Fall into Summer (OPEN)

[kleptofaeniac]

Some witch holidays were meant to be enjoyed by all, regardless of species, alliances or preference to magic. Holidays like Lammas! Think of it as witch Thanksgiving.

An old woman by the name of Agatha Chapman was of the personal opinion that there was just too much infighting between her fellow witches this year. Those Circle Midnight witches were practically children! Agatha had raised enough children to know they were just going through some rebellious phase. It would pass. But this wasn't the time for expressing such things. This was a time of togetherness! Which was why Agatha had, through her daughters and granddaughters, sent a very public invitation to the supernatural community:

~Lammas Day Celebration~

Come celebrate the great tradition of the first harvest and shorter days with a beach party and bonfire!
Food, fun, and sun! No limits on guests, bring your friends!

AUGUST 1^st 2015
12 PM - 2 AM
(public rituals @ 10 PM)

KINGSGATE CASTLE, JOSS GAP ROAD.
BROADSTAIRS.
KENT.

Transportation from the city will be provided from Victoria Station. Present this invitation at the ticket office.

You totally want to go right?


Like the invitation said, all guests transportation will be provided. The train happens to go directly from Victoria Station to the castle, which totals up to a two hour trip - giving plenty of time for people to run into one another on this train-ride. Let's get along everyone.

Upon the guests arrival everyone is greeted by the hostess; a very old, very cheerful lady who insists on being called Ms. Agatha. She introduces her daughters and their daughters. Hit on them at your own peril. After the brief introduction and delicately worded warning that no witch need reveal their coven to others, and no one need attempt to confront them about their choices, everyone is invited down the side of the slow incline of the cliffs to the beach. Time to have fun.

Lammas was traditionally a holiday to celebrate the last day of the wheat harvest. It seems like the witches hosting this party went all out in incorporating that. Golden colored canopies cover the tables that are set out for food. Along with them are large punch bowls filled with different colored liquids and a small bar for anyone who wants something a little stronger than fruit, both of which are abundant - after all this holiday was centered around a community feast. There seems to be a general theme following the decor; apples, cinnamon, and vanilla feature heavily in every dessert of pies, cakes, puddings and ice cream in very creative ways. The more savory foods, less so. But they all fall into the category of typical beach party foods.

There is a changing area towards the face of the cliffs along with bathrooms.

Another fun tradition of Lammas is competitive and athletic games! There are two volleyball nets set up, and what looks like an area for sandcastle building. The team that wins the most games, and the person who builds the best sandcastle wins a prize! The prize is a Maen Magl necklace. The stone is said to bring good luck and good health to the owner. Additionally, they can cure diseases of the eye if rubbed on one's eyelids.

If you're not interested in games, there's always the golden sand to relax and tan on and the water to swim in!

Later, after the sun sets a bonfire is constructed - you can help, but enough driftwood has been collected for the fire itself. As the sun sets, the women hosting the event let everyone know what the purpose of it is. The fire is meant to - while also help people make amazing smores, roasted corn, and apples wrapped in foil - allow the witches and everyone else in attendance to participate in the Lammas rituals. Everyone is encouraged to engage in the rituals, though no one is required to do so.

Nowadays, Lammas is the time to cast off bad habits, thoughts, and what is no longer needed in your life. This spiritual cleansing is represented by fire, and burning things. There are two that will be done tonight, but they won't take longer than thirty minutes when alls said and done. They maybe be performed in any order.

A ritual called 'Winnowing' is meant to cleanse, where everyone writes down negative emotions and bad habits they want to lose on a piece of paper. The witches in the group will all know the chant:

Blessing and curses
Come from the harvest
Return to the earth
To nourish next years

The paper is then thrown into the fire, where it will spark and disintegrate.

The second is highly encouraged for everyone to participate in, as the more people who do so, the more the blessings will be! Everyone is given nine sheaths of wheat, which they are to weave into a braid, and then attach a ribbon to the base of the braid. The witches in the circle around the bonfire should, as the braids are being done, chant:

We weave you and hail you
As queen of the corn
When all's gathered in and
When you are sown.

Once the braids are done, those that weaved them are meant to grab a piece of paper and write what blessing they wish for their friends to have, such as 'Friendship' or 'Mobility'. They must keep the blessing secret and secure it to the ribbon. The ribbons are meant to be kept till Imbolc - another witch holiday - and then be burned, while the ashes are meant to be kept on the individual until the next Lammas. Hope you'll attend that party wherever it is!

After the Ritual, there are plenty of smores to make and some lovely music to listen to while everyone gathers around the bonfire and relaxes until they want to leave. There is no curfew, but the witches hosting the party will be going back up to their flat in the castle around two in the morning.

Happy Lammas!

