[Saoire Event 723] Tristan to Perdita

[Winston]

Some time before The Gifting

It was the beginning of a new trial as Tristan awoke after a long night of dreams. As the world came into focus and the light around you dispelled the shadowy corners of 'the Dream', you spotted something beside your bed.

It was placed delicately atop whatever was usually beside where you sleep and had a bow on top, with a little note that read...

"Me taught yuh might find dis 'elpful far de coming season. Jost make share yuh use dis far yuh gift an don't tell anyone dat dis did nat come fram yuhself. Et will make any fud yuh like turn some one de colour af a Wata-melan!."

Included in the box was enough of the sweat, pleasant flavoured paste to add to a few meails-worth of foot and have it turn a person green and stripy!

The specifics of the item above

Mix this sweat, pleasant flavoured paste into any recipe to have the resulting food turn a person green and stripy, exactly like a watermelon!

This is delivered at some time that would be convenient for you and the acquisition of the gift you are giving.

I know you might have powers that might prevent people sneaking up on you etc., so please assume that this gift appears in such a way that either it a) does not trigger defences as there's no ill intent or b) only serves to wake them to see the gift (as it's not there one moment but is the next).

Gifting Trial Arrives!

In the run-up to the Gifting, one Winston Millar had all but become a recluse as he spent his trials ferreting away at the preparations for what would come. A great many trials went by as his forge was operated by Cho as the Cadouri was nowhere to be seen. "Yup, dere... Noh, jost to de right a lit... STAP!" He commanded

Smokie

with an excitable energy he could barely contain.

As the gifter and giftie both passed through the doorway they chose to use to get to the Gifting, a world of enchantment was revealed as they stepped into what appeared to be the grand, stone-walled hall of a castle. A kaleidoscope of colors greeted them. The air was thick with the sweet scent of their favorite foods and the gentle melody of ethereal music played by invisible musicians.

For those able to see them, Fairies (Spirits) fluttered all around, placing decorations and plucking at musical instruments in a way that made the music feel like it was coming from the walls themselves.

The banquet hall stretched out before them, a dazzling display of festive joy. Glistening crystal chandeliers made of green and gold leaves hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow upon the room from their luminescent bulbs. The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of ancient legends and mythical creatures from Idalos and the Dreaming, making unleavable scenes of heroism and gift-giving.

A long, banquet table stood in the center, covered with a rich, emerald-green velvet cloth that cascaded to the floor. On the table, an array of dishes awaited them. Plates were made of delicate leaves, and glasses were of sparkling daffodil cups with an otherworldly iridescence. The air was filled with the tempting aroma of dishes both familiar and exotic – Glistening platters bore chocolate truffles that sparkled like enchanted gems, each one filled with the essence of various fruits and spices. Towering cakes, adorned with spun sugar spun into delicate fairy shapes, beckoned with promises of ethereal sweetness. The air was thick with the heady aroma of cocoa and the warm embrace of freshly baked cakes, their layers infused with the magic of a thousand dreams. As the guests indulged, they discovered that each bite transported them to a realm where every flavor was an enchantment, and every morsel held the key to a secret world of sugared wonders.

The one thing that there was not even a single hint of was watermelon! not a single dish.

At the head of the table, a ferret known to some as Winston stood, placing some finishing touches to one of the many dishes.

"Welcome, nobal guests, tuh de Gifting!" he declared, his voice full of a thick accent of the tiny creature's upbringing. "Com-com! Com en! Feast, dance, sit or talk. Dis place es yars totrial, as we celebrate de magic that binds us all and builds relashunships new an' old trough 'giving'." He gestured to the room around them. "Once yuh are done, yuh cun return 'ome, noooh prablem. Ontil den, yuh jost let meh know ef dere es anyting me cun doh tuh 'elp."

The words were undoubtedly practiced

, but delivered with the most genuine joy and intent. He was obviously uncontainable excited to be here, but with that, without leaving the room,

Winston adeptly made himself seem politely busy as his guests meet and greet each-other without his interference

.

Just then, the banquet hall erupted into a symphony of laughter and giggles. The fairies (should you be able to see them) gathered around the table, watching and listening as events unfolded. The air was alive with the fluttering of wings, the tinkling of laughter, and the soft susurrations of a great many playful beings.

As all of this sunk in, a figure made themselves apparent, a very finely dressed butler of impeccable manor bowed slightly to one side. They held a tray with daffodil glasses filled with delightful nectar and bowed.

Shinwa

gestured towards the tray to indicate that a drink could be taken, if so desired, after which he offered to unburden their guests of their coats or cloaks.

!

