Noise and sound flooded throughout the area, the concept of silence being one that was more lost than anything else. It was in some respects, too much, and in another sense, perfect given the environment. The festival after all, was intended to have been something to convey a feeling of joy throughout the people attending, and by all indications, it was doing exactly that. That wasn't to say though that there wasn't at least some bit of strangeness to it, contrary to that of what it was like within the cities. Sure, both were noisy, but whereas cities tended to have sound less attributed to joy, you would be hardpressed to encounter a sound as drowning as what was around here to be from something disheartening.

Leyaria just found it tough to get used, was all. Perhaps it was the beginning onset of the headache that pounded within her skull. These were not uncommon. Far from it, as though they were becoming more the norm, especially as she more and more came to realize that her time was waning. In spite of this, she sought to enjoy herself at the festival. There were no shortage of things to do, of people who were taking the fullest advantage they could the chance to capitalize on this time. Whether it were merchants who had travelled throughout Fiore in hopes of bartering their goods, or if it were just people who had come to enjoy the festivities as Leyaria had, to say that it was crowded would be an understatment.

It, much like the noise all around, was a bit overwhelming.

She meandered about, looking from stall to stall at what was available to purchase. Interesting trinkets, jewelry with designs that she had seen before and some which were completely new, and no shortage of food whose scents taunted the young woman, it came with all of her strength that she resisted them. But there were more than a few times in which the contents of a particular stall would have her doing a double-take, either her will forcing her back or someone else pouncing on the oppurtunity to buy the selected product. With each time the latter ocurred, she couldn't help but let out a weak sigh as she continued along, wondering if she made the right decision or not.

After enough walking, she finally settled on something to ease her anxiety. Alcohol. A large collection of tables had been arranged in an area just in reach of the food stalls as to allow people to eat and of course drink. Numerous kegs lined the small perimeter which established the area, numerous employees and customers alike gathered around for what could have been their first, second, third, or hell even their fourth pint of ale. Having sat around for a bit waiting for one of the more crowded kegs to calm down a little, she wasted no time in grabbing a pint for herself. Returning to the otherwise empty table, she placed the pint before her, almost preferring to look at it than drinking, as if she didn't know what to do next.

What sort of drink had she even gotten? Leyaria had been so much focused on not getting caught into so much of the congestion that was surrounding the kegs that she hadn't even taken time to consider what it was she was getting. It was more just her tossing a few jewels to the man in exchange for the pint and then she was off, not listening to either what the man or the others around had said. Leyaria wasn't particularly picky with what she drank, though she was always a bit more keen on there being some flavor to her drinks than not. How some could just sit around and drink something that lacked it without wishing for anything more was astonishing to her, but to each their own really.

A little nervous about what she had gotten, Leyaria took a deep breath as she reached for the pint, downing a small bit of it, just enough so that she could pick up on the taste. Not bad. It was cold, which was always a plus, and a bit of an incredible feat given how long those kegs must have been out in the nice weather and as she further tasted it, she picked up the hint of something else in the drink. Apples maybe? Oranges? Whatever it was, it gave the drink a bit of a citrus taste, as though fruit was added, which was a nice treat. It certainly made it a more enjoyable drink than what she might have first thought. Would she have liked it enough to go back? It was certainly possible, though reliant on if it was as crowded as it now was.

She had been more focused on the keg and the likelihood of getting another round, that she had been completely oblivious to the woman who had approached her table, still surprisingly only having been her seated there. Even she was a bit surprised, as though she had forgotten that she had been seated there herself. Looking around to make sure that this woman was in fact speaking with her, Leyaria smiled weakly. "Not at all. Please!"

