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

[untodeath]

moon viewing;

[ Oh, she's glad that she's come, after all!

The garden has never looked so beautiful, illuminated in the moonlight of the autumnal moon. Even with the bustle of festivities and conversation, Grell manages to find a manner of serenity to it all.

Wandering over toward the refreshments table, she'll build a small plate of appetizers and help herself to some sake. In light of appearances, she'll make idle conversation with Amaterasu's shinki; ask how she's faring. It's been dreadfully long since she met the young goddess, and hasn't had contact since she'd helped pull her from the fire at her temple, so the sentiment, at least, is genuine.

To anyone else she might bump into at the table, she'll offer a flirtatious wink. Whether or not conversation will be made is entirely up to them!

It's on to finding a seat, then! Grell will scout the area for any familiar faces, and should they be available, she'll stroll on over to say hello. ]


wild moon;

[ Ah, when was the last that she'd shared a blood red moon with a special someone? Yes, that's right. Early September, year 1888, she'd revealed herself to Angelina Dalles; the woman that captured her heart, her breathtaking angel of death! Together, they'd shared a tumultuous love affair, and the title of Jack the Ripper.

Is that why she feels this way? So reminiscent? Craving what was lost.

Throughout the course of this night, Grell had found herself succumbing to aggression, and after some child had bumped into her for the umpteenth time, she'd had to have been talked down from lowering him to the ground and releasing his sweater. It was then that she'd excused herself from the party.

However, the lady has hardly taken herself home . . .

Pacing where the moonlight cannot reach, the pretty red reaper has lost herself to the fantasy of days long past, and frantic inclinations have her keeping her chainsaw at the ready. God help the soul that should cross her path! ]

( ooc : If you would like to run into Grell during her murderous streak, please take a glimpse at this! )

[amongthethorns]

[Alan has his own little assortment of food - mostly pear and chestnuts a bit of sweet potato, too. Noticeably, he's forgone sake - at least for now. He wanted to enjoy the evening and not pester his shinki with the task of carrying a drunken god home.

He's been enough trouble for Castiel as of late. Which is too why he's purposefully staying upwind of any smoke or incense. He's content to just sit and stare at the moon and the sky and try to get his mind off of everything that's been a bother.

His attention is grabbed by a familiar sight of red and he smiled turning.]

Grell!

[He's calling out to get the woman's attention, beckoning her over to come sit next to him. He knew she would be here, she was by fair one of the most social creature of all dispatch - Ronald and Eric closely tied for second.]

[untodeath]

[ When she hears his voice, Grell's features seem to soften just so as she smiles! Raising an arm with a twiddle of the fingers, she acknowledges that she's spotted him, before threading through the crowd.

Plopping down next to Alan, her sake nearly splashes over the rim of her cup, only earning a giggle! ]

Oh--! Here we are...

[ Just give her a moment to carefully set that aside - but then she's fondly nudging into his shoulder with her own. ]

Hel-lo, darling! What are you doing out here, all by your lonesome?

[amongthethorns]

[Alan smiles shaking his head a little at her. Goodness she's always been a bit boisterous and excitable but like this it's rather adorable. She seems happy and not as bloodthirsty as he remembers but that's a good thing.]

So here you are.

[At the nudge he leans away before nudging her back gently, a small grin settling into place as he gives a breathless little laugh.]

Hello, dear. Ah, well I believe my Shinki is wandering about and I'm trying to avoid being to close to any of the smoke or getting overheated.

[He hums giving her a knowing look.]

No beau to spend the evening moon-gazing with? I confess to being surprised.

[untodeath]

[ At Alan's explanation, Grell hums with understanding. While she's only met Castiel in passing and thought him to be an altogether strange man, the two of them seem to be close; it doesn't surprise her that he'd be somewhere nearby, no more than it does to hear that the thorns are compromising the younger reaper's fun again.

Although, that last comment will earn something of a look. ]

Afraid not, my dear. You know me; a hopeless romantic, romantically hopeless~

[ The careless shrug that follows is with good humor, at least! ]

[amongthethorns]

Then you're in good company after all I'm in a similar state.

[And he's picking up his own abandoned bit cup of sake and grinning.]

Drink with me. If we share the exquisite misery of love that isn't quite love then the sting might not be such a pain.

wild moon

[toremainbehind]

[It's the sound of a revving chainsaw that he hears first.

