New Years Festival!

[leaderkun]

Who: EVERYONE! Chosen and Partners, Damemon, Deputymon, Starmon too!
What: The New Year's Festival and Masquerade Ball
Where: Shinjuku Gyoen in the Park
When: December 31st



December 31st has at last arrived, and despite certain events depriving the Digital World of the original creator, the people involved with the New Years Festival managed to pull through. With Roze's work already underway and the designs and directions sent out, it wasn't hard to finish what had been started.

At mid-afternoon, a general text was sent out to all the D-Terminals announcing the festival grounds as open. Going to the Shinjuku Gyoen part of the park revealed a tiny wonderland of games and food manned by Chosen, Partners and Damemon alike.

Every Chosen and Partner have Damemon helpers and shifts rotate at each stall, making certain no one is kept from enjoying themselves to the fullest.

To either side of the festival grounds are picnic areas set up with several tables, all surrounded by bright white and yellow string lights. The four rows of game and food stalls are all decorated with large red paper lanterns, paper dragons and bright string lights, allowing the festivities to proceed well after dark.

At the front of the entire festival grounds Roze's Digimon - Julie the Impmon and Musashi the Kotemon - hand out copies of a simple map. On the back of each map the times for the masquerade dance are printed in case people forgot the time from their invitations.

In the Taiwan Pavilion, from the start of the festival to the end, Maya Matlin and Ryan Evans play music on piano and cello, rotating with Neku Sakuraba who maintains a steady flow of pre-arranged music. Several times throughout the day a handful of Digimon put on a simple but entertaining Taiko drum performance. Two long buffet tables filled with food and punch stay full throughout the day and night.

Jin Uzuki teaches calligraphy at one stall, as well as performs tea ceremony and lectures on Japanese traditions for those not educated on the themes presented by the festival.

Squall Leonhart stands sentinel over the Kingyo Sukui (goldfish catching) stall.

Campbell Saunders covers the ball toss, where people can try their luck knocking down milk bottles.

The Medicine Seller mans the Okonomiyaki cart, where people are free to order any combination of ingredients and eat hot food straight from the iron.

Mikasa Ackerman covers a colorful and pleasant-smelling stall where festival-goers can choose from dozens of bananas on sticks, the fruit dipped in different flavored coatings and numerous toppings.

Shannon Vaughn and Eli Delacroix cover the stall on the center walk where those at the festival can pick up sparklers and handmade papier-mâché masks for fun or the masquerade, if they have none of their own.

A ping pong toss with water-filled glass bowls sits with a pair of Damemon attendants cheering on participants.

Next to the Okonomiyaki cart, Saori Nakagawa and Laguna Loire provide fresh Takoyaki (octopus balls) on sticks, steaming and delicious.

The local Prince, Rowan, cheerily provides personal pies or slices of ready-made large ones and chats amiably with anyone who happens to be drawn in by meat or fruit fillings inside flaky crusts.

Cheerful little Miwako Sakurada watches the Yoyo Tsuri (water balloon yoyo) cart, balloons in bright splashes of color floating in a rotating pool of water, casting a rainbow across the cloth roof of the stall.

The ever large and boisterous Rider struts around a Strongman Hammer game, jeering and cajoling the men and complimenting the women, making bets and offering arm-wrestling competitions.

Little Wily-Kit has a raised platform surrounded by cushions where people can sit and listen to her play the flupe and regale them with tales from her homeland.

Dante sits at a stall of his own, playing guitar when he's not giving kisses for donations to the festival fund.

A ring toss game where one can try to put small rings around the necks of glass bottles stands manned by two Damemon arguing restlessly about the arrangement of the bottles.

Waver Velvet and his Wizardmon stand to dazzle onlookers with card tricks and details of magic performed in Waver's homeland.

Next to Wily-Kit's storytelling and Waver's tricks, Harry Potter serves up a variety of hot drinks close to the front of the festival so people have something to warm their hands and bellies while they enjoy the festivities.

