Who: Everyone
When: 5:00 PM
Where: The docks
What: The arrival of the Elven Ship

The news of the arrival of the Elven ship had been the talk of the haven for the past couple of weeks. The Head Council had organized a group to prepare for its arrival, expanding upon the docks and decorating it the best they could even with the seemingly non-stop rain showers. At the end of the two weeks were completely re-vamped docks, one that could accommodate the smaller boats that occasionally traversed the lake while now big enough to handle the large ship that was due very soon.

The ship hadn’t arrived in the morning, the current storms outside the valley no doubt delaying it by a few hours. It was well into the afternoon before the guard in the tower by the shore yelled out from his post announcing that the ship had been sighted just entering the valley. It was a large vessel even though it was far on the horizon. The sun was only just beginning its descent in the sky, and the orange glow was reflecting brightly off the clouds. The white sails of the Elven ship billowed in the wind that was carrying it to the docks. It was a beautiful sight, and the people that had gathered by the docks were waving happily to the people on board.

It was a happy occasion for the haven since it was the first attempt at travel after the outbreak of the virus and the war. The excitement in the air was palpable as the crowd grew more and more boisterous the closer the grand ship came to them. Some started cheering and whooping into the air, others began talking animatedly about the sorts of people the ship was bringing with them. It was an event that most of Elysium had come out to participate in, and it would not be forgotten for many years to come.

Who: Loki [Narrative]
When: Sunset
Where: The beach shore at Lake Alata'elen.
What: The muse is restless, but why?

The wind was picking up, swirling around Loki's clothing and form and bringing with it an ominous feeling. Loki wasn't sure what it meant, but it left him with an uneasy stirring in the pit of his stomach. The sun was setting behind him to the left, leaving a flare of dying light on top of the lake's waves. He frowned to himself, knowing the wind wouldn't lie to him. It never had before. Something was wrong, only Loki couldn't for the life of him pinpoint what.

Restlessness had been pulling at the corners of the muse's mind lately as well without a noticeable origin. Loki should've figured he could never settle down in one place for very long. He always tried before, and he always failed in the end. His feet needed to touch on new ground. He needed to do new things he hadn't done before, and he wasn't going to accomplish it here in Elysium. His heart told him so, so it must have been true.

His move to the water bungalows a few days ago hadn't brought anything new with it. Something was calling to him from beyond the edge of the lake, beyond the edge of Elysium, and Loki wanted to answer it. Something was coming, and he knew that much. He could feel it in the wind.

Standing up from dry sand, Loki brushed off his pants as they whipped in the wind. His hair, though up in a ponytail, had lose strands that flew into his face and tickled his cheeks. Loki faced the wind and squinted at it, staring it down.

There was a warning on the wind. Loki felt it. The only question was would he figure out what it was before it actually happened? The muse wasn't sure. He couldn't say, and so Loki walked back to his bungalow, his head heavy with these newly forming thoughts of uncertainty.

Something was coming, and the wind was bringing it.

Who: Everyone!
Where: Just outside of Helicharis at the Festival Grounds
When: 6 PM till ??
What: Autumnal Equinox Festival - It's the first day of Autumn!

ooc: To join in on the festivities, simply comment to the main post. Your entry can be a narrative or open to others. If you are replying to someone else reply to their comment and not to the main post. All activities are open for participation, it is up to your discretion what your character will do.

The past week had been nothing but preparations for the coming equinox that would herald the new season. It was a happy time for the forest creatures as they were the ones that spent hours on end setting up the grounds for the joyous celebration. Wooden lamp posts lit with orange flames bordered the area as well as throughout the entire festival grounds. Each attendee was greeted with a flower garland for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one.

Fairies had decided to attend this festival as well because of the bright colors that had attracted their attention. There were bonfires all throughout the festival as well and they added warmth to the cool night air. The fiery glow that came from each pyre added a comforting feel to the entire atmosphere, and there were many fauns and fae dancing around each one in a happy manner. They were singing songs and laughing joyously as they pulled passers-by into their happy circle.

Musical fauns played their instruments as they marched through the festival. Fae and fairies flew around the traveling group, singing and humming to the music that resonated in the air. A large stage was set up for those who wished to perform in front of a large crowd be it with singing or acting or any other sort of talent they possessed. There were shows held as well, particularly by those who possessed magic and wished to entertain the crowd for an hour or tow.

