genessia | [Action] A Very Happy Birthday + The Girls Festival

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[Action] A Very Happy Birthday + The Girls Festival

Who: Open To All
Where: Archangel City Sub Archway
When: March 2nd, 3rd and 4th. (Tag what day you want to be in)

[A text goes out to the rest of Genessia indicating that the Girls Day Festival will commence on the 2nd of March rather than the 3rd, and the festival itself will be held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The location, as stated in the text, is still in the Archangel City sub archway found in Fayren.

Anyone coming into the city will be greeted by knights and clothiers handing out free complimentary coats due to the country being always cold. Sign posts along the roads will guide tourists to the city plaza where the festival itself is being held. Alongside patriotic banners of the snowy kingdom's flag were bright-colored decorations.]

DAY 1

In the city plaza, there were numerous women of all ages enjoying some leisurely time off from their jobs. All around the plaza were vendors all sorts of clothing from all corners of the world, many kinds of food and sweets, collectible knick-knacks from paper weights to dolls, books and many other things. There were also quite a few stalls for people to get crash-course lessons in cooking, doll making, candy making and pet caring. While rare, some of the tougher women can get a chance to spare with the capital's knights.

There were some forms of entertainment as well, for a stage was constructed in one corner of the plaza where musicians from all over the kingdom, and some international bards, have come to join the festivities. Anyone needing to rest can sit near the bards and enjoy a snack.

Finally, a higher stage was built around the fountain in the middle of the plaza where Princess Anastasia Leonheart, and her mother, Queen Melody can watch over the festival and speak with the common people.]

((Day 1 venue summary: Vendors, DIY Stalls, Bunny Petting Zoo, Bards Corner, Sparring with Knights,
Speak to Queen and Princess (Day 1 only.))

DAY 2

[The festival slows down slightly as many people gather around the castle, home to the royal family, in honor of Princess Anastasia's 13th birthday. Common people aren't permitted inside of the castle, but residents of Genessia do have permission to seek out Anastasia on the Social Floor of the castle. There, the young Princess Anastasia humbly awaits on a throne as a pile of gifts on one corner of the table steadily gets bigger as maids arrive to add on to it. The smell of something sweet baking can be smelled on this floor.]

((Day 2 venue summary: Same as Day 1, Anastasia's Birthday Party.))

DAY 3

[The festival begins to wind down as all vendors, excluding food vendors, pack up and leave as the musical stages are expanded to accommodate larger performances. As the day settles to dusk, and light fills the plaza, bands continue to play as the able and willing women gather to dance the night away, all though not recommended.]

((Day 3 venue summary: Dancing, Food Stalls, Mingling.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ever the contrarian, Ted came to the girl's festival ~~just to ruin everything~~. The formalization of woman's self-worship is practically satanic; it couldn't go unchallenged.

Unfortunately, challenging the knights was a women's only affair. Foiled again!

Defeated, he avenged himself by visiting each and every crash-coursing stall he could. So many experiences to have, and Ted was greedy for them all.

The day ended on a sour note when he saw the host and her mother. Ted had subconsciously made it his goal to save whomever he could from feeling alone or hopeless in Genessia. Then he saw Anastasia, ostensibly with her mother, and it broke his heart. He had been enjoying the festivities so much that he'd all but forgotten their source. Anastasia had to sacrifice something for this. Something real for something unreal. Everything felt tainted after that, like he'd been indulged by a phantasm. It's all too understandable that a child would yearn for home, but even this felt like a kind of retreat, or despair.

This wasn't the first archway that he'd enjoyed. But it was the first one that made him feel practically ill. She was so happy, and yet the perceived hollowness of it tore at his conscience. He knew that if he saw Anastasia, some of this would escape. He doubted whether anything good would come of that.

[Anastasia had been pacing around on the royal perch that she shared with her Queenly mother, casually waving to the people who waved at her. Though, quite often, she would stop at a corner and stand on her toes, shading her eyes with her hands as she looked over the crowds to find any friends, or at the very least, a familiar face to know her attempts that generating tourism worked. It would've been a success for her as a budding leader.

Her mother often stays close, as any caring mother would. As Anastasia continued to try to spot anyone possibly from the outside, and she thinks she sees someone who might be. But she was too close to the edge of the platform and slips.

Before the girl fell, her mother was quick to catch her and pull her back onto the platform.]

Ted audibly gasped along with any other onlookers as he saw her near-pratfall. The symbolism of the action stuck out to his mind. The girl, about to fall off the precipice and onto cold, hard reality, only to be snatched back by the comforting illusion. In an instant he saw the contrast between painful truth and palatable lie. If he knew how to shatter it peacefully, he'd drag her out of here and tear down the archway himself. But he knew how bunglers can often make things worse, so he'd drop off his present (one of the dolls he'd made at the booth; thought that counts right?), a thank you note, then make his getaway.

