The first to arrive was a stranger, and for that Jigano was thankful and no little bit relieved. He smiled at Ezra , taking in the other person’s stylish stole and the well-defined legs that emerged from beneath it, every inch accentuated by the pants that were practically painted on. He felt the old eyebrow threatening to arch, and kept it down with deliberate courtesy as he offered the newcomer a slight bow. ”It is indeed, and your expertise is most welcome here.” His lips quirked a little higher at the bottle and he almost grinned at the accessory. ”As is your choice of beverage. I didn’t bring glasses, but if people don’t mind sharing the bottle, I’m sure we’ll manage.”
The next to arrive was Melita , and the bard had never seen the bright daughter of summer looking so weary. He gestured for Ezra to make himself comfortable at the first stump, and then strode over to meet the honeybee girl with an outstretched hand. If she would allow it, he would take her hand in his unsteady fingers and squeeze it gently with a slight shake of his head. ”No apologies necessary. It was a tournament, after all, and I’ve taken as much while training. I’m just glad to see you again.” He trailed off, a note of worry in his tone as he looked her over, seeing in her the same lingering symptoms of the fever that had afflicted him. ”Perhaps some sunlight will fix us both up a bit,” he suggested, escorting her to the first table with a smile. ”And I’m grateful that you came.”
He had just cleared his throat to begin when another arrival caught him by surprise. The fabrics alone would have been enough of a clue, but the voice belonging to the lovely Fae seamstress brightened his smile as he went to helpJiao pick up her dropped burden with trembling hands. ”We’re making lanterns for the Festival of Lights,” he explained, her misunderstanding sparking a chuckle from the bard. ”Though if you wanted to make a floating paper lantern boat to travel down the Stonesong, you could do that too.” He had heard a story from his mother about such a tradition in their homeland, far to the east of Numeria. That, and flying lanterns, something worth considering… ”I was hoping it might be something that Fae and humans might have in common,” he admitted, tone becoming a little hesitant. ”Something we could do together. Or at least, you’d be more than welcome to join us, just as you let us join you at the Midnight Party.”
He would help her find a clean please to set her fabrics down and then returned to the first station to gesture at the wooden and metal ‘bones’ of the lanterns gathered there. ”I’m Jigano,” he offered, mostly for Ezra’s benefit, ”and thank you all for coming. With the Festival of Lights to remember our lost friends and family approaching, it’s customary within the barrierlands to make lanterns to remember them by. Whether it’s a lantern to remember someone who died here, or those you might have lost from your previous worlds, it’s a way to honor their memories… and perhaps find some healing of our own, whether for grief of their passing or celebration of the time we spent with them.”
He gestured to the materials on the first broad stump: wooden lathes and bases, willow-withy branches, and metal hoops and handles of varying sizes. ”First is deciding what shape your lanterns will take. Squares or rectangles or cylinders or spheres… or whatever you would like. There is glue, and some tacks and thin leather ties to hold things together. If you’d like to introduce yourselves, we can talk while we work,” he offered. ”I have three people who I will be lighting lanterns for this year. Isla, 108, and… Edy,” he finished, voice going soft with fresh pain at the final name.
Thank you all for joining! What shape will your lantern be? Choose your material(s) and construct your frame.
No posting order
The next to arrive was Melita , and the bard had never seen the bright daughter of summer looking so weary. He gestured for Ezra to make himself comfortable at the first stump, and then strode over to meet the honeybee girl with an outstretched hand. If she would allow it, he would take her hand in his unsteady fingers and squeeze it gently with a slight shake of his head. ”No apologies necessary. It was a tournament, after all, and I’ve taken as much while training. I’m just glad to see you again.” He trailed off, a note of worry in his tone as he looked her over, seeing in her the same lingering symptoms of the fever that had afflicted him. ”Perhaps some sunlight will fix us both up a bit,” he suggested, escorting her to the first table with a smile. ”And I’m grateful that you came.”
He had just cleared his throat to begin when another arrival caught him by surprise. The fabrics alone would have been enough of a clue, but the voice belonging to the lovely Fae seamstress brightened his smile as he went to help
He would help her find a clean please to set her fabrics down and then returned to the first station to gesture at the wooden and metal ‘bones’ of the lanterns gathered there. ”I’m Jigano,” he offered, mostly for Ezra’s benefit, ”and thank you all for coming. With the Festival of Lights to remember our lost friends and family approaching, it’s customary within the barrierlands to make lanterns to remember them by. Whether it’s a lantern to remember someone who died here, or those you might have lost from your previous worlds, it’s a way to honor their memories… and perhaps find some healing of our own, whether for grief of their passing or celebration of the time we spent with them.”
He gestured to the materials on the first broad stump: wooden lathes and bases, willow-withy branches, and metal hoops and handles of varying sizes. ”First is deciding what shape your lanterns will take. Squares or rectangles or cylinders or spheres… or whatever you would like. There is glue, and some tacks and thin leather ties to hold things together. If you’d like to introduce yourselves, we can talk while we work,” he offered. ”I have three people who I will be lighting lanterns for this year. Isla, 108, and… Edy,” he finished, voice going soft with fresh pain at the final name.
Thank you all for joining! What shape will your lantern be? Choose your material(s) and construct your frame.
No posting order
