NaNoWriMo Day 4

Below is what I wrote during day 4 of NaNoWriMo.

(Reminder, this is a WIP, there will be spelling and writing errors. | Join me for live writing streams on Twitch. | If you like what you see, consider supporting me on Ko-fi and/or Twitch so that I can continue making more content for you to enjoy. https://linktr.ee/GoldThornGuild)

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The village square was practically unrecognizable from earlier. There were tables covered in food and drinks, musicians gathered on the stage filling the air with vibrant music, and decorations covering nearly every free surface. Everyone from the village was there eating, drinking, dancing, and sharing in the celebration.

As soon as Liwen and the Progenitor were in view of the square they were welcomed and pulled into the celebration. Flower circlets were placed on their heads and they were invited to help themselves to food and drink. The Progenitor quickly had a crowd around them and it wouldn't be long until their hair was once again adoringly ornamented with flowers.

"It's one of the ways they show their love," Progenitor explained when they caught Liwen staring at the people taking turns weaving flowers into the icy-blue hair, "The flowers are a gift that take both time and effort to grow and collect. They are also beautiful. So one of the ways that people show their love for me is by taking the time to weave the flowers into my hair. It is an intimate and beautiful thing and I love it very much."

They carefully turned their head and smiled affectionately at the people who had brought their offerings of flowers and love. "Thank you. It is beautiful like always."

"Of course this isn't the only way to show love," Progenitor continued when they turned back to face Liwen, "Even my hair wouldn't be enough to hold flowers from everyone. People show love in different ways. Some make me things, some work hard to make sure my every want is met, some simply sit at my feet. You'll find your way eventually. In the meantime, go have fun with everyone."

As if on cue, Lilian bounded over to them. Gone were her simple work clothes from that morning and in their place was a vibrant outfit that outshone even the most exquisite bouquet of flowers. Her leggings were short, barely reaching her knees, but their golden color and the sparkle of the glass beads sewn into dancing patterns around them made them impossible to miss. Her feet were decorated by matching golden sandals that were practical only for cases where looks matter more than functionality. Finally was the tunic. The fabric was light blue and covered with so many glass beads that it seemed like a glittering rainbow had wrapped itself around her body. It was sleeveless and tied loosely around her waist, leaving her tanned, muscular chest mostly uncovered.

"Having fun, Liwen?" Lilian asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good to hear. I love a celebration. It's not everyday that I get to dress up and have fun."

"Is that so, Lilian?" Progenitor asked in amusement, "So you don't find ways to have fun and wear vibrant clothes that show off you male physique everyday?"

"...That's not the same. It's different if it is at a celebration."

"Very well," Progenitor chuckled, "Liwen, why don't you go with Lilian for a bit? See the celebration from a different point of view."

"Um, alright," Liwen said.

"Excellent!" Lilian said excitedly as she took Liwen's hand, "Come on, let's go see what everyone's up to!"

Liwen looked back as they were practically dragged away. The Progenitor smiled and waved at them; a simple action but it was enough to help Liwen feel a little less nervous.

Lilian led Liwen all throughout the square, showing them new things and new people. For the most part Liwen was simply along for the ride, caught up in the wake of Lilian's socializing, but they didn't mind. After a while they even began to enjoy it. Being with Lilian did provide a different view than they got while staying by the Progenitor's side. There was a constant aura of peace and calm around the Progenitor, even in the middle of a celebration, and the physical distance away from them allowed Liwen to experience the vivacious energy of the crowd.

Lilian was laughing with some of the other farmers when suddenly her head popped up and turned towards the musicians at the centre of the square.

"A group dance!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Liwen's hand and hurried towards the growing lines dancers in front of the stage.

"But I can't dance!" Liwen protested.

"Don't worry about it. Just follow what everyone else is doing, you'll be fine."

"But I-"

"It will be fun. Trust me."

At this point they were already in the line of dancers, so Liwen gave in and hoped for the best. Liwen's dancing was slow and awkward at first. They were close to bailing so many times but Lilian or one of the other dancers always gave them a word of encouragement before they went through with it.

"See, I told you group dances were fun," Lilian said as she and Liwen took a break to drink and watch the others dance.

"I guess you are right. I felt really awkward and uncomfortable at first, but I guess it did become fun at some point."

"I'm glad. Want to join back in the line after we rest for a bit?"

"Sure I guess."

Their break ended up being cut short by the sound of clapping coming from around the dancers.

"Progenitor is going to dance!" Lilian exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and began hurrying towards the dancers.

She halted abruptly and then hurried back to grab Liwen.

"Come on! Don't you want to dance with them?"

The two quickly joined the circles of dancers around the Progenitor. There were two concentric circles formed already and a third rapidly forming. Once the third ring was filled, the music started and the dance floor turned into a kaleidoscope of joy and dancing with the Progenitor at the centre. The rings of dancers moved in time with one another, each person dancing in their own unique way but also moving as a group. The rings undulated and moved in and out of each other as each ring got its turn at each layer of the formation.

