It’s a special time of year and the sword army is invited to come down from their citadels and celebrate. What? A summer festival, an offering to the gods, or perhaps a special ceremony of sorts. The normally quiet, rural village at the foot of the mountains will transform for the night with lanterns, fireworks, and music all around but first! Some preparations need to be done. Did you really think you would be invited down here without having to do some work? Prepare to dance, prepare to sing, prepare for a night of fun.
1. CEREMONY PRACTICE
At the citadel, a new chore has been added to the list: ceremonial practice! The swords selected to perform at the festival will have to practice their song and dance or else they'll risk embarrassment in front of the crowds. Or maybe this entire thing is embarrassing... either way, this is your duty! Saniwa's orders! Where and when is up to you but you better be ready.
2. PREPARING THE OFFERINGS
Those who aren’t practicing have been going on a lot of expeditions lately, haven’t they? Some of the materials brought back from missions has been set aside to take to the festival and offer later. The same can be said for the crops in the field, the alcohol that is suddenly off limits, and ah… do you smell that food from the kitchen? Yeah, that isn’t for you either. These are offerings to the gods though so don’t you dare try to get greedy! Are you listening?!
3. SPECIAL CLOTHES
You can’t wear those same old clothes. They’re all torn and worn or just not appropriate at all for the type of festival you’re going to. The organization has all of your measurements and has sent special robes for the spirits and saniwa to wear. It even comes complete with accessories! What’s taking you so long? We should have left twenty minutes ago. Do you need help? Or are you trying to perfect your appearances for your big debut?
4. PERFORMANCE
Everyone is dancing and everyone is singing. Are you one of the performers? Or are they dancing to you? What kind of songs are you hearing? What dances are you watching? Did you see the ceremonial sword dance? Or maybe you were invited to dance in a special performance with your saniwa! When the performance is over, make sure to congratulate the performers on a job well done… or tease your friend.
5. PAY RESPECTS
After the festive ceremonies, a more somber moment takes place. Remember, we are fighting a war and it’s important to remember those that have fallen. The swords that were broken and damaged beyond repair are gathered up and taken to a sacred fire so that their spirits can be purified and reborn. Later, all of those offerings you have been saving are offered up to the gods for their blessings. One by one, you can come up to the shrine or fire and say your prayers.
6. SPECIAL SUMMONING
What better day to summon a sword spirit on the day you’ve made offerings to the gods and have prayed for good fortune? Maybe it’s a first-time saniwa summoning their first spirit or a veteran saniwa trying their luck. Maybe a saniwa has tried to purify a particularly corrupt sword tonight... Either way, a special spirit is going to be born tonight. Are you the spirit? Happy summoning day to you all.
7. FESTIVITIES
The ceremonies are finally over! Wow, that sure took up a lot of time, huh? There are still a couple of more hours left in the night so enjoy the festivities. Try the food, play the shooting games, win a couple of prizes. How many goldfish can you catch? Or maybe the important question is: How are you going to take care of this goldfish? At the end of the night, you can catch the fireworks before the night ends.
8. WILDCARD
Pick your own adventure.
This is a meme inspired by this plurk. What if the saniwa had to perform other duties besides just summoning swords to fight? What if they had to take part in special ceremonies? What if they had to invite their swords to perform with them? Feel free to get as creative as you want with this prompt as far as things like: Why are they celebrating? How often do they get to leave the citadel? Etc.
i. [ naturally, it's not just his spirits preparing for tonight. he's done this once before, but that was a year ago and he'd been a brand-new saniwa at the time-- he'd been required to do only the most basic dance, and that had been nerve-wracking and embarrassing enough. this time, as a surprisingly successful saniwa, there's a lot more to do and prepare for. ('surprisingly' because, doubtless, no one had expected a half-trained country bumpkin to actually live this long, much less have such a prosperous citadel and such stalwart spiritual allies.)
it's probably no surprise to his swords, then, that haru's been practicing every spare moment he has, basically anywhere he can, small form moving awkwardly through the steps--though less awkward as the days pass--serious face screwed up with intense concentration.
he's in the courtyard now, actually, in a tank-top and sweatpants rolled halfway up his calves, feet bare in the grass. the spirit that lives in the nearest tree is stretched out over a branch, clearly trying not to laugh at the poor, uncomfortable saniwa, and haru is clearly attempting to ignore her. it's probably why he doesn't notice someone approach-- right up until he spins and runs right into them. immediately, his concentration and what little grace he'd achieved are gone, and he windmills his arms in an attempt to keep his balance, yelping in surprise. ]
iii. We're gonna' be late. We're definitely gonna' be late.
