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

[pidgeypidge]

Pidge opened her mouth to say something and then promptly closed it again. "Did you really just snatch that off a rack?" That's not judgement in her voice, so much as amusement. It wasn't like he'd done it maliciously, and if they were just sitting there, it probably did seem like they were for anyone. Maybe.

"Hey, it's okay. If anyone gets upset, you can just take it back." He wasn't hurting anyone, and she doubted one outfit was going to cause problems. Or she could buy it for him in the name of Christmas. In August. Either way, it was pretty cute that he still believed in Santa.

Melody's sass earned her a raised eyebrow, though, and Pidge shrugged. "Sorry to rain on your parade, but it takes a certain level of patience to put up with me on a daily basis. Bobble knows."

If nothing else, she's self-aware enough to realize the truth. And to his credit, Bobble is nodding emphatically at Melody.

[balancingedge]

[Shiro didn't have to worry too much about Keith keeping up with him. With both dragoon and ninja asterisks, he has an SS rank in speed. If anything, he's the one slowing down; keeping pace with Shiro as they follow Wimbledon to this healer of his.

Keith is obviously fine, if still a bit tired from the week of little sleep. Shiro's hunch proves to be right, and he pauses only to make sure Shiro can keep up on the way back.

Taking it easy for the both of them: healers' orders. But if they think he isn't going to do as much recon as he can, they're sorely mistaken. It's there in his gaze. (Honestly, he's fairly certain they said "both of you" more for Shiro's benefit.) Besides, there's something he needs to check because it's been bothering him this entire time.

It's not long after they're back in the room they'll be staying in that he turns on the iMog again and starts scrolling through the text conversations from that day last week, eyes glossing over.

Two taps of a pen on the same notepad they'd been writing on before he scrawls with his free hand.]

I was wrong. They did respond further.

[wind_in_my_ears]

[Klonoa smiles awkwardly. This is hitting a bit closer to home for him than he's ready to admit.]

"I guess so... but, they're not in control of it, right?"

[He gives a small shrug.]

"It.. would probably be nicer if they got to choose how long they stayed, instead of just.. when whatever they came to do is finished?"

Re: Exposition Dump

[wind_in_my_ears]

Klonoa glances down. Oh. Well, that's a bombshell to drop... He's always kind of figured that Kuja's past wasn't very pleasant, but..

"Burning someone's home is a very cruel thing to do."

He says. He's not devoid of understanding how it feels to be on that side of things, either. When he was younger...

Klonoa does his best to hide a wince from view.

Re: Exposition Dump

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja flinches, at the words, uncertainty playing across his face.
"I- Garland was a very cruel man."

[desertbloomed]

[ A mognet employee with a missing grandfather? Well, that wouldn't do. Not when Ashelia can ingratiate herself to a moogle that will clearly prove far more useful than her sorry excuse for a moogle partner. It's also just a nice thing to do, and the little moogle's kindness deserved more than just a cocktail. ]

Well then, we shall have to fix that, won't we? Perhaps we could start with your name?

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu swivels on his heel at breakneck speed and reaches out to take the potted plant. Stray Cat turns to its owner and meows loudly.]

That's my cat. It's a plant. It's magic, basically.

[He doesn't want to explain Stands when he isn't too sure of how they work.]

[topgun_textiles]

Uh- sure... um...

[He examined himself, then raised his arms.]

I got some body space for climbers and some of my lap left for the sleepy dudes.

[topgun_textiles]

You could portion it! Like one today, one tomorrow, one the day after and so on. I mean, that's how I'm puttin' a rational spin on it. I'd probably get sick as a friggin' dog if I just took it all down today.

[topgun_textiles]

[Kitty appreciation! Good. He didn't feel like pissing off cats today. He will helpfully take up a twitchy Bonnie and set her back on her paws.]

I'm guessin' Catmancy's got its risks when you're as big as a cat themselves, huh?

the meme comes full circle

[masqueraid]

As Reno laughed, Ren took the opportunity to re-adjust his glasses with his free, fruitless hand.

"I'm not sure who it's supposed to be modeled after, but maybe he just really enjoys his fruit," it was a fair enough assumption, right? The redhead hadn't really seemed that impressed with it to begin with though, being as how he had called it shitty.

Re: Exposition Dump

[wind_in_my_ears]

Klonoa continues his downwards gaze, looking to the side a bit more as he rubs his arm.

"Well.. for whatever reason you did it.. thanks for making sure he could never do that to anyone else."

GarlanD? He heard that right, right? That is way too similar to another terrible person he's met.

