[Event - F1] Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival

[Teion 0]

<<Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival>>

Location: Floor 1 - Town of Beginnings
Event Begins: July 12 | Event Ends: August 31
Fireworks display begins August 12
Orange players may safely enter the Town of Beginnings to participate in the event.

A fireworks festival has appeared in the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings. The festivities run all night long with a variety of games, prizes, and food for players to enjoy. Halfway through the festival, when darkness has fallen over the city, a fireworks show will begin to light up the night sky.

General Rules:

• Orange players are permitted to attend, and will not be attacked by guards if they enter the city for the event. Normal safe zone rules still apply.
• When spending col to participate in games, buy items, or enter the lottery, be sure to keep track of the col you have available. Final spending/winning totals will be posted by a staff member in the closing post of the event, which can be used to link to your Col logs. If a player had spent more col than they had available, prizes won as a result may be voided.
• Traditional festival attire (yukata) or casual clothing is encouraged, but not required.

Event - Raffle:

• Upon entering the festival, every player is entered into the raffle. On 8/31/17 11:59 PM PST, raffle entries will close and drawings will be made.
• Players must have made at least 3 posts by the raffle drawing in order to be eligible to win.
• The Prize Corner will be used to distribute prizes. Check The Prize Corner to view a list of raffle prizes. Winners will be tagged in that thread and must post a reply to accept their prize within one week or else they will be forfeit and a new winner will be drawn.

Event - Col Lottery:

Each player that wishes to participate in the col lottery must tag Teion (@Teion) in the post where the ticket(s) are purchased. Players can purchase a maximum of 5 tickets for the lottery designated by their level. Journal col logs must reflect the total ticket cost paid in order to be entered into the lottery. There are 2 different lotteries taking place:

• (Level 1-29):
  • Costs 500 col per ticket.
  • Winner receives 10,000 col.
• (Level 30+)
  • Costs 2,000 col per ticket.
  • Winner receives 50,000 col.

On 8/31/17 11:59 PM PST, the col lotteries will close and drawings will be made. [link]The Festival Prize Corner thread will be used to distribute prizes. Winners will be tagged in that thread and must post a reply to accept their prize within one week or else they will be forfeit and a new winner will be drawn.

Tokens/Prizes:

• Festival Tokens are a currency exclusive to the Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival event.
• Perhaps the largest booth in the center of town, [link]The Festival Prize Corner thread should be used to trade tokens for prizes. Players must post their purchases in this topic (no roleplaying required). Token totals and remaining balances will be verified by staff along with a confirmation of the item(s) purchased.
• There is no limit as to how many tokens a player may have, however tokens cannot be traded between players. They may only be redeemed at The Prize Corner, and once the event ends any remaining tokens are removed from the game.

Festival Games:

Scattered throughout the festival grounds is a variety of small game booths. Players can partake in festival games for a chance to win tokens or other small prizes. Each game costs a bit of col to attempt.

 

Spoiler

• Goldfish Catch [50 col]: Players use a ‘poi’ (a flat, paper net with a plastic frame) to scoop a single goldfish from a pool. If the paper breaks, it is a failure! Successfully scooping a fish allows you to take it home in a plastic bag. Goldfish bowls are available at the Prize Corner!
  • Players must link a roll to their post with the Roll Purpose “Goldfish Scoop”. A LD 11+ is a success. No bonuses may be applied to this roll.
  • Prize: <<Goldfish in a Bag>> [T1 Basic Item]: A single goldfish. This item lasts for one week unless the goldfish is transferred to a bowl/aquarium.
     