[ haru's been muttering that under his breath for the last minute or so, small hands carefully and quickly--dressing mikazuki sure has paid off--working at some of the more fiddly, decorative bits on the elaborate clothing the organization sent him to wear. he feels stupid, he's sure he looks stupid in such expensive clothes, and what the heck is he expected to do with his hair?
he turns, pale eyes stressed, pretty haircombs still clenched in one hand as if he's considering throwing them (he's not a girl, and he's not a sword-spirit, he'll definitely look dumb in these). despite his concerns, though, this is probably the nicest he's ever looked for his spirits. ]
Are you done? Do you need help?
iv. [ haru's still blushing and shaking a little once he and his spirit finally step off the stage. somehow, he'd managed not to mess up, and he doesn't think he looked too stiff.. hopefully not so much that he'd embarrassed his spirit, anyway. he'd certainly been perfect, anyway, so maybe all eyes had been on him instead of noticing haru.
he takes a deep, relieved breath, a hand lifting to clutch at the fabric over his chest. ]
My heart's still beating like crazy. [ he glances over. ] I'm really sorry I'm no good at this. Hopefully none of the others will tease you about it.
vii. [ that sure is haru trotting up with two candied apples. even now, he's almost unrecognizable in his festival clothing, but his pale eyes, size, and typical expressionlessness is pretty telling, anyway.
he stops, offering one out, pale eyes warming. ] Have you had one of these before?
viii. [ hit me with whatever! most of his prompts are aimed toward swords, but feel free to have other saniwa, spirits, etc. approach him! ]
[Despite being as composed as ever and trying to steady his breathing again, Yagen's flushed from finishing the dance just now. Not because he's embarrassed, it take a lot for him to feel that way, but because of the concentration and movements the dance required. It's different from the battlefield he was raised in, but he never let it shake his outward confidence.
No need to make Haru worry too much.
He looks over at his master and gives him a reassuring smile.]
You don't have to worry, General. You haven't made any mistakes. [Even in the middle of dancing, a field he feels out of place of as a unrefined sword, Yagen still pay attention to Haru in order to support him.] My brothers would still tease me, regardless of how we do.
[The Toushirou brothers are a force to be reckon with.]
[ ah.. yagen is always so collected. haru could be jealous if he were the type to be prone toward that sort of thing. after helping to run a war for a whole year, one would think that something like this would be nothing for haru-- and while it's true that he's a lot more confident in most matters now, being in front of a crowd of mostly-strangers is still really horrifying for him. especially considering that it's his job to represent his citadel and his spirits well.
still, his eyes warm faintly at the reassurance. even if he feels like he looked stupid out there, at least yagen doesn't seem to have minded much.
he reaches out, squeezing the spirit's wrist briefly. ] Thanks. [ and then a beat, shifting on his feet slightly. ] If they give you too much grief, tell them I'll ask Ichi-nii to scold them about it. [ for the most part, there's no quicker way to quiet the toushirou crowd. ]
[He's collected because that's how he (have to be) is. Yagen get to support his master and watch him grow over the past year. His growth and improvements made him proud to call Haru his "General". And to perform this dance with him was a great honour for this tantou.
His smile widens, a little amused by Haru's promise to ask Ichigo. He twist his wrist around gently, and then hold Haru's hand.]
Thank you, General. Although, Ichinii may still scold them regardless. [Possibly. If the only tachi caught sight of his brothers teasing him.] Would you like me to get you a drink?
[OF COURSE KASHUU IS THE ONE PUSHING EVERYONE TO THE DEADLINE. Of course it's Kashuu...
But considering how meticulous he normally is when it comes to what he wears and how he looks, it's only natural that he'd basically go into turbodrive for something as important as this ceremony. He's been up since ass o'clock specifically so he'd have enough time to prepare himself, but no amount of time could ever truly be enough for this fussy princess, which is why he's still in front of the mirror when they probably should have left several minutes ago.
Of course, hearing that just makes him more jittery!! And jitters means his fingers aren't as nimble as usual, which slows his progress. Eventually, with no small measure of embarrassment, he'll call back in response to Haru's question.]
Um— yeah. [He's done??] I could use a little help. [No, of course not.]
