At the last light of the moon;

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Who: Lily Tsukuyomi and YOU.
What: A final catch all before the end. Flying trees and magcial fairies and stupid arguments and fluff.
Where: Anywhere around Locke City, Lily & Winter's home, the Tsukuyomi household, Espresso Yourself, or the Great Heart Tree.
When: Anytime from the 19th to the 28th.

A - April 19th - The Great Heart Tree's Great Escape + A Little Visitor [OPEN]

On the morning of the 19th, Lily was woken to a sensation of something moving. Something... happening. A glimpse at the television answered it pretty handily - news broadcasts showing the Great Heart Tree lifting off the ground, floating under its own power into the clouds and then... Seemingly, undetectable. As if it had vanished into nothing. Lily, of course, had other methods to track its presence - the Heartcatch Mirage.

Just trying to get a glimpse of it, or transport herself there, its current placement was pretty easy to determine. Now, it drifted above Locke City, lazily hiding itself in the clouds, peeking out as if watching over them only on occasion.

Eventually, Lily makes it to the park, trying to squint up at the sky to see if it sticks out to her. If it's safe up there, or if it's obvious...

All the while, not realizing there's something, someone watching over her the whole while...

[Here, at some point, Yuri's once-dead fairy Cologne will return to her. SOMEWHERE. We'll see, it depends on who tags me. As to how the Heart Tree got there? It flew through a Ghost Zone.]

B - you wot m8 [Lily + Raye, OPEN to whomever might be around the Tsukuyomi/Adamas house at any given time]

With all the chaos and bluster of the last few weeks, as the girls try their best to get their heads together and back in the game, Lily's house has been fairly open to her closest friends. Of course, they were always welcome within reason, but she was more often than not inviting them over for lunch or what have you, more now than ever. She's not entirely sure what it was - a slight bit of twinging fear at the frequency of the Animals bursting from the ground, worry over what might come next. Something was coming, but just what...

That's where the worry was.

Today however, the tranquil peace of the quaint little home Lily and Winter have made for themselves is shattered, as Lily suddenly slams a fist onto the countertop of her kitchen.

"How could you say something like that?!" she exclaims, her ire directed at an unexpected source: Raye Satterfield. "What I'm saying is just common sense!"

Cologne floats off to the side, just... sort of hanging there helplessly, staring with an expression of only mild interest, and just a bit of worry that this is what he was reincarnated into. He eyes Senketsu briefly, frowning. "This... isn't typical, is it?"

Whatever could have sparked this argument? More over, who dares butt their head into it?

[All replies for this prompt should go in here!]

C - April 22nd - The future and other such things. [CLOSED to Winter]

The daily grind of a job still isn't something Lily's quite used to. Since spending months globe hopping in attempts, sometimes fruitful and sometimes vain, to save the earth, a daily routine is not something she's used to. As such, in spite of her impeccable physical condition, the finds herself more than a little worn down by the time she gets home at the end of the day sometimes.

Still, it's worth it. Because once she gets at the end of that day, once she reaches this little house and opens the door, she knows what's waiting for her. It's an odd feeling, in some ways. To know there's always someone she can rely upon, who will always be there, who she can tell anything.

To have an to hold, in sickness and in health.

Even if they're not married yet... She's fairly sure she can get used to this feeling, even if a year and a half ago she never would have dreamed she could be so lucky. Even as the world and its threats loom over them, they still have lives to live.

Dammit, they're going to do that no matter what.

"Winter!" She calls as she enters. Her keys clatter on the table, her jacket gets shrugged off. "I'm home!"

She almost has to grin to herself as she says that. It's a very stupid, but content grin, and she finds herself getting it over the simplest things of late.

D - WILDCARD: Hit me with anything, and we'll do some stuff in this last little stretch!

Comments

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Lily isn't the only one dealing with those worries. Every week seems to bring some new catastrophe, monsters bursting from the ground and descending from the skies, political battles that she couldn't even wrap her head around and each one somehow seemed worse than the last. And through it all is the looming, ever-present dread that it's only just the beginning. Something is coming, something big, and whatever it is it's going to be worse than everything they've met up to this point.

It was exactly that fear that brought her to Lily and Winter's house this afternoon, answering an invitation to pass the time and perhaps put those worries of the future aside for a little while. And as the quiet peace is shattered by angry shouting... that goal at least seems to have been met.

"Common sense-?" She lets out a frustrated growl, rubbing a hand over her face in irritation before throwing her arms out wide before answering just as loudly. "It's bullshit, Lily! It is total bullshit, and I don't even know what the fuck you're even talking about anymore!"