Message from: Winston

Welcome to your Saiore Gifting Event thread for 2023! How does this work? - So, this is your thread (the two of you) and you can get here via the magic portal, from where-ever you are and will be returned there once you decide to leave (unless I say otherwise! SHOCK! Secrets! AAAAAAAH!). This thread will be eligible for both skill points and knowledge, as long as the usual review requirements are met. It can be whatever you want, of course, but it is a modded event and so I control the surrounding and NPCs, so please don't assume control of them (unless, of course, they are yours). You can bring anything with you that you could reasonably be assumed to carry or BE carrying and of course your gift comes with you You may bring with you any flavour NPCs if you wish, but please either avoid making these a 'mass' of actual physical people (if you have a child or someone that you really feel like bringing, please do). Diri's, Spirits, small creatures/pets on your person, etc. that usually hang around you are also all fine. A 13 foot dragonling or horse, not so much What should you do? - Please post your first post in two sections: 1) "Some time before The Gifting": A section that describes the making or acquisition of your Gift. This can be anything from "Jeoff picks up the gift he made." To a fully fledged description of the shopping/making process. This can/should be a creative and enjoyable writing experience. Write something you enjoy, in any style you enjoy, IF it's something you will enjoy! The emphasis is on FREEDOM not requirement. Don't feel required to make a lenthy section here, but certainly feel free to (rewards will be issued for creative or well crafted gift sections). 2) "Gifting Trial Arrives!": Post your arrival! If you post first, you are there first. If you post second, you can assume you spot your companion on entering and respond to anything they provide for you in their first post. 3) When you have completed this thread, please place it up for review as normal. Once it’s been reviewed, post here to claim your event medal! Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Tristan Venora]

It was the beginning of a new trial as Tristan awoke after a long night of dreams. As the world slowly came into focus, the young man noticed that there was something on his nightstand. At first, he thought that Mistral had dragged something into his bedroom. His cat came and went as he pleased, and he often brought him gifts, some of them already dead. Tristan thanked him regardless of course, because he thought Mistral meant well, but …

… as he took a closer look, he realized that it looked quite different from Mistral’s usual gifts!

He leaned across his bed in order to reach for the small package and read the note, wondering how someone had managed to sneak into a house that was full of people. As he realized what his gift was, he came to the conclusion that magic was at work here. A paste that you could add to food in order to turn someone green and stripy, like a watermelon, certainly sounded like magic … a very awesome kind of magic that he would try out as soon as possible!

First of all, he had to prepare a gift for a shy young woman that liked watermelons though. As he often did, he went all out and shopped at the best stores in all of Rharne until he had filled two bags with delicious food, some other stuff – and flowerpots with little holes in them. The drainage system would make sure that any excess water was drained, and the plants that he planned on gifting to Perdita would never get too much water.

