A Festival of Lights

[rekindlemods]

Who: Everyone Where: The stable areas of Saeng Seong - mostly in the third district When: 24th July to 31st July Summary: The residents of Saeng Seong are celebrating their annual summer festival, and the offworlders are invited to take part! Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. SOME NPC RESPONSES WILL BE SLOW UNTIL THE ONE WHO PLAYS THEM IS PRESENT. It's time to celebrate, to celebrate, to celebrate... There's been a general sense of excitement among the natives of Saeng Seong for the past week or so, now; anyone who's stopped to question them about it (or has been close enough to hear them discussing it amongst themselves) will hear mentions of "the festival." On the 24th, what they're talking about becomes clear. Each year, the residents of the city come together to celebrate the summer. Setting the festival up is an all-day affair; taking part in the festival's events will make for an entertaining week; and tearing down the booths and decorations is another extensive process. But in the end, the residents usually agree that it's worth it, and this year they would like for their would-be saviors to take part. July 24th On the 24th, the characters will notice that most of the city natives are moving about with a general purpose; they will find that in the Second District, in the very plaza where they all arrived, a committee of sorts is organizing volunteers and assigning them to different tasks in different parts of the open districts. The committee needs people to help with preparing and placing decorations all over the city; paper lanterns, twinkling strands of lights, and garlands of flowers, though they'll note that the flora is fake. They also need people to set up tables, chairs, and makeshift stages at the riverbanks in the first and second districts, as well as to help redo the outdoor marketplace to make it more accommodating for booths hosting festival foods, games, and trinkets for purchase. Physically stronger characters may be asked to assist with setting up carnival rides in the free spaces - everything from a towering Ferris wheel to a carousel to bumper cars, and many others besides. During this time, characters can also volunteer to man the booths on certain days, if they have anything they would like to contribute or would like to assist with anything. Characters who take part in the setup will be awarded with five vouchers, good for use during the festival. These vouchers can be used for the purchase of food, admittance to rides, or to allow them to play some of the games for free. July 25th The festival begins early morning on the 25th - that is, the booths are open and ready for business, selling all manner of street food - crepes, kabobs, funnel cake, shaved ice, almost anything you can imagine - along with a wide variety of other things for purchase, like one-of-a-kind clothing, hats, scarves, and the like, as well as jewelry and other trinkets. There are also booths where you can get your face painted, where you can have your fortune told, and all sorts of other activities. There are also the games. Standard festival stuff: Knock down a milk bottle, win a prize. Throw a dart and pop the right balloon, get a prize. You can play a game to catch and take home a goldfish, if you like, or try your luck at any of the other games that are interspersed with the other booths. These booths will be operating all throughout the festival, until the closing ceremony on the 30th. The opening ceremony doesn't actually take place until sunset, despite the fact that the booths have been operating all day. It's a simple ceremony, set at the riverside, with a speech about how summertime begets togetherness and how everyone should be thankful for the opportunities they've been given. All in all, it may be a little boring for characters with shorter attention spans. However, at the end of it, everyone lights a candle, makes a wish, and sets it adrift on the river once the sun has gone down entirely; the flickering candles will drift around the river all throughout the festival, and they never seem to burn down. July 26th The rides and games are going on full-force outside from the time the sun comes up, but in the afternoon characters will find that it's not as crowded as the day before. That's because there's dancing going on in the convention center - the afternoon is full of traditional group dances, the kind that are easy to learn the steps for and join in on; the natives will be especially delighted if their visitors teach them some of the dances from their home. In the evening, it is not quite so energetic, though the dancing doesn't end. The songs slowly fade into slower, perhaps more romantic tunes, and the final dance will end precisely at midnight. There will be refreshments available for free in the convention center during the dances, though not anything so filling as what