Not far away Senketsu sits in a chair just beside and below where Cologne is hovering, watching the explosive argument with a look of slight apprehension. His eyes shifts toward the small fairy. "Not... normally, no. This is rather unusual, as a matter of fact."

[dragon_blossom]

Lily and Raye also aren't the only ones dealing with all the bullshit, but Marina is pretty sure Lily can be expected to keep it together pretty well.

Instead, she hears Raye and Lily shouting at each other. Arguing! She can't tell what but like that matters, and it isn't long before she pokes her head out a first-story window to watch, although she's close enough and so readily in view that either of them can see her anyways.

The two of them are pretty different, so she shouldn't be surprised - and she won't be surprised if the argument is actually something totally mundane either.

[alilyinthemoonslight]

"Bullshit?!" Lily snaps back, about ready to start grinding her teeth as she leers at Raye. "For the love of... How can you possibly think that makes any sense at all?! When it comes down to something like this, of all things, I'd think you'd understand!"

She grunts and crosses her arms. "I thought you were at least a little more perceptive than that!"

Cologne just starts nudging a little bit more through the air towards Senketsu, growing more and more nervous with every passing moment. "This... does not well seem worth it, either..."

[guitar_case_vagabond]

"Bullshit!" She fires right back, not flinching or backing down in the slightest. Instead, she digs her heels in, squaring off and leering right back up at her.

"Yeah, I understand just fine! I understand that you don't win a fight with your head! You win a fight with your gut, you listen to your instinct and you go in and take the other guy down! That's what wins a fight every single time!" She punctuates the next few words by jabbing her finger against the countertop. "Every! Single! Fucking! Time! And that's what we're talking about here, Lily! Instinct!"


"It hardly does." Senketsu glances toward Cologne, noting the fairy's nervousness. "However, I think this may simply be something that needs to be worked out between friends."

[dragon_blossom]

Damn. Marina was kind of hoping they were losing it over something unimportant, but this actually sounds serious. She lowers her head a little; it won't stop her spying, but now she doesn't feel the same about it, watching the two of them closely.

Frowning, Marina glances over at Cologne instead, raising an eyebrow, then waving to get his attention. All these fairies is getting pretty interesting.

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Cologne perks up, glancing over in Marina's direction and nodding politely. His instinct was to hide from her, but it had been made clear to him that wasn't necessary here. "Perhaps you are right," he says to the Kamui, "but it is still concerning." He begins to lean forward and say something in Marina's direction, but well...

Lily shouts. "Instinct only gets you so far! We have evolved as a species! Haven't you ever heard that the pen is mightier than the sword?! A human being is far more than just their physicality! Being able to out think someone is far more important!"

A

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine had seen those same reports, and she knew Lily would be one of the people to react to it. She'd been at her own home when it started, so she hadn't been privy to Lily's initial reaction, and thus had to go looking for her.

Luckily, being able to fly meant she could cover ground rather quickly. Still, it took her a while to find Lily in the park.

"Hey, sis!" Jasmine exclaimed, descending from the sky near her sister. "I've been looking for you...!"

Jasmine could have just called, but this was an area she wanted to talk to Lily about directly.

[alilyinthemoonslight]

"It's above us."

Lily is just standing there in a clearing, staring up at the sky with her arms crossed. Sorry, that's the greeting you're getting right now little sister - she's focusing.

"It's in some cloud cover and you can't really see it well without it... but it's above us."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine stared for a moment, before sighing. "Yeah, hello to you too, sis," she said. Then, she put her hands on her hips.

"You mean the Heart Tree, then. Right over another echo zone too..."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

She gives her a sheepish look. "Sorry, this is just... significant. And distracting."

She's carrying the Heartcatch Mirage, too. That's how she was able to get a handle on what was going on.

"I figure it might have just come here because we're here, but... why now? I know I've had some major pulses lately I couldn't place, but... it seems like it waited a bit."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine's eyes caught the Mirage, and she made a small smile, before turning back to Lily and nodding.

"... That does seem odd," she said, "but it's not like pulses haven't 'waited' before, you know."

She looked up. "You don't think it wants us to do something, do you...?"

A

[charcoalfeather]

There were a couple of things watching Lily at that moment, as a matter of fact. With the Kappa problem in Japan, along with the explosion of political debating that Rakka had been caught up in, she was keeping a close eye on the news. Or, as close an eye one could get with a lack of sleep.

What she saw on the news at that moment... It left her wide awake. The Heart Tree... gone? What would this mean for the Precure? For her? Quickly, Rakka realizs that she had to find the others. They all needed to know this.

