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

c.

[moonlitknight]

[ The loud sound of a panting animal can be heard in the darkness ahead, drawing closer. Soon, a large figure can be seen through the brush as the clouds above pass the moon allowing its light to hit the ground revealing a ten foot hellhound. The moonlight captures the sheer density of silver rose vines that make out the three-headed hound before revealing the man in its shadow. Master and creature make their way down a seemingly empty path toward the shinki. ]

[lostinshadows]

[His head shoots up at the panting, the familiar sound of Cerberus greeting him. Lavi curls up as much as he can, almost as if it would help in making him invisible. He ducks his head, hoping that the shadows will keep him out of their sight, though even he knows better than to really hope for that.]

[moonlitknight]

[ They draw closer and Cerberus stops, catching a scent in the air. The Hellhound turns in Lavi's direction and starts tracking him down. It's not long before both are standing before the shinki, Hades having followed his lead. ]

What are you doing out here?

[ Away from civilized society? Zero allowed Cerberus to roam the area because he figured they wouldn't run into anyone this far out so it's a little surprising to find anyone out here. ]

[lostinshadows]

Hoping to avoid people.

[Which, clearly, that hasn't worked out so well.

He doesn't look at either of them, keeping his gaze focused on the ground.]

[moonlitknight]

[ That's not the answer he's expecting and it's no surprise that it catches his attention. Zero looks down at him, brows creased as he tries to figure out if he should leave him on his own or stay. ]

You picked a shitty place to do it.

[ A gouging remark just to see how he reacts. ]

[lostinshadows]

Maybe you just picked a shitty time to come.

[Just leave him alone.

He curls more, a hand distractedly tugging on his own hair.]

[moonlitknight]

[ A long pause as he catches that gesture. He's been tracking down stray vampires for the last year and more than once he's found victims in worse shape than him but he'd also found quite a few of the quiet ones, victims seemingly uninjured yet their minds needed to be purged of the awful memories same as the other ones. ]

You look like shit.

[ And you can't expect him to ignore that. ]

[lostinshadows]

[Don't compare him to those victims, Zero.

Lavi pauses before an irritated growl escapes.]

Just leave me the fuck alone, Zero.

[moonlitknight]

[ Then don't act like one, dumbass. ]

Go back to your temple, Lavi.

[lostinshadows]

No.

[Don't fucking tell him what to do.

Just let him brood.]

Just go away already.

[moonlitknight]

Make me.

[lostinshadows]

Why the fuck do you even want to stick around?

[He will actually tackle you down and fight you, Zero.]

[moonlitknight]

Because you're hurting.

[ Then do it. ]

[lostinshadows]

It doesn't fucking matter if I'm hurting or not.

[He doesn't deserve it.

But he does look up, glaring at the god now.]

[moonlitknight]

If it didn't matter, then you wouldn't be out here hiding from the world.

[ Zero meets that glare with an even gaze. He's been on the other end of those angry eyes enough times to see what lay beneath. A hurting heart. ]

[lostinshadows]

Maybe I'm just better off being kept from that world.

[He tenses, not quite enjoying the even gaze Zero was giving him.]

[moonlitknight]

Maybe.

But I don't think Cardia would agree.

[lostinshadows]

[At the mention of Cardia, Lavi stiffens, frozen in his place.

He recoils before a pained growl escapes, finally deciding to just tackle Zero down.]

[moonlitknight]

Stay!

[ A sharp command toward Cerberus who immediately turns on Lavi but quells its reaction at the order snapped before Zero is tackled down without resistance. ]

[lostinshadows]

Shut up. Don't mention her!

[Don't use Cardia against him.

Never use his goddess against him. He grips the collar of Zero's shirt, glaring down at him and paying no mind to Cerberus at all.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He doesn't resist, there's no need too and simply lets him yell out his frustrations. ]

Go back to your temple.

[lostinshadows]

I can't.

[Not like this. He doesn't want Cardia to see him like this.

He's caused her too much grief already.

Lavi clutches at the god, tense and suddenly feeling much more like a child, vulnerable and lost and unsure of what he should do.]

[moonlitknight]

You can't stay out here by yourself.

[ Not the way he is now. He may not have had a shinki for long but he knows that something like this will only fester. ]

[lostinshadows]

[The redhead tenses at the truth in his words.

He knows he can't. Cardia is around in the festival somewhere, he's sure, so he'll make his way back to her eventually. Or he can seek out one of the others - someone he trusts more than the god beneath him.

At the same time--

His hands shake.]

I can't let myself be seen like this by others either. [It's why he's chosen somewhere isolated. Somewhere in hopes where he can be alone until this mood of his passes.]

[moonlitknight]

[ A large hand settles over his, steady and warm. ]

Then don't.

[ Calm down, Lavi. ]