• OPEN •

[carmesi]

WHO: anyone and everyone in solvunn, some minor npcs
WHAT: mingle for the summoned, a funeral rite
WHEN: a day or two after the new summoned arrive
WHERE: in the treehouse and its surrounding area
WARNING: tba as necessary in comments

A. THE SUMMER EQUINOX

Across the different territories, the celebration of the Summer Equinox has long been awaited ever since the Spring Equinox picnics and floral decorations came to an end. Now, to celebrate the longevity of the sun, performers from different corners of the commune go about to entertain the community; sheaves of wheat and hay adorn the fields, and the drier ones are used to make decorative masks and costumes.

The days grow longer, and the settlements are decorated in ribbons of bright colors and the few flowers that are even more colorful this time of year, to decorate crowns or clothes—making bracelets to share amongst children and couples. The trees are a deep green, the branches dancing with the warm breeze that comes up from the southern coast, and the commune settles onto a festive mood as sunsets late into the day bring beautiful colors to coast over and through the clouds.

The celebration moves now towards the Primary Settlement. Trees are decorated with strings and ribbons, young girls and women in their best white dresses, dancing around to the rhythm of the music of the local bands. Young children run around in their half-finished masks and costumes, some of them even carrying a pamphlet that they give out to the Summoned, whether they're new or not. The Maypole, still erect from Spring, is being prepared to be burnt later in the night. In the meantime, people are asked to participate and add to the bonfire: twigs and flower crowns and ribbons.

Likewise, as the community waits for night to fall to culminate their celebrations, a small market has opened. Tents are raised under the eaves of trees, different items to barter: precious gems, produce, smoked meats, clothes, yarn, tools—the list is endless, as traders from across the different settlements have come to this particular spot. Come and join in the spirits of the celebrations and on the commune’s intent to bond together.

B. THE LOCAL TASTE

When shadows start to fall onto the commune, the market takes a different nature. No longer is there trading, necessarily, but rather the owners of pubs and makers of brews are excited to take part in this year’s ‘brew crawl’. Locals and Summoned alike are welcome to participate, both in providing the brews they have concocted over time and to partake in the drinking.

From one ‘stand’ to the other, ales of all colors from golden yellows to mauve browns, there is not a single individual who will go thirsty under the colorful lights of the marketplace. Watch out for roots that stick from the ground or a change in the ground’s level, and be sure to have at least one partner to make the most of the brew crawl.

At one point, the sound of drums and wooden flutes will signal to a rise as the shadows deepen. Men and women alike are invited to dance as the bonfire flares up into a white, hot blaze; the children who have managed to remain awake join as well, wearing their masks and chasing each other around. The atmosphere is electric, the buzz of ale thrumming through people’s inhibitions, and the general joy of the day’s celebrations. Locals sing songs without instruments, harmonizing with one another as they dance circles around the burning Maypole.

The youths in their masks will then scatter into the dark, sneaking out towards swamps or forest, forming a ‘mini-Council’ and attempting to sacrifice or make offerings to the Cardinal Gods. One may find an Elder mage or two chastizing the youths, who run away when caught, or one may even find themselves the lead subject of one of these ‘rites’. One could either follow along or snitch on them.

C. A FOREST'S LAMENT

As the heavens blotch into inky black skies, the sun seems to gift Solvunn with a gift of colors and light even as it has already departed, as they approach midnight. Pale reds and greens decorate the sky; the perfect backdrop of darkened treetops.

A more solemn ceremony takes place some ways away from the Primary Settlement, by the Black Eye Lakes. Across the lake, the local band led by Tiril Blomare the authors of a solemn song that echoes across the trees, a concert not meant to have a public, lights above on the trees adorning the musicians. A special gift, as Tiril is so pregnant at this point that she can only stand as her husband, Declan, holds her upright.

With every new year comes death, and with every new year comes new life. The death of one of the Summoned does not go amiss to the Council and to the members of the commune, especially that of someone who was an active participant in much of Solvunn’s growth in the past two years. A few locals have come about to pay their respects to Nero. Solvunn may have other ceremonies, but this one in particular is one that both Himeka and Wanda decided on after conferring with one another. Grief is not easy, and grief is best not tackled alone.

Candles and ornaments have been set up by the shore of the lake, to be lit and set to float away. Anyone who wants to pay their respects can walk into the water, send off a quiet prayer; a few of the locals do as much.

Perhaps this will be enough.

Comments

[suplexer]

[ Tifa hears the footsteps sound a safe distance away and assumes that there is another mourner here. She doesn't want to bother the stranger if they need a moment alone, but then some light is cast over the relatively dark lake and she's spurred to glance over, spotting the woman with hair that glows like moonlight.

