acatalepsy_logs | SUMMER FESTIVAL: TEMPLE OF BEGINNINGS

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SUMMER FESTIVAL: TEMPLE OF BEGINNINGS

It’s something like summer here at the Temple of Beginnings, or close enough to it. The weather’s been rainy and hazy for the past little while, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find some way to enjoy ourselves, right?

The day dawns cloudy and drizzly, but people seem determined to carry on anyway. The space slowly takes recognizable shape as a festival, even if a small one. There are tents set up outside, some of which are transformed into game opportunities, complete with prizes (some of an...interesting nature), surprisingly sophisticated target shooting games, ring toss, and other activities of skill and chance. A few more become stations for the food and drink that had been prepared, and the rest consist of chairs under canopies for people to sit and talk in case the rain continues.

Luckily, as the day goes on, the rain stops and the clouds move on, until the blue of the sky is visible once again. By early afternoon, there are only a few scattered clouds still remaining, and it seems likely that the weather will hold true for the evening. Strings of paper lanterns and other decorations are brought out and hung between the different stalls, around the makeshift stage, and placed at the tables. Some pots of bamboo are brought out and set in two clusters at either end of the line of tents. Each cluster has a corresponding table with strips of colorful paper and pens laid out carefully on a table and weighted down with rocks to prevent them from flying off.

A handful of figures come out and inspect the set-up, focusing especially on a shallow ditch that had been dug earlier, now drained and lined with weighted down tarp and rocks, running parallel to the tents and curving to end abruptly just beyond the fire pit and the stage at both ends. After some discussion between them, there is a flash of flame, as though something were burning, and then the strangest thing happens. The ditch fills with fresh, clear water. Even after a few hours, the water doesn't drain away or grow stagnant, still flowing somehow despite having nowhere to come from or go to.

The sunset that day is a brilliant, auspicious red, and evening sets in with a cooling breeze refreshing everyone outside. As the first stars appear, the lanterns are set alight, the music starts, and the first performer steps out onto the stage, surrounded by floating light.

SUMMER FESTIVAL
Welcome to the summer(ish) festival for Astoria’s Circle! We hope you have a wonderful time.

Layout
Even from the buildings that are actually being lived in, the lights of the festival are visible. If you strain your ears just a bit, you may even hear some music being played in the distance, muffled by the stone walls. Why don’t you come join in?

Once arriving at the festival itself, you may be struck first by how bright it is. Light seems to be a theme, from the bonfire set up in one of the firepits closest to the rest of the complex, the lanterns strung up between the tents and stalls that are set up in a line leading from the other buildings towards the gated sparring area that you may already have availed yourself of. Just in front of that area is a makeshift stage, little more than a raised platform of wood and stone, also lit up well by additional lanterns.

Opposite the tents is the river.

It might not seem that exciting at first. It’s hardly a river, really, just a shallow trench of water about seven feet wide and one foot deep, lined with rocks along the bank closest to the tents, stretching in a not quite parallel path opposite the stalls and tents that have been set up, beginning at the stage and ending near the bonfire. The water is crystal clear and clean, and murmurs as if it is flowing from some unseen source, but it’s not clear where it is coming from at all. As the night goes on, and more people take the opportunity to make floating paper lanterns at the station located close by, the little stream itself lights up, the water reflecting the lights, and just beyond, the stars in the sky.

EVENTS:

Sign-in
While definitely not mandatory, in the direct path from the living quarters to the festival itself, there’s a table set up with sheets of paper and writing utensils where you can sign-in. Let us know (ICly!) who you are. Maybe add a fun fact about yourself. Or draw doodles all over the pages. Whatever floats your boat.

Wishes

As is traditional in the home countries of some members of the Circle, there are some bamboo trees in pots set up on either side of the little river, and tables close by with colored strips on loops of string and pens. Write down a wish, or anything you’d like, really, and hang it from the bamboo. Or, browse the bamboo yourself and see if you find anything interesting. Later on after midnight, they’ll be burned for luck!

Games
You’ll find the usual games in the various stalls, some with a decidedly cobbled together look, using what materials were available at the temple, and some with a little more sophistication, thanks to the particular gifts of those within the Circle. Try your hand at shooting a target, a game of chance, or take over a stall yourself and introduce your fellow Circle members to something you used to play at home. There may or may not be prizes involved, depending on which stall you find yourself at.

Food
You’ll find your usual fair fare, though with a decidedly cosmopolitan flair. The foods themselves are somewhat limited by what was easily obtainable within the Temple itself (or improvised), and some Circle members may have contributed decidedly experimental dishes. It really is a potluck, so take a look and see what interests you! Strike up a conversation with your fellow diners as you pick up your food and then find a table to sit at, but keep in mind that most of these are home made by others here, so the cook may be close by, listening…

Performance
What’s a festival without any entertainment? In addition to the music being played on speakers in the background by our very capable DJ, there is also a stage where you can show off your gifts. In addition to singing or other traditional performances, this is an opportunity to demonstrate any interesting abilities or gifts you might have, including new ones you may have gained upon arriving at the Temple! There is an additional sign-up sheet near the stage, so write your name down and what you plan to perform, and we look forward to seeing what you can do.

