Craig
Rikuto didn't have any destination in mind when he set out. Nor did he have all that much of a plan. He just felt a little stuffy in the city. He needed to get away from it all for a while. So, he packed some supplies and necessities and started walking, following the wind and his senses. He walked all day, taking breaks occasionally to have a snack or rest his feet. By the end of the day, there weren't any towns or villages in sight. Instead, he was surrounded by nature that existed to prove that magic existed. 

Trees stood tall, reaching out over his head to shelter him, dusting the ground with a delicate, pink blanket. The decision was made for him. He was going to camp under the stars. It felt like forever since he'd gotten to really enjoy being outside like this. If he patronized the gods, he'd thank them for winter being over in such a timely manner. 

He picked his way through the cherry forest until he found a spot he liked, where a lake parted the trees and gave him an uninterrupted view of the sky. As the sun set, he rested his sword against a tree, put down his basket of food, and pulled his bag of necessities off his shoulders. Well, it wasn't really a bag. It was a large piece of cloth that he'd folded in a way to carry his things in a bundle. So, now, he could spread it out over the ground and rest on it. 

While he still had daylight, he walked around to collect twigs, sticks, branches, and any larger loose pieces of wood he could find to make a fire. He busied himself, establishing his camp, making his fire, washing up in the lake, boiling rice to eat with all the side dishes he'd traveled here with...

By the time the sun had disappeared from the sky, Rikuto was sitting leisurely on his blanket, eating his dinner as he watched the moon climb high to its rightful place. It was big, bright, and stunning. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He sighed, a hint of a smile on his face. It had only been a day. The night before, he had sat on his porch and looked up at the moon. However, he remembered a time when he couldn't see the night sky. He couldn't even take a peek for half a second back then. So, sometimes, he felt he was always missing it.
Keith
The Moon Maiden hadn't been to Yronis in quite some time. Generally she found other regions seemed to need help more, which was somewhat a shame as she adored the country and the people here. The way they were so steeped in their customs, the age old traditions that still held true, and the kind courtesy and respect that they showed to all who set foot on their land with good intentions. It was very refreshing for the demigoddess to get back a little of what she always gave so easily and so freely. She had come to assist with an earthquake that had severely damaged several villages. She had little strength but still did what she could to clean up and help rebuild homes. She shined the brightest in the conversation she made while doing so, all smiles and cheer, a seemingly unending well of encouragement and support. It was odd for onlookers, seeing such an ethereal being in borrowed clothes, muddy and disheveled, yet somehow she was still radiant. 

After several days of slogging through mud and debris, building homes, and listening to the people's stories, worries, and ideas, the Moon Maiden had finally completed the task. Her duty done, she decided to wander a little and explore this land she found so fascinating. By the time she made it to the Cherry Forests, it was twilight. Her pale skin only seemed to shine more as the sun went down and the moon came up, making her look like some fairy or ghost wandering the trees of light pink. The soft pink petals littering the forest floor almost seemed to glow in the faint moonlight. Looking up, as she did every night for thousands of years, her silvery blue eyes found the moon, hanging low in the darkening sky. The sight of it always struck her, made her feel longing so deep and so intense that stopped her in her tracks. But tonight it mostly made her feel lonely.

Anyone who knew Lusine, or got to know her, generally expected her to maintain this air of happiness and calm. While that was generally her default state of being, it wasn't as endless as it seemed. She was a deeply empathetic creature, and after nearly a week of holding other people's emotions, she was *Exhausted* Down to her very bones. After she helped people all day, every day, there was no one to help her. For a moment she thought of Pride, wondering where he was and what he was doing; he was very good at taking care of her. But he couldn't always be there, and she didn't want to be a burden anyway. Staring at the moon, she whispered to herself, the sparkling tears leaving glittering trails down her cheeks, **"Mother... I wish you could be here now."** It still stung, even after thousands of years, to have never really known her mother's embrace or to have a mother's comfort.

The demigoddess continued to wander a bit aimlessly, sniffling and letting the tears flow. It felt good, in some ways, to wallow in the sadness and let it out. But she was hyperaware of not letting it go too far; she didn't want to shift, certainly didn't want to get stuck again. It was a delicate balance she had to maintain. So wrapped up in her thoughts was she that she didn't realize she had nearly walked into someone's camp until she heard a man's voice. Stopping abruptly on the other side of the fire from him, she tried to wipe the tears but more just fell anyway. She offered a small smile with a nervous laugh as she apologized in the local tongue, **"I'm so sorry! I don't mean to intrude, I just... I wasn't paying attention."** She gave a bow and began to turn to leave.
Craig
He pulled his eyes away from the heavens and focused n the woman who had appeared in front of him. It took him a moment to register that he was looking at a real person. Rikuto was usually more aware of his surroundings— it was rare for someone to be able to sneak up on him. He must've been too lost in his own thoughts. But, he quickly corrected his dazed response, putting down his meal for a moment and springing up to his feet. "Wait, there's no need for that," He said, stretching out his arm in a gesture for her to stop. 

