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

Re: Bonfire

[beforetights]

[Now this was a custom Cu Chulainn recognized. Cu Chulainn is quick to join in the circle dance around the bonfire. He giggles as he watches the tongues of flame curl into the sky.]

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid isn't too surprise when he finds his friend dancing around the fire. Honestly, he's surprised--and pretty happy--to find the adventurous boy someplace else other than in the fire.

The dark-haired boy waves as his friend circles around. He will join the dance soon, but he doesn't want to quite yet. Instead, each time his friend comes close enough to see him, he giggles and makes a face at Cu Chulainn.]

[beforetights]

[Cu Chulainn giggles and makes faces back at his friend. On one of the circles, he calls out toward the other boy.]

Come and dance with us, Diarmuid!

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid laughs and makes another face at his friend.]

Maybe I want to see if you get dizzy first!

[beforetights]

I'm a hero! Heroes don't get dizzy!

[Though he might change his tune after a few more loops...]

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid rocks back and forth on his heels.]

I bet heroes can get dizzy too! If you want to prove to me they don't go around the fire 20 more times and don't get dizzy!

[beforetights]

That's a deal! Just watch me!

[And then the dance makes another round.]

See? That's one circle!

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid giggles and holds out one finger.]

That is one! You have nine and ten to go!

[He's going to get dizzy. Diarmuid just knows it.]

[beforetights]

[And then there's another circle.]

I'm still fine! See?

[smallspot]

Yes, but there is still 8 and 10 to go! But if you make it to 5 and 10, I will come and join you!

[Diarmuid doesn't really want to be left out of the fun, after all. Even if he might end up dizzy.]

[beforetights]

You just watch.

[Yet another circle. This time he has to shakes his head when he stops because he's feeling a little dizzy. However, he grins like nothing is wrong when he looks up at Diarmuid.]

[smallspot]

[His friend might hide that he is getting dizzy, but Diarmuid doesn't miss him shaking his head. He giggles.]

I think someone's getting dizzy!

[There is certainly not a sing-song quality to his voice as he speaks. Not at all.]

[beforetights]

No I'm not!

[He sticks his tongue out at Diarmuid.]

[driftlock]

[Great. The blue-haired weirdo pops into Deadlock's visual field as the line of dancers approaches.]

[He snorts.]

You look happy.

[Ew.]

[beforetights]

Because it's a fun dance! You should dance too, Mr. Deadlock!

[driftlock]

I don't dance.

[Decepticons don't dance. They are like the anti-fun brigade.]

[beforetights]

Why not? If you don't know how to, I can teach you.

[driftlock]

It's not that I don't know. It's that it's...I don't know. What's the point?

[beforetights]

So you can have fun. That's the best point.

[driftlock]

Fun. What's the fraggin' point of fun?

[DEEP QUESTIONS.]

[beforetights]

...Fun is fun.

[DEEP ANSWERS.]

they are such a beautiful pair i can't even

[driftlock]

Hrn. Look. It doesn't get you any stronger, or get you food, or anything. It's pointless.

I know it's too cute

[beforetights]

But it does get me stronger. I'm stronger when I'm having fun.

[driftlock]

How the frag does that work?

[There's a flicker of interest. He's definitely interested in being stronger. Fun....not so much.]

[beforetights]

Come find out.

[At this point, he has to go in another circle around the fire.]