【MINGLE】 Spirit Day Festival

[starrystorytellers]

spirit day festival

HAPPY SPIRIT DAY!

On October 31st, after a long month of hard work and preparation, Spirit Day has finally arrived once again! During the duration of the month, both Fallen Stars and local natives have been working hard for this moment: the majority of the buildings are now shades of black, red, orange, purple and green. The spooky vibe includes decorations that resemble bats, skeletons, and pumpkins, accented with glow-in-the-dark paint and strings of lights between the buildings. Once the sun goes down and the festivities begin, the entire city comes to life with lanterns and glowing decor. But the party only lasts until midnight!

Spirit Day is a festival organized and produced by the non-spirit population of Starsand City. The goal is to give thanks to the spirits (and kami) with a night of fun that doesn't rely on their magic. As a result, the majority of the stalls and attractions are run the 'old fashioned way.' Food stalls feature snacks cooked by hand, game stalls are crafted and played without magic, and all of the attractions are made by human hands. There are art galleries, street musicians, sidewalk chalk art, handcrafted candies, and much more. Fallen Stars have also been encouraged to participate and are welcome to assist with or start their own stalls.

All night long, spirits will benefit from a boost in faith. They will have more solid forms than before and be able to communicate their feelings with a limited telepathic vocabulary. At midnight, this magic will wear off. However, spirits in contracts will come away from Spirit Day with a boost in power!

And certainly, this time around will be a lot happier for both citizens and Fallen Stars alike, given that they probably won't get a surprise visit from a certain someone...

STALLS AND GAMES

It's customary for shop owners to run stalls and games. Those that run restaurants typically have stalls that give away a specialized sample, while stores that sell trinkets are giving away their wares as game prizes. There is everything from ring toss to shooting games, goldfish scooping to batting cages. Games will give away small prizes, like stuffed animals or simple clothing or jewelry, all of which can be handwaved in threads.

Food and games aren't the only ways to spend your time. There are plenty of other attractions to visit. There are fashion booths where you can dress up for pictures, art galleries, book exchanges, poetry workshops, haunted houses, and much more.

In general, it is safe to handwave any sort of attraction being NPC run.

This year, there seem to also be some other events ran by Fallen Stars: one being a fighting tournament ran by local newcomer Stelle, which boasts of the winner coming out with several prizes, and a play that was announced by fellow Fallen Star Rui Kamishiro.

Giving Thanks

The central focus of Spirit Day is, of course, giving thanks for all that the spirits have done for Starsand City. There are a couple of ways that this is accomplished. The simplest of which is dropping off pieces of Starling at the various shrines around the city. Most city streets have a small shrine where the local spirits can collect Starling, so you don't have to look far to find a donation spot. Even a simple 'thank you' goes a long way for the spirits. Other ways include hanging written words of thanks on trees, drawing on the sidewalks with chalk, or joining in impromptu music jams. There is also a large canvas in the center of the city, where everyone is encouraged to write something that they're grateful for and maybe doodle a picture.

OOC NOTES

As a reminder, we have a planning thread for anyone who wants to do any last minute coordination for Spirit Day. Feel free to post your own toplevels for stalls/games/events that your characters are ICly running or a general toplevel for your characters participating in Spirit Day. This is thrown up a week early to give wiggle room for participation and as always, backtagging is always welcome. As always, have fun!

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FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

[starwill]

[ In a rather spacious area on the top level is what seems to be a rather large ring. Of course, there are also several tents set up for anybody who winds up getting injured during their matches.

On the side, there's a stand where Stelle herself stands with a megaphone as she speaks with an eager announcement: ]

Hello, Starsand Cityyyyy! Let's get ready to rumbleeeee! Today's Spirit Day Tournament consists of six very talented fighters who are here to show their stuff and win the grand prize of prizes: [ To which she gestures at a trophy which is filled to the brim with Starling. ] so let's get on with the brackets, shall we?

The Play

[curuiosity]

[The play is held on a small stage in the afternoon. The first row of seating is reserved for spirits, each seat with a popcorn bag of starling in it. Beyond people are free to come and go and sit where they'd like.

The play starts off with an empty stage, and Rui's voice talking as a spirit that just wants to be seen and have friends is lonely and unsure what to do. Tsukasa comes out on to the stage and monologues about several problems in his life, followed by his sister, Kana, berating him for complaining because everyone is struggling.

This gives the spirit the idea to follow them home and help them out. Tsukasa is the first one to receive help from the spirit character, who still can't be seen on stage. things that fall seem to stack back up on their own, and textbooks flip pages to the right answer, and so on. This is all done with the use of non spirit powered effects.