Food and drink tables were set up nearby to feed the many attendees with whatever they could think to eat. And wine, they couldn't forget about the wine! There were scantily clad fae handing out the intoxicating liquid to everyone with a free hand. The wine this year was extremely potent and anyone with a weak constitution would no doubt get inebriated with just one cup.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

Contests were set up again as they were just a month earlier. Archery contests and wrestling matches, potato sack and three-legged races. There were various game booths set up as well, such as knife throwing and ring tossing. There was even an area set up for pie eating contests and a Dwarven ale contest where participants could try to out-drink a dwarf.

Fireworks exploded periodically throughout the night and the gleeful sounds of the festival echoed all around. Elysium was a joyful place tonight as citizens celebrated the equinox beneath the near-full moon.

Who: Everyone!
When: 6:30 PM
Where: The Beach, by The Tiki Hut
What: Zane and Amada's Wedding Reception!

OOC: Everyone is welcome to join the party! Start a new sub-thread to interact with others, or keep an eye out for open sub-threads for you to join! Or if you don't feel like interacting, type up a narrative for your character.

The sun's rays shining out from below the horizon signaled the start of the wedding reception to celebrate Zane and Amada's happy nuptials. The area around Loki's Tiki Hut was set up with festive tiki torches that illuminated the entire area all the way down to the rim of the lake. Each lamp was entwined in green vines and white flowers, and the sand here was also 'planted' with green grass to add to the tropical theme. The tables were decorated with floating candle and flower centerpieces and around each centerpiece were several glass blown wedding favors in the shape of sail boats. Each table also had small boxes of clamshell shaped chocolate for everyone to enjoy.

Soft music lingered in the air and though the night sky was filled with stars some of the fae-folk had enticed lightning bugs to come out and provide romantic lighting above the tables and dance floor. Dinner for the guests was set up buffet style with a variety of foods provided by the restaurant in town. Drinks — alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike — were provided by Loki and his Tiki Hut served as the bar. The ever enchanting Faye Capricia had agreed to the last minute request of providing live singing entertainment for the reception. The dance floor was nothing but the soft sand beneath their feet and, as much as it may have dismayed the bride, even the lake monsters joined in on the festivities as they sang their song and splashed around in the water.

All in all it was a beautiful reception with a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy, and it was the perfect way to spend the evening in the company of friends or with a special someone.

Who: Eliza and OPEN TO MANY!!
Where: Just NE of the town in a grove of trees
When: Starts early in the morning (around 8 AM) till Sunset
What: Grape crushing to make wine

The festival for the Autumnal Equinox was only a week away and the most important part of the celebration had yet to be completed. Oh there were loads of decorations that had been made by the fauns in the forest. Games and activities had been set up by the centaurs and minotaurs and other volunteers, and there had even been preparations for special performances to be held that night. But there was one thing that was needed above all else...

Wine.

Beautiful, glorious, blissful and intoxicating wine. Fauns could make the most magnificent wine in all of Elysium but one thing hindered them from doing so. Their hoofed feet and furry lower body kept them from crushing the grapes and extracting the juice necessary to begin the fermenting process. But their years on the planet had taught them that others unlike them, others like humans and fae and sprites and other nature-dwelling creatures could crush the grapes and were more than happy to do so.

And so this year the fauns of Elysium had asked the beautiful and enchanting gypsy witch, Eliza, to be their mistress of ceremonies. She was to begin the celebration by being the first to step foot into the huge tub of grapes. She had first chosen to remove all of her clothing for this rite, and had to step into specially treated water in order to cleanse her legs and feet before she could crush the grapes. All were welcome to join her, there was plenty of room in the wooden basin enough to fit at least another dozen or so people. If they were not comfortable with nudity they could wear a sheer, white shirt that covered them down to mid-thigh. Men were also allowed to participate as well, but those with excess hair on their legs were not allowed unless they agreed to shave. Fauns were prepared to shave and cleanse their legs before they entered the basin, if so.

Eliza enjoyed her nudity and the free expression of her sexuality. She had taken off every bit of clothing except her panties and was reveling in the feel of the grapes underneath her feet. Hopefully others would join her in this joyous rite that would last for the remainder of the day.



ooc notes:

• The cleansing rite includes scrubbing toes and feet and washing off legs from the knee down in specially treated water. Clothes must be removed in order to participate, but you do have the option of wearing the sheer, white shirt that the fauns have made for the occasion and keeping small undergarments on.


• You do not have to stay in the thread for the entire time. Just post the time you enter the thread in the subject line. Also, you can assume that there are other NPCs in the basin with Eliza so your character won't be the only one in there with the naked gypsy.

