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.
[Yes. Yes he did. They could sense his aura of rude brattishness and they tried to get away as quickly as possible...]
They'd say something in the rules if it wasn't, yeah? [No, they just don't expect people to be that dumb, probably!! But whatever okay they can make their own rules who's gonna stop them.
Giving him a look at that, though...]
If you're gonna get takoyaki, you should share with me instead of the fish. [That's too good to waste on goldfish!! And also possibly dangerous?! Do fish even eat octopus, real questions.]
[WOW leaping right to the worst punishment, i see...]
'Cause I'm here already, duh!
[What, is Namazuo going to track down one of the other swords to share his hypothetical takoyaki with?? That's a lot of effort! He is kind of hungry, too, but he hasn't yet had the time to actually sit and eat... Being a social butterfly is hard, okay.]
But who said anything about sharing in the first place?! What if he was just going to stuff his face all by himself...
Well, either way, Kashuu's here now and Namazuo is nice enough to share. He'd only need a few crumbs for goldfish bait anyway, it's not like he needs to save a whole takoyaki ball for fish cannibalism.]
Well... okay. Let's go, then, before it's all gone. [Getting to his feet! Probably to the relief of the stall owner... how long has he been in here, it's a true mystery.]
[WOW what a greedy shit!! First resorting to forcing fish into cannibalism, now this...
But oh, what's this? Is he going to get a snack after all? EXCELLENT. Namazuo is currently on his way to dethroning Urashima as his favorite wakizashi. After they're a few feet away from the vendor:]
That guy gave you a funny look. [What did Namazuo do...]
[WOWx2 how about the one who just showed up expecting free snacks?? GOSH.
But luckily Namazuo is a kind and generous wakizashi, which is totally why he's going to share, not because he's a pushover. (He's kind of a pushover.) Away they go...!]
Hm? What guy? [??? Namazuo only had eyes for his fish!]
[LOOK Namazuo agreed, it's off his hands now... But onward and upward to greater things! Like snacks, which are always very important.]
That guy! The booth guy! [He probably had a nametag but Kashuu apparently couldn't be assed to read it. What a nice sword...] You seriously didn't notice?
[TRULY A BRAT THROUGH AND THROUGH. Good thing Kashuu's getting free food out of this...
He also makes a face at that.]
S'that supposed to sound appealing at all? Sweet cotton just sounds like someone made a mistake somewhere on their way between the laundry line and kitchen.
Mm, they did a wonderful job decorating them. [Talented food artists! Namazuo likes making things, but he definitely doesn't have the patience to make them look that pretty.]
I wouldn't wanna eat some of them even if they weren't way too sweet. That stuff's like art, isn't it? [Clearly they're thinking along the same lines! Food artists are something else.]
How was that?
[Yakisoba sounds good, too... But he doesn't want to eat anything too messy! No sauces for him.]
Huh? Seriously? Wouldn't it melt in the sun or rain, though? [??? What does one do... with a sugar sculpture... Truly, he's confused. BUT GOD, Namazuo, no wonder he has like fifty babysitters.]
You're supposed to wait 'til it cools off first, y'know.
Oh, they don't put them outside! [...] --I don't think they do. But I didn't see what they did with them afterwards... [He just kind of assumed they got eaten, because of course he did.
He laughs, looking a little sheepish.] I know, I know. But it smelled so good, I couldn't wait to taste it.
Eat 'em, I guess? But they'd have to do it quick, 'cause those sculptures would get real gross if they were left sitting out for too long.
[Of course they both automatically assume the sculptures get eaten. UGH BUT HE'S NOT EVEN HONEBAMI THOUGH why is he suddenly stuck doing the lecturing!]
Don't rush through it with these, yeah? [Don't just stuff takoyaki into your face, Nama...]
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They'd say something in the rules if it wasn't, yeah? [No, they just don't expect people to be that dumb, probably!! But whatever okay they can make their own rules who's gonna stop them.
Giving him a look at that, though...]
If you're gonna get takoyaki, you should share with me instead of the fish. [That's too good to waste on goldfish!! And also possibly dangerous?! Do fish even eat octopus, real questions.]
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That gets a puzzled look, though.] Why with you?
