Private Throw a log on the fire

[The High Court of Illyria]

Tags: Mahaut | Victoria Malvern | Alessandra Creed | Faye Malvern | Xobos Yakieer | Fleur Valencia | Freyu Molidias | Mishel Kryze | Danielle Mueller | Donne Toulemonde | Seren Maeve ​

Journée Des Aînés
Elder's Day
The Winter's Fire Festival

Depending on the province or which part of the world you are in, there are many names for this special Illyrian holiday and even different ways that it is practiced. However, there is one unifying factor that is shared among all of the Illyrian people. Fire. Elder's day is celebrated for a single day, a day of rest and relaxation in the chilling winter months. It is a time for friends and families to gather by the fire and sit in reflection for the past year or even the past decade and appreciate the good times. Sometimes those who celebrate together will exchange a single gift. Usually something hand made to show it was from the heart, otherwise those of age will pour a good drink and entertain friends and family with some of their favorite tales, fantasy and fiction alike.

In a simple rural Province such as Garde Noire, the people often build large bonfires in the town square and drink to the success of the fiscal year or drown the sorrows of not meeting their mining quotas. The Miners of Dark Guard often enjoy more than their fair share of drink and before the night meets it's end, most fall asleep around the smoldering bonfire.

Other areas such as Regne De Sang prefer a more private celebration. Inside their homes, huddled by the fireplaces, the eldest of the family will often spend the night telling tales of fiction. Ghost stories meant to frighten the young and intrigue the aged, while the entire family enjoys warm treats of chocolate and berries. Blood Reign is popularly known for the quietness among the streets on the night of Elder's Day.

Another Province known for their unique celebration methods? Bon Havre. Good Haven is a small logging province which enjoys the festivities of the holidays. They, being a rather boisterous lot, generally find a sole tree to be set aflame and spend the night dancing and singing around the tree. If their tree would be naught but ash before the end of the night then they would find another to make it through the cold and darkness.

For those Provinces that lie in the mountains such as Point de Titan the people have a more relaxed approach. A mountaineering trip into the depths of the mountain. Several large groups will traverse the mountains, carrying torches through out the night on a moonlight hike. It can last minutes for some and hours for most, yet by the middle of the night the entire mountain is alight with the flares of the people's torches.

For the first time in years the Capital City of Azurine City will be enjoying the festivities as well. Specifically, Draggone Palace, home to the King and Queen of Illyria, Alessandra Creed and Adron Malvern has thrown open its doors to many nobles and knights of repute, as well as esteemed guests and visitors. This day, the King has invited his faithful's to join him in a massive parlor. One wall is alight with a crimson flame, dancing from an elegant hearth. There are no tables, no benches, merely a number of brick shaded sofas that are placed a comfortable distance from the hearth. The servants working the room carry a number of treats for those who enter, particularly sweets and chocolates as well as a number of fine wines and plates of meat and cheese.

The warmth of Illyria flows and Elder's Day has truly begun.

{OOC: In an attempt to form a number of unique Illyrian Holidays I've crafted Elders Day, which is like the planet's version of Thanksgiving mixed with New Years. Please enjoy, take a seat, mingle, and prepare to let the stories of the past flow!|
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[Adron Malvern]

CELEBRATION​

Tags: Mahaut | Alessandra Creed | Seren Maeve | Xobos Yakieer | Freyu Molidias | Danielle Mueller | Mishel Kryze | Fleur Valencia | Donne Toulemonde | Faye Malvern | Fauvel Astier | Victoria Malvern ​

There was nothing that Adron found more weird than being around so many people and not wearing a suit. However, this holiday was not the holiday for suits. So he had left the silk suit of white and crimson in the closet for the evening. In it's place he wore a collared shirt and a pair of silk trousers. It was not quite as comfortable as the holiday dictated, however for the evening there was still a minor bit of formality to be kept. The shirt was a fine shade of red so as to stay in line with the holiday spirit.

When the King stepped into the parlor, he smiled at the fire that was being attended to by a number of the Palace staff. Fresh logs were being swallowed into the dancing flames, causing a small popping sound to echo through the hall. The warmth was welcome, flowing over the man and bringing a sense of relaxation over him. Although he usually preferred cooler temperatures he did find the fire to be rather cozy. A word he didn't often use when relating to anything in his everyday life. He was sure his Queen, Alessandra Creed would find the heat appropriate. The Queen generally preferred the opposite climates that he did, but perhaps this night they will fall into sync?

One of the staff approached the King, holding a tray filled with mugs of cocoa and vanilla. "Boisson, your majesty? The cocoa is fresh." The man offered. Adron paused in a moment of consideration before taking the mug and nodding at the man. "Merci." He responded, before sipping the warm beverage. The flood of sweet filled his palate and he chuckled. He never was one for many sweets. Still, he could not help but enjoy another sip. A single hand sank into his pocket as he noticed some of the guests were already arriving. Most were Nobles of different Rank and status, Honored Knights, friends, and people of import to the world. At the door, the Guards saw to everyone's coats and accessories before they were greeted as the King was, with treats and sweets to fill their taste.