[ tucking the combs away so he can fret about them later, when he has a more experienced saniwa around to sort out what to do with them, he crosses toward kashuu. turning the spirit toward him so he can see what's left, his hands lift, tying and tucking the last bits and patting at his sides and back to make certain he hasn't missed anything. ]
Did they send anything for your hair? What about makeup?
[ haru'd been pretty confused about the makeup part, himself, but jirou had helped him with it. (oh, maybe he'll ask jirou about the combs.) ]
[He gestures toward the table, where an ornate hairpin has been set. He's spent most of his time fussing over how to put his hair up, so he hasn't actually gotten around to sticking it in his hair yet... As for makeup, his is already applied and done well, of course! Though he still frets over it, because ceremonial wear is much different from the sort of thing he applies on a normal day.]
I already finished most of my makeup. Does it look good?
[ he's distracted from his staredown with the hairpin (how is that even supposed to stay in?) by the answer and its following question. blinking, he glances up as if seeing kashuu for the first time again, and his expression softens with helpless affection. ]
Yeah. You look really pretty. Everyone's gonna' be stunned.
[ he hesitates, then pulls the combs back out, dropping them in kashuu's hand. ]
Do you want to use these, too? I don't know why they were sent for me in the first place.
[That seems to ease some of the tension in him, at least! Haru's compliments always do. He raises one hand to tuck some hair behind his ear; the gesture is almost a little shy-looking, even though it's totally ruined by how brightly he smiles.]
You think? Thanks, Haruji. [That's certainly what he's aiming for!! If he's going to be the center of attention, he wants to be remembered for being pretty!
Looking a little surprised once the combs are dropped into his hand, though.]
Huh? You don't want 'em? [Sure, Haru's hair is a little short for combs, but...] They'd look good on you.
( She isn't a sword but not long after his performance, a certain tiny sage will come up to congratulate him. She's hard to miss, with the way her hair is fixed up with all sorts of gold ornaments that clink as she approaches him. She looks more like a doll with her makeup and ceremonial dress than a regular sage. But doesn't everyone look a little extraordinary or even otherworldly tonight?
This was his first real performance and she knows exactly how stressful that can be. )
[ oh, it's maki. immediately, like magic, his expression softens, narrow shoulders relaxing from their wound-up, stiff posture. ]
Hey, Maki-chan. [ the compliment makes his ears go red again, though, and he shakes his head slightly. ] I don't think I'll ever be very good at that sort of thing. I guess it's okay as long as I only have to do it once a year, though.
[ normally, he might ruffle her hair or give her a hug at this point, but he doesn't want to mess up her meticulous hairstyle or put her clothes out of place. instead, he shifts to brush a quick, familial kiss to her temple, the way he would any of his siblings. ]
--Have you gotten taller? [ ugh no please stay tiny.. ]
( She giggles and shakes her head, ornaments clinking. )
A little. ( And she leans down a bit, grabbing part of her kimono just above the knee and raises it to show her feet. She's wearing high shoes, giving her an extra inch or two for the night. ) What about you?
( She lets go of her kimono and stands up straighter, raising her hand to do a salute and comparing herself to Haru. )
[Oh my, that is quite the unusual offering. The holy sword was too used to coins, or in certain rituals the standard fresh produce and sake.
While fruit was acceptable, confectionery was a bit of a stretch, even if it was an apple. It however, does not stop him from looking at it with intrigue.]
I have not, unfortunately. I am not one who usually eats sweets.
[ he clicks his tongue, brows arching faintly as he glances up at the spirit, still holding the other apple out. ]
Well, it's about time you did. [ he turns his own between his fingers, glancing down at the bright red candy coating. ] It's not really traditional, but I'm glad they have them. [ maybe they have foreign guests this year.. ] If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but I thought it might be nice to introduce you guys to some different things.
Sometimes, it's fun just being a part of something.
[ and for blades that have sat in shrines or tombs for centuries, all of this is probably new (and maybe a little exciting).
personally, haru's quite fond of sweets, if only because he doesn't get them often, so he's pretty quick to follow with a small bite to his own. he falls in at the spirit's side as they walk, head tilting back slightly to peer up at the night sky. ]
This is nice, but I'm glad we don't have to do it very often. [ the dancing and all. haru hates the attention. ]
[Ookurikara had noticed saniwa training very hard to perform at the ceremony. He had certainly improved from last year, and seemed to be set on getting better. The uchigatana didn't really like to have to submit to the sages, but Haru's effort made Ookurikara feel a little more respect for him.
