( She touches the sword gently with her fingers, focusing her magic into the blade. It only takes a second for a reaction to start. There's a bright glow at the center of the blade and a flurry of cherry blossom petals that begin to scatter around them from seemingly thin air. The light and the flowers grow in brightness and volume until from the storm, a figure appears.
His voice is very distinctive, something that Mikazuki might be able to recognize before the spirit even really finishes manifesting. )
I'm Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki. Since I've went through all the trouble of coming here, I'll seize the world!
( She'd let her starter up to fate and the one who'd come through had been a certain Tosan sword. The blank blade that she'd set down earlier is gone, replaced with a much more distinctive one at his side. The last of the petals fall and the uchigatana looks the girl in front of him up and down, )
Oooh! I've never had a lady for a master before.( And then he laughs. )Well, I'm not complaining! Never known a woman to let being a woman stop her!
( It's true. He's probably more afraid of his female associates in history than anyone else and he's had to share an era with the Shinsengumi. He'll also look around and give Mikazuki a look over. There's no clear recognition there other than the understanding that that guy is like him-- a touken danshi.
As for Hana? She's only barely able to contain her excitement. She's always been a more reserved girl but Mikazuki will see that right now, her eyes are absolutely shining the same way they did when she first met him. )
It's nice to meet you, Mutsunokami-san. ( And she's quick to introduce herself properly. Her name is Hana Mori and she's the saniwa at this citadel. ) And this is my secretary.
( And there's a pause where she'll let Mikazuki introduce himself. )
[Well, it's certainly a surprise, given Aruji's character... but then again, maybe not. These things tend to balance out. And since they are an old citadel maybe it's a good thing that they got Mutsunokami as a new starter, to shake things up a little.
Mikazuki lets master and starter introduce themselves. Aruji is clearly happy and excited, and she is right to be.
When Hana hands the floor to him, he bows his head slightly, although he stops short of actual bowing. he will show the proper amount of respect, of course, but not humble himself needlessly.]
My name is Mikazuki Munechika. I'm one of the five great swords of Japan, and well, I'm also said to be the most beautiful. I was born near the end of the 11th century. I guess you can say I'm an old man, hahahaha!
[And then he turns to Hana to give her a deeper bow, hands on the ground.]
That was a splendid first summoning, Aruji. Omedetou.
( It's better that way. Mutsunokami is never one for fancy displays or grand formalities. Anymore than that and he would probably be a little bashful at so much respect, especially from one of the great swords. )
Ooh.( He lets out a low whistle at Mikazuki's introduction. There's this small thought in the back of his head, something that tells him he was supposed to be first and so something isn't quite ordinary here but he doesn't push it for now. Sometimes, you have to go asking for answers! But other times, they just fall in front of you if you just wait a listen a little. He can manage both. )Well, I'll have ya know I got a bit of a reputation myself as a sword in Tosa.
( it might not compare to say, being a Tenka Goken, but he's proud of his own praise and value. He was adored by the one who matters most that means more than being any sort of grand national treasure. That one little comment though.. the one Mikazuki had made to Hana. A splendid first summoning? So he was her first summon and yet, she already had swords. It's subtle, something almost anyone else would miss, but his eyes narrow just slightly and he has to look both of them over once more. There's a history here that he'll have to learn. Hana doesn't seem to notice in her excitement that her first sword is already beginning to figure things out on just this brief interaction so far.
This isn't the sort of exchange Hana expected at all, nor is it one she's used to seeing. Most of the swords respect Mikazuki and at worst, Hasebe might sigh exasperatedly at him or scold him but no one really actually compares themselves to Mikazuki Munechika. It's new and interesting and Hana lets out the smallest giggle from behind a raised sleeve, )
It's nice to meet you.
( And she reaches out to take one of Mutsu's hands in both of her and begins to pull him out towards the garden, )
Mikazuki-san and I will show you around. I hope you'll like it here.
( She'll lead the way and let Mikazuki bring up the rear to help explain things. )
[Mikazuki has known a Mustunokami before, he knows he's a sharp sword. and while Hana might be surprised at the interaction, Mikazuki himself isn't. Instead, he greets that boast with another congenial laughter, until...]