Comments

[warmheartedly]

[ THE BEACH ]

Anyone who can see Clara when she isn't invisible will notice she sticks out like a sore thumb right away thanks to two things: Her outfit being incompatible for an outing at a beach and the fact she looks a little tired as she ghosts around, trying not to go through people.

Being a ghost means traveling can be taxing. More so with the fact she's at a beach of all places and it's rather far for her. But a certain relative of hers opted to come with her friends and she wants to spend as much time she can before-- Anyways, she's here all the same and tries her best to have fun. No need to be a Debbie Downer when everyone else is doing their darnest to enjoy themselves.

So she tries to participate in some of the games! Naturally she stays away from the sports since she feels like having an invisible teammate is an unfair advantage. So she sticks to making a surprisingly pretty sandcastle that is a long work-in-progress since, now and then, she needs to take off the gloves when the itching becomes unbearable.

[ THE RITUALS, DURING AND AFTER ]

She's always been fascinated by the notion of witchcraft, especially the ones that involved blessings and good wishes on other people because what a thoughtful thing to do. Naturally she wants to participate in this when she hears it being announced and she does so. Thank goodness she brought the ghost gloves with her. They allow her to pick things up more easily, like a piece of paper and pen, and her penmanship isn't as awful.

Anyone is free to comment on the floating pen that is scribbling something on the floating piece of paper since Clara made herself invisible out of shyness, not wanting people to see her penned wishes:

For my friends: Good health and many chances to prosper.

For my loved ones: Protection and many chances to smile.

For others: Happiness and many chances to do as they wish.

And into the fire it goes. With that down, Clara now goes to find some friends of hers to chat with them.

[ Clara will end up popping away from the beach and back into the coffee shop at some point as a friendly warning. ]

the beach

[detectiveofthewest]

"Miss Clara, you afraid of germs all of a sudden?" Heiji leaned over the sandcastle, peering at its ramparts.

"Wow, you're really good at this. I never really had the patience." In fact, Heiji was more liable to knock a sandcastle over than build one this swank.

[warmheartedly]

She laughs a bit and shakes her head, glad to see another friendly face here. "Thank you! It would take longer than usual if not for my gloves here. Here-- Let me show you."

Taking off one glove and setting it down carefully, she reaches out and her hand phases right through it. It only touches the sandcastle proper when she puts visible effort into it. When she puts on the glove again, Heiji could see the imprint of her hand left on the sand. "Something about these gloves let me interact with things better! It's amazing."

[detectiveofthewest]

"A magical artifact, huh?" Heiji looked suitably impressed. "That is pretty amazin'... but where'd you get them? Redbright?"

Surely Clara wasn't doing anything too dangerous, right? Sneaking into places, finding arcane items? Maybe the Institute just had these sorts of things lying in closets somewhere.

[warmheartedly]

She beams up at him and nods, pleased as punch. Because does he know what it means? She can knit him and the others sweaters.

"Oh no! Not from Redbright." Okay. If not from there then where would she-- "I found them in the lost and found box in the coffee shop!"

… She seems to be telling the truth. Because. Why should she lie about something like that?

[detectiveofthewest]

"Seriously? That's what I'd call a good find." He picked a shell up off the sand and set it into the castle, adding to the pattern.

"Wait, but what're you doin' all the way here? You okay with all the saltwater?"

[warmheartedly]

The mention of the water does cause her to have a look of concern appear on her face. She takes a nervous glance at the waves. She did her best to stay far from it but still--

"It does take a lot to stay here, honestly. It's why I'm not moving a lot." She makes sure the new addition to the sandcastle stays on, the pat against the seashell is small but precise to make sure it count. "Long as I don't overexert myself, I think I can be here for a little bit. I'm very curious to see what this big event the others here keep talking about."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Some kinda bonfire, I heard," said Heiji. "But there're tons of festivals and holidays out here that they never really got into back home. I'm glad you could make it out, though. What happens if you do exert yourself too much? You gonna head back to the coffee shop?"

Maybe Clara would do better with lake water...

[warmheartedly]

She'll do grand if she didn't have any running water near her, period, but she takes what she can get if it meant she could spend more time with people she cared for.

"It does! From my experience the moment I'm too tired or too scared, I find myself back in the shop. Out of my own safety, I presume." She almost wants to give an example of that happening or should have happened, two people coming to mind very quickly, but more pressing matters are at hands. "Ah-- I am glad you're here. There's some things I want to ask you or someone who may have a clue to what I'm worried about."

beach;

[entitles]

"Well, well, we meet again," he said, somewhat less intimidating in his beach clothes, at least, "I didn't even get to say goodbye, last time we met. Lovely sandcastle, by the way."

He didn't mention wanting to eat anyone yet, so that was a decent start.

[warmheartedly]

She was just debating on where to put her next star, so to speak, when she hears a familiar voice.

