2023.02.05 Imbolc at Orchard Covenstead

2023.02.05 Imbolc at Orchard Covenstead
Celebrating Imbolc and the Snow Moon at the Covenstead
IC Date	February 5, 2023
IC Time	Evening
Players	Caressa,Steele,Sark,Stella,Kieran
Location	Orchard Covenstead outside Prospect
Spheres	All

<---======##=========[ Upcoming City of Hope MUX Events ]=========##======--->
NUM  ST        Genre     Title                       Date                 Sgnps
1723 Caressa   All and AnImbolc@ Orchard Covenstead  Sun Feb 05 16:00 CST  4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<---======##=====[ Event 1723 - Imbolc@ Orchard Covenstead ]======##======--->
 The Orchard Covenstead is opening its gates to celebrate Imbolc and the Full Snow Moon.

 Imbolc marks the halfway point between Yule and Ostara. We celebrate the seeds starting to stir in The Mother. Join us during the day to help plant peas, broccoli and cauliflower. Help yourself to pick-you-own Grapefruit, Navel Oranges and Strawberries from the surrounding orchard and berry patch.

 Stay till the Full Snow Moon rises, and the bonfire is lit,. Doctor Perlman will be guiding us in the Blessing of Spring.
 OOC: Anyone is welcome to come to the scene. I plan to host this event from 4pm-7pm CST. The Blessing will take place at 6-7pm CST.

 Date: Sun Feb 05 16:00:00 2023 CST
 Storyteller: Caressa
 Genre: All and Any
 Signups: Sark, Steele, Stella, and Kieran
 <-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

The Orchard Covenstead(#14120RJ)

The final step on the path brings you to the end of the clearing in the orchard. There is enough space to hold a small festival if one desired that. There are signs asking that the trees not be touched, and the fruit not to be eaten, as they are the property of a nearby estate.

Towards the back of the flat little meadow is a cozy looking cottage. Beside it is an open air pavilion with picnic tables so festivities have shade, and protection in case of rain or storms.

Contents:
Kieran
Stella
Sark
Steele
Obvious Exits:
Dense Forest <DF> Out <O> Orchard Cottage <OC>

And there ARE kids here, but they're currently running around with OTHER kids and being watched by responsible adults. This is a family celebration after all. He spots Stella heading up backwards and he keeps an eye that way.

Also, he's got on a white shirt that's buttoned down about half way, some nice, clean jeans that fit him properly instead of being super baggy, and some black shoes of some sort. He lifts a hand to Sark in greeting, waiting for the two to make their way up. Kieran also gets a wave and when people are close enough, a raven flits down from one of the trees to land on his shoulder. "Welcome! Welcome. Come on it, grab a drink. There's food and fruits for you to pick and take home. Caressa will be out in just a second."

Caressa finally wanders out of the dense forest, pausing just inside the clearing to breath and catch her breath. Then continuing on to where people have gathered.

"No no... you missed the joke," Stella tells Sark. "Didn't I order you a Greyhound the other night? Grapefruit juice and vodka? Honestly, I can't remember much after the toast." She stops, then adds, "Vodka was the 'bad' one." Because that clarifies things.

It's the abrupt realization that there are children running around nearby that nearly trips Stella over her own feet. Luckily there's a Sark-arm there for her to grab as she wheels around with a flutter of green skirts. "This isn't a ... fertility festival, is it?" More side-eyeing of the freaking adorable children to whom Stella has a somewhat irrational and unpredictable ... edgy response. They're powerful creatures, children.

Good timing. Steele calls out a welcome. It's probably not seen but Stella smiles affably. Sidelong, Stella queries of Sark, "Do you like strawberries? Not the grocery store ones, but the wild mountain ones or the sort they grow at a place like this?" She hasn't seen Kieran yet. Sark lifts a hand to wave a hello at Steele, and perks up when he catches sight of Kieran and Caressa as well, "Hey, it really IS a party..." He takes a big step forward and slips an arm around Stella's waist as if to catch her, instead just gently turning the woman around with a chuckle. IN a lower voice, he murmurs at her, "If I am being honest, I would state I do not remember all of the alcohol names you threw at me the night before. Some of that night is a little, ahem, fuzzy."