Well, of course. The sword of Sakamoto Ryouma, one of the three great founders of modern Japan. Everyone should know of you.
[Mikazuki follows behind Aruji and introduces the Citadel as they walk as any good secretary should... the specifics he will get into later, when Aruji is occupied elsewhere. He knows Mutsunokami has caught on quite a few things already.]
Why don't I show Mutsunokami to his room, Aruji? You should go and get some food and then rest. We've only just come back from travelling.
( There are definitely some things that Mutsunokami has caught onto. Despite being her first summon, she already has a small army at her disposal. Everything already seems to be moving smoothy and efficiently and though his new master is leading the way and doing her best, she still defers to Mikazuki at times to help explain things even though she must have been here for some time. She's still learning how to lead, he notes, and it makes sense considering how young she is. Which also makes him wonder if she's here alone with her swords. Where are her parents? Shouldn't they be here with her? Hm.
Hana looks back at Mutsunokami at the suggestion and he waves a hand in the air, )
I won't work him too hard. ( He is, after all, an old man. ) You've been traveling all day, right?
( Even if he hasn't been told that explicitly... he'd felt her carrying him while he slept. )
Tomorrow's a new day, a ru ji~.
( And really, that's all the extra reassurance she needs to know Mutsunokami will be fine being left with Mikazuki. She lets go of his hand and nods, smiling as she excuses herself to go eat. She isn't quite tired yet, at least, she doesn't look like it but it'll catch up with her once she's eaten and let the energy of the day wear off.
Once she's out of sight and out of earshot, Mutsunokami looks back at Mikazuki, )
She seems like a good kid. ( Because that's what she is. Even if she's his master, she's still a kid and that's just as important as remembering her role at the citadel. ) How long have ya had her?
[Mikazuki leads the way, stopping in the kitchen first for a tray with tea and a few snacks. Once he's reached the room that was set aside, he opens the sliding doors and invites Mutsunokami in, going to put down the tray and start brewing the tea.]
Aruji inherited this Citadel from the previous Saniwa when he passed away. She was five years old when she arrived.
[Does he really need to say more? Yes, probably, but he knows Mutsunokami will have understood most of it just from this.]
Our previous starter, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, is ready to give you assistance whenever needed, as well as myself of course. And everyone else here. I can show you our full roster a little later.
[Not that he has to, technically, since he's the secretary and not Mutsunokami, and Aruji hasn't made a move to change it yet... but normally, the starter should be the secretary immediately upon arriving, so it's only right.
( Of course Mikazuki would be the tea type. Well, he has nothing against tea. It only means he'll have to sit for a while but at least they can speak casually.
He's listening carefully. He'd thought she was young already but to think that someone would trust an actual child with a citadel like this? )
What kind of organization are they running here. ( Ugh. He stretches a bit, turning his neck as he takes in this little piece of information and starts to infer some things from it already. ) Letting a kid run around with a bunch of sharp guys...
No. We called everyone back before the trip to headquarters, just in case. Since Aruji was out it was better not to have anyone away in case something happened.
[Since she wouldn't have been here for repairs or defense. Mikazuki isn't a beginner at this.]
We are an old, established citadel. I have to assume the Time Government felt it better to have it be taken over rather than dismantled. But even we were surprised at how young Aruji was. This is why there was such a delay before she could summon you. She needed to learn and grow into her powers first.
Great. ( He claps his hands together, excited and loud. ) I'll see everyone at meals then.
( So there's no point for rosters. He can figure out how many of them are here that way and he'll learn all of their names over their shared meals. That's much better than learning from paper. )
Still, ya'd think they'd send someone... ya know? ( Not an actual kid to take over a situation like this. ) But if it's been that long then everything's gotta be ready now, right? Gahaha, looks like I got a lot of catching up to do.
( All of these plans that should be ready for him. But getting a little more serious... he crosses his arms, folding them into his sleeves and speaks a little more lowly to Mikazuki, )
Do ya know anything about the guys that put her here? Or is that s'posed to be a secret~
( Anyone that would throw a child into a house on her own with a bunch of swords seems a little suspect to him. He doesn't doubt that the spirits here have taken care of her-- they seemed happy and good enough. But just because she's in a good situation now, it's still a strange one. She didn't end up here by herself. )
The time Government does not interact with us directly.