It was a young woman, looking not much older than Leyaria was, her steel-grey hair almost making her look sort of like a sister to Leyaria. Certainly from a distance, that comparison could have been, and the reality may well have surprised some to find out otherwise. Though, watching the reactions of the two may have better painted that story than believing what Leyaria or the woman may have said. This girl appeared far more engaged, a bit more invested into the whole festival than Leyaria did, and their outfits easily conveyed that as well. She was dressed in a lovely outfit, vibrant with color and intricate design, while Leyaria was wearing clothes more akin to that of a commoner, like that of someone who had stumbled upon the festival.

Only then did it dawn upon her just how rude she had come across towards this woman. Hoping to rectify the situation, even if just to break the awkwardness of their first meeting, she spoke again, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I mean, I guess... I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not used to something like this. I mean, I didn't expect to be as, as big as this, I suppose." Leyaria felt gloom, as her aim to make the situation a bit lighter ended up likely making even more awkward. As if to hide herself away, she took another strong sip from her drink, admittedly probably more than what she should have.

Whatever she had been drinking, it was good. Perhaps it would be better if she had been sipping it slowly rather drinking large chunks of it at once like how she had been. But that was almost on impulse. Leyaria, for as much as she loved festivals and things like it, this was so much more than she anticipated it being. She honestly felt a bit overwhelmed, to the point that pretty much anything she may have sought out doing, it was as though weighing the checks and balances to see if they were worth it. Perhaps it was just insecurity, and that was certainly a possibility. Unable to remove the thought of the demonic taint within her, that was certainly on her mind. But she didn't think that those were the reasons why she felt so out of place.

More, it was because she felt lonely.

She had come to the festival with Bianca, which was a delight in itself, and perhaps the greatest motivator for her coming here, but beyond that, she was a baby lost in the woods. She had partially expected heading to Oak and facing her end there, whether or not she had seen Bianca. Now though, she was there, knowing that she was on borrowed time, and thrown into something like this, a festival that had attracted as many people throughout the country as it did, with pretty much everyone sharing a mentality that Leyaria could only wish that she had, it frightened her a little bit.

So when the girl took a seat, Leyaria couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease, though that feeling was as much clouded by how awkward she found herself coming off as. Company wasn't something she figured to have, but she was grateful for it. And this girl was kind, kinder that what Leyaria honestly expected to find of a total stranger here. Many people had travelled with others, some of them intent on meeting them here, and others just sought to enjoy themselves. For those, interactions were a thing that they might tolerate, but may not enjoy. And their enthusiasm of said interactions would likely be apparent. Leyaria didn't get that sense from this girl, but it could have been because of the alcohol. Before she knew it, she had finished half of her pint.

"I heard some people talking about this place back in Magnolia. But even then," Leyaria sighed, "Nothing to this degree." Her eyes scoped around, looking at the people, their numbers not seeming to cease growing, but if anything, seemed to grow more. Exactly as the other woman indicated. "More people... You have to wonder at this point what will happen first. Either they run out of ale, or the line takes so long we end up forgetting what it tastes like." She chuckled faintly, at least to some degree attributed to the alcohol. Though, it brought up a valid point. She had waited a bit before getting a drink, and almost immediately the kegs became as busy as they had before. With her being as reckless in her drinking as she was starting to be, it was likely she'd have a harder time getting another.


"My name's Leyaria, by the way." She said, hoping that a report could form between the two of them, for however fleeting it ultimately would end up being. "You enjoying the festival so far, crowds and all?"

There was a bit comfort to having someone to speak with. So much of the time she had been alone, or otherwise engaged in short, fleeting conversations with others that the other person's presence was quickly lost upon once they were gone. With what she knew about what was happening to her and what was likely to come to, Leyaria had no reason to suspect that this encounter wasn't unlike that of the latter, but it didn't take away from the brief joy that it brought. Especially in a place like this, a festival as populated as it was, it was much more enjoyable and just made her feel better knowing that she had someone to speak with. While there were no shortage of people who had come to the festival alone, her situation was far from them and it was much harder for her to have had the same amount of fun as they were, no matter how hard she tried.

