Light 'em up (The Calderan Day of Fire)

[expertonshutters]

It's the morning of the 19th and it's clear even to the inexperienced traveler that the city has a different air to it. If it wasn't the atmosphere that got them, then the stalls lining the streets would. Many people are still working on getting set up for the night festival, but the stalls that are complete are lining many corners and they are filled to the brim with bright colors. From afar, the streets look like someone threw a rainbow of paint across the city.

They haven't seen anything yet.

It's not yet time for the festivities so any visitors are free to wander the streets. The natives seem to be delighted if amused at all the people interested in the holiday and are happy to sell anyone as much colored powder as they want. They are glad to explain the fascinating origins of the holiday or even talk shop about what they're planning to show off later in the night. It seems that not even the gloom and unease that might have rolled into town with Union has caused these people to falter with their grandest tradition.

Sometime close to noon is when things change. The natives all kind of stop what they're doing. The colored stalls start to close up and everyone looks tense. Those who visited last year might take this as their cue to get ready.

A long, rattling trumpet sound rings through the streets and that is when all hell breaks loose.

It's every person and pokemon for themselves. Have fun everyone.

[Ooc: Feel free to make your own top levels in addition to using the prompts below! Have fun guys!]

Comments

Arrival

[expertonshutters]

The festivities haven't started yet so hurry up and get as much colorful stuff as you can. Mill around and chat until everything starts!

[actsmagnificent]

[ Careful taking a scoop of this purple powder. The canister of pink sitting next to it will start screeching at you. ]

Spriiiiiiii!!! Spritzee, zee! Tzeeeeeee!!!

[ Bundled Hearts the Spritzee hasn't been out much lately. But she continues to have Opinions About Colors. Why would you want that disgusting shade????? Nothing good ever happened to anybody colored purple!!! Green is superior. Or pink. Note how she has rolled in this vat of pink powder to make herself pinker.

Here, she will flap her wings at you to dust you with pink even before the event. This is called Helping. You're welcome. ] Spritzeeeeeee!!

[child_of_luv]

[She wasn't as energetic as usual, but Minako was determined to try to have some fun. So, here she was, trying to pick some colors.

Her Sylveon had all the opinions, of course, and was attempting to nudge her in the direction of his favorites, but was competing with a very insistent Butterfree that her color choices were better.

Minako was starting to look perplexed.]

Throwing of The Colors

[expertonshutters]

It's everyone for themselves in this no-bars-held free-for-all. Pelt everyone you see with color until the streets are painted with every color of the rainbow. Did you know you could mix the powder with water? Because you can. Get creative you lunatics. Have fun and get messy. This will last all up until the sun goes down.

open!

[expertonshutters]

[Unsurprisingly Hayato has been gearing up for this day for a while. He's armed to the teeth with color, and he's gone the Calderan way of tossing the shirt, though for once, it might be for more practical reasons.]

[Because Hayato might have purposely not told anyone about his recent evolution for this very day.]

[Where did that sudden onslaught of color come from??? Look up, because there's a very smug looking Hayato hovering a few feet above with a nice new pair of insect-like wings. They're moving too fast to really tell, but it seems they've been painted up from the way red powder rains down from them as they flitter about.]

Too slow! Come one- catch me if you can!

[Off he goes!]

Open!

[untalented]

['Oh Gods, not this again,' was Waver's only thought as he stepped into the Calderan streets once more, this year a different man than he had been the summer before. The world was entirely new to him after he left the towers of Sanctuary, and he had been thoroughly overwhelmed by the sheer energy and exciteability tha Sanctuary's ancient allies in Caldera were notorious for.

He had been splatted. Multiple times.

But, this year he was prepared.

Donning his heavy Ranger's jacket despite the heat and his dirtiest pair of pants, with his lanky hair tied back into a neat ponytail to keep it out of the way and a pair of goggles to protect his eyes.....he looked weird, but he was prepared.

There were also little baggies of colors shoved into every available pocket. There was no way he was resorting to spamming Mud Shot this year.

Come get him, Caldera. He's ready for you.]

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Like every year before it, all hell breaks loose in the span of only a couple of seconds. One minute, the silent anticipation hangs in the air and then... like an explosion the air is filled with colors.

It's out of one of those rainbow clouds that Ryuko Matoi bursts, yelling her head off and flinging handfuls of color every which way. She lands in a crouch and looks sharply from side to side. She's dressed in her best less-than-conservative Calderan style and loaded down with bags of colors of all kinds. Up above, a Fearow and Flygon soar through the air, dropping colors bombs on anyone below. Skullface is strapped to her back adding to the assault as best she can with her tiny Cubone hands.

