( open ) march catch all

[cranekin]

WHO: Tsurumaru and you
WHAT: Museum lore, civilian shenanigans, and collecting sword friends
WHERE: Misc.
WHEN: March
WARNINGS: N/A for now

i'm also open to reusing any tdm prompts if you want to carry any prompts over to this log.
tdm top level and cr meme comment for reference.
if you would like an original starter or have your own idea, hit me up yosakoi | discord: diejoubus

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( OTA ) a certain museum

[cranekin]

(Not far from LILITH's main base, close to whatever has become of the imperial palace, there is a certain museum where one can come see select national and imperial treasures. or rather, it's a place where many people can see holograms of said treasures. many things have been lost since the first kaiju appeared and attacked the city. what is actually left is kept securely locked away. are the holograms really bad, though? when they don't have to be kept in temperature cool cases under strict lighting rules and only allowed out for limited times in the year, holograms can't wear and holograms can always look perfect. in this way, aren't these artifacts more accessible to the masses?

there are virtual displays of fine kimono, shoji screen, lacquer jewelry boxes, and elaborate armor. the quality of the holograms is so high, one would never know they were just images unless they caught them in just the right light or at the perfect angle.

in one cool and dimly lit room labeled "swords", empty display cases can be found. by touching a panel, one can swipe through a list of options to project an artifact into the case. a white haired man in a white coat holds his hand over the screen, tapping on different articles. with each one, a new sword manifests in the case along with a short description. )

Ichigo Hitofuri...

Uguisumaru...

Hirano Toushirou...

Onimaru Kunitsuna...

(he stops on one sword when he senses someone approaching him. the room is so quiet, it's hard to miss it.)

You can learn a lot about the history of this world here.

(or, if you wait just long enough, you can catch him looking at one display. on a hologram panel, you'll be able to catch a name,)

Tsurumaru Kuninaga...

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou had been avoiding the museums since he'd arrived, wondering if it would just feel too strange. Over 350 years removed from his own time, he'd surely see things from his era there as antiques. Would it make him homesick? He didn't want to invite that feeling in if he didn't have to.

But he's been here a few months now, and has gotten curious. The virtual displays are a bit of a disappointment, and Raidou is tired of the falseness of digital things in this time. So hard to get your hands on things like paper, a book, a pen and ink...

When Tsurumaru speaks up, the teen silently walks over to look at the screen to take a peek of what reading. Thanks to his stealth, se catches sight of that name.]

Did that say...?

[cranekin]

(As if prompted, he begins to read, his voice calm and quiet so as to not disturb the peace in the gallery,)

Tsurumaru Kuninaga. Forged by Gojo Kuninaga in the first year of Tengi.

(Tengi 1: In the Heian Era, approximately 1053 CE. Raidou can catch the rest of the placard easily enough.)

Inscription: 国永 (Kuninaga)
Designated Imperial Property

Are you surprised, Raidou-kun?

(Not everyone at LILITH knows. Heck, most people don't. He hasn't really gone out of his way to share it.)

[the_fourteenth]

[He both is and isn't. If it were anyone else besides Raidou, maybe, it could be seen as a coincidence. But Raidou is sensitive to things most aren't, magnetite in his world, magic or whatever elsewhere. His constant proximity to demons in his life meant that someone like Tsurumaru felt similar, but not the same. It's the case for many Outsiders, though, and he can't make heads or tails of all the other supernatural forces out in the universe yet.]

I... am not sure of what to make of it.

[This is within his purview, but still outside it.]

Can I ask how this is... related? [He's not even sure how to ask this without being too prying.]

[cranekin]

When a "thing" reaches its 100th birthday, it becomes alive and a soul is born.

(Tsukumogami. It's a simple enough concept but he wonders how much he really has to explain to Raidou.)

I was here before.

(This was his "home.")

[the_fourteenth]

[He doesn't need to explain further. Honestly, this explains everything. It's not something he ever would have guessed, assuming from his own past experiences that Tsurumaru was definitely a demon of some kind, just something from outside his world.

It's a strange thing for him to voice, though, so he opts for:]

...Oh.

[Nailed it.]

I see. Is that why you're here today? To, ah, pay a visit?

[cranekin]

I wanted to see where I was these days.

(And he hums, going quiet for a moment. He moves his hand over the panel, scrolling through the text slowly. There's a short blurb about how the sword is considered a masterpiece of its time and is one of the best preserved blades in the country. While it doesn't list any names, it says the blade was owned by "many influential figures" and had "served many purposes." At the very end, it says the sword is owned by the imperial collection.

It's at the very end that he lingers for a moment and closes his eyes,)

...

(After a moment and he opens his eyes,)

Not here.

[the_fourteenth]

[Over 1200 years old... That's very impressive. However, that sounds like bad news.]

It's-- You're not? You can tell? They do list it here...

[cranekin]

The only one here is me.

(He's quite confident of this. There isn't even a lingering feeling or the slightest draw towards any direction in these halls. As large as this place is, it isn't so large that he could lose himself in it.)

