(no subject)

[diaktoros.livejournal.com]

Date: May 1, 2000
Setting: The Manor grounds
Status: Public
Summary: The new year dawns for the pagan calendar, and you know what that means...


Hermes had been gathering wood all day, depositing it in a large pile in a very clear spot on the rolling lawns. He'd gotten up very early, and had spent most of the morning making little flyers. They were on plain white paper, decorated with a box of crayola markers that he'd produced*; still, Hermes was rather a good hand at doodling (he inherited some art in his blood from Apollo), and soon flyers were posted in the most commonly frequented places of the manor. The godling made it all the more mysterious and fun by simply disappearing the flyers off to their appointed place as he finished them. So he didn't even have to leave his room.

There will be a bonfire starting
at dusk to celebrate the new year.
Please come! There will be music
and other fun things!

All the rest of the day, Hermes was outside, running around with Dog and whatever other creatures were outside, and frolicking about the grounds, laughing and generally having what grown-ups would call 'way too much fun'.

As the sun was setting, he lay on the grass to watch it, hands behind his head. Sunsets always reminded him of his brother, and thus made him a bit serious.

"Someday we'll celebrate the new year in Hawai'i," he said, speaking to Apollo, Eros and Dionysus in the manner that mortals spoke to dead or far-away loved ones. "We'll have a big luau with drums and dancing and lots of fun...someday, I promise."

______________________________
*Unlike most people who could just make things appear from thin air, Hermes literally teleported them from somewhere else. He was the god of thieves, after all.

Comments

[allfather-odin.livejournal.com]

One of the things Wednesday liked most about the modern era was the tradition of getting absolutely shit-faced at the New Year. Or any time of year for that matter.

Inebriation was a cause he could stand fully behind.

So, it was no surprise when he meandered out as the sun set, already far along in his cups. It was May Day, godsdammit, and what better way to celebrate than with a bonfire, music and a large quantity of booze.

He'd seen the fliers, of course. They had sort of become omnipresent. So, with a drink in his hand he walked over to the youth lying in the grass.

"Happy New Year, son," he said, louder than was probably necessary. "And who are you? I never was good with you Greeks."

[radishesncorks.livejournal.com]

"Hi!" said Luna cheerily as she approached the duo on the front lawn. Then her expression soured (if it could be called that - compared to, Severus Snapewell, practically anyone having a bad day, she still looked positively cheery, if not a little spacey) a little when she made out who the larger one was. "Hi ...Hermes, right?" Luna turned to Hermes with a smile. "I heard there'd be a celebration of sorts here today? Is that right?"

[roadkill-god.livejournal.com]

Horus had watched with vauge interest as Hermes had played outside, he could tell that he was a good, and he looked vaguely familiar besides. He heard the quiet promise and felt a little sad, apparently this new god was alone, too. Horus had friends once...for a moment he tried to remember them, remember what their names had been before they changed them and became Jaquel and Ibis...but the memories were too jumbled and confused, they made his head hurt. Instead he turned his attention the unlit bonfire that had been prepared and wondered what it was for.

[anthony-crowley.livejournal.com]

Bored, Crowley wandered outside, slightly intrigued by the fliers. He hadn't attended a good pagan festival in a while and it might prove to be entertaining, provided he stayed well away from the bonfire.

Unfortunately, the crowd who'd arrived so far kind of sucked. There was the crying, phone-stealing kid with the snakes, the spacey blonde, Odin, and the mangy hawk boy. Oh well. If it was awful he could always leave.

[chantinellie.livejournal.com]

Ellie had been debating attending the celebration since the flyers started showing up.

She had lost most of her edginess about being seen; a good many people now knew she was at the Manor and there'd been no untoward incidents yet. Still, this party was outside, at night, and John's recent misadventure had reminded her that she had reason to be cautious, especially outside the confines of the Manor proper. Just because Beelzebub or Triskelle or their ilk hadn't appeared to haul her in for interrogation was no guarantee they never would, and even if Adam could prevent her actual capture, he probably wouldn't appreciate the ruckus it would cause. So she'd waited until the last minute to make up her mind.

It was the promise of music (and perhaps dancing?) more than anything that finally drew her out to the site, where she was relieved to see Odin and a slender silhouette a bit further off that she was fairly certain was Crowley. The slightly spacey young girl she'd seen the night Mictain had Fallen was only a young witch, not much help if the worst should happen, but no real threat either. Sweet Hermes had his godly mojo working, too, by the looks of him. She should be safe enough.

"Good evening," she called as she strolled toward the wood heap. "Lovely night for a bonfire."

[ineffable-angel.livejournal.com]

Thunk!

The angel snorted, waking up with a start. It was cold where he was, surrounded by books, and far too quiet. He had been in the library, fast asleep after taking his tea. The last thing he could remember was laughter and barking somewhere outside on the grounds, perhaps late afternoon.

It was after sunset now, some time after, he realized, looking out at the window. And it was far, far too quiet.

The angel stood, stretched a little, and tucked away all the books on shelves, leaving a small pile of decent ones out in a stack. A manicured hand rubbed his eyes, clearing it of the last vestiges of sleep.

The silence was unnerving.

He left, when the room was tidied, embarrassed to have napped for so long. It was likely he'd even missed supper. Aziraphale went to their room first, finding no Crowley and no note. Odd, but perhaps he was downstairs.

He went down to the lobby, still bothered by the silence of the Manor. Something was happening. He saw the front doors and listened, and finally heard the sounds of... his eyes lighted on a flyer at just that point in time, and the angel blinked. "A festival?" he asked himself silently.

Music was filtering through the doors, louder when he went outside to go look. It was late evening, very dark, but he could smell a fire and see the flickering light not so very far off.

Smiling to himself, thinking he was silly for worrying, the angel crept forward, hidden by darkness and various greenery, for a better look.

It was then that he realized that the flickering light was caused by dancing humans. Ellie was unmistakeable, but the rest of the faces were dark and shifting, shadows. He tried to climb a tree for a better look - still a distance off, you understand, and the last thing he wanted was to be pulled in to.

(The only dance he knew with any style was the gavotte, thank you.)

The angel got up into the tree with little problem, bits of leaves and twigs sticking in his mussed blond hair. He still couldn't see, however, so he made his way along a branch, almost above the dancers.

Aziraphale suddenly made out Crowley's face below him, as one of the mesmerizing dancers, and gasped with shock, and the branch broke. He fell.