Spring Celebration [OPEN TO ALL]

[stringmods]

Who: Everyone
Where: All around the city
Summary: Open!
Warnings: None

Spring had finally arrived in Hinoto-Ri, and with it, a sense of renewal. The cold winter had gone, sweeping away memories of Shadows, endlessly repeating days, and awkward Valentine's Day escapades. A great deal of the damage to the city had been restored since the previous fall(although there is still damage from the Aries battle, but what else is new) and the gentle sun shining overhead in the midst of clear skies and a fresh breeze made it easy to forget that Hinoto-Ri was such a volatile place.

Life in the city goes on. And while there was no official government-hosted festival this year, the cherry trees throughout Capricorn remain present to be enjoyed, nonetheless. The first cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom and the pink blossoms are surely the most beautiful sight there is to see in Hinoto-Ri...



Tens of thousands of trees dotted the park's landscape, but it was the Cherry trees that were the stars of the weekend, the pink petals creating a heavenly smell only enhanced by the small stalls that were busy selling hot yakitori (grilled chicken on sticks), takoyaki (octopus balls on sticks), shioyaki (Salty grilled sea bream on sticks ) and kakigori (Shaved ice with syrup, not on a stick).

The prime picnic places were being taken and families grouped together to eat homemade lunches and bento, but there were still many spots and trees to go under should you wish to do so with friends. Young couples walked hand in hand and many young students sat under the trees, reading books or playing games.

Underneath a particularly large tree, the temples and shrines of the city have once again set up an area for O-Mikuji, where it was possible to get a fortune. 5 yen is the luckiest, though any offering will do.

There are, naturally, many other opportunities for the Visitors now that the weather is warming up. Picnics in the park, trawling the increasingly lively street-side stalls for trinkets and vendor food like takoyaki and yakitori, spending more time at night fighting demons during the 13th Hour now that it's not freezing cold...

Well, perhaps the last one isn't quite so fun. But the demons, too, seem bolder now that the weather has changed - with the exception of the Frosts, of course.

[OOC - Open log for all players! Start your own threads! have a picnic under the plants, eat a bunch of food or join others, mingle to your heart's content, tomorrow the ability to buy fortunes will be posted, and your character's fates may gain something new.

ETA: Fortunes will be delayed due to unexpected real life circumstances.]

Comments

OTA - During the week

[deathboss]

After that hellish...whatever, Eikichi had decided to sit by one of the thousand of trees, most of the citizens looking at him oddly. Well not at him, but the giant creature next to him, that was holding his bag in it's mouth.

How he'd managed that, no one would know.

Regardless, there was food scattered on his blanket and he paid close attention to anyone who came by and scribbled on his giant pad. What could he be doing?

hi pixle no one is replying so might as well

[thirdarrow]

That... wasn't a demon, right?

The creature didn't have the aura of being one. It was intimidating, admittedly, but not in the way demons were. And... it contained water. Lots of it. How curious...

It was enough to pique Takakage's interest to make conversation.

"Pardon for interrupting." He tried his best not to sound rude. "If it isn't too much trouble... could you tell me what your companion is?"

[cykedfists]

Athena had seen Eikichi's video of the creature, so seeing the creature itself wasn't surprising. No, it was seeing just how much bigger it was than the video feed.

"Woah! He's bigger than I thought he was," she said in awe.

[unbroken_chain]

Don't mind Kotoha, she's just admiring your Pokemon.

"Wooow, you've got a good one!"

Open!

[otakuro]

[Atsuro side-eyes the shrine area with a vague expression of irritation.]

Nothing good ever comes out of this.

Have we figured out why there's magic fortunes yet and which demon is actually altering reality to grant them? That seems as serious as anything else in this city.

[all_wound_up]

Not all of the festivals have been bad...

[Oh hey, look, there's Nano in her pink spring yukata.]

[helenchanter]

At this point I think it might just be us believing in what we read on them.

[Hello person that she's seen many times on the network.]

[helenchanter]

...but you have to admit they are fun. And the festival isn't so bad either.

[badluckhealer]

[Ah, the joys of being perceptive! Agatha heard that first bit and walks over in order to ask:]

Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing what you said - there is a history of the fortunetelling here causing problems?

Open:

[empiricalpride]

[Even didn't have the patience for this sort of frivolity.
Really.
He didn't.
It was sheer coincidence that he was taking the long way around the park on his walk through it, today. Curiosity? About something so messy as petals everywhere? Don't be absurd...]

[terminally_clever]

Even.

[Curiously, Fumi is out enjoying the pleasant sights and smells of spring today as well. She also happens to have her Porygon with her, in case that catches his eye.]

[unbroken_chain]

"Hi Even!"

Oh hey it is Kotoha and her...six foot flying scorpion thing.

Huh.

Anytime

[cykedfists]

[Athena wasn't familiar with cherry blossoms really. Aside from her mother's influence or even Simon's interests, she hadn't really seen them before. Seeing them now made her awe.]

