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. A 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. 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 government 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?
3. 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.
4. OFFERINGS AND PRAYER
After the festive ceremonies, there are more serious things to do. There is a sacred fire and you can take a moment to pray to the gods. 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. It's also a chance to hopefully pray for a turn in luck. Maybe you'll pray for an old friend to return to the citadel. It's been a long time since you saw them, right? They'll come home eventually.
5. 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.
6. SURPRISE ATTACK
With so many saniwa and sword spirits gathered in one place, it's the perfect time for the enemy to make a major blow against the Time Government. In what should have been the fireworks finale, there's a loud explosion and lightning strikes. The Time Retrograde Army strikes without warning. It's nothing the Touken Danshi haven't taken care of before but this time, they'll have to protect their saniwa too.
7. WILDCARD
Pick your own adventure. Maybe you have to help make offerings or tonight is a special night for a special summoning.
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
( He shuts his mouth and leans back as soon as she stars to raise her finger to him. Fine, fine, he'll stop! He doesn't want to do work in the stables, okay! But, )
Then I have one condition. ( He raises his finger now and holds it up to her, ) You aren't allowed to see me practice.
The one I really want to surprise is you, after all.
( And sure enough... Tsurumaru keeps true to his word. When he's able to, he practices fora long time. At first, it's in front of mirrors so he can critique himself and then he begins to practice for a very small and select audience-- Mikazuki, Kogistunemaru, Uguisumaru, and the others who knew him when he was younger and the ones who know the dance he is trying to do. It's been a long time and he's a little out of practice. He needs to make sure it's perfect because he won't settle for anything less.
On the day of the performance, he dresses his best and is excited to show Satori, )
[It's a performance, so of course they have to look their best! So no wearing their usual clothes, although of course, as usual, Satori sent back everything the Time Government tried to get her to accept as 'presents' and went to Satsuki instead. Once she had her line up it was easy to just order things in the appropriate colors.
She comes and inspect him and pulls here and adjusts here, but yes, he looks fine.]
Yeah, beautiful. You're going to knock them all down, Tsuru!
( He hasn't worn clothes like this in a very long time and while it had once been burdensome, it's a little exciting to wear it again. It makes him stand out more than he had before and it gives him a nice little thrill to feel everyone watching him. Because he knows when certain eyes look at him, their gaze lingers and he recognizes it as desire. They're envious of his master and if they feel that, then he's already done his job of making Satori look good.
As she adjusts his clothes, he smiles, raising his head up high so he can look his best. It really has taken her a long time to earn his good graces like this and now that she has it, her praise is all that really matters right now. )
Make sure to watch me, aruji. If you don't, I might cry! Hahaha!
( And when it's time for him to go up, he goes proudly. His dance is beautiful. It's the only word to really describe it. It's carefully coordinated but also naturally fluid, each step and every turn flowing into the next effortlessly. He's like wind and water at once. The way his sleeves fly around him, it's clear where he got his name from. Even as the steps become more complicated, he doesn't falter. At the climax, he draws a fan and opens it, revealing the bright, crimson flash of color.
But the entire time, while he faces the officials in the audience, his eyes regularly dart back towards Satori. His attention is really on her, watching her expressions to see if she's pleased. When he's finished, he drops his fan intentionally in front of the seated officials. Like a mic dropping, that's the end and without a second glance, he turns his back and returns right to his master.
She's not the first Saniwa to have gotten her Tsurumaru to dance for one of these, but Tsuruamru is a complex bird. He chooses what to do on his own terms. He's always obeyed orders, but this is different. He's doing this for her. Because he wants to.
She manages to hide her smile behind her fan, mostly, but she knows he'll notice. And she almost laughs at the gasps when he drops the fan and comes back to her side.]
That was great, Tsuru!
[She has to whisper it because the music is starting for the next performance, but she grabs his hand to squeeze it.]