She took another sip of her drink, being far more mindful of how much more she had. Nearly half of her pint had been gone by the time she realized just how difficult it would be to get another drink, so her drinking more resembled that of someone who was hoping to prolong a drink for as long as possible. But by drinking like this, she found that she was able to better enjoy it, making her wish that she had something to eat alongside it. Glancing quickly at the woman across from her, she couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same. Almost inclined to suggest that they go get something to eat, she wondered if the reality towards the kegs would mirror that of the food merchants. It was probably safe to imagine that they would be as crowded as the kegs, though likely more. Not everyone drank, but everyone had to eat.

Taking her mind off of that possibility, Leyaria perked her eyes up at the woman's remark towards Magnolia. "Magnolia's nice," she said as more of a half-truth. "I mean, there's a sort of divide I guess in there, if that makes sense. It's a beautiful city, but more of what people tend to think of with there, most people don't get that chance to see it." She found herself more speaking from experience. There were nice parts of Magnolia if one knew where to look or maybe got lucky, but what most people she found seemed to know of Magnolia, they were the parts that she hadn't had the luxury of seeing herself, or finding for that matter.

She took a look over to the kegs, it looking like the queue was starting to die down a little bit, though anyone who sought a drink would still be expected to stand around, if at least for a short while. The woman sounded like she knew what she was talking about when it came to people's behaviors, something that Leyaria could at least a bit relate to. She had been in enough taverns throughout Fiore to get a feel for people's tendencies, but even in spite of that, seeing it on a scale this much larger was still something she wasn't sure she'd be used to.

Her mystery company introduced herself as Lilja, a name that Leyaria hadn't heard before. It sounded a little odd, but with a name like Leyaria, she wasn't one to talk. When she heard that Lilja worked at a bar though, she was a little surprised, both by that fact and the name of the bar. Swineherd. She hadn't heard of a place like that before, though more often than not, she didn't much care for what a bar's name was, only that it would have allowed her entry. Throughout her life, she found that she had been denied service than allowed in, so there was certainly a chance that she had been there, but if she had been received service was a different question. Hard to believe that if she was served by a woman like Lilja that she would have forgotten it.

"If this is any indication, you must do pretty well for yourself," Leyaria remarked, noting the amount of people as a whole throughout the area. Granted, for the most part they were only serving ales here, but consider the stronger spirits that a person might have sought, and the prices that they would go for, even a fraction of the traffic here must have yielded some nice jewels for a bartender. "You said it's in the town centre? Did you mean here? Or Oak? You mentioned that you heard about the festival here? What's it like? Never been there myself."

Lilja's suggestion to get food sounded like a beautiful dream to Leyaria, something that she had wanted though didn't see as being feasible, at least she hadn't until now. That Lilja seemed to have felt the same, it made it no longer some wishful thinking, but instead, rather something that the two of them could have achieved. For one person to have hoped to push through the crowds that stalked around the food merchants, it would have been challenging, if not unreasonable to believe that they could have made their way alone. But them together, particularly two attractive young women, most people would have moved heaven and earth to allow them through, if for no other reason than to possibly garner some sort of good report. While she could not speak as to how receptive Lilja would be, Leyaria knew that any act like that, it would not yield them any results they might have sought.

"Food... sounds amazing!" Leyaria exclaimed, having felt that it would have been rude to suggest getting it herself. It was hard to explain, but something about the woman having sat down across from her, from that point, Leyaria would not have been able to make the suggestion herself. Now though, that her new friend was in the mood for food, Leyaria was wholly willing to indulge that. Even from where they sat, within this more secluded area, there were no shortage of stalls that were nearby, of all varities of food, some of which by just the sound of them sounded like they would go great with ale, others perhaps less but still sounding good nonetheless, and others she wasn't sure of.

