at tanabata, worshipful hearts are all as one;

[stressweets]

WHO: Anyone ♪
WHERE: The shrines over at Recollé's worship corner; Koyama Shrine and Tojimi Temple are the some of the largest, but the more modest-sized areas have activities too, so don't stress too much over particulars
WHEN: July 6th - July 8th
WHAT: Tanabata ☆
WARNINGS: None! Let me know if anything comes up so I can adjust accordingly though, of course.

the threads of prayers are all our own, each and every one!

( entertainment )

Tanabata is always a big deal, and this year is no different: with people decorating the likes of Chata and Tribunal Terrace proper, those working at the shrines have decided to make their area as appealing as possible. There's plenty of brightly colored decorations and large bamboo trees to hang wishes at—not to mention the amount of food available. Vendors hawk their wares in loud, cheerful voices, competing with each other among the bustle of activity; there's festival staples like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakitori... along with sushi and sashimi of various kinds, sake, and a lot of fried foods. For the health-conscious and vegetarian, grilled vegetables and marinated tofu, among other treats, are present too... Basically, it's a smorgasbord. As for games, there's goldfish scooping, yo-yo fishing, watermelon splitting, and a special kendama competition to see who can get the most hits. The prizes for these range from coupons to various places around the city, to stuffed animals, and so on and so forth. There are your typical shooting games too, and places to buy masks, fans, and toys if you can't manage to win them yourself. One more thing: the shrines/temples each sell their own different charms. While their usage may be the same (good fortune in general, in love, in academics, and so on and so forth), each has their own design. Pick up one or several to bless the second half of your year, and toss in a few coins as an offering if you decide to pray as well just to make certain things go smoothly (and to support your community). This is also where you can rent a yukata or kimono, if you're in need of one of them... though yukata is probably the better option, given the heat.

( upon a bridge of magpie wings )

Those wishing to purchase tanzaku to write their wishes on can find several stalls offering them closer by the bamboo trees—there's also a helpful chart explaining the significance of other decorations hanging around, and visitors who feel their fingers are nimble enough are even invited to try their hand at a little bit of origami to make their own ornaments. The papers offered here are as varied in color as they are in pattern, so pick your favorite and make a wish! If you need a quiet moment, there are gardens available to rest in; at night, these are lit up by lanterns and make for a lovely date spot. There's also the option of traveling through a tunnel decorated to look like the Milky Way itself—though if you decide to go alone, the shrine workers will giggle and say that whoever you meet beneath its glittering lights is your soulmate. But that's just superstition. The area is dimly-lit and nice enough to hang around in, so don't give it too much thought. Sparklers begin being sold around evening too, and on the seventh, stalls will begin closing early to prepare for the fireworks that show later that night. They're not the same as those featured on the Fourth of July—instead, they're in the shape of phoenixes and dragons of different colors, along with starmine-type arrangements, and some that resemble the ornaments decorating the festival.

( afterwards )

As the festival dies down, those that can manage to stay up will be invited to watch the bamboo tree burning. Wishes go up in flames, both as a way to clean-up and for them to reach the Heavens as soon as possible. This continues into the 8th as well, as do most of the stalls, so for those that couldn't attend on the 6th or 7th there's still things to do. But largely, it's a day of rest and cleaning the area. Stroll through the gardens and the Milky Way tunnel at your leisure, now that the crowds have settled, and write some last-minute wishes before the rest of the trees are burned.

Comments

[justchords]

i. games

(apollo is absolutely overjoyed about being able to attend the tanabata festival. working on his music full time hasn't exactly left him much free time, but he managed to pull himself away for just this one night, even getting himself decked out in a simple red yukata. after perusing the many stalls and lanes of booths, apollo immediately heads over to one of the various game booths available. his first stop is snagging himself a water balloon, and he has a dream list of festival activities he is absolutely dying to check off. apollo does his best to his all the major ones, catching goldfish, the ring toss, the water gun target, just about anything he can grab.

his excitement is evident in every game he stops at, even feeling accomplished at a small hit at the target. apollo isn't here so much for winning as he is the experience. when he does land a good shot, however, he turns to the person next to him with a wide smile and joy in his eyes.) Did you see that?! It was pretty good, huh!

(but despite being rather average at these games, he somehow has a new prize on him every time he's seen. how does he do it? he spends a lot of money playing again.)

ii. food

(now this is truly the best part of any festival. the food. there's no shortage of options for apollo to choose from, ranging from spicy to salty to sweet to savory, and back again. his mouth waters just at the smell of it, and apollo makes his way around as many stalls as possible.

similar to the bundle of prizes he has, it seems apollo has a new type of food in his hand every time he's glanced at. you saw him with takoyaki five minutes ago? now he has a candy apple. he was eating cotton candy just now? nope, moved on to fried onigiri. it's a wonder how he's able to fit all that food in such a tiny body, but you'd be surprised at his appetite.

anyone getting close enough while staring at him shovel away food like it's air, though, will interact with him.) Have you tried this yet? It's amazing, I got it at the stall just down that way.

iii. charms and wishes

(for charms, it's a rather difficult task for apollo to pick a few. he's mumbling to himself as he turns them over in his hand, trying to decide which one would be helpful for his particular needs in the second half of the year. anyone nearby will be able to hear little snippets of his conversation to himself.) Finances...? Maybe, but that's too generic. Business? It counts, I guess... good luck overall sounds nice, but it seems like a cop out.