• Hoop Toss [50 col]: Many empty glass bottles are set up behind the game’s booth. Players take a single plastic hoop and toss it, trying to get it to land around the neck of one of the bottles.
  • Players must link a roll to their post with the Roll Purpose “Hoop Toss”. A LD 15+ is a success. An equipped LD item, LD consumable, and LD Familiar Mastery bonuses may be applied. Normal enhancement stacking rules do apply for this event. (Maximum +6 LD)
  • Prize: 10 Tokens
     
• Cork Gun [50 col]: Players are given a fake rifle loaded with a cork attached to a long string. Shooting the gun launches the cork, and players must hit a bullseye on a paper target to win.
  • Players must link a roll to their post with the Roll Purpose “Cork Gun”. A BD 8+ is a success. An equipped ACC item, ACC Familiar Mastery, and the Precision skill bonuses may be applied. Normal enhancement stacking rules do apply for this event. (Maximum +4 BD)
  • Prize: 10 Tokens
     
• Plinko [50 col]: Players receive a single disc and are instructed to drop it at the top of a large board with several pegs sticking out of it. The disc bounces around until it lands in one of the spots at the bottom, designating the token value they’ve won.
  • Players must link a roll to their post with the Roll Purpose “Plinko”. The number of tokens they win depends on the result of the LD:
    • 1 - 5: Nothing - Try Again!
    • 6 - 7: 5 Tokens
    • 8 - 9: 15 Tokens
    • 10: 30 Tokens
    • 11 - 12: 15 Tokens
    • 13 - 14: 5 Tokens
    • 15 - 20: Nothing - Try Again!
       
• Battle-Bot [50 col]: Players can take on the Battle-Bot in a one-on-one duel.
  • This game takes place in a separate thread. Check out the Battle-Bot Booth for more information!

 

Food:

Various food items are being sold through several stands and NPC vendors lining the streets. Refer to the descriptions and costs of what is being offered listed below:

 

Spoiler

• Yakitori [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 50 Col]: Skewered grilled chicken.
• Takoyaki [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 50 Col]: Grilled round pancake filled with dried octopus.
• Taiyaki (Anko, Custard, Chocolate, Cheese) [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 50 Col]: Fish-shaped pastry with a variety of hot fillings.
• Dango [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 35 Col]: Rice flour dumplings with a sweet sauce.
• Crepes [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 35 Col]: A paper-thin pancake with a variety of fruit  and dessert fillings folded inside.
• Cotton Candy (Strawberry, Blueberry) [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 25 Col]: A stringy candy served on a stick.
• Shaved Ice (Variety of Flavors) [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 25 Col]: Shaved Ice served in a cone covered with syrup.
• Ramen (Chicken, Beef, Shrimp) [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 25 Col]: Noodles served in a styrofoam cup, typically cheap. Comes with Chopsticks!
• Ice Cream (Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Neapolitan, Mint, Banana, Cookie Dough) [T1 Vanity Food] [Cost: 25 Col]: A soft served ice cream on a waffle cone, delicious.

Fireworks:

The Fireworks Stall is selling several different items that players can purchase and use for their enjoyment. Please, no harassing Festival vendors or other players with purchased fireworks!

 

Spoiler

• Sparkler [T1 Party Item] [Cost: 10 Col]: Lets off a shower of colorful sparks for a short time. One-time use.
• Party Poppers [T1 Party Item] [Cost: 10 Col]: Lets out a popping sound while releasing confetti and streamers. One-time use.
• Ground Spinners [T1 Party Item] [Cost: 20 Col]: A cylinder filled with gunpowder that spins drastically when lit. One-time use.
• Smoke Bombs [T1 Party Item] [Cost: 20 Col]: A ball of gunpowder, that doesn’t explode but releases a color of smoke after being lit. One-time use.
• Small Fountain [T1 Party Item] [Cost: 30 Col]: Releases a shower of sparks a few feet into the air. Sold in a variety of colors.

