Raffles & Giveaways

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=7332248] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/73323/7332248_350.png[/img] [/url] Sia made her way through the parade crowd with no small bit of nostalgia. It was her first time returning to the Tangled Wood since migrating to the Starfall Isles. She liked the Isles, of course--she would have left long ago if she hadn't--and she was quite fond of her clan, but their token attempts at Trickmurk Circus celebrations were rather...[i]lacking[/i]. But would you really expect a bunch of dragons who spend most of their time with books and telescopes to be able to hold a proper party? (Admittedly, the enchanted floating mushrooms the clan's mages had given her [i]were[/i] quite impressive. Even more so when they exploded. It probably wasn't what they had intended, but it [i]was[/i] considerably more amusing.) She watched the floats go by, one by one. The parade was even more impressive than she remembered. Did it really get better or was she simply happy to be in her homeland again? Did it really matter? ((Also, I never got to say how much I loved your response to Hastine & Sini. I guess it's fortunate that they got out when they did :P))

@beckyh2112 Duskfire rubbed his nose, wincing. He would have complained, but the sight of the tablet that had hit him banished all concerns of a minor, incidental injury from his mind. He knew [i]exactly[/i] which dragon of the Clan needed this Battlestone...and it just so happened he had been trying to get her attention for some time. Happily, he scooped the stone and other favors into a pile, already composing his speech to his intended recipient in his head.... at least until the music caught his attention again, that is. Speeches could wait. There was a parade to watch! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4318317] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/43184/4318317_350.png[/img] [/url] Meanwhile, another dragon of the Clan moved purposefully though the crowd a little ways away. Duskcloud studied the parade watchers intently, looking for the distinctive form of a certain wacky Ridgeback who was supposed to be here.... Just where [I]had[/i] her mate gotten to? The sound of the cheers as a particularly spectacular float came by caught her attention, and the Guardian turned her head with interest. It was not the float that instantly fascinated her, however, but the Nocturnes flying around it. The Wind dragon stared enviously at those dancing, twisting forms. One Nocturne in particular seemed to simply flow through the air, dancing in and out of the shadows. Duskcloud sighed wistfully. She had [b][I]never[/I][/b] been that graceful.... "Dusk! [b][I]There[/I][/b] you are! What are you doing all the way over here?" Spellweaver twisted in midair, cutting across Duskcloud's vision and effectively blotting out the sight of the dancing/flying Nocturnes. "Come on! Twilight is over this way... and Duskfire is somewere about.... and Beeblebrox is at the Midway gambling away all his money...oh, and Twilight is annoyed at me right now, because she didn't get out of my way in time and I knocked into her, and so I'm over here looking at food, but it's all good, because I found you, and I was supposed to do that anyway... are you listening to me?" Duskcloud closed her eyes for a minute, then smiled at the overzealous Spiral. She did love her adopted sister, she reminded herself firmly. She [I]did[/i]. "I was watching the Nocturnes from that float, Spell. The one that is gone now," she added pointedly, as Spellweaver twisted to look. "Oh." The Spiral considered that, then shrugged. "Then you can join us. Twilight is down that way, up further. The float won't have passed yet....Come on! If we hurry you can see it again!" Dusk blinked, then smiled. Yes, she [I]did[/i] love her "sister". Very much. She turned and hurried after Spellweaver, who was already darting away. As she did, however, something flew through the air and landed in front of her....

