[ OPEN ] CULTURAL FESTIVAL

[coastal]

Who: Anyone and everyone! Yes, even you.
When: IC Date: 6/9 || OOC Date: 3/20
Where: Centered in CERES Academy but spilling out into the streets!
What: It's all fun and games until someone chokes on cotton candy or gets a black eye from jousting. The player plot of the cultural festival!
Rating/Warning: Totally PG, family-approved fun! Please poke me if this changes.

Flyers have been up for the past two weeks, students have been all atwitter (whether this is good or bad chatter is up in the air), outside help has been enlisted by a bunch of weird adults and finally the day has dawned upon us.

The cultural festival is here.

And it looks like stepping into an alternate dimension of Cerealia, a far cry from the Hunger Games that many had to endure just days ago - and maybe that's the whole damn point. Wander around, have some greasy comfort food, and win a stuffed animal to muffle your tears into or something. It's all gonna be okay.

I » PREGAME-FESTIVAL Let's back up a little bit. Set-up for the festival was intended to begin at 8 PM the night before to allow all groups an hour - maybe even two! - to set up their booths so that everything could be pristine and ready. . . . . Of course that didn't happen. So here you are, in the gym of the school where it looks like a crafts store went to die. Don't slip on the glitter glue! Don't touch that feather boa, the drama club might need it! Is that a soccer ball while everyone else is trying to prepare? Do you want to die? The clock continues to tick later and later, a groan coming from everyone in the room when it strikes 3 AM, but there's nonetheless an air of dedication here. Everyone's working - are you? - and this seems like a great time for caffeine overdose and some late night confessions.


II » WELCOME Whether it was through hard work or sheer dumb luck, the festival is underway!! There are sounds of yelling, students competing for patrons - "Care to have your fortune read?" or "Check out this kickass magician!" - or cries of defeat - "That balloon game was impossible - how am I going to get my McCeres plushie now?!" and "What's up with that scavenger hunt?" - You can already hear the sizzle of deliciously greasy food in the distance mixed in with whatever terribly Teen Pop mix they've got playing in the background. It's a little hard not to feel excited! Or... maybe it is, given the fact that you might not have wanted to end up here in the first place?! But the festival is spilling out into the streets! Pushy teenagers and teachers alike might've just tried to corral you in here like cattle to a brightly-colored, teeny bopper slaughter....

But if you look like you're not at all interested in having fun, this may be the time when a snowball smacks you right in the back of the head, suddenly implanting the idea of.... fun?


III » INFLATABLE HELL Whether you were running after reading some horrible gossip about you or getting way into playing the part of a fleeing criminal in the mock trial, you've found yourself in what every single carnival needs and deserves: a bounce house. But wait - that's not all?! Apparently this is some kind of inflatable course from hell as you realize that once you enter, there's even more waiting for you. Yes, that's right, welcome to the squishiest obstacle course of your life. When you make it to the end, you still have one last task: joust for your honor against the person that you've ended up with or break out your intense sumo knowledge for the exact same thing. The student overseeing this area just nods solemnly with an air of 17-year-old sage wisdom. "There can only be one."


IV » ANIME FOOD So that's what you're here for. Well congratulations friend, they've got every sort of carnival contraption or festival delight and dish - apparently this is where the culture can be found! But... but oh god, what's that? The hell is that?! Apparently there's an eating competition for these heart attacks if you really wanna try your luck.

Also hey - is this cotton candy really sticky to anyone else? Careful, don't reach too close to that other person or you just might end up stuck together...?!


V » AFTERPARTY So... where were you after the school festival officially concluded? Were you in the middle of a food coma? Were you trying to steal a giant sumo suit before they could be closed down? Were you caught on the ice of the frozen swimming pool? Drowning under the weight of discount flowers? Hopefully, you're not caught up in the craziness of a cleaning crew turned cleaning competition... or are you?

Either way, there's no way that this party is going to end with a fizzle.... but rather with a bang! Literally. The sky is lit up with a sudden firework, followed by another and anotherandanotherandanother-- except don't those... seem to be a little close? They're deafeningly loud and blindingly beautiful and perhaps that what covers up Lili's distressed screech of, "Those weren't authorized!" Hopefully all the little sparks extinguish in the air before they get too close... Kindly help make sure nothing catches on fire? Stand there and actually enjoy the show? Start a lawsuit for your sudden bout of blindness and deafness? Your move.


