Who: Zach, Hayate, Kelsey, Lucinda, and Alicia
When: Evening
Where: The Kitano's Cottage
What: A family dinner.

With everything going on with Zach, he hadn't heard back from Hayate since their last meeting that didn't go so well. He thought it was unlikely he'd hear from the man again after that, so Zach sort of pushed him out of his mind. Tonight, he was over at his parents' cottage for a family dinner. He hadn't expected anything out of the ordinary. They were all here, and they were going to help set up the table and cook tonight's meal. Together, they were going to enjoy it as a family.

However, as Zach was passing through the living room, he heard a knock at the door. "I got it!" Zach called out, hurrying over to answer it. He wanted to make sure no one else came running but him. When he opened the front door, though, the last person he expected to see standing there was Hayate. Zach gaped for a moment like a fish out of water before closing his mouth. "Hey," he said, obviously caught off guard. "What're you doing here?"

( “Your father invited me over to have dinner with you,” he said after a short pause. )

Who: Alicia, Family, & Guards [Narrative]
When: Evening to Night
Where: The dungeon in Town Hall.
What: The deciding moment!

Alicia was given a choice of somewhere outside for the possible transformation with a barrier made specially for her or a cell in the dungeons of Town Hall. Being outside in the dark only made her nerves shake even worse, so Alicia chose the cell. Inside, she felt safer. And maybe, if she was out of sight from the full moon, she wouldn't be so fearful of what was about to happen. There was no guarantee she would change, but Alicia couldn't predict tonight.

Outside of her cell were a few Elven guards and her family. Her grandmother smiled encouragingly, and Alicia smiled back to her. Her mother and father were holding onto each other, scared of what they might witness tonight. Zach was there, too, although the dungeons were devoid of Adrienne. Adrienne actually did shift on the full moon, and she was down by the forest with the rest of the real werewolves. It scared Alicia that it had to have been one of them out of the group who attacked her. The fact that Adrienne was down there with a psycho made her even more worrisome. Maybe it was just an accident, though. They said how it could have been an accident, the Head Council, even though her grandmother remained tight-lipped on the matter.

( Together, they all waited to see what the full moon would bring . . .  )

Who: Hayate and Kelsey
When: Early Evening
Where: The Kitano's Cottage
What: A meeting to check up on documents — and family.

Hayate was not sure what drove him to the Kitano's cottage in Helicharis. His own curiosity bested him in the end, despite all of his efforts to fend it off. The vampire desired to see the paperwork and documents the young boy had told him about weeks ago. Ever since his last meeting with Zach Kitano, he could not erase the thoughts surrounding their possible blood ties any longer. An onward-pushing nudge remained in the back of his mind, urging his feet along the path through the houses. He had to find out for certain if what the boy spoke of could be true, or whether or not it was the deranged mumblings of a grief-ridden teenager.

Once at the door of their cottage, he rose his fist to knock. The announcement of his unexpected arrival beckoned another to the door, a man he had never met before. A tall, dark-haired man with stern features and a larger build than his own. Hayate wondered if he was even human, but then he smelt the familiar scent a moment later and knew this man was a human. Most likely, he was Zach's father.

( “Hello,” Hayate said. “I’m sorry if I’ve come at a bad time, but I met a boy by the name of Zach Kitano. He . . . had some interesting information to share with me.” )

Who: Everyone!
Where: Just outside of Helicharis at the Festival Grounds
When: 6 PM till ??
What: Autumnal Equinox Festival - It's the first day of Autumn!

ooc: To join in on the festivities, simply comment to the main post. Your entry can be a narrative or open to others. If you are replying to someone else reply to their comment and not to the main post. All activities are open for participation, it is up to your discretion what your character will do.

The past week had been nothing but preparations for the coming equinox that would herald the new season. It was a happy time for the forest creatures as they were the ones that spent hours on end setting up the grounds for the joyous celebration. Wooden lamp posts lit with orange flames bordered the area as well as throughout the entire festival grounds. Each attendee was greeted with a flower garland for their head, neck, or wrist if they desired one.

Fairies had decided to attend this festival as well because of the bright colors that had attracted their attention. There were bonfires all throughout the festival as well and they added warmth to the cool night air. The fiery glow that came from each pyre added a comforting feel to the entire atmosphere, and there were many fauns and fae dancing around each one in a happy manner. They were singing songs and laughing joyously as they pulled passers-by into their happy circle.

Musical fauns played their instruments as they marched through the festival. Fae and fairies flew around the traveling group, singing and humming to the music that resonated in the air. A large stage was set up for those who wished to perform in front of a large crowd be it with singing or acting or any other sort of talent they possessed. There were shows held as well, particularly by those who possessed magic and wished to entertain the crowd for an hour or tow.