Who: Emily & Echo Planck, Chris & Charlie Jung, Irei Arakaki, Sascha Connolly, and any visitors!
When: Morning
Where: The Plancks' cottage and Irei & Sascha's bungalow
What: An ominous tune lingers in the air despite the sunny and cheerful morning.

The early morning hours started off as peacefully as any other. Birds were greeting the new day with their song, the lake monster was swimming happily in the water, and Helicharis was beginning to bustle with activity. And yet despite the seemingly happy atmosphere something was amiss. It was hard to pinpoint exactly, possibly because the occurrence was so isolated that no one noticed unless they happened by the places on accident.

How often did citizens travel by the waterfront bungalows or the forest cottages anyway? Would they have noticed or even paid attention to the dolls that were outside one particular bungalow? Would anyone think to look inside the darkened window of a nearby cottage to see the dinner party that was already underway? No… no one would look or pay attention. And yet perhaps they should have.

OOC Note - There will be sub-threads for each location and those involved will need to reply to the appropriate sub-thread. Please note that these ARE open for anyone passing by or just visiting the residents in each location. Remember, have fun with it and do whatever you want with it! There is no specific outcome or reaction that needs to be had ^^

Who: Theora and Mitsuko (with Loki and Nico possibly)
When: Early Afternoon
Where: Private room in Medical Pavilion
What: Checking in on the patient

Perhaps it was Elune's bidding that brought Theora to the medical pavilion the night before just as Mitsuko Kamiyama was brought in by a young man that Theora knew quite well. She recognized Loki and smiled at him only until she noticed the frantic look in his eyes and the unconscious fox in his arms. "A kitsune," Theora said immediately recognizing the energy signal from the weakened fox. "Quickly Loki, take her to an empty room."

Theora had spent the night tending to the poor white kitsune, watching over her form and periodically healing her until she awoke. The priestess was careful to not use too much of her power on the praeternatural knowing that a body oftentimes could not handle the energy that the priestess held. Small doses for smaller beings, as was the case here. The graceful Elven woman smiled down at the fox, her hands reaching out to stroke the soft white fur. "Wake up child..." she whispered close to Mitsuko's ear.

It was fortunate indeed that Theora was there when Mitsuko was brought in - not only for the priestess's healing abilities but also because Theora had been looking for Mitsuko as well. The Elven lady had heard of the theft of the Mir'en'Galad from the temple's priests, and they had also spoken the fox's name stating that she was the most likely suspect of the crime. Theora was not easily convinced and reserved her judgment much to the priests's dismay.

She sighed softly while watching Mitsuko's unmoving form. Theora did not believe in Mitsuko's guilt knowing whomever did take the artifact held great magic to break the Elven seal. And though the young kitsune held a reputation for being a rogue and a thief, Theora did not believe that she was to blame. And, if the priestess remembered correctly this young woman was the older sister of the half-kitsune they found on their first scouting mission. Surely the white fox would not have jeopardized her well-being or that of her brother's for the thrill that thievery brought. No, Theora did not sense that from the unconscious girl on the bed. The priestess did however have many things on her mind as of late, and she held the desire to speak of them with the young kitsune.

"It is time to awaken, young one..." Theora spoke once more, her voice holding an ethereal quality. The priestess's hand was pressed gently against the fox's neck and it glowed with the healing magic that would return the rest of Mitsuko's strength.

Who: Mitsuko and Loki (and briefly Nico)
When: Evening
Where: Loki's cottage
What: Loki's back!!!!!!!!!!!

The small white fox darted down the path towards the Helicharis cottages. This had come to be a normal sight in Elysium. But for once, Mitsuko wasn't fleeing from someone she had just robbed. Rather, she was desperately trying to get to Loki's cottage.

She had barely arrived in the marketplace when she heard someone mention that Theora had come back. That, of course, meant Loki was back as well. She had immediately transformed into her fox form-- which was much easier to move in-- and retreated back to the cottages. Her body still ached from her encounter with the vampire, but she had waited to long to see him again.

Once she arrived at the cottage, she transformed back into her human form. She took a moment to fix herself up, make sure her hair was in place. She had worn it up today. To shield the bruised bite mark on her throat, she wore a dark blue turtleneck. Not known for covering up so much, Mitsuko chose one that was cut high, exposing her flat stomach and a short skirt, so not to tip off she was hiding something. The bruises on her arms were hidden, but some of her back just peeked out from below the hem of her sweater.

Once she was satisfied she looked fine, she pulled open the door and ran into the cottage. "Hello?" She called out. "Loki?" She bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. She frowned slightly. "You here?"

