[SWE] The Festival of Lights

It didn’t take very long for someone to join him near the fire. She was a beautiful, young woman with an interesting energy of swirling ice and radiating warm, something that brought a gentle smile to the man’s face. He looked at her with a small nod in acknowledgement of her approach. She must have been relatively new, if she didn’t know what the festival was in honor of, but he was glad that she decided to ask instead of just sitting in silent wonderment. It was a special day for the people who participated, a day to gather and be at peace. ”They’re for remembering,” he said softly, looking around at the many lanterns. ”It’s a time to remember the people we’ve lost and feel close to them.” Desmond leaned just slightly closer to the woman, as though he was going to tell her a secret. ”It’s said that the person with the most beautiful lantern might be able to see someone they’ve lost again. That’s probably just a story, though.” He had lost his lover a few years ago, but that wasn’t something he openly discussed. Perhaps the Festival of Lanterns was the single time he did acknowledge that heartache. It was one he was sure he would never be without, but it helped to shape him. You only loved so many times in life, and he had had a good one. Drawing a slow breath, he turned radiant blue eyes to the young woman with a warm smile. ”My name’s Desmond, by the way.” Asavvi desmond Talk to the Moon, Heal the Soul