The Spooky Night Scare Celebration

[de_lux]

Warnings: SPOOPY. Also potential violence and/or drinking.

Location: Various locations in Freesia, especially the Park and Cathedral.

Characters: Anyone and everyone and Lux.

When: Night of September 9

Summary: Most of Freesia is celebrating tonight. Ward off the darkness with lanterns and masks and maybe chat with the local light god.

In a change from their usual behavior, the citizens of Freesia are out and about during the night in order to celebrate another festival.

Called “Spooky Night,” the atmosphere of this holiday may seem familiar to some of Freesia's outsiders. Lanterns patterned after all manner of monsters and other creepy things are visible everywhere, resting on doorsteps, hung from trees, placed in windows, and there are smaller ones strung between buildings and across streets.

Equally creepy masks abound as well. They're mostly worn by the children, but some adults can be seen indulging as well, the eyes and mouths of their masks glowing like jack o' lanterns.

Most of the citizens seem to be enjoying themselves, chatting and laughing with one another, jumping around and trying to scare each other, drinking and buying snacks from opportunistic vendors. Many of the festive citizens have gathered at a bonfire in the park, but groups of people can be found just about anywhere tonight.

But despite the party atmosphere, you may want to pay close attention to the city tonight...

A: The masks and lanterns mentioned earlier aren't going to be hard to find. The lanterns are visible everywhere of course, and more can be found for sale in the shops and stalls, alongside a wide variety of masks. Most of the designs are generic monsters, such as ghost or skeletons or werewolves, but if you look around, well... Whatever you're afraid of, if it's something you can put a face or likeness to, you'll run into a mask or lantern of it eventually. Creepy as that might be though, anyone who dares carry or wear their fears will be rewarded with an extra bright glow emanating from it, something that may come in handy if they run into any of the Nox tonight.

B: If you head down to the park tonight, but stray away from the bonfire, you'll notice that the cathedral is active for once. A very small group of citizens has gathered there, primarily consisting of the elderly- and at least one person you may find familiar. There isn't any laughing or drinking going on in this part of town, and everyone in the cathedral is either silent or speaking to each other in hushed tones. As far as can be observed, they've gathered here to place candles and flowers everywhere.

C: Autumn isn't quite here yet, but the nights have been getting longer lately, the shadows deeper. Don't wander too far tonight and if you do, take care to bring some light with you. The Nox are especially active tonight and will happily attack anyone who wander into the shadows, local or not, not to mention breaking anything they can get their shadowy hands on. A few of the bolder groups will even stray to the edges of the festival in order to knock down the decorations. They're in a vicious mood tonight, but if you thought to pick up an especially spooky lantern or mask before confronting them, their viciousness will evaporate and you'll have them running scared instead.

Comments

[de_lux]

Greg may notice that the proceedings, while certainly somber and formal, aren't hugely organized. No sermons are being made, and it appears to mainly be people milling about with their offerings.

By now, Lux is getting used to people approaching him, so he barely looks up when Greg speaks. He does, however, give Greg a nod.

"You are correct. This is Spooky Night." The calmness of Lux's voice, combined with the solemn air in the cathedral is almost able to make the name of the festival sound non-ridiculous. But only almost.

[panspermia]

Definitely only almost. Greg only just manages to suppress the urge to ask if Lux is joking.

"And uh. I guess that's a big deal?" He's trying to make sense of the ritual, if it can even be called that. It's certainly a different air from the energy outside the place, he can determine that much. "With the festival, and candles, and, uh, churchy stuff. And. Uhm." He clears his throat. "Special visitors, and all."

Real subtle, Greg.

[de_lux]

"It's a very old tradition," Lux says, somewhat stiffly. "From a certain point of view. It's as old as the Cathedral itself."

It's subtle enough that Lux actually takes a moment to repeat Greg's words, "Special visitors?" in a way that's obviously meant to be a request for clarification.

[panspermia]

"W-well." He clears his throat, and rubs at his neck. Jeez, what's he dancing around the point for, if he's being rude anyway? He's already gone and bothered the guy, he may as well get on with it instead of continuing to waste his time.

"Well, you. I mean, you don't come out... often. Do you? I haven't uh. Seen you. Around."

[de_lux]

"Ah." There's a beat. One might imagine Lux blinking behind those glasses, if he has the eyes to. "No, I suppose I've been rather preoccupied."

[panspermia]

"Yeah... I bet things are pretty hectic." He should probably be angry with this guy. A lot of the others seem to be. But, it's not like they know his side of it. "Nice to get a breather, at least?"

[de_lux]

Lux's lips quirk, though why isn't exactly clear. "I suppose it is."

This guy doesn't seem to be good at the whole conversation thing.

[panspermia]

Greg's fine with leaving it at that, for a little while, and just watching the proceedings in silence. Enough years around Garnet teaches you to deal with brief answers.

After a while, though, he sighs. "I gotta ask, man. All this... with us. Did you even mean for any of it to happen?"

[de_lux]

The question earns Greg a slight grimace. "No Gregory, I didn't intend to... The Nox's entrance to my home plane was due to a miscalculation. Interdimensional rifts can be unfortunately unreliable."

[panspermia]

"Sounds like something a rift would do." He's doing his best to understand, please be patient. "Are we part of that miscalculation, too? Or are we, uh. A new equation, or... hm." Boy, it's been way too long since school for math analogies.