He doubted that Perdita would appreciate a gift that would start to rot soon!

~~~

As he stepped through the doorway, Tristan noticed that he was in the hall of a castle, but not just any castle. He could smell his favourite foods, and what more, there was music. Crystal chandeliers that were so beautiful that even his old friend King Cassander might be jealous hung from the ceiling, and fascinating tapestries decorated the walls. He inspected them for a few moments to find out how many of the scenes that were depicted on them he recognized.

Before long, he turned to look at the table. The food was absolutely delicious, but the cups and plates interested him even more. They were made of leaves and flowers. Tristan doubted that you could pour a drink into most normal flowers, which led him to believe that he was dealing with more magic … or alchemy! Tristan was pretty sure that he could transfer the properties of glass or porcelain to petals and make them more durable, at least.

Maybe he would try it sometime!

Since he hadn’t talked to Perdita or their host yet, Tristan didn’t spend too much time on the food as that would be impolite, but he indulged a little, suddenly noticing the lack of any dishes or drinks containing watermelons. While he liked watermelons, they weren’t his favourite fruit, but still …

… why were there no watermelons?!

A questioning look on his face, the young man that was dressed in a very fashionable light blue suit with silver details and a matching cloak turned to his friend Winston who he had just noticed a moment earlier.

“It’s good to see you again”, he told him and grinned at him. “You’ve done a marvelous job! Tell me though, do you have any of that fairy food that makes you turn blue or grow wings? Ayla still talks about the time she became a fairy on a regular basis!”

“Ayla is my daughter”, he explained to Perdita who he had noticed now and executed a perfect bow, as if she were some sort of noble lady before he told her, “And I’m Tristan Venora, from Rharne. I can’t dance very well, but I’m willing to give it a try if you want to dance. I can also feast, sit or talk – or give you your gift right now. You choose”, he told her with the sort of charming smile that would hopefully put her at ease.

He had been informed that Perdita was very shy.

Just then the banquet hall erupted into a symphony of laughter and giggles, and Tristan turned around and bowed once more before he said, “A good trial to you, dear fairies. I’m afraid that I don’t have any gifts for you – nobody told me that you would be here – but I’ll bring something the next time I stop by!”

When the butler arrived, Tristan took a daffodil glass, thanking Shinwa as he did so, and sipped from it before he handed his cloak to them. Having done that, he turned to Perdita again. She could notice that he held a pretty pink bag in one hand. Was that her gift?

[Perdita Westcott]

s much as she knew that she was going to receive a gift, Perdita felt that there really was no need for her to do so. It was a bit of a fuss, really, and it wasn't needed and it wouldn't matter if she didn't turn up. However, then she considered how she would have felt if, having chosen and purchased the gift then her recipient had not turned up. So, she made sure that she was armed with a small envelope and she made sure to make her way.

And so, Perdita entered the banqueting hall once again and she looked around with a smile. There was a man there with Winston. Human, Perdita thought. Handsome and well-dressed, she figured he would fit in perfectly in the Glass Quarter in Rharne. She felt the familiar blush creep over her face and then the man smiled at her. He seemed to be nice, she thoughtresponding to the GM socialisation, and she smiled back although her blush remained.

The blush, of course, deepened as he bowed at her, but Perdita's smile broadened too and her eyes shone with pleasure. "Your daughter?" she said, thinking that he looked too young to have a child. "What's her age?" she asked. If Tristan and Winston had a sense of such things, it would be obvious that she asked because she was interested - not because she was being polite or making small talk. Small talk was most certainly something that she was not good at.

He introduced himself and Perdita's eyes widened slightly. Why they did would become apparent quickly. "Me too!" Her exclamation was soft spoken, but she was obviously excited by it. "From Rharne, I mean." Realising that she'd gotten that introduction around the wrong way and more than a little higgledy piggledy, Perdita blushed again but held out her hand to him. "Perdita Westcott," she said and then, the colour drained from her face. Looking at him with wide eyes, she stuttered quietly. "The..th... the Tristan Venora?" not that it was likely there were a lot of them, she thought. "The... you... oh my."

Saying that she sat down and looked at him. Tristan Venora - THE Tristan Venora - had offered to dance with her and she had wittered at him about being from Rharne. "I.. I heard of you," she said. "You're a sculptor," her blush deepened as she realised something and then spoke it. "You knew that. Sorry." Her eyes showed her delight, however. "I love your work. Your plays." With a hand which trembled slightly, Perdita held out her envelope to him. Winston, of course, would know what was in it because she'd already given him one.

"It's for... for you." Inside was a voucher for a free portrait at Illuminations, the art shop she owned. "And your daughter, of course. Anyone. Bring your family," stop talking Perdita, she bade herself. Still feeling rather overwhelmed at meeting someone so famous as the great Tristan Venora, she searched for something to say that wasn't obviously fawning or too inquisitive or just plain stupid and she could think of only one thing.

Later, of course, she'd curse herself. But for now? For now, Perdita looked around in uncomfortable, but blissful, ignorance.

"There are fairies?" Perdita asked. "Where?"

ooc Sorry for delays. Also, I figure not enough people notice famous people! He's a famous person!

[Winston]

Winston nodded happily as Tristan asked about the fairy food. "Well..." He began with an apologetic tone. "...de Fairy fud only works en Sweetwine ar en Chest, soh me can't really affa yuh eny af dat tuh take 'ome. A predicament me 'ave been workin' an far some time naw." But then he beamed a bright smile, full of pride. "Bot me CUN give yuh some Ferret-fud!" He chuckled. "Jost as safe and jost as fon." He claimed and nodded to Shinwa, whome made off to prepare a doggy-bag without delay. "Just don't use de canty-floss clouds in big open spaces... Per'asp indars only. Jost tuh be safe."

