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Zhou Mingrui considered the myriad of objects placed haphazardly before ‘Him’ on the long mottled table in the meeting room.
Somehow, ‘He’ had amassed a random collection containing various sealed artifacts, items of a generally questionable nature and straight up junk in the past year despite rarely leaving the confines of Sefirah Castle.
‘He’ sighed as ‘He’ sifted through the items, tossing them carelessly into new piles, disregarding the fact that some were most likely capable of wreaking city-wide chaos.
Zhou Mingrui considered the wooden staff, utterly mundane in appearance but absolutely capable of destroying a harvest - namely by encouraging rapid uncontrollable growth accompanied by unexplainable mutations - before tossing it to the “junk but should stay in Sefirah Castle” pile.
A tarnished silver chalice that refused to shine regardless of the materials used to treat it, that gave any combination of liquid dropped into it a bloody iron tang, was thrown into the “junk that was actually junk” pile.
As Zhou Mingrui picked up another item - a deceptively shiny gold chain that aided the user in changing their form, but would also randomly decide to choke the wearer - ‘He’ was interrupted by the large doors at the end of the table being pushed open with a bang.
Arrodes materialized in front of the door, most likely silently berating the children - specifically Amon who was responsible for slamming the door open - for disturbing the Fool’s peace and quiet, and for treating the poor door so roughly.
As always, Amon, the little gremlin, and his long-suffering accomplice in crime, Adam, brushed off the mirror’s indignant warnings, greeting the Fool with voices that cut through the silence of Sefirah Castle.
“We’re here Mr. Fool!” announced Amon, waving excitedly. His fluttering hands stirred up the grey fog as he rushed over.
“Hello Mr. Fool,” greeted Adam, a small smile crossing his face as he followed behind his brother.
Amon pulled himself into the Fool’s lap, turning to face the table that was now absolutely blanketed in an odd assortment of items.
Adam opted to seat himself in one of the many chairs lining the table, though of course he chose the chair closest to the Fool.
The two young angels turned to face the Fool, heads tilting in unison as a look of confusion crossed their faces.
“Mr. Fool, what are you doing?” questioned Amon, reaching towards one of the curious items on the table.
Zhou Mingrui gently batted Amon’s inquisitive hand away from the object - a gelatinous orb that quickly expanded upon being touched, enveloping the poor soul who had the misfortune of coming into contact with it and subjecting them to endless underwater themed songs unless another person blasted the orb with fire. “Songs” was a generous description, as the … noise … more resembled the shrieks of the damned than anything worthy of being called music.
Amon pouted, but withdrew his hand.
“I am doing some cleaning before New Year,” Zhou Mingrui answered, gesturing at the collection of items on the table. “I seem to have amassed quite a few intriguing artifacts. As well as a few not-so-useful ones.”
“Oh!” Amon said, clapping his hands together in enlightenment, “Father said Mr. Fool has a … has a …” Amon’s voice trailed off as he struggled to remember the exact term his Father had used to describe the items now presented before the trio.
“A junk pile,” offered Adam.
“Yes! A junk pile!” smiled Amon.
Zhou Mingrui fought the urge to face palm as ‘He’ silently cursed Grisha once again airing out ‘His’ dirty laundry in front of the young angels. First it was ‘Him’ comparing the Fool to a hissing cat, now the bastard was revealing the existence of ‘His’ junk pile in Sefirah Castle. How was ‘He’ supposed to maintain ‘His’ aloof divine persona in front of the juvenile angels if they knew all ‘His’ secrets?!
Zhou Mingrui cleared ‘His’ throat softly, shifting ‘His’ eyes away from the incriminating evidence of said “junk pile.” ‘He’ elected to ignore the crude term, crafting a more intriguing explanation that matched the Fool’s persona.
“It’s my collection of divine artifacts that I have yet to sort through properly,” ‘He’ announced, selectively ignoring the growing pile of “junk that was actually junk,” after all, everything would be considered a sealed artifact of sorts outside of the confines of Sefirah Castle and in the hands of a human.
Zhou Mingrui masterfully distracted the children as ‘He’ continued, “Would you like to help me sort through the items?”
The children’s eyes lit up, Mr. Fool had never given them specific tasks to aid ‘Him’ directly. Both children felt the urge to prove themselves useful to their beloved Mr. Fool who had granted so many of their wishes in the past.
