[open] the sweet season

Who:

💐 Ilde generosite
✨ And you! You received an inviation. Yes, you.

What: Celebration on the greens of L'amuna.
Where: Barge - Enclosure
When: June 27th
Warnings: Ilde Opt-out

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the sweet season, that bud and bloom forth brings
with green hath clad the hill, and eke the vale;
the nightingale with feathers new she sings.

Ilde has been planning this event for many months now. Contributions were solicited at the beginning of April and the work has persisted ever since. Even on the day of the holiday, Ilde is still hand-stitching together ribbons made from the floral scraps of her own dresses. Many of the supplies have been gathered in her cabin on the bottom floor and now the elevator is busy with helping hands as they transport the goods up to the Enclosure.

At first, they are kept in the hallway but then Ilde is there to tell the Enclosure where they will be visiting: The greens of the new L'amuna. She does not open the door immediately and stands there with her hands clasped together like an overwhelmed child before a present. She finally flings open the door to burst of sunlight.

She has only ever known of her own world through a little wine-colored book of poetry. The mad king taught her to read with those poems and she still has his battered copy of the book tucked away in her cabin. It is even more beautiful than she had imagined. Tall grasses, fields of flowers, rustling trees, pink and purple mountains in the far distance, and much nearer the twinkle of a lake.

Of course she cries a little but there is still so much work to be done! She wipes her tears and chooses the shade of a big tree to set the tables and food under. Around the primary tables are clusters of blankets and pillows. At a greater perimeter still, four cardinal firepits are dug out and then filled with flowers, fragrant herbs, and many little colored candles. Between each fire is a swirling design of stones, flowers, and fruit. Their picnic grounds make a big circle around the tree and everywhere there are ribbons, wreath, colorful candles, and strings of flowers, herbs, beads, bells, and berries. Sun-ray shaped decorations cut from paper twirl wildly in the breeze.

In addition to a large amount of mostly vegetarian foods and desserts there are:
💐 The usual assortment of non-alcoholic drinks + Sweet homemade flower wines.
💐 Materials to make flower crowns.
💐 Sets of sunflower glasses with the eyeholes hollowed out.
💐 Paper for writing and burning: Anything that does not nourish your joy, release it here.
💐 A cluster of simple instruments to do with as you will.

With people assembled, Ilde takes one short moment to address the nature of this holiday,

I last gathered people here with me in grief and in remembrance of the dead. Their breath nurtures a new seed and our joy and laughter will nourish its roots.

Please celebrate.

FAQ
My character would have helped prepare!
Yes they did!

My character is too shy to come!
Let me know if it would help for Ilde to come get them in person.

My character just wants to spoil the mood.
They are welcome too.

My character eats something specific.
If they responded to the invitation, then Ilde made sure it was there and may yet try to make it happen regardless.

winter is worn that was the flower's bale.
and thus I see among these pleasant things
which care decays, and yet my sorrow springs.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The veil pinned into her hair holds the weight of pressed flowers. Green ferns drape and curl down her white dress. There are swirls of gold face paint down the right side of her face. She looks jubilant and certainly at her most expressive.

It's assured that no one knew she could dance. But she has a good reason today and spins happily in the flowers.

Her cat also bounds playfully out into the tall grass to chase bugs.

Malcolm arrives in a bright, floral print suit, grinning widely when he sees her.

"Oh my God, you look amazing!" He exclaims. "Did you make it yourself?"

The small talk about outfits doesn't come naturally to her but she has watched others do it. And this is not the time for uncertainty and inhibitions. This is is the day to open all doors and let the sun shine brightly.

"I acquired this dress somewhere but, yes, I have been preparing these details. You have come in just the right patterns. Thank you for coming."

No one really has to humor her as she keeps alive a religion that only she observes but it's nice that they do it anyway.

“Thanks! I popped over to LA and picked it up just for the occasion. I’ve never been to this sort of festival before. What’s your favourite part?” Malcolm asks.

"This is my first time as well. All of our world's holidays were..." Oh how to describe such an unpleasant thing on such a nice day. "Well. Lord Dreus declared them in his own honor. Since I am the only saint left, I have declared that we will instead honor L'amuna and her growth. This is my first time seeing the new world and the new growth alongside all of you. I couldn't choose anything better."

From the periphery, Thrawn observes with a complicated sort of expression.

He was never at home with large groups of people. But he adores art, and culture of all kinds and what is dress and pagentry if not art and culture? The dancing and flowers all tells a story.

He reaches down to pick the cat up when it nears his leg, holding it in his arms firmly but gently.

Sweetest settles into his arm with a purr.

Ilde has no concerns about someone picking up the cat. She only comes over to give attention to another guest and she gazes up with a smile. She does wonder how it all looks to someone outside her immediate circle of confidants and to someone who has explored other planets. Is this just another one among many?

"Thank you for coming."

Edited (whitespace my nemesis) 2026-07-03 00:30 (UTC)

He pets the cat one-handed, paying Sweetest only as much mind as it takes to not drop the furball. Beautiful animal.

"Thank you for the invite." Polite, but neutral. Thrawn doesn't do small talk well.

He blinks, gazing about the room before coming back to Ilde.

"Is this a celebration of a particular holiday?"

"This world and I died together," she answers plainly. "And I was a saint in the religion of the same mad king who killed us."

Her head tips in thought. "I have spent all my time aboard the Barge in mourning and grief. But my warden gifted his deal to me and I gifted rebirth to this world. So I have declared this holiday for celebration and gratitude."

It is too painful to put aside her martyrdom entirely. Desperate people had put their faith in her and she had twisted herself into a horrible contortion to try to believe with them. But she has done well with changing the parameters of the expectations for herself. Her lonely station is one of remembrance and forgiveness, and now she also calls for gratitude.

Sym is shy, but not too shy to come, especially considering he assisted with any sort of plant related help that she could have conceived of. But he's here now, as he promised her those many months ago, and approaches only when he's certain that no one else is around.

"Your world is beautiful."

She extends her hands, beaming. "I'm so happy that you could see her. It think it is still very simple still."

There don't appear to be much fauna just yet. A few bugs and birds? Maybe more fish that none of them can see from this vantage point. Ilde sees no reason to rush them.

He reaches out to take her hands in his, gently squeezing them. "These things take time. Planets need time and love to grow."

"I've dreamed about being here for so long," she confesses even though that's hardly a secret. "Next time I visit I will go to the seaside. I only ever saw the great blight where it had all been boiled away."

"I would like to see it," he confesses. "We don't have many seas like that. Not like the ones I've read about from earth."

[open] the sweet season

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