thenearshore | 015 | Sky Full Of Stars

Entry tags:

015 | Sky Full Of Stars

Who: Everyone!
What: Tanabata Festival
When: All day July 5
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: The Heavens are throwing a party and you're invited!

Edit: OVERFLOW is here!

With Tanabata drawing close, the Heavens have decided that there is nothing wrong with a little celebration for the annual occasion. So they have invited everyone on the Far Shore as well as a large number of people from the Near Shore to attend a festival for Tanabata. Tanabata festivals are not uncommon in this area, so the Near Shore residents are none the wiser, though some of them are a little uncertain about where this street they've never heard of popped up from...

Tanabata is a festival held to celebrate the one time a year that the lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet across the vast expanse of the Milky Way. Many birds have been working their tail feathers off to create a bridge for the two lovebirds and that bridge - perhaps unsurprisingly - touches down on this street, in the middle of the festival.

The Heavens have prepared entertainment, food stalls, and as many tanzaku as might be needed for everyone to write down wishes, along with plenty of bamboo stalks to hang the wishes from.

New arrivals will find themselves ushered to the festival and offered traditional clothing after their normal briefing at the Meeting Hall.

Stalls

There are festival stalls of every kind present, all run by shinki dressed in white robes and bearing the golden chrysanthemum of Amaterasu. Many of them seem a little bruised still, but they are happy to smile for anyone who comes to the stall they are running. There is food, games, and drinks available of all kinds, so feel free to roam around to your heart's content sampling everything that you can.

Performance

A large stage has been erected at one end of the festival street. The Heavens know that there are many talented gods and shinki present, so they are more than willing to clear spots in the scheduling for those people to perform. Anytime a Far Shore resident isn't on stage, there are plenty of Near Shore acts to go on, ranging the gambit from traditional music and instruments all the way to a rock band that has somehow found themselves here for the celebration.

Wishes

NOTE:

The Bridge

with

In Summary:

Enjoy the festival
Watch some quality entertainment
Make and/or answer wishes
Meet Orihime
Traverse the bridge
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh geez, are you okay?

[Did she call for help? -- Or, at least: did she call for a six-foot guy in what looks like a hot spring bathrobe more than it does proper festival attire? Because he's stopping next to her and holding an arm out to stop one of the mortals who was just about to run straight into both of them. The guy lets himself be redirected without fuss. It's not totally obvious whether he's even seen the two of them or not, in fact.

Asato smiles down at the young woman. Poor kid, this is a big crowd for her to be stuck in on her own.]

Hey, it's pretty crowded out here! Where are you headed? I can walk you there.

( Real talk he is probably a good foot taller than her at least. And as intimidating as that is on its own, she's grateful to have some room to breathe and it shows. She seems tense and anxious still but her shoulders relax some and she lets out a sigh, )

Th-thank you.

( She gives a quick, small bow in gratitude and keeps her head down shyly, )

I'm not... going anywhere in particular. ( Which just makes her being stuck in this crowd seem all the more pointless, ) But I was told I c-could find people out here so...

( Maybe she could find them? Who exactly? She doesn't know. Of course, she's keeping an eye out for her family and friends but there was someone else she was supposed to find or would find her. A shinki? Someone like a retainer in this realm. )

Anybody in particular? I might be able to give you a hand.

[He lowers his voice like he's making an embarrassing confession to add:] Though I don't know anybody here either. I'm brand new.

-- Asato Tsuzuki. Nice to meet you!

I... I think that depends...

( On if they remember or not, that is. When he lowers his voice, she looks up so that she can pay closer attention and catch what he's saying. Oh, )

Oh. ( She covers her mouth politely as she gasps, ) You're one of those people... A-a shinki?

( Did she get that right? But at the introduction, she's folds her hands in front of her lap and introduces herself as well, )

I'm Sakura. B-but here... I'm also Konohanasakuya-hime. ( And she bows, ) It's nice to meet you too, Tsuzuki.

( Tsuzuki-san, really, because she's a polite princess but #honorifics )

Yeah, I am....

[Whoa. What are the chances? He's looking at her, wide-eyed, at her introduction. It takes a few extra seconds for him to remember his manners and give her a polite and proper bow.

