Seaside Mermaid Celebration

[Delahada]

For one night only, the Seaside Baronial Manor is opening its doors to the public, inviting everyone of all ages to come celebrate Rekah Illyriana and wish her a very merry unbirthday!

Officially the party starts at 6:00 PM RST and goes through the night until 7:00 AM RST the following morning, but come early and stay late! For the evening meal, a build your own bowl buffet featuring a variety of help yourself fixings will be set out near the kitchens. Carry your meal with you through the manor, or find yourself a cozy place to sit out on the veranda and enjoy the open ocean air. Walk through the gardens after and down to the shore to indulge in some cliff sledding, skiff racing, or maybe swim with a mermaid! Dry off in front of one of the many well spaced apart bonfires spread across the beach, and lay back in the sand to gaze at the stars.

Come back up to the manor to chase your friends through the halls with super soakers, silly string, and glitter bombs, courtesy of some special furry friends. If that doesn’t wear you out, drop into the ballroom, which has been decked out in sea themed decorations. Jellyfish lanterns hang from the ceiling, tickling the senses with their paper tentacles. Everything is lit up with glow lights and a DJ is set up in a corner of the room playing all the latest house beats to keep you on your feet.

Should all this partying make you thirsty, the smoking room bar is open to the public with a hired set of bartenders and traveling servers. Cocktails and spritzers, alcoholic and non- drinks of all sorts are available upon request. Need a sugar boost? Stop by the candy bar and grab some of the special blue lemonade punch, too! Rekah’s cake was catered specially by the Divine Delights Bakery. Her dear friend gatito takes full credit for the baking of the seashell and mermaid macarons, with thanks to the MacGyldren family for use of their kitchens.

All guests are encouraged to find themselves places to crash for a nap at any time throughout the evening. Couches and lounge chairs in the smoking room and library are numerous, as well as lining the walls of the ballroom and hallways. The manor also boasts ten available bedrooms which can be claimed by family units or groups of friends. Should none of these options suit your needs, carriage and Rhuber services will be on call to transport guests to accommodations at the nearby Rathskeller Inn, where an additional fourteen suites await occupation.

The Rathskeller Inn will offer a complete breakfast buffet for those who stay overnight, and Seaside Manor will provide a build-your-own waffle buffet, for those with sweeter tastes. Regardless of where guests spend the night, all are welcome to come back to watch the sunrise and share in the sugar high. Freshly brewed coffee, tea, traditionally thick Spanish hot chocolate, and an assortment of fresh juices will be available, as well as any other breakfast favorites upon request. Wait staff has been outsourced and hired to stay from sun down until sun up!

Brought a present for the unbirthday girl? Leave it for her to find in a specially designated drop off spot just inside the manor’s front doors. All in all it’s party intended to make a big splash for guests of all ages!


Event Update 2/27/2021: Per the birthday girl's wishes, the party won't stop at sunrise on March 1st after all. Instead it will persist for no less than eleven (11) days straight! Though the DJ will be replaced with a looping automated sound system, the ballroom will continue to blast house beats like a night club that never closes. The bar will remain open, intermittently staffed by bartenders for hire and the occasional unreliable goblin. Once the buffet empties, it will be restocked with any variety of dishes anyone takes it upon themselves to whip up in the kitchen or bring in from outside sources. The bedrooms will remain available at Seaside Manor itself for anyone needing to take a break. Don't want to leave? You don't have to! At least not until the morning of March 10th, by which time the Baron himself might finally kick you out.


(( Shout out and special thanks to Partly Cloudy, Ariana MacGyldren, and others for helping with graphics, involvement, and fine tuning the description for this event. This is a board only event. Feel free to reply to this thread with your character’s participation! Everyone welcome! Show Rekah some love! ))

[Jackie Von Tombs]

Swimming with the mermaids was always a first choice for the teen queen mariner, Jackie! She arrived via sea, swimming in and around with the lovely mermaids and dolphins. With a good shake and a haphazard dry-off, Jackie barged into the party wearing a swimsuit cover up robe and no pants.

When she found the build a bowl, she was quick to load up with a little of everything before finding a nook to devour her dinner, happily chatting with everyone nearby. But once she was done eating, and realized that there were plenty of ways to decorate... she was off romping through the halls with glitter bombs and double handed Silly String assaults.

She found a cozy sofa and had a nice nap before she went bailing back into the fray, this time, raiding the sweets and goodies before heading for the dancing... then down the ocean to play in the lights of the bonfires and water, then back inside for more poke bowl, and ...somewhere along the line, she conked out for a long sleep!

She left a prezzie for Rekah, as well, inside of a brightly wrapped (clean and new!) tin ash can...

