Hikari no Matsuri - Shiawasena Basho: Outdoor Balcony Expanse
A wide balcony expands outward from here, safe and secure with plenty of
railing and safeguards to prevent slipping or falling. More concerningly,
however, is that it appears to overlook the female section of the outdoor
onsen, which raises some moral questions about its access in the first
place. That aside, it does offer a very nice overhead view of the hot
springs, and looking beyond that at the treeline and distant snowscape
brings about a particularly-serene feeling. The balcony itself stretches
quite a ways around one side, but noticeably only appears to be facing one
side of the onsen, possibly with good reason.


The possibly-by-now familiar form of Sunflash is pretty visible today, wearing a
simple tunic and trousers along with his armored right arm. In order to stay
warm in the fresh winter air, he's clearly cheating vis-a-vis a noticeable
orange glow surrounding himself in his entirety. Perhaps unexpectedly, he is
leaning against the front and right of the balcony.


The crowd is awash in a sea of murmurs and low talk at the nature of this kind
of performance, but judging by the electronic and sound equipment set up on the
sides of the onsen itself, it seems to be being taken pretty seriously. Nobody
seems present yet down below, but there's a pretty good standing on the balcony
above, and the reinforcements to allow such a crowd at this height must be
pretty staunch, indeed.

Aside from the immediate crowd, the sky is clear enough to showcase a mostly
-full moon overhead, shining down and mixing its own lunar rays in with the
lighting set up around the area itself. All in all, a pretty beautiful night to
have a performance outside like this.


Gradually, the overhead floodlights that normally give strong illumination over
the onsen begin to dim to about half-strength. A series of smaller white lights,
one at a time, pop into existence and encircle the water's rocky basin exterior,
forming a jagged circle enclosure. As soon as these lights finish forming, a
gentle acoustic guitar melody, accompanied by a soft keyboard and light drums,
begins to play over the large speakers set up on either side of the onsen.

At the same time, the magnitude of steam over the onsen swiftly grows
significantly denser, blotting out a large majority of visibility therein. The
sound of a sliding wooden door can be heard opening somewhere beyond, and the
musical intro continues to play in the meantime, a soothing and delicate melody.
Three silhouettes are visible within the heavy cloud of fog, setting something
down on the onsen's edge and allowing themselves into the water, one at a time.

Mollianne has arrived through the onsen sliding door.

Persephone has arrived through the onsen sliding door.

Hikari has arrived through the onsen sliding door.

Kaze perches on the edge of the balcony, enjoying the show.

One of the Festival's more unexpected audience members is back tonight. Slipping
in just as the performance begins, the Coeurl pads up to the balcony, approaches
close to the railing, and sits more-or-less opposite of your position -- far
left side of the balcony.

As the intro gradually begins to lead into the song's first stanza, the mist
encapsulating the onsen slowly filters away to an extent, revealing the forms of
Hikari, Mollianne, and Persephone now submerged, shoulder-deep, within the
water. On the rocky edge near the entrance are three pink towels, all neatly
folded and placed side by side.

The level of steam still within the onsen is just enough to keep the three of
them visually modest, for at least as long as they remain below the water's
surface. The three of them look fairly relaxed and the music definitely feels
like a fitting ambiance for the atmosphere, in general.


The glow about Sunflash manages to lessen by an almost-comparable amount to the
lighting as the floodlights dim, and as the song kicks in the wizard shrimps up
a touch to rest on crossed elbows. There's no visible emotion on his face,
simply observing it would appear.

Aludra is on the side of cider. Hot and tasty. Sip. The perfect thing for a cold
night and a concert.

Emouse has taken a 'front-row' seat, peeking at the edge of the balcony from
below most of the patrons.


The music declines down to minimalist keyboard and drums, and Hikari starts to
sing, reclining against a small rock nearby as she does. "Hitorikiri nakisou ni
naru, yoru nante ikutsu mo aru~" Mollianne glances off to one side, a somewhat-
passive expression on her face.

"Owari no nai tabi no tochuu, dare datte yume miteiru~..." Hikari, Mollianne,
and Persephone all look up toward the stands where everyone is seated, and each
one of them offers a light wave (Persephone's admittedly looks a little stiff).

Across the onsen on the other side is a large black digital display hanging on
the edge of the Shiawasena Basho Bath House, broadcasting the following in
easily-visible, bright red letters: "There are so many nights when I feel like
crying alone; on this endless journey, everyone is dreaming."


Sunflash's positioning is broken by a faint smirk and a brief return of the
waves. Out of habit, perhaps. One can never be too polite. His body posture does
seem to relax noticeably at this point.


Persephone cups her hands under the water and lifts them upwards, letting the
water trickle out between her fingers as she takes over the lyrics. "Itsumo
nanika wo shinjite, soshite nanika ushinatte, kimo wo~ dakishimeta" Persephone
stretches out one of her arms, watching the rivulets of water run down the
length toward her shoulder as the they drip back into the onsen surrounding her.
"Nagashita namida no kazu wa, yasashisa ni kawa~tte yuku~... kitto~...

