ioduanlogs | [EVENT] Moon and Mirrors (Welcome Mingle Log)

[EVENT] Moon and Mirrors (Welcome Mingle Log)

Characters: ALL
Date: January 15
Location: At the Dreaming Bridge and all over Aifaran!
Situation: A large influx of Dreamfolk arrive in time for one of the Lunar Festivals, and they're all invited!
Warnings/Rating: N/A

A surprising amount of Dreamfolk have arrived within a short time frame - a peculiarity remarked upon by a number of Aifaran's residents. It is unusual in that it coincides with a lunar festival, one which only happens every fifty or so years.

Newcomers will find the streets packed with all sorts of people, stalls of fried and sugared foods, carnivalesque games and rides, and all other manner of things to do. Merchants are very keen to get their wares out there, and the stipend given may just burn a hole in your pocket when you see what's for sale.

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Leo was having less than a stellar day. He'd recently gotten out of the hospital and all his bandages and stitches pulled from the Dr. Gamimotz fiasco, only to again be pulled into a place that was both alien and familiar.

Alien in the fact he'd never been here before, and familiar because it was exactly what happened with Keelai. Hell, he could remember Keelai again, and that freaked him out the most. He remembered being worried he would forget everything and that's apparently what happened. Ha, I can almost laugh-it's like a dream.

But again, he was pulled away from Michella and Libra and everything important, just to be alone here again. Leo didn't even know if Klaus was taken along for the ride or anyone he remembered whatsoever. It all seemed rather pointless now.

He'd been spending time wandering and his feet led him to a small racetrack and petting zoo. Leo remembered those; as kids, he'd always bugged his parents to let him pet every single animal, then bring them up to his sister so she could do the same. Leo let out a slight smile and entered the petting zoo, only to have the attendent hand him a fluffy creature that looked like a cross between a rabbit and owl. "Hi there...you're really cute."

He was slightly grateful that when he broke down crying in the next moment, the people keeping track of the bibirus just let him hug the one he was holding and set him in a corner somewhere.

Klaus had been exploring the festivities and, when he spotted the sign, felt a fond smile cross his lips. He remembered the bibiru's from Hatal and sure enough, they'd become popular companions.

He went to observe the animals, because Klaus was always drawn to cute things and the shock of once again being back in Konryu (only over five and a half centuries on) had left him in need of some simple comforts.

He hadn't expected to find Leo sobbing in the corner.

"Leonardo...?" he called, approaching, hand tentatively outstretched. "Are you alright?"

Leo's head shot up so fast that he nearly dropped the bibiru he was cuddling in his lap. After scrambling to catch her and make sure she was okay, he stared at the hand, trying to pathetically wipe away the tears.

"What? Mr. Klaus? What are you doing here? I'm fine, I swear," Leo said, his voice only a little choked up. God, this always happened. In reality, Leo's heart made a huge leap the instant he heard Klaus' voice and knew he wasn't alone, but he just had been frustrated.

Klaus knelt beside Leo, passing him his handkerchief and using the bulk of his physique to hide him from the view of gawking passersby. He didn't think there was anything wrong with crying, but there was nothing worse than people treating a breakdown like some kind of show.

"It seems I've returned after a little time back home," he said, eyes falling to the fresh scar on Leo's finger. It seemed the same could be said for him.

"It must feel rather overwhelming," he said, more softly.

"Well maybe," Leo answered, taking the hankerchief and once again drying his face with it,"but I really need to stop crying every time something inconvenient happens. This isn't even the worst fate it's just-"

He gestured to the empty air. "A waste, I guess. But I'm-I'm glad you came back with me."

He handed back the hankerchief, burying his fingers in bibiru fluff. Leo noticed Klaus' glance down to his right pinky finger, and could only guess at the reaction. "Do you know about Dr. Gamimotz then? I just..finished healing from that."

"Not a total waste, I should think. You've already made yourself some fine friends."

He inclined his head to the bibiru, the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"Gamimotz was about three months ago for me. It would seem I'm a little ahead of you in time. Apologies - it still makes me sick to think what would have happened if we hadn't caught your distress signal when we had."

A few seconds later, and Leo and Michella would have been dead. He could hardly stand the thought.

"How have you been since?"

"No you really..arrived right on time. It was almost like a miracle. That you guys came." Leo couldn't help smiling now. Even with all the pain and heightened emotions at the time, just seeing their golden auras bursting up in front of him was the best memory he ever had. He really wished Michella could've seen the amazing friends he'd made.

"Honestly, I just finished healing from that so it hasn't been awhile, but it sounds like I'm starting to catch up to you. Besides, I have some pretty badass scars now, don't I?" Leo asked, wiggling his finger at the larger man.

Naesala wasn't actually within the petting zoo, per se. He was walking along the fence that marked it off from the rest of the festival's attractions, simply wandering around while taking in as much of the sights as he could. It's been decades since he was able to walk around a festival or even a marketplace without being recognized, making this place even more novel aside from the 'on another world' part of it.

When he heard someone crying, he paused, peering into the petting zoo area until he saw just what was going on. That human huddled up in the corner didn't resemble the Muin he had seen in the crowd, which probably made him one of the Dreamfolk.

Damn. Just what was he supposed to do in this situation? Just walk away and leave him to bawl his eyes out?

"... Hey. That creature doesn't know what sounds you're making." Naesala crossed his arms, turning his back to the fence in some pretense of trying to give him privacy. "Or why you're squeezing it like that. Cut it out before you start scaring the thing, would you?"

Leo started, looking up wildly at the man who was talking to him before furiously rubbing out any evidence of tears with his free hand. That was the advantage of never having to open his eyes, at least, though his nose was still kind of clogged.

"What? I'm not strangling her! I would never hurt a bibiru," Leo snapped, though he let the rabbit creature flop onto his lap and puff her feathers out.

Naesala glanced over his shoulder, checking to see that the human was more composed before turning to face him again, leaning one arm casually against the top of the fence.

"I don't know about a 'bibiru', but rabbits are skittish prey animals. Being held too tightly or in the wrong way basically amounts to thinking that a predator has scooped them up. Of course, I don't know how these have been trained," he concedes, eyeing the feathers on the back of the bibiru with interest. Wings on a rabbit. Would wonders never cease?

"She doesn't look very concerned. I think they're used to people hugging them," Leo said, looking down at the bibiru. She was just sitting in a ball with her wings half out, nose twitching at the air. At least, he hoped the bibiru hadn't cared. "Besides, I don't think they're exactly like rabbits. They're just-cute."

"They must not be very much like birds, either. I noticed there's no netting to keep them from flying away." Naesala gave a slight shake of his own wings, as if to punctuate the point. What sort of creature with wings couldn't fly, anyway? It was preposterous, nearly as much as a winged rabbit was.

"You weren't crying because they were too cute for you, I hope."

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[EVENT] Moon and Mirrors (Welcome Mingle Log)

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