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

[regalblaze]

[Ignis smiles, holding back a chuckle and taking another bite from the skewer Ravus brought him.]

No need for a rush. Making sure we are at top of our game is imperative. [But gives him a nod-] However, when you do acquire the meat, I will be more than happy to make a proper roast.

[It has been a while since they had to hunt for their food.]

[wildlinks]

Souji just smiles and nods, then shakes his head.

"It was alright. The campout was fun, except for the fact that we went to the bed hungry. Yosuke munched on Kanji's animal crackers and ate a secret penguin, but that didn't help the situation."

Should he mention Yosuke's question kind of razzed Kanji and had him run to girl's tent? Probably no.

"So- how is the cake? Any good?"

[wildlinks]

"Great! I'll brew us some."

He's used to doing that and doesn't find it hard. And chat over tea and some biscuits (he's 100% sure he saw a box of those in one of the cabinets) is a perfect way to make some new acquaintances. Friends in the future maybe?

Souji puts the water to boil and takes out the mugs:"The celebration noise can become hard on the ears it's true."

OTA - Come at him bros!

[chocobosnap]

I. Festival of Light

Prompto walked along the wall, looking at the paying, the representation of the Eidolons. They looked familiar, some of them, and he thought that was interesting. The Astrals were here?

Was it blasphemous to dislike them? Probably. They probably needed all the luck they could get, and Noctis needed their help.

It was probably worth a prayer, to ask for them to watch over them, so he did that, briefly lowering his head. Please protect them.

II. Chocobo Races

Was there any doubt, that Prompto would not find his way there? He was not the best racer, but he was definitely going to be the best spectator. It was a special occasion, and he had a big bag of popcorn and he had found some kind of noisemaker.

"Go! Go! Go!" He cheered. It didn't matter which bird one, they were all amazing! (Oh, and the riders too, he supposed.)

III.Mini Sparks Golsaucia

Prompto just grinned and looked excited, a sparkle in his eye as he spoke to the shopkeeper.

"How many shots do I need to make to win the giant plush?"

It didn't matter what the answer was, Prompto offered up his money and cocked the gun.

He was going to go for it - after all a gigantic chocobo plush was on the line and all he had to do was shoot.

IV. Fireworks

He hadn't seen fireworks in some time, so the first night it was amazing, his eyes were wide as he watched the beautiful explosions of colour in the sky. He sat on a grassy spot and leaned back on his hands, just watching, amazed. He wasn't going to get sick of them, not for a moment.

V. Choose your own adventure.

[Other ideas? Hit me up here. PM me. Plurk me at Ammeschan or even discord Ammeschan#5385]

[twomeals]

shopping

[Plushies! Food! Clothes! There probably aren't any clothes a harpy could wear around here, but with so much other stuff available (and enough pocket money to last), it's pretty hard to resist splurging on snacks and things...he can be seen wearing a brand new woven poncho, snacking on some tasty meat on a stick, staring at the plushie display at another stall.]

Wow, that one's a really fat cat! [poke, poke.]

Mini Sparks

[A shooting stand, huh...it's been a long time since he tried one of those. Maybe he could do better this time around? Since he's in better health and all--though then again, the fact he's got wings now probably evens out the odds here.

He'll just watch you instead, you're probably a good shot, right?]

Oh, hit that one! That big one there!

Parasranya Escapery

[He'd come out of curiosity - it's important to check out everywhere that's available to see - but the regrets started happening the second he stepped foot here. I mean, first off he's having trouble pronouncing the name, but more importantly there's cats everywhere? Maybe he should've asked more questions before coming here...the harpy can be found perched on a high place, watching the cats warily as he considers his next move.

Or you might be lucky and catch him falling out of a high place after getting spooked by a curious cat. (Apparently the plush ones were okay though?)]

[wildlinks]

Huh?

[Souji looks up at the man then back at the cat in front of him. And the one next to him. They looked so calm and nice- friendly! Would people really give them up just like that? Sure the town is flooded by them but still- he can't just take them away.]

Why do you say that? The locals don't like cats?

