Ryozanpaku

[Apollymi]

As a certain half of the dynamic duo of saviors hung out on the roof tops, his female counterpart held in her hands a lantern. "Hm, I wonder where the boys are?" she mentioned. The small blonde girl and the purple haired Oni looked at each other. Both of them realized that the Kitsune likely didn't care for the placement of any or most of the young men from their dwelling. No, she was likely looking for one i particular after releasing her lantern into the air. "Tama-nee~ I'm sure Nii-san will show up whenever. No need to worry~" the lass jabbed which made the Kitsune's golden eyes widen. She was pretty sure she hadn't asked about him specifically so why was this assumption made? Embarrassment welled up in the girl's soul which was felt by the vampire in her presence who nodded in a secret signal to the purple haired lass. "Fufu~ I knew it~ You guys are too easy!~" exclaimed Shuten as if she won some sort of prize by being right about her questioning.

In a traditional short Yukata looking a bit like a child was a certain male from their ship. A legendary lute in his hands he played the tunes of the area with gentle motions collecting coins from those who tipped as he walked along. "Waaah~ Minna! This festival is great!~" he chimed, in that melodious voice. Though Tamamo or rather Ashikaga Kimiko always found bards annoying in games, she'd grown to like this one just a little. "Ara ara, asking for one of the boys caused one to appear~" she mused with happiness.

[Bloodedge]

While the bard enjoyed himself by playing for the masses, another new addition to the group was walking nearby. The young man who shared his space with serpents, apparently a player utilizing an Avatar named Iguro Obanai, had jumped aboard after everything was said and done. He sported a grey yukata and white haori, and of course the white snake typically found in his presence, as he joined the one called Jaskier. "It's good you're having fun, but must you take money from people at a time like this? This is the first Lantern Rites festival in Ryozanpaku since... generations ago," he commented, having no true idea how long it had been since this festival was last held. Even the length of the recently-ended war was a mystery to himself, and so many others before him.

"That shouldn't be an issue. There will be a lot of changes here soon, so everyone is happy to part with old possessions in favor of a new beginning. That's part of what this festival is for, after all," said none other than Rikuo, the new lord of these lands. Jaskier may have been collecting 'tips' from various youkai, but none of that mattered. Rikuo himself had been here for quite some time now, and never had he seen so many smiling faces pass by this tree. As he looked around now, it seemed people were even appreciating the tree itself. Good; it was always a thing to be admired, even though so very few knew the reason it existed. One day, knowledge would spread... Knowledge of how this tree represented the birth of Ryozanpaku itself.

[Apollymi]

"What other time is there? If they give we take... the world keeps spinning~" mentioned the young bard. He had a very pragmatic view of his earnings. And yes the land had been war torn not too long ago, even so, that was more of a reason to accept the generosity of those who thought to give. Jaskier's words made Tamamo chuckle. Perhaps at some point, Iguro would need a lesson on the sustaining and growing economies. Spending money was always a good time, and the better paid the lowest members of society were, the more society prospered. Alas, Tamamo wouldn't be the one giving this lesson the newest leader of the area and the one all the others would submit to Rikuo said essentially the same thing the Kitsune would have said with a bit more cheer than she would have managed.

"Oh? Rikuo seems to understand. It's no wonder she's latched on to you... that's a great attitude~" mentioned the Kitsune who gave a cheeky chuckle before continuing to wander about. "Ah, Taishou~~ you don't have to talk about me like I'm not here! I am only doing my jobs," mentioned the lass known as Tomoe, an Oni with two red horns and pale hair. She was dressed as the rest of the young women were, seemingly walking around with the young Rikuo to make sure he didn't wander off too far. "Hai hai, though it's nothing you can't handle~" mentioned Tamamo, as she allowed her eyes to wander searching of course for the one person she wished to see.

Another young lass with dark colored hair that pinked at the tips came closer as well, settling in near Iguro though she was petite she wasn't as young as the vampire in their company. Once seen with a piece of bamboo in her mouth at all times, she now simply hid her lower face being her sleeves feeling a bit exposed. "I am pretty sure if they didn't want to pay him he wouldn't be paid. Now... Iguro-sa go make your wishes!~" she murmured those pink eyes of hers intense though her outward appearance didn't show that she was an Oni as well. "Fufu~ what an interesting spot, it's nice to see the place so happy. And it's been about a 1000 years and the bards weren't half this good back then~ Now who's drinking with me?" asked Shuten as she obviously planned to find a comfortable place to hold up and drink for the duration of the festivities once she released her lantern and wishes.