[BURN. ...Unintentionally. But look, if Kashuu is hungry, why isn't he eating right now??]
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'Cause I'm here already, duh!
[What, is Namazuo going to track down one of the other swords to share his hypothetical takoyaki with?? That's a lot of effort! He is kind of hungry, too, but he hasn't yet had the time to actually sit and eat... Being a social butterfly is hard, okay.]
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But who said anything about sharing in the first place?! What if he was just going to stuff his face all by himself...
Well, either way, Kashuu's here now and Namazuo is nice enough to share. He'd only need a few crumbs for goldfish bait anyway, it's not like he needs to save a whole takoyaki ball for fish cannibalism.]
Well... okay. Let's go, then, before it's all gone. [Getting to his feet! Probably to the relief of the stall owner... how long has he been in here, it's a true mystery.]
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But oh, what's this? Is he going to get a snack after all? EXCELLENT. Namazuo is currently on his way to dethroning Urashima as his favorite wakizashi. After they're a few feet away from the vendor:]
That guy gave you a funny look. [What did Namazuo do...]
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But luckily Namazuo is a kind and generous wakizashi, which is totally why he's going to share, not because he's a pushover. (He's kind of a pushover.) Away they go...!]
Hm? What guy? [??? Namazuo only had eyes for his fish!]
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That guy! The booth guy! [He probably had a nametag but Kashuu apparently couldn't be assed to read it. What a nice sword...] You seriously didn't notice?
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Oh! Right. He was doing that a lot. [Namazuo shrugs, smiling.] I guess I was there for a while!
[He noticed, he just didn't care...]
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How long's "a while", huh? He totally looked relieved when we walked away.
[Maybe he's exaggerating a little, but honestly!! If a booth runner looks even a tiny bit relieved, it's a sign that someone's hecked up.]
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[Because dealing with this moron just isn't worth it half the time, probably.]
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[How much money has Namazuo spent on this booth... Maybe he's actually rescuing both of them by dragging this punk away.]
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I have enough for food! Have you tried cotton candy yet? It tastes like-- [...] --sweet cotton.
[Wow what a shocker]
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He also makes a face at that.]
S'that supposed to sound appealing at all? Sweet cotton just sounds like someone made a mistake somewhere on their way between the laundry line and kitchen.
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for once.]It might be too sweet for you, though. The caramel apples too.
[Just how much sugar has this nerd had, exactly...]no subject
It sounds too sweet. Caramel apples look really nice, though... [The decorated ones, obviously, because they're all very pretty.]
Have you tried anything that isn't full of sugar?
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Mm, they did a wonderful job decorating them. [Talented food artists! Namazuo likes making things, but he definitely doesn't have the patience to make them look that pretty.]
Of course! I had some yakisoba after the dance.
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I wouldn't wanna eat some of them even if they weren't way too sweet. That stuff's like art, isn't it? [Clearly they're thinking along the same lines! Food artists are something else.]
How was that?
[Yakisoba sounds good, too... But he doesn't want to eat anything too messy! No sauces for him.]
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It is! Did you know they can make sculptures out of sugar? [Namazuo's cooking channel adventures... would he eat a sugar sculpture? Probably.]
It was good! A little too hot, though. [Guess who burned his tongue...]
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Huh? Seriously? Wouldn't it melt in the sun or rain, though? [??? What does one do... with a sugar sculpture... Truly, he's confused. BUT GOD, Namazuo, no wonder he has like fifty babysitters.]
You're supposed to wait 'til it cools off first, y'know.
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Oh, they don't put them outside! [...] --I don't think they do. But I didn't see what they did with them afterwards... [He just kind of assumed they got eaten, because of course he did.
He laughs, looking a little sheepish.] I know, I know. But it smelled so good, I couldn't wait to taste it.
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Eat 'em, I guess? But they'd have to do it quick, 'cause those sculptures would get real gross if they were left sitting out for too long.
[Of course they both automatically assume the sculptures get eaten. UGH BUT HE'S NOT EVEN HONEBAMI THOUGH why is he suddenly stuck doing the lecturing!]
Don't rush through it with these, yeah? [Don't just stuff takoyaki into your face, Nama...]