Throughout the entire festival ground, Seifer Almasy and his hand-picked group of Digimon patrol the area, ejecting trouble-makers and seeing to damages while Yu Narukami and his team keep supplies full and assist Seifer with damage control.

The festival continues on through the day until the Masquerade Ball begins. All the stalls close and people are free to dress and attend as they like. Food and punch remains present and the music continues until midnight, when masks are to be removed and the New Year begins!

Comments

Kingyo Sukui - Squall

[leaderkun]

[innermonologues]

[ Squall was bored-ly sitting on a stool behind his booth. He wouldn't have even shown up, but he made a promise to Roze that he'd show up and do his job. So even though she was still nowhere to be seen, he was going to be a man of his word and stick around.

To show off how easy this game was at least for him, every once in a while he'd get off of his stool and demonstrate the scooping game. He had a large glass fishbowl sitting on his counter of all the fish he's managed to catch so far.

Don't let his grumpy exterior scare you. He was harmless for the most part after all. ]

[motherswisdom]

[Nala was amazed by the whole event, unsure what many things were and simply wandering around, which meant that when she caught sight of Squall she wasted no time in heading over to him to talk.]

Hello.. um.. is it this time when I'm supposed to say happy New Year?

[She looked just a little confused but not too much, and offered him a smile.]

[innermonologues]

[ He saw it was Nala speaking to him and he seemed to soften just a little. He shifted around on his stool and stretched out his arms. ]

Ah, yeah... something like that.

[ He never really celebrated anything back home so it was pretty much new to him as well. ]

[motherswisdom]

[She smiled a bit more at him.]

Then I'm glad I've said it... if I understand what Malaika was telling me, it's something like a wish, for the new year to be a good one.

[She noticed the fish and looked at them curiously.]

Why is it humans keep such small fish? Aren't large ones better to eat?

[innermonologues]

These fish are normally kept as pets, not as a food source.

[ He gave her a curious look. ]

[motherswisdom]

OH! Oh, I had no idea humans kept such things. I wonder if I could care for something like this.

[Though she was still talking to Squall, she was watching the fish as they swam, not unlike a very large cat would.]

[innermonologues]

Not all of them do, but it is something that some will keep around...

[ He gave her a curious look. ]

Did... you want one?

[motherswisdom]

[She tilted her head to the side as she thought about the question.]

Do you think you could help me know how to care for one? I think having something to care for might be nice.

[innermonologues]

Ah... if you really want to yeah I suppose I could.

Kingyo Sukui - with Whirl

[lilpoppa]

Tetsushi was out of breath from catching up with Whirl after he stormed off. He looked at the game stand with gleeful eyes. He loved goldfish, but never was able to have one with his constant moving around.

"Well we made it whirl. Do you want to go first?"

[oneeyedterror]

"Huh?" Whirl was sort of, looking at the game a bit confused. He doesn't actually know how to play it, also more organic things.

"Oh sure, of course."

He totally knows how to do this, really. Just ignore him standing in front of the game stand and not actually. Doing anything.

[lilpoppa]

Tetsushi looked at Whirl as she stared at the stand for a bit before he decided to help out.

"Well if I remember right you have to catch the fish with the paper scoop and put it into the bowl without the scoop breaking or putting the bowl in the water. At least that's how I remember it it."

Tetsushi was crouched down eye level with the game barely peaking over the edge at the fish.

"I think you should go for that gold one with the black spot on its tail. One it looks rather chill and two I kinda want it." Tetsushi looked up with bright full eyes that said all on their own, Please win me a goldfish. He had no real notion of the idea of winning something for the girl.

"Oh and you might want to go rather slow so you don't break the scoop."

[oneeyedterror]

"Oh."

Whirl is still going to glare at the fish again, before well. He'll try and win a fish, although isn't this the wrong way around? Shouldn't the guy win a thing for his date.

Then again Whirl is probably more manly than Tetsushi, even while being in a girl's body. So, going to play this fish game.

