanlan approaches alongside his 'brother', who seems to have balloons in his clothes or something where muscles should be, or maybe he was stung by a lot of bees, or maybe he's just really that strong. They both watch the first arm wrestling match while one of them thinks of silly things to do. "I have the utmost faith in you, Quintessa," Lanlan lies.

Magikrios has a Kelay Ale for when people randomly stumble into arm wrestling matches against dirty, disgusting orcs.

Lanlan said, "Oh."

Leoxander wasn’t in the mood to be choosy, and since they both handed him a bottle he took them both, sliding one into a pocket while he popped the the top of the other on the buckle of a blade holster inside his coat. A wipe of the rim, just in case, and only alcohol could make him draw down that mask to reveal unshaven features, taking a long drink. “We’ve met, Lady.” He wasn’t about to try Mrs. whatever the hell that tangle of letters read. He wouldn’t go into the details of how or why. And, for someone who had a side of food with his liquor meals daily, that second drink of beer had him feeling a little drunk. Leo tried not to be too obvious as he casually glanced to see if there was somewhere nearby to sit, but everyone seemed to be standing. Or swimming.

Shishi spins right, an ineffective direction given his ocular injury, to try and follow Arlyeon as the con artist moves around him, “Eh? Aye. Don’t mention it.” That little interaction costs him the first spot in the arm wrestling line and he’s left wondering why he’s even waiting since Tess is going to destroy this guy before he gets the chance to try.

Quintessa takes her spot, completely unaware of the cheating that’s going on. When she loses, however, her lips curl up into a cruel smile. “Oh, I see what your game is now.” She gives him a wink before standing from her seat, letting the next person take her place. “Crush him. For me.” She says to the next person.

Magikrios leaves Leo with the beers and manages to make his way closer to Meri while keeping an eye on the pixie and orc pair. Maybe Magik had a dagger in his hand. Maybe it was a Kelay Ale.

Kanna || Thaddeus looks started as his eyes trace the movement of his arm swinging backwards and down onto the table. Theowin explodes. “Get your big, stupid head in the game, Thaddeus!! Do you WANT to upset Father?!”

Meri whispered something to Magikrios.

Arlyeon might be wearing a sundress, but that doesn't mean she doesn't somehow have pockets. In this case, a small bag of holding tied to one wrist. With a small flourish, the trickster's drawn a parasol clear from the bag, opening it up as though she intends to shade herself from the sun. ...Hopefully Leo isn't standing -too- close to her, given the quantities of Pixie dust that will be exuding from it, given that she's hoping to potentially mess with the faculties of the orcish armwrestler, "Huh, anyone wanna take a bet on the one eyed guy taking it home?"

Magikrios whispered something to Meri.

Meri whispered something to Magikrios.

Magikrios whispered something to Meri.

Kanna || Thaddeus hangs his head as he withdraws his arm, but then... he starts sneezing, uncontrollably!

Lita loops an arm around Leo's waist, half to lead him towards the arm wrestling match where everyone seems to be gathering, and half to keep him upright. "Get some food in yah? Maybe nab something else along the way with everyone distracted?" She might be eyeing a few fancy pocketbooks left unattended in all the excitement of the match.

Kanna || Thaddeus struggles and presses his weight against his opponent’s arm, but it is all for naught as the orc finds his hand is the one on the table. He grunts. “Warming up. Again."

Quintessa moves away from the contest momentarily to rejoin Ina, pulling a jagged pendant with a blood red gem from the cleavage of her bodice and pulling it from around her neck, the white gold crescent moon which the gem rests inside out shimmering in the summer sun. “Here. I didn’t get as much use out of it as I hoped but studying it illuminated many things to me. Thank you, my friend. I owe you for letting me borrow it and I always repay my debts.”

Leoxander should have waved goodbye or continued that proper conversation but even for Lycanthrope, he was feeling hot. After a moment it was impossible not to wipe his brow and leave his hands over closed eyes for a moment, feeling Lita guide that first step, while survival's instinct sounded the alarm. He should not be in a crowd right now. Especially there, in that blinding kingdom. Idiot. Leo hadn’t wanted to bother Jim and he was already late with Lita waiting, still searching, only to find a half of dose in the bottom of a topped vial. The rogue, never one to make much noise or draw attention to himself, heard the beer bottle hit the floor, whether it crashed or not, before he realized he dropped it. And by the time he realized he had dropped it, his eyes rolled back with the mask still around his throat and he was collapsed on the floor beside the spilled beverage. Maybe the games would keep the socialites distracted and yelling overt the sound.