She's never seen anything quite like it, and she's mesmerized for a moment. Horns and a tail like Himeka's were one thing, but this feels ethereal.

She isn't quite expecting the woman to approach her, but as soon as she does Tifa pushes up to her feet and dusts off her hands and knees. The brightness of the woman's hair lights up her face, but also betrays her tired expression. Tifa attributes it to the grief she must be carrying if she's come here. ]

... It is. [ She turns and watches as the small lights of the candle flame grow smaller and smaller, drifting away across the water. ] I did something similar by releasing lanterns into the sky once. I guess... we can hope that it takes at least a little bit of the grief away.

[ But then she glances back to the woman, hands wringing together as she feels she must admit something. ] I didn't know him. Nero, I mean. I sent those off for... friends of mine, from home.

[beautifullies]

[ It's going to take time for her to get used to the fact she has a feature now. She simply had it, her hair was always this way over her perceived eight-hundred years, not realizing until much later that it never did revert to brown and gray. ]

I grew up in a time and place where the most we did was light a stationary candle in remembrance. Lanterns or boats, they feel more...peaceful, somehow. As though we're sending our memories to the universe with care.

[ At the other woman's confession, Claire's expression softens. ]

That's alright. I didn't know him, but I'd hoped to work with him at some point to do something for the kids. And thinking about this loss, I can't help but think of others; I think that's natural. [ She doesn't know this woman, but she's moved to be an ear if needed. ] Would you like to say anything about your friends?

[ She should introduce herself, but that can wait, at least for a the moment. ]

[suplexer]

That's a nice way of thinking of it.

[ Tifa thinks a candle works well too, that lighting one could be some small replacement for the lost person's presence, but ultimately she knows none of it will really do much to help the wounds heal over. They do it to take an ounce of the pressure off, and hope that it's enough.

Her expression pinches with sadness when the woman mentions that she and Nero had plans to do something for the children. That's proof enough that he was a kind person who looked out for others, and it's no surprise that his loss is felt so keenly now.

Though when the stranger says that it's natural to think of others she's lost, Tifa can't help but expel a sigh of relief. She'd been feeling a little selfish by making this about her grief in any way. ]

Well, if I'm honest, it's just nice to hear you say that. That it's natural, I mean. But...

[ She's on the spot now. She takes a moment to think, not feeling rushed in this quiet moment at least. She turns back toward the lake and rests one hand over her heart. ]

They wanted to make the world better, and they were all willing to risk anything to make that happen. As much as I miss them, I know that they gave their lives for something they believed in... and I have to honor that.

[ She bows her head and shuts her eyes. She's nothing like Aerith, but it's the closest she can get to a silent prayer. ]

[beautifullies]

[ Claire has nowhere to be, there is no rush for her to gather her thoughts, waiting respectfully. Then, when the young woman seems to be done, Claire crouches down for a moment and places her hand on the ground. In moments, a single sprout pushes up through the soil, eventually blossoming into a white rose which she cuts at the stem with hand sheers pulled from her pocket. Standing, her free hand lightly brushes the petals before handing the flower over. ]

A white rose for inner peace after the aching. It will thrive as long as you need it to.

[ It doesn't do anything, other than to remain strong and blooming. Turning back to the water, she thinks of her daughter, and once again of Persephone believing Zagreus to be dead all those years, only to have him appear in her garden. Instead of voicing any of those thoughts, she pushes them away by focusing on Solvunn and her current company. ]

I had a small bee farm to harvest honey, but they've all died thanks to recent unfortunate events. Would it be too much to have a send-off for thousands of little insects? I'm Claire, by the way, so you know who the odd bee woman is.

[suplexer]

[ When the woman first kneels down, Tifa assumes that she's simply taking a moment to send her well wishes for the three candles (and the lives they represented) that were shipped off. Which is a kind thing to do, given that she only knows the little that Tifa's said of them.

But then, new life grows, a flower sprouting up from the soil, and Tifa can't help but gasp. She spent the past five years of her life living in a place where flowers hardly ever grew, and while the rest of Gaia is entirely different, she realizes how much danger it's in. How quickly and how easily that could change.

So, to see someone do this with little more than a thought is incredible. ]

What an amazing gift. [ Both the ability itself, and the fact that she's now being granted this white rose that will apparently stay alive indefinitely. She takes it with a gentle touch, her expression softening, as overwhelmed by the kind gesture as she was when Wanda gifted her the blue cloak she now wears. ] I'll take good care of it, I promise.

[ She'll take it with her wherever she goes, as she knows that her current living situation is merely temporary.