He thought better of it, dropping his arm and instead moving around his fire to close the distance between them. "You're not intruding. As far as I can tell, this forest doesn't belong to anyone. You have just as much a right to be here as I do," He said, coming to a stop in front of her, not close enough to touch but close enough to see her more clearly under to moonlight. Rikuto could see that she was distressed, but he didn't point out the obvious. Instead, he put a gentle smile on his face— not because it was awkward, and he didn't have a handkerchief on hand when he'd walked over to her, but because he didn't want to make matters worse and stick his nose where it didn't belong. Even if he asked about it, that couldn't guarantee that he had the power to help. 

"Have you eaten? If you don't mind, would you like to join me? I made too much rice, so there's plenty to share— it's better than letting it go to waste," He proposed. Although he was being truthful, there was a slight deception in his words. He had made too much rice out of habit, so he couldn't exactly say that the serving size was an accident. But, it was as good an excuse as any to not sit by and watch a crying lady wander through the forest alone. That didn't seem right. And, it was impossible to turn a blind eye to someone so difficult to ignore. Its rare to see someone so pale that they seemed to glow, like a specter.

"And, it might be a nice change of pace to talk to a person instead of the moon," He added, sparing the moon a glance. It was always there to listen, but it never offered any answers. It was there to keep you company more than to be a good conversation partner. For all he knew, it might have guided this woman here just to avoid having to listen to him prattling on, expecting to gain some insight. 

His gaze returned to the woman in front of him, taking in her weary appearance while his smile failed to falter for even a moment. "You can call me Rikuto. Ah..." He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "I know this is a weird situation, but I don't have any bad intentions. I'm just... A traveling scholar," He explained, deciding that that aspect of his identity was likely the least threatening. It was certainly better than referring to himself as an ex-convict and a rake. He gestured to his camp, moving to escort her to sit down on the blanket he'd spread out.
Keith
At the stranger's call to stay, Lusine turned on her heel, tears still slowly rolling down her cheeks. Another weak laugh escaped her, and her voice was very soft but bright when she spoke, **"You make a good point. The wilds belong to us all, don't they?"** She couldn't stop her blue eyes from traveling up to the moon a few moments more before she looked back at him. His smile was inviting and warm, his manner easy. She felt the lump in her throat and sniffled; perhaps she could relax here, after all, in the care of this kind man.

In unwilling response to his question, the demigoddess' stomach let out a most unseemly, loud growl. She laughed more in earnest now, eyes still glassy but the flow of tears stopped. **"I seem to have forgotten dinner in all my hustle and bustle this evening. Thank you, that would be lovely."** The few tears that made their way to the ground had sprouted small white flowers that immediately bloomed in the moon's glow. She reached down to pluck one, smelling it deeply before putting it behind her ear. It's calming effects couldn't hurt. 
** **

At his mention of talking to the moon, the Moon Maiden's face shifted from a little sad, to surprised, then to joyful, her hands clasped together in front of her chest as a wide grin spread across her face. Her tone was instantly more chipper, **"You can't possibly understand how very much I empathize with that statement. She's an excellent listener, but..."** The melancholy showed under happy facade, **"Too distant for much more than that."** She offered a warm smile equal to his own, **"A good change of pace for me, too."**

The Startouched's face lit up at his introduction, **"Rikuto, what a happy accident to meet you. I am Lusine. You might say I'm... A representative of the moon. So please, talk to me as such."** She gave him a knowing smile, from one to another who pours out their heart to the glowing rock in the sky. As she took a spot on the blanket and ate a few bites, she looked at him more in earnest and realized with a little happy surprise that this seemed to be a rare encounter indeed. She spoke with animated ease, her love of people gradually overtaking her sadness, **"A scholar! I do so love your lot, so many things I can learn... Let's start with how a snake becomes a scholar. It must be a fascinating tale!"** She turned a gaze on him that belied her girlish charm, that spoke of knowledge beyond his years. **"It's been many thousands of moons since I've seen one like you. How intriguing."** There was no anger, malice or fear in her, only open curiosity. **"I appreciate the reassurance, but I'm more than confident I could take care of myself if you turned out to be a threat."** The combination of the firelight and moonlight only heightened the opalescent glow of her pale skin.
Craig
Rikuto did his best to keep a straight face, and suppress the urge to laugh. It was as if her stomach had ears, and nature had no shame. His smile became a touch brighter, and he resolved himself to give her a good share of food— to fill her bowl up with a healthy sampling of each side dish he packed. She seemed to be very frank, which agreed with him. However, he wasn't sure what to make with her. She performed magic as naturally as breathing. Even the magicians he'd occasionally seen in town and on his travels tended to make some sort of production out of their acts. And yet, this woman, Lusine, made a flower grown, and didn't even seem the least bit tempted to wave it in front of his face and brag about her skills. He was all the more interested in sharing a meal with her. "I'm glad we came across each other's paths," He said. "I believe these woods belong to everyone, but it's certainly more difficult to scrounge up a meal by relying on it. And food is just food, have as much as you like."

