Today was a glorious day for a festival. The sun was shining bright and the weather was unnaturally clear with nothing but a cool breeze to complement the already nice day. Sho woke up in a local inn in the heart of Hargeon. He usually spent his time camping with Slim Jim, his wyvern companion but if Sho could stay indoors he would. He wasn’t a fan of sleeping in nature unless he had to. Considering he had the jewel to do so he always took advantage of local inns. It wasn’t a high-class inn but it did the trick. It was better than staying in the barracks with other Rune Knights. That got old real quick, so Sho made sure to keep a steady flow of jewels to stay on his own. Hell, he would rather sleep in nature than sleep another day in the barracks. It was uncomfortable, with mandatory wake-up times and sleep times. You know the usual stuff that comes with living a pseudo-military life. Which Sho had become increasingly unsure of if he wanted to continue with the Rune Knights. He hasn’t told anyone yet about how he feels concerning staying with the service. He felt like he could do so much more in another guild. None of the current guilds tickled his fancy.

Regardless Sho sat up in his bed and rubbed his head as he looked over at the clock. It was eleven o'clock in the morning. So he didn’t miss the setup for the parade. He would have been upset if he didn’t enjoy this time. So he got up, cleaned up, and dressed. His attire was that of a casual one, a black t-shirt with blue jeans and some black slip-on shoes. He was trying to be as relaxed as possible not to mention he felt no need to be suited up for battle. So he left his gear in the room hoping he wouldn’t regret it in the long run. Leaving his room he sat out towards the meeting spot where loads of people were gathering to prepare for the upcoming event. Little did Sho know he was going to be meeting a familiar face here.

378 | 2000 WC

How could someone know details about another persons life, their plans, without that person knowing that the intricate details of their plans had been exposed? How could someone, who thought themselves acting on impulse, already have the details of their intent well known to others? The secret was to be that persons boss.

Jove had found his way to Hargeon, invited to participate in the Blue Pegasus event being held here. It was considered one of the biggest parties Fiore had, or potentially would, ever seen. It was nothing like the balls or dances thrown within the Palace, attended by Nobles and Royals alike. The energy of those centralized events was something of a pompous self indulgence in which the best known, richest individuals of the kingdom came together in order to acknowledge one another's standing and in order to continuously expand their influence by meeting with others of equal footing. An event like this was much more like a traditional party one could expect to see in a major guild hall or by the well-to-do citizens of Fiore. The atmosphere about this place was one of relaxation and comfort, where people were able to truly let loose and just be themselves. It was a place Jove hardly thrived in, yet the leadership insisted that the newest Captain-Commander make himself apparent.

And so he did, but not without backup. He had looked into the movements of other knights whom he had met over the years, trying desperately to find if anyone else would be in attendance who he might know. It didn't take long until he discovered that there was at least one person, and that's all he needed. Jackpot, he thought to himself, making his way to Hargeon and waiting in the square where everyone had begun getting ready. A majority of those participating were coming from the same direction, a road which led to the nearby inns and hotels of the city, and would thus pass through the same main entry road for foot traffic to this area. It was the most common-sense place for someone to find another, and so Jove decided to stand guard and keep an eye on the faces within the ever growing crowd.

Eventually, he spotted the familiar face. It was not the face he had come to meet in person during his stay in Stella, for the Empyrean Divine event, but it was one that matched the updated paperwork. Jove had almost skipped past the profile before the name popped out in his eyes. Sho looked entirely different in all regards, but Jove looked the same, and so certainly the recognition would be mutual.

Raising his hand, Jove called out with a dull "Oii" as Sho entered within the range of a few meters. The lower ranked knight likely had not even seen his superior officer, considering that he was likely paying attention to the crowd around him to make sure not to bump and push people out of the way. Once the two locked eyes, however, Jove would signal for Sho to come over to him.

WC: 524/1200

Traveling the streets of Hargeon was a treat. Everything was so festive and lively. One could easily get lost in the heat of the party but the party wasn’t just there yet. Considering it was still early in the day. He made his way through the crowd making sure to not bump or knock people over. Sho was following the general direction of the crowd which led towards the main street where most of the streets connected.

He was looking around at all of the decorations and flooding the street shops, and corners. Sho was minding his business when he heard a very dull, low-toned “Oii.” as if someone was calling out to him. He looked around for a moment trying to find out where the call came from. Looking at the main square Sho noticed a familiar face, one that he had not seen in some time since the last party he attended.

