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]

[Archer simply raises a brow.]

There's only one way to find out. [he shrugs and leaps back onto the wall. For all the flimsy grass it's surprisingly sturdy, that is, if you ignore the sharp, pointy ends beneath your feet. Archer is wearing geta that he also reinforced earlier, so he doesn't really care.

Is that a challenge, Lancer? Who knows.]

[irishfriskey]

[He blinks at a moment. Although he's intrigued...]

And what do you plan to do with that? Are you going to climb on top of the maze now?

[Somehow that seems more dangerous. But hey, whatever floats your boat.]

[boneofsword]

[Archer gives him a very unimpressed look from the top of the wall.]

You can reah the center of maze easier like that. No one said you have to walk only on the path.

[irishfriskey]

Certainly no one did, but it'd be more fun to do it through the maze, correct?

[You're such a spoilsport, Archer.]

[boneofsword]

Not after an hour spent on trying to find a way through the maze. I gave up after going a few times through the same crossing, each time using a different path.

[Enchantment apparently makes you lose most sense of direction. If the maze creator uses trickery then why can't Archer do the same.]

[irishfriskey]

So you're just giving up rather than seeing it through to the end?

[He's taunting you now. And hoping you'll rise to the bait. He'd enjoy a challenge.]

[boneofsword]

I'm giving up on the paths, not on the maze. So I'm changing the tactics. [by going on the walls instead of trying to find the right path. Archer has no patience for the enchantment after going through the maze several times.]

[irishfriskey]

By being easier to set on fire if someone decides to burn the entire maze?

[boneofsword]

It's much easier to avoid. [Archer counters with a smirk.]

[irishfriskey]

[He pauses for a moment and then moves to hit him on the back open palmed.]