Taking a plate and offering it to him he would see a collection of rainbow-coloured crackers. "Dees will turn yuh rainbow coloured ef yuh fancied providin' some entertainment far our mutual friends." He said with a giggle. "De last time 'im visited me, we turned 'im blue. 'e took et like a champ." He told Perdita with a cheeky little grin as he offered her a cracker.

Hearing of the man's daughter made him very happy and he let the conversation flow between his two guests, engaging enough to be clearly very interested but not so much as to draw the attention away from where it belong, which was on them.

As she held out the envelope to Tristan,

just in case he didn't already know

and she didn't say, he let out a little sigh of admiration. "Oh! Yuh shud see Perdits's artwork, mun. Et's 'next level' stoff!"

As she asked about the Fairies, Winston looked around himself. "Oh!...

Cmmon guys, out yuh com

?!" He called out to the room at large and as the words settled on the bells and leaves all around them, tiny little people began to show themselves. There were several using the blue punch bowl as a swimming pool, doing back-stroke in little concentric circles.

Some emerged from behind cups and flowers, while others simply faded into view from wherever they had been a moment before. Sitting on things, under things and fluttering all around, they giggle and pointed at them.

Tristan in particular was surrounded by giggling little people, dancing around his head like a maypole.

!

Message from: Winston

Yay! Nice posts! Please feel free to interact directly and assume things you would enjoy to eat and drink are there for you to have. Anything up to Tier 10 but not extraordinarily rare is up for grabs. Though Winston is more likely to have cooked an inexpensive dish from your fondest memory as a super-expensive dish packed with expensive ingredients. Whatever it is, it would be immaculately well prepared however. Please consider marking up 3 (or more) knowledges in your next post. The fairies around the room are equally as likely to interfere as they are to wait and watch with bated breath. Please feel free to include some inconsequential encounters should you wish to. Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Tristan Venora]

"Ayla is seven", Tristan replied and smiled. Perdita seemed to be genuinely interested in hearing about his daughter, and he loved talking about her. "She is a bright little girl and very curious about the world, but a little shy sometimes. People often think that she's older than she really is at first. Her mother is dead, so I'm raising her alone - well, not really alone", he amended. "My grandmother and my parents have been living with me since the fall of Rynmere", he explained. He'd decided to call what had happened in his former home that for now. Rynmere was a fallen kingdom, in a way. There had been a plague, and a dragon had taken over, and the king was either dead or missing.

"That's great!" he said when Perdita told him that she was from Rharne as well. From the expression on his face, it would - hopefully - be obvious to her that he meant it. He had been living in Rharne for a while now, but he still loved making new acquaintances there!

A moment later, when she called him the Tristan Venora, he furrowed his brow though. "It depends on which Tristan Venora you mean", he finally decided in a serious tone of voice, but with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm probably not the only man who goes by that name, and on top of that, I have a brother who looks almost exactly like me and who used to impersonate me sometimes, for fun and when I needed some time off."

"That's me", he confirmed when Perdita said that she was a sculptor. "And thank you", he added when she told him that she loved his plays. "Which ones have you watched?" he wanted to know before he accepted the envelope. His eyes shimmered brightly as he opened it and saw the voucher. "I paint as well sometimes, and I love seeing other artists' work. My family and I will definitely come!"

"Right here", Tristan said and pointed before he furrowed his brow. "Can't you see them? I've invented a potion that enables you to talk to spirits, but I haven't made one that enables you to see them yet", he admitted. In his opinion, it wasn't right that Perdita couldn't see fairies. She was missing out on a lot of fun activities in his opinion, so he really wanted to help her. But how exactly could he do that?

"Winston", he asked his friend, completely forgetting that he was holding the bag with Perdita's gift and had meant to give it to her. "Do you think fairies are a type of spirit? Dear fairies", he said a moment later, having realized that he could just ask the fairies themselves. "What are you apart from fairies, if you don’t mind the question? Are you spirits? I hope that the question doesn’t offend you”, he added, realizing that some races or cultures might consider it an insult if you called someone a spirit even though they weren’t one.

Tristan was disappointed that Winston didn’t have any fairy food, but only for a moment. Ferret-food sounded just as exciting, so when his friend offered him that, he beamed at him, accepted the crackers and immediately popped one in his mouth, eager to find out what he looked like in rainbow colors. He also hoped that the fairies would like the show!

“Do you want to try one as well?” he asked Perdita and added, in order to hopefully persuade her, “The last time, I changed colors, it was wonderfully entertaining, and the fairies loved it. It wasn’t permanent either! Who knows? Maybe the fairies will reveal themselves if you turn rainbow-colored! They just love that kind of stuff!”

“Next level?” he asked as Winston commented on Perdita’s artwork. “Now I’m even more curious!”

When the fairies suddenly appeared, Tristan let out a laughter of pure delight. They danced around his head, and he quirked his eyebrows, grinned and made all kinds of funny little gestured in order to entertain them before he realized that he was still holding Perdita’s gift.

Blushing slightly, he handed it to her and said, “Before I forget. I hope that you like it. If you don’t, that’s also okay, and I’ll exchange it for something better”, he added. As far as some people were concerned, it was the thought that counted, but Tristan also wanted to make sure that the giftee really liked their gift. So, if Perdita’s preferences had changed since he had been told that he would be giving her a gift, he’d do something else!

the gift

- 5 trials worth of luxury+ quality food: all watermelon based (e.g. watermelon candy, watermelon chocolate, watermelon lemonade, all kinds of stuff made out of watermelon rinds etc.)

- A book on how to grow your own watermelons, a small bag of watermelon seeds and a container that you can grow watermelons in