Food and drink tables were set up nearby to feed the many attendees with whatever they could think to eat. And wine, they couldn't forget about the wine! There were scantily clad fae handing out the intoxicating liquid to everyone with a free hand. The wine this year was extremely potent and anyone with a weak constitution would no doubt get inebriated with just one cup.

The southern part of the festival held the games geared toward the young or simply the young at heart. Barrels were available for those who wished to roll down hills, piles of leaves were created for those who wanted nothing more than to jump and play in them. Colored sparklers were handed out freely and there were even pegasus rides for anyone who wanted to soar through the skies. There were contests here as well, simple ones that had participants bobbing for apples and fruits and curious prizes, searching for toys in piles of hay, and even pinning horns on a wooden faun.

Contests were set up again as they were just a month earlier. Archery contests and wrestling matches, potato sack and three-legged races. There were various game booths set up as well, such as knife throwing and ring tossing. There was even an area set up for pie eating contests and a Dwarven ale contest where participants could try to out-drink a dwarf.

Fireworks exploded periodically throughout the night and the gleeful sounds of the festival echoed all around. Elysium was a joyful place tonight as citizens celebrated the equinox beneath the near-full moon.

Who: Adrienne and Lucinda (with a special voice-in appearance by Kelsey)
When: Late morning
Where: The Kitano's cottage
What: Adrienne stops by looking for Zach

It wasn't very often that Adrienne found herself unaware of Zach's whereabouts. It wasn't that she kept tabs on him or that he had to report to her, it was simply a matter of their normal everyday routine. Their plans came up in conversation, and even if they didn't have any plans together they knew what the other was doing. She had gotten used to it and the fact that she didn't find him at his cottage was unusual, but nothing to think about. It wasn't until Nico mentioned that Zach hadn't been home all night that she began to worry. The last thing Adrienne knew was that he was supposed to go to some birthday party that he was invited to, but according to Nico the alchemist didn't even make an appearance. Nico, being the aggravation that he was, decided to add to Adrienne's paranoia with negative commentary on her relationship with Zach. "He was gone all night and he wasn't with you!? Uh oh, you better watch out!" and "Aren't you guys attached at the hip? How are you even surviving without him?" were some of the few that the werewolf had to endure. All Adrienne did was glare at the sprite and punched him in the arm for good measure. While she knew that Zach's best friend was just joking with her she really wasn't in the mood for it.

Finally the sprite suggested to check at the Kitano's cottage. If anything Zach would be there having breakfast with his family and hanging out with them. It made sense to the werewolf and so she made her way there which wasn't very far at all. She took a deep breath and composed herself. There was no point in looking harried in front of Zach's parents. Even though they had spent a lot of time together Adrienne still wanted to make a good impression on them. Adrienne knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer. Hopefully it would be Zach and all of her worry would vanish in a heartbeat.

Lucinda was in the process of cleaning plates at the kitchen sink, with the help of a reluctant Kelsey by her side, when the two of them heard a knock at the door. Looking to her husband, she gave him a smile as she dried off her hands. "I'll be right back, honey," she said, kissing his cheek and going off to answer the door. "Don't break anything!" she called teasingly as she went.

Once she made it to the front door of their cottage, Lucinda opened it and saw Adrienne standing there. "Well, hello!" Lucinda greeted, reaching out with open arms to hug the girl. "Adrienne," she said with a bright smile, pulling away and holding the young woman at the shoulders. "How are you this morning? Would you like something to drink? To eat? We have plenty of breakfast if you're hungry—"

"Lucinda, who is it?" a voice called from the kitchen.

Lucinda gave Adrienne an amused look and turned her head slightly to respond. "It's Adrienne!"

( Oh? Tell her to come in! Have a seat... )

Who: Kelsey and Zach
Where: The Kitano Cottage
When: Afternoon
What: Pouring over family records and finding a match.

Files, files, files. It seemed all Kelsey was looking over today. At Zach’s request, he had been pouring through his saved records and information of his family and lineage, looking for the name ‘Ishida’ appearing during the seventeenth century. Given how long ago the 1600s were, Kelsey was not entirely sure how accurate the family information would be for the time period.

Zach had asked, though; therefore, Kelsey was looking rather diligently as possible to find the name. Also, once it was discovered (if it was discovered), he was to look for a wife by the name of ‘Natsuki.’ A strange request, but one Kelsey had the time to fill.

As he poured over the records, reading all of the names very carefully, he finally came upon the name Ishida after days and days of searching. Kelsey’s eyes widened as the name shone on the paper, and he began to trace his finger, further and further . . . Natsuki, Natsuki, Natsuki, his mind chanted to him. Was the name here?

His finger stopped. There. On the paper, written as clear as day with black ink. There was indeed a Natsuki who married a samurai by the family name of Ishida far, far back in their history. Kelsey stared at the names for a long time when Zach stumbled back into the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs beside Kelsey at the table. Zach was eating a muffin his mother had baked when Kelsey broke the news to him.