Izumo is briefly reminded of what Yona has told him about Shizuo being run through with a chainsaw, making him wonder if it's the same person who's hurt the other shinki. Unfortunately, it is something to be said if Izumo has the misfortune of crossing Grell's path.

If this is the same person who's run Shizuo through, he's honestly hoping she's not aiming to try and finish the job.]

[untodeath]

[ The sound may first be heard from above, where Grell has crouched down from her place among the rooftops, to catch a closer glimpse of the man who has wandered past.

On any other given day, she may have considered it unwise to put her chainsaw through the stress of challenging "Shizuo's" freakish innards again, but tonight is special. Somehow, she feels her luck will be different. ]

Hello, handsome.

[ The engine will increase in volume as she hops down to stand behind him, pretty red heels clacking on stone. Only when she's this close does she sense that something is amiss. That this may not be Shizuo. ]

--Hm??

[toremainbehind]

[He doesn't have the slightest clue as to who this woman is, but he's not oblivious to the utter bloodlust flowing off from her. The sound of the chainsaw has him pausing just briefly, already tensing up defensively in case he would need to find.

Izumo looks over at her.]

Hello, miss. [Definitely not Shizuo. However, he hopes that she still doesn't intend to use that chainsaw against him.

At the same time, this is the person who's run Shizuo through?]

[untodeath]

[ Well then, that's quite the mistake! A lopsided smile takes to the lady's lips, shoulders bouncing with a chuckle! ]

My, it seems that I'd mistaken you for someone else!

[ Ah, but she won't be going anywhere; rather, she's taking a step nearer, raising the saw's blade, at the ready. ]

No harm in that, however; I shouldn't mind too much, if you keep me company, instead!

wild moon

[death_glare]

[ Disoriented was an understatement for the way William had felt when he awoke weeks after he remembered heading to bed for the night. He hardly believed the date that his phone told him when he first looked at it. But that, along with the tens of panicked messages Grell had apparently left him while he slept was enough to solidify it into reality, for him.

He had patted around the nightstand for his glasses, astounded by how tired he felt after having rested for so long. But there was a reason he'd woken up again, and a reason he wasn't now, rolling over to just get a few more hours in. That reason shone a deep red hue across the walls of his bedroom - the harvest moon. Perhaps it was the century they'd spent as coworkers, but William immediately knew that nothing good was to come of this night, as far as Grell was concerned.

Once out of his empty temple, William was quick to locate where the Far Shore's activities had been arranged. And even quicker was his ability to locate the redhead. He'd honed that skill rather quickly. Though, without his scythe, William's only option to intersect any attacks upon her chosen victim are gone, so he's relented to simply call out her name, in his usual stern tone. ]

Sutcliffe!

[untodeath]

[ Fortunately for William, calling out to her is all that he'll need - for when Grell hears his voice, the entire world around her ceases to be! Her breath catches, caught with such surprise that the end of her chainsaw's blade will clatter against the pavement below her feet.

Immediately, she turns, eyes scouring the rooftops as she calls out, in turn. ]

William--?!

[ Ah, and once she spots him, she disappears from the scene beside two worn kings--

Only to teleport before the other reaper, deathscythe dismissed back to its hammerspace, so that she may fling herself into his arms!! ]

Oh, Will! Will, you're awake!

[ Coiling her fingers into the cloth at his back, she desperately buries her face into his collar! ]

I-- I was so worried...!

[ Ah, such fuss isn't unusual for Grell, but this time, there's a touch of moisture to her eye! The faintest waiver to her voice. The redhead is so overcome with emotion - not wrath, or passion, but pure vulnerability!

The mere sight of her would likely confirm William's suspicions, otherwise. Her clothing is slashed, torn, singed, and stained with blood which is only partially her own. ]

[death_glare]

[ "Into his arms" is a bit of wishful thinking on Grell's part. William's arms are firmly planted at his sides and certainly show no effort to hold Grell or console her. ]

Honestly, there was no reason to send me that many messages.

[ Not that it isn't concerning to him that he was out of commission for so long. But, that's hardly the important issue at hand. He only got a brief glimpse of the state of her clothing before she ambushed him, but it was enough to confirm what he suspected she'd be up to on this night. ]

Now, get off of me.

[ A supernaturally firm grip to her collarbone is all he needs to apply to force her back. ]

Do not tell me that is why you got into this mess.

