22 - Harvest Moon Viewing

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Harvest Moon Viewing
When: September 10, 6 PM
Where: The Meeting Hall grounds
Summary: The Heavens are throwing a moon-viewing party!







Party Games

Children are dashing all over the moon-viewing grounds in the early evening, flying kites or playing tag and other games. Many of them are wearing cute seasonal rabbit masks made of paper, or sporting ink curlicues and scribbles drawn over their faces, if they've lost too many games.

Card games and spinning top battles, a few practice archery butts towards the edge of the park, poetry-composing competitions, and even badminton: there's something for everyone, and anyone who doesn't look too busy may find themselves offered a rabbit mask and a game to play. Or perhaps you'd like to try your hand at drawing people into your own game?

Moon Viewing

The moon rises not long after sunset, looming over the garden in hazy golden and red splendor thanks to the volcanic fumes in the atmosphere. The games are winding down as darkness falls, and the faint scent of burning incense fills the air as people settle to view the moon rise. Shinki in their festival best, adorned with Amaterasu's golden chrysanthemum, are serving the guests. They set out trays of fresh seasonal fruit (Japanese pears, persimmons, and chestnuts) and plates of mochi, serve sake, and light portable grills to cook sweet potatoes and skewers of meat.

Mazed & Confused

Part of the grounds have been rearranged into a hedge-maze made of tall, plumed grasses packed close together. A sign at the entrance reads, "Bring back my ribbon from the center of the maze,
and I'll give you a special prize!"

Unfortunately, that's harder than it sounds. The maze is full of dead ends, confusing turns, and twisty little passages, which all look alike. It's almost magical how easy it is to lose your way inside, and the tufted grass will prove to have painfully sharp edges if anyone tries to cheat by pushing their way through the "walls" of the maze.

Those who successfully find their way to the center will find a white ribbon fluttering from the top of a tall pole. If they can climb the pole, pull the ribbon free, and make it back to the entrance, they will hear the sound of a child's laughter, and the ribbon in their hand will disappear to be replaced by a round cake of mochi. Enjoy the prize!

Wild Moon

One of the children participating most energetically in the games of tag and dashing around the party is wearing an oversized gray hoodie with the hood pulled up right to the edges of his happy rabbit mask. He's not being very careful, either: he keeps bumping into other party attendees and barely taking the time to mutter an apology before he sprints away.

Although nothing noticeable happens at the time, anyone who's been tagged or bumped into by that particular child will begin to feel more emotional, quicker to react, and less self-controlled as the night wears on. Those who he only brushed by won't be too powerfully affected, but the more times that he has run into someone, the stronger the effect will grow.

(Note: This won't cause anyone to have emotions that they wouldn't feel otherwise, but both ongoing moods and temporary reactions could be amplified.)

In Summary:

• Play party games
• Relax with snacks
• Try to solve the hedge maze
• Go wild
• Have fun~

Comments

[boneofsword]

[This time Archer is wearing a black yukata. Yup, you have a tall, imposing guy dressed all in black passing by. He somehow acquired a rabbit mask too. Whoops.]

Party Games

[Archer won't pass any archery range without trying his hand. That's why he's currently focused on practicing - not that much practicing, actually, but firing arrow after arrow, each one splitting the previous one in the very center of the target.]

Hmph. Not bad.

Moon viewing

[Archer peruses one of the grills to cook sweet potatoes and barbecue meat with fruits. The scent is definitely mouthwatering, and when you get near he shrugs.]

Feel free to grab one.

Maze

[After finding himself in a dead end one time too many Archer decides to mess with a rules and jumps up, seemingly standing at the top of the grass. He's not really surprised by the sight of odd mist swirling around that hides the maze from his eyes.]

Hmph. Should've expected that.

Wild moon



[Archer is sitting away from the crowd. His hair is messed up, making him look a bit younger, and his expression is less guarded. He's not alone, though.

Those who know Caster may recognize him in the figure that is sleepily draped over Archer. He's sleeping - passed out, really, there are limits to the alcohol intake for everyone - and Archer is being useful by not letting him sleep on the ground.]

Moon viewing makes me weirdly nostalgic. [he shrugs and adds.] Even if it doesn't make sense.

Wildcard!

[Feel free to write your own prompt. I'm good with anything.]

Party Games

[sing_for_me]

Eh? Isn’t that more than just ‘not bad’?

[She wasn’t familiar with archery, but he was hitting it dead center every time. And in a kimono too. Alex was struggling just adjusting to walking in one. Which was why she decided to stop and watch some of the games.]

[boneofsword]

[Archer pauses to look at her while nocking the arrow.]

Perhaps. [he admits, then tries to distract her.] This kimono suits you.

B

[sing_for_me]

....

[She was starting to notice that he liked switching the topic when it came to himself.]

Ah..thanks. It is a really nice kimono.

[Clothes make the man, was it? If Temeraire hadn't insisted on it, she wouldn't have gotten one for herself.]

You look nice in yours.

