Tanabata - [Open City Post]

[stringmods]

▼ Evening of the 7th

 

Who: Anyone
Where: The entire city
When: July 7th
Summary: The Star Festival
Warnings: That depends who is there. Remember to mark your titles clearly if any warnings need to be issued!

▼ A tale of two lovers...

 

The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle,
they watch us from heaven.

▼ A festival for a growing city

 

It is perhaps the most classical love story that most of the Hinoto-Ri natives knew about; the story of Orihime, the weaving goddess, and Hikoboshi. Instantly falling in love, the two gods would often forget about their duties to the point of negligence in order to be together, so much so that the other gods forcibly separated them. Crying for each other's comfort, they were allowed to visit each other on the 7th day of the 7th month...as long as it didn't rain.

Today, the sun is high in the air, a small wind making the overall experience not too unpleasant. Clearly it's a time for celebration so the lovers may meet again.

In the Capricorn ward, at the edge of the Central Park of Hinoto-Ri, numerous booths have seemingly sprung up overnight. Colorful banners decorate every single tree, and you can spot the faeries fluttering about, the very same ones who caused the Visitors so much trouble up to just a few days prior, helping out by adding their own personal touches to the festival, be that a good thing or a bad thing. Most of the leaves are filled with perfect droplets of dew, reflecting the sun and giving everything a jewel-like appearance.

Even with the harsh life, Hinoto-Ri knew how to make each celebration special. The booths themselves had everything one could hope in such a festival, from mountains of star candy to spinning top toys to booths selling small bambo and basil plants decorated for the occasion. Booth food, as always, was delicious and fresh, and you could attempt to catch goldfish or even turtles if you had money to spare.

Walk around in the more traditional outfits or in your normal clothing, no one is going to complain in this mixture of demonic heritage and human initiative.

Giant streamers were attached to the largest tree trunks and many large bamboo trees had been brought in, covered in paper cranes and wishing paper, blank sheets nearby so you could add your own. In fact, it is encouraged! What wish did you want to write down today?

At night, entire rows of the city are covered in bright lights and laterns, the festival lasting until early morning, despite the 13th hour. Just be careful where you're going, they set up parameters for this, but it just wouldn't be a star festival without viewing them up in the sky, right?

The giant telescope at the astrology center is made public for all those who wish to see the heavenly lights. Just don't linger too long, as others want to get a glimpse too! It's important to share...

...Especially when the fireworks go off later at night! Not only are they absolutely stunning to watch, but there's an evident bit of magic involved in them, as they take on figures and animals, telling the mythological tale of the two lovers, now found.

During the day and through the night, you can hear sounds of the Taiko drums in the various public squares. There are a few groups, each with their own set giving you a listening experience unlike any other.

[Feel free to start your own threads! The festival is open to everyone, day and night and you can do anything at zombocom at the festival. If you want to get a better understanding of what your characters might see and do, these videos will help.]

Comments

[all_wound_up]

[Action, OTA]

[Nano can be found throughout the festival all day, wearing a pink floral themed yukata with her hair done up in an ornate comb and wearing wooden sandals. She's spending most of the day wandering around the festival, taking in all of the various sights, sounds, and smells. It's her first Tanabata festival, so she wants to make sure she experiences everything there is to enjoy about it.

Others might run into Nano doing any of the following: trying to win a goldfish and failing spectacularly due to her lack of coordination, happily walking along as she eats some konpeito, sampling the grilled food selections, playing with a spinning top toy or one of those balloon yo-yos, or just admiring the beautiful decorations and lights as the festival proceeds on into the evening.]

[Action; evening; locked to Atsuro Kihara]

[And later in the evening, Nano's managed to find Atsuro for a nice private walk under the stars. She's wandered somewhat far afield with him, outside of the bounds of the festival proper but still not far enough out that they'll have to worry about being attacked by wandering demons. Walking shyly at his side, she stops and stares up into the night sky, her face still softly lit by the lantern lights in the distance.]