The King made his way over to the hearth, watching as more and more guests entered into the chambers. Once a good number of the guests arrived, the King raised his mug to the air in a welcoming motion. "Welcome to Dragonne Palace. Make yourselves at home and enjoy all that we may offer you. Find respite from the cold near the hearth and let us all have a wonderful evening."

"Bonne fête des aînés!" He cheered, taking another sip from his mug to enjoy the smooth chocolatey flavor.
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[Mahaut]

~ Location: Draggone Place parlor, Azurine City ~
~ Wearing: xxx + brown trousers ~ Company: Gabin ~
~ Tag: Adron Malvern ~

It had been an eventful day already, so much so that Mahaut had almost not heeded the King's invitation to yet another Elder's Day celebration.

Almost.

But she dare not, not after Sir Duncan's recommendation of taking Sergeant Amer's armed escort to L'lenfer had most certainly saved her and Gabin's lives. So she conceded once again, just sooner this time, to her Knight's suggestion. She still trusted his - or Gabin's, for that matter - advice more than her own. Even still, yes. She doubted she would never need them, but recognized as well that a noble had to fledge sooner than later, even if she would never truly leave her adopted nest. Thus, she had given herself until the new year to lean on those the King had thought right to secure into her court. Load-bearing pillars meant to hold up a roof that was too afraid of suspension, them all: Amer, Duncan, Gabin... and Elaena.

She and her Cultivator had much to learn from each other, surprisingly. Theirs was perhaps the most mutually beneficial of relationships in Heartwood, Bon Havre's seat. Mahaut's first act as the land's paramount keeper after hearing of her charge's annual celebration traditions was to select a thick oak and have it thoroughly girdled.

"It was a trick children learned growing up in Gwenaël," she told the raven-haired lumberess. "Season firewood, if you can, and it will last longer on the hearth." Granted, a simple, few months of sun and wind exposure did not prepare a tree as well as it might have been. Oh well. There was always next year - though, to prepare for that, a new tree would have to be selected by the new year.

Very well. She made note.

Rather, she asked Gabin to.

As they strode up to Draggone Palace, and the page slid his fountain pen and notepad into his jerkin, Mahaut hugged her elbows into her sides. They were greeted by royal guards who did in fact see to her cloak and his jacket. She wandered into the parlor, rubbing her hands together. Neither of them had gotten used to the cold of Illyrian winter, but Gabin was naturally more equipped to hide it. They had spent their recent lives without much of the free world's luxuries, such as warm clothing, properly insulated houses, or having more than one fireplace - or a single, oversized one instead.

Though, perhaps it only seemed ever colder to her tonight because she wore her old Elder's Day best. Gabin did too. The symbolism was poignant, as was the stories she carried on her tongue to share tonight should she be afforded the chance. She hoped she was. It felt right, though the corset broke her heart. She was surprised that so many things had remained in situ at Gwenaël so long after the Relocation. She was even more surprised that the ensemble fit, she had put so much healthy weight onto her figure. But a great part of herself had not wanted to return to civilization after the visit...

Something brought her back over the mountains into Azurine - a soft voice, calling "Sieur?"

"Ay, merci," she muttered to the passing waiter before plucking a madeleine cookie from the platter.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Dragonne Palace, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Dress: Silver evening dress
Tags: | Cali Ziiva | Mahaut | Adron Malvern |

The trip to Korriban had weighed heavily on her mind. It was one of the first times that Xobos could vividly remember facing an force user of the opposite convention. Despite all the time she had spent fighting by Adron’s side, she had faced plenty more sith in the galaxy than jedi. The experience hadn’t necessarily shaken her to the core, but it was a stressful experience where, like her trip to see Sabatora, she was truly fighting for her life.

It only made sense to then take time for herself to not only de-stress, but bring her mind back to the serenity it was in before the trip. Thankfully, she had a very special alien waiting back on Illyria for her to come back to. And the moment she landed back in Garde Noire, she found herself being engulfed in a pair of deceptively strong pink arms.

While she might’ve wished to spend the rest of the night with the Zeltron in the confines of their own manor, there was a party to attend to first. That being the yearly festival that her master always held at his palace. Perhaps later Cali and her would find time to themselves, but for now, they could at least enjoy a night together filled with coco and sweets, snuggled by a fire.

And that is where the pair were headed now after Xobos took the time to raid Cali’s closet. For someone who always spoke as if she wouldn’t mind if the wearing of clothes in public was outlawed or who had been caught multiple times in Xobos’ room..y’know, she certainly had an incredible amount of clothing. And always had something that fit every occasion, for both herself and for Xobos.

Locke and Key money must pay very…very well. Not that she every truly questioned where Cali got her funds from. Better to be blissfully ignorant in that fact, at least that’s how she thought.

The pair got changed about..as quickly as they ever did before taking off for the palace. Hin seemed to be in a jovial mood, even going back and forth with Cali about the better types of exhaust pipes. Honestly, xobos couldn’t tell much of what was going on between the pair, happily sitting back and listening. Their arrival came after not too much longer, with Hin saying he’d be nearby whenever they wished to leave. Probably in the palace kitchen, if Xobos had to guess.

