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

[She's trying to figure out his deal. There are weirdos back on her world who are nice because they've got ulterior motives. But Bakugo... just seems like he wants people to have a good time at the festival, when he's not goading them into drinking lemon juice or yelling at them. It's confusing.

She waves at him.]

Ok, have fun! I think it's gonna be a really great festival.

[Bakugo is too terse and impatient for ulterior motives. If he wants something, he'll say it to someone's face rather than wasting his time and energy beating around the bush.

Once more, festival fare swallows them, passing colored stalls pushing games or selling food and souvenirs. For being thrown together so quickly, Itadori managed to do a great job gathering people and participants with his little committee team.]

You gonna enjoy it from the storefront?

[If she's intending to head off on her own, he won't stop her.]

[She tilts her head, then snorts. She really can't figure this guy out.]

Do you want to hang out? I was going to go try archery next.

[Well, she was going to catch crawfish, but now that she's dressed up, that's not happening.]

[Which promptly gets his head thrown back on his shoulders an and angry exasperated shout into the sky.]

Dammit, Cheek Marks, are you coming or not?!

[He's heading to the archery range! And enjoy your new nickname, Jessica. It's a Bakugo special. Everyone gets one.]

My name's Jessica.

[She mutters as she scrambles to follow. Because she's not sure if Bakugo actually knows it. Although with the implants in everyones' eyes, he probably knows it and just refuses to use it.

But at least he didn't freak out at the mere mention of archery the way Ereshkigal did, so she actually gets to try it out at the archery booth.]

[He did not hear that. Of course he knows her name! Damn address book and profile library they're all implanted with is pretty quick to update new Outsiders' information. Jessica's right in Bakugo refuses to use most people's names. The ones he does use have worked hard to earn his respect and friendship. Even if he does still call them their nicknames more often than not.

He'll accompany her to the archery booths. Depending on where her skill's at, he'll either be the rudest-but-effective teacher, or eagerly challenge her to try and best him.]

[Well, get ready to teach, because Jessica is a melee girly only. If this festival has a whack-a-mole game, she'll clean house, but archery is entirely new to her.

Once she learns how to hold the bow and nock the arrow, she'll give it a valiant attempt, but ultimately not make it closer than the outer rings of the target.]

This is harder than I thought. It's way easier to just run up and hit things!

[Not being good at ranged weaponry doesn't put a damper on her mood, at least.]

[Pretty sure it has something similar to whack-a-mole, but they're lining up at the archery range. Bakugo stands to the side, watching her prepare the bow and arrow. Great, she hasn't done this at all. He has to direct her hands, where to hold the bow better and how to nock the arrow towards the center.

Hey, at least she hit the target. Most first-timers would shoot into the dirt or over the target.]

You're not gonna have that option all the time.

[Bakugo takes a stance beside her, lifts his own bow and arrow, draws back, and fires. A solid "thud" right in the middle ring. Not a bullseye, but close enough for a rusty shot.]

Try it again, holding like I did.

[Jessica watches Bakugo's movements and tries to mimic them.]

If I'm going up against something that's too dangerous to get close to, I usually end up focused on my spells, not on attacking.

[But it's a festival and this is a fun activity, so she's trying a new thing. If it ends up being useful later, that's a silver lining.

She pulls the bow string back, looks back at Bakugo one more time to make sure she has the position correct, then turns her focus back on the target and lets the arrow fly.

It's... a little closer this time, but still not on the center.]

Do you think an arrow would even hurt a kaiju?

[Bakugo lifts his bow and sets the arrow on the string. He keeps his eye on Jessica's stance and form, making sure she's able to replicate what he's doing. Not the worst thing, but...]

Two kaiju in the past nullified all of our powers. Learn to use a weapon.

[Unfortunately, he's someone who can find a training or competitive element in almost anything he does. Leading to conversations like this.

He turns his wrist and uses the end of his bow to poke her hand and moving down slightly. More to the center of her bow's shaft. There. Her hand position on the arrow's fine.]

You're not gonna get it on the center immediately. They'll take out smaller ones.

[Jessica completely drops the archer's stance as she turns to glare at Bakugo.]

I KNOW how to use weapons. Maces AND flails.

[They're way better than some flimsy arrows.]

So don't think I can't take care of myself!

[Bakugo twists his head, one brow arching up in surprise and lips snagging in a brief growl. Don't yell at him! (He did manage to snag her bow with his own before it hit the ground, leaving it dangling at the end.) ]

Haa? You use a mace?

