in the dead of night;; [Open]

[animalityopera]

Slivers of moonlight made it down through the bamboo stalks and their leaves, forming strange patterns of shadows along the ground that made travel through the forest no less confusing. On one hand it was beautiful, on the other hand it wasn't worth it. Though a thin, dirt path weaved through the forest, it was a path that made no sense - a path made intentionally confusing, leading its travelers to dead ends and in circles. If one ever made the mistake of wandering off the path they would find themselves hopelessly trapped in the seemingly endless bamboo clones after only a few steps.

The bamboo forest was one of Arthur's favorite hang outs. Despite its infamy, he could always find travelers looking for a challenge or completely unaware of what they were walking into. His vivid, bright blue glow would attract them, whether he was in the thick of the forest or ahead on the path, and perhaps after playing with them for awhile he could lead them wherever he wanted. If he grew fond of them, he would show them to the shrine or the exit. If they were boring or mean, he would lead them all through the forest and then disappear and abandon them.
Now the spirit weaved his way through the green stalks, narrowing his form to fit and taking sharper and sharper turns to dart between each bamboo pole. It was a fun little game to amuse himself while he hunted for someone to meet.

[mayu]

An eastern breeze flew though the section of the forest that made a petite youkai though her kimono. She arrived here after another failed attempt to visit Hakurei Shrine uninvited. Mayu had actually no reason to go there other than to kill her boredom swing, but the bamboo forests like an ideal place to fool around with some lost individual and enough plant life to tell her how not to get lost, if only she listen to them.

After a few hours, the girl was done with the forest. Not even a small campfire that would note that someone was lurking around here. Mayu was ready to return home and ask the bamboo for the nearest tree around. The forest was dead with silence until a wrenching noise came from behind her. She turned and show that one of the younger bamboo stalks curved, pointing in one direction. North, or was it West....how would she know?

Mayu traversed though the bamboo forest, ignoring the pathes and going in the direction she was pointed too without a second thought. She noticed a blue glimmer, and soon followed that at the bamboo's dismay. Maybe she could have a little fun here after all...

[animalityopera]

Movement, and then a form became clearer through the disorientating pattern of vertical stalks. The large, white, glowing eyes in Arthur's moon-like face stared towards the approaching being curiously for a moment, before his fluorescent form gave an undulating little shiver of gleeful excitement and sharply turned around to dart through the bamboo and gain a little distance, making a few turns so that it would take decent effort to follow.
As his pursuer drew closer he felt that it was female, and had a subtle bond to the bamboo... She almost smelled like a plant. A small, cheerful hum swirled through the air, as briefly as if imagined - some happy little noise he uttered. Once the girl drew near enough to almost make out what he was, Arthur abruptly disappeared, his bright eyes the last thing to vanish. The vague feeling of his presence lingered while he slithered just around the girl's shoulders. She looked as young as a child though her eyes showed her age, and he could feel her years in the air around her as well... She must be some sort of youkai for her appearance to be so deceiving. He felt the swiftly flowing moods in her emotions, playful yet serious, curious yet disinterested, innocent yet fierce.

He soon reappeared at her left side, close enough to violate typical personal space but just distant enough that although nothing of him touched her, the turquoise glow radiating off him lit her face. His wide, white eyes stared into hers, unblinking, his playful curiosity seeming to emanate into the space around him.

[mayu]

She continued her graceful movements though the bamboo, seeing that she was getting closer and her object of pursue seem to notice her and was getting further away. She was enjoying this. It was true that she needed some objective for today, since she can't trouble the shrine, then succumbing to a somewhat childish curiosity. The glow was getting closer. Maya almost caught up with her mysterious playmate before it suddenly vanished, leaving her bewildered

Wishing the chase lasted a little longer, her mouth open to take in what would have been a sigh, until the blue light shined next to her. She took a graceful step back to get examine the bizarre figure. The first impression that he was some form of spirit, reminding her of a will-o-wisp. However, the glow lack the feel of heat and she reached out with her hand, giving it did a gentleness brush with her fingertips.

"I didn't expect anyone at this time of night, most would have told me to just go home, like these here." Maya said, referring to the bamboo. She put her hand back with the other in front of her, holding them together, "Are you haunting this place?"

It was natural for her to ask such a thing. Since he didn't have much of physical, the first word that came to mind was 'ghost'. However, she might just been hiding that she knows about other beings that had little to no physical part.

[animalityopera]

The strange, silky tendrils of his being flowed away from her touch, a single strand lingering behind to allow a brush of her fingertips. It was smooth like hair, and cool but not really cold. The end of him - his tail, if you will - gave a small flick. H a u n t i n g... Came a light, subtle voice, as if the air itself spoke. Then a sort of laugh, just as subtle - almost more of a feeling of laughter than the sound of it. I d o n't... h a u n t. The feeling of a smile, though his smooth, blank mask of a face remained featureless, even his large eyes unchanging. His form slithered up, then down, moving in front of her and making a little front flip before facing her again.

[mayu]

"What's a relief. This place would be a lousy place to haunt." Mayu told him with a smile. He could be actual youkai of some form, she never place that beyond her logic.

The couple of bamboo stalks grew out their leaves and twine themselves together formed a small swing. Mayu sat down on it, "You're interesting creature and fun to follow I wonder what could bring you in a place like this?" She pushed herself to let the swing flow forward and back.

