September Event - Guest Appearances

[pumpkinhollow]

GUEST APPEARANCES

Ignition

September 20th is the Autumnal Equinox. Many places across the world of Concorde celebrate the first day of fall. While various nations and regions have their own cultural practices surrounding it, nature is god everywhere. And so the inception of Mother Autumn’s domain is universally recognized, even if the names change from place to place. But on a little island named Marrow, in a little town called Pumpkin Hollow, there is another reason to celebrate.

The birth of Dahlia Leeds is not so important an event that it supersedes Celestine herself, and neither Dahlia nor anyone in town is foolhardy enough to claim as much. In fact, after the events on this very same day last year, one might argue that perhaps her birth at least started out as a bad thing. But she is certainly the wealthiest person in town. It is through the combination of substantial wealth and a generous heart, two things that are very seldom found in the same place, that we end up with a soiree where the birthday girl would rather spoil everyone else on her day than herself.

The doors to Leeds Estate, which presides proudly over the town upon its throne at the crest of Founder’s Hill, are flung wide open. Large sums of Brass are paid to caterers, florists, and seamstresses to make sure this place is decorated to the nines. Some businesses labor all year, just to prepare for the handsome payoff they’ll get from this event alone. And you, dear neighbor, are invited. Not only are you invited, but you are dressed for the event in whatever your heart desires, completely at the birthday girl’s expense. Dahlia ensures no cost nor conflict stands in between anyone in town and a much-needed break. She is determined for this birthday of hers to be a good night.

Or else.

Incipience

{ The timeframe between ignition and the peak of burning, where a small, contained fire spreads and grows gradually into an established flame. All it takes is a spark. }

The whole town is abuzz as preparations for the gala begin. From the moment people begin to wake up for the day, the air throughout Pumpkin Hollow just feels electric with excitement. After August, people have been needing this lift in morale, and after how last year’s gala went… well, there’s a lot riding on this one. And Dahlia seems much more in control now.

Speaking of being in control, the whole lead-up process has been incredibly organized. You wake up to a delivery--- your outfit, perfectly tailored and completely paid for. Accessories are included. She truly thought of everything.

It’s noteworthy that Dahlia’s invitations this time included another name beneath her own. “Suzanne Marie Dyneax,” it said. Most people don’t know the name, but gossip gets around in a small town like this. It’s not hard to pick up on the fact that this probably refers to Susie, one of the teenagers that Dahlia recently moved into her home, whose own birthday was ruined by Seemingly’s attack. Gift baskets have been delivered to others whose days were in proximity to the disaster--- Zivia, Capochin, even CT. Wine, fruit, and sweets, along with a birthday card. Dahlia has said in the past, “my birthday is your birthday,” but never has that felt more true.

With businesses mostly closed for the celebration, you are left with the majority of the day to prepare in relative peace. For many of the women in Dahlia’s inner circle, there is even a pre-party group dressing room set up on the third floor of her home. Only those who received her special invitation (Susie, Noelle, Fever, Cassandra, Anya, Alice, Patty, Melanie, Basira, Elsie) are permitted to join, but any friends or partners are gladly invited to wait at the bottom of the stairs for the girls to make their grand entrance.

The food is laid out, flowers placed, dresses laced and buttoned. The clock strikes 6pm, and the fun begins.

FLASHOVER

{ The moment when a blaze reaches its maximum size and heat, and the radiant heat in the space is such that all combustible materials ignite at once, allowing the flame to steadily and freely burn for the rest of the night. }

By the time it reaches 6:15, the ballroom is already flooded with eager dancers and hungry dinner guests. After all, the whole town is invited, and everyone’s excited to see Dahlia’s beautiful new ballroom and take a load off.

The music is elegant, played by a rotating cast of musicians who join the party when their act is over. The food is extravagant--- Dahlia and two of her partners are some of the biggest foodies in town, so this is expected. There is talking and laughing and the swirling of ballgowns, and all is well.

But there is a guest you do not recognize in the corner of the ballroom. An older man with white hair, strong features, and a dour expression. You can see Dahlia eyeing him, then flitting over to him, then talking to him. Her expression shifts from anxious, to annoyed, to resigned, before at last she sighs heavily and leaves him to it. Whatever it is that’s going on, clearly it’s something Dahlia is willing to begrudgingly tolerate in order to get back to having fun.

The reason for the disturbance becomes clear in short order, but by the grace of Celestine (and perhaps Eligos), it isn’t a reality bending nightmare or an attack by some monstrous beings. It is simply more guests.

A lot more, in fact.