Kanna || Thaddeus struggles and presses his weight against his opponent’s arm, but it is all for naught as the orc finds his hand is the one on the table... AGAIN! The crowd applauds as the contenders change places. Surely this can't happen again, right?

Arlyeon manages to accept the item with a surprising amount of dignity. Surprising, largely because she promptly crams it into her mouth, and begins viciously chewing on the gem set in the center. Whilst this would normally be a practice in futility, contact with the missing part of herself has the notable effect of restoring her ability to shapeshift. Which means, it's less a fox chomping down on the amulet, and more a large pale-scaled naga, albeit with a facial structure reminiscent of Ina's, complete with vivid red hair. "Nom nom N-" With a pronounced crack, the stone gives way, largely helped along by it's contents seeking to be liberated from their crystalline shell, and resulting in the not-quite-a-fox spitting up a mouthful of jewelry. It's only when the shattered amulet's fully clear of her mouth that she peers down at the changeling, "Studies, huh?" She adjusts the parasol awkwardly, largely because it does an absolutely atrocious job of veiling her now.

Shishi squares up for the tie breaker and smiles, exposing fangs in as sweet a way one could do such a thing, “How’d you beat Tess anyway. You guys cheating?” As soon as the signal to begin the match, the former gladiator puts all of his considerable unholy strength into the push that ends the bout decisively. “Sorry, bud.” With that, Blue adjusts his tie, gets up and walks away, oblivious that there was a prize to be won at all…

Lanlan stands aside as Big Boy Lanlan (the brother-thing), sits down across from Thaddeus. Once they clasp hands, a buzzing sound can be heard, and then apparently an enormous bee lands on Thad's resting arm. And then another big bee lands on his head and strangely starts massaging is thick-orc brows, and slowly building a nest on his head.

Meri wrinkles her nose at Lanlan's choice of interference. Not the bees.

Kanna || Thaddeus looks started as his eyes trace the movement of his arm swinging backwards and down onto the table. Theowin explodes. “Get your big, stupid head in the game, Thaddeus!! Do you WANT to upset Father?!” Thaddeus grunts, sweat beading on his forehead as he tries to ignore THE BEES.

Lanlan said, "I have no doubt that your father will have changed his name."

Arlyeon provides a more than ample hiss at Lanlan's sick burn.

Kanna || Thaddeus looks started as his eyes trace the movement of his arm swinging backwards and down onto the table. Theowin explodes. “THADDEUS!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Syrri alit from the broad shoulders of her companion, and joined by her other clanmates, she began to make her way from the clearing; but not before making sure to shove some more pamphlets and flyers advertising the Rumble into festival goers' hands. "Come watch Team Quinagal and the Three Best Frenemies in an epic match! Mark your calendars!" (Indeed a date was not mentioned, but who knew how the papers might adjust once one was).

Lanlan :: From behind Lanlan, an enormous bee, extremely fat, too fat to even fly on her own, is coming. Oh lawd, she coming. She bumbles along, carried and supported by four other bees to be plopped on the throne on Thad’s head. Once there, Thad would feel 14 extra pounds of pressure on his shoulders, and hear some very imperious sounding buzzes. "Oh my is that Queen Buzzalesca?"

Kanna || Thaddeus effortlessly smashes his opponent’s hand into the table. He turns his head to his 'brother' and flexes his neck so his spine audibly cracks and pops. "According to plan."

Lanlan picks up his brother by the eyebrows and throws him out of enchantment.

Penelope thinks this is the strangest arm wrestling she has ever seen. Was this what it was like? Bees? Penelope just has her mouth open in a.. "huh" position the whole time. Freeze-frame with that beer in her hand.

Lita might have caught that beer bottle before it hit the ground if she'd been less distracted. Social gathering were a lot. She preferred the island. A private beach. Some of the ale splashes up across the front of her dress and she mumbles a curse, wiping her palm across the fabric. Some of the beer splashes up onto a partially finished painting on one of the nearby easels too. Bummer. But there's no time to pay it attention as she bends to scoop Leo up by his shoulders. Good thing everyone else was busy. Maybe they could sneak out of there in a rush.

Magikrios winks at his lovely wife as he summons a black fireball and "accidentally" drops it, "Oh my.." There's such panic! What does he do?! Well, he kicks the fireball under the orc's seat, of course. Oops?

