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

[blind_badass]

"You saw my phone?" Well, crap. Apparently that text put him in such a mood that he forgot to change his phone. Then the song came on which actually made him yell to no one in his apartment, "Oh, really now." Then Heiji's timely arrival.

"Well...that's my fault then. I suppose getting a message from an ex-girlfriend about the wonderful time she's having would put anyone in a bad mood. I'm sure she meant well, trying to encourage me, but that effort fell short." He exhaled loudly through his nose. "So then, what will be happening at this party?" he asked, pointedly changing the subject.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji looked at Snake for a moment, not saying anything. Then, on impulse, he took Snake's hand in his and tugged him lightly in the direction of the beach. "The first part's just hanging out. Volleyball game, sandcastles, drinks. The evening's gonna have a bonfire and a harvest celebration. C'mon, let's have some fun!"

And forget all about any exes.

[blind_badass]

"Oh. Well, that does sound like it would be fun." Certainly better than coursework. He normally didn't like people randomly grabbing at him to lead him along, but Snake thought Heiji did mean well. "I don't think I'm much for volleyball but I could do castles."

[detectiveofthewest]

Probably just as well, though Heiji was pretty good at volleyball. "Okay, good." He grabbed a bag off his motorcycle and then off they went toward the beach.

"I brought a couple supplies for while we're out here. Towels, sunblock... oh, hey, this sand looks like it'd be pretty good for a castle." He dropped his bag on the sand and took out a towel, shaking it out and spreading it down on the beach.

[blind_badass]

"I suppose I might need to buy sandals at the very least if I'm going to go to more beaches." He did sit on the offered towel and took off his shoes and socks. The sand felt quite warm and not too hot on his toes.

[detectiveofthewest]

"Hmm... I can't quite see you in sandals. Might be able to pick some up from a store nearby, though." Along with a swimsuit. That might be interesting.

"Oh, I brought some snacks, too, if you're hungry. You wanna borrow my sunscreen?" After all, Snake was rather fair-skinned; he probably had to watch out for sunburn.

[blind_badass]

Snake was dressed for the office, not really a beach. Still, he could get sunburn on his face. "Yes, thank you." He daubed a little bit on the ridges of his cheeks, the bridge of his nose and the tops of his ears. "I'd offer to help you out but I might miss somewhere." That and he could only do it one handed, which is how he touched his face.

"Is your now sober girlfriend going to be at this party?" he asked, with just a little smile.

[detectiveofthewest]

"Actually," said Heiji, shedding his jacket and shirt, "If you could help me with my back, it'd help a lot. Kinda hard to reach back there."

"...And I said she was just a friend." Now he was sort of regretting asking Snake to rub sunscreen on his back. Snake didn't deserve to rub his back.

[blind_badass]

You say she's just a friend oh baby youuuuu

"You do have quite a varied amount of friends. Did you meet at the cafe too?"

Well, if Heiji really needed his help, Snake wasn't going to argue the point. He still applied the sunscreen with just his right hand, starting at his shoulders and working his way down. Hmmm. Heiji did have quite the musculature, didn't he?

[detectiveofthewest]

"Nah, we just ended up running into each other a couple of times. She does deliveries for her job, so she's all over the place."

Heiji's back was all smooth skin and lean muscle, and although he technically maybe could have applied his own sunscreen, it was way nicer (and also more convenient) having someone else do it. Snake's fingers were slender and cool and pleasant -- although it was a little odd how he used only one hand.

"You're pretty good at this," he said teasingly. "For a physics teacher."

[blind_badass]

"Now, now, just because I can't see your back doesn't mean I've never applied sunscreen before." And it was quite the nice back, according to his sense of touch.

"Have you read up on anything else lately or have you been too busy kidnapping people to beach parties?"

[detectiveofthewest]

"Actually, I was reading a bit about imprinting in precocial birds. And other animals. Thanks, by the way." He started applying the sunscreen to his shoulders and arms as well.

"And critical periods in general. It's funny how development works. Robbed of the wrong stimulus at the wrong time, and you end up never living up to your potential."