Map:

 

Spoiler

• Center: In the center of town lies a large clock tower that chimes every hour. In the plaza surrounding it are plenty of stalls selling food and fireworks. A large prize booth is set-up for players to trade in tokens for items.
  • Yakitori & Takoyaki Food Stall:
    • A young woman NPC greets you as you approach the stall with a cheerful, “Good afternoon! Whatcha havin’ tonight?”
  • Fireworks Stall:
    • An elderly male NPC greets you politely as you approach the stall. “Good evening. Care to purchase some fireworks?”
  • The Prize Corner:
    • Two twin NPCs--a bubbly brother and an icy sister--run the largest booth in the festival plaza: The Prize Corner. There are numerous items on display here, from plush dolls to clothing.
• North:
  • Plinko Booth
  • Taiyaki Stall
  • Dango Stall
• East:
  • Battle-Bot Duel Arena
  • Cotton Candy Stall
  • Shaved Ice Stall
• South:
  • Goldfish Scoop Pool
  • Ice Cream Stall
  • Crepe Stall
• West:
  • Hoop Toss Booth
  • Cork Gun Booth
  • Ramen Stall

[Teion 0]

The Town of Beginnings was more lively than Teion had ever seen it before. The virtual sun still hung in the sky to indicate an early afternoon on the first floor, and the violet-haired blacksmith wasn't sure exactly when Cardinal had created all of the festival-themed stalls and booths that lined the capital city's streets. Even at the outskirts of the festivities, Teion could see NPCs and players alike already beginning to enjoy the food and attractions that had been set up for their enjoyment. The woman shifted uncomfortably while she opened up her menus. She had already sent off a message to @Beatbox after hearing about the event that would take place today. While it was rather unlike her to be the one to suggest they do something just for fun, Teion had exchanged a few messages with the man, indicating that she would meet up with him later in the day. Meanwhile, she had spent most of the morning looking through various tailor shops for the right kind of clothing to wear.

She had decided on a simple, white yukata with a gradient running down the sleeves and the bottom hem that shifted the color to a light, sky blue. The long purple hair that usually fell over her shoulders was tied up, a small braid running into the ponytail that was fastened high and off-center at the back of her head. She couldn't remember ever wearing anything like this before, leaving her out of her comfort zone while she typed up a brief message to the blonde swordsman.

'I'll wait for you at the east side of town.

-Teion

Including a set of coordinates for the man to reference, Teion pressed her back against a nearby wall, taking a moment to watch the other players she would spot while her fingers carefully fidgeted with themselves in front of her.

[Balmung 0]

When Balmung returned to the Town of Beginnings that day, he was nearly overwhelmed by the change in scenery. In the few hours that he had been out in the field that day, the town had been transformed into a wonderland of all things summer. Strings of paper lanterns were strung high between the buildings, looming festively over the worn cobblestone streets below. Banners were hung on shop fronts announcing their special summer inventories or there lackluster seasonal discounts. Stalls and booths were assembled en masse in all the squares and plazas of the town, and the children players ran rampant through the streets, laughing and playing and letting the warm summer heat evaporate their troubles away.

The sights were one thing, but it was the smells that truly made this feel like a festival. The scents of delicious summertime delicacies wafted lazily through the air, mingling together and delighting the noses of everyone who breathed them in. As Balmung walked through the streets, exploring this festive paradise, he was lost in the enticing aromas that seemed to lazily saunter into his sniffer from the various food stalls.

The smell of classic western barbeque was strong in the air. Mixed in with it was the sweet scent of the cotton candy that so many of the children were eagerly scarfing down. The telltale odor of tasty, greasy deep fried foods would almost make you rub your tummy as your lips smacked together. And Balmung was pleasantly surprised when he caught wind of the distinctive scent of takoyaki, one of his favorites. It was truly the foods that made festivals into worthwhile events.

Balmung allowed himself to wander the town, thinking over what he should do first in this midsummer utopia. 

[Jomei 0]

Jomei had heard word of another festival going on on the First Floor in the Town of Beginnings, similar to the Spring Festival he had attended last year. He had not made an attempt to see people recently, so he figured that attending this festival and reconnecting with old friends could be good for him, get him back on his feet maybe. Going into his inventory, Jomei scrolled through his clothes to go with something more casual for the occasion. In a flash of white light, Jomei's usual green attire had been switched with a quarter sleeve green shirt and tan pants with black shoes. The owl that was sitting on his shoulder leapt into the air above his head as his clothes changed before slowly descending back down on her companion. Jomei looked to the familiar and smiled, "Shall we go then?" The man then went to the town square and warped down to the First Floor.