“Yes! Yes!” cheered Amon, wiggling in the Fool’s lap in excitement.
Adam nodded silently, though a bright spark had entered his eyes, lighting up his expression and betraying his own excitement.
The Fool smiled warmly at the angels, the illusory tentacles quickly moving the more dangerous items out of the reach of the children, and depositing more mundane items before the two.
‘He’ let the two angels decide how best to sort through the items, not worried about their decisions as anything accidentally thrown away could be conjured up with ‘His’ abilities anyways.
As Amon wrestled with a bright red glove that seemed keen on melding itself into his cloak, staining it a bloody crimson, Adam lifted his eyes from where he had been quietly inspecting a shimmering golden scale that both appeared to exist and not exist at the same time.
“Mr. Fool, didn’t New Year’s pass already?” he asked, recalling how the trio had already done things like make “New Year’s resolutions” together - something Mr. Fool had introduced to the two - a month or so prior.
The Fool smiled from over Amon’s head, ‘His’ hand quickly tugging away the troublesome red glove from where it had attempted to hide behind Amon, tossing it into the “junk that was actually junk” pile.
“This New Year follows the lunisolar calendar. The one we already celebrated follows the solar calendar,” ‘He’ explained. “I’m more accustomed to celebrating the coming New Year.”
“Oh,” considered Adam, “Do we need to make resolutions again?”
The Fool chuckled softly, “The customs for the lunisolar New Year are slightly different.”
At Adam’s inquisitive gaze, the Fool continued. “The coming New Year is more of a time for gathering with family and family reunion, seeing loved ones you haven’t seen in a while.”
“Before it begins, the residence is cleaned to cast out the previous year’s misfortunes and ensure that homes are ready to welcome the new year.”
“The place is decorated with calligraphy with different sayings, often on red pieces of paper. Red and gold are common colours to be seen during this time, either on clothing or decoration, symbolizing both luck and wealth. Most people wear new clothing during this time in celebration.”
“The main focus is food, and eating meals with the family,” Mr. Fool smiled warmly across the table at Adam, who sat there entranced by the Fool’s brief explanation.
Amon squirmed in the Fool’s lap, drawing ‘His’ attention down towards the other angel. He too had paused in his exploration of the junk pile, listening closely to the Fool’s words.
Amon enjoyed all the different customs that the Fool had introduced to the two, from birthday cakes to gifts and resolutions. He was keen on trying out these new ones, especially since food and family was involved. After all, for the longest time, he had also thought of Mr. Fool as part of his small family. And from the Fool’s softened tone, this specific series of customs was held particularly near and dear to ‘His’ heart.
“Mr. Fool, can we help celebrate too?” he asked, looking up at the god with hope in his eyes.
The Fool’s smile widened slightly, a hint of melancholic nostalgia briefly flashing across ‘His’ face. “When we are done sorting through the collection, I’ll show you how to make some decorations.”
“Yay!” cheered Amon, quickly reaching for the next object, eager to zoom through the rest of the pile.
Adam mimicked his brother’s actions, also interested in seeing what the Fool had in store for the two of them.
Before long the piles of junk - no, the collection of miscellaneous items - covering the table was dealt with. The different piles were placed into various boxes the Fool conjured from the grey fog, some with intricate seals placed on the surface to prevent the artifacts from wreaking havoc in the Fool’s realm. The more common items were placed in simple boxes and into an empty storage room, most likely to be joined with more items in the future considering the Fool’s inexplicable habit of collecting things.
The table, now cleared of junk, was now the perfect surface for the next activity.
Zhou Mingrui quickly conjured a series of items - a few delicate ceramic dishes with black ink pooling on their surfaces as well as soft round brushes of various thicknesses appeared before the angels and the god. A stack of thin red rice paper appeared beside the Fool, some speckled with hints of gold.
“A common decoration seen during this time are special symbols written on these sheets of rice paper.”
The Fool demonstrated ‘His’ calligraphy skills with a dip of ‘His’ brush in the ink and a swoop of ‘His’ hand over one of the sheets of red paper. ‘He’ definitely did not cheat using ‘His’ abilities to make ‘His’ amateur approach more masterful in appearance.
The children watched silently, their eyes wide in wonder, as a foreign symbol appeared from under the Fool’s brush. The symbol was unlike any of the seals they had come across thus far, curious and swooping. They could tell there was a clear order and intent to the order of the strokes, but between the two of them, were unable to decipher the exact meaning.
