songerein | [10] baby... kurisumasu daze 🎄

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[10] baby... kurisumasu daze 🎄

Who: Anyone!
Which: Open mingle log
Where: The Wild Harvest in the Residential District.
What: The holidays are here! This is a place where dreamwalkers can retreat during the month of December (and beyond) for a quiet, festive experience away from the crowds.
Warnings: None?/TBD (Gumdrops are in season.)

The Wild Harvest has been open almost a year now, welcoming patrons from all walks of life with unique dishes every month inspired by both Eastern and Western Earth culture—sometimes beyond. This month, the coming holidays have made the atmosphere homey and warm, simmering with excitement around every corner; and while it is never overwhelming, it is clear to anyone who observes that Christmas is here.

I. Deck the Halls

a.) Along with usual vines of yellow, brightly lit moon-shaped fruit strewn about, there are ornaments with holes in them hung around the restaurant and garden. Some have been decorated by staff; others have small critters taking residence inside for a quick snooze, from young snakes to noodle dragons. Try not to disturb them too much if they're asleep!

Aside from the small critters, the mistletoe gumdrops are also back in season. They are still a menace, and these creatures also fit inside these ornaments: red, white, and pink alike, so be careful! What you might find may not be so harmless.

b.) A small station has been set up for those who wish to decorate their own ornaments to take home or hang in the restaurant. There is a variety of material including paint, flowers, markers, crayons, and glitter along with colorful paper where patrons can draw, write a message, a Christmas wish—anything they want! If they are able to flag down Susato, they can even learn how to fold origami (her specialty is cranes). There is popcorn for making garlands (or for eating), as well as colorful tinsel that can be looped around the Christmas tree or around banisters and door frames to add to the festive atmosphere.

Patrons are also invited to craft their own Christmas star and personalize it however they wish with all the decorations, bells, and whistles.

The staff will do their best to keep the area tidy, but make sure to clean up after yourselves where you can! (Susato would appreciate it...)

» BONUS: Reach for the Stars! Patrons will be encouraged to enter their star in a special contest as part of the Harvest's special quest to find the perfect star. The patron whose star has the most votes will have the honour of placing it atop the Harvest's Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Entries can be submitted with a picture or short description here. Please vote for your favorites with a +1 comment! (Think Flower Fest/King & Queen.)

c.) While the search for the perfect star is ongoing, patrons may notice the top of their Christmas tree remain notably bare throughout the month. Most of the time, this will be true, but take another glimpse during a quiet moment when it isn't too crowded, and you may catch the rare sight of something pink in its place.

Meet the newest cat addition to the Wild Harvest family. She doesn't have a name yet, but she has wings, and evidently is not afraid to use them. She looks pretty comfortable, with her weight tilting the top of the tree as she sleeps. She's not a star, but who's going to be the one to tell her?

Not any of the staff, apparently. Or maybe they just haven't noticed...?

II. The Garden

Maybe you're already tired of Christmas, and you just want a quiet meal away from the holiday buzz. Walk out into the attached garden to enjoy your food and you'll find a variety of things to see aside from what's going into your food. There are certainly enough critters walking and crawling around that one might get the sense they're being watched.

There are signs that say something like: Be Mindful of Snakes.

a.) Rows of crops and various ingredients can be seen growing. Yellows and reds from various peppers and fruits burst into color against a sea of green and call for your attention. Wait long enough and you may see a garden snake or two lurking in the foliage. Some may even be brave enough to come out and greet you, with a few of the bolder ones demanding pets. They're relatively friendly, as long as you're not up to anything mischievous. Otherwise they'll start hissing at you, or get the attention of the staff.

The soothing sound of a small waterfall also fills the air, flowing into a pond nearby. Lotus blossoms float above its surface, glowing faintly after dark; though whether they are from the plant or the lotus koi fish swimming about will not be immediately obvious. The fish and the snakes both can be fed by asking a staff member.

b.) Speaking of feeding—if you're sitting down to enjoy your meal, you may feel the gentle brush of a cat or two against your leg, begging for food. You may also be visited by a spice or garnish noodle dragon, looking to live up to their names and add a little something extra to your meal; or a curious axoturtle that may nip playfully at your long hair, if you have it. Or your hat—if you happen to be huddled up or lying down somewhere on a vacant bench, and have your head low enough.

Or maybe it's your blanket as it trails onto the floor, if you have neither of those. Honestly—

c.) "To those who have left Songerein, but are not forgotten." Between two ponds in the garden is a Remembrance wall. On this wall and amidst the grass and dirt at your feet, you'll notice several star-shaped stepping stones, each one adorned with the name of someone who has left the dream world. This was started by the staff, but in light of the holiday season, they have opened it up for anyone to write the name of someone they wish to honour upon a star, and hang it on the wall with the rest. (You can also etch the name onto the star using dreamotion.)

III. Sing your heart out!

Back inside the restaurant near the bar, a small stage has been set up with speakers and a microphone for the occasional live performance. Karaoke is also welcome, so feel free to take the floor (or bully someone onto it)! Sing whatever song or tune your heart can dream up.

