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.
2. Guarding the Food ( This is clearly some sort of reverse psychology sly manipulation tactic. There's a huge pile of goodies on a table in the kitchen, all ready to be carried off to the festival tomorrow morning. Right there... free for anyone to sneak an orange or a candy or maybe something small that surely no one would notice. What is the saniwa thinking keeping this sort of treasure out in the open? Apparently, they're thinking ahead.
... Clearly the solution is to get the swords most likely to be tempted to snatch a treat or two and put them on guard duty. It's hard to steal a rice cake when you're suddenly accountable for the entire hoard. So here's Mutsu, taking the first shift (because let's be real, he isn't the only sword being singled out here). There's a pile of prepared food right behind him and he's.... making a point of not looking. No! He's making a point of not even thinking about it! He'll protect the offerings...! Until the next sword takes over. )
7. You get a toy and you get a toy and everyone gets a toy ( At the festival, Mutsu's clothes are fairly plain and simple compared to some of the more elaborate costumes and casual clothes prepared for the other swords. He wouldn't have it any other way though. As far as he's concerned, the clothes the organization has prepared for him are perfect.
He's also taken to the shooting games! Heh heh, a game like this is no match for Sakamoto Ryoma's sword. Bang, bang, bang! After a few rounds, Mutsu's won quite a collection of stuffed animals. BUT HE'S GOING TO SHOW YOU EVERYTHING HE WON and try to pass some off to you because he also can't hold all of these stuffed animals. )
[LORD someone here sure is excited... Actually, pretty much everyone Kashuu has run into so far has been excited. He's excited! It's just an exciting day in general, though he thinks for many it's because of the dancing and ceremony and really, really, really good food. Even if they can't eat some of it.
But!! He hasn't seen anyone that surprised over the carnival games. Not surprising that it's Mutsu, though...
He gives the bundle of stuffed animals a look, glancing back up to Mutsu's face with his brow furrowed shortly after.]
( He didn't come here to win prizes... He just wanted to have fun and you know he has fun with guns and he just kept racking up small prizes and then larger ones... )
Yeah! Ya're the first one I've run into so far so ya can pick whatever ya want.
[That's when you win the most prizes, okay!! By trying not to win them... It's the same logic that works behind RNG rolls.
Anyway, glancing over the choices! Are there any super cute ones? He'll zero in on those right away, of course.]
How'd you even get all of these so fast? It's not like we've been out here for long... [The most official parts of the ceremony couldn't have ended more than a half-hour ago!! But Kashuu's not great at keeping track of time, either.]
[ Kogitsunemaru, the greatest and sneakiest of foxes, is going to stroll up to that table and take some food. Look, he's hungry because all day he's been watching others do work and man that takes energy.
Don't make him use his fox tricks, okay??? If there isn't any tofu, he'd be happy with an apple or two. Apples are awesome, just like him. ]
[ WHAT IS THIS, MUTSU? WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT, THIS IS NOT FAIR! WOW??? ]
Mutsunokami! [ Kogi mockingly does the same thing right back at him. ] Let me have the thing! [ He stomps the floor with a foot, he's hungry. Come on, bro! Team hairears for life! His even shake as he tries to be intimidating, but it's so haaaard... ]
[ Fox trick number one: PICK MUTSU UP AND LOCK HIM IN A CLOSET.
No, no... that's... no. Even Kogi has some respect and honor. That'll be trick number three. He's pretty sure he can get to the food other ways. It just takes some time. ]
... please?
[ MANNERS. FOX TRICK NUMBER ONE (this time for real)! ]
( Kogi what the hell are you doing... Mutsu's no professional guard dog. He's more like a house dog meant to fetch newspapers and tear up the house when you leave him alone. )
A...ah... C'mon, Kogi-san, don't do this to me! It's master's orders!
( Relaxing just a bit... but he'll still fight you if he has to. )
Not really... if Master catches ya... they're really calm. ( "I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed." ) And then ya gotta be on guard duty 'til the next person takes something.
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130bladeworks2015-08-14 04:05 pm
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( This is clearly some sort of reverse psychology sly manipulation tactic. There's a huge pile of goodies on a table in the kitchen, all ready to be carried off to the festival tomorrow morning. Right there... free for anyone to sneak an orange or a candy or maybe something small that surely no one would notice. What is the saniwa thinking keeping this sort of treasure out in the open? Apparently, they're thinking ahead.