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "Having faith in something and losing something
in return, I hugged you close; All the tears I shed will become something much
kinder, truly..."

All three girls look upward toward the full moon in the night sky as the music
ascends, coming in more insistently as the chorus is upon them, and all three
put their voices together, sharing the chorus among one another.

All three girls sing, "Kanashimi ni makenaide~..."

Hikari sings, "Massugu ni ashita wo miteite"

Mollianne sings, "Hitori ja nai, dare mo minna; kanaeru negai ga aru~..."

All three girls sing, "Ashita no kaze wa kitto~..."

Mollianne sings, "Yasashii kaori wo tsuretekuru"

Hikari sings, "Yakusoku da yo, donna toki mo; kitto, kimi no soba ni iru~..."

All three girls fold their hands together in front of them as they continue to
gaze upward, a hopeful gesture.

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "Don't give in to sorrow, look ahead toward
tomorrow; you're not alone, because everyone has dreams that need to come true.
The winds of tomorrow will surely bring about a gentle scent, and tonight, I'll
make a promise that I will always be by your side."

Reclining back on its haunches, the Coeurl peers moonwards briefly, before its
attention turns back towards the performance. The monster seems rather relaxed,
should anyone familiar with feline body language look that way.

A brief musical intersection plays gently as the strength from the chorus
settles down, leading toward the next set of lyrics. Hikari and Mollianne are
seen chatting about something in the meantime, and Persephone methodically
shifts her position, curling up under the water so that she's hugging her knees
to her chest, her kneecaps poking out of the water as she does.

Mollianne splashes water at Hikari, which Hikari squeals in response to and
raises her arms protectively, all the while managing to be cautious enough to
not expose themselves.


Straightening his stance and crossing his arms in one motion, Sunflash lets
himself glance about the crowd. Pretty standard fare...annnd the giant cat
again. Hrm. Almost as familiar as the siren, if less...concerning, somehow?
Which would be good, all things considered. He turns back to the performance,
clearly paying more attention to the music than the dances.


The music winds down again, Hikari and Mollianne settling down as the former
takes the reins. "Kotoba de wa, ienai hodo; tsunotteku omoi ga aru~" Mollianne
runs her fingers along the surface of the water, idly creating tiny waves and
ripples as she takes over. "Kogarashi ni dakareru yoru wa; setsunasa mo, tsuyosu
ni shite~"


The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "There are so many things and feelings that I
want to share with you; when the cold wind blows, I will turn my sadness into
strength."

Persephone rests her chin on her knees, glancing off at nothing in particular;
unlike Hikari and Mollianne, who have put their hair up in bun-like styles to
avoid getting wet, Persephone's long orange hair is free-flowing and can be see
drifting along on the surface of the water beside and behind her. "Deai wa
itsumo totsuzen, hibiku kanenone no youni, yatte-kuru..."

Persephone, Mollianne, and Hikari share a brief glance at each other, all three
of them slowly breaking into small smiles. "Kimi ga te ni shita subete ga,
ashita he tsunagareba ii~... dakara~..." The music swirls around and grows
intense once more, preparing to lead into the second chorus.

Kaze scans the crowd. He sighs and looks back at his mouse pal and smiles. Then
he looks up at the moon and winks before quickly looking back at the
performance.

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "We always meet so suddenly, like the echoing
sound of a golden bell; I hope everything you take hold of is connected to
tomorrow, and that's why..."


Mollianne and Hikari raise their arms out of the water, and the former spreads
her wings a bit, the top layer of which rises out of the water and,
unintentionally, obscures her a bit in the process from behind. All three of
them join voices, their song drifting through the air and into the sky above.


Sunflash makes a noise or two under his breath that's probably most similar to a
wordless grumble, although you never can tell with sorcerers. He shifts from
foot to foot for a moment before managing to relax again.


All three girls sing, "Kanashimi ni sayonara~..."

Hikari sings, "Hitomi tojite soshite waratte~"

Mollianne sings, "Wasurerarenai, omoide tachi; sukoshi zutsu dakishimete~..."

All three girls sing, "Tatoe tooku hanarete mo~..."

Mollianne sings, "Itsumo kimi dake ni inoru kara~"

Hikari sings, "Kimi ga aruku, michi no ue ni; hana ga saki masuyou ni~..."

Tiny flakes of snow begin to fall over the area, only a couple at a time, at
first, but then it gradually increases and settles into some light flurries that
sprinkle down over the onsen and surrounding areas. Hikari is absolutely
beaming, her smile bright enough to rival the lights that surround the onsen
itself.

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "Say goodbye to sorrow... close your eyes and
laugh; embrace the unforgettable wishes a little bit at a time. Even if we
become separated by far, I will always be praying for you, that flowers will
always bloom along the road that you walk."


