Lapis looked like a different town during the Celebration of Worlds. A few steps down the main road and you would pass by a kobold, a dwarf sharing stories over some ale, and an elf getting hit on—and not being totally turned off by it. There were young people, likely from far away, who dressed up for the event, and there were decorations all over town. It almost felt like a second Halloween. The only difference was that they weren’t wearing costumes.
We were wading our way through the crowded street when Sophie suddenly turned to me and said, “I’m starting to get tired,” then sighed.
“Do you want to go rest somewhere? I’d like to sit and eat the food we’ve bought.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“I think there was a hotel near here.”
“Why a hotel?”
“You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout, baby.”
“Creep.”
After she said this, Sophie grabbed my hand and pulled me into an alleyway. My heart started racing. She isn’t really going to take me to a hotel, is she?
“Who’s trying to bring who to a hotel again…?”
“Quiet.”
I was confused, but after passing through a few streets, we emerged into an open space. It was behind a building but had a nice bench in the sun where we could park ourselves. I’d never been to this spot before.
“I stumbled upon this place the other day.”
“Wow, I didn’t even know there was a place like this here.”
There was hardly anybody around, save for a woman sitting alone on the bench. It was a big bench, and she would probably let us use it if we asked.
“Is this seat open?”
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
She was a beautiful, mature-looking woman with a cardigan draped across her shoulders. Her hair was blond and tied up; it shone beautifully in the sun.
At some point during my momentary infatuation with the woman’s looks, Sophie had already sat on the bench. I took the only open spot left, which ended up being between Sophie and the woman. On top of that, Sophie started chowing down on the food we bought from the stands before I could even catch my breath.
“Sophie, please try to eat your food more slowly.”
“Nom nom. Munch, munch.”
Despite her dainty looks, Sophie had quite the stomach on her. I must’ve looked like an animal tamer unable to gain control over her beast, because the woman sitting next to us chuckled under her breath.
“You two are funny.”
“Oh, sorry. I hope we’re not bothering you.”
“No, it’s fine. It was too quiet here anyway.”
“What are you doing here, sitting on a bench all by yourself?”
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Oh? A friend?”
“Yes… A friend I made here one year ago.”
The woman introduced herself as Marie, and she told us about how she came here to meet a man she’d met at the last Celebration of Worlds.
Marie shared with us what happened on the night of the Celebration of Worlds when she escaped the crowd after a sudden onset of nausea.
“I don’t feel well. Maybe it’s the crowd.”
She looked around for a place to sit but wasn’t able to find any free benches or chairs due to the number of people there for the event. When she almost fell over, a man appeared and helped her find her footing.
“Are you all right?” he’d asked.
The man wore a heavy mountain jacket with a hood. Because it was nighttime, it was too dark to make out his face, but she found something comforting about his large frame.
“Thank you. I’m just feeling a little dizzy.”
“There’s a bench over there. Maybe you should have a seat.”
Though his unique outfit initially made Marie feel a bit uncomfortable, it was clear the man harbored no bad intentions. Soon enough, she found herself trusting him. He seemed like a good person.
The man led Marie to a bench—the very one where we sat today. He gently lowered her onto the bench before going to buy a mineral water somewhere nearby. Afterward, he stayed by her side as she recuperated. Marie’s dizziness soon faded, and she realized it had probably been due to her low blood pressure.
As she recovered, the man tried to keep her spirits up by sharing tales of a distant land. He was a stranger, a person from a world with unfamiliar customs. Yet it didn’t take long for Marie to find herself captivated by his stories and unique personality.
“You’re a really nice person. What country are you from?”
“I’m—”
Just as he was about to speak, some fireworks burst in the sky. It was a beautiful show of fiery lights, illuminating the sky for all to see and capturing both Marie’s and the man’s attention.
“Sure is beautiful…”
“I’m glad I got to see it again.”
“Again?”
“I come here every year for the fireworks.”
The two continued watching the fireworks show together before the man eventually stood and told Marie that he needed to go.
“I really enjoyed speaking with you and ended up staying here for a bit too long.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
“Maybe, if our paths cross.”
Without being able to properly thank the man, she watched as he disappeared into the crowd.
“Wow, how romantic. So you’re here to meet him again.”
“Yes. I thought he might come back to this spot.”
“You haven’t seen him since?”
“Not once. He seemed like a traveler, so my best guess is that he’s out exploring the world. That said, I always come here with the hope that he might show up again. He did say he loved this town’s fireworks, after all. I figured the Celebration of Worlds would be my best chance to meet him again.”
“Is that right? But wait, I heard the fireworks maker passed away this year…”
“What…?”
Marie’s eyes widened for a moment, only to revert to her usual expression. She looked down and murmured, “Oh… I thought maybe I could meet him again during the fireworks show, but… Well, I guess our paths just weren’t meant to cross.”
Marie’s shoulders slumped. She stood and softly said, “I need to go now. I appreciate you listening to my story. Your company helped cheer me up.”
“Are you sure you want to give up now, Marie? You love that man, don’t you?”
“I don’t know. I just think about that day we spent together. He was someone I met randomly, though. I always figured I’d probably never see him again.”
“But what if he’s the one? It’s not every day you fall head over heels for someone, after all. I’d keep trying if I were you. Right, Sophie?”
I looked over to Sophie, who was more focused on devouring her last skewer than the conversation at hand. She’d gone through pretty much all the food she’d bought.
“What the—?! You ate my food, too!”
“Munch, munch. Crunch, crunch.”
“Don’t think you can chew your way out of this one! I’ll open up that little mouth and clean it out with a kiss if I have to! Pucker up!”
I was grabbing on to Sophie’s collar and shaking her at this point but was interrupted by Marie’s giggles.
“Heh-heh… Sorry, you two are just so funny.”
“Here’s an idea, Marie. How about we meet up here tomorrow? I’ll bring the man you’re looking for if I find him. And you can give up after that if you want.”
“Sure, I suppose,” Marie said with a nod. Her smile was faint, with a hint of loneliness to it.
“I hope I didn’t say something I shouldn’t have…,” I muttered as Sophie and I watched Marie walk away.
Sophie nodded.
“The man she’s looking for may not even be in town. I think letting her give up would’ve been kinder.”
“But you heard her; he made it sound like he comes every year.”
“If he only came here for the fireworks, there’s a good chance he checks the schedule to see if there will be any before coming. It’s written on the city’s event page that they won’t be holding the show this year.”
“Yeah, but still…”
Something told me it was a bit too early to give up. I wasn’t going to give a spiel about fate and destiny, but something about a person waiting an entire year just for a chance to meet someone seemed special to me.
The two of us returned to the parade route, this time heading toward where the parade would exit the town. We thought about what sort of spectacles we’d create in different parts of the town, and I let Sophie know which spots would have the best vantage points and what sort of architecture to bear in mind.
It was crowded throughout the entire stretch of town we were going to use, and as we moved away from its center, more creatures joined in on the mix, such as gargantuan titans and what looked like humans but were actually cyclops. The Celebration of Worlds could be felt all over the city.