lifeaftr | Light up the Night - [BACKDATED to 2/5]

Light up the Night - [BACKDATED to 2/5]

Who: Ammy + Anyone interested
What: Fireworks show for the Lunar New Year!
When: Evening of 2/5/19
Where: Monkey Compound
Warnings: None so far, tag as needed!

[It's about noon when a message is posted to the Message Rock, as well as over the Stones of Farspeech - an elegant writing in kanji with a translation below. The voice is foreign, not often heard and possibly lost from most peoples' memories, but it sounds...excited? There's definitely a chime-like laughter hidden in the depths of it.]

All interested in a beautiful sight, please show up at dusk at the Hana--eh...the Monkey Compound. Drinks - for the elders among you - and some snacks will be provided, but I encourage you all to pack a box lunch.

Those unable to attend...I'll try to make sure you see it. Thank you.

[How very enigmatic indeed.

Still, those that do show up as the sky begins to change into a purple-blue color, dotted with small, glittering stars, will see that the Monkey Compound has been done up a bit. There's a line of small, flowering cherry blossom trees creating a lovely arch by the entrance, and little paper tags have been hung from a few of the branches, holding pictures of a tiny boar, or piglet, and a prayer written on the opposite side in kanji.

Inside has a very, very pleasant air to it. Much different than what this place used to be. It's laid with fresh, clean, springy grass and flowers, and a bountiful garden off to one side, which looks a little barren...probably because most of the foods have been harvested and laid out neatly on a bushels of palm fronds. Fresh vegetables and fruits from Ammy's garden, ripe for the taking and eating, if you're more the rustic type. There's also fire-roasted fish, skewered on a stick and cooking nicely by a crackling bonfire. Eat, enjoy, converse with neighbors and friends alike! Drinks have indeed been provided for the adults, a large barrel of sake with a ladle to pour it into one of twelve dishes. And yes, a bowl of water has been added to the side to rinse them off.

The centerpiece is a very basic shrine put up with a folding wall, once white in color but painted over with a beautiful portrait of a boar rolling a round firework, and a tiny, ceramic figure on a boar topping a little rock pile. Below the statue is an offering of sake, a single sakura mochi, a grilled fish, and some flowers. That is where the wolf will be when you first spot her.

For...a moment, at least. Because once the sky grows truly dark, and the embers from the bonfire has crept to soft, orange glow, a whistle will wheeze its way through the sky as a streak of light soars up, and up...before it explodes in a puff of white sparks. Nothing exciting, more a call to attention.

A minute passes, then another, and the're movement by the far end of the compound as the wolf readies everything she needs. A few final touches--...there! All ready for the show to begin.

And what a show it is.

The fireworks are beautiful and vibrant, coloring the skies in a vast array of rainbow hues, dancing like they're actually alive. True artistry, and a blessing from the God of Explosions, Bakugami (and the local rabbit god, who provided a number to help make this work). An explosive force meant to open the gate for a blissful new year - full of color, full of life, and bountiful in all things that bring happiness and joy to those with good in their hearts.

Happy Lunar New Year. ♥]

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Oh, hey! It's the awkward hot guy!

[ Molly's grin widens to full fangs as Kravitz actually sits down with him, and he's drunk enough to think he's also super smooth right now. They're a fucking charisma mess, these two. ]

Oh, I love explosions. Well, at least if they come with colors as bright as these.

[ He really likes the ones that glitter after they do their first boom of colors. It makes him think of stars, and he kind of misses the stars in Wildemount. Not to mention the moons. ]

Are you having fun?

[The things in their life have tried to rip them apart but here they are. His breath speeds up slightly as Shiro kisses his palm. Keith moves his fingers through his short hair.]

Let’s sleep in tomorrow. [He murmurs almost too low for his own ears. He repeats himself because he’s sure Shiro can’t hear mumble. Two years ago he would have never suggested such a thing.] We could all use a break for a little while.

It will be a late breakfast but I doubt anyone would mind. [Seeing as Lance can cook too, he doubts there will be much minding at all.]

[Keith relaxes when both wolves settle in. As a Galra he understands more than most but he doesn’t know enough to gauge this one. She looks tired but somewhat pleased. Kosmo exchanges a glance with him. His own eyes shift to a slightly more violet hue as he uses his sight to take in more of the world around him.]

You don’t have to say anything or give us a name. ....thank you for all of this. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a new year’s celebration like this.

[Kosmo explains that Blade friend prefers to let people give only as much as they want to. Their choices matter to him. He accepted the name Kosmo from others but Keith has waited patiently for whatever he decided. If she wants a name she’ll have to tell Keith that. He can understand a little better than most. But partly because he’s about as wild as any other creature of the Woods. Partly being of the stars himself.]

