starsand | 【MINGLE】 August Mingle

【MINGLE】 August Mingle

August Mingle

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welcome to august

July may turn to August, but the summer heat remains. Wind and Water spirits do their part to cool civilians with cool breezes and refreshing rain showers, while standing fans remain more popular than AC units as a means of beating the heat. All sorts of shops and food stands are popping up around the city, which offer refreshing cold drinks and ice creams for the low low cost of 'thank you.' It's the final stretch before the hot summer begins cooling into autumn.

It's also a time of appreciation for Fallen Stars. The Wonderment Talent Show was a great success and the amusement park is here to stay! The civilians are stunned by yet another miracle brought about by these amazing visitors from another world. They shower the Fallen Stars in small gifts and appreciation all month. The general atmosphere of the city is hopeful and excited, with a teasing question being passed around: "What kind of miracles will the Fallen Stars bring about next?

ARRIVAL

Arrivals happen a little differently than usual this month. Normally, a 'Fallen Star' would simply blink and end up in the city of Starsand. Their sudden appearance does not surprise the natives, who instead flock with concern and empathy for the other worlder's situation. Natives usually offer free food, clothing, and other resources to the new arrivals. They will even direct them to free housing options and help them learn the lore of the city.

But this month is a bit different. When people arrive in Starsand, they are flocked by the natives. The native population is extra excited to see them and extra excited to help them. New arrivals this month may find themselves receiving extravagant gifts, buffets worth of food, and high-end housing. The reason? Natives eagerly tell them that Fallen Stars are bringers of miracles. They can do amazing things that change fate, so everyone in town is eager to support them however they can..!

CLEAN THE TRAIN

Speaking of the Fallen Stars and their miracles.

Recently, some of the Fallen Stars discovered that there used to be a train on the lowest level of the city. Hidden deep in the forest and trapped on old, rusted train tracks sleeps the once proud Starrider Express. It is a black steam engine with purple streaks and it's also... rusted, covered in plantlife, and neglected. This train could once leave the city and take people to distant locations, but it has not been able to move in years. It requires a combination of faith magic and tlc in order to get it moving again.

That's where the Fallen Stars come in! The train's tiny kami has requested help in cleaning her train and spreading the word about it! For the first half of August, Fallen Stars are being asked to come down to the first level and help with this project. Weeding, painting, greasing, oiling, decorating... So much is needed in order to get the train ready to move again! But once her train can move, the little kami has promised to help the Fallen Stars with their future travels!

Check here for a Starnet Discussion re: What to do!

THE JOB FAIR

August also marks the last month of summer vacation for students living in Starsand City. Saint's Crossing Academy is a K-12 school located on the top level of the city and they are opening enrollment for Fallen Stars. In order to get the word out, the city has decided to hold a job faire at the top level's marketplace. Fallen Stars will be able to learn about the school, employment opportunities, and even take business classes in order to open their own business in the city.

Visiting the stalls has a few perks too. For one, people can try on every company's uniform using spirit magic. how exciting wow. Visiting stalls will also produce extra Starling this month, which can be exchanged for treats or luxury items. Including things like pool toys, fancy swimsuits, and loads of sunscreen. But why would that be important..?

NOTE: This prompt is being used to check interest in opening a proper school/SoL portion to the sandbox!

WONDERMENT WATERPARK

To celebrate Wonderment Amusement Park being a permanent establishment, the park's spirits are trying something new... a waterpark! Half of the park is now being used for water-based attractions. Some are simply water-driven rides, but there are whole pools and many waterslides. There is even a lazy river that drifts around the park. At night, the pools are able to stay open thanks to the fish shaped spirits that swim through the water and glow like stars.

While basic swimsuits are freely provided, fancier ones can be obtained using Starling. There are plenty of floaties and other water toys to rent or purchase, all of which can be customized using Starling.

