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

[peninhand]

"It... It's gonna be long so bear with me, okay?" She smiled sweetly and turned to look at Ena. "Do you remember my memory? I thought you were someone else— Someone I loved yet had never even seen or spoken with before. Of course, now I know what I felt wasn't love but desperation. My conception of love was so messed up..."

She had already explained her the whole situation with the player, so she didn't have to explain that part in detail. But she wanted to be honest. No lies, no half-truths.

"Quite a few people got entangled in my memory. Some, I thought they were the player. Others, I was terrible to... And then it ended thanks to you." She marked a pause. "When we came back though, something strange happened. The emotions I had experienced in the Dream Width... They didn't go away."

That was it, no turning back now. She took a deep breath.

"You know that fuzzy feeling when you wake up from an amazing dream? You just want to close your eyes and get right back into it. But time passes and you forget about it entirely. That's how I felt... And I figured after a bit of time, it'd all be over. ... No. The emotions didn't go away. And I felt them toward multiple people. That is so wrong, something must be wrong with me. So I resolved to keep quiet."

"But then... I saw your post on Mognet. And when I realized you'd have to leave soon... It hurt." She looked down. "It hurt so much I wanted to scream. It hurt so much I wanted to cry. It was different from anything I had ever felt before. I contacted you and spoke as if I was doing fine, but I was devastated. Those emotions, I had never felt them toward anyone else. And so I decided I had to do something."

She finally stopped. She wasn't done yet, she actually had to go ahead with the proper confession. But she needed a pause.

[rivieran]

Ena nods in response to Monika's first question, and just lets her speak.

She remembers the memory quite clearly. The emptiness, Monika's desperation, the most person-to-person contact she had in a long while... It was quite different from the other ones she happened to fall into, so it left quite an impression. Not to mention that it was her own housemate's memory, too.

But it was sounding like the whole thing had a much stronger impact on her than Ena.

She stands up straight from the railing on the porch and turns to look at Monika, towering over the girl. She could see the distress on her face, occasionally illuminated by the distant fireworks. Something in the pit of her stomach made her feel...uneasy, and she felt light-headed.

She'd read enough novels to know what was coming.

"Monika..."

[peninhand]

Deep breath. Here went nothing.

"... I have a confession to make, Ena. I know you're a princess. I shouldn't do this, but—"

She forced a natural smile on her lips, putting herself together to look as confident as possible. Even if she wasn't at all.

"I am in love with you." She stared right into her eyes. "You are the light in my life. When I question the reality of this world, thinking about you ease my worries. Whenever I see you, all my doubts fly away and I find myself smiling."

She was going to conclude with 'Do you accept my confession' or 'Will you go out with me,' but that was too cheesy. Probably due to what sort of media she originated for. Now all she could do was hoping.

[rivieran]

Oh no.

When she heard it, it felt like something stung her. Ena blinked, her brows slowly drawing upward in anxiety.

The only other person to ever tell her they loved her was her brother. And her mother, too, but that was ages ago. She remembered what the familial love felt like when their family had been whole, and she clearly remembered the adoration she felt for her brother. That was the love she knew.

But this was different.

This was the kind she'd read about in books, the storylines that acted as the basis for playwrights' performances. This was the kind of love that adolescents dreamed about, and hoped to one day experience for themselves. The fireworks softly illuminating Monika's profile, the sweet summer air, the two of them alone... It made for the perfect setting, really. One that any dramatic writer would construct.

But the worst part was, Ena didn't feel anything. Well, that was wrong - she felt flattered. She felt nervous, she felt worried for her housemate, she felt concerned that she might hurt the other girl, and a slight twinge of jealousy that she felt the same towards other people. But not romantic love.

"Monika, I..." she gulped. "I don't know what to say."

1/2

[peninhand]

I don't know what to say. The words hit like a punch. She didn't need to say more, really. That was the kind and polite way of saying "I don't love you."

Was she so terrible and unlovable? Had she said and done something wrong? The player had deleted her, Ena had rejected her... Perhaps that was why she had been a side character in the game. Had Monika still been in her old mindset, that wouldn't have been the end of it, she'd have tried gaining her affection in a number of other ways.

But now? She wouldn't. Love... That meant accepting the choice of the one you love, even if that means they'll never love you. That was all she could cling onto now.

