Welcoming Festival

[theguidebook]

Who: Everyone!
What: Let's welcome the new folk! Festival time!
Where: Summer Forest
When: June 1st, evening
Warnings: None!

It's pretty amazing what magic can put together on short notice. Where tranquil forest stood just hours ago, there's now the obvious signs of a party—and it's all for the people who just got here! Hopefully everyone's dried off by now so they won't catch any chills! Strung up among the trees are paper lanterns glowing lightly and illuminating the area. There's food from all sorts of places set up on tables among the trees, and games are scattered about, with citizens of other worlds manning them. There's also a bonfire in a clearing away from the trees, if you want to get away from all the hustle and bustle… but why wander away? Have fun and socialize, after all, Avalar is your new home!

Comments

[falsezodiacknight]

That's what I've been taught. It doesn't make sense, I know.
[...It actually does make sense, but Vaan doesn't know the truth.]
But it's my duty to kill them. Though - with this here, I don't know what'll happen to Gran Pulse - I mean, those guys already shattered their other crystal. [Now he's just musing to himself, as he dries his cape proper - the pendant... all that is left of Reks (so he thinks)... it's nice and dry.] Maybe they'll finally die off?

[pauldron]

[Finally die off? If destroying the crystals destroys the world, then what does that mean for those left behind? For Fang and Vanille? Her heart clenches at the thought of losing her family again, and she turns to face him fully.

The thought that they aren't "her" Fang and Vanille doesn't cross her mind. She grits her teeth, fists clenching as she longs for her magic but settles for raising her voice loud enough to make her dragonfly almost squeak from where it was braiding one side of her hair.]

And I guess you're okay with that? With all those people dying?

[falsezodiacknight]

[That loud voice - that forceful tone. It almost makes Vaan flinch. Actually, it does make him flinch, and almost scramble back.

But he shakes his head. Might as well tell the truth - this is a Knight, though not one of Corneria. He looks straight at her - now clinging to his pendant.]
It would weed out the Others down there.
[Vanille and Fang - his versions of them - do protect Others. This is a well known fact - Corneria was about to go to war about it. Vaan knew this - his master had told him. He didn't want war...]

[pauldron]

[She doesn't care about the flinching--she's too angry to really care no matter what her Dragonfly buzzes in her ear or how it tries to make her stop--she just steps forward like a predator stalking wounded prey.]

And kill everyone else in the process! Innocent people who have nothing to do with your Others! Do you think it's worth that?!

[Others are starting to sound a lot like l'Cie in her brain. This is hitting too close to home for her right now.]

[falsezodiacknight]

[Being approached like this - it makes something in Vaan's mind snap, and he puts his necklace back on.]
Those lands - they're havens for them! Who cares if some innocents die - it is much better then everybody dying!
[Vaan suddenly stands, shaking his arm - and suddenly electricity surrounded said arm, as his own Dragonfly is hiding inside Vaan's armour... with popcorn? ]
It's worth it to weed out those murderers!

[pauldron]

[The electricity makes her step back--not out of fear, but to grab her blade off the ground and prepare to use it in case she has to.]

And doing that makes you no better then them!

[It's snapped out with a glare that would intimidated a Behemoth--the next move is up to Vaan, but she's done talking. He's a threat in her eyes and she deals with threats the quiet way.]

[falsezodiacknight]

[No better then them.

No better then them?! Vaan lets out a growl - they're the ones who robbed his brother from him. They're the ones who robbed him of a chance to stay normal, to live happily in a life he can't remember, because of how harsh his training was! How dare she. How dare she say that.

And, he grabs his own sword - the electricity jumping to it, as Vaan winces a little (for one, it was still a little wet, and for two - well, Wild Charge is a thing) - and held it - before charging towards the woman, towards Miss Farron.

Even if she were important to the kingdom of Rebena, Vaan didn't care.]

