[Thread] - Tanabata Festival (OPEN! &hearts)

[honoo_no_hime]

Characters: OPEN! come one come all
Where: a pathway in the park
When: shortly after the pendant plot, during Tanabata
Summary: Mars has organized a small festival (adapted for Econtra) with:
&hearts preparations/decorating
&hearts fortune-telling
&hearts mingling
&hearts a cook-out
Notes: Please feel free to join the created subthreads singly or

Comments

Decorating [subthread]

[machines_talk]

The path winding through the park was a quiet flurry of activity, organized chaos as the preparations for the festival moved forward. The brighter air spread in visible progression, rolling out from the start of the path like a carpet unfurling. The paper lanterns, streamers and message-banners lent touches of color and much-needed cheer as they were hung from the trees' branches.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[invisible_trick]

Espio grinned. Good. He wasn't really much one for parties and festivals or anything of the sort really, but there was something satisfying about helping set up.

"Well, if you need anything particularly high up, I can get it up there for you!"

His height probably said that he couldn't, but Espio's abilities weren't strictly limited to invisibility. He was extremely good at scaling things, even ceilings weren't a problem - and he had very, very good balance. "Or anything specific that needs doing."

After a moment, he figured it was probably an idea to mention his name to the two.

"Espio. Espio the Chameleon."

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[machines_talk]

Kaylee's immediate reaction was thought rather than skepticism. She hadn't been in the compound all that terribly long, but it had been long enough to ensure she paused to think before dismissing something as impossible, or even all that unlikely. "Guess you're real good at climbin', then?" she asked.

A bright grin accompanied her own introduction. "I'm Kaylee. It's nice to meetcha, Espio."

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[honoo_no_hime]

"I am Sailormars," Mars introduced herself. She had, by and large, avoided using her civilian identity - and certainly she had no intention of revealing her still-other identity and role until she had found out more about potential threats. Too many people, from worlds like hers and even completely unrelated ones, had been asking about it, looking for information about... well, about her. It was something to be careful of, when she couldn't be sure of their intentions yet.

"I'm pleased to meet you." The courtesy of her father's daughter in this life, the politician's daughter.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[invisible_trick]

"Same," Espio answered, wih a nod. Mars, huh? If he had perhaps been more familiar with Earth's solar system, he might have made a connection. At the very least, he got the slight feeling that it was an alias, but where he came from the use of aliases was exceptionally common. "For both of you."

As for Kaylee, he tilted his head. He'd heard her name somewhere - perhaps the Doctor had mentioned it? He wondered if it was the same Kaylee he'd heard of.

"Well, Sailormars and Kaylee, I am good at climbing, assuming you need it, but I guess not everything's gotta go high up."

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[machines_talk]

"Nope! We still got lanterns to hang, but the chairs need settin' up, too, so that part's mostly ground-level." Kaylee's grin took on a faintly amused cast as she regarded the chairs, but she shook her head and banished whichever image came to mind without sharing it.

"Guess it's pretty much up to you which you lend a hand with. Unless you think one thing needs doin' more quick than the other?" The last was directed toward Mars, along with a faintly questioning look.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[honoo_no_hime]

It was both alias and name. She was Sailormars. She was simply also someone else. Both at once.

She almost grinned despite herself at Espio's offers. He was a good person, was her initial impression. Like everyone, he had his own issues, his own darkness; there was no one who didn't. But there was no clouded or dark aura there. He was willing to help others, be kind.

Mars returned to lighting flames in a few of the lanterns already hung. She didn't need anything but herself to achieve that, and it saved having to hang them once already lit. They could be put in place, and then kindled.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[invisible_trick]

"I guess I'll sort out the chairs then," Espio said, for a moment watching, or perhaps admiring Mars' use of fire. Technically speaking, it wasn't anything unusual to him, but still... "Nice!"

As he began to help with the seating, he couldn't help but muse to himself. "Shame I didn't think to invite anyone for the whole festival-mingling thing. Maybe I'll see people I know around later, though, or I could send someone a message to meetup when it's all done."

Question was though - who would he invite anyway? The people who perhaps needed most this opportunity to simply have fun were perhaps the missing Usagi, or perhaps Sayu. He sighed, shaking his head as he tried to clear it of the sudden wash of worry. Not now... but yet, now that was in his head, it was likely to linger.

Honestly, take away his ability to fight and he really was useless, suddenly taking up concern in the way people thought and felt

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[machines_talk]

"That'd be great," Kaylee called over. She offered a grin of her own, bright and genuine, not quite adept enough at reading non-human body language to realize there might be anything amiss. "An' if there ain't, we'll help with the chairs, so it all works out."

With that for the moment set, she returned to hanging lanterns. She didn't work long in quiet, picking up a tune after only a few seconds and humming it quietly to herself. It was from the wrong culture entirely; the composer had lived on one of the border worlds in her own universe. But it was cheerful, and at least that way her being a good half-beat off tempo much of the time was not quite as evident.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[honoo_no_hime]

Mars barely registered the somewhat compliment to her fire, absorbed in tugging at a stubborn lantern string so that it hung more naturally. When she was apparently satisfied with it, she stepped back and surveyed the pathway. It was beginning to look very nice.

She had more of a reason to suspect Espio's thoughts than Kaylee; they'd spoken briefly about his feelings of doubt, his sense that missing his own companions was making him less willing to help Econtra and its inhabitants.

"Everything you do is appreciated," she told him.

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[invisible_trick]

Espio had turned, about to ask Kaylee about the humming - just for the sake of conversation, but after hearing Mars' words he turned his attention back to the chairs, scales shifting to a slightly brighter shade of pink.

"Makes a change," he remarked. Any bitterness in his tone was forced, and probably obviously so. It was actually a very rare thing for him or his team to actually be thanked, regardless of what they did - they usually were called insane. Espio liked a bit of attention, true enough. He had skills, wanted them to be seen and noticed... but he didn't do anything he did for appreciation, and to actually receive it was rather... alien to him.

He looked back after a moment. "It looks dead nice. We wouldn't get this kind of thing in the city - not our city, I mean. This is to do with stars, right? I read that little story behind it."

Re: Decorating [subthread]

[machines_talk]

Not so wrapped up in what she was doing that she couldn't pay attention, Kaylee glanced over her shoulder at Espio, her expression faintly sympathetic. "That's too bad. Everywhere should have festivals. Even big cities. Heck, 'specially the big cities, seein' as it ain't so common for folk livin' in 'em to slow down an' take a look around."

Embarrassment caught up a half-step later as she realized she had, in a sense, interrupted their conversation. She ducked her head and mouthed an apology, cheeks coloring slightly.