Having breathing room lets us relax and focus on preparing for whatever is next. Nice to not have our heads messed with right now.

That was, [His smile vanishes and his eyes darken. It was bad. He had seen what happened and hadn’t liked it at all. One after the other has been like a seige on their minds. And there had been nothing he could have done to halt it. It had made him wish hard for the Black Lion.

For the power and strength that his mechanical partner brought to him that he had once taken for granted. He sighs, letting it go and his eyes more yellow than white slowly revert.]

That was difficult. ...I’d like to look back over what we found out about The Water and see just how far their reach was. But that can wait until after we all get some time to just be.

[The Drifter squints, briefly, at the bowl of sake before the sharp, alcoholic smell makes its way through the fabric of their mantle. They then hold up a polite hand, as if to ward it away.]

[It is good that she is still here. That she is undamaged, for the most part, and that she is still seeing the value in something as simple as celebration. She does not look quite so worse for wear, but perhaps that is because she is better at hiding it.]

out of health packs
healing slowly

[Requesting more from the Storyteller will speed the process, but they've not quite gotten there yet.]

[It's a little too much like requesting help, and their personal hang-ups in that regard are not so easily scaled.]

Hm? [Currently still focusing on the tree above her, and watching it's gently swaying branches, Pyrrha just barely caught when she was being called to.

She looks down, a bit surprised. This wasn't someone she'd spoken to before.

.....What did she want?]

I'm really very sorry... What did you say?

Oh really? What sort of weapon is it?

[Fire magic is cool and all but weapons... You have his attention, Asgore, do tell!!]

It is a trident.

[He's not overfond of his weapon, really, but Yeager's not the first person to be excited by it.]

I have used it for fishing here, on occasion.

[She meet Asgore's hand half way, lifting her head up to bonk her forehead into his big, fuzzy hand, her tail wagging behind her happily. She's only encountered this big guy a few times, seeing him mostly in passing, but she never really felt anything off by him, and anyone who's willing to give her a friendly word and a pat on the head is okay in her book.

She responds with a yip in agreement, nodding her head as her mouth pulls up into a happy smile, tongue hanging from her lower jaw. It certainly has been a fun night, and now she's ready to partake herself in some sake and food... Ammy thinks she's earned at least a dish of hot sake, definitely. She's parched, and tired. Maybe after a few minutes of just sitting, she'll, uh...make the attempt to try and pour herself some. Not having the power to move liquid freely until tomorrow is going to make things dfifficult for a creature without hands.]

Yes, that would be nice. We should do that.

[what are the odds he'll be able to figure out that it's the wolf he's only known to be nonverbal]

[Oh, that's nice... Shifting her body posture, Ammy gives Yasha more room to work with when her hand reaches down to her tummy, and her eyes squint shut as that big mitt reaches all the right spots. She pants hard, tail hitting the ground with more force and energy than before - Yasha really knows how to Ammy's buttons, in the best way possible. Eventually, she turns to lick and playfully mouth on the giant woman's hand, laying her head down and flicking her ears to the question.]

Wwrrrn...a-aaouuuuww!

[Is her response, a whiny half-hearted howl, before her tongue flicks over her nose and she yawns. Mind? No, not at all. She is a wild animal, after all, and feeling the earth, wind, and sun all around her when she sleeps is refreshing. Of course, in the colder places, she enjoys soft, warm blankets and cozy fires, and those that let her inside their homes to curl up and stay the night once or twice is lovely, but it's never a full time thing. She's simply too restless, and enjoys her freedom.]

[Seeing them contort painfully just to get on her eye level makes Ammy's whine grow, and she puts a paw gently on the Drifter's knee. Of course, she's happy they got to see her show here tonight, but they shouldn't have had to suffer for it. It's clear as day that they're hurt, and need to recover, so she feels a bit guilty. It she had her full scope of powers like she did in Nippon...a spectacle for all to see wouldn't have been an issue at all. Her friend here wouldn't have had to go out of their way to come here.

She licks their hand gently, and tucks her nose into the crook of their side. She can't heal, and she can only fix broken things - objects - not people. Never people. Ammy feels a little powerless in that way, but even gods have their limitations, and her dominion was never over life and death, or the ways of taking one's pain away. All she can do is try and grow more medicinal plants in her garden, and gives where it is a long look. That...may not be such a bad idea, in fact.]