[Strawberry]

She didn't know Rekah well (or at all except in passing really), but what she did know of her was worth celebrating. Plus, Karma considered herself a mermaid unicorn at heart and as such, dressed accordingly, wholly ready to indulge in the theme, the locale, and the company.






For the birthday girl, she brought a handmade ceramic mermaid mug and a basket of candy.



She had a challenge the next night though, so she only stayed until the early morning hours before saying her goodbyes and disappearing into the night.

[Pharlen]

Of course Pharlen attended, arriving via the front door like a somewhat normal person, her little white pup happily on her heels. She left a gift for the unbirthday girl... and then went on to hit the buffet.

As the twilight was stealing away, Pharlen showed up one of the bonfires with her guitar, and began to play and sing sea shanties, to sing along to or jig along to, she just needed someone on a squeeze box to fill out the sound.

The more she sang and played, the more bobbing orbs of light came to dance and swirl about the fire, each little spirits whether bright or dim, and each enjoying the rollicking music and glad hearts around.

Beseme was happy to play with anyone that needed some adorable little white dog to love on, too.

[Eden Parker]

Eden was excited to come celebrate all things Rekah!

She had barely wrapped her brain around the concept of birthdays, and now an unbirthday? Eden was confused, but she decided in her mind that it just meant she didn't need to bring a gift! As a hater of giving presents, she was pleased to accept this self-interested interpretation.

She wasn't entirely clear on the mermaid theme either, but she had a feeling that maybe a special dress was in order. So she wore this one, along with her usual converse sneakers!



Eden enjoyed the fare at the party, but especially the sweets bar, which she was seen repeatedly going back to try all the different things. She spent most of her time divided between there and the dance floor, celebrating and dancing with whomever would join her.

Although the party did not seem to be particularly winding down, eventually Eden's internal clock started telling her it was getting pretty late, so she bid her goodbyes and managed to find her way home.

[Betty Liski]

Betty wasn't exactly going to dress on-theme, but she certainly brought her own Seaside Stoner Beach Bunny flavor to the party:



On recommendation from The Baron Brood and gatito, Betty came with a single, yet substantial present:



A big-@$$ drum of Quebec Maple Syrup.

She saved room for at least three different bowls, to get a good sample of the flavors available, before milling between bonfires, giving Eden a bottle of glow-in-the-dark nail polish, and eventually taking root at one of her own, downwind from most of the festivities. From the cloud of blue smoke that had accumulated, her positioning was well-reasoned. She kept a beach towel and a bowl pack ready for Coydog, and the pair set up camp on the beach in lieu of solid walls, that night.

[Coydog]

Coydog seemed happy to see everyone, including le birthday girl, though Betty's orbit always seemed to draw her near, whom she would eventually join after some mingling and well wishes for the birthday girl.

[Gallo]

Not long before sunset on the evening of the 28th, a monstrously huge crocodile emerged from the sea and coasted along up the beach. There it sprawled at rest, toothy mouth gaping wide open as if just daring anyone to stick their hand in, or anything else for that matter. The beast rattled guttural, prehistoric greetings to anyone who got near. Despite how much the noise might have triggered the hindbrain, the reptile did not seem the least bit hostile.

At some point the great beast lumbered further up the beach, hauled its massive and scaly hide up the windy rock stairs to the manor itself, and let itself in through the open doors of the kitchen, startling only a half dozen of the hired cooks and resulting in one spilled bowl of sauteed mushrooms. Which, surprisingly, the crocodile gobbled up. After slinking down a hallway and disappearing into the wine cellar, the beast was not seen again, at least not that day.

Not entirely unrelated: Soon after the crocodile had made itself scarce, a large bearded man who had not been seen entering the manor was spotted ambling through the halls. He introduced himself with a grunt, claiming to be part of the security detail, and surrendered the name of “Dick” to anyone who might have asked. Though gruff, he was not entirely unfriendly. He mingled, sharing drinks in the parlor and taking part in the silly string games. He even endured any glitter bombing that might have resulted in saturating his beard with grace.

When he wasn’t indulging in the ridiculous fun, he was eating, a lot. The man with the beard was near constantly seen with a heaping bowl in his hands, shoveling food into his mouth. Either the level never seemed to dwindle or he kept going back for more! Chances were likely it was a case of the latter. He indulged in quite a few of the macarons, too, making certain to compliment the gatito with a grunted, “These’re good.” when he happened to cross his path.

Wherever he found Rekah, he was certain to wish her a happy unbirthday and a hug. At some point in the evening, he left a little box at the gift pile for her. A note inside told her it was from Gallo, and the treasure within consisted of a carved bone pendant wound with blue string.

