Event || The Festival of Light

[eternitymods]

Who: Everyone!
When: August 18th - 25th
Where: The Empire
What: The Festival of Light is here! Feel free to use any of these prompts. NPCs tag will come sometimes this week. Please mention it in your top-level if you'd rather not be tagged by a random NPC.
Warnings/Notes: N/A

EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
— Third District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00 to 23:00 —
The museums in the 03rd District are open to visitors and are home to many relics predating written history. A lot of those old relics are items of archaeological interest or look like they could be really advanced technologies if they weren't broken beyond repair. Prototypes for Magitek Armor of a new age are exposed, alongside fragments of what are believed to belong to the legendary WEAPONs, machines that belong to the same category than Ultima WEAPON.

The section for Eidolons has all the Eidolons the characters have met so far as well as others yet undiscovered displaying on a gigantic wall-covering painting. The largest Eidolon on the painting appears to be a dragon some characters may recognize as Bahamut, he is so big he dwarves the other Eidolons and should one pay attention, his wings are actually the background of the painting.

Interestingly, someone has doodled something that looks like Ultros over Leviathan on the painting...


SUNNY STARLIGHT
— Ninth District || August 22nd – August 25th || 07:00 to 19:00 —
Do you really believe because it’s summer, you can escape the beauty and magnificence of Christmas? Think again. There is one thing all the nations on Vaikuntha are of one mind on: the wait from the December 26th of a year to the December 24th of the next is too long. This is why a band of Moogles, Lalafells, Bangaas and Zoras from all across the Empire have occupied half of the Ninth District. Decorated trees, Christmas music, people dressed as Santa Claus (and probably dying because of the heat), fake gift boxes as well as a very large and pretty box for donations all await you!

Kids below the age of 15 will all receive a gift if they come: plushies made in the likeness of the main villains of numbered Final Fantasy games! And when you press the button hidden on their stomach, they speak a random line. Who doesn't want a Sephiroth plushie saying "You are a puppet" or a Jecht one repeating "Cry, cry, cry" all day long?

It's like a dream come true!


MIDNIGHT AIRSHIP
— Twelfth District || August 20th – August 24th || 23:00 to 06:00 —
For the late sleepers, it is possible to board a special airship prepared by Hypellos to party up in the sky. The Airship flies all around the Imperial Territories and should characters so desire, they can ask to stop by one of the two other cities. Whether they want to dance, to eat or to enjoy the view, it might be a very fun and relaxing activity. It is also a very good place from where to watch the fireworks… Or to scout for an incoming Tarutaru and her weapon toy.

Note that all the personnel onboard are Hypellos. They are very serviceable and nice, but can try the patience of those not used to their accent. Of note, one Hypello is green and appears to be angrily stalking anyone heading for the "Sunny Starlight" event. He is quite sneaky though and will always manage to get away before being approached.


MOGNET EXPOSITION
— Ninth District || August 22nd – August August 25th || 07:00 to 19:00 —
The half of the Ninth District not occupied by Christmas fanatics is occupied by the Moogles working for the Imperial section of Mognet. Split for the regular Mognet for a decade, Imperial Mognet has managed to thrive. Imperial iMog Slates have all sorts of functions other iMog Slates could only dream of, such as games, grammar check and that kind of stuff. All of those things can be visited at the exposition! Not only that, but the Moogles are also putting on display things that have nothing to do with Mognet but more to do with Moogles themselves.

Come and visit the exposition to discover the rich and amazing culture of the Moogles! Kupo Nuts, Fur Dye, Fake Kupo Nuts, Pom Shiner, Carved Kupo Nuts, booklets titled "How to Use Your Cuteness to Exploit People," Mognet Bags, Deluxe Kupo Nuts, Sheets to Prepare Future Strikes, Mog Beds, Explosive Kupo Nuts, Kupo Champagne—

There is no end to what might be learned from Moogles!


CHOCOBO RACES
— Sen Riqeaux || August 23rd || 15:00 to 20:00 —
A Chocobo Race will be held all around the city! Will you compete? Shall you win? There are no prizes as all the money earned through the race is given to the Safety of Sparks Golsaucia movement. Those participating can bring their own Chocobo or get a temporary one from the people organizing the race. It will be a very bad Chocobo though, so they shouldn’t expect to win… Beware the Hamsters and Marlboro during the race though. It’d be a real shame to end up getting eaten while racing.