She spots Lily in the park, seemingly looking at the clouds. Naturally, she runs over, yelling as she got close. "Cure Moonlight!" Fougere was with her, flying beside her no matter what speed Rakka was moving at.

"Lily!" Rakka comes to a stop close to the other Precure, breathing hard from all the running. Her expression was full on concern. "Did you see the news? The Heart Tree! It's-!"

[alilyinthemoonslight]

"It's right above us," she says quietly, and holds the Heartcatch Mirage in the crook of one arm. It's not surprising to her that Rakka's found her here, but she casts a small smile towards her. "In my memories, the Heart Tree flew back then too. I suppose maybe it wanted to be closer to us."

Or perhaps it senses something on the horizon? It's possible, but...

"It's hiding in the cloud cover, and it's... pretty high. Not likely any commercial airliners are going to get caught up in it."

And hopefully not shot down.

[charcoalfeather]

"It's...." She tilts her head back and scans the sky. To any onlookers, she probably looked rather silly. Her voice was almost breathless, quiet in it's surprise. "It's flying...?"

she looked back down at Lily. "Well, there's that. It's probably safer here then in Vegas, with all the Numbered around here."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

"It's flying. It, ah. It flies. I probably should have mentioned that. You know, before."

She pushes he glasses up a bit.

"Sorry. I missed that one on the rundown."

[charcoalfeather]

"It flies."

She's still looking for it.

"A flying tree...."

"Of course it flies!" Fougere chirped, the tiny fairy adding himself to the conversation. "The Heart Tree can move wherever it wants to!"

C

[peacefulwinter]

Somehow, Winter's become something like a housewife, almost without realizing it. It's not that she doesn't have things to do - she does, absolutely, and many of them are actually important - but most of the things she needs to focus on are things that she doesn't need to go anywhere for, aside from things like grocery shopping. So she's fallen into a little bit of a routine; she's got Lily's schedule in her phone, not to mention memorized. And she makes a point of already being home when said young woman is heading home.

As her mental clock ticks down what should be about three and a half more minutes - assuming she didn't stop for anything, Lily should be just a few more blocks away at this point - Winter ponders what is more or less her future, and in a real way, the rest of her life after it. The coming storm, as seems to be approaching, is a notable concern, and it's something that's taking a lot of her consideration. But at the same time... she has other things to think about. Other things that, to her mind, are a little more important.

Like what her wedding dress will look like. How many bridesmaids she and Lily can have between them before someone will revolt. Which set of names rolls off the tongue better.

...Somehow, Winter's become even more of a romantic in the last couple months. Part of it is a coping mechanism from when she got hurt, and when Lily got hurt (if less severely) in turn, but a lot of it is just she's a girl in love. And as much as people joke about it, her world feels like it's more colorful with Lily. That's a feeling she'd give anything to protect. Body and soul. In this life... and, even if not as lovers, in future ones, as she watches over Lily all the same. The whole "reincarnated into people that actually have memories and feelings already" thing is a surprising damper on the idea of actual eternal love, but she'll figure out a way to make it work, even if she has to think ideas really hard so some future not-Winter will pulse them back. After all, it's not like the aliens are the only threat that will ever come to Earth, and-

The sound of the key in the lock pulls her from her thoughts, and she sets down her notebook - not her wedding one this time, but rather emergency planning - and springs from the couch to her feet with a big smile. When the door opens, somehow, she feels like a weight's come off her shoulders, even if she didn't really worry about something happening to Lily as a matter of course. Cure Moonlight, she can freely admit, kicks a lot of ass in a pinch, so Lily can take care of herself. And that means Lily should make it home without issue pretty much all the time, so-

-okay, hold on, Lily's home. No depressing thoughts allowed. Like a magic charm, all of her idle worries seem to just turn into bubbles and float into the sky, leaving her affection and her excitement that her most important person is home again. "Lily! Welcome back!" They haven't invested in a hall tree yet, for some reason; Winter accepts Lily's jacket automatically, before greeting her with a brief kiss. Mindful that there might be business to tend to - or at least a pressing need to not hang out in the doorway all afternoon - she takes a half step back and lets herself relax. "How was your day?"

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Lily wonders if it's somewhat selfish, that she almost anticipates all of this out of Winter? To know that she's definitely going to be there, to know that she's probably timed everything just perfectly. It's not that she expects it of her, or would ask it of her, but she anticipates it at this point. It's that certain level of reliability she hopes she'll be able to anticipate for many, many years to come.

And beyond that... who knows? Rikka and Yuri never knew this is what was to become of their souls, their power. This world, these lives have changed things there to some levels that she's not even sure she can yet fathom. Either way, she's not concerning herself with what will be when they're dead and buried - they still have a lot of life to live here and now.

