🎉 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

[mace_pray_love]

1. OPERATION: FESTIVAL FUNTIME
[The food is great (and adorable!), but Jessica can't help but swish the non-alcoholic drink around in her glass a little sadly.]

Well, at least I'm not gonna get asked to heal a bunch of hangovers tomorrow. But would ONE drink really hurt?

2. A DREAM IS A WISH

[The first thing Jessica write on a slip of paper is, 'A reliable boyfriend'. Then she considers the turmoil relationships seem to cause in this place, the rampant gossip, and her own mixed feelings about that lousy ex-boyfriend she left at home that she's sort of starting to miss, a little, maybe, and quickly crumples the paper in her hand. Ummm, ignore that one. Starting again.

'Prosperity for the Shrine of Outsider Gods' is a much better wish. So what if it doesn't exist yet? She's working on it.

She raises up on tippy-toes to tie the strip of paper to a bamboo branch overhead. There, now it's definitely gonna happen!]

3. AS THE POETS SAY
[Did she just resolve that she doesn't need a boyfriend? Yes. Does that mean she's not wildly curious about the 'Soulmates' game? No, of course it doesn't!

So she takes a ribbon with a number, then looks around for other people who might be holding one as well.]

*sigh* There's definitely more romantic ways to meet your match.

4. TINY FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN

[If you thought 17 year old Jessica was a terror, get ready for the 7 year old version. A tiny blonde girl in a frilly pink princess dress that has obviously been ripped and mud-stained from rough play smiles widely, overly-long canine teeth showing as she hasn't grown into them yet.]

C'mon, c'mooooooon, I wanna play! [The tiny version insists, dragging along her older counterpart by the hand. It's becoming pretty obvious pretty quick that this child rarely hears the word 'no'.]

5. Anything else?
[[HMU with ideas, feel free to reach out on Discord, PM, or plurk demonrubberducky]]

001.

[eyescar]

Sorry, I'm underage.

[ Yuji holds his hands up. ]

It would be illegal for me to buy alcohol.

[mace_pray_love]

So? So am I. [She says reflexively, then catches herself. Wait, do people here actually care about the drinking age? Is this guy going to think she's some sort of delinquent??? Is he going to, somehow through time and space and alternate dimensions, tell her dad?]

I-I mean, I WOULD NEVER DRINK.

[help, she's gonna get a bad rep here, and she's only been here, like, a week.]

[eyescar]

[ Yuji stares at her, and then blinks, and then... Shrugs? ]

I don't care if you do it, if that helps. The last time I did something illegal, a lawyer put me on trial and almost killed me, so I'm being careful.

[mace_pray_love]

That happens here?

[Jessica is a good, goddess-fearing girl, but that doesn't mean she's entirely without her vices. Sometimes she likes to party a little, is that such a crime? Maybe...? She doesn't wanna get arrested and killed for it! She shivers. Fine, no drinking for now.]

[eyescar]

Oh, no, not here. Don't worry, Higuruma-san isn't here.

[ You're safe from domain wielding lawyers. ]

1.

[zauneyete]

This is why you should bring your own.

[ Says a gravelly old voice from the side, as he pulls a flask out, to shake it. ]

I learned early after arriving that too few people know what a proper drink is.

[ He takes a drink, and then his lip curled. ]

I might be willing to part with some. [ A beat. ] Not for free, though.

[mace_pray_love]

[Jessica startles. Eek! Is this entrapment by one of those people Yuji mentioned, who try to jail minors for underage drinking? This old man's aura is way too sketchy to be trusted.]

N-no thanks. You enjoy it.

[zauneyete]

[ No, that's just his normal aura, Jessica. He's just a criminal — sorry, I mean chembaron. ]

Well, I am.

But if you're going to turn it down, then you shouldn't complain about the lack of it.

[ A swig of the flask, and then he puts it away to pull out a cigar next.

He really is a stereotype. ]

[mace_pray_love]

[Is this guy for real? Jessica’s eyebrows furrow.]

What, I’m not allowed to want a glass of wine just because I don’t want to pay you for a sip from your sketchy old man flask?

[zauneyete]

You're allowed to. You're just not allowed to complain about it.

[ Cigar clipped, and he's lighting it with a lighter. (Tezca gave him cigar fingers, but he feels like it would be showing off right now.) ]

Would it help if it came from its own bottle? Instead of my flask? Which is perfectly good alcohol, I might add. I did just drink from it.

[ He puffs on the cigar, filling the air with a cloud of smoke. It's hot, and not breezy, and the smoke tends to linger. ]

2

[fursuit]

[ Tezcatlipoca has already hung up his (very sneaky, thank you) wish at this point, and he's honestly planning on making a quick exit. While he had a genuine sentiment written as a secret, it's not like the one that people could read wasn't a little embarrassing. Or at the very least, if most of the people here saw it, they'd give him a hard time about it.

But as he's leaving, he sees Jessica hanging hers up. That gives him pause, since she's the priestess, right? So, he wanders a bit closer, and it's just close enough to see the wish and laugh a bit. ]

...You really are a good one, huh. I'm impressed.