Moments later, Jomei found himself in the center of the festival. Players were walking around in colorful attire, checking out the different booths and games. The various smells of food flooded the aisles between the tents, making it impossible to tell just where it was all coming from. Jomei slowly turned in a circle looking at everything with mouth slightly agape. "Wow, its so much bigger than the Spring Festival was.. Well, might as well do some exploring for now." With his familiar on his shoulder and hands in his pockets, Jomei began to stroll, olive eyes scanning everything the event had to offer. 

[Calrex 0]

"Huh, a festival event? This is definitely something I wish for more of, rather than just constantly grinding and monster clearing. I'm glad the designers made the choice to add these things in and not just persist with simply event boss battles."

Dressed in his casual combat gear, Calrex gave a small sigh as he entered into the area that was hosting the festivities. Putting his hands into his jacket pockets the bluenette began to browse around the various booths and games, being reminded of the many games that were a staple in carnivals and theme parks, giving a small smile, "I should probably try some of these out at some point tonight. Wouldn't want to have them disappear before even giving them a test run."

Looking over the Ultramarine Knight recognized another acquaintance that made their presence known, seeing the ginger hair of Jomei as he walked over, raising a hand to give a lazy wave, "Looks like I'm not the only one looking around. Found anything you want to try out Jomei?"

"I wonder of the rest of the coalition knows about this event. I just happened to randomly wander in while visiting the first floor. Maybe I'll send them a message a bit later."

[Beatbox 0]

Placeholder will edit later.

[Stryder 0]

The festival was.... well spelendid!!! He didn't expect to come to the town of Beginnings today to see this, having actually expected to come and see some weird people walking around like normal, though this was a pleasant surprise. He looked around, seeing the normal place seeminly... well ramped up! He wished it was like this more often, though he knew it wouldn't be, once this event was over it would go back to hell. 

As he looked around he saw something that caught his eye, a sign saying 'battlebot', an unarmed fight. Sounded like something good! He watched a blue haired guy step into the ring, and an empty line which led to it. He smiled, wondering if his guild knew about this, he would invite them... But he didn't know if they were avaliable... They were all weird as hell, but he liked them. He walked into the line, smiling, waiting for the blue fighter to fight the bot, studying both of their moves as he prepared himself, smiling at the prospect of this exciting event!

- Next in line for Battlebot

[Jomei 0]

The ginger haired man found himself mesmerized by all the lights and sounds. It had been a very long time since he had surrounded himself with such, being in captivity for half the time, and keeping to himself for the rest. He found himself scratching at his chin as he slowed down to a long booth that was serving various types of foods, all of them being of Japanese origin. A poster-sized menu hung from one of the tent's corners, listing all of the foods and the prices. Olive green eyes scanned each word, each one translating into English as he read them. They all sounded great to him, and the smells accompanying it only made him hungrier. 

A familiar voice took Jomei away from his thoughts on food. Standing upright, the man turned his head in the direction the voice was coming from. He spotted a familiar blue-haired friend of his walking his way, waving his hand gently in the air. Jomei smiled and stepped forward to meet his comrade as he approached. "Calrex, its good to see you again lad. And I was just looking at some of the food this festival has to offer.. But I only just got here. How about you?"

[Calrex 0]

"Pretty much the same. I just of just wandered into here by chance when I saw all the lights. Certainly been a while since another festival appeared in the game, definitely a nice change of pace from the usual day to day. I didn't check out any of the food stalls just yet though, see anything good?"

