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 nods because she definitely agrees. Festivals are meant to be fun and though this isn't her home and these aren't her people, she wishes for their happiness all of the same on this day. )

Yes, i-is it that obvious?

( It probably is, isn't it? She never feels subtle at all when it comes to these things. )

[declamando]

[While she sounds concerned that it's so obvious, Maria gives her a bit of a sympathetic smile. It's always hard to adjust, regardless of arrival circumstances, and she knows that quite well by now.]

You just seemed a little anxious. If it makes you feel any better, you've come at a good time - it's nice and quiet, for once.

[At least, in terms of bad things happening, because there's still quite a crowd at the festival.]

[festal]

I-I'm afraid I'm always a little nervous...

( She knows her reputation as the meek and shy one among her siblings. It bothers her at times but she's learned to focus more on her positive traits than her negative these days. But what does she mean by "for once?" That sounds so ominous! And she frowns, looking thoughtful for a moment with gears turning in her mind before asking, )

Did... something happen recently? ( She touches her cheek. ) I n-noticed some of the vendors...

( Seemed to be in a state of recovery. A little worse for wear. )

[declamando]

Well, there's nothing wrong with that. [That sympathy remains in Maria's smile for the few more moments the smile lasts, but as soon as the question of something happening comes up, Maria nods, a more serious look creeping onto her face. It's a little sad, too, given the state some of the shinki are still in.]

The day our last group of newcomers arrived, after we'd all gone to visit our new shrines in our homelands, someone burnt down Amaterasu's temple. Her shinki were caught up in it, which is why some of them are still injured tonight.

[They at least don't seem to be in the distress they'd been in when it happened, though, which is something.]

[festal]

( Interestingly enough, when Maria's smile fades to something more serious, Sakura's timid demeanor grows into one of certainty. Her back is straighter, shoulders back, and eyes focused straight ahead instead of down and away.
She still seems to be a bit on edge but shes' always been one to rise in times of need and now isn't any different, )

W-who would do something like that? And why? ( Everyone's been nothing but kind to her since they arrived. She can't imagine this place being one with many enemies. )

[declamando]

[That's an interesting change, and as someone who's used to struggle herself, Maria notes it. Perhaps this girl isn't quite as consistently nervous as she claims - it might still be there, but not nearly as noticeably.

Her own look remains the same, though, and she shakes her head.]

We don't know who, but we know why - they want Amaterasu deposed at best, or dead at worst. But whoever's been doing these things has left so little trace that we have no idea who they might be.

[festal]

. . .

( She sees and already, she begins to wonder about a way to help those who were injured. While they seem mostly okay, perhaps she can still ask if there's anything they need. )

Hopefully, it won't come to this but.... if anything like that happens again then p-perhaps I can be of assistance. Where I'm from I-I'm a healer. ( The best in the army, though, she'd never admit it herself. ) B-but like I said, I hope I won't be necessary.

[declamando]

[While Maria doesn't like to constantly expect that sort of thing to be necessary, there's no harm in being prepared if it does happen, and she offers a gentle, reassuring smile.]

I hope so too, but it's always good to have more people to rely on. The power I was given here is some form of healing, even if I haven't had the chance to fully test it yet, so maybe we can both help if it happens again.

[Maria had done what she could, but she still hadn't thought it enough, especially at the time.]