[He's no stranger to strong girls, but Jessica looks like a priestess. The image of her swinging around a giant metal bone masher is fucking hilarious!]

Yeah.

[~~What, like it's hard?~~ She absolutely turned down wands, staffs, and other such delicate mage weapons in exchange for a medieval implement of pain. Her magic can only heal, not harm, and a gal's gotta be able to defend herself.]

My dad's a Beastman, so I'm stronger than I look.

What kind of Beastman?

[Bakugo knows what a generic "beastman" is; his world's focused on superheroes but that doesn't mean magic and fantasy have disappeared from the shelves. People still play DnD and roleplay different races of fantasy stories with varying creatures.

Who the hell's gonna assume she can heft a giant ass club? ~~flashbacks galore~~]

... the normal kind...?

[They don't have divisions of beastpeople in her world. Jessica's dad is just called a 'beastman'. Jessica's a half-beastperson, and thus the cheek markings, the pointed ears, and the slightly sharper-than-human canine teeth.]

Anyways, I know how to fight when I'm within swinging distance, and I can pack a punch.

What the hell? Don't you have animals in your world?

[Wolves, horses, lions, deer, any number of beasts can be the basis for a beastman, right?! He's already noted her cheek markings, but thought it was makeup rather than a physical element. (Not so on the pointed ears and chibi fangs.)]

How're you gonna deal with a flying kaiju then?

[He collects her bow and adds it to his hand for safe keeping.]

Yeah, but my dad’s not an animal! Don’t be culturally insensitive!

[Beastpeople get enough of that back on Jessica’s world. She’s not about to put up with it here. She crosses her arms and gives Bakugo her best disapproving glare.]

What, does nobody here have a flying machine I could hop on?

Don't make up shit I didn't say!

[Shoving words in his mouth, or implying he meant something he didn't! Dammit, what's her problem? Fucking normal ass question and she's all pissy about it. No wonder she's part beast.]

That weird fox girl has a few. [Kaga.] And some guys have mecha they use.

[Please, like she didn't know what he was getting at! OMG.

She holds her hand out for the bow.]

Then I could just get one of them to give me a ride. That's more realistic than me getting good enough with this thing to be able to kill a giant monster with.

[Yes, she likes to be independent, but she's also a priestess- she knows she's not meant to solo a fight. It's fine for her to expect the other Outsiders to do their part in any given fight.]

[He asked her! She didn't say shit! Now he's gonna have to either ask again or assume it's a tiger!]

This isn't for kaiju, dumbass. It's for sport.

[If he were teaching her how to shoot in war, he'd be handing her a compact bow or military grade weapon. Instead, he passes her back the normal archery range bow.]

If you can heal, you'll be in the support lines half the time.

[She raises the bow and holds it the way Bakugo showed her before.]

Don’t all bows basically work the same?

[Pull string, aim, arrow go into target. These blunted play arrows are like a wooden sword, training for using the real thing, right?]

But yeah, I help out when I can in a fight, but my main job is always going to be keeping everyone else from kicking it.

No. Compound bows and crossbows are different than casual sports bows.

[From a different guard to far different weight to a different hold. Even the ammunition isn't the same. Military grade weapons aren't the same as athletic grade.

She's not entirely wrong. Boken are used to learn first before going to metal swords. But...]

You'll get trained on the weapons before you go into battle.

Great. Even in another world, I can't escape classes.

[She fires off another arrow. It goes a little too high and misses the target. If she wants to be able to hit things reliably, it's probably going to take practice. Ugh.]

Does everyone have to learn magic too?

Haa? What, you world doesn't have variation?

[Of course there are different classes! Not all swords have the same grade, not all clubs are the same type! Bakugo aims again and snaps off an arrow. It slams into the target's central ring.]

Tch. [No bullseye.]

Who the hell's gonna teach magic?

[She meant classes as in lessons, but she shrugs.]

There are plenty of different maces and axes and wands and swords and stuff, so there's probably a bunch of bows, too. It doesn't mean I wanna learn about all of them.

[Hmmm, he got way closer than she did. She adjusts her stance to more closely mimic Bakugo's.]

Is there not a master mage or high priestess in the Outsiders? [Maybe that's why they've been having such a hard time of things.] It doesn't seem fair to make all the magic users learn to use a bunch of weapons and not make the martials learn some spells. What if there's a kaiju that weapons don't work against?

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