[EV-22] Tanabata Celebration!

[Simmone 0]

Having just returned shortly after the debacle that was finding stars, notably splitting from the group from before. Simmone manages to a stall, watching group after group takes objects away after teaching birds. Some she recognized and others she did not, she waited her turn with them to pass for she'd not pass up the opportunity. A girl in black hair kept the booth, looking as though she had no interest in keeping it. "May I participate?" and is ushered to the cages the same as those before her. After finding a bird of magnificent color to that of a reflected oil, and after some trouble she is repaid with nothing more than a paltry sum. "Stupid bird..." She palms the free items, finding them into her sleeve. She wanted something interesting but what she got was standard. Irritated by the fact, Simmone seeks out what else was in store, trying to find another stall such as this she could test her luck again at.

ID# 166649 results: Craft: 7
ID# 166650 results: Craft: 5
ID# 166651 results: Craft: 3, 15 Success! Bird Seed*5 (T2 Vit II)

Edited August 31, 2020 by Simmone

[Arabelle 0]

Arabelle looked down.

The three [diligent children] looked up, wide-eyed.

Had they been [real], she would have found everything about them infuriating. But conversely, the stars would not have come together to fund their little pet project if they indeed were.

–So all in all, that line of thought didn’t matter.

She loosened her kinchaku’s drawstring and held it, upside-down, between her fingers.

Performer crystals tinkled like miniature bells as they tumbled one after another into an empty basket placed beneath the NPCs’ task board. Her newest crafts took inspiration from a (surprisingly undamaged) snow globe she had pulled up from one of An’s storage crates and Tanabata’s unique gatherables: they looked, and sounded, like self-contained galaxies – swirls of blue, pink, and violet, with scatters of twinkling dots, encased in diamond-shaped fragments. She’d poked a hole into their corners, so that they looked like beads threaded into Claude’s woven strings. As the last one fell into the pile, the chalk on the board rewrote itself.

| > 200/200    

“Songs are wonderful, but I don’t know why they’re necessary for an…” her gaze drifted rather indifferently to a folded blueprint, “intergalactic railway. Well, whatever the case, have fun.”

Arabelle tore off a notice she’d left nearby and crumpled it into a ball.

♫ | She didn’t linger long enough to see the most effeminate of the three wind one of the strings around their wrist as if it were a bracelet.

Quote

Item Name: Bell Chime Medley
Quantity: 200
Evaluation Links: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

a full breakdown can be found [here].

 

[Bistro 0]

"Have you taken a walk around the faire yet?" It was in complete earnest that Bistro posed the question to her client. All NIGHT did was shrug and roll her eyes.

"You're a bit late to the party on that."

"Ah?" The alchemist cocked her head to the side, shooting her companion a snide smile. Her hands were stuffed in her pants' pockets, as they took down the streets of the festival. "Am I now? The stalls are still all here, with respect to your experience. I'd say I'd made it just in time."

Her conversationalist shook her head as she remained quiet, glancing from store to store just as Bistro had done. "Oh, look," the woman suddenly spoke up, eying a fairly empty enclosure. "Wonder what that's all about."

"Birds," NIGHT replied dryly. "You can give it a shot if you want."

"A shot?" What was once eagerness to investigate fell away to the thought of animal abuse. "I'm-- I'm shooting birds?"

"No--"

Spoiler

Taming of the Magpies.

ID: 166748 | CD: 8
ID: 166747 | CD: 6
ID: 166746 | CD: 2

Total: 16 | Prize: [T1] Bird Seed (5)

[Basuke 0]

It was with the sudden rush of players that Basuke found himself getting swept through the crowd the moment he entered the main streets of the festival once again. This time, the stream of people carried him over to a more deserted part of town, one that greeted him with an empty cage and a peeping of birds by its side.

"You look lost."

The woman with the guitar stopped her strumming, looking over to the boy behind a low desk. Basuke couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head with a hand.

"It happens for me sometimes! Don't worry, I stay on my feet." He looked towards the back of the tent, tilting his head at the enclosure of birds. "What's this about?"

