angely i demony kruzhili nado mnoj

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

He can't put it off any longer.

Needs to start trying.

His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, head bowed against the cruel wind, long hair and snow dancing about his face. No one's traveled this path for a while: the snow is deep, undisturbed. Not the easiest going. Warily Aamu forges on, but it's difficult to hear much over the keening of the wind. Hopefully there's no vindictive banshees out, looking for whoever disturbed their song previously.

Damn, but he's gotten stupid lately. Shaking his head to himself Aamu finally comes upon the shrine. He knows there is one in the Grounds as well, somewhere in the Sanctuary, but frankly he wants the solitude. No prying eyes, should the Voice come to him.

No one to overhear. No one to witness.

If he breaks, he wants to break alone.

Trembling fingers reach up to hang a small iron pendant on one of the swaying branches. It's shaped like a small flame. "I'd like to talk," he offers quietly to the glowing tree, reaching out to press his cold palm against its inviting light.

---

The HG citizenship bonus doesn't apply to god rolls, right? If it does he's a Grounder tho

what the snow hides shall never be found

Laughably late, but then again, one doesn't rush the moon.

And it is the moon that descends to speak to Aamu - or at least, that's what it looks like. Clouds cross over the sky above, and for a moment all goes terribly dark. Then, from behind the glowing tree, a figure appears. They are small, lithe, like a moonbeam dancing over the snow. Beautiful and cold and pale enough to make Aamu look tan, they glide over the fresh-lain snow, leaving no footprints behind. Only their eyes are sources of color: bright violet, too big for their face, boring into Aamu with a soft, laughing contempt.

"Oh, pretty thing," the figure sighs, reaching up a frigid hand to caress Aamu's cheek. "Come to pray to your mechanical mother. What a shame, she does not come - should have come to see me instead." The hand presses back now, forceful, tangling roughly in Aamu's hair. "But you didn't, and now you never will. Pity it's so close to the time of darkness. Pity you'll never see the light."

And just like that the spirit is gone, leaving Aamu... unchanged.

For now.

---

Aamu has been cursed! As the moon grows brighter he will find his vision growing worse, leaving him totally blind by the full moon (mid-season)! Then it will slowly improve, being fully restored at new moon (end/beginning of the season). This cycle will continue until he breaks his curse!

He can break the curse by:
- Kiss someone under the new moon.
- Sing a song under the half moon.
- Bathe naked under the full moon.

Since it's LongNight, this curse won't take action until the moon returns at the start of the new season. Lucky duck ;D

THE GHOST IN THE SHELL \\

It takes his breath away.

It screams danger.

Aamu doesn't trust pretty things.

Yet he can't help himself from pressing his cheek into that cold palm, closing his eyes to narrow slits, aware of how long it has been since someone has touched him with anything resembling fondness (faux or not): he does not feel it much on his skin, but he feels it in his soul. Even as the touch turns punishing and rough, fingers twining into his long braid and pulling his head back, he can't pull away.

He can't not enjoy it, like a desperate and abandoned cat.

But the sprite is not there to save him, or love him, or any such thing. He barely registers the ominous words—

"Wait!" —I was a fool

It is gone. Aamu is all alone, and upon the tree's branches, the little flame charm swings softly back and forth.

(fin <3)