Who: Theora, Adam, and Loki
When: Mid-Morning
Where: Temple grounds on Tol'Hith
What: Attack of the manticore!

Theora had spent several days confined in the temple without any food or drink. Though Elves did not need sustenance on the level that humans did her recent meditations had left her weaker than usual. She was nearing the end of her sabbatical and her spiritual energies were almost completely renewed, but that usually meant that her physical state was at its lowest. She needed a break and slowly rose to her feet to exit the temple's innermost room. Slow, steady steps were taken toward the outside where fresh air and a cool breeze would be waiting for her. Theora looked forward to it and a smile spread across her features when her eyes met the rays of the setting sun.

It was not often that Theora was distracted enough or tired enough to not be aware of her surroundings, but she was fatigued and her mind was not quick to sense the danger that approached. A manticore had been waiting patiently just outside of the temple, its bloodthirsty teeth bared and ready when the priestess emerged. It was rare for creatures to venture toward the holy soil, but this manticore had dared to step forth if only for the chance to snack upon the lovely bones of the Elven priestess. It leapt forward, a roar emanating from its throat as it prepared to sink its teeth and claws into Theora's supple flesh.

Had Theora waited a moment longer she would have certainly been devoured by the ferocious beast. But as it were the Elven priestess caught sight of the beast just as it sailed through the air toward her. Theora jumped back several feet and landed in a crouch out of the manticore's reach. She was lucky she had enough energy to do that, but Theora was not sure if she would have the strength to do more. The beast eyed her hungrily, its salivating tongue licked its lips and it almost smirked as it stared the priestess down. It was anticipating the kill and the taste of its next meal. Theora could sense its intentions and she wondered if she would be able to fend off such a dangerous creature.

"I do not wish to harm you," she said to it out loud. "But I will not hesitate to use force in order to defend myself."

The manticore crouched, ready to pounce at the weak Elf. Theora was not anything if not realistic and she knew that she did not currently have the strength or the stamina to save her own life. There was only one option left to the priestess and at the moment that the manticore made another attack, Theora surrounded herself within a protective shield. The manticore bounced off the invisible force but continued to claw at it angrily. Theora did not know how much longer her shield would hold, she only hoped that her saviors would come along to save her before it was too late.

( Adam stumbled upon the scene... )

Who: Loki [Narrative]
When: Late Morning
Where: The Isle of Tol'hith
What: Battling villainous foes for treasure!

“Oh, ya wanna dance, now do ya?” Loki taunted towards the already aggravated fire-shooting creature, tossing his sword from one hand to another as it huffed at him and smoke emitted from its rear end. The muse quickly made a disgusted face, waving his free hand in front of his face. “Whoa, mate,” he said, coughing, “that’s just disgusting, that is.” Of course, the huff came from the creature’s mouth, but the smoke came from the rear and Loki wasn’t sure what to make of that nonsense.

In fact, Loki wasn’t sure what the lil’ thingy was aside from having a highly-prized jeweled shell with various colorful gem-looking things on it and a turtle-like appearance to its body, although its color wasn’t green. The creature had red salamander skin with tufts of orange hair at the top of its reptilian head and at random places along its arms and legs. It wasn’t a fast-moving creature, hardly a predator at all, and moved as slow as a turtle, too. The only problem was it shot fire out of its bum, and Loki wasn’t having any of that get near him. Raising his sword, Loki aimed a fierce look at the reptile.

“Unhand that shell!” Loki demanded, as if the fire-creature was going to just pop into his shell and scurry out of it to leave it for Loki to collect. “I’ll have you know I’m a . . . ” Well, bollocks. How many times had he won that championship? “Twelve time . . . no, wait, wait, that’s ‘ll wrong . . . fourteen times? No, no, held it four times a year, didn’t they? Bloody bleeding ‘ell, was it fifteen or seventeen?” As Loki pondered this out loud with his lowered sword and free hand stroking his chin, the slow-moving creature had reached his feet and snapped at Loki’s pant leg and latched onto it. The muse yelped and shot into the air, kicking at the creature and whacking the dull side of his sword over its shell. “BLIMEY FIRECRACKER, GE’ OFF ME LEG!”

The creature he dubbed a ‘firecracker’ saw it fit not to let go, though, and Loki started hopping around on one leg in a circle. Finally, he flung his leg around and the creature let go — flying through the air as a stream of fire shot out of its bum and singed Loki’s pants. He made a high-pitched ‘eep!’ and fell over backwards from the force of the swing and the weight that unbalanced him.