... Clearly the solution is to get the swords most likely to be tempted to snatch a treat or two and put them on guard duty. It's hard to steal a rice cake when you're suddenly accountable for the entire hoard. So here's Mutsu, taking the first shift (because let's be real, he isn't the only sword being singled out here). There's a pile of prepared food right behind him and he's.... making a point of not looking. No! He's making a point of not even thinking about it! He'll protect the offerings...! Until the next sword takes over. )
7. You get a toy and you get a toy and everyone gets a toy
( At the festival, Mutsu's clothes are fairly plain and simple compared to some of the more elaborate costumes and casual clothes prepared for the other swords. He wouldn't have it any other way though. As far as he's concerned, the clothes the organization has prepared for him are perfect.
He's also taken to the shooting games! Heh heh, a game like this is no match for Sakamoto Ryoma's sword. Bang, bang, bang! After a few rounds, Mutsu's won quite a collection of stuffed animals. BUT HE'S GOING TO SHOW YOU EVERYTHING HE WON and try to pass some off to you because he also can't hold all of these stuffed animals. )
Hey! Ya want one?
8. COME AT ME
( Please. )
7!
But!! He hasn't seen anyone that surprised over the carnival games. Not surprising that it's Mutsu, though...
He gives the bundle of stuffed animals a look, glancing back up to Mutsu's face with his brow furrowed shortly after.]
Huh? One of those things?
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Yeah! Ya're the first one I've run into so far so ya can pick whatever ya want.
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Anyway, glancing over the choices! Are there any super cute ones? He'll zero in on those right away, of course.]
How'd you even get all of these so fast? It's not like we've been out here for long... [The most official parts of the ceremony couldn't have ended more than a half-hour ago!! But Kashuu's not great at keeping track of time, either.]
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Don't make him use his fox tricks, okay??? If there isn't any tofu, he'd be happy with an apple or two. Apples are awesome, just like him. ]
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Kogitsunemaru! ( He makes sure to accent each syllable. ) Not a chance!
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Mutsunokami! [ Kogi mockingly does the same thing right back at him. ] Let me have the thing! [ He stomps the floor with a foot, he's hungry. Come on, bro! Team hairears for life! His even shake as he tries to be intimidating, but it's so haaaard... ]
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No! Master left me in charge so I'm not gonna let anyone get by me! ( HE'LL FIGHT YOU!!! ) Even you!
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No, no... that's... no. Even Kogi has some respect and honor. That'll be trick number three. He's pretty sure he can get to the food other ways. It just takes some time. ]
... please?
[ MANNERS. FOX TRICK NUMBER ONE (this time for real)! ]
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Nope.
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Mutsunokami-san! Crane wing formation!
[ And he will use every ounce of authority and leadership in his BEING!--- for snackage. ]
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Wha...?! ( Wait! He recovers! ) Not a chance!
( And right back in his own secretary voice, )
Fishscale on outta here! C'mon! I'm not gonna let ya get me in trouble.
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Fine, fine. Mutsu-kun, please. No one will know. Just one apple?
[ Kogi gives his best sad face. Look how sad he is! Pity him. ]
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A...ah... C'mon, Kogi-san, don't do this to me! It's master's orders!
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Ah, you're right. Sorry. Our master would be upset if someone were to get into the food this early, huh.
[ He taps his chin a few times in thought. ]
I guess I can wait.
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Not really... if Master catches ya... they're really calm. ( "I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed." ) And then ya gotta be on guard duty 'til the next person takes something.
( DOES THIS EXPLAIN WHY MUTSU IS HERE )
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Wait... who was guarding it first? And what were you trying to take?
[ UGH, BEING A DISAPPOINTMENT?! That's the worst punishment. ]
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( And he sort of just gives Kogitsunemaru A Look like... just guess what he got caught trying to "test." )
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Hm. Well, if that's the rule, then... I guess I don't want to get caught and be with the food all by myself.
[ Loophole? Loophole. Maybe. Kind of? Sort of. Hm. ]
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