Event: The Wilting Festival

[royaldecreemods]

PREPARATION

It's been a long month of settling in (for all of you) and hard work (for… some of you), and while Nadeshiko has done her level best to mold everyone into something resembling presentable nobility, even she must finally concede that the time has come for your first official venture down into Rosavelle proper. (She says, while giving certain individuals a very pointed look. You know who you are.)

Despite Nadeshiko's, um. Exacting standards, the castle tailors have prepared attire that is on the surprisingly casual side - soft, cozy layers in dusky pastels and warm creams, trimmed with embroidered blossoms and lined with plush fabrics. Nadeshiko insists it is all "strategically understated," whatever that means.

Once everyone has bundled themselves accordingly, attendants guide you across the Castle Grounds toward the waterway that links the castle to Rosavelle. Moored along the stone steps are several slender boats, each polished to a mirror shine and waiting waiting at the landing, dressed just as warmly as the rest of you, is Callie.

They're coming along on this excursion too, they announce - which makes you sort of wonder how exactly they're going to blend in…? They offer no explanation for this, merely smiling with the serene confidence of someone who absolutely knows what they're doing. You hope.

Callie clears their throat once everyone has gathered. "Before we set off," they begin, "I want to thank you all for your efforts this past month. I know it hasn't been easy. This trip is a test - Nadeshiko insists I remind you - but I hope you'll spend these next few days discovering what makes this kingdom so dear to me. I hope you fall in love with it, even just a little."

And with that, attendants gesture everyone aboard. The boats push off from the landing, gliding down the canal toward the vibrant city beyond. Ahead, you can hear the distant sounds of music, laughter, and the unmistakable bustle of festival preparations drifting across the water.

Rosavelle awaits!

THE WILTING FESTIVAL

The boats drift smoothly along the canal, the castle receding behind you as the waterways widen and the distant hum of the city grows louder. Soon, the canal bends - and bursts open into a riot of color and sound.

Nadeshiko rises from her seat just enough to hold out a hand as if presenting the kingdom to everyone. "Welcome," she announces, "to Rosavelle. Do try not to gawk. …Or at least, do it discreetly."

Gawking, however, feels almost unavoidable. Bridges arch over the waterway, draped with trailing garlands enchanted to glow in shifting hues. Bloomcraft lanterns hover in clusters, bobbing gently overhead like luminous petals caught in an intangible breeze. The buildings lining the canals are painted in cheerful colors, their balconies overflowing with winter-hardy blossoms charmed to shimmer with faint starlight. Everywhere you turn, there are stalls and floating market boats laden with food: sugared fruit skewers, steaming seafood pies, warm spiced drinks, flower-shaped pastries dusted with edible glitter.
Music drifts from every corner - bright string melodies, lively flutes, the rhythmic clapping of dancers gathered in impromptu circles. Children dart between vendors, adults laugh over shared drinks and the whole district feels like it's pulsing with festival magic.

"The Wilting Festival," Callie explains from their spot near the bow of the lead boat, "is how we honor the year behind us - and give our sleeping flowers enough joy and energy to bloom again once the seasons turn." Their eyes shine with unmistakable fondness. "So the more fun you have, the better for Rosavelle."

"Within reason," Nadeshiko adds very sharply.

The boats glide toward a decorated landing and attendants help everyone disembark. Callie continues, "The festival runs nearly nonstop for two days. If at any point you need a break - or if Nadeshiko feels compelled to… re-straighten your etiquette - the boats will take you back to the castle at any hour."

Nadeshiko folds her hands neatly. "Yes. I will, in fact, be checking."

And then your escorts step aside and you're officially let loose! There’s all sorts to do in almost every corner you can find around the kingdom and players are encouraged to have fun and come up with festival acitivies of their own for their characters to enjoy. But if you need some ideas to get you started, here's what you can find going on around Rosavelle!

