Good Solstice, milliways_bar

[jack_inthegreen]

In the gray pre-dawn light, the man in green has been busy.

There are rows of trestle tables set up by the lake--far from the new grave as well as anything else that might be disturbed by such things--and on the central table he sets up the horn of plenty he carved the day before. Now he lays a hand on the wood and quietly asks the elements around it to fill the horn and assemble themselves, so that there will be plenty to eat and it will all be nourishing and tasty. When he has done this the horn begins to fill and soon food is spilling out: fruit and bottles of wine and loaves of bread and slabs of cold cooked meats and wheels of cheese and whatever else a patron might think to ask for.

At the end of the rows of tables there is a wooden platform, with a small raised stage for musicians and plenty of room for dancers. Jack has found no one to play pipes but no matter, there are still musicians aplenty should anyone wish to dance. And he hopes they will, for what's a celebration without dancing?

Beyond the tables there is a small course set up for races, just a starting- and finish-lines marked off. There is a large rope for tug-of-war, various props like sacks for sack races and spoons for an egg-and-spoon race, and a pitch for bowls and another for playing horsehoes. He thought about playing tossing the caber but decided that might be pushing things a bit, even here.

Farthest from the bar proper is the bonfire, currently unlit. He pauses there and asks the fire within the wood to do no harm to anyone, that there will be no stray sparks or wayward ash to burn.

There is a great deal of magic at Milliways for him to draw upon and soon the party preparations meet with his satisfaction. He blesses the area before he goes back inside for some more rest before the party begins: that no one will be hurt in play or eat themselves sick, that not even a dancer's ankle be turned.

When he is done the morning fog is just beginning to burn off. It's going to be a beautiful day.

Comments

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

True. But Tonks knows her stuff. I imagine she can hold out fairly well.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I've no question of that, but from the sound of things she was severely outnumbered.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

Luckily, all she has to do is stall. Or hide.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

True. She stands a good chance.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

Same. But some people just seem to thrive on the angst. *He shakes his head quietly.*

Seems over half the bar has themselves as their own worst enemy and will do more damage to themselves than anything else.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

*Snow reaches out, grasps his hand, and threads their fingers together*

I try to keep clear of the angst, but sometimes it's impossible to avoid. Some just need to be able to let go of the past and keep their mind on where they are.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

*He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb.*

All well and good unless the past comes looking for you. And some just can't let go. *His head inclines forward slightly, shading his face somewhat.*

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

*Snow manages a small smile, then reaches over and strokes his face caringly*

The ones with serious grudges seem to be few and far between, and the 'no business' rule helps things immensely. And aside from Rose's brief visits last year, no one else from back in Fabletown or the Homelands has made their way here.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no... wasn't thinking of us. We've got it pretty much in hand so far.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Of course. And I ran into a woman the other day who was convinced that it was impossible for Faith to have reformed, that she was some horrible monster who would betray us on a whim. Ones like that . . . they need to let go, let themselves see the evidence that contradicts their biases.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

*That earns a sharp look.* Really. What'd she look like? And her name?

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Joyce Summers, [insert brief description here]. I did my best to convince her that Faith's reformed, but I admit she seemed to have good reasons, and the wounds were still fresh for her . . . we'll have to wait and see if any of it sinks in for her.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

*Summers... that rings a bell.* Kind of doubt it, but we'll see. Faith was pretty convinced of her pariah status back home.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

It's Milliways, though. People tend to be more open to forgiveness here. I'm sure all of Faith's friends will stand up for her.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

We'll have to see. It's hard to tell if that'll be enough.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

At least the odds are better. And she can be arrested for violation of one of the basic rules if she gets too bad about it.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

*He rubs his chin thoughtfully.* Don't know how Faith'll take it. Should ask her sometime, actually, about this Joyce.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I asked her about it earlier, and it's clear she feels horrible about what she did, even now.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah? What'd she do?

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Nearly got Joyce's daughter killed on a few occasions, it seems.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

That would be kind of hard to live down, admittedly. *His mouth goes linear.*

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I can see her point, in a way, but to ignore any possibility of redemption . . .

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

*Bigby shrugs.* Haven't heard Joyce's side of the story. *He's inclined to be conservative, and reserve judgement.*

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Not saying she might not be valid from her perspective, just that she seems to be ignoring entirely the fact that Faith clearly feels awful about what she's done.

[big-b-wolf.livejournal.com]

Makes it easier to hold onto hate. She doesn't want to give herself the chance to forgive. Not ready for it.