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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[Parties and stuff... not really his scene, you know. But he does live here. So, like it or not, Ichimatsu hauls his butt down from his tree nest to make at least a few rounds throughout the night.]

[1]
[Namely, at first: he wants the booze and free food. Not much of a drinker on his own, he still knows a rare opportunity when it's literally at his doorstep; Ichimatsu can be found around the campfire in the first hours, nipping at fish skewers and the occasional dish of sake. He's staying fairly sober, though, if nothing but out of sheer paranoia that someone will walk into his or his crazy neighbor's traps while he's not watching. If they do happen to wander too close to any of the occupied homes, count on Ichimatsu throwing the nearest food item at their head.]

[The eagle-eyed - or nosed - may also notice the bulge in the front pocket of his hoodie, lumpy and smelling not even subtly of cannabis. At the very least, Ichimatsu doesn't seem interested in whipping it out himself.]

[2]
Ah, no... stop it.

[If you haven't noticed, a tiger lily in fact lives at the compound - and while the oversized feline has been content to mostly stick around Ichimatsu's tree thus far, something about the festivities has piqued their curiosity. Whether they're investigating the food in your hand, or they've simply been spooked by the loud fireworks banging overhead, there is suddenly a sizeable plant-cat up in your business, trying to rub up against you and rumbling anxiously.]

[Following right behind this beast is a disgruntled-looking Ichimatsu, vaguely alarmed by his pet's sociability.]

H-hey, no! Yachin, heel!

[3]
[As the fireworks wind down and the night begins to quiet, Ichimatsu has long removed himself from the stress of the festivities. Instead, he's parked himself in front of the shrine, sitting on his ass with a single dish of sake balanced in his palm. His eyes are on the boar, and his other hand is resting on the neck of a guitar half-resting in his lap.]

Hey. No mochi this year. And there's only twelve of these, so I wasn't gonna steal five of 'em just for you jerks. Kill each other over it, pigs. Like any of you are even listening.

[He leans forward and places it, right next to the other offering of sake. He claps his hands together. It's not like he has any nengajō to send, so...]

... I hope for your favor this year.

[... and done. Ichimatsu lifts his guitar and retreats to a nearby tree, lazily splaying out with his back against it, and contents himself with strumming out a disjointed collection of tunes and chords to backlight the rest of the evening.]

[Her little gremlin eye caught sight of Murasaki the second she set foot on the compound. It's not like she wouldn't see him. She's always on the lookout for the catsquad. And while she wants to go over immediately, he's drinking, playing with the cat, eating some grub and she's getting distracted every twenty seconds on her way to him.

It takes a long, long time for her to focus on the purple feline and she barely catches the tailwind of his conversation with the shrine, the sound of a clap that she mimics immediately because that's what they gotta do here? That's fine. Whatever. She'll clap all day, except-

That guitar sounds nicer than smacking her hands and before long, a little hum comes out of her mouth. Then some quiet, full blown lyrics because why not. Time to sing of the song of their cat people or something.]

Oh round white moon

I hope for your favor this year

I wasn't gonna steal five of 'em

[He'd glimpsed her around, too, of course - and since she always looked so distracted, he hadn't found it in him to interrupt her. At least not until he'd gotten rid of the weed in his pockets. Sure enough, once he hears her clapping, Ichimatsu cracks one eye open without pausing his strumming, listening to her obviously improvised lyrics.]

[He, uh... he's not much of a singer honestly. But he pushes the volume a little, closing his eye again with a small smirk.]

Maneki Neko

Raises its paw for Ren-chan

Only good fortune.

[A completely monotone haiku?? In THIS duet? It's more likely than you think.]

[Monotone or not, it's beautiful music to her ears. Is there anything Murasaki can't do? Unlikely. Thankfully she's not the only one around to witness this little display. Surely someone else heard him too and appreciates that kitty song. She claps her hands together, quickly adding-]

Maneki Pachinko

Raises its paw for Murasaki-chan

Only dope fortune

[Amazing, they've been blessed for the new year and now they can go on with their lives. It's about this point she ambles close enough to plop down beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees and tap tap taps her feet. Keep playing!!]