It was the face of Jove, a welcoming face that would only serve to brighten up Sho’s day. Following the flow of the crowd, Sho made his way over to the main town square where preparations were still being made for the upcoming parade. All Sho did was hope that the party was going to be bumping and wild. He left the crowd and approached Jove. As he approached he waved but did not call out his name among the crowd. There was no need to draw attention to themselves by doing so. No doubt Jove had only become more renowned among the people, Sho was starting to become known throughout the land as well. Both of them earned this fame through their good deeds in the Rune Knights. Getting within normal speaking distance Sho smiled and rubbed his hand through his hair. “Didn’t expect to see you here Captain.” Jove may have not known Sho for long but Sho had become steadily known for calling all of his superiors captain. It was a bit of his laziness coming about in his lingo. Also didn’t help that Seika never bothered to correct him when Sho called him Captain all the time. Well, that was unless he was among other Rune Knights and their superiors.

That wasn’t the case here thankfully. So Sho stuck with the captain for the time being. He hoped Jove wouldn’t get offended if he referred to him like that. “Here for the festival as well?”

782 | 2000

"Please, just Jove will do." While that was a level of unprofessionalism to show for lower ranking members of the Rune Knights, Sho was a unique case in that the two had already become acquainted at one point. It hadn't been for long, but the encounter in Stella had given the Captain-Commander confidence that Sho was one of the more relaxed members of the order, which was something that he could appreciate. "I am indeed, though it's a bit out of my comfort zone." There were many powerful or high ranking mages who would never admit themselves to be flawed or to contain any sort of shortcomings.

Jove was not that sort of man.

Honest, direct, and more than willing enough to acknowledge his own inabilities. He felt this was the more surefire way to improvement, and also eliminated any future chances that he'd have to go out of his way in order to prove himself and live up to the false expectations he'd have otherwise set.

"From what I remembered from our brief encounter while we were out of country, you were quite the outgoing young man. Could I tag along with you during these festivities?" It would do Jove well to be seen with someone who contained a bit more energy than he did, that way there would be no concern of himself being considered too boring or low energy for the environment he was in. Normally he would not mind just showing up and looking around, otherwise keeping to himself. This, however, had been a direct order from his higher ups. Come, engage in the festivities, engage with the locals, and help prove that the Rune Knights could be a passionate, fun loving bunch.

Had they ever met Jove? Jove was a kind individual, surprisingly so. Intelligent, capable, quick witted, entertaining to be around despite his rather bland energy levels; Outgoing, however, he was not. Sho, on the other hand, seemed to contain enough energy for the both of them. That would make them the perfect pairing, at least so Jove hoped. He could be the one Sho knew to help him relax and feel like he wasn't there alone, and it would allow the two to get to know one another better. Likewise, Sho could help Jove engage in the activities further, and even if he could not relax he would at least be with someone who was relaxed. It was the perfect plan.

TWC: 945/1200

“Jove it is then,” Sho replied. He didn’t mind that Jove wanted to be called by his first name rather than a rank. Just meant to Sho that Jove was on the cooler side of the law where he was. Sho had a laid-back nature when it came to speaking with people, which made him approachable, unlike some people. Especially those of the royal and noble families. Jove said he was out of his comfort zone which put a smile on Sho’s face. He had found the right person to be around during a party considering Sho’s energy levels were off the charts. Also his good-hearted and outgoing nature. So it was a match made in heaven. Jove spoke once more asking Sho to join him on his adventure through this festival. Also, it flattered him to see that someone noticed his outgoing nature and it made him chuckle a bit. Little did Jove know  Sho had plans to get absolutely destroyed now he had a partner to join him in the festivities. Usually, he rolled solo or had Seika with him so this was a treat.

“Sure why not! More the merrier I always say. But we need to get ourselves ready for the festival this afternoon and all the parties tonight.” Sho stood there rubbing the stubble on his chin before snapping his fingers as if he had a revelation. “Let’s go get costumes!” Sho’s voice raised in octave levels a bit making it higher pitch and a bit flamboyant. Naturally, they had to get dressed up for such an occasion, no doubt there would be a local store selling costumes for the festival. All he could hope for was one in his size and at an affordable price. Sho cleared his voice before speaking, “Come on let's go this way.'' He was a bit self-conscious about how his voice sounded for a moment and made sure to reel it back in for the moment.

