Tanabata

[leekspin]

Who: Open to EVERYONE!
What: It's time for a festival! Enjoy yourselves... WHILE YOU STILL CAN!
Where: Eastern District
When: August 7th - All Day
Warnings: Who knows?
Notes: There will be a separate thread labeled for 'WISHES', just to keep track of who wishes for what. No need to pose anything fancy, just what your character writes down. Also

Comments

[harmonianspdbmp]

     No, the Harmonian didn't cop out. He actually did show up at the appointed time as Yuffie had named, and as an added bonus, Nash even put the effort into festival appropriate attire- if only because his idea of casual was probably not very casual at all. The style, he found, seemed similar to what he'd seen worn in some of the lesser villages of the Jowston City States, and he was certain it was a style of Falenan influence. His yukata was simple and in dark green, patterned with thin vertical stripes in dark gray and a lighter green, and his obi was a charcoal gray.

All this being dragged around between booths and things was taken in stride- and further fortified his comparison of Yuffie with Nina. The girl had practically dragged him all around Greenhill for a tour. Yeah, one might say the guy was prepared for this.

A lopsided smile touched his face as he saw the wish that Yuffie had written and hung up. Nope, not surprising at all, even though this would only be the second time he'd really spent time with her. But Yuffie seemed the open sort of type with nothing to hide in lieu of personality.

[klepto_ninja]

It takes quite a man to humor Yuffie and her whims. He was holding up far better than Cloud ever did, particularly because he actually smiled. Aw yeah, she was doing it right! She grinned right back up at him, holding back none of her enthusiasm. This was how a festival was supposed to be spent, on the arm of a cute guy who even bothered to dress appropriately. He's getting those promised bonus points.

The bright colors and the variety of tents and booths kept the eye busy, so it was saying something when Yuffie kept most of her attention focused on Nash than anything else...though she did give the dunk tank a long look. But as she couldn't see who was being dunked, she decided she didn't care that much. Now if it were Sephiroth sitting up there...

"So what are the festivals like on your world?" she asked, one arm hooked through his, holding a chocolate-dipped banana in the other that she enjoyed at her leisure. "Anything like this?"

[harmonianspdbmp]

     Honestly, it had been a while since Nash had really allowed himself to enjoy some time off. Could he be blamed for being constantly wary around a city like this, though?

The yakitori sticks had been more favored by the Harmonian, and he'd already gone through two and was half-way through his last when Yuffie asked her question. "Well, back home we didn't really have things like this. Harmonia isn't much of a casual city. I think the only party-like events I'd ever attended then were formal functions. I've heard there's some festivals in the towns back in the Grasslands, but I haven't been around there long enough to experience them for myself."

He absently spun the stick of chicken between his finger and thumb. "How about you? You have this sort of thing back where you're from?"

[klepto_ninja]

"Formal functions?" Yuffie wrinkled her nose. Well, it made sense that he would attend those sorts of things, but even so. Weren't they boring? Nash wasn't a boring person, so he didn't belong at things like that!

"You mean the kind with the ridiculously big dresses and the music that puts you to sleep and the tiny tasteless appetizers that no one eats because they're too worried about their figures?"

Yuck. The informal villagers' festival was WAY better than that!

"Well at least now you have the chance to do it right." She approved of his speedy disposal of the yakitori. "Yeah, Wutai had a lot. Moreso after the war, but mostly because tourists tend to flock to events like this." She waved her banana dismissively. "Kinda cheapened the whole thing, but still, might as well enjoy what you can, right?"

[harmonianspdbmp]

     He chuckled, nodding. "That sounds about right. The dresses weren't that big, I don't think, although I'm sure there was still more material than anyone should ever warrant." And yet, for how distasteful Yuffie made it sound, Nash found he kind of missed them. Because they were days when you still had what you didn't realize you'd lose?

Closing his eyes for a moment, he shrugged, the wistful smile that touched his face vanishing with the gesture as he then finished off the last of his meat stick.

"Events like these are a good chance for both locals and visitors to enjoy themselves, so I wouldn't think it entirely bad, even if it has the potential to get a little commercialized. But then commerce is a necessary thing for towns to thrive, especially after something like a war."

[klepto_ninja]

"It was much better before," she sniffed. At least, so she'd heard. Yuffie was too young to know with her own eyes what Wutai had been like when it had stood proud and strong, and seemingly untouchable, but she'd heard the stories.

Maybe she'd just fix it herself someday. People who got good at Bending could do that, right?

But thoughts of Wutai were far from her mind when she caught a fleeting glimpse of melancholy on her date's face. That wouldn't do! "Er...you all right? I didn't say anything I shouldn't have, did I?"

[harmonianspdbmp]

     "Eh? Oh no, it's okay. Just couldn't help but think about things the way they used to be," he reassured her, forcing a smile. "Seems like such a long time ago, yet it's surprising how well you can remember things like that."