In an orderly fashion that Liwen couldn't figure out the logistics of, each dancer got a turn in the centre dancing alone with the Progenitor. At regular intervals one of the dancers in the inner ring would step out of the line and move into the centre. The person who had been in the centre would fill the empty space and the dancing would continue without missing a beat. Liwen had no idea how the dance worked but happily followed the lead of those around them.

Liwen's ring was once again the central one. Without much thought Liwen continued to dance as before but then they heard the Progenitor's voice.

"It's your turn, Liwen."

Liwen looked in surprise at the Progenitor. It sounded like they were speaking in their ear even though they were still standing off in the centre of the formation.

"Come to me, beloved. It's your turn to dance with me."

With slightly fumbling steps, Liwen left the ring of dancers and walked over to the Progenitor. The Progenitor took their hands and began dancing with them.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Progenitor asked.

"Yes! This is amazing. I've never danced before but it is fun. Are you controlling the timing of who dances when?"

"I am. I call each of you up individually when it is your turn."

"I was wondering how people knew when it was their turn."

"You are an inquisitive one," Progenitor smiled, "During her celebration, Lilian was so caught up in the excitement that she almost missed her chance to dance with me. The logistics of how the event works was the last thing on her mind."

"She is very energetic and seems to be in her element here."

"That's true. But enough about her, now is my time with you."

"Do you only do dances like this at awakening celebrations?"

"No, I do them at any celebration I attend. Even if the celebration is simply about me visiting. You will have plenty of chances to dance with me like this again in the future."

"I'm glad. This is nice."

"Yes, it is."

"It is time to give the next person their turn," Progenitor said at last, "You can continue dancing with everyone if you want or you can step out of the circle and take a break. This dance will probably go on for a while and you are welcome to jump in and out of the circles as much as you want."

"Is it hard to keep track of everyone if the dancers in the circles keep changing?"

"Of course not, beloved," Progenitor chuckled, "Not for me."

"Right, of course," Liwen said embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," Progenitor smiled as they combed their fingers through Liwen's hair, "Now go have fun, I'll see you again later."

"Ok."

Liwen then returned to the circle as their place with the Progenitor was filled with someone else. After a few more rounds, Liwen slipped from the circle of dancers and made their way over to the nearest drinks table. After grabbing a drink they made their past the crowd watching the dance and sat down on an empty bench.

"Has the celebration worn you out yet?" Jia asked as she walked over and sat down on the bench as well.

"Hm... Maybe? I am still having fun and I don't want to leave but I am getting a bit tired."

"Understandable. I'm impressed that you kept up with Lilian as long as you did."

"It was a little overwhelming at first but she covered most of the talking, so I was basically just watching most of the time. It was nice to get to see the world from her perspective for a bit."

"You seem to enjoy the dancing."

"Yes, it was a lot of fun. Did you get your turn dancing with Progenitor yet?"

"No, but dancing isn't really my thing. The only time I joined in the dance was at my own awakening celebration. It was nice to dance with Progenitor, of course, but I've never felt like doing it again. I'm happier sitting with them than dancing with them."

"I see."

"Lilian on the other hand would happily dance with them for all eternity. I don't know where she gets all her energy. Look at her, she has been running around since the moment the celebration started and she is still just as energetic as when she arrived."

"She is incredible."

"You are too. You just haven't found out how yet."

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the festivities around them, before Liwen exclaimed, "Oh! The sun has set. When did that happen?"

"It happened while you were dancing," Jia laughed, "Apparently you were so caught up in the moment that you didn't even notice when you and Lilian were taking a break."

"I guess so," Liwen mused as they looked up into the dark sky.

"In your defense, there were a lot of lights put up for this event, so the actual light level in the square didn't change much."

"I'm kind of sad that I missed the sunset. It was so pretty yesterday."

"There will be plenty more sunsets for you to enjoy. Some even prettier than yesterday's."

"Really? I find that kind of hard to believe."

"You have seen many beautiful things in the short time since you have awoken but, trust me, there is so much more to see. You haven't even gone into the forest yet. There are many beautiful things hiding among the trees."

"I can't wait to see them all. I am so glad Progenitor brought me here."

"I am too. Though, every part of the world is full of beauty. It is all Progenitor's masterpiece, not just this place. Though in my biased opinion, this place is particularly beautiful."

"Have you traveled to other parts of the world?"

"Only once. I went with Aston to the Central Continent when he needed to attend a meeting in the capital. It was nice, but I prefer the forest. If you want to know more about the rest of the world you will need to catch Aleks or Remi next time they are in the village. Of everyone here they have the most experience visiting other continents. Aston can tell you a bit about the capital on the central continent because his work takes him there occasionally and there are a few people in the village who have traveled around this continent, but for the most part everyone in the village stays pretty close to home. Oh but we do have some books in the library where you can learn about the rest of the world. I'll introduce you to them soon as part of your training."

"Training?"

"Maybe education would be a better word. You were awoken with basic knowledge of the world but you still have questions about specifics don't you? I'll help you learn as much as you want to help you start your journey of self-discovery. But that all can wait a couple days. Just focus on settling in and getting comfortable here for now."

"Alright, sounds good."