He left back into the crowd, with his height Jove would be able to follow him through the crowd with no problems. Sho found a quaint little store that seemed to be alive with people inside. The building was filled wall to wall with all sorts of costumes for the festival. Sho dove headfirst into the store, looking for the adult costumes. He hoped Jove had followed him into the store to find his own costume.

1194 | 2000

Sho was more than willing to accept Jove onto his team, and with that the two were off. There was a bit of relief, to be honest, as Jove was not the type of person who would be able to fully embody the spirit of this celebration. The two walked together, and it was not long until they made their way into a costume shop. Sho charged right in, confident and ready to tackle the task before him, and so the Captain-Commander followed just behind. As the two went in and began looking for their costumes. Jove did not know what Sho was looking for, but he himself ended up grabbing a costume that both fit him and did not. Open collar white shirt, pure white pants with golden studs, white slick shoes- It was a costume of an old disco dancer. Taking it, he realized that this would do. "And what will you be dressing in?"

TWC: 1104/1200

The two made their way into the costume store. Sho wasn’t too sure as to what exactly he was going to go for. There were a wide variety of costumes but all the good ones were being scooped up quickly so Sho had to think fast for his own costume. He frantically looked through the wardrobes meanwhile it looked like Jove found his costume pretty quickly. It looked like an old disco dancer’s outfit. All it was missing was a giant afro to top it off. But Sho didn’t want to pressure Jove into finding something like that so he left it alone. Sho flipped through clothes before finding one. He pulled the outfit off the rack and it was a dinosaur onesie. It was made from thin material so it wouldn’t get too hot out here in this tropical weather. It was perfect, a tyrannosaur onesie was dark green with red spines going down its back. It didn’t have any footies so Sho could wear his black gym shoes to go along with it. It was just right up his alley, “I'm going as a dinosaur.” Sho replied to Jove with a grin.

It was settled that the two had found their outfits. All they had to do was pay for them so they could get out of the crowded shop. The line wasn’t too long; people were getting in and out pretty quickly. Sho grabbed Jove’s outfit and threw it together with his, the outfits would be on Sho. “No need to get your wallet out, the outfits are on me! You owe me a good time and some drinks though.” He said with a huge grin on his face as he approached the counter to pay for the costumes. One of the few people standing at the counter was a young woman just getting out of her teens no doubt working this job to make some extra jewel on the side. Sho set the costumes on the counter, “These two costumes please.”

She grabbed them and tallied up the purchase before speaking. “That will be 200 jewels.” Sho reached into his satchel and removed the 200 jewels. Clothes were cheap in this country thankfully. It was the gear that usually cost a pretty penny so Sho wasn’t complaining. The girl placed the costumes into separate bags. Sho handed Jove his bag and proceeded to leave the store. Sho looked up at the time and saw that they had maybe another thirty minutes to burn before the parade began.

1636 | 2000

Sho was a man who pressed the limits. He pushed the bounds of his time as far as he can, always ensuring to get the most of the day. It was something to be envious of, and not just by Jove. The world could truly learn a thing or two about a man like this, one who understood his desires and saw fit to establish a method in which to reach them. Commendable, respectable, enviable- It was something to be appreciated. Jove offered a smile as the man mentioned being a dinosaur, and as he himself slowly built up the dinosaur getup. That was not as though to say that there were multiple pieces to assemble, or that the costume was sold separately, but there were plenty of dinosaurs to choose from. The man had looked around for a while, with Jove analyzing his moves, and when Sho finally chose to grab the outfit, the two of them would make their way to pay. The two of them had made it to the front to pay, and then something unexpected happened. Something that Jove had not had happen to him, and certainly had not expected one of his lower ranking officers to do.

Sho had grabbed Jove's outfit from him and place it down on the counter alongside his own dinosaur outfit. Jove turned his attention to Sho, immediately about to protest, when Sho shot back at him with a huge grin. He told Jove not to even bother taking out the wallet, that he would pay for the outfit himself so long as Jove repaid him through a good time and alcohol. He hesitated, as this seemed wrong to him. Not only because of the fact that Jove was the superior office here, and understood that he was paid much more than Sho, but also the fact that realistically he was the one using Sho here. He had come in order to make this event easier to deal with, easier to process, and easier to make a positive impression on the citizens whom he would be interacting with. If anyone should be paying here, it would be him. Yet Sho didn't seem to want that, and at this point, Jove believed that it would be more of an insult to the knight to protest. A light smile and a defeated sigh escaped Jove's lips, and he threw his hands up in defeat, telling Sho that they had a deal.