COOL DOWN w/ CURSED ICE CREAM

Partially because of how grateful they are and partially because it's hot as heck, civilians are offering a lot of free ice cream this month. Everything from popsicles to ice cream cones to parfaits; If it's cold and refreshing, then someone is probably offering it for free! After all that the Fallen Stars did in the last month, this is the least that they can do.

All treats are made quickly and efficiently thanks to spirit magic. This doesn't just apply to ice cream, but to all foods and products sold in Starsand City. Usually this just means that things are made easier to obtain and scarcity isn't such an issue... But it also gives room for mischievous spirit to be, well. Themselves. Thinking that it's a way to show their appreciation, some of the spirits are adding a bit of extra magic to the free snacks. They think that a little prank will make the Fallen Stars happy!

If yelled at or called out, then the spirits will always back off and reverse the effects... but otherwise, the effects last until they 'melt' in the heat. The best way to get them to go away quickly is to make yourself hot again.

The pranks include...

For Popsicles: Check your popsicle stick and pray that it says "good fortune!" Eating a popsicle will cause the fortune at the end of the stick to come true. That might mean incredible luck or a terrible curse. Bad luck won't endanger anyone's life, but it may manifest in the form of comical spirit pranks.
For Ice Cream: There are many flavors of ice cream and many effects to go with it! Fallen Stars who eat flavored ice cream may sometimes experience a physical change: This might be a new hair colour, animal ears, or height changes. This is not an age changing prompt!
For Parfaits: Parfaits require that you sit at a table and they're easy to share... Which is great, because the cursed parfait will force you to sit at your table until you share it with someone. The spirits will write the rules of their silly game on a cookie that sits under the first bite of whipped cream: Share Me or Stay With Me. Once the whole parfait is eaten by at least two people, the curse will be broken and you can leave your chair again. Until then: You and the chair are glued in front of the table!
For Freezie Pops: Ice pops will give some Fallen Stars really persistent brain freeze. This prompt isn't fun and the spirits show a lot of concern when it happens! The best way to cure the brain freeze is with warm hearted friendliness: Holding hands, chatting, and getting to know someone will cause it to fade faster. Otherwise, it can last up to a whole miserable half-hour!
For Iced Lemonade: A mood changing treat. It's supposed to make the Fallen Stars who drink it feel sweet, cheerful and confident! But sometimes it turns out too sour and they end up grumpy instead. While it won't inflict depression, it can cause a 'sour mood.' Bah Humbug.

... As always, spirits are not trying to get anyone killed or injured! If anyone seems to be in serious physical or mental danger, then a stronger spirit will always step it to reverse the prank.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[In theory, Kanade agrees with the idea that they should probably do something fun after the emotional roller coaster that was last month. She's learned a lot, in such recent times with all of her friends, that breaks like this are needed as times to simply breath as much as they are chances for inspiration.

... And yet...]

The power of the spirits certainly is something to behold...

[... Maybe this was actually a bad idea. Kanade's at the very least dressed appropriately, in a simple dark blue one-piece swimsuit and a light cotton button-down shirt thrown over it to protect her arms and shoulders. But her face already seems to be going a light shade of pink under the sun, and she sounds a bit more lethargic than usual. Looks like the heat's already getting to her.]

I can't remember the last time I've been to a place like this... I'm not sure where to start.

It really is.

[ Mafuyu speaks a little dryly and while she's unfazed to an extent, that doesn't mean that it hasn't caught her just a little off guard.

But the look on Kanade's face...

The gears in her mind start to turn, but it isn't as if she's made a decision for her own sake. She looks at the map. ]

I've never been to a water park.

[ An amusement park? Yes. But a water park is something that's completely different. And after that incident...

...

She can feel herself getting a migraine. ]

The wave pool seems to be the closest.

[ And it'll at least get Kanade to cool off a little, she thinks. ]

Mm, we can start off with that. That way we can get used to the water, too.