Konohanasakuya-hime. Yeah, he knows that name, and not just because she is a goddess, and one who's familiar to him. He's been given that name just today. There's probably a proper formal way to do this, but Tsuzuki doesn't know what it might be, so he just plunges ahead with an uncertain smile.]

Hey, um, if that's your name, the guy who met me here told me that was the name of the goddess I'm supposed to serve. So, I guess... please treat me well?

( The bowing doesn't bother her so much-- as a princess, she's definitely used to it. But she really isn't very good at greetings... she isn't very good at dealing with strangers in general so she wonders what she should do next. Excuse herself? Start a conversation, albeit, awkwardly?

Fortunately, Tsuzuki takes care of it for her by putting two and two together, )

Me?! ( It can't be that easy. It's never that easy! And she looks just as surprised as him, if not more. ) Y-you're certain?

( There can't be that many Konohanasakuyahimes out there, though... )

That's what he said!

[Tsuzuki rubs the back of his neck as he straightens up, his smile widening cheerfully (if, still, looking a little embarrassed.)

I don't really know how this whole shinki thing works, though.

... Do you?

[Gosh, he hopes she asked a few questions, because when he'd tried, he'd been heartily informed that his god would help him out.

She looks really young. It's probably just that big-eyed surprised look on her face, but still, Tsuzuki's not sure it's right for her to have that kind of responsibility tossed at her. Is she going to be okay?]

( Even the youngest princess is still a princess and she's no stranger to responsibility! She'd definitely made sure to ask the right questions while panicking over what to do.

There's a moment of thoughtful silence, as if she's wondering if she should ask him one more time if he's really sure he has the right goddess. But if they're going to work together then... it's important for her to trust him, right? )

... I'm... supposed t-to give you a name. ( Easy. At least, in theory. ) The name for our v-vessel.

( All of this sounds so strange to her, though. )

D-do you have any ideas...? It's important t-to chose carefully. I've never had to name anyone before but... names are important.

( Powerful, according to the court diviners. )

[Names are important, but Tsuzuki finds his mind completely blank of ideas as he looks down at the young goddess. There's his name, of course, but this one's supposed to be different -- isn't it? Supposed to be a name that's for their partnership?

After a few long seconds, he slowly shakes his head.]

Not a clue. You can pick whatever you want.

[He breaks into a reassuring smile -- mostly reassuring, because he doesn't know how this works, and he's a little unsure himself.]

Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll like it!

( The pressure is on and she feels it. )

I-I'm not sure how to name someone I just met...

( This is different from when she chose Hana and Subaki to serve her. What if she chooses a name that doesn't fit? That ends up being wrong? Anything she picks would just seem so thoughtless right now too... She glances at Tsuzuki, down at her feet, and back again. This repeats several times over as she tries to find something that strikes them. Please don't look at her because she'll just turn pink in the face...

He's... tall? He'd helped her just now so he was also nice? Kind? )

And.... y-you really don't remember anything?

( So it wouldn't help to ask for his likes and interests? For the first time since they've met, she looks up at him, maintaining some eye contact... at least, longer than usual because after a few seconds, she glances off to the side and frowns. )

Tou... ( She says it quietly, like she isn't sure if it's a good one or not. ) From "fuji." ( With a shaky hand, she traces the character in the air for him. ) Because your eyes... remind m-me of the wisteria gardens back home.

... I-is that okay?

Really?

[This look of wide-eyed confusion is the look of a guy who has not had a chance to look into a mirror since he woke up this morning. He reaches up as if that's going to help him, resting his fingertips just under his left eye, and blinks a couple of times.]

They're not yellow or anything creepy like that, are they?

[He clears his throat, and adds, with a self-conscious little smile:]

Um, anyway, that's a pretty name!

( "You don't know?" She considers asking but instead, she nods her head yes. Yes, they're really like the wisteria back home. The severity of this memory loss is more than she'd imagined... unlike anything she's ever seen. )

Not scary at all! They're a l-lovely violet. ( But she can help with this and she reaches for her festal-- a short rod adorned with streamers and a mirror. She holds it up for him to see, ) S-see for yourself.

[Tsuzuki leans in towards the mirror. He's curious about his eyes (purple, really? It's not as eerie a color as yellow, but people don't have purple eyes, do they?) but he's curious about everything else, too.

