genessia | Festival of Amore

Festival of Amore - Dated 2/14

Welcome to the Festival of Amore!
A wonderful festival dedicated to celebrating love of the romantic nature.

The whole park is decorated in the traditional colors of Valentine's Day, red, white, and various shades of pink. Hearts are the theme and though you won't be turned away, those without a partner to spend the evening with may get a few strange looks or start to feel rather lonely.

Festival Games
There are a number of activities to partake in, including festival games, the most popular of which seems to be the Super Ball Scooping, in which hundreds of balls float around in a pool of water, secretly marked with prizes- mostly goldfish, though there is one hidden that has a special romantic getaway to win! The challenge is that you must use a paper net, so the balls will often break as you try to get them into your bowl. Additionally, the balls are stirred up after each play of three scoops. Other traditional festival games like dart tossing, wack-a-mole, ring toss, and more. However, there is one challenge that you should be aware of for all games. You and your partner must do them together! This means two hands on the ring when you toss it! Hold the paper net steadily together! Good luck!

Food Stalls and the Chocolate Fondue Stream
There are a variety of foods from around the world available at the festival, most of which seem to have some kind of love-related theme to them. Spaghetti for two a la Lady and the Tramp, heart-shaped pizzas, pink french macarons, hearty waffles on a stick, romantic eggs in a basket, Shrimp skewers, and more.

Running through the inner circle of the food stall areas is a small stream raised above the ground with candy and fruit decorations lining it to hide the metal fondue heater that keeps the chocolate within the body of the stream warm and flowing. There are large bins of fruits like strawberries, bananas, rice krispy treat bites, and other fun things to dip in the chocolate river. It's very cute, and very chocolatey.

Paddle Boats
The large pond in the middle of the park has a number of paddle boat swans available for you and your partner to go through a tunnel of love, or simply enjoy the water and get some alone time away from the rest of the party for a good cuddle.

Live Entertainment: Eli Ayase and Nico Yazawa!
The live entertainment will be provided by celebrity idol Nico Yazawa and Eli Ayase tonight! Put your hands together for a special performance filled with their L-O-V-E for everyone! ♥ ♥ ♥ They've got a wonderful set prepared!

Feel free to enjoy the concert either by standing up close or putting down a blanket for you and your bae. Blankets are available for purchase if you forgot yours!

Fortune Telling
Love fortune telling, of course! Find out your romance's future from famed fortune teller Geneva Godiva! She won't give any truly negative fortunes of course, it's a positive occasion, so if your outlook is bleak she might try to phrase it more positively or offer advice to turn things toward the positive. Feel free to pick your own fortune- be it anything from "You might want to see a couples counselor to make it through a rough patch, darlings" or "I see triplets!" or just "Wowie, I can see clearly now- your rain is gone! Looking good for this next year, sweetie pies!" Enjoy and have fun, the accuracy of the reading is up to you, but she won't tell you that a relationship is going to sink at any point. She'll use crystal ball, tarot, whichever- but not seance or anything. It's happy lovey-dovey fortune telling!

End of the Night
The festival itself was timed with the arrival of Genessia's firefly season. The first night of fireflies rising coincides with Valentine's Day this year, so if you stay until the end of the festival, you'll be able to see the fields light up with little glowing bugs. It's a romantic sight, best seen with your partner.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's perfectly normal. You are a growing boy, after all.

[Takeru's really grown up...]

[Part of her had always known, but for some reason, the reality had only recently begun to sink in for her. Not just his height, either--although she knew he would almost certainly get even taller in the next few years--but everything about him. Of course, rather than voice as much aloud, teasing was much, much easier in conveying the thought.]

That's a good idea. [And she could get his gift while she was at it.] I'll go put these on the table by the couch, and then go change.

[He laughed slightly. It was true for the most part. he still had some years of growing left. Made him wonder if he'd end up taller than his or if that would be a far off dream. Looking over he nodded.]

I've made sure to try and make enough space. Once I'm done here I'll be getting changed myself. [It wasn't that long before he was sure everything was out, minus drinks, which he was sure they would get afterward, so he gave a small wave and headed to his room, knowing it wouldn't take him that long.

It was simply a white shirt and black jogging bottoms, for the most part, basic but comfortable.]

Oh, do you want a drink? I'll get it for you.

[It took Hikari a little longer to get ready. Mostly because she had been weighing the pros and cons of taking off her sunglasses. Ultimately deciding that they would be focused on the movie enough that it probably wouldn’t matter anyway. So off they came, and she placed them on the dresser by her bed as she picked up the small box wrapped in light green tissue paper.]

[When she did eventually emerge from her room, wearing a pair of cute but soft, white and pink striped pajamas—button-up short sleeved on top, pants on bottom—she almost didn’t seem to hear him at first. Her head was bowed shyly, and her eyes seemed to flicker between a pale pink and orange.]

Actually...I have something for you, Takeru.