Quintessa steps back, giving Ina room for her transformation with a blank expression on her face. Her handmaidens, meanwhile, look horrified that she just started chomping down on a gem but Tessa is more disappointed she didn’t get to try a piece. “I didn’t know you could do that…” she says, almost dejectedly. “Yes, studies. You know me, always reading, or cutting something open, or committing heresy. Normal girl stuff.” Her eyes flicker back to the contest with curiosity in her gaze. “I should have used that amulet against those guys…”

Kanna || Thaddeus struggles and presses his weight against his opponent’s arm, but it is all for naught as the orc finds his hand is the one on the table. He grunts as Theowin panics and tries to get the fireball out of under the orc's seat. “Not bad. For woman.”

Lanlan :: Queen Buzzalesca buzzes something about beginner's luck to Meri.

Kanna || Thaddeus looks started as his eyes trace the movement of his arm swinging backwards and down onto the table. Theowin explodes. “Get your big, stupid head in the game, Thaddeus!! You're not getting paid if you don't--" Oop. Almost broke character there. Theowin purses his lips and hums angrily.

Leoxander might have murmured a wheeze of words at Lita as the tiny vampire helped him up. He blindly searched for the exit but fortunately his deputy was saving his ass from a half of a world of humiliation.

Kanna || Theowin and Thaddeus both look stunned as the crowd cheers for… well. Not them. No, they're cheering for Meri?! Theowin yells and starts stamping his feet and throwing things. “Forget this grift! Fracture, you’re fired!” He shouts, his high society accent now replaced by one of a common grifter. He yells again and throws his hat on the ground, in his rage scattering pixie dust everywhere before flying back into the treeline in shame.

Kanna gave 1 Spell-Woven Sunstone Bangles to Meri.

Meri might have tripped last into the arm wrestling match, but it seems the blonde tattooed chick in the short skirt, high heels, and crop top is apparently the one to somehow beat the cheating orcs brothers? Not once, not twice, but three times she manages to smash that arm into the ground. Never underestimate hot lycan chicks, I guess. Meri stands from her table and strikes a victorious flex pose.

Arlyeon snaps back to a semblance of her size. Semblance being the operative word, because she's about half the height she started out as- which not only causes the umbrella to obscure her, but leaves her more than partially encompassed by the mushroom hat. (A piece of couture partly distended by her earlier shapeshifting shenanigans. "Huh? Yeah. It's neat. There's limits n' all, but like? Probably."

Magikrios cheers for his wife, "Hell yeah!!!"

Penelope claps for Meri, although Thaddeus was put in the hot-seat. Literally. Though, seems he could not take the heat. "Go, Mer! I knew it!" Fire is power. Meri is power--ful!

Kanna || The curtain lifts to reveal the drink of choice for this event is not the standard beer, and not even the popular glitter ale. What is before each contestant is shot glasses of pure unfiltered Enchantment absinthe. The setting sun gives the green alcohol an almost sinister aura to it. "Step right up! Reserve your spot for the Enchanted Drinking Contest! Whoever knocks back the most shots takes home a prize!" Kanna runs over to the gnome who drew the curtain. “Hey, hey, hey, what happened to the meade?!” The gnome shrugs. Kanna looks on in fear as the announcer gets ready to tell everyone to start. Hopefully this much absinthe wouldn’t kill anyone, right?

Quintessa said to Arlyeon, "I always felt limits were just a skill issue, to be honest. Why worry about stuff like that if it just works?"

Kanna || OOC: The name of the game is Drinking Blackjack! Roll me a straight 6d6 to see how many shot glasses your character can take! If your roll comes out over a 21, you’re out! Your character gets sick, passes out, etc. Whoever gets closest to, or gets exactly 21 wins! There’s no modifiers here, just a sheer game of luck! May the Dice Bot be in your favor!

Magikrios loops his arm around Meri and leads them to the next event, "Might as well finish strong, eh?"

Leoxander whispered something to Lita.

Shishi said, "If I drink in public, I'm contractually obligated to drink at least one Mesthak's Strongest Brew before I drink anything else..."

Kanna gave 1 Mesthaks strongest-brew to Shishi.

Penelope said to Shishi, "You're in, champ."