The Fool, completing ‘His’ attempt at calligraphy, pulled ‘His’ brush away from the surface with a small flourish, before holding up the sheet for the two to inspect more closely.
They’ll never know I was the worst at calligraphy in school, crowed Zhou Mingrui in the sanctity of ‘His’ own mind.
“Mr. Fool, what does this mean?” asked Adam as he tilted his head left and right, attempting to discern the symbol’s meaning. Amon with his cryptology ability, was still unable to decipher any meaning as well, his little brow furrowed in concentration.
“It’s an ancient symbol for good fortune,” ‘He’ explained patiently. “It is one of the most commonly seen symbols in these decorations.”
“I want to try!” cried Amon, wiggling in the seat he had been placed in before the demonstration, the Fool deeming a separate chair more appropriate for the activity than ‘His’ lap.
The two children followed the Fool’s motions as ‘He’ led them step by step in writing the character for good fortune. The prolonged contact between the ink-soaked brushes led to some bleeding and smudges on the surface on the delicate red papers, leading to quite a few completely unintelligible attempts.
But still, the two children persisted in their tries, determined to make something passable so that the Fool would praise their efforts.
Amon’s small pink tongue stuck out from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the monumental task before him, each stroke careful. Some attempts had too much ink, the liquid blending his strokes together into a complete mess. Some were too dry, not enough for him to complete the needed strokes, his brush splitting by the end. Red sheet after red sheet appeared and disappeared before him as he employed the use of trial and error to perfect this new skill.
Adam was more cautious in his attempts, opting to test the ratio of ink to brush on a scrap sheet before committing to the bright red sheets placed before him. His practice attempts ranged from complete blobs to passable symbols. Steeling himself, he reached for one of the thin red sheets dotted with gold, and took a deep breath before slowly beginning his attempt.
Zhou Mingrui watched the two angels tackle the task at hand in their own unique ways, smiling slightly as he observed their persistence and patience. ‘His’ eyes softened as more passable symbols began to emerge from under their brushes, evidence of their tenacity.
“I did it Mr. Fool!” crowed Amon, gently lifting his completed calligraphy into the air for the Fool’s inspection. The brushwork was still a bit shaky and smudged, the angel’s dexterity not fully up to par with an adult’s despite his mental age surpassing his physical body’s.
The Fool smiled and reached for the offered sheet, theatrically inspecting it this way and that to the amusement of the little angel. “Very good,” ‘He’ praised warmly, patting the angel’s soft dark locks as Amon beamed with pride.
Adam had also completed his attempt, silently handing it over to the Fool for ‘His’ expert opinion. The Fool directed ‘His’ smile at the other angel, who sat stock straight in his seat as he awaited the verdict.
“Very good Adam,” ‘He’ said, reaching out to give the angel a gentle pat as well.
The tension held within the angel’s body dissipated at the praise as he gave a small smile in return.
“What else can we write Mr. Fool?” asked Amon, as he realized there were still many sheets of the pretty red paper that had gone unused despite his numerous attempts.
“You can do as you want with the rest of them,” the Fool answered, wanting to grant the angels free reign of their creativity. ‘He’ recalled ‘His’ parents bemusely allowing the young Mingrui to doodle on the beautiful gold-flecked sheets, proudly displaying ‘His’ juvenile attempts of calligraphy and drawings around the house to the chagrin of Zhou Mingrui for many years after.
Amon’s eyes lit up as he dipped his brush in the ink once more.
Adam’s eyes met the Fool’s as he hesitantly asked, “Does it matter what I write?”
The Fool smiled again, used to the angel’s more cautious nature. “Usually different wishes are written, but it’s just ink and paper. What is written won’t necessarily come true.”
Unless you made a wish with me, thought Zhou Mingrui.
Adam nodded, before he dipped his head to focus on the red paper before him.
Before long, the surface of the table was filled with the bright red sheets. A few more attempts of good fortune in the ancient script dotted the collection, though more often than not, different words appeared written in Hermes. A few doodles littered the collection, a silly doodle of a round crow and dragon appearing here and there.
Amon held up his favourite sheet, a shaky doodle of a dragon and crow overshadowed by a large black cat with tentacles and a small sun in the far background covered the surface. By now the little angel’s fingers had been drenched in ink, his luckily dark sleeves also contained a few more splotches that he had not arrived with. A smudge of ink appeared on his cheek where he had swiped his dirtied hand unknowingly.