[animalityopera]

Another laugh seemed to waft through the air. N o... I t's... f u n h e r e. His face bobbed up and down in a nod, sending waves down his blue form like ripples across the water's surface. He watched as the bamboo grew and contorted for her, face slowly turning upside down as he did, eyes unblinking. As she sat down he twisted back around so his face was right-side up, the tendrils of him winding around to follow. P e o p l e... He answered, the tone of innocence light enough to be suspicious. T h e y g e t l o s t. A smirk, though his blank face went unchanged.

He wriggled forward as she swung back, and drifted backwards as she swung forward, keeping his face facing hers with only a few inches' distance between them. Y o u... His face tilted slightly, staring into her eyes. T h e s h r i n e, m m m... He felt the thought of the Hakurei Shrine around her emotions. G o n e n o w. V a n i s h e d... A frown, in the expectance of her disappointment. The thought of having his own shrine flickered through whatever was his mind for a moment, the idea brief and absent-minded enough that it seemed to echo out of his head and through the space around him, coming across as an almost subconscious thought barely noticeable.

[mayu]

"Oh my someone broke it again..." She chuckled, with her hand to her lip "It comes to no surprise really. Usually it couldn't help with that ghost and oni hanging around all the time. Maybe I have been sleeping too much,"

"Oh well, I'll pester the miko later. Kinda sad that no one got lost enough to play with." She sighed, not admitting she would get lost too if she didn't have...err, friends. "What could I do here? To be honest, I don't want to go home yet. It's too nice of a night...Kinda night makes you want to stir some trouble."

[animalityopera]

Slithering away out of the girl's swinging space, Arthur began to drift in circles while he thought. H m m m m.... The small strands of him that occasionally deviated from his main form waved and twirled as if each had a mind of its own. Just then, if an exclamation point could come across as an emotion, it would have. He turned to face the girl again, the concept of running water drifting from his mind to hers, the sound of it, the abstract feel of it. Arthur had remembered a small creek he knew of, too small for most fish but big enough for frogs and other little creatures fun to poke at.

T h i s w a y... He turned away and began darting between the bamboo stalks again, leading her a little ways before hovering above the thin, trickling creek he had thought of. A few frogs of varying sizes peered up at the fluorescent being above them, unsure of what to make of it but not particularly afraid; until Arthur drifted down to stare at one of them more closely, the little frog hopping into the water with a startled Kero! A smile and a sort of giggle wafted through the air. Frogs were such amusing organisms.

[mayu]

Stopping her carefree motions with her swing, she paused curiously at her glowing friend, it seems to have an idea, and Maya started to listen the movement of water. It was a nice sound to hear because she love the stuff (to drink at least).

She followed him to pond, and soon giggled at the poor startled frog. A small leaf she found formed into a tiny cup. She knelt down to collect a bit of watch to drink. (She was a plant, after all). A tiny spout appeared behind one of the frogs and nudged it on it back, making it hopped into the water. A moment later a leaf emerged from the creek hoist the poor thing the water high enough to where Maya could kiss him, but the frog hopped off. She smiled and agreed with her friend. Such amusing organisms.

[recon5]

Mokuko was out on yet another night-flight. Flying was one of the few things he never tired of as the sky was always changing. Sometimes the clouds would form fantastic landscapes that he could explore, always careful to avoid scattering them, while other times he would be joined in the air by creatures both mundane and wonderful (including his fellow Youkai). It was like a whole different world up above the trees.

Nothing special was happening at the moment, though, so Mokuko decided to visit Eientei. He didn't bother with dates but he was sure he'd heard that the rabbits would be pounding mochi tonight. The kind of hilarious accidents they had could keep him in stitches until morning, at the very least.

As he flew over the Bamboo Forest, Mokuko caught a glimpse of a curious bluish light down below the leaves. He decided right then that investigating this strange phenomenon would be even more interesting and began to float downward slowly so that he wouldn't scare whatever it was that was making the light.

Eventually he reached the tops of the bamboo plants and he saw that the light came from a strange floating creature similar to the ghosts that he sometimes saw in various parts of Gensokyo. Accompanying the creature was a girl whose white hair was decorated with flowers and leaves. The girl seemed to be quite courageous as she was walking on the ground, something that no one who knew about the notorious rabbit-made traps in the Bamboo Forest would think of doing. Mokuko himself had certainly never dared to step on the ground there.

All the courage in the world wouldn't save the girl if she fell victim to a rabbit trap, so Mokuko decided that he would warn her of the danger. He called out to her.

"Hey, Miss! You should fly if you can so you won't step in a trap!"

[animalityopera]

Arthur watched the first sprout grow with bewilderment, then slithered nearer to curiously examine the next sprout. His unseen smile radiated from him as the little plant poked the frog. His glowing face bobbed up and down with amusement, his bright form snaking about behind him.

Then he held still, the very end of his tail maintaining a small wriggle. His face turned toward the sky, his own glow emphasized in the moonlight, eyes wide and bright. Some presence... Smelled like old wood, but it didn't feel like a plant like the girl did. As it neared Arthur determined it was male, and likely youkai. The being drifted down and called to the plant girl... Not angry or hungry or violent, not a threat. T r a p s... Arthur parroted in his odd manner of speaking, face tilting. Ohh, the bunnies. They had traps, didn't they? He never put much thought to them, they were no bother to him. Apparently his new companion hadn't put any thought to them either.

He looked to the wooden youkai. A puppet? How strange. Confident the creature wasn't a threat, Arthur drifted closer, circling the individual a few times curiously.