"Acorn!! Look what I found, look!" [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/82490/8248959_350.png[/img] The Wildclaw gave his Coatl friend a tired look. Not bothering with an answer, he kept trying to make his way through the festival crowd. Locating a semi-vacant spot under a tree, he resolutely sat down, turning his back to the colourful floats and the 'oohs' and 'aahs' of the crowd. Half skipping, half flying, Felis quickly moved to join him, sitting at a small distance and looking at him carefully under her wide-brimmed hat. "Are you mad at me?" "Felis, please... You managed to make us lose the others twice, you have embarrassed me countless times now, and... we stick out like sore thumbs here. We should have dressed up properly like the others did." [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/83249/8324805_350.png[/img] "But I did dress up, didn't I? I am the legendary Pharaoh Wizard Pirate Queen. The zombie kind." "Please stop." "Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. We're here to have fun, aren't we? So we lost the others. We can always find them back at the lair. And if anyone looks at you wrong, I'll punch them in the face." Acorn blushed and looked away. The music was picking up, the drums setting a quicker, lively rhythm. "There will be no need for that. Can we stay here for a bit? Just until this group moves ahead. These snappers were making me nervous." Felis smiled, wide. "Of course!" She bounced through the air, bandages swishing, and settled closer. "Look at this thing I found earlier. What do you suppose it is?" She held out her palm, a small, roundish item glimmering upon it. It seemed to emit light from within. [img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/trinket/894.png[/img]

(( Everyone up to here has had a float rolled for them. Working on the giving away of things. Will probably be slow. ))

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5612506] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/56126/5612506_350.png[/img] [/url] This float wheels along under its own power, its path drunkenly wandering. It doesn't stick to the same route the other floats use, nor does it indulge in the artful swoops some of the flying floats used. It even spooks one of the guardians keeping the parade route clear as it almost runs over his tail. Stone columns in the style of the temple surrounding the Forum of the Obscured Crescent decorate the float. The upper parts of most are broken off; two have crashed to the 'ground'. Like, the columns, the rest of the float looks time-worn and broken. There are cracks in the spokes of its wheels. Chips come off the standing columns. Broken-open casks spill favors onto the floor of the float, some of which fall off every now and then. The central dais where the eerie wildclaw stands sways dangerously as the float moves, the creaking sound audible over the crowd. You're almost sure it's going to collapse before the end of the parade, until you realize this has to be part of the show. After that, it's almost fun to try to figure out how it's done. Maybe, with the right equipment...? Or maybe it's magic? Or both? A whirl of colorful nocturnes touch down suddenly, making the whole float wobble and groan. They quickly snatch up favors, then dart up and over the crowd, tossing them out indiscriminately. Mania just grins, until he suddenly joins them in flight. The scream of metal and groan of cracking wood as he takes off is more than a little terrifying. Even knowing it's supposed to do that, there's still a nagging doubt... @Yumi9011 A group of mirrors pad along in the parade, tossing and catching batons back and forth. Sometimes they use their mouths rather than their hands for the catching. @AllosaurCoffee The mirror dragon running the sausage booth at least takes the time to lick her claws clean of blood [i]and[/i] wash them before serving the next customer. @zucchi A spiral annoying someone? That sounds like time for a game of "try to bop the spiral on the nose with a plushie throw"! @Canisa The large royal Imperial would be quite pleased to hear how people appreciate the skill of his illusions. @MissMokushiroku Six of one, half a dozen of the other. As any of the Circusfolk will tell Sia, if asked, Shadow Flight always tries to top themselves. But the Shadowlings coming home for the holiday seem to enjoy it the most. Skydancers turn and dive in the air, every movement precise, graceful, and perfectly synchronized. (( Heheheh. It might have been bad if he'd felt he needed to leave the float to go check on his spiral. FORTUNATELY, someone of that pair was sensible. ))

