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 Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 3:05 pm
Who: Vivi, Alex, and Zul (and Brad?)
When: Evening, just after the sunset
Where: The Changing of the Leaves Festival at Gambino Park, come one, come all~!
Weather: Warm during the day, but cool and breezy now that the sun's gone down.
The sky still held just the barest touches of red at its edges after the sun fell. The Changing of the Leaves Festival was having its first night, its grand opening, and the atmosphere was all but perfect. The celebration of summer's end and autumn's entrance couldn't have asked for a better night -- the sky clear and open and the wind sighing gently. Threads of small colored lights twinkled in time with the stars, beckoning people in through the park's gates. Long red lanterns lit the way into the park, but the wafting smells from vendors' stalls and the happy chatting of people all around was lure enough for most passers-by.
Cinderella pumpkins lined the festival's paths with plump happiness. Banners in autumn colors were unfurled above, hanging prettily, lined with tiny lights. Tents and stalls of all shapes and sizes were there, selling all manners of food and wares, setting up games, and generally rejoicing in the coming of Halloween's mysteries and the end of summer's seemingly endless reign. Children pushed each other and cursed freely at having lost games, unattended as adults milled about looking at artwork or fall-themed decor. Lovers clung to each other with dreamy smiles and sidestepped the pumpkins to find privacy in the park's cool dark glades.
The stalls were varied. A farmer's wide stall sold late summer beans, mountains of tricolored apples, and pumpkins, gourds, and squash of every color, expression, and variation. Not far away, a small white tent was decorated with garlands of small white pumpkins and carved golden stars, wherein a kindly-looking old woman was reading a teenager's tarot. Across the way, a man in a grotesque mask sold other men grotesque masks. One booth specialized only in dipping shining green apples into vats of golden caramel. It went on, and on, and on.
At the end of one of the pathways, situated in front of the park's shimmering lake, was a stage. The stage, now cloaked in a lush black curtain, had been stirring with activity all night. Gasps of a captivated audience had called more people to gather before it, and by now there stood a rather large crowd around the stage, quiet with anticipation for the next act.
When the curtain pulled back again, the stage was empty, save for one long red bolt of cloth.
The act was about to begin.
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:31 am
It wasn't a vacation, but it was the next best thing - a festival to celebrate the coming of their favorite season. Together.
Alex was beside herself with childish glee, shedding the upset and heartache of what had happened to her in the previous months and selfishly taking the time to enjoy herself. Her scarred fingers wrapped affectionately with her charge's own, her arms covered by a light half-length jacket of morning grey over a forest green tank top and black jeans - utterly lacking fashion sense but the Italian could not have cared less if she tried. Squealing and bounding from one stall to the next, her bright emerald eyes held all the wonder and appeal of the wares; chatting in an animated fashion about what to carve in pumpkins, debating decor for the home that they'd not yet found, speaking about what to do for the Frei's Halloween-dated birthday.
At her side and just as eager to go from booth to booth, Zul followed, holding his woman's hand without embarrassment or annoyance. His bone-framed wings rattled against the looped piercings each time they stretched in his enthusiasm, drawing stares of wonder and mild fear at such a remarkable 'costume.' He neither noticed nor paid it any mind, excited to have the time as he had sorely wanted it for so long - absent of Delaran's, being in celebration and feeling as if he had his freedom again. The demon had endured a rough half year of self-reflection, and once he'd finally found some sort of peace with himself, the cost had been high...but now he was ready to let by-gones be by-gones and seize life by the horns.
Their chatting and ambling lead them indirectly into the gathered mass of people before the stage, earning their interest. Wanting only to enjoy their time and take in the sights, the two gave each other a side-long glance and shrugged, joining the fray, curious to see what the single swath of red cloth would hold in store.
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