[SWE] Festival of Lights

Festival of Lights The Black Lake is illuminated with warmth and light on this night; if this is your first time visiting, you might be fooled into thinking that this is not a place as dark and secretive as it normally is if only because of the light spilled by the lanterns and the way dusk is obscurring the ruins of the Spire. On the water, some lanterns float on tiny boats while others sway on the breeze held above the ground on staffs stuck into the soft, spongey earth. When last has such a festival been held in the Hollowed Grounds? Years and years and years. But with the turn of Leafchange we find ourselves nearing the end of the year, and with it the Festival of Lights. So it is that all over Caido an effort is made to reach the Grounds; by foot or wagon, by skyboat or magic. And so they gather, they bring their lanterns painted and decorated in memory of those who have died, they light them, they hang them, and they wait. And who knows; perhaps a familiar face will walk hallowed grounds once more before the night is through. Welcome to the Festival of Lights - 316 PC! You have SEVEN DAYS to have your character arrive at the festival. For SE completion, you MUST HAVE STARTED YOUR LANTERN THREAD BEFORE POSTING HERE. If you have made a lantern, link your thread in the bottom of your post and state who the lantern is for. At the end of the festival, Ludo will choose a lantern as its favourite, and spooky things may happen! You will need to post at least twice in this SWE thread for it to count for SE, MP and/or levelling.

the lullaby

Of all the places... The Lullaby complained as he and Ronin flew toward the Hollowed Ground. Below them, even in the darkness, the location of the festival was clear enough thanks to the lights twinkling out across the ground like a fallen constellation.

Landing, Remi shrugs away his wings with a small act of concentration followed by the sound of ruffling feathers. Reaching immediately for Ronin's hand that he might not only squeeze his husband's fingers but also try and siphon away some of the Nova's golden levity, Remi shakes his head somewhat doubtfully. It feels almost selfish to put this up. I saw him so recently, but.. A father's love was not the sort of thing to be bound or swayed by guilt or selfishness, and so, despite the fact that he had the power to call down the god of death and beg for an audience with his dead son, still Remi placed Enzo's lantern on a stalk, before lighting it so that it might glow just as brightly as the others.

---

Remi completed his lantern for Enzo in {se} top of the world

I got a feeling inside that I can't domesticate
It doesn't wanna live in a cage,
A feeling that I can't housebreak

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Flora

Despite the fact that Flora was normally dressed quite extravagantly, tonight she had pulled out all the stops: her hair had been meticulously curled and pinned into cascading waves, her gown was made of silken flowers and lace, her makeup was exquisitely painted in place, and her skin seemed to glow with youthful vibrancy. All of this paled when compared to the lantern she had created for her twin of course, and though the Doubletake was not at all inclined toward Ludo, the things she would give on this night just to see her brother again.

Appearing from a wagon with a few others, Flora eyes the gaggle of gatherers for a moment before spying her father and her other dad. Waving toward them both and crinkling her nose in greeting, the Doubletake opted to place her lantern in the water instead. It was more dramatic and romantic, which is everything she thought Enzo would have wanted. "I miss you every day." She whispered gently, before lighting the candle inside and pushing the boat out across the blackened waters.

---

Flora has made a lantern for Enzo in {SE} The sound of letting go

Everest

"There should really be more sky lights." The aviator mumbled to Mateo before piloting the botanist's boat a safe distance away from where the festival was being set up. "I'm surprised no one has made any before." He adds thoughtfully, before wondering if that was the sort of task he should take on. Scribbling a note into one of the many notebooks he kept with him at all times, Ever waited for Mateo to gather his lantern before walking alongside his friend.

Despite all that the aviator had been through in his young life, familial death had not been a large part of his story thus far. Though his lantern was thoughtfully made and was meant to honour his grandfather, Ever did not carry with him the same weighty nostalgia or grief that others did. Indeed, it was palpable in those gathered in a way which made him feel awkward and out of place, as if there was a certain amount of sadness required in order to be admitted to the festival.

---

Ever has a lantern for October 's dad/his grandfather that he made in {se} never be so kind you forget to be clever

even if i had to lose you to know you,
i'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

Melita hadn’t expected to be back in the Grounds so soon – not after years of avoiding it. Keeping thoughts of exploding the Spire again, and watching it split piece by piece by piece, only in the back of her mind, she and her companions made their way down towards the Black Lake. Which also must’ve been new – she had no recollection of the inky, obsidian waters, or the way the world shifted underground, down and down and down into cavernous depths. It made her slightly mercurial, feral, capricious, with a tighter hold on her lanterns and weapons alike.