[They see the Touken Danshi as tools, so there is no need to talk to them.]
Once we knew the Citadel was going to change hands, our previous Master prepared for it. And during the short time when we had no one here, the Konnosukes were the one to have the direct interaction with the higher-ups. We were not told anything in advance about our new master, except the moment when she would arrive.
[So it's not a secret, but Mikazuki has nothing but his own assumptions.]
They don't really like me much, hahahahahaha! They were not happy that our previous master kept me as secretary before he passed away.
( The type that stays detached from things and ends up out of touch, not really caring about those below them. Maybe he's a little biased but he doesn't like this very much. Well, he'll keep it to himself for now but it won't take long for him to learn he can open up here. )
Really? For one of the Swords Under Heaven, ya don't seem like a bad guy to me.
( He makes sure to give a firm handshake. He might shake Mikazuki on accident if he isn't expecting it, oops. )
Right, right, ya guys've been traveling all day.
( And kids get worn out so easily despite all of their energy. His new master seems a little more on the reserved side too so she probably tires out more. Maybe. It kind of makes him wonder how things are going to go. He's aware enough of his own energy to see that they're different. Well, he'll just have to see how it goes and adapt from there. )
Since dinner's soon... how about we make a bit of a game out of it?
But, well, that's Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki for you. They used to have one around before the Citadel got passed on. He's a high energy sword. It's been a while since he's been around though.
So that suggestion is met with a polite, confused blink.]
[Well, why not, if Mutsunokami wants to have fun.]
Well, the two I am thinking of don't look like what they are. One is wakizashi, and one is an oodachi. The only hint i'll give you is that their sizes are reversed.
So a big wakizashi and a small oodachi... an uchigatana? Or maybe a tachi, gaha!
( No, no, of course, he understands that the way swords are classed aren't the most consistent. What some call an uchigatana, others consider tachi. What looks like a tantou is a wakizashi. Who is he to tell others what they can or can't be, though? )
Got it, got it. Let's see... how about a prize than? Seeing how I just got here... I don't have much but my name but how about the loser pours drinks?
( It's small and harmless, something easy and casual they can start off with before moving on to bigger challenges. It'll be a good way for Mikazuki to wrangle a future Mutsunokami into sitting down for tea. Or for Mutsunokami to drag a future Mikazuki to help with some chores. )
Hahahahahaha, why not? We should have a proper welcoming party in a few days, too. Had we not been travelling for the past few days we might have had something more impressive waiting for you. Once we have rested, we'll have a feast.
[More food, Mustunokami! Of course, with Shokudaikiri and Kasen dinner will be good for sure., but they'll give you a proper banquet soon!]
( Yes, this is good. This is fine and he’s more than glad to tackle this new challenge.
When dinner comes, of course, their little master has already retired for the night. That’s too bad and Mutsunokami isn’t shy to say it out loud when he introduces himself. Since she can’t be here, he’ll get things started without her! He introduces himself proudly, without a ounce of shyness, and at the end, he bows just a little humbly. He’s not one to hole himself into a situation because of something like “status” but in terms of merit, which matter the most, he has much to learn. He’ll do his best and he’ll count on everyone here. Just like they can count on him.
He’s good with words, able to speak openly and directly and in a way that is easy to understand and relate to. Of course, he is the sword of a great negotiator so its to be expected. He has much fewer words once he starts stuffing his face, though and it looks like he might never beat Mikazuki’s challenge. In fact, it looks like he’s completely forgotten about it in all of his socializing and playing around (he’s rather popular with the smaller swords).
Once dinner is over and everyone is heading off to the baths or bed, Mutsunokami also follows if only so he can learn where these places are. When he has time to himself, he’s off snooping for Mikazuki, though. )
[On the other side, it might also look like Mikazuki has forgotten the challenge.
He sits with the older squad at dinner, Yamanbagiri, Uguisumaru, Souza, Kousetsu, and leaves the rambunctiousness to their new starter and the small ones. He stays behind with them a little longer as they have a cup of tea, and then as the night progresses, a bit of sake before they, too, break for the night. It's quite some time afterwards that he makes his way to the baths, sighing a little as he starts removing his layers.]