Arlyeon would fiddle with the contest, but, boozing would distinctly interfere with the second half of what she needs to do, namely. "Well, I gotta' scoot. Parcels to collect, gifts ta deliver. The post never stops, ch'yeah?" Which sounds really weird when one considers that Ina is about as tall as her Parasol right now, and practically draped in her mushroom cap. It's fine, though.

Meri is looped into a drinking contest apparently. Like she'd say no to another beer....or 6.

Kanna watches in horror as Lanlan, then Magikrios, then Meri all pass out from the absinthe. How the heck are Quintessa and Shishi still standing? The crowd goes nuts at the prospect of a lightning round. "Round 2, DRINK!"

Shishi gets handed a frosty MSB by some beautiful stranger and knocks it back before moving to the drinking contest area. His approach is a slow, steady one which includes an exaggerated wince with each shot taken. He's undead, so the effect of alcohol is likely minimal, but surely there's some pixie mischief included in this spirt to make sure he's affected by it... right?

Shishi said to Penelope, "Take Mesthak's Strongest Brew home today. It is the official brew of The Blue Demon!"

Meri thought Magik signed her up for a beer contest. If she's drinking absinthe, it is no wonder Nel is going to have to drag her drunk arse home.

Shishi points at Penelope, having just made 2,500 gold for reciting those two sentences.

Magikrios starts throwing back shots. And doesn't stop. So much alcohol. Too much, actually. Magikrios finally finds his limit and looks at Meri, the four of them actually, "Eh, I, uh.." The elf burps a wet burp. It's a little gross.. "Ah fruggin luv yu, Mer.." And just like that, he passes out onto the ground. Whomp whomp.

Kanna gave 1 Spell-Woven Sunstone Bangles to Shishi.

Kanna said, "Give that to your next love, champ."

Kanna gave Quintessa 1 Spell-Woven Sunstone Bangles.

Meri doesn't pass out in the quite the same way that Magik does. Instead, Meri curls up next to him on the ground like a happy drunk. And their the two Kelay leaders were, passed out drunk on the ground in the middle of a party. Good job them.

Shishi said, "Some waitress somewhere."

Shishi said to Magikrios, "Shoulda stayed a vampire."

Magikrios said to Shishi, "That's so 16 years ago."

Shishi celebrates and gloats in a particularly wobbly way.

Leoxander | A waitress sees Shishi and has a frozen moment before rushing into the back to tell the others the Titan was there. Selfie time.

Quintessa isn’t undead, so how she is able to keep up with an elder vampire is beyond even her own reckoning but somehow she does it, but now her handmaidens look at a loss at what to do, still holding the parasol over her nearly unconscious body as she slides onto the ground and giggles, murmuring to the grass like it's her long lost friend.

Lanlan saunters over to the absinthe and takes but one whiff. That’s all it takes for the potent magics and horrendous smell to awaken in him memories of a life long gone, long buried. He’s forced to endure visions of the life he could’ve lived, if things hadn’t been so much like they were; if he hadn’t been so much like he is. A glimpse into an alternate reality! Another life’s worth of years that flash before his mind’s eye in a blink, and when he’s come back from it, it was like waking up again from a long dream. Or returning to a dream, he couldn’t tell which. “Huh, I’m still here? Or am I there and here isn’t any place?” He asks no one in particular. There’s still so many people here, a crowd he doesn’t quite have the wits to deal with. Dream or not, he wanted to go home. Dream or not, he crafted stairs made from nothing but dust and motes of light and imagination that took him easily over the crowd, and then down to the steps on the other side and into his carriage.

Shishi , in this state will surely, out of habit, travel back 'home' to Vailkrin and get bounced back by the exile's hex placed on him multiple times before he realizes what is going on and that he's made a very time consuming mistake...

Penelope smirked at Shishi before watching the rather tall Guardian of Sage crash land on the floor of the meadow. She then mutters to Shishi, "I think if I drank Mesthak's brew, I'd be passed out like him." She lets out a declining whistle like he was a fallen tree before she looks at Meri who is snuggling up to Magik. Penelope tucks in her lips for a moment, "Oh boy." Penelope walks over and pokes Magikrios with her foot. "Hello...? Hellooo?" She looks from side to side before attempting to lift up one of his arms. Dead weight. No thanks. "This will just be a peaceful night under the stars. What a happy blessed Solstice." Looking around, eyes land on a booth with a blanket. "Hey! Hey! I'll buy that blanket off of you." Best know she will tuck the D'Chath's in. "Sweet, sweet hangover."