Who is he? The face in the mirror offers no answers, except that, apparently, people do have purple eyes. His are an eerily vivid violet, as bright as any wisteria flower, and he meets them for a second before searching the rest of his face. Unlined and young. Twenty-something, maybe. No marks; no scars; clean-shaven with a youthful razored haircut....

No answers at all.

He looks up at Sakura, and shakes off the spooked moment in favor of a cheerful wink.]

Hey, I'm pretty good-looking! Thanks, Sakura-hime.

[Or was it Sakuya-hime... look, he's a little shaky on this divine address thing. He'll stick with "princess."]

( I-is she supposed to agree to that?! She feels like she should before her silence is misinterpreted as disagreeing but when she tries, her voice fails and she just turns a shade of pink. She feels her cheeks warming and she brings her staff in front of her, covering her face some.

Yes, Tsuzuki is handsome. But don't make her say it now. )

I'm... not sure exactly how this works. ( It sounded like she just had to say an oath of some sort. ) But h-here we go.

( She takes one step back, inhales, and exhales. She's a timid spirit but she's no stranger to ceremony and can at least feign poise and confidence for a short while. So she straights her posture, holding her staff with one hand and holding out her other. Back home, it would be so her retainer could kneel and take her hand but here... it's just habit. She wouldn't ask anyone to bow (she wouldn't have asked Hana or Subaki too if it hadn't been expected of them). Her voice starts quiet but as she speaks, she manages to push herself just enough to speak clearly. Honestly, for the few seconds this last, she's more of a young lady than a girl, )

You... who have nowhere to go and cannot pass on, I'll give you a place to stay.
My name is Sakura, Konohanasakuya-hime. Lingering here gripping thine true name...
I make thou mine servant with thine alias... thy name is follower, thy vessel is sound...
Obey mine order and become my shinki... Touki.

[She's starting to turn the delicate pink of her namesake. Tsuzuki grins, unrepentant, and straightens up to wait as she holds out her hand and begins what sounds like an incantation.

Who have nowhere to go and cannot pass on....

The words send a superstitious chill down his spine. Is it true? Is his soul trapped here, lost and adrift, without a god to offer him a place to stay? But here she is, offering that place, and the name she's spoken glows in the air between them. It wakes an answering glow through Tsuzuki's thin yukata, a red light glittering from the newly inscribed name low on his back, before his form dissolves into light itself.

The bond forms between them. Tsuzuki knows nothing -- his perception fragments and changes as he loses his form -- as the images rush into her mind. Time. Time and weariness: an old man's exhaustion as he looks up into the inhuman eyes of a massive black snake, with scales sweeping back like feathers from its skull.

-- Is it all right? the snake murmurs, in a low, human voice. My black flames can destroy even your body. Isn't that why you've avoided calling me?

It's all right, Touda, he says, and it is a relief. You're the only one I could ask to do this.

Suzaku and the others swore by the contract to rescue me from any danger, but I no longer want to be saved...

The reptilian eyes look at him in silence for a long moment, and the snake bows his head in assent.

I see.

Tsuzuki closes his eyes, and everything is ablaze. He's sorry. He's so sorry, but maybe this is for the best. Maybe--

Tsuzuki takes shape in Sakura's hand, startled and fascinated by his transformation. He's -- he's... what is he? Some kind of club, maybe? He can see all around himself, with an odd clarity, but he can't see himself, and her mirror isn't in the right place to get a good glimpse.]

Whoa. I really transformed!

( When you take on a shinki, you might see unpleasant memories. It was a warning she'd been given by the attendant who'd probably felt a smidgen sympathetic before he tossed Sakura out into the festival. She hadn't really had time (or the courage) to ask but right now, she really wishes she had.

The memory washes over her like a heavy, crashing wave and she lets out an audible gasp when she begins to see the images. To the best of her ability, she tries to stay composed. If she reacts too much… he might become curious, right? And she wouldn't really be able to explain anyway.

Tsuzuki is... older than he appears isn't he? Has experienced many things in his now forgotten past life? It's the feeling she gets.

But she's empathic to a fault and abhors violence so she can't help but flinch when the snake and Tsuzuki make their pact. She becomes increasingly anxious to the point her eyes begin to well up with tears and she feels like she could crumble at any moment.