Just be careful not to let the alcohol take you too far. Become too drunk and disorderly and you may find yourself sinking into the shadows and back outside before you know it, with no idea how you got there...... Hmmm. (Did this place have a bouncer the last time you checked?)

[ OOC: This is a mingle log to showcase all the various updates to the Harvest we've implemented over the past year. Feel free to top level, tag around, and/or wild card it up! Happy holidays ♡ ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SCREAMS

internally ]

What--?!

[ Susato might have stood abruptly to get a better look at his charm. It is still the same round bottle with the rainbow-like sheen that reminds her so much of the beads they won. ]

They... There's not even one?

Yeah, it's all cleaned out.

[He's as baffled as you are, Susato. But he hands it over to her in the meantime as he scratches the back of his neck.]

I ain't done nothin' that really needs protectin' recently. Why'd they jus' disappear like that?

[ Leave it to Beat to just... not notice something like this. Susato's brow furrows, staring at the bottle as she racks her brain for an explanation. ]

I suppose... Just because you weren't aware doesn't mean you did not need it. The magic clearly activated...

There must have been something...?

Nah, I mostly been chillin' 'fore the wedding. Got kinda sick back at the party then hand to watch Idris an' the—

[Something comes to him then and the relaxed look is replaced by a deep frown. That couldn't have been the reason, could it?]

You know, Wolfie almost went full shadow hound on me again. Least I think he was gettin' there.

[ The translation from Wolfie to Eustace is automatic by this point. One of these days though, she will slip, and it will be amusing for everyone (but her). It takes a moment longer before the gravity of what he's saying really hits. ]

'Full shadow hound' ... Beat, are you telling me he almost turned into a noctaere? [ Again? ]

Sure felt like it was headin' there. You know how jus' before the wedding there was like a freak thunderstorm and there was lightning everywhere. All a' that was Wolfie when he barged into my place again.

[Despite his somewhat frantic explanation, it didn't seem like it escalated to the level he described. Everyone who had encountered Eustace as a noctaere would've been notified otherwise.]

[ ...Really, and truly, she's probably going to regret asking. But there's no going back now. After a deep breath to self-soothe-- ]

And why would he do that?

'Cause I was messin' with him and told him that the rings was missing.

[Yes, Beat had the rings a few days heading into the wedding. Eustace had left it with him to take care of, especially with Idris being the ringer-dog? Ring bearer? Whatever Idris job was.

He lets out a sigh as he recalls this. It was supposed to be a joke but things... May have gotten away from him. Eustace's reaction included.]

It was supposed to be a joke but guess it was a good thing he showed up.

Oh, Beat...

[ Her voice wavers, in the tone of: "Oh, honey...no..." But ultimately she still doesn't have the full story. She does remember being concerned about the sudden thunder and lightning in December, however. ]

Some things shouldn't be joked about. What happened after he arrived?

I told him I was messin' 'round and that the rings were jus' in the next room. And then they wasn't. I coulda swore they were, yo!

[Though Beat liked to say that he didn't know the meaning of nervous, he was very well-acquainted with the definition of it that night. And it wasn't because of Eustace's anger towards him. Deep down he was worried that he had royally messed up back then and that Eustace and Tifa might not be able to forgive him for it.]

Looked everywhere for it before I told Wolfie they was missin'.

[He pulled up a chair beside Susato, dumping his entire weight onto it, enough for it to creak lightly.]

Found out later that Sonic thought it was some kinda toy an' grabbed it offa the table when I wasn't lookin'.

[ Sonic...... For a moment, she thinks he may have finally decided on a name for his newest squirrel friend, but then she remembers that he must be referring to Idris. She looks alarmed at first, like 'He ate the rings?!?!'--but of course, the wedding already went perfectly.

She coughs as Beat joins her at the table, and scoots her own chair to make room. ]

I'm... I'm glad they weren't eaten, but that must have given Eustace quite the scare. [ Somehow, the pieces of this mystery are starting to come together. ] No doubt he tore apart your whole flat to look for them. He likely wanted to do the same thing to you.

[While Beat had never thought of it that way, the idea of Idris eating the rings and how that might've turned out dawns on Beat's face. From confusion to realization, to disgust.]

That's helluva lot worse, yo! I wouldn't wanna dig around for it in his shit or nothin'.

[Augh, that thought is just—AUGH. A visible shudder courses through his body.]

Guess I gotta be glad that's all that happened, yo. I prob'ly wouldn't be sitting here 'cause Wolfie woulda ended me.

[ ......

.........Yeah, she hadn't followed that line of thinking quite that far. She visibly grimaces at the thought, too, and really would rather not dwell on it, so she's thankful when Beat moves on quickly.

Something seems to hit her then, and her face lights, as if in epiphany. 'Eustace would have ended him.' ]

Do you suppose that is why the cranes are gone? Because... Because they were protecting you from him?

