🎉 TANABATA FESTIVAL 🎊

[eyescar]

WHO: Everyone in Neo Tokyo
WHAT: Tanabata festival! 🎉
WHERE: In the centre of the park
WHEN: 17/07 onwards
WARNINGS: N/A

NEO TOKYO TANABATA

aka operation festival funtime

As the middle of July opens, the streets outside of Neo Tokyo seem to get decorated almost overnight. Colourful origami banners hang from the trees, a mixture of tanzaku, kamigoromo, orizuru and toami.

For anyone who has been to the Sendai region in the midst of the Summer months, the decorations will look almost endearingly familiar; it's time for tanabata!

▶ 001. OPERATION: FESTIVAL FUNTIME.

The savvier of people might notice a particularly bright shock of pink hair running around in the early hours of the morning, taking part in setting up the decorations and putting together a basic layout of tables with tablecloths and various goods and prizes. Each decoration is hand made, and if you look closely you might see little golden traces throughout, giving a clue to who helped made these ones. There's something infectious about his enthusiasm and the delight, even as he gets a little more tired as the day goes on - there's nothing stopping him. Eventually, his section of the festival is set up; there are various stands, some for making decorations (bamboo branches with ornaments, more paper ornaments, origami, and various other cute and traditional arts and crafts), some space for you to take a break and have a fruity and always non-alcoholic drink and an area with a handsome backdrop for the taking of photos.

He's not alone, though!

Raidou's looking livelier than he has than in the last few weeks. He's helping the festival in an organizational capacity, while Yuji handles most other things. He sets up the stands, moves and directs supplies to the right place, picks out spots for decorations, and makes sure both vendors and visitors have everything they need. If you stop to ask him a question or ask for direction, you get a quick, polite answer before he flits off to the next task.

Once things are running smoothly, you'll find him working at one of the food booths, where he's frying up takoyaki and taiyaki. Raidou couldn't be more in his element - serving up fresh food and treats to the Outsiders and the community. You might even get your food handed to you from him with a smile.

At night, the festival is lit up with fireworks and sparklers throughout, lighting up the sky with explosions of little joy and happiness.

Throughout the festival, you can also get a free bento, delivered to you by a cute looking rabbit. The bentos come in many designs, cute, adorable or precious!

▶ 002. A DREAM IS A WISH.

One of the most exciting aspects of tanabata remains the wish-making. In the set-up for the festival, there are little posters left around near one particular booth (manned by local cryptid Choso) to explain the story of the festival and the meaning that it holds. Alongside it are an almost ridiculous amount of paper strips in various colours, left with some pens and calligraphy brushes for people to pick up and use. A big sign next to it declares the following:

Make a wish! If it's a good one, it might come true!
The directions are clear: write your wish on a strip of paper and hang it on one of the bamboo decorations. The harder you wish, the more likely it is to come true - and there are some prompts for the kind of wishes people could make, just in case you're strapped for ideas:

Academic or work successes

Prosperity or good health

Care and love for family and friends

Success in love or platonic relationships

Fulfilment of a personal goal or ambition

You might notice Yuji watching as you're tying your wishes up... Don't worry about that!

If you require further assistance in your wish-making (or even if you don't at all) Choso seems more than happy to lend a helping hand. When he isn't cutting up paper strips and sorting them out into strangely-organized piles (paper thickness instead of size or colour), he's preparing the calligraphy ink via manual inkstone grinding or offering an absurdly wide variety of coloured (and scented) markers for your convenience.

The strips of wishes can be as decorative or simple as you like, so don't stress about your artistic genius!

( ooc note: If you would like Yuji to take a shot at making your wish come true, please respond to this comment! There will be some RNG "granted wishes" that you can use in your top level and keep as a fond memory, but please note there is only one "granted wish" per character. )

▶ 003. AS THE POETS SAY.

In the centre of the festival, in the midst of a park with vibrant flowers, is a table where Yuji sits for a few hours at a time between breaks. He seems to be practically vibrating out of his seat, and when approached he launches into an explanation of this particular game:

THE SOULMATE GAME!

The aim of the game is simple: you are given a ribbon at random with a number on it. Your mission? Find the person with the matching ribbon within a time limit of an hour and win a special prize. Don't worry though... If you lose, there's a prize for not quite making it within the limit. The festival is meant to be a celebration, after all, and Yuji doesn't want anyone to miss out.