No… no, no, no don't…! Hoshido was a peaceful nation but the spirit of the warrior was strong. A part of her can understand why Tsuzuki chooses the fate he does but it doesn't mean she has to like it. When he dies, she let's out a shriek. When it's all over, she's still and quiet, holding herself and Tsuzuki's vessel form close to her chest, )

Ah… ( She realizes exactly how she's reacted and she's quick to stammer an explanation, ) I-I'm sorry…! Th-there was… a lot to take in.

I'm sorry…( Her voice is shaky and breathless and despite the tears threatening to fall at any moment, she scrambles to collect herself. ) I'm…

( Holding a ladle? And Tsuzuki is gone? )

… Tsuzuki? W-where are you—?! ( "Whoa, I really transformed!" ) T-Tsuzuki?

( She looks down at her arms and whispers (because she feels really foolish right now). )

Is that you...?

[Tsuzuki stares back at her, although he's not entirely sure he has eyes. He doesn't seem to need to blink, anyway. He also doesn't seem to need to look around.

But he can tell that she's looking down at him: and does that mean she's holding him? Okay, so he knows something about his shape now. He knows he's small. That's a start.]

I think so?

[He doesn't have a voice, either, although it sounds like he's talking and he can hear her clearly.]

... This is weird! What am I?

A-a ladle.

( And now she feels really self conscious because she was holding him? It? Them?! So close. Holding the ladle away and up in front of her, she turns it over in her hands. )

What... is it like?

( Suddenly being a ladle. )

[He doesn't have a lot to compare it to, but he can feel her turning him over as she stares down at him. A ladle. Seriously?]

Like... a serving ladle?

I'm a spoon?

[That's so uncool. He doesn't actually want to be a big scary weapon -- that doesn't feel like his thing, either -- but a cooking spoon? What is he good for like this?]

Um, I guess you can still find something to use me for, right?

[He can help! He wants to help.

He's starting to get a little disoriented. In a smaller, equally soundless voice, he inquires:]

... and can you try not turning me over like that?

Y-yes...( She doesn't mind either, to be honest. Honestly, she feels relieved that he hasn't changed into some sort of a weapon. She isn't very skilled at fighting-- she's only just learned how to use a bow out of necessity-- so this is better. )　It's fine. I can work with this.

( She isn't sure how but she will. )

O-oh, sorry. ( As soon as he asks, she immediately stops. ) So you can feel everything still? Can you see?

Yeah, I can see. And hear, too. You're sure you can work with a spoon for a weapon?

[His thought is concerned. Maybe she's just not a fighter, though. Spoons can be useful in non-combat situations, and, plus, Tsuzuki doesn't feel like he'd want to go dashing into battle even if he turned into a big, fancy sword.

So maybe it's a good thing if his goddess feels the same way. If she feels the same way. Which she might.]

( A weapon? She frowns but it isn't so much because the idea of using a kitchen tool in battle is far from ideal but for her, moreso because... )

D-do you think I'll have to fight?

( Quiet, a little nervous. She really dislikes violence. )

They told me I was supposed to be a god's weapon, anyway.

[Does that mean she'll have to fight? Tsuzuki isn't sure, and he isn't sure exactly what enemies she should be worrying about, either.

But she sounds nervous at the idea, and she's just a kid, really.

He falls silent for a moment before, firmly, continuing.]

So if somebody tries to get you to fight, I'll protect you. Don't worry about it!

...

( She's touched, really, at the offer. Tsuzuki can probably feel her grip tighten just slightly, in a reassuring manner to herself. Her grip is still delicate but at least now, it's a little more certain. )

Thank you. ( Soft, relieved, but then she adds, ) Please... count on me too.

I'm not as s-strong as my big brothers and sisters but... I can fight too.

( It's a promise to the both of them right now and she nods once to herself. Her word has been given now. )

Um... please, return to your true form now. Asato Tsuzuki.

We'll look after each other--

[And that's all he has time for, before the transformation takes him again, whipping away the form of a ladle and leaving him standing on his own two solid feet in front of her. He pats at his yukata front, then at his hair, wide-eyed. It's all where it was.]

... Wow. Okay, that's pretty cool!

[He grins at her, enthusiastic.]

So I'm officially your shinki now, huh?

015 | Sky Full Of Stars

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