After Jomei had come into conversation distance Calrex gave a nod, responding to the ginger-headed swordsman's query before glancing around the immediate area. For certain it seemed that Roc had taken a liking to the food as well, hovering overhead before perching above one of the booths that seemed to be grilling some skewers over a charcoal bed. "Looks like something based on kushiyaki. I'll definitely need to check that out later. I always enjoyed yakitori, so hopefully the in-game replication is faithful to the original."

"Certainly seems like a fairly varied set of activities though. I hope I'll be able to hit majority of the events before it finishes.:

[Killia 0]

Of all the places on Aincrad, The Town of Beginnings remained most familiar to me. Like a home. Granted, players could not purchase property here, but it still felt like a place for me to ground myself after an adventure. Since leaving, the streets were far less crowded. Today, however, the Plaza Gate busied with players coming and going. The decorations of a festivity marred and decorated any structure they could cling to. Males and females alike adorned ornate Japanese attire. Meanwhile, I stood there with my chest exposed, wearing trousers and my shoulder harness. I was definitely the odd man out. Still, I would much rather take a boar tusk to the stomach than put on a dress.

The sun still hung high, but that only meant the meat of the event was still in the oven. NPCs hustled to carry supplies and more decorations to and fro. As I stood there, paper lanterns materialized overhead in strands as though Cardinal were loading them piece by piece. In all honesty, I now know how a parent feels when they come home and someone's throwing a party in their living room. Not like I could tell them to get the heck out. 

"Can't beat 'em, join 'em I guess," I muttered with a thick undertone of exhaustion. All the muscles ached from training and were we dealing with flesh and bone, my knuckles would at the least, be bruised. At the worst, I should have bloody stumps at the wrist. Despite ignoring Celvis' warnings, the manly path of fists brought more challenges than taking up the blade. It made me consider a nice sword or hammer, but when I decked that Dark Elf so hard his face vaporized... Yeah, that was some quality catharsis.

With a sigh and shake of my head, I mosied on over to my usual loitering spot at the plaza fountain. Cherry blossoms littered the water's surface and what I could only assume were sparklers were rigged to the outer rims. Likely, they'll light this puppy up later this evening. You know, for a prison, this place is awfully festive. Hard to believe its a death sentence. I guess that's why they need things like this. As players walked past me, I saw smiles. Couples walked arm in arm. I nodded with a low chuckle.

"Almost as if we forgot." But I knew I could not. This was my sentence and each day that brought me closer to its completion was a feather's weight off my overwhelming guilt. 

"Sister killer," fell the whispered words off my lips as the memory bent my back and slouched my shoulders with its burden.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Killia

[LKZ 0]

Hushed and quiet hues of an evening blue trickled into the chamber through the frosted windows of the Black Iron Palace.

The Monument of Life, as grand in stature as it was in sobriety, had always carried a certain reputation for grandiosity. It wasn't uncommon to hear of players reporting feelings of smallness while in its presence. A wall etched with thousands of names could certainly do that to a person—especially with the knowledge of what each inscription represented. The cost of such carvings tended to be an ample amount of blood, sweat and tears.

But in a more literal sense, the wall was vast; there was plenty of space left for future additions. At the moment, the jet-black structure effortlessly dwarfed the meager frame of the lone girl standing before it.

Pale light illuminated the room, draping its features and its sole occupant with an icy veil.

A pair of tired amber eyes fixated themselves on a small section of the colossal tablet. LKZ’s smile was mirthless as she laid her palm flat against the cold stone surface. With the tip of her finger, she traced the crevices, ridges and curves of a name that’d been engraved upon it.

“Sorry I’m late,” said LKZ eventually. Her voice reverberated between the barren walls of the mostly-empty room. She ran the flat of her hand over the length outfit, smoothing out wrinkles that may or may not have actually existed. With the silence finally broken, her expression gradually gave way to one more mild.

~

“Yo, El,” called a voice. “You comin’?”

The question barely registered with LKZ, eliciting little more than a dazed blink of her eyes, which until then had been focused mostly on the various sights and attractions of the night. Even now, those very same eyes refused to relent, drifting dreamily from one vibrant scene to another.

