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.

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[In that sense, Takeru was lucky this time: Hikari was so engrossed that she didn’t notice the staring. Any usual tingling senses attributed to the movie. Nor did she notice when Takeru leaned towards her, and thus was so caught off-guard when his voice rang softly in her ear, she let out a sharp gasp. Nearly jumping in her seat.]

Huh? [She turned to look at him...and his face was so much closer than expected....it left her blinking twice in a stunned silence, eyes reflecting the vibrating colors betraying her freight before settling into a pale pink...although, for half a second, they almost looked magenta...] Oh. Um...maybe. He’s the one taking the most risks.

[Takeru found himself baffled for a moment, he was sure they went a certain color there. Was this his imagination expecting something that really wasn't there? Or did it actually happen which would cause a lot of question on his part?

He was still rather close but took the moment to move back slightly, the thought about what he had seen still linger to the point he didn't notice the scene with a door slamming over without warning. Even Takeru nearly jumped due to not having paid attention his eyes even changed to a few colors before going back to green.]

You know...this eye thing is getting really confusing...

[Still looking at him when it happened, the door slamming scene startled her just as badly and she jumped when he did. Nothing major happened after that, though, leaving her to fully hear his comment about what was happening to their eyes.]

...it really is. [Her head bowed just enough to conceal their latest shift from him.] I can barely remember what all the different colors are supposed to mean.

[Not entirely false. Some of them did take a moment to properly register. The ones she was sure she’d seen.]

It feels almost...cruel. In a way. Don’t you think?

[He turned his head away for a moment, looking over at the popcorn that was still resting on the table. Yes, they were talking to talk about it, or at least just about the eyes changing color, not about what he thought he saw.

he soon put his focus back on her, eyes fixated on her as he leaned back.]

With so many, it is hard to remember them all. Except for the major ones I swear that cupid dog wants you to remember.

[He looked down, nodding. He agreed it was rather mean, meaner than anything he could think of.]

Yeah... It's cruel. More so for the people who keep their emotions hidden. They are forced to show them. More so if it's a crush or something and they can't hide it.

[She tensed. It was only for a instant, but it was visible and even noticeable. Especially since she tended not on the line referencing people who hid their emotions—as they both knew she was inclined to do—but at the part about a crush.]

[Although, as if to highlight the point, it was difficult to say why without seeing her eye color.]

I don’t like it.

It doesn’t feel honest. [Which was ironic in and of itself, but she explained:] You shouldn’t force someone to reveal how they feel. It should be their choice. On their terms. Because they want the other person to know.

[That he could agree with. One shouldn't force it. It made things more awkward then they had to and well... Kind of how Mimi found out about him, not because he wanted to tell her, but because he had been forced with the eye color.]

Your right about that. No one wants to be forced into tell someone something they didn't want to. Like... If I wanted to tell someone I liked them...I would do it in a completely different way.

[That made her smile. Weakly, and she still seemed a bit tense...as if waging an internal debate with herself over something...but the fact that he agreed with the sentiment was enough to encourage her to ask:]

Like how?

[As if they were back to their usual friendly chats. Even if...it didn’t quite feel so “usual”. Not this time.]

[He smiled, he figured she was interested in knowing and he figured he might as well play along, but if it was the truth or not he was not making it obvious.]

Well, it would depend on who and how much I like them or how special they are to me. [he grinned slightly.] But no matter what I would always be a gentlemen and make it memorable for them.

[She grinned back. His response was sweet, and also generic enough that it could mean just about anything. Or reference just about anyone.]

Knowing you, I’m sure—

[Before she could get a full quip about, however, Hikari made the mistake of accidentally glimpsing at the television screen. Just in time for a dramatic jump-scare that had her let out a muted screen before reflexively diving forward, grabbing at Takaru’s hand with both her own and burying her face in his arm. A position which she remained in long after the adrenaline rush passed and the embarrassment at having been scared so easily set in. Voice muffled against him as she muttered:]

...I hate you, you know.

[No, she didn’t.]

[It was a good thing it was the scene Takeru had been aware of, but when he felt her head press against his arm and her hand with his, he found himself somewhat panicked himself. He should have expected some type of reaction and honestly, this was probably the exact one, but it was somewhat different to him coming from her.

He kept his head turned away, knowing that his face must be somewhat red at this moment in time as well as his eyes being the usual color. He just knew they were. Take a moment to calm down a bit be soon moved his hand to grip one of hers before moving his free arm to wrap it around protectively, pulling her in and lightly resting his head on top of hers.]

I know.

[She didn't think much of it. Not at first. Her heart was still racing from the jump scare, and she felt more sheepish about being 'caught' than anything else. Even when his hand reached for hers. Reassuring. Supportive. He could have made fun of her--she was half expecting him too--but instead...his other arm came up and around her. Pulling her even closer, until most of her upper body was leaning against him.]

[Then, a weight atop her head.]

[Sounds of horror continued to blare from the speakers, but her eyes were still closed. Anything and everything she was feeling in that moment hidden from them both. Because she didn't even know. Not how she felt. Not how she should have felt...]