[Sorry, no can do. Ren's verse makes Ichimatsu snicker, abruptly cutting off his chord with a silly twang as he lifts his hand to rub between his collar bones with a stifled cough. Another reason he can't sing, even if he wanted to - his voice is still a bit weak since his run-in with Drifter's shadow.]

[It's for the best, tbh. Ichimatsu shakes his head and grins, a mischievous look sparking into his dull eyes as he leans over and plucks a blade of grass. He holds it out to her, lifting one eyebrow.]

You wanna duet, Ren-chan? You can play, too. Just like I showed you.

I didn't forget. I'm good at this now.

[That blade of grass is against her lips so fast that she could've been mistaken for a hungry farm animal. They're a literal bluegrass band now.

She stretches her legs across the ground, leaning back against the tree, and waits for him to take the lead. Not that she doesn't practice a bit in the interim-the once difficult task far easier after months of practice. Just because she got a flute doesn't mean she gave up the most organic of instruments.

And she waits for him to start, humming quietly under her breath, as she prepares to whistle along.]

[Ichimatsu leans back again as she gets ready, his foot tapping. Hm. There's only one song he can think of, really, that's slow and simple enough not to drown out the whistle. A memory he has from before he'd ever touched a guitar, when he'd followed his brother around with his own blade of grass, wide-eyed and disbelieving that Karamatsu would ever accommodate his annoying mimicries.]

[His foot stops moving, and he draws in a breath. The basic tune whistles from between his teeth, once - the one he remembers. He doesn't really mind if Ren follows it, or if she makes up her own wild and crazy music. Whatever she does, it'll be perfect. It's more for him, to remember the chords, to remember the way his brother always used to wait those few seconds for him.]

[Then, he strums.]

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catpiper - 2019-04-02 02:09 (UTC) - Expand

[Yusuke really did come here for the beautiful sight. He had always been a fan of fireworks and at least this time it felt like he could enjoy the sight without fearing any consequences. But Yusuke is also never the one to ignore a chance at free food. It's really a wonderful chance for inspiration and to not be starved.

Unbeknownst to him, he is stepping too close to the homes. Once he feels a fish skewer thrown at him, he whips his head towards the source.]

Why would you squander good food?! This...this waste...! [He's more offended by that than having something tossed at his head.]

Heeehh? What're you so pissed off about? It's not a waste.

[Ichimatsu, faithfully, comes shuffling over with his hands slouched into his pockets. He stops right where the skewer fell, staring at it for a second... then leans down, picks it up, and tears a piece off with his teeth.]

[What five second rule.]

More importantly, the hell d'you think you're going?

[That's just disgusting. Yusuke loves food but that's a little much for him. He doesn't bother to hide his revulsion.]

I'm enjoying the sights. I would think that's obvious enough. I would like to ask what you think you're doing. You're the one tossing food and not showing any awareness for proper hygiene.

[Ichimatsu, the purple gremlin that he is, notices the younger man's disgust but is entirely unmoved by it. Naturally, that's the kind of look someone should have talking to him. That doesn't stop him from jabbing the half-chomped skewer in Yusuke's direction accusingly.]

Seriously? You have no awareness at all. Why don't you turn around and just keep walking, then? Enjoy the sights from the bottom of that ditch.

[He's referring, of course, to the stake pit outside his neighbor's home.]

[He frowns in confusion as he tries to figure out what this person means. When he looks around, he sees the stake pit. It does make sense but there's still one issue he has.]

Thank you for the warning [He won't be impolite because he was helped just now] but there are still far better ways of getting my attention. I'm not deaf and a simple vocal warning would have been far more polite.

And less wasteful. [Even if he's eating it now that's still a terrible use of food.]

Like I said, it's not a waste.

[snorfmunchgulp. Then he just rears back and overhead throws the skewer stick, where it sails into the stake pit as though it's a trash bin. This about sums up Ichimatsu's attitude towards his neighbor's right to self defense.]

You have no idea where you are, do you? Don't let the sights fool you. A bunch of degenerates live here.

[Well, whomever Ichimatsu was talking to may not have been listening, but there was a certain creature who was listening, and as Ammy pretends to sleep by the shrine, she flicks her ear to the prayer uttered to Bakugami and a smile turns up at the corners of her lips. After a moment, she gets up, stretches, and wanders off during one of his songs... Only to return with a folded palm leaf in her mouth that...probably holds something else in it.