[Hey, Taako's kind. That sounds about right. She'll be the emotional pizza support he needs in that time of island giving, which may or may not come. It's kinda hard to tell with him, but she makes a mental note to slip a few into Tim's pocket anyway.]

There will be more. Parties make everyone's heart feel better, so they'll do it again.

[And she hopes it's S O O N.]

Her?

[That comment makes her head turn away from the people and focus on them. What do they know about this mysterious soccer pig?? ]

The noise is scary, but I like all the colors too.

[It's only because it's a bomb with style that she's slightly less judgmental about it. Go ahead, be loud, if that explosion is what comes out of it.

She waits a couple seconds, until another explosion dissipates, before providing him with More Fruit dug from the confines of her pocket. For every one that plops into his mouth, there's another one dropping out of her hand, right on to his horn. She's trying to balance them delicately on it, like some kind of organic lego.]

Which one is your favorite? Do you like blue? Or red?

"They" being...?

[Whoever set up this fireworks display? No word on who's responsible for this, actually, since he sure as hell didn't recognize the voice over the Stones. But then, plenty of people without literal "voices" are capable of speaking over the Stones in their own way, so it might be one of them.]

[There just happen to be kind of a few of those.]

[The Drifter does not wince, exactly, but their eyes crimp shut very slightly in a way that suggests their regret at such a course of action, that it elicited such a reaction from her. The last thing they need is to cause her further grief.]

[But their pain is such a small thing. Their pain has been deep-rooted and intent and forever, and they have learned to live with its weight clamped around their chest and squeezed tight into their lungs. They have lived with it, and past it, and they will live through it further. For as long as they will, and as long as they must.]

you are tired

[She must be.]

the wolf god

[Amaterasu, they don't say, because they don't actually know her name. They know her exclusively as the wolf god, one whose very shape and demeanor is opposite to the jackal god's. An unknowing comparison that has proven to be, to an extent, unknowingly true.]

A trident... That's certainly a unique one! I imagine it would be fairly difficult to learn how to handle it properly...

[He can read a room, though. Looks like you're not as fond of weapons and while he's curious about why, he'll let it drop.]

Ah, but where are my manners? I've completely forgotten to introduce myself!

[He rests his left hand on his chest and inclines his head a bit. It's not quite a bow, but it's probably as close as he's getting.]

My name is Yeager, I'm very pleased to meet you.

[She glances at the large man of a monster. He always seemed a bit sad around her... was that her fault?]

There was one here, on the beaches, months ago. Everyone got to dress up, and there was this beautiful lightshow...

[She sits back, eyes drifting upwards to the many lights in the sky.]

Things like this, nice things. That's what I've missed.

Hello, Shiro. [She gives him a curt nod of her head and a smile.]

Nope. I've never heard of something like this. And I wouldn't be able to tell you if this kind of thing was celebrated back on Remnant.

[Her expression softens a bit.] I'm sure Nari would know, or Mira. I should ask her.

i.

[Lillie has been on autopilot lately. There's been something melancholy about the aftermath of last month, and while she had dealt with her struggles privately, not everyone had that privilege. So the message comes as a chance to pick herself up, to interact with others and enjoy something unique.

She sits beneath the cherry blossom trees at first, a small space-colored cloud in her lap. She shares with Nebby the fruits she's brought along (sweet ones, the only kind it will eat), but is certainly not averse to sharing with passerby as well. The fruits provide a use for the knife she was given back upon arrival. If you pass close enough or meet her eyes, Lillie will extend a slice of mango with a warm smile.]

ii.

[When the fireworks begin, Lillie is awestruck. It's a beautiful display, unlike any she's ever seen - the way they seem nearly alive in their movements and the vibrancy of the colors. While she thoroughly enjoys the show, Nebby is not nearly as fond of the sounds of explosions overhead, and wriggles free of her bag halfway through. It takes off towards the nearest person before she can catch it, hiding behind their legs with a loud cry.

Lillie doesn't waste any time catching up with her companion, apologizing to whoever Nebby has bothered.]

Nebby! Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry - Nebby come here!

[When he doesn't think about it, he's surprisingly sincere.

Which means he has no idea how what he says to Mira effects her.]

Well... [he scratches at his cheek] You always seem to be giving and giving to people, but not taking time for yourself. Not that's it's a bad thing to be giving, but...

You need to take care of yourself, too.

Really?

[He wouldn't have guessed, looking at Tim.]

And I haven't seen sparklers in action in ages.

[He laughs a little.]

Whaaaaaat?

[He's. Holding sake right now. There's no hiding this.]

I'm not that young!

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Light up the Night - [BACKDATED to 2/5]

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Lillie | OTA

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