[She returns the compliment back to him.]

Party Games

[futhark]

[ Of course, Archer's type of fun is going to be... well, practicing archery. Apparently, it requires getting half-way out of the yukata to shoot well. ]

And here you are, being such a show-off. [ He's talking both about the "not bad" on multiple arrows in bull's eye and aforementioned fanservice.

No judgment there, though, since it's coming from a fellow show-off. Archer is fine-man and incredibly skilled warrior, no reason to hide either of those ]

[boneofsword]

Does it mean that you approve?

[Archer's lips curl into a smirk, but he doesn't look away from the target. It seems that so far Caster haven't seen him practice his class' skill. True, he is showing off, but for a good cause.]

[futhark]

Since when you needed my approval? You're going to do what you want anyway, [ that's the Archers Way of Doing Things. "Independent Action" etc. ]

But you're good, I give you that. [ A good shot, or a good view? Left as a mystery on purpose ]

Maze

[minogame]

Hey!

(He was hoping he'd be able to find his way to the center if he followed the moon but the moon is pretty big tonight, huh? That's how he sees Archer up on the hedge and Urashima shouts out at him,)

That's cheating, you know!

[boneofsword]

It's enchanted.

[Archer informs him calmly from up above.]

Most likely a spell to make you lose all sense of direction. A neat trick.

[minogame]

( His expression drops immediately. )

A spell?! ( He's so offended right now, ) That's not fair either!

( What is with this maze and why can't it just play by fair rules? )

So there's no way to win?!

Wild Moon

[darkestbefore]

[ She passes by Archer a little later in the evening - and spots Caster passed out on his lap, the sight giving her pause and then drawing closer with a smile. ]

So this is where he ended up. I was worried, considering how much sake he'd had when I last saw him. Good evening, Archer. It seems your god was a bit of a handful tonight. How are you?

[boneofsword]

Good evening, Yona. [Archer greets her. Even his smile is different, much gentler than his usual expression.] I'm fine, all things considered. And you?

[darkestbefore]

[ He does seem much more relaxed tonight than the first time she'd met him and she returns his smile as she moves to kneel beside him. ] Well enough. Enjoying an evening of celebration in the midst of everything else. This was... nice. And much-needed, I think.

Maze

[replicatedform]

[As he travel through the maze, trying to get his bearings, Yamanbagiri pauses and look around. That oddly familiar feeling... he felt this before, but he couldn't put it into words.

And he blinks, seeing Archer on top of the hedge.]

... Ha? Are you even allowed to do that?

[boneofsword]

Probably not. [Archer jumps down, landing close to him.] Hn. The view is obscured, no way to figure the path that way.

[replicatedform]

[Archer's close enough that Yamanbagiri can really sense that familiar feeling a little stronger than before. It's enough for him be off guard, briefly.]

I'm not surprised. Probably to keep it as fair as possible for everyone. [Not everyone can jump that high.] Should I take it you're lost as well?

Maze

[irishfriskey]

[He at first doesn't know where Archer is. But as he moves to another dead end, and sees the man's foot up in the air at first before he lands. Letting out a light chuckle.]

Any luck?

[probably not.]

[boneofsword]

If I had any I wouldn't be there.

[E rank luck club courtesy. Archer is a bit amused by the clever tricks.]

Looks like it's enchanted.

[irishfriskey]

...Fair enough.

[if you're surrounded by e-rank luck, do you appear luckier or unluckier?]

I can take care of things back here.

[If you want to go hunt for it, he'll take care of the sprites.]

moon viewing

[kokuyoyo]

[With a plate already filled with a good amount of food, Chikusa pauses as he stares down at the grill.]

....Just one?

[boneofsword]

[Someone seems to be hungry. Not that Archer thinks those aren't light snack, he's a heavy eater after all, and his god is even worse.]

How many would you prefer instead?

[kokuyoyo]

[Carefully, Chikusa looks over his plate and then the grill.]

....How many do you think we can fit on the plate?

Wild Moon

[nopixiedust]

Well, it's a pretty nice night.

[So far in the night, Wendy hasn't yet gone in her pursuit of a certain child, but her own mask is still shifted to the side on her head so that she can get a nice good look at the pair of dorks right in front of her.]

Friend of yours?

[boneofsword]

[Archer's lips curl into a smile. It's a bit lopsided, but it's a rare, honest expression. With his hair down he looks much younger - and much less guarded - that usual. He pats Caster's shoulder, which earns him a drunken mumble and a swat of hand before Caster falls into a drunken slumber again. It's an oddly affectionate gesture for someone usually so reserved.]

No, my god.

[nopixiedust]

Wow, he's a lot cuter than I thought he'd be from your description of him!

[But maybe that's just because he's super drunk.]

[Crouching down a small distance from the slumbering god with her hands resting on her knees, Wendy looks over him and then glances up at the surprisingly soft expression on Archer's face.]

Mm, I guess looking like that means you haven't been messing with him much tonight, huh?