— And landed right next to one of those god-awful firecrackers. It stared at him for a moment and made a chirruping noise, turning slightly and firing out its rear. Loki squealed like a little girl and scrambled upright, but not before a slight touch of fire signed his eyebrow. Jumping to his feet, Loki smacked his face over his eye and then lifted his sword. “Oh, ya nasty lil’ bugger,” Loki warned lowly. “You’re gonna ge’ it!”

The muse swung his sword and beheaded the firecracker. Loki blinked and held his sword with both hands as he stared down at it. “Well, that was just luck,” he said incredulously. After all, with such a small head, it was lucky he severed it at all. Suddenly, he stood upright and cleaned his sword before tucking it away in its sheath. Loki was still for a moment. Then, he threw his arms up into the air and began to jump up and down on his feet. “I kill’d a firecracker! I kill’d a firecracker!” he cheered.

Scooping up the shell with the remains of the reptile’s body still within it, Loki hurried back towards the temple to Theora and Adam to show them his prize from the fatal showdown with the ‘firecrackers’ of Tol’hith.

Who: Theora, Adam, (and Loki!)
Where: The Isle of Tol'hith
When: Mid-Morning
What: All you need is wuuuv. :D

The trio had been on the island for several days now most of which consisted of actually traveling to the temple itself. The temple was away from the docks, beyond thick trees and on a high hill that overlooked the rest of the misty island. The trek through the dense forest was dangerous as Theora had informed both Loki and Adam, but the three praeternaturals combined were more than enough for the creatures that sought to attack them. An entire day passed before they reached the safety of the path that led up to the temple. Here, the deadly beasts were few and far between; but those that dared to venture up the fairly steep path were strong and would no doubt want to attack the priestess and her party.

But they were lucky on this day. Today there were no creatures that came to attack them, there were only peaceful animals that lingered near the priestess that sat upon an old stone bench. They did not fear her; what was there to fear from one so kind and compassionate? Theora could communicate with them in the way that Elves communicated with nature and all that lived within it. A small bunny rabbit hopped up to Theora and cuddled near her feet. It looked up at her with bright eyes as its nose twitched back and forth. Theora smiled at the rabbit and bent over to lift it gently in her hands. She snuggled with it, rubbing her nose against its lovingly. "I wuv you," she said in a soft voice. "I wuv you very very much little rabbit."

Adam kept his eyes on the priestess at all times to make sure she was not in danger. At this particular moment, they had traveled safely towards the temple to an area that was peaceful and full of smaller creatures compared to the beasts beyond. Walking along a worn stone path Adam had seen Theora take, he strolled until he came upon a clearing somewhat overgrown due to a lack of care. Beauty still sprung from the colorful petals of flowers in the bushes surrounding the open area. Adam eyes caught sight of a stone bench. Theora sat upon it, and Adam wandered over to join her.

He approached the side of the bench once Theora had picked up a small rabbit, speaking softly to it. Adam noticed the word she used as he took a seat beside her on the bench. "Wuv?" he asked, a curiously alight expression on his face. "Loki taught me that word a few months ago," he said with a smile, his eyes focusing on the cute little animal in her hands. Adam had a sudden urge to pet it.

( Theora glanced at Adam from the corner of her eyes and smiled. )

Who: Theora, Adam, and Loki [Narrative written from Theora's POV]
When: Dawn
Where: The ship sailing to Tol'hith
What: The start of a grand adventure

"Are we ready then?" Theora asked Loki just as he untied the rope that was holding their ship to the dock. He gave her a cheerful salute before he began to bustle around the deck. Theora moved to settle upon one of the wooden benches that lined the railing and watched as the sails caught the breeze. The material became taut with the force, and the smell of the lake surrounded the three shipmates as began to pull out into the deep waters of Lake Alata'elen.

The sun was just peering over the horizon, casting its bright yellow and orange rays across the land. Everyone in Elysium would be waking very soon, but Theora, Adam, and Loki would be long gone by that time. A soft sigh crossed her lips as the wind danced around her form. "Do you need any help, Loki?" She asked with a smile. But the Muse simply shook his head and hurried about his business. Theora smiled and shook her head. He was just a bundle of energy, wasn't he?

Adam lingered nearby the priestess. He was leaning against the railing as they sailed, his dark eyes gazing upon the water. Theora knew not what went through his mind, though a part of her wanted to ask. But she remained silent and focused on the duties she would need to complete when they reached the isle. They would be there within a few hours, and then their real adventure would begin.

WHO: Loki and Mitsuko
WHERE: Mitsuko and Logan's Cottage
WHEN: Night
WHAT: Preparing for leaving isn't that easy.

