Autumn Festival (OPEN)

[stringmods]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: Virgo Ward
Summary: Autumn Festival Log! You're all invited!
Warnings: MELONS
Ahh Autumn. The time for harvest, and the normal national holiday that falls on the 24th and 25th. Demons? Angels? Magic? Well nothing's been put on pause, but even the Anoli need to relax once in a while...

With that free time, what's a newcomer like you to do?

Well Hinoto-Ri has much to offer! As they seem to be the only standing city in...well, anywhere, they've tried to merge and adapt as many festivals around the world as they can.

Ergo this Fall festival is a mixture of everything the world could offer. Corn on the cob, Pumpkins, Yaki Imo (Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes), Ramen stands, Falafel, caramelized apples...

A giant dragon is tied down in the middle of the waters. At night, you can see a few pixies hover close to it, keeping other monsters at bay. The streets have been decorated as well.

But most importantly, the upper Virgo Ward has been turned in a giant festival area...even more so than usual! Now the millions of stalls don't just try to sell things to you, they sell things to you thematically with this fall! Giant pumpkins and fresh produce made in Libra and Capricorn..did you know that Capicorn has an amazing giant apple orchid, protected by the office of Wands and Swords? Try out some free samples! One taste is enough to convince you that having Persona to irrigate the fields ass a crispness to the fruit..right? Winter outfits...hats are in this year! Listen to some of the new music groups, and get pumped for the upcoming movies!

There is giant mooncake in the middle of all the tents and stalls. Don't worry about the money! Everything's free today! It is a time for sharing and family and...

...being thankful for what you have. No matter how small it might be.

For a city of survivors, Hinoto-Ri is certainly trying to have a good time.

You should join them.

Comments

[drakenguard]

Yamato could feel a migraine coming on.

He lifted a gloved hand to stall what else the nervous Daichi might babble out. "Quiet. I have an important question to ask," he said abruptly, waving his hand about them with a faint frown. "What is the meaning of all this?"

[hetried]

"Huh?" The abrupt interruption and the question both caught him by surprise, and he followed Yamato's motion to look around at their surroundings.

"You mean the festival? It's just celebrating the new season. Y'know, lots of food from the fall, festivities, fun for the whole city! Lots of places do it around this time of year, though I think other places usually hold it later."

[drakenguard]

"To celebrate the new season...?" Yamato repeated, frowning in thought. Ah, yes, he knew some festivals in the past were done in thanks, or to welcome, the'Gods' (in other words, demons), but their religious aspects declined with the modernisation of the world.

But to throw something this grand...

"Isn't this quite wasteful...?"

[hetried]

There's also the fact that Daichi probably wouldn't remember any of the divine or religious aspects if you slapped him in the face.

"Nah, I don't think so! I've seen festivals just as big as this back home before. Some people can come make money here, and a lot of people have fun! So I don't think it's a waste if people are enjoying themselves."

[drakenguard]

Yamato thought on that. "I see. Yes, perhaps it is profitable for civilian merchants to set up temporary shop here..."

Still, it just seemed...alien to him. The crowds, the energetic atmosphere, the decorations and activities...it left him feeling a bit disorientated. Truthfully he was thinking about going home...

[hetried]

Sure, the economic route. Yamato would probably understand that more, so why not roll with it!

"Yeah; it's a lot easier to find customers to buy your stuff out and about around here, where there's people walking around and looking to buy stuff to celebrate the festival. They can make a lot of money just doing this for a few days!"

[drakenguard]

Yamato nodded. He could understand that - and indeed, it seemed quite a smart business move. In a large gathering like this, there were bound to be people who would by unnecessary things due to poor impulse control - may as well profit from those kind of people.

However...

"There are many giving out free samples. That does not seem very profitable." Especially as there'd be people who'd probably just take free sample and purchase nothing.

[hetried]

Daichi just going to subtly kick away the apple he had been eating that had been a free sample while he spoke, ahahahaaaa

"True, but if people like the free samples, then they know they'll be happy if they buy their stuff I guess! It's better than people passing it up because they're not sure. And they're usually pretty small, so I guess it's not that bad for business.

[drakenguard]

"I see," Yamato frowned. Daichi was a bit knowledgeable about the ways of business. It was a slight surprise. "Why are all of these decorations necessary for it, though? It seems a bit, hrm, over the top."

[hetried]

"Mostly, I think it's just for fun!" He said, grinning and gesturing to the giant dragon decoration in the middle of the water. With the added bonus of having some cool Pixies float around!

"Plus, it's more likely to attract people's attention if it's interesting, isn't it?"

[drakenguard]

"Fun?"

Yamato looked about himself once more. It was bright, it was loud, and it was crowded. What about that was fun? Although he acknowledged that the dragon decoration was quite nice, and the lanterns a pretty aesthetic...he still didn't see the appeal though.

Civilians had a strange sense of what was fun.

[hetried]

"Yeah, fun!"

