Open A Celebration of Beauty

[Jossa Skyglow]

55 Summer, 513 AV

The Sculpture Yard felt infinitely more complete with Morwen's statue holding court once again.

It had been a year and a season since the Djed Storm, but with the skill of the master sculptors and an infinite amount of care, the statue of the Queen of the Vantha was returned to its former glory - and so was Avanthal itself. To celebrate the completion of the piece, one hell of a party was going down.

There were musicians playing, of course. The Snowsong Hold put together a number of joyful compositions that seemed to make the air shimmer; they used every instrument at their disposal and played pieces or sang that varied from whimsical to overwhelmingly grand. Plenty of people danced alone or in groups, bringing an energy to the celebration that would have been impossible to create otherwise. There were crafts from various Holds, including woven pieces from Frostfawn and pieces of art from Skyglow. Food and drink was abundant, these being made primarily by members of the Winterflame Hold. By noon, the celebration was rolling quite nicely and wasn't over by half.

Jossa was set up at the sidelines with a couple of other Skyglow amateurs, doing caricatures and face painting for free. The earlier part of the day had been quite busy; Jossa wasn't quite sure exactly how many children's faces he'd painted in the bright colors of the aurora, but he was fairly certain that he'd done more than a hundred. Business had eventually dwindled, though, and Jossa painted his own face out of boredom; with straight black lines creating sharp angles and the rest of his face being occupied by the bright shades of red and green that he'd used, his face looked like a simple work of stained glass.

Eventually, he looked at the other artists, all of whom were idly chatting or sketching. "Hey, guys. Mind if I go out and check out what's going on? I'll be back in a bit." They all nodded or waved him away, so Jossa wandered into the whirling mass of dancers, hoping to find something to do to amuse himself. He didn't particularly want to dance, but given his options and the aura of festiveness that was pervading the air... Or he could have some of that delicious-smelling fish.

Thayer made this boxcode!

[Xelic Snowsong]

Preferring to avoid the large crowds, Xelic decided to stay away from the back of the yard. He was content to enjoy the day's festivities vicariously, jotting incoherent thoughts down on parchment; a means to recall his observations for a later composition. The playful screams and laughter of children in the yard chasing each other with painted faces warmed his heart and brought a smile to his mouth. Perched upon a large stone, leaning against one of the trees surrounding the yard, Xelic dipped his quill into his inkwell and began to describe what he saw.

55 Summer, 513 AV

I hear the children play, their laughter fills the breeze,
A blowing wind of happiness, echoed by the trees.
Faces painted brightly, with the hues of Morwen's light,
Their purity of life, it warms my heart; it warms the night.

Xelic was so excited to capture the essence of the day when he left for the celebration that he failed to consider that his ink would thicken to the consistency of molasses, making writing difficult at best and impossible by evening.

A Frost Hawk circled far off in the distance, gliding effortlessly through the air, carried over the western seaboard water by its massive wingspan with an almost majestic quality. During the celebration it was easy to forget their brazen tendencies to remove small animals from within the city walls when the waters froze. The squeal of a child at play brought Xelic's attention back to the sculpture yard where children were chasing each other near some of the Skyglow artisans who had been painting faces throughout the day.

One of the Skyglow artisans was painting his own face while the others were laughing and talking about something that must have been rather entertaining; comparing stories of uncooperative children they had painted throughout the day, perhaps.

It occurred to Xelic that he had yet to eat anything today, nor had he brought anything. He decided to pack up his inkwell and parchment and head toward the Whiteflame vendors in the yard; the smells were making his stomach cry out in protest against his failure to break his fast.

[Rysmarin]

55th day of Summer, 513 AV

A young man who blended more with the snow of Avanthal than its people walked in silent, joyous awe among them. In a town where every day seemed a celebration to the young Kelvic, to see one truly in full swing was simply amazing! Sure, he'd seen celebrations before, but the sights, sounds, and smells of these joyous days could absolutely never get old!

On more than one occasion, he was sorely tempted to break out his mother's ocarina and join in the constant songs that filled the air, but he was ever distracted. The festivities made absolutely certain that his attention was never pulled less than three different ways. One moment, the food had his stomach rumbling strongly enough to mimic an earthquake, while the next his eyes were caught by some dazzling display of some elegant Vanthan dance.