When they arrived to the parties location, she couldn’t help but let the soft smile peak at the side of her lips. The party was small, quiet, and seemed to be as low key as Xobos had wished after the stressful experience of Korriban. As her gaze fell upon the King and Queen, she made sure to bow her head in respect to the pair, before raising her head to gaze upon where the refreshments were being served.

“Shall we get some coco?”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

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Clothes serve two purposes, Xobliss. They protect you from the environment, and they're pretty. Other than that, they just get in the way.

That said, much as I like the attention, I think people get the wrong idea about us Zeltrons already. So don't worry about me running around naked.

Why did Cali own so many clothes? Because they were pretty. Which is why she had an outfit for every day of the year. And the next year. And probably the year after that. Xobos' collection wasn't nearly as expansive yet, but then they'd just begun collecting pretty things for the Miraluka to wear. Leave it to the Zeltron to make sure her cutey was presentable at formal functions. Yes, presentable. With all the squirming her Sith Knight did Cali had yet to seriously try dressing Xobos in something...outrageous. Sith didn't spend enough time on the small, personal things -- like fashion. Good thing Xobos had a Pink Thing to help with that.

Of course Cali was all smiles on tonight's occasion. There were chocolatey treats to be had. Might need to examine one of them closely to make sure the King hadn't gotten his grubby hands on any of her personal stash, but otherwise it was off to a rocking start and they'd only just arrived. Both of her arms had been wrapped about one of Xobos' as they entered. Just because Zeltrons weren't culturally possessive didn't mean they couldn't be affectionate.

Though she did free one hand to give the King and Queen a small wave.

What? Well, of course she knew bowing was the proper thing to do, but when were Zeltrons proper? She used the right forms of address. Didn't say anything mean about them -- not that her kind were known to even think anything mean. Hadn't even joked about slapping a Sith Lord if he tried touching Cali's personal chocolate horde... recently. Not publicly, anyway. A sparkling smile and a little wave wouldn't kill a few royals. And if it did then dark siders had some serious issues to contend with.

"Definitely!" Like, if Cali turned down cocoa then you knew something was super wrong.

Speaking of something being wrong... Well, Cali hoped Xobos would open up about whatever had happened. Also wished Cali could have been there to help Xobos deal with whatever it had been. Maybe she needed to finish a few special projects so Xobos wasn't so preoccupied with the Zeltron's safety to invite her along. Well, probably not best to bring it up now. Maybe when they were cuddling by the fire the Miralukan would open up.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer | Mahaut | Adron Malvern​

 

[Adron Malvern]

ELDER'S DAY​

Tags: Xobos Yakieer | Mahaut | Cali Ziiva | Victoria Malvern | Faye Malvern | Alessandra Creed ​

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"Everyone, please gather around." The voice of the King came from beside the massive hearth. In this moment he was quite thankful for the Force as it kept the heat from overwhelming him and driving him from the center of the display.

"First let me start off by saying Bonjour and thank you for joining us this evening. For many of you I know this is your first Elder's Day and I would like to explain how the evening will proceed. Elder's day is a time of respite where we can look back at the past year and the years before that and pluck out the wonderful, funny, and amazing moments that made the time special. A time worth sharing. So that is exactly what we shall do, share."

"As we are in my own home and I am the Elder here, it will be on me to share the first story. I've decided on a story that is quite dear to me. Something I will never forget. I hope you all enjoy." The King waved his hand towards the fire and suddenly the crimson flames sprang from the hearth. They danced around the King, surrounding him as he spoke.

"We had just returned from a Campaign in the East. A long and rather boorish string of skirmishes with some pirate factions attempting to crop up in our backyard. We did what we always did when faced with adversity."

"We marched."

The flames roared over the heads of those present, transfiguring themselves into the form of hundreds of marching battle droids.

"It was a long and admittedly difficult time. It was not long and difficult because the days were long or the battles were difficult. It was long and difficult because my son was on the verge of walking." He smiled softly as the flames rolled and condensed into a ball of flames. The ball rolled back to take the form of an infant child, crying out in laughter. "His nurses swore he would walk before the end of the month that I left." He said softly.

"I was gone for the better part of three months. When the pirates were destroyed and their fleets routed I spent another week dispatching my forces back to their home territories. The battle was one, the task was done, it was time for me to return home."

"Of course by then Aries could walk and he could do it well. It was a bitter thought. My child had progressed in a way I will never get to lay eyes on. Very bitter." He said softly, with a small smile as the flames above slowly ventured a bit closer to the crowd.

"However. When I returned." The flames exploded out, harming none, yet creating a bright glow as they took two forms. That of a man and a small child. The small child ran to the arms of the man and when they were joined, the fires were washed away, returning to the hearth where they had come from.

"That was the first time my son ran to meet me." He said with a warm smile. He stepped to the side of the hearth, making his way to his seat before gesturing to the space. "Who else would care to share?" He tempted, taking his cup of cocoa from where he'd left it.
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