characters will be able to purchase from the booths outside - mostly water, lemonade, cheese, and crackers. There is also a bar where specialty drinks and foods may be purchased. July 27th This day's special event happens after dark, though it's easy to see the preparations for it happening in the plaza where all the characters arrived - when the sun sets, a massive bonfire is lit, and many people gather, some with benches, to bask in the firelight. Some even write down the things they'd like to accomplish during the rest of the year onto slips of paper and cast them into the flames, in the hopes that the smoke will carry their wishes into the heavens. Others gather around to toast s'mores and chat. Still others continue the dancing from the night before - off to the side to begin with, though as the night wears on they may expand into a bigger dance that will involve large groups of people circling around the fire in spirals. Even away from the plaza, there are blazing lanterns throughout the city, and some smaller bonfires crop up in areas where it's not likely that anything important will catch fire. July 28th This day's festivities begin early on. The morning and early afternoon are devoted to a cooking contest - there are categories for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and a winner for each - that both residents and visitors alike can take part in. Characters who cook delicacies from their own worlds may find the natives crowding them and asking for information about the dishes, and recipes to try on their own. The late afternoon also has to do with food, and the characters are once again invited to take part in a variety of eating contests. There are your standard hot dog, watermelon, and pie-eating contests, as well as many others - the more daring may find themselves taking part in a contest where contestants are blindfolded and made to eat as much of rather... interesting concoctions as they can. Characters who take part are given a voucher for use at any of the booths or rides in the festival; winners are given additional prizes. The winners of the cooking contest are determined ICly by character vote, so if there's a dish they especially love, make sure to mention that they'd vote for it so a tally can be kept! Winners of the eating contests are determined by RNG after all participants have been confirmed, with characters that have a canonical advantage (IE Maya Fey and her "separate stomachs") having more than one number that would lead to their win. Be sure to note such advantages while having your character take part. July 29th The extra activities on this day include showing off your physical prowess and your ability to cooperate with others. On foot, there are three-legged races; pick a partner and try not to fall as you make your way to the finish line! There are also relay races - in teams of four - and you'll want to pick your teammates' positions well to ensure maximum speed. These races will take place multiple times during the day. There are some other events to take part in as well: Thumb-wrestling tournaments, arm-wrestling tournaments, and outright wrestling tournaments. At the end of the day, there will be a massive tug-of-war. Everyone who's mingling around and wants to take part will be sorted into one team or another, and then the two teams will face off. Participants will receive festival vouchers; winners will receive additional prizes. July 30th The last day of the festival continues on like normal - the rides and booths are all operating, at least until the start of the closing ceremony that begins midafternoon and continues until the sun goes down. Winners of the various contests are once again recognized, the people who made the events a success are thanked, and the speech ends with a wish for pleasant experiences throughout the rest of the year. The ceremony is timed such that there will be about twenty minutes for everyone to position themselves where they would like to be by the time fireworks begin being set off from a barge floating on the river between the second and third districts. There will be spaces on the riverbanks for people to watch from, though they can most certainly be seen from any other vantage point a character might like to try watching from, should they want to avoid the crowds. July 31st This day is a blur of activity as well, though not as fun as the past few days. The residents of the city are packing everything away and taking down the decorations, and they could use a little help if the characters are so inclined. Characters who assist with the teardown will be rewarded with leftovers from the festival - plush prizes, food, maybe even some little trinkets characters have had their eyes on that haven't sold. No one's getting any fireworks, however. Feel free to put up your own top-level comments, but be sure to put when and where the action is happening in the subject line!

