It's that time of year again — when the temperature starts to dip down, making way for thick cable-knit sweaters and coffee drinks flavored like bright orange gourds to pop up around every corner, and the long days of summer fade out in favor of early twilights and cool autumnal breezes. That's right, it's nearly fall in Cadelle, and you may have noticed the city's busy bees looking a little busier than usual around the city center.
The Energy Festival takes place in time with the changing of the seasons — a time when energy is high in the air, ripe for the harvesting; it's a time-honored tradition in the city of Cadelle where citizens gather together and work towards doing good deeds for our fine city and for cities near and far. In keeping with the city's emphasis on charity and compassion, citizens both new and old will find a variety of opportunities to give back, all while enjoying the very best that the season has to offer.
▸ Give thanks for good fortune, health, or friendship at the nightly lantern release. Decorate your own lantern at an arts & crafts booth sponsored by Colortopia, the local art supply store, or purchase a hand-crafted lantern from local merchants — all proceeds are donated to the city's volunteer organizations! At night, meet your fellow citizens on the beach to release your lanterns up into the milky night sky. At last, you might just see the light!
▸ Enjoy a sweet treat, like creamy white mooncakes filled with the season's harvest or a tart glass of freshly pressed apple cider. If sugar and spice isn't your bag, dive into something savory — the city's food venues have come out in full force to showcase their new fall menus, which feature such city favorites as creamy pumpkin soups, hearty meat pies, and other stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods.
▸ Make like a tree in autumn and shed your leaves at the clothing donation drive! Come drop off your gently-used garments in exchange for tokens, redeemable throughout the festival for souvenirs, treats, and more! You can even browse the sorted racks of your fellow citizens' donations and find some new digs of your very own! You never know what you might find — good or bad. (Please, no intimate apparel.)
▸ Share your talents at a variety of volunteer-hosted giving circles. From knitting and quilting blankets for the children's wing at the hospital to sorting donated canned goods for the food pantry and soup kitchen to simply offering a helping hand in carrying heavy boxes wherever they might need to go, your time and energy are always appreciated! There are plenty of volunteer citizens around to point you in the right direction... or, at least, what they think is the right direction. Fingers crossed!
Of course, good deeds aren't for everyone, and the city administration has certainly noticed a particular proclivity in its newest citizens for the newly discovered —
er, alternative means of energy generation. (Ahem. You know what we're talking about. Don't make us say it.)
Not wanting to pass up such a perfectly-timed opportunity to maximize on this discovery, the administration has tasked sweet, innocent Flora & Cornelius (the poor dears) with determining an appropriate venue for encouraging this unique form of energy generation.
While they're not exactly sure where the idea came from, they're delighted to announce the city's very first Togetherness Tent! Hosted in the city's smaller Eastern Gardens, there's plenty to see and do for those that may prefer something a little less charitable...
▸ Feel free to explore the OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS — there are plenty of places to relax and get comfortable, with both single chairs and larger booths all around. With a cool breeze in the daytime and a roaring firepit in the chillier night hours, and a carefully selected catalogue of instrumental music to enjoy, your hosts hope you'll be plenty comfortable while you chat and get to know each other!
▸ Just beyond the outdoor area, you'll find an assortment of beautifully decorated BEDOUIN TENTS. Some are completely open to the public, with various couches and pillows and comfortable blankets in the main spaces, and others offer more private, curtained-off areas for the shyer (please read some air quotes around "shyer") sets.
▸ If you're not much for sitting pretty, or need a little liquid courage before you start exploring, there's always the OPEN BAR, where talented (and attractive) bartenders will mix up anything under the sun with a smile. Feel free to linger, or take your drink to go. Request a little extra something in your drink (and be extra nice to the bartenders), and they just might be able to add a drop of a golden substance to your beverage that makes you even more keen to meet new people — and maybe even a little braver, too.
▸ Just like a mouse with a cookie, your hosts know that any good drink needs something savory (or sweet!) to go with it. Just beyond the bar, you'll find an expansive display of SNACK TABLES, each filled to the brim with city specialties sure to encourage a feeling of goodwill and togetherness in anyone who eats them!
▸ The center table, decorated with a simple cream cloth, features your standard party fare. Finger foods are the name of the game here, with everything from your grandmother's favorite spinach dip and vegetable crudites to upscale bites like fried ravioli filled with only the richest cheeses. Sprinkled around the table, you'll also find more classics like tea sandwiches, petit fours, and other party planner staples. Everything here is perfectly safe to eat, and shouldn't offer any side effects other than a potential stomach ache if you decide to overindulge.