Zhou Mingrui gaze softened, endeared by the sight, as ‘He’ beckoned Amon to come closer. Amon hopped off his chair, favourite drawing clutched tightly in his fist. An illusory tentacle slithered from underneath the Fool’s cloak, depositing the angel into ‘His’ lap securely.
“Oh!” exclaimed Amon, not expecting the sudden move.
He turned to face the Fool, presenting the drawing for ‘His’ inspection. A hand entered his field of vision, scrubbing gently at the mark on his face as he giggled at the ticklish sensation.
The Fool smiled down at him, before teasingly shaking ‘His’ head at the angel in ‘His’ lap. “Messy messy little angel.”
Amon ignored the comment, though he felt a small bit of warmth burst from within his chest at the action and words. “Mr. Fool, look at my drawing!”
The Fool took the offered drawing into ‘His’ hands. “Would you like to tell me more about it?”
“It’s me and Adam, and you! All together,” Amon gestured at the animals.
“What about this part?” Zhou Mingrui pointed at the shaky circle, presumably the sun, in the background.
“That’s Father!” beamed Amon.
Zhou Mingrui burst into a fit of laughter, luckily within the confines of ‘His’ mind and not out loud. ‘He’ struggled to maintain a straight face as ‘He’ mocked Grisha in ‘His’ mind.
Grisha oh Grisha, your precious son just sees you as a small sun, a CIRCLE, in the background. Even me with my questionable cat features is more detailed than you ahahaha!
‘He’ nodded solemnly, indicating ‘He’ had heard Amon’s explanation. ‘His’ mouth twitched uncontrollably as ‘He’ continued to tease the Creator in ‘His’ mind. An unmistakable twinkle danced in ‘His’ eyes.
Amon, not really understanding what about his drawing had made Mr. Fool so happy, simply wiggled to make himself more comfortable, leaning against the Fool’s chest as he waited for Adam to finish.
Once the two children had completed and selected their favourite pieces, the table was once again cleared of the materials. Around them, on the otherwise solemn grey walls of the meeting room, different brightly coloured red squares dotted the space. Some contained small doodles, while others contained the calligraphy depicting the long forgotten script for good fortune. The one placed most centrally and with great care was Amon’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, the one depicting the trio and the Creator as a tiny circle in the background. Zhou Mingrui had held back another nigh uncontrollable laugh from bursting from ‘His’ tightly clenched lips as ‘He’ had arranged the piece on the wall.
Zhou Mingrui cleared ‘His’ throat softly, attempting to regain ‘His’ rapidly crumbling composure - who knew a simple circle and innocent explanation was capable of nearly cracking ‘His’ persona - before ‘He’ began ‘His’ next explanation.
“During the New Year, it’s common to see people wearing new clothing.”
With a wave of the Fool’s arm, different garments appeared on the table before the children’s eyes. They were unlike any clothing that the children had ever seen, most of them made of flowy fabrics with intricate threadwork and composed of multiple layers.
“Many people choose to wear more traditional styles of clothing, often in red or gold as those colours symbolize luck and prosperity.”
Zhou Mingrui held up a deep red overcoat lined with soft white fur and decorated with delicately embroidered flowers lined in exquisite gold thread.
“Depending on the weather of the region, some might decide to go for clothing lined with fur for more warmth.”
‘He’ held up another set of hanfu, this one light and flowy, though still intricately embroidered. “Though if you were simply staying inside, there was no need for those considerations.”
Zhou Mingrui held up another set, a darker one, for the children to see. “It is uncommon and considered unlucky to wear all black or white, as those colours were associated with death and mourning.” ‘He’ gestured at the heavily embroidered sleeves that changed the dark garment into something splendid. “Gold embroidery and patterns can counteract that idea, especially for the ones who prefer specific shades of clothing.”
The young Zhou Mingrui had adamantly protested against wearing bright red or gold during New Year celebrations, unused to the colours as ‘He’ often wore more subdued or darker colours. ‘His’ parents had compromised by allowing ‘Him’ to wear ‘His’ beloved dark colours as long as it was broken up by gold patterns.
“Wow!” Amon’s eyes sparkled as he took in the various pieces of clothing before him. “There’s so many to choose from!!”
“May we try some on Mr. Fool?” asked Adam, his eyes sparkling in delight as well.