But then he's straightening back up a little to grin over her head, adding to her, "No, its not a fertility festival. We are not all getting naked and friendly. And yes, I love strawberries and blueberries, actually."

Kieran gives Steele a wave as well, and starts making her way closer. "This place is really nice, thank you for having everyone for this." Nah, the children are for the sacrifice later. Ahem INDEED. He moves dutifully to Caressa's side to slide an arm around and he leads her pretty promptly over to a place where she will be more comfortable. "Welcome everyone. Kieran, Miss Stella, nice to see you both again." He turns his head to give Caressa a kiss on the top of hers, just being affectionate in general.

Caressa is very grateful for the assistance. She's wearing a loose fitting dress of red velvet with silver designs embroidered over it "There is a joke back home that every sabbat is a fire festival. It could be argued that every festival is a fertility festival too. But no...I'd never hold -that- kind of sabbat publically." She falls silent for a few moments as her thoughts drift away, then back again, "Steele, could you get me some water, please?"

A few other people wander in from the orchard. One comes from the orchard on a small tractor that they park closer to the fire pit where the bonfire will be lit later. There's a metal plow on the front, probably to help if the bonfire goes crazy or something.

Two others make their way in from the parking lot, each carrying a fair size covered basket.

For her part, Stella seems not at all startled or dismayed by her employer physically setting her back on her feet. "Then we'll pick some strawberries," she concludes just like that. There's a glimpse of Caressa. Another very likely unseen smile from Stella, who abruptly catches sight of Kieran. She peeks around Sark at the woman in the familiar jacket with the even more familiar red hair to try to catch her attention. Some arcane finger gestures take place that -seem- pleasantly intended, then Stella seems to be satisfied.

Not a fertility festival? "We can thank every single god and monster individually for that." She's startled from her under-her-breath statement by the direct greeting. "Mister Steele. Ms. Perlman. It's nice to see you again." Caressa's comments are listened to attentively until the word 'publically'. Stella coughs briefly, only partially hiding her amusement. Then she inquires, "What is the highlight for you of -this- particular festival, Ms. Perlman?"

Sark smirks a little to himself at Stella's cough...clearly SOMEONE is getting teased later...but instead he keeps a warm smile on his face and clasps his hands behind his back once he's sure Stella has her own feet perfectly fine underneath her. His head tilts to note all of the new arrivals, but he keeps a majority of his attention split between Stella, Steele, Caressa, and Kieran, the faces he knows well, offering, "Yes, thank you for hosting this and all of the effort you put into it. I think you're the first party I've been invited to since I arrived here."

Kieran follows the conversation, but doesn't offer any real commentary on it. Instead, she's content to just be present for now. After all, she's not drunk yet. Why ruin things beforehand?

Caressa smiles at Stella. "Usually, it is that it marks longer days ahead. More sun and warmth. I do love spring. The energy of it. The stirring of life that has been dormant all winter. There is more to fertility festivals than sex, Stella." She motions across to the tractor that has been parked. "It is about blessing those things that bring fertility and abundance into our lives. Plows that turn over the fields. Gardening hand tools, seed packets." She looks down at herself, "Obviously, my fields were plows some months ago." She smirks with mild deviance. Even in the daylight her silver-violet eyes glow a soft silver, drowning out the violet.

Steele nods and slips away to get Caressa a water and something fizzy to drink as well then comes back to her side, handing her her drink. He seems slightly startled by Caressa' statement there at the end, but he finds it amusing and so does the raven on his shoulder, as Steele laughs and then the bird hah-hah-hahs after him in a rather crowlike way

Stella listens attentively to Caressa's words while leaning a shoulder into Sark. She keeps her expression neutral, dips her chin once or twice, then simply shakes her head with a smile when the whole commentary turns right back to where she was murmuring to Sark about it. "Energy," she repeats, however. "Abundance." To Sark. "Strawberries. Is there a ceremony, or can we go eat ... mmm pick some now?"