[ And as she turns, she'll also see that Tezcatlipoca is dressed for the occasion! The yukata is very much his style, but since his hair is longer now, well. He goes for the full festive air with a playful up-do. He's a god of beauty, after all, so he has fun with it! ]

[mace_pray_love]

[She's a Godzilla-certified 'good legume', in fact. She gasps at the sound of the voice and immediately tries to cover the strip of paper with her hand. It's hanging too high overhead, though, so it's really not working well.]

DON'T LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE'S WISHES!

[It's embarrassing! She knows he offered to help with it, but now that she's decided Tezcatlipoca is going to get a shrine there, he needs to forget all about it until it's ready!!]

[fursuit]

[ The reaction just gets him to laugh, since being chastised generally... does not work on him. Unfortunately, he loves it. Getting into trouble is right in expectations for a trickster god, after all. ]

Well, kinda hard not to when they're out and about for everyone to see, yeah?

[ He playfully flicks a nearby one to make his point, then shrugs as he unfolds his arms to pull out a fan and fan himself idly. ]

What, that one embarrassing? Seems like a nice one to me. [ he's biased ]

[mace_pray_love]

[She pouts frowns. Tezca's cool and really pretty in his festival outfit, and he's laughing at her wish. Of course it's embarrassing!]

Just looking at random ones is fine because you don't know whose they are. But you're snooping!

[She stops trying to cover the wish. He's already seen it anyways.]

It's not ready yet. It's probably cheating, wishing for it to do well when I haven't even finished it.

[fursuit]

Well, what can I say? We gods are nosy like that. Actually, you're all lucky that I'm lacking my usual omniscience.

[ With that pout, he almost feels bad. Almost. But at least he can reduce the teasing, since his mischievous fun has already been had. Unfortunately, he likes to carry himself as if he's a (particularly annoying) older brother. ]

...But, nah. Don't think it's cheating. If anything, it's better to wish for some good luck before you get started. Could help with planning and all that.

1.

[blastedass]

[He recognizes that voice. Not the same chipper tone or yelling exasperation from last time. He tilts and turns his head slightly, red eyes rolling to the corners in a quick peer at her swirling cup.

Drinks.]

Stop bitching. You want one, go to a bar.

[Festival's alcohol free. Nyeeeh.]

[mace_pray_love]

[This guy again?]

I'm not gonna miss the festival. [Maybe this is The Grump's attempt to get rid of her, but she's not leaving the party so easily.]

But maybe I will go to a bar later. [Because nobody gets to tell her whether she can drink or not! Implying she can't makes her wanna chug a beer just to be contrary.]

[blastedass]

[This guy again.]

Then don't whine about what's in it.

[Nope, this is The Grump's attempt to make her stop whining about not having alcohol. His best friend set this up; bitching about it's gonna tick him off.]

Do what you want after hours.

[Hey, if she wants to get smashed in some bar in the city, that's on her.]

[mace_pray_love]

[Privately, Jessica wonders what The Grump is even doing at a festival. She's pretty sure he was born mad. But maybe he's just here to yell at beautiful party-goers. ]

I'll do what I want to. [...although, maybe not going off drinking on her own, in a city chock full of criminals. She's reckless, but not that reckless.

Her angry scowl slips into a real frown for a moment as she remembers that she doesn't have anyone here that she can drag with her to go partying, or go on an adventure with, or even complain to. Some people, current company DEFINITELY excluded, have been really nice to her, but they're all still just acquaintances.

...but she's not gonna let herself get all weepy about it at a festival. So anger at The Grump is the perfect bandaid. Her brows furrow again.]

Buzz off and mind your own business!

[blastedass]

Hm. Good. It'd suck if you kept doing what everyone said.

[He's never liked being someone who simply followed orders. Always wanting to do his own things his own way. Sometimes he had to cow that attitude. Being a hero, being a student, being a son. But always being himself and walking his own path to victory.

As for what he was doing here... It's Tanataba. His country originated this festival. It's part of his childhood. Of course he's gonna come check it out. And his best friend organized it. So double prompting.]

Ha! Now you're angry? Damn, you really do need something with a punch!

[It's not often he actively needles someone for their own good, but something about her is prompting it. Being here by yourself sucks, no one to really turn to or rely on. He knows the feeling too.]

Get a suicide and put a buncha lemon in it.

3

[queenofkur]

[ Their ribbons are not a match. Sighs. That sucks. Not that she thinks she'd be a good match for Jessica, just that after two hours spent looking for her ""soulmate"" she just wants for this to be done and over with. ]

This is a truly foolish game. We should never have accepted to participate.

[ Wasn't it supposed to be a fun day? ]

[mace_pray_love]

Well, curiosity killed the cat, right?

[Jessica shrugs. There was no questionnaire before they began, and she didn't sense any sort of divination magic being used, so she suspects her 'soulmate' has been fully randomized.]

I think it might just be a way of encouraging people to say 'hi' to each other.

[queenofkur]

Do we really need that though...?

[ She clears her throat, put a hand on her hips and declares: ]

Hi, Jessica! [A triumphant smile.] See, I told you "hi" without needing to have a silly matching ribbon.

[mace_pray_love]

But you said 'hi' because of the game. [Jessica points out.]

So I think it's working as intended, getting people to greet one another. So, here.

[She matches Eresh's pose.]

Hi, Ereshkigal! What do you think of the festival so far?