LKZ watched with eyes wide open as a girl up ahead sifted through the waters of a fish-filled tank. It took the sudden sensation of a hand settling atop her shoulder to pull her from her trance. Casting her sights sidelong, she offered the owner of said hand a cheery smile. “Oh, hey Marina!” Noticing the other girl’s look of amusement, LKZ moved a hand to clasp the back of her own neck. “I got a little distracted again just now, didn’t I?”

“Looked like a deer in headlights,” remarked Marina. “First time at one of these things, yeah?” She moved a couple paces closer towards the younger girl, and after getting a more careful glimpse of the younger girl’s face, figured there was little left to be said on the matter. “By the way,” Marina continued. “Me and the guys are making our way over to the Battle-Bot Arena. Word is that Coldsteel’s rearing to ‘prove himself’ again.” A playful roll of her eyes drew stifled laughter from the pair at the expense of their currently out-of-sight associate. “Anywho... you wanna come with?”

Back over at the fish-scooping stall, the girl from before now stood proudly, a small water-filled plastic baggie cradled between her hands. Then, the girl exchanged a few words with the player beside her before cheerfully handing over the bag.

“As much as I’d love to see Martin put in that sort of effort…” started LKZ. She eyed the fish-scooping stall, an infectious grin spreading across her lips as a space opened up upon the previous player’s departure. “...Would it be cool if I caught up with you guys a little later? I mean, if that's okay with you, of course.”

Marina eyed the younger girl for a moment before nodding. She gave her usual spiel about staying out of trouble that most people probably would’ve grown tired of after about the second or third time around while LKZ obliged her with the same old upbeat promises; for Elia, the warmth behind the almost-maternal nature of Marina’s lectures would always be welcome.

The girls waved goodbye, and off went Marina. LKZ took a deep breath, then ambled through the crowd—her heart set firmly on one attraction in particular.

[Kaya 0]

With a deep breathe and a quick nod of her head, Kaya took a few step forward through the portal. As she steps out, she's welcomed with a site to behold. Her mouth agape, she had the look of amazement. She's never been to these kinds of festivals before. Especially one in Japan where you get to wear these cute outfits. She took advantage of the opportunity to experience it. Atleast once before she either dies or escapes this death game. Completely dumbfounded by the festival, Kaya began to take a few steps forward. She wanted to jump right into the madness that was the Mid-Summer Fireworks Festival. Within moments, she looses her balance falls forward towards the ground. Everything suddenly moved slowly for her. "Is this it? Is this how I'll die? I haven't even gotten to..." She wondered as her face flew forward into the pavement. "Ow." It's becoming like thing now for Kaya to fall flat on her face and she's getting tired of it. It's really painful. She quickly picks herself up from the ground and brushes her face and clothes. "Oh god... that was... embarrassing. I hope no one saw." She though as she began to briskly walk forward, acting like nothing even happened.

Edited July 23, 2017 by Kaya

[Hei 0]

As Hei's store was at the town of beginnings he had heard of the Festival the minute it had appeared, but he hadn't actually been there, since he wanted to have fitting cloth for the event. This morning he had finished his Jinbei and so he was ready to have some fun. - I wonder what it is like, I've never been to a festival before - he thought, when he put on the new cloths and packed away his normal equipment. He wouldn't need the spear or the armour to have fun, and even though he liked the Harbingers Cloak, he wouldn't wear it today, as it wouldn't fit. Only two items would stay equipped, the dragon's eye, which looked good with the black and orange of his cloths and his cloves, as it looked kind of cool, that his hands where black claws.

Ready like that he left his store and went towards the big plaza, where the biggest part of the festival should be, and when he came closer he was overwhelmed. It had been years since he had seen so many people on the streets and having fun. Hei entered the festival from the west and so the first few stalls he saw were the cork gun, the hoops and a ramen stall. As he knew from when he was at festivals as a kid there might be a big price one could work for with the games around the place.