"Grandpa's magpies. We usually take them out for show during Tanabata events, but a few people have decided to drop us suggestions on running our booth this time. It's going pretty well." She glances to her magpies, before setting down her guitar, giving Basuke a tilt of her head. "Interested in giving it a shot?"

The boy was too busy being head over heels about getting closer to the birds just to observe them. The storeowner snorted at the glimmer in the player's eyes, pushing back her seat and beckoning him to follow.

He did so.

At the end of the meet and greet session, his heart must've grown several times larger.

Spoiler

Taming of the Magpies.

ID: 166751 | CD: 10
ID: 166750 | CD: 7
ID: 166749 | CD: 11

Total: 28 | Prize: Reroll Ticket (1)

[Elora 0]

She moved on to surveying shops along the path that she had taken onto the festival grounds. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that the fun 'Bird Game' was among them. Since she'd already made her way back to where she started, Elora decided it would be best to hang her five wishes onto the bamboo trees. Hopefully this is the right place. It seems like this is where everyone else is putting them. Elora got on the tips of her toes to secure the paper strips as high up and as spread-out as possible. It was almost like decorating a Christmas tree, where you wanted to scattered the ornaments as much as possible to give the entire decoration a fuller appearance. Standing back to appreciate her work, she nodded to herself, Who knows whether or not this ritual will help any of them come true. I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

 

Elora turns in 5 tanzaku wishes

[Elora 0]

After her short visit to the bamboo forest, Elora set off to find the fabled Bird Game that she had heard players mention throughout the night. It sounded like the booth offered a refreshing mechanic in comparison to other ones which were purely based off of luck, or by how rigged their owners had designed them to be. It wasn't unlikely that the birds would only be trained to win you cheap merchandise, but Elora could at least imagine a scenario where earning the respect of a feathered friend would reward her with a valuable item.

“A go for you? It's one try per person", said the eccentric-looking carnie. Elora agreed to play as the young woman had already begun to stand and assist her. "Alright, then. Just follow me over to the cage. You see all the birds that are roosting in here? You'll need to select one and try to instruct it to retrieve the prize that you want. Well? Go ahead, let me know which one you're interested it."

Elora found herself being drawn to a particular, Magpie, one which had a distinctive disgruntled demeanor. Something about his displeased expression and excessively floofed-up body were incredibly endearing. "I'd like that one", she decided and gestured toward the bird with her index finger. The stall keeper smirked and cautiously unlatched the pen, coercing the grumpy fowl to shuffle over and onto her hand.

"He doesn't seem very thrilled to be picked again. You might want to be especially gentle with him", she cautioned to Elora before holding it up for her to meet. 

After they had a moment to become acquainted, the bird-keeper released the magpie into the habitarium. "I don't really care what you go for, so maybe just do your best to grab something" With that being said, the bird turned its attention to an especially squiggly stick. It almost looked like the body of a worm from Elora's vantage.

"Except a stick!", she called after it. Maybe it would be better to try a more assertive approach. "Why don't you grab me one of the items that help with status effects? I'm sure I could use one at some point!" The magpie seemed to appreciate the suggestion since it promptly flew over and picked up a tiny potion bottle which almost seemed to glow a warm light in the darkness. It landed at the entrance of the exhibit and dropped the item into Elora's open palms. "Thanks so much, little guy! I'm sorry I disturbed you to get this. I hope you can rest a bit more before the next round"

"This one may actually be retiring for the night. It seems like there are plenty of others with more energy than him right now. I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Elora felt that she would do just the same. It had been a long, and more emotionally-demanding, night than most. I probably won't be missing out on much if I turn in early, she assured herself, Besides, I'll probably just make a fool of myself if I force myself to keep up with everyone else's pace. It was enough convincing for her to head back to her room at The Humming Bard Inn in The Town of Beginnings.