It's so beautiful...

[Action 1]

[imbodytemp]

[A small bunny walks up behind Nano as she tries to catch a goldfish.]

Oh, are you not able to catch one? I'm sorry...

Open

[blessed_by_the_world]

[Akane is all decked out in a pretty pink yukata she bought for the festival. Right now she's trying her hand at goldfish catching.

It... isn't going well. The fish are too quick. But from her look of concentration, she doesn't intend to give up any time soon.]

[all_wound_up]

[And here's Nano, all prettied up for the festival too, checking up on her.]

Are you having trouble, Akane-chan...? I didn't have very much luck either.

Open, after sunset.

[imbodytemp]

[As the sun goes down, Mesousa decided that he wanted to take a closer look at the stars. Unfortunately, most of the telescopes are people sized. Determined to make the most of his new lease on life he looks around to try and find something that he could use to stand on, setting on a rock. Unfortunately, this task is somewhat difficult for him due to an anatomical limitation common in most rabbits. Defeated, he slumps forward against the rock, moaning sadly.]

[shibuyasmusic]

Would you like some help with that?

[Joshua crouches down by the rabbit, brow raised at the strange creature who seemed to be having difficulties. While his demeanor is non-threatening, and his expression mostly kind, the large scar over the left side of his face might be a little offputting.

Still, he puts out his hand for the telescope.]

It's too bad the new moon is almost here, you won't be able to see yourself on it until later this month.

OPEN

[puubuu]

[Fattycakes, in human form, is around the stands with the plants. He's looking for some plants to decorate his room with.]

Puu! I think I want this one! [He's pointing at a decorated basil plant.] ...Is it edible?

Re: OPEN

[imbodytemp]

I think most plants are edible as long as they aren't poison, but that just might be for rabbits.

OPEN

[justjustice]

[Apollo is just strolling through Capricorn with some pixie "friends" in tow. The observant would notice that these are the same four pixies from Apollo's most recent video post. They're kind of bothering him- that one is still pulling on his ear- but he doesn't have the heart to shoo them away.]

[all_wound_up]

Apollo-san!

[Nano waves. This is the nice lawyer who helped her out during the Taurus event, right?]

Are you enjoying the festival?

OPEN

[travelingtheworlds]

[Ooh, another festival to take notes on! It seems that Hinoto-Ri has so many. Sasha is doing her usual thing, walking around and taking notes. She's lingering near the food and the star candy, though. Hey, the people back home would definitely want to hear about the local food...]

[all_wound_up]

[Sasha will undoubtedly see Nano walking around near the food stalls at some point, especially once she sees the star candy. She's got something of a sweet tooth developed from having lived with an eight year old at home, so she's giggling to herself as she fills up a small bag.]

OPEN

[blitzkriegzwei]

[Germany's been to a few Tanabata festivals in his day, thanks to Japan. Right now, he's in front of a bamboo tree, staring at a sheet of wishing paper. It seems that fortune-related things can create strange happenings in Hinoto-Ri, if the sudden arrival of food from home in his apartment after receiving a fortune in May was any indication. With that in mind, Ludwig deliberates with himself over just what to wish for.]

[otakuro]

[A boy steps past Germany briefly to affix a tanzaku to the bamboo. He clasps his hands together and declines his head in the traditional manner for a moment or two before stepping back.]

Making your wishes, too, Ludwig?

OPEN

[covermyback]

[Zelgius developed a powerful need to guard something on the night of the festival. So for now, he's standing in front of the astrology center with his arms folded, watching out for demons and suspicious people. If a demon could suddenly appear in front of the hospital like that one time, it could appear in front of the astrology center, too.]

open!

[doesasordered]

[Nik's never seen a festival like this before. It's so colorful, and there was a lot going on. He'll be wandering everywhere, stopping to get some food (no takoyaki this time though) and even trying his hand at catching goldfish.