Eventually, the itch to play something joyous became overpowering, and he suddenly found his ocarina at his lips. The song he found himself playing, if one could call it that, wasn't bad... but rather, simply a bit chaotic. There was a whimsical joy to the disorder of the notes, though, that brought the mind to an early morning songs of pine thrushes and the quiet undertones of a frozen river.

His song earned him a smile or two as he traipsed happily about the grounds, but if he was to be honest, his body protested the act a bit more than it should have. The constant exposure to energy and food (without getting any, itself) was begining to remind him of a his need for rest and fuel. Eventually, he ceded to the pressing need, ceasing his song reluctantly only to lick his lips as his nose caught wind of something delicious smelling. His stomach growled again, and he growled back. "I know, I know!" He said, mocking himself with a tired groan. "I'm hungry, too!"

He followed his nose and swiftly meandered his way over to some of the many stalls set up just for the occasion. There were just as many people milling about the food stalls as there had been around the rest of the area, if not more, no doubt having felt a similar need to the Kelvics, as it was approaching time for the mid day meal. Or perhaps simply brunch? Who knew? Rysmarin himself certainly did not care.

He wandered past many of the stalls, gazing longingly at each of them in turn as he attempted (with little luck) to decide upon what he wanted for this latest meal. "Oooh... that looks good, but... Hrm..." His brow furrowed and his lips pursed, he stared at each of them in turn. He hadn't brought enough coin to just buy one of everything as he wished to, but he simply could not decide! In a stroke of brilliance, he decided to follow the next person he saw and buy what they bought! FOOL PROOF!

Swiftly, he cast about for someone nearby on which to exercise his plan. His eyes were quickly caught by streaks of amethyst, and he aproached the Vantha who possessed said locks unabashedly. "Heya! Mind helpin' me out a sec?" He all but shouted, nigh upon his target. The Kelvic half hoped to startle him, but continued on without stopping to see if he'd managed that goal. "I won't bore ya with the details, so what it boils down to is this: I can't decide what ta eat, so I'ma buy myself whatever you're gonna get, so whatcha gonna get?!"

Smooth. Totally not weird or awkward. Not at all.

[Itchytell]

I love times like this. Standing at the edge of the crowd, Itchy was a sponge, soaking up the sites, and the sounds, the atmosphere. Who knew the coldest place in Mizahar could make you feel so warm inside? Waves of nostalgia were running through him. Of warm fires, laughter, and his mother Winter Snap pie she made once every year, general good feelings.

He had to come here, like all other Vantha, he had a strong respect for his Queen and it would be a shame to miss the repaired statue that could only really be repaired once. Plus it's a good opportunity to busk around and earn money. He began to walk towards the middle of the crowd.

Itchytell was dawned in his large winter coat, and his washed leather pants. He had no real fancy clothes, and he wouldn't dare come out in his normal busking shirtless-ness, or in his ragged roughspun tunic, he had to look presentable! But not too presentable, he had to look festive as well. For this he wore a mask he made, carved to look like a Waste Mammoth, with intricately carved tusks and a snowflake on its forehead. The prospect is quite obtuse actually, wearing a snow bear coat, with a Mammoth mask, but all creatures must come to celebrate Morwen!

He peered about and spotted a troupe of artist. Hm. he wondered, I must get this mask painted, yes...a blue silver for the snowflake, gold for the tips of the tusks, light blue for the carved cracks I made to look like ice cracks, and maybe some fur or feathers around the edges, fanned out..yes to add some volume. He then realized that it might cost more than he was willing to spend , and he frowned from within his mask.

Welp, lets see what money I can earn today! Itchy then began hopping from one leg too another just outside the circle of dancers and yelled "Come see the imperishable mammoth boy!" He then started juggling some fruits he had found on the floor,whilst dancing.