Tsukasa explains everything to his sister, who realizes what's happening is the work of a spirit. Together they try to find ways to communicate with the spirit that they can't see or hear. More effects happen to help both siblings now.

The next scene is after they try to talk to their parents (off stage) about helping the spirit. They talk about how they were brushed off by their parents, and start wondering if there's a way they can even help someone they can't see or hear by themselves. As they're talking they pass a shrine, and get the idea to make one for the spirit in their home.

The shrine they end up making is a roughly made dollhouse. Kana explains that since their parents aren't interested in helping the spirit, a dollhouse would be less suspicious. Tsukasa calls out the name "Theo".

At first nothing happens, and the siblings wonder if their parents were right that there was nothing that could be done. But then a light comes from in the dollhouse, followed by a small robot coming out of the dollhouse. Rui speaks up, once again as a spirit, thanking the pair for working so hard to give them a form and a voice.

The three promise to be friends and continue to look out for each other.

The End.]

Trick and Treat Talent Show

[ambertrickster]

Come one! Come all! Everyone's a winner! You get a prize just for participating! Show Starsand what tricks you have up your sleeves! If you don't wear sleeves, that's okay too! Come join in!

[This takes place on the same stage as the play, but sometime afterwards. Kohaku is hosting a talent show! There is no real sign ups ahead of time, they've just kind of taken over the stage, so it's first come first perform, and it'll go until someone with permission to use the stage takes over. They have bags of various homemade candy to pass out to participants(They borrowed Kagami's house to make them).

Kohaku just wants to see what people here can do.]

reiko-chan's magic oden stand!

[loveedition]

Ryoko's bread and butter so to speak, naturally she has a oden stand. Unlike last year, where she left to change at some point, she's there from the onset in costume. Dressed yet again as Reiko-chan, the magical girl in the stories she reads aloud at the Shrine of Curiosity. She's changed the stories some, still with Leona-chan as the lead for the most part, now with an extended story told about needing to rescue a friend and showing compassion to the enemies. To stories about their friends, spreading hope and faith across the land.

Some of the locals may have heard it just by being in the library, but there's nothing too deep in there.

There's a slight difference between this year and last year, aside from the fact that "Atsushi-kun" isn't helping out. Ryoko's got an extra service for those who ask about the extra ingredient-- and one may see her lifting up a cute little stick with what looks like a large Starling at the head. She hums and then with a bright smile, she beams! Not, physically, you'd have to envision it in your mind.

It's said that Reiko-chan's gotten in tune with the spirits to make the oden extra tasty this year. As such, as long as the patron thanks the spirit afterwards... Reiko-chan's magic will work and the spirits will ensure they have a magical night.

It's probably bullshit, but considering she's got her spirit friends with her, there might be something to it?

spirit day arts and crafts!

[loveedition]

Set up in town is a group of easels, set up for artists/non-artists to do a little bit of painting! The idea is to draw something you're passionate about, curious about, and thankful for on a large sheet. For those who are unable to paint, be it lack of a corporeal form or performance anxiety, there's always an interpreter ready to assist! Maybe?

It might partially be an attempt to allow the spirits to communicate. Just a bit.

Alternatively, as another arts and crafts project, locals and Fallen Stars can find card templates along with decorations like glitter, markers, stickers and the like to leave a thank you card for both the spirits and a Kami. Spirit Day cards might be nice, right?

shooting gallery

[fallmushrooms]

[It's a familiar sight, maybe. A booth grown up out of the ground, targets to hit with cheap water guns, prizes like little notebooks and spring toys and magnifying glasses. It could really be for any kami or spirit, and the girl running it seems practiced at it.]

Step right up and play! Bet you can win a prize!

[And indeed, any fees Velda takes will end up in spirits' offering boxes by the end of the night, whether her own from the training centre or any she passes. Maybe that's what the Survivors of Sin can still do for Starsand.]

Jewelry Stall & Spirit Channeling

[anenemies]

[Kagami has combined two projects for his stall, one legitimate and one decidedly less so.

He advertises jewelry that consists of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. While the jewelry is cute in nature, following a decora theme, it looks like it was rushed and cheaply made and has been marked up significantly.

There's also the fact that he has a sign that proudly promises the jewelry has been blessed by multiple kami and will solve a tough problem- whether that's trying to build better habits, relationship issues, anything. It's promised to solve everything with no effort at all!

Starling will all be donated to spirits.]

Is there anything that catches your interest? I think you'd look good with something pastel...

[Kagami's more legitimate service, mostly found later in the evening, is that he's advertised to channel spirits, each up to five minutes. He smiles sleepily at whoever passes by.]

Have you ever wished you could communicate with spirits? Would you like me to answer any questions...?