 

Spoiler

Step 1: ID#: 166752 CD6

Step 2: ID#: 166753 CD7

Step 3: ID#: 166754 CD11

Total = 24, Elora wins "Burning Determination x1" from the 23-27 Category

Edited August 30, 2020 by Elora

[NIGHT 0]

It was with folded arms that NIGHT waited outside the exhibition, eyeing her informant engage in a hearty discussion with the booth owner, hands waving about in various gestures. In moments, the broker shot her a knowing glance with a dip of her head as she followed the NPC into the tent, to what would be a various number of magpies presented for her to pick from.

The next time NIGHT had spotted the woman, it was with a tiny friend atop her fingers, a grin pointed her way as she raised the bird aloft. It seemed to flutter pleasantly at being shown off -- though, its head continued to swivel around its body, confused as to where it might be being pointed towards. As Bistro lowered herself down to allow her feathered associate to roam about the enclosure, her audience began to watch the jay hop around the entrance, right about its gates, step right up to a corner--

--where there were a number of bird seeds propped up around the edges of the grass mat, the creature pecking at them vigorously in excitement.

[Bistro 0]

"O-oi...!"

NIGHT couldn't help but hold back a chuckle just as Bistro began to panic, glancing towards the birdkeeper for further prompting and answers. Alas, they only shot her a shrug and a smile. "The little fletching has spoken, apparently."

"And it says that it's hungry?" The frantic alchemist gave the magpie another glance, leaning on one foot as the bird continued to enjoy its makeshift meal.

"Unfortunately. Some of the flock are spoiled. Or gluttonous."

"Really, though. Is there a difference between the two...?"

Bistro escorted herself out the tent, leaving the NPC to trail after her to their table, pulling out a small sack from a box nearby. It was brown in colour, a small lopsided satchel, but the broker still took it, curious about its contents.

Bird seeds.

"A little birdie told me you might've been hungry too."

From behind the alchemist, her client finally let out another snort, as Bistro began to resign herself to her rather unusual fate.

[Crozeph 0]

It would be nice if they could remain drifting peacefully in the boat on the lake. Peace was nothing but a temporary thing even inside the game. For someone like him who was accepting of reality or rather tries his best to take it all in like hard to swallow pills, he somehow wished that it would last. "Well I guess we have to hang the tanzaku now" he whispered to Yuki. "Will we reach land quick If I paddle with my hands?" he asked her. A dumb idea but that's the essence of being Crozeph, dumb ideas appear like a yawn. He stretched out his hand outside the boat and began paddling while making sure he won't splash water to Yuki's kimono.

A few minutes went by and it seemed like he hasn't even covered a feet of distance towards the bay "yeah this is dumb…" he grabbed one paddle and began rowing slowly but with strength enough for them to reach the boat guy and return the boat.  He got out of the boat first and held Yuki as she followed and before the two could leave he talked to the boat guy "can I take one boat home?"

The boat guy was surprised with the question and looked at the one Crozeph borrowed "I don't know about that but I can give you this…" he rummaged in the knapsack and pulled out one tiny boat. A miniature version which made Crozeph excited "wow thanks a lot! See you next time and don't go fighting some dude who wields a Chinese sword" he told boat guy. Shaking his head, boat guy resumed watching over the remaining players still drifting on the lake.

Crozeph walked holding Yuki's hand and followed the people who seemed like they are going to hang their tanzaku "shouldn't be that hard to find it" he thought. Soon enough they are in front of it and Crozeph saw papers hung and wishes written. He looked at his and hang it all in one place "it's still not as fun as people want me to see it but I get the purpose" he told her "wishes aren't my thing but it won't hurt having a few" he added. The night continues yet the festivity might end soon and they'll be returning to their normal routine, survival, and fight for freedom.

[Crozeph hangs tanzaku]

[Mishiro 0]

Mishiro chose the one that looked the friendliest.

(read: it sat closest to the hatch. it was the first one she saw. it was adorable and fluffy. and as soon as she laid her eyes on the little creature, the rest of the world fell to oblivion and a gentle warmth flooded in to pull together every fragmented piece of her heart. she wanted to pet it.)

"Okay," said the NPC, rising from its seat. "I'll bring him over."

"Thank you."