SHOPPING
— City's Outskirts || August 18th – August 25th || 07:00 - 20:00 —
On the city's outskirts are all manners of stalls by shoppers eager to make some money. You can find everything there: plushies, food, clothes, souvenirs, books and even cosmetics. Why, one of the merchant is even selling contact lenses covering nearly all of the rainbow's spectrum aside from green while another sells all kind of swords, even the supposed legendary Excalibur! This might be the perfect place to take on O'aka's Quest if you so wish!


MINI SPARKS GOLSAUCIA
— Eleventh District || August 19th – August 24th || Anytime —
Specially for the festival, stallholders from Sparks Golsaucia were invited and brought a few attractions to display what they can do. Noticeably, there is a shooting stand—Once again, a treasure chest game where characters are presented with ten chests and can open only one-- Prizes range from one Gils to gigantic plushies. The novelty this year is something called the "Kupo Boxes," Boxes you punch open and you get something: perhaps something wonderful like a 1 million gil ticket, more often than not though absolutely nothing. Will you try your chance? Be careful, your wallet might not survive it.


TOURNAMENTS
— Tenth District || August 19th – August 23rd || 10:00/15:00/20:00 —
There is a Blitzball Competition taking place during the Festival of Light! Characters are free to go and watch the matches, so long as they can pay for the tickets. At the same time, a Triple Triad competition is taking place. Characters are free to enter the Triple Triad tournament if they so wish. Characters who know Triple Triads have decent chances to win. And even if your characters lose, what matters is trying, right? There are no prizes to be won, as all money goes to the Triple Triad For Everyone associations.


CULINARY ATTRACTIONS
— Second District || August 18th – August 25th || 12:00 to 13:30 / 19:00 to 21:00 —
What would a festival be without free food and banquets? Not really a festival. In the fourteenth district, there is a banquet and many stands held by people from all over the Empire. All kind of food can be found here-- Refined food, pastries, cakes, cooked meals, etc. It's virtually impossible not to find something to like in all of this, and it's all free! There are, however, guards standing around on the lookout for Gourmands who would be tempted to ruin the fun for everyone. After what happened two years ago, better be careful.


THE OPERA
— Ninth District || August 18th - August 24th || 22:00 —
There is an opera every day for all to see for free, titled "A Goddess's Tears." It is a retelling of the creation myth, but shown from the (presumed) perspective of the Goddess of Death. The play depicts the Goddess as someone who started out as a rather sweet person, but whose life took such terrible turns she wished to die and resented life. Yet, death was too scary of a prospect for her and she couldn't choose what was better, Life or Death. As the play progresses, she decides both are equally terrible and resolves to create a world where those very notions shall no longer exist.

As the play unfolds, toward the ends the story becomes what people are more familiar with. However, rather than letting her die wordlessly, the four heroes appease the Goddess's soul by singing. As the four heroes sing, the Goddess smiles and sheds a single tear before passing away. It is said the play is very emotional, sensible people might want to pass on it.


HOUSING
— Fourteenth District || August 17th - August 27th || Anytime —
Before, after and during the Festival of Light, the characters will all need a place where they can rest. Thankfully for them, people coming with the Curti Center delegation are all given the keys to stay in one of the abandoned houses in the 14th District. Truth to be told however, those house look anything but abandoned. Why, it's as if people had been living in them up until very recently, given how either clean and ordered they are for some, or chaotic and neglected they are for others (Characters who were present in Melodies of Life will be able to notice the houses are nearly identical to what they were just before the time skip during endgame, though there are a few eerie differences).

At least, it's a good place to sleep!


ARDYNIAN DISCOVERY
— Fifteenth District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00, 15:00, 20:00 —
Everyday, it will be possible to get wheeled motor vehicle driven by imperial soldiers and go visit one of the other cities, case in point, Ardynia! Not much is done over there for the Festival of Light, but it is worth checking out, if only for the Wizard and Jester Jobs. It is a thriving city with people from all over the Empire, and it appears to be something of a shopping center for the imperial region.