Looks like he's on a roll. With his steady hand and quick reflexes, he manages to catch quite a lot. Oops. Well, he'll keep two for himself, but if you're hanging out nearby, he'll offer one to you as well.]

Ah, would you like to have one? I have nowhere to keep so many...

Re: open!

[imbodytemp]

Oh, thank you, but I don't think I'm ready to take on such a big responsibility...

Gemini ward, OTA

[greyerrant]

Garviel looks up at the fireworks from the side of Mount Utsugi, his helm off, taking in the sound of the bursting chemical explosives and the light with his own eyes instead of the sensory wall of the armor. He scents the air, almost feral in this moment, and quietly notes that he is peaceful in the midst of bursting fireworks more so than he is amongst the people of the city, or the hustle and bustle of the festival.

He contemplates the beauty in his grey armor, the reflective surfaces showing every burst of light in a riot of color. He seeks the moon for a moment in the sky, then looks back to the flames, and the stars, wondering about the legends of love, and gods, and wonders if it is the sort of superstition he should be opposing, or simply ignoring. This festival doesn't have the unwholesome feel of the fanes he visited as a warrior of the Imperium, it seems... innocent to him. Without harm, and perhaps even beneficial. His face is lit up by the continuous bursts of fireworks, but his expression is pensive. He neither smiles nor scowls, simply thinking over the question, always the silent wolf.

[covermyback]

[There's another armored man next to you now, Garviel. He, too, is watching the fireworks, arms folded, cape billowing oh-so-dramatically in the breeze.]

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

Open!

[robinsegg]

[Sig likes festivals. He always tagged along with Amitie to events like this back when he was still in Primp and had fun playing games and whatnot.

It was his first time being at a festival on his own, though. He looks more like a lost kid, wandering around the place. Amitie would show how to play the games every time...

He felt a little homesick.]

[frequent_flyer]

[Oh no, not this kid again... Hinata feels a compulsion to make sure he doesn't get himself into anything actively dangerous.]

Hey, are you lost?

Open!

[halberdaxe]

[Noda was a man. And as a man, he needed to be competitive! So he was hounding down at all the mini games to attempt winning the biggest prizes for each booth.

Feel free to compete against him for the prizes!]

[bondsofsuffering]

[And then Hizumi steps up to the plate! ...Metaphorically speaking, anyway, what with it being a booth and all. It's one of those cork gun games, and Hizumi cheerfully puts up the money before picking up a rifle.]

I wonder which one to aim for...?

[Why yes he is nonchalantly mentioning this right next to Noda. Consider it a passive aggressive challenge.]

Open

[capitalbackup]

[DAY]
[After finding herself attending the festival, courtesy of Aoi Misato, Miyako can be found around the festival in a yukata (this, too, can be blamed on Aoi). Which can be shocking to anyone who knows, as she doesn't wear feminine clothes that often.

Anyway, she's looking at all the various booths with curiosity and, in some cases, confusion. This is the first time she attends a Tanabata festival like this.

She's mostly content to watch and try the various food she can buy. Even if she did stand there and seem indecisive to try a few food on display.

As for the games, Miyako wouldn't engage in them. Unless someone make a jab at her competitive side with a challenge.

...And in case anyone wants to know, she won't be writing down any wishes.]

[EVENING]
[With the sounds of taiko drums in the background, Miyako looks up and watch the fireworks. She knows how the story goes, but it's mildly interesting to see how they choose to use their resources to tell the tale.]

[eyewillprotect]

It's wonderful, isn't it? All of the booths and the lights that they set up for the festivities...

[Aoi's quite pleased. She's still a little bit surprised that Miyako agreed to come, and it's made her happy!]

Open!

[bondsofsuffering]

[Wish Writing]

[This is the one he gets out of the way first. After all, it's not Tanabata without wishes! Once he's written down his (actually second slip, for hiding the first) he gives a small "Right!" before moving towards the bamboo to hang them up. In his heart he doesn't have much faith in them coming true just because he wrote them down, but... Well, Hinoto-Ri had its share of bizarre events, too. He didn't really have anything to lose with trying.]