[Because of the size and state of the gift from Ted, a retainer didn't take it to leave with the others and instead brought it straight to Anastasia.

The young princess checks the contents of the note while her mother reads it over her shoulder...]

"Dear Anastasia

Thank you for inviting me to the Girls' Festival and your Birthday. Sorry I couldn't attend the latter; may this gift suffice. I'm pleased to note that I learned how to make it, along with a bevy of other things, at those charming booths in the village square. Despite the event being neither for my sex nor my caste (I've never mingled with royalty in any significant fashion), I nonetheless enjoyed the glance into your cold kingdom. May your thirteenth year be full of grace. Don't forget to spend it with all of us outside too, all right?

With love yours Ted

When Satsuki heard that Anastasia had opened up a subarchway, she didn't take it well. Not that she raised a fit or anything, but she knows what the price is and the possibilities of what the young gift would have given up left her feeling troubled. And yet, it is an extremely simple answer to her weather problem, isn't it? For now, she'll just have to accept that it is best for the young one.

Having been told of the climate before, she arrives already adorn in heavier winter wear though her attire is more fashionable than usual thanks to a certain someone. It's pretty rare that Satsuki attends festivals these days, but of course she would arrive for the Princesses birthday, and she even has a gift carried under her arm.

And so she arrives at the social floor (hopefully with little trouble), and looks about for little Leonhart.

[Satsuki would have no troubles at all. The guards were ordered that if anyone dressed differently, they were likely from Genessia and to let them in. Plus, the guards could see the gift under Satsuki's arm, so one guard escorts her to the dining room where Anastasia awaits.

The young princess spotted Satsuki enter the dining room and waves her over.]

"Miss Kiryuin, thank you for coming."

[Light clacks accompany each step as she makes her way over to Anastasia, though she notices the table along the way and pauses.]

It was my pleasure. You appear well, Princess.

Should I set this gift with the others?

Edited 2016-03-04 22:51 (UTC)

"Yes, you can. Once you do, want to have a seat and speak with me again?"

[Whether or not Satsuki moves at this point, Anastasia was too ready to ask questions.]

"How is your visit to the city so far? Did you recently arrive? Do you have any questions about the city?"

[Satsuki is actually a bit surprised that Anastasia is so eager to speak with her. Though once she sets the gift in its proper place and is bombarded with questions, it becomes all to clear. It's almost enough to bring a smile to her face. Almost.

She takes a seat as requested.]

I am afraid I did not partake in much sight-seeing, but I would describe what I have seen thus far to be... Surprisingly warm. The atmosphere, I mean. The Military District in particular caught my interest though.

[A pause.]

There is some confusion about this event- Is it your birthday that is celebrated for three days?

"I'm glad. While you were at the military district, did the soldiers give you a demonstration of our most feared maneuver?"

[The way she was smiling softly as she said that was kind of creepy in its own way.]

"And no. My birthday is not celebrated for three days. It's just today and today alone. The three day festival is all about honoring girls. My birthday just happens to fall on this lovely time."

Unfortunately I did not spend much time there, it was just an area I had noticed along the way to the castle. I must confess I am rather curious, though. You know of it?

[Creepy? Satsuki isn't too bothered by that, as far as she's concerned it could be a sign of a budding warrior. Nothing wrong with that.]

I see.. I find that an interesting tradition, though I confess I am still uncertain of its significance from a historical standpoint. Is there a reason it is this particular time of year?

[Anastasia nods.]

"It's called the Riveran Bloody Opera. Three rows of musket riflemen resemble a huge organ piano while singing a haunting variation of our anthem, then fire all at once or one row at a time. It was only done once about 20 or so years ago, and it was a turning point in the war then."

[She would need to know these things, as she would need to learn how to command.]

"I don't know why it's at this time. I think they just picked this day and I just happened to have been born on it. I've been called special because of that, among other reasons."

Interesting.. And how rude of me I had forgotten to say before anything else: Happy birthday, Princess.

[Said with a small smile, but it doesn't last very long- probably to no one's surprise.]

The 'Riveran Bloody Opera'? There must be more to it than you say, it sounds like a formation that any army could accomplish. Could it be that your army has superior firepower? Or perhaps the anthem itself holds some sort of mystical presence?

"Thank you!

And yes. At the time the Opera was first used, we were the first to develop and deploy these rifle weapons. Our historic enemies had been trying to duplicate us since then, but instead developed cannons on armored carriages. I think they were called 'War Wagons."

[Anastasia seems to be describing a great amount if tension around a cold war.]

"If we go to war again, I don't think it will end well for the world."

Day 1 OTA

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Day 2

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Any Day | Open

Day 1

Day 1 :I need to fix her icons so ignore those for this thread lol <3

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Day 2!

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