( OPEN ) MAY CATCH ALL

[cranekin]

WHO: Tsurumaru and you
WHAT: Sword lore, revisiting an old home, holidays, and shenanigans
WHERE: around Kyoto & Tokyo
WHEN: May
WARNINGS: N/A for now


source

catch-all for the month, open to using tdm prompts, setting up starters, etc.
if you would like an original starter or have your own idea, hit me up yosakoi | discord: diejoubus

Comments

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou has been quieter than usual on this trip. He'd always wanted to visit Kyoto, and seeing it in such a state has been disheartening. He has no interest in going after any animals or kaiju, refusing to punish them simply for living in this abandoned space. All he'll do is mark places on his digital map where supplies can be picked up on their way back to the portal.

The derelict shrine makes him feel strange as well, sad and almost homesick over a place he'd never been before. Knowing he will never see it as it should have been. Though, Tsurumaru seems perfectly fine with it.

Raidou is silent for a moment after that question, relishing in the quiet. The only time he'd gotten such quiet since arriving in Neo Tokyo was out on his hikes. Eventually he nods, and follows after Tsuru, finally speaking up.]

You've been here before.

[cranekin]

(He's as energetic as ever, not at all bothered by the state of the shrine or everything else they've seen.

(Or so it seems. He's never been the type to let people see how he really feels about these things.)

But when Raidou speaks, maybe he can see the way Tsurumaru softens. His smile drops ever so slightly, eyes warming, and he seems... a mix of nostalgic and proud.)

This totally boring place (And he raises a hand, gesturing to the open, silent grounds around them,) was once my home.

("Boring" and yet he says it with the same playful, fond tone someone might call their family "annoying" or their friends "foolish." There's no bite to his words. Being boring isnt' always a bad thing. In this case, it may even be good.)

[the_fourteenth]

[Boring is just what Raidou wants out of his shrines. Much of the reason he works at one now is that it's a nice respite from the rest of his hectic life. He looks a little surprised to hear that news, but it gets the only smile of the day out of him.]

Is that so? No wonder you're so happy to find this place. We're lucky it's still here, in any shape. Let's go see what we can find.

[cranekin]

Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised... (He hums and is happy to lead the way through the wide, open grounds of the shrine, towards the cleansing spring that has long since run dry so there's no way to wash their hands.) This place has been around since before this city was the capital.

(Back when the years were still in just triple digits. It's an old shrine that has withstood the passage of time before and continues to this day it would seem.)

I wonder what's still here.

(It's so empty and neglected. He imagines the head priest and the workers must have taken what they could before fleeing. At least, he hopes they fled. At the corner of the grounds, near the entrance, there's a western style building made of stone with tall columns in front of it. A faded sign in the dusty window reads "main office" and "treasure hall.")

This is new. (It wasn't here the last time here was here.) It used to be a lot smaller.

(Skipping up the steps, he beckons for Raidou to follow,)

Would you like to go treasure hunting, Raidou-kun?

[the_fourteenth]

[While its sad to see all this devastation and neglect, Raidou does feel lucky they were able to find this place in any standing condition at all. He's wondering if there was anything he could bring back to the Shibuya shrine from this one, but how would he ever explain it to the other workers there?

He follows after Tsuru, keeping his eyes open for something anyway.]

"Treasure"? Do you think there could be anything left?

[Maybe they couldn't flee with much from here, but scavengers or even just elemental ruin could have done a lot of damage to anything here.]

Let's hope today's our lucky day.

[cranekin]

If we found something, it would be a surprise.

(And if they find nothing, that could also be a surprise in its own way. Just finding the place still standing is a bittersweet one for him.

Hands on the door handle, he stops and just lingers there for a moment. Lowly,)

If they were stolen... I won't forgive them.

(Voice as gentle as ever but with a surprising edge. Truly, there are only a few things in this world that infuriate him so strongly. When he pushes on the door, it only barely budges. It's locked as one would hope. )</b Well, we'll have to find another way!

[the_fourteenth]

[As if a locked door is going to stop the former detective-in-training. Raidou steps forward, nodding to Tsurumaru to have him step aside. It's an old door, the lock likely rusted and corroded, and Raidou's stronger than he looks. He simply takes the butt of his sword and swiftly brings it down on the handle, smashing it right off.

The door creaks open, and he sweeps an arm aside for Tusuru to ahead.]

[cranekin]

(The lock gets broken like my html.......

Some loose metal pieces break off and clatter to the floor. Stepping inside, his footsteps echo and creak on old, worn out wooden flooring. It's dusty and musty and it just feels like no one has been here in a long time. It's like stepping into a time capsule... with barely anything in it.

The empty glass case with worn out event fliers and a "no photographs" sign is all that greets them at first. If they go around it and turn down the hall... there is a much larger room, wide and open with dusty, empty cases and cabinets for them to look at.)

... What an unsurprising place.

(If they manage to find anything here, they'll be lucky.)

[the_fourteenth]

[The place weas cleared, not ransacked. Nothing seemed turned over or broken. Raidou peers at cases and shelves in the dark room, in case anything evaded rescue in the past.]

Maybe this is good news. Perhaps whatever was here is somewhere safe. I hope so.

[Along with whoever took it, however long ago it was. Hopefully they got out of here in time.]

I'm sorry if you can't find what you're looking for.

[cranekin]

(He'll also check the cases. Most of it cleared. All that remains are replicas of the shrine grounds, models of props used for rituals... and in one case, there are shelves lined with small charms and dolls shaped like horses and the zodiac. Everything and anything left behind wasn't valuable enough to take or too small to bother with.)

... What a lonely place this has become.

(Voice soft, tinged with sadness, but a light smile on his face.)

You should have seen it before. Even when it was quiet, it was never like this.

[the_fourteenth]

[Replicas or not, it's tempting to rescue what he can from here, and take it back to the shrine where he works. But trying to explain where he got them would be impossible.

He turns from the shelves and gives Tsurumaru a light nod.]

I would have liked to. I'd always wanted to visit Kyoto. I know it was a beautiful place.

[Considering everything that has gone in this world, though...]

I'm glad that there's anything for us to see at all here, really. [Sad as it all is.]

[cranekin]

It is.

(It still is a beautiful place, he thinks. Even if it's more worn out now than it was before, the destruction can't hide its charms.)

Of course, it was more impressive before... but look at how it's still standing.

(And he motions towards the grounds around them,)

I think that's wonderful. It's no wonder this place was once worthy enough of being the capital.