She deposits it near Ichimatsu and goes to sit next to his side, to listen in on another song he'll play, if he does. The palm leaf, now with nothing to hold it shut, opens up easily to show off a single sakura mochi inside, that she's willing to share (gasp) with him. Looks like the gods have heard your prayer and decided to favor you in this moment. Who said there wasn't mochi this year? Just not enough to go around, sadly. Maybe next year, when a crop opens up.]

[He's seen her, of course, but hasn't really gone out of his way to acknowledge her at all tonight - not even when she was lying right there as he gave his prayer. It's not that he's purposely avoiding her, but...]

[Well, maybe he's a little wary these days. He's been avoiding her for a while, actually, if he's being honest.]

[Not that it's her fault, though. He's got nothing against her. Which is why, when she actually comes up to him, he's startled - he flubs his chord and grunts softly under his breath, sitting up straight against the tree - but he doesn't back away. Lowering the neck of the guitar, he eyes her blankly... before moving his gaze to the mochi.]

[His mouth thins in surprise. He's pretty sure that was the mochi that was already at the shrine, so that means...]

... that's for your friend, right? Should you really be sharing it with someone like me?

[Blinking slowly, her head tilts to one side in confusion before she perks her ears and straightens. Oh! Ahah, no...the one she left as an offering is still there. Shaking her head, Ammy nods her head toward the shrine she made, which still has the flowers, the mochi, and a dish of sake for Bakugami. This one is a spare she's offering to spare for Ichimatsu - she got a few of them for free from the Storyteller when they granted her the favors needed to put this whole celebration into effect, and while she, uh....mm.

Ate most of them in one sitting... There was still a few left over she's happy(ish) to share with others. Besides, he made a prayer to the shrine, and while Ammy's sure his prayer wasn't exactly for mochi, it's the least she can give in the here and now. Maybe a placeholder of sorts, and to let him know there are higher powers listening still. A heartfelt wish should still go heard, even if it can't be answered right away.

And Ammy is great at listening.]

[He hums, seeing the mochi still there at the shrine. That's good; he's a resentful bastard, with a fourth-born chip on his shoulder for all things divine, but even he knows that you never want to steal from gods. Were those at the party, though? He didn't see them, but maybe he wasn't looking hard enough.]

So they're your personal stash? That might be even worse. Well, if a god is gonna share with me...

[Drifter dropped that info on him a while ago. He's not sure he believes it, but it would explain why she's such a weird damn dog. Not so much why she wastes her time with this cursed place. Regardless, Ichimatsu leans forward and picks the mochi up; stares at it for a few beats, almost morosely. Then, he sighs.]

... when it comes to splitting things, one cake between two people is really the easiest. You just split it in half. If those idiots were here, they would've wanted to split this tiny thing six ways... I doubt they would've even thought about you.

[Then, Ichimatsu pulls the mochi into two halves, perfectly even despite the small size and soft texture of the original. Rolling one half into his palm, he holds it out towards her and looks away, popping the other piece into his mouth.]

... you could've had my share, though.

[There's a twinkle in her eye when Ichimatsu mentions her "private stash" that answers his question pretty quickly. Yes, these were indeed included in her request frm the Storyteller for free, but that doesn't mean she's incapable of giving them away to people who may want a special treat. She may be a glutton, but she's nothing if not extremely charitable and generous. All people need do is ask, and most times she'll give what she has to offer.

Her ears perk up when he mentions "god" next, and her lips break into a large canine smile, a breathy chuckle mingling in with her panting as she scoots closer to his side. It's always funny when people learn the truth - their reactions are always different, and she has to wonder just how much Ichimatsu really, truly believes. There's a note there, in him, that he can't see her godly form just yet, and....that's fine. It's not like Amaterasu pushes that faith on anyone. They can believe or not, in their own ways and in their own time. It makes no real difference to her (though Issun would have other words to say about that, bless him).

She's just about to lay her head down to rest again when one pointed ear flicks and she glances his way again, listening carefully. It's difficult to put the pieces together, but she's fairly certain he's talking about a large family...perhaps? Haha, that definitely makes for an exciting life, but the mark of giving becomes a bit more of a hassle than anything born of the goodness in your heart. She's learned, only just recently in fact, that giving too much of oneself to others can be...damaging. Charity becomes something you have to do, not something you want to do. And expectations of others can often breed resentment, even hateful darkness and anger... Giving isn't always a blessing. There are always two sides of a coin - a light and a darkness.

