asobouyo | 34th Teddy Bear [Voice]

[An hour or so after bed, Elicia hears something creak. It's harmless and probably something like a tree scratching something, or a mouse finding its way. But it sparks a barrage of images within this small child's brain that would probably make a therapist shake their heads. Things like floating objects and scary figures and things under her bed oh god. Acute paranoia tonight, this one. So she speaks in a really low whisper as though she's on a secret mission, hidden up to her ears in blanket. Must be a nice windy winter night.]

Um....

Are ghosts real? They aren't, right? But—But I guess good ghosts are okay! Do those count? Are they real either?

[Her eyes dart from one side of the room to the other, and she's totally expecting something scary to happen on one side or the other. Any minute now. No, no, be brave, there's nothing going on. Nothing at aaaaall. ;~;

Gulp.]

Oh! New Feathers are here, too... huh...

I'm Elicia, and I'm six years o—

[rustle rustle]

Meep!

[...And back under the sheets. Yup.]

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I don't mind! Uuuuuh, here! Here's one--I just drew it!

[It's so ballin'.]

I wanted to draw lots of nature stuff!

[O-Oh gods. It hurts...it hurts in the best possible ways. Miyabi's face breaks into a gigantic grin, as a few tiny, muffled giggles escape her throat - just too cute, can she steal you away for a week, please? - and leans a little closer to her journal. It's actually not all that bad, for a child's work or art.]

Aaah, I love it! It's beautiful! You like nature, Elicia-chan? If your mama and papa say it's okay, I can take you into the forest to meet some of my friends.

[Wanna feed some deer with her sometime, little sis? 8D]

Oh, I'd have to ask, b-but--what if the ghosts in the forest try to get us? I know you're strong, but we gotta be careful and take lots of flashlights to fight them!

[... It's been a weird journal entry, okay. :|b]

[Well, Miyabi was going to tell Elicia that there were no ghosts in the forest at all, and that her friends usually weren't awake during the night time (the deer, at least), but her train of thought gets derailed completely.]

Flash...light? I-Is that one of those weird lantern stick things? [You people and your crazy technology.]

Yeah! You put things called batteries in it and it glows!

Isn't that cool?

[She prefers lanterns, but...]

Eh, I guess so! I'm not sure if my friends would be awake in the night time, though. Different kinds, maybe, but I wouldn't take my little sister into the forest in the dark. [THAT'S JUST UNSAFE.] And I don't think your mama and papa would like me if I did that.

Yeah, I don't like the dark anyway.

['///']

I-I'm a little scared of it...

Eh, a big, brave person like you?! Elicia-chan, I never would have guessed! [Okay, she may be exaggerating, but still. Poor kid seems embarrassed.]

Mm...I honestly thought I was the only one afraid of the dark...

...

You're afraid of the dark, too?

[YOU'VE BLOWN MY MIND.

You're so cool and brave, it's just weird!]

Mhm... I don't like the dark very much at all. But you know, little sister, even in the dark of night, the moon shines brightly to watch out for you. If you're ever scared of the dark, you paint a crescent in the sky - like this. [Miyabi takes her pinky finger, holding it up to the journal, and draws a half circle in the air. Mrs. Seal taught her this, when she was around Elicia's age...it always calmed her down when she was scared.]

If you do that, the rabbit in the moon will see it, and make the moon shine really big and bright, to chase away the dark. But you have to wish real hard. Sometimes the dark is too thick, and the rabbit in the moon can't see, but no matter what...if you need him, he'll make the moon shine bright for you.

... You mean it? There's a rabbit in the moon who makes the light bright?

Yes, there is. Do you remember how i told you that where I come from, there are thirteen animal gods? The rabbit in the moon is one of them. You can even see him pounding mochi if you look at the moon's surface real close.

Oooh! What's mochi?

They're sweet cakes made from a special kind of super sticky rice that you have pound and turn to get the dough to come out just right! It normally takes two people to make them, if you want the best kind. One person to pound the dough with a mallet, and one person to turn it in between swings.

I'll make you some one day, okay. With a big, fat strawberry right in the middle!

Really? You will? I'd love to try it, 'specially if it's so good, the moon bunny makes it...!

34th Teddy Bear [Voice]

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