VI » WILDCARD ME UP For the record, there is a medical tent for anyone who gets a little too violent excited during the events. And besides all the festivities mentioned here, there's also the typical bunch of carnival games and prizes, too. Maybe even a maid cafe. Also hey, is that smell of something burning... normal? Do we have a fire on our hands?! Or is there some other type of carnival gimmick that you really love but didn't get written up here? Feel free to make it right on up! Have fun, everyone!

Comments

[coastal]

[ I : always on the night shift ]

[This is probably already one of the countless nights that Lili has spent in this gym, but there's no denying that she's exhausted. She's running her hand over her face as she finishes up making her rounds, having spent her time directing people where to get the paint and where exactly they'll be stationed the next day.

Then she'll be glancing over at you, probably. It doesn't matter who you are as she yawns and still manages as authoritatively as she can-]

You there. Come here.

[ II : is this two-faced? ]

[For anyone looking for Lili on the day of, she's... everywhere and nowhere all at once. She's in the brightly colored (yellow and white, thanks Kashuu) information booth to answer and field questions. She's wandering around to make sure that there aren't any bloodbaths going on. She's... hissing into her personal headset none too kindly right now?]

What did you just say? You don't know where the balloons are? How can that be? We bought five hundred, I'll have your head for this, you incompetent, inconceivably idiotic--

[And that's when she catches you out of the corner of her eye. Whether you're acquainted previously or not, you're met with a bright, charming, perfectly practiced smile as if she wasn't hurtling insults at whoever was on the other end of the line.]

Hello! Welcome. May I help you somehow?

[For anyone who knows Lili, she's probably never smiled this much at... anything before.]

[ V : baby you're a firework ]

[ a: Lili's on the roof when everything's getting cleaned up, deciding that it's better for her to determine the order of things and how they should be taken down, giving orders from there. However whether she called you there to join her or you were just wandering around, there's no denying the quietly happy look on her face. Her eyes are bright and even though she's not smiling, she's undoubtedly content. There's a soft little amazed mumble that escapes her.]

It... actually turned out okay.

[She's a little emotional.

or b: once the fireworks go off, ruining her contemplative moment, she's absolutely just screeching.

Turning to the first person who approaches her, she's seething.]

Did you see who did that?! I'll kill them...!

[The sentence is punctuated with the drowning bang! of yet another one going off....]

[ VI : sleeping beauty or lioness? ]

[Listen, she probably hasn't slept for the past week.

So that's why Lili, who was probably cranked up to 11 all day, can be found on none other than some school bench after all the festivities are done and most of the clean-up has concluded. It's getting cold and she's still only in her uniform? It looks like she hadn't even intended to fall asleep, considering the fact that she's still wearing her headset and her fingers are still loosely wrapped around one of those cotton candy sticks.

Someone please collect this nerd.]

I

[snowyoni]

[Yukina at least doesn't seem to balk at the authoritative air. She's over as soon as Lili calls, bearing a bottle of glitter glue in one hand with the sleeves of her short kimono rolled up to her elbows.]

Yes?

ii

[sortileges]

[ Well, the first part was definitely a lot more like he was used to seeing considering the amount of times she's yelled at him in the past. He raises his eyebrows at the quick shift in her whole demeanor because it's quite likely she hasn't realised who it was yet. ]

I... was checking to see if you're alright. Judging by that face, definitely not. What's wrong?

[ ...rude.............. ]

VI

[speariting]

[Okay, so a festival probably isn't the best way to catch up on the unknown amount of time Sano has missed in the city, but it is a reason to get out in the first place. And you know, festivals.

Food.

Food that he actually recognized, which was basically the greatest thing to happen to him all day.

So it had been a relatively relaxing day for once and because of that, he felt comfortable enough staying out late. And he had lent a hand here and there if he was needed - being tall makes him popular in some instances - and took his time heading back, taking in the sights, or rather the aftermath.

It's still a little cold though, so luckily he had brought along a light jacket, which he shrugs a little more deeply into - not that he's actually cold, it's just more comfortable when it's not falling off his shoulders...yep.

But he approaches a bench and finds a girl on it. A very familiar girl. Well. He wouldn't be a man if he didn't make sure she was all right. Standing behind the bench, he leans over and reaches out toward Lili's shoulder, intending to give her a little shake, but then he stops.

Back in ViViD, she had made it very clear that she didn't want him touching her. That's fine. Instead, he takes off his jacket without a thought and drapes it on top of Lili.