[Takeru had grabbed a couple of glasses just in case before he was even aware Hikari had come back into the room. Turning around, he paused. He couldn't help but think she was actually pretty cute in the pajamas. It was at least a long enough thought that caused the young man's eyes to go to the magenta color for just a brief moment before changing to the orange.]

You have something for me? What is it?

[It shouldn’t have been any big deal. She’d given chocolates to friends before. She’d even given chocolate to him before.]

[But then he looked at her directly, and there was no missing or mistaking that shade of magenta.]

Takeru...your eyes...

[Hers had widened slightly, still flickering beteeen orange and pink...but she quickly remembered herself and lightly shook her head before holding out the box.]

For you.

As a thank you. For all you’ve done for me.

What about my eyes?

[He looked puzzled for a moment and had been about to walk to the nearest mirror to check them before she presented him with the box. It was enough to get him to forget about it for the time being.

Instead, he gives off a genuine smile, not his usual grin that he might give most of the time. It made the smile more genuine as his eyes were spring green. He soon happily took the box.]

Thank you, though you didn't need to thank me for all I've done. [He looked at the box looking it over before going to open it.]

Yes, I do.

[Speaking of eyes...hers were starting to flicker again as her gaze averted. Orange at first, but from certain angles...]

You saved me. Again. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve been there when I needed you. Making you chocolates for Valentines seems like the least I could do in return.

[She lifted her head long enough to smile warmly at him. Expression soft. Eyes unmistakable red. Saturated.]

[A split second later, they shifted back to orange, and she turned to head to the kitchen.]

Don’t worry about the drinks. I’ll get them while you open your present.

Just doing what a best friend would do.

[He was at least being truthful, noticing the flicker, but being unsure of what he saw exactly. So shaking it off as his imagination, at least for a moment. He was sure he saw red, but he didn't think to question it. More so when he noticed the orange.

Maybe he really had been seeing things. He had gone to sit down on the couch opening it up.]

I'm sure these will be great since you made them.

[It was all about the presentation. The chocolates themselves would be a simple recipe. A small waft of sugar rising into the air when he opened the box, which was a simple cardboard pastry box. But when he peeked inside...]

[He would see seven pieces in all. Five long isosceles triangles arching around the top half of a circle. Beneath that, a shape that she had clearly constructed from hand rather than any store-bought mould. The top was round, concaving inward in such a way that it barely hugged the bottom of the circle. The sides went straight down, with four equal points across the bottom.]

[The Crest of Hope.]

[In Chocolate.]

[Hikari returned a moment later with a small handful of cans and one larger bottle, which she placed on the ground.
Two of the cans had been placed in cups to make them easier to carry, and the cups she also placed down near the bottle before placing the cans on the table with the snacks.]

It's the same recipe I always use. The only difference was that it was a little harder to find a couple of the ingredients here.

[He found himself pausing after he had seen what was in the gift. She must have taken a lot of time making that. He kind of didn't want to eat it because of it. For the moment, he was sure he'll just keep it in the box for the moment, a soft smile on his face and waited until she was back in the room.

He knew this time it would be much harder for his emotions to change as easily as they had been, knowing full well what color they might be, causing some rather awkward questions again if she were to notice. So until she sat down he was keeping his eyes on the box instead.

Once he was sure that she was at least close enough he moved to look at her for a moment before moving to wrap his arms around the other, moving her into a hug. If she had noticed for one a second would have realized his eyes had been a saturated red.]

Thank you, I love it and I promise that on White Day your present will be just as special. [Now he had to think about the what he was going to do as well as puzzle over a good number of things thanks to both yesterday and today.]

[She noticed.]

[Which was precisely why, as she sat down next to him, her eyes seemed strangely fixated on his. Until he pulled her in for a hug, at which time, they averted shyly. Unable to hide the light flush to her cheeks, but at least he wouldn't see what color hers were turning this time when they parted.]

...you don't... [She began, reflexively. Wondering if he could hear her heart beating a little faster than usual.] ...whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it too.

[It was a moment or two before he moved to finally let her go. His eyes had gone back to the Spring green, in which he was sure there would be no questions between them for that, even if it was briefly before looking away.]

I hope so...Once I figured out what it will be. [This moment felt a little awkward and he knew he should maybe try and change the subject back to what they were doing in the first place.]

Should we just watch the movie now?

[Still without looking at him, she nodded. Her heart rate settled for the most part, but her cheeks still felt oddly warm. Eyes, too, settling back into a shade of green matching his as she her weight so that she was sitting next to him. Close enough that, if she were to tuck her knees to one side, she would brush up against his legs. Just barely.]

[Since it was her movie up first, she took control of the remote. Everything was all set up, and all she had to do was press the play button and adjust the controls accordingly.]

[After the first few seconds of introduction, she tempted reaching forward for one of the bowls of popcorn, placing it in her lap and taking a few kernels for a test bite.]

...cinnamon. Not bad.

