rekindleme | A Festival of Lights

A Festival of Lights

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

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?"

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.

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?"

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.

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?"

"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."

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."

Her eyes widen at the mention of a crystal city; maybe it shouldn't surprise her too much from living underground on Mars...But that doesn't stop her imagination from painting a vivid picture of something like her home planet, but with a lot more glitz and glimmer to it. The statement is almost as interesting as the word 'planet' which she really latches onto.

"So...You're not from Earth, either." Followed by M'gann freeing up a hand and tapping her forehead with it. Way to state the obvious, girl.

"A-anyway, I can sort of see why you might not like closed places?" She tries putting on a smile, and mostly succeeds in the effort.

He notices that look. It's not too surprising really; Crystal City is a wonder, though its truly inspiring qualities are more the intangible kind, rather than ones related to its construction.

"Not from Earth, no. Cybertron was my homeworld but it was lost to war long ago. We created Crystal City as a peaceful alternative." Wing smiles: obvious or not it's nice to hear someone say it without, well, baggage. "I take it you are not from Earth either?"

Wing is going to try and coax forth that fledgling smile if he can. There need to be more smiles in the world, starting here. "Being boxed in is not so fun no, for one of my stature or for one with wings." He chuckles softly, flashing his own smile. "And I can see why you would not be overly fond of fire." What with the way organic things burn and all.

It's of very small concern to him though, given the extremely high melting point of his armor. "Would lighting your candle from another candle help?"

"Do you think that would still count? There's not any rules that say I have to use a match on my candle in order to make a wish or send it floating?"

Because that would make things A LOT easier, and she does look hopeful about the possibility. "Oh, and before I forget," M'gann nods as she remembers the other question.

"No, I'm not from Earth either. Actually, I'm from Mars; guess the green skin sort of gives it away, huh?"

"Mars? Is that in the same system as Earth?" It's not familiar to Wing, but then it's likely on their star charts with a simple alpha-numeric label, the same as Theophany had been, particularly if the race wasn't exploring outside their own solar system yet. "I've never met anyone from Mars so I can't say it's a giveaway, but I will say I find it a nice change compared to the pale skinned humans."

Yes, yes, Wing is very white himself. But he also has very stylish red flashing and silver gray underplating thank you.

"And I think the candle is what's important, along with you taking the action to gift it with light. Choosing a means of doing so that fits you best I think quite appropriate!" He grins, because he finds that not only sensible but quite beautifully symbolic as well. Wing kneels then, settling comfortably on his heelplates and holds a hand out. "Might I make use of one of your matches then?"

"The same one!" She brightens up when she first hears that...But before she can launch into long waxing praise on why that means she's so lucky since Earth is the best place EVER, she catches the next part of what Wing says. She probably wouldn't need to try and hide that momentary wince over being compared to humans, if it was just that...But the 'pale skin' bit, that gives her heart a brief spike and an unwelcome twinge rush through her.

She'd like to hide from that sensation as soon and as easily as possible, so she doesn't hesitate to put a smile back on place and hand the matches over with a quick "Oh, s-sure! Go on ahead!"

He gets the sense he's said something, not wrong but also not right either. He's not so rude to openly pry though, as much as he's tempted. Instead, he offers a little distraction along the same topic. "Where I come from, armor deco runs the entire spectrum of colors. We can change it anytime we like with a good detailing, though most tend to settle on a specific theme or color scheme and that becomes their identity."

When you can be any color you choose, humanity's always on pale peach seems bland by comparison.

"Did you know my armor has an extremely high melting point? Over 3000 kelvin." He doesn't actually expect an answer as he sets his candle down and takes a match. No, actually it's just banter to act as a distraction from what Wing's about to do. What's more important than the banal statistics is the soothing cadence of his voice as he goes on.

Turning his hands slightly away, he gives M'gann a glance so she's prepared and can step back if she likes. It's a little comical, the small match pinched between two large metal fingers, his hands easily twice the size of hers, but that doesn't stop him from squeezing the matchhead between to fingers, giving them a flick the way a human would snap their fingers and watching it flare to life.

"Oh," she says at first, glancing down at her own green fingers and considering them. Choosing her own color identity, that does resonate in her.

