Summer Festival in the MGU

[crashout]

Wherever you are, whoever you are, one minute you’re at home minding your own business and the next you’ll see a shower of sparkles before you blink and find yourself teleported elsewhere.

The elsewhere, it seems, is an open grounds lined with stalls, pathways and gardens. Lanterns light up the pathways in soft glowing oranges and pinks, and even though it’s evening the weather is warm and enjoyable for a fun summer festival.

As you set off to explore, you’ll find that there are countless stalls with every type of treat you can imagine from a variety of cultures (including some from your own home worlds, strangely), all of which smell delicious and enticing. There are other stalls available with different carnival games as well. Go ahead and give it your all! Win a prize for that special someone, or just keep trying out of sheer stubbornness. Other stalls seem to be selling wares such as clothing, household items, flowers, and other things that can be given away as gifts. It seems that every time you look around, a new stall opens, almost as if this festival is responding to your every wish.

Speaking of wishes, there’s a small cluster of bamboo trees nearby as well, tables set up with baskets of arts and crafts supplies to write your wishes on the colorful paper and tie them to a branch. It’s a sweet thought, no?

And of course, what’s a festival without fireworks? Every now and then fireworks will light up the night sky, bursts of color in fun shapes such as stars, hearts, faces of people you know, whatever! Sparklers and bubble wands can also be found to play with throughout the evening near the viewing gardens. Flowers bloom and cover the area, though the paths lead to several small alcove-like areas and gazebos for those of you who wish to have a little romantic privacy. No matter where you are though, you’ll always be able to see the starry night sky.

Do try to play along and enjoy yourself for the evening. It’s only when the last firework bursts several hours later that you can actually leave anyway. Have fun!

[ooc: you know the drill, past mg characters from any of our past games, please don't make me list them again but go nuts.]

Comments

[impurities]

[ there's a brief moment where chang geng seems to be deeply considering committing a murder, as you do when you come from a TPK game, but then he seems to process and reason that this is not the same scenario. so he's here, enjoying the festival. insomuch as someone who, at their core, doesn't enjoy crowds, but has adapted to politely tolerate them.

after a passing interest in the shooting gallery booths that crop up, but not being particularly interested in the guns aspect - not his specialty, even if he can handle them fine enough - when there's one that has bows by some chance (wow, convenient!) he stops off at it.

he's impressively poised, drawing the fletching back to his cheek before he releases. you can interrupt him and see if it'll fuck up his shot, or watch him hit the bullseye, or come join him when he's gotten his prize. whatever random plush or trinket or what have you it is, chang geng offers it with a smile to someone else. ] Here, it's better to win a prize for someone else, right?

[liuli]

[ gu yun has never been speechless in his entire life, unfortunately for literally everyone. even when he is blind and deaf, he is STILL, somehow, not speechless.

and yet! when chang geng turns to the side, he will see a very, very, very familiar face just sort of - staring at him? eyes a little wide, surprised. ]

....


[ and then because it's gu yun, he blinks and snaps out of it externally, smiling enough to crinkle those peach blossom eyes, instead, playful and twinkly. ] Shouldn't I be the one winning prizes for you?

[ externally he doesn't even react. internally, now, he is screaming

WHY ARE YOU SO TALL? THIS IS CHANG GENG, ISN'T IT? WHY ARE YOU SO OLD? HELLO? ]

[impurities]

[ SUURPRISE GU YUN HE'S LIKE TWO YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU INSTEAD OF SEVEN ]

Isn't it only fair that I start to win prizes for you now, as well..? [ the silence sort of clues him in that something is off, but gu yun like. doesn't fucking age. so he hasn't realized just yet that something is amiss. just that they've been whisked away, yet again, but that there's no murders they're supposed to be doing at the moment. ]

[liuli]

Have you finally decided to become filial? Will you actually be taking care of me when I've reached old age after all?

[ gu yun looks very amused at this, laughter in his voice as he holds his expectant hands out for the prize. he's so wildly shook by the fact that he has to look up to look at chang geng (he has to look up!!! the brat was still practically drinking his mother's milk when he left home?! hello?!) that he's distracted, and therefore, chang geng may notice something unfamiliar on the palm of his left hand. ]

Let's see it, then.

[impurities]

You say this as if there was ever any other option. [ half a joke at gu yun assigning him this when he was shen shiliu, half genuine because why would he ever not take care of him? the filial comment is glossed over. ] That's if you let me take care of you, though.

[ wouldn't it be funny if i handed you a furby

no it's a, like, plush tiger or something for the canon humor. but he does notice that there's something on his hand, because unlike some people chang geng is used to looking down at gu yun now. something curious twists into his expression as he passes the prize over. ]

[liuli]

[ there are no furbies allowed at this festival i've decreed it

anyway he will take this tiger, looking it over with the keen eye of a man who understands stuffed animals (bullshit), even adjusting his liuli glass. ]

It'll do. [ is what gu yun declares cheerfully, taking the thing and putting it under his arm. as ever, gu yun is observant, and that curiosity on chang geng's face doesn't go unmissed. ] Strange things do seem to be afoot, don't they? Spare me the answer to a question.