Then, quietly - ]

I hope you don't slap me for this. I'm not really touching you.

vi

[incendire]

[ Collecting this nerd? Okay, eventually.

Genos had been looking for Lili since this thing concluded but had gotten side-tracked with the way his own duties with cleaning up after all of the messes that were caused. Fortunately there was nothing that was out of his league and nothing major caught fire. So when Genos catches sight of the sleeping Lili, he only wastes a moment to process the sight before taking off his apron and covering her with it.

He'll also take a seat next to her and allow his body to heat up beyond his normal levels as a sort of make-shift heater as he waits for Lili to rise on her own. ]

V(b)

[monology]

Oh, come on now, there's no need to do anything so drastic!
[A reasonable response from Felix? No, that can't be right.]

A nice young lady like yourself shouldn't dirty her hands with that. Now me, that's what I do. If you want I can hunt them down for you.
[There it is. What a creep.]

i.

[erythristic]

Me?

[really, Grell was only out this late because she couldn't sleep and thought it'd be better to learn the land instead of just holing up in the apartment. and the sensibility to not go onto academy grounds really wasn't there, and she'd been standing at the door peering in at all these tired young people...goodness, this must be something important, but they should take shifts.

and then Lili had to call her out like that.]

v!

[adornmental]

Are you kidding?! The fireworks are the best part!

[Even if these are kind of FILLED WITH DANGER--

But see, every time Kashuu hears about these festivals, he always hears talk of how the night is rounded off with a fireworks display! So clearly the hooligan responsible was just trying to make sure the night went exactly as it should have gone...!]

V!

[hijiwanwan]

[ look who came out of his apartment for the first time in the last two weeks... okay, no let's be real festival >>> being stuck at home. he's doing fine though! still has to use a crutch to get around but he's definitely relieved to be out. ]

Geez, I was going to congratulate you or something - but now you're going to get blood everywhere.

[ he looks around, and shrugs. the loudness of the bangs doesn't really bother you when you been through 489324892 (exaggeration) battles? whatever. ]

Going to hunt them down? Or let them have at it?

I

[heartsandcrafts]

[A girl in a school uniform reports with a smart salute at that commanding tone but... is she even a student here? She's the right age but... she's definitely not someone that's been seen around the school before.]

Sure! What do you need?

[Also she's... way too energetic for how late it is]

vi

[carcinoma]

[ oh ... there's someone asleep.

he's just started sweeping up a little after clearing away some trash, and lop fidgets in place at first when he comes across someone sleeping on the bench. it's not particularly cold out, but it still won't do her any good to sleep out in the open like this ... ]

Um, excuse me, miss?

[ he leans down to gently touch her shoulder, trying to rouse her.

but the way he's bent over means he's backlit by one of the lamps juuuust right. so as soon as lili opens her eyes, she'll be greeted by a huge, lanky figure silhouetted over her, antlers and strange face all -- surprise! ]

i

[drinkscola]

[ and wandering here, cola in hand, marco hadn't intended to help with set-up at all; insomnia's inspired him to do some late night exploration of the school's grounds. and geez, what a noisy assembly he's unexpectedly discovered. it's for that festival— right. he might have just been on his way out, when... geez, that's a tone that means business.

he tries not to grimace, really, instead forcing a pleasant smile as he looks her way. ]

... Hey. What's up?

V-a, moments before V-b?

[protectthecastle]

[Veronica has been to festivals before but even then she had looked at everything here from the frozen pool to the inflatables to the food with bright, interested eyes, trying to take in everything at once with an excited, curious air.

So of course, the moment she sees Lili looking so quiet and so happy (having seen the girl at the information booth earlier through the day), her eyes are warm as she smiles.]

I think it is rather more than okay. It was wonderful. My compliments to the organizers and all those who had helped.

Vb!

[meniscus]

[ Having been run off from other cleaning crew activities since he was doing more harm than help, Mikazuki was eventually directed to the rooftop where he would probably do the least amount of damage. When Lili's turned on him in her seething, Mikazuki was mid-hum with an armful of breakable glass objects...good thing he doesn't surprise easily thanks to a certain Tsurumaru. ]

[ Though there is SOME surprise that registers on his face, having not expected it from Lili after his first impression of her anyway — ] Oh, how lovely a firework. [ He'll just set aside all that fragile material to the side for now...to put hand on sword. ] I didn't see anyone no, I just arrived here myself but if you'd like we can hunt them down?