Being that Sunday was the day before Loki's big adventure out to the isle of Tol'hith with Theora and Adam, it meant that Loki needed to pack all of his needed supplies today. He awoke early in the morning and dropped by Mitsuko's house bright and shiny, only to find Mits in the midst of a hangover and not feeling to well. Loki's morning was spent tending to his girlfriend, making sure she was all right and waiting for the hangover to pass before he asked her if she would like to help him for that day with his preparations for going to Tol'hith. It would be a long journey, and Loki wanted to spend his last day home with Mits. He still needed to pack, though.

Loki brought Mits back to his place once she agreed, and the first thing they began to do was pack up clothes for him. Loki decided his work clothes and worn-out attire made for a better selection of packing up, especially after Theora told him there were dangers on the isle. Chances were he wouldn't be lounging at every step unless he stayed on his boat. For his boatly hours, Loki snagged a variety of Hawaiian shirts and loose beach shorts, earning a thwack from Mits for one of his multicolored flower shirts. She immediately threw it into the trashbin, instructing him never to wear it again. During their packing and the eventual trip out to the beach to make sure everything on the boat was prepared for the journey, Mits talked all about Logan.

Logan had a crush! Loki found himself tickled by this news, asking Mits if he should interfere and help the boy out with his lady. There were other things, though, that she brought up (which weren't so happy). Logan wanted his friends to live with him and Mits, and he'd been drawing eerie portraits of himself, torn over the news that he wasn't allowed to be their guardian. Loki understood why the young man was told no, but at the same time it caused an ache to hear how Logan felt about the matter. Very strongly, in fact. Hearing Mits going on about her little brother arose thoughts in Loki's own head about his family.

( His parents over in the Bahamas, whom he'd left behind to come here to Elysium. His other friends, people he'd met long before Nico and Zach, and yet he wasn't living with them. They were half a world away. )

WHO: Loki, Mitsuko, and Logan
WHERE: Mitsuko and Logan's Cottage
WHEN: Morning, after Loki finds her note at the tiki bar.
WHAT: Loki is in for a beating.

Mitsuko's note was in Loki's pocket as he weaved his way through the cottages to find her particular abode. Nothing alerted the muse to anything being wrong. Her scribbled note hadn't indicated she was upset or anythin' like that, so all Loki knew was that she wanted to talk about something. What was the funeral she mentioned in her note, though? Loki scratched his head in confusion. He hadn't heard about a funeral going on, and he definitely didn't hear about anyone dyin'! Loki frowned and figured he would've heard about something like that happening. Nobody died without a warning and a notice, y'know!

As Loki knocked on Mitsuko's door, he had no idea there was another young man inside now with ears like Mits's ears, which would no doubt give him a start if he saw the guy. Right now, he was thinking of having that talk with Mits, though. After all, he had some exciting news to relay! Theora was going away, and Loki offered to be her boatman to the isle! Another adventure on the horizon! Loki grinned happily as he knocked on her door. Despite just thinking about the funeral mentioned in her note, Loki forgot about it. Anyway, it couldn't have been anyone she knew from everything he learned of Mits. She didn't have any family in Elysium that Loki knew of, that was for sure.

Who: Adam and Theora, with a brief appearance by Loki
Where: Combat Gym
When: Mid-Morning
What: Combat practice, a little chat, and interesting news from Theora.

Positioning his staff at a downward angle, his fingers held in a firm grasp around the middle, his eyes focused on his invisible opponent and calculating the movements the other would make in the next flurry of events. His staff came down quickly, striking forward and hooking his opponent in the stomach, before it pulled back and whirled around in his hand, the staff coming down and colliding with the invisible opponent’s staff — brought up just in time to block his weapon. He bounced back, whirling the staff once more, taking it down towards his opponent’s legs and catching it on the wood of other’s staff. Another miss. His next blow came in from the side as a surprise, the end jabbing his opponent in a weak spot, giving him an opportunity. The staff whirled around and spun upward, slamming down on the back of his opponent’s neck and bringing him down to the ground.

Inhaling a breeze of cool air deeply, Adam closed his eyes and let the feeling wash over him. Somewhere nearby, a young man was sword fighting with another, the clangs of their swords ringing out in the combat gym. One of them hollered in excitement at his apparent triumph with each creative strike of his sword. In his ears, though, he heard it — an unsettling hum on the air.