[Takeru had leaned back in his spot, if only for a moment as he looked over, watching her briefly.]

Cinnamon huh...Guess I'll try one and see how it goes.

[But which one was a good question. he had forgotten which bowl was which at this moment in time, minus the one he saw Hikari pick from. He soon picked up one closest to him when he leaned over picking up a piece he soon throw it up and caught it in his mouth. It was a sweet one it seemed, caramel maybe? But there was another taste in there that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

It was a couple moments before it clicked.]

That one's not too bad either. I think it's caramel apple.

[He eyes looked over at her again before looking back at the screen. The popcorn was like playing a game where the one who gets the bad one loses.]

[In a way, they were playing the game he'd earlier proposed after all. Except, rather than all the popcorn in one bowl, they were trying to figure out which of the separate bowls contained which flavor; in the momentary flurry of emotions, Hikari had forgotten as well.]

[So there was cinnamon, and now caramel apple. She glanced around at the other bowls, waiting until there was a lapse in the movie story--a transition scene in which the characters were driving somewhere--before leaning forward and trading bowls again. Trying the next flavor.]

[Her brows furrowed after the first bite.]

It's sweet, but...there's also peanut flavor in here. Mixed with something.

[Sweet with peanut flavor... Takeru couldn't think of what that could be right off the bat, that would take some time to figure out what that was exactly, but while the scene was going on in front of them he had managed to pick up another.]

What could be sweet with peanuts in? What is a sweet treat that exists like that? [He honestly was expecting most of these to be sweet. Until he ate the next one. The spice that landed on his tongue was at least enough to cause the young man to grab the drink that was closest and chug a good amount of it down. Once he placed that back down he pointed to the bowl.]

That is a spicy one, I would not recommend it unless it's something you like.

[She was in the middle of contemplating the mystery, when Takeru took his next bite...and reacted so strongly that it nearly caused her to drop the bowl in her lap. Flinching back, she watched as he grabbed and quickly chugged the nearest drink he could get his hands on.]

...are you okay?

[She winced in sympathy.]

I'm fine.

[He was quite glad he was feeling much better than he had been a few days ago otherwise, this could have ended up worse.]

Just was not what I was expecting, really. [He looked over at the television, watching to see what was happening.]

I'll be fine, soon anyway. Sorry.

You don't need to apologize, Takeru. [She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling faintly.] At least now we know which bowl to avoid.

[Out of the corner of her eye, she was still paying attention to the movie. Somewhat. The scene flashed back and forth between the young girl in the car, and what appeared to be a hospital scene. Waking up. Being questioned by doctors. All with a blank expression on her face. Lost. Confused. Unable to remember little more than her name and the name of the town she'd grown up in. Where the version of her in the car was heading now.]

Do you remember what other flavors we picked up?

[He nodded slightly, he went to move the bowl in question off the table, so no one could make that mistake again. Why would people eat something like that was anyone's guess.

As he leaned back on the couch he was pondering what there was.]

Well we have like two different ones left, I think they were normal flavors though... [He was pausing over the though, it was going through his head multiple times.] Or at least no others were spicy... So we're safe there. [He soon reached over and picked one of the two that he was sure hadn't been tried and looked over with a smile.]

Now open up and give this one a try.

[Her eyes flashed silver.]

...alright...

[And she made a point to watch his expression carefully as she reached for the offered bowl, picking a piece of popcorn out of it, and popping it in her mouth. Awaiting whatever flavor was about to flood her taste buds next.[

[Takeru was pretty sure he knew what this one might be due to the coloring. Chocolate flavored popcorn.]

How is that one? Is it okay?

[She was fully expecting weird, so when the sweetness of chocolate melted over her tongue, her eyes widened into an relieved turquoise before melting into a satisfied orange.]

It's...different. But good.

I think it's...chocolate? [And then an idea came to her, and she reached for more of the peanut butter. Popping one of each into her mouth and nodding her approval after a moment.] It goes really good with this one. Here--

[She picked up one of the peanut butter ones, holding it up as if she meant to throw it at him.]

You should try too.

Chocolate, huh? Suitable considering the holiday.

[He laughed slightly as he had already gone to pick up another of the chocolate ones when he heard her speak up again. Looking over he noticed she had one in her hand. Was she going to throw it? He wasn't 100% sure on that one.]

Okay, go ahead. I already have the other you want me to try with it. [He was pretty sure they weren't as focused on the movie as he originally thought was going to happen when he made the plan, but it didn't matter, they were having fun and that was what mattered.]

[A moment of whimsy. Accompanied by the yellow and orange squiggles coloring her eyes. Regardless of what was playing on screen at that moment--which, if either of them were to be paying attention, would involve a scene of the girl from the car entering a house of some kind, empty except for the luggage she was carrying with her. There were people off-screen talking, but Hikari missed who they were because she was focused on Takeru.]

Catch.

[And she tossed the peanut butter kernel his way.]

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