Parasraya

[chocobosnap]

[He doesn't squeal, but it's close. There are cats around Shiro.]

Awwwwww.

[He grins though and waves.]

Hi Shiro. Looks like you're making new friends?

[They're cute. Not dog or chocobo cute, but cute. He crouches down to scratch a kitty under its chin.]

time mage guild

[zanarkandian]

Tidus definitely doesn't seem like the type to pursue something more scholarly, but there's something familiar about the place that calls out to him. He watches someone else leave the place curiously. They look exhausted, so he approaches with a smile.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The Opera

[chocobosnap]

[To be fair, he made it for the first couple of hours, but by the time the finale was coming around Prompto had been sitting very still for a little bit and right at the so called climactic moment, his head may have been falling towards Noctis' shoulder.

It was a free nap if nothing else - and a role reversal at that.]

Parasraya

[chocobosnap]

[There sure are an awful lot of cats, and they are adorable. Prompto is just exploring with a little kitten following him. He grins and walks in a circle to see if the little tuxedo kitten follows him.

It does and he crouches down to reward it with petting and he looks up when he sees Kanji sitting surrounded by cats.]

H-Hi! [He offers a grin.] They're so cute right?

3

[chocobosnap]

Prompto had a big bag of popcorn, a noisemaker and a chocobo themed hat and he stared at Souji.

"You mean...you don't know?!"

It was so shocking, he forgot to get nervous.

"These are chocobos! Aren't they amazing?!" He grinned and looked at Souji like he'd just found a new friend. "I can tell you everything about them."

He meant everything.

[saint_sami]

Huh? Wha--! [Sasami sputters a bit before pouting at Chara.]

4

[chocobosnap]

As much as Prompto liked to have fun, he was also trained to do a job. Not quite as many years as Ignis or Gladio, but still trained to a degree to identify weird situations and look for threats.

He nodded, looking around, in agreement.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird just to have an empty place for us to just show up to. This whole thing is weird, isn't it? A secretive Empire? Suddenly welcoming people inside?"

Ignis, stop him if you've heard that one before.

[wildlinks]

"A... chocobo?" Souji repeats slowly, not wanting to miss the proper name of the creature. And yes, the are amazing! It's just Souji never saw one before so he's like a deer caught in headlights.

The one chocobo that was idle near the fence is tilting its head at Prompto now, curious about what he's eating. 'Got greens?'

"I never saw a bird like this before! Please do tell me, they are so pretty!"

Fireworks

[eternitynpcs]

[Residents crowd the streets and the outdoor pavilions of restaurants to watch the evening display. Children, barely able to stay awake, rest on their parents' laps. Young adults drink to the future. Old couples silently look up to the sky before turning in for an early bedtime.

Tidus passes one such pavilion filled with humans of varying ages. Children run along the fence, teenagers sit away from the party, and adults chat at the tables. All are wearing fine clothing, though it is difficult to see in the dark.

That is, until a familiar old man and an equally old woman step away from the chatter of the candlelit seating and find an empty space near the small street. They don't see Tidus in the dark.

Cid is the first to speak.]

You're a grandmother.

At my age, is it all that surprising? If you had settled down, you'd have grandchildren, too!

[eternitynpcs]

[As Legault explores one corner of the cemetery, a familiar old man enters from the opposite end. He would recognize him as Cid, the director of the Curti Center, who gave the brief speech when the outworlders arrived. It's been a while since anyone from the Center has seen him.

Cid doesn't appear to notice the outworlder, rather is focused on slowly walk through the rows of blank markers, looking at each stone as he passes by. Eventually, he stops at a point and faces the graves.

He has two small bouquets of flowers before two adjacent graves. One contains dark red roses, Queen Anne's lace, and gladious. The other contains dark red roses, Queen Anne's lace, and pink carnations.]

Midnight Airship

[eternitynpcs]

[The Midnight Airship functions as an excellent high end dining venue, judging by the large group of older passengers that have taken over an entire seating area. All are dressed formally, though in various states in alertness and sobriety.

A man stands up, taps on his glass, and all attention diverts to him.]