She watched the birdkeeper closely. Upon throwing open the hatch, it offered its hand to her chosen magpie and let it hop off its perch on its own accord. It fed the bird a couple of birdseeds as reward, then extended its arm to Mishiro, forming a bridge for their feathered friend to cross over.

"Take your time."

The magpie had immediately attempted to snuggle into her cupped hands. Then it pulled back almost as quickly, and fluffed its feathers. Mishiro thought it looked like a shiver. Carefully, she turned her hands to the side, prompting it to move back down to perch on her index finger. When it had stopped where she wanted it to, she recalled the NPC's handling and scratched it lightly on the head.

Perhaps she will.

Spoiler

Taming of the Magpies
ID: 166839 | CD: 11
ID: 166840 | CD: 7
ID: 166841 | CD: 8
Total: 26

Quote

Cold Shoulder
Tier 1 Unique Salve | FREEZE I
A small jar of frost, somehow perpetually kept ice cold. Inscribed on its golden lid is a little message. 'Property of Rigel'.

 

[Macradon 0]

Everything was happening fast, people were walking around, mingling, doing their business, attending the stalls. Macradon still stood still with his tanzaku, not really knowing how to word his wishes, nor was he too sure as to what his wishes would be like. He took a good look at the tree adorned with wishes from everyone present, beautiful in the lights of the midsummer with the ambience of joyous laughter and conversation. He took a good look at his blank tanzaku and began to scribble down his wishes.

Spoiler

Wish #1
I wish that for the rest of my stay, my friends, comrades, and loved ones may stay by my side. I wish for a bright future, where bloodshed is not needed; where arguments don’t have to end up in assassinations and murder. I wish for safety, that not only I will be able to prevail in this wretched place, but that everyone will be able to escape. I don’t need to be protected by some force field of plot armor, I don’t need to be protected from ever needing to fight, I just need the safety in knowing that everyone in here deserves and will attain their freedom.

Wish #2
I wish for the struggles of people's lives around me will settle. I don’t need them to just end abruptly, but I wish for everyone to come out happy and sated. People I have met all had their own problems, and those problems are usually problems I have no say in, nothing I can do for them other than to give comforting words of “wisdom”. I want them to fall at ease and attain peace of mind with their struggles. I want them to be set free from the shackles that hold them down, the shadows looming behind them, and the darkness that fills their life. I wish for a light in their lives to show up, a glowing stone that will give them more purpose to their existence.

Wish #3
For Kairi, Ashley, my love. I wish that her courage will bring her far. That her judgement will be backed by those she trusts. I want her to grow up through this game, through the ranks, through her life, deserving the best of praise.
For Mari, my best friend. I wish that her self-judgemental self would try to look past her past and not be caught up by it as she once were. I want her to feel more confident in her worth, that people would look more up to her as a person who has gone through a lot, trying to atone for the mistakes she made in her past.

Wish #4
For Zandra, a comrade I barely know but still put my trust into. We trust each other while not even knowing who the other part is, a blind trust that I want to strengthen for the better. I wish Zandra would understand me some more, and likewise for me to understand her.
For Bahr, a friend I’ve met only a handful of times, that misunderstanding has to come to an end. I want him to settle at a less edgy place where we can talk things out, where he wouldn’t turn to sudden arrests without proper insight of what the situation would be, even with rumors and bounties.

Wish #5
I want to get stronger, I want to reach new heights. My strength has plateaued with these levels that I cannot go beyond. I feel like I am staying stagnant for too long, and there isn’t much I can do for others that haven’t reached my level yet. These numbers mean nothing, so I plead for something to help me gain strength, be it mentally or digitally physically. I need this strength to fight for the citizen of Aincrad, for the people that want freedom but are trapped in despair. Let me be a light, let me be a beacon, or at least a catalyst for a beacon to rise, for a symbol of hope and peace to shine for everyone.

There wasn’t much he wished for himself, a bit, but mostly things that would help him keep up the energetic pace to help others. His wishes were selfish in some ways, all with ulterior motives to back up his already time consuming task of helping those in need, those that seek his help, and those that cannot fend for themselves yet.

