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sunshineverse2014-12-05 08:16 pm
sunshinemods) wrote in sunshineverse2014-12-05 08:16 pm
Lantern Sending Festival
The Event Details as Relevant to Characters
Dates: December 17th-25th
Where: Sunagakure
Every year, Suna takes this week and turns it into a time to honor those they've lost over the course of the year. It's one of the only times during the year, Exams excluded, that Suna really welcomes people from outside the village, feeling that anyone is welcome to revere the dead, so long as they're respectful about it.
Every evening will see people sending lit lanterns out of the village, many of which will have letters to the dead. During the day beforehand, there is usually a rather vibrant festival air, where local treats can be gotten and games can be played. All of these close up after dark so as not to disgrace those doing a sending except for the food sellers, and it's not unheard of that child toys can be found in excess during this time as well.
The History Behind the Holiday
The holiday has rather interesting beginnings, as once upon a time it was just a local tradition to send up lanterns at funerals, with no big fanfare otherwise being given. Now, this holiday has taken on a day and a purpose, after the story of the man who lost everyone, and was given them back by the lady of reincarnation. Due to this, it's not unheard of that children are conceived during this holiday under the belief that they might be revived loved ones.
The Story
The story begins with a man, whose name is long forgotten, who had lost everyone to war and sickness. His three children, a son and two daughters, his wife, his brother, his nephew, and even his parents were all lost to him, leaving him with nothing but grief and sadness. It was a terrible year, and he did not know how he could recover from the last of his losses, his four-year-old daughter, the youngest of the children and the longest to survive. He strongly considered joining them.
Instead, he wrote a letter, spilling out his grief and sadness, detailing how much he missed them to every loved one lost in that year and the year before. He knew no one on this plane could read the words he wrote, but that did not mean that they might not reach the next. Thus, that day, when he would have sent up a paper lantern for his daughter's memory, he made it from that long, heart-rending letter, and sent that instead.
What he did not expect was for a woman to come to him later that night, wiping his tears and saying nothing at all, who took him into her arms and comforted away his sorrows. By morning she was gone, leaving only the memory of warmth behind. He thought he dreamed her, in his pain, and thought nothing more of it until she came to him, a child in her arms, and smiled a beautiful smile at him as she handed him the child. A boy, one who looked exactly as his dead son. When he looked up she was gone, leaving the child with him, and no matter how he searched, no one had heard of her.
Thus, on the same week as the year before, he sent up another lantern, and he was joyous that she came to him, staying with him until morning as his son slept in his bassinet nearby.
Just as the year before, she returned to him again later in the year, giving him a child. He did not recognize this one at first, for he had not known his dead wife as a child, but when he went digging through pictures he held of his family, that informed him of who his little girl was. Of course, the woman did not stay any more than she had the year before, and he, being too busy with two small children, could not search.
Instead, he focused, sending up no lanterns that year, save one in the spring for a neighbor which did nothing at all.
It was only when he sent up lanterns that week of winter that she ever came, to bring him a tiny babe in the form of someone once lost to him, and thus he called to her whenever he thought himself ready for more of his family to be returned to him.
At least, until the day when his lost were all with him again, and she no longer answered.
Still, he knew she got his letters, and thereafter sent them all the same so that she would know he did not forget to give her his gratitude for giving him something to live for again.
Dates: December 17th-25th
Where: Sunagakure
Every year, Suna takes this week and turns it into a time to honor those they've lost over the course of the year. It's one of the only times during the year, Exams excluded, that Suna really welcomes people from outside the village, feeling that anyone is welcome to revere the dead, so long as they're respectful about it.
Every evening will see people sending lit lanterns out of the village, many of which will have letters to the dead. During the day beforehand, there is usually a rather vibrant festival air, where local treats can be gotten and games can be played. All of these close up after dark so as not to disgrace those doing a sending except for the food sellers, and it's not unheard of that child toys can be found in excess during this time as well.
The History Behind the Holiday
The holiday has rather interesting beginnings, as once upon a time it was just a local tradition to send up lanterns at funerals, with no big fanfare otherwise being given. Now, this holiday has taken on a day and a purpose, after the story of the man who lost everyone, and was given them back by the lady of reincarnation. Due to this, it's not unheard of that children are conceived during this holiday under the belief that they might be revived loved ones.
The Story
The story begins with a man, whose name is long forgotten, who had lost everyone to war and sickness. His three children, a son and two daughters, his wife, his brother, his nephew, and even his parents were all lost to him, leaving him with nothing but grief and sadness. It was a terrible year, and he did not know how he could recover from the last of his losses, his four-year-old daughter, the youngest of the children and the longest to survive. He strongly considered joining them.
Instead, he wrote a letter, spilling out his grief and sadness, detailing how much he missed them to every loved one lost in that year and the year before. He knew no one on this plane could read the words he wrote, but that did not mean that they might not reach the next. Thus, that day, when he would have sent up a paper lantern for his daughter's memory, he made it from that long, heart-rending letter, and sent that instead.
What he did not expect was for a woman to come to him later that night, wiping his tears and saying nothing at all, who took him into her arms and comforted away his sorrows. By morning she was gone, leaving only the memory of warmth behind. He thought he dreamed her, in his pain, and thought nothing more of it until she came to him, a child in her arms, and smiled a beautiful smile at him as she handed him the child. A boy, one who looked exactly as his dead son. When he looked up she was gone, leaving the child with him, and no matter how he searched, no one had heard of her.