[ for a moment or two, haru looks scandalized and a little horrified. in front of ookurikara of all spirits. he gathers himself up, though, releasing the other man's arms where he'd grabbed him to steady himself. ]
Kuri-sa-- [ wait, no, better not to use a nickname with this blade in particular. ] Um. Ookurikara-san. Thank you. [ his ears are already red. ] Sorry, I guess I was just.. focused..
[Ookurikara is not really fond of nicknames, but he won't do much more than glare at whoever calls him one. Though he's always glaring, so it's not much of a change anyway.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tachizuru) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
130bladeworks2015-08-14 04:05 pm
no subject
[ naturally, it's not just his spirits preparing for tonight. he's done this once before, but that was a year ago and he'd been a brand-new saniwa at the time-- he'd been required to do only the most basic dance, and that had been nerve-wracking and embarrassing enough. this time, as a surprisingly successful saniwa, there's a lot more to do and prepare for. ('surprisingly' because, doubtless, no one had expected a half-trained country bumpkin to actually live this long, much less have such a prosperous citadel and such stalwart spiritual allies.)
it's probably no surprise to his swords, then, that haru's been practicing every spare moment he has, basically anywhere he can, small form moving awkwardly through the steps--though less awkward as the days pass--serious face screwed up with intense concentration.
he's in the courtyard now, actually, in a tank-top and sweatpants rolled halfway up his calves, feet bare in the grass. the spirit that lives in the nearest tree is stretched out over a branch, clearly trying not to laugh at the poor, uncomfortable saniwa, and haru is clearly attempting to ignore her. it's probably why he doesn't notice someone approach-- right up until he spins and runs right into them. immediately, his concentration and what little grace he'd achieved are gone, and he windmills his arms in an attempt to keep his balance, yelping in surprise. ]
iii.
We're gonna' be late. We're definitely gonna' be late.
[ haru's been muttering that under his breath for the last minute or so, small hands carefully and quickly--dressing mikazuki sure has paid off--working at some of the more fiddly, decorative bits on the elaborate clothing the organization sent him to wear. he feels stupid, he's sure he looks stupid in such expensive clothes, and what the heck is he expected to do with his hair?
he turns, pale eyes stressed, pretty haircombs still clenched in one hand as if he's considering throwing them (he's not a girl, and he's not a sword-spirit, he'll definitely look dumb in these). despite his concerns, though, this is probably the nicest he's ever looked for his spirits. ]
Are you done? Do you need help?
iv.
[ haru's still blushing and shaking a little once he and his spirit finally step off the stage. somehow, he'd managed not to mess up, and he doesn't think he looked too stiff.. hopefully not so much that he'd embarrassed his spirit, anyway. he'd certainly been perfect, anyway, so maybe all eyes had been on him instead of noticing haru.
he takes a deep, relieved breath, a hand lifting to clutch at the fabric over his chest. ]
My heart's still beating like crazy. [ he glances over. ] I'm really sorry I'm no good at this. Hopefully none of the others will tease you about it.
vii.
[ that sure is haru trotting up with two candied apples. even now, he's almost unrecognizable in his festival clothing, but his pale eyes, size, and typical expressionlessness is pretty telling, anyway.
he stops, offering one out, pale eyes warming. ] Have you had one of these before?
viii.
[ hit me with whatever! most of his prompts are aimed toward swords, but feel free to have other saniwa, spirits, etc. approach him! ]
IV
No need to make Haru worry too much.
He looks over at his master and gives him a reassuring smile.]
You don't have to worry, General. You haven't made any mistakes. [Even in the middle of dancing, a field he feels out of place of as a unrefined sword, Yagen still pay attention to Haru in order to support him.] My brothers would still tease me, regardless of how we do.
[The Toushirou brothers are a force to be reckon with.]
no subject
still, his eyes warm faintly at the reassurance. even if he feels like he looked stupid out there, at least yagen doesn't seem to have minded much.
he reaches out, squeezing the spirit's wrist briefly. ] Thanks. [ and then a beat, shifting on his feet slightly. ] If they give you too much grief, tell them I'll ask Ichi-nii to scold them about it. [ for the most part, there's no quicker way to quiet the toushirou crowd. ]
no subject
His smile widens, a little amused by Haru's promise to ask Ichigo. He twist his wrist around gently, and then hold Haru's hand.]
Thank you, General. Although, Ichinii may still scold them regardless. [Possibly. If the only tachi caught sight of his brothers teasing him.] Would you like me to get you a drink?
iii!