Those who were on the island in September of the previous year will recall the Visitor’s Center, which appeared briefly just past the beach and served as temporary living and meeting quarters for visitors from the homeworlds of current residents. It would seem that this is a repeat incident. For the night of the gala, one to two “plus ones” have been invited for the vast majority of offworld residents. Most of them are friends or family who are happy to see their guests--- but this is ultimately a working of Eligos, so naturally, this is not always the case.

At the very least, Eligos seems to have been generous with his own granddaughter. As she turns away from him, she very nearly runs into someone much shorter than her. A dark haired human man with dwarfism. He laughs at the accident, grinning up at her as she stares back at him, utterly baffled. Then, petticoats billowing out, Dahlia sinks to the floor and embraces him as tight as she can, head pressed to his chest with little regard for her carefully-styled hair. Even those across the room can hear her shout his name. ”Jonah!”

Within the hour, the ballroom is packed with nearly double the people originally expected, turning the party livelier than it’s ever been. Tearful reunions, laughter, dancing, mischief, romance, sparring, cruelty, and even proper, righteous violence. Truly, this Leeds Gala will be one for the books!

--------
[ OOC reminders: each apped-in player character is entitled to one or two guests from their homeworld. This can be former selves, family, friends, enemies, and they do not have to be from the character’s exact canonpoint. They can be from the past or the future. You may play them yourself, ask another member player to do it, or recruit a non-member player to do so with moderator approval. Non-member players are permitted to join the Discord server while they’re active in this event! Threads you write for your own guests are eligible for AC for the character they’re there with, and threads you write for someone else’s guest can be used on the AC of a character of your choice. Just make sure to mark them as guest threads. After the gala, guests will be allowed to move freely about town, stay the night on Saturday and go home Sunday, or leave right after the gala if preferred. And last but not least, characters played in the gala can be apped directly from this event, rather than going through the normal arrival process. Let a mod know if you have questions, and have fun! ]

Smoldering

{ The decay of a flame as available heat, oxygen, and burning material gradually diminish. Eventually, the flames will recede entirely into glowing embers, glittering like orange starlight amid the ashes of what once was. }

The party rages well into the night. It’s not typical for residents of Pumpkin Hollow to stay out this late, with everything around here that goes bump in the night, but eventually party-goers begin to find their way out. They move in small groups, huddled around lanterns, may they ever stay lit. Perhaps the surprising bit is that their guests can go with them. There are even reservations made for board overnight at the Oak & Iron, all under the name “E. Rex”.

But alas, these reservations are only booked for one night. And by the time the sun begins to set on the darker half of the year for the first time, an unfamiliar black boat is moored at Jack's Marina. One that the guests will recognize as the vessel on which they arrived. They must leave by the time it becomes dark.

Or must they? Perhaps for a select few, they will fail to feel the call which draws them home. It is unclear why. There are many that Mortanne would have allowed residency for, if she could. But for some reason, all but a small few feel the pull. Perhaps Eligos has simply abandoned them here. (Or maybe none at all end up marooned and everyone goes home? That all depends on you, dear reader.)

When the sky goes dark, the aptly named Heavy Heart shoves off, with only her crimson sails hanging suspended seemingly in midair in the moonlight. The black ship is otherwise consumed by the night. And soon, even those flashes of red vanish into the distance.

Moments recede into memories, like a dying fire settles gently into glowing embers at the bottom of a hearth. The festivities are over, and the guests are gone. Life in Pumpkin Hollow resumes as before. But maybe just a little warmer and brighter.

“My birthday is your birthday,” as Dahlia often says.

Happy birthday.

References to the appearance of Leeds Estate can be found here!

Comments

[abhorrently]

The smile that comes to her face should say enough when she hears that you too. There's a difference between knowing it, having it proven through their actions, and saying it when it comes to Daisy. What they did often explained itself in the results, enough things being understood. But it's still nice to hear it once in a while, affirming the friendship they both know is there.

"You've been on a hell of a long journey. Baffling to think it might actually be over."

World overturned how many times now. Is it any wonder that it hasn't felt real until there's been tangible proof of a goal in sight? Not the vague uncertainties of the ship, but a world that can actually make it, that exists all around them and they in it. If you break something, it stays broken. If you plant something, it grows.

[hadnoright]

"Yeah." A low hum, tongue across teeth again. "Been the most. Solid couple years for as long as I can remember."

For all the things that have happened, people who've come and gone, the inevitable disasters, there's a place here to firmly plant your feet upon solid ground without getting dragged down under it.

[abhorrently]

She nods, understanding.