Sark stifles a small snicker under his breath when Caressa makes the comment about her being pregnant, lightly shaking his head and choosing not to say a damned thing about it. Instead he leans in close to place one hand lightly on Stella's back and kisses the top of her head, before asking, "Let see what they have planned before absconding off anywhere, just in case. Would you like something specific to drink? I think I see the beverages, and I am feeling a little thirsty. I promise, no shots of hard alcohol this time."

Kieran finally pipes up, "Oh, definitely no alcohol for /you/ two..." She snorts quietly as she comes up behind Stella and Sark, while looking to Steele and Caressa, "Really, don't let these two fool you. They're massive party animals. It's always the quiet ones..."

To Sark, Stella nods about being patient and doing the formal things. She's a bit subdued for a few reasons. On her best behavior, even. "Get what you'd like. I'll have some if you don't mind. If it's non-alcoholic. If you drink alcohol, I'm calling Juan." There's a strange sort of sing-song warning there. As Tina Turner mused, What's Juan got to do with it? Stella spins around with a flourish of the hem of her green dress to wrap both arms enthusiastically around Kieran -- without any invitation, the presumptive little ... Stella -- and then she murmurs against Kieran's ear.

In the mean time, Caressa motions to the man who brought up the tractor, "Go ahead and start it. Should be full blaze in half an hour." Right on time if she has a say in it. The other people have brought over their baskets, uncovered them to reveal the gardening tools in one, in the other some blonde round cookies and bottles of cider. "Cakes and ale on that table by the cottage door. Tool on the one at the far end over there."

She looks back to Stella, "This is actually my first time..well, second..time hosting my own sabbat. I intentionally left it a bit free-form. I have no idea who would want to take part in a fully scripted rite or not. So, harvest to your heart's content. Eat it now, take some with you, whichever you like or both. But I will give a blessing in half an hour when the bonfire is roaring." The darker the day gets, the brighter her eyes seem to glow. Not to mention the full moon is well on its way into the sky.

Steele is content to stand at Caressa's shoulder, his hand resting gently on that shoulder. "There was a time when I probably would have hosted a fertility festival. Of both the proper kind AND the kind that you were insinuating, Stella." Is Steele getting old? Oh god. He thought he'd found a gray hair in his beard a few weeks ago, but it was a cat hair.

Sark winks at Kieran and Stella before stepping away to gravitate to the ale to grab a mug of it. A soft chuckle is sent towards Steele and Caressa along with an amused murmur, "I did not get this dressed up to show everyone my polka-dotted thong, so thank you..." He pauses mid-step to take an experimental drink from the mug, rumbling in approval, then continues his walk back to Kieran and Stella, offering the mug to them both to try it, "That's good stuff..."

Stella turns back -just- in time to realize Caressa is addressing her. "That sounds lovely, Ms. Perlman. Thank you for your generosity." Talk of a bonfire seems to stir Stella's interest. Steele's addition to the commentary receives a bit of a smile mingled with a perplexed expression. She simply goes ahead and asks, "But not any more? Why not?"

Caressa glances silently up to Steele, giving him a smile.

Kieran oofs as she's suddenly got her hands full with a literal armful of Stella. When Sark starts to amble off and Stella turns back to talk to Caressa, the redhead just kind of... stays there, one arm casually wrapped around Stella's waist. "Because she'd kick his butt, Starshine, obviously."

Sark gives both Stella and Kieran one raised brow and leaves that amused tone in his voice, "Do I want to know who is kicking who's butt?" He takes another long drink of the ale and rumbles his approval, then winks at Stella, "Well, maybe if we grab a big bowl to collect them in, we can go scavenging for a bit before the fire gets going?"

