Unlike Mieni Atoll, Heiya Island is in a temperate zone, meaning their is a noticeable change of seasons. Right not, it was getting cooler, plants were shedding their leaves for winter or dying. Naturally, it means that it was time to bring in the harvest and start storing things for winter. The first winter may be a little rough for the new colony, but not by much. Whatever shortcomings they had with the crops, they can get supplies from elsewhere.
It was at this time of year where people usually had harvest festivals to celebrate and give thanks for the year's bounty. Such festivals occurred in just about every culture around the world. And Heiya Island was no exception to that. However, they weren't having their harvest festival at the same time as Lyre. Since the colony was a joint effort of both China and Japan, the holidays celebrated there take precedence over American holidays. And the harvest festival was already celebrated last month.
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The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the full moon of the 8th month of the lunar year. That typically puts it about the middle of September. The Chinese celebrations usually consists of parades, lighting sky lanterns, and feasting. Mooncakes were a favorite treat for this festival. The Japanese celebration wasn't much different, mostly a different cuisine and more emphasis on watching the moon itself. There was certainly room to do both on Heiya Island. There were plenty of people dressed in Chinese and Japanese robes intermingling as they feasted together, even if some outsiders couldn't readily tell them apart.
Another aspect of the festival was that it was the most popular time for matchmaking, not unlike Valentine's Day. There was certainly a feeling of romance in the air as some of the people have been pairing up. Those who were already couples seemed a bit more lovey-dovey than usual. This made things a little sore for those who couldn't find romantic partners or had ones that were far away.
"If only Nate could be here," sighed Shuixing, "It's too bad they don't have Mid-Autumn Festival in the United States. It's only the member of September for them."
"Must you keep mooning over him?" asked Huoxing in an irritated tone.
Shuixing gave Huoxing a look of surprise. The red panda was usually so cheerful and energetic. She had been spry about helping getting the festival set up, but not she looking annoyed. "Is something wrong, Huoxing?" asked Shuixing.
"Only that the winner of the Martial Arts Showcase keeps pining for her boyfriend when he's away," said Huoxing.
"I thought you did pretty well in the Showcase," said Shuixing, "Honestly, I was surprised I won. But you don't have to stay upset about it."
Huoxing sighed and said, "Actually, it's the boyfriend part that annoys me more."
"What? Why?" asked Shuixing in confusion.
"I mean, I really am happy for you and Nate. But I would have thought of the five of us, I would be the one getting a mate first," said Huoxing, "I mean, Tuxing is less experienced with guys, Jinxing is more interested in learning about technology and working on our image, and Muxing is more likely to spit venom at a guy than let him get too near."
"Muxing isn't that bad," said Shuixing, "And she can't actually spit her venom."
"Well, I would have thought the cute, bubbly red panda would be getting a lot of attention from guys," said Huoxing before sighing, "What am I doing wrong?"
"I'm sure you have plenty of admirers," said Shuixing, "Maybe you should try using the Animalian Dating Site to show you're interested."
"I'm not sure how seriously I can take that site," said Huoxing.
"Why's that?" asked Shuixing.
"You put in your future aunt-in-law's profile and it literally paired with a mule," said Huoxing, "I mean, I know it was only for a joke, but I do actually want to be able to find a guy who really likes me."
"It wasn't entirely a joke," said Shuixing, "With Blueberry and the other cows moved back to the dairy farm and one of them possibly becoming interested in Nate's father, I thought it would be easier if Meryl was paired with someone. It would be easier than yelling to make yourself heard, anyways."
"But it paired her with a mule," said Huoxing flatly.
"I'm sure it was more than just her stubbornness," said Shuixing, "Maybe she and Olly have more in common than either of us think. I'm sure it won't treat your profile so lightly."
"Well, maybe I should be more proactive," said Huoxing, "The guy I want may be too intimidated by my fame and all that."
"I'm sure you can get yourself a mate without much trouble," said Shuixing. She wondered when she and Nate would become official mates. She has had a few fantasies, a small consequence of having an Animalian's enhanced libido. But she was content to wait. She valued Nate too much to rush their relationship.