AUGUST EVENT PT 1

[citta]

AUGUST EVENT PT 1

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→ 8/3-8/4 School Cultural Festival

Good morning!! The crows start cawing at the crack of dawn and they're really noisy, but while they're usually a nuisance on the best of days, perhaps the wake-up call will be appreciated this weekend, as the school gates are open over the weekend for the annual cultural festival the students have been hard at work on for the past few weeks. It's an open event for family and friends to come enjoy themselves, or perhaps get dragged into helping out in a booth or two, as some of the students have called in sick or can't be reached at all. Either way, the general commotion centered around the school is probably even loud enough to be heard all the way over in Castle Ouma if you're quiet enough. I don't know how else to get you guys who still live in the castle ruins over here... Hopefully you've been hearing people talking about it all of last month? Or maybe you're a newcomer who's just woken up in the castle ruins, spent ten seconds with Kokichi, and decided to leave the forest and never return, that's also very plausible.

Involving the elementary, middle, and high school buildings on their shared campus, all the typical sorts of booths can be found, including a school play performed by the elementary school students in the auditorium in the morning, and various concerts or performances held throughout the day. In the classrooms, food stalls and cafes are common, along with haunted houses for the braver souls. Rumors say that sometimes people who enter the haunted houses never come out the other side... but never mind that. It's fine. Sports clubs hold friendly competitions outside on the field, and many cultural clubs have displays of their work to show off in their club rooms, so there's plenty to do and see and eat all around campus. Despite all the preparation, however, some of the stalls appear to be empty, others with students frantic about not having enough people to keep things rolling smoothly. Looks like the strange illness going around town last month hasn't completely resolved yet, but maybe it's best for those who are ill to stay home in a crowded place like this.

For those seeking something quieter, tucked away in a corner of the high school building next to a struggling yakisoba stand is a fortune telling tent which doesn't seem to be getting many customers. The line is short and there's no fee, so why not give it a shot? Inside, a hooded figure sits, head bowed and face completely obscured in shadow aside from their chin, illuminated by a cheap looking crystal ball placed in the center of the table. A stack of cards lays on their left, a bag of something smelling faintly sweet and spicy sitting on their right. Without prompting, the fortune teller speaks in a low soft voice, greeting you by name. Weird. Weirder yet, they go on to address you by the arcana on your omamori, be it The Fool or The Hermit or what have you, and rather than answering any questions you may have about your future, the fortune teller instead offers one of two messages:

『To return to where you hailed, you must return to where you arrived. Take with you that which bears the name of the being you have banded together to defeat, and restore what once was.』
or
『When the moon's face shines full and bright, at the cusp of night and day, return to the place of beginnings. Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai must be played, to return two lost souls to this world.』

Huh... Before you can ask any questions, however, your time is up and the next person in line is already pushing you out the seat to the exit. You can always return to the end of the line to have another go, but... curiously, when you enter the tent any subsequent times, a high schooler in uniform greets you, bright and chipper. Home? Souls?? She has no idea what you're talking about if you repeat the messages from before, but never mind that! She can read your fortune!! Maybe you'll let her show off some palmistry and— oh... your life line is rather short... Unfortunate. Never mind, we'll try tarot instead and- hm. That sure is The Tower. Oh well, time's up, next person please!

On Sunday evening as the festivities wind down, a bonfire has been set up in the middle of the field, adding to the unnaturally hot summer night. It's still pretty, though, with the sky dark and bright stars starting to peek out, blankets laid out across the grass and sweet potatoes being passed around to be roasted by the fire. Take the time to relax and breathe... because it's un/fortunately a festival month and the villagers are hype about their festivals.

→ 8/6-8/8 Tanabata Festival

While the students had been hard at work setting up the school festival, the rest of the town had been preparing for the tanabata festival, with stalls set up encircling the entire lakefront at the center of town. Yukata can be bought or rented, along with traditional hand fans to ward off the heat of the summer, and many of the typical food stalls and carnival games can be found, including stalls where you can test your luck in scooping goldfish/yo-yos/other small plastic toys, shooting targets with cork rifles, attempting the rigged ring toss that's impossible to win without cheating, or playing the lottery with tickets for free food from the stalls as consolation prizes. Maybe your luck sucks and you just want to buy stuff and that's fine too. Come with full wallets and leave with full stomachs filled with yakitori skewers, sweet or savory dango, roasted sweet potato, and the seasonal favorite: shaved ice. It's seasonal because it's summer and summer is so hot. This particular summer feels like hell and halfway through the last day, they run out of syrup, but cups of plain ice are still selling very well, so... yay...