▸ The table to the far left, however, is a little cooler. Decorated with a rich navy blue cloth, the table is full of small bites and chilled drinks all catering to a very specific, very cool theme. Whether you try Flora's favorite chocolate spearmint cupcake (please don't tell her the icing looks like toothpaste) or a frosty glass of blueberry apple cider, each bite is sure to leave you tingling from new sensations. Treats and sweets from this table will, depending on what's chosen, offer tantalizing side-effects ranging from a literal chill in the air to phantom touches that encourage the eater to seek out the source, or even the sensation of time slowing down around you — eat too much at once, and these side-effects might just overwhelm you! Be sure to read the menu carefully before you choose your bite.
▸ On the far right, draped in a deep red cloth, lies the last table. Like its blue-hued sister, this table is themed around heat, with a variety of items sure to tempt even the shyest into exploring their inner spice champion. Cornelius' favorite cinnamon sweet potato cupcake takes center stage here, but you'll also find other sweet and savory snacks, as well as both hot and cold beverages like the classic hot toddy or crimson-hued sangria to wet your whistle. Items sampled from this table will provide encouragements ranging from a pleasant flush to sudden desires creeping up from your subconscious, or perhaps the immediate urgency of a well-known battery bunny. Forget to pace yourself on these small plates, and you may wind up moving too fast for even a speedster to keep up. Be sure not to speed-read over the menu before loading your plate. (We're looking at you, Mr. Allen.)
As may be expected, Flora and Cornelius aren't exactly the most experienced at planning a tasteful, sensual affair in Cuddle City, so they've enlisted the help of caterers from a nearby city that specialize in aphrodisiac cuisine. However... they may have failed to overlook that those available at short notice aren't always the most qualified for the job. There's a reason, after all, that they're available when others aren't.
The caterers certainly meant well, and they did their best to provide the high quantities requested within the ridiculously short time frame allocated, but consistency isn't exactly their best attribute. Some batches may have come out a little more concentrated than others, while others may lack any oomph whatsoever. Eat a bite-sized chocolate spearmint mini cupcake and maybe your touch will have a pleasant, icy tingle to the recipient, or maybe you'll smooch them and it'll be like a scene out of A Christmas Story. Pop a spicy Red Hots bite-sized cupcake into your mouth and warm your companion right up, or maybe you'll just singe a handprint into their clothes.
It's like Russian roulette. With cupcakes. Normal, right?
It's like Forrest Gump would say. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. In this case, life's like a giant batch of cupcakes, and you never know which one's gonna make you want to tear your clothes off.
Howdy, cuddlers, and welcome to your first Energy Festival! This is the first of a quarterly event series, themed around the four seasons and timed to align with the solar calendar. While the city certainly emphasizes the charitable options available in the town square, and we are thrilled to see what sort of hijinks will ensue, we know there will be plenty of excitement (and plenty of questions) on the Togetherness Tent and the opportunities it provides.
As a reminder, consent is extremely important both ICly with the city administration and OOCly with our player guidelines. Characters will have full opportunity to know the effects of anything they consume, as labels will be available as well as descriptive menus above each table. There are also NPC'd catering staff as well as party hosts available, should a character have further questions about a specific item's effects or ingredients. However, as players, it is always up to you how thoroughly you wish to have your character read the fine print before diving right in. Should you wish to have your character ignore the menu and all printed warnings, eat an entire plate of cinnamon candies and wind up feeling an irresistable urge to disrobe, you're certainly welcome to do so! We simply ask that you keep in mind our policies on consent-based actions, and should your character's urges involve another character, that you obtain the appropriate IC and OOC permissions before moving forward, and please remember to utilize any content warnings in your subject lines if applicable.
If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.
We hope you have tons of fun out there this month, cuddlers, and we'll see ya around! |
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cuddlecity2017-09-15 03:00 pm
i.
His mother, his grandmother, sitting while he peered at them, wondering why they needed blankets when it was so warm. Now, he's been standing and staring for too long, the woman looking at him like he's going to stay. Who knows? Maybe he is. It's been a very strange night, why not make it stranger? Eyes drawn to the way she spins them, he finds himself jealous and wanting to try, but he subdues that, paying attention to her words. ]
What sort of choice do you need to make? Isn't it just yarn?
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well, that, or this guy is completely zoned out, lost in a place and time far, far away from the here and now. he looks like he's from a place and time far, far away, what with his outfit, the hat perched on top of his head looking like it simply demands to be there.
a slow smile makes its way across her face, and sara replies very matter-of-factly: ) To us, yeah, it's just yarn. But to the kids who are getting the blankets and quilts we're making, it's something that might brighten up an otherwise terrible day. ( and she gestures to the bin of rolled up bundles of yarn, looking up at him expectantly. ) Here, help me get started. You pick a color, and I'll pick one that I think goes with it.
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If it's that important, then I guess I have to take this seriously too.
