aterat | The Festival of Flowers

Entry tags:

The Festival of Flowers

Who; EVERYONE
What; The Flower Festival!
Where; The Circus Complex
When; 5/23 - 5/29
Warnings; None! Please warn if your individual thread would typically require a content warning.

It’s a beautiful ~~day~~ week in the neighborhood! With the dawn on Sunday, 5/23, it becomes apparent what everyone has been preparing for. Many merchant stalls common to the market have relocated to the circus complex for the week, streets and parks throughout the city have been decorated with the finest fresh flowers of the season. There is laughter and music wherever you travel. Yes, to spite some of the darker events of recent days, the city is awash with the celebration of life! The real party is found in the Circus Complex and the surrounding park, though. Here can be found all the trappings of a spring festival: flowers, music, dancing, singing, food. Everyone is in high spirits (and there’s plenty of those to go around, too)!

THE FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS

Days in the park have never been as lovely in anyone's memory. Flowers of hundreds of colors line the paths and fill the fields. Minstrels have set up shop in various areas of green and vibrant colors, with baskets ready for coin. Children and adults alike, crowned with flower crowns at the entrance to the park, whirl in time with the music, and all is merry. Oh, and that flower crown? Yeah, you've all got one too. It seems it's required to even enter the park itself, or the Circus Complex. People are there, ready to greet you with a smile, a warm hello, and a party favor in the form of a woven crown. They come in a variety of colors, strangely coinciding with the color of your home apartment building and key, whatever that might mean.

The longer they're among the flowers, though, the less mysteries like the colors of the crowns seem to matter. The pollen of the flowers has a calming effect on anyone who smells them for long, and the more time spent in the park amid all the blooms the more likely someone is to want to participate. There are stickball games, frisbee, hopscotch, and even a game or two of soccer being played in the more open areas.

There's food to be found here as well, all kinds of food. There is roasted meat on sticks, pretzels and other bread easily carried while wandering, sweets, and just about any sort of spring fare you can imagine! It isn't just limited to the park, either. There are street vendors in every available spot in the Circus complex.

CHOCOBO BREEDERS WANTED

The big draw at the Circus itself, the building roughly 200 meters long which houses the track on which the great birds are raced in summer, is the Chocobo Breeders Forum. Breeders from far beyond the walls of the city, in the great expanse of plains, have brought their birds for view. Investors mill about, investing coin in promising future racers and some of the more divine birds anyone in Aterat has ever seen are on display. If you've accrued a bit of coin, you can even take ownership of a newly hatched chick, but those who do so should be warned: they aren't pets. These creatures will grow rapidly in the next 6 months or so into an 8-foot tall land bird with a voracious appetite for greens and an affinity for stealing sparkly things and hiding them.

Several breeders do have stalls in their stables for rent, though, and are more than willing to let them out to fellow breeders. They'll even give you lessons on how to train your new friends to ensure your bonds are strong, whether you plan on using them as beasts of burden, travel companions, or competitively.

(OOC: If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask)

GLADIATORS WANTED

Not to be outshown by overgrown birds, the Arena in the Circus Complex is also working to coax combatants into the frey. You see, next month it seems starts the season, advertisements suggest and callers near the gates attest. They call to anyone passing by who seems they could hold their own in a fight to join a trial match while they're visiting. The Arena has weapons at their disposal, should they have neglected to bring their own, and there are prizes based on crowd approval. The crowd bets of favorites, you see, and a portion of the prize fund goes to the winning combatants. You're able to compete in groups, duos, or singles, and the prizes are better the more challenging the fight.

These fights can be against NPC opponents, friendly matches between other visitors, or even against monsters!

(OOC: If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ASK)

FOR VISUAL REFERENCE

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I want this," Rhy insisted. All he wanted was to share whatever he could get with his beloved. And his beloved was most definitely capable of helping him find wonderful, sweet, exciting things to see, he thought. And to learn. Plants? That was not something he had learned before.

The confirmation that Rhy wanted it was enough for him. A happy smile crossing his face at his husband’s words. “Then we’ll take care of this new little plant together, love. I can share with you what I learn as we go… Maybe see if we can’t work up to other plants as well.” He added, looking forward to it. A small part of him wondered if one day they found a place to live outside the apartment buildings he could start a garden, maybe grow proper rose bushes and other things… But rather than get too ahead of himself, he focused on the here and now.