A toast! Everyone, a toast! To our old friend Chandrius, for all his contributions to research and study and for the honor he has given the university, and for our reunion

[He tilts his glass towards the man next to him, who is immediately recognizable as Cid. He nods, but he's obvious tired at this hour.]

May you live one hundred years!

Midnight Airship

[eternitynpcs]

[The Elezen bookkeeper of the Curti Center eyes him, her eyes judging him. Claire holds what is possibly the largest glass of wine available to the public on the ship.]

Surely I'm not that unnoticeable, Owen.

[rivieran]

"Yes." Ena nods. "The kind man at the stand over there accidentally gave me an extra." Her hand now free, she gestures to a dumpling stand over yonder. "I'm afraid it's not very big, but it should do."

[thehurricane]

[Well, well. What do we have here? Seeing Cid is even more surprising than seeing a woman that's part spider or his roommate. Cid's presence piques his interest immediately, and he sees to it that he remains quiet. Legault is quite aware of what he's doing when he focuses on his job's passive ability, Quiet Steps, and combines it with his own sneaky know-how.

Legault attempts to move to cover, but he doesn't want to move so far away that he can't see or hear Cid. Like any former assassin worth his salt, he knows how to stay quiet and watch. Getting caught watching him isn't very appealing, but he doesn't want to scare off this guest, either, not when he's searching nameless graves with two similar but not identical boquets.

Just what could Cid be up to? Legault chooses to watch, not approach.]

[regalblaze]

Ignis didn't doubt Prompto's capabilities to fight. He wouldn't have been allowed to join the Crownsguard in the first place if he didn't meet the criteria. And he has to admit, he was happy when they announced that he did. It was good to have him around.

"That is not all," Ignis says with a heavy scowl on his face. "The entire Empire was on the lockdown for years. Then we arrived." We as in Otherworlders. "For whatever reason it is, I believe that our arrival was the catalyst for the Empire to open their borders."

There is a stretch of silence as he thinks about it. "They seem to have more than enough supplies to sustain themselves for years to come..." he says slowly, musing aloud.

Culinary attractions

[eternitynpcs]

Beast Boy may have seen her at the Curti Center, standing with Cid as he gave his introductory speech, but despite his recognition of lack thereof, she remembers the green boy. Claire holds a small reusable container filled with iced tea and takes a tiny sip.

"People will think you're a Gourmand if you continue on like that."

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja didn't find any particular magic in fireworks (they're just explosions, people, honestly), but the opportunity to go on an airship ride that would almost certainly prove illuminating to his concerns about this city that he can't help but go. He'd spent a not-inconsiderate amount of time mindlessly exchanging pleasantries with people who clearly didn't have any of the answers he wanted, and was just beginning to contemplate taking a swan dive off the side if this Hypello would not cease its prattling this instant when he spots a familiar face. An escape!
"Goodness just look at the time I'm late for a meeting so sorry to cut and run goodbye."
He joins Ashe by the railing, having eschewed his bolero for a more formal affair. "You know, this is the second time I've stumbled across you, next to a balcony and clearly in need of a means to vent. What's troubling you this time, Alma?"

[orangekun]

[He had the grace to look a little sheepish at that, but it wasn't like he had been lying. He really didn't notice anyone near him, too lost in his thoughts.]

Anyone can be if one isn't paying attention.

[And then he noticed the glass of wine and he raised an eyebrow. That was a lot of wine in one go, even got Owen. He looked back at Claire.]

Something on your mind?

[He had an idea, given where they were, but it was up to Claire to say as much or not. Still, he was curious as to her thoughts on all this.]

[rivieran]

Ena looks over, and a cross expression briefly flashes on her face. I'm sorry, did this person just cut the line? She's about to give him an earful when she realizes she vaguely recognizes the boy as another outworlder. Outworlders had a strange habit of going up to one another and investigating their business, didn't they?

"Oh, the drinks are lovely, don't get me wrong." She flashes a polite smile to the proprietor, who just gives her a troubled and strained smile in return. "I just can't seem to find the right one to match with these delectable treats." She holds out the bag for Yue to take a piece. "Why not see for yourself?"