acceptance of the night

The U.S.S Luna let out loud music fly from all sides. Women in gauzy blue and purple gowns danced and flocked a bow filled with tables with bottles of wine and beer that were being replaced like weeds in a garden. Colors blossomed through the crowd like proud strutting peacocks in full mating bloom. Men in velvet cloaks and dapper tuxedos goose-stepped through the crowd, stopping for the occasional exchange of sweet talk. One teenage girl strutting around had a swarm of people trying to get a look at the large jewel in her forehead. 

Star struck performers in dazzling attire, like costumes and cosplay breathed fire and sang with monkeys. One man in particular was juggling curled up wolves and sang an Italian love song to a woman in bright cerulean colors. Those who attracted the most followers were clever comedic magicians. Beautiful women in dazzling face paint and little girls with bedazzling earrings cooed at the sight of basically anything that involved fire stood there, amazed at their breathtaking tricks. 

Musicians floated about on the stern of the S.S Luna, playing blaring but harmonic tunes, sounding to the high heavens. The exploding salute to the unadulteratedly exited rich party animals almost but not quite drowned out the screaming cha-chings of the slot machines and the joyful yells of the winners of miscellaneous bets.  

Then, silence. The door to the bridge balcony opened, and an entire throng of chatting, yelling and drinking socialites were silenced by a single man’s footstep. 

“Thank you for being here tonight!!” The man stood, flourishing his arms, his sharp purple 3-piece floating in the wind, as the orchestra mumbled through a few notes of Fur Elise. 

The mob went wild. They were drunk on the soft music, the flashing lights, and the general hum of excitement. It almost sounded like canned laughter. 

Over the soft music, the purple man said, “thank you all for being here with me and joining us tonight on my U.S.S Luna as we celebrate the lunar ritual”! His brown hair whipped in the wind as the crowd screamed. 

“Tonight! The night that the Chinese invented the lunar calendar; February third”! He thundered.” The moon in all its glory is respected for its greatness and beauty in the night sky! That night, the moon came out and sat on its newly erected throne in the night sky! Its power was so released, that night holy monks bathed in that beautiful moonlight!” 

The man’s dazzling cerulean eyes filled with snarky static; “Now, if you would give a hand to my fantastic chefs aboard the U.S.S Luna tonight!” 

A flock of bakers, waiters and cooks streamed out of the kitchen door, carrying hors’ deovres, crown pork loin, mushroom dressing, bacon wrapped pesto pork tenderloin, Duck Breasts with Apricot Chutney, Balsamic Roast Chicken, burgundy beef stew, Italian Raduechel, and braised short ribs in gravy. Then another stream of waiters in white and blue blew through the kitchen doors carrying Cinnamon Gingerbread butter cake, Ableskiver, cupid’s clouds, fruit, 2 whole dipping fountains of milk chocolate and white chocolate for the fruit, rum balls, and best of all, all of the ice cream you could dream of. 

Little girls and boys screamed with joy at the sight of Ice Cream and dashed to the bowls and spoons to get the biggest helping. 

Then came the toasts. To Nathan, my old buddy Nathan Robertson, for lending the U.S.S Luna to me for this wonderful occasion! Everyone cheered. To to my good friend Chandani Holloway the wonderful food and drinks! More beer bottles rose. 

In the meanwhile, a young woman stood in a flouncy gown, leaning against the railing, eying the purple man. She knew who he was, but she wasn’t in her senses right then. In the distance she heard “to Annabelle Ewing, for inviting all the right people! Her eyes would have been green, but right now her eyes were a white-like blue, that could almost be described as the color of the moon.  

When the toasts ended, and the purpled man left the balcony, and exited the suite to come down and speak to those on deck. While still on the stairs, the woman casually walked to the entrance to the suite. As the man in purple opened the door, she suddenly shoved him back in and shut the door behind her. 

He stumbled onto the 2nd bed, surprised. The small lamps splashed warm, dim light across the room, and the bed’s shadow threw it’s shadow across to where the woman was standing. There were 2 beds side by side with a night stand in the middle. The beds were so close to the night stand, it was almost being squished in the middle of the 2 beds. There was little space on the outside of the beds, simply enough for a chair or 2. the shadow in which the woman stood covered her like a cloak of darkness. the man stood up, and said, “wha-- who are you? What are you doing here? In a raspy voice, the woman remarked; “you seem to be puzzled ““I’m calling security!” he tried to scramble away, but the woman put up an arm with the force of a steel beam. He stumbled backward, surprised by the strength of that one arm.“no. You Know who I am, and you know what I’ve come for.”” Oh-- I- Moon? Ha Ha! So nice to see yooou? Heh, heh...” he gave her a sheepish smile. “Wow. It means so much to me that the TRAITOR is celebrating me!! They’re all with me! Cloud, Rainbow, Especially Star!!”” yeah, because Star’s your good old HENCHMAN!”” friend” she growled. But that is most certainly not what I’m here for. We all agree that that new sun isn’t as good. So we’ve decided that we’re going to bring you back.”” wha- really? Just because the other sun can’t greet the day like me?”” yep. Got that right. We want you back.”” well, thanks! I don’t know what to say!” “say..... Goodbye”. And Just like that, moon fell to little pieces, the bits scattering in the night sky.