[Bloodedge]

"Yare yare," said Iguro. The economical matters were one thing, but his morals were just a bit different from the others. One could say Iguro, actually, was a tad too kind. He simply didn't want to take from those who had little, even if they offered. Naturally, there was a chance that they were simply caught up in the festivities as well, or perhaps even being too nice themselves. No matter; the young Oni in his company had the right idea in mind. He had a wish to make, and a lantern already prepared to join others in the sky. "Hai hai. Bring your lantern, we can wish together," he said while reaching out to claim the small Oni's hand, content to take his leave of the others.

Meanwhile, Rikuo latched on to a very intriguing offer by none other than the Shuten-doji of legend... in a new form. "Hoho─" he muttered, his attention grabbed without fail as the drunkard Oni offered a question to the masses. If there was one thing the Nurarihyon appreciated during all the time he spent in that tree, it was a bit of sake. When presented with the opportunity to drink with another, and an Oni at that, there was no way he would even think of refusing. "If you'll have me, I'll share a drink with you. Do go easy on me~"

Lanterns sent off by two people at once had multiple purposes, as the male Tamamo presently sought had heard when talks of the festival first began. Sometimes, it was an innocent act amongst friends who would share vibes and hope their companions' wishes came true as well─ such was the case with Iguro and the Oni, Nezuko. Alas, there were many other potentials... and among them was an old tradition observed by lovers whose wishes would come together, or not at all. The current Avatar of Yugi had been made with all the memories possessed by Giyu, as well as a few others taken from Artifacts around the city. The latter form of shared wishes was a strange ritual─ one with the potential of sacrifice.

Over a thousand years ago, the tradition began with a journeyman whose return was never certain, and whose bride-to-be had always enjoyed their annual lantern release. That man decided to gamble before his departure one year, when the couple would both wish for his safe return. Instead, he prepared a different wish while remaining separate from others and the festivities. While the woman awaited his arrival to the ceremony with the intended wish of safe return, he remained on the outskirts of the city. Would she give up hoping for his arrival, and abandon her wish as a result? This was the question in that man's mind all those years ago, and the answer he received was... no. Instead of giving up, the woman searched all of Ryozanpaku until she found him at the edge of the mountain, his identity concealed from all but she who knew him best. Only she could have found him, and only she could have recognized him the way he was. Once they were together by the time of the setting sun, which eventually became the ideal time to release the lanterns, they made their wishes together... in solitude.

All that time, the man knew one truth. If their bond was strong enough, there was no need for two to make the same wish. His absence during the festivities tested that bond, and allowed him to believe two separate, yet related wishes, would be far more powerful for them. The woman wished for his safe return as intended, and he ─ believing from the bottom of his heart that her wish would come true ─ wished instead for their wedding night to be the start of something new that they could both cherish for eternity.

This Avatar knew the identity of that couple. In his Source, he knew just what had become of them in the end, and as he sat upon that roof... he gambled, just as that man did 1,000 years ago. . .

[Apollymi]

Iguro was indeed too kind, but Nezuko had been around these people a bit more than she'd alike to admit. Knowing this... she knew no one here would actually take advantage of anyone and because of her connection to Tomoe, she'd seen the Kitsune and elder Oni working hard to help mold the new economy, these pennies being tossed to the bard wouldn't be missed by anyone in the new open markets of Ryozanpaku. Iguro in the moment reached for her hand and Nezuko held his with a small blush appearing on her face. "Hai good vibes!" she said as they walked along planning to release their lanterns together.

In the meantime, Shuten's open invitation to drink was taken by Rikuo who claimed he wanted the purple haired oni to take it easy on him. "Fufu, I don't take it easy on anyone Ku-chan~ We'll drink until you pass out~" she mentioned with a hearty laugh. All the while her deep purple eyes narrowed as she noted Tamamo still socializing and her brother nowhere to be found. Of course he was like this... she hoped the lass could forgive his constant lack of punctuality. Whatever the case she simply chuckled pausing before the pink haired lass and offering her a gift. "Oi oi, Nee-san doesn't look like you'll be joining us this time. Take this then... have your own party. That's some of my best stuff though, so don't go drinking it alone~" she said in a ploy to nudge the lass towards finding her brother. 'Baka-nii, always keeping a girl waiting~' she thought as she wandered off to take Rikuo for drinks. Tomoe went with them knowing lots of drinks would be poured and even Alezia was enjoying snacks and chatting with Jaskier. "Ara ara, Shu-chan when you say it like it. It seems pretty pushy... Arigatou na~ Drink a few for me!~" And just like that the girl looked over the fresh sakezuki set, made from the bones of the Orochi and opened a portal for it. Once it was put away she held her prepped lantern in one hand and moved among the crowd searching for the face of the man she actually wished to see. 'Yare yare, this isn't like last time though... I'll find him myself this time~' she mused keeping her eyes peeled and her senses open.