Happy giggles sounded from the grey fog as the two angels tried on different outfits, the Fool helping secure the special ties. ‘He’ made sure to teach them to cross the tops appropriately, not wanting the little angels to resemble corpses.
Not that anything would happen considering we’re all mythical creatures and not human anyways.
Though the angels had quickly grasped how to maneuver through the complicated layers and ties, Amon still opted to stand in front of Mr. Fool with the clothing draped loosely on him, wanting the Fool to help him with securing the pieces.
Zhou Mingrui smiled, amused at Amon’s antics, silently wondering if ‘He’ was spoiling the angel so much that he was comfortable demanding such services from a god.
Once all the ties were fully secured and layers appropriately arranged, Amon spun in a quick circle, his layered skirt and long sleeves swirling about his body. He giggled breathlessly as he continued spinning, forgetting his initial goal of asking what Mr. Fool thought of his choice, distracted by how the flowy fabric felt and looked as it spun around him.
Finally, he collapsed on the ground with a small “oomph” pillowed by the neverending layers of fabric. The room spun around him as his brother appeared in his field of vision, mildly concerned.
Adam was dressed in a deep red ensemble, decorated with gold embroidered flowers and swooping serpentine dragons. It was at complete odds with his usual pure white getup, but the gold details complemented his golden locks quite well.
Adam reached out a hand towards his brother who had regained his bearings, pulling him to a standing position. He helped brush out the wrinkles from his brother’s outfit with soft pats.
Amon’s final outfit that had delighted him to the point of spinning (literally) out of control was deep green in colour. Intricate swirls of gold patterned the sleeves, adding an air of luxury to his outfit. The multiple layers, some sheer, some opaque, added a certain amount of depth and intricacy to the overall look. A small jade pendant, added by the Fool after considering the outfit, swung merrily from his waist.
Zhou Mingrui smiled down at the two angels, amused by their antics. “Done?”
Amon clapped his hands together, “I like it!”
The Fool turned to take ‘His’ seat, before being stopped by Amon’s small fist clutching at the end of his robe.
“What about Mr. Fool?”
Both of the angels looked up at the Fool, heads tilted in unison, silently asking why ‘He’ hadn’t participated in dressing up.
With a quick snap of ‘His’ fingers, the Fool’s cloak transformed into a black hanfu. Though following tradition, it was lined with gold and patterned with delicate swirls of embroidery to break up the darkness.
‘He’ quirked ‘His’ brow at the children, silently asking if they were satisfied. Both of the angels’ faces lit up in delight, and the trio once again took their seats at the table, this time dressed in ancient finery.
“During the festivities, there are often different performances. Though they differed depending on the region you lived in.”
A wave of ‘His’ hand and a long serpentine dragon on long sticks carried by people with blurred features appeared at the end of the room. “One of these performances was a dragon dance.”
The Fool locked eyes with Adam, who had quickly realized this dragon resembled the doll he had been gifted. ‘He’ smiled at Adam, nodding slightly, as realization coloured the angel’s expression.
The trio watched as the dragon puppeted by the blurry figures swayed and danced about the room before disappearing back into the grey fog.
“Lion dances were also very popular during this time, said to bring good luck,” ‘He’ continued, once again waving ‘His’ hand.
We were all obsessed with the concept of luck, Zhou Mingrui mused. Though look where that landed me. ‘He’ shook ‘His’ head silently, recalling how it was the luck enhancement ritual that had ultimately landed ‘Him’ in ‘His’ current mess.
A few figures appeared at the end of the hall once more. A few stood with or by various instruments - a large standing drum, handheld cymbals, a gong.
A pair of what the children assumed were also humans, were curiously dressed. Their lower halves were covered in fluffy patterned pants, red and black in colour. Blanketing their upper halves was a shared costume that looked far different from any animal the two angels had ever seen. The creatures had large eyes with concentric pupils and fluffy fur blanketing its eyelids. A small horn appeared on its forehead, and the mouth lolled open under the manipulation from the person standing in front, revealing the interior of its paper mouth. The back of the costume that blanketed the second person that acted as the back end of the creature was covered in fluffy wavy red stripes complete with a fluffy stubby tail that stood upright. Intricate patterns covered all the remaining surfaces on the head, leading to a gorgeous overall finish.
Another gesture and a golden version of the same creature appeared opposite to the red one, puppetted by another pair of blurry humans.