There was barely a split second for Ena to see how utterly devastated Monika looked before she put her facade back on.

2/2

[peninhand]

"Ahaha!"

Monika smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened. Of course, this was all fake. But as far as fake smiles were concerned, hers was probably close enough to a genuine smile that it would be next to impossible to see she was faking it. Of, she wanted to cry and scream, but she would do so in an isolated place after she'd be done here.

"Well, you know what they say. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

The way she spoke, it was as if they were having the most casual discussion in the world, as if what had just happened had had no effects on her. She had carefully practiced what to do in case of rejection and she planned to play her part with perfection. If only for Ena's sake, so she wouldn't have to feel awful about all of this.

"Gosh, you must feel so uncomfortable. Sorry, I just really needed to get this off my chest. Even though you don't love me, I feel better now. It was probably like I said, a side effect of the Dream Width."

[rivieran]

The sudden switch from devastation to bright smile just unnerved Ena even more, and she could feel her heart sink. The devastated look was the one she was expecting, not the smile. And for some reason that made her feel...worse. Even though it was just the same smile she'd seen Monika make countless times before in actual happy situations.

Ena let go of the porch railing to clasp her hands together. "No, Monika..." She felt awful. And listening to her talk about it being a "side effect" or just treating it like she needed to "get it off her chest" in consideration of how Ena felt made her feel worse. Because as far as she was concerned, this wasn't about her. "You don't have to do this..."

[peninhand]

"You know, I'd be lying if I said I'm not disappointed. I was hoping that maybe you'd share my feelings..."

Why did she have to feel awful and try to comfort her? All Monika wanted to do was run away and find a spot where she could cry all night long, and it was getting harder and harder to maintain the facade. Still she smiled, though she did allow a hint of sadness to show through.

"But that's not the end of the world, you know?" She shook her head. "Love, that's not something you can force out of people. If you don't love me, there's no point in persisting."

She marked a pause and looked away from Ena, back at the fireworks.

"I want you to be happy. I really do. You told me the truth and to me, that's more precious than a lie you'd have made up to keep me in my self-made illusion. So don't feel bad, alright? Right now, that's what would make me the happiest."

[rivieran]

Ena mirrored Monika and in turn looked towards the fireworks. They seemed much more muted right now, for some reason. The thoughts in her head and her heart pounding in her ears were more overwhelming.

Her first instinct was to shut it all down, but after a couple of heart-to-hearts with someone she could now call a friend, she knew that being honest at this point was probably for the best.

"You know..." she began slowly. "I'm still sad that I'm leaving the house at the Curti Center. I was unsure and upset at first, but I'm very glad to have roomed with you, Monika. You're sweet and considerate, and what I saw of your home environment doesn't change my opinion. You absolutely deserve the best.

"I can't help but feel bad for not returning the feelings, but you're right. It's probably for the better that I'm completely honest. So please, I know it may be a tall order right now, but don't beat yourself up too much over this. I hate to see you upset, and knowing that I did it makes it even harder for me to handle." A small wry smile appears on her face. "But if you do tell any of the others how you feel and they reciprocate, know that you have my full support. Okay?"

[peninhand]

Upon hearing the "you know," for a second Monika's hopes were rekindled. Perhaps she hadn't interpreted her meaning correctly...? But no. She was obviously clinging onto any thread of hope she could see.

And as Ena mentioned her departure from the Curti Center... Well, Monika was glad she couldn't see her face. If things had been going according to plan, Monika had planned to offer her to get a house together in Myste Aura. She had already imagined just what kind of house they could have the finance for together and how they could have decorated it, lived in it... But that had been only a dream, hadn't it...?

With the dream gone, the wisest thing to do was to put as much distance as possible between them. That was her thought process, anyway.

"I..." A pause. "I've been thinking of trying to apply for a job at the Great McGard Library, so we probably won't see each other very often any more. But it was nice while it lasted." And the others... Ah, she wasn't even thinking about them any more at this point. "I don't think I'll confess to them. I confessed to you for a reason, you know." She laughed. "My feelings for them were already fading... And the same will probably happen for yours now."

Finally, she stepped back and turned away from Ena. She turned her head to smile at her.

"I'm gonna go closer to the castle, I'd like to get a better look at those fireworks." Of course she actually wanted to find a place to be alone at, but she wouldn't mention it. "You probably should go back to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"