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

tbh IF!Sans and SS!Sans are like opposites on the spectrum

[sassafrisk]

Frisk wilts beneath their gaze, feeling the disappointment. Hell, they were disappointed in themself every time they had to use their weapons, but that was the point of getting used to them, wasn't it? It didn't help that Chara probably had the same experience with monsters as them when in the Underground. "I-" They shake their head, trying to get it on straight. "I wish I didn't have to have these things and that it could be just like back in the Underground where I could talk down, like, almost every monster I came across by playing therapist, or at the very least run the hell away if that didn't work out. But... they're not like that here. At all.

"I tried, I really did, but I don't think most of the monsters here are sentient, and the ones that are smart care more about killing humans than anything else. And okay, that does describe a lot of the monsters in the Underground at least in my time there, but they had lives outside of that. The ones here just... don't, at least as far as I can tell, and if all I do is run away then people get hurt because they were relying on me to help them, or Papyrus gets stuck on his own... you know the first time I ever really fought here was against a goddamn serial killer. It was me, a few others, a completely defenseless airhead moogle, and him. There was nowhere to run, no way to get the moogle out, and I was one of the most offensively potent members in that party and I ended up having to actually fight him and it felt like shit even though I knew I was totally justified because all I could think about was all the other times I screwed up fighting and I still feel like that every time I go out to train to try and get over that icky feeling because even though I know there's not really another option if I want to protect people other than to fight I can't stop thinking about what I did to Asgore before I reloaded and how Lilac won't talk to me anymore and it sucks. It just... really really sucks."

They take a deep breath, realize they've been clenching their fists, and straighten. "Um. Sorry for dumping all that on you. It just... you know monsters back home like I do, and I know you hate me for not finding a way to spare the ones here and you probably also hate all my bullshit justifications about it. Sorry."

They're pretty much the different extremes, yeah

[4got10]

Crap.

As Frisk goes on, Chara's face softens. It wasn't often that Chara would feel guilt about questioning or doubting a human. But it was clear how sincere Frisk was. How well meaning they were. And a part of them can't help but feel bad at having dragged this out now, at hearing the situations they had been in.

It's clear, just how much like Shifty, Frisk wants to avoid harming anyone. That they had been forced to in ways they didn't want to, if by what they're saying in regards to Asgore is true - and pushing aside the tinge of pain Chara hear's at the idea of their father being hurt. Clear how much Frisk wants to get through without doing harm. How they'd been pushed to a wall. Chara doesn't want to imagine having to fight monsters here. But they already know that the monsters of the Underground aren't like monsters from other worlds, if the bug creature they ran into upon first awakening was any indication. Monsters could be dangerous, could be violent without provocation.

"Hey," Chara says, slowly reaching a hand to put on Frisk's shoulder. "Hey. I believe you partner. ...I know this place isn't like the Underground, and that actions here. There's not really a way to fix them if things go wrong. I know that if you could've sparred them, you would have."

"That sounds like a hell of a situation to have kicked things off here in, mirror. ...I respect you for putting your own feelings aside to defend them, too. The monsters we know, like Papyrus they're...well. They're a lot more delicate than we are, in a lot of ways. Thank you for trying to keep them safe."

Especially when you're not used to it, or want to. Chara may not want to, but if actual violence came about, they'd be used to it. At least from when humans were involved. They could do it, fall back into it. And most of the time, not feel guilt. At least not if it was humans. The monsters here will still take some getting used to.

"...You're not alone on that, either. If you need someone to help you watch out for Papyrus or others, I've got your back, partner."

[sassafrisk]

Frisk accepts Chara's comforting hand on their shoulder, almost limp while their mirror talks. God, why did Chara sound so... right, for lack of a better word? It was like they knew Frisk more than Frisk did, despite the fact that they've barely interacted with each other. Hell, Frisk felt like they knew Chara too sometimes. "Yeah... it's just..." They shake their head, putting on a wavering smile. "It's kinda frustrating that Talk no Jutsu isn't working even though I'm a ridiculous anime ninja. But, um, seriously. Thanks. That... actually means a lot to me. I know we barely know each other, but I'm glad you have my back, and I'll happily have yours OH MY GOD THAT WASN'T A FLIRTY THING I SWEAR" Frisk's eyes fly open, and they genuinely look embarrassed.

