the moon rises over antarctica

[reedsea]

[ the thing about visiting the Xianzhou Luofu is that it's not quite home, but it was once home. it's like returning the place that you grew up after you grew up and moved away, something distant and wondrous all the same, both foreign and familiar. due to circumstances, Dan Heng never got to experience the Luofu while he was growing up post-rebirth, so whenever he steps foot on it, it always feels a bit wistful in a way he can't explain.

that is to say that he does like going, even if he's recognized from time to time, being able to experience something that he was unable to experience when he was younger strikes a certain chord. this time his visit is framed by strings of lanterns in the dim night air. the atmosphere is lively, full of bustling people and various smells of street food.

Dan Heng is content to watch the people mill about: a group of children playing hide and seek past their bedtime, a young man making a gallant attempt at flirting with a woman at one of the food stalls, and a group of foxians chattering away as they pass through, trying to decide on what their next nightly activity should be.

he let Caelus decide on what to get to eat, settling down at an out-of-the-way corner seat of Du's Teahouse. it's a nice night for a date — that is what this was, right? a Festival Date. Himeko gave him a look when they told her where they were going, holding her hand to her cheek as if she were going to comment about how fast they were growing up. instead she gave them a stipend for a night like a big sister making sure her little brother (or brothers, he wonders) would have a good time. she looked happy, though, in a way that Dan Heng didn't think he'd make her look happy.

for a moment his mind wanders as he watches a lantern sway a bit, and he thinks about visiting the Scalegorge Waterscape sometime later, both for a moment of quiet, and because it felt appropriate.

then Boss Du brings the tea. ]

Thank you.

[ he looks down at the two cups.

er, "tea" might be a better word for it. ]