And kind of suck at it because he only has one eye and what the hell is depth perception. So it's more Whirl outright missing the fish Tetsushi picked than breaking the paper scoop.

At least at first.

[lilpoppa]

Tetsushi looked at Whirl in shock after she broke the scoop. He didn't expect her to be so strong or to be so forceful. He was also a little sad that she didn't get the fish he wanted, But he smiled and tilted his head at her.

"Well you can try again if you would like."

Tetsushi actually started to have fun now that they decide to do something other than stare at a map blankly.

[oneeyedterror]

Whirl is scowling at the game once he broke the scoop, because in his head this should be easier than shooting a crippled Decepticon. But it wasn't. The Tetsushi speaks and that turns his attention away from the game, and gets a small smile from Whirl.

"Sure, why not. I'm gonna catch one of these little slaggers, at least."

And Whirl is going to try again, this time being a little bit more patient in his attempts to snag a fish.

[lilpoppa]

"You can do it Whirl. I believe in you." Tetsushi was now cheering on Whirl. He was smiling big as he looked over the tank pointing out fish that he said looked like they were calmer than the rest as if he truly knew.

"See that one there? Go for him he is easy game."

[oneeyedterror]

There is a snort from Whirl, as if to tell Tetsushi that he doesn't need any cheering on. But hey he doesn't tell Tetsushi to shut up, so that's a good thing.

"Yeah I see the little runt."

It's said in a nice way, really, as Whirl is poised to get that fish. And in a flash the little paper scoop is going for it and...

Ah ha! Fish in the scoop, Whirl is grinning but then!

... Rip and sploosh, fish wins. Scoop broke.

[lilpoppa]

Tetsushi looked at whirl with a smile and laughed.

"You know you almost had it. I think you are really close to getting this."

He looked to the game and back to her confused for a second like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Do you mind If I help you a little?"

[oneeyedterror]

Whirl is glaring at the fish, as if giving it a dirty look will make it learn it's lesson and it'll be caught.

"Huh?" Oh, a question. He is the best date, Tetsushi, with how he barely pays attention to him.

"I don't mind, go right ahead."

[lilpoppa]

"Okay here we go" Tetsushi walked up right behind her pressing his body against her's. He then put his arm around her grabbing her hand.

"Okay now we are going to put the scoop gently in the water. You have this part down so I don't see any problems here." He moved her hand slowly lowering the scoop into the water.

"Now we wait for a fish to get close on its own." Tetsushi was lean over Whirl's shoulder which left him breathing on the back on her neck. He didn't seem to notice the fact himself.

[oneeyedterror]

Whoa, wait, what. Suddenly close and moving and why is he touching Whirl, and it's only because Tetsushi is Roze's dad (whatever that means) that Whirl doesn't outright punch him right now.

So the lesson isn't being stopped or anything, but Whirl is probably giving off an air of total awkwardness here as he mutters an "okay" before trying to focus on the damned fish.

Because that is what's important here. The fish.

[lilpoppa]

Tetsushi watched the water as the fish moved around. When one of the fish a small pure golden colored fish got close to the scoop he made his move. He swiftly twisted Whirl's hand while pulling it out of the water spinning the scoop with the fish inside before he dropped it into the bowl. He then started at the intact scoop in shock.

"We did it? We did it, woot!" Tetsushi grabbed a hold of Whirl and hugged her deeply.

[oneeyedterror]

Whirl was going to say 'Oh yeah we did' but.

Hugging.

Why do people keep hugging him?! So hopefully Tetsushi won't mind Whirl is just going to.

Shove him, hard.

[lilpoppa]

Well Tetsushi guessed that the moment had passed. He looked to Whirl and smirked. She had pushed him, but that mattered little to him as they did get the fish. He looked at the prize smiling. It maybe a little unimpressive fish, but that didn't matter cause they won it. He held their prize up to Whirl.

"Well here is the prize. Looks like we got the best looking one they had. I guess that you will have to name him."