Event Page

The festivities were all the more merrier and the terrain made all the more difficult by the presence of Jack the Whipper/Jacques Ze Whipper for opening weekend.

The haul is much lighter this year. Rather than any reflection of the quality of the event or participating vendors, all of which remain excellent, it is a matter of greater restraint. Living in a small space enforces such demands as trinkets and curiosities accumulate all around.

The books hail from an obligatory visit to Page After Page.

The fountain pen in elder wood and gunmetal as well as the double seam ripper in cocobolo were the consequences of a long overdue visit to 1893 Woodcrafts.

I still recommend visiting at least once during the season.

Considering I’ve been listening to this song on repeat, it would be remiss of me to not speak of it further.

I work in folk and fable, so it is of little surprise HoloMyth vividly resonated with me at their debut and continue to do so two years onward. I’ve my preferences among them but I appreciate each and every one for their exceeding capability in shining individually and as a group.

It very much shows in this group original. The song is mired in fairy tale, gratitude, resilience, and strongly manifests a writing motif. Every verse powerfully poigant in the overall scheme and particularly so in the context of each individual talent.

I know what I will loop in the background when I head into NaNoWriMo 2022.

Lyrics below and color-coded to each talent:

Group Chorus

Gawr Gura

Takanashi Kiara

Mori Calliope

Watson Amelia

Ninomae Ina’nis

Non-Fiction
by hololive English -Myth-

Some “once upon a time” is not where our myth belongs
Through the faded lines of words and rhyme
is a hidden song
Though fractured deeply, worn by sorrows
from time and time again
Take my hand and enter our… “pretend”

By star-lit skies
Endlessly writing
Inviting those along
Lost souls who hear our song when gone astray

Though strife’s part of life
Stay unafraid, now
When forces say “behave”
We say instead,
“Be brave.”

In a desperate shout, our souls reach out
With pen toward every page
We ignite, come alive
Like a starry night
With a fire no doubts can take away
Got no fairy tale
Where “love prevails”
Though painful, now we move endlessly on
By the light- your spark

Head first, into the dark

Some “once upon a time” is not where a voice gets heard
Will the faded lines of speeding time make us
flightless birds？
When pen is running dry, a soul on fire
Is driven to react
And when burning flames attack
We will never fade to black

Though fake, it seems
Not a dream
Or a trick of light

Always vacancy,
Take a seat,
It’s our story’s time

A world is brought to life, through voices five
And as “real” as they say
Pen as sword, we’re choosing fate
We can never lose our way

By star-lit skies
Endlessly writing
Inviting those along
Lost souls who hear our song when gone astray

Though strife’s part of life
Stay unafraid, now
When forces say “behave”
We say instead,
“Be brave.”

Defiant ‘til the end, I’ll stay killing
To sing

I’ll dance in burning embers unyielding
Your love’s given me wings

While learning to remember the good times
We bring

Our ocean’s finally full of life

Set every vital piece in motion
Now we write

In a desperate shout, our souls reach out
With pen toward every page
We ignite, come alive
Like a starry night
With a fire no doubts can take away
Write a fairy tale
Where “love prevails”
Cliched, maybe, we move joyfully on
By the light- your spark

Hopeless days are just a part of being free
We wrote it all by heart

And smile, side by side among the stars…

Ah, the sheer wonder of creative collabration.

Vocals: Gawr Gura, Takanashi Kiara, Mori Calliope, Watson Amelia, Ninomae Ina’nis

Directions, Lyrics: Mori Calliope

Music: Elliot Hsu

Illustrations: Dino

MV: EchoMotion

Maryland Renaissance Festival event page

Always a delight to attend and well worth the ticket price to simply wander about.

There was less of a haul this year than the last, but 2021 was a big “welcome back” due to closures in 2020.

Notable events from opening weekend:

• Attending the Revel Grove debut of Jack the Whipper/Jacques Ze Whipper. Much dexterity, much charisma, and much, understandable female thirst in the audience.

• Nut and Meat vendors together at last, hawking wares in-character while coordinating emergency services.

• One brave soul attending as a Plague Doctor in full dress and without care to the summer heat.

• A few people coaxing a slightly reluctant, sun-basking skink off the steps of a shop.

• An employee of Marty Magic staring at my sister’s silver dragon necklace (bought from them years ago) and asking if it could be escorted into the machine out back to polish it back up.

With further ado, the purchases:

Wheat fan from Wheat Dreams

Iron Pisces from Iron Antler Forge

Various books from Page After Page

Killer Bee Honey from The Bee Folks, because the Radish Honey was too adventurous

Shot glass with a Black Pearl from Waterhawk Creations

Iridescent Cuttlefish Pendant from Marty Magic

Much tempted to make a second trip this year but wiser to be patient until the next.

For any who plan to attend while there is still time, do enjoy it.

The Rookie Awards are one of many ways for a young creative to debut to a wider audience.

My sister has an entry this year and one that I assisted in small parts. It is well worth a look and the link is below.

She is as fond as of mythology, folklore, and legend as I, but her fascination lies with the otherworldly and Fey whereas I am more compelled by the chthonian and eldritch.