[Her weight shifted. She dared peek an eye out from over his arm. A little better equipped to handle what was going on now the pace had sped up. The people on screen were terrified, yes, but the monster had already revealed itself and now it was a matter of watching how everything played out. She didn't move otherwise. Didn't feel the urge. Takeru might have been the jerk who got her into this mess...but, she was forced to admit, he was also the one who made her feel safest. Protected.]

[And she hated him for that.]

[...except, no, she didn't.]

[Before Hikari realized, nearly ten minutes of movie had passed with them in the same position. Her legs now tucked beside her, hands still clasped, heads supposed by one another. Watching the movie in an otherwise somewhat content silence.]

[Takeru was at least aware that this movie wasn't that scary to him, but then again this was the type of genre he liked and knew most of the tricks they had. So he managed to keep calm while watching it. But as he held Hikari, he knew that it was at least nice, letting her know he was there to look after her when scared, when she needed him and it seemed like he was needed for a while.

Glancing now and again, he checked that she was okay. She still looked scared for the most part. As the monster managed to grab one of the few survivors that were left Takeru once again had his eyes focused on the scene before him instead of the scene he was currently in.

He was also pretty much away his heart was still beating somewhat faster than normal and he was really hoping that she hadn't noticed.]

If the film really that scary?

[She glanced up at him, and immediately regretted the decision because she knew it would invalidate any attempts at denial. So instead, she nodded and turned her eyes back to the screen. Not as frightened as before, but still tense.]

How do you not get scared watching movies like these? You didn't even jump when the door opened in the middle of Meiko's story.

I was also the only one who didn't jump... Well except Agumon.

[But he had been so focused on eating Takeru was pretty sure he really hadn't been listening to the story. As for Takeru himself he just shrugged slightly.]

I don't know, I guess with everything we've been through I just... don't find things like that as scary. Unless something is trying to kill me and Patamon is of course not there, but that's a different story.

[But we've all been through the same thing.]

[Which, in some ways, was kind of her point. That couldn't have been it. Hikari might not have been there for the first months of the Chosen Children's adventures, but she'd heard all the stories. And she had the "advantage" of having been haunted by a Dark world for weeks on end when she was eleven. So what was it about Takeru that was so different?]

[She peered up at him for a long moment. Silently studying his face. Seeing if his expression would betray anything. If he would twitch or frown or give any visible indication that the horror of the movie was getting to him more than the cool facade he liked to put on was showing.]

Is that why you like them so much?

[Takeru glanced at the screen as the monsters appeared to be coming at them through the wall, his expression was the same as always. But when he glanced back he only just realized she might have been staring at him for who knows how long.]

Are you trying to see if I am actually reacting? [He laughed slightly. It was adorable really.] I'm sorry to disappoint you on that one. [When he had stopped laughing, his gentle smile was replacing it.]

Well, I enjoy peoples reactions for the most part but... [He paused, he knew most of his actions always seemed to have two types of reasons behind it, depending.] At the same time, a scary movie can sometimes be a good way to help someone... If that makes sense?

[He noticed. Of course he noticed. And Hikari was too busy being disappointed that her efforts proved fruitless to feel any real embarrassment about that. A fact which reflected in the lack of pink to her eyes as she half pouted, half scrunched her nose when he laughed.]

[...until all of that was replaced with a strong curiosity at his subsequent explanation:]

How can it do that?

I'll use what happened with the stories as an example. [He realized he was still keeping her close to the point that it seemed normal to do even though they weren't paying too much attention to the movie.]

Before I went with the scary stories, do you remember what you said? About never understanding how serious a matter is unless it's occurring around us?

[He was getting to the point, he was just thinking of the right wording for it at least.]

I couldn't help but notice how you were so... I used the scary stories as a way of helping... As well as teasing my brother, but that was kind of too easy. [He grinned for a moment, eyes orange. He had been happy in that achievement anyway.]

Remeber what we were like afterward?

[She was silent at first. Listening. Wondering what about the stories could have possibly--]

[It clicked the moment his voice first trailed off, and the whole of the memory returned to her in a flash. He'd been sitting across from her at the table. Her eyes were turned downward, so she couldn't see his entire expression then, but she knew she'd had his full attention. If only because everyone had been looking to her. Speaking up in groups like that, even among fellow Chosen, had never been her strongest attribute. So whenever she did have something to contribute, they tended to listen all the more intently.]

[Which meant he'd been paying attention to more than what she was saying, but how she said it. Her tone. Her expression. And in response?]

...you did it for me. [She pulled back just enough to look up at him, as if momentarily forgetting her eyes would give away the mixture of emotions her expression alone wouldn't be able to convey. Teal and orange. A flash of grayish-purple. Followed by cadet blue as she recalled the feelings of that time. All soon melting away into a bright orange, and occasionally--] You started that whole thing because you saw I was upset...didn't you?