( He practically preens, taking his place next to her and looking particularly proud of himself. Ahead, he can tell that the officials are watching them through their veils and masks and he steps closer to Satori, smiling cooly. They might be upset or even angry but if they try to do anything to his master, he'll make sure they pay.
The next performance is about to start that and he'd rather be entertained than play another political game. )
Ah, is it Kara-bou? My, my... trying to outdo me, is he?
( He isn't really upset. He's proud of his colleague. )
He must really like you, aruji.
( No comment about how Tsurumaru himself must like her to have danced earlier too. )
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no subject
Gah!
I'm just trying to make a good impression!
( Help him help you!!! )
no subject
[And if he so much as opens his mouth again, she'll wave her finger in his face.]
Don't! I am not dancing and that's the end of that! I don't want to hear another word or I'm sending you to much the stables for a month!
no subject
Then I have one condition. ( He raises his finger now and holds it up to her, ) You aren't allowed to see me practice.
The one I really want to surprise is you, after all.
no subject
[You should have just said that instead of trying to get her to dance, you stupid bird!]
Just don't do it wherever, then! Alright?
[You're not allowed to do it wherever and then be mad if she stumbles on you.]
no subject
( He waves a hand dismissively in the air. )
But you can't go looking either.
( And sure enough... Tsurumaru keeps true to his word. When he's able to, he practices fora long time. At first, it's in front of mirrors so he can critique himself and then he begins to practice for a very small and select audience-- Mikazuki, Kogistunemaru, Uguisumaru, and the others who knew him when he was younger and the ones who know the dance he is trying to do. It's been a long time and he's a little out of practice. He needs to make sure it's perfect because he won't settle for anything less.
On the day of the performance, he dresses his best and is excited to show Satori, )
What do you think? Beautiful?
no subject
She comes and inspect him and pulls here and adjusts here, but yes, he looks fine.]
Yeah, beautiful. You're going to knock them all down, Tsuru!
no subject
As she adjusts his clothes, he smiles, raising his head up high so he can look his best. It really has taken her a long time to earn his good graces like this and now that she has it, her praise is all that really matters right now. )
Make sure to watch me, aruji. If you don't, I might cry! Hahaha!
( And when it's time for him to go up, he goes proudly. His dance is beautiful. It's the only word to really describe it. It's carefully coordinated but also naturally fluid, each step and every turn flowing into the next effortlessly. He's like wind and water at once. The way his sleeves fly around him, it's clear where he got his name from. Even as the steps
become more complicated, he doesn't falter. At the climax, he draws a fan and opens it, revealing the bright, crimson flash of color.
But the entire time, while he faces the officials in the audience, his eyes regularly dart back towards Satori. His attention is really on her, watching her expressions to see if she's pleased. When he's finished, he drops his fan intentionally in front of the seated officials. Like a mic dropping, that's the end and without a second glance, he turns his back and returns right to his master.
He didn't do this for them. He did it for her. )
no subject
She's not the first Saniwa to have gotten her Tsurumaru to dance for one of these, but Tsuruamru is a complex bird. He chooses what to do on his own terms. He's always obeyed orders, but this is different. He's doing this for her. Because he wants to.
She manages to hide her smile behind her fan, mostly, but she knows he'll notice. And she almost laughs at the gasps when he drops the fan and comes back to her side.]
That was great, Tsuru!
[She has to whisper it because the music is starting for the next performance, but she grabs his hand to squeeze it.]
no subject
The next performance is about to start that and he'd rather be entertained than play another political game. )
Ah, is it Kara-bou? My, my... trying to outdo me, is he?
( He isn't really upset. He's proud of his colleague. )
He must really like you, aruji.
( No comment about how Tsurumaru himself must like her to have danced earlier too. )
no subject
[She's still reeling a bit about the fact that Kara volunteered to dance. Like this is a dream she might wake up from very soon.
But she's still onto you, Tsuru. She's watching Kara right now, but she moves so that she can give you a shoulder bump.]
He said it about you too, by the way.