Shiny Day Sparkles In Rose Garden, Starlight Ballroom

Blue fox Azure drank a glow stick and became a small fox of luminescence. This and many more displays of heightened albedos marked the celebration of the popular Shiny Day holiday. Not only did the Rose Garden become a sparkling glittering and almost uninterpretable array of glare and reflections but the fabulous Starlight Ballroom at Edgeworld Park hosted the Shiny Ball.

Mavra rides into the shiny ball on Garrison. (Image by Garrison)

In fact, several shiny balls were hosted, as Garrison the often-changed unveiled a shiny spheroidal side to himself. Garrison was used as popular prop by the centaur Mavra. Gilead came as a My Little Pony otteress, a form she has enjoyed since the ball and used to set off multiple discussions of the new My Little Pony: Deep Space Nine series. The devilbunny BunnyHugger appeared dressed as the pinball wizard, with no direct responsibility for Garrison’s pinball-ness, and squirrel Chitter was himself (he refused BunnyHugger’s suggested costume of a can of baked beans).  ‘Toon bunny Skyler showed off his rarely-seen balloon side. Austin wrapped several pieces of aluminum foil around his arms and tail, pleading that he hadn’t had the chance to make a good costume. Fluffy became a shiny critter, Dragoncat showed off the latest in dragon-cat polish treatments, and Findra showed off her old-fashioned dolphin self. PatchO’Black drew many eyes and several resonant modes by coming in as a Jellicle Crystal Cat.

Mayor Jaxen, sporting his tuxedo and fox tails, provided music for the event with a series of music videos and songs provided by a disc jockey song, used both on Shiny Day and on a day-after gathering also at the fabulous Starlight Ballroom. Songs included many natural holiday hits including Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “Shining Star,” The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” The Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” The Kinks’ “Starstruck,” and Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” as popular examples.

Dingo worried that Garrison’s genderless pinball form interfered with her ability to call Garrison “mother,” but the often confused nature of family relations was brought as evidence that she could call Garrison whatever she cared to. And with that settled the night turned back to the music, and to the dancing, and to the celebration of glitter and sparkle.

The following night a smaller crowd gathered again in the ballroom, listening to the music through Jaxen’s disc jockey program and having a different but not less enjoyable set of conversations. At this day-after gathering the inflatable Mischa showed off her beach ball form, and then moved back to being an inflatable Princess Jasmine, as pool toys are often shiny.