(later on, apollo decides to write down a few wishes, a good number of tanzaku scattered around him as he scrambles to come up with well thought out wishes to pin on the trees. if one is curious to know why apollo has so many, the few he's already written out say things such as "i wish for music creativity for my album", "i wish my album will make people happy", "i wish to be able to hold a live concert for once". all of his wishes are music related, sans one "i wish to have a cat army".)

iv. milky way tunnel

(even with how much energy apollo finds himself with during the festival, he still needs some time to rest! and hearing the beauty of the milky way tunnel was certainly an enticing idea. he strolls through at his own slow pace, marveling at the beauty of the stars brought down to earth for everyone to enjoy, even pulling out his phone to take multiple photos. it's breathtaking, and certainly the break from all the activity he was looking for.

taking a seat on a bench nearby, apollo tugs out a small notebook and pen, going between furiously writing something down, and raising his head to admire the stars surrounding him. of course, he hears the shrine workers whispering about the "soulmate" thing, and apollo simply shakes his head before returning to writing.) Is it rude if I roll my eyes and say "yeah, right"... (that was intended to be muttered to himself, but he was definitely audible.)

etc.

(apollo will also be doing origami near the charms, lighting sparklers closer to late evening, watching the fireworks show, and witnessing the burning of the bamboo trees. apollo is pretty active, so feel free to run into him just about anywhere!)

tunnel

[unlightmusic]

Absolutely. But that shouldn't stop you.

[So says this girl seated at the very edge of the bench facing away from him, scribbling things down in a notepad of her own. Apollo might pinpoint that voice being familiar.]

That kinda talk... is a load of bullshit. So, it's completely justified.

[justchords]

(suzu, he can always count on you for that blunt, somewhat rude honesty that is sorely needed. and it's impossible for him not to recognize a voice he's done collabs with!! and with her giving apollo all the permission he needs, without hesitating, he blurts out:) Yeah, right that's gonna happen. Soulmates only exist in cheesy movies and songs.

(he eventually puts down his notebook to turn to her, the smile evident in his voice.) Are you being weird like me and using this to try and write songs?

[unlightmusic]

[And in response to Apollo's great act of courage, Suzu lets out her usual boisterous laugh of "FUHAHAHAHAHA!" in approval. Ah dude, he definitely helped improve the night, albeit a little bit. Atta boy, rock on you little punk.

However, with his inquiry, she promptly closes her notebook and lightly bops Apollo's prominent as always forehead with it. She's still avoiding facing him, if only because she's still overly insecure about not having her eyepatch to hide her mismatched eyes.]

Du~umbass, don't call it weird. Creativity can be found anywhere, and can hit ya when you least expect it, Polly! Like so! [She gives him another forehead boop with the notebook to demonstrate.]

[justchords]

(there's nothing much he can do except smile in the face of suzu's laugh. it's so vinrabt and catching. no wonder this girl works so well with rock music, she's got the everything for it.

he lets out a muffled pffft when she boops his forehead, and in retaliation, he playfully nudges her back. but he makes no effort to force eye contact with her, either. even if he thinks her mismatched eyes are fucking amazing.) Okay, okay, you've made your point, oh great rock goddess of creativity. I'm actually doing the same thing right now.

(he waves his own little notebook in the air, before jotting down a few more words.) Still working on the album...

[unlightmusic]

[Suzu gives out a light "oof" and a laugh as she's nudged. So, working on an album, huh? How nostalgic. Okay well, empathetic to his plight, that does get Suzu to turn around now to speak with him properly. 'Sides, she knows he's a good bean, better him than a complete stranger, to be honest.]

Yeah, I feel you, dude. To be honest, I've been havin' creator's block for over a year now... I thought goin' to school would be a nice change of pace, but no dice. [She tilts her head to the side questioningly.] Y'sure you don't wanna start off with an EP instead?

[justchords]

("how nostalgic" okay, granny suzu. he tries very hard to be a good bean, making eye contact with her, but being sure not to stare at her eyes even though he's always found them so fascinating. he's a polite boy who doesn't stare!!!) A year? Shit, I hope that never happens to me. I'd be dead to my boss.

(he hums thoughtfully, no beat or song in particular, tapping his notebook to his arm.) I tried asking about that, but they were really pushing for an album, and I thought I could manage. And it's too late to change the contract now.

Food

[amodelidol]

[Makoto has his arms full of food himself as he looked over at what Apollo has in his hand. He swallowed the takoyaki he had in his mouth then shook his head.]

No I haven't! It's over there? I got distracted by the fried onigiri and the sushi. Have you tried the yakitori yet? That's pretty good too.