Freezing up in fear, she slowly turns up and looks quite fearful at the prospect of meeting him again, public setting or not. Then she notices his outfit and she needs to hold back a laugh out of manners and worry he'll get angry at her.

"Um. Good day. I… I hope the weather is agreeing with you." That's polite, right? "I'm glad even you have the time to enjoy yourself. I thought you were a busy one."

[entitles]

"The weather always agrees with me. I don't get cold, and it's never too hot," he said, which unfortunately made him more difficult to hide from (although any old house was a pretty safe bet as long as he didn't charm his way into an invitation), "And I'm here to observe as much as I am to enjoy myself."

[warmheartedly]

"Observe... An interesting word to choose, I must admit."

She knows the smart thing to do is speak little as possible and end the conversation and possible hide somewhere. She also wants to know what on earth he means by that. "I didn't know observing volleyball and sandcastle making is crucial for you and others."

[entitles]

"Volleyball and sandcastle-making are unimportant - although I must say, I've never seen a ghost build a sandcastle before," he said, "It's more about who is spending time with who, who is avoiding who, glares given when they think no one is watching...and so on."

[warmheartedly]

"Haha… I have good motor skills," is all she can say as she tries to hide her bright yellow gloves from his gaze. She certainly didn't have those on when she first met him.

Hearing his explanation is rather depressing and it shows by the furrow of her brows and how deep her puzzled frown is. "To think even in a time like this, one that's meant for celebration, there are people out there still holding animosities to each other. Isn't it exhausting?"

[entitles]

"Animosity doesn't often disappear for the sake of a mere celebration," he said, running his fingers through his wet hair, "Even though we pretend it does, it's an act to control the chaos that would otherwise ensue, nothing more."

[warmheartedly]

"I would like to think that we're able to rise above the occasion over such disagreements," she can't help but say, always an optimist. "If not for ourselves then for others at least. I think it'll be more beneficial to everyone if only some, not even all, got along better."

There are a few names on the tip of her tongue that comes to mind but she doesn't want to be a total gossip so she'll try to think of a broader subject-- "Like the witches! I can't help but feel awful for them."

Let's make sandcastles!

[blind_badass]

Thanks to an invitation from Heiji, Snake wandered around the party. He was also not really dressed for the beach. More like an office but then, Snake usually dressed that way.

He doesn't hear Clara as she doesn't make a lot of sound. Except for the sound of gloved hands patting down sand. He tilted his head to listen better. "Hello. Are you building a sandcastle?"

[warmheartedly]

That's a familiar voice!

Turning her attention to it, her face lights up at the sight of the man she met before and her voice takes on a warmer quality to it despite focusing so very hard to stay here. "Why hello there! I am. I need to find a way to pass the time here after all. I feel like if I join in the sports activities, it'll be considered cheating."

A mostly invisible opponent? Sounds like cheating.

[blind_badass]

"Oh, Miss Clara, there you are. I admit, you're really quite hard for me to know you're there unless you make some kind of sound. Clearly you were a ninja in a past life."

He squatted down and reached out to lightly touch the sandcastle. "It's a shame I can't really feel all of this. I wouldn't want to destroy your art work."

[warmheartedly]

"It comes with a territory of being a spooky spectre," she jokes as she finally finishes the tower she's been struggling to keep upright. "I promise! Nice time I know you're around and it's safe to do so, I can hum to make myself more noticeable. I'm horribly out of tune so it should be easy to pick up."

Really, she's an awful singer. She made up for that lacking mothering feature by having very steady hands. Evident by her solid sandcastle, simple but creative. "--Oh? Oh no! Feel free to examine it. If it gets damaged, it gets damaged but I can always repair it. There's no shame of having to redo some work"

[blind_badass]

"I guess that will have to do, since I can't make you wear a bell."

Snake makes a few mental calculations. If he's really careful, he could probably help detail the work. His left hand didn't have any tears that sand could make worse so it should be fine. "Why don't I help you give this castle some decoration?"

[warmheartedly]

Clara laughs at the mental image of her being accompanied by a bell sound. She's sure that's something out of a horror movie but the image of people's faces upon hearing that noise is rather funny.

"If you want to, you're more than welcome to!" She sounds quite happy at the prospect of someone joining her do this, always glad for company. "Please feel free to join me. There's a lot of sand to go around."

[blind_badass]

"Thank you." He'd have to sit in his pants in the sand but hopefully he could just brush that off with little issue. "If you have a little stick or something, I could try drawing bricks or something on the castle."

[warmheartedly]

"A stick? Oh... Hang on. I think there was one here earlier..."

It takes a few seconds to locate it again but she finds the one she spotted. Sharp enough to etch items but dull enough to not worry of splinters. Just perfect to draw little items on sandcastles. "Here you go!"