thebastion | The Festival Continues [Day 144]

Who: Everyone
Open: Open
When: Day 144
Where: all over the Bastion
What: Day 2 of the festival ~~because that other post filled up fast~~
Format: any
Warnings: none

Day 2 - Day of Hope and Bravery

Once again, at midnight, another torch arrives - this time with a horse along with the gear and bullshead. As before, they are list by Zulf. Some of the other decorations fade out, to be replaced by Yudrig or Lemaign-specific decorations like horseshoes, saddles, hammers and plants made of colored metal. This will continue to happen throughout the festival, with new decorations overshadowing old ones, but the old ones still remaining here and there.

During the previous day, conversations with a any of the NPCs (or the recently arrived Uras) will bring up the topic of the second day of the festival. Should you care to listen, you'll learn that they use the very early morning of this day to make wishes, wishes that you must think in to a horseshoe that will be left on the side of your home that faces where the "sun" would be rising (the closest approximation to "east").

Speaking of horses! There seems to be a pen with stallions! Unlike Pyth, one must ride one of these stallions and try to stay on it as long as they can while it bucks and jumps about wildly. Good luck to whoever can manage this, it is not an easy task at all! Only one person can win Yudrig's favor, because at the end of the day the stallions will all take off back to... wherever they came from. The person that manages to stay the longest, though, will win a lovely pair of Yudrig boots, and will gain a single very fast horse for the Bastion to keep.

Along with the horses, there will also be races! Three legged races, races while balancing odd objects on spoons, so many races! Most of these are for the kids to make up for the lack of kid-focused things from the day before, but adults are encouraged to help and participate.

Incidentally, respect is also given to those considered soldiers. Be it by their own mental thinking ("I am a soldier for justice/I am a protector, etc") or by their actual title (this includes exorcists, exorcists in training, rebel leaders, etc) but they will be honored on this day for their bravery, comittment and efforts. The same goes for masons. There will be a table set up with charms for the bracelets, specifically hammer shaped ones - everyone is welcome to take one, but anyone who isn't of this persausion may find them too heavy to wear. The charm can be removed, though, but remember to keep the bracelet!

With that in mind, about midday the center of the Bastion will be cleared and people will be asked if they would like to participate in a game of "Defend Lemaign". It's basically Capture the Flag, but with a singular goal in mind - only one team has a "flag" (actually a small hammer statue) and that team must defend it from the other team. Teams can be any size, but once that statue is grabbed and brought to the other side, OR the timer runs out with Lemaign still within his "temple" the game is over. This will continue throughout the afternoon.

When evening falls again, the second torch for the day will appear to be lit, this one decorated with hammers as well as the standard gear and bull. The day begins to wind down, though there are once again other things to do - this time an entire area dedicated to various sizes of building blocks ranging from small to huge. Go nuts, build what you want, show off your creations! And keep them, they will come in handy later! This is not just for kids, even if it seems like it.

There's also jousting taking place. Nothing as dangerous as true jousting - just wooden horses on tracks that have to be manually pushed along (so be sure to take a willing friend with yout) and padded poles that strike padded armor. Winners will find more charms for those bracelets that were given out as their prize, and five shards per win.

Also, something to keep in mind: Since the day is focused around bravery quite a bit, anyone who shows off a particularly awesome show of bravery (be it personal like asking someone out that you like, facing a mild fear and not running away from it, or something even more spectacular) you will inexplicably find your entire room decorated with horseshoes. Horseshoes everywhere. Why? Yudrig, that's why.

And anyone who visits Lemagin's shrine, for whatever reason, will find themselves inexplicably hit with a wave of optimism. Just for the day, though.

This night winds down much the same as before, and again the children are encouraged to sleep outside while lulled to sleep by tales of Yudrig and Lemagin's adventures.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Did someone say races? Somehow or other three adolescent chocobos have made it to the festival today, and they are quite excited by all this activity. They aren't nearly big enough to ride yet, but they're certainly grown enough to give anyone a run for their money. These birds were built for speed.

Of course, they may not entirely understand the rules, but it involves running, right? They are happy to join in whenever they see it happening.

Roxas is standing nearby keeping an eye on them--well, mostly just watching them enjoy themselves--if you wanted to ask someone what was up with the colorful birds running around.]

Are those actually chocobos?

[Colin steps up beside Roxas, recognizing the look of someone watching out for youngsters of any species.]

I didn't think I'd see any of those, here.

[Roxas blinks and glances over at him.]

Yeah, they're chocobos. You- come from a world where they have them?

My father raised a flock of chocobos a few decades ago.

[He watches the youngsters with keen interest now.]

They're his favorite animals. He has to leave his flock in the care of the stablemaster, now... His job doesn't give him time to care for them personally. But he still loves to ride, and relax with them.

A whole flock...

[Well, maybe Lea used to have enough to be called a flock.]

These three came with us from Vatheon.

They're energetic little guys, aren't they?

[And that just makes him happier than he would have thought.]

Have you named them, yet?

Oh yeah.

The red one is Sunset, the blue one's Isa, and the yellow one is Popcorn... She looked a lot more like popcorn when she was little.

Oh, good names. And yeah, they're little more than puff-balls when they're barely out of the egg. Still adorable, though. The lot of them.

You plan to raise them for riding? Or are they going to be free-range pets?

Um... I don't know. We don't know that much about chocobos...

Is that right?

I know quite a bit, if you ever need a hand with them. Right now, they seem to be doing fine, but as they get older, you'll need to work with them if you want to ride them without complaint.

They can be willful if you haven't. Though they'll always respect their parents.

That'd- probably be helpful.

I mean, we've just been trying to take care of them and keep them happy and stuff.

As long as you're not letting them get their way all the time, you're probably doing fine. Chocobo are very docile animals as they grow. They make great pets.

Have you seen them full-size, though? We're probably going to need to invest in a stable for them. They get big.

[That actually puts a little spring in his mood. A chocobo stable! Of all the things he didn't know he actually wanted...]

Yeah, I know. [Sheepish look because man they are going to get big.]

We were gonna get a house with a big yard back home, but- Well, that didn't work out.

You can still get yourself a home, the monument is good for that at least.

[Colin smiles, and he nods to the birds.]

But they'll probably prefer a roost, themselves. Their nests are important to them. And if you let them in your bed, they'll probably start thinking of THAT as their nest... which will have consequences.

Big, friendly, smelly consequences.

We haven't let them sleep in our beds since they outgrew Axel's hair.

Guess we'll just have to save up for it.

Good, good.

Tell you what, I'll see if I can't find the blue prints of the family's stables in my files somewhere? They were built with chocobo in mind.

Oh, sure.

...you brought files with you?

I've got a computer in my arm.

[Colin holds up his arm and draws his sleeve back, revealing a small control panel seamlessly integrated into his forearm.]

Cybernetics are a wonderful thing.

Oh.

[Cue some unease. Roxas is not big on computers for Reasons.]

Doesn't that- feel weird?

Not at all.

[Colin smiles and rolls his sleeve back down.]

It's flexible, and the entire unit is a popular design that's been in production for forty years or so.

Popular... You mean lots of people do that where you're from?

Close to seventy percent of the galactic population has some sort of cybernetic implant, yes. Even if it's just a medical implant of sorts.

Most computer fans have some sort of computer connection on them in one form or another.

[Roxas rubs at his arm.]

I wouldn't ever want that.

It's not for everyone, certainly.

[Colin smiles at Roxas. He's more than used to people being weirded out by the thoughts of having machines replacing other natural body parts.]

I just find it very handy. I'm never without my important files.

I just- write the important stuff down.

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