As Sho paid, Jove immediately became relieved, dropping his shoulders down in a more relaxed pose. It was only two hundred jewels, not too much for him to feel an extended level of guilt about and something that could easily be paid via alcohol. As the costumes were purchased, the young cashier girl continuously sent glances Sho's way, her cheeks tilted pink. He could not help but smile at this, amused that his younger officer was clearly quite the ladies man, attracting people simply by standing there. The bags were stuffed with the two costumes, and handed to Sho with a light. Handing Jove his bag, Sho made his way from the store and lead the way. Sho looked at the time, which cause Jove to also glance at his watch, and they'd both be able to see that there was only thirty or so minutes left before the party began. At this point, Jove realized he had two options.

The first options was to allow Sho to continue to lead the way. That was the original intent, and he knew for a fact that the other knight would not mind that approach, yet now it felt wrong. If he put everything onto Sho's shoulders, than it truly was no different than just using the young man. The other option was Jove to take the lead. To tell his partner that it was time for them to get changed, and for the both of them to grab some drinks before the parade so that they could loosen up and begin to enjoy themselves. Truth be told, Jove was hardly any different while drunk, but it was the thought that counted and a situation such as this.

Pondering it briefly, Jove spoke up. He said that they should go ahead and get changed, which meant that he went with option number two. The both of them would step into a predisposed area which was intended for people to change, and as they'd step into their separate booths, they would do so. Sho in his oversized dinosaur costume, and Jove as his old school disco guy. Stepping out, the two would look at each other, and Jove could not help but crack a light amused smile. He told his companion that he looked perfect, and then the two were off.

They still had around fifteen minutes left, time for two shots and for them to grab a mug of ale to take alongside them. Drinking it as they prepped, they made their way to the parade. As it was almost time for the parade to begin, they would both down the rest of their drinks and share a fist bump and light laugh. It was possibly the most relaxed Jove had ever been with a coworker, and perhaps the beginning of a true friendship. The two would make their way to their designated area as the parade began, and together they would complete the first event of the Blue Pegasus Mardi Gras.

EXIT
WC: 2021/2000

Sho noticed Jove was a bit more relaxed after leaving the costume shop all together. His plan was working, well his on the fly plan he didn’t have any devious plans or anything. He was just trying to have a good time, put good energy out into the world to only have it repaid to him. After the coma Sho realized life was too short and it could be snuffed out in an instant. It was a little something that gave him the extra push to be so energetic at times. People acknowledged Sho’s energy and always tried to keep up with him. Sho was definitely one to set the pace when it came to being energetic. It just kind of came to him. It was just in his nature to be so happy and lucky in trying times like this. Someone had to keep a smile on while things looked dark. Sho tended to always look for the light no matter how dark things got. It would surely be a dark day for the world if he were to change from this in the future. One could only hope that he could persevere through anything thrown his way.

Then it came as a bit of a shocker Jove decided he was going to take the lead from this point on. With only thirty minutes left their options were very limited. Before Sho could speak on the next step of the plan Jove spoke up and told Sho they should go get dressed before the festivities started. It was a solid plan, one that Sho had no other choice but to go along with. He was all for pre-gaming before a drunken adventure through the parade. They would no doubt pay a lot less pregaming than drinking during the actual festival. Stuff would no doubt go up in price. So Sho agreed wholeheartedly. There was an area nearby for changing with lockers available for people to place their things in so they could party.

Sho followed Jove in and picked an open stall to change in. It didn’t take long for the two too change into their outfits. Stepping out they looked each other up and down and gave smiles all around. Jove commented on Sho’s costume saying it was perfect Sho returned the compliment. It wasn’t long before the two found themselves grabbing shots and a mug of ale a piece. Sho slammed down his shot and chugged his ale with haste. They both made their way into the parade where it was time to party. A fist bump was shared which sent Sho’s happiness levels into orbit. He appreciated little things like this, they were going to make some memories tonight.

[Exit]

2089 | 2000