[blind_badass]

"I've heard stories related to that with feral children. If you deprive a small child of human contact and just with animals, they think they're more animals. However, unlike the Jungle Books, a feral child isn't going to take to living like a person with any kind of ease."

Although Snake majored in physics, he also rather enjoyed research of mental development and the capacity for thought.

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji laughed. "Yeah, fiction's not the best place to look for accurate information on childhood development. Although reading about Harlow's experiments with rhesus monkeys was kind of awful. You've heard of them, right? It involved taking young monkeys away from their mother and seeing what sort of substitutes they'd bond with instead."

He scooped up some sand and piled it up in front of himself, experimenting to see how easy it was to work with.

[blind_badass]

"They preferred cloth over a wire mesh, although I think anyone sane would do the same. Animal testing is highly necessary in some areas but other times you sort of question the logic of the tester."

Snake leaned back on the beach towel, tilting his head toward the sun. He smiled just a little bit. "It is a nice day after all."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Yeah, although either way, the ones that weren't given the chance to be socialized during their development had trouble integrating with others of their kind later." Heiji's gaze slid over the Snake's features, taking in the way his hair reflected in the light, the warm wash the sun cast over his face.

He was cute.

"Right? So much better than grading papers. We could take a walk on the beach, too, if ya want. Not too many opportunities to do that in London."

[blind_badass]

"It's true that London really isn't known for its fine beach accommodations." Or its food. But one made do. Snake stood up, take a moment to get his balance on the sand. "Let's take a walk."

[detectiveofthewest]

"More for its traffic and the occasionally mysterious, foggy evening with gaslamps and stolen horses," said Heiji agreeably, standing up to accompany Snake. He tucked his shirt in his bag and took his shoes off.

"I like walkin' barefoot on the sand. Feels nicer that way."

[blind_badass]

"Stolen horses? Only if you're reading Sherlock Holmes." He held his arms out a little from his body while he adjusted to the balance of the sand. After a minute he relaxed. "I will agree there's a certain tactile pleasure from walking in sand."

[detectiveofthewest]

He laughed. "Right?" The damp of the sand felt cool between his toes, and in this form, he didn't have to worry about getting all the sand out of his fur.

"Plus there's the sound of the waves, the wind..." The little peeps of seabirds going about their birdly business, skittering about on shore.

[blind_badass]

"It does paint a good auditory picture for me." Although Snake needed sound to move about the world, at times too much sound made the world confusing to navigate.

"So what kind of trouble are you up to lately, Heiji?"

[detectiveofthewest]

"Well, a couple cousins of mine came to visit me recently, but I managed to send 'em back home before they destroyed anything too important." Thank goodness, because little kids could get into an astonishing amount of trouble per kg of mass.

"So now I guess I can kick back and get back into the normal swing of things. What about you? Enjoyin' your new job? Oh, hey, I never got to see your place!" Despite Snake having come to visit him. Clearly this had to be remedied.

[blind_badass]

"I am slowly getting into my job. I don't think the college has a lot of blind employees so there's been a little bit of difficulty getting everything to where it needs to be. But things are going smoothly now." That understated a hell of a lot, however Snake wasn't the type of person to whine about things not being fair. He'd had that sentiment soundly drummed out of him as a child.

"Well, you might have a chance to visit my place soon. There is actually a German restaurant about five blocks away."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Oh, you mean ya straightened 'em out?" That was the message Heiji was coming away with here. Snake seemed very self-sufficient... or maybe he just didn't want to tell someone he'd recently met all his troubles? Either way, Heiji was immediately interested in the new turn of conversation.

"Really? I'd love to go!" Did he mean Snake's place? Or the restaurant? Why not both?

[blind_badass]

"I had to insist on a TA for help. Plus it does give a student some help building a resume." Also for grading papers he didn't feel like getting into.

"I'll have to let you know about a time and date to try the restaurant. Oooh!" That last remark was directed at the wave of chilly water that swept over his feet.