Daichi thought it was pretty fun! Really, silence was weird, and all of the different colors and people were interesting, even if they were still stuck in some weird, foreign city.

"Come on, you know fun don't you? Don't tell me they raised you just on demon studies and calculus."

[drakenguard]

"No," Yamato frowned, "I also did advanced sciences, languages and physical education. Besides," he added, "I had no time for recreational activities."

[hetried]

"S...seriously?"

He really shouldn't be surprised, given everything he learned at JP's but... seriously? "You didn't even get to play on a playground or anything? Didn't you ever get stressed out?"

[drakenguard]

"Playground...?" Yamato looked a bit puzzled. "Of course not. My duty was to be JP's Director, that is all. I was to do nothing else but that."

[hetried]

"But-- kids are supposed to have fun! Go to the part, watch cartoons, play games-- that's the whole point of being a kid!"

Really, he's kind of getting distressed here! "Come on, haven't you ever heard of 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'?"

[drakenguard]

Yamato's expression flattens a little.

"I was never a child. From my birth I was treated and regarded as an adult, and therefore assumed the responsibilities of one. There was no - no need for me to participate in such useless activities."

[hetried]

We're on full-on frown mode here.

"Of course there's a need! Everyone needs to have fun every now and then, even adults. Otherwise you just get stressed out and you could actually get really sick...! Plus you wouldn't really be very happy, would you...?"

[drakenguard]

"Happy?"

What did happiness have to do with this? Yamato could feel his thoughts tread a dark path. With the Hotsuin family there was never any happiness, only duty, and the drive to complete that duty even at the cost of one's life. Ahaha, that was right, his life and happiness was sacrificed for an unworthy Japan, and the only thing that did give him happiness...

Tch.

"Happiness is unnecessary."

[hetried]

"No way!"

Hey look, this just happened to be something he has a very strong opinion on. He wasn't good at the philosophical stuff like the others, but he knew for a fact that for once, Yamato was completely wrong.

"If it wasn't important, then you wouldn't have people fighting over it so much! You wanted your merit system because you thought it would be better for people that deserved it, right? Then the people that deserved it would be happy! Ronaldo thought the same thing too; poor conditions are so bad because no one can be happy like that. If happiness weren't important, neither of you would've been trying to fix it so that more people would be better off...!"

[drakenguard]

Yamato blinked in surprise at Daichi's shout, genuinely caught off guard. He stared intently at him as he spoke. What was he saying...? Yamato only wished for a merit system because it was the only way for humanity to progress itself, and reward those that were worthy. He hadn't really thought about their happiness, just the advancement...

At the mention of Ronaldo though, he barely suppressed a snarl. He may have acknowledged him and his defeat to him, but that man...urgh, the mere mention of him made him want to kick something.

"I assure you, happiness was the farthest thing from my mind," Yamato said a bit coldly. "Whether it gave happiness or not...that wasn't the point."

[hetried]

If they were back in Tokyo, Daichi probably would've been scared of making Yamato angry right now... but, whether it was the change in environment, or the fact that he had actually grown a pair, he didn't even back down Yamato's obvious discontent. Bringing up Ronaldo was a touchy subject, sure, but in the end, were they really all that different?

"You say that, but I don't think that's true. JP's was made to protect, people, right? To keep Japan safe-- that's happiness too. Maybe you weren't thinking about happiness as the most important thing, but I don't think you didn't bother with it at all. I mean, if people that deserved to be at the top liked being in the middle or at the bottom, then your merit system would be pointless, wouldn't it?"

[drakenguard]

"..."

There was a tense pause where Yamato simply stared at Daichi. His face was completely void of emotion, and for all anyone knew, he could have been plotting Daichi's murder there and then without anyone being the wiser.

"...I underestimated you," Yamato said suddenly, his lips curving into a wry smile. He always underestimated him, it seemed. Although he recognised that Daichi had glimmers of potential, he was a lot sharper than Yamato initially thought. No wonder Kaito had him as a close friend.

"Perhaps happiness is not as unnecessary as I said, but it is not the priority. Duty supersedes happiness."

[hetried]

For the entire pause, Daichi just stared back as he...gradually, began to lose the structure of his spine more and more, though he tried not to show it. And then, when Yamato finally spoke--

"--Huh?" Apparently he was just as surprised as Yamato was! Hey cool, he didn't piss him off!

"Uh.. yeah..." Whatever just go with it. He wasn't as firm as he was before, but at least he wasn't a rambling pile of anxiety! "I guess it some places it might, like if you have a job or you have to protect someone, but I think if your duty hurts more people than it helps, happiness and well-being would be more important."

[drakenguard]

"Hurts more people than helps...?" Yamato muttered. Well, that was the definition of his meritocracy, wasn't it? All the pitiful dregs would be crushed - as they should be - and they certainly outnumbered the chosen few who would soar to the top.

"So duty can be so easily abandoned for the well-being of others? Is that what you're saying?" It seemed a bit...wrong, to think that. Duty was to be upheld no matter what. To abandon it for something as silly as happiness of all things...