[Bloodedge]

One should never have to imagine that the simple act of waiting could be a frightening thing. There was nothing but time, yet that time would eventually run out. He had the time until sunset, for more reasons than he even realized in this form. There was always the chance that Tamamo didn't even consider seeking him, but that was all part of the gamble. High risk, high reward─ that would be the way this game was played.

While he waited, his senses remained open as well. The wind itself told the tale of many movements, made by many who currently inhabited Ryozanpaku. Among those movements, was Tamamo. He could smell her on the wind, even feel her divine presence caressing his skin through the gentle breeze. Only a small amount of focus was required for him to ignore everyone else he sensed. She was moving, but was she moving for the sake of locating him? If so, he would find out soon enough. Perhaps this lonely rooftop would be occupied by another in due time, or perhaps... a wish would not be made this festival.

[Apollymi]

This new face of Yugi's wondered if Tamamo was looking for him... and the answer to that was simply, yes. Even as she walked among the crowd and moved between the throngs of people she found herself searching every instance for a face that she recognized. How odd... she was fairly certain they intended to make these wishes together. And given the amount of time she had left she knew it was necessary to find him. Still, she didn't manage to look distraught at all. She'd waited much longer and much more passively for him before, actively searching for him was much less stressful. 'Hm, I know I don't like waiting... I am not sure if I prefer chasing though~' the lass spoke to herself words of encouragement. She had all the faith that she would see this lad but where would someone like him hide during something like this? As she crossed the path of several playing Youkai, children running hand in hand with lanterns and smiles she couldn't help but chuckle.

Well, if she couldn't see him to pick him out of the crowd, perhaps she'd just remove the crowd from her senses instead? Every time her eyes shifted she marked away the signature of the person she saw. The buzzing of her senses alight within this realm of Youkai was eventually whittled down to one. She moved towards this sensation, so familiar and yet so different. And she'd eventually as the the sun neared its setting point find herself near the outer edges surrounded by buildings. Outside of the full movement of the bodies of people... she could feel the breeze again. 'Yare yare, even though these are meant for bathhouses it gets hot inside of these,' she thought enjoying the coolness against her skin she looked up and she saw someone new. A lad with black hair with teal undertones, dressed in traditional garbs sitting on top of a roof. In that same moment a gentle smile came to her face and she rather casually jumped floating up to the same level to stand before this lad. "Ara ara, if we're playing hide and seek, you should probably warn me that I'm it~" she teased ever so gently happy to have found him.

[Bloodedge]

The young man's senses gave him reason to believe Tamamo was on her way toward his location after some time passed. He wondered, though, if this meant she was searching for him after all. That Avatar, as well as her Dragonoid self, seemed the most likely of Kimiko's personas to do so. Still, he waited. Movement toward him continued, eventually without a single hiccup. Indeed... he soon understood that she was on a straight path toward his location, and moments later...

There she was. He could see that smiling face kept beneath a mass of hair that had been collected atop her head. The first words from her mouth gave away the fact that she had, indeed, been searching for him specifically. With his right arm resting over his elevated knee, the lad extended that same hand with its palm toward the sky. It seemed he had nothing but interest in sharing this space with Tamamo, or even any of her other forms. This Avatar shared most of the former Giyu's stoic nature, yet there was an oddly deep satisfaction within him since the moment Tamamo appeared. As for their little game of hide and seek, his retort was a bit... indirect. "I've heard a lot of things leading into this festival. Have you heard the Wayward Lanterns story?"

