[ 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

[psycholawgy]

[ that hits her and almost sends her down, but she manages to catch her balance as she spins the stick like a baton and hits rei on the shoulder. ]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei takes that, turning her shoulder with the hit so it doesn't have much force. She's not going down to that.

Her counterstrike is another jab, aimed at Athena's torso.]

[psycholawgy]

[ she's lucky her reflexes are quick, because she parries that before pushing rei away. ]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei doesn't budge. The puffy staff hits her and doesn't quite bounce off, but it seems like it's striking solid muscle. It is, but she's reflexively using the spell Archer had been teaching her to make her athletic frame tougher.]

That won't work. I've been working out since I got here.

[She smiles coldly and retaliates with low sweep, going for Athena's knees and trying to hook them and pull her forward.]

[psycholawgy]

You think I haven't?

[ but that does work, and athena nearly topples over. ]

[faithfulflame]

Not like me. I'll bet my name on it.

[Rei takes advantage of Athena's ridiculous facial expression and presses her advantage, pushing forward to overbear her friend and end the game...and her own irritation.]

[psycholawgy]

Don't be such a—

[ she goes down with a groan, and just gives rei a displeased look as she concedes. ]

Help me up, at least.

[faithfulflame]

[Rei takes that in stride and drops the stick, kneeling and offering a hand. She fully expects Athena to pull her down, and she will accept it...]

[psycholawgy]

[ she pulls herself up, rei as well. ]

There.

[ she looks around, though. some students are still unconscious. ]

I wonder how long it'll take for them to wake.

[faithfulflame]

[While they're close, Rei leans against the other, voice pitched low.]

Please be more careful with my secret in public. It's important.

[And the only reason she hadn't thrown the fight.]

Hard to say. I'm not a doctor, and I don't even know how you knocked them out.

[psycholawgy]

[ oh, that's why she was so on edge? athena gets it now, and she nods accordingly. ]

Sorry about that.

[faithfulflame]

[Rei isn't that competitive without a reason.]

How long have you even been here playing king of the hill?

[psycholawgy]

[ she thinks for a moment, poking at her earring. ]

I'm not sure, to be honest. Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes now?

[faithfulflame]

Any particular reason? Or just because you wanted to feel tough?

[psycholawgy]

It seemed fun.

[faithfulflame]

[So being a bully is fun huh?]

You really are a competitive girl. It's kind of funny.

[psycholawgy]

[ it's her turn to bully now after being picked on when she was younger. :T ]

Wha- What?! Funny how?

[faithfulflame]

[That's not a good thing, jfc.]

...I've never once met someone as aggressively competitive as you. You try so hard at everything. I haven't forgotten prom.

[And come so far, but in the end it doesn't really matter...]

[psycholawgy]

[ there's a long sigh at the mention of prom. ]

I really wanted to be prom queen.

[faithfulflame]

Why that, specifically?

[It's something she's genuinely confused about?]

[psycholawgy]

Because it means a lot in high school. If you're prom queen, it's like you're the most popular girl for that night.

[faithfulflame]

I didn't know you cared about stuff like that.

[She really, really never even thought about it. She had literal stalkers, people who just wanted to be close to her following her home, and all of that and she wouldn't have deigned to even consider Prom important. But it was an American thing, and she generally found most American things to be rather vapid.

Also, it wouldn't have worked for her. But that's a whole other story, what with the witchcraft and reputation she had..]

[psycholawgy]

It's the idea of romance! There's something romantic about being prom queen, don't you think?

[ her voice sure sounds like she's swooning. ]

[faithfulflame]

...No?

[That sounds like a great way to get unwanted attention...]

[psycholawgy]

[ she just shrugs her shoulders. way to be a party pooper, rei. ]

Ah, well! To each their own.