“It can be a bit loud, so don’t be startled,” warned the Fool, before another gesture began the performance.
The children watched, entranced as a loud rhythmic beat sounded from the drums and cymbals. The lions hopped around the meeting room, responding to the beat. They batted their large eyes playfully to the delight of the children, encouraging them to pet their fluffy heads before rounding the table to continue their dance. They leapt and spun, occasionally acting in sync before splitting apart to round the table once more. A few more loud clangs of the cymbals and the dancers and musicians bowed in unison before disappearing into the grey fog, leaving behind a shockingly still silence in the wake of the cheery rhythmic beat.
A few silent breaths and the silence was once again broken by Amon’s excited clapping and cheering. The entire display was utterly mesmerizing to the young angel, the celebratory atmosphere contagious. Even Adam with his tendency to maintain a stoic facade couldn’t help but clap softly as well.
Zhou Mingrui smiled gently at the two children who were still wide-eyed with excitement, Amon describing the sensation of petting the fluffy lions to his ever-patient and amused brother.
Zhou Mingrui put a stop to the excited rambles as ‘He’ stood once more, rapping the table softly to capture the two angels’ attention.
“All there is left is a family dinner,” ‘He’ said, offering ‘His’ hands for the children to hold.
Amon hopped out of his chair in a flourish of green silk, quickly grasping the offered hand. Adam followed suit, sliding out of his chair to hold the remaining one. The trio blinked out of Sefirah Castle, leaving behind the monochromatic room dotted with bright red decorations.
Ouroborous blinked twice, not quite believing his eyes as three figures materialized before him out of thin air. They were dressed in peculiar robe-like outfits, heavily embroidered with shimmery threads.
Zhou Mingrui patted ‘Himself’ on the back at the sight of the Angel of Fate. ‘He’ had somehow managed to materialize in front of the one angel that wouldn’t run screaming in the opposite direction, despite ‘His’ unannounced visit. It was perhaps a bit rash of ‘Him’ to simply drop by the Creator’s residence, seeing how ‘His’ angels often reacted so strongly to ‘His’ presence, but ‘He’ was accompanying the twin angels! Zhou Mingrui believed that gave ‘Him’ some sort of pass at least…
Zhou Mingrui smiled at the shell-shocked Angel of Fate, who had not moved from the moment of their arrival. “Where is Grisha?”
At the sound of the familiar Fool’s voice, Ouroborous snapped out of his trance, finally recognizing the figures before him. He looked down to see the Creator’s two children dressed head-to-toe in intricate finery, one red, another in green. Amon grinned happily up at him when their eyes met. The mischievous Angel of Time spun a quick circle, his skirts billowing around him as he explained, “We’re celebrating! We need to find Father to celebrate properly.”
The explanation answered little to none of the questions coursing through the angel’s mind, but he still pointed down the hallway towards where the Creator was last seen. “My Lord is in the study working through some paperwork ‘He’ has left alone for too long.”
Zhou Mingrui’s smile widened, Grisha’s inability to complete paperwork was something the two had argued about before. After all, if the bastard wasn’t raising ‘His’ children properly, ‘He’ might as well be performing ‘His’ administrative duties correctly right? Apparently not.
“Thank you Ouroborous,” ‘He’ said, ushering the children towards Grisha’s study.
The Angel of Fate watched as the odd trio moved down the hallway, pale eyes tracing over their elaborate outfits. A new idea for a mural formed within his mind as he turned away, splashes of red, green and black complete with hints of gold dancing before his eyes.
“Father!!” a loud voice accompanied by the sound of the study’s door slamming open cut through the Creator’s internal monologue moaning over paperwork. ‘He’ was a god! Why would ‘He’ have to do paperwork!
Grisha lifted ‘His’ eyes from the papers whose letters had begun to blur together, beaming at the welcome distraction in the form of ‘His’ mischievous hellspawn. ‘He’ would even embrace a distraction in the form of Zhou Mingrui coming to berate-
‘His’ eyes caught on the large figure accompanying ‘His’ two children. ‘His’ smile froze on ‘His’ face as ‘He’ observed the returning ambiguous smile on the Fool’s face. How had none of the angels warned ‘Him’ about Zhou Mingrui’s arrival?!
Grisha turned ‘His’ face away from the Fool, whose wide smile did not reach ‘His’ eyes, scooping up ‘His’ youngest son. ‘His’ eyes caught on the little angel’s new clothing, a juvenile version of the traditional clothing from a country long gone.
