Aftermath (A series of ELOD one-shots)

XXIII. Bewitched

A/N: Or, how the second fox baby came to be :D.

Just a short fluff about our favorite family of three going on an educational field trip. Inspired by the lovely artwork above (not mine, credit goes to the talented artist/owner).

Immortal school curriculum and requirements made up by yours truly.  Also, not an expert on festivals and their origins, so please pardon any mistakes.  And most of all, enjoy! :)

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It was mid-autumn in that particular mortal world, and a ripe, full moon hung in the sky when they descended, disguised as a normal (if eye-catching) human family of three to do some research. Gungun's homework entailed the submission of an essay on the origins and conduct of human festivities, and of course his perfectionist son just had to see things for himself instead of relying on books like the rest of his classmates most certainly would.

Not even Donghua's offer of assistance via the Miaohua mirror could dissuade Gungun; the wily child even had the gall to involve his mother, who will never refuse the chance to wander about especially when there is a legitimate excuse to do so, such as an educational excursion.

And as everyone knows by now, wherever Fengjiu Dihou goes, Donghua Dijun is sure to follow.

(As to why immortal children were made to learn about mortal customs was a mystery to Donghua. He had half a mind to barge into Gungun's school and demand to look at the curriculum, but Xiaobai would probably scold him for that.)

A festival of some sort was in full swing by the time they arrived. The entire town was awash with light from thousands of lanterns of every conceivable shape, size, and color, either strung on poles or carried about. Brightly lit stalls offering all manner of food and goods and everything in between lined the streets; there were nine-jointed lotus roots, watermelons cut like lotus petals, and bottles of osmanthus wine amid handcrafted masks, incense, and jade rabbit charms. Cheerful chatter permeated the air, and mortals milled about clad in bright, festive robes.

It was a very lively place, as to be expected from something chosen by Xiaobai.

His lovely wife was looking this way and that, the vigorous movements of her head causing her hair braids to sway and the bejeweled tassels of her hairpins jingle like tiny chimes. She was wearing crimson robes today, a refreshing change from the lavender and purple shades that she had taken to wear in Jiuchongtian, in deference to the chosen colors of his house. Under the lights, her birthmark was exquisite against the snowy whiteness of her forehead, outshone only by the brilliance of her wide, expressive eyes.

Gungun, the mature of the two, walked in a more sedate pace, a little man in light blue robes and dyed black hair, hands grasping the straps of the small bag slung across his chest like a true schoolboy. The child's bright eyes were wide as they absorbed and filed everything away, as fascinated by the sights as his mother but bearing Donghua's own self-restraint.

Donghua smiled fondly at the two holders of his heart as he followed close behind; he had seen everything and anything that the entire universe has to offer, but there is something to be said about seeing the world through the eyes of the innocent.