[Apollymi]

Standing in front of this young man, Tamamo took in the look of his new Avatar. As much as Kou had mentioned that he was a lad of variable tastes, it could be stated as being true that Kimiko was also a lass of variable tastes. As similar as they were in most respects, it would come as no surprise that the lass enjoyed the many faces this young man had come up with. She'd quite enjoyed Giyu as a more normal looking potential partner. She also enjoyed the more out of this world celestial look of Kou. This young man with his teal undertones was one she appreciated visually. That stoic nature became a bit softer though as his hand extended palm up and he asked her about the Wayward Lanterns. "I think, I've heard part of it... I left a little early to take care of somethings so I didn't hear what Kuono said about the end~" she mused. Taking his extended palm as an invitation she took a seat in the space left open in his lap. Having settled in this way she was content and her body relaxed a great deal. She'd lean over and peck his cheek as she took to watching the lanterns towards the middle fly up as people released their wishes out into the world. "So, you can tell me the end..." she mentioned. They had quite a bit of time left until sunset and she was content to spend the rest of her time with this lad. Of course, the base of this Avatar understood the story but, she only tapped into information as it was needed. In this case, it was something she'd rather hear from him.

[Bloodedge]

Surprise, surprise. Tamamo accepted his extended hand, using it as leverage to seat herself against his person. The lad's legs spread almost instinctively to grant space for the Kitsune, and his free left arm wrapped itself around her midsection. That brief impact of lips against his cheek garnered little physical response other than a glance in Tamamo's direction, but he had clearly achieved a certain amount of comfort. Apparently, Tamamo had only heard the beginning of the tale he mentioned. The remainder of the story was left in his hands, and he was keen to tell it. "In the end, two lanterns were seen by every attendant of the Lantern Rites. While every other lantern floated as part of a group, those two went off separately. When morning came, the journeyman set out. Stories say their wishes together became so powerful, incredible luck came to the man on his journey. They were poor... but he gained wealth after helping out a Lord. They could have become the richest people in all of Ryozanpaku, but they were true to their wishes. Most of the money was spent on their wedding, and the rest went into a place where they could live in seclusion... away from the other Youkai. They even set up a farm to make just enough money that they could live happily in the future. A child was born between them, and Ryozanpaku uplifted the child as a beacon of hope for the city... and for the future itself. His name was Alatus."

[Apollymi]

There was an immense amount of comfort to be found once taking her seat. This new face even wrapped his arm around her midsection, helping her settle into the feeling of their closeness. From this exact position she was able to focus completely on the words spoken by the lad and take that information and match it up with the rest of the story she'd already heard. She was exceedingly attentive in the moment and found something about the story truly heartwarming. In fact a single beat of her heart thumped a bit more accutely than the others, and she could feel the heat of a blush creeping up her face. "Ara ara, a story like that is almost too sweet to comprehend!~" she mused finding the ending to be precisely telling. A happy couple living in seclusion... being true to their wishes while others watched on. Bringing forth a beacon of hope at a later time with such an interesting name to boot. What a direct bit of lore to go with the already established information they'd gotten here. And what was more, they were pretty easily set up to relive such a situation themselves, given their own propensity for ending up split from their group while participating in such activities. "It seems like it's almost time then, are we wishing Mikon?" she asked with that same light happiness. Though many wouldn't understand how this pair operated, it was clear that their interest in each other was mutual. And for one such as Ashikaga Kimiko who'd already made such a sound decision, investing in their future happiness with wishes here was a simple step to take in the right direction. They as a pair traveled a very different path from normal individuals a story such as this showed that staying true to those sorts of ideals would only lead to ones further happiness and contentment.

[Bloodedge]

A story was told, and with it, came a reaction from the Kitsune he was pressed against. With his chest against her back, the male could almost feel that oddly-specific heartbeat that occurred during his tale, and his own seemed willing to match the gesture during the following beat. Many tales surrounding Youkai of all sorts had endings that were not quite pleasurable for those involved, but this one in particular was one he could hold within while sharing the Youkai people's hope for a brighter tomorrow. In his case, he could relate to the male of the story, knowing the man's wish. However, the design of this Avatar had been very closely based on the child of that old couple. "I thought so too," he said as his chin rested against the fox's shoulder. "The child, Alatus, became a legendary Yaksha after inheriting a thousand year-old name from his own ancestor. This form... I borrowed from him, taking the name Xiao."