Bonfire

It’s a really big fire. Enough said (hopefully). Sit and relax, or chat with those around you. If you’re lucky, there may even be some additional entertainment. At a little after midnight, the bamboo bearing the wishes will be burned here and the festival closed for the night.

Lanterns
If you’d like to give it a try, there’s a small station set up where you can make your own lantern out of paper! You can choose from one that floats in the air or on the water (or both, no one’s policing this). Make your own design, and let it fly aloft or float on the water with the other lanterns, chat with others who are working, or just settle down by the water and watch the lanterns and the stars.

**If your character (even if you were just accepted!) would like to participate in the set-up for the impromptu festival at any point, or just wander around and ask what’s going on, please feel free! All the set-up would have been occurring in the space between the TDM and this post. If your character would like to handwave having helped set up, this post is also an option!

(( Set Up: Outdoors ✧ Set Up: Indoors ✧ Sign-In ✧ Bamboo Wishes ✧ Games ✧ Food ✧ Tables ✧ Performances ✧ Bonfire ✧ Lanterns ✧ Clean-Up ✧ or your own!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

-- [ okay. so same countries. maybe different times? ] What year is it?

[ or maybe it's just a multiverse quirk, it's perfectly reasonable. maybe in her world the united states aren't a big deal or maybe her village is so small it's like living in a cave, or maybe japan exists but the united states doesn't - maybe it's still england, or undiscovered, or another country, or maybe the continent just doesn't exist - the possibilities are limitless and it's exciting and he wants to know dammit! ]

...do they talk? [ what! it wouldn't be the weirdest thing he's ever heard of. ]

No... ?

[Talking animals? What kind of world was that? ... Well, actually-]

I mean, not outside of stories...

[Year... year... Konoha actually struggles to recall. Most people in the village didn't speak about such things, but Sha's pay slips always were done up proper, and so were the invocations at the shrine, and they said...]

Um... 6th year of the Kan'ei era... ?

[... 1629, she means.]

[ look where he's from she only exists in stories, don't knock stories!

right, right, cuz in japan there are eras named after...he wants to say emperors? he doesn't recognize that one, though, so it's definitely not his world's 2016. ]

...I have never missed google more. [ because you never go without it, that doesn't count. ]

[Too late... !

Her clothing offers some clue, even though she doesn't know the Gregorian calendar. Simple, handmade kimono (or at least the top half of one) tied with obi of pelt, a white cloth skirt over her equine nether regions, tanned hide leggings on forelegs.]

What's "google"? Your friend?

[A particularly smart friend?]

-- more like an all powerful overlord. [ it's funny because it's true? ] But for our purposes, it's a search engine, you can look things up using it. It's digital, you know like - [ he points at his astoria watch and - oh right the paper is still in his hand. sorry! handing it over now ] oh right, here you go. Do you have computers?

[Um, he says "overlord" awfully casually...]

No... ?

[She takes the paper gratefully, but doesn't move to put it up just yet, staring at him in confusion.]

Man, you are so missing out. If we ever end up somewhere with one, I'll show you, they're awesome.

[ he is both incredibly frustrated to be away from his baby (his tech setup) and confused by it. what does he have to contribute to whatever it is they're supposed to be doing if he's afk? he's the tech guy, not the hero guy. ]

They can tell you what year it is?

[She has literally no idea what a computer is, so she only has what he's said to work off...

Then again he is talking to a girl who couldn't write her own wish down properly, and she knows she's not the smartest out there, okay, but.]

-- if the information's out there, yeah. Basically a computer is a machine that processes a lot of information, really really quickly. When they're connected to a network - like the kind we use here, they can theoretically access all the information on it, if the person using them knows what they're doing. Which, I do.

[ why is he bragging about hacking? it's not legal and not even impressive to someone who doesn't even know what it is. sometimes, he really needs to look at his choices. ]

Do you have libraries?

What's a machine? And a network?

[He sounds awful competent, which is good for him, and maybe for... them? But-

Libraries... ??? Her head is starting to spin...]

Do computers live in libraries?

I mean, most libraries have them nowadays but - that's really not the point. Okay books. Imagine a lot of books, like - as far as you can see? All books. And imagine you want to know something that's written in one of those books, you don't know which and you don't know where it is or where in the book to find it. Nightmare, right? Well, if that information is on a network then all you have to do is ask a search engine for it, and that looks through all of those books for you in seconds and gives you back that specific bit of information you were looking for. Does that help? Should I try again or just -- let it go, you have a suffering face -

[ he recognizes it, though he usually gets an exasperated angry face, or people just walking away. ]

[A library... was a room full of books? How rich do you have to be to have that many books? The local temple had... a few books, right? She's seen a glimpse of them once or twice, but those were sutras, who wanted to search through sutras?