As much as Tifa wants to ask how the stranger even did that, it doesn't feel like the right time. That wasn't unlike a Cetra's power, from what little she understands. But the woman didn't pry for more details about Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge, so she'll also allow her some privacy.

Especially when she goes on to speak of her bees. Almost immediately, Tifa shakes her head. ]

I don't think it would be at all, Claire. They were important to you, and you lost them. That's more than enough to merit a send-off.

[ How many times had she worried about Fluffy over the years? Many would have said "oh, she's just a cat. Get over it." But she'd been Tifa's dear pet, and that's what mattered. ]

I'm Tifa. And thank you, Claire. [ She nods down to the rose in her hand. ] It means a lot.

[beautifullies]

Thank you; I've taught myself over the last year. I didn't have magic at home, but I've always had a love of botany, plants and how they work. I guess when I arrived here, the magic was given to...fit me. I've worked hard to hone it, and now it feels natural.

[ She's unintentionally answering an unasked question, but at the reassurance and learning her name, Claire's smile actually broadens to meet her eyes for the first time in weeks. ]

It's nice to meet you, Tifa, and you're welcome. I remember being pulled here and feeling nothing but confusion, so I enjoy meeting anyone new to help lessen that feeling if I can. My world is...well, nothing compared to this. Earth has very little magic that I know of, and if it does exist, I have no way of knowing because it must be hidden.

[ She's time traveled, and that's so incredible, but as far as she knows, that's where the magic ends. She busies herself getting a new boat together with a candle even as she speaks to Tifa, not quite done with the bees but happy to divert. ]

Does this feel anything like home, or is it all new to you?

[suplexer]

[ While Tifa's aware that magic exists here and that people learn how to wield it, she's also gathered that it's pretty different from what she's used to. There's no such thing as Materia here, and the ability to cast spells seems to be possible just through learning.

Which means that she should probably figure it out for herself at some point. Not that she can't kick ass with just her fists, but a Fire or Cure spell wouldn't go amiss either.

As Claire continues to explain, Tifa's eyes widen in awe. ]

That's amazing, though. Magic exists where I'm from, but it's rare to be able to use it the way you do.

[ And Claire had to learn from scratch, with no basis for magic-casting where she was from. She really is remarkable.

At the question, Tifa takes a look around them, out toward the lake where the candlelight has long been swallowed by the dark, and then back toward the settlement. ]

I did grow up in a small country town, though we were up in the mountains. After that, I spent a few years in a big city where you couldn't even see natural sunlight, so... that was a pretty big change already.

[ She pauses for a moment to think, one boot tapping against the ground. ]

I guess the biggest difference is all the reverence for the gods. We have churches and some people pray, but it's not a part of everyday life like it seems to be here.

[beautifullies]

No natural light?

[ Claire can't fathom that as someone who craves the outdoors and sun on her skin. But she supposes if that's how life simply is, a person would adapt, eventually. ]

I never had a permanent home growing up, but when I was married, my husband's family owned land and had a large farm. I lived mostly in a big city as an adult; nothing so large as to cause reasons for blocking out light, though. Is there a specific reason for that?

[ Pollution, maybe? Or perhaps something she can't fathom yet, not far enough into a world with modern technology to understand. ]

And that's similar to how I felt. In fact, I'm sure I thought it was all religious rubbish, or perhaps a cult on the less nefarious side. I know now it's all very real, but it was difficult for me to wrap my mind around for a while.

[ Claire puts the candle into place in her new boat, searching her pockets for a match. ]

[suplexer]

[ No permanent home? Tifa isn't sure what Claire means by that, but she breezes right past it to mention that she's married. It must not be easy, being separated from her husband... unless he's also here?

At the question, Tifa heaves out a sigh. Her shoulders tense up, like she's just been reminded of something unpleasant. ]

The corporation which owned and ran most of Midgar decided to contrust it that way. They built a whole upper plate that drowned out natural light from the original sectors down below. Most people just know of where I lived as the slums.

[ That wasn't the only example of it, either. Junon was exactly the same. Shinra would just come in and build on top of the people who lived there with no care for their quality of life. Thinking about it, one of her hands balls into a fist, but she releases it with another exhale. ]

... You're not the first person to mention Solvunn being a cult. I guess because they're so committed to the gods? [ Tifa tilts her head. The idea of Solvunn being one big cult had shocked her, and she still doesn't know what to think of it. Claire seems to have changed her mind on that, either way. ]

What made you realize it's real? Did you see or talk to one of the gods?

[beautifullies]

[ Claire makes a small face of regret at the question, but it's out there now. Inevitably, they all have difficult things to speak of from home. Husbands are a complicated topic for Claire, all told. Nothing's a secret and she isn't ashamed, but it's a tangled knot of a story, not for an evening like this. ]

I know of others who come from worlds where conditions are so extreme, being here isn't necessarily a bad thing. [ It took time for her to feel that way, that it was better for some to be here. But now she feels it for herself too, after living in a time that is begrudgingly tolerable of women on the very best of days.