For the time being, that's right in front of her. She accepts the Welcome Home kiss with an even wider smile, doing her best to not burst into a fit of giggles like a schoolgirl. Sometimes, that still remains a little difficult. Certainly, it's something she'll need to curb before the wedding day finally rears its head.

For now, she reaches out as Winter steps back, looping arms together and taking steps to steer the both of them towards the living room. "Oh, you know. Nothing too exciting, besides the fact that a coffee shop is a surprisingly good way to hear gossip about yourself. Thankfully no one blaming me for giant turtles, today."

In spite of the wry tone, she takes notice of the notebook, realizing it's one of the more dire of research topics that's had Winter's attention today. She keeps her happy mood regardless. "But... just your typical daily grind." She glances back down at Winter. "Surely, you've had a more interesting day?"

[peacefulwinter]

Don't let Winter hear that thought - rather than selfish, she feels like it's a little way to show her affection. It's one thing to be home when Lily returns; it's another to be at the door to take her jacket and check on her. Grinning, she lets herself be led away from the door, which she absently locks as it swings shut. "No autographs today, then?" She knows that Lily doesn't mind her job at Espresso Yourself, which is always nice, but... they're very public figures. Working in a service business has certain downsides, in that respect.

"Things haven't been terribly interesting here today," Winter continues. "I got dinner started ahead of time, although it'll keep a couple days if you'd rather go fetch something. Beyond that... not a whole lot. Just thinking about the future. Both the bad stuff... and the good things, too. I put it away for a little bit, but I did a little wedding planning today, too." She might need another notebook before too much longer. Not that every page is full of, well, productive things. There are only six pages where she lost focus and started doodling hearts. Somehow, that feels like an accomplishment.

Sinking her toes into the carpet as they walk, she adds, "I'm still getting used to being home again, a little bit. I know I said home is wherever you and I can be together, but... I like this place."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

She certainly won't; after all, she enjoys that affection quite a bit. "No, no autographs. I think we're a little past that for a bit, until things settle down."

They would settle down, eventually. Assuredly. They had to.

"Dinner here sounds good, though. I've been out all day, I kind of want to just... get comfortable and enjoy the company, I think?" She raises an eyebrow at the comment on the planning, though. They could focus on the bad stuff, and probably would eventually, but for now she wants to focus on the other part: "A little bit of wedding planning? Anything I should know, in particular?

She admires your restraint in only doing six pages worth!

She chuckles and swings around to plop herself down on the couch, and it just so happens she still has Winter attached to her at that point in time so if she follows, Lily isn't going to complain. "Home is where the heart is, and my heart's with you." Corny as it is, that's how she feels! "But... I like this place quite a bit too. And it's nice to not be in a hotel room, for once."

D. Espresso Yourself

[dead_black_eyes]

Business has been declining at Espresso Yourself for months; it's not one of Lazarus' best-kept secrets, as just about anyone can see that the hours are sparse and he's probably losing money just to keep it stocked. But due to a recent echo, money's not immediately a problem, and though he's the only one here today, there's something comforting about slipping an apron over his head and focusing on menial tasks for awhile.

He offers a soft smile when he sees Lily. "Hey... congratulations, you're the first customer today," he says in a mock-celebratory tone. "Do you want something on the house? I've been meaning to get in touch lately to see how you and Winter have been but... you know how it is."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

It's definitely noticeable, especially if you're working there off-and-on. It may not exactly be the most steady work, but it's... something, right? And anything helps, right now. Besides, she felt like she was helping Lazarus as much as he was her.

She can't help but smile a bit, and shakes her head. "Is it bad I'm almost tempted to take you up on that? Our parents are a huge help financially, but... well. I'm still trying to be careful there."

[dead_black_eyes]

Anything helps, and Lazarus is grateful for help behind the counter and customers alike. Fortunately, his pockets are pretty deep, and no matter how dire the straits they find themselves in, he manages to keep paying his employees a living wage.

"It's no trouble," he assures her. "What would you like? Name it and as long as I can make it with the ingredients on-hand, it's my treat."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Lily blinks and stares up at the menu. Honestly, she can fill things just fine. Once she's on the other side of things she's at a bit of a loss, because...

"You know, I actually don't drink a lot of coffee."

A bit of a stiff laugh, before she continues. "Surprise me?"

[dead_black_eyes]

He nods briskly, wandering toward the espresso machine and turning the knob on the steam wand to clear it.

"That, I can do. While I'm doing that, tell me what's new in your life? I feel so insular lately, since Nathan and Misa have been spending more time at Willow Ridge."