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The cat was indeed there for Moon Pies.

The small pale manx leaned against Lilith's neck, purring slightly upon occasion. However, the mention of food was enough to get the guardian to speak up briefly.

She was careful, however, to not make it seem too obvious. Her location upon the blind girl's shoulder was an excellent set up, allowing her to whisper in an ear.

"I heard there was a Moon Pie eating contest.... I wish I could enter... but I don't think cats are allowed to enter..." A small giggle escaped her whispering kitty-lips.

"...however... I was hoping maybe some of the vendors would be selling Moon Pies... you know... milking a gimmick to make a buck?"

Pausing from her own words, the cat took another scan of the vicinity so she could accurately answer Lilith's question. She squinted a bit a couple times so she could check out some of the people much further aware.

"...well... it is a mix so far.... some casual, some more dressed up... kind of nice... and... I don't see aliens of any sort... red or other colors!"

She gave the girl a scratchy kiss with her tongue against her neck before adding "Let's keep going... I'll let you know if there are any booths with Moon Pies!"

One track mind: yes!

Pre-gaming had come in the form of a flask full of vodka, touched with just a hint of sprite for the fizz -- and it was almost empty by the time Ever hit the street, arm slung around Zac's shoulders. It left his expression bright, and it made him touchy: tugging his beau in close and grinning dangerously at anyone who shot them nasty looks.

"I think I drank too much. Where's there more?" He sounded pleased, though, fumbling with his free hand for a cigarette and toying with it between two fingers. "Someone at work said something about a mixology contest, and told me that I'm fired if I don't go."

Not, of course, that anyone would dare fire him. Not when he had dirt on the owner.

Penelope's first thought was that the gray-haired youth (Zach) that approached her was talking to someone behind her. There were surely many lovely ladies--and gentlemen, for that matter--entering the costume contest. It took Christa's shout to make her realize that this "Zach" was, in fact, talking to her directly. Maroon eyes widened as she looked at the guy while nervously biting her lip. It was someone Christa knew, which meant that he got a leg up...but the way he had approached and spoke to her did make her feel uncomfortable. It was sort of like the way Mr. Moreau spoke to people... and that had turned out to be a disaster for her! "Oh, I'm just... flagging people towards the costume contest..."

Speaking of which, one of the contestants (Danika) now stepped forward to comment too. Penelope felt her face darkening, partially because she had been the cause of an inconvenience. Okay, actually Zach had, but as resident volunteer, the moth-bedecked girl felt somewhat responsible! Seeing the obvious care that had gone into the other girl's outfit also made her much, much more insecure about her own. Decadent in red, black, and white, with the sheen of crystal and... every small detail attended to, down to the finger tips. In contrast to such finery, Penelope was suddenly very aware that aside from her wings and antennae, she was wearing a sweater, jeans, and very average shoes. She barely could think about how she also lacked any of the statuesque beauty of owner of said outfit. Her own garnet gaze fell as she smiled softly, "I'm... it's just a quick nod to Mothra. But your outfit is just lovely... I'm certain that the judges will think so, too. "




===

Krishna was checking his phone for the time with a small frown on his face. Richard was late. Again. Tardiness was not in itself an unexpected trait for his friend, but he had seemed pretty excited about the potential riffing of contestants. The florist took another swig of his lager and shoved the phone back in his pocket. When the other man was ready, he would show. Or call.

The boy (Ian) who approached him made him c**k an eyebrow, but he did not immediately stop drinking to answer. The first person to approach him was not visually interesting at all - standard hair and eye color, excitable... although the large grin over something as small as a moon pie eating contest was, perhaps, indicative of an interesting priority set? He finally lowered his beverage and answered simply, "No. You?"

"Well, we'll see it from here, yes. But I don't think its going to happen exactly here since the Moon is 240,000 miles away from the planet Earth. Though maybe its all relative when we're specks on the surface of a giant ball of water and rock looking at another giant ball of water and rock that the first is about to make shadow puppets on. I never was able to manage a convincing dog." Quenton's tone was light, and he pleasantly sea-legged around with wherever Ruthie pulled his center of gravity. She looked lovely, and the smiling. All the smiles were as counted and as cherished as the stars to his tired mind. "Sad they don't have shadow puppet plays. Maybe next time we can suggest it to the powers that be and have a sheet and projector and make some out of paper and sticks?"

It was surreal to walk through the night and feel nothing. No signatures, no threats, no screams or quickened breath and heartbeat thrumming in every limb. He was out at night and he was wearing normal clothes. He was with regular people. He had...a friend. It was ephemeral and precious, both traits that felt fitting to the reason for the occasion.

"Soft slipped silver thought and word
beyond the provinces of the mind
beyond, beyond, hither and yon
till heart and head a-swim and sleep in Morpheus' sands, hands, arms
Nyx, her hair unraveled, dances free on the flat of the sky, and her
laughter lights her cloak charms as stars," the words came soft from his throat while Ruthie's feet fled here and there with her thoughts.

