Out with the old....

[sundead]

Who: Everyone
What: New Year's.
When: Dec. 31st, New Year's Eve, to Jan 1st, New Year's Day.
Where: Everywhere
Summary: It's New Year's, and the people of Luceti have a lot to reflect upon, and to look forward to. And on a more meta level, new journal names.
Rating: We'll see...

New Year's brings images of crowds, and songs, and fireworks; staying up til midnight and watching balls or bells being rung. But Luceti is a different time and place. Whether you're partying with friends or watching the sunrise, what are you doing today?

Comments

[inkdrops]

[Well, considering Miyabi probably can't hear anything over the blast of the fireworks, and her sight in the dark is on par with being almost completely blind, the hug is indeed a surprise. Thank goodness for Keimi speaking, lest Miyabi may have accidentally attacked her.]

Keimi! [She laughs, and returns the hug with great enthusiasm.] Ehehe, I'm glad you like them! I didn't know if anyone else was going to fire any, so I decided to some here, on this side of the village! The new year for me isn't for another month, but I wanted everyone to enjoy these!

[seakingbait]

Well that just means we get to fire even more off next month!

[She giggles happily, holding her friend for another moment before letting her go.]

[inkdrops]

Ah--....yes. [For a second. Miyabi's smile falters, then it gets bigger again. Just a little over a week - twelve more days... Then she could actually see the fireworks she set off. The colors, at least. She could paint, and watch her beautiful world, and properly see her wonderful, colorful array of precious friends and family.]

Y-Yes, you're right! And I'll make them even bigger and better next month.

[seakingbait]

[Keimi nods, smiling. It was pretty easy to see that Miyabi was feeling troubled. The best thing for her to do was to keep her happy. After all, no one should be down on such a special day.]

You're so skilled, Miyabi-chin. Everything you make always comes out so beautiful!

[inkdrops]

[Pffff. That makes the girl go red, and she laughs in embarrassment and a bit of denial. Gods, she's not...she's really not that skilled at all! Sure, she's improved a little, but only just a little bit!]

Eh...I-I'm really not that good. N-No where near what you think, Keimi... I'm still learning, and not everything I do comes out the way I want the first time.

[seakingbait]

[She blinks, her smile growing warmer in response to Miyabi's blush.]

Just because it wasn't what you had in mind, doesn't mean it isn't pretty. I've made some of my best outfits on accident!

[In fact, she's made most of her outfits on accident. But that's another story.]

[inkdrops]

[Another smile, a little more honest this time. She's still a bit pink in the face, but she understands what Keimi is saying. An "accidental success", hm? She's had those sometimes. Very rarely, but still sometimes. Even a mistake can be turned around into something beautiful. Issun taught her that once, when she spilled paint onto a drawing, and her made it into something beautiful.

That idiot.

She looks up to the sky, and grins.]

Hee, I guess you're right. But I can't get lazy, either. If everything happens on accident, I'll never improve.

[seakingbait]

[That's what she wanted to see: a smile. A real, honest, smile.]

I'd love it if you let me watch you sometime, Miyabi-chin. Maybe I can design an outfit based on one of your works!

[inkdrops]

...Of course you may. I'm...r-really no good at all right now, though. [She sucks in a breath, her throat feeling tight and sore. Haha, not good. She can't even paint properly right now. Not in color. And--no...no, she's not going to get upset. There's only a few more days left, and it's new years! But to say there isn't an ache in her voice would be a lie.]

If you can wait a little bit - twelves days, I'll try painting some very, very beautiful.

[seakingbait]

[She's silent for a moment. The poor girl is definitely upset, but she's strong enough to try and hide it for the sake of the holiday. The mermaid slowly, gently wraps Miyabi up in her arms, holding her for a moment.]

...I can wait as long as you want me to, Miyabi-chin.

[inkdrops]

Arigatō. Thank you, Keimi.

[For the hug as well, which she returns and snuggles into. It'll be okay. Even if she's scared, it'll be okay. She has all of her precious friends, and her "family" here to support her. Leap before you think and all that.

Miyabi takes a sip from her neglected sake dish, and glances at Keimi. Eh...she's not sure the mermaid can handle it, but it'd be rude not to offer.]

Would you like a drink? It's a little strong but...it'll warm you if you're cold.

[seakingbait]

[Well... it is a special occasion, and Miyabi offered. It would be rude to decline. So she smiles and nods.]

I suppose one drink couldn't hurt~.

[inkdrops]

Eh...y-you don't have to. [Yet Miyabi is pouring her a very small helping in the spare dish (it's normally reserved for Nami) she has. She carefully hands it over, still looking highly unsure.]

Uhm...j-just sip it very slowly, okay? It's a little strong, so please don't gulp it.

[seakingbait]

[She giggles lightly, nodding. Come on, if little Miyabi can handle it, surely she'll have no problem. Right? Once the dish is poured, she takes it gratefully, before carefully sipping it down. After she swallows, her nose wrinkles and her cheeks turn red. She blinks down at the bowl a few times, before shaking her head.]

W-wow. That is strong.

[inkdrops]

[Miyabi laughs lightly, and takes a careful sip of her own dish. She's been drinking this stuff for quite a long time, more in Luceti than back home. It's the drink of her homeland and she's...more or less used to it by now. Plus, with a friend and sibling like Nami, you learn how to hold your alcohol. ...Miyabi is still a lightweight, though, she's just used to this particular drink.]

Mm, you should have had a bit of the Eight Purification sake, when I still had it. It's the legendary sake that downed the eight-headed serpent of myth in my world. The scent alone could best even the strongest drinkers.

It's very, very strong, but the taste is fantastic...if you can handle it.

[seakingbait]

Even someone like Nami-chin?

[She giggles. That girl is pretty tiny, especially compared to the huge fishmen she knows. But she could easily drink any of them under the table.

As good as a drink like that sounds, however, Keimi isn't sure she could come close to handling it. Even the small dish of this sake is leaving her feeling a little light-headed.]

[inkdrops]

[And here's the chaser.] Mm. It's the only time I've ever seen Nami-oneechan drunk.

[Okay, so that's not entirely true. Its one of the three times Miyabi's seen Nami drunk. Like, actually, honestly, and visibly drunk. Miyabi takes another slow sip of her sake, but glances at Keimi as well. She can see the flush in her face, and the growing mistiness of her eyes. ...This could be problematic.]

You don't have to drink it.

[seakingbait]

Wow. [That's like seeing a unicorn, or a mermaid or something.]

I'll... just finish this one. I don't think I need much more than that, Miyabi-chin.

[She chuckles nervously, hoping to hide her increasing drunkenness.]

[inkdrops]

Mhm. I had to have an animal carry her back home. [It was that bad. And like hell Miyabi would let Nami bumble her way back on her own.]

Eh, all right, but I wouldn't give you any more than this, Keimi. I can walk you home, too... [She casts a glance at Keimi's face and downs the rest of her sake, wiping her dish clean.] And O'll tell Sanji-nii to make you something light to eat, too.

[Or a good cure for a hangover the next morning.]