He could see that she must have had a lot on her mind, the way that her expression seemed to shift so much. But, at least she seemed much brighter than earlier. So, he could be a bit more at ease, right? A bit of confusion flashed over his face for a moment. He started it by making a joke about talking to the moon, since that was exactly what he was doing when she found him. But, it was strange that someone took it so seriously. The moon was just the moon. It was his companion, but he was the one putting so much weight and affection on a force of nature. Lusine talked like... It was hard to explain, until she introduced herself. His eyebrows knitted together. "What? Really?" He asked, surprised. He hadn't even fully recovered from that when she pointed out exactly what he was, deep down. Even his parents took years to figure out that he was a snake— how could someone find that out in seconds? To say he was stunned would be be downplaying his response a little.

He sat there, blinking, processing all of the information he just received, until he had a theory that thoroughly shook him to his core. It seemed impossible, but... There were a lot of strange things in this world. Regardless of whether the theory he thought of was true or false, his mannerisms were suddenly much more respectful. "It's a pleasure to meet you," He said, bowing politely. 

He watched her, a sea of questions brimming behind his eyes, but he held back to keep from being rude. So, for now, he'd give her a few minutes or so before he asked everything on his mind, enough time for her to concretely establish an impression of him being a good, polite scholar. "Ah, yes, well, I'm pretty useless at being threatening. Well, to some people, just me being there seems threatening, but you clearly aren't afraid of snakes. Anyways, of course I can tell you the story, but I don't think its all that interesting... I don't fully understand it myself. Before, I was a regular snake, some noble young lord's pet, but then he died and I was out on my own. So, I roamed around for a while, as a snake, and then very suddenly, I was a human enough baby and I was adopted by a family. They were all regular humans." He paused for a moment. "I guess its not all that much of a story. After that, I was raised like I was one of them. Did you really see someone like me thousands of moons ago?" He asked, jumping from one subject to another, as if he really couldn't contain himself any longer. "Are— are you the same Mood Demi— ah, no. That sounds ridiculous." He must've been a bit too obsessed and absorbed in ancient history and legends. Besides, even if those ancient demigods had returned somehow, what were the odds of randomly running into one of them?
Keith
Not wanting to feel any more embarrassed than she already did, Lusine tried to eat the bowl of offered food slowly. But the smells, and *Lunara* The taste, it was all *So good*, and she found she was so ravenously hungry. Her eating picked up pace until she realized she was nearly to the end of the bowl. She tried more purposefully to eat slowly. It wasn't often she got the chance to eat meals prepared by loving hands, and she savored the thought and effort put into such a thing almost as much as the actual flavor. While the villages had fed her as thanks for helping, it was incredibly simple fare. This dish was more of what she had always loved about the cuisine of the area, simple but so effective cooking methods that really made the flavor of each ingredient shine. She found a small smile on her face just at the joy of the meal, of good company. **"Oh, friend, food is so much more than food. It can be a vehicle of kindness, generosity, as it is now. Food, when shared together like this, is such a connecting force. And as someone who doesn't get a homecooked meal often, I so appreciate it, thank you."** Her voice was sincere and softly fervent, even about a simple matter like this.
** **

The Moon Maiden was, quite literally, made to take care of people, and thus usually quite good at reading them. Rikuto's confusion and shock were apparent to her, and not wishing to pile too much on him at once, she continued on being vague just a little longer, to give his mind the chance to catch up. It was something she'd done countless times yet wasn't something she tired of, watching people come to terms with what she was. The joy it often gave people made her quite happy in turn. If all it took was her very presence to uplift others, it was an incredibly small price she was willing to pay in spades. **"Yes, the moon and I have much in common. And I, too, am a great listener."** She turned a soft smile and pale eyes glittering like stars on the man as she gave him time to gather himself and share his story. She noted the increase in his respect towards her with suppressed amusement.
** **