While some of the stalls are already heavy with decoration, others are pretty sparse, with the lack of people running them. Which is fine, or intended, because there are workshops held all around for teaching and encouraging people to make decorations meant to improve different aspects of one's life: paper kimonos for artistic ability, strings of a thousand paper cranes for long and healthy lives, paper purses for wealth, colorful streamers for handicraft, wastebaskets for cleanliness, and of course, tanzaku- paper strips hung up on bamboo trees for a wish to be granted by the gods. Decorations are judged for artistic ability, with a small prize given to the best decoration judged at the end of each night.

In the evenings, stages set out along the lakeside feature folk dance performances, and decorations are collected to be lit on fire and sent off in small boats in the lake, the collection of flames giving off a soft light as the paper burns down and turns to ash, reclaimed by the lake as they sink. A reminder from the townspeople to anybody who stands too close to the lake: please do not touch the water. On the very last evening of the festival, a fireworks show is held, shooting up overhead above the lake and is visible anywhere around town, raining down sparks of gold and red, hell fire from the sky.

...Also hell fire in the woods. It's been windy and dry all month, and a small forest fire has started at the edge of town, be it from arson or by accident. The villagers cut the evening short to go help, as there is no established fire fighting service, so any and all assistance would be appreciated. Somewhere nearby, a child starts to cry, unable to find his mother. With the villagers pulled away, the night ends with the stalls left empty. Nobody comes to clean up the next morning...

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ As mentioned in the OOC plotting post, a heat wave befalls the town and NPC villagers start disappearing until the daitengu from last month is defeated. 2 more dungeon threads must be submitted before 8/11 to secure the ofuda. Lockdown continues to occur each midnight, with the school transforming into the dungeon; details can be found on last month's event log.
⬥ For the cultural festival: characters will receive a hint about either 1) how to return home (take the ofuda received after beating the dungeon boss to the castle ruins), or 2) how to summon the Velvet Room attendants (playing Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai at the castle ruins during the full moon), and are highly encouraged to discuss both messages amongst themselves. Characters may learn more about how to play Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, date of the full moon, etc. by asking around town.
⬥ On 8/12 (ICly dated on 8/15, the night of the full moon), a mini-log will go up encompassing both of these findings.
⬥ For the tanabata festival: each character may claim one small wish pending mod approval at any time this month (comment below) for writing their wish down on a tanzaku, and 3 characters will be randomly chosen on 8/12 as winners for the decoration judging, and will be contacted at that time for the option of receiving an additional wish.

Comments

[claytools]

I. ARTS & CRAFTS.

[Having been living as a hermit in the woods for the past month, and probably continuing to do so into the future, Enkidu sees no reason to get a job or obtain material wealth; everything they need comes from the Earth itself. Besides, it’s a little cooler beneath the trees. However, the idea of human festivals excited and intrigued them, so here they are!]

[The little decorative workshops are fascinating to them, and by the end of the first day, they’ve made at least one of each little thing. All of their folds and cuts are extremely precise, so precise that they almost look manufactured.]

…Ah!

[—But despite this apparent flaw in the wholesome charm of the handmade paper crane, when Enkidu holds up their work-in-progress chain to observe the little dangling birds, they are inexplicably smiling.]

II. THE FINAL NIGHT.

[Enkidu has been told not to touch the water. They will not touch the water.]

[…They keep looking at the water. With a placid, thoughtful, unperturbed look on their face, they watch the water.]

[On this last evening, sitting on the grass by the lakefront, Enkidu acts… different, than usual. They’re sitting in such a way that conceals one part of their left leg, have their hair falling conspicuously over half of their face, and keep running their hands along the fabric of their clothing. When the fireworks start, they stop looking at the lake and start looking at the explosions in the sky, marveling at the feats of human engineering. They don’t get up once.]