Stella leans into Kieran naturally, briefly watching Sark walk away, then looking back to their hosts. "That's a double standard, Kiki." A pause. "Maybe he'd like her to kick his butt." None of this is announced to the group in general. Just a quiet side conversation between friends who have a certain patter, an interesting comfort level. When Sark returns, the brunette leans in the sniff at the drink then rocks back on her heels. "Do I have to growl the words for you to hear them, Easy?" Her tone seems playful. "-That-. -Is-. -Alcohol.-" Stelle folds her slim arms across her chest and looks pointedly to Kieran, which they all know is going to benefit her point in no way whatsoever. "I think I already attended a fertility festival this week." Definitely quiet enough not to offend the gracious hosts.

Sark distracts Stella enough (for now). A bowl for picking strawberries and then a bonfire? That's absolutely what she wants. "You want to pick strawberries, Kiki, or are you going to schmooze?" A pause and a realization. "Are you going to play during the bonfire?" This is asked of Kieran, hopefully. While she's speaking, Stella hip-checks Sark in an affectionately punitive manner.

Caressa chuckles softly, looking to Sark, "She think I would kick Steele's ass if he bedded another person." She shrugs, "We've both had our share of sexy pasts. Good and bad. But since meeting Steele, we just mesh. Like we were made for each other. We find it isn't something we desire anymore." She glances up at him again briefly, "Though I suppose if a very good reason ever came up to do so again, we'd have some very long conversations about it."

The area is slowly lit up as the bonfire grows. More logs are being added between the massive teepee shaped supports that were already in place.

Sark looks down at the ale with raised brows, then back to Stella, "But its good! Its just one mug..." With amusement, he does surrender it to find a suitable gathering bowl from the table, pausing for a moment to lean in and give Caressa a chaste kiss to her cheek, "Thank you again. We will be right back..." before practically bouncing over to Kieran and Stella, to see if both are coming on the berry hunt or not.

Kieran leans forward to sniff abit at the mead as well. "That /is/ alcohol, yeah... kinda tempted to take it away and drink it myself." When Stella poses additional questions, though, her eyes widen a bit and she looks around like Stella /must/ be talking to someone else. "Play? Me? I didn't even bring the guitar. Besides, y'know.. not my place, you know? Wouldn't want to intrude."

Caressa rises from her seat, "Ev..!" She blinks, cutting herself off when she receives that chaste kiss, "Oh..well, I was about to call everyone back." She says, and starts moving towards the bonfire.

Steele smiles down at Caressa and leans to kiss the top of her head. "We'll talk about it later," he murmurs, then stands more upright. He got lost there for a second or two, off in his own thoughts. "I've had my time of doing whatever. I've got three kids, a nephew that I'm raising as my own, and another on the way. Sex isn't what it's all about, but it was for a lot of years, just as it is for most young people. Not that I'm old, mind you." He looks back down at Caressa and shrugs. "The act of sex is just that. It's an act. I can't imagine myself with anyone else and I can't imagine Caressa with anyone else, but if there was a reason -- yes, a very long conversation." When Caressa gets up, he offers his hand to lead her toward the fire.

ark half turns to look back at Caressa and shakes his head, "Oh! Well, we absolutely can go hunting later. Call away?" The bowl he acquired is lightly tucked under one arm while the other is offered towards Kieran and Stella...probably ending up around Stella unless Kieran gets creative.

Caressa takes Steele's arm as they move toward the bonfire. "Everyone gather yourselves!" Her voice ringing out to the berry patch and orchard. A few of the others that had come out hear the call. Four of them each grab a different colored jar candle, light them and follow the pair in a little procession. At the bonfire, they flare out into a cicle around it. Caressa stops, they all stop, a safe distance from the fire. She peers into it waiting for everyone else.