[ He indicates her worn attire by merely letting his cold gaze trail up and down her body. ]

[untodeath]

[ Oh, yes, wishful thinking, indeed! In this moment, it feels much like Grell's prince charming has returned to her side, and her heart is swollen with ʟᴏᴠᴇ--

Until Mr. Charming manhandles her back in such a way. There's an adamant whine that comes from the redheader reaper, at that! At least he's his usual, intoxicatingly brutal, self. ]

I-- [ Okay, one thing at a time. Namely, to avoid that question. ] Listen, Will, I had been half-convinced that you were ignoring me! Then, afraid that you'd been sent away...

[ Oh, and as if that were the most devastating possibility, which, admittedly, it would be, those upturned brows press together with a quivering frown! ]

wild moon

[sweetdeath]

[Tsuzuki's wandering to the edges of the party, tipsy and confused. It's not that the party's not nice; he's been having a pretty good time, he just feels... weird.

Weird, like Maria had earlier. Who knows: maybe it's something about the night. He's made up with Yamanbagiri, at least, and that thought distracts him with a bubble of warm relief as he stops under one of the trees, leaning a hand against it and tilting his head back to look up at the moon almost hidden behind the foliage. He wonders if the leaves will ever fall. This is the Heavens, after all. Maybe not...

Maybe the cherry blossoms are better burned out. His smile is faraway, and he's paying no attention to his surroundings.]

[untodeath]

Troubled by your thoughts?

[ Tsuzuki couldn't be blamed for not noticing her. Cloaked in a shrine's shadow, hthe reaper's deathscythe sits silent on the stairs beside her - and how long she's been there, even she cannot say. Grell, too, had become lost in contemplation; however, she's not feeling particularly sympathetic. ]

I may know a way to get your mind off of things . . .

[sweetdeath]

[He jumps as the voice breaks the stillness of the night. He's not alone out here -- is he? Shit.

His gaze falls on the figure half-hidden in shadow on the stairs, and his tense posture relaxes. Yeah, he's seen her. The redheaded Shinigami, isn't it? He doesn't strictly remember meeting her at William's warn-everyone-about-the-demon conference, but he'd seen her around, for sure.]

You scared me! I didn't see you there.

[With a relieved grin, teeth flashing bright in the darkness of the tree's shadow, he starts toward her.]

It's nice over here, isn't it? Quiet....

[At that, though, his lighter tone falters, and he glances up again at the shadowy leaves.]

[erogappa]

[ 'Where the moonlight cannot reach' is exactly where Gojyo wants to be right about now. Away from all that romantic bullshit, away from the light catching his hair (he regrets letting it down, regrets not cutting it all off, regrets not shaving it off and, fuck, joining a monastery or something), away from anyone and everyone he knows so he can't open his mouth and ruin yet another person's evening.

Sharak will have revoked his name by morning. He's sure of that. He scrubs roughly at the scratches on his face and arms, a souvenir of that stupid grass maze, and heads further into the evening's gloom. Sharak will unname him, once Tsu finds out what he's done he'll probably stop coming by the bar, Ayumu's never going to speak to him again... and that just leaves him alone, with the man who killed a whole school full of children. The man he can't stop thinking about. ]

Fucking disgusting, [ --he snarls under his breath, slamming the toe of his boot into an unsuspecting chunk of brick in the gutter. The brick goes flying, shattering against a wall all the way on the far end of the alley -- it's an impressive kick, but Gojyo just jams his hands into his pockets and slouches on toward... well, nowhere, really. Where is there for him to go? ]

[untodeath]

[ Humming a merry little tune, Grell has seated herself on a rooftop, feet swaying over its ledge. Images of her recent kill dance through her mind; cherry blossoms peppered with the fresh spray of sanguine, glistening like rubies beneath the full moon-- truly gorgeous.

That same blood has begun to dull on her blade, however, and she's taken to wiping it clean and picking off stray bits of flesh with a pretty white handkerchief. Should make it easier to save, for later purposes.

The reaper's hand stills, as reverberations of his footsteps reach her ears. ]

Hᴍ! What luck.

[ Fantastic for her - perhaps less so, for the poor (albeit capable) fool she's spotted.

Once climbed to her feet, Grell pockets the cloth and makes her way toward the source, from above. It's only moments before she's upon the other redhead - whose stature is quite telling of his mental state! ]

Rough evening, I take it.