Luckily, eventually, the Stygian pursuits gave way to the promised lights, and she didn’t clench her jaw so much. Her eyes took in the usual spectacle, the array of painted fixtures, and took a much needed, long breath.

She hadn’t brought her mother or sister’s this year, nor Rexanna or Bastien, having already seen them previously. Instead, they sat amidst her house, while Nate’s clung along her grasp; electric blue and emblazoned with his companions. Nodding her head to a few familiar individuals nearby, she waved solemnly, and then placed her uncle’s amongst the rest.

--

Melita has made a lantern for Nate in {se} we leave parts of ourselves in places

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Noah approached the festival with little caution, but with much respect. He kept himself silenced over the attuned bond, heart and mind settled into the ambience of those gathered. With Cordelia and the twins tucked safely away in bed, in the Grounds but far from the festival, Noah hung what he had made, and re-made, and re-made.

For the last five years, Noah had held and protected the lantern he made. He touched it up as needed each year before the festival came. He wanted to remember them. He wanted to honor them. This was the symbolic way he knew how, but it was also each day he lived and breathed that kept their memories close and cherished. Now he hung it with the others, letting the candlelight flicker and dance over the images of raven and wolf, of fire and mountains, of arrows and luxere.

The Hales.

Erebor, strength. Weaver, tenacity. Korbin, loyalty.

But then, Noah took a step to the side and hung a second lantern. One he had made last year with the carvings of The Fangs and each name that had gone defending Halo in the war. Smaller than the lantern for the Hales, it still held spots for two candles, and illuminated every name that was lost.

---

Noah's lantern is for the Hale family (specifically the characters Korbin and Weaver), touched up in this thread: There’s no more tears, so many years {se}

the sentinel of the north

i've never been the type to turn my back and run

DEIMOS

The habitual trepidation yielded its way through his spine the moment he stepped within the Grounds again. It probably would never quite disperse, no matter the occasion, and having been to a number of rituals and festivals where nothing was as it seemed, he’d keep the apprehension tucked into the back of his mind; ever-vigilant and ready. And while he didn’t expect the ridiculous chaos that had unfurled at the blood moon accord, he certainly had no yearning for reenactments.

The Sword’s eyes narrowed in guarded speculation, for he had yet to explore any portion of this Black Lake, and had been in enough underground adventures to presume something else lurked in its midst, before turning towards the rest of the residual lights in its midst.

His bag of holding stuck true to its namesake; for many of his lanterns were clustered in its midst. Some for his parents, for his lost friends and loved ones, for those scattered from war efforts – an unfortunate hazard of living in Caido for so long. Nodding towards Noah, he began to place his lanterns near the Sentinel’s, more at ease with familiarity of his kin nearby.

--

Deimos has his hoard of lanterns (mother, father, Rexanna, Bastien, Adam, Peter, and soldiers dead from the war) refurbished in {se} echoes of ancients

i'm in the mood to dissolve in the sky

Golden levity is not the flavour of the week for Ronin in this season, alas, and as he lands alongside his husband, he doesn't dismiss the leathery dragon wings on his shoulders, instead stretching one possessively around Remi. It isn't selfish, he murmurs, finally releasing the other man for no other reason than so he can hang his lantern. Ronin does the same on a stalk nearby; freshly touched up, Aoife's lantern still looks well-loved, but as he lights it, he's filled with a prang of grief that's as fresh as if the lantern had been made yesterday. Come on, he suggests, curling an arm around Remi's waist so they can drop back to stand and watch. As they go, he offers a gentle smile to Flora and a wave to Mateo, before finding an outcrop of stone to sit upon. Ronin completed his lantern for Aoife in {se} top of the world RONIN Darkness is a funny thing. It creeps up on you.

Mateo

who are these people?
I just woke up in my underwear

Everest doesn't have to wait for long; this year, Mateo has no lantern to present at the festival. One can blame the shifts and dips in his mood for such a thing (and OOC you can blame my fucking life); every time he'd tried to create something for his nonna, he'd find himself laying face down in bed, or lost at the bottom of a bottle somewhere. "I imagine there are some near the docks," he says softly as they approach the lake. "This does not seem the usual place for a skyboat to land."