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=1230607] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/12307/1230607_350.png[/img] [/url] Titania flitted through the crowd, stunned at how the Wood seemed so different then she remembered... and yet so much the same. Somewhere around here her fellow Shadowlings Twilight and Flamecaster were also watching the parade... but Titania wanted to be on her own for a while. Unlike the others, she had been a full adult when her original lair had collapsed--destroying many of her Clan and scattering those who were left--and she had been forced to flee to the Starfall Isles. Though she loved her new Clan, and never intended to leave them, there was a not-so-small hole inside here where her now-gone birth Clan had been. Being back was therefore bittersweet, and she doubted the rest of her Arcane Clan would understand that. Still, it was far more sweet than bitter.... And speaking of sweet, was that honeyed insects she smelled? Titania turned quickly, heading towards the stall, and her favorite treat. As she did so, she watched the floats pass, smiling in memory of parades long over, as well as appreciation for this year's performers. The Pearlcatchers were especially good this year... and she could not help but admire the Nocturnes, even as she wondered where they had been hiding in years past. Titania's musings were interrupted rather rudely by the arrival of an excitable--and familiar--voice. "Titania! I didn't know you were here! Come on, the Clan's gathering to watch the floats..Duskcloud wants to see one in particular, and I'm supposed to find Duskfire and Flamecaster and um, someone else... oh, was it you? Titania?" The older dragon sighed, turning away from the enticing aromas. "If the Clan is gathering, then we should go." She observed, noting that Spellweaver was not, for once, attempting to twist the magic around her. Just as well. The Shadowbinder would most certainly [b][I]not[/I][/b] have appreciated the resulting explosions.... or perhaps She would have, if Spell managed to turn it into a prank? "Oh, ah, alright." Spellwevaer looked started for a minute, twisting her body around. "But weren't you hungry? You were heading over this way--and I didn't mean we have to go [I]right [b]now[/b][/I]. Duskcloud went ahead to catch the Float, so we can wait and eat, and anyway I don't want to be near Twilight right now, she's kind of annoyed at me--even though it wasn't my fault she didn't move--and I thought maybe we could head over that way, but slowly, so you can look at your old home again. This [i]is[/i] your home, isn't it? Well, not really, I know, but the same area? Don't you want to look--and remember? And aren't you hungry? I know I am, and they have the honeyed insects...I saw them...." Titania blinked, parsing through her younger Clanmate's words. Once again, she was reminded of how observant and kind-hearted the irrepressible--and irresponsible--Spiral truly was.... and how intelligent. "I could use something to eat, yes. Why don't we head over to the stall?" She smiled at Spell, well aware of the manipulation just put in play, but perfectly willing to be so guided..." My treat." Spellweaver grinned happily, looping around again, and shooting off like an arrow. Titania hurried to follow her, feeling something snag her tail as she turned...

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=7897629] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/78977/7897629_350.png[/img] [/url] This float is... walking. Six of the grey, twisted trees right out of the Tangled Wood walk two abreast. There's something eerie about the way they move. Maybe it's the rustle and scrape of bark, or the way their leaves sway. Maybe it's the fact that, except for the walking, they look just like the trees that surround the circus-grounds. You know it's probably illusion or magical animation or even a trick of the Shadowbinder's. There aren't actually walking trees in the shadowy woods. Are there? It doesn't help that, like a few other floats, the lights from the circus and the rest of the parade don't seem to affect them. The only light on this float comes from an amber platform spun between their branches, and the purple light emanating from a female fae in the center of it. Erika sits atop a hoard of favors, doling them out to other fae and fae-mimicking nocturnes who congregate on the platform. Most take their favors over the side of the platform, flitting out from between the trunks of the trees to toss into or up to the crowd. More daring ones, fae and nocturnes alike, flicker through the branches to explode into the sky above the float. Erika rarely takes flight herself, seemingly preferring to guard her hoard. But when she does, the branches of the trees creak and stretch, opening a hole for her to easily leave the float. Worse, the trees stop until she comes back, their sudden immobility almost as eerie as their walking had been. Fortunately, the performers behind her float seem used to these sudden stops. They flow around the immobilized float with bright songs, a mix of pearlcatchers, snappers, and mirrors bedecked with glowing mushrooms. @DomiTheMystic The crowd noises grow louder as a wing of fae from the parade sweep over the nearby circus grounds, dropping doubloons and other favors. @Elenoremari A couple of tired-looking tundras stop by to drop off more prizes for the booth-owner. Then they take off again, one of them idly catching a particularly far-thrown favor from the parade. @LostUmbreon The number of Shadow dragons around is one of the reasons Trickmurk can be awfully hard to pull off 'properly'. Fortunately, the circus-makers have turned "I meant to do that" into an artform. @eeliesecks (Cutes!) A flare of darkness goes up from the parade, temporarily darkening everything and casting the existing lights in strange colors. @brain4puzzles With a great deal of practice and absolute trust in each other is how they do that. There are some wandering pearlcatcher dancers in the Circus who might be willing to talk about their training.

