Blackmoon Celebration

[travelagency]

Who: Misc
What: Blackmoon
When: M6 D14 (July 10th) - M6 D17 (July 13th)
Where: All around the resort and village
Notes & Warnings: Up to players to put in subjects

OOC: This is a log post for the celebration for general mingling during the celebration (log and network posts are also still very welcome). Just tag into a starter and ask questions if anything is unclear.

Comments

In Blackstaff

[travelagency]

The shopkeepers are taking advantage of the larger crowds that the Blackmoon event draws in. Holiday sales announcements are displayed in windows in bright colors, and many of the streets are temporarily closed to vehicles so the merchants have set up booths outside their shops to catch the attention of foot traffic. Travelling vendors have flown in from nearby quadrants and the streets are lined with tables offering everything from cheap spider toys that squeak when you squeeze them in the right place to onyx cabochon jewelry ringed with gold in imitation of the eclipse. Food carts dot the area, selling to hungry tourists. All around are people shouting, talking, laughing, haggling. And every merchant would very much like to sell you something.

Pugsy isn’t cheerful (Pugsy is never cheerful), but the intoxicating beverages are pouring fast at the bar. The profits are good, but the eclipse brings out the lunatic in people and he’s expecting at least one bar fight before the celebrations are over. F'nayalip and Joe's have hired a few extra servers and have an enormous display of pies freshly baked and ready to sell. The Petal and Stamen brothel is offering discounts to anyone wearing a traditional spider mask and many of the escorts have painted their faces with web designs.

[vengeance_driven]

[Like the classiest of individuals, Niko comes strolling out of Blackway's notable brothel dusting his hands off. Eh. It isn't like he can go out beyond the fence, and it's something to do that occupied an hour of his time and keep his head from straying (though he sort of wishes it went more quickly for the sake of his wallet).]

[He's trying to make the most of it. Everything is interesting and alien and loud all over again, bright and shining. On this end of town, people are grittier, more real to him. He likes it better. But he's still on an endless hunt for real distraction instead of flash to keep his mind from wandering and he checks the time because the sun is useless right now.]

[He doesn't have to be home to feed his animals for a little while. That's not something he has to worry about.]

[So he just idly sits on his speeder thing, some sleek looking model that looks more fit to weave between trees, and rests one foot up on a footrest and one hand on the handlebars as he considers where to go.]

[endsorrow]

[

Okay but no in all seriousness

Considering that Braska lives in Blackstaff, in order to head towards the heart of the festivities, he needs to do some walking. He hasn't bought his sparkly spider robes yet, so he's just wearing something simple for the occasion and his usual headdress.

When Braska spies Niko, and then recognizes him, he offers a warm smile and a bow of the head in greeting. He notices the speeder second, and that actually makes his curiousity bring him to a stop.]

[what_ho_jeeves]

[Bertie is in full evening dress, weaving down the street. When he spots Niko, his expression lights up and he shouts out loudly (and drunkenly). He doesn't know Niko just exited a brothel. The suggestive floral sign on the Petal and Stamen is completely lost to him. He thinks it's a gardening store, and, having little interest in plants, has never gone in.]

Nikkie! What ho, old chap! I didn't know you cared for gardening.

For Wander

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin isn't terribly interested in trinkets. But he is interested in people and what they're up to. So he walks around the shopping district, occasionally pretending to glance at some bauble or another, and is keeping his eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. All his nerves are on edge, wondering if or when another bomb will go off.]

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander is grateful for his part-time job at Braska's shop, because otherwise he wouldn't have enough money to buy all the alien food and trinkets he wanted and fully enjoy the festival. He passes by a few jewelry vendors, lamenting that his funds would not be enough to buy the nicest ones, but never forgetting to compliment the merchants for their handiwork. Most of them give a curt reply, but none of them are interesting in any sort of conversation beyond that. No matter. Even if he could buy their goods, he didn't know anyone here who loved jewelry.

A booth selling spider-themed goods does catch his attention, however. A stuff spider doll, nearly Wander's size, is the first thing he notices; it reminds him or another violent spider-like creature back home that he wanted to keep as a pet before it tried to kill him. It would be a better idea to buy it later to allow for time to heave that thing back to him room. What he does buy now, however, is a realistic spider mask meant for children which fits on Wander's head perfectly.

As he turns from the stall, he notices Narvin walking down the road in his direction. He hasn't talked with him much since he got here, right? That has to be amended! Still wearing the spider mask, he starts to make his way down the path, quickly dodging pedestrians .

Realizing that Narvin might have turned down another road or stopped to buy something, Wander finds an unused box by one of the booths and climbs onto it to scan the crowd. Is he still nearby?

Parade

[travelagency]

The parade is heard before it’s seen. Six drummers banging in practiced unison. Then come the ribbon bearers, carrying sticks with long paper streamers tied to them. They rustle and hiss in mimicry of the sound of spiders, the silver streamers themselves like webs.