[Snack Booths]

[Because where there's a variety of fried and very unhealthy food around, there is also going to be a Hizumi. He's already gnawing away at some kind of skewered seafood, but he'll stop to wave jauntily at anyone he meets along the way. Come hang out with him while he collects more delicious things to eat?]

[Game Booths]

[And after he's had his fill... naturally it became time to burn off his new found energy by playing loads and loads of games! It doesn't matter if it's hooking water balloons or shooting prizes off of the stand with a cork gun, Hizumi can be found trying (and probably winning) at each one, possibly claiming the very prize you just had your eye on...]

Game booth!

[trainwrecking]

[Though Otonashi is interested in trying his hand with the cork gun, he'll stand off to the side to watch Hizumi flex his skilled at all the things muscles.]

H-how do you do that..? Is there a trick to it? [Otonashi's aim isn't even bad, but wow. Impressive.]

Open~

[eyewillprotect]

[After parting ways with Miyako at some point, Aoi can be found all around the festival, whether it's tying off her wish on the bamboo or simply enjoying the night sky and, later, the fireworks that light it up. If she notices someone looking at her, she'll give a smile, but if it's a person she knows, she'll certainly make her way towards them.]

Ah, you came to the festival too...?

[all_wound_up]

[Nano bumps into Aoi just as she's coming back from tying her own wish, bowing her head politely.]

Hello, Aoi-san!

Open!

[frequent_flyer]

[DAY]

[Hinata was always a great fan of the festivals back home, so he'd show up in full traditional garb: a navy blue jinbei and a pair of geta. He'd immediately load up on festival food, a skewered fish in one had and three candy apples held in his other fist, each stick pinned between his fingers like throwing knives.]

[Hinata, being the social butterfly he was, would be prone to just walking up to people at games and giving them pointers... or wondering if they'd be up for competing. And if there was a a cute girl standing around, looking at the prizes? He'd offer to win something for her of course! What kind of lover's festival would it be without a little flirting?]

[He'd eventually wander away from the games and food, stopping somewhere quiet with a sheet of blue wishing paper, scribbling something down in privacy before emerging and hanging it on the tree to add to the hundreds of other wishes already present.]

[NIGHT]

[Curiosity would take him to the astrology center, peering though the telescope at the heavens and probably taking a bit longer than he intended.]

[And what kind of festival would it be without fireworks? He'd set out a large blanket in the grass, calling out to anyone wandering alone, inviting them to join him. What fun is a festival alone, anyway?]

Day

[all_wound_up]

[Nano's here too, dressed up in a pink floral print yukata and with her hair done up in an ornate comb. Hinata will find her at the goldfish catching game, trying and failing at snagging one of the little guys.]

Oh... that's the third time in a row...

[Muttering sadly to herself, Nano frowns down at the broken paper scoop.]

OTA!

[trainwrecking]

[Wishes]
[Otonashi, dressed in a traditional summer yukata with a muted floral star pattern, can be found wandering around for the festivities! He isn't exactly the most spiritual person around, but he sees no harm in quietly escaping away from the crowd to write a wish in private. Once it's secured to the tree along with the dozens of others, he'll be on his way.]

[Games/Food: DAY]
[For the most part, he seems slightly awkward the crowd, as though he isn't entirely sure what he wants to do. Feel free to drag him into something! He loves it! Eventually though, he'll settle on some pastel-colored star candies to munch on with his coffee.]

Haha, these are actually pretty good..! Now, umm... [All of these foods to pick from...]

Eel rolls or takoyaki?

[Once the sun sets, he'll stubbornly be trying to catch himself a fish. Not much luck yet though, maybe you have some tips? Or maybe you want to play too?]

[Night]
[A completely coffee-fueled redhead will have finally settled down for the night, finding himself a spot beneath a tree by himself to eat those horribly addicting pink star candies. Strawberry turned out to be his favorite! He'll smile and wave if he knows you, but even if he doesn't, he might offer companionship for anyone who wants a quiet place to snack, chat, and watch the fireworks.