[They stayed here too long. The heat is… the planet is… they should have gone back to the forest, because now they can feel the cracks in their body. The biggest one is hidden with the way they sit, but since they have to put all their weight on their legs… they’re not sure if they can actually stand without making it obvious what they’re made of, and that their clay is cracking.]

[They can probably just sit here all night.]

ii

[16lab]

[ RO isn't officially a member of the festival committee nor its security, but she sure has been acting like it for the past several days. She's has been diligently passing water bottles out to everyone in the crowd for the sake of human health and to prevent heatstroke.

She eventually reaches Enkidu. Her voice is pretty loud, so she's able to speak over the fireworks. ]

Excuse me, please take one or two water bottles. It'll help you with... hydration...

[ She's also wondering why he's sitting even though there are people standing, sometimes with other smaller people on their shoulders to get a better view of the fireworks. Wouldn't sitting make the view worse, or at least that's what RO is thinking, so she wonders... ]

Is something the matter? Have you sprained something? Standing is a better way to view the fireworks...

[claytools]

[Enkidu's eyes — well, eye, their one visible eye — are on RO and her water bottles as soon as she approaches. They're watching her with obvious interest, and reach out for one of the bottles. If RO is observant, she may notice small hairline cracks in what should be supple human skin.]

No, water would be great, actually. Thank you.

[They look down at themselves, and then back up at RO. Lacking their Presence Detection, they cannot tell that she herself is anything other than human from sight and voice alone.]

I was just feeling... a bit dizzy.

[That's what dehydration does to people, right? They think they've heard other Servants complain about it at some point.]

[16lab]

[ RO is pretty much made for observation when she can, so she does spot those cracks, but she wonders if Enkidu is really suffering from dehydration to show cracks in the skin. She's seen similar things in humans before when their skin was so dry. ]

If that's the case, please take two more. I will go request water with electrolytes so that they may help you in the heatstroke.

[ That's what she thinks Enkidu is experiencing anyway, so before they can reply to her, she goes and comes back fairly quickly with two bottles of Pocari Sweat and hands that over to Enkidu as well. ]

If you don't mind me, watching over you for some time, I'll be glad to keep you company.

[ She doesn't want anyone to pass out from the god awful heat. ]

[claytools]

Thank you.

[Enkidu has exactly zero idea what an 'electrolyte' is but they will gladly take more water. Whatever it is, it's probably supposed to be beneficial to the human body, and worst comes to worst Enkidu can just... expel it out of them. By the time RO returns, the cap is off that first bottle and it's already at Enkidu's lips. —It takes them a moment to remember the throat movement that's supposed to happen when people drink, though. Essentially, what's happening is Enkidu is pouring the water on themselves and absorbing it immediately, except the place they're absorbing it just so happens to be their mouth. Hopefully, if they drink enough of this and give it a little while to disperse into their 'system', they should be fine to stand.]

[But they certainly don't want to ignore their benefactor. So they take a pause from 'drinking' and look at her.]

Oh. Go right ahead.

[There's no point in hiding what's happening now, they figure, if she's going to stay anyway. Enkidu reaches under their half-curtain of hair with one hand, trying to get as much moisture into the clay as possible. It's a little weird, because from most angles it looks like they're just inexplicably rubbing their forehead, but... they just want to test the water before they expose the huge crack in their leg.]

You don't have to worry about me, if you have better things to do. But I appreciate it.

[16lab]

I don't... mind...

[ RO doesn't understand the meaning of getting water and then rubbing it into people's foreheads unless it's on a cloth, but this method seems... different. ]

Excuse me, are you not... human?

[ Those cracks sure aren't hair strands!!! ]

[claytools]

[That was fast. But, well, it's to be expected.]

No.

I'm made of clay, actually.

[Their tone is weirdly conversational.]

But the water really is helping. I've been drying out in the heat, and this place keeps cutting off my power somehow, so... I start to crack.

[Enkidu finally moves their leg. And, yes. That is a huge gash in the side of their leg, running from the outer thigh down to about the ankle, wrapping around the limb. Small pieces are starting to crumble off, which Enkidu dutifully collects in one hand.]