And most importantly, discover the official headwear of Ardynia: the Fedora! It is said Archaeologists have imported this fashion trend to Ardynia when they pass by, but none know whether this is true or not. While most citizens have enough senses not to actually wear this dreaded hat, those who do wear it really look dumb doing so. And those who don't look dumb look like they'd make jokes about your pet's untimely demise while you're still crying about it.

Perhaps is is best to stay away.


PARASRAYA DISCOVERY
— Fifteenth District || August 18th – August 25th || 10:00, 15:00, 20:00 —
Everyday, it will be possible to get wheeled motor vehicle driven by imperial soldiers and go visit one of the other cities, case in point, Parasraya! Not much is done over there for the Festival of Light, but it is worth checking out, if only for the Archaeologist and Catmancer Jobs, as well as the Weapon Master Association. It is a technologically advanced yet small and cozy city...

... If it wasn't for a tragedy plaguing the city: cats, cats everywhere. If the meowing doesn't kill you, the constant flow of cats asking to be pet, fed and to sit on your lap might. You may even encounter a few tired citizens paying you money to take care of the cat infestation around their house. Others however are really defensive of the cats and will hunt anyone trying to bring harm to them. Of course, the source of all these cat-related troubles can be traced back to the origins of the Catmancer guild.

But, perhaps it is a story best left for another day.


FIREWORKS
— First District || August 18th – August 24th || Midnight —
Fireworks will be launched from the Castle starting 00:00 and will end at 01:00, everyday of the Festival. No matter where you are in the city, anyone should be able to watch them with ease if they so wish. Unfortunately, it means falling asleep before midnight may be a bit hard with all the noise. On the 25th, characters will be with dining with the Empress as the fireworks happen.

Comments

[4got10]

Hmm?

[Chara looks up from their plate, still chowing down on the excessive amount of snacks they possess. They smile and shake their head.]

No, it's okay. I can still swallow fine.

[This is the main defining factor of whether their eating is dangerous or not.]

[chatwithdeath]

Correct. It might not be possible, but I do intend to look into treating it here...

[But since the cause was in another world, who knows.]

Unfortunately. And they consider it a 'gift' that we would be so grateful to accept.

Food, Food, and More Food

[4got10]

I don't know about that, Papyrus.

[Chara says, carrying a plate overburdened with anything containing a morsel of chocolate.]

I think chocolate is probably the most important food group.

[saint_sami]

[Sasami blinked before shaking her head.]

Well, swallowing is one thing, but you're going to end up with a stomach ache if you keep eating like that!

[4got10]

That seems weird. There's a part of Chara that wants to make accusations again, but they shove it down for now. The fact that Adrian actually is looking for their moogle instead of ignoring it shows that they want to make something right, or to keep the moogle safe. That's good enough for now.

"Maybe they are looking for a gift for you, kupo" says Chara's moogle, Mogore. "Something to remember your trip here, perhaps."

"It's possible," Chara adds, smiling. "There is a lot to see here, too. Could be looking for a souvenir."

[aethereally]

[Salieri looks at Okuyasu with genuine concern. Though it might seem that way, he's not being snooty or catty. Salieri finds himself more intimidated by that glare than he expected, but he addresses Okuyasu with a hand over his own heart to prove his sincerity.]

Me? I have no problem. While I applaud your choice of such a bold color, I have to be honest with you in that it doesn't suit your complexion at all.

[4got10]

Yeah.

It'll be worth it.

[Completely unfazed.]

[songbird_slayer]

...So a deity being a deity. It's alright.

If it's any help, you work it out quite well. Must you cure it when I'm sure there are ample benefits?

B

[4got10]

[Chara was honestly happy to just let the cats do whatever they pleased. People had their homes and shelter to move in to if they wanted, and the cats couldn't really bother them there. Let the cats have the streets.

They aren't surprised to find that people have taken up the offer of trying to get rid of the cats. This manner of getting rid of them though, that's sort of a surprise.]

You know, if you're hungry they have a whole area for food.

[C'mon. Don't eat a live cat, Vanitas.]

[chatwithdeath]

There are detriments to this form that do not make up for the benefits... Also, I'd like to return to my own world as a human and not like this.

