( 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

[plagiarists]

I could carry you. It's literally the only scenario in which I would carry you.

[ This is pretty much a mission failed, but not to Sooyoung, not yet. She will see that sword form (if it's real), goddammit. ]

Yeah, you can give me all the facts too, I'm curious.

[cranekin]

(That just makes him laugh. He isn't going to let just anyone carry him that easily. )

That wouldn't be nearly as fun.

(And he just carries on ahead,)

This shrine has been around even longer than me. Back then, Kyoto wasn't even a capital city yet. (Pointing over to the gardens,) I heard there used to be wisteria there.

(There is no wisteria. There is nothing for wisteria to even hang from.)

But by the time I came, they were all gone. Instead, it was just hydrangea. Ah, but I didn't mind. There used to be a festival in the summer when they bloomed!

[plagiarists]

[ That sign won't stop her because she can't read. Except she can. And she read the sign and decided to still try tricking him into changing forms. ]

Wisteria... [ Considering the fact that the garden is in shambles, it might seem difficult to imagine a wisteria growing there. Still, Sooyoung tries to picture it anyway. ] The symbol of love and longevity. Kind of fitting for you, if you really are a sword.

[ Longevity part is obvious, yet it doesn't escape Sooyoung's attention how every single word Tsuru uses to describe the shrine is filled with love for this place. ]

And now the people here can't even have a hydrangea blooming festival with all those fake flowers around them. Shame.

[cranekin]

(Oh. It's brief but his expression drops, eyes softening, and just when it looks like he may frown... he manages to keep a smile, smaller than before but still fond,)

... I wonder if we can bring some real ones back.

(A piece of home back at the base... it would be nice. But he carries on. He won't linger.)

But you know, other than the flower festivals, this place is special for another one...

(Voice trailing, teasing, he wants her to ask. Please ask.)

[plagiarists]

Someone can just ask for seeds from their world... [ A beat. ] Maybe that's not a bad idea for a business.

[ Assuming that people would be willing to buy flowers that wither if they have fake ones that wilt. That might be a tricky business, after all.

Sooyoung can tell someone's quite excited here. It would be easy to stall and tease him, but she can't bring herself to do it, not when there's a chance to hear a story. ]

What is it?

[cranekin]

On the fifth day of the fifth month, this shrine would hold the Iris Festival. Irises are shaped like swords so warrior households would celebrate courage and pray for the health and safety of the sons who would grow up to become great warriors.

(The fifth day of the fifth month which wasn't too long ago. Sooyoung probably saw some of the colorful koi banners hanging back in Tokyo and small ornaments here and there, especially around schools-- samurai armor, kabuto helmets, horses, koi, dragons...)

Over time, this tradition grew and spread until it eventually reached the courts where it took on a new name. But since then, it's gained another name: "Children's Day."

(This shrine... is the origin of Children's Day.)

[plagiarists]

[ As soon as Tsuru mentions the fifth day of the fifth month, her thoughts wander off to Children's Day. It doesn't mean Sooyoung doesn't pay attention to his story, though. Knowing the ending (most likely) doesn't change the fact that she doesn't know other parts of the story. ]

You act like a child sometimes even though you're a grandpa, so it figures. [ That's rich coming from her. After teasing him for a bit, her gaze drifts off to the destroyed garden. ] I didn't know about its connection to irises, though.

[ It's past the fifth of May at this point, but it's clear as a day that it's an important day of the year for Tsuru. ]

How about I treat you to some nice sweet treats? That story was good.

[ She's doing it because he shared a story, there's nothing more to that, obviously...! ]

[cranekin]

Really? (He perks up... the promise of sweets is strong. He really is like a child at times.) We can have some tea, too.

(But he really is a grandpa, too.)

Its the best way to share stories if that's what you like.

[plagiarists]

[ Never refuse grandpa his snacks and tea. ]

Maybe I'm just low maintenance. [ Sooyoung's anything by that, but she'll also accept stories in all forms and in any circumstances. ] Why is my hunch telling me that the better snacks I get you, the better story I'm getting...

[cranekin]

I've collected plenty of stories in my lifetime!

(And he holds his head up high,)

I love stories, you know. They're the most powerful things in the world; even more powerful than gods.

[plagiarists]

Gramps...

[ He's so right for holding his head up high right now. Her eyes are twinkling with excitement. ]

I'll write you any story you want if you tell me a story you know.