( It takes a while to find Mikazuki. This citadel is so big and he's so naturally curious, he finds himself poking a little deeper into the wrong direction every now and then. But he's focused and when he puts his mind to something, he follows through with it. It's how he eventually finds MIkazuki just as he's getting ready to head off into the bath. )
-- You're a real hard guy to find, ya know that?
( It was almost like... Mikazuki had just disappeared all together. He moves fast for an old man. He'll have to keep an eye on him. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
cawaii
no subject
His voice is very distinctive, something that Mikazuki might be able to recognize before the spirit even really finishes manifesting. )
I'm Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki. Since I've went through all the trouble of coming here, I'll seize the world!
( She'd let her starter up to fate and the one who'd come through had been a certain Tosan sword. The blank blade that she'd set down earlier is gone, replaced with a much more distinctive one at his side. The last of the petals fall and the uchigatana looks the girl in front of him up and down, )
Oooh! I've never had a lady for a master before. ( And then he laughs. ) Well, I'm not complaining! Never known a woman to let being a woman stop her!
( It's true. He's probably more afraid of his female associates in history than anyone else and he's had to share an era with the Shinsengumi. He'll also look around and give Mikazuki a look over. There's no clear recognition there other than the understanding that that guy is like him-- a touken danshi.
As for Hana? She's only barely able to contain her excitement. She's always been a more reserved girl but Mikazuki will see that right now, her eyes are absolutely shining the same way they did when she first met him. )
It's nice to meet you, Mutsunokami-san. ( And she's quick to introduce herself properly. Her name is Hana Mori and she's the saniwa at this citadel. ) And this is my secretary.
( And there's a pause where she'll let Mikazuki introduce himself. )
no subject
Mikazuki lets master and starter introduce themselves. Aruji is clearly happy and excited, and she is right to be.
When Hana hands the floor to him, he bows his head slightly, although he stops short of actual bowing. he will show the proper amount of respect, of course, but not humble himself needlessly.]
My name is Mikazuki Munechika. I'm one of the five great swords of Japan, and well, I'm also said to be the most beautiful. I was born near the end of the 11th century. I guess you can say I'm an old man, hahahaha!
[And then he turns to Hana to give her a deeper bow, hands on the ground.]
That was a splendid first summoning, Aruji. Omedetou.
no subject
Ooh. ( He lets out a low whistle at Mikazuki's introduction. There's this small thought in the back of his head, something that tells him he was supposed to be first and so something isn't quite ordinary here but he doesn't push it for now. Sometimes, you have to go asking for answers! But other times, they just fall in front of you if you just wait a listen a little. He can manage both. ) Well, I'll have ya know I got a bit of a reputation myself as a sword in Tosa.
( it might not compare to say, being a Tenka Goken, but he's proud of his own praise and value. He was adored by the one who matters most that means more than being any sort of grand national treasure. That one little comment though.. the one Mikazuki had made to Hana. A splendid first summoning? So he was her first summon and yet, she already had swords. It's subtle, something almost anyone else would miss, but his eyes narrow just slightly and he has to look both of them over once more. There's a history here that he'll have to learn. Hana doesn't seem to notice in her excitement that her first sword is already beginning to figure things out on just this brief interaction so far.
This isn't the sort of exchange Hana expected at all, nor is it one she's used to seeing. Most of the swords respect Mikazuki and at worst, Hasebe might sigh exasperatedly at him or scold him but no one really actually compares themselves to Mikazuki Munechika. It's new and interesting and Hana lets out the smallest giggle from behind a raised sleeve, )
It's nice to meet you.
( And she reaches out to take one of Mutsu's hands in both of her and begins to pull him out towards the garden, )
Mikazuki-san and I will show you around. I hope you'll like it here.
( She'll lead the way and let Mikazuki bring up the rear to help explain things. )
no subject
Well, of course. The sword of Sakamoto Ryouma, one of the three great founders of modern Japan. Everyone should know of you.
[Mikazuki follows behind Aruji and introduces the Citadel as they walk as any good secretary should... the specifics he will get into later, when Aruji is occupied elsewhere. He knows Mutsunokami has caught on quite a few things already.]
