🎉 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

[blastedass]

[He's not gonna let the kid from his past get himself in any further trouble. Trouble being "lost" in this case. Meaning Katsuki's keeping an eye on him. In case Izuku suddenly sees "new shiny" and goes running off.]

Haa?! Why the hell would you be in trouble? He's the one who lost you!

[Unless Izuku wandered off...]

[muttering_and_mumbling]

I dunno! You seem really mad. When grownups are mad, I'm usually in trouble.

[He sniffles a little, but keeps right on following him, even if he's worried he might be in trouble.]

Are you mad at me? Or big me?

[blastedass]

You're gonna piss me off if you keep this up!

[Great way to reassure the kid. Katsuki's jaw drops, exasperated "oh my god" slack-mouth dragging at the air. He just said-!!]

THE BIG YOU!!

[muttering_and_mumbling]

I-I-I'm s-sorry!

[Aaaaand now he's got tears pouring down his face. Congrats, Kacchan. You're doing great. You made a small child cry!]

[blastedass]

Stop crying! The hell are you sad about?!

[He's such shit with kids.]

[muttering_and_mumbling]

Y-you keep y-yelling!

[Kacchan has always been a fireball but little Izuku here is having trouble connecting the friend he knows to... this guy in front of him.]

Why are y-you so m-mean??

[blastedass]

Ngk-!!

[Head twitching back, eyes widening, teeth setting. Don't call him out like that, dammit!]

I already said you weren't in trouble!

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[He sniffles and rubs at his watery eyes with the back of one little hand.]

Yeah...

[He did say that. But all the yelling sure is giving a conflicting impression to his words.]

But you're mad at big me, right? Aren't we still friends?

[blastedass]

[Time to start looking for a food stall so he can shove something in this kid's mouth.]

I SAID I WASN'T MAD AT YOU!!

[And there he goes again.]

What do you want to eat? I'll get you something!

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[Oh... Izuku's little face falls when the question is dodged. When he'd been with the older version of himself, he hadn't wanted to tell him anything about the future either.

He fidgets a little before he answers.]

Taiyaki?

[blastedass]

[Actions over words. Katsuki operates the same way. Though he's obviously not as vocal about "sappy" things as his younger self would be. Back when he easily acknowledge their friendship.]

This way.

[Meaning they're going back into the crowds... so Katsuki abruptly scoops the kid up and deposits him on his own shoulders, legs draped down over Katsuki's chest.]

Try getting lost now, squirt.

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[This child doesn't know a life without his best friend and doesn't want to. It's that simple to him. But he lets out a surprised gasp and clings when he's picked up. Oh! He can see everything from here! Or at least that's how it feels.]

Wow! Kacchan's so strong!

[Sugoi!]

[blastedass]

Get your elbow outta my skull! Lean forward.

[Sheesh. Balancing this kid is ridiculous. But he keeps his hands on Izuku's thighs for now, waiting until his friend's younger self is situated before he'll bother going for his ankles.]

[muttering_and_mumbling]

Sorry!

[At least he isn't crying anymore as he does his best to hold on without being a bother.]

I bet I could see big me from up here! I'll look for him!

[blastedass]

[Good! He doesn't need more of him crying. Hopefully he'll be content to rest up there without holding onto Katsuki's hair like makeshift reins.]

That's why you're up there!

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[No hair pulling. Just keeping his hands resting atop Katsuki's head for balance as he looks around for signs of green hair.]

It's like a hero mission!

[blastedass]

[Good, then he's not gonna get yelled at. Katsuki moves his hands to Izuku's shins so he's not locked in up there like some roller coaster.]

You find him first, I'll buy you a snack.

I'll leave it up to you if Izuku has found Katsuki's childhood self while looking for his own.

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[Oh! A game! The tiny child on his shoulders is excited about that. He scans the crowds around them as they go. He gets a little distracted by everything going on. But eventually he points off to the side, in the direction of the food stalls.]

Over there! I think I see him!

Haha! Say he has and they can do a kid exchange.

[blastedass]

[Che! At least it stopped him from crying. Katsuki tries to avoid shoving through the middle of the crowds, keeping to sides where he has more room so Izuku doesn't kick people in the face and he's no squishing between bodies.

If this was a proper mission, he'd be on top of stalls or signs, perched a gargoyle to scan.]

Left or right, brat?

[Don't just say you see him! Give him something useful!]

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[Left or right? He holds up both of his hands, fingers straight up and thumbs stuck out like his mom taught him to tell right from left and then excitedly points again.]

Right! By the red food stall!

[Sure enough, if they go that way, his adult counterpart is there, holding the hand of a familiar tiny blonde child. The sight of which has the boy on Katsuki's shoulders squealing out an excited 'Kacchan!' Upon hearing it, the adult Izuku turns to look.]

Oh! There you are!

[blastedass]

[Good thing he didn't see that... He always teased Izuku for still needing his fingers at that age to tell directions. Katsuki pulls to the right with a growl, picking up the pace a bit as he wedges between people to get to his older classmate.

Red food stall. Red food stall! HA! There he is!

... WITH HIS OWN BRAT?!]

WHAT KIND OF HERO ARE YOU, LOSING A FUCKING KID?!

[muttering_and_mumbling]

[From up on his shoulders he'll hear a yelp. But the older version of that little boy is just giving him a sheepish look.]

Eh? But Kacchan, you lost your younger self too. I found him over by the games.

[blastedass]

I didn't lose him; he ran away!

[Cause you're being mean! Izuku lets me do whatever I want! His younger self's such a little shit, standing by his older best friend's leg with a proud grin all over his face. Thankfully 'whatever' to little Katsuki is harmless fun.]

[muttering_and_mumbling]

You did tend to do that kind of thing a lot as a little kid. Ah! Do you remember when you convinced me to run away with you for the day?

[While Izuku is talking, his younger counterpart is trying to figure out how he gets set down now. Because Big Kacchan seems mad and he doesn't want to be on his shoulders while he's mad. Also he was promised a snack?]

[blastedass]

Of course I remember! Did you wanna be stuck inside washing dishes with that hag?

[Katsuki saw the look in his mother's eye and quickly yanked Izuku out to go play before she could encourage them to help her clean in the kitchen. (Sucks for him he had to help her later after Izuku went home; she left those plates there on purpose!)

And you can stop squirming up there! Katsuki crouches down again and ducks his head forward, letting Izuku slide off his nape and over his head so he can drop on the ground feet first.]