❆ The Lantern Cascade Parade happens twice daily. Rowboats decorated in glowing flowers drift down the canal, musicians playing as children toss enchanted petals that float upward instead of falling. Advisors are welcome to ride along if they help row.

❆ Food and drinks galore! Try snow sugar fritters, savory herb pasties, candied citrus peel, roasted chestnuts, and flower-shaped steamed buns filled with spiced cream. There's also the "Wilting Platter Challenge," which involves finishing a sampler of six festival specialties before the enchanted hourglass runs out. Stalls also offer mulled wine, spiced berry cider, rosehip toddy, and frothy lavender cocoa. For the brave (or foolish), certain taverns host informal drinking contests.

❆ Musicians from across Rosavelle gather all over the festival, providing a constant stream of lively fiddles, soft waltzes, upbeat folk songs, and the occasional heartfelt ballad. Citizens often pull strangers into spontaneous dance circles - consider it part of blending in. Of course, if you've already got a partner, then you have an excuse to politely decline…

❆ Horse-drawn carriage rides wind through the district's canalside streets. Each small carriage takes two passengers with no option to solo ride, making it a cozy (or awkward) experience depending on your company. The horses wear garlands woven from winter blooms, and the drivers love pointing out bits of Rosavellan lore along the route, which makes it a good way to learn about the kingdom, at least.

❆ A wide plaza near the center of Menthward has been converted into a Bloomcraft-frozen skating rink. Teams of mages keep the ice perfectly smooth, and skates can be borrowed for free. While it's all just intended for good fun for the most part, every other hour sees exhibitions by local skaters from the Marquess Lyric Academy.

❆ A row of artisans offers winter charm-making workshops. You can weave winter blossom bracelets, assemble protective charms, or paint tiny glass lanterns with personalized colors. They're said to help carry warmth into Fallow. In addition, a stretch of the riverside is devoted to paper lanter painting, where guests decorate small floating lanterns with wishes for the coming months. At sunset each day, they're released out into the canal.

❆ The "Wilting Games" are a set of friendly competitions held throughout Menthward: snowball toss accuracy challenges, team relay races with sleds enchanted to glide on cobblestones, flower-identification quizzes hosted by excitable botanists, and a particularly silly scarf-tying speed contest.

❆ A number of cafes have dedicated themselves to being ‘quiet spaces' for locals to duck into if they need to take a little break from the noise and activity of the festival. Ideal for recharging or hiding from Nadeshiko for exactly ten minutes before she inevitably finds you.

THE FINALE

By the end of the second day, Menthward glows with the contented warmth of a celebration that has wrung every last drop of energy from its participants. Festivalgoers - locals and advisors alike - gather in the largest plaza for the final event of the Wilting Festival.

As the crowd settles, the first firework bursts overhead in a cascade of rose-gold petals, scattering sparks that drift like falling blossoms before dissolving into the night. More follow: spirals of blue and silver, twin bursts that curl into heart-shapes, a shimmering waterfall of white light that earns a collective gasp from the crowd. Bloomcraft enchants every explosion to swirl, bloom, and dance in impossible patterns.

The finale erupts in a storm of gold and crimson, lighting the plaza like daylight. When the final burst fades and the echo rolls away across the city, the crowd breaks into applause so loud it rattles the garlands overhead. Just like that - the Wilting Festival comes to a close.

Callie and Nadeshiko gather the advisors once the crowd begins to disperse. Callie looks like they’ve had a whale of a time, practically glowing with pride and Nadeshiko… well. She doesn't look more displeased than usual.

The group makes its way back to the docks, where the boats await with lanterns softly flickering. Once everyone is aboard, they push off from the city's edge, gliding through dark, glass-still waters back toward the castle. After all of that, how well did you really do? Did you blend in? Impress? Make a fool of yourself?

The answer will come soon enough.

For now, all you can do is rest - and wait for the results of your test.

(CODE)

Comments

A

[soldragon]

[He feels the arm around his shoulder and looks up to see Bulat. He smiles just a little.]

