Between two Priests [Hania]

Astina couldn't help but to sigh in relief at the sight of the younger priest, knowing full well that the ceremony was supposed to start soon with or without him. She bowed in greeting to him and didn't let it show when his harsh tone rattled her a little bit. Sometimes she wondered what it was about him that the previous priest had seen that made him choose Hania of all people as the next Priest of Darkrai.

"I accept your apology," she said quickly before motioning for her Pokemon to move away from her, giving a warm smile at Hania that she hoped would show confidence she did not feel. "Are you ready to get started?"

"Yes!" Astina said excitedly, no longer worried about the ceremony now that she had her fellow priest to do it with her. She had been unsure of herself just moments before, but now, as she stepped out to address her people, she was radiating confidence as the ceremony began. It was a simple ceremony since it was one done each night before they began their nightly meal, but it was an important one that sent up their prayer of thanks to the ones that protected and guided them in this life. Nothing abnormal had happened that day, like someone giving birth, which had not happened in a few years at this point, or someone passing on, so a simple prayer of thanks was all that was needed this night.

"Thank Cresselia nothing went wrong," Astina murmured as she sat down in her place at one of the few small table their tribe had that were designed for the important members, like elders and the priest and priestess, to eat more comfortably. Here, her Pokemon joined her again so they could share in the berries that had been gathered for the meal.

Astina couldn't help but to smile as she took a bite of one of the plump berries that she had been served, her Pokemon being much pikier that her as they chose their own dinners from her serving. That was the one thing that she knew about Hania that no one else seemed to know, he was actually very different towards his Pokemon partners than he was to humans. She couldn't help but to agree that the Pokemon that choose to be their partners bring out the best in everyone and were worth the strain on resources that their tribe experienced whenever someone gained another companion, but not many agreed with her on that except for, at least she believed, Hania did. It did help that Ruby always seemed to enjoy Elsha's company since they were both fun loving ghosts.

"I feel like we have been blessed tonight," Astina murmured as she leaned back to look towards the sky above them where her Lord and Lady looked down on them. The sky was illuminated brightly by Lord Darkrai's moon and Lady Cresselia's stars that night, which only made her feel more strongly that this was a blessed night. "I feel like the Lord and Lady are trying to speak with us with such a perfect night."

Astina glanced over at Hania with a small smile now that he was interacting with one of his companions, motioning for Ruby to go ahead and join her trickster of a friend so they could share the joy that everyone seemed to be feeling that night. Ruby quickly floated over to the other ghost Pokemon with a shrill call that sounded like a haunted laugh, wanting nothing more than to play with her fellow ghost since Quartz did nothing but sleep all day and night in their human's grasp. Astina made sure to look away from Ruby in case Hani grew upset at her, failing to notice that Ruby out right tackled the Shuppet in her eagerness to play.