( “Son,” Kelsey began, “I think I found it.” )

Who: Lucinda, Kelsey, and Alicia
Where: The Kitano Cottage
When: Breakfast time!
What: Plotting for someone's upcoming birthday.

According to Lucinda, it was a beautiful morning. The weather was gorgeously cool, Adrienne was awake and healing, and a certain someone had a birthday in just a few days. Unable to hold back the toothy grin on her face, Lucinda sat down at the kitchen table with her husband and daughter. Kelsey drank his coffee in between glancing over a book in his hands, while Alicia immediately spotted the look on her mother's face and inquired about it. "Mom, why are you smiling?" Alicia asked, poking at her eggs with her fork.

Lucinda turned her grin to Kelsey, who had looked up at the sound of his daughter's voice and simply raised his eyebrows at Lucinda. "You heard her," Kelsey admonished in a playful tone, reserved mostly for his wife and daughter. "What's that devious look on your face mean, and what are you up to?"

"Someone has a birthdaaay . . . " Lucinda sing-songed, still grinning, and Kelsey chuckled quietly from his seat across from her. He shook his head and returned his eyes to his book, though he wasn't really reading it. Lucinda knew his habits by now. Hopefully, after two decades of marriage, anyone would learn those sorts of things. "You know he doesn't like parties," Kelsey reminded her.

"Now, I didn't say anything about a party," Lucinda defended herself, shaking her head at her husband.

Alicia giggled quietly. "Moooom . . . "

"Unless he wants one," Lucinda added quickly, making shifty eyes to show she had indeed been thinking about it. Of course she had thought about it. He was her son, she loved him dearly, and she wanted him to have a good time. To celebrate things like a normal teenager would celebrate things. "He's turning nineteen, after all," Lucinda continued, excitement bubbling out through her words. "He's growing up so fast . . . "

Kelsey turned a page in his book. "You just want him to be old enough to marry and give you grandchildren," he joked, glancing up to reveal the twinkle in his eyes.

"Well," Lucinda countered, adamant to make her case known, "I'm not getting any younger, and times and priorities have changed in this new world, and well . . . him and Adrienne are perfect for each other and—"

"Mom," Alicia moaned.

Kelsey smiled. "Now, Alicia," he said, looking over at Lucinda briefly as he spoke before turning back to his daughter. "No picking on your mother. She's just . . . overly excited about Zach's birthday." Kelsey gazed back at his wife. "Isn't that right, dear?"

Lucinda smiled back at him. "Of course," she said. "It's not everyday my son has a birthday." She turned her gaze to Alicia. "Or my daughter. Let that be a warning to you."

"Moooom!"

"Alright, alright! No more for now," Lucinda said. "Eat your breakfast, Alicia. We'll talk about this later, won't we?" She locked eyes with her husband, who chuckled again and went back to sipping his coffee and reading his book. Lucinda smiled to herself, knowing that meant yes.

Who: Kelsey and Sascha
Where: The Library
When: Evening
What: Closing up the library and having a little chat.

When it came to one of his colleagues at the library, Kelsey found himself more than annoyed. He was positively livid. His colleague was a man who liked to call himself "head Librarian," even though there was no such position, and strutted around with a cocky and self-centered attitude. Kelsey had learned quite recently that sometime this week the man named Sascha Connolly had engaged in relations with someone else in the library itself due to escalating rumors that reached his ears. Not only was it someone else, but it was a young man.

Kelsey reasoned that the only two reasons he was absolutely livid involved discovering a few days ago that a librarian by the name of Sascha Connolly had asked his son to go skinny dipping with him in the lake . . . and because the library was a place for young children as well as adults, and not a ground for sexual escapades. Grown men should not be having relations with each other out in the open where young children could see them. Of course, hearing from his son about the proposed skinny dipping is what set Kelsey off. It was no secret that Sascha lived with a young Asian man, and it was as clear as day that the nature of their relationship was more than friendly. It seemed Mr. Connolly had a thing for young Asian boys, among other things.

The fact that this man was already engaged in sexual relations with two men and hitting on his son broke Kelsey's last tolerant nerve for Sascha Connolly. Such a man should be barred from being around children, and if Kelsey knew anything about parents, they certainly didn't like their children around men like this. His solution was clear. He was going to have a little talk with Sascha. If Sascha didn't stop this behavior, Kelsey was going to have to take professional and personal measures. Which included reporting Sascha and hopefully having him removed from the library. Along the way, he would also inform every parent in his radius about Sascha's escapades.

Kelsey saw the other man approaching in his usual fashion, which involved a library cart, and pretended not to notice right away. "Sascha Connolly," Kelsey announced slowly. "Try not to crash the library cart, would you?"