OPEN | let's change from the heart, let's shout

[nomorules]

Who: Anyone and everyone! That means you! Yes, you, c'mere.
Where: The stream and the lake.
When: July 12th, evening.
Rating: PG in case any of y'all get wild with that decorating.
Summary: Come and take part in a mini lantern ceremony, Wonderland-style. Mingle away, comrades!
The Story:





The evening of the 12th, visitors who feel like moseying their way to the stream where it empties out of the forest will be able to enjoy a summer celebration in the Japanese style. Outdoor lights illuminate the area, and tables hold all manner of art supplies and blank paper lanterns waiting to be decorated.

Didn't catch the network 411? Someone around will surely explain: it's a nod to toro nagashi, the paper lantern ceremony meant to guide the souls of the departed by decorating lanterns and setting them loose. Maybe you have a departed soul you'd like to remember, or a prayer to make. Maybe you'd just like to write a note message-in-a-bottle style. Maybe you just feel like taking the air and enjoying the sights. The choice is yours!

Either way, once the sun has set and lanterns have been decorated, the candles inside will be lit (remember fire safety, kids!), and the lanterns will be released into the water.

Gather at the lakeside afterward to watch them empty into the lake and enjoy the ambiance with some food and drink. Because we could all use a little more light in our lives, no?

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

It's not fair.

[But what about life is?]

But I'd rather lose them than not have known them.

[determinedest]

[That's an easy answer, and an easy agreement. The child's head bows as they press their hands down, braced atop their kneecaps, and lever themself carefully to their feet.]

Me too.

[Better to have LOVED and lost than to...


How does that saying go again?]

I just hope they're happy.

[eatsyourscience]

So do I.

[Those who were there and those who were gone.]

I hope you are too.

[It's kind of cliche to say, and it's not as easy as just wishing it. And happiness is different for everyone. But that hope is genuine. Frisk ought to be happy. They deserve to be, just like anyone else.]

[determinedest]

[Are they happy?

They told Chara once, didn't they, that happiness isn't a destination so much as it is a journey. It's not a place you end up. It's just a life that you have. They can't say that they're happy all the time, really, but they can say that they're...

Maybe they're happier now than they were a year ago, in some ways.]

I think I am.

[Pardon their surprise as they say it; it takes them off guard ever so slightly.]

Are you?

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's glad to hear it. They've gone through a lot of changes, he thinks, and it can be hard to handle that kind of thing. He knows.]

Mostly, I think so. I've been trying.

[determinedest]

[Maybe they've been trying too. Trying, trying to be better than they were during Christmas. Trying not to scare anyone else like that again. They have to be better for people.

For everyone.]

Me too.

[eatsyourscience]

[He smiles and straightens up, stretching, his fingers laced together over his head.

Lowering them again, he looks at the lights on the lake.]

I'm glad I did this.

[determinedest]

It was a good idea.

[A little sad, but...maybe this is something they needed. All of them. They settle down, going from a kneel to sitting cross-legged at the edge of the water, watching the lanterns drift into the dark.]

[eatsyourscience]

Do you mind if I sit with you for awhile?

[He understands if they'd rather sit alone. But he figures they can be introverted together. Just having silent company can be nice.]

[determinedest]

[Frisk doesn't answer, but they pat at the patch of ground beside them. A small smile creases the corners of their lips, even if it's a shade mournful.]

[eatsyourscience]

[With a small smile, Souji took a seat beside them and looked back out at the lights on the water. He'd stay here for awhile.]