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undergrounds2015-09-19 11:18 pm
undergroundmods) wrote in undergrounds2015-09-19 11:18 pm
Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival, 19th September 2015
Welcome to the Ealing Harvest Festival! Sponsored by Sylvia Redbright, this event takes place on a bright autumn day in Elthorne Park, Hanwell.
(Images for reference: One. Two. Three.)
FESTIVAL
The park has been transformed into a hub of colourful tents and stalls, a country-style fair selling wood carvings, paintings, baubles, baskets, plant pots and flowers, pretty tin boxes and knick-knacks of all kinds. Of course, this is all to give it an air of legitimacy should the general public wander by. The real wares on offer are those sold by witches: stalls crowded with incense, candles, precious stones, herbs, good-luck charms, spelled trinkets and magical jewellery. Gain entry to one of the small tents and you may be able to buy yourself a low-level spell or potion. It's all there if you know where to look.
Meanwhile, the centrepiece of the festival is the harvest altar: five large bales of hay, stacked around each other, where the festival-goers are encouraged to donate food and other gifts in thanks for the harvest. Tinned food is typically offered. Children attending can make a corn dolly and offer it to the harvest altar. There's food and drink to buy too, of course: vegetable and pumpkin soup, baskets of fruit and seasonal vegetables, home-made bread and jam, tea cakes, fruit cakes, seed cakes, scones and apple pie. Drinks include coffee, tea, cider and fruit juice. In short, it's all very wholesome. And decidedly not vampire-friendly.
A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING
It's not all about giving thanks. Following the hostile takeover by the fae in Croydon and the hard-fought conflict in Barnet, many witches have been displaced and are in desperate need of aid. The poster by the harvest altar says that all donations will be given to the homeless and vulnerable communities in London.
Meanwhile the entrance to the summer house has been disguised by a glamour to prevent the general public from entering. Only supernatural types may climb the steps to pay their respects at the memorial that has been set up to mourn the Daybreak witches and their allies who have recently passed. There are candles, flowers, wreaths and cards jostling for space with pictures of the fallen witches.
RITUAL AT SUNSET
The general public have disappeared but the witches have an important ritual to perform. As the sun sets, they gather up all the donations from the harvest and join hands around the altar. One witch will light a flame. Sylvia herself will invite volunteers of different species to step forward and offer their blood, as a symbol of unity between supernatural communities.
As the hay burns, the witches dance around the altar, their last ritual of the evening.
NB. Sunset is at 18:51.
Midnight Memorial
Doffing her coat on one of the chairs, she immediately helped herself to a vodka martini or three. Then, and only then did she slide (third martini in hand, and an extra for Kenzi) into a booth next to her friend. Dropping her head on to her shoulder, she handed her the martini and gestured for a toast.
"Fuck Redbright."
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But she's among friends. So, she can let their losses show.
She doesn't even have the spirit to have a drink in hand right now or to raise a glass to the toast. Instead, she just sits.
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"Couldn't have said it better." The martini goes down smoothly and while that's nice enough on it's own, she wants to feel the alcohol tonight.
Kenzi pulls three glasses out of the ice cylinder at the center of the table and pours vodka into each. It looks like rubbing alcohol but there's little to no smell. Signs of a good bottle.
Kenzi doesn't wait for the others before she downs some motor-oil from the icy cold recesses of the enchanted glass in front of her and smacks the table loudly with it while making a puckered face.
"Piiiiz'dets, blyaaaa!"
It's a pretty sufficient summary of the evening.
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"What does that bloody mean?" She has to ask, familiar with Kenzi's Drunk Russian. Drussian? Russian?
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Kenzi intends to have her Drussian (Russian?) increase through the night and pours herself another shot and knocks it back before looking to Abby with a frown.
"Hey," Kenzi smacked the table softly with her hand before pushing a shot glass towards their silent leader. "Drink. It's not like it'll make thing worse at this point."
She's....she's not wrong at least?
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"Redbright has your names. She has the names of everyone in our coven."
It's then that she can't hold herself back. The tears that have been just behind her eyes for days start streaking her face, and she sinks down into her chair, almost onto herself.
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"All of them?" she breathes, looking at Kenzi. Shit. they could show up at their door, kill them all in their sleep. Redbright was powerful enough she'd waltz through any preventative method.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." She was dead.
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"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You-- They-- Everyone counted on me. I'm supposed to protect them. Protect you."
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Shit gets thrown back in your face.
"Guess there's no point to those fancy codenames."
Beyond that...she's not reacting. Kenzi doesn't look as if she's even bothered, but with a girl like her - a non reaction is worse than screaming.