Submission (#4227) Approved

Athena huffed as she tried to untangle some string cobwebs from a pair of paper bats, giving the dusty boxes before her a scornful look. Of course, it was just her luck to be roped into something so, so…

She knew Feyhallow season was right around the corner, as she could feel the fervor of the nins around her as she walked down the streets in Silveil city. Kittoms were chattering excitedly about all the goodies they’ll get, while others were busy planning frightful pranks to play on their friends. Shopkeepers were starting to put out decorations on their doors and window displays as an attempt to entice passersby with their new spooky wares, while others were handing out samples and spinning extravagant tales fitting for the season.

While Athena couldn’t deny that she herself felt a little bit of excitement from all this (it was, after all, pretty hard to remain completely stoic after hearing gleeful chatters here and there), she was mainly looking forward to spending time with her mother, though it wasn’t something she’d ever openly admit. Lumia was always so busy with her job. If she wasn’t performing on stage at the theater and captivating hundreds within a night, she was off on meet-and-greets with other noble elnin discussing things that unfortunately went over Athena’s head, much to her chagrin. 

BUT, that was going to change tonight! With all the festivities, surely elnins would have better things to do then sit in a theatre all night, meaning Lumia would finally have free time. The two of them could visit the shops themselves, maybe have a nice meal out. Perhaps even go exploring some. Though their last trip through Silveil forest ended up… rather disappointing due to the two of them ending up lost, this time Athena was sure to have the path memorized. And who knows, maybe she could even pull a prank or two on her mother, as payback for all the times she tried to embarrass her. It was maybe a little childish, but she herself was still just a kittom. It was fine to indulge in these things from time to time, in moderation.

At least, that was the plan. She had made SO many plans, and yet, she supposed… she should have seen it coming. Not only was her mother going to be even MORE busy with the theater house holding a FeyHallow special, but she somehow got volunteered into setting up the banquet hall that would host the patrons after the show. Her mother pleaded with her, saying they were short on staff, and that she knew how capable Athena was and would make it up to her. She could have refused, to be honest. Maybe she should have. But seeing how desperate her mother was, who often seemed to make it her life’s mission to tease the heck out of Athena, she could tell that this was probably something pretty important.

And so with reluctance, she agreed, saying she expected THE most expensive and fancy apology dinner as payment, and Lumia more than happily agreed, thankful to have one less thing on her plate. And so here she was, sitting on the floor of a large empty hall, surrounded by years old decorations that were shoved into boxes sitting in storage for who knows how long. After several more minutes of untangling stuff, she finally had everything laid out, and could start deciding where each decoration would go.

Several hours went by as Athena went through setting up the decorations. Pumpkin string lights to hang on the walls, with rope cobwebs in every corner. Small paper jack-o-lanterns sat at every table, with paper bats to hang from the ceiling and walls. She found some different variants that she decided she could plaster on the windows too for more emphasis. 

As she set about sticking several of them up, she couldn’t help but glance out at the streets. Though Silveil was always shrouded by the dark of night, the streets were always alit with lamp lights. Tonight seemed particularly bright, the lights from the lamps seeming to softly pulse as kittoms in costume passed by, some showing off their outfits while others tried scaring others. Perhaps some were doing tests of courage, wandering through the dark forests of Silveil with nothing but the glow of bioluminescent flora to guide their way, being scared witless as a stray crow passed overhead, cawing loudly against a night sky where the trees filtered out the stars. 

And perhaps others were taking it easy, having a delicious meal by Starlake underneath a canopy of stars, watching jellyfish swim about as they filled the sea with wondrous lights. Silveil city would be a distant thought as they were away from the bustling streets. Well, those were all distant thoughts anyways. Letting out a sigh, Athena got back to work. No use dwelling on it now. She supposed she would just finish setting up, and then go home.

The time finally came, and instead of going home as she planned, Athena was invited to join in the dinner as well, much to her surprise. The food was… beyond delicious, She could tell the chefs went all out, and despite being bummed about her plans going awry, she had to admit she had enjoyed herself tonight.

Perhaps the best of it was receiving praise from her mother, who was beyond impressed with all the work Athena did, and had promised her that after this event, she had the next week off and the two of them could do the things Athena had wanted to do. She supposed in the end, she did end up getting what she wanted.