[pauldron]

[It's a reckless charge, almost like Snow's in a way that makes her already fraying temper flare. Still, she's too well trained and too experienced to think that taking that hit head on is a good idea even if she'd still been able to heal herself, and so she steps aside, hoping that his momentum will carry him past her without incident.

If it does, she'll kick him in the small of his back. If it doesn't, she's ready to go on the defensive and kick him in the stomach instead. Either way, her temper has been honed to a razor edge. This is what she's good at. Fighting.]

[falsezodiacknight]

[He does go past her - and he is kicked, knocking him down... for now. Within a moment, he stands, holding his electric arm a bit tightly - okay, he's not quite used to the pain.

But he's not going to stop - once he's in a rage like this, he won't stop - Vaan charges again!

If you're not against them, you're with them.]

[pauldron]

[And again, she steps out of range...right until she feels the edge of the firepit against her calf and she curses, then throws herself to the side in a roll. He manages to get close enough that she feels the sparks coming from his arm and sword strike her cheek and she flinches, but she's on her feet in moments, still ignoring the angry buzzing of her Dragonfly--stop it you stupid Outsiders stop it--as she faces him down.]

That the best you got?

sorry for no small tags, tagging while mobile ^u^

[falsezodiacknight]

Not even close!
[Vaan said, smirking - he struck her, if only a little - she couldn't flee forever. He's gotta get her close to the firepit again. But he suddenly...

...Blows bubbles out of his mouth. Quite violently, at that, as he shakes away the sparks from around his arm. He'll need to check on the burns that probably left later. As he blows, he is holding his sword close to his body - and his dragonfly is still eating popcorn.]

no worries~

[pauldron]

[She swats at the bubbles when they get close, feeling the sting of a couple when they pop on her arm, but the most they seem to be doing is getting her wet. Unfortunately for Vaan, all that does is make her angry, and she shifts her stance before running at him to strike.]

Going to have to do better than that!

[falsezodiacknight]

[And that's when Vaan's arm starts to spark again, as she rushes forward.

Just like training. Combinations of attacks, to create even stronger blows.
The sparking, once again, runs down his sword - though, this time, he does grunt in pain and stumble a bit before charging once more.]

[pauldron]

[She can't stop or dodge, not this close, and so she locks swords with him and takes the electricity if not what must be an attempt at running her through. Her Dragonfly squeaks, shifts from pale yellow to cotton candy pink, and Lightning grits her teeth at the strain of holding him back--her gear isn't made for this!--before she lashes out with one booted foot, aiming to kick him in the stomach and break the stalemate without losing her head. This kid's stubborn, she has to give him that.]

[falsezodiacknight]

[That kick? That's what finally makes the kid fall, as his own dragonfly has turned a very dark green.]
Urk--!!
[Though, now he's down, near the fire - his burns are clearly visible, his sparking stops.
In his mind, Vaan is thinking quite a bit. If he continues, and dies? He won't be able to protect the crystal. And he won't return as a Judge - he'll return as a body. Looking up a little... he puts his hand over his normal eye, with a bit of a cough.]
Can we wait until our equipment is -oww- dry? I feel like we're just gonna make mistakes here.
[Mistakes like burning your arm like that, Vaan?]

[pauldron]

[She snorts, staring down at him for a moment before she shifts her blade with a flick of her wrist, holding it in a less aggressive posture.]

We're done.

[She turns away, gathering up her things and holstering her blade before she turns and looks at him over her shoulder.] Try something like that again and you won't live long enough to regret it.

[falsezodiacknight]

[Vaan doesn't respond for a few moments, before giving a whine.]
Sorry, Reks...
[He's just mumbling to himself. But he does look to Lightning, giving a serious look.]
As long as you stay away from the Crystal, we're though. Won't need to see you again.

[And then he slinks back over to the crystal - to rest. He hopes he won't need to talk to Miss Farron for a long time... man, should he have asked her first name? Nah. They're not meeting again. He'll be back home soon. He should have known a knight would be tougher.

He'll need to get tougher, huh.]