Oh! Bulat. Actually, that's just it. I don't know how to skate...

Mostly I just walked on top of the ice, but that's definitely not what's happening here. Do you know how?

[Indeed, he's been watching people glide by with a hint of envy in his eyes for a few minutes now: hence, likely, why Bulat showed up.]

[steel_over_blood]

Of course I do; I grew up in the north! I haven't since I was around your age, but I'm not going to let that stand in my way!

[ Ryu is jovially escorted over to the skate rental. Bulat loves a teaching session. He's skipping over being directly asked to teach one, but he can read between the lines. ]

Hey, these are high quality - at home, we used the kind that strapped onto the bottom of the boot. Always helped to borrow a pair just a little tighter than you'd wear normally.

[soldragon]

Thank you.

[Heavens. Bulat is a bit of a goofball, but it's infectious; Ryu can't help but smile a little wider as he's led to the skate rentals to ask after a pair. They're quickly marked down and Ryu sees to getting them on his feet while they talk.]

[The attendants know these two will come back. After all, they have their boots.]

A little tighter...

[He laces and straps the boots pretty dang tight.]

[steel_over_blood]

[ Bulat would be inclined to like Ryu even if they hadn't had the medical drama upon arrival in common; he's got a heartening smile and a good attitude! He laces up, the muscle memory coming back quickly. Even walking on the skates comes easily, though he stays near Ryu in case he tips over on the way to the pond.

Tipping over on the pond itself is inevitable, he suspects. ]

This isn't so far off Nadeshiko's balance training, come to think of it. Same principle, being aware of your own movement.

[soldragon]

[The light frames his face as he looks over to Bulat when they step on to the threshold of the rink.]

Oh? I've only been up a few days, so...

[It's true, his ankles are a little wobbly when he steps, but he doesn't topple over... Quite.]

That said, there were a lot of places that flooded occasionally back home, so slippery surfaces were a must to understand.

[He pauses, and tests the skates on the threshold, and seems a little bit uncertain as he steps on. That's a lot more slippery than he's used to!]

[steel_over_blood]

It's a handy skill to build, anyway.

[ Bulat steps out boldly. The last time he was on the ice was indeed before he'd put on the bulk of his signature muscle mass. He lurches forward alarmingly, adjusts his posture instead of panicking, and turns it into an easy glide across the plaza and back. ]

It was hotter were you lived, right? Ice isn't the same as damp stone.

[soldragon]

[He pauses, overbalances one way, then the other, then, barely, stays standing, if drifting, slowly, to the other side of the rink.]

Yeah, a little bit...

[He's concentrating more on maintaining his balance.]

Some of the freezers would ice up, but nothing like this; only enough to make footing treacherous.

[steel_over_blood]

[ Bulat glides back with such confidence it's hard to believe he nearly wiped out a moment ago. He's keeping pace with Ryu, but not stabilizing him. It'd be rude to catch him when he's trying his utmost! ]

More of those machines... For keeping food fresh, I imagine.

[ By now, it has likely become apparent to Ryu what kind of technology level Bulat is used to dealing with: i.e. quite a few steps behind his. ]

[soldragon]

Some...

[He finally touches the other wall and stops himself, apologizing gently to the kids he held up along the way.]

[One of them says "Like this!" and he watches, with a smile.]

But a lot of them were for...

[He's never mentioned BioCorp, or why he had to go to the surface, just that he did. So when his face falls briefly, and he says,]

Materials storage.

[There's not as much implication as his expression sells.]

But enough about that, I need to figure out how to not let that kid down, right?

[steel_over_blood]

[ Bulat's more niche homeworld technology is advanced enough to allow for mad scientists and alchemists, which are different in aesthetics but quite similar in end results. He's pretty sure he knows why Ryu might want to change the subject, and frankly, so does he. ]

Try getting bolder - I'll skate next to you, and if you slip, grab onto me for support!