Adam opened his eyes, taking in the sight of the gym floors and the racks of weapons. It was not the air. The disturbance was in his own mind. Constance’s words from yesterday ate away at his consciousness. Are we unsafe? Adam wondered. Not once had the council dealt with a lawbreaker. Not yet. Did that mean it would happen soon, that it was only a matter of time before someone took rules into their own hands and shaped the law to suit their personal desires? Were they in danger, or was Adam’s mind just overreacting to what Constance had said?

I need to clear my mind, Adam thought as his steps led him towards the towel and bottle of water sitting on the bench put there earlier by him. Laying his staff against the wall, he picked up the towel and rested it over his shoulders, dabbing the sweat off of his face with one of the corners. Adam popped open the drink piece on his bottle and squirted water over his head. He drank some of the cool liquid and put his water bottle back down onto the bench, his towel catching the droplets of the water that fell from the curls of his dark hair.

Who: Loki and Emily
Where: Emily's Cottage
When: Right after this incident.
What: Tablecloth viewings!

Before he bumbled along back to the lake and forgot, Loki made a stop over at Emily's cottage while he happened to be in the area. After all, they had tablecloths to look over! He remembered well that they had made designing plans together for The Tiki Hut, and she had offered to make tablecloths resembling his ideas. Loki was excited to see them, of course, and a surprise visit never hurt anyone! Unless an eye got poked out, but the muse couldn't see how that would happen with this visit.

Who knew, though. It happened to his Auntie Myrtle once, so anything was possible as Loki saw it! At the moment, he stood at Emily's front door and raised his first to knock. Only his knock came out as a musical tune instead of a normal knock, which had to have alerted Emily to some sort of monkey business going on outside of her cottage. That monkey business just happened to be a very excited Loki.

"'Ello, Em?" Loki called. Yes, he had a nickname for everybody. Emily was now going to be known as Em unless she vehemently objected to the idea. Loki personally thought it was a nice nickname, or he wouldn't be using it, and waited expectantly at her door. "It's me!" he said loudly with a grin. "Loki Britton-Baldere, at your service!"

Who: Adair, Loki and Nico
Where: On the way to his forest cottage
When: Early afternoon
What: On the way home, Adair thinks about the peeps he's met and hopes for some company (or breaks into song-which ever title you like best)

Now was the time where Adair missed having something like and Ipod as he walked along the road, at times kicking at a stone or two and calling it his exercise of the day as he fumbled through his pocket to place a cigarette to his dried lips. As he lit his cigarette he let out a relieved breath. Thirty whole minutes without one. Bless.

The beach was a good place to go perhaps talk someone up. Talking with Amanda kind of had him feeling like he really wanted to get to know more people. Get to walking, get to being a "people" person once again. Oh yeah..and the lazy thing had to go. Maybe try and jog a bit. Even though the cigarette thing could totally kill him thanks to the smokers cough that came after it. But at least he could manage a steady walk.

Adrienne wow, that was amazing, only not. The fairy's of doom really sucked, but man just the whole thing was making him laugh. He was right, the whole thing now made him laugh his ass off.

Adair now had a pretty good friend count. How could he forget the ever so confident Mitsuko and the barely dressed Faye? He just got to know Emily who was nothing but sweet. All girls strangely...

This was all revolving through Adair's head as he now burst out into a Muse song singing it out loud and rather obnoxiously while doing air drums. No worries, he thought. It was just a song about the end of the world. It didn't occur to him that perhaps singing a song out loud about the apocalypse might be a tad inappropriate.

WHO: Loki and Mitsuko!
WHERE: The Freshwater Lake
WHEN: 'Round Noon
WHAT: A lunch date out on the water, oh yeah.

Loki hoisted the white sail on his brand new boat, grinning wistfully as a strong wind blew and the sail trapped it within an arc of the heavy sheet. The view was spectacular, so he leaned back to admire the open waters of Lake Alata’elen. Gorgeous blue! As far as the eye could see. Loki set the sail and hopped down from the platform he stood on, crossing the deck in swift strides to make it back to the dock. Today was his date with Mitsuko, and he’d be damned if it wasn’t fantastic!

He had to check all of his pointers to make sure he didn’t forget anything. The sail was up and ready. Check! The food was on board and cooked to a steaming point. Check! It may have been lunch, but Loki decided going all out would be the best way to impress a lady. All right, all right, Loki thought, what’s next? Untie the boat? Right, right! “I have ta’ get on top o’ that,” Loki muttered in a determined voice to himself, jumping off of the boat onto the dock and quickly untying the rope without getting dirt on his white dirt. Because that was not attractive. Unless the activity called for it, of course.