Once in a while, you may catch him spacing out, strangely hypnotized by the lights adorning the town square. Once things start to wrap up, you may even catch him nodding off. Uh oh.]

daytime is food time

[hetried]

Mmm, Takoyaki.

[Well, he didn't really know why his opinion was being asked, but hey, Daichi can always exposit on food!]

I mean, I think takoyaki is still octopus, which is sort of like eel... but it's better festival food than just some sushi, if you ask me! Plus it's fried, and they make it with tempura.

[demifemme]

[Night]

The fireworks are going off, but Shura is neither seeing nor hearing them. She's at a Taiko drums competition with a gang on Onis. They're all drunk, but so far instead of pillaging they're dancing to the deep rumbling of the drums.

Okay so Shura can't dance worth crap and her bamboo shoots yukata is half-off, but at least she's having fun.

Join?

[emperor_penguin]

[Boss-man is here too, with a big fistful of snacks of various sorts. Festival food is the best food. Catching sight of Shura from a short distance away, he gives a casual wave as he lumbers his way on over. Drinking and dancing with oni and his bouncer sounds like a pretty damn good way to spend an evening.]

[andcarryabigknife]

At another Taiko drums demonstration, Gale is standing, strangely transfixed. He who never listens to music is completely overwhelmed by the beat of the large drums. It appeals to something primitive deep inside of him,and he doesn't know how to handle it. Geometrical green lines of lights begin spreading from his mark on his left calf and he exhales shakily.

He wants to run away, and he finds that he can't.

[screwattack]

Standing nearby, also watching the mesmerizing performance, is Samus, dressed in her casual military uniform today to partake in the festival among the civilians. At first she didn't notice anything odd going on, being just one of many absorbed by the crowd. But sharp eyes quickly take note of the strange light...

For a moment she wonders if it was only something else that was part of the festivities, as there were many vibrant colors and lights on display. But taking note of the stranger's body language tells her that something is wrong...

Samus approaches Gale cautiously, tapping his shoulder gently. "Sir, are you alright?"

open!

[hetried]

[DAY]

Daichi had almost completely forgotten that Tanabata was coming up-- it was only thanks to a reminder that he had remembered to show up, even though a good chunk of the population was here today. Instead of his usual school uniform, he'd just thrown on pants and a simple button shirt, though the ever eyesore of a yellow scarf was still wrapped around his neck as per usual.

But, as long as he had shown up, it was easy to find him all over the place; though, as one might guess if they'd seen him at other festivals, it was easiest to find him hovering around the booths with food and candy. And, pretty easy to find him walking around with a few sticks of fish between his fingers. Having a job was pretty convenient when it meant you could buy more festival food!

Even if that was kind of irresponsible, but hey.

[NIGHT]

By the time the sun had set, Daichi had splintered off for a while from whoever he was hanging out with earlier. He was standing among the wishing trees, a colorful piece of paper in his hand and looking at it with thought and interest.

He found himself becoming increasingly more superstitious than he used to be-- and that was saying something, considering he had signed up for a "Dead Face Delivery" website once upon a time.

[Night]

[travelingtheworlds]

Guess who has zeroed in on that yellow scarf and is making her way over to the wishing trees?

"Daichi? Is that you?"

Yep, it's Sasha. She comes near with her trusty notebook in tow.

"Making a wish, huh? That's what people have told me these papers are for. Right?"

[phantom_envoy]

[Wishing - Day]
The self-proclaimed superhero darts in and out of the makeshift bamboo forest, examining the slips of paper as she goes. She seems to have missed part of the message here.

"'I want more money'? Seriously? 'I pray that my Persona will evolve into something really cool' -- Great priorities there."

In her own gloved hand, she holds a strip of paper and a pen; it seems she is searching for inspiration for her own wishing.