You can see why standing is hard, with structural damage like this...

[16lab]

[ So this person is made of clay, has powers, and cracks under dry heat, just like an actual clay. RO looks down at their leg and there's really no mistaking it. She's used to seeing gashes like that without blood spilling because that's how androids like her work too. ]

I see... it looks to be very inconvenient.

[ Hm. ]

If I may suggest, the educational facility has a pool and there aren't many people around. So if you would like to, you can perhaps go for a quick soak to... hydrate your body.

[claytools]

But, don't humans put strange things in the water at those pools? They did at my old workplace, anyway.

[The Chaldea pool has always scared them off a bit after someone explained to them about all the chemicals and machines that are needed to keep the thing running. A nice thing for humans to have, but not Enkidus. —The general idea of full-body hydration, though, is a good one; they look wistfully out again at the lake they're not allowed to go into.]

I was just going to... wait until this was over, or until I can put enough weight on it to stand, and then go find a river...

i

[reveilation]

[ Kido had been going around watching more than anything, and Enkidu's work especially catches her eyes— the perfection of their work is enough to be a bit unnerving, but she can't deny that it's incredible to see and she leans over their shoulder to watch them work. ]

Wow... You're pretty good at this. Is it hobby of yours? Mine always come out a bit crumpled...

[claytools]

[...This is the person they had that strange conversation with on the first day. Enkidu smiles faintly at her, as if greeting a friendly acquaintance.]

No, I just picked it up recently. But it's all internal measurements and remembering instructions... and I'm pretty good at those things.

[Enkidu was built to calculate the trajectory of projectiles and follow other people's orders. Who knew that translated to paper cranes.]

[reveilation]

[ Internal measurements, what? ]

Ah... Sure.

[ alright ]

That just makes it even more impressive, though. You'd put Mary out of business, if you learned how to make paper flowers.

[claytools]

[Enkidu lets that comment go, focusing instead on making a new crane. She doesn't have to believe them, it's none of their business.]

Mary? Who's Mary?

[Is she from town? Enkidu hasn't been paying much attention to the goings-on of modern civilization. They've been too busy hiding in the shade of the woods.]

[reveilation]

Oh. She's my, um. Sister. [ sort of ] She makes paper flowers to sell as a way to make some money, and I was just thinking you could probably do the same here, since you can do this so well.

[claytools]

Oh. Hmm.

[Enkidu stops folding, and looks around, considering this.]

I guess money would be nice.

[They don't really need it, since all that's strictly required for them to subsist on is water, and they're used to living in the wilderness (or from handouts on Gil's absurd wealth). But... with money, you can buy things that you can't get yourself.]

I don't really know how businesses work, though?

[reveilation]

I don't really know, either.

[ haha, yeah, Kido can't help much with this ]

In a small place like this, you could probably just set up a table somewhere and advertise like how these booths are set up. Do you know Terrence? He runs something like that. ...I dunno if he has a business permit, though, so it's probably an illegal stand.

ii

[laconism]

[Throughout the fireworks show, the strong scent of clay and earth lingers in Pikachu's nose. He tries to ignore it as he observes the show from the top of Red's head, but he can't help but wonder where a smell like that could be coming from. The mouse Pokémon looks around, sniffing the air as he does so until he manages to pinpoint the source of the smell. It's coming from... that human sitting on the ground not too far from them?

Fascinated by this, Pikachu climbs down his trainer until he's at a low enough height to safely jump off, then scampers over to this green-haired not!human. Naturally this catches Red's attention as well, looking away from the fireworks to see where the heck Pikachu is running off to all of a sudden. It's not like him to do that, so he quickly follows, not wanting to lose his Pokémon in the middle of this crowd.

Once Pikachu reaches Enkidu, he begins sniffing their leg. This smell is coming from their skin?! He's never smelled a human like this before! It doesn't take much longer for Red to catch up, crouching down next to them and picking Pikachu up. He thought he raised him better than this!]

S-Sorry.

[He moves to shuffle away, but then he stops himself. Even Red can pick up on that earthy smell from this distance, but he's more concerned with how they're sitting. Why is this person sitting in the first place when everyone else around them is standing to view the fireworks? And in a position like that, no less? Could they be hurt?]

