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

[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. ]

[lostinshadows]

[Feeling a hand over his has Lavi stilling, his lone emerald eye staring down at Zero in surprise. He doesn't move, feeling the steady thud of the god's heart beneath his hand - the steadiness that he finds himself focusing on. He doesn't say anything, his shoulders slowly relaxing under the steady support.]

[moonlitknight]

[ Zero doesn't let go. But he's still, letting Lavi take his cues from him. He lets him calm down at his own pace and when he finally starts to wrestle down his demons, Zero hears it in the beat of his heart, no longer erratic, the rhythm smoothing out gradually, second by second. And through it all, his hands remains, steady and warm. ]

[lostinshadows]

[It's a steady thud, almost like a tuneless lullaby just a hum that he can feel. It's calming in its own way, feeling his frayed nerves soothe itself once more. His grip on Zero loosens enough where he's not clinging onto him so desperately anymore, but he doesn't move to get off of him - not yet.]

[moonlitknight]

[ Twice now... Twice now they had met and twice now he had crumbled. ]

......

[ Zero stares up at him, even gaze, steady hand. ]

What happened?

[lostinshadows]

Three important people to me left in the same week, not even that far apart from each other.

[His tone sounds pained, the evidence of their mark on Lavi.

He was close to Allen despite his initial resistance. He was close to Lux until their fight on the network under a private function. He lost Yuto, the one person he's allowed himself to confess to and it's not even a a day later when Yuto is ripped away from him. Three important people to him were taken away - all of them impacting Lavi in a way where it has helped him become who he is now.

What he is now.

Three lights that often left him in the shadows were blacked out and he didn't know how to handle it. Hiding it behind smiles were getting harder, talking about Yuto left a strong ache in his heart that he didn't know if he could ever fill in that void.

He's tired but he has to keep going. Cardia knows, Hajime has an idea, but Shun doesn't know anything about that and now Zero....

Zero knows Cardia, but none of the others.

Lavi's crumbling and he doesn't know how to build himself back up.]

[moonlitknight]

[ Zero doesn't need to know the details to see the distinct markings their departure had left on him. A heart crushed by its on weight; heavy were the echoes of the departed. Zero knows this well, he'd lost his parents in the same heartbeat. Then, the girl he most wanted to protect and the brother he loved the most in the same moonlit night. ]

.....

[ He sits up, dislodging him, a swift hand catching his arm to steady him. Shoulders even, the Hunter speaks. ]

When?

[lostinshadows]

[Lavi jerks when Zero suddenly sits up and grabs him by the shoulders

He looks startled, eye widening a bit at the god's reaction.]

A day or two after we've talked last time for the first one. Then the other two left not too long after.

[Roughly in the same week.]

[moonlitknight]

[ ... as he suspected. ]

What do you plan on doing?

[lostinshadows]

I....

[He doesn't know.

Lavi has been going on at this for days since they left. He's been moving on the best he could, but he can feel the weight building up on his shoulders.

The answer leaves him briefly stunned.]

I don't know. [And that terrifies him.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He guessed as much. ]

Figure out today.

[ He drops his hand, letting him go. ]

Then, worry about tomorrow.

[lostinshadows]

And if I can't?

[The question comes out sounding more tired than he intended, but he does move to get off of Zero, at least.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He sits up. ]

Then you try tomorrow.

[lostinshadows]

Never took you as a motivational speaker.

[There's a lack of bite in his words, however. He looks away from the god, a hand running through his hair before he finally gets to his feet.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He stands. ]

I'm not.

[ And with that he walks away. ]