It was one of the qualities the demigoddess so loved about scholars, their innate curiosity and desire to explore their chosen subjects. As she listened to him talk and simultaneously watched the gears turn, the questions that almost formed on his lips then were retracted, she couldn't help the grin that very slowly broke out on her face. She regarded him with joy that poured forth nearly unabated, **"Snakes can be quite lovely creatures. I understand why some fear them, but I think it's more a misunderstanding. You all are just like most creatures, wanting not to be bothered. And if you're bothered, sometimes you strike out. Many beings are like this, why should you be treated any differently?"** She took in his story and let out a soft *Tsk* Sound before commenting, **"You're saying the miracle of a thing being** Awakened **Isn't much of a story? I know the details being unknown may not make it** Sound **Very interesting, but my dear reptile, your very life is almost as rare as my own... These days anyway."** She gave a rueful smile, his own joy escaping being just the balm she needed, **"Oh yes, very long ago, but yes. For something to be awakened takes a great deal of power; for it to be awakened in such a way that it can take human form, takes even** More**. I'm not sure who did it, but she was a rattlesnake... She really liked dancing and music, funny enough."** 
** **

At Rikuto's spluttered question that abruptly stopped, the Startouched only smiled a moment. She found that words never really did the trick for this and always opted for showing instead. With someone who seemed to recognize her on as little information as she'd given, she thought he might recognize her fabled weapon. Pushing aside an outer skirt of her dress, she pulled out the Scythe of Stars, gently laying it on the blanket between them. The moon-shaped blade sparkled like thousands of tiny stars were contained within, and its craftsmanship was clearly both ancient and divine, a gift from her mother upon their one and only meeting. Giving him a few moments to take that in, she thought her astral form might do best to seal the deal, as she wasn't aware of any other arcane practitioners that could so shift into the dream realm but remain in the corporeal one simultaneously. She held out a hand to her side, as if gesturing, that slowly faded into translucent sparkling light; her whole body gradually became half there, half not, her form completely see through but still visible to the naked eye, almost looking like the sky if Rikuto looked up right now. She only held it a moment, not wanting to get lost in dreams in her exhaustion, and the only answer she actually spoke to him was, **"Is it really so ridiculous?"**
Craig
Rikuto gazed at the food he had packed, a thoughtful look coming over his face before he quickly corrected it with a sheepish smile. He didn't think it was anything special, but when he pondered about the idea, he couldn't help but agree that Lusine was correct. The same simple dishes were a lot nicer when he ate them in the company of a grandpa in the neighborhood, whose only living child had left and gotten married years ago. The greasy, over-seasoned food in a pleasure house became much more palatable when it was eaten in the company with many other laughing, cheerful young masters. And the times when his food was at his worst, he was all alone... He lightly shook his head, dismissing the somewhat melancholy thoughts and hoping that they didn't show on his face. "Ah, no need for that," He said. He didn't really share to hear a thank you, but instead, as he reasoned, to satisfy his own selfish curiosity. "If you enjoy it, that's enough for me," He replied. "Would you like anything to drink? I could make some tea, or maybe you'd prefer some wine." Whichever struck her fancy, he didn't mind sharing it. He was already sharing his food. It was an oversight on his part to have not already poured her something to drink. 

He wasn't sure if either were her taste. He didn't have anything special, but she didn't really seem to be looking for delicacies. From what he saw, he thought she had a very down to earth and relatable nature, although she held onto this impermeable air of mystery. He hadn't been able to unravel much of any of those mysteries, but the answers weren't really the interesting part. What was most entertaining was solving for the answers. "You're very broad-minded, and I really appreciate that. I tend to hide my nature, but you saw right through it, and had no problem with it. It's very refreshing," He said, wondering if more people outside of Yronis had the same ideals.

He loved Yronis, it was his home, but it could be pretty... Harsh towards anyone or anything that didn't fit in with the status quo. He was even more astonished when he thought about how easily she recognized himf ro what he is. She must be incredibly powerful. He listened attentively to her take on the matter— something he'd always considered a lucky coincidence— and he felt a twinge of inspiration. Although he felt bashful about it being called a miracle, his eyes still brightened and new fragments of story ideas come to his mind. He was also very interested in the friend she talked about. "Ah, I hope she's living well as an artist. It's— I've heard it can be hard to make money that way, but its better to be free and doing what you love."

He had a hard time holding himself back from taking out paper and a pencil to take notes with, so he promised himself that he wouldn't forget the ideas that were popping into his head this night. He observed her closely, her eyes widening a little at her demonstration. Well... That answered his question, didn't it? "I suppose it's not," He replied simply, now with an itching to get his paper and pencil so that he could draw what he'd witnessed. Never had he thought before that he would meet a demi-god. "How? Are you all back, or just you? There's not another war, is there?" It wasn't really that he didn't want to be dragged into a war, but rather that, after righting a novel about all the suffering and struggled the demi-gods went through, he didn't want them to have to go through that again. He could sympathize, to a certain extent. If he had to go back to prison again... Well, he'd simply rather not. "That may have come out wrong. I hope you have better experiences in the world, from now on." He wondered for a moment if sentiments were enough.

"Is there anything I can do for you while you're in Yronis? I know some good restaurants, and tea houses, and popular auction houses— whatever you're interested in, if I don't know about it, I'm sure I could find you some good recommendations."