And so, the tale reached its official end. Xiao kept close proximity, taking in even the scent of Tamamo while his nose was so close to the flesh of her neck. She asked if they were wishing, and his eyes looked toward the sky. The blue skies were tinted orange near the horizon, but Xiao's vision was filled with pink from Tamamo's hair. He didn't mind that at all, clearly. "Do you have a wish ready?" he wondered aloud, also curious as to whether said wish would be revealed or not.

[Apollymi]

The story reached its completion with the new face of the one she called Mikon, revealing his name as Xiao. That was a nice name, taken from the lore along with his current form which was connected to the Yaksha. She felt the warm of this lad against her person, the intermitted thump of his heart and even the gentle brushing of his nose near her neck and his chin fully resting against her shoulder. Was it bad that her mind moved a bit far away from this moment? Something about being held this way was simultaneously comforting but also quite a bit of a turn-on which she couldn't have explained if she wanted to. "Xiao's a nice name. I like it..." she mused happily, fidgeting just a tad as she waited for her face to lose a bit of its extra color.

But of course this wouldn't be allowed to occur so easily. When asked if she was prepared her wish already she simply nodded looking off into the sky as well. Doing so a small portal opened pulling from within the lantern she'd spent the afternoon preparing. "Hai, I asked around to figure out what people were wishing for and I decided to walk a different sort of path with mine," she mentioned. Many people wished for things like prosperity, wealth, etc. But Tamamo or rather Kimiko would rather wish for things she couldn't make happen alone or with her own hands. Her wish written simply in their native language was, 'Make more happy memories with Mikon.' Ashikaga Kimiko's desires were indeed very simple, she found a boy she liked and wanted to gain more experiences with him.

[Bloodedge]

Approval of his chosen name was strangely satisfying for the Yaksha. A brief exhale through his nose would certainly be either heard, or felt by Tamamo, as he just about chuckled to start his response. "Good. Your opinion matters," he said. Apparently, this Avatar was also without the reprehensions shown in other forms of the lad. He was blunt even while being reserved, but also polite while being logical and getting straight to the point─ these were the features that manifested at Xiao's creation. Any who knew the Geno Killer in life, would perhaps know the phase this personality was drawn from.

Tamamo had spoken with others about the types of wishes made in this land's festival, but decided to do something a bit different. That much could always be expected of Kimiko, based on things observed thus far. Every chance she got, she managed to obliterate conventional expectation without even giving it consideration. Perhaps this was a major reason she became a thing to desire. No... even that was shattered. Time and time again, more reasons were being added; he couldn't assign a specific amount of importance to one if he spent days thinking about it. Indeed, those days spent thinking would only make the young man realize more features he found desirable.

"That's one thing that can't surprise me... The fact that what you do is going to be a surprise," Xiao spoke. Reaching behind himself with his right hand, the lad retrieved his own lantern. His wish was decided long before this Avatar was completed, and it superseded the identity of each form he had in this world. In the lantern he soon held in front of Tamamo and himself, next to the former's item, was a wish made by Aiba Yugi at his very core. He wished not simply to be seen, but to be accepted ... to be found, even, by the one called Ashikaga Kimiko─ this was the one specification of his wish. Kou, Akashi, Xiao, and even the discarded Avatars... none of them mattered. They had come this far already, and the one thing remaining in the male's mind was that gave him more to consider, was that she didn't even know the identity of the human behind the Avatars. "Mine is ready too."

[Apollymi]

There was a breath felt across Tamamo's neck and... satisfaction? It certainly felt like satisfaction as he chuckled that her opinion mattered in this case. And something about the knowledge that he cared about her opinions was satisfactory to her as well. "Hai hai..." she said suppressing a gentle shiver but she couldn't quite keep it completely out of her body. After all, she had animal parts and those were very honest, her tails twitched gently.

Moreover it seemed he wasn't at all surprised by the fact that she'd gone a different sort of way with her wish. Apparently she was just very surprising in general. She found this to be interesting news. She didn't set out to be exciting, she just had a different set of expectations from the world in general. He reached behind himself and sat his lantern in front of himself. She read this wish with widened eyes. How strange? They couldn't leave this place, but he wished that even her original self could know and find him. That was strangely sweet and as always complimentary. His wish to be found and accepted by the person that she was at her core, and her wish to make more memories with him were both far beyond this world alone. "Sou ka... well these wishes are so like us. Let's make sure they come true~" she mentioned softly she lifted her own up into the air and waited for him to join her. At the perfect moment she'd release hers at the same time he released his as the sun set.