[klepto_ninja]

He'd have to do better than that if he expected her to think that everything was hunky dorey on his end. Still, there wasn't much Yuffie could do to cure homesickness. She could, however, grant him a gesture of open affection. Which she did.

She squeezed his arm, laying her head against his shoulder. There there, Nash. There there.

"You know, if you miss it, you can always just take a skip and a hop back through one of the gates any time you want. Or maybe you could put together a big fancy ball." She might not be a fan, but she'd attend for his sake if he wanted her to.

[harmonianspdbmp]

     Just a touch awkward and a little forward there, but Nash appreciated the gesture, all the same. He smiled ruefully, shaking his head.

"I've been back. A few times, in fact. I'll need to go again too- something just didn't sit right with me the last time I went..." He frowned at that. The sudden turn of things back home just didn't seem right- or it wasn't how he wanted things to have gone. It bothered him all the same. But now that he was an Angelii, he'd be able to make sure, and Sideswipe would help him confirm things as well.

He held back a sigh, forcing a laugh at Yuffie's suggestion. "It's not the balls I really miss," he admitted. It was the family, the people.

[klepto_ninja]

"You're leaving? Awww... Just don't take too long," Yuffie remarked. And paused. And spoke again. "Or take me with you! Maybe I can help!" She grinned up at him.

He was starting to look like he was falling into the dumps, and that wouldn't do. Not at a festival! She had to think of something quick to boost his spirits.

Hopefully, this time, her efforts to do so wouldn't result in tripping and falling on her face.

[harmonianspdbmp]

     "Some time. Once Sideswipe gets back from visiting his home."

Nash smiled faintly at her, shaking his head. "I'm still not even sure how it works to have people other than those that are from that world go. Sideswipe can since I know he's an Angelii- and he's been to another world through here before, so for now I think it'd be easier to go with him. ...in any case, we're just going to look."

Oh, he'd been doing such a good job of avoiding falling on his face here. It'd be a shame to ruin that record.

[klepto_ninja]

Ordinarily she might have sulked at the thought of being left behind, even if the reasons for doing so were perfectly logical. However, she thought that perhaps she'd just found her hook for brightening Nash's day, and it was evident in the sudden growth of a toothy grin on her face.

"Well if I can't go with you, I'll just have to send a lucky charm in my place, right?"

She suddenly pulled to the right, dragging Nash with her toward the game booths. "Come on! I'll win you something awesome that you can take with you to keep you protected and influenced by lots of good luck!"

[harmonianspdbmp]

     "Eh?" The Harmonian blinked before hurriedly moving to keep pace so he wouldn't be pulled off his feet.

At least a smile found its way back upon his face at that. "Is that right? Well then," he laughed. "Let's see what you can do, Yuffie."

[klepto_ninja]

"More like you should see what I can't do. I'd go for the ring toss, but that might be too easy." She was fairly accustomed to throwing both small and large objects with relative precision and accuracy. And though she wanted to show off, she also wanted a challenge, too. It just wasn't a real game otherwise!

"How about a luck game?" Yuffie suggested, looming over a stand featuring a pool filled with little plastic ducks. The water churned, sending them around and around the enclosure. "You pick up a duck, and if it's got a lucky number on it, then you win the prize that number goes with! I'll let you go first, since I'm so nice," she winked, finally releasing his arm to stand with her hands on her hips.

[harmonianspdbmp]

     "Too easy, huh? Now I'm curious. If they have a dart board or something around here, that might be something to stop by too," he grinned. Nash was pretty good with throwing projectiles as well, after all.

He arched a brow as Yuffie mentioned luck, unable to help but smirk just a little. After all, he and Damon had been working on Bending luck. He was tempted to try it here to see if it would work under different circumstances. "Oh, you are, are you?" Winking back, the Harmonian looked at the pool of ducks. So. Strange.

"Okay then, here goes!" He stooped down at the edge of the pool, glancing over the ducks as they floated along before he reached out to pluck one up from the water.

[klepto_ninja]

Yuffie grinned. It looked like he was starting to have fun again! Man, she was an awesome date. As long as she could keep him happy, she'd count this outing as a big success.

As he snatched up a duck, Yuffie did the same, turning it over to find the number on its belly. 83...?

She looked up at the board to see what prize it corresponded to. At first she felt a thrill of excitement, finding that it did indeed net a prize. But then she realized that ALL of the numbers got a prize, and she'd just won the cheapest prize of all.

A plastic spider ring.

Yuffie picked it up, turning it over in her fingers as she furrowed her brow. Seriously? This was all her luck was good for? "Well. Guess fate wants you to have this. Maybe it's a lucky spider ring, you never know." She took Nash's wrist and turned his palm open, settling the trinket in his hand. "Take good care of it!"