[ This is also a certain amount of plausible deniability if Ryu feels like grabbing onto him anyway, for comfort or for morale. ]

[soldragon]

All right, I'll give it a shot.

[Honestly, he doesn't really need the plausible deniability. He slips after a flase start and ends up holding on to Bulat anyway.]

[Or at least, that's how it goes in his head.]

[And if his hand lingers just that bit too long, and he skates a little awkwardly to stick around for an extra few seconds, well.]

... I didn't know them long, but I already kind of miss the other ones who came up with me. I know we've been assured they're okay, but...

[steel_over_blood]

[ Bulat draws some conclusions that are highly egotistical and likely accurate. Being reliable and physical contact alike come with a deep satisfaction. ]

You feel how you feel. But don't get so weighed down by the people you miss you forget about the people around you.

[ He pats Ryu on the back - less comforting than intended while learning how to skate, oops. ]

[soldragon]

[There's a moment where Ryu wildly overbalances thanks to action and reaction, and his hands reach for whatever is available.]

[Sadly, "whatever is available" turns out to be Bulat's jacket, and they both go wildly spinning around each other until his back hits the wall of the rink.]

[He can't help but laugh as he recovers a bit.]

Okay. Okay. Let's. Try this again. Slowly.

[steel_over_blood]

Hahahaaaa, that one was my bad!

[ He does not sound at all sorry. ]

Still, you didn't fall down, that's what counts!

[soldragon]

I suppose I didn't.

[He leans on his arm, supported by the wall of the rink.]

Okay, trying again...

[steel_over_blood]

[ Bulat kicks off first, confident enough in his balance and perception to do so backwards. What's Ryu's form look like from this perspective? ]

[soldragon]

[Shaky. It looks shaky. Guy was in bed for weeks, it's not surprising.]

[Still, he's trying, and his pushes are mostly firm.]

[steel_over_blood]

Not bad at all, for your first time.

[ Why did his voice get lower and purry for the last half of that sentence. It is a mystery. ]

Bend your knees and keep your head forward; it'll help your balance.

[ Bulat does another relaxed loop around. He could be going faster, but he's holding back so Ryu can take in the details. ]

[soldragon]

[He blushes just a little as he says,]

Third attempt. but. Thank you.

[And it's. Quite a bit to take in. He's only ever seen one person able to put on that much muscle, and he was 1) top of the heap and 2) actively killing him at the time. And the movement. Casual. Graceful. Calm.]

[He leans forward, bends his knees. Suddenly balance becomes much less shaky, and he's--]

[He needs to learn how to turn pretty quick...]

[steel_over_blood]

[ Cute, admiring and polite. It's a good thing Bulat's ego is as large as it is - it's very hard to overfeed. ]

Yeah, there we go! Lean from the top on down!

[ One benefit of the ego is that it spills over onto his surroundings quite easily - he's genuinely proud of Ryu for picking up on techniques this fast. ]

[soldragon]

[So now, he gently leans to the left, and turns with the rest of the crowd, and breathes a gentle sigh of relief.]

gotta stop living one crisis to the next...

[steel_over_blood]

You're tough; you'd have been fine!

[ He executes a quick crossover step and skates the other way past Ryu, arm up for a high five. ]

[soldragon]

[snrk]

Don't make me laugh, I'm gonna tip over--

[Though he does manage to hit the high five. Lookit that.]

[steel_over_blood]

[ Ryu's got good form - even without seeing him ever pick up a blade, Bulat gets the sense that he's used to moving around with his life at stake. ]

If it's my fault, I'll catch you!

[soldragon]

[Okay. This seems like as good a point as any to test--]

Odjn? How're you feeling?

[At last, I shall spread my wings!]

[And his eyes turn red and his legs flicker with faint, illusory flame, and he blows past Bulat.]

Catch me if you can!

[It's a strain, but less of one than he remembers. Maybe he can keep it going for longer...]