[justchords]

(it's hard for apollo to point in any direction, with all the cotton candy, candy apples, various skewer foods, and all his prizes being shuffled through his arms, but he does manage to direct makoto in the direction of the right stall.) There's okonomiyaki over there! And I think I've got some yakitori... somewhere.

(in his defense, he's got like 4 bags of food.)

[amodelidol]

[Makoto is no better with the takoyaki he's trying to juggle among his prizes and other food. He had been eyeing the candy apples before he came over here, now the okonomiyaki does sound really good.]

Yeah I grabbed some sushi earlier that I put somewhere. I'm gonna grab some okonomiyaki next. Have you tried it yet? Hmm, maybe I should find a place for all this before I go grab some more. Do you see any places we can sit?

[justchords]

(at makoto's suggestion, now apollo himself is torn between grabbing more food to add to his growing pile, or sitting down and working through what he has currently. but the thought of dropping all his food and having to rebuy everything?

yeah sitting down and eating is a good option.) I think if we get out of the way of the festival a bit, there should be seats somewhere. Everything is already taken.

[amodelidol]

[Makoto looks around for a table they can sit at when he finds one that's further away from the tables at the food stalls.]

Let's go over there. It doesn't look like it's too out of the way.

[Makoto didn't want to drop his food either. When they made it to the table Makoto placed his food and prizes down. He really should try to do a better job at carrying his plushies and food. With his plushies at the other end of the table, he places his food down. He got some sushi, takoyaki, yakitori, cotton candy and other things he's grabbed along the way. There are more food he wants to try, though he'll work on this pile first.]

Is there anything else you want to try?

[justchords]

(once they've both set their food piles down on the table, apollo immediately begins digging into the first thing he can grab his hands on. he's not exactly the pinnacle of manners here, but he figures he deserves this after finally being able to attend a festival.

he glances around what stalls he can with a thoughtful hum, tapping his finger on the table until he finishes his food.) Honestly, everything. I've never been to a festival before, so I'm doing all I can.

games

[tarotcards]

[ he nods because yes, he did indeed see apollo land that shot but... ]

Bet you can't do that again, though.

[justchords]

(and... souji would be absolutely correct. apollo laughs sheepishly as he holds the last of his rings in his hands, but he knows it was probably luck.) Yeah. I doubt it myself, honestly.

(he does chuck a ring, hoping it'll land...! but it doesn't. rip.) At least I got that one good shot!

[tarotcards]

Which is pretty impressive considering that these games are normally rigged.

[ no shame saying this in front of the stand owner ]

Did you want to win anything in particular?

[justchords]

Oh, that's not just a salty carnival-goer myth? It's an actual thing? (hey, apollo doesn't mind, he has a penchant for being unbelievably honest and blunt.)

To be honest, not really. I've never been to a festival or carnival, so I'm more just glad to be participating at all.

[tarotcards]

[ then let's talk about rigged carnival games while they're in front of 2939120101 carnival games. i'm sure nothing will go wrong here ]

It depends on the stand but most of them are pretty rigged. Give the game a few more tries and you'll see what I mean.

[justchords]

(hey, apollo is a youtube musician. he has zero shame, okay. he'll shit talk people to their FACE (no he won't).) Well, I can already tell the ring toss is challenging. It's a little hard to see, but the rings just barely fit around the bottles, don't they? I thought that was just to make it challenging, but being rigged makes sense.

(he casually tosses a few more, only one being able to land. and that booth owner... is not looking pleased by their presence.)

charms;

[steadycourse]

Don't fall for those good luck charms!

[A sudden and rather loud voice suddenly appears near Apollo and if he turns around, he'll see a young man with red eyes almost glaring at the charms on display.]

Why buy a charm for good luck when you can be putting your money and time into something far more reliable: hard work and effort!

[justchords]

(the suddenness of someone yelling right in his face has apollo taking a step back as his eyes widen, his first thought being "oh no a crazy guy". but in actuality, he just seems... overzealous.) Because it's fun and I want to?

[steadycourse]

How is it fun? I don't understand that!

[Ishimaru squints harder at the charms now. He has never understood the appeal of these sort of things.]

Even if these charms work, then you'd have to place your gratitude on a small trinket rather than appreciate the other factors that might be involved!

[justchords]

Dude, honestly, I'm already busting ass in a lot of things. It's a fun way to take my mind off the stress by picking out a cute charm. (you gotta admit, they are pretty.)

[steadycourse]

[It's like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole-- but he's trying his best to understand still. He folds his arms and lightens up his glare a little, even if it's obvious that Ishimaru is still a bit dubious.]

So you're saying that this is fun because you're not thinking at all. I-I guess that can be relaxing! Giving your brain a rest!

[justchords]

(don't hurt yourself trying to figure it out, ishimaru... apollo will help you. he dangles a few various charms from his fingers, a small smile growing on his face.) Exactly. And besides, they're just sort of fun to have. Looking at them and reminding yourself about what they mean can motivate you to work harder.