“What’s this my beloved Amon is wearing?” ‘He’ crooned, spinning Amon around in ‘His’ arms in delight, even as the angel crinkled his nose at Grisha’s choice of vocabulary.
A soft snort sounded from where the Fool stood watching, which was quickly masked by a few coughs. Grisha paused, glancing over at Zhou Mingrui. The Fool silently mouthed, “Beloved? Really?” from over the children’s heads, before shaking ‘His’ head slightly.
Amon’s hands landed on Grisha’s cheeks, snapping ‘His’ attention back to the son in ‘His’ arms. “Father, Mr. Fool said it’s New Years again, and that this time we need to eat together as a family to celebrate,” he announced solemnly, dark eyes meeting the light-filled ones of his Father.
“Oh?” Grisha replied, eyes flickering over to the Fool. “Is that so?”
Zhou Mingrui cleared ‘His’ throat, eyes shifting away from the father and son duo who had turned to look at ‘Him.’ ‘He’ locked eyes with Adam who had remained by ‘His’ side this entire time, a small smile on his face as ‘He’ looked up at the Fool.
“We just thought it would be good to have a meal together,” Zhou Mingrui said, “And seeing how you’re their father…” ‘His’ voice trailed off, ears flushing a slight pink in bashfulness.
“Well, since this is important to little Mingrui, who am I to say no,” laughed Grisha, circling around ‘His’ paper strewn desk to stand before Zhou Mingrui and Adam.
Zhou Mingrui frowned slightly at the diminutive, but brushed it off for the sake of the two children still waiting patiently for the conversation to end.
The four left the room, Zhou Mingrui and Adam following close behind the figure of Grisha who was still carrying Amon, to the dining hall.
With a snap of Zhou Mingrui’s fingers, the fairly standard rectangular dining table transformed into a round one complete with an odd circular contraption in the centre. A variety of plates dotted the surface of the contraption, the angels’ eyes darting from one dish to the next as they settled in their seats.
Zhou Mingrui gave the contraption a gentle push, sending it into a lazy spin, to the amazement of the children. “Dishes are often shared between people, so at large family gatherings, something like this is needed to share the food with the people seated across the table from you.”
Zhou Mingrui began briefly explaining the different dishes before them.
“A whole steamed fish topped with green onions and ginger, be careful of the fine bones when eating.”
“Poached chicken, skin and all, also flavoured with scallions and ginger. Can be eaten by itself or with ginger scallion oil or soy sauce. Some parts have more bones, while others contain more meat, the texture is slightly different depending on the part.”
“Turnip cake, there’s many different ways of making this from ingredients to final execution. Of course all of them contain shredded white turnips mixed with water and flour. Some people like to add dried shrimp or mushrooms. I prefer adding a sweet-savoury pork sausage into mine. They’re then steamed or pan fried before being eaten.”
“New Year pudding, sticky and slightly sweet glutinous rice cakes. They’re composed of rice flour and brown sugar and can be pan fried with egg for added flavour.”
“Glutinous rice balls, filled with different things like black sesame or peanuts. Though I’ve also seen ones filled with red beans or other fruits.”
Other foods lined the lazy susan, that Zhou Mingrui didn’t explain, such as the various finger foods and snacks.
With a nod to indicate that ‘He’ had completed ‘His’ little foodie spiel, small bowls of white rice appeared before the four, accompanied by two short sticks - chopsticks.
Zhou Mingrui smirked slightly as ‘He’ observed Grisha struggling with the utensils, dropping them as ‘He’ attempted to hold them securely. At the pleading gazes cast upon the Fool from both Amon and Grisha, ‘He’ laughed lightly before giving the trio a quick introduction to holding chopsticks.
Before long, the trio had managed to master enough chopstick skills to at least reach for the food from the plates before them. Of course Amon opted to just stab the items he wanted with his chopsticks, finding that much easier and faster.
Zhou Mingrui shook ‘His’ head, chuckling silently as ‘He’ sectioned out some fish for the angel, dipping it into the sauce before depositing the small pieces of delectable white flesh into his bowl. The fish was not something the angel could simply stab after all.