...Um... are you okay?

[claytools]

[Oh. Oh my goodness.]

Hello there.

[Enkidu turns a bit in their seat, thoroughly fascinated by Pikachu. What manner of beast is this? They've never seen anything like it before! They've reached out a hand, about to touch the creature, when a human swoops in and picks it back up. Their expression does not betray the tiny pang of disappointment, but they watch Red's back and Pikachu's bobbing tail as he turns and starts to leave.]

[They don't expect to be addressed, though.]

Oh, don't worry about me... just a bit dizzy.

[They're unusually calm about this, like it will solve itself in time. Which it won't. They'll be okay once they get back to the river. ...Enkidu changes the subject, looking to Pikachu.]

Though, if you don't mind my asking — what is that little one?

ii

[trabryu]

[ Upon spotting Enkidu, Mondo hunkers down beside her, settling down to watch the fireworks, too. ]

Pretty, huh.

[ The last time he saw one... wasn't an entirely pleasant. No, he wouldn't say it was unpleasant, but he did something he regretted. He hopes he won't fuck it up again this time. They're just sitting down watching colours explode in the night sky, what can go wrong, right? ]

You been good?

[claytools]

[Oh! It's Mondo. Well, this isn't exactly the best circumstance to meet under either, but Enkidu doesn't want to turn away one of their favourite humans so far. So they give him a small smile as he approaches, only half hidden beneath their hair.]

Yes, they're very pretty.

[And that at least is genuine. Fireworks are amazing. But for the time being, they're still looking at Mondo.]

I've been alright... mostly staying in the forest. It's kind of hot. —What about you?

[It's kind of hot, Enkidu says, literally starting to bake and crack in the heat.]

[trabryu]

[ It's a secret, but Mondo's kind of really weak to Enkidu's smile. He returns it with a nod because he's an awkward buffoon. The fact that she's staring at him makes him even more awkward, resulting in him looking away, not yet noticing the cracking. Sometimes, it feels like her deep stare can reveal what's in the deepest of his heart. ]

You haven't found a place to stay yet?

[ He can't exactly ask her to move in with him... especially since he lives in a freaking warehouse. But it's concerning, even if it seems like she's used to the wilderness. ]

Yeah, same. Been pretty hot lately, eh? [ Mondo does better with heat than cold, so this is not too bad for him, even if he still sweats a lot. ] You want somethin' cold to drink? I can get us some.

[claytools]

[Enkidu doesn't falter at that, but they do shake their head. Their 'hair' swishes a bit as they do, and Mondo may or may not see a streak of something strangely dark on their skin beneath.]

I have many places to stay.

[But at the offer of drinks, they're suddenly alert, like a dog whose owner just said 'dinner'.]

Water would be good.

[trabryu]

[ 'Many places to stay'... dubious. ]

Really?

[ When her hair swishes, Mondo does notice something strange (??? are those dried leaves??) due to him staring a bit too much at it (look... she definitely can star in some shampoo ad), but her response to the mention of drink pushes that back from his mind. ]

Ya got it, gimme a sec.

[ He's on his feet in no time, rushing away to get her much needed hydration.

It'll take him five minutes tops to come back with two bowls of shaved ice, and two bottled sports drink. The wonder of big bara hands. ]

Yo, Enkidu. D'ya like strawberry or melon more?

[claytools]

[I mean the woods are right there. Enkidu keeps telling you that they live in the wilderness and you keep not believing them!!]

[And yes, they perk up again when he returns. —Hmm, the sports drink might be a little weird going through Enkidu's system, but there's a first time for everything and it would be very rude to turn down Mondo's gift. They might regret this later but it's fine! It's fine.]

Hmm... melon.

[trabryu]

[ The wilderness ain't a place to stay! Much less for a girl like her!! ...Is what Mondo believes.

As according to her request, he hands her the shaved ice with green syrup on it, then takes the seat beside her again to eat his pink one. It's kinda funny how the green matches her hair. ]

Oh, this tastes better than I thought.

[ He turns his head to see how Enkidu's faring. ]