“Now, why don’t I get us a snack and we can see this park we’ve been wanting to walk through, hm?” He asked, wanting to share more of the festivities with his husband. “I think I even heard something about there being ducks.”

"Yes," Rhy agreed, smiling and pulling his lover closer. "I think I want a savory treat this time. And something we can feed ducks if they are truly around."

Ducks sounds lovely.

Letting Rhy pull him closer, he leaned in close and enjoy the nearness as they walked. “I do believe I can manage both of these things. I’m pretty sure I even saw a pretzel stand earlier.” He smiled softly. Yes, he wouldn’t mind feeding the ducks with his husband. It would be a nice way to pass the time… “It’s been quite some time since I had a chance to. I always used to feed the ducks back in my world if I was having lunch at the park.”

Pretzels? Rhy looks excited over that.

"I have never fed ducks in the park. You shall have to tell me how that works."

“Of course, dear.” He responded with a smile, “It’s quite simple, although geese can be pushy if there are any around.” He added with a small, comedic wince… Not that it was a joke. Sometimes he had the odd disagreement with them...

But if Rhy had never fed the ducks before, he would be happy to share this little first with his husband. It was a simply, silly little activity to some… But it was a fond memory for him, and one that he would enjoy having company for. “I’ll grab our snacks and something for the ducks, then. Uh- if you would be so kind as to hold our new little friend here, I’ll be right back.”

He handed the plant to his husband, before hurrying over to a stall to pick up some pretzels, along with a second to get a small package of seeds and oats to share with the ducks.

Geese?

"Aren't geese raised on farms for eating?" Rhy asked, quite mystified by this revelation. Yes, he's so very, very shocked. So much of the world he didn't know, and Llewellyn was so glad to each him.

Rhy took the plant and nodded, following along behind his partner.

"What do ducks look like? I've only seen them in picture books and on the dinner table."

Llewellyn blinked, head tilting slightly at Rhy as he moved along to select things and offer payment. “They are, yes, but there are also wild geese that aren’t? Mm… There were several kinds that could be found in Toronto? There was a recent conservation effort to reintroduce and uh- try to bring back the numbers of those that’s numbers had dwindled.”

Some might joke or offer some skepticism over the idea that someone had never seen a live duck before, but Llewellyn had a pretty good idea of why that would be. Instead, he was just happy to share these new little things with Rhy, more than glad to teach something himself. Turning back to his husband and offering him a pretzel and to take the plant for him again, he continued. “Ducks look a lot like they do in books? Well… as long as the artist’s rendition of them is good.”

Scratching at the side of his cheek lightly, he hummed a little. “In Toronto we had a lot of mallards and wood ducks, and a few others but those were the main ones I remember waddling around or bobbing in the waters.” A small grin crossing his face, he nudged the other in the direction of the park. “But you’ll see for yourself soon enough, love.”

"Which ones are mallards and wood ducks?" Rhy asked, letting himself be nudged forward. He's very intrigued and eager to see these creatures.

Strange, how he'd never considered himself sheltered until his lover had started to teach him new things.

Llewellyn would point out that there were things he'd learned from Rhy as well, it was almost odd to think of what one had experience with vs what the other did not. Somehow... It worked well for them. "Mallards have uh... green, smoothly feathered heads with a white ring around their neck. Wood ducks on the other hand..." He gestured a little, as if trying to work out how to describe them. "I always thought they looked rather fancier. They have almost an odd swoop of feathers on their heads, and their markings are more distinctive. Almost patterned?"

"I think I'd say one looks like he's dressed for a stroll and the other like he's prepared for a formal event." Llewellyn added, with a little grin. Yes, he thinks that sounds humorous. With the park soon spread out before him, the detective lets out a longer breath. Really, he loved how familiar it felt. The park had been a haunt of his since childhood, and even in adulthood it had become an 'office' when he wasn't welcome at Station house 1.

He always breathed easier when he was walking through one. He even straightened his slouch a little, drawing Rhy along towards the water. "You'll have to tell me what you think, of course. Perhaps you'd describe them differently." He added, as the sounds of waterfowl could be heard as the water came into view.

Well those are interesting descriptions. "So they are you and I?"

Because Rhy loved wearing things that screamed of formality, while Llewellyn wore more comfortable clothing.

Llewellyn’s head tilted a little at him as he spoke, a smile tugging at his lips. “Like us…” He considered it for a moment before a light, soft laugh escaped him. “I suppose that’s not a bad comparison.” He responded with a fond tone. It was silly but he rather liked it.

