EVENT: Iksay Harvest Festival

[1000_npcs]

The day of the Harvest Festival has fallen upon Iksay, and the atmosphere has never felt more cheery for such an early noon. As one would expect of the traditional festival, extensive preparations have been made, and it's the first time in a long while that anyone has seen Iksay brimming with such energy ever since it got raided in that fateful surprise attack.

Upon entering the small village, one would immediately notice the colourful decorations, as well as the banquet in the town center. The sound of upbeat music can be heard louder with each step taken towards the festivities. The townspeople are friendly to outsiders, but watch out, you might get whisked away in an impromptu dance -- traditional Iksay folk dancers are known to swap partners on several occasions mid-song!

Comments

[aloof_savant]

Do you feel uneasy? I should have stayed closer...

[quicksmart]

[ She puts on a face of resolve, shaking her head in a show of bravado. ]

H-hardly. I just mean... It is difficult to navigate, is all.

[ She crosses her arms defensively, though. ]

It's so... cheerful here. Is it because there is no war?

[aloof_savant]

Oh, you... [ Hmm, wonders how to explain something that's always seemed simple to him! ]

They are celebrating this year's abundant harvest, this festival is a show of appreciation to their goddess. I suppose to a farmer, growing successful crops is like winning a battle... and now their "war is over"! Does that make sense?

[quicksmart]

[ She nods... slowly. ]

I... suppose. I mean, if I recall, fishermen also get quite rowdy following a successful venture.

[ She appears to be more out of her element here than at the ball, at least having a preconceived notion of how to act there. ]

W-well. What shall we do first?

[aloof_savant]

Heh, what do you feel like doing? Remember, we're not working today -- so no talk about strategy, the castle, reading or cleaning!

[quicksmart]

[ B-but that's all she wants to do, except for the obvious choice of hiding away and just observing the festival-goers... ]

... What is there to do? Must we help with their harvest somehow?

[aloof_savant]

Oh, for the love of-- [ He decides to lead the way, gently pushing her along with his hand against her lower back. ] Follow me, follow me, I'll give you the basic tour.

[quicksmart]

[ She appears quite sheepish, not used to being in the position of not knowing what's going on. She allows herself to be herded along, head turning left and right to catch the sights around them. ]

[aloof_savant]

[ He catches a glimpse of her every time she's not looking his way, he looks fairly amused, perhaps even charmed, by her awkwardness. The herding continues until they reach the banquet table. ]

...Harvest festival attraction #1: The Food!

[quicksmart]

[ She eyes the food, seeming quite taken aback by the variety of foods available. She isn't sure what to eat first! ]

This all looks so fresh...

[ Gingerly, she picks up a small slice of apple pie, tentatively taking a bite... and then she looks delighted! ]

Ah, you should try this--!

[aloof_savant]

...Me? I-It's just apple pie..!

[quicksmart]

Yes! It is really quite good.

[ She offers him a bit of hers, visibly excited. ]

[aloof_savant]

[ Feels kind of silly for sharing things like this, but then again, this is what people do at festivals, so goes along with it and takes a small bite. ]

I-It's delicious. Right on par with your cookies, perhaps.

[quicksmart]

[ She seems to beam for a moment at the compliment, but then the expression changes to skepticism. ]

... Do you really like it?

[ She finishes off the last of the slice herself, now looking at the banquet table again with increased curiosity. ]

[aloof_savant]

It's apple pie. You have one and you've had them all.

[ Observing Agnes rather than the banquet table -- what a fascinating person! ] You didn't have much of these things on your little island, did you?

[quicksmart]

... no. Baked goods do not really transport well over the sea, and almost everything we ate I had to make from raw ingredients. It was a fairly bland affair.

[ Maybe she seems slightly embarrassed now at how childish she seems, so she hesitates a little bit in deciding the next item of food. ]

What would you recommend?

[aloof_savant]

Hmm...

[ The apple pie was good enough for him, but since she's here to experience the festival to the fullest... He picks out a corn dog, not the healthiest choice of food, but offers to feed it to her nonetheless. ]

Try this. Say "ah"! ♥