[ Wishes 1-5 ]

[Zajcica 0]

With everything going on around her, she almost didn't notice the meteor shower happening above them. She had just finished writing all her wishes down on the papers. When she had the moment, she would need to hang them up on one of the trees so that she could pull them down later. Kind of hard when they were both relaxing on a boat. Though it was about now that Crozeph decided that they should hit land and get back to it.

"I don't think they're going to just let you take a boat, but you can ask I guess. Maybe we can just buy one later." She mentioned stepping off the boat and waiting for Crozeph to speak with the boatswain. After that, they walked through the festival grounds towards the bamboo trees. Without wasting any time, the paladin reached up and hung her wishes on a high branch where they wouldn't be disturbed.

[Hangs Tanzaku]

[Nisahime 0]

Wandering through those that would drag about about the affair, pulling upon branches, and doing their best for unfulfilled words to be heard. Finding a branch of them filled with these vary faint candles, she'd add her own hopes to those of many. It takes a moment, and a bit of effort, and without a phrase, they sway dangling in the wind. She'd take to the edge of the lake looking over the field of glowing lights, listing and bending in the waves. A small child beckons to her side, in a hair of color darker than the sea she faced. They both sat in silence for what would be hours before that small little figure would finally notice her presence and begin to speak. “What’re you here for?”  Her eyes would slide from the intense stare that seemed lost in the oceanfront. The priestess shifts and looks to the child, unsure if it was truly her that she had been her it had been speak toward.

[Tanzaku Hung]

Edited August 31, 2020 by Nisahime

[Haine 0]

It was a much needed break, surrounded by all the colors, tunes, and festivities. In a world that doesn't wait, it was easy to lose touch with oneself and throw their head into the game, driven by ulterior motives. Haine had dedicated herself to Firm Anima and its duties, there was always much to do and she grew accustomed to the frequent schedules. It was odd to see everyone donned in casual attire, mingling among each other. Time ticked by as the guild members talked among each other, but as the event drew to a close, they'd been standing for a while now. The soles of her sandals pressed against her nerves and ached, she was ready to go home.

The bluenette stretched, sighing in satisfaction when her back cracked. A gust of wind had her locks flying in her face, shielding her periphery. She brought a hand to brush them away, only to spot slips of colorful paper dangling from her wrist. "Huh." The woman arched a brow. "I swore I hung these?" She shrugged and turned to the shorter redhead. "I'm gonna hang these real quick. Stay put!" She pat Vie's shoulder and began a clumsy beeline down the village.

Once she'd reached the spot, the woman untied the slips. She walked up to a shorter branch her short self could reach and tied them close to each other. She clasped her hands together and backed up to admire the sight. Among her slips here a dozen others, decorated in the color of a rainbow. Fairy lights hung from the treetops, giving the shrine a soft glow. She closed her eyes shut as a soft smile graced her lips. "Go easy on me, fate."

 

 

[ Haine hangs the Tanzaku. ]

[Eruda 0]

The interactions with the small birds came to an end and Eruda watches the others and can't help but chuckle at some of their reactions. Clearing her throat to find her voice again she remembers that she made a few things for the younger kids running around her asking for assistance from the other players. "I'll be right back you guys. Don't leave without me okay," she says as she lifts her yukata at both sides as to not trip over it. Her mind goes back to when Raidou and her first met...She had tripped on her ribbon on her dress and this was the first time since then that she has worn something like this. A smile appears on her face as her thoughts overlap to now. She wished that she would see Raidou sometime tonight so that he could see her, but being with her father would suffice for now. Giggling and small chuckles ahead of her, a small boy runs up to Eruda. "I have some things for your activities, here. It's not a lot but I hope it helps." Eruda pulls out the Textile squares as the kid takes them saying "Thank you sooooo much miss. Everything helps." With a smile, Eruda gives the kid a nod and heads back to her...Family.