Sniff sniff, sniff. The Coeurl's nostrils twitch as something catches the
beast's attention. Something with an air of familiarity. The be-whiskered face
turns just in time to catch the tail end of a look from the Hylian standing at
the other side of the balcony. The beast blinks once, slowly. Familiarity,
maybe? It hasn't paid too much attention to anyone else in the crowd, so it
seems possible.


The guitar picks up and takes the lead into a short instrumental solo,
accompanied by the soft keyboard and gentle drum-work. As it does, the steam
around the onsen waters swiftly intensifies, growing thick and blotting out
visibility. Through it, one can make out only the silhouette of Mollianne rising
up out of the water and carefully trudging through it toward Persephone.

Hikari follows close behind, and both of them reach out, each, for one of
Persephone's hands, pulling her to her feet as well. They are seen standing
there for a few seconds before all three of them walk back toward a centralized
part of the onsen.

As the steam slowly begins to recede and the music starts to head back toward a
standard rhythm, all three of them sit back down under the water with Mollianne
between Hikari and Persephone; the water is up to their neck at this spot, and
as the fog pulls back to normal semi-visibility levels, Hikari and Mollianne are
seen exchanging goofy grins while Persephone looks a little embarrassed.

A snort escapes the glowing wizard, although Sunflash also makes no attempt to
hide the smirk. Showmanship be damned, they certainly worked well together. More
shifting about before he rolls his shoulders to force some tension out.

The music is subdued slightly, and all three girls put their voices together
once again, looking at one another as they do. The snow continues to fall,
silently and gracefully, melting long before it reaches the steaming waters of
the onsen and mingling with the vapors emanating therefrom.

Hikari sings, "Hoshizora wo miage nagara"

Mollianne sings, "Mihatenu yume oikakete"

All three of them sing, "Itsuka, kaze ni naru, motto jiyu~u ni..."

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "Looking up at the starry sky, I'll chase this
unfulfilled dream; Someday I will become the wind, and I'll find my freedom."

Kaze snickers softly.

Persephone and Hikari scoot slightly forward on either side of Mollianne, all
three of them joining hands together as the final chorus comes upon them, their
voices blending together in heartfelt concord.

All three girls sing, "Kanashimi ni makenaide~..."

Hikari sings, "Massugu ni ashita wo miteite"

Mollianne sings, "Hitori ja nai, dare mo minna; kanaeru negai ga aru~..."

All three girls sing, "Aitai to omou kara~..."

Mollianne sings, "Itsudemo koe ga kikita~i kara~"

Hikari sings, "Sugisatte yuku, kisetsu ni ima; arigatou to ieru yo~..."

The large black digital display on the other side of the onsen displays the
following in bright red letters: "Don't give in to sorrow, look ahead toward
tomorrow; You're not alone, because everyone has dreams that need to come true.
I want to always remain by your side, and listen to your voice whenever I can;
to all the seasons that pass by, I can give to them my thanks."


One of the side-effects of being not remotely humanoid is that nudity is not
particularly interesting or titillating, but Coeurl's attention did return to
the performance to watch their movements. The creature's nose twitches as a
stray snowflake lands on it, and quickly melts.


The music descends into a slow and gentle rhythm that plays off in an outro,
keeping the serene feeling of the song intact as it plays out. As the music
begins to fade, the three of them cast knowing looks at each other and nod,
still joining hands. At that time, with their backs to the audience, the three
women then suddenly decide to stand up, despite there being no increased steam
cover to protect them.

As they do, Hikari and Persephone pivot and turn to face the audience, but just
before any problems of a moral nature could arise from this decision, Mollianne,
her back still to the audience, spontaneously unfolds and unfurls her wings,
spreading them wide; this successfully covers Persephone and Hikari in the nick
of time, as well as most of herself (she's a siren, so there's not much to see
from the back for her, anyway).

Emouse raises an eyebrow.

The song fades away, and as it does, Hikari and Persephone's faces poke out from
either side of Mollianne's wings; Persephone winks, and Hikari sticks out her
tongue, both teasing the audience over their own potential cheesiness.

Emouse shows her approval by clapping her hands together.

Emouse says 'Well played, well played.'

Strangling noises accompany a very hefty facepalm from Sunflash, follow by a
shake of his head. That tracks.

Much catcalling and whistling ensues from the audience, as would be expected.

Quickly enough, the dense steam rolls back in and encompasses the onsen, ending
the show and allowing the three girls the cover they need to make their escape;
each silhouette can be seen treading water thrugh the onsen on the way back
inside, each girl picking up a towel on their way inside.

Sunflash begrudgingly lets a collection of slow claps loose as he continues to
shake his head, although any disappointment is betrayed by his smirk. As the
party seems to be over, so too does the glow diminish down to basically nothing
as he waits for the crowd to thin out enough to leave, and lets his thoughts
wander in place.


Kaze says 'Hikari actually stayed healthy, E! We didn't reset, yet!'


Emouse says 'Shh... try to make sense, Kaz. Not for now. There's more to
this...'

Kaze hops up on the balcony rail and looks around, elated.