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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...

[ Wow is undercutting it, Mafuyu thinks. Not that she voices her feelings aloud. Instead, her silent expression of how her normally almost expressionless eyes widen ever so slightly as her gaze sweeps along the lines of tanks. ]

Mm. They put a lot of effort to this.

[ It's calming.

She probably could spend hours staring at all of these. ]

[Kanade happens to look over at Mafuyu at just the right time, catching that ever so slight shift in her expression. It's so small, almost unnoticeable to anyone who doesn't know Mafuyu's (complete lack of) expressions well, but it still makes it feel like Kanade's heart jumped into her throat. It's something, and that's good.]

Come on. Let's get closer.

[It's not like Kanade to seem almost eager to explore like this, but she can't help it. If just walking into the aquarium can do that, then taking time to explore... that might be just the spark they need.

As she leads them towards one of the massive tanks, Kanade has to crane her neck back a bit to see the top. It should feel similar to that looming feeling of the skyscrapers in the city, reaching so far above that they really make you feel small. But maybe it has something to do with the cool blue of the water, or the glittering fractals of light that bounce around the surface, but it feels comforting more than anything. It's certainly also helped by the large school of fish that flit by just a few feet from them, scales flashing in the light.]

... I can really see why you like things like this, Mafuyu.

Mm.

[ She nods, following Kanade's lead. It's so different, seeing all of these -- things that they wouldn't see back home.

But not in a bad way, of course.

It's in a place like this, surrounded by the glass filled with spirits and fish. Mafuyu can't exactly put it into proper words at why.

Is it the quietness of the world around them in this one place?

Or is it because only thing that she can really hear is Kanade's own voice as clear as crystal?

She isn't... entirely sure. Maybe she'll look back at this in the future and consider the possibilities. But for now, all she does know is that this is something that calms her down. ]

You can see things clearly.

[ Like her own reflection. ]

Yeah. It doesn't feel like there's anything between us and all of that.

[Is it the magic of this place, or just how aquariums usually are? But even knowing that the glass in front of them must be inches thick, everything is still so clear and vibrant that she feels like she could just... reach out and touch one of the craggy mounds of coral-encrusted rock scattered about the sandy floor of the tank.]

Something this big, this wide... it would be easy for it to feel empty. But there's so much life inside of it...

[It's... strangely reassuring? Even putting aside the fish drifting about, she can see the eels burrowed under the sand or hidden away in some of the rocky nooks, little crabs and small shellfish scuttling about... there's even more to it, as long as you look close enough.

Hm.

It's easy to get lost in thoughts like that, as she watches a koi spirit with electric blue fins swim past, and as her eyes follow it, she notices something.

One of the hallways branching out past the main room isn't just a hallway - it's an extension of the tank itself. Instead of normal walls, the glass arches over the walkway, forming a tube beneath the water, giving visitors the impression that they're walking within the tank itself.

... She's not sure if she wants to pull Mafuyu away from the sight before her just yet, as her friend is so entranced by the sight before them now, but she still makes a note of it. For when they do decide to move on.]

... It's easy to get lost in it.

[ Her reply is low as her gaze is transfixed at the glass and what's beyond it -- nearly lost in her own surroundings with awe.

She might be here for a while. ]

[She turns from the scene before her to the girl beside her, and for a moment, Kanade can understand the feeling of getting lost in something. She can almost feel the sense of awe surrounding Mafuyu - it's the strongest thing she's felt from Mafuyu since that dark day in the SEKAI when they'd all tried so hard to pull her back from the edge. But here, surrounded by a feeling of safety and serenity, seeing a true spark of something good in Mafuyu... she can feel herself being drawn in.]

... It is.

[She doesn't want it to end. She'll stay here as long as Mafuyu wants to, if it means Mafuyu can keep feeling like this.

There were some benches, she noted, when she'd glanced towards the underwater tube. It's a good a place as any to relax if they're going to be here a while, and... maybe being completely surrounded by the water like that might be even better.]

There's a good place to sit with a better view. We can relax there, if you want.

...

[ Kanade brings her out of it all as she finds herself canting her head in that direction. ]

... We can sit there.

[ That's basically a 'yes'. ]

[Kanade almost feels a pang of guilt as Mafuyu comes back to herself. But... it'll be okay, because she's sure what Mafuyu's feeling now will increase tenfold when they settle in at their (probably) last destination.

Unsurprisingly, there are a bit more people here, kids and adults alike staring in glee and awe at the way everything passes above and around them. But there are enough benches spread out evenly throughout that it's easy to find an empty one, and Kanade leads Mafuyu to it. She sits - careful to tuck her hair to the side so she's not sitting on it like she usually does - and leans back, until her back is pressed against the glass behind them.]