What a crazy idea...

Wait-]

Suffering? I'm so sorry, I'm not suffering at all!

[OH MY GODS DID HE THINK SHE WAS BORED???]

I'm just really stupid! I don't get it, it's not your fault- !

[ OH GOD WHAT DID HE DO - he's got a surprised-freaked expression there for a moment himself, he's not used to dealing with such extreme reactions. ]

No, no don't worry about it - you're not stupid at all it's just hard to explain without a frame of reference - I'm totally happy to keep trying if you're into it, I mean I get it, I love learning new stuff I bet I'd be super confused about things from where you're from too, [ or not, but he's the kind of guy who can hack alien technology he's never seen before in a language he's never seen before in less than an hour, not really a fair comparison. ] just cuz it's different. And I absolutely wanna hear about those too - I just like this kinda stuff way more than most people so shut me up when I cross your limit, basically, but otherwise I'm good to keep trying all night.

No, I really am, it's true-

[She waves her hands about somewhat helplessly, as if afraid she's offended him and intent on trying to make sure he didn't think such.]

I only went to the temple school a few times, not even the monks could do anything with me, my skull is hard is as a rock, that's what they always said, that's why I work at the lumber yard, I've got no head for figures or letters at all, you're probably great at explaining-

[fnekwlng]

I know we just met, but - people who say that kinda thing are the last people you should be listening to. Maybe they were bad teachers, or maybe you're not good at math so what? That doesn't make you stupid, there're plenty of other things for you to be great at. You know what I could never figure out? Gym. That class was me figuring out all the ways you can fall on your face.

[ come on, don't make fun of you make fun of him, he's much more comfortable with that arrangement. ]

[What is "gym"????????]

I mean, I'm not useless, I'm really great at lots of things! Like cooking, and cleaning, and hauling, and trekking, and even mending! I can mend so fast! Not as fast as I can haul a load, but fast.

[... okay, wait, even she doesn't know what she's saying anymore aaaaaaah. Flustered, Konoha breaks a bit of distance to prance in place, trying to let her nervous energy out.

Breathe in... breathe out...]

[Both sets of lungs expand just a half beat out of sync with each other a few times before she calms down a bit... then tries to laugh it off somewhat nervously.]

I'm sorry-

It's just... everything is so strange here, and I just... don't get it at all. I tried, but...

[But...]

[ he watches her with concern (and, okay, a little alarm, she's way bigger than him) ]

No, seriously, I get it. I come from a place with air conditioning and takeout and I'm probably just listing more things that half the people here don't know - I don't know how to do this whole, survivor thing I'm like 99% sure I'm here by accident because nobody in their right mind would pick me for any sort of epic quest unless it's virtual [ and he looks on the verge of a little panic attack himself because he's doing the thing he promised himself he wouldn't do tonight which is thinking about it.

winn. breathe. ]

What I mean is, it's not your fault, we were kidnapped and it sucks. You're probably better equipped for dealing with this place than I am, being great at computers is pretty useless in a low-tech world.

[He just said like... ten million more things that didn't sound like actual words to her. Air conditioning, takeout, virtual, low-tech...

And look, he's confused too, now, so aren't they just-]

Aha-

[Despite herself, Konoha finds herself laughing. It starts out nervous at first, but... she's laughing.]

I don't understand half of what you just said... I guess we're both kind of dumb when it comes to this place, then.

[ he smiles ]

We're new here - we'll figure it out, right? Just gotta keep trying, or something.

[ his pep-talk game is much stronger when he's feeling at all secure and he...doesn't. please he begs, find me quick, kara. he needs his supergirl bad. ]

And stick together, my best friend has a saying - 'stronger together'. We're good at different things and that's good - means we can help each other out.

Right.

[Right, that's- Yeah. She just needed a reminder every now and then, that was all. In attempt to buck up, Konoha slaps her cheeks with her palms right quick, once, twice.

Okay.

Just.]

That's right, so!

[She waves the piece of paper with her wish written on it.]

Have you written your wish yet? We need to hang them up.

Uh, yeah - got it right here.

[ he picks up the rolled up piece of paper he put down on the table in order to write hers. if she asks, he'll show it to her, it's pretty simple, it's only one word.

home. ]

Do you do this sorta thing back home? I've never done this before. [ feels silly but heck, he'll try anything. ]

Tanabata? Sure we do. You don't know about Orihime and the cowherd?

[If she'd actually been educated she'd know it came from China originally, but. She does at least know the story. So it's her turn to know something, she supposes.

She's got the height for it, so Konoha figures she out to spread the wishes out on the bamboo, trotting over to go fasten hers near the top of the greenery.]

No -- tell me?

[ like he said, he's more than happy to be educated, learning about other worlds is the best part of this ordeal.

he, on the other hand, does not have the height. he's pretty average sized for a guy which back home - made him short, and makes him feel that again here, standing next to her. his own wish is tied on much lower. hopefully that doesn't matter. ]

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