[Even though the wave pools tend to be the most crowded areas of a park like this, it's still early enough that it might not be too bad. Most people tend to hit that attraction later when they're taking a break from the more exciting stuff, right???]

... We went once when I was little. My parents and I. I was too small for most of the rides, so all of this will be pretty new to me too.

Mm.

[ She doesn't have much to say to Kanade's own words, instead just leading the way to the wave pool. Might as well go now before it starts to get crowded. And if it does get crowded...

Well.

There are always more attractions. ]

[Thankfully, it's not too bad. Neither the crowds nor the water temperature are unbearable just yet, so when they arrive at the wave pool, Kanade doesn't hesitate much before stepping into the water. It's during one of the calm moments, when the machines that power the waves shut down and give time for the patrons to idle in calmer water, and Kanade just sort of... stares, like she's lost in thought a bit.]

... Hey, Mafuyu. Do you... [She hesitates for a moment, because it's hard to ask her if she likes something when she knows what the answer will be. How to word this...] Does water like this draw your attention like your fish tank does?

[ She stares at the water as if trying to see something in it before shaking her head. ]

Not really. But... I don't think it's bad, that it's different.

[Hm. She files that away inside her head; would it be good, then, to have more outings like this? Or a trip to the beach?]

It's nice, when there aren't too many people around. [Kanade steps forward a bit more, deeper into the water until it's just above her knees.] When you're swimming, that weightless feeling....

[She remembered loving it, when she was little. But she hasn't been swimming since then, since everything came crumbling down... would it still feel that good, now?]

Have you ever tried it?

I swim enough during classes. It doesn't really change anything.

[ But then again she's doing it for coursework and not for the fun of it, so there's a significant difference there. Mafuyu takes a few more steps in and while there's some similarities to the school pool there, it's also different enough, with how the water moves and shifts. ]

[Ah. Right. Sometimes it's easy to forget about those aspects of school life when they're completely nonexistent for Kanade.]

I bet it's nice, then. Not having to swim laps and all that.

[Another step back, and then another. It's relaxing, feeling the way the water drifts past, that Kanade doesn't notice just how much her hair is starting to weigh down as more and more of it gets wet. And with the water's sway as she keeps moving, she doesn't notice that the ends of her hair catch under her heel, until with one more step-]

Waugh-!

[ -... her head jerks back as she trips, takes another stumbling step back, before falling and crashing into the water.]

...I don't really mind it.

[ Swimming laps doesn't exactly bother her, but then again there are many things that just don't bother her anymore.

But then Kanade trips and she's just left staring for a couple of moments before quietly crouching down, putting her arm out for her to grab. ]

Here.

[Maybe if she just

stays underwater

she won't have to deal with the incredible wave of embarrassment that washes over her. She's usually better about not getting tangled up in her own hair around the others - aside from some rather embarrassing accidental keysmashes she's sent through nightcord thanks to whacking her face against the keyboard after getting tangled trying to stand from her chair, it's... not really this bad. She's not usually seen when it happens.

So Kanade's just. Gonna hold off on resurfacing until she needs to breathe. When she finally does, she notices Mafuyu's hand, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she takes it.

But of course, the tumble into the water meant that more of her hair is now soaked, and more of it is dragging down beneath her. When she tries to pull herself up, her foot catches again.... and when she falls this time, she's pulling Mafuyu with her.]

[ When she's dragged along for the ride, Mafuyu finds herself gasping - mostly out of instinct than any actual emotion to the point where she's just ending up underwater, gurgling slightly in the filtered water before she tries to resurface, struggling a little bit not because of any lack of skill but rather, because she's trying to catch herself and not accidentally swallow any of the water from the amusement park. ]

[Ah, yes. Even more of a reason to hope that the floor of the pool will open up and swallow her whole. It's bad enough that she's embarrassing herself, but (literally!) dragging Mafuyu into it too? Ugh, she's such a mess...