[Arieya Frostfawn]

It was a big event to the vanthas. Especially Arieya. Besides Asilynn she had a lot of love for their Queen Morwen. Morwen, the queen who had blessed her with such an extraordinary Gnosis. The wonderful queen who appeared so important to the Cantus race. Arieya attended the ball with her mother. An old vantha woman who loved events. Arieya and her mother we're complete opposites. Arieya was shy, unlike her mother who was outgoing and love to socialize with anyone." Want me to take Asilynn?" Her mother asked. She looked down at her young daughter. Although she was a bit wobbly on her little feet, the young girl danced like she was the only one there. Arieya would never let Asilynn leave her side. She was hoping it would scare off the men. The manless Frostfawn, a widow with a child from her precious marriage. Arieya, for one, didn't want to leave her hold. She's manage to adapt to her life now since Asilynn is older and can attend the daycare. Unlike her mother she didn't think she needed a man. " No, me and Asilynn need to eat. She's a little picky on what she ways too." Arieya said quietly. Her mother looked puzzled but shrugged it off and found a few friends from her childhood. After picking up Asilynn she walked towards the glorious statue of the goddess Morwen." Thank you. Thank you for blessing us with your kindness, your forgiveness and love. I don't know what I'd do without you, Goddess." Arieya kept her eyes closed just to pray silently. But once she was done she took Aslynn dancing.

[Jossa Skyglow]

Everything was just so damn busy. Seen from the sidelines, the crowd was a hectic mess of moving bodies. From the inside, though, it was much more than that. It was pure chaos. There was someone wearing fur and a tusked mask juggling and dancing, at one point, and someone playing a little pipe-thing, and about a thousand people dancing and laughing and screaming and talking.

Oh, Gods above, I can't handle this. Where's the food?

At the side of the Yard opposite from where Jossa had been painting faces was a booth selling roasted fish on a stick. There was a booth adjacent selling shaved flavored ice and another selling bowls of seaweed broth and salted meat. He handed over a few copper mizas for a bowl of soup and found a quiet spot away from the festivities to observe everyone.

The soup was salty and hot and nice. Careful not to drip on his face paint, he listened silently to the music. With so many voices and different songs mingling in the air, it was like trying to discern the sound of a river in the middle of a blizzard. He made himself be content with just listening to the cacophony.

Thayer made this boxcode!

[Danderion Snowsong]

The rumbling of a thousand feet on the ground was heard throughout the Sculpture yard. Focusing on one pair near him, then on the next as it passed by, he played joyful on his lute tunes to the individual rhythms. People occasionally bowed slightly to him, and he smiled brightly in kind.

Shifting his position on the bench, he began to simply hum to himself during his playing. However, he felt that this was not enough. He began to spontaneously sing a verse on the spot:

The Ice Queen is our Morwen,
We all have one thing in common:
The one thing we love is cold,
I wish it would be tenfold!

This naturally earned him many laughs from those around him, but he simply laughed with good-heartedly.

I definitely shouldn't open my mouth before thinking anymore.

He sighed, and pondered this a bit. Then he thought about thinking while eating some flavoured snow. He stood up, lute in hand, walked over and bought a bit of the delicious syrup-y mixture for a silver miza and enjoyed it thoroughly whilst a great many thoughts regarding texts rushed through his head.

[Xelic Snowsong]

"Mother of Morwen!" Xelic's eyes quickly flashed over, turning a bright shade of orange as he turned abruptly, taking a step back. Before him stood a tall, wiry, young man with platinum blonde hair who all but introduced himself, wanting to know what Xelic was planning to eat. Slowly, Xelic's eyes faded to a dull yellow as he just stood there, trying to figure out what to do or say to this stranger. What on Mizahar is up with this guy and why does he want to know what I'm planning to eat? That's a good question though. What am I going to eat? "I'm terribly sorry about that outburst, you startled me. I'm not used to people coming up to me from behind like that. I was thinking about getting some salted seal wrapped in seaweed myself. Personally, I think it's the best thing here."

Xelic turned to the vendor, purchased some salted seal wrapped in seaweed and turned back toward the rather forward stranger. Over the stranger's shoulder, not too far from them, he noticed what could only be described as a white-haired furry mammoth. Sort of. While the details of the mask were faint from here, it was clearly the work of someone with relatively little experience. Aside from that, the individual was putting on quite the spectacle, dancing and juggling.

I suppose I should at least introduce myself to this fellow and see what it is he wants. Xelic looked him in the eye, extended his free hand and said, "Please forgive my lack of manners, my name is Xelic. I was just on my way to enjoy a quiet lunch before looking for a new source of inspiration. This fellow in the distance behind you, however; has caught my attention. I think I'm going to go get a closer look. Would you care to join me?"

Vani | Thought

[Rysmarin]

((EDIT))Edited to omit Vanari's presence.