Comments

Wing | Open

[winged_knight]

Helping setup had been like a preview, but it really hadn't prepared Wing for the full effect of the festival. He'd wandered around throughout the day and taken in all the sights, a myriad of booths for games, food and wares most of which he'd never seen before. The opening ceremony though, that really catches his attention. The crowd forming near the riverbank was curious enough, and that little speech quite quaint, but watching all the people pick up the little candles, tiny flickering spirits of light they put their wishes and desires into, and then release down the river, that's absolutely enchanting to him.

So Wing is there amidst the festivities, slightly out of the way, unlit candle resting in his metal palm looking quite tiny, a small vessel for his own wish that he hasn't even decided on yet. He's nearly forgotten about it for the moment, given his expression, his face aglow with just the gold of his optics and wonder within them.

So many people from different worlds and walks life, all brought together by hope. Each is different: the way they handle their candle, the way they light it, they way they whisper their wish to it or keep it within themselves. Some seem to debate for a long time over their wish and others know it without any hesitation at all. And though Wing can't offer any help with the wishing part, he is willing and watchful for those that need help lighting their candle at least.

For his part in regards to wishes, it's the usual quandary. Asking for something for himself seems selfish, shouldn't he wish for other's happiness? Of course, the happier he is, the easier it is for him to bring happiness to others. It's almost a philosophical challenge, coming up with a wish that accomplishes both. If Axe were here, the senior knight would chide Wing for over-thinking things, and tell him to listen to his spark. But what his spark wants right now definitely is selfish. That thought makes Wing look up, glancing around the crowd for the object of his affection. He rather doubts this kind of thing would make Deadlock happy; nothing in this place seemed to.

The knight smiles then, because that's when inspiration strikes. "Yes, that's just the thing..." he whispers. Maybe it's time to light his candle and send his own little wish down the river.

Re: Wing | Open

[beforetights]

"Hey, Sir Wing!"

Cu Chulainn is clambering up the robot's foot.

"What's your wish gonna be?"

arg my tag got eaten earlier. ;w;

[winged_knight]

Wing is pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the child's call and the warm presence against his leg.

"Well hello lad!" The elder knight greets the child warmly, lowering comfortably to the ground so he can talk more easily. And well, be climbed on, since that's a thing young ones do and he finds he likes it very much.

"My wish?" He smiles a little shyly, "Oh, it's a secret. But I'll tell you if you keep it safe." He gives a conspiratorial wink; he doesn't know how good children are at keeping secrets, but even if it slips out it's might not be such a bad thing.

[beforetights]

He nods eagerly.

"I can keep a secret! I promise!"

[winged_knight]

He pauses a moment, feeling maybe a little bit silly, giddy, at his choice for a wish.

"I want to wish for people's happiness, but most of all I want to wish for Deadlock's. And...that I might find a way to bring it him." If he could blush a little, he would, but as it is his faceplates heat a little.

[beforetights]

Cu Chulainn giggles.

"Sir Deadlock is very lucky, then. He has someone like you wishing for his happiness."

He thumbs his own candle.

"I don't have a wish. I guess I can wish for my friends to be happy too, but I have too many. I can't just wish for one person to be happy."

[winged_knight]

"I don't know that he agrees about the being lucky part, but then he doesn't need to I suppose."

It's true he wants the other mech, in more ways than one, but at the heart of things he wants Deadlock to find the true path to his desires. The Decepticon's wish for freedom would never be fulfilled while fighting for Megatron.

"No wish hmm? It's certainly noble to wish for their happiness, but choosing just one over the others is difficult yes. You could wish for their safety or success instead? Or choose whomever you think will be most able to benefit others and spread the effects of your wish?" Clearly Wing's thought about this wishing thing a great deal.

[beforetights]

"Hm...well, Sir Deadlock is fighting for freedom, so he should be the one who can benefit the others the most? Especially if he cheers up?"

But at the same time, he's sure he can get Deadlock to cheer up without wasting a wish.

"But you've already wished for that."

[winged_knight]

He smiles. "I think that's quite right." Wing wishes he could say the same, but Deadlock has thus far been impervious to his cheer-making attempts.

"True." He ponders a moment. "You could wish for the ability to help him fight for freedom?"

But wait, there's the whole Decepticon angle in there still... Is that a good idea?

Wing | Open

[smallspot]

Not that far from Wing stands a familiar dark-haired boy. He's holding his lit candle in his hands; its flickering flame making his golden eyes shine even more than usual. It hasn't been hard for Diarmuid to decide on his wish. Being selfish never even enters his mind. He wants everyone to be safe here until they go can go home and then he hopes that the people who brought them here won't ever have problems like this again...

Okay...so maybe he is just a little selfish because part of his wish is that his friend Legolas is okay wherever he is. The boy hasn't seen the elf for a long time and he worries for him. Is he just busy? Is he exploring somewhere? Did he somehow get sent home before everyone else? The answer doesn't really matter as long as he is okay.

Diarmuid does miss seeing his friend a lot. He almost wishes for him to come back, but that is selfish and so he stops himself at just wanting the elf to be happy wherever he is.

Now, he is ready to put his candle into the river, but there is one problem. He can't swim and is afraid to get too close to the water since his father has warned him many times how dangerous it can be. Diarmuid is so caught up in trying to figure out a solution to his problem that he doesn't even notice an answer is not that far away...

