015 | Sky Full Of Stars

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Tanabata Festival
When: All day July 5
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: The Heavens are throwing a party and you're invited!

Edit: OVERFLOW is here!



With Tanabata drawing close, the Heavens have decided that there is nothing wrong with a little celebration for the annual occasion. So they have invited everyone on the Far Shore as well as a large number of people from the Near Shore to attend a festival for Tanabata. Tanabata festivals are not uncommon in this area, so the Near Shore residents are none the wiser, though some of them are a little uncertain about where this street they've never heard of popped up from...

Tanabata is a festival held to celebrate the one time a year that the lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet across the vast expanse of the Milky Way. Many birds have been working their tail feathers off to create a bridge for the two lovebirds and that bridge - perhaps unsurprisingly - touches down on this street, in the middle of the festival.

The Heavens have prepared entertainment, food stalls, and as many tanzaku as might be needed for everyone to write down wishes, along with plenty of bamboo stalks to hang the wishes from.

New arrivals will find themselves ushered to the festival and offered traditional clothing after their normal briefing at the Meeting Hall.



Stalls

There are festival stalls of every kind present, all run by shinki dressed in white robes and bearing the golden chrysanthemum of Amaterasu. Many of them seem a little bruised still, but they are happy to smile for anyone who comes to the stall they are running. There is food, games, and drinks available of all kinds, so feel free to roam around to your heart's content sampling everything that you can.

Performance

A large stage has been erected at one end of the festival street. The Heavens know that there are many talented gods and shinki present, so they are more than willing to clear spots in the scheduling for those people to perform. Anytime a Far Shore resident isn't on stage, there are plenty of Near Shore acts to go on, ranging the gambit from traditional music and instruments all the way to a rock band that has somehow found themselves here for the celebration.

Wishes

Pieces of paper called tanzaku have been strewn about a number of bamboo shoots all over the festival. There are brightly colored decorations on the bamboo and the papers themselves exist in every color of the rainbow as well. Attendees are encouraged to write down any wishes they may have and hang them from the bamboo, a normal Tanabata tradition. Wishes can range from 'I want a soda' to 'World peace' and anything in between. Obviously, some of these wishes may not be able to be granted during the time of the festival, but gods and shinki alike are encouraged to answer any wishes they can as well.

NOTE: Please report any wishes your characters answers to the first comment on this post along with a link to where the wish is answered. There will be small bonuses awarded for answered wishes.

The Bridge

As stated previously, the bridge that will allow Orihime to meet her lover touches down in the very center of the festival's street. It may be made of tiny pieces, but the bridge itself is sturdy. While it may not be able to take just anyone who sets foot on it across the Milky Way, you are allowed to walk along the bridge yourself, though you will always find yourself turned around after a short time and heading back towards where you stepped on. Lovers in particular are encouraged to walk the bridge together to deepen their bonds, but be cautioned! If you walk onto the bridge with someone, you might start feeling affectionately towards them even if they are your sworn enemy! Such is the power of love on this day.

In Summary:

• Enjoy the festival
• Watch some quality entertainment
• Make and/or answer wishes
• Meet Orihime
• Traverse the bridge
• Have fun~

Comments

[festal]

( She isn't exactly a hardened warrior or a trained soldier but she has some experience out in the field. While she looks at the little cakes being prepared and scooped into paper bags for customers, she feels something on the back of her neck. She... feels like she's being watched? And she shrinks within herself some. The last thing she really wants is to be the center of someone's attention, she thinks, and she wonders if she can ignore it but...

Nervously, she glances around, eyes low to avoid as much awkward eye contact as possible only to lock eyes with the one person looking at her. She flinches, turning away instantly only to whip her head up, attention completely on--

Takumi. She opens her mouth to say but she's already been warned. There are people here who don't remember things and its no good to trigger any sort of memory unless they get hurt. So she doubles down, making a point to look away and keep her head down. The last thing she wants to do is hurt her brother but... that's her brother. A familiar face in this strange realm.

It's a festival of wishes and she finds herself wishing to the gods for a small miracle. Let her brother remember her, please. )

[tacomeme]

[He knows Sakura better then he knows anyone- if she didn't recognize him she would have either not noticed at all, or looked uncomfortable from being stared at by some weirdo. Not turned away like he had burned her.

So, there's hope. He walks over carefully, as if she she might bolt like a startled deer]

I sorry but, erm... do you know me?

[That has to be vague enough to not set anything off, right?]

[festal]

( There's definitely hope and when he approaches her, she holds her ground rather than taking a step back. It's her brother and whether he remembers her or not, there's nothing to fear. At the question, she's quiet for a second before asking cautiously, )

Y-you're... a god, too, aren't you...?

( Please. )

[tacomeme]

[His eyes brighten at that, and he nods]

Sakura-! It's really you?

[festal]

( It's amazing how much pressure can be taken off with just one answer. As soon as he says her name, her shoulders relax, she seems to grow taller, and she sighs loudly in exclamation. )

Oh, thank goodness! ( Her eyes are bright, eyes welling up as all of her anxiety leaves her. She isn't one for outbursts of physical affection but just this once, she's quick to throw her arms around him. ) Takumi--! Y-you remember...!

[tacomeme]

[He isn't much of a hugger either, but he'll indulge it this once]

Yeah, I do... I was kinda worried you wouldn't!

[festal]

( Being separated and reuniting is a good reason to hug, okay. Still hugging him, she shakes her head once before stepping back, hands folded in front of her, twisting a part of her skirt, )

I remember! E-everything! ( OR SO SHE THINKS because what are different timelines and universes??? ) Is it just us? The person who brought me here said I'd find other people here...