Rysmarin chuckled, very amused as his eyes danced with a light of their own. Not the surreal, color-changing light all vantha (including this one, apparently) seemed to possess, but still! This guy's reaction was far better than the kelvic could have hoped! "'s no problem! I get that a lot." He chuckled mischievously, then, realizing what the man had ordered, eyed the food with an expression that was a mix between gluttonous hunger and... well, you know that look children get when you sit a plate of greens in front of them? Yeah. That look.

"I've never tried that before. Looks kinda..." Lacking a properly descriptive term, he simply bunched his face up a bit. Still, he'd said he'd get some, and he was far to hungry to even attempt to truly argue with the tumultuous growl of his stomach. As such, he grudgingly forked over the coin to the vendor to purchase the same thing, then eyed the seaweed-cloaked meat skeptically. He took a tentative bite, and was surprised to find it wasn't as terrible as he expected. "Heh-hey! That's not bad!" He grinned, then all but wolfed down the remainder of the meal in a single bite, then ordered a second helping.

"'s no trouble! I kinda snuck up on ya, so no harm, no foul! I'm Rysmarin... Rysmarin "Snowsong"." He said, obviously a little uncomfortable applying the secondary appellation to himself, though his expression quickly returned to its usual jovial nature. "Most people I know call my Rys, though, so that's fine, too. Whatever works!" He grinned broadly at Xelic as he received his second helping of salted seaweed shawled seal from the vendor with one hand and shook the Vantha's offered digits with his other. "Good ta meetcha!" At the mention of the fellow behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned at the amusing spectacle.

"I'd love ta!" He said as he turned back, but just then, one of his favorite songs came floating through the air, causing him to break into a broad grin. "I really would... but that's one heckuva song! I'll catch up to ya 's shortly as I can, though, so don't worry, i'llprobablyberightbackbye!" He was already starting off as he spoke, already dancing (rather poorly) as he trotted off, eating his second portion of seal as he went.

As he danced, he lost himself to time, slowly growing more and more comfortable with his movements as he watched the Vantha and slowly learned the proper motions. He still wasn't dancing well for quite a while, but he eventually found himself partnered off with a particulalr tall vantha woman that stood (literally) above the rest. He didn't bother asking her name, the two of them having far too much fun as the crowd around them thinned to make way for the awkward flailing they called dancing.

[Itchytell]

editXD I deleted my whole poem without reading your post rysmarin. Bear with me on the first part. not really an edit but changed box and tweaked post.

The boy was making no money at all. He got stares, he got glances, he got little children reaching out to him as parents dragged them along, but no money. "Oh please Morwen, bestow your wealth on a lowly boy as I!" He said to the statue with his arms raised and with a dramatic pose. Morwen the statue caught his gaze and gave only a stare and a stony smile. He sighed and dropped his charismatic air. "Who am I kidding." As he dropped his head he caught a gleam at the side of his eye.

The gleam came from a person, a very tall person with blonde hair. That really wasn't the odd thing, but the man was a giant compared to the other Vantha, and especially to Itchy. That guy should be called a Taldarian-Vantha He mused, assuming he was a Vantha. He then noticed the person he was with, seemingly dancing with them, but he looked like he was drunk, it was a woman as tall as him Oh my! They are breeding!" She was proportional to him, in that she was taller than most Vantha women, but still shorter than him. The tall couple stood out like a sore thumb, both of them being tall, and a raised surface, with a metaphorical light beaming on them.

The sight brought up emotions in him, of home, a warm fire, his mother and father. Oh how me missed them so! should do something for this couple, not for money, but for love! With this new resolve he quickly strode up to the couple and said "Hello I am Mammoth Boy!" He gave a deep boy, and when he heard some movement he stood back up and began.
"You two make a lovely couple,may I compose a song for you two?"
He didn't wait for an answer, just continued.
"Alright!, tis' a song about love and the heart." He cleared his throat and began.

The heart is like a hold
That contains all that one is
But if your heart is cold
Then your gates are frozen in!

At this point he began to dance a jig.

Free me Morwen!
Free me Gods!
For I don't know who I am!
My heart is ice
My soul doth entice
One with a battering ram!

But there he is!
At this point he pointed dramatically to the blonde haired man

With fire in his
Doth warm your frozen heart
Farewell I say
Good tidings I pray
And Morwen bless your heart.

With this he bowed, regardless of who was listening to the boy with the mammoth mask.