[Survey] A Calm, Contemplative, Chaotic Carnival

A Calm, Contemplative, Chaotic Carnival

After finishing up their foraging hunt the night before, Akira could finally take some time to explore Harbor and see everything the largest Twilight Carnival had to offer. Back in B’Haddu, the Twilight Carnival mainly focused on carving gourds, displaying each other’s art, and a large community bonfire with some snacks for everyone to share. Akira’s stomach started rumbling at the thought of it all- it wasn’t often she would really be able to relax like this without her scheduled gigs, hobbies, and personal projects getting in the way. Relaxing for some time at the carnival and getting herself some good food would be just the thing she needed to get a good mental break and unwind. Arika reached into her bag and felt the mushrooms she picked the other night still inside, and remembered she wanted to cook them into something. She walked over to the nearest bonfire where she saw some Xeros cooking what smelled like soup to her, sat down, and talked to the Xeros there. “S’ alright if I add some ‘shrooms to the pot? They’re still fresh and I thought I could share somethin with y’all in the spirit of the carnival”. The Xeros excitedly agreed and Akira pulled out the fresh mushrooms and began to cut them up and add them to the pot with her knife. Some time passed as all the Xeros talked with one another, and soon the mushroom stew was ready and wooden bowls and wooden spoons were passed among all the Xeros. The stew was cooked to perfection, the earthy, fragrant, and soft mushrooms going perfectly with the rich, creamy broth. She spent the rest of the evening chatting with the Xeros until they all went their separate ways.

Feeling full after her meal, Akira decided to check out some of the stalls, especially since she had some extra money on her, and she wanted to see if she could get something cool as a souvenir, or something she could use later. She made her way to a stall full of fruits and other plants. Remembering the mushroom she had harvested, she naturally inquired about the best way to nurture mushrooms and some of the other plants on display in the more arid climate of B’Haddu. After a long and pleasant chat with the vendor, she ended up buying some Hake Nut, Spikul Fruit, succulents, and a planter kit full of satchels of seeds, high-quality soil, and some fertilizer. Akira had plans to grow a bunch of Spikul fruit not only because she loved the taste of the fruit and it was easy to grow in the desert, but also for the versatility of the spikes. When she returned home she could do her best to grow all of the seeds she had bought.

Right now though, Akira sat down on a bench and started to gaze into the night sky, the sounds of the carnival coming from the distance. Even though Akira spent most of time on other activities in B’Haddu, maybe for once taking some time off and not causing much trouble for a little bit at the Carnival really helped her refocus on what was important in life. Staring at all the distant worlds in the sky, she started thinking about her future and what she’d want out of life in the coming year.