Balance.

Bowing her head, in thanks, Ammy leans forward and gives Ichimatsu's face a loving slurp with her long tongue then nibbles her half of the mochi. He's a good boy. Odd, yes, but definitely a good soul underneath it all.]

[His palm dips as she puts her muzzle into it, and as soon as the treat is gone, he brushes his fingers up the side of her face and gives her a gentle scratch beneath her ear. It's a natural reaction, he guesses - a reflex after letting stray cats eat from his palm for years. But cats are slow and careful and it's difficult to gain their trust, which his instincts know that better than anything else, so maybe there's something uniquely her that makes him do it, too.]

[Gods, or dogs, or whatever. Both are too good to waste their love and trust on someone they don't even know. But Ichimatsu won't stop her. And maybe a part of him appreciates, too, that she doesn't seem to push or even take offense at his curl of doubt. For some people, like Karamatsu, every inch of his attitude is an attempt to rile them up. For others, it's because Ichimatsu can't make peace with his own faithless blustering.]

[His eyes slide away from her, and then slowly back.]

Didn't even leave you an offering.

[The sake wasn't for her, or her friend. Just a bunch of fools who wouldn't appreciate it. Ichimatsu sighs, pulls his hand away from her face, leans back and taps a finger on his guitar. Then, he moves his hand into a starting position, the strings squealing softly as the calloused pads of his fingers slide across them.]

[He can't think of anything else. And he's still out of practice, nevermind that he's used to a bigger guitar with a deeper bass sound, and so he goes slow and fumbles every few chords. But maybe if this god-dog, even if she doesn't speak, likes pretty fireworks and pink mochi and doing kind things for bad people - maybe she likes music.]

[So he plays.]

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mamaterasu - 2019-03-29 13:10 (UTC) - Expand

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ichininyaanshi - 2019-04-21 18:33 (UTC) - Expand

((Since we've tagged together before I'm assuming you're alright with Jules tagging Ichimatsu, but if I'm wrong on that just let me know and I'll delete! I know Jules can be a touchy character to tag with))

You would think that someone would have asked those of us who live here before doing something like this.

[Jules is close enough to be visible, but still a safe distance away from Ichimatsu. They definitely couldn't be called friends, but they've interacted before. Jules is extremely on edge from all the people around as it is, so he's quite content to keep a good distance away from everyone. And this many people makes him incredibly pissy. Distance is good. For everyone.]

Hah? [Ichimatsu throws a dirty look over his shoulder, surprised that anyone is bothering to talk to him - until he sees who it is. Ah, it's one of his other neighbors, not that it makes a difference. As far as Ichimatsu is concerned, everyone who lives here has a bad attitude.]

[Which is why the guy is exactly right.]

Tch, of course they didn't waste their time asking. Obviously we would've all said 'no'.

Point. Could have at least warned us so we could have gotten out of dodge.

[Not that anyone is ever that considerate. Jules is even more irked because he should have seen this coming, expect that he purposefully stayed away from his neighbors to avoid their thoughts leaking into his. This is one of the very few moments that he regrets that. Primarily because he's seriously paying for it right now.]

[Even if he'd tried, Jules wouldn't have been able to hear Ichimatsu's thoughts. Which is for the best, really. He didn't know anything about the situation himself until now, but to be fair, he probably wouldn't have bothered to warn them if he had.]

[Oh well. Ichimatsu sighs dismissively.]

Pretty sure it was the dog that hangs out around here sometimes. She's magic or something. Dunno how a dog was gonna warn us, anyway.

Pretty easily for that one. She's far more than a dog.

[Jules has only met her once and he's still 100% confident in that fact. A mere dog isn't that sentient, and Ammy couldn't hide it that well.]

Just pisses me off more.

[He scowls.]

More than a dog or not, she's still a dog. I'm sure she was just trying to be nice. [he's a softie for animals, go figure.] Not that we deserve it.

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suspecteverything - 2019-03-26 00:34 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

ichimatsu; ota

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