thefolder | New Years Festival!

New Years Festival!

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!

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"She has a boyfriend... but she is important so don't talk down about her like that. "

He frowned and held onto his glass a little tighter.

"She's got a boyfriend but buys you a gift like that?" she asked, arching a brow and tilting her head to regard his from the corner of her eye once again. "Sounds like she's more interested than you are. Still amounts to the same thing at the end of the day."

She shrugged, tail slithering across the floor, a hissing whisper of scales on hardwood.

"I won't talk bad about her, no offense meant. Still, if she mattered that much, shouldn't you tell her?"

"I try to tell her... it's just she doesn't understand me. I don't even understand me much. But when I say things she takes it a different way and I never know how to make her understand." He snorts a little and gently rubs the bracelet.

"Bet you couldn't tell I'm new to this feeling crap."

"nothing wrong with that. She's probably just young and silly. Girls can get pretty erratic with their emotions too, y'know," she remarked with a small nod.

"Not that she'll necessarily change just by growing up a little. I imagine she'll be the same, just with a little more insight and perspective into these things. Chances are she probably likes you and just wishes she knew how to help you like yourself enough to like her back. Just my opinion, though. What do I know?"

He rolled his eyes to himself a little and slowly turned to face the mysterious speaker.

"Sounds like you know a lot about Ro....ze." His eyes went wide for a moment as he looked at her. He almost stumbled even because of her tail. Well... This was probably the last thing he thought he'd see today. He seemed speechless.

She could have reached out to grab him, help him not to stumble, but her hands didn't move. Instead, her long tail had slithered up behind him and nudged against his back, keeping him standing upright while she watched him with a quiet, warm smile.

She didn't go in for a hug, afraid it would upset him or make him uncomfortable - she'd grown a little bit, at least - even though she wanted to, and just stood there, watching him.

"Hello, Pretty Boy."

"Roze..." Was all that came out of his mouth. He couldn't believe it. She was back. She looked different... but that wasn't the important part here. She was back. Maybe his searching didn't help, but she was standing right there in front of him.

As if letting his body take control he swiftly walked over to her and tugged her head down and leaving his hands on her face to rest his forehead against hers.

"... this... isn't another dream."

The sudden grab surprised her as much as it likely did him, but she went with it, recovering after her initial gasp and raising her hands to cup against his.

"No. Not a dream. Well I mean, not literally. I know I'm the girl of every man's dreams," she quipped, before smiling slyly and wagging a brow at him as she added in a whisper, so as not to out him to anyone, "Dreaming of me, hm? That's the best news I could come home to."

Home. Yes, she was home. Home with Squall and Dante and Musashi and everyone that mattered in her life. Though things were different, she mused, tail sliding away behind her and tucking under her skirt as she hid it, suddenly self-conscious.

He stared at her for a long while before snorting and giving her a light headbutt. When he heard her teasing he knew it was real. He knew this was really Roze. He knew that even if it didn't all go back to normal, Roze was back and he could relax a little.

"Still the same, Weird girl you've always been...." He even cracked a small smile.

"But of course. What else would you expect? You think I'd suddenly go of and come back the picture of social acceptance? No thank you, sweetheart. I'd rather just be me, if a bit...worn out," she remarked, smiling again, the scar scar across her cheek crinkling when she did.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, tilted her head to kiss the end of his nose."

He scrunched up his nose a little bit hesitantly wrapping his arms around her and hiding his face in her neck. It was like he needed to keep close to her or she would just disappear. He didn't want that to happen. He couldn't let that happen. She disappeared once already and that was enough.

"You have no idea...."

She blinked rapidly, moving her hands down and wrapping them around his shoulders, hugging him tightly to her. It was hard not to cry even without moments like this so she wasn't surprised when she felt a dampness on her cheeks.

"I promised you, didn't I? That you were stuck with me for good?" she laughed softly, voice a little hoarse from the effort not to sob as she pressed her nails into his shoulders, crushing him into the hug for a moment.

He didn't even make a fuss when she pulled him in tighter. He just held her more and stayed like that in her arms at least for now. After searching for her day in and day out it was finally not all in vain. He wasn't even sure how he was suppose to feel, just so many things swirling around inside of him.

"I never stopped... looking."

