melodiesofeternity | Event || The Festival of Light

Event || The Festival of Light

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Cristo had to chuckle at Suzette getting a scolding, but quieted down when Naoto gave him a look. He doesn't have a right to laugh when she found so many games suddenly installed on her iMog - none of which she added. Closet gamer much her moogle?]

[Turning back while Kanji began taking his pictures, she hummed, considering.]

... I may consider getting one.

Hah, it's a whole different kind of sad. It's about this guy who used to be a boxer tryin' to take care of his kid, only he's shit at gambling and keeps gettin' drunk at bars. You gotta see it one day.

Emeralda just was not used to causing problems, her life had been pretty orderly, for all that it was basically insane. "Hi," she asked once they were near where the bins were, waving at the people giving out the dolls. "Can switch for different one?"

She held up her doll as she asked, which earned her an odd look from the guy she had initially asked for the green one from. "She...mean?" She added, indicating the doll.

The workers seemed uncertain, but eventually shrugged and gestured towards the bins. Emeralda glanced back at Orcelito with a bit of a victorious smile before she moved towards the rest of the dolls. Okay...was there anyone not mean...?

Pretty much. I don't mind giving directions if they're lost of course.

[Really, if only it was for being local.]

Oh, you mean that way, right?

Emeralda smiled at that, a hesitant, almost sad smile, but still a smile. Too many memories of long-gone and recently-lost people, probably. "He call Emeralda his Angel." She said, as close as she ever quite gets to a complete sentence. Go her.

"But could be disaster." She added. "People try after wake up. But it not work. Fei and Elly save me."

Emeralda was working on her fourth doll at this point, a long haired one with a long sword who kept talking about reunions. Were they all this creepy? But she was distracted by Tidus nearby shouting out the word Dad, which was always a way to get her attention.

But...was he looking at one of the dolls? That was..hm.

"It look like your dad?" She asked, stepping a bit closer. It was probably rude to just ask but the teen couldn't help but be curious.

A... hat.

[He's a few years behind, isn't he? Still, she'll watch him pick a hat and keep the cringe to herself. Sure, it looks like her style, but it might fit better in at a funeral at this time... not that she attended funerals.]

[Accepting the hat, she'll humor him and try it on. Looking towards a mirror, she adjusts it... then messes with her hair a bit.]

Hm... I don't know about this one.

"Well, it is nothing specific, but..." Souji rubs his chin in thought, staring at his plate.

"A lot of people seem to think that the arrival of people from Dream Width prompted the Empire to open the gates. I don't like randomly accusing people, but- this does seem too much of a coincidence." The timing is almost impeccable.

"Oh, that rumor..."

Geez, she thought he was talking about something else. Then she would have to ask who he heard that from, but back on point. "This region has been isolated until now. When Kanji-kun and I arrived, there was no way to be granted access so for it to happen now is concerning."

Spending properly is haaaaard. And yet, Papashan sets down the kupo nut.

"I think we'll spring for the accessory as well," said Nanamo with a hint of finality in the statement, and a grateful look towards Mogaruru. "Thank you for your assistance!"

"Yeah. Same. Me, too."

And he made absolutely no move, too busy listening to the kitten purr as it curled up to his chest.

He likes this town. "I'm Finn."

Yes! [ His excitement even shocked him, but he was happy anyway. ] Yes, absolutely. I'd love to. Thanks!

"Hard to say what to think, I guess, but the cats must be a nuisance. I imagine they get everywhere."

And they didn't seem to care much about personal space either. "Or maybe it's some sort of... sacred thing... Yeah, definitely need to ask someone." Before he catnapped one, anyway.

He nods, happy she remembered him. "It's been great. Other than a few wrong steps-" Leviathan, the killer moogle, syrup sprinklers. "-I really like it here. Got my own home and everything."

That sounds like an unhealthy diet, but he's already planning on tackling it anyway. He makes a note to exercise a little more when he gets back home.

"Well, I had some noodle things, and some vegetable that was deep fried, something grilled on a stick." Translation: ramen, french fries, and chicken. He knows two of those terms but he's not sure everyone else does.

I haven't.

[He chuckles.]

Ah, yeah I'm familiar with that kind of thing. Those tricks. It's alright though.

"Just breathe."

