[ 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]

[Admittedly Lili has no measure for when she should be having these types of conversations - her mouth runs frequently before her brain can even hope to catch up.

Regardless, she takes his words to heart, considering them. Hijikata is someone that she respects, even though she's only just now coming to understand him. He came from a family and a lineage that made it so that he wasn't meant to be a samurai, but he wanted it so badly that he became one, right...? That's impressive. Meanwhile Lili's family and lineage have all the power in the world to help people but... they didn't.

It's clumsy and she's making mistakes, but she doesn't think their dreams are too different. Not when it comes to the importance of strength.]

And... what if I put them in danger? What if I know that they'll forgive me, but I can't forgive myself if something ever happened to them?

[Ah... She hasn't had to touch on this topic in a while.]

[hijiwanwan]

[ Hijikata will take all the respect he can get because it'll probably be destroyed soon. downside of being in cerealia: Hijikata can't scare people just by existing because they don't know his reputation that much? sucks to suck.

ah, the moments where he can just look at someone and they cower in fear. good times.

although... is this what it's like to be treated like something other than a 'demon'? it's been awhile. ANYWAY... ]

That's obviously something I can't answer for you.

[ hmm... ]

Acknowledge it, and stand up again. Every time something pushes you down, but you stand up you become stronger. So, when you're stronger you have more strength to prevent the same mistake... And you can protect them from danger.

[ ??? is this good advice??? ]

[coastal]

[ . . . well. It's solid, respectable advice. Lili glances to him for a moment before giving one small nod. It's a difficult problem to solve, especially for someone as weak as she is. Her entire life has been an endless string of being coddled and sheltered. Even if she wanted to know more about the outside world, she never did until recently.

And then she found out the outside world was much more dangerous and out to get her than she ever would've anticipated.]

That's... what I'm hoping to do. That's why I'm trying to train with Kashuu at the dojo and learn swordplay so I can at least defend myself so others don't have to....

It's... a start, isn't it?

[And normally she wouldn't even let herself make it sound like a question - but if she's letting her uncertainty show now, might as well go the whole nine yards.]

[hijiwanwan]

Better than doing nothing. Don't sound so unsure, ask yourself the question and if you can answer it then that's your answer.

[ Hijikata misses the dojo so much... he wants to go back to his daily training!? he's going to get too impatient at this rate... free him, from this cast.

ugh... he wants to complain again. but he knows it'll do nothing. ]

Get better in the next two weeks and I'll test you, maybe. You probably won't get anywhere that much with just one teacher, anyway.

[ it's fine. he'll be sort of handicapped? not... literally you know, but! it'll be his first time practicing again in over a month. ]

[coastal]

[Pardon the following huff:]

Kashuu is one of the most understanding and competent instructors I've ever had...!

[ . . . . Lili, Hijikata wasn't even really being mean to him?! Stop being so touchy about people that you actually like, god. Still though... he has... some sort of point...]

Fine then... If you're willing to instruct me as well, I'd appreciate it.

[hijiwanwan]

Didn't say he wasn't.

Learning from other instructors is good.

[ at least, in his opinion. Hijikata's never stuck to one dojo because of travelling and selling medicine. but learning from many people isn't a bad thing - he learned a lot? ]

Looks like I have another reason to stick myself in bed again and try to recover faster... This is seriously the worst.

[ HE'S COMPLAINING AGAIN-

INHALES... EXHALES... ] I just have to bear it...

[coastal]

[And that's how Lili got two instructors: Kashuu "i'm fabulous as fuck" Kiyomitsu and Toshizou "don't make me turn this car around" Hijikata.... sure, this'll go well.

Regardless, she's just going to frown a little bit at that, tilting her head.]

Shouldn't you be going back to bed now then? You're not really needed here any longer....

[hijiwanwan]

[ Hijikata would certainly be the type to turn the car around, if he knew how to drive. it'll go EXCELLENT. Hijikata's excited to take on a new student maybe!?

but with that... Hijikata's only response is a huff.

he turns his head away too. ]

I don't want to yet... [ if he leaves now that means he goes back to his prison... his bed. he doesn't want to!!! ]

There are other things to do - right? [ HE'S NOT GOING!!! ]

[coastal]

No.

[AND LILI KNOWS EXACTLY WHY HE WANTS THERE TO BE MORE THINGS TO DO BUT]

Please go home.

[men........]

[hijiwanwan]

[ WHAT THE HECK! he isn't going to have this. ]

I don't have to listen to you, you know.

[ TIME TO BE STUBBORN... ] I can stay around for a few more minutes.

[coastal]

That's why I asked.... I could request that you leave the premises, but something tells me that you won't listen either.

You don't really get to decide what happens on school grounds, you know....

[STUBBORN MEETS STUBBORN.]

[hijiwanwan]

[ oh... ]

So... That's how this stuff works here...

[ what the hell, Lili... don't be like this. ] You have to be a pain in the ass about this don't you, huh.

[ it's hard to be stubborn back when the other person is just as stubborn!? he can only sigh. ]

Geez... [ he rubs the back of his head. he's obviously contemplating something. ] Well, I guess you're still free to come over if you want. I admit, it's pretty boring when there's nothing to do - I'm not even allowed to work so...

[ he's dying of boredom!!! ]

[coastal]

[ . . . . . did he just

invite her over so that he doesn't get bored?? Hijikata, what the fuck. What the fuck!! ok but first:]

Don't be so crude. You're in the presence of a lady.

[don't swear around girls, hijikata?? what the fuck where are your manners]

I'll consider coming to visit.

[she has a busy schedule!! ok no that's the tsun talking]