Item Name: Textile Squares:
Quantity: 6
Evaluation Link: Here

[Hidden 1]

Hidden's eyebrows furrowed at his words. "First. You are describing me, get your own personality. Second. I said hero 'types'. Never said you were one. You are just willing to risk your life, you haven't given it." She watched as he reached up for glasses that weren't there. She stifled her laugh and cast her gaze aside. As he mentioned feeling disarmed she would sigh. "You're annoyingly uptight." She would tell him. Then, in a cocky manner, she would face him. "Some might consider me to be the biggest threat that is here at this event." She drew back the sleeve to her kimono and showed her the dagger strapped to her arm. "If you can take me, you should be fine then. If not, at least I'll kill whoever kills you." She said this with a monotone voice. 

She pulled her sleeve back down before looking away. "It was nice talking to you, I guess. See you round' Red." She turned and faced the direction where she left Ayame. The girl must have wandered off. She was no where in sight. 'Wonder if that Ariel chick swooped up and took her. If so, I'm gonna have to warn her about stealing my-' Her thoughts broke. 'Stealing Ayame.'

[Setsuna 0]

Doing her best to avoid being discovered, she slips away from the pair. Unannounced to her one of the frames she passes is that of Eruda. Setsuna vanishes into the crowd, finding a few more textiles like the one she had woven. She knew they had a place and would serve no one else to quite the same effect. She'd usher back to the stalls helmed by the three young boys. Placing them loosely to the table taking heed as to escape their vision. She was in a torrent of emotion and would surely seem a sight, and to stay from the questions that would follow she'd simply keep out of sight.

As they are stacked amongst her own deposit, she'd flicker and fade although troublesome in the unsuitable attire adorned on her shoulders. With a white mist upon her back in a chill, she fades out. The NPC shutter and look about, but see no one.

Item Name: Textile Squares:
Quantity: 20
Evaluation Link: Here

Edited August 31, 2020 by Setsuna

[Eruda 0]

Fireworks lit the night sky now, as Eruda travels back to the group she seeing Raidou in the distance jump meters from where Griswold had found her. A gorgeous white-haired female looking like she was just leaving his side. Eruda smiles at the thought that he had friends outside the guild.  Eruda decides that now was a good time to thank him for what he had done for her. A bit nervous though that she was exposed in something that wasn't in her armor. Biting her bottom lip she gets a bit closer to Raidou hoping that she didn't look to rediculous. At a closer glance, she saw that he wasn't wearing his normal wardrobe. With a bit more confidence now knowing that he probably felt just as bare, she walks toward him saying "Is this seat taken," she sits next to him just a few feet away but was ready to leave if he said the seat was taken. Looking to the multicolored fireworks as her face reddens just a bit.

[Astralin 0]

When the sight came to a close, Astralin was content with the results. She would wander around the settlement, wondering if there was anything else in store for her tonight. She knew she'd have to call it a night soon, but...was she forgetting something...? "Ah! The gold star donation!" She exclaimed in realization. She quickly began looking around for the center of town, moving through the bustling crowds enjoying the festivities, and when she finally reached the center, she would find the children still looking over their plans. She would approach them, ready to give her contribution. "Hey, I've got some gold stars I'd like to contribute." She said with a smile. One of the children smiled, then would tell her something kind of important. "Thanks, we've already reached the required amount for gold stars, but we'll still accept more, just in case." Well, at least Astralin had done her part here. Maybe she would return to the lake to gather gold stars for herself, for wherever she would end up living in...

Item Name: Gold Stars
Quantity: 63
Thread Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19903-ppf22-stars-and-wishes/

 

[Macradon 0]

Satisfied with what he had written, Macradon smiled a bit for himself and hung up the wishes To fulfill the tradition, or that’s what he was told, so let’s see how well this goes. One after the other, Macradon hung up his five wishes to be felt by the tree, to be lifted by the tree, to be displayed by the tree. Lantern lights filled his view of the scenery, a digital world with digital people, a world where despair™ had reared its ugly head far too many times, was now a place of bliss and calmness for the knight. “For the greater good at the cost of my energy and stamina. I am but a pawn in this game of chess, and sacrifices shall be made, maybe I will become one of those sacrificial pawns … or perhaps I will rise and be promoted to queen  … let’s hope it’s the latter, I don’t really want to die yet.”

[ Hanging Tanzaku ]