Wow! It's so pretty! I wonder...

[Hurrying back home, she decided to make herself a picnic since it was nice out and the cherry blossoms were pretty. After doing so, she returned to sit under a cherry blossom tree with her basket of food. The only issue is that... She made a lot more than she thought she did. Any body want to join this random picnic?]

[egotrigger]

[Well, someone was passing by, at least. It wouldn't hurt to say hello. He ignored Hallelujah smirking at him and walked nearby, keeping a smile on his face.]

Hello. How are you doing?

[all_wound_up]

Athena-san! Do you mind if I join you?

[Nano's looking cute as anything today, with her hair in two short pigtails and wearing a pink spring-themed yukata and wooden sandals.]

OTA

[dekillerqueen]

[One such stall selling traditional Japanese delicacies is right here, being run by the friendly neighbourhood baker. Wow, he's... quite the entrepreneur. How does he even know how to make this stuff? Is he Japanese? He sounds more English than anything.

He has such competitive prices, though! He's been in the business for a while, huh? Whatever his business really is.]

[tyrantball]

Ooooo.

Desco will just float over in her cute purple yukata (it's...hard to tell if the pattern is supposed to be cherry blossoms or bloodstains) and beam happily as she looks over the wares.

"Can Desco have a mochi?"

[spiritofjustice]

[Guess who? That's right! It's that weird detective.

Bobby's been running into some trouble with the others from his own world, but he's not going to let it get him down. When there's a festival, what else could he do but enjoy it to the fullest? In fun we trust!

When he passes John Doe's stall, he pauses his stride to stare down at the delicacies. He knows who's selling it and it makes him leery, but gosh does that look amazing.]

Oooh... Did you really make those yourself?

FORTUNES TOLD [OTA]

[fortunefavorsthebold]

Thousands of small pieces of paper are tied to three large conifer pines with colorful string. Each tree had a sign in Japanese (that you could read) above it; Fortune (Money), Family and Love. A demon held out a small box, where you could put in the five yen coins for each fortune you wanted to draw. If you didn't have physical money, you could get some at a small booth nearby using your Visitor card. The coins were part of the experience, after all!

[OOC - Write on top what you want your character to draw from. You are allowed to pick ONE out of the three maximum (depending on time, you may be allowed to draw more, but for now keep under the assumption that you only have one to pick out from). Keep in mind that these predictions are for the most part true - so if you get a bad luck, feel free to have your character have a bad luck day! On the other hand, good effects may bestow you some bonuses. May the odds be ever in your favor!]

fortune sought: family

[thirdarrow]

It did seem like a harmless game of sorts. Much like those held back at home - though such festivals became more and more rare as the war dragged on.

Three options were given, but the strategist did not have to choose. Only one of the three mattered to him.

He paid the lady demon the stipulated amount of coins and picked a fortune off the tree.

Love

[frankensteins_moe]

[This is probably a bad idea, but in goes the coin.]

Family

[tyrantball]

Considering the result from the last time she did this, Desco will just go ahead and draw another Family fortune.

love

[dontrunawayfromliving]

Money's never an issue, family is a thorny subject at the best of times...

In the end, Sarah decides to just go with love.

detective family picnic bestworst picnic

[hachitaro]

[Taro's bringing the blanket for the picnic along with a bag in his hand. Or paw, rather, since he's in his normal tanuki form. How is he carrying such a big blanket when he's so small, though?]

[Simple. He's tied it around his neck like a superhero. And judging by how he's laughing and running, he may already be a little drunk.]

[bondsofsuffering]

Taro! ...Hey, don't tell me you're already drunk!

[It's a good thing Hizumi's already occupied with spreading out one of the blankets, because there's a distinct ring of disapproval in his voice.

If you were going to booze up, why didn't you invite him?! Sheesh!]

Open!

[tyrantball]

Desco is very happily viewing the sakura petals, her normal dress-like chitin arrangement replaced with a purple yukata with a decorative pattern that might represent either sakura petals or bloodstains.

It's...hard to tell.

Her face is sticky with crumbs as she sits at the base of a tree, watching the petals drift in the air. Take care not to trip over her fully extended tail.

[all_wound_up]

[And here's Nano, creeping around the corner. If she had a heads-up display for this sort of thing, it might read something like this:

TICKLE MODE: ENGAGED

SCANNING FOR TICKLE TARGETS...

TICKLE TARGET: LOCATED

PRIMARY DESIGNATION: DESCO

INITIATING BODY SCAN...

SCANNING...

TICKLE ZONES: VERIFIED

ARMPITS. SIDES. FEET.

PROCEED Y/N?

Or something like that. She probably doesn't have a display like that. But maybe she does. Who knows. All the same, she's slowly tiptoeing toward the little demon, carrying her own wooden sandals in her hands so she can make as little noise as possible.]