[Shopping, Day]
Barring that brief excursion in that random guy's powered armor, Phantom Girl almost never wears anything outside of her costume. But the constant heckling of the shopkeepers and the fact that all of the costumes really were incredibly pretty had eventually lured her inside one of the shops. A few measurements and a short, awkward changing room visit later, she sticks her head out of the stall and glances around at the crowds milling about outside. If she spots someone she knows, she will call out to them. Otherwise...

"Hey! Um. Yeah, you. OK, you're a total stranger, so your opinion's probably less biased. Do I look incredibly stupid or just really stupid?"

For what it was worth, the yukata she had chosen certainly matched her color scheme, anyway.

[Fireworks, Night]
"Ohhh..."

Night has fallen, and she sits cross-legged on the ground with head tilted up, enthralled with the rest of the crowd watching the incredible fireworks show. The blossoming sparks were clearly meant to spell out some kind of story, but she hadn't the least idea what it was trying to convey besides something about people being in love. She turns to whoever is sitting close by.

"Do you know what all of this supposed to mean? All I'm really getting is that cows are involved somehow."

[greyerrant]

"No. I understand ancient earth mythology very little, and love least of all."

Garviel looks down at her with his armor backlit by the bursting fireworks, giving him the aspect of a riotously colored knight.

open;

[leadthebeats]

[ Yuri's all dressed up for Tanabata, and it's obvious that she's not just here for show. Of course, she'll make some wishes in secret on her tanzaku, though she's definitely going to play some games while eating takoyaki and some star candy.

... Now someone should go win her a prize if she doesn't do it herself. Not that she's going to care either way. ]

open;

[badend_replay]

mii~

[ Rika notices Yuri in line for the same game as her. ] Are you gonna play too?

[ open ]

[shadowsher]

[ Mikale is dragging himself to the festival. He is hardly Japanese and as much as he wants to get into the culture he just can't. So he's wearing normal clothes and straying off to the sides. He'll come, see the fireworks, get a souvenir to prove his being here, and flee.

Except there's that wish thing... Mikale lingers by the bamboo. ]

Is anyone watching...? [ He doesn't want anyone to see him doing anything as childish as writing down a wish!!! ]

Re: [ open ]

[imbodytemp]

[A small bunny speaks up to the question.]

Oh, I was. I wasn't staring or anything. I'll go away. I'm sorry.

[Mesousa turns and begins to walk in the opposite direction.]

Open to all, nightfall

[helenchanter]

[Alright, so she moped through most of the festival before Miki finally decided to go outside to get some fresh air.

The Yukata was a new one she had bought a few months before, a large flower embedded in her hair as she looked over the booths and pondered winning herself a turtle. Maybe having a small pet would cure her loneliness a little bit...maybe. For the first time in a long while, Miki felt strangely homesick...and she missed those gone from here dearly, even if they didn't come from her world.]

[capitalbackup]

[Miyako, too, was looking over the various booths. She already ate some snacks earlier, so she's taking some time to consider other activities. Such as these...games.

Although, winning a pet from a game did make her pause to look. While she have her demons, they're too big to keep out in her apartment.]

...What kind of game is this?

All day and night long

[get_bent]

[So who is having a case of being alone and not having the friends he knows around and probably having some strange sort of crisis?

This guy.

And when Kanji is having a crisis, the cure is sewing. Lots and lots of sewing to the point where he had a vast army of small bunny and plush toys overflowing his room in the inn. He'd need to get rid of some of them, and the solution was to sell them at the festival.

Look, it got him out, it was better than nothing. He stood behind his booth like a soldier, the usual nervousness still lingering on despite having sold these countless times in the city before.

Do you want to speak to him / buy something?]

At night!

[demifemme]

Is that a customer? Why, yes, it's a customer... a drunk customer, draped in an open yukata, her modesty only covered by her fundoshi.

"OH MY GOSH those are like sho cute!!!!" she shouts as she trips near Kanji's stand. "How much?!" she asks when she gets back on her feet.