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

[He makes the dog "bark" and shield its eyes.]

He says he won't do it anymore. He doesn't like it when you get mad.

Yay! Because I am sooooo scary when I am mad!

[Diarmuid holds the swan in front of his face and shakes it in what could be considered a threatening manner if it wasn't so cute and he wasn't giggling. He then lets it drop.]

I don't like being scary or mad.

I don't like it either.

[His expression becomes a little serious.]

I like it better when both of us are being ourselves.

[Diarmuid nods, setting his swan down and looking back to the pile of toys.]

Yes, I like that better too! Hey, look! Here is another swan!

[He pulls out a swan identical to the one he already has and sets it next to his.]

Look! I have one for Mother Caer and one for Father. Now, they won't get lonely! Should we find a friend for your doggie so he won't get lonely when you are out playing?

Maybe, he'd be happy if he had a friend.

[A pause.]

Should we find a baby swan so it can be you?

A baby swan or some kind of baby bird. That would be me!

[Diarmuid moves over on the counter and pats the spot next to him.]

Come here so you can help me look too! I don't know what your doggie wants as a friend.

Hm...

[He looks down before, at the assorted stuffed animals. There's fewer than before, when the festival was in full swing, but there's still too many for a little boy like Cu Chulainn to choose from. Finally, after spending a long time deliberating, he pick up a nice and round pig doll.]

Look, I can use this as a pillow!

[He lies down on the counter, putting his head on top of the pig doll.]

A piggie pillow! A piggie pillow!

[Diarmuid giggles.]

It goes well with your doggie familiar! Is it comfortable?

Oh yes, it is!

[He gets up and pats the pillow.]

Why don't you try it out too?

Okay! If you don't mind.

[Diarmuid carefully makes his way over to the 'pillow' and lays down to try it out.]

It's very soft! You will have good dreams while you sleep on it.

You will too! I'll share it with you.

[Too bad it's not big enough for both of them to lie on at the same time.

Thank you! I don't think it's big enough for both of us. You take good care of him. My swans will make sure I have good dreams!

[Diarmuid pats the swans on the head before turning back to the pile of toys.]

Maybe I can find one for me too? Or at least a baby birdie to go with my big ones!

Mm, I'll help you look.

[He starts digging around for either another pig or a smaller bird.]

Thank you!

[Diarmuid digs around in the pile for a while but nothing really catches his eye. He's about to give up when he notices something that has fallen under the counter. Carefully, he crawls down and pulls out a slightly dirty little gray-brown bird. The boy looks at it and giggles before holding it out to his friend.]

I was hiding!

[Cu Chulainn sneezes once or twice from the dust stirred up. He then reaches to pet the little bird toy.]

You're so silly, playing hide and seek with your family.

[He holds up his own pig and dog.]

Say hi to your friends!

[Diarmuid sings a few trilling notes that sound quite a bit like a young bird might.]

He says hello and that he is honored to meet you!

Hooray! Let me show him how honored I am.

[He walks his little dog toy over and makes a motion that makes it seem like the dog is licking the bird.]

[Diarmuid's bird can't lick back, but he does hop it up and down in place and then sings a few trilling notes.]

He is very happy you are so honored! He likes being friends with you!

And I'll like being friends with you too. I really like your singing. No wonder you're a song bird.

[Diarmuid blushes slightly in embarrassment at the praise.]

Thank you. If you think I am good, you should hear my father. He's really good! One time he and Mother Caer sang such a pretty song that everyone went to sleep for three whole days!

Really?

[His mouth drops open in amazement.]

But I think I'd prefer your singing anyways. I don't wanna sleep for three days! That's a lot of time.

It is! I wouldn't want to sleep for that long, but everyone woke up feeling the most rested and refreshed they had ever been father says. That is why they weren't mad!

[Diarmuid giggles.]

I suppose I would feel that way too if I slept for three days. I don't think I will ever be a good as father is so we don't have to worry.

[He nods.]

Hey, you should sing for me again. And I can dance for you.

[He grabs his new toys.]

Or, rather, I'll dance for you.

Yay! Lets take everyone outside and they can watch us!

[Diarmuid leans up on his tiptoes and grabs his swans, then motions for his friend to follow him out of the booth. Outside, he finds a clear spot and sets his little bird family into it.]

Will this give you enough room to dance? What kind of song should I sing?

[Cu Chulainn follows his friend out and sets his animals down in front of the swans.]

It's enough room. And you can sing any song. As long as it's not a song that makes people sleepy.

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