Thanks to the flyers he'd had some time to make a few things to 'celebrate' the occasion of the Lunar festival- he'd silk screened distressed moon phases across the chest of a tatty old turtleneck that usually found more play in Midnight Dragon sessions. Also, he'd hunted out some end-of-life luna moth wings at the science and natural history museum shop to buy, clear resin-coated them and set them to fine gold fishbone chains that were easily woven and intermixed with polished and tumbled tear-drop labradorite and moonstone cabochons on strings that he wove through his pulled-up mass of bone-ash hair. It had been the limit of his creativity though, he'd gotten distracted with projects and protecting.

He'd borrowed his cousin's 18th century astrolabe, complete with displayed rete and rule, with permission and pulled it from the leather case made to carry it from belt on hip. "Have you ever used one of these before? Care to play at horoscopes and finding constellations in the meantime? We can grab some snacks and find a good grassy spot with a view. I've only got the crash course Stroud gave me when I stopped by to ask to borrow it, so if you haven't, we might be mostly making it up as we go."

Hannah waved her free arm above her head once she spotted her friend about 20' away from her"DELILAH!" she yelled over the crowd. Gathering up the trailing blankets so didn't trip over them, the periwinkle haired girl jogged over to her friend with a smile on her face that spread from ear to ear. "Sorry I'm late, I tried to find something fun to wear but I couldn't find the box with my costume stuff."

Fiddling around with the blankets, Hannah separated the two and handed one to Delilah. Despite already wearing a winter jacket and scarf it never hurt to come prepared with some extra warmth, it was Fall time after all. "Do you want to go look around or would you prefer to grab something to eat and find a place to sit for a while?"

Right then Hannah's stomach decided to make it's presence known. Really? she thought I just ate an hour ago . She looked at her friend with a sheepish expression "Sorry about that."





Mei made her way down Main Street, clad in a black warm winter jacket with fleece lining, a white scarf wrapped around her neck and a tan side back that was slung over her shoulder. She knew she couldn't stay inside forever, just because Shen left for boot camp didn't mean her life should stop. Plus it's not every day you get to enjoy the sight of an eclipse on a cloudless day.

Passing by several shops, weaving her way through groups of people, Mei caught sight of the words bubble and tea written on an A-frame sitting outside of a coffee and tea shop called Slave to the Grind. Mmm bubble tea sounds yummy right now Despite the chill in the air she couldn't help but find herself craving the delicious concoction. If anything once she finished the cold drink she could just order a chai tea late.

Once inside Mei spotted a nearly empty table in the back left of the shop. Puzzle pieces laid scattered across the table top. It took quite a bit of will power to go stand in line instead of making a v-line for that table... oh how she loved puzzles. Please nobody take that spot she thought as she move forward, just a few people away from being able to place her order.

Back in Taiwan where Qiuyue had come from, mooncakes were commonplace and synonymous with the Mid-Autumn Festival which should be taking place right about now. Moon pies on the other hand were something new to her and she knew that she just had to watch one of the moon pie eating contests just for the novelty of it with the lunar eclipse that had most of Destiny City abuzz with excitement since the past month or so. Even if she had to do so alone given that she hardly knew anyone on a personal level over here since her relocation on the pretext of furthering her studies at DCU.

Two entirely different lunar related events, two confectionaries made from different ingredients from two vastly different cultures. The notion amused her greatly on a personal level. With any luck, she was hopeful that she would be able to purchase a moon pie from one of the many nearby event booths to nibble on when the lunar eclipse took place proper later in the evening. It would be just like what she did back home in the past, with families gathering together to enjoy the mooncakes along with a pot of freshly brewed tea beneath the light cast by the full moon overhead. It probably wouldn't be the same with moon pies and a lunar eclipse but she was intent on following through with it nonetheless. For now, she was merely content to watch the contest from her spot, a cup of hot chocolate in her hand from which she took a small sip every now and then.

((If anyone wants to approach Qiuyue, please feel free to quote me~ ^^))

Paris was not often fond of crowds these days, due in part to the rather dramatic events that tended to happen when large groups of people got together in this city, as well as the fact that three years of events in her own life had turned her into something of a homebody, but there were still parts of being out and about with the rest of the city that appealed to her. The music, for one; music always made things seem so much more festive. But the food and drinks were also pretty appealing, and Paris, skinny though she was, did rather enjoy food and drinks when they were laid out before her so enticingly.

She might have had a bit of a lighter lunch than usual that day to make up for the utter junk she planned on consuming tonight.

“Food and drink is what I came for,” Paris said, grabbing onto Chris's hand to lead him through the crowd that packed the streets to head for some food vendors.

“Oh, and, you know, being with you and all that,” she added, tossing it sweetly over her shoulder with a cheeky smile and a quick, teasing flutter of her mascara-darkened lashes.

It was true that most of their dates tended to pass in quieter and more private areas of the city, but this was a nice change. Sometimes being around other people could be exhilarating, and it certainly broke up the monotony (pleasurable though it always was) of fancy restaurants and the seclusion of a night or weekend at a beach house or mountain cabin.

Now the questioned remained: “What do you want to eat? Ew, not hot dogs. Gross. Do you smell sausages? That'd probably be better. Hmm, barbeque is a possibility. Ugh, I don't think I could do anything fried, though, so let's stay away from the pickles and candy bars and whatever else they feel like sticking in a deep fryer. Oh my God, would you judge me if I got a turkey leg?”



Anyone can quote me if you want to interact!! :3