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=9582855] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/95829/9582855_350.png[/img] [/url] Ranulf watched the parade from a convenient perch. It was all shades of amazing. Below him sat his familiar, Puff the Magma Embear, nodding his head in time to the music. "I'm glad we came for this, Puff," Ranulf said. "I thought about skipping because..." he tugged nervously on his cowl. "Well, because. But this... this is better than anything I could have imagined!" Puff grunted agreement.

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=9525023] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/95251/9525023_350.png[/img] [/url] The lower edges of this float are sunk in shadow, obscuring how it moves. It looks like a den built from a mixture of local stone and driftwood. Time and effort have all but fused the two materials together, forming a dome. Its outsides glitter with luminescent runes. Some are simply of the Flights. Some are semi-magical invocations for protection and prosperity. Some might just be artwork. (A few are rude and scatological. Shadow Flight.) The runes continue onto the wildclaw perched atop the den. She prowls around the top, peering into the crowd. She leaves glowing footprints in the same color as the runes flecking her scales and lining the den, but they soon puff away into shadows. These shadows swirl playfully for a moment, before flowing into the mass around the lower edges of the float. Each addition causes it to billow out more. By the end of the parade, it might even spill over onto the crowd. Bats can be seen hanging inside the den. Well, they're a bit large for bats. Possibly some breed unique to the Tangled Wood? Abruptly, they explode outwards in a flurry, bearing favors. Then it's obvious they're nocturnes, all in dull colors easily taken for normal bats. Some of them dive onto the surface of the den, dipping their hands into Mirxail's footprints. Now they and their favors glow, and this glow takes longer to fade. But eventually it too puffs into shadow. @acheronta A nocturne abruptly drops down, a glowing favor in his hands. "I like your bells," he says shyly, before thrusting the favor at Horshef. @Canisa A fluffy plush Arcanist doll painted with glowing runes. @Dinsdale "Ooooooh." A shadow-eyed fae and a nocturne peek down from the leaves. "Herself's servants will trade you things for that." The nocturne nods. "Can't grow new trees without the right kind of pinecone."

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=7685357] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/76854/7685357_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] "Hold tight, captain, we're almost to the front!" Alibi said weaving his way through the thick crowd of dragons with Captain Firefeather close behind. "We be better off tryin' our luck back at th' games!" she snarled, catching sight of something being tossed in the air above the heads of the crowd before disappearing in front of them. "You don't want to miss this, trust me," he tossed over his shoulder, pushing between two coatls to get a glimpse of the parade. Dragons had to raise their voices over others and the music but as Firefeather pushed between Alibi and a bright red coatl, she found it much easier to speak to her first mate except she had no words for the sight in front of them. Alibi grinned, watching spirals dance by, his gaze flicking towards Firefeather as purple lights gleamed off of her wide crimson gaze. "What do you think?" he asked watching floats go by. The entire experience sent his heart thumping with excitement. "I've nary a thing t' describe it t'. We'd been at sea durin' th' last Trickmurk Circus an' I missed most o' this save fer plunderin' fresh skins," she admitted, her gaze fixed on the troop of animated dragons that marched past, each doing something completely unique. None of it seemed with purpose other than pleasing the crowd. "And you were going to stay on the ship," he teased, nudging the captain. She shot him a scowl, snorting. "There still be work t' be done," she snapped before adding in a calmer voice, "But I'll not be regrettin' me choice. Thankee kindly, me hearty." Alibi shot her a satisfied smirk before he joined other dragons in cheering the event on.