And then following behind are the spider dancers, four people in each of the many spiders, each of the four making the legs, the head, the thorax move and bounce with the beat of the drums. The music swells dramatically, and then, at a climactic moment -- POP! Hissssssss. Streamers burst forth from the "spiders" into the crowd. Locals and tourists alike shriek with surprise and glee, and children duck to scoop up candy tied to the ends of the streamers.

The parade will repeat this performance as it progresses down the street.

[likeaswift]

[Smiley's way home has been blocked by the parade.

He puts up with it in quiet, patient suffering, all the way through the business with the streamers. As small children push past him and revelers elbow him casually in their passage, he pauses to disentangle a streamer that has somehow gotten caught in his glasses.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin doesn't notice Smiley in the crowd. Right now he's intent on looking for someone who appears out of place, or nervous. He's scanning the people, some jostling to see the parade others pushing their way through the assembled masses. Smiley, in contrast, appears normal, a face dismissed as nobody of importance.

If there is a terrorist, Narvin hasn't spotted a likely suspect yet, but his eyes continue to dart ceaselessly hither and thither as he watches the proceedings with not even a pretense of enjoyment on his features.]

[vengeance_driven]

[A hand clad in a fingerless driving glove reaches out to catch the streamer, catching it in his grip until it's disentangled. And that hand is connected to a lanky limb that's attached on the opposite end to stupidly grinning Serb who's hard face hasn't ever been made for smiling like a reasonable person. At least, despite finding it funny that somehow the spider has managed to catch Smiley in his "web", he is helping.]

How did you manage this? [He asks with a laugh.]

[He's finally relatively well dressed. A light gray turtleneck and a dark suit that make him look a little like an Eastern European Steve McQueen if his nose was a little kinder to him in size and his ears didn't stick out just a touch too far.]

[endsorrow]

[Oh, look. It's Braska! -- Is it? It has to be. The robes he's wearing take up the same amount of space as his summoner robes, but they're black with spiderweb designs laced all across it in a rainbow of colors, catching the light and -- yes, sparkling. Oh. And he's wearing one of those ridiculous spider hats, the biggest he could find.

And he's dancing.

Sometimes, he's dancing with little children, holding their hands as they jump about, carrying them on his shoulders so they can catch candy-tied streamers. Sometimes, it's with someone who looked a little too lonely in the crowd, coaxing a smile however he can. He'll even singing along with the music, even if he doesn't know the words. Or if it doesn't have words.

But sometimes, he's dancing by himself like a doofus, waving his hands in the air or doing a stupid-looking hip-wiggle that makes the legs on his spider hat bounce over-enthusiastically. ... and makes little spider toys and souvenirs fall out of his pockets. JeezM.u<, just how many of those things has he bought?

So: If you're someone who's looking a little too lonely in a crowd? He might just be popping up over your shoulder to say,] Good evening, my friend. Would you like a piece of candy? This one is, I believe, strawberry-flavored.

[Or, you know. You can approach him and tell him just how horrendous his dancing is. Or you can not be a spoilsport and come and dance with him.]

[folkscallmewander]

I love your robes!

[An accented voice comes from below. Wander could not notice the dancing man playing with small children. Especially with the sparkling clothes.

Wander's pulls back his spider mask as he looks up at Braska, wiping off his face the crumbs of a snack hastily eaten before running over here.]

Didja make 'em yourself?

[He then starts moving from side to side, getting into the rhythm of the music and starts dancing with the energy of a 5-year-old.]

Parade

[ewestmarch]

Besides the children, there's a massive alien scooping candy off the sidewalks. It's wrapped in a cloak but towers over them, easily big enough to pick up a child in one hand if it wanted to.

Flies buzz around it. It drips a mixture of red and brown, and parents are herding their children away from it. It seems to be ignoring them.

Parade

[most_feared]

Jesus goddamn H Christ the third that was a hell of a smell. Kay cut his way through the crowd to see what was going on, just in time to witness the horror happily plucking up candy.

A child briefly approached it, black eyed and smooth skinned, and flicked out a long tongue to catch a fly before its wary mother ushered it away as well. Welp.

"Hey uh... I think we're gonna have to get you something to keep that mess from dragging." Like a pair of monstrous wading pants. Something.

Get Away From it All

[travelagency]

Enjoying one of the nights on a rooftop? At another high vantage point? Trying to get away from the noise? It's beautiful and quiet, and you can almost see distant nebula off in the starry darkness and the passing of ships as they streak by the world. You can also see over the fence, hear the turrets going off occasionally. It's not surprising because the spiders are being especially active.

Occasionally, though, there might be something unclear and distant moving strangely out there in the moonlight. Only for a moment or two, though before it's gone again. Maybe the spiders act a little strangely during the eclipse. Still, no one is allowed outside the fence, so it's impossible to check.

[thumbsdown]

[Boone is out by the fence with a bottle of whiskey and a cigarette between his lips, sitting on the grass and watching the turrets take care of the spiders. He's had a fair bit to drink, and is feeling pretty relaxed sitting here. The celebrations were interesting at first, but after a while all the noise bothered him. The merchants trying to shove goods in his face irritated him, and he only bought a ball with eight rubber legs because he figured he could give it to Rex. He's pulling the legs off now, not really seeing the point in them.