( How many is other people. Just one person and her shinki? Or are there others? )

[tacomeme]

There are a lot of other people that were brought here like us, actually. Though with everyone all mixed up for the festival it's kinda hard to pick anyone else out of the crowd.

There's a few people here from where we're from though. Leo, Elise, Forrest and Niles for sure, though I've heard there might be others?

[He hasn't seen Jakob yet, or Corrin and Soliel]

[festal]

( She definitely notices that every one of those names is Nohrian and knowing Takumi, she wonders how things must be. He seems to be doing well? If he wasn't, he'd surely be giving her an earful right now, wouldn't he? And she smiles. Its so much easier to smile now that she doesn't feel lke she's on a boat at sea without a sail... )

Elise? ( She lights up at the idea of her friend being here too. It's a little sad to not hear Hana or Subaki's names or the rest of their siblings but perhaps its all for the better this way. ) Are they all here right now? At the festival?

D-do they remember too...?

( Do you hear that? That's the sound of hope. )

[tacomeme]

[The fact that she zones in on Elise before Leo and Forrest means she's not from his exact time and place- but that's fine, he's so relieved to complain... and maybe better to not mention all that right now]

Not... all of them. Elise and Niles don't. Sorry...

[After all, the two girls were close...]

Until now I've been the only person here from Hoshido.

[Is that a hint of annoyance in his voice? Well, that's to be expected]

[festal]

Oh...

( Just "oh." It's obvious she's disappointed and certainly, she'll need some time to think about how she really feels about the situation but for now, she won't linger. Sometimes just being here is better than nothing. )

N-no, it's all right...

( She says. She thinks.

She catches his tone and lets out a small laugh. Poor Takumi's had it hard. )

But you weren't alone. I'm glad. ( But she can definitely understand where he's coming from. If it was just her... she'd probably feel more than a little awkward. ) I'm glad you're here, Takumi.

It's nice to have someone else from home. ( Not from their realm but from home. ) I don't think I could enjoy this festival i-if you weren't here too.

[tacomeme]

[He turns a little red and turns away]

You would've managed. I'm... glad you're here though. Trying to do festival stuff with Leo was a trial.

[festal]

I would have missed everyone too much...

( And worried the entire time in the back of her mind even if she was having fun.

Color her a little surprised. She's seen Takumi play chess and other strategy games with Leo but she never thought she'd see them going to a festival together. )

You went with Leo?

[tacomeme]

I didn't go with him. He was already here so I showed him some festival food. He's apparently scared of red beans.

[festal]

( That actually gets her to laugh. Its hard to imagine Prince Leo of Nohr afraid of anything, let along red beans. )

I didn't think he was afraid of anything...! ( As soon as she says it, she realizes she's slipped, though. ) Oh, d-don't tell him I said that!

Let's buy some food together, Takumi. L-like we used to back home. And you can tell e-everything about this realm.

[tacomeme]

Psh, it's all an act up on that high horse of his- don't let him intimidate you.

[Of course the Sakura of his timeline already figured that out, so her saying that is a little strange. But not too much so]

And yeah, of course. There's a LOT to go over.

[festal]

( High horse... She sees what you did there and she giggles. Reachimg for his hand, she pulls him gently over towards the stand she was looking at before they met-- baby castella cakes sold by the bag-- and she's already ordering a medium sized bag for them to share. While the vendor cooks, she's excitably exclaiming, )

So much of the food here is just like back at home. L-like these! They look like the cakes we would get at the castle.

( Baby castella... only for festivals. )

What else have you seen here?

( Any dumplings? Tricolored dango? Taiyaki? Dorayaki? She loves sweets a lot, okay... )

[tacomeme]

I haven't looked at the desserts much but I think I saw some dango? We can look around I guess.

[He rubs the back of his neck, trying to hide how pleased he looks]

[festal]

( Castella now in hand, she opens the bag and offering some to him. Look, they're warm and smell sweet the way fresh cake does... )

Really? Let's go get some.

( Unlike Takumi, she isn't nearly as shy about showing how pleased she is right now. )

[tacomeme]

Yeah, okay. I'll buy you one.

[He might be snagging a cake tho don't tell on him. They are best fresh]

[festal]

Don't forget one for you too.

( It's not as embarrassing to eat snacks and sweets with a girl, is it? Hayato didn't mind eating sweets with her and if that's the case then surely eating with your little sister makes it even more okay. )

[tacomeme]

... I mean, it's not like there's a festival every day. So it's should be okay.

[festal]

Hehehe.... ( Is she laughing at you Takumi because it sure sounds like she is (she is). ) Right.

( Right. Before Takumi can get embarrassed or say anything though, she reaches to take his hand. )

I'm really glad you're here too, Takumi. I... don't know what I would do if you weren't.

[tacomeme]

[He turns a little red and turns up his nose, huffing]

You... you would've been okay. You're stronger then that. Still, if I found out you were here alone...

[He doesn't like the idea one bit]

[festal]

( Even if she disagrees (she always feels weak compared to her siblings), she doesn't argue the point. She really does feel weak when her brothers and sisters are so much more sure than she it's also why it means so much to be complimented by them.

She isn't going to worry about what she would do if she was alone because the fact is, she isn't. Takumi, however... )

Were... were you okay? By yourself?

( Even if Leo, Elise, and the others are here, it isn't the same as being with your friends or family from home. )