As to just what it would be that the two of them might have wanted to eat, Leyaria more presented the option to Lilja. Most of the food here, she had not had before, so anything would have been an experience for her. If her friend had a preference though, Leyaria was all for trying something. After all, it wasn't as though she would have many more chances in the end. "So, I'm pretty much in the mood for anything. Anything that stands out to you?" Though some people had been deterred by the prices at some stalls, Leyaria wasn't of the same mindset. She knew that her jewels were going to shortly mean nothing to her, so to spend them on a nice meal, or perhaps treat her friend to one, she had no objection to that at all.

Walking out of the 'drinking area', Leyaria listened to Lilja's explanation of just where she worked, even coming away a little bit surprised that they had one of the larger stalls within the festival. Must have been doing very well to achieve that, though she wondered just a little bit as to why it was that she wasn't working. That said, Leyaria much preferred the woman's company than to lose her to a potential shift change. But more, it was how she described Oak Town, that was more fascinated her. Being able to do basically whatever you wanted, it made sense why Bianca would have called that place her home; it described her perfectly. Leyaria couldn't help but daydream a little as she followed Lilja's lead, thinking how things may have been different if she had been in Oak instead. Not just during the period in which her downfall began, but in general. If her parents had lived there instead, would she have turned out differently? Would her sister have been alive then? The thought of that saddened her.

"Oak sounds like a really nice place." Her words trailed for a moment, her head shaking slightly as to remove the sorrowing thoughts that began to cloud her mind. "I imagine that this sort of has to rekindle memories of there," she reasoned. "I mean, it's not exactly the same thing, but you kinda have that same attitude going on here. If you really think about, everyone seems to be doing just that, doing whatever they want." Perhaps that had been to some degree the mistake Leyaria was making, that she hadn't really been living these last few days like that. More, she carried about herself as she would have normally, and maybe it was for that reason that reason that she might not have been enjoying herself as much as she could have.

Leyaria was all for the idea of food, the enticement of becoming more and more apparent with each passing second that she and Lilja made their way towards the stalls, though as to just what they were going to have had, she left that surprise up to Lilja. So much of what these stalls had to offer, they were to say the least, expansive. So much so that even the option of her picking out something to eat became as difficult of a prospect as it did trying to pick someone out from this huge crowd. Lilja had shown already time and again that she was more acquianted with this Festival, whether it be from her working at the Swineherd, or maybe just it being that she had more knowledge of it beforehand, but either way her knowledge of it far exceeded that of Leyaria's.

Listening to that of the comparison of Oak Town versus that of the festival, Leyaria could not help but respect what she was hearing, but it seemed midway through Lilja's words, Leyaria felt something that she had not yet felt. Pain. It was brief, just quick enough such that she could have been stopped in her place at the realization of it ran through her body. She tried to shake it off, imagining that she must have stepped on a piece of glass or something. It had to have been! The other alternative, if it proved to be the case, it terrified her of what it meant.

She hastily caught up with Lilja who at this point was already making a selection of what to get. Leyaria had been so caught up in her own terrors that she threw out several jewels to the vendor, not caring much for whether it was too much or what the price even was for what her friend had been picking out. She just needed to have some validation that maybe it was just hunger or something that caused the pain she felt only a moment earlier.

A word had barely managed to escape her mouth when she felt it again, far worse than before. The pain rushe through her body, causing her to fall to her knees and hands, just as she struggled to maintain her composure, to not lose herself in the agony she was enduring. It seemed to have lasted for hours, though in reality lasted for barely a few seconds, but the sensation, even after the initial pain died down, there still radiated a lingering pain. An inevitable reminder that more was to come, and only get worse than before.

With tears in her eyes, Leyaria looke up to her new friend and shook her head in the slightest, the only thing that she felt she could have done right now as to not draw more concern towards her. "I'm sorry. I have to go," she exclaimed as she took off, pushing her way through the crowd. It was not that she wanted to leave Lilja. She didn't. It was that she did not want her to see her suffer as Leyaria knew she was going to face again any moment now and again and again.

[Exit]