[impurities]

[ you say this, but one is going to show up somewhere. calling it now. ]

I suppose it depends on the question. [ considering, you know, every possible question they'd have for each other. chang geng is considering them, thoughtfully eliminating ones that he can answer by observation and experience. ] But these strange things are more preferable than the last time I found myself suddenly transported to a completely foreign location, so I'll take it as it happens.

[azuta]

[iris has been trying, and failing, to get exactly this plush bear for a little while now??? but she's impressed by the shot, politely applauding - and laughing when it's offered out to her]

Oh, so I've become a work of charity now...

[she's clearly teasing, but seems content to take the bear regardless]

But ah - thank you. I know a child who'd love this.

[impurities]

Certainly not. [ laughing, as well, but all polite and good manners with these rich ferals. ] But I'd rather share the wealth than take it for myself. The game is fun enough on its own.

[ not that it's necessarily hard, but getting around the rigged system has been the fun part. ]

Of course - though a child? Does that mean there might be more that would like a few more prizes?

[azuta]

[that makes her laugh]

A whole troupe of them in fact... but I'm afraid I haven't had the same luck with the game.

[even if she can figure out how it's rigged, she's not a good enough shot to take the prizes without a lot of trial and error. sad]

But if a kind sir already finds it enjoyable...

[impurities]

[ sad... chang geng reaches to take another arrow off of the booth's counter, nocking it but holding the bow down without drawing. ]

I don't see any issue with some harmless fun, especially if it benefits a troupe of children. [ not everyone was him when he was a kid, being the "no fun police." they can have nice things. ] Let's clean a booth out.

[azuta]

They practically invited us to do so when they beckoned us so forcefully, don't you think?

[iris: if you're going to kidnap me i don't see any issue with taking every single thing i want before i leave]

[impurities]

I do. And while it's preferable to our previous stays elsewhere, I imagine, it still does demand some recourse for disrupting us in our homes again.

[ :handshake: but he'll take aim again -

chang geng fires and hits childe instead



if only ]

[shiftingwinds]

How thoughtful of you!

[this chang geng is much older than the tyke she saw in gu yun's memories, so alas, shi qingxuan doesn't recognize him. but that also doesn't stop her from being friendly. so! she accepts the little plush (spins wheel) crow with a smile.]

Really, your shooting was quite impressive. Just getting to witness it is almost prize enough - but this thing is rather cute too!

[she reaches up to arrange it so the plush crow is sitting on her shoulder.]

[impurities]

[ all these 7r people seeing a chang geng barely younger than gu yun is giving me life

but he bows his head a little at the compliment, after qingxuan takes the crow. there's something - fond? amused? at the toy bird, when he straightens, and he leans on the bow. not enough to put his weight, but just so that his cheek is against one string groove. ]

I wasn't much of a festival goer when I was younger, but I did learn from the best when it came to archery, so getting around their tricks has been a fun challenge.

[shiftingwinds]

Oh, that's right, these things are rigged, aren't they...?

[hmmm. she examines some of the nearby games.]

It almost makes me want to take them down a few pegs.

[impurities]

Oh, they'd definitely deserve it, considering some of the frustrations I've seen so far from people.

[ a little dryly despite the absolute pleasantness of his smile, as he nocks another arrow. ]

Why not give it a shot..?

[shiftingwinds]

There's probably no harm in it...

[well, she doesn't have a bow, so she's going to wander to the next game over - a throw-a-ball-and-knock-down-the-milk-bottles one - and pick up one of the balls.

yeet!


the winds propel it so that it hits hard enough to knock over the entire thing. also, some of the winds knock the bottles over, to be honest.]

[impurities]

[ he'll watch her, rather than fire again, just to see what she does.



there's some minor exhaustion when he realizes there's magic involved, but he doesn't judge her for causing the booth runners some trouble. ]

An excellent shot. Think we might give them a run for it, at this rate.

[evocationary]

[just

sort of going ?????????????????????????????]

[impurities]

[ hewwo

a beat, then: ] Something the matter?

[evocationary]

... Nnnope. Nope!

[she's trying not to grin because she knows somewhere gu yun about had a heart attack.]

Uh - what were you saying about prizes? Yes. I deserve one.

[impurities]

[ uhhh huh. definitely believable. but he just lets it go for the time being, considering the fact that yes, gu yun is suffering ]

Only one?

[evocationary]

[she gigglesnorts.]

Oh, I like you. No, you're right. Many. I deserve many. [she says this so fondly for like, a stranger.]

[impurities]

[ honestly, this doesn't bother him overly much. he's had people act like this at him for years, and, sometimes, they're just. friendly. that's how it be. ]

Well, it's not as if this place doesn't deserve being swept clean, with how they've rigged things. Why not win many prizes for friendly strangers?

[ ah yes, the base level as to why gu yun and chang geng get along. ]