He wished he knew what triggered this. Maybe he'd be able to help more if he did. For now, he just felt a little useless as he held Baiken's hand with both of his. What Finn didn't expect was her not trying to hide the vulnerability, at least not yet. He wasn't about to reject the opportunity, though.

So he counted with her, trying to figure out what to do when she flinched again. Finn moved one hand from hers to her other shoulder, the one without the limb. He was getting an idea what this was about. If she couldn't reach out for him, he'd just reach for her. It was all right. Hopefully.

Yeah?

[Demyx muses thoughtfully.]

I try not to ask questions. I like being here I don't want to you know, make it stop yet.

Oh yeah, fine!

[Demyx offers a warm smile and a chirped response. He pauses a moment. Social interactions dictate that he ask her.]

Are you okay?

Yeah, neither of them are moving. Good to know his sentiments were shared... and the problem.

"I'm Adrien. Nice to meet you, Finn."

[ If. Finn didn't like these implications. But he nods. ]

I'm sorry you have reason to think she isn't.

[ Because he clearly did, and Finn wasn't going to dance around this with a million questions. But he can still let things go. He lets out a breath. ] Are you from here or visiting?

[ Ah, Takeshi… The man formerly known as Ira, and the one who gave Lean the information regarding Crystallis. Though still feeling awkward, there is a sense of relief in finally being able to place a face to the name she had so often seen in the network.

~~even though two others happen to have his face, but details.~~

Folding her hands behind her, she looks again to the garden wistfully. From the sounds of it, he may not have noticed her other accidental visits. ]

I imagine this is still unusual, to have someone simply standing outside your home. If you don’t mind my asking, what do you think of Sen Riqeaux thus far?

[ She may not be turning to look at him directly, but she is keeping a careful watch out of the corner of her eye. ]

Midnight Airship

[ Though it was tempting to accept the offers of drink from the staff aboard the airship (Hypellos, how wonderfully familiar!), Sylvarie knew she had to stay alert. Not only because of her mission, so dependant on tying clues together and listening to the whispers of passerby, but because she happened to be by herself. Being overwhelmed by alcohol on a foreign trip was hardly the responsible thing to do.

So what does she do instead? Simple station herself at the deck to look at the world below, expression thoughtful as fireworks would shine brilliantly above the capital. There was undeniably something nostalgic about the whole event, but it wasn’t her priority. ]

The Opera

[ It feels far too long since she had attended a performance, and in part that was true-the last time she remembered such an occasion, her family had still been together. Despite that melancholy reminder hanging over her and the trepidation she would sometimes feel when it came to stories of the Four Heroes, she was very much looking forward to the show.

Up until the end. Yes, it was moving, yes it was a powerful tale and the music profound—how Sakuya would have loved it—but soon enough her hands begin to shake of their own volition, and her breath hitches. Stomach twisting, and… in her heart…

Why did she feel such regret, watching those four sing to the Goddess? It’s a tale… only a tale…

So why, with head bowing and eyes squeezing shut against an unfamiliar burn, did she begin to sing softly along with them? Her voice was barely above a whisper and quivering, lacking in confidence despite the perfect pitch and genuine emotions being carried in the notes.

It faded with the Heroes, yet began anew when she rose from her seat to leave. Her hands still tremble. ]

Shopping

[ For once, the young woman didn’t appear stressed or harried as she wandered amidst the stalls and surveyed their wares, though she did seem a bit exasperated with the bespectacled puffball following behind her. Exasperated, but admittedly a bit amused as well. ]

Oh, milady! Please if you would turn your attention to this dress, the embroidery is just exquisite! And—ah! Is that necklace real crystal?!

Prim, please. [ For all the attempted chastising in her tone, there was a smile on her lips as the moogle continued rambling. ] I want to use only my money, we can’t buy everything.

Your father’s money is yours too, kupo!

[ Not the point, but she’s in such a good mood… ]

Wildcard

(( feel free to hit me up with other ideas, she’s more or less everywhere in search of a dumb big brother. ))

Sorry!

[Chara smiles, popping another piece in their own mouth.]

We don't want to get you sick, right?

Hmph!

[Sasami crosses her arms, pouting more in annoyance. That's not fair, she was trying to be helpful!]

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Event || The Festival of Light

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Sunny Starlight

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