Here's the problem: Yuji isn't making it easy for people to find their soulmate. He's not left a boundary for how far you can go (in case you were tempted to hide...) nor has he done anything to make the festival less distracting. This area is set up with your traditional festival games, such as (fake) goldfish scooping, ring toss and some chairs and tables set out for food and conversation.

To make it worse? Sometimes, Yuji might pop up and give you a hint to go in a particular direction, only for it to be a total red herring. This is definitely fun, isn't it? Who doesn't love a good chase? The problem is...

Will you find your soulmate in time...?

( ooc note: If you would like to win (or lose) at the soulmate game, please respond to this comment! Go ahead and OOCly decide who your character gets paired with and whether or not you win or lose - there are different prizes for each. You can play the soulmate game as many times as you want ICly, but you will only get one prize roll per character! )

▶ 004. TINY FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN.

NOTE: THIS PROMPT WILL REFER TO THINGS THAT ARE SPOILERS FOR JUJUTSU KAISEN CHAPTER 264 ( refering to Yuji's powers and how he uses them in a fight ).
Here's the thing: Yuji wants everyone to have fun. His dream is that people are able to find some joy and peace in the midst of the darkness of the last few weeks, and so he sinks into something that is familiar to him - cursed energy, and his domain expansion. In the early hours of the second day of his festival, you might catch him making a hand sign before a ripple of powers hits, collecting around the area of the festival like a literal bubble. Anyone on the edge of the bubble will see it like a flickering, semi-transparent void, but there's nothing to worry about... Right?

The power of Yuji's domain expansion is simple enough, in theory: it transports into the memories, digs into the heart of what people want to show. His intention is to share the tanabata of his childhood with the people of Neo Tokyo and spark some joy for the Outsiders who have been through so much. He wants to show them something sweet and nostalgic, but he doesn't quite anticipate the side effect.

Outsiders who end up stepping into Yuji's domain will find themselves able to come face-to-face with their childhood selves, and enjoy the festival together. If they're together with another Outsider, those childhood versions of themselves (shaped in the way they remember themselves rather than how they actually looked!) are visible and shared, like an extension of their thoughts come to life.

It's still tanabata, but this particular part of the festival is influenced by what Yuji remembers from his youth, and Outsiders can find themselves seeing and being able to take part in various activities:

Crayfish catching (try and get the biggest or rarest one!)

Archery (can you beat your friends and get the bullseye?)

Horse riding (and you might hear Yuji commenting on how big their faces are)

Parades (are you going to join in?)

And anything else you can dream up! It's your character's childhood too, right...?

As soon as Yuji realises his mistake (at the end of the day, lost in his own memories) he brings down the domain, but it might be too late for some Outsiders who have come face to face with their more adorable versions. Whoops.

EVENT BREAKDOWN (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. OPERATION: FESTIVAL FUNTIME: The festival is being set up by Yuji and Raidou, with support from other Outsiders to make decorations. Food and other entertainment is on offer for anyone who attends, but all drinks are non-alcoholic.

2. A DREAM IS A WISH: Outsiders are given the chance to take part in the tanabata tradition of wish making. They can decorate paper with their wish and hang it up in the hope it will come true. Yuji will be granting one wish per outsider.

3. AS THE POETS SAY: The "Soulmate Game" has characters being randomly assigned numbers and tasked with finding their matching pair to win a prize. They have an hour to find their partner and, win or lose, there is a prize for taking part.

4. TINY FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN: Yuji uses his domain expansion to bring Sendai tanabata to life, that has the accidental side effect of allowing Outsiders to meet and see their childhood selves. It also allows them to visit Sendai itself and take part in some other minigames that are not tanabata related if they want.

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Comments

WISHES

[eyescar]

If you would like your character to make a wish, please fill out the following form! You can make as many wishes as you like ICly, but there will be only one "granted wish" per character.

NAME: Your character
THEME: Which of the themes does it match? (Academic or work successes / Prosperity or good health / Care and love for family and friends / Success in love or platonic relationships / Fulfilment if a personal goal or ambition)
WISH: Be specific if you want - it won't necessarily impact the "fulfilment" of the wish, as they're based on the above, but it would be fun to know!