His steps slowing as they arrived at the waterside, Llewellyn nodded to the water where a variety of ducks were already swimming around and quacking away. Some bobbing along the surface while others seemed to be ducking into the water with their little tail-feathers in the air. “But here we are, and there they are.” he added, holding the bag of seed out and giving it a little shake for Rhy to take some as the birds seemed to have an idea already of what was going on as much ducks that lived in a park tended to.

Not a bad comparison huh? Rhy grins because he likes the idea of it. "So I can call you my... well, once I figure out which one is more comfortable, I'll call you that?"

He intends to absolutely live with that. He hoped Llewellyn enjoys being called his little mallard.

With a smile he offeres his hands out to his husband. He wanted some seed to spread it for the creatures.

Llewellyn hadn’t expected that at all, but a delighted expression crossed his face at the thought. It was different… But kind of endearing in a way that Rhy seemed taken with the idea. “If you want? I don’t think I’d be opposed to it.” He responded with a grin.

Rhy calling him things, little pet names or endearments… It was nice. Most people in his world had always defaulted to his last name, and while he wasn’t fussy, it was still nice to hear his name or other sweet things for reasons other than ‘it’s just easier.’

At the offered hands, he opened the bag and shook out some of the feed for Rhy to spread. “You just need to toss it a little ways and they’ll come for it. I’m… pretty sure they’re already aware that they’re about to be fed.” He added, as some of the ducks had already begun moving closer expectantly.

"They do seem to be approaching quite rapidly. You will tell me which are Mallards and which are wood ducks?"

With the ducks getting closer and closer Rhy flung his hands forward to scatter the seed into the nearby grass. Into the water would be rude.

The ducks seemed to stir up a bit of a fuss, quacks and flutters as they moved in with quick steps to begin gobbling up the seed from the grass with their beaks. Llewellyn couldn’t help but smile a little, raising a hand to point at the little green headed ducks, “This little fellow is a mallard, the one with the green feathered head?”

He waited, watching Rhy out of the corner of his eye to make sure his husband had followed his gesture before he looked around for signs of a wood duck. “He’s quite different from this one over here, the one with red eyes. That one is a wood duck. It’s markings and patterns are more uh- fancy and distinctive by comparison… a few more colours too.”

Was it wrong that Rhy wanted to reach out and touch the ducks? Probably. As he looked from one duck to the other at his husband's prompting, he considered them.

"The mallard is more like you I would think. Though calling you my wood duck is far more fetching."

The ducks might be a little more interested in nibbling on his hand if they thought he was offering more food as it was, so busy and intent on their meals.

“I suppose it is. The colours are a little like one of my suits…” Llewellyn chuckled lightly, a small flush on his cheeks at the silliness of the idea. It was just terribly sweet and amusing as his husband continued. He liked it, the levity and the lightness for a change.

With that Rhy moved in close and whispered in his husband's ear.

"My little wood duck."

At his husband’s hushed tone in his ear (which he’d definitely liked) his flush only deepened, and he accidentally tipped over the bag in his hand to dump some more duck food on the ground in distraction. Rhy, your husband is clumsy! Rubbing at a warm cheek, he glanced sidelong at the man. “I certainly am yours.”

The ducks appreciated it though, so that was wonderful.

Clumsy in the best way, and now there were ducks swarming their feet. Rhy just laughed in delight.

"Well, that's for the best. I dont' know that you'd manage so well without me."

Embarrassment or not, he couldn’t help the small infectious laugh that escaped him at Rhy’s delight. The ducks undisturbed by the sound as they moved about, their beaks nudging at shoes to get at the seed waiting for them. Alright, it had been an accident, but now at least Rhy got to see their feathered friends a little closer.

The comment gets another small laugh. “Oh, I can assure you I was quite the disaster without you to keep me grounded.” That was conveyed lightheartedly, but it also wasn’t entirely different from the truth.

They truly were lovely little friends, were they not? Rhy smiled at the way the little feathered bodies moved and nibbled at things, including his pants leg.

"You're no disaster, you're a delight."

“And you are too good to me, dear.” Llewellyn responded, pressing a small kiss to the other’s cheek. His attention on their little feathered friends was really something, it made him wonder what else he could show his love that he would enjoy. “I think that one has decided it likes your choice in fashion.” He added, gesturing to one that was nibbling away.

Rhy looked down and jerked his pant leg back. How horrid. And he didn't like that at all.

"What a silly little creature. It's not that tasty."

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