‘He’ repeated the act for Adam, giving him a few pieces of fish before turning to Grisha who was still valiantly attempting to get ‘His’ own fish. Zhou Mingrui shot ‘Him’ a look across the table, pulling the plate back towards ‘Him.’ ‘He’ pointed at Grisha’s bowl of rice, indicating ‘He’ should also load it onto the lazy susan, before spinning it before ‘Him.’ ‘He’ dexterously sectioned off a few choice pieces of fish, placing them into Grisha’s bowl before passing it back to ‘Him.’ The man beamed happily at ‘Him’ in thanks before digging right in. Zhou Mingrui huffed slightly at the expression, before turning to ‘His’ own meal.
The children shared what they had learned about the Fool’s New Year between bites of fish and chicken. Amon described the mesmerizing dances, gesturing wildly to show how the lions and dragon had danced around the grey fog. Adam spoke about the different decorations the two had made, Zhou Mingrui pulling a few samples out of the air to support his descriptions. ‘He’ laughed quietly at Amon’s explanation of the four of them, Grisha’s brow wrinkling slightly when ‘He’ realized the small circle was representative of ‘Him.’ The two angels took turns showing off their new outfits to their Father, pointing out their favourite bits.
As the four began to dive into the sweeter offerings - the pudding and glutinous rice balls - Zhou Mingrui pulled a few objects from the air as ‘He’ stood up, capturing the still-feasting trio’s attention.
“Something that many people look forward to during New Year’s is collecting this,” Zhou Mingrui showed the objects ‘He’ held in ‘His’ hands.
Two bright red envelopes had appeared, decorated with delicate gold calligraphy and drawings.
“Red pockets are often given to children by parents. Some traditions state that it is married couples to anyone who is single.”
“Red pockets are a way of sharing luck and often contain money, or other things like sweets, and should be given and received by two hands.”
With that brief explanation, Zhou Mingrui handed one of the envelopes to Adam, who, listening closely to the Fool’s words, reached out with two hands. Similarly, Amon also received a brightly coloured envelope. The two angels eagerly opened the envelopes to reveal shiny gold coins and hard candies wrapped with bright red foil. Upon closer inspection, the gold coins were revealed to be chocolate to Adam’s delight.
Grisha walked to Zhou Mingrui’s side, and whispered softly, “I thought it was bad practice to open the red pockets in front of the one giving them.”
Zhou Mingrui ignored the god’s words, roughly taking Grisha’s hand and opening it out flat, smacking ‘His’ hand down briskly. Grisha looked down to see another two red pockets.
‘He’ looked up at Zhou Mingrui in confusion.
Zhou Mingrui hissed, “You’re their father, you should be giving them to your children, not me.”
Grisha laughed, amused by Zhou Mingrui’s difference in attitude between ‘Him’ and ‘His’ children.
Not one to deliberately start a fight, especially during an occasion so important to ‘His’ little Mingrui, Grisha crouched down to give ‘His’ two spawn their red pockets so graciously sponsored by the Fool.
Amon cheered as he received the second red pocket, more delighted by the ritual than the items inside. Adam was happy to have more sweets to add to his stash.
A mischievous glint entered Zhou Mingrui’s eyes as ‘He’ glanced at Grisha before calling the children over. A foreboding feeling snaked down Grisha’s spine at the expression.
“Want to go set off some firecrackers and fireworks?”
Amon cheered, always keen on things that caused complete chaos and disruption in his Father’s realm. The Fool quickly gathered Amon and Adam in ‘His’ arms before winking out of existence to Grisha’s dismay.
Grisha rushed out of the room, eyes desperately sweeping up and down the hallway as ‘He’ called after Zhou Mingrui, “Zhou Mingrui, you can’t be serious!”
An ominous sizzling sound accompanied by a loud bang from the outside of the residence was ‘His’ only reply, accompanied by a burst of raucous cheers from ‘His’ son. Grisha swore ‘He’ could hear the Fool’s amused cackles tickling ‘His’ ear, as more booms shook the walls of the residence, dust falling down from the rafters.
A few bewildered angels rushed into the hall at the noise, all locking eyes with their Lord who was still standing shellshocked before understanding dawned upon them, fear entering their eyes. They all turned back to their respective rooms, a series of slams echoing up and down the hallway.
Is my entire court composed of feeble-kneed weaklings and not angels? bemoaned Grisha as ‘He’ rushed to where the bangs were the loudest, praying that ‘He’ could at least convince the Fool to not cause lasting damage.
BOOM!
“Again! Again Mr. Fool!!”