"Came as a bit of a shock that I found myself looking at a map of the mainland and wondering if after everything, I'll ever want to travel. Just a passing thought, but I caught myself wondering how I'd go about shutting up the flat and all."

And that's an after. A future that hadn't really been contemplated. She doesn't have the many years of instability that Daisy has, but given the fragments of memories that cling, this world is something she remembers in full detail.

[hadnoright]

"Whole world out there. And a whole town to come back to."

The luxury of being able to picture becoming restless and acting on it. Make a plan and go, come back when you need to. A whole sprawling future full of options and opportunity.

[abhorrently]

"I'll write, if I ever decide to go away for a while. Or call, if it's possible. You won't get to be entirely deprived of me in that case."

But coming back would have to be in the cards without question. This town is too hard fought for to relinquish like that.

[hadnoright]

"Reckon we should still have the stones." Probably. Guess that might depend, she doesn't know. "You're not escaping me any easier."

[abhorrently]

"There's probably some stupid joke I could make about that and the Hunt, but I'll spare you for tonight."

If the stones still work, she'll be merrily narrating her adventures to her friends and plotting to make it home by Givingstide.

[hadnoright]

Daisy snorts a laugh. "Thanks, oh merciful one."

She sits up and back, neck against the back of the seat and eyes half on the ceiling, mind drifting. Without the barrier, will the Fears get closer or further away...

"...don't even know how long it'll take me to get. Old. Mm."

[abhorrently]

"You're probably going to look the same, except your hair'll go white and you'll look tougher. More weathered."

The mental image is right there for her, but it doesn't last.

"Or are you remembering that most of us are going to get old, life permitting?"

[hadnoright]

"That bit. Sort've. I've barely aged in over a decade. Don't think that's changing any time soon. That other Hunter, Trevor. He's— seventy-five? But the Hunt's kept him closer to sixty-something. For a decade. 'Cause that's how old he was when he made his final choice. We don't age normal. We just— keep going."

On and on until... well, generally until another Hunter or something just as strong takes them out. And though, like many things with Avatars, it's as variable as the Avatars themselves are, there's definitely trends. The End would never allow true immortality for any of them, but the End is also patient. If it has to wait 'til the sun burns out, it can do that just fine.

[abhorrently]

Fever thinks about this, and then shrugs about it, bringing her glass back to her. There's a choice she's holding in reserve, something she'll never, ever bring up unless the time really calls for it, but it seems like that day might be long, long in the future for Daisy. Who knows who'll be here, when that day come for real?

"You're going to have to take a little bit more care with your life if you want to ever get an answer. No more casually dying to fix a problem or two."

Which is giving Daisy less credit, considering how few times she's died here. But still, she's obligated to tease.

[hadnoright]

Three-to-four deaths (depending on if you count the dream world) is only 'few' in comparison to her old score, in all fairness.

"Mm. Sounds inconvenient," she jokes back, dryly, then without really changing verbal tone despite changing the underlying tone: "Think Basira would like me to get on that sooner than later."

[abhorrently]

"Start tonight and surprise her with how soon you got on it."

It's a joke, but not really.

"Do it for her, if you can't do it for you. More than once I've talked myself out of a particular angle of attack because I made promises that I wouldn't solve problems by sacrificing myself."

She held to them as best she could, trying to ensure she didn't wind up expended one way or another. But she never would have been able to make those promises to herself without a lot longer passing.

[hadnoright]

"I'm— gonna try. I know how it feels when she gets hurt. Her or Dahlia. But you die a couple hundred times and—" she waves a hand vaguely. It's not quite hard-coded, the Hunt's survival instincts are too powerful for that, but it's ingrained pretty deep. "I'm working on it. Know I've put her through a lot."

Regarding her own death specifically, even.

[abhorrently]

"That's all any of us ever can ask of you. You've got until the barrier pops to figure out how. And if after that you still can't manage, I'm going to have to follow you around like an annoying shadow to keep you from the brink."

Quite literally, since she knows what she can now do.

"Mostly I'd just hold up pictures of their faces and look sorrowful about it so you feel bad enough to back down."

[hadnoright]

"Yeah, that'd do it." Daisy breaths a laugh, not exactly joking. Then, more actually joking: "Really inconvenient, actually giving a shit. Gotta think about so many things."

wrap?

[abhorrently]

"You know you can call if any of them are too troublesome to think about alone."

Any time of the day, any time of the night. That's the kind of bond this is.

wrap!

[hadnoright]

"I know." And she does. And she's confident enough Fever knows she can do anything from literally shout to call her up, too, not to bother repeating it.

They know.