But she's not gonna just sit here and let herself wallow this time, nope. Kanade scrambles up, gently taking Mafuyu's arm so she can pull her back to her feet as well.]

Sorry! I, uh- [She coughs and clears her throat. Seems Kanade wasn't as lucy at avoiding swallowing any water, whoops.] I... didn't mean to do that. I promise.

... It's-

[ She coughs a little bit herself, squeezing water out of her ponytail. ]

It's fine. Maybe we should. Go check out the other rides.

[ She'll at least take Kanade's hand, wearing a rather flat expression. ]

[Ah.

This is the first time in a while that Kanade's held onto Mafuyu's hand without any kind of desperation behind it. There's no sense of holding onto a fraying line between them, or a desperate attempt at grounding either of them. It's just... nice. Her fingers curl around that hand, squeezing it gently.]

... Yeah, good idea. I hear the slides are usually good rides at places like this.

[ It's... warm.

There's a large sense of warmth that emanates from Kanade's hand, and she finds some comfort in it. ]

Where's the nearest slide?

Mmmm... there.

[With her free hand, Kanade points; a twisting mass of brightly colored tubes, a little ways away past the wave pool and a few wading and kiddie pools nearby. It's hard to tell what kind of slide it is, but hey. That should be a fun surprise, right?

As she walks, she still doesn't let go of Mafuyu's hand. It's... comforting. It makes that sort of tense, ever-present buzzing in her chest, that sharp-toothed fog nipping at the corners of her heart, just... go silent.

She doesn't want to let go.]

... Do you think I should try tying my hair up this time?

[ Mafuyu doesn't either--she doesn't want to let go of this warmth, of Kanade's hand in hers. ]

Do you have something to tie it up with?

[ Mafuyu doesn't have any extra hairties with her. ]

Edited 2022-08-10 23:12 (UTC)

... I did not.

[.... Look, all of Kanade's skills at planning and organization go fully into music. Every other aspect of her life? Absolute garbage.]

Maybe one of the souvenir booths has something??

Maybe. We can check.

[ If they don't, she supposes they can just deal with it.

...or maybe. She debates on it. ]

[Unfortunately, the shops and booths are back towards the entrance of the park, so it'll take a bit of walking. Normally, Kanade wouldn't want to make the effort, but... she really doesn't want a repeat of what just happened. So small sacrifices must be made, she supposes.

As they walk back, even with the bright summer sun beating down on them, Kanade... doesn't feel all that bad. She still feels a bit out of place, and she knows she's going to be burned and aching when she wakes up tomorrow after all this exorcise... but she feels no regret about it.]

You know... I'm glad. That we can do something like this, I mean.

[ All of this doesn't bother Mafuyu. Even in this scathing hot weather, she's not alone and to her -

She supposes that's what matters for now.

Kanade saying that she's happy is definitely...

She doesn't know how to feel. ]

...Mm. It's not bad.

Do you think... [She hesitates. Is this too forward?] Can we... keep doing things like this, when we find a way home?

[They haven't really... talked, capital-T Talked, since that day when everything crumbled around them. Kanade's still not sure where everything stands; will their group disband when they find a way home? Will they figure out how to make things work so they can keep going the way they are? So many unknowns, so many things to worry about in the future...

She's ruined so many good things she's touched. Her curse is like a blight, hurting not just her but others. But even so... she doesn't want to let go of this.]

... I don't know.

[ Her answer is small and just thinking about it is painful. She remembers -- how her mother's been looking at her relationships with those at school. What will happen if she finds out about the others in Nightcord? What is she going to do...? ]

Can we--

[...]

I don't want to think about it.

[... Ah. A look of guilt flits across Kanade's face, just briefly.]

... Sorry.

[A comforting squeeze of the hand in hers. Kanade slows her pace, just a little, so she can walk closer to Mafuyu's side.]

At least there are still a lot more memories we can make here. We can just... focus on that.

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