Tifa's question is a good one, and a few days ago, her answer might've been completely different, but now she has an experience under her belt that changes everything. ]

In all honesty, I think most organized religion could be considered some class of cult, not just on this planet. [ As a lapsed Catholic, she has strong opinions, but those can wait too. ] A little while ago, we were given a glimpse of...something, I don't know if it was the future as set in stone, or a possible outcome of events still in motion, but all of us Summond became gods ourselves. [ She pushes a hand through her hair, making the light bounce in her curls. ] This is a side effect of that. But now I see how it works, the way the gods exist.

[ Before, she'd started to come around to the idea on her own, maybe not that the gods were real, but that the locals deeply believed, and she could respect it. Now, she just believes it. ]

It's changed how I view things, and what I'll make more of an effort to take part in when the locals ask for a godly intervention. I never visited the shrines much before, but I will now.

[suplexer]

[ Tifa frowns at Claire's words, at the implication that some people came from places that were so bad that being here was an improvement. Maybe some would look at her situation as it was in Midgar and claim that it was an example of that, but she couldn't imagine leaving behind Gaia for greener pastures.

Especially now that she's seen it in all of its splendor. Especially now that she understands just how much there is to save. (The waters off Junon and its great condor; the dense jungles of Gongaga; the red-rock vistas of Cosmo Canyon...)

She could speak to all of that, but she holds it in for now, listening raptly as Claire explains a recent experience that she had. All talk of cults and organized religion aside, she's saying the Summoned became gods? How is that even possible? Tifa's eyes go wide as she looks back to Claire's beautiful, glowing hair. Yes, it is unusual, but she never would have jumped to assuming she was a god. ]

I — does that mean it was temporary? You being a god, I mean. Or...

[ Has she been talking to a god this whole time? That frankly doesn't feel right. Claire had been extremely approachable, long glowing hair aside, and Tifa doesn't feel anything like she did when visiting the summon shrines back home.

She doesn't understand how you become a god only to suddenly not be one anymore, though. Or actually, scratch that, how you become a god in the first place. ]

figured we could work on wrapping whenever it feels comfy for you 🩷

[beautifullies]

It was temporary, though some of us were given more parting gifts than others. I can't say I understand how—I don't think anyone can explain it—but we all, collectively, were unconscious for a time. It was as if we all shared one dream over eight centuries, as if we all began on this planet, and...I don't know, ascended to god-hood?

[ As Claire explains, she looks and just as confused as she felt in the aftermath. She meant to not overwhelm Tifa, not wanting to spill nothing but hard-to-digest information on someone so new. She failed that task spectacularly. ]

Sometimes things happen to us here that we can't control, but the Summond, we tend to come together quickly to try and rally. Once one person saw through the cracks of those eight hundred years, it wasn't long before the illusion crumbled.

[ Ready with her new boat for the bees, Claire lights the candle and settles it inside carefully. There isn't much to say, other than a murmured thank you for everything those bees produced for her, and then she sets the boat on its way, watching it for a few seconds before looking at Tifa again. ]

I didn't mean to say too much, at once. It can feel like being overloaded, I know. Would you like to go and get a drink with me to try and soften the edges?

yes sounds good!

[suplexer]

[ One shared dream, that lasted eight centuries? The more that Claire explains, the less believable it is, not that Tifa thinks that she's lying. Who could even come up with something like this? And if it was just a dream, then it didn't actually happen, except that there are these "parting gifts" as Claire calls them.

It is good to hear that the Summoned had worked together to awaken from that fake reality. It's true that Tifa has found herself in some pretty odd places, realms that seemed to exist outside the everyday and beyond fate, but that had been a fairly brief occasion. A dream that lasted eight hundred years was something else entirely. ]

... I'm glad you were all able to find your way out together, at least. [ She holds one hand to her chest as she lets it all sink in. If they hadn't woken up, what would have happened to them? Maybe it's better not to plant that thought, especially when it's all said and done.

Tifa didn't mean to distract Claire too much from her memorial for the lost bees, and so she falls silent as she finishes off the task, watching for a few moments as the small boat travels across the water.

And then, at Claire's apology, Tifa quickly shakes her head and waves her off. ] Not at all. I appreciate you explaining everything to me so patiently. I know it must be a lot, to remember all of that. A drink... sounds nice. [ She grants the lake one last glance before falling into step at Claire's side so they can return to the town square, with some distance put between them and their grief. ]