Hei went over to the Cork Gun stall and the owner asks "May I ask, have you ever shot a gun? If so, would you like to try one of these?" and as Hei had been to America he was a big gun fan and accepted the offer. He took the gun, aimed and shot, but it was so strange to have a ranged weapon inside the game, that the cork hit nothing but the back wall of the stall. Hei handed over the 50 col and said "I'll come back after looking around a little."
 

Spoiler

ID# 87175
Battle: 2+3 = 5 -> miss
-50 col for a game

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by Hei

[Jomei 0]

Jomei placed his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders, "Haven't seen too much yet aside from the food here." Jomei turned his body to face the menu once again, his eyes scanning everything. "It just all looks so good, I don't even know." The ginger turned to look at Calrex again, "Anything that you may sugg-" Jomei cut his sentence short when he saw a girl walking off in the distance in a kimono trip and fall on her face. "Ah jeez.." Jomei said under his breath, bringing his hand out of his pocket and rubbing the nape of his neck. "Better see if shes okay." he said to himself. Stepping past Calrex, Jomei walked up to the girl as she brought herself up to her feet. He did not want to run up to her and make a scene to embarrass her, so he spoke quietly as he approached. "You alright?" He gently arched his back forward so his head was slightly more on the girl's level. "Saw you took a nasty spill there, just wanted to make sure you were okay." he said with a chuckle.

@Kaya

Edited July 25, 2017 by Jomei

[Calrex 0]

"Hm...yeah, I guess we could check ou..."

Before the bluenette could finish his sentence he head a thud from behind him a small distance away. Looking forward at the moment the young woman fell down Calrex could see what had happened, but from the look on Jomei's face it appeared to have been something nasty. He turned around as his comrade walked over to check on her, scratching the back of his head for a moment before following.

"Yeah that certainly didn't sound like a soft fall. It was closer to a faceplant. Never fun, although at least it's probably a lot more awkward than painful compared to reality."

Putting his hands into his jacket pockets Calrex kept a few steps apart from where Jomei was, to help avoid making the situation awkward by having two people crouched/on the ground and one guy towering over looking down on them. "Guess I could look at the closest stands from here until Jomei makes sure she's alright. Still doesn't seem like Teayre and the others have arrived if they heard about this festival. Maybe I'll check out a couple of the stands before sending a message."

[Kaya 0]

It wasn't before long, when a stranger walks up to Kaya asking if she was alright. It wasn't just some normal stranger to might I add. He was charming the way he went about things, almost like a prince out of a story book. "I-I'm fine." It was odd, but Kaya's face turn red. She was blushing, but what for? She's into girls. If anything it was just more on the situation than it was the stranger himself. Looking at the ground, away from the ginger maned stranger. She shy away from looking at his face and directly into his eyes. "I just slipped a little bit is all." Kaya muscled up a little bit of confidence to shrug of the accident. I mean, by now, she's used to it. She trips and falls on her face, a lot. It's surprising how her face hasn't gotten messed up after all of it. "T-thanks for the concern." Still shying away from the facing the stranger, she muscled up more words once more to at least thank the guy. As she looked away she spots some delicious looking cotton candy. Within seconds, her face lit up. She wanted some.

[Hei 0]

Hei just turned to leave, when his ambition cooked up. He had used real guns, big ones as he had been in the US, and now he wasn't even able to hit a bottle with a cork. He couldn't let it be like this, so he turned back around and said "I'd like to try it a second time" and the NPC gave him the cork gun. Hei aimed and when he pulled the trigger he fired wide, the Cork nearly hit the poor NPC, but got stopped by the string just a few inch in front of him. "Oh, eh, s-sorry" Hei stuttered, who wasn't prepared for that. - How can it be, that I shoot that bad? There must be something wrong with the gun. Maybe I should ask one of the the others from the guild, to shoot, just so I can see if I am the only one to silly to hit. - he thought, while he looked angry at the cork gun.

