synflux | 🎉 TANABATA FESTIVAL 🎊

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🎉 TANABATA FESTIVAL 🎊

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"We'll see about games, okay?" He's not making any promises! As he's going to go about getting food for the turtles now. Which means leaving Raph and lil Donnie alone for a bit.

While waiting, the younger Donnie is just quiet and fiddles with the hem of his hoodie. Still keeping the hood up because that's what you do when you're around humans, to hide the fact you're not human. Also he doesn't really feel like talking much at the moment.

"Okie!" He nods when Donnie mentions the games and smiles, taking it for what it is as he stays put, waiting like he's supposed to. Though he starts to kick his little squat legs back and forth from the edge of the bench as he does.

He glances at his little brother, who is being quiet right now, and doesn't bother him. He knows sometimes Donnie doesn't like to talk and just wants things to be quiet. It's easier to be quiet when the rest of the brothers aren't around to also be loud with.

Though he scrunches down a little because he doesn't have his helmet to help hide that he's a turtle... starting to fidget with his hands as he tries to be patient.

Being quiet is nice, but he notices Raph getting all fidgety. So he'll reach out to tug at Raph's shirt.

"Um, what happened to your helmet?" He feels like he needs to know that, because it's so very rare to see his big brother without it.

Meanwhile teen Donnie is trying to convince the takoyaki guys to make him ones without any octopus or toppings, because he knows his younger self will not eat normal ones. So he's going to be a while.

He doesn't realize he's fidgeting too much until there's the little tug on his shirt. He drops his hands to his squat knees and looks over, a little guilty that he's probably bothering his quiet brother.

"...I...don't know. I must have lost it..." he says, softly. "S-sorry if I'm bugging you. I'll try not to."

He considers pulling up the shirt to hide since he doesn't have his helmet to hide that he's a turtle but then his shell will show and that's not human either.

"Maybe bigger me can get you a new one!" Not even thinking about being bothered, more worried about Raph being noticed and uncomfortable because of it. But he goes quiet after saying that, worried he might have drawn attention to themselves.

While teen Donnie is dealing with getting raised eyebrows at ordering just dough, but he does buy a regular order as well. And why not, he gets a yakitori as well. So with hands full-ish of food he'll return to where he left the tiny turtles.

The suggestion makes him brighten, his grin returning. "That's a great idea! I'll ask him when he comes back with the snackies." Though when Donnie goes quiet, he's looking around to see if they've gotten any attention from anyone because they're talking.

Nobody seems to be all that interested in the boys, so he relaxes and stays put.

When the older Donnie comes back into view with his hands full, Raph hops up onto his feet, standing on the bench. "Do you need help????"

"Ah, no I'm good here," He'll hand the normal takoyaki to Raph. It's got all the toppings and everything a young turtle could want, before he hands the plain one to his younger self and takes a seat next to the two of them with the yakitori for himself.

Little Donnie is going to poke at his food and still stay quiet before Donnie himself speaks up. "It's just fried dough, I know you wouldn't eat the normal kind."

There's another point in favor of him actually being who he says he is, knowing that little detail.

"Okiedokie," he says, wondering if he was too loud, but once again no one seemed to be all that interested in the group of them. When he's offered the takoyaki though, he brightens, since it smells yummers, and takes it. "Thank youuuu!"

Flopping back down on his butt, he settles down to eat, but sees that his little brother is poking at the food. The fact that the bigger Donnie knows about the things that little Donnie will eat though makes him smile.

"Ooh, you'll like that then," he says, but he waits to see if Donnie will eat the fried dough or not, not digging into his snack until his brother eats a little bit.

The human looking Donnie seems a bit too focused on his chicken on a stick that he seems to not be paying the turtles any mind, but he is.

While little Donnie is poking his food until he notices that Raph is watching him. Then he makes a face at his brother before taking a dough ball and nibbling it.

Raph waits, though he seems to be waiting for some sort of confirmation before the little Donnie realizes that he's focused on him poke at his food. Once he's noticed, he blinks a few times, before he gets a face made at him and the nibbles start.

He giggles, satisfied that Donnie's trying the food, and starts into his carefully, since it's hot. But it's tasty so he does a happy little wriggle in his seat and munches away at it. "Yum! Thank you, big--uh..." he starts, catching himself.

He was the oldest but...this Donnie was older than him now. Since the little brother was sitting right next to him. He scrunches his face up like he's thinking really hard, but nods to no one and thanks big Donnie anyway. "Big brother."

Ah, that is weird to hear that from anyone other than Mikey. And his expression at being called that shows, the cloak makes Donnie a lot more expressive than he would normally be. Also he feels like he needs to point out;

"When I look like this? Just call me Shiki, think of it as like," he gestures with his yakitori. "My human name."

Little Donnie is bit too focused on his food for the moment to say anything, but he does in-between nibbling elbow Raph. As if to remind his brother to maybe ask about a helmet?