Kieran smiles, and releases Stella into Sark's guidance... for now, at least, as she trails along behind everyone else to watch the goings-on.

Steele leads the way, placing Caressa where he knows she's supposed to be a moving a few feet away. It's entirely possible that he stands a little closer to the fire, closing his eyes to absorb all the warmth, putting his hands out just a little bit. The boy loves fire. Bunches and bunches. Sark eases himself around behind Stella so he can loosely slip his arms around her waist (and also because he's significantly taller than her and can look over her shoulder easy). There's murmuring in her ear a little as he watches with bright eyes. Heeeey. Sark likes fire JUST fine, even if he's not the one doing it.

Caressa gives time for everyone to gather. Or most of them. There will always be stragglers. "Welcome to the Orchard Covenstead. I thank you all for coming to this first meeting. For gracing it with your love and laughter to help consecrate this space." She inhales, "We are here at a cross-roads. Winter is behind us, Spring is ahead of us. Just as the sun light a proverbial fire under ever seed so that it will sprout, so let us bring that same fire into our lives. Spurring us into action. Purifying ourselves, driving us to new paths, projects, wisdom. Whatever that space in your life needs. Make room for your creative spark to wake up, and for the sacred flames to light your way." She pauses to look about and study the fire for another moment.

Steele takes a few deep breaths and lets them out, taking the ceremony, as informal as it is, quite seriously. He opens his eyes to stare into the fire and the raven on his shoulder takes off with a loud caw, rising up into the air and circling the fire a time or two before he shoots off toward one of the trees.

Sark listens to Caressa's incantation, his attention mostly on her face rather than the candleholders. His gaze goes a little unfocused for a few moments, potentially thoughtful as he digests her words and thinks about them. Another murmur is made into Stella's ear, just in a hushed whisper to make sure there's no chance of him interrupting the ritual, while a faint, relaxed smile touches his face.

Caressa lifts her gaze skyward. The yellow-white full moon glittering through the bare tree branches of the orchard. Resting like an ornament above the bonfire. Her arms lifting up, as though she could simply lift it from the sky. Or simply basking in its light. "I give my thanks for family and friends. As I have been blessed, may those gathered be equally blessed." Her arms lower quickly, hands moving to her stomach with a quick inhale of breath. <OOC> Caressa does NOT double over. that is important.

Kieran watches closely, quietly, for now. She seems as interested in the behavior of the participants, and observers, as she is in the rite itself. That last bit from Caressa, though, gets a bit of a rise from her eyebrows. Still, nothing /truly/ alarming happens, so...

Steele was just about to follow in Caressa's words to the sky and his hands go up, but then when she reaches for her belly, he's by her side just ALMOST too fast. "Baby?" he asks quietly, not to make a scene, and his hand goes down to her belly as he looks at her questioningly. See? No big deal. Nothing happening

Sark glances up at the moon, then back to Caressa to follow along, then arches one brow when she seems to go a little off script by grabbing at her belly, especially when he sees Steele mouth that word. He doesnt move for the moment, just leans a little into Stella while he watches the Goings On.

Caressa catches her breath and gives Steele a smile, "I'm fine. He has officially found my ribs. Just startling is all." First time always is.

Steele looks down and rubs his hand lightly over Caressa's belly, then pokes at it gently. "Stop that. Mama's busy," he says, not at all ashamed that he absolutely is ignoring everything else to make sure that Caressa's okay.

Sark looks for a moment like he's going to say something about 'the baby finding her ribs' then changes his mind and instead re-rests his chin on Stella's shoulder lightly, offering in a softer voice, "See, even the kiddo wants to join the party. Or thinks Momma's being too loud."

Kieran looks just a bit closer, curious... a little concerned... but everything /seems/ to be ok, so she relaxes back into her carefully inobtrusive persona, but mutters so Sark and Stella can hear, "Or feels the pull of the moment..."

Caressa chuckles, "Anyway, where was I? Oh yes.. Blessed Be! Everyone!"