<b>NAME:</b> Your character <b>THEME:</b> Which of the themes does it match? (Academic or work successes / Prosperity or good health / Care and love for family and friends / Success in love or platonic relationships / Fulfilment if a personal goal or ambition) <b>WISH:</b> Be specific if you want - it won't necessarily impact the "fulfilment" of the wish, as they're based on the above, but it would be fun to know!

[saudadist]

NAME: Nyuu
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: Nyuu's wish reads "I wish for Captain Shiro's soul to rest peacefully. I hope others will pray for him too."

[tokakujuho]

NAME: 建人
THEME: Fulfilment of a personal goal or ambition
WISH: Let the future be everything they dreamt of and died for.

[stonehearts]

NAME: Aventurine
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: "Keep him safe."

[30storieshigh]

NAME: Godzilla
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: "Assist Ereshkigal in acquiring the same happiness she toils tirelessly to bring others."

[copy]

NAME: Yuta
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: For his loved ones to be happy.

[thighhighs]

NAME: Rin Tohsaka
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: She's specifically wishing that her sister Sakura is safe and happy back home.

Re: WISHES

[fursuit]

NAME: Tezcatlipoca
THEME: Success in love or platonic relationships (secretly) (not his)
WISH: "I'd really like for my sense of aim to improve"

...but then underneath that, written in Nahuatl: "I'm joking about the above. Bring Ereshkigal the best luck possible in the true love she's hoping for."

[rikugan]

NAME: Gojo Satoru
THEME: Fulfilment
WISH: I wish for more ice cream. 🍨

[the_fourteenth]

NAME: Raidou Kuzunoha
THEME: Success in love
WISH: "May my future with him only ever get brighter." Yuji can interpret that whatever way he likes :)

[bawlsy]

NAME: Usagi Tsukino
THEME: Academic
WISH: She wants to do well on her upcoming English test!

[queenofkur]

NAME: Ereshkigal
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: "I wish for the souls of this world - and particularly those of the numerous friends whom I cherish - to live long and fulfilled lives with no regrets."

[curingidiocy]

NAME: Dr. Ratio
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: "I wish for him to be happy and without burdens."

[gorb]

NAME: Geto
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: His people getting the peace they deserve ( yes, even the nosy ones )

[mikoshi]

NAME: V
THEME: Fulfillment of a Personal Goal
WISH: "For Song So Mi to find the freedom she's chased her whole life, a nomad's only legacy to others."

[egraegis]

NAME: Athrun Zala
THEME: Academic or work successes
WISH: he's looking for good results on his research project regarding the ocean! /glances at ratio

[rebelsamurai]

NAME: Johnny Silverhand
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: May the legacy of SAMURAI live on forever and inspire hope in those who wish for a better tomorrow. "Never give up the fight, samurai."

[mace_pray_love]

NAME: Jessica
THEME: Work success
WISH: 'Prosperity for the [coming soon] Shrine of Outsider Gods' (it's work for her, shhhhh.)

[assassinsgreed]

NAME: Toji Fushiguro
THEME: Prosperity or good health
WISH: “10 billion KRYPTOS. For charity.”

[sanguivorous]

He has two (with my understanding only one is "granted")

NAME: Astarion
THEME: Success in love or platonic relationships & Fulfilment if a personal goal or ambition(ish)
WISH: 1: That if he never returns home that someone makes Cazador suffer for everything in Astarion's stead.

2: That he won't lose Taryon for as long as possible.

[asagami]

NAME: Fujino Asagami
THEME: Fulfillment of a personal goal/ambition
WISH: "For as long as I am able to feel alive, please let me continue to be normal here."

[lostdestiny]

NAME: Shinn Asuka
THEME: Care and love for family and friends + Fulfilment if a personal goal or ambition
WISH: "a world without war"

[vivisexual]

NAME: Yugamu
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: I want Takumi, Tsubasa, Darumi, and the rest of my friends to be happy and safe back home 🖤

[followyourstar]

NAME: Dante
THEME: Care and love for family and friends
WISH: "May I one day be worthy of the trust they've placed in me."

[zauneyete]

i know you'll kill me if i don't

NAME: silco (was absoLUTELY bullied into this)(probably by tezcat)(so it's only vaguely anything)
THEME: Fulfillment of a personal goal or ambition
WISH: "Let them all fall into line."