Wing | Open

[winged_knight]

Auron's title of Guardian for those that had taken to looking after Diarmuid stuck with Wing, and he was pleased to consider himself such. That's why he's been keeping an eye open for the boy whenever he's about, wanting to be that guardian without smothering the child overly much.

So then that he sees the young one's hesitation at the river bank, just as Wing expects him to approach and let his candle loose. The knight gives the child a few moments to overcome whatever it is on his own, then he steps forward. "Your candle is not eager to set sail?" He asks with a small smile.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid pulls his eyes away from his candle and smiles at Wing, "Hello Lord Wing! I didn't see you there!"

How one misses a giant robot is anyone's guess.

"It wants to go, but I can't go near the water," his eyes shift from Wing to the river. "I don't know how to swim and father says water is very dangerous when you don't know how to swim. He was going to teach me, but I got brought here before he could."

[winged_knight]

The little knight is clearly quite focused on his purpose, not a bad thing at all.

"Would you like me to watch over you as you go to the river's edge? I won't let anything bad happen." Wing can't really offer help with swimming lessons, given his method of traveling in water does not exactly translate, but he can at least play lifeguard. "You must start someday yes?"

[smallspot]

Diarmuid gives him a look that is part hopeful and part worried. It's not that he doesn't trust Wing, it's just that his father, who was not usually strict at all, had been very strict about this. He has to stay away from the water until he can either swim or until someone who can is able to hold his hand while he is close.

Unfortunately, Wing is a little too big to hold his hand...

"Do you promise, Lord Wing? I don't want my father to be mad at me. You will catch me if I fall, right?"

[winged_knight]

The look on the child's face touches his spark in a way that Wing can't quite describe. It makes the knight want to help him even more, but he realizes this is something that Diarmuid should do on his own. It's not the same, both the trial and the symbolism, if Wing does it for him.

He's tempted to wade into the river just to be where to easily catch the lad should he fall, but that would disrupt all the other candles floating on the surface. Bit it gives him an idea.

"Hmmm," He shifts forward, dipping a foot gently into the water at the edge of the shore. It doesn't sink terribly far, being part of the shallows. "It looks like the deeper part is further out. If you do fall, I imagine you'll be able to save yourself."

He smiles reassuringly, "But yes, you have my word that I will be here, in arm's reach, to catch you should you fall towards danger. On my spark." He touches a hand to his upper chestplates, over his spark chamber.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid looks out at the water when Wing points out, then back at him when he gestures to himself, "Father says even shallow water can be tricky, but I trust you Lord Wing! You are a knight and knights don't lie!"

The boy turns back to the water and after a moment and a nod to set himself, he carefully walks up to the river bank. Diarmuid leans down to whisper something to the candle before setting it adrift on the water. He stands there and watches it for a few moments, before moving back to safety away from the water's edge.

"I did it! Yay! Journey well Wish Candle!" Diarmuid waves at the candle before turning back to Wing with a big smile. "Thank you!"

[winged_knight]

Wing watches, not quite breathless, as Diarmuid faces this trial. It is perhaps a small thing, but for a small boy the trial looms bigger any he's faced. Still, he masters it well, with no need of help from Wing, and all while staying true to his promise to his father.

"Well done!" He beams at Diarmuid, waving the candle off on its journey. "You're welcome, but really, you did all the work Diarmuid, I just stood here watching and put faith in you."

[littlewhitelies]

Speaking of people who need help...It's not that M'gann lacks for wishes; she has plenty, such as 'please let my friends be okay' and 'I want to fit in better with people' being near the top of the list, plus a score of others.

But...There's this slight hitch with lighting her candle and setting it down the river. Namely that match she holds in a shaking pair of fingers. M'gann knows that when it's lit, it will be a tiny, fingertip of a flame. But the fact remains that it's fire and the knowledge that she's making it is like knowing she's about to grab onto a knife. It's knowing about the potential for damage that leaves her shaky, and giving her candle a worried, slightly lost look.

:D

[winged_knight]

Customs and behaviors may vary from species to species, but some things are universal. The shaking of body parts? Usually a sign of distress.