Why don't I show Mutsunokami to his room, Aruji? You should go and get some food and then rest. We've only just come back from travelling.
no subject
Hana looks back at Mutsunokami at the suggestion and he waves a hand in the air, )
I won't work him too hard. ( He is, after all, an old man. ) You've been traveling all day, right?
( Even if he hasn't been told that explicitly... he'd felt her carrying him while he slept. )
Tomorrow's a new day, a ru ji~.
( And really, that's all the extra reassurance she needs to know Mutsunokami will be fine being left with Mikazuki. She lets go of his hand and nods, smiling as she excuses herself to go eat. She isn't quite tired yet, at least, she doesn't look like it but it'll catch up with her once she's eaten and let the energy of the day wear off.
Once she's out of sight and out of earshot, Mutsunokami looks back at Mikazuki, )
She seems like a good kid. ( Because that's what she is. Even if she's his master, she's still a kid and that's just as important as remembering her role at the citadel. ) How long have ya had her?
no subject
... Let's go to your room first.
[Mikazuki leads the way, stopping in the kitchen first for a tray with tea and a few snacks. Once he's reached the room that was set aside, he opens the sliding doors and invites Mutsunokami in, going to put down the tray and start brewing the tea.]
Aruji inherited this Citadel from the previous Saniwa when he passed away. She was five years old when she arrived.
[Does he really need to say more? Yes, probably, but he knows Mutsunokami will have understood most of it just from this.]
Our previous starter, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, is ready to give you assistance whenever needed, as well as myself of course. And everyone else here. I can show you our full roster a little later.
[Not that he has to, technically, since he's the secretary and not Mutsunokami, and Aruji hasn't made a move to change it yet... but normally, the starter should be the secretary immediately upon arriving, so it's only right.
no subject
He's listening carefully. He'd thought she was young already but to think that someone would trust an actual child with a citadel like this? )
What kind of organization are they running here. ( Ugh. He stretches a bit, turning his neck as he takes in this little piece of information and starts to infer some things from it already. ) Letting a kid run around with a bunch of sharp guys...
( Oh, well. )
Yeah? Is anyone out right now?
( Any missions or expeditions? )
no subject
No. We called everyone back before the trip to headquarters, just in case. Since Aruji was out it was better not to have anyone away in case something happened.
[Since she wouldn't have been here for repairs or defense. Mikazuki isn't a beginner at this.]
We are an old, established citadel. I have to assume the Time Government felt it better to have it be taken over rather than dismantled. But even we were surprised at how young Aruji was. This is why there was such a delay before she could summon you. She needed to learn and grow into her powers first.
no subject
( So there's no point for rosters. He can figure out how many of them are here that way and he'll learn all of their names over their shared meals. That's much better than learning from paper. )
Still, ya'd think they'd send someone... ya know? ( Not an actual kid to take over a situation like this. ) But if it's been that long then everything's gotta be ready now, right? Gahaha, looks like I got a lot of catching up to do.
no subject
Well... you might have a little to do.
[Pretty much everyone here has maxed out stats, after all. .]
I am sure Aruji will be keen to set up some plans to make sure you gain experience rapidly.
no subject
( All of these plans that should be ready for him. But getting a little more serious... he crosses his arms, folding them into his sleeves and speaks a little more lowly to Mikazuki, )
Do ya know anything about the guys that put her here? Or is that s'posed to be a secret~
( Anyone that would throw a child into a house on her own with a bunch of swords seems a little suspect to him. He doesn't doubt that the spirits here have taken care of her-- they seemed happy and good enough. But just because she's in a good situation now, it's still a strange one. She didn't end up here by herself. )
no subject
[They see the Touken Danshi as tools, so there is no need to talk to them.]
Once we knew the Citadel was going to change hands, our previous Master prepared for it. And during the short time when we had no one here, the Konnosukes were the one to have the direct interaction with the higher-ups. We were not told anything in advance about our new master, except the moment when she would arrive.
[So it's not a secret, but Mikazuki has nothing but his own assumptions.]