[Red]

[He had gone silent for the moment, moving his arm when he felt her move away slightly, looking at her, seeing how she would react. As much as he wasn't a huge fan of the ever-changing eyes he also couldn't help but focus on them when they kept changing. Confused, ashamed ... he wasn't sure of that one... miserable. That one was a little more obvious and made him wonder if he perhaps had upset her in some way, at least until he noticed the last two.

Bright orange and... he was pretty sure that was red. That was no question, but there were three reds that he knew of... two of which weren't exactly the most pleasant. But since it had been after happy, he could take a stab at what that last part was for.

At the thought, he glanced away and for the briefest of moments the teal and orange graced his eyes a moment of confusion as to all of this, but he nodded for a moment.]

Yeah. As I say I do things with a purpose behind them. [Teal and orange went to pale pink before landing on magenta once again. He knew he shouldn't bring up the eyes, because of the conversation from before, but at the same time he couldn't help but be a tiny bit curious. Shaking the thought off he decided instead to just add to the one they were currently having, keeping his head turned and eyes looking away, but he was pretty sure she might have seen them before he managed to look away.]

I just... Don't like seeing you upset. I prefer to see you smile and be happy.

Edited 2018-02-22 08:06 (UTC)

[He wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. To a degree.]

[And yet...it somehow felt different when he spoke the words aloud.]

[If Takeru were to look at her in that moment—something he seemed less and less inclined to do—he would see her eyes awash with colorful displays of confusion. Uncertainty. Hesitation. Gratitude, yes, and even a deep....fondness of his admission. But also very much confusion. Not of his feelings. Of her own. Feeling almost like a character in that first movie they’d watched that afternoon...except, even then, she wasn’t sure which role to parallel herself to.]

[She felt...tense. No, the air felt tense. Like some invisible rift was threatening to separate them. It scared her. A little. The idea of things being tense bewteeen them. Because they weren’t supposed to be. They were supposed to be light-hearted and fun and completely at ease. Comfortable. Content. Safe.]

[I prefer to see you smile and happy.]

[That was all she wanted for him too.]

... as much fun as I know it is for you to tease your brother, there are better ways.

[Leaning back against the couch cushion, she too averted her eyes as she forced a weak smile. Attempting to regain some of her usual teasing tone and only partially succeeding.]

Preferably ones that don’t risk giving me a small heart attack before I finish middle school.

Had to work with what was around.

[Which when they were at school not a heck of a lot that wasn't school related. It was a good thing to do when all you really had was simply one's imagination. Relaxing a little bit, his eyes showing as such he was looking back over.]

But I'll try next time how about that. Maybe give me a hint of what you'd want. [He was teasing because he was honestly never sure himself of what he might do until the time he needs to do it. Even now he was trying to think of what to do to make things feel less tense. Maybe pushing ones thought's away for a moment? Focus on the movie perhaps? It was one of those times where he honestly wasn't sure what to do.

As he looked back at the screen it as clear it was reaching its end. The survivors were finding out how to escape and potentially how to destroy the building along the way and the monster with it. As he glanced over once again he figured he should at least try and ease the tension.]

At least the movie will be over soon.

Ice Cream is always a good place to start.

[The corners of her lips twitched at her own comment, but she couldn't fully bring herself to maintain the smile. Self-aware humor...didn't seem to be enough this time.]

[At least the movie will be over soon.]

[She risked a glance at the screen. Things did seem to be approaching a final confrontation. Focus was on the main core of characters now. Smaller in number, but somehow even stronger in spirit and presence. There was a self-appointed leader in the middle of the group giving everyone a speech just before one of the "smarter" characters stepped forward to suggest an idea that, Hikari suspected, might previously otherwise have gone unheard.]

...we were wrong. [She spoke up again, waiting until a particular scene flashed on the screen before holding up a finger to indicate, elaborating:] The jock is still alive.

Got it. If anything happens while here we get ice cream.

[They'll end up going there at least monthly he knows it. He frowns slightly, mostly because he had noticed the near smile didn't quite stick around. Was there still problems and they just weren't getting around it? Now though he could look at the screen and use that as the reason at least. He had been wrong for once, usually, they were one of the first to go.]

Well, I'll be surprised, he did survive. I'm glad I didn't bet on it then. [He tried to laugh slightly, but it felt a little forced to say the least. As it was slowly gearing up for the final confrontation, with the group getting ready he found himself once again grabbing a couple of pieces of popcorn, popping them into his mouth.]

I'm sorry if I made things weird by the way. My bad. [He looked at the one piece he still had in his hand before popping it in.]

[Guilt. For half a seccond, her eyes flashed a grayish-purple indicating a brief sense of guilt...but it quickly settled into a much calmer green, and she shook her head.]

You shouldn’t have to apologize, Takeru. You haven’t done anything wrong.

[A sigh escaped her. Long, soft, and slow. Preceded by a deep inhale, and somewhat successful in dispelling some of the residual tension. She closed her eyes for a moment, head tilted up slightly so it was clear she was still listening. To the movie, but more so him.]

It doesn’t feel weird. Knowing...you want me to be happy. [She did smile this time. Weak, but no longer quite so forced.] I was just...surprised that it was your main motivation. That’s all.

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