[pishirogane]

"You don't have to apologize. I understand even with my own experiences with other law enforcement and adults in general." Though, Futaba's compliment did have Naoto's face turning a fair shade of pink. "Fifth generation... so, not technically original either."

Original 'Detective Prince' though? Yes.

Re: Exposition Dump

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja blinks, confused. "Why do you care? It's not as though you're from Gaia."

[transect]

( memories? in a city closed off until only recently? could that mean... )

I was under the impression outsiders weren't permitted in this place, are you... from this world?

[eternitynpcs]

[The Zora shudders.] ONCE YOU'VE SEEN A GOURMAND DEVOUR SOMETHING WHOLE, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND. I ONLY HOPE THAT DAY NEVER COMES FOR YOU.

I DO NOT KNOW THE FULL DETAILS, BUT IT SEEMS SOME PEOPLE SAW A MEMORY WHEN THEY VENTURED INTO THE DREAM WIDTH, AND CAME OUT OF IT WITH THAT ASTERISK. NOTHING LIKE THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AS FAR AS I KNOW. IT MAKES ME NOT WANT TO VENTURE INTO THE DREAM WIDTH AT ALL, IF IT HAS THINGS LIKE THAT UP THERE.

[He turns to watch the frolicking cats, glad for a distraction from all this talk. They are so cute, even if he can't touch them without sneezing. And if Pidge doesn't know, she'll likely soon find out, there is nothing Ganeshan loves more than talking about job classes.]

OH, THE CATMANCERS HAVE THE GRACE LIKE A CAT, AND THE ABILITY TO NAP ANYWHERE LIKE A CAT, AND CURIOSITY LIKE A CAT... THEY REALLY DO LOVE TO STICK TO A THEME! IN PRACTICAL TERMS, THEY ARE NOT VERY STRONG AND DO NOT HAVE GREAT DEFENSE, BUT THEY HAVE TO GET CLOSE IN ORDER TO ATTACK. THEY HAVE A VERY VERSATILE SET OF SKILLS, THOUGH, AND GREAT AGILITY, SO THAT CAN MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES OF THE CLASS. IF YOU LOVE CATS, IT MAY BE THE PUUUUURFECT CHOICE!

[sonoftenebrae]

Best not to discuss this here. [It's only paranoia if it ends up being wrong. Ravus is acutely aware that they are among Imperials, surrounded by people who could be reporting back to their leaders.

He's relieved to hear that Ignis has made plans in case of emergency. Ravus, too, tries to prepare for the worst, though he doubts he is as thorough as the prince's advisor.]

Let it suffice to say, we shall both be on our guard.

[chocobosnap]

[He laughs a little and scoops up the wandering kitten to place it on Kanji's lap where the space was.]

I'll be right back!

[Prompto jogs off in the direction of the vendors and he'll return a few minutes later with a rather generous bag of food. Poor kittens needed to be spoiled.]

[chocobosnap]

"We became friends in high school. He w-went to my school and yeah." He tried not to look too nervous, but strangers made him a little wary.

"He asked me to become a guard."

[chocobosnap]

"Yeah, the fireworks are cool. They used to put them in the sky, over the river, you know?"

He always enjoyed watching them, it was one of his favourite summer activities, before his summers were actually filled with activities.

[chocobosnap]

I understand what that's like. I haven't been pulled from them before, but...

[It's unpleasant, he doesn't like the idea of it. The one time they spent apart left him scarred beyond repair most likely.]

That's...wow. [He breathed.] I'm loyal to Noct, really, and Iggy and Gladio...and I mean I will be to you guys too, but he always has to come first. It kind of puts us in a weird position. It's not that I don't like you guys less...

[He made vows, promises, and he doesn't regret them. But his life belongs to Noct first.]

[mech_and_mutt]

Wh--

[If that was what he thought it was, things might be getting more complicated here than he thought.]

How... big of a whale are we talkin' here?

Re: Exposition Dump

[wind_in_my_ears]

Klonoa does nod after a few moments, but his expression doesn't change very much as he glances back up at Kuja.

"Well, no.. but from the sound of it, it's not far off from a world that would call me."

He says. It even has someone named Garlen.. well, Garland.

Re: Exposition Dump

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja nods, after a moment. That makes sense, in a way. "So you've been to other worlds. The way I hear it, that's a rare thing on this planet. Which, I suppose, would make us part of a very exclusive club."

Re: Exposition Dump

[wind_in_my_ears]

Klonoa tilts his head to one side.

"You, too? I haven't met that many people who can, either."

He says, swishing his tail.

"I know some people who were brought into another world for a tournament, but I'm not sure if they were able to travel much outside of that. Someone else brought them in in the first place."