... This is as good a spot as any. We can stay here as long as you want.

[And then she'll just... watch. The people. The aquatic animals and spirits above and around them. Mafuyu. The lights on the water's surface dancing across everything, interrupted every so often by the shadows of creatures above them. She takes it all in, just letting herself feel, letting it sink deep into her bones.

Idly, like she's not even aware she's doing it, she runs her thumb gently over the back of Mafuyu's hand, and begins to hum. It's a nameless tune, nothing she's really picked at while working, just... something to fill the comfortable silence between them.]

[ As long as she wants...?

She'll be here until the place closes - or at the very least, until her stomach starts to rumble.

Of course, she tries her best to make sure she's as small and invisible as possible to everyone else besides Kanade. Eventually when she finds herself seated next to the other girl.

It's calming, and she finds herself instinctively leaning against Kanade just ever so slightly. When she hears the soft humming, Mafuyu can't help but comment aloud: ]

... That song is new.

[The tune comes to a stuttering halt as she feels that pressure against her side. It's so light, just a slight brush of their arms, but for Kanade, who hasn't had any sort of close contact with others since she'd clung desperately to her father as she waited for the paramedics what feels like a lifetime ago... it might as well have been an electric shock.

She wants to chase that feeling, to feel more of that comforting weight. But... would it be appropriate? The last thing she wants to do is weird Mafuyu out and ruin the mood of their outing, so she shuffles in her seat a little, hoping to hide the way she seemed to jump at such a tiny little thing, and stamps back hard on that urge.]

I- [Even her voice sounds a little off - like something's constricting around her throat. She swallows past that lump, clears her throat, and tries to speak again.] I'm just trying to think... maybe our next song can be something light. Slowly moving, flowing like the water and the fish...

...

[ Mafuyu blinks inquisitively at how there's an offness to Kanade's voice. While she may not be able to understand herself very well, she pick up on the subtlest of things at times. ]

Do you think that your music can save people here, too?

[ Outside of the miracle that was well, Wonderment, she means. ]

[Kanade hesitates at that question. It's... interesting to think about; so much of this world seems peaceful. The spirits help with so many aspects of life that things just feel easier. Calmer. Less prone to strife and turmoil.

But Kanade's not stupid. Even a world completely at peace will have people who feel alone. Lost. Being able to obtain whatever you want to live a comfortable, happy life can only fix so many problems. There are probably a lot of people out there whose hearts are fading, who are drifting down, deeper into the pit of despair.]

... I hope so. I can't give up on that, even in a place like this.

[Her free hand clenches, blunt nails digging into her palm.]

I can't do anything like a lot of the others. I can't fight, I'm not a spirit or a kami... so I'm going to have to work even harder, to be able to help people on the same level that they can.

Mm.

[ She nods. Of course, Mafuyu can probably easily pick up a weapon and use it to fight others but she knows that Kanade herself is much more fragile, especially given how she lives. ]

I'll--

[ There's hesitance.

Words echo in her head like a pounding headache. Mafuyu shakes her head before speaking up again: ]

...I'll help as much as I can.

... Thank you. [She swallows hard, like there's another lump in her throat, but this time it feels... heavier. More painful.] I couldn't do it without everyone. Ena. Mizuki. You.

[As she speaks, her voice hitches again at you. It's not that awkward, flustered tone from just a moment before - now, it's... something different. God, she wants to keep writing music, she wants to keep chasing her goal in this world with the others by her side, but...

"I told her. That I'll be quitting music, so she doesn't have to worry anymore." "I have to, don't I?"

... She's scared. It's like running forward, knowing that at any moment the ground can give out under you and you fall into a pit. How long do they have in this world? How long do they all have together, before that shadowy specter hanging over Mafuyu tries to tear them apart? How would she be able to recover from have all of those warm feelings that gather when they're all together just flicker and fade?

Almost painfully slowly, like someone reaching out to a skittish animal, Kanade leans her head to the side, until it's resting on Mafuyu's shoulder.]

I... I'm glad to have you by my side for all of this, Mafuyu.

...

[ For the longest time, Mafuyu sinks into silence. It's like the water that surrounds them, calm and unmoving.

Of course she remembers the tight feelings she had just a while ago. How recent they were, and how she doesn't know what to do about them. She knows when they go back home, things will probably be different.

She doesn't want to leave the group, but...

But-

No, maybe let's not think about that right now. ]

...Mm.

[ She doesn't really know how to respond to Kanade's words. So she just basically nods. At the very least, being here, with her -- it's warm. And relaxing. ]

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【MINGLE】 August Mingle

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