Ah, but it's possible... I could be somewhere else all safe and sound!

(Another collection. Who knows. But knowing his history and his luck, he doesn't get his hopes up. He'd rather be surprised.)

[the_fourteenth]

In storage, maybe? They seem to not display a lot of the more rare items.

[He thinks about this for a moment.]

Perhaps we can come up with a reason to ask an employee to see if we can see... you. [It sounds a little weird, sorry.] Do we know if any Outsiders work here?

[cranekin]

Hmm...

(He hums.)

It can't be helped! (It's said so plainly like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Whatever the result, he's resigned to it. There's no point in asking.) I'd like to keep my mood.

[the_fourteenth]

[...Oh.]

A-Are you sure? It probably wouldn't be difficult to check...

[Raidou certainly doesn't want to pry, but Tsuru has seemed to given up so easily.]

[cranekin]

Why ruin the surprise?

(By now, it should be well known that Tsurumaru Kuninaga loves surprises but what if there was more to it than just that?)

There's nothing here. I could be anywhere so why try to see if anywhere is "no where" or "some where?"

(Why se if it's lost or in the right place?)

The important thing is I'm here.

(He's the version of Tsurumaru that is more valuable to LILITH than the one that isn't here.)

[plagiarists]

[ Back home, museums were great for obtaining some good items, especially if they were connected with a constellation. While it did cross Sooyoung's mind to check out a museum or two and see how tight the security is out of sheer curiosity (this is a lie), she never followed through.

At least not until today.

Her previous encounters with Tsuru never were so quiet as this one is. She doesn't respond to his words—she doesn't have much to say in the matter as this isn't her world and its history doesn't really affect her. Instead, she just watches the holograms and speaks up when Tsurumaru Kuninaga is displayed on one of the panels. ]

Look, it's you.

[ She sneers, shifting her gaze from the sword to Tsuru. ]

[cranekin]

(If only Sooyoung could be free and live her best life like a cat and get her artifacts. This museum is empty of artifacts though, save for (maybe) an authentic piece here or there for special exhibition reasons.)

Just an image.

(The only Tsurumaru Kuninaga in this building is him. )

It looks like I'm not here in this world.

[plagiarists]

[ She can get better stuff on the black market, the museum can keep its holograms and mostly useless artifacts. ]

I see, you wanted to touch yourself. Such a shame.

[ She crosses her arms on her chest and peeks at Tsuru. ]

I'm waiting for Tsurumaru Kuninaga info dump, just so you know.

[cranekin]

(That gets him to laugh. Never change, Sooyoung. You're a ray of light.)

Well, I can carry myself now.

(Since she can see the panel, he'll start to move his fingers to scroll through the information card.)

"Tsurumaru Kuninaga. Forged by Gojo Kuninaga in the first year of Tengi..."

(And quickly, he adds for clarification,)

Ah, that's over a thousand years ago.

"A masterpiece sword and one of the finest preserved blades of its time. It was owned by many influential figures and served many purposes throughout its history before being designated an Imperial Property."

(He just read most of the information off the card,)

Amazing. They've managed to fit so much history into a few lines!

[plagiarists]

[ While she doesn't interrupt him, her frown deepens with every next line he reads from the card. ]

What kind of kin are you if you need to read the information card?

[ Sooyoung shakes her head. ]

Tell me something that only Tsurumaru Kuninaga would know.

[ She'll worry about verifying if it's the truth or not later. ]

[cranekin]

Are you interested in me? Well, you did give me your chyo-- chocolate.

(Someone ruined the magic and taught him the truth. He's teasing, though and he stops to concentrate for a moment.)

These halls are supposed to house the imperial treasues. While there may be some present elsewhere in the building... (He doesn't know. He can't sense them but he knows what the backrooms look like.) The only Tsurumaru Kunianga here, is me.

[plagiarists]

I sure did...

[ Who did this, who taught him about chocolate. She'll find them and ruin their fun forever.

Sooyoung still isn't buying this, even if what Tsuru says makes sense. ]

Just transform back into your sword form and I'll believe you.

[cranekin]

My, my...

(Can he boop her on the nose because he sure is going to try....)

Is that what you want to see?

(He isn't going to change forms for anyone easily. Turning into a sword would leave him vulnerable, to be honest.)

[plagiarists]

[ He can invade her personal bubble whenever he wants. She might not be always happy about it but unfortunately, life isn't about being happy all the time. ]

I mean... that's going to prove more than you reading an information card.

[cranekin]

(Thank you for allowing the nose boop.)

I think if you suddenly had me in your arms, you would have a problem.

(Imagine suddenly having a museum artifact in your arms. Security would go mad.)

[plagiarists]

It's cute that you're worried about me.

[ The guards would definitely jump down her throat if they noticed she was holding a sword. ]

Maybe you should be more worried about yourself. If they got their hands on you, they'd lock you here.

[cranekin]

It wasn't so bad.

(He laughs. It was his last resting place before he was summoned and one of his longest lasting places in his history.)

I like it out here more, though.