"Let's do this!" Her Pokemon cheer in agreement and the four of them lunge forward, diving right into the chaos.

She's home and she's here to party.

[incousinswithyou]

[emerging from the dust, Michiru is looking...particularly unscathed even as she nonchalantly flips her hair back. An absolutely covered Vaporeon follows close behind, sneezing and sending different puffs of color into the air every time.

And if we're going to celebrate Calderan style, she's got a dark blue sari on, midriff appropriately bare.



...somewhere in the dust is a multi-colored Bidoof, valiantly trying to follow.]

open

[indy_wannabe]

[Know what makes this event easier? Psychic powers. Especially psychic powers of the flinging bolts variety. As such, Ezreal is charging bolts and smashing them into color powder, scattering it everywhere]

OTA

[lunchleader]

[Right's been looking forward to this for quite some time. Even the threat of another attack on Union and their allies hasn't lessened his eagerness for the holiday. Which is why he's armed to the neck with all kinds of powders to toss at everyone.]

Gotcha! Hope you like pink!

[Or at another point, when he's trying to sneak-attack...]

Bam! Blue shadows!

Bonfires

[expertonshutters]

Once the sun is down the real festivities begin. Stalls (now covered in colored powder) from practically every business in Caldera start to open up (Along with a few from other cities, perhaps). Several bonfires are lit one by one, lighting up the whole city. Music starts to play from several bands all over the city so that no matter where you are, there is always something playing near by. People start to dance, sing and have a good time.

Come dance around one of the fires with the other natives? Or maybe join one of the bands with a song or instrument. Just be careful not to get too carried away. It's hard to get a box of burnheal this late at night.

Open

[toxicrevenger]

[Being a Grass/Poison type, Pamela is keeping her distance from the bonfires, but she's still sitting close enough to enjoy the music with some of her Pokemon. Her Blaziken, Marigold, seems particularly happy to be here.

Watch out. He's going to be very pushy about getting people up to dance around the fire with him. Pamela's oddly colored Lucario, Daffodil, has already fallen victim to Marigold's well intentioned bullying and been dragged up to dance four times. Oh, look! Here's a human. Go talk to Trainer, Marigold urges. She shouldn't sit around and be boring.]

Blaziiiiii!

[Enjoy being shoved into the seat right next to Pamela's, whoever you are.]

I'm sorry about that. He's really getting into the festivities.

[no_love_potions]

Harry's known plenty of Calderans in his time. He's worked closely with many of them in their shared struggle against Gigas, shared info, harbored agents, even fought alongside them. This is his first time actually visiting the city though, and what a day to pick!

By the time the nighttime festivities start, Harry's mostly free of the colored powder he'd been covered with all day except for a few spots and smudges here and there (Lash had refused to share the barrier she'd taken shelter in). He's wandering here and there until he passes a band, stopping to listen for a bit right up until the call goes out for any musicians out there to take a turn on the stage.

Some insistent nudging from his Stoutland companion and he'd found himself shoved up toward the makeshift stage with a crowd of rowdy Calderans cheering. And when you're faced with that, how can you possibly refuse?

Now anybody passing by can get the rare treat of Harry Dresden's guitar playing.

[incousinswithyou]

[Michiru is by one of the bonfires, working on a dance with her Gardevoir. They started off with something familiar, but they've already moved onto learning dance moves from the Calderans. Communication is silent, but well. That's to be expected, from her first Pokemon.

A few other Pokemon gambol by the fire, making up their own dances and trying to outdo each other. Currently, an Oshawott is doing a semblance of a fan dance with his shell while a Vaporeon and a Corsola watch in interest.]

[heartandsoul]

[Maka was perfectly content just sitting with her Pokemon and watching the bonfire as it was going, no intention to join in any aspect--she's not musically talented or very good with dancing. The holding hands with people she didn't know idea didn't exactly sit well either. It was fine, she was fine.

But then she noticed a rowdy man in the festivities, carousing loudly (with women in particular), drunk, red hair...

Shit. He's here. Her Meowstic actually gets down to all fours and arches her back in a hiss when she sees what Maka is looking at, the girl herself is scowling.

All right, time to leave the bonfire. He's busy so he won't notice--

"Makaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"]

Oh gods.

[The man has wobbled up to her, exclaiming that he's surprised she's there (and "you shouldn't be here" "what are you wearing?!" among other things). Maka looks well and truly irritated.]

Go away.

[Stella hisses to emphasize but the man seems undeterred, he's insisting now that she "come dance with Papa just like old times" and starts tugging her along.]