But considering how meticulous he normally is when it comes to what he wears and how he looks, it's only natural that he'd basically go into turbodrive for something as important as this ceremony. He's been up since ass o'clock specifically so he'd have enough time to prepare himself, but no amount of time could ever truly be enough for this fussy princess, which is why he's still in front of the mirror when they probably should have left several minutes ago.
Of course, hearing that just makes him more jittery!! And jitters means his fingers aren't as nimble as usual, which slows his progress. Eventually, with no small measure of embarrassment, he'll call back in response to Haru's question.]
Um— yeah. [He's done??] I could use a little help. [No, of course not.]
no subject
Did they send anything for your hair? What about makeup?
[ haru'd been pretty confused about the makeup part, himself, but jirou had helped him with it. (oh, maybe he'll ask jirou about the combs.) ]
no subject
[He gestures toward the table, where an ornate hairpin has been set. He's spent most of his time fussing over how to put his hair up, so he hasn't actually gotten around to sticking it in his hair yet... As for makeup, his is already applied and done well, of course! Though he still frets over it, because ceremonial wear is much different from the sort of thing he applies on a normal day.]
I already finished most of my makeup. Does it look good?
no subject
Yeah. You look really pretty. Everyone's gonna' be stunned.
[ he hesitates, then pulls the combs back out, dropping them in kashuu's hand. ]
Do you want to use these, too? I don't know why they were sent for me in the first place.
no subject
You think? Thanks, Haruji. [That's certainly what he's aiming for!! If he's going to be the center of attention, he wants to be remembered for being pretty!
Looking a little surprised once the combs are dropped into his hand, though.]
Huh? You don't want 'em? [Sure, Haru's hair is a little short for combs, but...] They'd look good on you.
IV
This was his first real performance and she knows exactly how stressful that can be. )
That was amazing!
no subject
Hey, Maki-chan. [ the compliment makes his ears go red again, though, and he shakes his head slightly. ] I don't think I'll ever be very good at that sort of thing. I guess it's okay as long as I only have to do it once a year, though.
[ normally, he might ruffle her hair or give her a hug at this point, but he doesn't want to mess up her meticulous hairstyle or put her clothes out of place. instead, he shifts to brush a quick, familial kiss to her temple, the way he would any of his siblings. ]
--Have you gotten taller? [ ugh no please stay tiny.. ]
no subject
A little. ( And she leans down a bit, grabbing part of her kimono just above the knee and raises it to show her feet. She's wearing high shoes, giving her an extra inch or two for the night. ) What about you?
( She lets go of her kimono and stands up straighter, raising her hand to do a salute and comparing herself to Haru. )
You look like you've grown!
vii.!
While fruit was acceptable, confectionery was a bit of a stretch, even if it was an apple. It however, does not stop him from looking at it with intrigue.]
I have not, unfortunately. I am not one who usually eats sweets.
no subject
Well, it's about time you did. [ he turns his own between his fingers, glancing down at the bright red candy coating. ] It's not really traditional, but I'm glad they have them. [ maybe they have foreign guests this year.. ] If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but I thought it might be nice to introduce you guys to some different things.
no subject
It would be an interesting experience, being in the shoes of the worshippers.
[Never was he a participant in a matsuri before, his place being behind the altar.
He takes a bite. The crunch from the candy coating and the actual apple was a pleasant surprise.]
This is good. I can see why so many enjoy this.
no subject
[ and for blades that have sat in shrines or tombs for centuries, all of this is probably new (and maybe a little exciting).
personally, haru's quite fond of sweets, if only because he doesn't get them often, so he's pretty quick to follow with a small bite to his own. he falls in at the spirit's side as they walk, head tilting back slightly to peer up at the night sky. ]
This is nice, but I'm glad we don't have to do it very often. [ the dancing and all. haru hates the attention. ]
no subject
[Overwork and laziness are obviously both no-nos, for swords or for saniwas.
With fulfilled duties, there comes one's deserved free time. To be able to gain some insight while relaxing is quite an optimal situation.]
Festivals do require quite the effort to set up, but it is best to enjoy them while they last.
[It is after all, a period of peace in the middle of a tempest.]
1
He catches the saniwa before he falls.]
Be careful.
no subject
Kuri-sa-- [ wait, no, better not to use a nickname with this blade in particular. ] Um. Ookurikara-san. Thank you. [ his ears are already red. ] Sorry, I guess I was just.. focused..
no subject
Though he's always glaring, so it's not much of a change anyway.]Yeah, I could see that.