Distress has no place in this hopeful little ceremony Wing's decided, so he's looking to alleviate any that he finds. That's why he doesn't hesitate to approach the young lady who seems to be having trouble with her candle, even though he usually maintains to a careful and respectful distance from organics, knowing that he can be unsettling to some.

Hopefully the knight's kind demeanour and willingness to offer help will bridge that gap. "Miss," he says gently, "Would you like some assistance?"

>:D

[littlewhitelies]

She speaks before fully turning around and noticing who she's talking to; really the only thing she's aware of at first is that A) the voice is coming from a few feet above her and B) that he sounds nice enough...Even if she is embarrassed over the whole mildly unnerved by matches thing.

"Oh...Well, maybe? I guess that actually lighting this is harder than I thought-"

That's as far as she gets before actually looking at who this is. The first thing she takes in is that white color and the hard angular shapes, which is enough to throw her heartbeat out of any calm order it might have been in. The dark shadows only makes that first impression worse, and M'gann is already tensing for a desperate leap into the air...Until she realizes that there isn't any telepathic nudging or hailing going on; her head is still silent.

"S-sorry," she's able to rasp out. "Little...Little jumpy." Though she'd sooner not say WHY.

[winged_knight]

Wing is an expert martial combatant with centuries worth of training. Reading body language comes naturally at this point, and the fight-or-flight reflex is also something of a universal thing. He sees her tense and it triggers a little dismay in his own posture.

"I'm sorry, if I startled you." Great metal hands the color of charcoal come out in front of him, open in a peaceful gesture, empty of weapons, his face donning a smile that exudes a calm sort of patience. "It's not an uncommon reaction, don't worry I'm not offended. Please, call me Wing."

His helm tilts curiously, noting the green skin. He doesn't know the full range of variables in human appearance but this one seems to be new. That or she is something else entirely. "I take it you are a 'Guest' here like myself?"

[littlewhitelies]

Right, she can pick out the metal edges now...And somehow, that's a lot more comforting than seeing white flesh. It's just a robot. A big, ten foot, talking robot. She can actually deal with that a lot better than the alternative her mind first jumped to.

"Yeah; I've been here for about a month or so, now?" She offers, breathing out and getting some composure and balance back in place. "Oh! And I'm M'gann. M'gann M'orzz. First time having a festival like this, too." She glances back to the unlit candle in her hands, still waiting for her to pluck up her courage and try lighting it again.

[winged_knight]

It would be interesting to hear that there's something more shocking than his large robot-self, but Wing would be too polite to ask even if he had more than a faint clue. Regardless though, he feels better when she calms, the pinions flanking his shoulder nacelles lifting again as his mood brightens.

"M'gann M'orzz," He says it, tasting the strange syllables and committing them to memory. Then cheerily he adds, "Well met. I've been here about the same time, it's...definitely an interesting predicament they have here. I do like their traditions though. We have festivals at home but not themed like this."

He regards her candle, cradled gently in both hands as if careful not to spill the wish out of it before it can be set free down the river. His helm tilts, "Your candle, does it refuse the light?"

[littlewhitelies]

"Your home is-?" Much as she'd like to pursue that line of conversation, M'gann can't ignore the question. Or what she's still holding. She gives a helpless roll of the shoulders and a nervous laugh, glancing down at the candle.

"Well...No, not exactly. I just have a hard time with high temperatures. Y-you know; fires, open flames...Or matches or candles. It's kind of...Difficult for me to handle well." She swallows, shaking her head and feeling awkward. "It's not a phobia or anything but it's not comfortable, either."

[winged_knight]

He's about to say Theophany--it's so easy to share with the people here--but he corrects himself. Even if the chances were slim of the information proving significant to anyone, he dare not reveal the planet's name or location. "Crystal City," he says instead, "It's on a remote colony world far from my home planet."

He could talk about his homeworld Cybertron, but that never had a happy context. Besides, there's a more important subject at hand.

Wing gives a patient but knowing smile. "Ah, yes. I understand this. Often the greatest challenges we face are the ones that exist within us, because we carry them with us everywhere." He nods, leaning a little closer as if imparting a confidence, "I am not fond of close spaces myself."