Thus, on the same week as the year before, he sent up another lantern, and he was joyous that she came to him, staying with him until morning as his son slept in his bassinet nearby.
Just as the year before, she returned to him again later in the year, giving him a child. He did not recognize this one at first, for he had not known his dead wife as a child, but when he went digging through pictures he held of his family, that informed him of who his little girl was. Of course, the woman did not stay any more than she had the year before, and he, being too busy with two small children, could not search.
Instead, he focused, sending up no lanterns that year, save one in the spring for a neighbor which did nothing at all.
It was only when he sent up lanterns that week of winter that she ever came, to bring him a tiny babe in the form of someone once lost to him, and thus he called to her whenever he thought himself ready for more of his family to be returned to him.
At least, until the day when his lost were all with him again, and she no longer answered.
Still, he knew she got his letters, and thereafter sent them all the same so that she would know he did not forget to give her his gratitude for giving him something to live for again.
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"But, really... Konoha's given me so much, and it deserves leaders who can protect it no matter what. I feel I owe everyone there that, and I want to do that for them. That feeling just got stronger when you and Shisui saved my life."
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"Well I won't say you'll definitely succeed, as much as I'd like to. It's a difficult path, but I'm sure you're aware of that. I am certain however, that you'll find some greater capacity to serve the village if you keep those ideals in mind. Whether or not its as Hokage remains yet to be seen."
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But the conversation turned back onto him and Neji blinked as it occurred to him that Adela wouldn't quite understand that he'd successfully wormed out of his engagement with Hinata when he hadn't told her about it to start with. And worse still, he wasn't sure he would've told her even given the opportunity.
Neji cleared his throat, swallowing a bite of scorpion with a shrug. "Ah well, Hyuuga attempted to marry me to Hinata-sama recently, but we've managed to dissolve that issue. It's left me free to pursue someone else I've had interest in for some time."
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Oh.
Unable to help herself, she grinned and leaned in, almost mischievous when she asked, "And just who are you pursuing, Neji? Anyone I know?"
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"Perhaps," he said evasively, though he was relatively certain she didn't and twisted the scorpion between his fingers for a moment. "She's a Sunagakure kunoichi, the ambassador I've been escorting during her visits through Konoha for a number of months now."
Not that she'd visited Konoha every month, but through letters and mutual visits, it felt like they'd spent more time together than they had. Or perhaps it was her increasing frequency in his thoughts that made it seem so.
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Like hell she hadn't noticed before she walked up...
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"Thank you. I suppose it goes without saying that I'm spending the week here." Not the greatest time to spend together when the atmosphere didn't really lend itself to any sense of romance, but it suited them just fine for time being and was infinitely better than nothing.
"Should I ask how things are going with Sasuke?"
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"... He never answered me, so I told him we should just be friends until he figures it out. Get to know each other better first. I dunno how friendly he'll feel towards me after our most recent mission, though -- he got hurt really badly because of me."
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"I'm sorry, Adela. But Sasuke doesn't seem the type to hold a grudge like that, so I doubt you have too much to worry about in that regard. How is he doing now?"
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She sighed, frowning at the ground, "I dunno, just... Seeing that he was in that much danger got me into action, but the fact that I froze before got him into that situation in the first place. I just hate that my fear got to me that much."
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"You'll move past it, I'm sure. It's just another step toward your ambition. After all, you'll want to make Jounin first, and the additional training Sasuke's receiving now will leave you better equipped to handle situations like that in the future."
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"... It happened because... We were facing someone from Kiri. A missing nin. All my life, I've only known people to be insanely strong from Kirigakure -- stronger than I could even comprehend. It stopped me from acting... Because I thought I was doomed from the start."
Adela wasn't looking at Neji anymore, still ashamed of herself, "But... Seeing Senpai like that... I knew I couldn't just do nothing. I stopped thinking about whether or not I'd get beaten, I just didn't want to let them hurt him anymore. Not if I had any chance of stopping it."
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The scorpion was an unfortunate victim as well.
"It sounds like you overcame your fear and aided Sasuke in the end, no matter what else happened before then. Dwelling on it won't fix anything, or help you move past it. You should focus instead on the feelings that pushed you into action again. If I were Sasuke in that position, I'd only be relieved that the worst hadn't happened, and be grateful for your assistance in preventing it."
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Adela nodded vindictively then, leaning forward to rest her arms on her knees as she just looked straight ahead, "I'm actually working on trying to expand on what I can do and improve what I already know in combat expertise because of it. I think I've been purposely holding back on my dota's training because I didn't want people to associate me with Kiri... But I need to use it, more than ever. My metal will be an unbreakable shield for Konoha."
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Her conviction shone through despite that however, and he huffed a note of amusement. Taking hold of her future by force.
"Your bloodline is an intrinsic part of you, and I know many will benefit from your mastery of it. You're stronger than any of the connotations that may come with it."
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She was smiling again at least, and that was better than she'd been doing when she first walked up to him.
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Well, save for the eventual spar with the girls Kisame was escorting, but it'd probably be better for everyone if she didn't mention that.