They don't really like me much, hahahahahaha! They were not happy that our previous master kept me as secretary before he passed away.
no subject
( The type that stays detached from things and ends up out of touch, not really caring about those below them. Maybe he's a little biased but he doesn't like this very much. Well, he'll keep it to himself for now but it won't take long for him to learn he can open up here. )
Really? For one of the Swords Under Heaven, ya don't seem like a bad guy to me.
( Casual flattery. )
no subject
[Of course, as a Tenka Goken, there's nothing 'just' about Mikazuki at all.]
We have been waiting for you. Welcome, Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki.
no subject
( And he holds out a hand to MIkazuki. It's a handshake, )
Modern guys shake hands these days. Looking forward to working with ya, Mikazuki. And everyone else too!
no subject
[Let him try this 'handshake' thing, then.]
Aruji will be eating alone and going to bed early, but dinner for use should be served in about half an hour.
no subject
Right, right, ya guys've been traveling all day.
( And kids get worn out so easily despite all of their energy. His new master seems a little more on the reserved side too so she probably tires out more. Maybe. It kind of makes him wonder how things are going to go. He's aware enough of his own energy to see that they're different. Well, he'll just have to see how it goes and adapt from there. )
Since dinner's soon... how about we make a bit of a game out of it?
no subject
But, well, that's Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki for you. They used to have one around before the Citadel got passed on. He's a high energy sword. It's been a while since he's been around though.
So that suggestion is met with a polite, confused blink.]
... a game?
no subject
Give me a couple of guys to look out for.
( Yes. )
Don't tell me their names... maybe give 'em a code name or something! And tell me a little bit about them and I'll see if I can track 'em down.
no subject
[Well, why not, if Mutsunokami wants to have fun.]
Well, the two I am thinking of don't look like what they are. One is wakizashi, and one is an oodachi. The only hint i'll give you is that their sizes are reversed.
no subject
( No, no, of course, he understands that the way swords are classed aren't the most consistent. What some call an uchigatana, others consider tachi. What looks like a tantou is a wakizashi. Who is he to tell others what they can or can't be, though? )
Got it, got it. Let's see... how about a prize than? Seeing how I just got here... I don't have much but my name but how about the loser pours drinks?
( It's small and harmless, something easy and casual they can start off with before moving on to bigger challenges. It'll be a good way for Mikazuki to wrangle a future Mutsunokami into sitting down for tea. Or for Mutsunokami to drag a future Mikazuki to help with some chores. )
no subject
[More food, Mustunokami! Of course, with Shokudaikiri and Kasen dinner will be good for sure., but they'll give you a proper banquet soon!]
no subject
( Yes, this is good. This is fine and he’s more than glad to tackle this new challenge.
When dinner comes, of course, their little master has already retired for the night. That’s too bad and Mutsunokami isn’t shy to say it out loud when he introduces himself. Since she can’t be here, he’ll get things started without her! He introduces himself proudly, without a ounce of shyness, and at the end, he bows just a little humbly. He’s not one to hole himself into a situation because of something like “status” but in terms of merit, which matter the most, he has much to learn. He’ll do his best and he’ll count on everyone here. Just like they can count on him.
He’s good with words, able to speak openly and directly and in a way that is easy to understand and relate to. Of course, he is the sword of a great negotiator so its to be expected. He has much fewer words once he starts stuffing his face, though and it looks like he might never beat Mikazuki’s challenge. In fact, it looks like he’s completely forgotten about it in all of his socializing and playing around (he’s rather popular with the smaller swords).
Once dinner is over and everyone is heading off to the baths or bed, Mutsunokami also follows if only so he can learn where these places are. When he has time to himself, he’s off snooping for Mikazuki, though. )
no subject
He sits with the older squad at dinner, Yamanbagiri, Uguisumaru, Souza, Kousetsu, and leaves the rambunctiousness to their new starter and the small ones. He stays behind with them a little longer as they have a cup of tea, and then as the night progresses, a bit of sake before they, too, break for the night. It's quite some time afterwards that he makes his way to the baths, sighing a little as he starts removing his layers.]
no subject
-- You're a real hard guy to find, ya know that?
( It was almost like... Mikazuki had just disappeared all together. He moves fast for an old man. He'll have to keep an eye on him. )
Mind if I join ya?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)