[ Standing behind him now, the lady tilts her head with a flirtatious bat of her lashes! She might appear even more suspicious than she behaves, red splatter over her neck and cheek, clothing blackened with wet blood - and, of course, there's the chainsaw that she still holds behind her, blade just barely scraping the ground beneath her feet. ]

[erogappa]

[ He smells her before he sees her. With his mind churning full of thoughts of butchery (he can’t think about Hakkai without thinking about mass slaughter and he can’t stop thinking about Hakkai what is wrong with him) it takes a moment for the smell to register as something actually present, and not merely a figment of his overactive imagination.
But the woman standing behind him is all too real. She reeks of gore, and no wonder – wide-eyed, he takes in the blood coating her face, soaking her clothes (how much of that blood is hers? He can’t tell how badly she’s injured), dripping from the...

...wait, hold up, what the fuck. Is that a chainsaw!? ]

Looks like yours hasn’t been much better. [ He’s still giving her the benefit of the doubt – if she collapses mid-sentence from blood loss he won’t be at all surprised – but his raises his left hand to about waist height, fingers curled slightly, his summon weapon ready at a moment’s notice to be called. ] You okay? What th'hell happened?

[untodeath]

[ A fool, after all. At the very least, his sense of propriety is commendable. ]

On the contrary! I've had myself such a glorious time, that I'd decided to extend the festivities.

[ A croon of a chuckle slips past Grell's wildly grinning teeth! With the raise of Gojyo's hand, she draws her chainsaw from the ground to take grip in both hands. ]

Perhaps you'll do me the honor of a dance beneath the moonlight!

wild moon

[mostsuitable]

[...It's been a fairly long night, and Reisi’s somewhat worn out from the intensity of his feelings and a frustrating inability to tame them as the evening continued. He’d actually considered returning home and was somewhere at the edges of the Harvest Moon gathering when he hears the distinct sound of a chainsaw revving. The sound comes and goes intermittently, but this still begs the alarming question of its use so nearby that it could be heard at all. Being the curious type of person he is, Reisi can’t help his concern and begins investigating the situation despite the fact he’s hardly in the best of shape. After all, he’s been wrapped up in his thoughts all evening and has missed some things he might otherwise have noticed here and there.

As Reisi heads closer to the sound, he discovers a dark alcove nearby that seems somewhat accessible but tucked away just far enough to have some privacy. That the noise is within such close proximity to the event is nothing short of unnerving, so Reisi presses further on into the darkness where the sound grows louder still. There, he catches a whiff of a somewhat concentrated metallic smell—]

[untodeath]

[ Grell stands there alone, but it doesn't appear that she's been that way for very long. Blood spray darkens the walls surrounding her, pools about her feet - and, most notably, drips from the chainsaw in her hands.

Pacing the area, the redheaded reaper clucks her tongue with frustration! She'd very nearly had the blond man's life, until Mikoto came. Cryptic, as per usual, he disappeared without offering much explanation. It's disappointing that he would play hero; either that, or she'd picked his shinki to play with, which would undoubtedly put a damper on any potential fun they could've had, together.

It isn't until Reisi draws nearer that she senses his presence, issuing her silence as she becomes eerily still. ]

You must be lost . . .

[mostsuitable]

Grell Sutcliffe. [Incarnation of the Hindu creator, observer, and destroyer, goddess of life and death, the divine mother, and demon devourer Kali. They had first met at the Temple of Ra, after her little date with Suoh. Reisi's somewhat concerned about her interest in Suoh, but otherwise found her rather intriguing.

In any case, he didn't know who he'd expected to find coming out here. He just wanted to find out what's going on and what danger it poses to others. Going by the looks of things here, it appears Sutcliffe is indeed rather dangerous. Is she like this on a normal basis, or is it just because of the strange things happening tonight?]

Quite the contrary—I think I found exactly what I'm looking for. [He pushes up his glasses.] Whatever are you doing out here, brandishing something like that?

[untodeath]

[ The man's response does draw a chuckle from Grell, at least! She recognizes the shinki without question now; Reisi. He reminds her a bit of William, in some regards.

Turning to face him, the redhead raises her chainsaw with feigned ignorance, tilting its blade to illuminate beneath the moon's light. ]

Oh, this? It's my deathscythe, darling. What might you expect a reaper to do with a beauty like this?