...No way, yo. D'you really think Wolfie was tryin' to kill me?

[Beat's used to throwing himself into trouble but he never felt that he was in any actual danger from Eustace, even if he did give him a couple cold stares. The only reason he's really entertaining this is because he knows Susato is smarter than him. And because she probably knows how these protection charms work better.]

...

[ He may not have felt any danger from Eustace. Maybe it would never get to that point ever again, but that look in his eyes as he slammed Flamek into the ice and sent her through is not one she'd soon forget. ]

Beat, he nearly killed all of us. You said yourself you felt he was turning into a shadow hound.

[ You tell her, bro. Or perhaps she shouldn't have taken Beat that literally...... ]

Shit. I—

[Wasn't thinking, was what he almost said. The shift in her tone was immediate and Beat couldn't help but beat himself up for his slip of the tongue. He might not have been there when the others went down but just the mention of it was enough for him to remember the carnage that he had seen around him.]

I don't think it was that bad, yo. I mighta been playin' it up a bit, you know.

[Augh, now he felt terrible, trying to backpedal after what he had said. He pulls at the strings of his hood, fidgeting as he tried to find the words.]

Sorry, Loops. Didn't mean to bring all of that shit back up.

[ Susato's expression remains stiff for a moment. Her eyes never leave him, mostly studying his face and his nervous habits, as if looking for a tell. After a moment, however, her expression softens and her lips twitch into an attempted smile.

She holds out her hand. ]

It's alright. Give it here.

[ ~~Pants~~ Charm off. ]

[Beat hands it over to her without any hesitation, still looking a little sheepish all the while. While the smile from her does ease his worries, a part of him still feels like he screwed up.]

You sure it's aight?

[He can barely hold her gazes right now.]

[ Susato doesn't answer him. She does, however, take the charm once it's offered and casually twists open the bottle. Out of habit, she turns it over once to inspect it, but then she'll reach into the nearby jar to carefully scoop out a handful of already-made paper cranes.

The cap to the bottle charm set aside for now, she starts to fill it up until it's full again as it should be. She'll give it one last look-over, and...

Finally, offers it back to him. ]

Now it will be. [ Maybe he understands a little better now, the importance of her doing this in her spare time. ]

Edited (fml) 2022-12-20 18:20 (UTC)

[His eyes finally flit towards Susato, intently watching her as she goes about taking the bottle and refilling it with cranes similar to the ones it had only a few months back.

There's a small pang of guilt that resounds within him, seeing the preparation and care she put into these. She never had to make extras and yer she has an entire jar-filled with spares. Meanwhile, he didn't even realize when it's been used up because he just crashes into things without so much as a second thought.

Once the charm is presented to him once more he handles it with care, twirling it in his hands. The only thought that crosses his mind is how lucky he was to have a friend like her.]

You still makin' more a' these, yeah? [His eyes meets hers, and the look he gives her is soft and curious, much akin to a dog tilting its head to one side.] Can ya show me?

[It's the least he can do.]

[ She stares at Beat like she's unsure whether he is being serious. It seems so unlike him. Origami takes patience and a delicate touch; and while she doesn't associate him with either of those, she can see in his eyes that he is sincere.

At the very least, this might have amusing results. ......or something. ]

Of course, I'd be happy to.

[ She grabs a paper square to start, and invites him to do the same. ]

First... [ and then she'll start to demonstrate step-by-step, explaining as she goes. ]

[Susato's assumption is right. Though Beat wanted to try to learn how to make a few cranes, he continues to work on the paper and creases with a heavy hand. At times he would rip the paper, while other times he would create a crease on the wrong spot, causing him to repeat all over again.

Before long, there's a messy pile of crumpled paper forming at his side. But he seems determined to finish at least one, continuing to work on an obscenely over-creased piece of paper. His tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he tries to repeat the last step Susato had gone through.]

I'mma get it right this time!

[Unlikely, but boy is he trying.]

[ At some point, they'd moved to using larger paper squares. They're not the size she would typically use for her charms, but they are big and much easier to work with, so the pile of crumpled paper actually varies in size. ]

You will! You could have fixed that last one, you know but then you crushed--

[ You crushed it.

Very abruptly, however, there is the sound of glass shattering nearby. ]

!

[Just as he was completing the fold, the crash rings out and his head immediately snaps up in attention.]

The hell was that?!

[On the floor are the scattered remains of a shattered ornament. Before Beat can even stand, there's more rustling heard above among the vines. Looking up, both of them will see the squirrel Beat had taken home as a pet in the middle of a staring contest with one of the Harvest's snakes. Squirrel clings on tightly to his vine, chattering loudly at the snake on the neighboring stalk.]

Squirrel? You pickin' a fight, yo? Get down from there 'fore they kick us out.

[The squirrel takes a look at Beat just as he raises his hand to help the animal down, but looks back at the snake, still eager to finish whatever either of them started. Seems like the acorn didn't fall far from the tree.]

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