Rex isn't with him tonight. The noise and people might have confused him. He's a good dog, but trained to attack anything that looks threatening. He might've attacked the "spiders" in the parade. He probably would've tried to attack the spiders behind the fence too, and Boone doesn't have any means of keeping him away from them. Occasionally, Boone thinks he sees something else out there, but then he blinks or breathes out smoke and it's gone or it's just a spider.]

The Resort Celebration

[travelagency]

The resort has made a show of the celebration this year because they want to earn the attention of their prestigious guests. The newcomers are very much invited, of course. They're warned everything for them is still for free, but someone might want to come up to them and talk to them about their world. Tonight they're part of the entertainment as well as partaking of it. Just try not to get physical if you don't want to deal with it or security (NPC or otherwise) will escort you out.

At least to make up for it, the food that's being prepared on the open grills and that's set out is very good. There is likely something to everyone's tastes here. The drinks range from refreshing to the most smooth intoxicating beverages you can imagine.

It's well lit, with strings of light (not lights, but lit string) that resemble webbing. Though everything will be turned down when the eclipse is at its height and the stars will be at their brightest.

[most_feared]

[Kay has a cup of coffee, and he's just standing there. Watching. Waiting. Taking swigs of it and generally being as useless as fuzz on a bee's ass.]

[Well, that's not quite right. He's not useless because he's standing there doing both his jobs. He's watching to make sure no one starts a ruckus, keenly aware of the blaster nestled in his suit jacket, and chatting up the ambassadors. Neither of which are a far cry from home, so he fits right in.]

[He taps his hand against his mouth and yawns finally, sort of just waiting it out until the big moment. Coffee's apparently not doing the best job but he's being a pro and hanging in there.]

[una_persson]

[Una's got a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and is going about making small talk and glad-handing the guests—nothing too intrusive or annoying, just getting the measure of who's who and what they're about. To someone who doesn't know her—i.e. probably everyone else there—she comes across as pretty, frivolous, and probably a bit drunk. In fact only the first is true.]

[lindir]

[Lindir was not exactly the type to be in the middle of things, so he's actually inside, looking out a window at the celebration. Part of him wanted to join in, but another, larger part wanted to stay safely inside where it was more comfortable. Seeing as how he was not arranging the festivities, he supposed he had no need to be a part of it.]

[endsorrow]

[Honestly, Braska doesn't mind being a part of the entertainment. It means that, here, people will come to him, instead of him having to reach out to others. He isn't quite wallflowering, but he's starting to tire. He still wants to be around people. He still wants to see the festivities. He still likes the idea of being a part of it all.

But a thought struck him earlier, after he danced with a little alien girl. She wore a pink dress and the blue beads in her tentacle-hair clinked cheerfully as she ran away to rejoin her parents. He thought: Did Yuna dance like this when he brought the Calm? All of Spira was celebrating that night, he's sure of it. Maybe, the party in Bevelle looked not unlike this one. Fireworks and parades, like Jecht wanted.

Braska laughs quietly into the fluted glass in his hand. He wonders... if Jecht would have stayed true to his pledge, or if he would have indulged in alcohol for the celebration, too, if they could have been there for it. Would Auron have smiled and laughed like the men across the room from Braska? Would the relief of the Calm have made him this happy, too...?

... these are the kinds of thoughts that are ruining the mood. They're the ones he's having trouble keeping down. They're the reason why he's allowing himself to become a feature of the celebration. He can't quite bring himself to leave, because, if he did... The thoughts might consume him whole, then.]

[folkscallmewander]

[While Wander would never pass up the chance to meet people from different planets and learn about their worlds, he's not running around from group to group introducing himself. Instead, he's sitting by the side, tuning the banjo in his lap and giving it a few strums.

Once he's pleased with the tuning, he makes himself comfortable and begins to play a slow, relaxing tune loud enough to be heard by everyone near him but not so much as to drown out their conversation.

As he finishes one song, he realizes that some of the guests might want to give him some change for his music, so he removes his hat and lays it beside him, continuing onto another song and humming along.]

[tawarwaith]

[Tauriel had come in off patrol to attend the celebration and so was minus her armor but still in her favorite tunic of green velvet. As a precaution, she had a dagger strapped to her hip off her belt, but it looked almost like a decoration than a functional blade.

Her attention was dedicated more to the food and drink and the anticipation of the eclipse. She will never get over the joy of gazing upon the stars of another world and wondering just where Arda is in the grand scheme of the skies above. ]

[andiwillfollow]

[Charon is pretty much doing what he can always be found doing; patrolling. Generally just standing there with his arms crossed, keeping an eye on people to make sure no one gets too rowdy, particularly those having a little too much to drink. He's had plenty of experience dealing with drunks from back home and during times like these is when they're the loudest.

A barrel of fun, this guy is.]

Other

[travelagency]

-Make up your own.-