"Are there..." She pauses, not fully sure if this is a question she wants to ask and risk stirring more memories of her own. After all, this is supposed to be a happy occasion, and how would the unpleasant parts of Earth's neighbor help with that? Still, the fact that they can choose their colors sticks in her mind, and pushes the some of her thoughts out of her mouth. "Are there some colors people like...Better than others?"

By the time she manages that, M'gann sees that the candle is lit. Right, deep breaths; she can manage this just fine, and hold her candle up towards the flame. He's just made it clear it can't hurt him, and she'll make sure it doesn't harm her; they should be fine.

Hopefully.

Wing's helm tilts as he considers her, waiting patiently for the question. He muses on it for a moment, before answering. "There's always personal preference, but there are two colors that have gained widespread meaning. When my people dissolved into civil war it was between two political factions. Each faction had a brand of a specific design and color, and any mech who joined these factions received and wore one of these colored brands. The brands and even the colors they were made of now stand for the values of those groups. Not all of them good, mind you."

In fact, some of them very, very bad. It's worthy of note that on Wing's shining white, red and gray frame there is not a brand in sight.

When Wing struck the match and lit his candle he might have been thinking well wishes for his friends and for the people here stuck in this place, but foremost on his mind was Deadlock. It's a common symptom of infatuation, though he's starting to think it's quite more than that...

But that's not the important part of this moment. M'gann is one of those people caught here, and he wants her safe and happy too. That's why he holds the candle on his end with hands so steady they could be part of a statue, smiling his encouragement as a small part of his wish comes true before his eyes.

She doesn't quite look all the way up with that answer, instead focusing on the flame. Maybe it leaves her shaky, but she can manage that and coach her attention to stay on the fire and how it's not hurting her; better than thinking about civil wars and strife on planets over colors, which hits closer to home than she'd like.

"Oh..." It's not much of a response either, as M'gann shakes her head. And the small "I'm...Sorry it's not good?" Doesn't do much either.

Wing knows that look of intense concentration, so his response is smooth, even toned, regardless of the obvious emotional content. "...no. That war destroyed our world. I refused to take part in it."

Normally he could pontificate for hours on the wrongness of the war and how the Autobots and Decepticons went about it. But not right now. Right Now is M'gann's moment and he'll help her see it through.

"You're doing beautifully," He reaches a hand around to lay it gently on her shoulder, slow and comforting so as not to startle her or break that concentration. "Let's go to the river bank now yes? That flame is tiny and needs your help. The wind will kill it if you go too fast." It's a reminder: she is in control and the flame's fate is in her hands.

Oh, does it ever take work not to flinch over what she's hearing. Again, it's mainly that flame that keeps M'gann's shoulders up; she doesn't want to draw herself in closer around that heat source, just as much as she doesn't want to react too badly to that information; this is supposed to be a festive time, right?

"Yes- I mean, yeah. I understand. About...Controlling it and keeping it safe." Though it is odd, as she glances down at the flame while she walks to the river bank; this thing that can hurt her so easily actually needs HER to survive now. And much as she'd like to move fast and resolve this quickly, Wing's advice keeps her moving at a more measured pace...Even if it's a little on the shaky side.

He rises and stays with her, using his larger mass to block any gusts of wind, his candle held in the opposite hand. The riverbank is not as crowded now, and even so, people tend to take note of his stature and make way for him anyway. Wing lets M'gann set pace though, his steps careful on the loose pebbles near the riverbank.

It's definitly a festive time and Wing need not drag out the details of his people's unfortunate past. Instead, it's a celebration here, or soon to be one, a small victory for M'gann over her fear. "Keep your wish in your heart when you release your candle downstream, your hope propels it." Better that than her worry over being injured. He wouldn't want the energies at work here to be confused.

"Okay. I can do that," her voice is hushed as she kneels down at the river's edge. M'gann's eyes, on the other hand, have a look of fierce concentration to them now that her goal is in sight. She submerges her hands in the waters, until the little candle and boat float free in the water. While she isn't sure if this is what's normally done, M'gann also gives the surrounding water the gentlest nudge to form a small current.

She keeps her eyes on the candle as it winds its way out into the river, and only lets her breath out and takes her hands out of the water when she sees it join the other dots of light.

"Thank you," she adds as she glances up at Wing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A Festival of Lights

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:D

>:D

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/tags despite today's angst HA! I shall not be defeated!

/GO YOU!

/FLEX

:D

/clings here

/pat

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