[4got10]

Chara has to stifle laughter at that. They weren't even thinking it until you mentioned it Frisk, but you did good on capsizing that bit because now they can't help it.

"You sure it wasn't, mirror?" they tease, "Seemed like a pretty eye-opening revelation to me."

It's somewhat amazing, how no matter the world or the name, Shifty or Frisk, they manage to so be the same person. This one might be a bit more talkative and flirty than the Shifty they knew, but they otherwise might have been the same person. Chara supposes they should be disoriented by it, but in truth it's comforting.

As for the rest, they take a breath before speaking.

"It's nothing, partner. This is still pretty disorienting, but I figure I'll pick this up pretty quickly. ...Some people, you just can't talk to. They won't give you the chance."

The pause a minute, wondering if they should even say the next part. In the end, what can it hurt. This place is too dangerous not to at least offer it.

"I dunno how many brawls you've seen, partner, but if you ever need any pointers, I can teach you some."

[sassafrisk]

Frisk shudders, the times that they fucked up while actually fighting back replaying in their heads with some rather unfortunate embellishments. "Yeah. Um, a fair few, actually. The problem lies in keeping my head while I'm on the right end of the pointy or bludgeony instrument, not when I'm on the wrong end. Trust me, I can handle myself just fine as long as I'm the defensive, but as soon as you put a weapon in my hands or even if I just start swinging back," they hiss through their teeth, wincing, "it isn't pretty. I can generally pull through if the situation's really bad, but half the time while training out in the fields I lose my nerve and run the hell away. The other half I spend ten minutes trying to calm down with Papyrus awkwardly patting my back after everything's over and there's monster blood all over my ninjatos and my uniform."

[4got10]

That's to be expected. Chara's pretty sure Frisk has avoiding and running if need be down pat if they're like Shifty, but probably little knowledge of actually putting up a fight.

That'll be a problem. ...It isn't fair to expect Frisk to have to put up a fight, but it does mean Chara might have to keep an eye out a bit more during fights to make sure Frisk is doing alright, at least until they get more used to it. Which, god, that's something they don't really want. Chara hesitates for a moment. Offering what they're about to could go really badly.

"There's a couple of things you could use, partner," they say, looking off to the side before looking back to Frisk. "First, you need to learn to...detach a bit more."

"Second? You could use a frequent sparring partner. I know you'd probably be hesitant to with Papyrus since you could hurt him, but I don't think you could hurt me partner."

[sassafrisk]

Frisk listens intently to Chara's advice. Admittedly, Papyrus wasn't really the best person to learn how to fight with even discounting the whole "might accidentally stab my best friend to death haha whoops" factor, as he didn't really have the knack either. Well, he did, it was just he always holds back the way Frisk does. Plus none of the jobs he was confident enough with to take into the field were conducive to one on one sparring.

"Yeah. I guess that tangling in the underground taught me the opposite of that, really: the key to winning was getting into my opponent's head and figuring out what made them tick, and that requires a lot of empathy. Which is, like, the exactly what I don't need to do if I ever want to fight back effectively." They shake their head, letting out a puff of air. "So I'll gladly take you up on that. Once you've got your stats up to snuff, at least, it'd just be plain unfair if I went at you the way I am now while you barely have a handle on your job, combat experience or not."

Think we're near wrap

[4got10]

"Part of that's still right," Chara says, hands shuffling in the pockets of the their hoodie. "You'll still be getting in their heads, partner. You're not empathizing when you do, though."

They smile a little. "That sounds like a challenge to me, partner. Give me til the start of next month. I'll be ready then."

Wrap!

[sassafrisk]

Frisk gives Chara a shaky smile. There was something vaguely reassuring about Chara's presence that they couldn't quite put a finger on, but was comforting regardless. "See you soon then... partner. Don't be a stranger." Giving Chara a wink, Frisk melts into the crowd once more, this time taking care to blend seamlessly into the herd of people to be even less conspicuous. Old habits die hard.