On that first night, later on, the man calling himself “Dick” gathered up an enormous bowl of sweets and took them with him out the back of the manor, down the stairs, through the gardens, and down more stairs to the shore. He found the small camp that Betty and Coydog had made for themselves and offered sweets in trade for their company, and the other indulgences they had. There he spent some time basking in the warm sands and the fire, though he did not overstay his welcome.

During various points throughout the rest of the expected eleven day celebration, both the man and the crocodile could be encountered, though never at the same time. More than once, the latter was even seen wearing a party hat, and quite possibly acting as Rekah’s personal transport, couch, or bed.

[Pharlen]

A day or so later, on checking to make sure everyone was still alive, Pharlen was surprised to find the party was still in progress. She poked into the kitchen, and then cheerfully took over. First, she had to drag out the barbecue...

Soon, she had flank steak, hot sausages, chicken, onions, nopal, and whatever else looked like it could use a good grilling on the coals.



A table was set with several salsas: corn, mango, fresca, hot, mild, green, and guacamole. Corn chips, regular and blue, and corn and flour tortillas for the carne asada, rice, red beans, and cole slaw were waiting for the eating too...



She found an Instant Pot pressure cooker, and made a cheesecake with it. It turned out and was easy, so, she just kept making them.







Also, she was lazy, so she hired a crew to come in and clean up after her.

[PrlUnicorn]

Sunday night, before the New Haven Challenge, Colleen took time with her youngest daughters and several of her grandchildren to swim with the dolphins.



For the birthday girl, Collie brought mermaid makeup brushes and

and a decorative mermaid's tail shelf for knickknacks.


She also brought several dozen of her famous/infamous fudge brownies.

[Mairead Harker]

Maggie used the key for the Tower of Water to warm the waters near the Seaside Baronial Manor. They would be comfortable for those wanting to dive in and enjoy a swim. Her gift to Rekah appeared to be two sterling silver and larimar necklaces. A note explained their enchantments; during the week before and week after Rekah's birthday, now and in the future, that she would be able to use the silver and larimar mermaid necklace to transform into a mermaid. She would be able to use the octopus one at any time to understand the voices of sea creatures.

[BardGallant]

With the celebration starting on a Sunday, Dris arrived early for a change! Of course, he wasn’t alone either. Rhys drove them to Seaside Manor in the Mustang so that they could bring their best girl Gussie along for the festivities. They set her loose on the manor, and though she bullied everyone she knew for pets and cuddles, dishing out doggy kisses galore, she wasted no time winding her way down to the shore to frolick in the surf with leopards, crocodiles, kids, and any other friends of all species.

Thanks to Maggie’s use of her Keeper of Water powers to warm the sea, the bard and his beau spent some time swimming with the mermaids and dolphins. With laughter and joy they raced along the beach, stopping by to say hello to Betty and Coydog, and possibly mooching some treats off them. Before it got too late, they brought some of the ocean inside with them for dinner. Dris’ notoriety for eating like a bird was no exception here. He only filled his bowl halfway and nibbled on it while touring the mansion, sober, unlike the last time he’d visited!

At nine o’clock that evening, dried and fed, Dris and Rhys left Seaside to attend the challenge for New Haven and cheer for their dear friend Colleen. Before they left, Dris left a gift for Rekah in the designated present depository. Inside a shimmery, foil wrapped hat box tied up with a bow, was a hat made specifically for the birthday girl by Dris’ very good friend Mart Di’luna, specially designed and made to order.

A small murder of half a dozen crows had followed the dashing duo to the party, and lingered long after they left. For the entirety of the eleven day celebration, these birds could be encountered at the manor and on the beach, heckling each other and harassing guests. There was one especially loud crow that demanded SNACKS of anyone passing by with any food whatsoever. Two others notoriously spouted just about every swear word imaginable, in both common and French, in a variety of creatively insulting phrases to unwitting passersby.

Dris and Rhys returned the very next evening, on the first of March, and made a week long event of it every day after work until Friday the fifth when Dris had made himself sick on partying and was forced to spend the weekend at home recovering. While he was seen in the public, however, he mingled and schmoozed, laughed and danced, drank and sang, and had a spectacular time at the Seaside celebration in the company of so many friends and his marvelously supportive boyfriend.

[Sylista Ravenwood]

Sylista flitted in and out of the Seaside Manor, a few business issues coming up for the Rathskeller, plus there were infants that needed to be cared for! Nevertheless, the Flameweaver arrived with a happy smile and gifts for Rekah.

Viktor and Mathian attended with Sylista, either both together or one at a time each time she had time to stop by. Not interested in the water, the woman came dressed in some form of a black dress with iridescent colouring:


The gifts chosen included:
1) an adult-sized stuffed unicorn enchanted to allow Rekah to ride it. The unicorn did not come with a name.


2) A giant bin of candy labelled "points"


Happiest of unbirthdays, Rekah!