[ Reaching into the box, he finds a burgundy bolt of yarn, tossing it in the air as he flips it a few times and hands the bundle out to her. ]
Lady's choice, now.
no subject
the bundle of yarn is easily caught by sara with her free hand, shuffled into the other hand that's still holding the knitting needles. it isn't long before she extracts a marigold yellow, deep and beautiful, to complement the burgundy.
her head tips towards him and sara says, looking expectantly at him, ) Alright, Cowboy. Number three's all you — and you better be careful, 'cause this could make or break the whole thing.
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I don't even know what this is for, you know.
[Whatever is it, he doubts she'd want it to be ugly. Letting out a sound of triumph, he digs out a deep brown colour, something close to black, studying it and the others.]
What do you think? Will it do, or have I disappointed you, hermosa?
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It'll do, ( she confirms, beginnings of an amused smirk curling up at the corners of her mouth. ) And it's Sara, not hermosa. ( which she knows is spanish, and knows is something positive, despite not knowing its exact meaning; his inflection makes that much clear. between english, arabic, a little bit of russian, and countless travels around the world back in her league days, it's almost surprising that she hasn't picked up spanish along the way, too.
for now, she grabs a deep navy, something to offset all the warmth of their selected yarn colors and give it a little pop of something extra. ) Come sit with me — I'll show you how to knit. Those nice ladies over there just taught me.
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[He'll never go wrong using pretty little endearments when he doesn't know someone's actual name, so he's grateful that she doesn't cringe at it, pleased at the way he can make his access roll over the 'R' in her name. He raises a brow at being offered a lesson in how to knit, though he's plenty pleased.]
Is that what those sharp things are for?
[He extends his fingers out to try and get a pair for himself.]
I saw how you spin them. Can I?
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Probably not their intended use but go ahead, be my guest, ( sara says with a breath of laughter, handing her pair over to him.
but — perhaps more importantly: ) You gonna tell me your name, Cowboy?
no subject
Vasquez. [Because why not?]
Only very special people get to know my first name. Maybe we'll save that for when you teach me to knit a full sweater, hmm? Come on, show me how these work.
[They look very good for stabbing, but as he spins them one direction, then the other (instinct wanting to tuck them into a holster), he pauses them and wonders when he became an old lady, but if it earns him the company of a beautiful woman, then why not?]
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Alright, Vasquez. ( said with a little Look, because the notion that she is not special enough to know his first name is — hmm. she'll get it out of him one day, even if she does have to teach him how to knit a full sweater. never doubt the determination of one sara lance. )
Let's do this thing.
( and then she teaches him how to knit because i sure as hell don't know how. fingerguns. )
no subject
Is this something you've done for a while? This knitting? It's very sharp things, they could hurt a man.
[He'll keep that in mind for later, but right now, he's going to learn and make.]
So, what should I be making?
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( which is said as she starts the first row of her own blanket, weaving with her hands and the needles as she she demonstrates for him. naturally, the deep burgundy comes first. )
And to answer your question, no, those ladies over there just taught me about an hour ago. ( still casual as ever, sara continues: ) These knitting needles could probably hurt a man if used correctly. You'd have to know the right spot to stab to make it worthwhile, though.
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[Maybe a blanket for a very small thing, like a baby or a dog? He thinks maybe he should be starting with child-dog blankets, so he doesn't fuck it up too badly. He squints at what she's doing, thinking to himself that somehow, this is more complicated than a lot of what he'd learned as a kid.
That had involved guns and rope and farm business. Yet, this seems like a task harder than all of that.]
I'm not very well-versed in stabbing. Shooting, though, that's where I start having strengths.
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( sara smiles, turns her head towards him, amused by his efforts thus far; his sheer concentration is admirable. )
You think they have a shooting range hiding somewhere in this city? I'd love to see what you've got.
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Vaquero. Cowboys are loud, flashy Americans. I'm a loud, flashy Mexican. Different, after all.
[He perks up, though, when she mentions what she does. He hasn't thought about this, but now that she says it, all thoughts of where he wants to work suddenly focus in on this one idea. It would be a place to fire his guns without having to worry about losing bullets or being yelled at for hurting people.]
Mija, you're a genius. Has anyone told you this?
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( and also, she's #humble.
vasquez the vaquero's sheer delight is absolutely infectious, makes sara's smile widen so much she feels an obligation to point it down towards her blanket-in-progress to save face. can't go letting the not-a-cowboy feel too confident in his abilities to charm her with little pet names and wide grins. )
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[ Because once he finds one, he can offer his skills and also have a safe place to shoot. If one doesn't exist, then he can have his own purpose and actually go somewhere to shoot and teach, not to mention earn money. It really is clever, more clever than he ever is. ]
What about you? Do you shoot?