Let me go! [She's clearly using her powers to try and get him to let go but--oh right--her typing doesn't work against his. Of course not.] You're no father of mine!

[This might be escalating a little too far.]

[divine_braid]

[Time to chill. It had been an interesting day. Duo hadn't come last year, so this was a nice change of pace for him. Frenzied activity, followed by some calm chill-out time. His fire-types had settled in around a particular fire, enjoying it thoroughly, and he stayed a little further back himself.]

Food and Drink Stalls

[expertonshutters]

Just like any good festival there are tons of stalls open from restaurants all over Caldera selling food and drink. Go on and sample some of that delicious Calderan food. Your taste buds will thank you if they survive. Calderan food is known for its many intricate spices and liberal application of peppers.

Drinks are pretty potent, too, though that might make anyone from Refuge laugh. Still, there will be a number of tables from breweries goading people over to sample their spirits.

[empireofmymind]

[ Ken is not having a good time. Ken is not engaging in the party.

Instead, Ken is sitting in the back of a food tent as far from other humans as he can, covered from head to toe in powder it looks like he'd unsuccessfully tried to daub off (the clothes underneath said powder are unspeakably drab), and reading over a map of the area with a look of intense concentration on his face. Perhaps this trip can still be salvaged. Is there anything of interest in the area....?

This poor child is 1) all alone during a party

2) lacking food & drink

3) wide open for pranking.

Now what? ]

[heartandsoul]

[Food, no matter how spicy or inedible to some, is very much up Wilbur the Tepig's alley. Maka at least has been able to control his portions by instating a "only one plate per stall" rule.

...But then he circumvents that by wanting to go to every stall.

So there's Maka, sitting with her Tepig while she waits for him to finish his fifth meal. Wilbur is eating with gusto while Maka is carefully munching on a meat bun. Honestly it's surprising even with the spice he hasn't had any adverse side effects like extra hot fire that needs to come out.

Maka is not so fortunate to handle spicy food as well as her companion and reaches for something to drink after a few bites. She seems open to talking to others anyway since every time her Tepig looks up to say something she chides him with a "don't talk with your mouth full."]

Contests and Showing Off!

[expertonshutters]

Feats of strength! Drinking contests! Axe throwing! If you can think of it, it's probably here. There will also be displays of swordsmanship, Calderan's world famous glassblowing, and other fun and competitive activities for everyone to participate. Can you handle it? If so, you basically have bragging rights for the whole year.

[actsmagnificent]

[ This is Haruka's second Day of Fire. She learned from the first not to go anywhere near the food stalls, and as such, is checking out the games.

Somebuggy wanted authentic Calderan costume pieces to study, so Haruka's wearing some brand new, colorful (male) Calderan scarves, jewelry, and wraps over her Union yukata. This much draped clothing, however, doesn't seem to be discouraging her from picking up one of the throwing axes and looking it over. ] How far does it have to go?

[ The guy running this event has a sucker-born-every-minute look on his face. Haruka just looks cheerful. ]

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato stayed far away from the contests last year. Seeing as Day of Fire had been his first step back into his homecity last year after his Gigan imprisonment, there was still a lot of things he was working through. It didn't feel right trying to boast strength that shouldn't have been his, right?]

[This year, things are a little different. He's come a long way. This strength might have been forced on him against his wishes but it was still his. He still trained and utilized it like one would any ability or talent and it was time to see how his hard work had paid off.]

[Which is to say, Hayato was slowly climbing up the ranks of the Day of Fire Earthkin Division arm wrestling contest. For a rookie and first timer, he sure is turning a few heads! Come to cheer him on? Or maybe challenge him?]

Take Five

[expertonshutters]

Despite the fanfare of the festival, there are a few quiet places in town if you want to get away for a few minutes. Find a bench or two and sit down. Take a breather so you can get back up and back into the party.

[actsmagnificent]

[ You just sat on something that went squish. If your legs are bare, it stung, too. Because it's covered in poison slime. ]

Wooooop....

[ Gene forgot how hot it gets in Caldera. And he's under strict orders from Trainer not to make it rain.

Sorry about the puddle of woop. ]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei was not exactly the life of the party. She never, ever would be mistaken for a party Pokemon in a million years, but she wasn't going to miss out on the Day of Fire. The lights and sounds and colors took a toll on her though, and eventually she had to retreat from the masses and find a quiet bench to sit down on, away from all the psychic noise of human and Pokemon emotions.

Sitting on a bench, with Mars the Fennekin in her lap, she might just welcome company, provided it's just you though.]