Spoiler

ID# 87219
Battle: 1 -> miss

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Hei

[Killia 0]

The weight of my past hung heavy on me. I tried to avoid remembering the real world. It's not like it mattered here. A new start, right? But the past always found me. I breathed deeply and tried to push the image of her pale, blue face to the back of my mind where it belonged. She stared at me as she faded away, as if asking me why I didn't try harder. As if asking me why I failed.

The soft umph nearby broke me from my hallowed trance. Bright colors of orange hair and yellow kimono spilled across the ground. For a moment, I forgot the common decency of any human being. Instead of rushing to help, I sort of looked on in a daze, still rising to the surface of my own thoughts. The girl, however, did not need anyone's help. As quickly as her head bounced off the cobblestones, she scampered to her feet and carried on. Did I really just watch her take a spill? She acted as though I hadn't, or that it had become such commonplace that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Another redhead stepped in from my peripherals to check on her like I should have done. Her face warmed to a rosy hue. I couldn't decide if it happened due to her brief meeting with the floor or the genuine smile from the man in front of her. I felt a smile spread on my face and the pressure from earlier began to lift. Maybe this event would be good for me afterall. Being surrounded by smiles, laughter, and positive memories in the making might help cope with the demons I keep chained within.

My eyes drifted from the budding relationship to the odd, but familiar sight of blue hair. Calrex, the higher level fellow that helped me split a rock was here. It looked as though he was with the red headed gentlemen. They too must've known each other from some place. Not hard to believe, given there were less than ten thousand of us here. Calrex mosied on off to one of the various stands populated with NPCs in festive attire. Meanwhile, I kept my place by the fountain. Isolated like I enjoyed and accompanied by the soft warble of water.

The smile from earlier still hung on my lips and its affects warmed my heart. 

[Jomei 0]

Jomei smiled again, "No problem" He looked at the girl as she turned away rather shyly at his approach and speaking to her. He hoped he had not embarrassed her by checking on her after she fell. Jomei scratched at his arm in response, "A-Ah I'm sorry. I probably brought attention to that where you didn't-" He cleared his throat into his fist. "Anyway.. Glad to see you're okay... I'll see you around. Hope you enjoy the festival." he said with a friendly wink and a smirk before turning away from the girl and walking back towards his blue-haired friend who was within ten feet from him, still hanging around. "I really haven't seen anyone else around that I recognize aside from you.. Say, how have you and Teayre been? I feel like I haven't seen you guys together, let alone her at all, in awhile." Jomei realized that he had been friends with Calrex for a long time, almost since the start of the game, but he had never really had small talk with the man. Usually spoke with him about current events, boss raids, or things pertaining to quests. He figured it would be a good time to catch up with his friend, until the festivities really started.

@Kaya @Calrex

[Calrex 0]

With the young woman apparently taken care of, at least from what he could tell, Calrex watched as Jomei made his way back over to the bluenette. He had been casually glancing from where he was standing, hoping to get an idea of the various other cuisines being replicated at the stands. However, it appeared for the most part there wasn't a good way to find out that didn't require him standing in front of the stall.

At the same time his gaze passed by the fountain, recognizing the fellow blue-haired player he had recently assisted with gaining <<Martial Arts>>, Killia. Calrex gave a casual wave before returning his attention to his ginger-haired companion, "Teayre and I. Well I think from the last time I saw you things have been fairly constant. She's been busy with the shop as of late, of what I can't be sure since I haven't seen her taking any orders. I guess for the most part it's just upkeep. Maybe for roleplayers it would be the equivalent of 'cardboard mode'. Kind of the same for me as well, I've just been going around, checking out the new floors and trying to get skill points when I can."

Stretching his arms upwards before returning them back to his pockets he returned the question, "How about you? How have things been staying at Lee and Piera's place? Hope you haven't been an awkward third wheel too often, heh."

@Jomei