Ahaha...your completely radiating a killing intent!

v-a!!

[hoasen]

[There's some flowers that needed fixing, so she took some out of the stock she had to patch it up. It didn't matter since she had enough, but it would be nice to have people leave the festival with a good, beautiful memory of it.

Hearing Lili's voice, Vietnam looks up, and quietly replies.]

I believe it turned out more than just okay. You should be proud of your hard work! And the opportunity you gave everyone.

ii.

[discard]

[He...actually looks kind of creeped out a little despite himself at that smile. Look, it's... just not natural, especially at him, and he's going to assume she thought he was someone else or someone she didn't know and acted automatically.

... ... ....

He clears his throat.]

Calm down. Nothing has gone wrong as of yet.

[Thanks, Leon.]

VI

[retorter]

[ Souji was just about to sit at that bench too, wow. He looks down at the sleeping Lili in surprise. Wow, she almost seems normal just sleeping like that and not at all like a screechy teenager girl. True, it's a little awkward seeing her again after the last time. Souji considers merely passing by and leaving Lili alone to sleep. He could call Kashuu to come pick her up without having to wake her up at all. ]

[ He looks down at her thoughtfully. And in the meantime, someone she's probably insulted in the past could come by and stab her. or kidnap her. (because he definitely knows the colony's not without its sketchy enterprises). ugh, this is really troublesome.... So, while heaving a sigh, Souji decides to choose the Good Samaritan route. ]

[ By kicking the bench leg underneath her. That should wake her up, right? He's being helpful, right?? ]

ii!

[basesteal]

[ And here's Yoichi with a weird look on his face. Yeah, he hasn't gotten a chance to get to know Lili that much aside from running into her during that ViViD game stuff, but even with that the complete switch of the demeanor can be a little off-putting. ]

Uh... Hi?

II

[prosecutory]

[That's a quick, bright...and possibly forced smile, judging from how she was grumbling angrily a moment ago. It had made him stop and stare in the first place, but once she has his attention, he clears his throat.]

My apologies...you are the organizer?

I

[pseudonyms]

[Sadly for Lili, Rise is as perky as ever in the early morning hours even if she appears to be slowing down just a tiny bit. When Lili speaks up and looks at her, she carefully sets down the bottle of glitter she's wielding to stroll up to her while trying to stifle a smile.]

What's up?

vi

[echoistic]

[... Heh.

It doesn't immediately click that anything's odd about this picture to Rhys—sleeping in the cold is something he's accustomed to—until he thinks about the different culture and resources of Cerealia, at which point he remembers that getting sick could be easily avoided in her case.

He could wake her, but it seems like she needs the rest. Shrugging off his jacket, he drapes it over her. He's used it throughout at least a few winters; it should keep her warm. With that, he waltzes off to help with the remainder of the clean-up.

... It's pretty obviously his jacket, though, since he wears it about 90% of the time, including during the festival.]

ii

[damfool]

[ Saburo recognizes Lili, of course. His second trip to ViVid is a stain that probably won't be coming off anytime soon after all. But what he doesn't expect is her sudden attitude change. To say he's taken back would be an understatement. ]

You got a pretty crazy ability there, Lili-chan.

phase i!

[ukakus]

[In the most monotone of tones:]

What is it?

[... Look. She's dead on her feet, covered in speckles of paint and glitter glue, and hasn't had a proper cup of coffee in an hour. Her ability to respond to things nicely is nonexistent at this point.]

ii.

[cryptologic]

[ Um. So, this is a little awkward. Dipper doesn't have enough tact to just gloss over what he just heard - or maybe he's too much of a brat to let it go unnoticed. Either way, he lifts a sliiiight eyebrow. ]

Actually, I was wondering if you could point me to the magic show. [ A little cheek. ] Hopefully that doesn't make me inconceivably idiotic.

vi.

[meouch]

[ oooh, it's not!lil.

and he's still decked out in the chat noir get-up given how tired he is after everything's done—it really is just faster to take the superhero route home, even if it's a pretty... questionable use of the abilities. plagg wants to get home quickly too, of course, so it's... a mutual thing. at least.

( a guy in a mask isn't who you want waking you up at night from a nap on a bench. oh well. )

here's a gentle shake to your shoulder, lili! chat honestly feels bad for doing so—he's seen how hard she's worked as adrien—yet there's also the other tidbit that she is taking a nap outside. he can brush off the guilt as he prompts, quietly: ]

Hey, Lili.