It's a little odd to see Donnie emote more than scowls, but he sees it and wonders if he shouldn't have addressed him like that. While he's stuffing a takoyaki ball into his face, he listens to how Donnie wants to be called when he looks like a human.

"Hoka Shki," he says, mouth full, before he gets elbowed and swallows down the food with a big GULP.

He looks to little Donnie then "oh rights!" to himself. "D--I mean, Shiki, do you think we could find me a replacement helmet? I...I think I must have lost mine..."

"I was wondering about that," Donnie says, after finishing off his food. "I can do one better."

He twirls the stick his chicken had been on, before looking around to make sure no one is watching him. As the markings on his shoulder, which are only partly covered by his shirt, start to glow as he uses his ninpo to whelp... Make a new football helmet for Raph out of his yakitori stick. Which ones the purple of his ninpo fades, he holds out the helmet for the little guy to take.

Little Raph isn't sure if this Donnie is going to get mad at him for losing his helmet. After all, they weren't supposed to be around humans, but he can't help it right now.

So when Donnie spins the stick and starts to GLOW like it's some magic trick, he watches, utterly enthralled before a helmet just pops into existence. His eyes grow huge, sparkling with wonder as he takes the offered helmet, mouth open.

"...whoa..." He turns it around in his hands before plunking it on his head and grinning. "That was AWESOME!"

"You're welcome" He says, looking smug as fuck about the whole thing. Little Donnie meanwhile is making a face at the whole display, because it looks like magic and he can't believe an older version of himself would use magic. Instead the younger turtle is going to say nothing and just keep eating, while looking disapproving at this whole thing.

Now with his helmet back on, he relaxes, since he knows it helps keep him from looking too much like a turtle and just a sporty human kid. Well, green skin notwithstanding. He returns to eating more of his takoyaki, though he notices that little Donnie didn't seem to think that it was as cool as he did.

He does a little happy wiggle dance now that he's not stressing about being seen, munching away at his food. After a few more disappear, he's swallowing and asking again. "Do you think we can maybe play some of the games then, D---I mean Shiki."

He repeats the human name a few more times to try and remind himself to use that instead.

"I mean, it might be best if I find my oldest brother first?" He suggests, since it would probably be best to get little Raph back with big Raph. Just in case like, something to do with whatever is going on needs the younger selves to return to the older self. Which is why he's been doing his best to keep an eye on himself.

Which isn't too hard, all things considered. Especially as little Donnie isn't prone to wanting to be in crowds for long, or at all.

"Oh." The little Raph considers this, because there's the little disappointment about not being able to play the games that he's seen, but he was lost earlier...

"Is he lost too?"

"Something like that," he's not just going to admit he doesn't know what Raph looks like as a human so... He's going to just ask.

"Was there a say, big human around you at any point since you got here? Might look a little bit like me?"

"Uhm... well there were a lot of big humans around..." he says, trying to think about it. He wasn't sure what this other big brother might look like...

He finishes up his takoyaki, then the little Raph looks around for somewhere to throw it away, hopping off of the bench to scurry off toward a bin. He goes up on his tiptoes to throw the little paper basket out.

While this is going on, little Donnie is still nibbling away at his own food. While teen Donnie sighs at Raph's answer. He knows what Leo looks like cloaked, but not Raph and well. Right now he's kind of not avoiding, but not actively seeking Leo out.

So as Raph goes to throw out his trash, Donnie thinks. Before coming up with an idea, he stands up on the seat they're using and takes a deep breath.

"Wrestling is fake, and Ghost Bear sucks!" He shouts at the top of his lungs, hoping that that will catch his oldest brother's attention.

Little Raph finishes up throwing away his trash, making sure to clean up since it was a big festival and he's not about to litter, but when he turns back around - big Donnie is shouting. It startles him a little bit, since he knows both Donnies like it when it's quieter, but he goes open mouthed at WHAT he's shouting about.

"It is NOT!!!!" he cries, right back at him as the stompy feets make him stomp back over to Donnie, jutting out his bottom lip. >:C

So far, there isn't any sign of a big human dude coming to do the same though.

"Shhh, Raph." Donnie says, as his younger self makes a face at these shenanigans. As he tries looking out among the people at the festival just to see if anyone has taken notice of him shouting.

Beyond the few people giving him a weird look for doing so, of course.

The amount of pouting and wanting to stomp his feet just makes the little turtle huff as he gets shushed. "But you're wrong!" he whines. Still pouting. >:CCCCCCCCC

There doesn't seem to be much difference in the crowd at first.

Until there's a shift in it, a tall, broad shouldered man with dark hair scanning over the top of people's heads to see what the commotion is about.

Just ignoring little Raph, because he's going to shout something else. He's not sure if regular Raph still holds this against Leo but...

"Boy, Ghost Bear deserved that loss to Leo!" He even cups his hands over his mouth to make it even louder, before he scans the crowd. If he notices the broad shoulder=ed young man, he shows no sign.

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