"Maybe that's why I came back," she replied, leaning back a little and staring at him with a small smile. "The people that cares wanted me back enough, and here I am. I know things...are different. But its still just me. Annoying old Roze."

She cleared her throat quietly, eyes lowering after a minute, fingers drumming nervously against Squall's skin.

"I didn't want to go, you understand? I didn't leave because I had any choice. It just happened. You know I'd never leave you like that, right?"

He nodded his head and continued holding her close so she couldn't escape.

" I... know. I know you didn't...Just.... glad you're back."

He gave her a small very small smile.

She relaxed in his arms, eyes drifting closed as she stood there, content for the moment to be held by someone who had once been so impossible with it. No sense pointing it out and potentially ruining the moment, so she'd give him all the time he wanted.

"I'm glad to be back," she remarked softly, moving her arms to wrap around herself, shifting in his grip til she practically huddled against him where she stood. "It was never worth going back. Its all the same..."

While holding onto her something seem to catch his attention for a moment. He paused a little before pulling her off of him. Don't worry though Roze. He doesn't let her go for too long. He moves her hands to the right places and places his on her as well. And without even telling her what he was doing he slowly nudged her to start moving the same way as him.

Yes, he might be attempting to dance with her without being forced into it.

There was a brief moment of disappointment when she thought he was ending the embrace and once again putting that all too familiar distance between them. Then he went and pulled in in again in position, and she brightened immediately, the glitter of not yet shed tears making her eyes sparkle like green gems, sadness evaporating in the face of surprised pleasure.

They moved together with surprising ease, Roze letting him take the lead and falling into step, her tail a smoothly slithering thing, twisting around them both as they turned. She had adapted well to her new form back home and was very aware of her body, not at all a clumsy or lumbering thing.

"I thought you'd forgotten," she whispered, painted lips curling into a smile. "You're always full of surprises, Pretty Boy."

He closes his eyes and stiffly goes through the movements with her. There is a small smirk on his lips though. He can't help it. She seemed surprised which amused him.

"I did promise you, didn't I?"

"Hm, I suppose so," she replied with a soft sigh, squinting at him with a small smile. "Things have changed. I've changed. I guess I shouldn't let that dictate my assumptions though. I'm just...used to people breaking their word," she offered, feeling it to be a lame explanation for her doubts.

"Its been seven years for me...they were...they were very long years. I'm just. Hm. I just can't seem to be so optimistic anymore. Maybe it'll change. I feel like I'm going to disappoint people. I'm not a girl anymore."

"You must be lost in another world still if you feel that way. The people here with all of there weird feelings and what not, they cared about the person, not the actions you made. You're more mature, or less wild? Or maybe the exact opposite? No one cares. They just want you around because they like you."

He pauses for a moment and just dances with her more in silence. At least until that silence is interrupted by him laughing a little. He shakes his head and looks off to the side.

" I am the last person you should be getting a boost of positivity from. I guess you better treasure it."

"Maybe you're the best person to get it from?" she mused with a smirk, arching a brow and shaking her head. "You're always the practical one and you were always terrible with encouragements, but maybe I just need that sense of realism for a minute. I just need to hear real answers from someone not dancing around with an over full cup, you know?"

She sniffed, reaching up and pressing a finger lightly to his scar.

"Its only a little while before the new year. You gonna surprise me with a kiss, too?"

"Now you're asking for a little much." He says this but his expression towards her is still calm and light. Not a scrunched up or irritated wrinkle on his face at all. You could say he might actually be happy right now. Maybe just a little bit, not it was enough to make him not push her away right now. He might later once he used up all his social energy, but right now it seemed like he was fine.

"Hey, it was worth a try. Asking about a kiss is a lot less than asking about you, me, a bed and a lack of clothes," she remarked, grinning and cocking a brow before leaning in to press a kiss to his scar.

"Whatever. A dance is a dance. I won't press my luck," she added, resting her forehead against his, noses brushing.

"I'm glad to be home. I'll enjoy what I can get."

His cheeks turned a little in color when she kissed his scar. he still wasn't used to such physical affection, and every time she did it it made him a little more embarrassed. She could probably feel his movements stiffen while they continued to dance to the slow song that was playing in the background.

" ....The dress doesn't look bad," he pauses and shifts a little in the dance.

" Just so you know."

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