[gathersnomoss]

EXPOSITION OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT/MOGNET EXPOSITION
Yes, Zelgadis decided to come, even if he thinks this is a trap. Because he'd rather see what information he could get from it than be blindsided by an Empire. So he's carefully walking the exhibits, his Moogle trailing, making notes.

"You know, you could take pictures," Mogesta said. "Instead of trying to draw everything. Your iMog Slater has the ability to scan documents and take notes."

"Why didn't you tell me this before today?" Zelgadis said.

"You never asked."

ARDYNIAN DISCOVERY

"Put. The. Hat. Down," Mogesta said.

Zelgadis had been browsing shops, and had just picked up a fedora.

"Why must you make such terrible fashion decisions?" Mogesta wailed.

... All right, now Zelgadis was tempted to get the damn hat just for spite. Even if he did look very dumb in it -- most hats were not designed to sit properly on wire hair.

[saint_sami]

[Blink blink]

...are you sure?

[acapriciousreaper]

"That's the optimist's way of looking at it, I suppose. I'm trying to see it the same way."
He tilts his head, at the question. "Very common. There were many positive sides to it; airship travel, healing magic I suppose. Of course, when something is commonplace, it's usually used for war. But I suppose that's inevitable. As long as there's two people left on the face of the earth, someone's going to want someone else dead."

[4got10]

For chocolate this good, you bet!

[And they manage to scarf down a smaller bit in a single bite. They know they'll probably pay for this later. But they think they deserve it for having been poofed to another world.]

[bleedingunversed]

[Vanitas stops and lowers his arm--and the cat--turning his head to look at the kid he'd met back on the airship.]

And none of it tastes good to me.

[Don't you harass him over his choice of food, Chara.]

No one's going to miss a few cats.

[topgun_textiles]

Mm? Oh, yeah... we got this mama fox and her babies that live in the shrine next to my place. I leave snacks and stuff for 'em, and I'm workin' on bein' able to touch 'em.

Rumor has it the fox is kinda... special? Sacred? I dunno. But people leave the fox alone and it's got a little bandana on. Dunno if somebody put it on her, though, but it's real cute!

[4got10]

"What's the point of having a knife if you're not going to use it to cut," Chara says dryly, eyes darting back to the Eidolon painting. They get it. It's a point about the world they know can't be argued. Violence will always exist somewhere, in some way.

They stay silent a few more seconds before saying, "I wonder how bad things are going to get, now that we're here. We're a bunch of strangers just running around the world. We weren't meant to be here. That's going to cause problems, right?"

[4got10]

[Chara shrugs a little. They don't really have any moral qualms about Vanitas eating a cat. Everything needs to eat, and that usually means something has to die in order to feed something else.

The fact they're so willing to eat it alive, though. That's unsettling.]

You could at least kill it first.

[saint_sami]

Well, if you're sure...

[And Sasami starts eyeing the chocolate herself. Oh, it looks good.]

[4got10]

Want a piece?

[Chara waves the plate under Sasami's nose, teasing.]

[acapriciousreaper]

"Hmph. If we weren't 'meant' to be here, then by all means, I say we kick up our feet. Dig right in, strike up the band, perform a damned symphony titled 'I'm here, get used to it!'"
He sighs. "What's 'meant to happen' is only very seldom related to what actually occurs."

[songbird_slayer]

Fair enough. Got any leads on how to kick the curse?

[She leaned against the stand.]

The deity that did this to you loses their influence here, no doubt.

[modelcivilian]

Huh... that's really cool. If a fox ever showed up in Paris, someone would call animal control...

[Sometimes he'd like to go out of the city...]

[chatwithdeath]

I've examined enough blood samples. The best way to kick the curse would obviously require the source...

[However, that just wasn't possible.]

Right now, my next solution might be examining the monsters in this world.

[4got10]

Chara laughs a little at the response. "I wouldn't mind lounging around for a while."

They don't know, really. If anything in life really has a purpose or meaning. There's a lot of times where it seemed like things about their past only made sense if there was a reason to it. To the suffering and the fear thrown at them. Yet, it seemed like the monsters themselves had shown them there was no reason at all but human meanness.

"You're right. Maybe it's best that way, too."