After getting the rope all untangled from himself and nearly tripping over it, Loki tossed it aboard and hurried back onto the boat to double-check everything. Mitsuko would be here any moment and greeting her at the dock with a polite ‘how do ya do’ was the way to go about things. She wasn’t a lady that needed help by any means, but he figured he’d help her onto the boat as well like he saw in all those romantic movies that girls watched. Loki scratched his neck. Was Mitsuko the type of girl to like that?

Loki heard footsteps on the other end of the dock and turned around to look, only the billowing sail blocked his view. “Bloody ‘ell, can’t see,” Loki muttered. Hopping over a pole and running across the deck, Loki jumped off the edge to land on the wooden planks of the dock and grinned widely at his approaching date. He held out his arm, hand upright and offered, and gave a little bow. “How do ya do, madam?” Loki asked, a beaming smile on his face as his eyes glittered with mischief.

Who: Everyone! [Open for All]
When: Evening, beginning around 6 PM
Where: Festival grounds NE of Helicharis
What: The Autumnal Festival!

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The happy sounds of the autumnal festival were ringing throughout all of Elysium even before the sun sank beneath the horizon. The hard work the fauns had put into the celebration was evident by the elaborate decoration and set-up of the grounds. Wooden lamp posts lit with colored flames littered the festival while garlands of flowers wrapped themselves around each post, adding to the earthy beauty of the entire scene. Each attendee was greeted with their choice of a garland of flowers for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one (or more, for some).

Upon entering the grounds enchanted colored leaves fall from the sky and then back up again very slowly from the flora littered ground to create a more autumn-like atmosphere. The curious insects known as fairies were also in attendance due to all of the lights, the bright and happy colors attracting their attention while their prismatic bodies blinked in and out of sight like lightning bugs and little dust fell from their minuscule wings. The bonfires too added warmth to the cool night air and brought comfort to everyone who had come out to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the continuation of life.

What festival would be complete without fun and games, though?

The fauns, along with the centaurs, had set up an archery range at the eastern end of the grounds, along with areas for knife throwing and a ring for wrestling with a minotaur. "Care to try your luck?" read the signs posted in that area for all who ventured that way. The northern end of the grounds, near the saltwater lake, was also bustling with activity with the ale drinking and Lembas bread eating contests. The rowdiness of the crowds, however, did not take away from the good-natured atmosphere of the food and drink area nearby where many people were seated upon soft grasses of the earth.

The contests did not interrupt the music and the dancing either, both of which were only a few feet away. The musical fauns, with their pipes and flutes and drums, played with fervor and enticed the attendees to dance and sing joyously. Their music permeated throughout the entire festival and many, especially children, were invited to play along with flutes and drums that were handed out as they arrived. Music was a central theme to many of the faun’s festive activities throughout the year, the autumn festival being no exception, as was the dancing and the feasting upon delicious foods and decadent drinks laid out across the grounds.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

As fairies danced their way through the crowds to spread the joy of the festival, fireworks explode into the night sky. The magical light show added to the overall joyous atmosphere of the first festival in the safe haven of Elysium.

Who: Mitsuko and Loki
When: Afternoon, after the archery lessons (Thursday, August 16, 2007)
Where: Lake Alata'elen
What: Relaxing after the hurricane of excitement that is Echo and hanging with the lake monsters

Mitsuko adjusted her sunglasses as she looked up at the sky. She leaned back and relaxed, basking in the sun. There was a groan from her side and she looked over, smiling when she saw one of the large lake monsters stretching out much like she did, except its body was far more rotund and unyielding. "Yeah, it's nice isn't it?" Mitsuko laughed softly. The small lake monster bowed its head towards Mitsuko and she reached out, giving it a small pat on the head.

She was dressed in a skimpy black bikini and her long hair was fluttering in the breeze. It was nice to relax after her time with Echo. She greatly enjoyed the younger girl's energy, but it was nice to just kick back and relax. She had a bit of a crick in her neck from the archery lesson, but spending some time out in the sun was making her forget all about that. It had been fun meeting the centaurs. Mitsuko was certain Echo had far more fun, gaining the attention of a young centaur buck. Mitsuko hadn't found anyone of interest. Probably just as well. If Echo were to get involved with a centaur, the relationship would be far more innocent than anything Mitsuko ever had. While Mitsuko had been involved with many species, she wasn't certain she was up for a centaur. That seemed like it would chafe horribly.

The day was gorgeous. Just perfect for sunbathing, as the lake monsters a few feet away from her could attest to. Mitsuko took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the air. It would have been the perfect day to steal another boat and go sailing. But for now, she'd settle for lying on the beach.