Waving to his fathers and rushing over to Flora to offer her a kiss to the cheek and gushing about her outfit and hair, it's not long before Mateo returns to his friend. It might be out of habit or it might be because he's the one who needs the proximity and familiarity this time, but either way, he's stuck to Ever like glue. "Shall we hang the lantern?" he asks.

no liquor left on the shelf
I should probably introduce myself

ISLA physician, heal thyself Arriving on the same wagon as Flora, Isla bids the young woman goodbye with a wave and tries to avoid seeing the palpable differences in this area of the Hollowed Grounds. It has taken a lot of courage to come back here, and it's only this particular festival that instils such bravery in her. Inhaling deeply and finding a place to hang and light Varus's lantern, her focus is absolute right up until the deed is done. Only then can she look at the rest of the crowd. Nodding a greeting to Melita as she meanders by, it's inevitable for her to want to gravitate towards Remi, but knowing what she does about Leafchange, the Remedy keeps a polite distance while still offering a wave. Taking herself off to sit and watch the proceedings, she doesn't dare hope for another opportunity to see the assassin, having been chosen last year. But it kindles nonetheless. Isla has touched up her lantern for Varus in {se} we leave parts of ourselves in places

There are no lanterns for Fox to hang - having given up the tradition long ago, he nonetheless attends the festival if for no other reason than because it's on his home turf. The Hollowed Grounds has been the subject of surprising attention as of late, and with the number of new Ancients milling around, too, he can't help but feel vaguely suspicious. Or confused, at the very least. It's a testament to how much he's been out of his comfort zone (read: out of his own fucking house) lately that he recognises a few faces here; indeed, offering a polite nod to Deimos and Noah, he approaches the two men for a moment. "I'm sorry for your losses," he murmurs. fox

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

Listen, if Danta had anyone worth remembering, he'd probably light a lantern for them. Probably.

But, you know, he definitely doesn't, so stop thinking about it and asking about it. Anyway.

Showing up empty handed but brimming with curiosity to see this portion of the Hollowed Grounds (a space he's increasingly seeing as his) bubbling with so many faces, old and new, the Ancient sits himself near the shores of the lake to watch the lights bob and glow.

There are people worth bothering and others he doesn't know, but let no one say that Danta doesn't occasionally know when to curb the bullshit. For one night only, he leaves the crowd to their memories and grief.

Dantalion

the lullaby

Not minding at all the fingers that curl around his waist or the wing that blocks him partially from view, the Lullaby sighs heavily as he sags comfortably against his husband's side. It is strange to see so many grieving in public, you know? Glancing over his shoulder as he thought the words, his soft green eyes dripping from Ronin's gaze toward his husband's lips, Remi gives his head a soft shake. And then to...to have just one selected when everyone is so hopeful.. Where once he had thought this was a strangely kind gesture on Ludo's part, as the years had hardened both his heart and mind, he could only see it as cruel.

And, in true Ludo fashion, cruel though it might be, they were all still here to play, weren't they?

Smiling in Isla 's direction though making no attempt to go to her, the Lullaby offers a wave to both Flora and Mateo, before letting his fingers slip beneath Ronin's shirt to press against his hip, selfishly soaking up the brushstrokes of the Nova's emotions if only so that he wouldn't have to feel his own.

I got a feeling inside that I can't domesticate
It doesn't wanna live in a cage,
A feeling that I can't housebreak

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Everest

"I meant in the sky. Floating ones." Everest explains, before looking around thoughtfully as if to judge for himself the truth of his friend's statement. Was this the sort of place skyboats normally came to dock?

Biting at the inside of his cheek as he was left alone, Everest made a concerted effort to appear intensely interested in the constellations winking down at him from the sky. When Mateo returned the aviator tried to hide his sigh of relief by nodding enthusiastically that yes, they absolutely should go hang the lantern.

Picking a spot by one of the Outlander's lanterns -- Ever had been told how much his grandfather had been fascinated by their presence -- he hung the carefully designed lantern on one of the stakes before stepping back to ensure that it wasn't hanging crooked.

even if i had to lose you to know you,
i'd still be that temporary phase that you grow through